I had a magical experience at the Hitching Post (Casmalia). I ordered the Rib Eye ($68). The entree includes a tiny shrimp cocktail, salad, baked potato, garlic bread, ice cream and more. WOW! I feasted upon that juicy, thick steak. It's one of the best!! (Important: I recommend calling for a reservation because this spot fills up FAST! Thankfully, I was able to snag a reservation on the same day. Also, the cell phone internet service is bad because it's nestled in the steep hillside. Just be mindful.) I arrived at the Hitching Post (Casmalia) on Thursday (around 4:25PM). I had a reservation for 4:30PM (Opening Time). Parking felt rustic (but available) with its gravelly roads. I felt anxious since the business's spot felt like the middle of nowhere, but suddenly, huge swathes of cars arrived as it opened. Staff is very attentive, efficient, and professional. Despite the large influx of customers, Staff moved like a well-oiled machine. Without speaking, Staff would quickly appear, refill my lemonade, and vanish to their next task. The main entrees arrived within 30 minutes. As mentioned, I adored the Rib Eye ($68). It's juicy, clean meat. It reminded me of Prime Rib, but its sear/crust felt special. The chefs use an indoor barbecue pit using red oak wood, and it enhances everything! TASTY!! With each bite, it drips apart in my mouth. WOAH!! The Garlic Bread is also delightful; it's thick yet very fluffy with a friendly crunch. The Baked Potato breaks apart like butter. YUM! And the Salad is crisp with fresh croutons. Also, I selected the Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Syrup, and it's BIG, cold, and THICK. It's a feast of food! On ambiance, the Hitching Post (Casmalia) is offers an upscale countryside aesthetic. There's taxidermy animal heads mounted along the walls. The location is very clean and regal. And the lighting is fairly dim. The music is very soft, and the main volume is chatter from excited groups and guests. Overall, I found unexpected magic at the Hitching Post (Casmalia). It's no wonder that it once won an award for being one of the top 10 Great BBQ Joints in the USA. I left with a fully stomach and a bright smile. If you love meat, I wholeheartedly recommend. 5 out of 5. GO!!! read more

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Our family was out on a day trip and decided to stop in for a meal, and honestly it felt like we had won the lottery. We walked in as a party of nine not knowing what to expect. The hostess asked if we had reservations, which we didn't realize we needed since we were just winging it. Luckily, they had a party of ten that didn't show up, so we were seated immediately. That was just the start of the great experience we had. We ordered drinks and I had an excellent Old Fashioned. Shortly after, a delicious plate of sausages was brought out, and our server Guillermo took great care of us the entire time. For appetizers, the artichoke was fantastic and the half rack of ribs was perfectly cooked. For the main course, the steaks were cooked exactly right across the board -- from my ribeye to the top sirloin and New York strips at the table. Someone in our group also ordered the swordfish steak, which was perfectly cooked, nicely seasoned, and tasted amazing. What started as us walking in not knowing what to expect ended with full stomachs and a memorable meal. It was an awesome experience that I would highly recommend to anyone passing through or even making a day trip for. It was well worth the two-hour drive from Ventura. read more

My son loves this legendary establishment. No frills, no thrills; just good old school, real Santa Maria Style BBQ steaks. The price includes coffee/tea and some ice cream (Thrifty's). They don't have beans here :( I always miss them with the bread. But the quality and taste are superb. Get a reservation. Be prepared to wait even still. Tip well. read more

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Another successful visit to the OG Hitching Post in Casmalia. One of the Central Coast's best gin martinis (Hendricks straight up: $12!) is a perfect accompaniment to their Twilight menu (aka early bird) sirloin steak ($43 with all the usual HP accoutrements: relish tray, bay shrimp cocktail, garlic bread, beans, salsa, soup or salad, ice cream and coffee). Perfect medium rare. My partner tried the French fries and they were spot on. I also adore their blue cheese dressing. I save some to put on my baked potato. I bought a jar of their seasoning to take home ($11 for a pound of it). The rose garden is in full bloom and the gentle bustle of the dining rooms with a view of the kitchen and grill is part of what makes this our happy place. Service is consistently friendly and excellent. Our server this night was Amanda and she rocks. A glass of the HP Pinot Hometown ($12) was also delicious. Stop at the Santa Maria or SLO Costco for 2 $50 gift cards for $79.99 - but tip for the full amount, please! We love you, HP! read more

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First time we dined there. The menu selection was excellent, Both of our dinners were fabulous and cooked to perfection. Our server was attentive and super sweet! The only reason we didn't give it 5 stars was due to the cocktails being less than adequate. read more

Went for the third time to the Casmalia location Thursday night with my wife and my mother in law who was in town. I had their lamb chops and New York strip in the past (perfect). This time I got a top sirloin. Love the seasoning and love the tenderness of the steaks. You can count on a flawless sear and a perfect medium-rare. MUST GO if you're in the area. read more

Hitching Post - Ice cream - Barbeque Near Me - Casmalia, California

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This restaurant is the best steak house in the area. With reservations, NO LONG WAIT. Wonderful atmosphere and great food. Worth the drive!

Sorry but in my humble opinion, this place is overrated. Nothing particularly wrong with the service although the servers seem old school (at least ours did) and they seemed always in a rush and not super friendly. A couple of times I did have to stop the server (which I do hate) but it does seem like they are overwhelmed and super busy. For the prices they charge this place should exude more of a high-end vibe. Their steaks are okay but honestly, they should bring in more items into the menu (more of a variety). I would love to see at least one pasta dish on the menu. I know there are people who love this place but honestly, their menu is just boring with the same options/sides as 20 years ago. read more

Glad we were able to make a reservation as it was really busy. Cool, vintage feel with cute bridge and barn in the back. Restaurant feels very squished, both table-to-table and seats within each table. I would expect to feel more comfortable while indulging in our delicious meal. Steaks were prepared beautifully and our appetizers, sides, drinks and dessert complimented our meats perfectly. read more

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Wow. I am an LA native so I knew nothing of the Hitching Post until I met my partner who was born & raised in Lompoc. She always told me the best steak was at the Hitching Post in Casmalia, and she was right! We decided to go to the Hitching Post for my partner's birthday and it lived up to its expectations. Service was great, and the restaurant gave a homey feeling. My partner's steak was cooked to perfection and my ribs were so perfectly seasoned. Cannot wait to go back! read more

Hitching Post - Barbeque Near Me - Casmalia, California

So, we have been going to the Hitching Post for 50 years. When we moved here we thought the Far Western in Guadalupe and the Hitching Post were the best steak houses ever!! The Santa Maria bbq can't be beat! That's why I was so disappointed with our recent visit. My son was visiting with his daughter who is a student at Cal Poly and had never been so he wanted to introduce her to the place. We had a reservation on a Saturday night at 7pm. After waiting about half an hour to be seated after arriving at 7pm we were finally seated. The place had several large parties. The service was very slow and wait staff seemed too stressed. Not sure if it was a staffing issue or if it was an attitude issue, but not the level of service we were used to. Food took forever between courses, tables were not properly cleared after courses. We all ordered steak, but I ordered the small top sirloin which I have always ordered and has always been delicious. I ordered it medium rare. Way over done! Barely pink in the middle, very dry, despite being very thick. We ordered the blue cheese salad because it has always been very crisp, shredded perfectly tossed with the perfect amount of dressing. This salad was heavy on the dressing, barely tossed, lettuce wilted and had obviously been prepared hours previous and sitting in the refrigerator forever. All of our salads were the same and they were all substandard. Anyway, if this is the new Hitching Post level of food and service it's not worth the drive. I will try it again but if it seems to be a pattern I will defer to the one in Buellton. Hopefully it was just a bad night. read more

This place is in the middle of nowhere and somewhere. Casmalia, California. The food is all freshly cooked, of course, and the meats are all from the nearby farm . We had a big group go there of which they can service large groups in a separate room as well as small groups in the main area . The portion size is huge and you can more than share food if you want to. I had a delicious half stack of pork ribs and grilled artichoke, and they were outstanding! Our service that night was fantastic! If you want wine and dine on good beef products, this is an amazing place. read more

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What a lovely and historical bbq restaurant this place is. I only stopped in to buy merchandise to giveaway at a Toastmasters event, but this place is totally worth the detour from the main roads. The restaurant is small and intimate inside, but lively and friendly around 5:30 pm on a Friday. There is plenty of parking and the service from the hostess desk is friendly. I can't wait to return with my friends and family to enjoy BBQ. In the meantime, I will be smiling up some bbq with my new seasoning and baste. read more

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It was a long drive from Morrow Bay, but that's ok, it was part of the charm I guess. We were really looking forward to this as we were told the food here was nothing short of amazing! All the reviews are great, so off we went. The service was very friendly and the little appetizers were a nice touch. Shrimp cocktail was nice, but really small. Great salad, then the main event! Dinner! I had the lobster which was huge! The biggest lobster tail I've ever seen and it was perfection!!! It may be the best I've had and that's saying aot! My friend has the ribeye and was nice enough to give me a little of it. I thought my first bite might have been a bad one so I had another. It was bland, tender but bland. There was almost no seasoning, unlike Jocos or Madonna's. My wife had the filet mignon and that was bland as well. Everyone at the table, there were 6 of us but one thought the same thing. "I've had a better more flavorful steak at. Outback" which for us is not a favorite. Of you are in the area, go to Jocko's, Madonna's or Mistura. Look, or was far from bad!!! I mean if go back for the lobster tomorrow but for the drive and especially the price, which is high, it was, "Meh," at a "Oh my goodness" price. Others like it, my wife did but when ribeye is &"meh," there's a problem. Filling, great atmosphere, friendly, huge amount if food, then ice cream afterward but the main event was the steak and our, though far from bad, was just decent. read more

The food was good, service is excellent. The steak are great, not tender as expected. The rib is dried. The location is off the map. Location is not convenient. My only concern is if the location is off the map, how can they guarantee the food is fresh? I also wondering the veggies plate on the table with raw green onions- how is that being consumed? We didn't have baked potatoes- the source cream was a bit wasted. read more

I've lived in Santa Maria about three months now and I've been to the Hitching Post three times already. The service, the steak, the experience has been outstanding every time. Plus I love watching my steak cook on the Santa Maria grill! I usually get a sirloin or something kinda fatty. Meals include salad, shrimp cocktail (minis), bread and ice cream. This family owned place is a staple in the area, Tourism Partner of the Year in 2024, and you will not be disappointed. read more

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Ribs were better than the steak. Service was long and I had a baby with us so was a little inconvenient. Ambiance was normal for a steakhouse, not my favorite in town but cool to try. read more

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Usually a great place to eat but the last couple of times it's been another average spot, which wouldn't been bad except for the price tag on the items. Took 40 mins to get seated with a reservation and we arrived 10 mins early. The hostess seemed bothered when I asked if my table was ready after watching two groups get seated when they just arrived. The waitress was good but 2 hours and 15 mins to complete a meal in the very noisy environment is not the ambience I was looking for. Price the same as The Willows at Chumash, The Willows has better ambience and better tasting food for the same price point. Might have been the last time I go to the hitching post. read more

We were visiting my in-laws and we were told this place was amazing. It was better than amazing. From the atmosphere and delicious smells I was hooked. We were visiting from Oahu and I have never tasted food as good at this place. I got the filet mignon and my husband got the ribeye- PERFECTION. The added side dishes and vegetable plates were the perfect accompaniment. I am a connoisseur of fries and best believe their fries are all that. The staff were equally amazing. Very attentive and made sure our drinks or sides were never ending. Thank you Hitching Post for an amazing meal. Will definitely be back. read more

Hitching Post - The meal was so delicious I remembered mid meal to take a picture. - Barbeque Near Me - Casmalia, California

Despite 20 years between dining here, the entire meal remains excellent! Leave your cell phone in the car, as there is no reception, but on this particular occasion it is a good thing. The steak was tender, the bread was tasty and the ice cream included after the meal is a nice touch. Hats off to the Ostini family, owners of this worth driving out of the way restaurant read more

We had a reservation and they got us in right away. The customer service was on point and very friendly atmosphere. The food came fast and it was really good. I didn't get to take pictures. Next time we go back I will. read more

Delicious food presented well and the wine is everything you hope. It remains as enjoyable as when I dined there in the 90's

Chef Luis, as always, was on top of his game. Our Bone-in Chop was perfect!! We had A.J. as our server and she was also great. This is our must go to place anytime we are down in the Central Coast. Thank you for another amazing meal. read more

Old school steakhouse. Best on the central coast. Perfection in BBQ over red oak coals Santa Maria Style. Staff knows how to service customers and makes you feel welcomed. Historical decor adds to the country experience. read more

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Amanda was the best server she absolutely made my stay feel so welcomed I will ABSOLUTELY come back just for her !!! read more

Hitching Post - Barbeque Near Me - Casmalia, California

The Hitching Post is located in the small Town of Casmalia,CA, right on the Main Street, so it's easy to locate. There is parking, but normally it's all taken up. Your alternative would be finding parking on the street. The curb appeal isn't the best (the building is over 120 years old) but dear Yelp Review Readers...don't let that deter you. Once you walk into the restaurant, you'll be stepping into a large dining room with some pretty neat decor on the walls. We were taken to our seats as we entered and noticed that the restaurant was essentially full. We had reservations and would recommend making them days in advance. With an open kitchen, the cooking grill being mastered by Chef Luis and the amount of patrons, I felt prepared for a truly amazing meal...and amazing it was. Our Servers for this evening's culinary experience were both fabulous...Karli (Cocktails) and Kaylee (Food). Both of them were helpful, friendly and made us feel as if we were their "favorite repeat diners"...even though this was our initial Hitching Post experience. Truly amazing customer service...thank-you Karli and Kaylee! Our Cocktail order arrived first : White Russian (tall) w/heavy cream (5/5) and an Expresso Martini (5/5)...both of these drinks were made with a deft hand and were wonderfully delicious. Our meal began with the complimentary veggie tray, bay shrimp cocktail (3/5...not outstanding, but it came with) and small dinner salad (4/5). Shortly thereafter, our order started to arrive...Appetizers first: the "steamed then grilled" Artichoke (5/5...and complimentary from Chef Luis), the Linguisa Sausage (5/5...again complimentary from Chef Luis, who personally did a "table touch" to make sure our experience was going well). Then our Mains: 10oz.Top Sirloin (Twilight Menu) w/2x Skewered Grilled Vegetables (5/5 - the Top Sirloin "grilled to perfection"), Filet Mignon & Quail combination with Fries (5/5 - delicious), New Zealand Rack of Lamb with Skewered Grilled Vegetables (5/5 - never tasted better prepared Lamb) and Wild Harvested Scallops with Grilled Vegetables and Fries (5/5 - amazing!). Everyone in our party was truly delighted with the faire and thought they had never tasted or enjoyed better! We also all need "take away" containers for the leftovers. The Dessert: Ice Cream for everyone (3.5/5 - a little "plain" but yummy finish to a superb meal). As the "topper" to our dining experience...we enjoyed a visit to the outside landscaped Garden at the back of the restaurant. Spending a pleasant 1/2 hour viewing the Koi Pond, Water tower, Covered Wagon and more was a wonderful way to end our evening's experience. Walking back to our vehicles, we reflected with smiles on our faces how on this occasion, in all of our opinions...the Hitching Post in Casmalia truly earned this "the WOW factor is a 10" , highly recommend 5 Star review! read more

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The drive to this great steak place is beautiful, rolling hills, farmland, etc, but you will always have a bit of a drive to get there since the original Hitching Post is not near anything (with apologies to the 12 people who live in Casmalia). However, once you're there, you will admit the drive is worth it. For a nominal split place fee, my wife & I gorged on an excellent steak dinner, cooked right in front of us. Friendly people. Great service. Fair prices, actually inexpensive prices, for a top end steak place. 5/5. Highly recommend. read more

Hitching Post - Sign for the best steak restaurant. - Barbeque Near Me - Casmalia, California

Went for a birthday dinner. Service was great! Food was excellent. The only thing I witnessed and did not appreciate was, I saw the man running the pit grab raw meat from fridge toss it onto grill then touch cooked meat. read more

Came here after The Car Show in Santa Maria, the place was poppin with business soon as we walked in ...we were greeted & asked if we had Reservations which we didn't but were offered the bar area for 2.. Sat right away, was able to watch the Dodger game and enjoy our steak dinners. Service was fast, friendly & food was worth of my 5 stars we will visit again read more

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We were seated quickly. Our waitress was friendly and helpful. I was surprised to see how the prices hadn't gone up. I did notice portions were smaller, like on our mushroom appetizer and our salads, but prices were good so no complaints. The room gets a little loud but if you know that ahead of time, it's easier to deal with. The steak was delicious like always. We were celebrating a birthday. I made sure I said that twice while making the reservation. That info did not reach our server but once I informed her, she handled it beautifully! Our waitress was one of the best I've had this year! We will be going again, and again, and again! It's worth the drive! read more

Valentine's Day was my first time at The Hitching Post as an adult. It was very packed with tables fairly close together but I imagine that's to be expected with the holiday. We luckily got a table by a wall though which was nice. I really enjoyed the food, my steak was great but I really have to rave about the lobster, it was the best I've ever had. You get a side salad, shrimp cocktail, ice cream, garlic bread and a side included with your entree so I definitely think you're getting your moneys worth. I got a mango martini which was absolutely delicious and my partner got an apple crown cocktail of some kind which he loved. Nicole was our server and she was extremely sweet and pretty attentive given the usual chaos of Valentine's Day. I also want to give some attention to the bussers that night who very obviously were paying attention to their dining room. The speed in which they could flip a table (as in clear, clean, and reset) was so impressive. Definitely can't wait to come back again. read more

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Food was excellent. Staff was friendly. Out of the way but well worth the drive. Filets were tender and flavorful. Higher recommend. Well worth the drive Included with dinner. Shrimp cocktail salad main course and dessert. read more

Hitching Post is an institution in the community. The food is always perfectly cooked and served. Servers are attentive and knowledgeable. The staff truly cares about the diner's experience and does whatever it takes to ensure the experience is enjoyable. The restaurant is a throwback to earlier times so keeps the diner interested. read more

I was in Santa Maria for work. I was told to go to the Hitching Post for a great steak. I was not disappointed! I love the fact this restaurant is off the beaten path in Casmalia. I went on a Tuesday evening for dinner. It might be off the beaten path, but it's definitely well known; they had a good dinner crowd. I sat at the bar. The bartender provided phenomenal service. I ordered a filet mignon with grilled vegetables as my two side. You also get a fresh vegetable tray and a small shrimp cocktail as starters. Garlic bread with your meal. Ice Cream for dessert and coffee or tea. I actually had iced tea with my meal and coffee with my ice cream. They cook the meat over an open pit BBQ inside the restaurant/kitchen. You can watch them cook through a large window next to the BBQ. Everything was delicious. One of the best steaks I've ever had. The grilled vegetables were fantastic -- mushrooms, bell peppers, onions; it was done like a kebab. I wish I lived closer, but I'll definitely go back anytime I'm in the area. read more

My husband and I have been wanting to come to this place and we finally ended up coming. It is literally literally in the middle of nowhere, but it's so worth the drive. I am so glad we came. I had the absolute best artichoke appetizer. I had filet mignon medium plus and it was great. The bartender was amazing. I had a really good michelada. Everything was beyond amazing here. I can't wait to return here and I would definitely get the artichoke. read more

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I love steaks and ribeyes and the Hitching Post came highly recommended to me. Specifically the location in Casmalia. So reservations were made last week for tonight. I highly recommend making reservations to make sure you get in. I like how lit up and bright it is inside compared to other steak houses that are sometimes dimly lit. Every person I interacted with smiled when they talked to me and was very friendly. I haven't even ordered yet and was already having a good experience. As soon as we were seated waters were automatically brought out along with a small plate of pickled veggies followed by a cocktail waitress. The drinks came out quickly then our server came and took our order. The great thing is each dinner comes with bread, cocktail shrimp, salad, and the choice for grilled veggies, French fries, or potato plus ice cream for dessert. The food comes out in courses so it makes the time go pretty quick. I ordered the ribeye and it was cooked perfect. Nice char on the outside, delicious fatty charred bits, cooked perfectly. You can tell that the meat wasn't just pulled out of the fridge and thrown over the fire because it isn't over cooked or burnt on the outside and raw on the inside it's perfectly pink throughout. I wish I'd taken a photo of the cross section of the ribeye. Regardless it was very good. It's a little bit in the middle of nowhere but if you want a good ribeye that's cooked perfectly I highly recommend trying this location out. Again I recommend making reservations to make sure you are able to get in read more

Hitching Post - Ribeye with grilled veggies - Barbeque Near Me - Casmalia, California

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We've visited 2-3 times in the last 6 months and this has become one of our faves! The 30 min drive from AG means we have to plan for it but we're finding the drive to be part of the experience. We're from Bakersfield so the Basque-type set up is very familiar and welcome to us. Drinks are well-crafted, and the barkeeps are friendly & fun. Have seriously not had a bad meal here but I think you've got to have steaks or ribs to get the full benefit of the red oak grill. All meat has been cooked to everyone's satisfaction. Love the old building and the western/cowboy wall decor (did I say I was from Bakersfield?). If you are in a hurry, or want convenience, go somewhere else. If you want a great Santa Maria-style meal, with some fun thrown in, the drive to Casmalia will be worth it! read more

We have a tradition to visit this amazing landmark every time we visit the Santa Ynez area. The food is 5 stars, the wine (especially the Highliner) is 5 stars and the service is always good, this last time it was great as our server "Autum" was incredibly attentive and had such a friendly attitude, even on a packed night. We love this place! read more

Place was sort of a roller coaster of really good and not so good. We came with no reservation on a Wednesday middle of August (our own fault) and luckily managed to grab the last table in the restaurant. This place, 10 miles away from any modern civilization, was completely packed. They quickly arranged the table and I have no qualms with being seated right in front of the host stand. Kudos to them for offering it as it looks like it could double as a seating space in the waiting area. Service was pretty good! Cocktails were served by one gal, and a food order was taken by another. Neither of them rushed us and seemed to have a pleasant upbeat attitude! The appetizers, quail, artichoke, and mushrooms were all okay. Shrimp cocktail and salad were fairly sad, tiny shrimps and a salad consisting of iceberg lettuce and crutons, choice of dressing. Steak however was pretty damn good. Had the ribeye and tried the filet. Rounding up from 3.5 stars because it was pricey for a small town steak n bbq joint! But we got the last table and lived it up. When in Casmalia. read more

Hitching Post - Next years ribeye? - Barbeque Near Me - Casmalia, California

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If you don't mind a long drive and really want a great steak this is the place! Crazy how good this place is. Don't make the commitment to the drive without a reservation though. The walk in wait is LONG. This place is crowded from open to close--it's in the middle of nowhere and yet everyone finds it. The food was outstanding! The service outstanding! The rib eye was the star but everything was great. read more

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