So some friends of ours invited us to go to the hitching post, and we had not been there in quite a number of years. We had reservations, and we were a little early, but still were seated promptly. It was too noisy for me maybe for younger people, but you couldn't even hear the person next to you talk. Some of the people were seated right in the aisle Way, no way for me. Our server was Amanda and she was very nice and friendly. I had an old fashion, but I commented the cherry was incorrect ha ha. My girlfriend and I both had fillet mignon 8 ounces. Didn't look like 8 ounces to me. We had salads and appetizers, but I compared it to a couple other restaurants not too far away, and I thought it was lacking. read more

Love the food, can taste flavor from the red oak wood fire pit on all the meat. Everything seasoned and prepared correctly. Nice to go into a meat restaurant, order a certain temp and actually get it prepared correctly! If you go when they open at 4pm, you can order from the "twilight" menu, a discounted price of full size meal. The prices no matter what are good considering your entree comes with drink, app, meal, and dessert. Service is good, plenty of staff helping each other. The restaurant inside is outdated, but it's original to the small town so it works for them. Make sure you go to the backyard of the restaurant by the bathroom hallway. Cut coi fish pond, bridge, and relaxing area. Would recommend, I prefer this hitching post vs buellton location. read more

Normally I love this place. We go here when we want something special, we bring people from out of town here. We have always loved it. Not so on Monday night, Feb 13. Monday night both of our steaks was completely lacking. No flavor, chewing on rubbery meat. We were shocked that a place we have always loved was so drastically different. I couldn't even finish. I'm not sure what was happening differently in the kitchen, but whatever or whoever happened on Monday. It wasn't good. Our server was kind and friendly as always. No complaints there. The food, made me question if we would be back. At that price I should love it every time. read more

Hands down! One of the best steak restaurants in the central coast! Over all service was on point. They had a great way of serving and we felt that we were not rush and the food came out as noted. drinks, appetizers, shrimp cocktail, salad, entrée, and the dessert (ice cream). It was a bit full and we ended up in a small corner but soo worth it! Overall Great food! Great service! And wonderful drinks read more

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When I called to see if I can move my reservation up, the lady who answered seemed nice & was able to switch my reservation for a later time at the last minute. When we arrived at the restaurant, we parked across the street since there wasn't any parking available. The restaurant sounded & looked busy at 730pm on a Thursday. Waited about 10 mins before we got seated in what looked like a private room. Probably because it was full in the main dining area. No complaints here. We had different ladies take our drink order & food order. We were given complimentary crackers, different kinds, which were individually packaged. We also had a fresh veggie tray that we nibbled on, which had: pickles, olives, green onion, radish & carrot sticks. They brought out a mini shrimp cocktail which we each scarfed down our own mini bowl. Salad came next, & shortly after our main entrees. We both ordered Filet Mignon & devoured all 5oz of tender juicy steak. I ate up my grilled vegetables which came with a piece of bread, as well as my friend who finished her plate with a baked potato. Next was dessert. Had a choice of sherbet or rocky road ice cream. Of course we choose rocky road. We cleaned up everything. Everything was either so good or we were both hungry. Felt like we had a 5 course meal. Ended with a cup of tea. We had great service & a delicious meal!... Check out their outdoor patio in the back. Nice, large event space & a Koi pond. There were also kitties roaming around in the back... The drive leaving the restaurant was kind of creepy. It was probably around 9pm & it was very dark & pretty foggy. read more

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Great service, amazing BBQ and appetizers. The cocktail program is on point. I cannot fault anything. Definitely the best steak and sides on the Central Coast!!! Jack's is good, The Hitching Post is great! read more

We felt transported back to a classic steakhouse and were not disappointed. We loved the veggie tray and crackers. The shrimp was delicious and we tried the grilled artichoke appetizer as well which was amazing! Our steaks were buttery, just smoky enough and overall perfection (you could literally cut them with a butter knife!). The decor reminded us of local history, the staff was attentive and the food was awesome. Great place for a date night! read more

Hitching Post - Filet Mignon & Quail, grilled veggie kabob - Barbeque Near Me - Casmalia, California

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I had the best meal of my life here! I had the 32 ounce rib eye, it was cooked to perfection and my wife had the shrimp and sirloin. My wife said she has never eaten a steak that good in her life! The service was outstanding and they even tell you when your steak is on the grill which is out in the open so you can watch as it is being prepared behind a glass enclosed wood grill. The restaurant is clean and not pretentious, people we're dressed casually. It was all about the food and service which I can say is out of this world!!!!! read more

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We made reservations and we traveled a long way to eat here as we were celebrating a birthday. We had to wait 1/2 hour to be seated. They crammed as many people as they could in to a small space. I mentioned that we had a birthday in our party upon making the reservation and when we arrived I reminded them. The birthday person got nothing extra like a song or a candle in his dessert. The food portions were very small unless you ordered the $95 steak. We will not be going back and do not recommend this place. read more

We love the Hitching Post in Casmalia, Ca. The food and service is great and we love the rustic ambience of the town and restaurant .

My wife and I went there because she got a gift card from a co worker, and she had never been there before. We were impressed with the customer service but the food was absolutely amazing. read more

It's not my usual dinner stop, but the food was excellent and so was the service. The ambiance is that of an old western/ranch theme, the only part that I wish had been better was the long wait to be seated. If you like 3 course style meals, and taking drives, this is the place for you. read more

The drive is worth it. Food is amazing , best ribeye I have had. Slightly over cooked but didn't mind it was very flavorful! We also got the quail for an appetizer , deliscious! Staff was extremely friendly and checked in on us.It is slightly crowded but very clean and cool. read more

Best steak ever. Everything about this place is awesome. The service, the food and the price. The amount of food you get is perfect, there is no going home hungry. I also loved not having cell service so we had to leave our phones alone. read more

Had to wait 30 minutes past our reservation time to be seated but once we were seated everyone was great! Awesome food and great service.

Hands down my favorite restaurant. From the service to the food; it's all excellent. A little on the pricey side but you'll never go away hungry. My wife and I go there 4-6 times per year. read more

We sat in the corner near the kitchen window. You can see them grill the food. It was a little warm and loud and dark. Started with the grilled artichoke, that's a fine appetizer. They give you bread rolls but the butter is always hard and frozen like, how am I supposed to butter my roll? Then they bring you a shrimp appetizer and your salad. If you order the potato they bring it with your meal. My steak was very thick and although I asked for medium I got medium well, only the middle was a slight pink and the rest was well done. I didn't send it back because I was hungry! We also brought our own wine and they charge you like $15 to serve it there. The drink hostess forgot refills of water and tea, but otherwise service was decent. read more

Sunday evening and we did not have a reservation, apparently that is a must. They greeted us with a smile and said they will make it work. Sat us instantly. Cocktails were very tasty and food was ever better. All of the employees we dealt with were great. Very old school steakhouse. read more

Restaurant was great! We went to celebrate my dads birthday and it was very good! I had the filet mignon and it was cooked well and had a Smokey flavor to it. It's very busy luckily we had a reservation. The restaurant has a bunch of deer /bison heads hung up on the wall it's pretty legit. You get different courses with your meal too which is nice! read more

Love coming to this location. Food is excellent, service is always good, and it's a fun atmosphere. Tonight I had the best salmon I've ever eaten in a restaurant. Succulent, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. I like mine a medium and it was perfect. Hope they have it as a special often!! My husband had the sirloin and shrimp. He was in heaven! We traded bites and his steak was delicious! It is usually my go to meal there and it's always so good! What ever you order I'm sure you'll enjoy it! read more

Woooza, ride. 'em cowboys! Excellent, triple that! Finally open for inside so we made reservations for our anniversary. Our table was well away from others and any staff that came over had masks on. Servers were attentive and nice. "WHAT ABOUT THE FOOD?!" you ask. Amazing is a lame word for this meal. They were the best steaks we've had since Ruth Chris! Perfect. I had fillet minion with quail. Texas spatchcock style, tasty little treat! The seasonings were perfect, steaks cooked to order, fork tender, delicious . Right Brain had a 12oz Rib Eye. Thought he'd pass out from pure unadulterated joy. All dinners come with an opening veggie plate, shrimp cocktail, salad, choices of sides, desert and coffee. It's not that bad at $$$ for a huge meal. Be responsible in your drinking, curving country road out in the hills. ENJOY!! read more

Amazing place! Never heard of it and some good friends treated us to dinner last night! The service and food were 5-stars. I had the ribeye and it was cooked perfectly, wife had the lobster and it was delicious also. We can't wait to go back!! read more

Hitching Post - Barbeque Near Me - Casmalia, California

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JUST MAKE THE RESERVATIONS Do not go here without a reservation. We got lucky with bar seating on Valentine's Day with no reservations. Our friend arrived at around 6pm, and he said the restaurant had to turn off their phones, and let everyone know there were no seats available. If you want to go on a holiday, I would call weeks ahead for a reservation. MAKE THE RESERVATION. I made a reservation for Valentine's Day (Monday) about 2 weeks before, and the best time I could get was 8:30pm. We decided to go there at around 5pm and just cancel the 8:30pm. We waited about 15 minutes, and luckily we were able to get a seat at the bar. There are about 6 seats available at the bar. TIMING The restaurant opens at 4pm, and it was already packed when we got there at 5pm. The waiting area was clear, but that was also packed when we left at around 6:30pm. We sat at the bar at around 5:15pm and we got our drinks and veggies fairly quickly. We ordered and got our food at around 6pm, and left at around 6pm. STAFF & AMBIENCE The bartenders were super friendly. The hostesses were great as well. Although, when I told her we wanted to cancel our reservation and just wait, she kind of smirked. lol. Okay, I get it, it's a popular restaurant. The restaurant was loud itself. It's so packed and loud, it reminds me of a club. I was at the bar, but the restaurant isn't that big. FOOD Normally, I would get a medium rare filet mignon, but since I'm pregnant, I got the ribs. My husband got the filet mignon and he said it was great. He loved the flavor and it was cooked perfectly for him. The ribs were mediocre and perhaps borderline over salted. It was a bit dry for my liking, but maybe that's a personal preference. It wasn't as meaty as I would like, but then again, that's a personal preference. I've had ribs from different parts of the nation, and I've been to rib fest, and I know everyone's style is a little different. Perhaps this is the Santa Maria style of ribs. Both meals came with crackers, veggies, salsa, shrimp cocktail (which we opted not to get), salad, side and ice cream. OVERALL I'm not quite sure it's worth it to go back, but then again, I didn't get to try one their steaks, which is probably what they're known for. I would call this place more of a steakhouse than a BBQ place. The reason for the 4 stars is because it seems like such a hassle to eat here. It's so busy and packed, that there's no way I would make a last minute decision to eat here and just walk-in. It reminds of places like Jiro in Japan. Jiro made it such a hassle to get a reservation at his restaurant that he lost his Michelin stars. Did I mention you should just make the reservation and plan ahead? lol. read more

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I went last night with a group of 6, it was my first time going to Casmalia. I was surprised at how remote it was. Within the unassuming building was a huge restaurant brimming with people. We each ordered different cuts of steak, and were all blown away with how well they were seasoned, cooked, and charred. We ordered the artichoke appetizer, it took us a minute to figure out how you're supposed to eat it lol. We got the shrimp appetizer which was seasoned and cooked perfectly also. The ice cream and coffee at the end of the entrees was a fun surprise. All in all it was a great experience, well worth the drive to Casmalia. read more

Prices continue to go up while portions continue to go down. This used to be the best restaurant for the money. Service is still good usually. My wife asked for a medium well filet and it came out bloody raw. Server was appalled and sent it right back. Salads used to be huge, now they are small. Baked potatoes are now the same thing. It's not my first choice anymore. read more

I went to the Hitching Post last Saturday for dinner with friends. I was worried going to a Steakhouse when I am vegan. I thought they would not have anything I could eat. I was wrong and dined on fresh artichoke, asparagus, mushrooms, and baked potato. All the vegetables were grilled to perfection. My other friends had a rack of ribs , scallop appetizer, and filet mignon. They kept raving about how wonderful they were. Believe me, I was tempted to eat meat! We made plans to go back again soon! Service was excellent and friendly. The chef is outstanding and we met him as we were leaving. He loves what he does and it shows. What a wonderful restaurant. BTW, it's in an historical building with lots of memorabilia around to add to your experience.. read more

Take-out from Hitching Post is good! My 5 oz. Filet Mignon was delicious. I do think that the prices are a bit high for what came with the meal, but it was a special treat and delicious. I wish we felt more comfortable to eat in, which may have made it more of an experience and worth the price! The Filet Mignon was ordered medium-well, and wasn't over-seasoned. It was cooked over oak, but the oak didn't over-power flavor of delicious meat. I chose salad, over soup. The other side options were baked potato, fries or rice pilaf. I chose the rice, which I liked...I found a chunk of mushroom here and there. I also got 2 pieces of garlic bread...we wanted a little more!! I heard the rack of lamb was hearty, tender and juicy. That meal came with the same sides as above. Not bad, but expensive... *We ordered from Buellton location. read more

I am totally floored...absolutely mortified at my takeout experience from this place. I'll start by complimenting the taste of the meat we ordered. Great flavor; however and unfortunately, grossly over cooked. My compliments end there. I have recently traveled to Lompoc to bring my daughter to her first duty station at Vandenberg SFB and am currently living out of military lodging. Myself and two daughters barely have room to move around and least of all, a sufficient dining area or dining hardware. Being tired, we decided to sweeten our night's stay with a "nice" steak dinner based on the reviews we read, or so we thought! Well, after extensive searching for a decent steakhouse that was open in the 30 mile radius of the base, I chose this place; roughly 20 miles away. We ordered the rack of lamb, the ribeye, and the children's steak dinner... ALL RARE! My lamb was medium; at best, my eldest's ribeye was medium/medium rare, and my youngest's steak was medium. The sides were sub-par, but the highlight of the meal was supposed to be the entree protein, right? Again, the meats tasted good...thankfully. To add insult to injury, when my daughter returned to our room, we discovered that our meals were packaged in aluminum foil and brown bags!!!! My rack of lamb, ribeye, and sirloin were all wrapped in aluminum foil and thrown in a brown lunch bag. Our sides (including the vegetables) were wrapped in foil and the French fries were thrown in a lunch bag!!! What in the world?!?!?! NO CONTAINERS!!! I'm trying to figure out what made the salad so special that warranted styrofoam containers???? Oh, and the little shrimp cocktail was packaged in styrofoam. No ice cream included. Just to make sure y'all are tracking, let's recap... aside from going out of our way to patronize the establishment; our meats were over cooked and mostly everything was wrapped in foil and no containers/plates to eat off. But wait...there's more!! THERE#WAS#NO#FLATWARE in which to eat our STEAKS/RACK OF LAMB and sides! NOTHING! What twilight zone did we enter? Where in the entire U.S.of.A. do they do this? How in the world was this place was busier than a truck stop on I-10 between San Antonio and El Paso! How??? So, apparently tonight was my family's night to audition for the roles of Neanderthals and guess what? We all scored the leading roles! We had to eat everything with our hands because we were too hungry to drive another 10 mi to the nearest grocery store. Base amenities were either closed or out of what we needed. The icing on the cake was my $130 ticket and couldn't even eat our over cooked meal off containers and with flatware! Finally, to The Hitching Post; my family thanks you for the warmed welcome! I guess the locals are accustomed to this type of hospitality. Very impressive. For us, thumbs down! read more

Started with some cocktails at the bar before dinner. Call drinks were reasonably priced and strong AF. We were seated on time and the table was set with salsa, assorted crackers and relish tray on ice. I love this touch. We had a big party with separate checks and the staff worked hard to keep everything straight. We ordered the Shrimp & Scallops -- wow what a dish. Simple prep with roasted onions and peppers on a skewer. Seafood cooked perfectly with that red oak flavor. I ordered the Rib Eye -- it came out medium when I ordered medium rare and it looked more like a 12 Oz New York Steak. It also wasn't particularly hot. I like my Rib Eye with WAY more marbling. Our friend ordered the 12 Oz Filet Mignon -- that steak looked amazing. I guess I like more of a Spencer cut and I guess Hitching Post butchers it differently. Baked Potatoes came to the table and I ordered fries. They never brought them out. Also noticed that my bill had two additional drinks that weren't mine. Should have said something, but didn't want to draw our guest's attention. I guess I'm just a little bummed that I may have received a NY steak instead of a Rib Eye. The salad was iceberg w/ some spinach. Blue cheese dressing g was nice and creamy. Bread was just OK, baked potato was slightly brown & overcooked. Shrimp cocktail was really good -- red cocktail sauce with lemon was A+ Appetizers saved the day for sure. Artichoke was perfect. Scallops excellent and mushrooms were sublimed. I just remember the steaks being so much better a decade ago. I'd probably flip coin to go there or Jocko's next time because their version of the Rib Eye is what I'm used to. Still a very good meal -- 3.5 out of 5 read more

Hitching Post - Barbeque Near Me - Casmalia, California

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I was in here with my boyfriend earlier tonight and it was my first time ever being in there! It was AMAZING! They were totally hopping with customers, but the staff was like a well oiled machine. The super friendly girl working behind the bar helped us all evening and even with how hard she was working, she was really attentive to our needs the whole time! We'll definitely be back! read more

Hitching Post - Barbeque Near Me - Casmalia, California

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I can't remember the last time I was here, it might be 25 years or so. First off it was Sunday night and we called in a reservation for 5:30pm. As we traveled we almost miss the turn off to the right because it was dark and parking was non existent on that street so we ended parking on the dirt lot across the street. There was no line as we got in and we were seated right away, the server came up to us to let us know what specials was available and that they didn't have any halibut and lamb, and the real server would come to get our order for drinks. We got our drinks and an appetizer order of artichoke. The service was excellent. I got to taste the Salmon which was grilled and extra tender, best I've ever tasted. The Bleu cheese salad which was served was already evenly mixed in which I appreciate, I always have issues with mixing dressing in my salad. I ordered filet mignon medium pink and it's been the best tasting and most tender I've had in a very long time. I ordered quail, tastes like chicken and good, grilled vegetables very good, relish tray, crackers and garlic bread. The atmosphere was excellent. This has been the best steak meal with all the fixings outing in years. I hope to have the time and money to come back out, this is a must to share and be with loved ones to experience. read more

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Off the beaten path, however we definitely had to try. Smokey, well-seared, nicely charred, well-seasoned bone-in goodness! Welcoming hostess and great service overall. All side dishes came simultaneously on time....except the main dish, which came almost an hour after everything else was served. I wonder if the meat is so fresh they caught / slaughtered the cow as you order. 3 stars is for the unfortunately well-done steak that we ordered medium. But needless to say it was still a decent meal, side dishes, wine, and service wise. read more

Hitching Post - Sadly well done, albeit tasty steak. Doesn't look medium to me... - Barbeque Near Me - Casmalia, California

So much food!! Your meal comes with a plate of veggies to start, plus a bay shrimp cocktail and small side salad. (The bleu cheese dressing was quite good! Not too strong and just the right balance.) I ordered the 5oz filet mignon and grilled vegetables. Great flavor! The meal is ended with a scoop of sherbet. The appetizer order of mushrooms was amazing... I could have eaten those all night. I can't even begin to describe the flavors but everything had a nice smokiness to it. The Bloody Mary is one of my top choices, as they didn't douse it in horseradish. Had we not had wine at the table, I may have had another. ;-) read more

What can I say, it's the Hitching Post. I love everything about the place, the staff, the cool old building, the view of the bbq pit from many tables, the beautiful back area with the koi pond and of course, the incredible food. They have the best steaks anywhere, artichokes are fantastic and of course, vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and a coffee to finish. I'm making another reservation now! read more

I'd never been to Casmalia, let alone the Hitching Post. Wish I before now. This former hotel from stagecoach days eventually became the popular steak house it is today. We drove past in the early afternoon and the place was deserted and felt like a ghost town. When we returned that evening, the area was packed with cars. Inside, the bustling and friendly restaurant felt like a place my grandparents would have taken us. Dark, woody, the aroma of grilled meat. How exciting when the host lead us to a table next to the Santa Maria grill where an assortment of steaks seared over smoking red oak. The warmth off the glass separating us from the fire was most welcoming on this chilly June evening. Over martinis, we pondered the menu and munched on assorted pickled and fresh veggies on our table. Donna got a filet and I got a sirloin. Wanting to save room for these primo steaks we'd heard about, I held back and ate only half of our grilled artichoke appetizer (it's a mystery how they managed to get so much smoky flavor clear into the heart). I ate all of my shrimp cocktail, and half of my salad - which I would have downed in two minutes, that's how good the house blue cheese dressing was along with light and crispy freshly made croutons. Our sizzling steaks arrived with a baked potato and grilled French bread. I cut into the steak and was happy to find it cooked exactly as I'd ordered - medium rare. At first bite I realized this was the best steak I'd ever tasted, my bliss from simplicity - tasty spices, nice texture, perfectly cured beef, and just enough smoky flavor from the red oak. Donna could only finish half of her filet, so I downed that as well. Filet can be dull since it has less fat, but the spices and smoke made the flavor stand out as much as the heavenly texture. Ice cream and coffee also come with the meals, but there was hardly room at this point. On the way out we waved at the cattle across the street, but they gave us a weird look. read more

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The hitching Post is representative of the central coast's history and heritage. As is customary in this part of the State, raw vegetables and crackers are served as complimentary appetizers. Husband and I shared a 12oz Ribeye, baked potatoes and garlic bread and were stuffed. All entrees come with a starter shrimp cocktail, salad with choice of dressing, your meal followed with coffee, tea and choice of ice cream. The steak was juicy and very flavorful, reminiscent of the central coast flavors. BEST part of our visit was the service, incredible customer service and very friendly staff. Genuine manners and desire to help the guests. Thanks for the experience Hitching Post! read more

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The world famous Hitching Post and they patented Santa Maria style grill and barbecue. A marvelous feat of engineering and great results. Look it up if you haven't heard of it. We visited the original, in Casmalia which was pretty crazy getting to. There was literally nothing around it for 10 miles. It's in the boonies completely. We were concerned as we drove in but they were alleviated as soon as we entered. The place was crackin and the ambiance just gave out good energy. An old school, saloon, cattle ranch feel. We ordered the ribeye and New York strip. My ribeye actually wasn't cooked properly. A medium or medium well as opposed to the medium rare that I asked for. But the flavor was still so good. The New York was cooked to perfection. Beefy, soft, and tender. The fries were fresh cut and were delicious. The meal comes with shrimp cocktail, fresh veggies, and a salad. All are basic. Even though the rib eye wasn't cooked perfectly, we enjoyed our time there and would highly recommend to anyone else passing through the area. Taste: **** Service: *** Ambiance: *** ------------------------------ Hitching Post 3325 Point Sal Rd, Casmalia, CA 93429 ------------------------------ read more

Hitching Post - New York - Barbeque Near Me - Casmalia, California

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I drove down from Sacramento, they use Red Oak. the last time I was here I promised myself this back in 2016, Bone-In Rib Chop and I will be back sooner. read more

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Customer service was just as wonderful as the food. Will be coming and and would definitely recommend

A great place for a meal. Great food! Great staff! Atmosphere is welcoming! Nice bar! What more could you ask for?