Was sooooo looking forward to coming here for their amazing steak and even more amazing artichoke. I was a little disappointed when all I found was the artichoke. So this little gem has had some additions since my last visit. For lunch they have a cute little outside area with tables and seats around a shaded area. There's also an inside building with tables. Cute but if you need to use the restroom be aware they're super tinny but they are available. You order in a counter and they bring you out your food by the number you place at your table. Overall a nice set up. Now the food. Menu is smaller than in the main restaurant. I ordered the steak with fries and of course an artichoke. When my steak arrived it was cooked well (medium-well). The fries were nothing special but that quickly turned around as this was prob one of the worst steaks I've personally have had. It was so full of fat. My guess is it was ribeye which I don't like but given I didn't n have any other choice I went with it. I tried but I could only eat the fried and the artichoke which thankfully was still amazing. Flavorful and the little sauce on the side was on point. Also had ordered a scoop of ice cream which at the end of the meal I had to look for someone to inquire about it. A bit of a pain in the butt but I eventually got it. I would def come back here but for dinner where you get more steak choices. The artichoke alone is worth it I think. read more

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The good: the wine is excellent. Every bit as great as the movie Sideways "advertised" it. The roasted vegetables were perfect along with the fries. The service is top notch and the ambience is great for an evening out with my spouse. The not so good: the food was heavily over spiced and far too salty for my taste. When charging $19 for a single grilled artichoke it needs to be perfect. The same was true for the meat. My take is the chef working the grill was a bit heavy handed. read more

My wife and I stopped in for a glass of wine and their home made key line pie. The pie was home made and tasted like it. We always enjoy their Highliner Pino Noir. Great afternoon stop read more

Great food ! Staff is very efficient The atmosphere is is very home town . Best restaurant in Buellton. read more

Had lunch at the neighboring Hitching Post Wines--enjoyed a juicy, flavorful ribeye steak, and the deviant ribs were good as well. They offer a complimentary broccoli salad, which was a nice touch. The ambiance was pleasant with a lovely view, including a glimpse of Ostrichland nearby. Friendly and welcoming service. read more

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One of the best steakhouses I have ever been to. You will need to make reservations! We all had steaks and ate them all! Mouth watering and tender. It can get a little noisy, but that's what happens when you have a full house. read more

Wow food was super delicious excellent hosting and our server she was awesome sure do recommend this restaurant and hope to have dinner soon thank you for the superb service read more

The Hitching Post 2 - Steakhouses Near Me - Buellton, California

The ribs and artichoke! I would drive 3 hrs again next weekend just for those two. We walked in without a reservation on Memorial Day weekend and the host was so gracious and offered to take our name down or offered us a spot in the bar- we were hungry and chose the latter. Server gave us excellent service and I took home a bottle of their magic rub. read more

The Hitching Post 2 - Grilled Artichoke - halfway eaten - Steakhouses Near Me - Buellton, California

Love this place!!! My husband and I come here every few months for their 24oz rib eye.. One of the best steaks...

I have been here multiple times and they have no clue how to cook chicken. I ask for it extra well done each time and each time it comes back raw. It is a total waste of money. Their prices are the prices of high end restaurants and this is not that. read more

We have been here a few times, but I guess I've never reviewed the restaurant. My husband (like so many of their patrons) is a big fan of the movie Sideways. We had been here before the movie ever came out and seeing it onscreen was really awesome. 5/5 - Natural Pork Baby Back Ribs: No bbq sauce, just their "Magic Stuff" seasoning. They are salty, flavorful and tender. Outstanding! 5/5 - Natural Rib Eye: Also grilled with their Magic Stuff seasoning. Delicious. 5/5 - Grilled Texas Quail: Wow! This was amazing! They put their seasoning blend on everything, and it was EXCELLENT on the quail. It was crispy, tender, flavorful... best quail ever! 4/5 - Blueberry Cobbler: really good 4/5 - Clam Chowder 4/5 - 2021 Beckman Cabernet Sauvignon: My husband is a Napa snob and was so impressed at how good this wine was because it is from Santa Ynez Valley. Garlic bread came with the meal, and it was pretty good. They also serve a salsa (Santa Maria style) to go with the steak since it is a regional tradition. The salsa was good, but I preferred to appreciate the flavor of the meat on it's own. Meat, meat, and more meat for me please! read more

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DELICIOUS. If you're in the area, I would highly recommend checking out The Hitching Post II. This is your classic steakhouse and it feels like stepping into a nicely kept time capsule. I love that all the tables had linens on them. The wait staff here was super friendly and they attended to your needs well. We were celebrating a birthday and they brought out a nice birthday treat. I ordered the top sirloin with a baked potato. The meal also came with a salad with your choice of dressing; I got the blue cheese and it was great. The meat was cooked just the way I like it, and the baked potato was yummy! The bring you butter, sour cream, and chives for it if you'd like. I would definitely recommend coming here if you're looking for a filling meal. Make a reservation! read more

The Hitching Post 2 - Top sirloin and baked potato - Steakhouses Near Me - Buellton, California

The service was excellent. Nice people that work here. The food was good. The steak for me was excellent. But the sides were OK. I would come back. read more

Came here for an 8:30pm reservation on a Thursday night. There was still many customers when we arrived. Our waitress took our order and food arrived fairly quickly. Mmm, the meat was perfectly cooked and juicy. We also had the BBQ mushrooms which were a great side dish. Would definitely eat here again if in the area! read more

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This place is amazing..steak is their THING !!! We ordered the 20oz Ribeye and grill artichoke. The steak was well seasoned and soft. Steak was perfectly cooked medium which made it juicy and not dry. The grill artichoke has a nice smokey and well seasoned and perfect as an appetizer. read more

The Hitching Post 2 - 20oz bone-in ribeye on their special menu - Steakhouses Near Me - Buellton, California

It's a cult classic just like the live that helped make it famous. The wines are worth the hype and the Santa Maria style bbq served up in Santa Maria does not disappoint. read more

The Hitching Post 2 - Pinot! - Steakhouses Near Me - Buellton, California

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Came here last night for my birthday. Excellent service from GINA, the steak was amazing baked potato great the rice pilaf was good, but not my favorite! Very fresh salad, very good espresso, martini, and excellent cheesecake for dessert all in all a five star. read more

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Burger was absolutely insane (think it's only on Thursday's but not positive). Also got the grilled artichoke which was also delicious. Oscarita was a great drink too. Would absolutely recommend if in the valley!! read more

When I saw on the reviews that this place was featured in Sideways I was thinking great another overhyped restaurant that was featured in a movie. But I was pleasantly surprised. We stopped by this restaurant last time we visited Solvang and it was Packed. Like a 3 hour wait, so we went somewhere else. Was thinking it must be good if it was so crowded, so definitely made reservations this time. I had the Quail and NY steak combo. My wife had the pork chop. The quail was moist and perfectly seasoned. My steak was cooked a perfect medium rare and like the quail was seasoned perfectly. My wife said that her pork chop was delicious. The vegetable plates that they served initially tasted so good after being on the road all day. I had the vegetable beef soup for my appetizer it had good flavor, but I thought it needed a little more salt so I added a tad. The baked potato came with butter, sour cream and chives. I also tried the garlic bread that comes with your entree and again it was prepared perfectly. Not too dry with good garlic flavor. I had been to really fancy steakhouses, so while it's not the best steak I ever had, I can definitely say that it was one of the most satisfying steak meals I've had. Steak had great flavor and was seasoned perfectly. The quail and New York steak combo with the included side dishes really hit the spot. Also the hostess and the server were very friendly and my glass of soda was never empty. read more

The Hitching Post 2 - The Bbq grill is on full display behind a large glass window. - Steakhouses Near Me - Buellton, California

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Having heard so many reviews about this place, we finally had a chance to try it out for lunch. Lunch is an outdoor experience where you order at the counter from a very select menu and dine outdoors picnic style. The cashier was blunt, not much of a friendly welcome or a smile. We tried out the steak and fries with chimichurri sauce along with a slice of chocolate cake, which came with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream. I was happy to see that we received a steak knife (because you really need one to cut through the steak) but a plastic fork (not easy to pick thru the steak to steady it while cutting). A matching metal fork would have been nice. While the steak was well seasoned and med-rare was more on the rare cook, the cut was very chewy, too chewy for my taste. The chimichurri sauce was really wonderful and made the steak easier to eat. The chocolate cake was on the dry side. Not something I would choose again in the future. I'm sure there are more options for dinner, and perhaps indoor dining would be a different experience with hopefully nicer service. But lunch is not one I would recommend after this experience. This lunch certainly did not persuade me to try dinner. Maybe it was just an off day, but the lunch steak, which I believe is what they are known for, was not convincing enough. read more

The Hitching Post 2 - Lunch steak and fries - Steakhouses Near Me - Buellton, California

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As a local resident who hasn't dined at the Hitching Post in nearly a decade, it pains me to say that nothing seems to have changed for the better during this time. My recent visit left much to be desired, as the disappointment extended across the board - from the food to the service and even the overall ambiance. Opting for the 12oz ribeye steak, I was reminded why I had avoided this establishment for so long. The salad, a mere token in size, and the minuscule baked potato were reminiscent of my past experiences. The steak, unfortunately, was still small and disappointingly chewy, making the $75 price tag even more difficult to justify. The plates just look so sad when they come out -- a tiny little steak with a tiny baked potato. They throw two little sprigs of parsley on the plate and call it good to go! There's zero love or care put into the plating. What struck me the most was the lack of progress or improvement over the years. The comparison to local competitors, such as the Red Barn in Santa Ynez, highlighted the stagnant state of the Hitching Post. In a town that boasts diverse and high-quality dining options, the lack of evolution at this establishment is perplexing. The indifferent service further confirmed my reservations. Our server, seemingly disinterested, rarely checked on our party. With an included tip for our larger group, there was little motivation for exceptional service, amplifying our disappointment. Even after a decade, the restroom maintained its unappealing state, mirroring the outdated and dingy ambiance that permeates the entire restaurant. As a local, it's disheartening to see that the Hitching Post has failed to address its shortcomings and elevate the dining experience. With numerous alternatives offering superior quality, service, and atmosphere, I urge fellow locals to explore other options for a more satisfying and evolved culinary experience in our community. Edit: I do appreciate HP responding. This bathroom is disgusting, it's not "nostalgia." I think that's just an excuse used to let a building go. The food is ridiculously overpriced for what you get -- you can't really argue that. A tiny side salad, flavorless garlic bread, a smallish steak and a tiny baked potato. read more

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This place is known for its steaks, but I'm telling you that you need to skip the steak and get the burger. Great beef topped with cheese, avocado, and the thickest bacon slices. So incredibly tasty that I'm salivating as I'm writing about it. read more

This place is nostalgic and wonderful and the grill master is fantastic. . The grilled artichoke is a five star and so delicious , steak phenomenal, juicy , tender , lots of flavor , baked potato phenomenal, starter salad simple but perfect l, lemon drop ...really nice. This is my third time coming back over 4 months every time I come up here from LA. This is my favorite spot to eat dinner !! Top notch servers , and entire staff so helpful . Food , Service, wine , drinks were great - will be coming back ! read more

We have been wanting to come here for ages, and finally got the chance. We had reservations for Friday night at 6 pm, and glad we did, because the place was packed, there was a wait list of almost an hour. We had the grilled artichoke appetizer, which was smoky, flavorful and excellent. Then our daughter (as our designated driver) got a free mushroom appetizer, which was very good. The bread served w/ salsa sounded a bit strange, but was very tasty. Of course, we had to try the steak. It was pretty pricey, but we got 2 steak dinners between the three of us, and still brought home leftovers. They come w/ great baked potato, tasty salad (loved the blue cheese dressing) and a starter of raw veggies (nice). My favorite was the ribeye - so flavorful ($78 for 12 oz),; my husband's prime top sirloin wasn't merely as good ($42 for 7 oz). Nice wine list. We had a bottle of the Stolpman La Cuadrilla 2022 from Ballard Canyon (a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Sangiovese), just $50, and it was very good. Glad we got to try this place, but not sure I'sd go back, read more

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Of course, we had to have dinner here while in Solvang. It was only fitting given our visit to many of the wineries in the movie Sideways. Service and food were good. As a vegetarian, I'm not sure if I'd rave about it as much as some people do. While they had some great smoked veggie dishes, I'm sure it's the meat that the real draw. Dessert was delightful (but that's usually the case ), and we loved the wine selection. We enjoyed s bottle with dinner and bought a few too take home. read more

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We are visiting Solvang, and decided to dine at The Hitching Post 2 tonight. We have been to the Hitching Post before and loved it and had even a better experience tonight from beginning to end. We had no wait, excellent servers, Morgan and Aaron took very good care of us. They were very friendly and attentive. My husband and and I ordered the 24 ounce ribeye with bone to split between us. We ordered it medium rare plus and George the chef cooked that piece of steak to perfection. Loved that we could watch the chefs cook the food through glass window and we were able to gesture a thumbs up for an excellent tasting steak! We have dined at many high end steak houses before and we have to say this diner by far was one of the best we have had. We told our waitress, Morgan, and Angel, the manager about the great dinner. We even had the opportunity to personally thank Chef George. He was very pleased. Morgan, our waitress surprised us with an anniversary dessert as she heard us mention that we celebrated our 53rd anniversary a few weeks ago! We had a glass of their Highliner 2020 Pinot Noir with our dinner. It was so good, that we purchased a bottle. This whole dinner, with the awesome staff, was well worth the price. read more

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This was a great place! Gina our waitress made the evening for us! Thank you! The food was delicious and the drinks were excellent. The Negroni was delicious and wine was excellent. I will try the wine tasting room next time. They are great with birthdays and did I mention the food is excellent? I waited a while to try this place ( too long) but it was worth it! I will definitely be back. read more

Great food. Stark was soo juicy! Yum. Friendly staff. We were sat quickly. Would definitely come back. read more

The Hitching Post 2 - Artichoke - Steakhouses Near Me - Buellton, California

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Once again I went for a Burger for lunch. This time it was fantastic! However a woman in front of me in line asked for the tacos. The young lady asked what type? Beef or Pulled Pork, she said one of each. The girl said we can't do that! Why, why can't they do that?? What reason for this idiotic answer? That's just so wrong. I know how things work in a kitchen. I've been a Chef for 28 years. That's poor management reasoning and pure laziness. You should go out of your way for your customers. What a bunch of lazy cooks. That's like saying you can't make a BLT for Breakfast. C'mon you're a restaurant with all the ingredients. Pull it together people. read more

We were big big fans of the hitching post 2. We came on our 5 year anniversary. I made the mistake of not making a reservation on a Saturday night, although I was super excited they sat us down after a 15 minute wait. Definitely suggest getting a reservation!! To start we say by the grill which we loved. We got our crudite and then ordered the quail, salad, and tomatoe bisque. The crudite was a perfect side for our steaks. The tomatoe bisque was delicious and full of flavor. The quail was delicious- perfectly juicy, flavorful, and tender. The sweet potatoes mash was on the sweet side for sure. Our steaks were cooked to absolute perfection from the grill master. And by master I mean it, he juggles all the different proteins on the wood fired grill. The steak and meat cooked over the grill have such a nice Smokey flavor that can only be achieved by cooking over wood. My favorite part was the salsa served with the steak. Finely diced tomatoe, onion, and Serrano's - it's like a pico de gallo but chopped finer and with more flavor. The ambiance inside is busy and full of happy people eating and enjoying time with each other. Inside is a bit dark and dingy- but in a great way. One side of the restaurant has a bar with seating, and the other is the tables. Overall we definitely enjoyed the hitching post 2 for our anniversary while in solvang. When we are craving another wood grilled steak- we'll go here. read more

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So obviously, The Hitching Post II is pretty well known. I'd been up to Solvang/SB area a few times and never stopped in so when I knew visitors were coming in and wanted to see the Central Coast I figured Hitching Post would be an ideal place to go for dinner. I made a reservation a few weeks prior but was a few minutes late the day of and they needed a few minutes to put our table together so we waited a little. What struck me was that HP is still kind of a local hang out-there were definitely locals on both sides of the bar-nice that it still is a place that it's not just a tourist trap. Anyway, we were stuck about which starter to order so we went with all of them: the Artichoke-was the most popular and it was good but honestly, the mushrooms had that dual earthiness/zing and that roasted garlic was plentiful but that meant I used it later for my main. The special they had was a bone-in ribeye and I went in for it. The thing was pricey but it was huge and tasty. Their rub is used on nearly everything and you'd think you'd get bored of it during a meal but nope. I don't know if it's that good or maybe the outdoor grill but damn it was good. I wish I could tell you what wine was ordered-I'm not a big wine person so a bottle was ordered, it was one of their own labeled reds but it went well with the steak-and there was so much left over. Before I close out this review. The pork ribs, wanted to highlight them. My sister got them and the waiter let her know it's not sauced, she knew but I guess people get upset that it's not. I don't know why they would-that friggin rub again-and honestly, bbq sauce is overrated. read more

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Just sat at the bar for 20 minutes and got completely ignored while 6 other people were served. Very sad. We have dinner reservations at 6 tonight, and wanted a drink before we checked into our hotel. What a bummer! read more

This is a good place to get a barbecued steak in a very relaxed, old-school out-in-the-country atmosphere. The food was tasty and served in a style reminding me of my childhood - not modern fancy or super polished, but made with care. Tasty New York Strip, excellent roasted garlic on toast, and nicely matching local wines (many of which are under their own label) are the order of the day. Decor from local ranching days gone by and homey friendly service round out the experience. read more

The Hitching Post 2 - Roasted Garlic - not for vampires! - Steakhouses Near Me - Buellton, California

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Love this place. I have planned THREE road trips specifically around the menu on certain days. (No I'm not telling) We sat at the bar. I know it's a wine town but our server was friendly and didn't make us feel dumb when we knew nothing about the different wines. Can't wait to plan my next road trip around this restaurant read more

Just had dinner with my wife today Mar 11, 2026. I ordered the spareribs, my wife had the shrimp. The ribs were absolutely pathetic! Literally, very little meat, and the ribs themselves were 2in long, bread was dry as fuck, and the relish tray was 2 weeks old. Best thing about our meal were the French Frys. Go to Casmalia, 100X better read more

I was staying in Solvang and excited to see a Hitching Post restaurant nearby.  Delicious scent of oak smoke was strong in the parking lot.  There were many meat and fish choices on the menu but I can't resist quail and ribs.  I watched as the flames cooked my meal.   Texas grilled quail was a mix of oak smoke aroma, dry rub spices, and rich gamey quail flavor.  Nice crispy skin and tender juicy meat.  Best quail I've had since I visited the Hitching Post in Cosmalia. Baby back ribs were tender, juicy, and full of flavor from the oak grill and the dry rub. Vanilla creme brûlée had a hard crunchy crust with sweet vanilla creme underneath.  Loved the mix of crunchy and creamy texture and the sweet flavors.  Taste like versions of this dish I had at Fog Harbor Fish House and Flemings. My kid gave me a bite of her sirloin steak.  Very tender, juicy and full of beef flavor.  Santa Maria spices added a delicious flavor.  I'll have to order my own steak next time.   Server and the rest of the staff were efficient and nice.  I love Santa Maria style bbq and The Hitching Post is among the best at making it.   As we left we watched the beautiful afterglow of a lovely sunset. read more

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We came here a few times, years ago, and recall the Hitching Post being a pretty good place. This time around, it was not the experience I recall. The menu has changed. The waitstaff indicated that there were a lot of changes in general after the pandemic. They no longer sell ostrich which was one of their signature items from what I recall. The food was underwhelming.. I ordered the ribs which although seasoned well, was overcooked and chewy. At the end of the day, the experience did not meet the price tag $$$$, better off trying options in town. read more

Oh wow! A day after and I'm still stuffed. I wouldn't say I loved the place but I'd be back. I really enjoyed the ribs !!! So delicious. However, my burger wasn't cooked to my liking though I stated I wanted it medium rare. It was super rare. Both of my friend's burgers were also undercooked. We drove from Ventura and we were hungry. So we did not send our food back. The quail was also yummy. The place is not modern, a bit dirty and the bathrooms aren't very clean. I am a bit of a germaphobe so all this matters. I did notice a lot of cross contamination through the glass as you get to see the cooks make the meat. The cook kept picking up raw meat without gloves and then the burger buns for the burgers without hand washing. Now, I didn't care ( we'll kind of) because I wanted to try their food! Just think they should have a better system down. This could get some people sick. A day after and I'm not sick so yay my tummy is building immunity! Also, it's a bit pricey but so are other steak houses. Friendly staff and great customer service. Just not a fan of the cross contamination and lack of cleanliness though. read more

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The steak was good but I was disappointed in the chanterelle mushroom and the side of vegetables. The mushrooms were drowned in a sauce that ruined them. The side of veggies for the streak were mushy and overcooked. The service was friendly, but based on the food overpriced. read more

I was looking forward to a spectacular Hitching post burger for lunch yesterday. They were serving lunch next door at the wine tasting building. Burger was good but it wasn't the over the top Hitching Post burger I was expecting. The wine and the company were fantastic. read more