A historic 1868 stagecoach stop turned mountain roadhouse on Santa Barbara's San Marcos Pass.
Cold Spring Tavern has operated continuously on Stagecoach Road since its establishment as a mid-nineteenth-century relay station. Originally built around 1860, the structure began operating as a stagecoach stop in 1868 to service horses and passengers crossing the San Marcos Pass via the Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez Turnpike Road Company. The property still centers on this original tavern building, where the dark, low-ceilinged rooms remain lit by oil lamps, their walls clad in rough-hewn wood and decorated with vintage taxidermy, historical photographs, and decades of accumulated relics. A massive stone fireplace warms the bar, where patrons sit on stools that have hosted travelers for generations. The main structure consists of several historic spaces, including the original Long Room, the RV Room, and the White Room, which once served as the private quarters of the Ovington family.
The surrounding grounds function as a living museum of early California mountain life, preserving several historic structures that have been relocated to or maintained on the property. Across from the main tavern stands the Road Gang House, a bunkhouse built in 1868 to house the Chinese laborers who carved the toll road through the rugged pass. Nearby sits the Ojai Jail, a tiny, two-room stone lockup built by Constable Andrew Van Curen in 1873. After the city of Ojai repeatedly declined to accept the historic jail, Audrey Ovington acquired it as a gift in 1959, transporting the entire structure over Casitas Pass on a flatbed truck. The Log Cabin Bar, which now serves craft beers and signature cocktails, originally functioned as a local water bottling plant, while an old ore car from the Old River Queen Mine sits nearby as a relic of the region's mining era.
The tavern has remained in the same family since 1941, when Adelaide Ovington, a former actress and wife of aviation pioneer Earle Ovington, purchased the 40-acre property. Today, third-generation owners Wayne and Joy Ovington Wilson maintain the historic site. On weekends, the quiet canyon fills with crowds drawn to the outdoor barbecue, where tri-tip is grilled over local red oak in the Santa Maria tradition and served on bolillo rolls with a choice of homemade apple horseradish, barbecue sauce, or salsa. While the indoor dining rooms serve a full menu of wild game black bean chili, buffalo burgers, and traditional roadhouse fare, the informal weekend gathering around the outdoor bar and live music stage remains a cornerstone of Santa Barbara backcountry culture.
The famous tri-tip sandwiches are served from the outdoor barbecue on Saturdays and Sundays starting at 11:00 AM. Arrive early to beat the crowds of motorcyclists and secure a picnic table near the live music stage before the bands start at 1:30 PM.
Coffee & Craft — Roadside fuel stops curated by Basecamp West. The best coffee shops, craft breweries, diners, and eateries worth the detour on your next Western road trip.