The Hitching Post II in Buellton: menu and what to order

Hitching Post 2 quick facts

Address

406 E Highway 246, Buellton, CA 93427

Turning 40

It opened in Buellton in 1986. SYV News reported a 20-case 2020 "Cuarenta" Pinot Noir for the 40th (May 12, 2026)

Dinner

Wed–Mon 4:30–9pm (last seating 8:30pm). Bar from 4pm. Closed Tuesdays

Burger nights

Mon, Wed & Thu, 4:30–8:30pm

Booking

Phone 805-688-0676 after 10am, or OpenTable. "Reservations strongly encouraged"

Price

Steaks $44 (7 oz top sirloin) to $85 (12 oz filet) on the current dinner menu

Tasting room

Next door, Wed–Sun 11:30am–5pm; lunch 11:30am–3pm, no booking under 8 people

Closed

Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day

Hitching Post 2 menu: what to order

The dinner menu is short: appetizers, Midwest beef cut in house and grilled over red oak, then a few other grill plates. Starters run $17 to $22 (roasted garlic $17, BBQ sauteed mushrooms $18, Texas quail $22), per the menu. There's also a lunch menu at the tasting room next door.

Start with the grilled artichoke ($20), which the menu calls "a house specialty": steamed, then finished over the coals with the house seasoning, Magic Stuff, and a smoked tomato mayo. For the main, the filet mignon has been the house steak since 1986, and the 7 oz top sirloin ($44) is the value cut.

Every entree comes with a vegetable tray, garlic bread, soup or salad and a choice of rice pilaf, baked potato or fries, so skip extra sides. Pair it with a Hitching Post Pinot Noir: owner Frank Ostini and Gray Hartley have made the house wines since 1985.

The full dinner menu, with today's prices, is on the restaurant's site.

Hitching Post food at lunch

Yes, though not in the restaurant, which opens for dinner. Next door, the Hitching Post Wines tasting room at 420 E Highway 246 serves "HP 2 You" lunch: a "hot-off-the-grill Hitching Post 2 lunch" with wine tasting, wine by the glass or on its own. It runs Wednesday to Sunday, 11:30am to 3pm, and is closed Monday and Tuesday. You don't need a reservation unless you're a group of eight or more. There's indoor and outdoor seating, and takeout on 805-688-0676.

The lunch menu is salads, sandwiches and the grill: the grilled artichoke with smoked tomato mayonnaise ($15), an oak-grilled burger ($15), tri-tip or pulled-pork street tacos ($14), a tri-tip and caramelized onion sandwich ($16), and specials such as a 10oz rib eye ($36) when available. About 0.4 miles up Highway 246, OstrichLand is the after-lunch detour: you feed the ostriches and emus from a bowl.

Is this the restaurant from Sideways?

Yes. The restaurant says Sideways was filmed in the region over ten weeks in October and November 2003, and the crew used the Hitching Post for three days. Virginia Madsen's character works there as a waitress. Novelist Rex Pickett, the restaurant says, was a regular at the bar from 1998.

Want the rest of the film? Our Sideways filming locations tour has every stop, what has changed since 2004, and a route that ends here for dinner.

Hitching Post 1 vs 2

Both belong to the Ostini family and both grill Santa Maria style over oak. Pick by where you're staying and what you're after.

Staying in Solvang, Buellton or Los Olivos? Go to II, on Highway 246 in Buellton. After the original, or staying in Santa Maria? Casmalia. The Sideways scenes were shot at II.

Tips before you go

• Arriving early? The tasting room next door pours from 11:30am, Wednesday to Sunday, with last tastings at 4:15pm.
• Kids under 12 get a 5 oz sirloin or chicken plate with a drink and ice cream.
• Rice pilaf contains nuts, per the menu.
• Large group? Book by phone after 10am.

Don’t miss

• The grilled artichoke ($20), which the menu calls "a house specialty." source
• Burger nights, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 4:30–8:30pm. source

You might also like

• OstrichLand USA · about 0.4 miles, walkable. Same stretch of Highway 246, and the easiest pre-dinner stop with kids. Tip: Gates close at 5:45pm, so go before a 4:30pm dinner. Official site · source
• Industrial Eats · about 3 min drive (1.2 mi). The other Buellton dinner people drive for: wood-fired, casual. Tip: Open daily noon–8pm, per its site. Official site · source
• peasants FEAST · about 5 min drive (2.6 mi). The valley's Bib Gourmand, for lunch the next day. Tip: No reservations, and it closes at 6pm. Official site · source

Drive times are without traffic.

Nearby: eat, taste, stay

• OstrichLand USA: Feed the birds on the same stretch of Highway 246, open until 6pm
• Buellton restaurants: Lunch at Industrial Eats, a pint at Firestone Walker
• Sta. Rita Hills wineries: The Pinot country west of town
• Buellton hotels: Eight places to sleep off Highway 101
• Find a table: Other dinners you can book online

Quick answers

Do you need a reservation at the Hitching Post 2?

It isn't required, but the restaurant says reservations are strongly encouraged. Book on OpenTable any time, or call 805-688-0676 after 10am.

Is the Hitching Post 2 open on Tuesday?

No. The restaurant and bar are closed Tuesdays. Dinner runs Wednesday to Monday, 4:30pm to 9pm, with the last seating at 8:30pm.

Was Sideways filmed at Hitching Post or Hitching Post 2?

Hitching Post 2, the one in Buellton. The restaurant says the Sideways crew filmed there for three days in the fall of 2003, and Virginia Madsen's character works there as a waitress. The original Hitching Post is in Casmalia.

What is the difference between Hitching Post 1 and 2?

The original Hitching Post opened in Casmalia in 1952. Hitching Post 2, in Buellton, opened in 1986, is run by son Frank Ostini, makes its own Pinot Noir and is the one in Sideways. Both grill over oak.

What is the Hitching Post 2 known for?

Santa Maria-style barbecue grilled over red oak, its own Hitching Post Pinot Noir and its role in the 2004 film Sideways. The grilled artichoke is the signature starter.

What should you order at the Hitching Post 2?

Start with the grilled artichoke, the menu's house specialty, then a steak off the red oak grill: the filet mignon has been the house steak since 1986, and the 7 oz top sirloin is the value cut. Entrees include soup or salad and a side.

How much is dinner at the Hitching Post 2?

On the current dinner menu, steaks run from $44 for a 7 oz top sirloin to $85 for a 12 oz filet mignon, and entrees include soup or salad and a side. Prices can change.

When are burger nights at the Hitching Post 2?

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 4:30pm to 8:30pm.

Is there a dress code at the Hitching Post 2?

Its OpenTable page lists the dress code as business casual. The restaurant's own site doesn't post one.