santa ynez food zine
vol. 01 / fall 2026
Buellton
The Sideways steakhouse, off Highway 101.
A day in the valley
Three routes from LA, each with lunch, walk-in tastings and dinner before the drive.
Walk-in wine tasting
Who pours without a booking, town by town, and where you must book.
Santa Ynez Valley AVAs explained
The Santa Ynez Valley AVA and its four district AVAs: Sta. Rita Hills, Happy Canyon, Ballard Canyon and Los Olivos District.
Buellton hit list
Hitching Post 2
Buellton
The Sideways steakhouse, grilling over red oak in Buellton since 1986, with its own Hitching Post Wines Pinot Noir.
Industrial Eats
Buellton
Communal tables and two wood-fired ovens in a converted Buellton warehouse.
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. (Buellton)
Buellton
Figueroa Mountain Brewing's original taproom and main brewery, with Hudson's Grill, live music, and room for kids and dogs.
Verified picks coming soon.
Hitching Post 2's red-oak grill from Sideways, Firestone Walker's wild ales and the start of Santa Rosa Road into the Sta. Rita Hills, right off Highway 101.
Where to eat in Buellton
Buellton eats by car, along Highway 246, Avenue of Flags and Industrial Way. Hitching Post 2 has grilled steak over red oak since 1986 (the filet starts at $56) and closes Tuesday, so plan steak for another night. Industrial Eats fires wood-oven pizza from noon daily. Firestone Walker (no reservations) and Fig Mountain pour beer with food seven days a week. For breakfast, Mother Hubbard’s on Avenue of Flags opens at 7:30am. Check which Buellton restaurants are open today for every kitchen’s hours by day and menu prices.
Is there a farmers market in Buellton?
Yes. Buellton has its own farmers market every Monday, 3pm to 7pm, on Avenue of Flags. The market opened March 16, 2026. Vendors set up on Median 2, with food trucks and live music at the north end of Median 3. Visit the Santa Ynez Valley lists the season as March to October. For Solvang on Wednesday, Route One near Lompoc on Sunday and the Santa Barbara Saturday market, see Santa Ynez Valley farmers markets, day by day. Sources: Visit SYV, City of Buellton update, Mar 9, 2026.
Buellton guides
Santa Ynez Valley with kids: a 2-day plan
Feeding bowls at OstrichLand, pony rides from age 2, goats at the Folded Hills Farmstead and a free garden, with each place's kids price.
Vacation rentals in the Santa Ynez Valley: the rules
Solvang caps short-term rentals at 40 permits downtown, Buellton bans them in homes and the county wants a permit. Here is how to book a legal one.
Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden
A free native-plant garden in Buellton's River View Park, open sunrise to sundown with dogs welcome.
Santa Ynez Valley farmers markets, day by day
Buellton on Monday, Solvang on Wednesday and Route One near Lompoc on Sunday, then downtown Santa Barbara's big Saturday market, U-pick farms and what to pair with each.
Highline Adventures: ziplines & prices
Three dual ziplines on a ranch across the Santa Ynez River bed from Highway 246, plus the Skynet. From $139, with age and weight rules.
Gaviota Wind Caves: trailhead & tips
A short, steep climb to wind-carved sandstone caves above the Gaviota coast, about 2.5 miles round trip from free parking on Hollister Ranch Road.
Buellton hotels
Yes, Pea Soup Andersen's Inn is still open, run by the Nielsen family since 1969. Check in under a windmill at Sideways Inn, or pick from six more stays off Highway 101.
Little King Coffee, Buellton
The Buellton coffee bar the LA Times singled out, from alumni of the group behind Bell's and Bar Le Côte. Order the Valley Breakfast Sandwich.
Buellton restaurants
Hitching Post 2, the Sideways steakhouse, grilling over red oak; Industrial Eats, with what Eater calls some of the valley's finest sandwiches; and Firestone Walker's wild-ale Barrelworks.
Eat · Santa Ynez Valley
Best coffee in the Santa Ynez Valley
Good Seed's Q Grader roaster, Queen Cup's Airstream caravan in Los Olivos, a 6am opener in Solvang and a church-run room with free coffee and Wi-Fi.
Sta. Rita Hills wineries
Where the Sta. Rita Hills began: the Sanford & Benedict vines of 1971, Melville's cold-climate Pinot and Camins 2 Dreams, from a Chumash and Catalan winemaking duo. Seventeen stops from Highway 246 to the Lompoc Wine Ghetto.
Santa Rosa Road wineries
The slow road where the Sta. Rita Hills began: Sanford Winery's 1971 vineyard, Alma Rosa's 628-acre ranch and a farm lunch at Vega, with The Hilt's windswept Pinot at the Lompoc end.
Hitching Post 2: know before you go
Dinner only, closed Tuesdays and the grilled artichoke first. How to book the Sideways steakhouse.
Industrial Eats: menu & what to order
Two wood-fired ovens, a butcher shop and a $55 "trust us" plate.
Breweries in Solvang & Buellton
Beer under a windmill at Solvang Brewing, Figueroa Mountain Brewing's original taproom and Firestone Walker's Barrelworks wild ales.
OstrichLand USA: know before you go
Feed 80-plus ostriches and 70 emus from a bowl (hold it with both hands) on a 32-acre farm on Highway 246. Hours, holiday pricing and dog rules.
Family-friendly wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley
Kunekune pigs, llamas and minis at Folded Hills, a playground at Vega's 1853 ranch and free bubbles for kids at Brick Barn. Five wineries where kids are welcome, with the house rules at each.
Unique wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley
Shop vintage at Babcock, ride a horse through Buttonwood's vines, or feed the animals at Folded Hills' weekend Farmstead. Seven wineries where the flight is the second reason to go.
Weekend · Santa Ynez Valley
Live music in the Santa Ynez Valley this week
Maverick Saloon's weekend bands, Carhartt's back patio and the last of the winery Fridays. Dates, times and cover from each venue's own calendar.
Yoga, Pilates and spas in Solvang and Santa Ynez
Drop-in yoga from $20, reformer Pilates in downtown Solvang, yoga in the vines at Alma Rosa, and two spas that take non-guests.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons and Unsplash. Photo credits and licenses