Things to do in Buellton

Buellton quick facts

Where

Where Highway 101 meets Highway 246, the valley's west gate. Solvang is 3.4 miles (6 min) east, Los Olivos 9.6 miles (14 min), Santa Barbara 43 miles (53 min) and downtown Los Angeles 138 miles (about 2 hr 45 min without traffic)

The name

Rancher Rufus T. Buell, whose land it was. Officially Buellton since 1920

City since

February 1, 1992. Voters approved cityhood in November 1991 by 49 votes

Nickname

"Service Town USA", from its years as a Highway 101 stop. Avenue of Flags was the old 101

Buellton addresses out of town

Vega Vineyard & Farm is 1.1 miles south across the river and Alma Rosa's ranch is 5.8 miles west, both on Santa Rosa Road. OstrichLand and Highline have Solvang addresses but sit about a mile east of the Buellton exit

Farmers market

Mondays 3 to 7pm on Avenue of Flags, March to October; the last 2026 Monday was Oct 26

Highway 101

Caltrans is rebuilding 101 through town until March 2027. Until early November 2026, the northbound exit at Highway 246 is closed, so exit at Santa Rosa Road

Steak, beer and Sideways

Most people come to Buellton to eat. Pick the meal you want:

• Hitching Post 2, 406 E Highway 246: red oak grill, its own Pinot Noir and the bar where Virginia Madsen's character waits tables in Sideways. The restaurant says the crew used it for three days. Dinner Wednesday to Monday from 4:30pm; order the grilled artichoke.
• AJ Spurs, 350 E Highway 246: a log dining hall open since April 1990, where every dinner arrives with vaquero soup, tequila beans, salad, spuds and a root beer float. Skip the starters.
• Industrial Eats, 181 Industrial Way: a warehouse with two wood-fired ovens and a butcher counter, open daily noon to 8pm. Order pizza and a few plates to share.
• Firestone Walker Buellton, 620 McMurray Road: the taproom for Barrelworks, the brewery's sour and wild ale program. No reservations. Sunday 10am to 8pm, Monday to Thursday 11am to 8pm, Friday and Saturday 11am to 9pm.
• Hudson's Grill at Figueroa Mountain Brewing, 45 Industrial Way: the original Fig Mountain taproom, open daily from noon, kid and dog friendly, trivia Tuesdays at 6pm.

Breakfast is Mother Hubbard's on Avenue of Flags, cooking for more than 40 years and open daily from 7:30am. The full list, with which Buellton restaurants are open today and real menu prices, is in Buellton restaurants, and the beer side in Solvang and Buellton breweries.

Ziplines, ostriches, goats

Four family stops, from ziplines to a free garden:

• Highline Adventures: three side-by-side dual ziplines on more than a mile and a half of cable, from $139 a person (prices vary by date); riders must weigh 75 to 275 lb, and plan on 2.5 hours. Turn off Highway 246 at the sign beside OstrichLand, then keep going about half a mile on a dirt road across the riverbed to park.
• OstrichLand USA: a 32-acre farm with 80-plus ostriches and 70 emus, open daily 9am to 6pm (gates close 5:45pm). Hold the feeding bowl with both hands.
• Vega Vineyard & Farm, 9496 Santa Rosa Road: an 1853 ranch with farm animals to feed, a kids' play area, tractor rides Friday to Sunday and lunch daily. It's 2 minutes south of town across the river.
• Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden, River View Park, 151 Sycamore Drive: free, sunrise to sundown every day, leashed dogs welcome, and planted with natives of the Santa Ynez River watershed. River View Park also hosts the Buellton Brew Fest each May.

The road into Pinot country

Santa Rosa Road leaves Buellton heading west into the Sta. Rita Hills, the valley's coolest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay country. The first big stop is Alma Rosa's Estate Ranch House at 7250 Santa Rosa Road, a 628-acre ranch 5.8 miles (14 min) from town, open daily 10am to 4pm with walk-ins welcome. Drive the whole loop with Santa Rosa Road wineries, or pick from Sta. Rita Hills wineries. Closer in, the Hitching Post Wines tasting room next to the restaurant pours Wednesday to Sunday from 11:30am.

How Buellton got here

Buellton grew up as a highway stop. The Andersens served split pea soup on Avenue of Flags from 1924, and the town sold itself as "Service Town USA" when that street was still Highway 101. The restaurant closed in January 2024; in July 2026 the city council cleared most of the complex for demolition, keeping the two-story 1928 Bueltmore Hotel section. The story is in closed and renamed in the valley. Pea Soup Andersen's Inn next door is still open; see Buellton hotels.

The town itself is young. It was ranch land under Rufus T. Buell, took his name in 1920, and only became a city in 1992, after cityhood passed by 49 votes.

Fifteen minutes out

• Solvang: 3.4 miles, 6 minutes. The mission, bakeries and windmills.
• Nojoqui Falls: 7 miles, 13 minutes south. An 80-ft travertine falls, 0.65 mi round trip; go after rain.
• Gaviota Wind Caves: 11.9 miles, 16 minutes south on Highway 101.
• Lompoc: 17.2 miles, 26 minutes west, for the Wine Ghetto and the flower fields.
• Santa Ynez: 7.2 miles, 13 minutes east, for Sagunto Street and the late bar.

Is Buellton worth visiting?

For food, beer and value, yes. Buellton has the valley's most famous steakhouse, two of its best-known taprooms and most of its family attractions. It isn't a strolling town: the restaurants are spread along Highway 246 and the industrial streets, so you'll drive between them. Stay here and spend your days in Solvang and the wine country.

Good to know

Is Buellton walkable? Not really. Its restaurants and attractions spread along Highway 246, Avenue of Flags and Industrial Way, so plan to drive or ride between them. Solvang, 6 minutes east, is the walking town.

Nearby: eat, taste, stay

• Buellton restaurants: Every table in town, with hours
• Buellton hotels: Eight places to sleep off Highway 101
• Hitching Post 2: What to order off the red oak grill
• Highline Adventures: Where to check in, what to wear
• Sta. Rita Hills wineries: The Pinot country west of town
• Santa Ynez Valley weather: Highs, lows and rain by month

Quick answers

What is Buellton known for?

Split pea soup and Sideways. Andersen's served pea soup on Avenue of Flags from 1924 until the restaurant closed in 2024, and the Hitching Post 2 steakhouse starred in the 2004 film. Today it's the valley's beer town, with Firestone Walker and Figueroa Mountain taprooms.

How did Buellton get its name?

From Rufus T. Buell, the rancher who owned the land. The settlement has officially been Buellton since 1920, and it became a city on February 1, 1992.

Is Buellton in Santa Barbara County?

Yes. Buellton is one of the Santa Ynez Valley's two incorporated cities, with Solvang, in Santa Barbara County. It's 43 miles, about 53 minutes, from Santa Barbara.

What is there to do in Buellton with kids?

Feed the ostriches at OstrichLand, meet the farm animals at Vega Vineyard & Farm, ride Highline's ziplines (75 lb minimum), walk the free botanic garden in River View Park, and eat at Hudson's Grill at Figueroa Mountain Brewing, which welcomes kids.

What towns are close to Buellton?

Solvang is 6 minutes east, Santa Ynez 13 minutes, Los Olivos 14 minutes, Los Alamos 17 minutes north on Highway 101 and Lompoc 26 minutes west.