Hitching Post - Casmalia

The Hitching Post is one of my favorite restaurants in all of California. It begins with a beautiful drive through farmlands and cattle ranches. Driving in to C... read more The Hitching Post is one of my favorite restaurants in all of California. It begins with a beautiful drive through farmlands and cattle ranches. Driving in to Casmalia is like going back in time and The Hitching Post is the lifeblood of this classic western town. The restaurant is in an old tavern and has been serving delicious steaks the Santa Maria style for 65 years. Every meal is complete in every way. You choose your meat and then it?s a veggie tray, shrimp cocktail, salad, baked potato or fries, garlic toast, drink, and dessert! But it is the red oak grilled meat (I got an 8 oz. filet) that steals the show. Don?t miss the opportunity to creat some memories here.

The best steaks in the central coast. Old school mesquite grilled to perfection. Each meal comes with a relish plate shrimp cocktail salad a dessert and coffee.... read more The best steaks in the central coast. Old school mesquite grilled to perfection. Each meal comes with a relish plate shrimp cocktail salad a dessert and coffee. Best in the West!

Place is in the middle of nowhere, but it was HOPPING! We should've got reservations, but the wait was not awful and it gave us a chance to look at the lovely b... read more Place is in the middle of nowhere, but it was HOPPING! We should've got reservations, but the wait was not awful and it gave us a chance to look at the lovely back patio and look pond. Got a Summer Mule as a drink and it was amazing. Absolut peach, strawberry puree, lime, and ginger beer. We were told this place had outstanding tri-tip, but learned upon arriving that they didn't do that. Once again, that's on us for not checking ahead of time. The table had fresh veggies and pickles on it when we were seated, plus a bowl of sour cream, a bowl of butter, a jar of salsa, and a basket of crackers. The first course was shrimp cocktail, and they piled in a generous helping of popcorn-size shrimp in another bowl with cocktail sauce. Not very presentable, but delicious nonetheless! The salad was edible, but nothing mind-blowing. Medium rare t-bone? Perfection! Medium well top sirloin? Despite my opinion being that medium well is overdone, it was 10/10. Garlic bread? Oooooh yeah, baby! Toasted on one side and soft on the other, it had everyone clamoring for more. But the ribs... oof. If I were rating on flavor alone, they get another 10/10. Unfortunately they were dry as Death Valley and tougher than shoe leather. I still ate half of them because they were a great spoon substitute for the BBQ sauce, but world's best barbecue? Sorry guys, your steaks are world class, but your barbecue needs to go back to the drawing board.

5 all the way. The evening began with our party being seated mere feet away from the main grill behind glass. From there, for the first 3 of 5 courses, we were... read more 5 all the way. The evening began with our party being seated mere feet away from the main grill behind glass. From there, for the first 3 of 5 courses, we were mezmerised watching the meat magicians perform their magic. You could tell this was a crew that knew exactly what they were doing. It was a dance of precision and speed that sent ribeye after filet after shrimp skewer into eager hands and mouths. Our first course, a bay shrimp cocktail, was served with an unexpectedly sweet cocktail sauce. The second and third courses were a salad and fresh veggie tray. Presentations were more casual than expected but the quality was top tier. The main course arrived and now the show was too in your mouth to watch the red flames popping off of the red oak anymore. I had a large beautifully marbled ribeye that filled my mouth with a smooth smokey umami flavor unique to this location. Crispy fries and grilled garlic bread nicely rounded out the carbohydrates for the evening. Even the ranch dressing, of which I am rather particular, was a creamy and flavorful house made variety. The final course, dessert, was a choice of three frozen delights, of which I chose the raspberry sorbet. It was the perfect sweet, light, and smooth finish to what was a very filling meal. The staff was attentive and worked well as a team. As satisfying as the experience was, I remain confused as to how this out of the way restaurant, that provides such an amazing experience, has not relocated and expanded into a higher traffic area. Perhaps they are just content to create on the culinary canvas they currently have.

Came to Santa Maria for a work trip. Heard about the Hitching Post so we decided to give it a try. I recommend getting reservations as they were quite busy on a... read more Came to Santa Maria for a work trip. Heard about the Hitching Post so we decided to give it a try. I recommend getting reservations as they were quite busy on a Monday night. The hostess squeezed the 2 of us in and we got sat right next to the pit baroque. Food was great and we enjoyed watching the grill be tended. It was a great experience and I highly recommend!