Up a winding road, tucked into the Los Padres National Forest is one of California’s oldest places to stop for a bite to eat, Cold Spring Tavern. Long before cars and motorcycles traversed these twisting roads, stagecoaches did, with Cold Spring Tavern feeding wary passengers during the 1860s. Almost 100 years, and various owners later, it was bought by Adelaide Ovington in 1941, who transformed it into the place we see today. And yes, it is indeed located along a spring.

Inside, visitors tread uneven floors through a maze of rooms decorated with rustic and eclectic items, that give the place an authentic charm and warmth. We settled into the far back room, known as the White Room, which was once home to the Ovington family. Later they moved into Blisshaven, a quite building on property that they lived in from 1951 to 1961.

The Tavern itself is made up of multiple rooms, each tacked onto by the Ovington family, first by Adelaide, and then her daughter, Audrey, who took over operations in 1972 when Adelaide passed. There are other buildings on the property as well, making the stop a mini town of sorts, complete with old jail. Built in 1873, the Ojai Jail relocated to Cold Spring Tavern in 1959. Next to it is the Log Cabin Bar, an old water bottling plant from the 1900s, and turned into a bar by the Ovingtons in 1955. A portion of a building known as the “Road Gang House” serves as part of the patio, which was built by Chinese workers, who were integral to westward expansion.

Being as old as it is, Cold Spring Tavern of course comes with legends and tall tales, from Susan B. Anthony stopping in, to Roy Rogers going unrecognized, to outlaw country artist Merle Haggard being thrown out. Regardless of the stories, Cold Spring Tavern is a unique place to grab a bite, and well worth the drive.

Cold Spring Tavern lacks a traditional parking lot for cars, forcing those who travel by car to find parking on the side of the road. Those who cruise by motorcycle will happily find their very own parking lot in the shade of tall trees. The place gets busy fast, especially on weekends, but there is plenty of seating both inside and out, along with quick service sandwiches served outside. They also offer live music quite frequently.

Travel back in time to the days of the stagecoach at Cold Spring Tavern at 5995 Stagecoach Road, in Santa Barbara. You can check out the the music line-up, events, and more by visiting their website.