After 54 years in Guadalupe, the Far Western Tavern restaurant has opened its doors at its new location in Old Town Orcutt. The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitor & Convention Bureau (which also runs this tasty blog!) was on hand for a ribbon cutting before the inaugural lunch service on Monday.
While the building and location are new, the ambiance and food are comfortably familiar. Indeed, many of the original restaurant’s signature furnishings have be incorporated into the new restaurant, including the antique bar, cowhide curtains, western mural and more. As reported by KCOY-TV, co-owner Renee Righetti-Fowler, granddaughter of founders Clarence and Rosalie Minetti, said, “It was really important for us that you still get that old feeling when you walk into the old Far Western, still feel that tradition, and have the surroundings feel familiar to people. It was really important to us to continue that legacy to the next generation.”
At the same time, the new restaurant features a 1,200-bottle wine cellar, state-of-the-art kitchen (including a stainless steel Santa Maria-style barbecue pit) and outdoor patio.
When it comes to Santa Maria Style Barbecue, it seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Santa Maria BBQ is ultimately timeless, and the new Far Western Tavern and the 60th anniversary of The Hitching Post are two of the latest examples!
