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The Inn at Zaca Creek in Santa Ynez Valley embraces its Wild West roadhouse past
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The bar at Zaca Creek is preserved from the original tavern.Courtesy of Danielle Honea Photography
When Jim Buell built Zaca Creek in 1969, it was the kind of place where you could ride your horse right up to the door and hitch it up while you went inside to tie one on. In Buellton, a town named after Buell’s family, the place was what the Santa Barbara Independent called a “beloved steakhouse and raucous saloon.” There are as many stories of bar fights and legendary blowouts as there are fondly remembered spins around the dance floor. It was also the kind of establishment that, with its enormous dining hall and capacity for hundreds of guests, became unsustainable as modern restaurants have trended smaller and smaller, and the surrounding Santa Ynez Valley evolved into the wine destination it is today. It closed for good in 2001. ....

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