Circle Bar B

Accommodating and friendly. Did a private ride with Jimmy. He was a great guide and led a great ride. Will definitely come back! Highly recommend!

Had a private ½ day ride with Snuffy, LeRoy, and Bob. Bob was great. Plenty of stories and stayed awake the whole time! LeRoy was my ride, size of a clydesdale, and really enjoyed keeping me on my toes. Snuffy was my wife’s horse. Little frisky– zero complaints from her. Horses were treated well… As much attention was given to them on the ride as was us. Great getaway from the city. We did catch Bob repeating our names to himself over and over before the ride so he wouldn’t forget! Haha

Video I made:
Can I let you in on a secret? I know where you can get a little slice of Heaven in California.
I’ve seen it. Witnessed it. Let me testify.
Nestled in the hills just outside Goleta hides a ranch called Circle Bar B. Here are a few reasons why I’m in love:
— 3^rd generation family-​owned ranch.
— A smiling Kathy, Henry and staff so eager to make your stay everything you wished it to be and then some.
— Walking barefoot through the well manicured but not cut too closely lawn surrounding the beautifully blue pool and hot tub.
— Margaritas by the bar followed up promptly with a nap on the perfectly broken-​in leather sofas in the stunningly warm lodge.
— A game of foosball, pool or ping pong in the gameroom.
— Catching whiffs of fire and coal in preparation for a delicious homemade BBQ dinner with all the fixins. Eating said BBQ dinner until the only comfortable position is laying down.
— A hearty breakfast with original cowboy Jim Brown.
— Beautiful cabins (bunk beds!)
— More margaritas.
— More pool.
— Repeat.
Other activities include: horseback rides with a hilltop view overlooking the ocean, hikes, winery tours.

I went up on a Tuesday right before Labor Day weekend… Took my 11 year old son. I wanted the two of us to get away and enjoy the woods, horses and really unplug from the hustle and bustle of the city life.
To be honest, when we first got there, it was empty… A couple of people hanging out, so we looked at each other and then our phones that had ‘no service’ and discussed the possibility of leaving a day early… We are very social people, at that point I think the thought of entertaining ourselves was overwhelming lol. We walked around and found game rooms which were full of things to do, along with lots of board games… As soon as dinner rolled around, we met all of the other guests… Some of which came from across the pond, if you know what I mean (England). We ended up getting to know more guests and had the time of our lives, playing board games and doing lots of horseback riding.
The rooms were very clean and very comfortable. In fact the entire property was very well kept up! The horses are very calm… I would recommend doing two rides a day unless you have other plans… Do a morning ride and then an evening ride, it is just so much fun to be on the horses… To see the landscape, it is so beautiful. The family certainly has done an amazing job keeping up on everything… Their guides are very nice and comical :)
There is a beautiful beach about 5 – 7 minutes down the road from the ranch… I’d recommend checking it out at sunset or sunrise (if you’re not on the horses).
We will definitely be making this in the annual trip for us… Extremely and highly recommend the ranch and the horseback riding!

Stayed here during our family road trip August 2015.
Joanna and the entire staff are passionate about the ranch and are so friendly and professional. From the first phone call when I inquired about a reservation all the way to our stay, service was exceptional.
I was disappointed with the meals. It reminded us of what is served in summer camp.
Ants are an issue in the rooms. We were asked to bring our dishes back to the kitchen to help control the issue. Several made it to our car and were found on my son’s arm and on a few on our luggage.
Jacuzzi does not heat. It just has jets. Disappointed as I was looking forward to a nice hot soak after horseback riding.
I really wanted to love this property & rate it higher. The service helped make up for these disappointments. Not sure if I would stay on property again. Will definitely book the horseback riding again!

Wow! What an incredible time at Circle Bar B! The grounds are gorgeous and all the staff is so friendly! My boyfriend and I arrived early and got a few drinks at the bar. What a beautifully western and rustic place. You truly feel like you have escaped reality for the time you are there.
The ride was breathtaking! Our guide was extremely helpful and made our experience great. We definitely will be going back!

I recently attended a friends birthday party here. This ranch is very cool. Stealthily located way up Refugio Canyon; the grounds are immaculate. This party lasted for a weekend and had any number of people coming and going. Through it all, the staff was friendly, helpful and accommodating. Meals were expertly served and the food was delicious. If I lived nearby, I’d look for excuses to come here.

This place was amazing. Friendly staff and well kept facility. Stayed in the private cabin and loved it! The wood burning fire was perfect. Their horses are so well kept and healthy! They really have a great place!!! They should be very proud.

Just got back from an amazing 3 day stay. Office staff was FANTASTIC! Food was great! Wranglers (especially Jimmy and Rick) got us safely and steadily through some simply stunning trail rides. Other than having to leave and come home… I have no complaints. Can’t wait to go back.
We were made to feel at home the whole time.

We just came back from our very first visit here and we are already making it a plan to go again next year. The staff is amazing and the scenery and accommodations are exactly as pictured online. I couldn’t say enough great things about the Circle Bar B Ranch. It is a very relaxing environment and the removal of everyday conveniences like cell phones and television are not missed one bit. You eat in the great room with other guests and besides the wonderful food, you also enjoy great conversations that go otherwise missed by being so plugged in. For anyone even remotely considering staying here, please do it. Your relationship will thank you

My friend and I did the girlfriend getaway package for her birthday last weekend and it was a fun and unbelievable experience. The views are amazing, the staff and owners are down to earth and so welcoming, the food which was included in our stay was to die for, the cabin was so cozy and roomy and you just really got what you paid for and then some in this package. We were able to do facials which was also included and the esthetician really knew her stuff and the complimentary bottle of wine and cheese and cracker plate was the icing on the cake. We also added an 1 ½ hour horseback ride and that is a reason in itself to go check this place out. The scenic views of the canyon and creeks and the ocean is beautiful! Our guide was great, I would and have already recommended this place to so many people. Definitely a fun experience and can’t wait to be back!

Let me start my review by saying that the Circle Bar B is NOT CLOSED! It seems as though many locals heard the news about the recent closure of the theater at the ranch and have misinterpreted it as though the ranch itself has closed down.
My brother and his wife had their wedding ceremony held at the Circle Bar B last weekend and what a phenomenal place for the event to be held. Henry and Kathy and their staff were outstanding — very gracious and easy to work with throughout the entire weekend. The food that they prepared was amazing; nothing pretentious or frilly, but with generous portions and delicious flavors. The main building complex has many options for either unwinding and relaxing to gaming with your friends and family (fooseball, billiards, ping-​pong). I didn’t personally go on one of the horseback rides, but some of the other wedding guests did and were very pleased with their experience.
My only complaint was that the bathroom in the cabin where my wife and I stayed was in desperate need of an update — the shower, sink and toilet were all in a very cramped amount of space. The room was rustic, but clean and well kept by their housekeeping staff.
My wife and I look forward to visiting the Circle Bar B again in the future!

What a great find in the Santa Barbara foothills! My score is based on the 5 star hospitality! You won’t find 1000 thread count sheets, but you find a good olé fashion welcome! This GEM is third generation family with a 1,000 acre ranch, 60 horses, 15 people staff, all with family style smiles and conversations! The location is 6 miles off highway 101. About 15 ranch houses with nice quite spots nestled under California oaks! Highly recommend for family reunions, weddings or a nice romantic get away.

Took the dawn 90 minute ride with my wife. We own 4 horses ourselves and were very impressed with their stock. It was end of high season and the horses were obviously well fed. No ribs showing in this group. Lots of draft crosses in every color imaginable. Draft crosses deliver a great trail ride for all size riders and the two we had were no exception. Our wrangler, Randy, was entertaining and informative. Ended up we had 2 full hours on the horses and a great time. We ride wherever we vacation and this was our best experience to date. Jack the lead wrangler was also very nice and let us pick our horses. He explained the behavior habits of each and made the process easy. Highly recommend the off season riding. No crowds, private guided trip and cooler weather! We will be back.

Loved the horses and our trail guide! They are true horse lovers and I felt the experience was very authentic.

Found this place while searching for a secluded cabin for labor day weekend. saw some good reviews and contacted them. i reserved a room here for the weekend… the drive from Sandiego to this place on CA 101 was beautiful… the guest ranch is about 3.5 miles from the highway…
Up on arrival, we were received by Kathy, while doing paper work she mentioned that the place has been with her family for 75 years!!! It was amazing to hear the history and how the place has been maintained for so many years…
This place was absolutely secluded. no cell reception and wifi… our room was a decent size, had a king bed… the bathroom had a very deep roman soaking tub…
The ranch had a game room, swimming pool and spa… a full bar… the people here are extremely nice and courteous…
They serve breakfast lunch and dinner everyday… this is kind of family style where everyone assembles at 7.30am for breakfast and 7pm for dinner… we are both vegetarians and the staff was so nice to prepare special vegetarian meals for us… i would really love to go back here just to unwind and relax for a weekend.
Henry and Kathy the hosts here are just wonderful people… it was really nice of them to pack us lunch on the day we checked out for the road even though we did not request the for it… please stop by this place for ur next relaxing vacation away from the crowd and u will appreciate their hospitality

I took my fiancée here for her birthday. We were looking for a place to unwind and re-​charge and that is exactly what we got at Circle Bar B.
The food was good. Their hospitality was warm and genuine, and they were generous with the alcohol portions. I recommend the margaritas.
We booked the horse lover’s package and stayed at the creekside cottage. The place was serene and beautiful. The bed and the furniture were comfortable, and the hardwood flooring made the cottage feel very warm. We opened all the windows and had the most pleasant nap, as we heard sounds of nature.
The horse trail was simply beautiful.

Definitely a once in a lifetime adventure. If you don’t love the wilderness/​cowboy atmosphere 1 time is enough.
Pricey weekend to ride horses, buffet food, and swim…
Had to take my son he enjoyed it and the staff were stupendous. Absolutely NO reception here, so be ready to disconnect from civilization before you check in.
Bring snacks for the room because if it’s not chow time you aint eating.

Circle Bar B was described by the woman who took my call as a «complete experience» and she could not have been more correct.
First of all, this is THE bargain of the Central Coast. For the price of the adult ticket, 45 dollars, you get wonderful show after a spectacular dinner served in a beautiful horse ranch in the hills of Goleta: tri-​tip, chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables, salad, beans and dessert. I was shocked at how good the food was and bottles of wine are available for purchase beginning with a basic white for 16 or 17 and a far better white (it was summer after all) for 24.
I took my boyfriend to see the Paul Rudnick play, «Regrets Only,» not long after I dragged him to «Menopause: The Musical» at the Lobero Theater at which, in spite of himself and his musicals-​averse ways, he had a very good time. I’m sure he had a better time because he didn’t pay for it: if I want him to come to the theater or to a musical, I have to pay. (I’ve immensely enjoyed myself alone at PCPA Theaterfest for The Rivals, Legally Blonde, and the best show by far, Daddy Long Legs.)
Of course «Regrets Only,» by the well-​known gay Jewish playwright behind the poignant and funny film, «Jeffrey,» with an ensemble cast including Patrick Stewart and Steven Weber (of Wings), was less of a stretch than a bunch of covers of old pop songs (or pop song parodies) about hot flashes, weight gain and bloating. I loved «Menopause,» incidentally, and when I went on YouTube to compare the performances in the local show to those in back east touring companies as I am wont to do, I was pleasantly surprised. I think our cast was better overall than many incarnations of the wildly successful off-​Broadway hit.
Of course, the topic and setting of «Regrets Only” – wealthy Upper East Siders in an uproarious but bittersweet comedy of manners which centers around a character named Hank Hadley whom we are to recognize as a fictional representation of Bill Blass – is right up my alley. I currently spend 80 days a year on average on the UES and Susie Crouch wore real Bill Blass gowns which would make any slender girl who could fit into such a creation terribly envious.
The ostensible plot, as the program explains, is gay marriage. But this is not a political or politicized show; the very left-​wing (like left of Elizabeth Warren left) SB Independent, the Village Voice of SB, was right to say that they only disagreement among audience members was which character made them laugh the most.
The husband of the UES socialite is a corporate lawyer who has been asked by someone working for the POTUS to draft a definition of marriage which might form the basis of a Constitutional amendment which defends the traditional (man/​woman) conception. The daughter is a young lawyer herself who has just become engaged to a «suitable» partner, i.e. rich and successful, and she wants to work with her father on the project, regardless of her personal loyalty to the man who has been a second father or uncle to her.
The rub is that the couple’s oldest, dearest friend – «Bill Blass” – has recently lost his lover of some three decades, a famous and wealthy surgeon. The gay marriage theme is neither central nor peripheral to the real human drama here which comes down, roughly, to this: is the love between a husband and wife necessarily greater or deeper or richer than that between a wife and her gay best friend? Does there need to be a hierarchy or can loyalties ultimately be divided in a number of ways.
As one who worked intensely in the AIDS community in the early 1990s – when getting AIDS meant dying, usually within a few years – the LGBT community has always been one in which I have felt at home. I’ve had many close gay friends over the years though now I’m not around the world of theater or design in LA or NYC and I have far fewer gay men in my life than I did when I was in school.
So I found myself crying quite quite a bit when Susie Crouch must «choose» between supporting her husband – who is taking a stance in direct opposition to their oldest friend (and his dead lover, who was an intimate part of their social circle) – and her smart, loving but ultimately pompous husband.
I did take notes during the show and I will try to write a fuller review if/​when I can get my hands on the text of the play, but it truly was as crisply written a play of this kind as I can remember. I’m a lover of Woody Allen and Aaron Sorkin fan (politics aside). Thus, I revel in lightning-​fast banter among smart people of the coastal upper middle class. If you like that kind of thing, Paul Rudnick’s newest play will warm your heart even as it is elicits many laughs and a few tears.
All’s well than ends well in Rudnick’s play. This was my first time at Circle Bar B and I will absolutely return for the final play of the season, Any Wednesday, which opens ⁹⁄₂₁.

Came back for a 2^nd year in a row!
Circle Bar B is now one of those places that will be part of my families history. From the staff at the ranch to the cowboys at the horse corral all are polite and attentive professionals. If you are able to spend 2 or more nights here, DO IT! Its worth every cent. You’ll be treated like family and you’ll create precious memories. Oh yes, the food is unbelievable (meals are included with your stay and they have specialized meals upon request). Excellent!
Call up and make reservations now, and dont forget to book a horseback ride too (thats extra BTW)
–E