Vaquero Bar — Restaurant in Solvang

This is a unique spot in Solvang, a little hard to find. It's next door to the restaurant which is called Coast Range which is located at the same address. We came at night after bar hopping so if you don't see the sign if you see the restaurant you're in the right place. The online reviews sounded great, however I wish they would have mentioned how tiny it is. There's very little room for more than 10-12 people and on a weekend the bar was pretty full. The plus side is they are open until 12 am and they also serve food. We tried the potato pierogis which were very good. The food is on the pricey side but tasty. Not many selections that go with beer unless you're very hungry. The soup looks great but it's just a lot. The bartender was helpful and very friendly which was a plus. The drinks were every good. We tried a couple of their margaritas which I totally recommend. The only downside here aside from the fact that it was small is it seems like a locals bar. We're from out of town and it was packed, maybe because there aren't a lot of options but several people had dogs with them inside and there's just no room. We had to sit at the stools by the window off to the side. There's space outside as well but people were standing and chatting out there since there wasn't any more room inside. So its a chill place but small. If you need space and want to be able to talk and hang out with a group this might not be the place for you if it's crowded. But for a quick drink or perhaps when it's slower it seems like a very nice, cozy spot to grab a beer and maybe move on to your next location. It was conveniently located next to a liquor store and also Dominos in case you're super hungry. Thanks to the bartender who helped us even though it was super busy. The polite service was...

Just what Solvang needed. This place has it. Vaquero Bar is itself a great restaurant with small plates/tapas style with a lot of flair, from oysters, to fish crudo, prawns etc, etc. It's not like any bar food if I say so myself. Their cocktails are in the range of $12 to $16 but well worth it. I tried all of their old fashioneds, The Proper, The Silver Stallion (very tasty) and the Midnight Rider (with a punch) and repeated the la latest. They are all very good, wifey had the ring of fire which was strong but tasteful. Grab a seat at the bar and the have an all school vinyl player which you can go over their plentiful collection of vinyls and chose your own for the nights line up. Their cocktails are mixology type with local bar fleur, besides they close at 12 am. Nothing in Solvang opens this late. Everything closes right at 5 or 6 the latest. You must have to try this place, local beers on tap, awesome food and great service. You are in for an awesome party, everyone in there seems to know each other and you are welcome in to the party as if you were local. I'll be sure to stop by here anytime I'm anywhere...

We loved the feel of this little bar and the music. That’s why I picked this spot as one of my stops for my 40th birthday celebration BUT I was honestly caught off guard by the rude bartender. She had the worst attitude. I started to feel like maybe she didn’t like serving “outsiders” cause she seemed to treat others a lot better than us. The tall brunette was super sweet and helpful but the other girl OMG, she just hates life. I wish I would have read the reviews beforehand because it seems like we were not the only ones who had a horrible experience. Drinks were great but that girl just killed the vibe. I did not tip her btw and I for sure will skip this spot next time I visit Solvang. If you’re not a local then skip this place. Save your business for...