WEEKEND IN THE VALLEY GUIDE
Los Alamos
A Small Town With An Old West Heritage
Surrounded by ranches, farms and vineyards in the northern Santa Ynez Valley, Los Alamos (population 1,890) is located at the junction of US Highway 101 and State Route 135. The main thoroughfare, known as Bell Street, is only seven blocks long, yet reflects as much Old West heritage as any small town on California’s Central Coast.
Founded in 1876, two ranchers each donated part of their land to create the town site. Named after the cottonwoods (“Los Alamos” in Spanish) that still grace the area, the town’s vintage vibe is juxtaposed with a burgeoning food, wine, art and antiques scene. One-of-a-kind lodging includes the historic 1880 Union Hotel, a Victorian-style bed & breakfast with six incredible theme suites, an inn with a view and a classic motor court.
A few events of note:
The Los Alamos Third Saturday Stroll offers themed special events each month. During the last weekend of September, Los Alamos Old Days honors the town’s western heritage with a celebration including an arts & crafts fair, BBQ, car show, dance and parade—an excellent time to wrangle a visit with free fun for the whole family.
Where to stay in Los Alamos
Skyview Los Alamos
An iconic roadside motel-turned-boutique luxury lodging. Offers 33 guest rooms, a full-service restaurant, a heated pool and a working vineyard. Perched on a hillside overlooking Santa Ynez wine country, this five acre outpost merges mid-century style with modern rustic chic.
Dog Friendly: Yes
Kid Friendly: Yes
Pool/Jacuzzi: Yes
The Alamo Motel
Vintage Americana lodging at its finest. This mid-century motor lodge, directly across the street from Bell’s, boasts a rustic, minimalist roadhouse vibe with a dash of Southwestern charm. The property has 21 rooms, as well as a 21+ wine and beer bar onsite.
Dog Friendly: Yes
Kid Friendly: Yes
Pool/Jacuzzi: No
The Victorian Mansion
Immerse yourself in the fantasy of your choice at this Los Alamos retreat housing six themed suites. Do you prefer a sheik’s tent? A 50’s drive-in? A pirate ship? All are options at The Vick, including such details as in-room hot tubs, fireplaces and hidden bathrooms.
Dog Friendly: No
Kid Friendly: No
Pool/Jacuzzi: No
Where to drink in Los Alamos
A Tribute to Grace Tasting Room
Wine
Dedicated to crafting authentic expressions of Grenache, all Tribute to Grace wines are single-vineyard and single varietal, providing a unique expression of both terroir and grape.
Lo-Fi tasting room
Wine
A partnership between two lifelong friends—Mike and Craig—Lo-Fi embraces the philosophy that wine is meant to be enjoyed, rather than collected. You’ll find neutral barrels, native yeasts, little to no added sulfur and no adjustment of pH—with a particular emphasis on whole cluster fermentation and carbonic maceration.
Bodega Los Alamos
Wine + Beer
Located in an old ceramics shop, this open-air wine and beer garden features a reputable list of natural, organic and hard-to-find pours from California and beyond. You can also discover fresh and found goods in their onsite shop or explore their idyllic greenhouse for plants and other garden essentials.
Lumen Wines Tasting Room
Wine
Will Henry and Lane Tanner share a common vision: to make wines from the best cool-climate vineyards in Santa Barbara County, and to follow a regimen consistent with California’s early days of hands-on, honest winemaking. The duo asserts that the most balanced (and thus memorable) wines are made from fruit that is picked relatively early on the harvest calendar, the end result being a wine that is livelier on the palate, deeper in complexity, lower in alcohol, and more worthy of cellaring.
Lumen has a strict commitment to honest and healthy winemaking practices, sources fruit from sustainably certified and biodynamic vineyards, and is a member of 1% For The Planet – donating 1% of all sales to environmental causes.
Casa Dumetz Wines Tasting Room
Wine
Casa Dumetz Wines is a boutique winery in Los Alamos with three distinct labels: Casa Dumetz, Clementine Carter, and The Feminist Party. It was founded in 2004 by Sonja Magdevski, with the focus on Rhône varieties.
Babi's Beer Emporium
Beer
Babi’s Beer Emporium uses their travels and connections to curate a delightful collection of craft beers from all over the world - near and far. They have a rotating tap list and a large collection of chilled ales, ciders and bubbles (also available for retail).
Bar Alamo
Beer + Wine
The Alamo Motel's beer and wine bar has a selection of offerings for all: from Hitachino Saison Du Japon, a Kuchi Brewery Brewed with Japanese wheat and koji (malted rice) to Scribe Nouveau and J. Brix Nomine Amoris Skin-Contact Pinot Gris, a Santa Maria Valley skin-fermented, grippy-textured local wine.
The Depot
One of a kind bar located in the last standing freight depot from the Pacific Coast Railway line. No frills bar located inside Los Alamos Depot Mall Antiques—so feel free to browse furniture, jewelry and more while you’re here.
Restaurants in Los Alamos
Bell’s
Lunch + Dinner
We can’t create a guide of Los Alamos without our pride and joy, Bell’s. Bell’s is a family-run, French-inspired bistro from the creators of Companion Hospitality, Daisy and Greg Ryan. Come by and live that Very Franch life.
Bell’s
Priedite BBQ
Priedite BBQ is a pop-up located behind Bell’s in Los Alamos. Pitmaster Nick Priedite and Brendan Dwan cook old-school barbecue with modern techniques. From brisket, ribs, housemade ranchero sausage and pulled pork, Priedite offers a full menu of sides and desserts influenced by California ranchero culture featuring seasonal and local ingredients.
Priedite BBQ
Bob's Well Bread
Breakfast + Lunch
Wine + Beer
Bob’s is known for its hand-made products, crafted with only the finest ingredients and natural starters. No added preservatives will be found in any of the items they bake, and they strive to source ingredients locally through farmers and growers who practice the purest growing initiatives.
Norman's
Skyview Motel's restaurant + bar
Norman’s believes in good conversation, comforting food, and a drink list that highlights some of the best winemakers and local ingredients around. Whether you're enjoying an overnight stay at Skyview or just moseying through town, Norman’s offers a unique and satisfying menu every day of the week.
Charlie's
The original Charlie's opened in 1978 in Los Alamos, California. They serve their famous homemade American & Mexican food, and have a full service bar, daily drink & appetizer specials, and the best happy hour in town!
Dim Sama
Located inside Babi’s Beer Emporium, Dim Sama serves craft beer, cider and wine on tap and in bottles. You can also order a delicious lunch, dinner or a hearty snack from our restaurant partner (dim) Sama, serving a specially created menu for Babi’s featuring dumplings, bao, duck egg rolls, banana fritters, the OG Sama Sama Signature Wings and other perfectly delicious handmade items.
Full of Life Flatbread
Lunch + Dinner
Wine + Beer
Opened in 2003, Full of Life began its twenty year tenure as a Sunday-night-only destination restaurant. Today, Clark Staub’s vision has turned the spot into a local icon—and the “tip of the spear” that inspired Los Alamos’ creative boom. Focusing on wood-fired pizzas and breads, this farm-to-fork mecca is ideal for families, group dining and getting a taste of what the town felt like before it was trendy. A must-do (at least once) anytime you’re in Los Alamos.
Pico
Dinner
Full Bar
Founded in 2016 by winemaker Will Henry and restaurateur Kali Kopley, Pico is a destination for eclectic California cuisine, with influences from Europe, Asia, and the American South. Their mission is to create innovative food from local ingredients, carefully sourced from farmers who are committed to sustainable, organic, and humane practices. Their wine list follows similar ethical guidelines, with a bias towards small production, hand-crafted wines that express a sense of place.
Plenty on Bell
Breakfast, Lunch + Dinner
Wine + Beer
Before opening—and eventually owning—Plenty on Bell, Jesper Johansson was the first chef to put Los Alamos on the foodie map. During his 16 years as the head chef at the legendary Café Quackenbush, he was also known to cook for such noteworthy clients as Julia Child. Today, Plenty is best known for its eclectic breakfast and lunch menu, as well as Friday dinners featuring an array of local ingredients.
Shopping in Los Alamos
Campover
Born out of weekend trips to the California coast and the Joshua Tree desert, Campover was started by two friends in Venice Beach who set out to create a blanket you’d want to have with you—everywhere.
Eight years and four desert cabins later, Campover is an expanding line of beautifully designed and utilitarian goods inspired by our time in quiet places, surrounded by simplicity. In the same spirit of quiet surroundings, Campover opened its first store in the tiny, picturesque town of Los Alamos in the Central Coast of California and is now operated by wife and husband team, Lindsey and Brett Woitunski.
Los Alamos Gallery
Located in the former antique T&T building, the gallery is committed to providing support for local artists and artisans in Santa Barbara County to San Luis Obispo County. They have meticulously curated a premium assortment of fine art and artisanal goods, showcasing the unique and exceptional creations of over sixty creators.
Bodega Los Alamos
Bodega is a place to call home. Where strangers become friends and an afternoon tucked beneath California live oaks blends into a cozy evening around the fire. The mood is decidedly chill and reflects the heart and soul of Los Alamos.
Relax in the open-air wine & beer garden featuring natural and organic wines from near and far and unusual, hard to find beers and ciders. Discover fresh and found goods in the shop and explore the idyllic greenhouse for plants and garden essentials to add to your home.
Sisters Gifts and Home
Sisters Gifts and Home is in a historic Los Alamos home-turned-storefront. Each bedroom features a different antique vendor. Among the many unique and vintage art, furniture, and knicknacks, there are also a wide variety of plants for purchase.
Elder Flat Farm Shop
Elder Flat Farm is a local organic family farm in Los Alamos. They look after 102 acres of rolling hills, tend to an organic market garden, raise grazing animals, chickens and nurture family and friends on a mesa they call Elder Flat.
Elder Flat grows seasonal vegetables, diversified fruits, flowers and berries; they also pasture raise chickens for eggs, raise California Red sheep for wool and meat, raise seasonal pigs and beef cattle.
They grow everything organically with some additional biodynamic practices, and with regenerative agriculture at the forefront. They encourage biodiversity, embrace animal integration and rotational grazing, practice cover cropping, have onsite composting, plant bee and pollinator habitat, and aim to be a zero waste farm.