The Ballard Inn

Amazing food. Well priced. My favorite place to eat in the valley! Great service. I could not be more happy about my experiences here. Consistently amazing.

We visited in January and was very impressed. It was charming, cozy, and classy. We were very pleased with all the staff. We had a room upstairs with a fireplace which was a bit smaller than the others but still great. We were awoken early by leaf blowers, trash truck etc. We enjoyed the complementary cocktail hour, lovely wines, cheese, crackers, olives and a fruit platter. The other guest were very pleasant as well. We ate at the Ballard restaurant which has rave reviews. Simply everything was wonderful, small portions as you might assume, but after a $ 135 bill he was ready to go get a baby burger. All and all we would go back using the groupon deal.

Such a wonderful inn. Beautiful property and wonderful staff. Between the hours of 430 and 5:30 PM there is complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres. For breakfast they have a little buffet set up and also you get to choose a made to order breakfast from their menu. I can’t wait for a return visit.

This is my second stay here, and most likely, I won’t return.
Pros:
Very nice staff
Clean
Cute wrap around porch
Comfy bed
Complimentary happy hour (though too short. just one hour and only fair wine selection)
Good breakfast (not great)
Cons:
Bikes must be rented (not offered. but at the rate of the hotel, they should be offered)
Noisy street which makes sitting on the porch less desirable
You need to drive to dinner if you choose not to eat at the Inn (there is nothing within walking distance)
Very old bathroom. Really needs a refurb
Lobby/​TV/​Wine room, was dated and could use a refurb, old looking
WIFI was terrible.
Very high priced rooms for what you get
For the rates they charge, I would stay at the Fess Parker, Friendly Inn or Santa Ynez Inn.

Budi never disappoints. This was a phenomenal dinner as always. Bruce was great, Megan even better from the service and wine side.
Look forward to our next trip to tiny Ballard, CA from Kansas.

So charming! Not overdone, very clean, comfy, beautiful and peaceful surroundings. A perfect place to get away and truly relax. Courteous staff, and amazing food downstairs! Lots of space to hang out, balconies to gaze out on the beautiful grounds, reading rooms, game room (with the only TV for those having withdrawal) and a room with a fireplace. Bicycles for rent to explore the beautiful surrounds, wine/​appetizer hour in the afternoon, and the restaurant which is fantastic, see our separate review. I can’t find anything to criticize, ahhhhh.

Had a great time at the Ballard Inn for a quick overnight getaway. Did some tasting in Los Olivos/​Santa Maria area.
The place was not full so we made a room adjustment and the staff was accommodating. Great service. Breakfast was good, room was clean and staff was friendly.
We will be back.

Had a wonderful stay. The staff was warm and inviting. A great get away for anyone looking to explore wine country. The restaurant at the bottom is excellent! Dinner and breakfast. Christina served us breakfast and her wonderful personality made our experience.

Wonderful food. Good staff. Highly recommended.

We have stayed at the Ballard in the past and loved it. Great food, pretty rooms, good wine! I booked a beautiful room there two months ago and had to cancel due to family issues. I had not read the reservation completely through and found out that I was responsible to call to cancel, and that email was not sufficient. But the innkeeper removed the charges from my account the day AFTER I was due to arrive. MY mistake, THEIR generosity. I loved the hotel and food and wine BEFORE this happened but now I am very impressed with their customer service! Thank you Ballard Inn for being true to form in all areas!

The Ballard Inn just has a great vibe. Nice people working there, nice touches, and a picture perfect location.
The only other place in the area I like is Fess Parker’s, but that is twice the price.

Our stay was quite possibly the worst of any hotel or bed and breakfast that we have stayed. Anywhere.
43 reviews in almost 10 years = not enough reviews.
The place is somehow a «5-​star hotel.» Without a spa, workout room, a pool, a jacuzzi, TV, refrigerator, or telephone in the room. So what are you actually paying for?
Let’s start here with my initial assessment:
It is a bucolic fixture in the heart of Santa Barbara County wine country. A visually stunning, but small, two-​story bed and breakfast that has just what you need to unplug and get away.
But is it worth $ 315+tax+gratuity per night? On a Sunday and Monday?
We had the Davy Brown room. A tribute to the elusive man no one knows about and gratuitously adorned in outdoor-​ness like antlers, snowshoes and a rock fireplace. This room is above the kitchen and my guess is that it is the worst place to stay at the Ballard Inn. The vibrations coming from the fans and appliances make it very uncomfortable. It feels like a helicopter is flying overhead or a washing machine is on spin cycle forever. Also, they had a dinner party that lasted until after 10pm. The kitchen wasn’t done cleaning until about 12:30am! Can you guess that we were still up? Banging dishes, clanking glassware, the sounds of cleaning up. We made it to sleep sometime after 1am.
Let’s list the things they don’t offer:
No cell phone reception and no telephones in rooms. There isn’t a refrigerator, TV, pool, jacuzzi or workout room. The wi-​fi is absolutely terrible. It kicks you off every 10 minutes or so and makes you log back in with username and password. If you turn off your device (iPhone in my case) you have to log back in when you turn it on again. I didn’t really intend to do much… but if you offer wifi to your guests you need to make it functional.
I purchased this as a travelzoo deal. 2 nights for $ 300 for a king bed room. When I made the reservation there were only two possible dates between January and April for me to use it and they were both on a Sun and Mon. I called Travelzoo and said that wouldn’t work but they refused to return my voucher. In order for me to use the voucher I had to «upgrade» to apparently the worst room in the Inn. The «upgrade» was a queen bed! With a fireplace that doesn’t work because it has a gas leak. When I asked why I was being charged for an upgrade to a smaller bed and a non-​functional fireplace they said that they were about to adjust my bill but didn’t tell me. The adjustment??? They removed the tax! Not the room upgrade charge. Is that even legal? I have since communicated with the owner and they refunded all charges beyond the Travelzoo voucher price.
So I am paying $ 190/​night for a discount coupon at an Inn that is way overpriced for the offerings and the service is led by some kids. They have wonderful grounds, impeccably clean rooms, a great chef/​owner, but you can’t let your front end steal your hard work. They are the downfall of your business. Get some people that are truly professional. As of now it is awkward, clumsy and inefficient.
The deal came with a picnic lunch. It turned out to be a chicken salad sandwich on store bought white bread, a small red apple and a bag of Doritos! 5-​star inn? 2-​star picnic lunch.
I had a few emails back and forth with the owner. He acknowledges the problems, apologized for them and refunded the tax, gratuity and room upgrade charges. I thank them for that and I would encourage you to speak up if you are also unhappy with your stay.

This is an amazing place to eat. Special occassions for sure, but so worth the cost. We had Thanksgiving there and the meal was perfect and was paired with wines. The food not only looks beautiful, but it tastes devine and the service was perfect. Would eat here again in a heart beat. If you are in the area and haven’t tried it, do so you won’t be sorry.

My wife and I spent a relaxing two days here in April. The town of Ballard is not much more than a neighborhood and a school and you truly feel you’re in a place to be «away from it all».
The inn is really more of a bed and breakfast and we didn’t see more than two other couples at a time. The inn had a nice appetizer hour where we sat and got to know some our fellow guests a little better with the help of some free wine and cheese; very nice!
The rooms are cozy and the inn is well cared for. Adding to the feeling of being unplugged is the fact that there are no TVs or phones in the rooms– this was really refreshing.
The staff are all vey kind and thoughtful and when we got to our room after an excellent dinner, we found a custom mix CD playing, a pair of cookies and a bottle of sparkling water.
This is something every couple needs to do at least every 2 – 3 months. Especially if u have kids.

My husband and I stayed at the Ballard Inn in for two nights in late September. Overall a nice place to stay but I’d recommend you check with them before reserving a particular room. We had the Alamo Pintado room and while a nice, quaint room, the mattress was the WORST we’d ever slept on in any place we’d stayed. With both of us in bed, we literally sunk into the middle of the mattress a few inches. It was simply a very old mattress that needed replacing a long time ago. After the first night, we were wondering if it was just us but realized after night #2 it wasn’t. We mentioned it when checking out, and were told the Inn is replacing mattresses one by one, but very slowly. So call, and make sure your model of room has a newer one before reserving.
As for the rest of the inn… the only TV available was in the lobby, which didn’t bother us at all. Internet reception is scarce, which seems to be a problem in the whole area. Wi-​Fi is included at the Ballard Inn, but even that was very spotty throughout our stay. In short, prepare to be «unplugged» if you stay here.
The food at breakfast was very good. The coffee… not so much. They also provide lemon water during the day on the patio and a nice cheese/​wine platter at night for the guests… a very nice touch. We didn’t eat at the restaurant at night given we had reservations elsewhere, but heard the food is really good and the chef there is supposed to be one of the best in the area.
We would give this bed & breakfast 3 stars overall. Our checkout experience dropped it from 4 to 3:
When the concierge tried to run our card, it would not go through… we later found out that there was a pending charge on it for the whole amount but she wanted to charge us the actual bill on top of that. We ended up using a credit card we usually don’t use for traveling which was very inconvenient. The pending charge on the card didn’t disappear and we had to call back again to get resolution.
Bottom line… a very nice, quaint place to stay in a good location with mostly friendly people… just check the status of your mattress before you reserve a room!

The atmosphere, service, and food were fabulous! The chef’s attention to detail on every plate was obvious and the quality of the ingredients definitely stood out! The flavors were unusual but delightful!

Phenomenal dinner. Everything we tried was outstanding. Great flavor profiles. Cookies were awesome. Kudos to the chef. Highly recommend!

If you are looking for a quiet, romantic getaway in the heart of Santa Barbara wine country look no further. Located in the tiny town of Ballard, you get a small town feel with all the sights and sounds of wine country a short drive away.
Rooms with no phones and no TVs means a lot of quality time to with your better half. Although pricey, The Ballard Inn is well worth it. We arrived in the evening and although we missed the Inn’s happy hour, glasses of wine were brought up to our cozy, comfy room to welcome us. The Gaviota room had a raised bed and a nice little balcony overlooking the front of the house. Despite being over the street, we had no problems with noise. Breakfast was fantastic and dinner was amazing. The entire staff was warm, inviting, and hospitable.
PS — After your delicious breakfast in the dining room make sure to stroll over to Lincourt Vineyards for some late morning wine tasting. You’ll be able to beat the crowd and have the place all to yourself.

Caveat: this review is based solely on customer service. I did NOT stay at the Ballard Inn.
However, I believe how you deal with customers says a lot about your business and felt I should warn potential clients.
My fiancé purchased a Travelzoo voucher for a stay at the Ballard Inn as a gift for our 3 year anniversary. After making the reservation, she found out her mother’s cancer had progressed and she needed to go home immediately. We called the Ballard Inn and they said there was nothing they could do: they have a full seven day cancellation policy. We hadn’t even made the reservation seven days prior.
When I called and asked to speak to the manager, before I could explain the situation she coldly interrupted me to say «there was nothing she could do» and also said that we would be charged the forty-​three dollars in taxes for our reservation on top of the two hundred dollars we had already paid for the voucher. When I again tried to explain to her the family emergency, that it was in fact tragically unexpected, she told me «it’s not [her] job to decide whose tragedy is more important than someone else’s. I mean, someone called me last week and told me their dog got run over and I didn’t make an exception for them. I can’t make one for you.»
I realize that hotels, particularly small boutique ones, need to have cancellations policies in place. But the lack of human empathy shown in this situation truly took my breath away. I would have accepted losing my money, perhaps even paying the taxes on the bill, if one person from the Ballard Inn had shown an iota of compassion or understanding.
In addition, I left my contact information for the Inn owners to call me anytime. They have yet to contact me.

This is one of our favorite get-​a-​way spots. The inn is the perfect place to relax. No tv in the room, quiet, super friendly and very attentive staff. We love it! We’ve been here about 4 or 5 times and every stay has been wonderful. (about time I wrote a review)
The 4:30 — 5:30+ happy hour is my favorite part. Every stay we meet people from all over the country who are friendly, enjoy the B Inn, good food and wine. In addition to three local wines, the spread of cheeses, fruits, veggies and usually a chef specialty puts this a cut way above anything you’ve had before. Last night was a to-​die-​for artichoke cheese dip… tonight was a pizza-​like hors d’œuvre. Don’t miss this part of the stay at Ballard.
Breakfast is included as a part of the stay and is outstanding. Cooked to order eggs, fruit, and usually a couple of specials. This morning was waffles or an eggs benedict with smoked salmon. Delicious!
But no stay is complete until you eat at the restaurant for dinner. It is 5 star all the way! (be sure to get your reservation in early on weekends… it fills up fast). The flavors that pop for every course are unbelievable. We’ve had the lamb and duck in the past and they are the best. Last night we expanded our selection to try a Black Cod (oh so light and moist) and a Loup de Mer (a crispy skin sea bass) that were both spectacular.
This trip we spent a quiet morning reading in the library room, drinking Peets coffee before venturing out at lunch time to hit the wonderful wineries in the area. What a great get-​a-​way!