The Nugget Bar & Grill is a cherished Summerland institution, seamlessly blending rich history with culinary excellence.
To delve deeper into its enduring legacy and community significance, I had the pleasure of interviewing owner Bob Montgomery, whose insights illuminate the passion and tradition that have shaped The Nugget, at 2318 Lillie Ave., into the beloved restaurant it is today.
According to Montgomery, the building dates to 1935, and became the Seabreeze Restaurant in 1960 after it was converting from Lucky’s grocery/carpentry shop.
Around 1970, Roland Trombley started serving The Nugget’s burgers, fries and chili. The building was split at the time with two businesses: The Nugget on the kitchen side of the current building and, on the White Owl Surf Shop on the dining room side.
At the time there was a location on Coast Village Road and another on Hollister Avenue in Goleta.
Sally and Doug Taylor bought The Nugget in 1976 and, in 1987, converted the surf shop into the dining room/bar area, creating the full restaurant as it stands today. At the time, the Taylors owned the lot next door and had outdoor breakfast, lunch and dining on the patio.
They sold 16-ounce T-bone steaks for $8.95 with two sides, the Gold Miner’s Hamburger for $3.10, bacon and eggs for $2.95, beer for $1.35 and Coca-Cola for 70 cents.
The décor was Western saloonish with old wagon wheels and animal mounts donated by customers. The Nugget name evokes the California gold rush, with a token prospector and mule on one of the original logos.
The Rancheros Visitadores made The Nugget their hangout during their annual rides and they would ride their horses and wagons into town, and order drinks while their horses were tied up in front.
Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton were customers and sat at what is now known as the Presidents’ Booth in the back. Clinton played a saxophone, which is still mounted on the wall.
Jonathan Winters, Brad Paisley, Bob Hope and Willie Nelson are among the scores of famous people The Nugget has served.
Montgomery took over The Nugget in 2008 and opened the Goleta Nugget later that year in a former pizza joint. His granddaughter, Kaila Catteno, runs the Goleta restaurant while Paul Garcia is general manager of the Summerland location.
A third location, set to open soon at 892 Linden Ave. in Carpinteria, is owned by Montgomery’s daughter, Cindy Catteno.
Q&A
Collin Harmon: How has The Nugget evolved?
Bob Montgomery: A lot of things have intentionally been kept the same but the menu has expanded substantially, bringing lots of options for everyone.
We keep a large variety of burgers, sandwiches and salads on hand, as well as staples like fried chicken, grilled steaks, fresh locally caught seafood, beef stroganoff and pasta dishes.
CH: Why Summerland?
BM: When I purchased The Nugget from Sally and Doug Taylor, my family and friends often went there in the late 1970s, ’80s and ’90s for breakfast and lunch. That’s when they had the patio next door open.
Breakfast favorites were ham and eggs for $2.95 and a $3.95 Cobb salad was a lunch favorite.
CH: The décor here is so unique. What inspired the design and overall aesthetic?
BM: At the time it was opened the saloon-style restaurant with lots of taxidermy on the walls was a popular thing. You find a lot of it all over California.
Photos and memorabilia were added over time, donated by customers over the years.
CH: Are there any specific pieces of décor or memorabilia that have a special story or meaning to you?
BM: The Nugget is big on tradition. Much of the décor is there to covey a sense of history, history of the restaurant as well as a history of the area.
Photos of old Summerland oil fields and spiritualist beginnings to famous guests, former Presidents like Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan. There is something to see at every booth and table — even a framed bullet hole someone left in the ceiling years ago.
Jonathan Winters was a regular who, during lunch, would mingle with our customers and tell his jokes and entertain them.
President Reagan was responsible for bringing the Rancheros Visitadores’ horse-riding crowd yearly to The Nugget.
CH: How do you want customers to feel when they walk into The Nugget?
BM: Welcome, Western, friendly, old-time saloonish feel. That they are getting great food and drinks, for a reasonable price, and are full and happy when they leave.
The Nugget strives for a family-friendly welcoming atmosphere — whether you are a local who has been a patron for 50 years or a hungry traveler looking for a place to take a break on a long drive or working in the area.
CH: What are some of your personal favorites on the menu?
BM: The Lamb Chop Lollipops or T- Bone Steak. And we have some of the best barbecue pork ribs around.
CH: What are longtime customer favorites?
BM: The Crunch Burger served on an English muffin. It was even named after a regular — the bandleader of a local rock band of the time called Captain Crunch and the Deep Cross Cowboys.
The beef stroganoff, pan-fried trout or classic buffalo wings are always crowd pleasers. T-bone steak, salmon, halibut, Gold Miner’s Burger, clam chowder, quesadilla are the favorites, along with our great salads.
The Nugget’s signature chili and clam chowder are actually award-winning.
CH: Do you have a process for creating new menu items?
BM: Generally they will start off on our frequently updated specials menu, and sometimes they will make it onto the regular menu if popular enough.
Recently we ran locally caught halibut and sea bass and halibut won out, being the more popular of the two. It will end up on the menu eventually.
CH: Are there any ingredients or cooking styles that reflect the local community?
BM: The Nugget serves a lot of traditional American steakhouse fare. We try to keep the menu with Santa Barbara-style food flare whenever possible.
Any time there is Mexican food on the specials menu or a soup, it’s worth trying out. The fajita combo plate is amazing. Soups are prepared daily, rotating every day from Italian wedding soup to French onion.
CH: What role does The Nugget play in the Summerland community?
BM: The Nugget is a long-term mainstay for anyone living in or visiting Summerland since it’s so small.
It also plays a big part in the Montecito community, being one of the handful of restaurants in the vicinity.
CH: Do you have any partnerships with local farms, breweries or businesses for sourcing ingredients?
BM: We have a rotating tap at the bar that has multiple local beers. We carry local wines and our seafood is sourced locally. We even carried local hot sauces from time to time.
Any time we can get locally grown vegetables or ingredients, we use them .
CH: Are there any special events or traditions?
BM: Every visit to The Nugget is a special event! Although we do serve a Prime Rib Night that is extremely popular on Friday and Saturday evenings — until we’re sold out.
CH: What made you want to get into the restaurant business, and what keeps you passionate about it?
BM: An opportunity to operate a historical business and keep it going. I’m a native Santa Barbara guy, most of my family still lives here.
We were lucky to have experienced the Summerland Nugget in the early days, and lucky to own it now, and lucky we have such great customers and employees to serve them. Especially in a close-knit community like Summerland, Carpinteria, Montecito and Goleta.
CH: Do you have a favorite memory or milestone associated with The Nugget?
BM: Opening the second location in Goleta, at 5687 Calle Real, following the original model of the Summerland location.
CH: If someone is visiting The Nugget for the first time, what would you recommend they order?
BM: We strive to offer something for everyone. If you’re looking for something on the light side or have zero diet restrictions.
There are a lot of popular menu items — the chili and clam chowder are award-winning. You cannot go wrong with the buffalo wings or Nugget Nuggies.
The fish and chips are made with fresh-caught fish and beer battered with local beer.
The pork spare ribs fall off the bone, and the Angel’s Pork Chop is a porterhouse cut.
CH: What do you hope people take away from their experience?
BM: That they had a great time and will want to come back and bring someone with them to share the experience. Also that they got good value for what they ordered.
CH: What’s next for The Nugget?
BM: Our new location is opening soon in Carpinteria, either late April or early May.
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The Nugget is open from 11 a.m. Monday through Friday, and beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. The patio is dog friendly.
