New Spin for Oxnard's Wagon Wheel
Few longtime Ventura County residents could forget the Wagon Wheel Motel buckboard once visible from the southbound 101 freeway. The sign, now fully restored, still invites locals and travelers for a drink and a bite—these days to the Wagon Wheel Brewing Company.
Open and airy, the restaurant sits at the base of the Wagon Wheel housing development in Oxnard. Marquee lights welcome guests, “Mi casa es su casa,” to the main dining room and bar. Towering windows and an expansive south-facing patio maximize the Southern California sun.
Those lights outline the vision, says General Manager Heidi Guzman. “Our focus is hospitality—creating a warm and welcoming environment where it really does feel like your house,” she says. Guzman works collaboratively with owners Kelley and Caroline Renezeder, Assistant General Manager Dan Bridges and Executive Chef Stefhanie Meyers, to set the tone for the team.
Pouring from 24 taps, Wagon Wheel offers a full range of beer styles—half from their brewhouse, half guest beers. Brewmaster Kolaan Busbice joined the team three years ago after working with Modern Times in San Diego. He helped the Renezeders handpick and design the brewhouse specifically toward the types of beers he wanted to brew, as they gave him creative control. The flight reflects those choices with four core beers: Wagon Wheel (blonde ale, 4.6% alcohol by volume or ABV); Salsera Sour (fruited gose, 6%); Roller Gardens (West Coast IPA, 6.9%); and Road Rash (hazy DIPA, 8%), also available in 4-packs to go.
The new Wagon Wheel Brewing Company has created its own iconic symbols with a Frida Kahlo mural and a “Mi Casa Es Su Casa” sign (pictured here behind Executive Chef Stefhanie Meyers) in the lobby. Chef Meyers creates the pub food dishes with a Mexican twist while Brewmaster Kolaan Busbice creates the house beers that fill half the 24 taps. GM Heidi Guzman shows her skill in the full bar. Photos courtesy of BWagon Wheel Brewing Company.
The menu is American pub food with a Mexican twist, drawing from the Oaxaca region. Pizzas have toppings like mole black bean spread or adobo braised chicken. Most popular among regulars is a family meal of pork carnitas.
“How could you go wrong with that?” asks Chef Meyers. She oversees handmade corn tortillas in the kitchen and sources flour tortillas from local favorite Vallarta Supermarket. Chef Meyers recommends their house-made almond pound cake with strawberries from Tamai Family Farms—a Wagon Wheel spin on strawberry shortcake.
The Mexican influence extends to the full bar. Order a Michelada and it arrives in a handmade imported ceramic cup. Choose from local and Mexican spirits on the cocktail list or an alcohol-free selection and enjoy the cheerful spear of marigold garnishing your drink.
That balance of culture and nostalgia emerges in the details. “We refurbished the original stagecoach Wagon Wheel neon sign; it now hangs above our brewery,” says Guzman. “I especially love that detail because that neon sign has always been such a staple in the community.” Three large communalstyle tables were made from former Wagon Wheel bowling lanes. Illustrations on can labels nod to the past and names of beers pay homage to the historic property.
Wagon Wheel has found a niche in the community for hosting large parties and events, says Guzman. You can reserve a private dining room that opens up to the large patio, allowing guests to circulate in and outdoors. Custom menus add a special touch to occasions.
“We’re excited for 2024,” says Guzman. Wagon Wheel will continue with outdoor movies, trivia and live music. Along with an NFL package, they’ve added a tailgating menu and beer pong for football fans.
“We’re most looking forward to some amazing fundraisers and raising money for the nonprofits in our community.”
- Wagon Wheel Brewing Company
2601 Wagon Wheel Rd. Suite 15 Oxnard
