Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Santa Maria BBQ

    4.6 (79 reviews)

    Get pricing & availability

    You can now request a quote from this business directly from Yelp

    Santa Maria BBQ Photos

    You might also consider

    More like Santa Maria BBQ

    Recommended Reviews - Santa Maria BBQ

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Sampler Platter (usually comes with fries but I subbed fries for their SM style beans)
    Julianne B.

    I'm so glad I was able to try this spot. I've had this place bookmarked for a couple of years now but never got around to trying it. This place was worth the wait to try. Our original plan was to pick up food and bring it back home and save it later for dinner. Well. It didn't make it to dinner. We ordered the sampler platter (subbed beans instead of fries) and Joe's Special Sandwich with tri tip. Once we got a whiff of our food, we had to sit down and rip in to the bag ASAP. And I'm so glad we did. The sampler platter had a good amount of meat. As first timers, this was great to try. It comes with tri tip, chicken and ribs. Everything was so juicy, tender and smokey. The beans are amazing. I'm usually not a fan of baked beans because they're usually sweet. These are definitely more on the savory/smokey side and they were so flavorful. Joe's Special Sandwich. Oh, it is a special sandwich. Get this sandwich. It is a hefty sandwich with a healthyyy amount of tri tip mixed in with veggies and cheese. The bread itself is nicely toasted with a good crust to hold allllllll that goodness in. We broke into this sandwich right away and half way in to eating it we stopped, got back in line and ordered another one. It's. That. Good. The fries that come with the sandwich are incredible too. They hand cut their fries and fry it perfectly. Good amount of seasoning on it as well. I dipped everything in their house made barbecue sauces. We tried both mild and spicy. I personally liked the spicy more, but both sauces are incredibly flavored. The wonderful lady that helped us was so nice. I wish I got her name! But she had great recommendations for us first timers and a ton of knowledge on their business. Santa Maria style Barbecue. Underrated. Delicious. Simple. I love that this style of barbecue is so simple and not heavily sauced. But you have that option to sauce it up. They let the meat and their cooking method do the talking, and I hear you. I feel you. I am coming back for you.

    Menu from 07/04/20
    Ron E.

    This restaurant is a staple for my family when we are local and they are open. We love their Tri-tip by the pound, Santa Maria beans, as well as the tri-tip sandwich. The bbq is moist, smoky and generously portioned. I find the meat plenty flavorful on its own, but always opt for the hot bbq sauce for the extra heat. We don't always get the chicken, but they bbq the chicken to where it's still juicy with the full bbq sear as well. Lastly, the bread here is thick, toasted and buttered for the sandwiches and sides, which my family loves as well. Please be aware you should order ahead of time, especially during Covid19. Walk ups were told there is an hour wait for food. Thanks for reading.

    Sara R.

    If you want to have amazing Santa Maria BBQ then this is the place! They are open for business and you just have to go! The owner, Jim is super nice and friendly. The guy works really hard! You can tell he is passionate about what he is cooking and it shows. Great food! The ribs are super meaty and tender and fall off the bone with deliciousness. I like the fact when you buy a slab, they score a bit between the bones to make it easier to cut when you get home. The BBQ sauces come separately and your choice is mild or spicy. Like them both! The sauces also make a great alternative to ketchup for french fries. They cook the tri-tip just the way I like it. A perfect medium rare and you won't be disappointed with the flavor....so good. I have had their chicken as well and it's very moist and flavorful. Love the sides. My fav is the coleslaw. Great coolness and sweetness of the slaw to match with the spiciness of the BBQ. They also offer really good grilled veggies, garlic bread where you just can't eat one slice----YUM! Beans and rice to top it all off and wow! You can hope you have leftovers for the next day but most of the time, it's all gone. I highly recommend this business. Prices are reasonable, portions are good and the quality is perfect! It is really hard to find great BBQ but you don't need to look further as this is it! Their website lists the menu and the hours.

    about the size of a fork, bread too small got squished
    Koko M.

    Very good barbecue spot in LA, some of the best tri-tip I've had in a long time! Ordered a sampler platter with an extra portion of tri-tip, a chicken sandwich, and sides of both barbecue sauces. All the meats were succulent with a wonderful smoky red oak flavor clearly done with care. The portion size for the sampler platter is substantial, but the extra portion of tri-tip was definitely needed in our case! Both barbecue sauces had their own zing to it, the spicy having just the right amount of heat to leave you tingling. My only issue was with the chicken sandwich, which was on the smaller end for $16 and only has meat and bread. I would have preferred some lettuce/tomato/onion on it as well but the meat is clearly meant to be the star. For any great sandwich the bread is important and this bread did not hold up as it became smushed and is too small in my opinion. Otherwise pretty great meal here I will order again, probably just not the chicken sandwich

    The cooking area.
    Jerry M.

    Really in the high 3's not a true 4. I picked up a slab of Baby Backs...$25 including tax, I left $3 in the tip jar. They were good...not a great amount of meat on the bones though. I asked for both sauces. One medium and the other spicy. Both good. I brought them home and the wife said that they were her kind of ribs. I thought they were a tad dry. But I would come back as the value/quality was there.

    Tri-Tip Sandwich
    Matthew M.

    Great spot for a tri-tip sandwich! Hard to find south of the central coast so this was an unexpected treat. Definitely go for the spicy BBQ sauce. The roll was decadently buttery.

    Outside

    Loved the food and hospitality! I placed a to go order and it was hot and ready when I got there! Definitely go with the fries. So good

    Javier C.

    Excellent food, had it at work, had them cook on site and cater my dads birthday party a while back. Jim the owner is a good man always professional.

    Tri-Tip w/ French Fries
    LaToya H.

    Good BBQ for the Westside. Now good BBQ is all about the sauce. The BBQ sauce is tangy with a little kick. It's not too sweet or hot. The food is made to order. It's fresh and hot within 15 minutes. Excellent and friendly service. It is a shame the restaurant is more like a pop up restaurant with limited hours. I would visit more frequently if they had expanded hours after work and on weekends. I recommend the tri-tip with french fries.

    See all

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Eric R.
    27
    32
    1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Brian W.
    373
    3446
    1669

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Thank you, Brian. We appreciate the review.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Thank you, Brandon. We're glad you enjoyed our food.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Koko M.
    51
    49
    17

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bari B.
    69
    52
    32

    5 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Thank you, Bari for the great review. We appreciate your business.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Thank you for stopping by today. We appreciate your business!

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Thank you. We appreciate your patronage and the great review.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lisa N.
    13
    18
    102

    8 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Keith S.
    0
    147
    23

    5 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of LaToya H.
    252
    18
    286

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Fred S.
    5
    90
    52

    10 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    We are now open on Saturday & Sunday 11 am to 5 pm.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Walt W.
    60
    237
    35

    9 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Thank you, Walt. We appreciate the review.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Julia B.
    71
    70
    69

    13 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of John C.
    64
    29
    6

    9 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Thank you, John. We appreciate your business and the great review.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of A J.
    2
    109
    157

    5 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Li W.
    44
    21
    3

    9 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Thank you, Phi. We appreciate your business and the great review!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Thank you for the great review!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Thank you, Chuck. We appreciate the review!!!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of John C.
    1
    178
    12

    9 years ago

    Helpful 10
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Thank you, Shawn. We appreciate your business and the great review.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jeff K.
    4
    90
    19

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kaci K.
    28
    30
    2

    9 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jim R.

    Jim R.

    Thank you, Kaci. We appreciate your business!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Santa Maria BBQ

    Came by on a Friday evening and it was closed. When are they open? Only Sundays?

    Yes, take out is only available on Sundays. But it is SO worth the wait!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Santa Maria BBQ

    “We ordered the sampler platter (subbed beans instead of fries) and Joe's Special Sandwich with tri tip.”

    Mentioned in 15 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Rutt's Catering

    Rutt's Catering

    (390 reviews)

    Mar Vista

    I'm a big fan of Rutt's and so got the lunch catering for about 24 people. We used the online…read moreordering for pick-up which was convenient and easy. Food was ready right for pick-up time and came fresh and hot and as requested for our group. It was delicious and wonderful portion sizes and was an absolute hit for my party. I really valued the seamlessness as well as the quality for cost. I would recommend for everyone!

    I ordered Thanksgiving catering from here for my company and our experience here was generally…read moregreat! We went with Combo #1 and there were around 12 of us. The portion was pretty good for our group size. We even had lots of leftovers. For some of the food items: -Chopped Turkey: Both the white and dark meats were juicy, succulent and flavorful. However, I do wish there was a larger meat ratio relative to all the sides. It also was a bit messy with the juices, so I would recommend even tighter packing. -Mashed Potatoes: Perfectly creamy and buttery. -Stuffing: Soft and flavorful. -Green Bean Casserole: Creamy and the green beans were cooked well. I would suggest putting the fried onion topping on the side so it could be crunchy. I'm not the biggest fan of Thanksgiving foods and I think this spread was great! Ordering and coordinating the order was relatively easy. I do wish the email etiquette and general communication was more professional though. We also received our order a bit later than scheduled, but I was told they were short on drivers for that day. I also liked the insulated bag the food came in. Overall, a good experience here and I would consider ordering catering from here again.

    Bites & Bashes Catering - Rainbow crudite display for Nordstrom

    Bites & Bashes Catering

    (307 reviews)

    Mid-City

    I cannot recommend Bites & Bashes enough! This was a catered event for donors and special guests…read more It was a pleasure coordinating with Katie and Mariah. Quick responses and seamless customer service. Ordered for 100 guests and we were impressed by the amount of food received; there was more than enough to feed our additional last-minute guests we hadn't included in the original headcount. Everything was so light & colorful and tasted just as delicious as it looked. Appreciated the beautiful floral touches to the platters. We got the seasonal fruit platter, assorted viennoiseries, chia pudding, yogurt parfaits and coffee/tea. Per Katie's recommendation we added cookies--which were a huge hit with guests (and staff)! The menu was curated for dairy free/GF/vegan options. The delivery with Ramon went smoothly: right on time, clear communication via text and help with the set up. The whole Bites & Bashes team did such a professional job. You won't regret working with this family-owned business!

    We had Bites and Bashes cater our house party and were so impressed with the quality of food, setup…read moreand customer service. Their team was efficient, personable and even spoke Japanese (we had mentioned this was a Japanese college alumni party). They were incredible to work with and all of our guests had a great experience. We ordered the Spanish Dinner with Paella and had pass around appetizers as well with glass noodles, spicy tuna with cucumber, sliders and coconut shrimp. Everything was delicious with not a single miss!! Highly recommend them for any level of catering as they created gorgeous displays, had amazing food and an efficient professional setup in our kitchen. Thank you so much for everything!!

    Silver Spoons Catering, Inc

    Silver Spoons Catering, Inc

    (117 reviews)

    Tarzana

    OMG. These guys are awesome! They are the most efficient, tasty, clean and organized set up and…read morereasonably priced for what you get. Can't wait til next year to celebrate our 25th anniversary. They came in and took care of everything. Food was superb. I can't say enough about these guys.

    Steve and I want to thank Scott Tessler and his entire team from Silver Spoons for making Sunday's…read moreOpen House to Meet the Baby [our new grandchild] a truly special occasion for us, and one where we felt as if we did not have to lift a finger! Silver Spoons made everything happen, put the numerous gorgeous bouquets that people brought away in the perfect vases, which Scott or his team somehow found on their own without bothering me. They made everything look delicious despite the unbelievable heat, and then, on top of everything else - everything WAS delicious and delightful. The food was fantastic. And Scott Tessler and his team all talked to our guests in such a nice way. It was fun to have them there. We have used Silver Spoons intermittently over the years - for our daughter's wedding in Malibu in 2015, and now again, to introduce her baby to our friends and family. I'm beginning to think we should do this more often - the results from Scott and Silver Spoons are outstanding. After our event was over, exhausted, we came back to our kitchen, and discovered scads of perfectly wrapped leftovers - Steve and I simultaneously went hunting for that incredible mustard - oh, no, did they leave us some? Yes! You left us a significant amount, nicely wrapped up. And you cleaned up the kitchen beautifully! Even mopped! Everything was left in perfect order. I've been enjoying all the leftovers now for a few days. We have already given Silver Spoons' contact information to one guest at the party, who was very impressed with its work. Many of our guests were already familiar with Silver Spoons from their experiences at University Synagogue (now part of Wilshire Boulevard Temple). The food, the presentation, interaction with guests, following of dietary/allergy restrictions - all perfect. We had magnificent vegetables for the vegans, gluten-free dishes of all kinds that were superb, regular dishes that were wonderful - the food was great. And the service is exceptional. Our baby grandson had a grand debut in the Millers' back yard, and Silver Spoons Catering was a big part of that. Silver Spoons did a wonderful job, and we thank them for it.

    Grandmas House Catering - Mario Johnson the inspiration behind Grandma's House Catering.

    Grandmas House Catering

    (79 reviews)

    Truly exceptional food and equally great people! Grandmas House Catering catered a recent event…read morewith ~100 people for lunch + cocktail reception and we received rave reviews! Rhonda and Mario were a delight to work with (and we had a few updates as our event grew!) for both the front end and back end. And again - the food was 10/10. Can't wait to host something again so we can use their services!

    I was really looking forward to trying some authentic American Soul food after our office manager…read moreannounced that we were ordering catering from Grandmas House, and I researched the background behind this place. I wasn't expecting fried chicken, but I have to say this place offered way more healthy options and variety than I was expecting. The highlights of my experience were the fried chicken, corn bread, and the super cheesy mac n cheese. The herbs and the crispiness of the chicken was definitely a league above any thing I've had at fast food places that serve fried chicken. The seasoning was done just right without any of bit of saltiness. I am not sure what kind of cheese was used, but the mac n cheese had a firmness to the cheese that was refreshing (I don't like my mac n cheese too runny), and the flavor profile of the cheese tasted of a high end caliber. Corn bread was just the best darn corn bread I've had, with mild sweetness, strong corn flavor, and even good bits of corn mixed in. Very moist and tender, yet crumbles a bit when you handle it. Mixed greens were crisp and fresh and really balanced out the meal with much needed fiber for me. I felt the mushroom and string beans were pretty good, but nothing earth shattering. The shrimp on skewer sticks I felt were a little dry and plain so I don't recommend this as highly as the other items. Sheperd's pie was made from a ground beef layer along with a top layer of mashed sweet potato. The potato layer was very delicious, but the bottom meat layer could have used a little less salt IMO. Overall I had a very positive experience, and even my kids sampled a little of everything. They echoed my sentiments, except for the sheperd's pie, which my daughter was not a fan of.

    Santa Maria BBQ - catering - Updated September 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...