I am honored to be one of Jim's original customers when he was on Culver Bl. The food at Santa Maria BBQ is outstanding. The tri tip is authentic. The chicken is extraordinarily moist and seasoned to perfection. And, the beans are so good!!! Really! Jim is a great chef and a pillar of the community. I approve! Chief read more

We just had both Jim's cater 120 at our sons rehearsal dinner here . It was truly memorable. They set up on our driveway which was a cool way for folks to get a foretaste of the meal ahead via both the wonderful snelks as well as the visuals. The meat was perfectly cooked. Jim is from Santa Maria and the BBQ was authentic. We have a second home in the Cebtsl Coast and I love to grill Tri Tip myself . Senior Jim was a pro to work abd plan with as well read more

More info from additional visits... the tri-tip is generally better than the first impression, probably because it was a bit too well-cooked the first time and has been closer to medium on subsequent visits. The baked beans are pretty good too, definitely something better than from a can. However the ribs and chicken, which seemed to be the better parts of the meal the first time, have not been as tasty on subsequent visits. And given that finding decent ribs and chicken isn't nearly as hard as finding decent tri-tip, well, I'd say that's a reasonable trade, all things considered. read more

Santa Maria BBQ - Sampler platter. Tri-tip, pork ribs, and chicken. Bread and baked beans. - Caterers Near Me - Culver City, California

You've got to have a lot of audacity to call yourself "Santa Maria Barbecue." The tri-tip better be authentic and incredibly tasty. It's like if you called yourself "Texas Barbecue;" the brisket better be mind blowing. Luckily for everyone, the tri-tip here is great and they're worthy of the name. The tri-tip is meaty and full of the smoky flavor that comes from the oak burning cooking method. I ordered half a pound of Santa Maria tri-tip. It comes sliced and it was nicely pink throughout. When I ordered, I was told to wait about 40 minutes because they just started cooking a new batch of meat. I also got grilled vegetables. I saw references to eggplant and mushrooms as part of the grilled vegetable side, but mine only had zucchini, yellow squash, onions, and red bell pepper. No problem, they probably change it up every so often. The grilled flavor gave it a nice smoked flavor like the meat. The only problem is that it could use some salt. The lack of seasoning was a bit disappointing but most people have salt laying around, and really, we're here to care about the tri-tip. Alternatively, dip the veggies in the BBQ sauce or salsa. Speaking of, the salsa is pretty good. It's not spicy and basically pico de gallo. It's nicely fresh, not acidic, and complements the tri-tip. The spicy BBQ sauce has some heat but isn't too spicy. It's pretty sweet, but not syrupy. A little goes a long way. If you order to-go, you get 10% off. At about $15 for half a pound of tri-tip, a bowl of veggies, two little containers of salsa, and some spicy BBQ sauce that was given for free, this is a great deal. read more

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. read more

See all

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. read more

Santa Maria BBQ - Menu from 07/04/20 - Caterers Near Me - Culver City, California

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. read more

Santa Maria BBQ - Caterers Near Me - Culver City, California

Amazing local BBQ place with delicious food and friendly staff. I had the tri tip sandwich and hubby had the Joe's special sandwich. We shared a side of beans as well. The tri tip is tender and full of flavor. The sandwich bread held together the entire time, even when I dunked it in their spicy BBQ sauce. The beans have a lovely smokey taste to it which complements the meat perfectly. Hubby truly enjoyed his sandwich as said he'd be back again for the same. The lady that took our orders was super friendly. It's just around the corner from us so we'll definitely be back again! read more

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 read more

Santa Maria BBQ - about the size of a fork, bread too small got squished - Caterers Near Me - Culver City, California

Some good and some bad. Not bad, but I don't think I'll come back unless they make some improvements. Meat: 4/5 the quality and tenderness / juicynees of the tritip was excellent. Some of the best cooked tritip I've had. However, it could have been slightly more smokey/flavorful / seasoned. Bread: 4/5 Store bought, but still very soft and complimented the sandwhich well. Would have been better if the inside of the bread was buttered and grilled with grill marks. Maybe also some light garlic salt. BBQ Sauce: 1/5 sauce is very vinnegar-y / acidic for a normal bbq sauce. Tastes almost halfway between a Texas (thick and sweet) and Carolina (Thin and vinnegar-y), but worse than either. Also, the hot version had weird heat, needs to use a combination of Jalepeno AND Habenero for a smoother, tapering burn. I had to use my bbq sauce from home. Value: 2/5 There isn't an option for a sandwich ala carte. So I paid $14 for a sandwich that was good, but still left me hungry wanting another. With the side order that normally comes with this, it's probably not bad, but I'm trying to limit my carbs. Summary: If this sandwich was $10 and there was a larger option for $14, along with better BBQ sauce, I'd be able to recommend this place. But as-is, they miss the mark . read more

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. read more

See all

The ribs were cooked to perfection and the spicy and mild sauces added delicious flavor. I like the fact that the ribs were so well seasoned. The beans were fantastic but the grilled veggies were my favorite. I used to frequent this restaurant least twice a month when they were located on Washington. I'll try the tri-tip next. Wish they had pulled pork on the menu as well. All in all, very satisfying BBQ. read more

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. read more

Santa Maria BBQ - Tri-Tip Sandwich - Caterers Near Me - Culver City, California

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 read more

Santa Maria BBQ - Outside - Caterers Near Me - Culver City, California

I truly can't express enough how tasty the barbeque here is! I've been to Santa Maria and can honestly say this is the real deal. I only wish they did takeout everyday not just Sunday. We always order a slab of ribs and a pound of Tri Tip. The chicken here is also delicious but we prefer to go full carnivore here, lol. I'm very picky about macaroni and cheese but Santa Maria Barbeque's version of the dish is 100% on point. We also enjoy the grilled veggies and toasted garlic bread. Furthermore, you will not find this level of quality at such fair prices elsewhere in LA. Do yourself a favor and support small, local businesses by getting yourself some scrumptious BBQ here as often as possible! read more

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. read more

See all

There may be barbecue as good, but there is none better. Santa Maria BBQ just catered my son's graduation party at a park in Culver City. He wanted tri-tip, and I'd attended a company party where Santa Maria BBQ grilled on site, and it was fabulous. So of course I called Jim. Wow, was the food a success! It absolutely MADE the party. They delivered tri-tip, grilled chicken, grilled veges, beans (also vegetarian), a just perfect potato salad, garlic bread, a lovely big salad, delicious house barbecue sauce, salsa, and dressings, and all the plates, napkins, cutlery, and serving utensils. And because our 40 guests wandered in over time, I discovered what was so ideal about their food - it was equally delicious hot or cold. I recommend the food highly at any time. But really, next time you're throwing a party, just let them deliver it to you! Reasonable price, amazing food. Relaxed hostess, happy guests. read more

Ordered the Santa Maria meal for a group of us. Wasn't very good at all. All the meat tasted like liquid smoke. And made us all feel kind of nauseous after a few bites. Just didn't taste good. Also, everything was a bit dry and over cooked. Don't think I'll eat here again. read more

Jim catered a milestone bday party I hosted for my husband. Referred by long time customers who have eaten there for years. From the initial contact to the day of, Jim was very responsive, easy to go over the food and timing (first time catering at my house) and just made the whole process seamless. The pricing was very reasonable and he added extras for good luck. The food was 100%- all my guests raved about the tri tip, ribs and chicken, as well as the sides. Thank you so much Jim and John for making it an unforgettable event! I highly recommend. read more

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. read more

Santa Maria BBQ - Tri-Tip w/ French Fries - Caterers Near Me - Culver City, California

See all

Awesome BBQ, but only take out and only lunch during the week. No weekends!! Smoky and tender, get the sampler plate. You can get Mac and cheese instead of fries for a dollar! Yum read more

Santa Maria BBQ - Caterers Near Me - Culver City, California

To bad they aren't open all the time as the specialize in catering. There Tri-Tip is always tender and cooked perfect. I get the Tri-Tip bowl 90% of the time which has beans and rice. And the price is reasonable which is like half of what Maple Block charges down the street and just as good. So basically there only open on Sunday's and even then you have to check their web site to see if there open. read more

We have used Santa Maria BBQ several times for events at work. Since I'm the official party planner here I get the privilege of working with them. I'm not exaggerating when I say privilege. The staff is always so easy to work with and patient. We usually have events for 100+ and we never run out of food, even better we don't usually have a bunch of left overs to deal with (yes you get to keep them). I just called to book our holiday event for this year and they remembered me and our order, talk about customer service! We always opt for the on site cooking so our food is literally hot off the grill! read more

Great food great service and great prices! What else can I say? Eat here or better yet have them cater an event for you. If you have around $ 500 dollars worth of food made (for about 50 people give or take), they will bring their large bbq wagon to your site and cook it there on the spot. An even better proposition. read more

After years of not knowing what happened to the once loved corner BBQ restaurant in Culver City, I found Jim (the owner) again! To my surprise he had been in the area the entire time and still caters. So I decided to hire them for our catering event today. They showed up prompt, professional and kept the area tidy at all times! The set up was great, I didn't even expect everything that was provided so that made the event even better. From the juicy tri tip that just melted in my mouth, to the moist chicken that I could taste a hint of smokiness, the food was on point!! The potato salad and veggie beans were perfect side orders. I do regret not ordering some of that tasty rice I remember eating @ their restaurant. The salsa was mild enough and when mixed in with the BBQ sauce, these condiments just pulled the entire dish together!! I came to find out my neighbors could smell the good cooking blocks away and wondered where it was coming fromEveryone at the party had nothing but great things to say about the delicious food and how friendly Jim and his side kick were. I will definitely keep them in mind for another catering event. Extremely satisfied with the service and delicious food and these days that's become a difficult thing to find and say! Job well done read more

We had them cater a large affair for us with over 200 people. They were on time, friendly, professional! We did not have them BBQ on site, but the food was hot and delicious. They brought us 40+ pounds of Tri-tip and 240 or so pieces of BBQ chicken. Our guests were oohing and ahhing about the tri-tip. And we hardly had any chicken left at all! We got great value for our money. If you are planning an event, give them a call. Jim Rodrigues is friendly and professional. He was extremely helpful and gave us a great deal. I highly recommend them. read more

One of the best places to get catered BBQ your people will be happy. I love the tri-tip and if you have can have them cook the meat onsite it will make you cry bcz it is so good. read more

I accidentally found this place while riding my bike in the area and totally thought its one of those amazing hole in the wall finds that has some amazing bbq by people who passionately love bbq. I was wrong. When I finally got a chance to order the food tasted pretty bland and not anything better than a sizzlers meal. You guys got my hopes up for no reason. read more

Santa Maria BBQ - Outside - not your typical storefront - Caterers Near Me - Culver City, California

See all

Really good bbq spot. Pic nic tables and all for the bbq feel. Good experience and good people. They even made me something not on the menu. I really like fries so I asked for a tri tip cheese fries really good! read more

Santa Maria BBQ - Tri tip cheese fries not on the menu but they made it for me any ways! - Caterers Near Me - Culver City, California

I'm a transplant from Santa Maria to Culver City and this place is the REAL DEAL! Makes me feel like I'm back home driving down Broadway on a Saturday. Everything is great here! Just a tip: traditionally, you're not supposed to eat the BBQ with sauce, but with salsa. read more

We ordered BBQ for a staff lunch for my 250ppl and it was amazing! The food was absolutely delicious, the chicken was so tender, the ribs were delectable, and the beans... don't get me started! Jim was super helpful in advising us to ensure that there was enough food for everyone. They were right on time and very well-priced. This is the second time we've had them at our company, the first time we actually had them onsite cooking for us, which was a super cool experience. This time our budget was a bit more restricted so we did a drop-off instead. Thanks so much for your quality of service and making everything so easy on us! We'll definitely have you back again. read more

Notice the hours: 11-4 Sunday only. As you approach, it smells like the real thing. Even though it's not 18-hour Texas BBQ, a 2-hour stretch on the Santa Maria grill is pretty close. Friendly staff will set you up w/ just what you want. Prices are good.Of course, you are the waiter, and you're eating on the concrete at a picnic table out front. It's barbeque, baby! W/ this place and Baby Blues Barbecue in Venice, the LA Westside has some real legit barbeque. read more

Ive been coming for a while and they have some of the best effing bbq ive had...omg their sauce! I have been coming since they had a location on Washington Blvd and it still taste the same(Great!), same great service, and now desert? Yes! read more

Always amazing food and the best barbecue in L.A. We always order catering on occasion and the owner Jim is always so helpful and gives us the best deal in town. Fresh, delicious and cannot be beat! read more

Good when open. Everything is amazing. Tri tip sandwich rocks with their mac n cheese. Biz owner is nice. I'm removing one star because I feel this business is not concerned with serving the local community but instead is just a satellite office for corporate catering. They are not open for lunch usually and I think they are open only some Sundays. I was lucky enough to go back one day and I have to say the quality was just OK read more

Marina Auto Body just used this catering company today for our company celebration and they were incredible. They cooked everything on site for us. The food was ready on time and Jon even cut the tri tip to our individual liking. Everything was sooo delicious!! The owner, Jim along with Jon and IIrene were super nice and friendly. Highly recommend this place! They have a variety of different options to choose from and they are very accommodating to your every need. Cant wait till the next company party we have, so I can order from here again!! Thanks again!!! -Marina Auto Body read more

Went ahead and ordered the half rack of ribs with mac and cheese. The half rack of ribs was cooked perfect, not over not under. The ribs also came with a side of bread which also had a good garlic butter flavor. I was also really happy with the mac and cheese, nice and gooey and the cheese was nice and stretchy. There isnt much seating its only two picnic benches under a ez-up shade. Staff is super friendly, i will be returning to try more of their selection. read more

See all

We had their food for a party of 20 last week and it was a hit! From ordering to delivery to food quality/quantity, everything was top notch. We ordered tri tip, mac n cheese, potato salad, garlic bread, and grilled veggies; all was well enjoyed! Susan was awesome - thank you for your help with our order and for your attention to detail. We will be back! read more

Such tender and tasty tri tip Santa Maria style. Always good. Jim's is one of my favorites. Really friendly folks here. I'm lucky I can walk here. Come by and try. Just follow the smoke! read more

We had Santa Maria BBQ cater my mom's 80th birthday party (100 people) this past weekend. The planning was super easy with Jim and the food was excellent and flavorful. Everyone enjoyed and we had plenty of leftovers! I would definitely recommend them and I will use them again in the future. read more