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    Santa Maria BBQ

    4.6 (79 reviews)

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    Services - Santa Maria BBQ

    Catering

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    Recommended Reviews - Santa Maria BBQ

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    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.

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    3 years ago

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    Jim R.

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    2 years ago

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    Photo of Brian W.
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    6 years ago

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    Jim R.

    Thank you, Brian. We appreciate the review.

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    6 years ago

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    Jim R.

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

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    6 years ago

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    Jim R.

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    Jim R.

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

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    6 years ago

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    Jim R.

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

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    5 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    Jim R.

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

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    Jim R.

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

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    8 years ago

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    Jim R.

    Thank you, Walt. We appreciate the review.

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    Jim R.

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

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    5 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    Jim R.

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

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    12 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    Jim R.

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    11 years ago

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    Jim R.

    Thank you for the great review!

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    9 years ago

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    Jim R.

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

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    10 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    Jim R.

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

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    6 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    Thank you, Kaci. We appreciate your business!

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    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

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    Santa Maria BBQ - catering - Updated June 2026

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