Santa Maria bbq and Catering

I got me the brisket with the baked beans and mac and cheese. Quality at its finest! Everything I had was amazing! Mike greeted me with such down-to-earth hospitality. Then he offered me samples to try. He really took care of me. I will definitely be back. All love my brother!🙏🏽🤟🏽🤙🏽😁

Would give this place 10 stars if I could. Mike took the best care of us while we were in there. Everything that hit the table was amazing; the meal was perfect, and if you have not tried it yet, I highly recommend doing so.

I had to stop mid meal to take pictures of my food, that’s how good it was. When I came in today for the first time, the woman who helped me was so incredibly nice. I ordered to go and it was probably ready within 10 minutes, the woman kindly told me how my stuff was stacked up and what was in the bag. It smelt so good in my car that I took a bite of the sandwich before the drive homeand oh my god, it’s delicious. There was no sauce on it and I appreciated that because that way I knew it wouldn’t get soggy on the drive, but there was a nice side of sauce in the bag. I also got a plate of chicken with potato salad and corn bread and I loved how everything was so carefully individually wrapped/packaged so it stayed fresh. This place was amazing, I’ll be back 100%, especially because when I was there I saw they have daily lunch specials and a little bar with some beers on tap. 10/10 BBQ

So I am new to the Orange County . I've only been here for a little over a year. I was looking for some good BBQ. This is my first time going here . I read some reviews and had high hopes . Unfortunately to my surprise this was very disappointing. I go to the restaurant, it was dead empty. No one was in the front. I ring the bell. I get my food and leave . I notice for 55 dollars this is what I got. The sauce tasted like it was the grocery store jack Daniel's BBQ. The portions are so small. They also didn't even give me my frys that they charged me for. I tried calling them, but they did not answer my call .

DONT GO HERE! This bbq spot is absolutely the worst place you can go to. The Tri tip was almost all fat (see photos), the portions were so small I couldn’t believe it. We paid $25-30/meal for 3 people, and I’ve never been so sad to lose my money. I got extra sides that weren’t even added. The food was so bad I didn’t even go back and complain and get my food I paid for! My food took FOREVER to be made, and for it to be absolutely horrible makes it worse. You took my time and my money. NEVER EVER going back to this spot. I recommend Sweet Lou’s BBQ 5 minutes away from this spot. The difference will kill you!

I can't even imagine sharing anything about this place. We were so excited to find a BBQ place. We may have set our expectations too high. The food was awful. The meat was nothing but gristle. The pork ribs, no flavor. It's too expensive for what you get.

Amazing. The brisket was incredibly tender and tasty. Had the potatoe salad and beans as side dishes, which were equally excellent. My friends ordered the brisket too but had the nuclear corn and collard greens which they raved about. I highly recommend this joint.

I had a fantastic BBQ meal today, featuring a Chicken and Rib combo. The meat was delicious, and my amazing sides included collard greens, beans, and potato salad. Even better, when I discovered that one of my sides was missing at home, they promptly delivered it to me. The service was outstanding, and the food was excellent. I highly recommend them!

Food was delicious, tender and fresh. The service was awesome beautiful conversation and the place feels like home.

It's a casual spot, but perfect for a family dinner when you want something hearty and don't feel like cooking. There are TVs on the wall and it's loud enough that I didn't feel stressed about my kids talking or moving around. You place your order at the counter, grab your drinks, and they bring the food out when it's ready. We'll definitely be back. It's nice to have a place that feels laid back but still delivers solid, well-cooked food. If you're looking for a no-fuss dinner with legit BBQ, this is a great option. Great food, great experience, will definitely be back!

I can truly imagine it's not easy to keep a BBQ restaurant prosperous because there's quite a lot of food to make. As you know, it's not me who's a fan, but my husband likes brisket & tri-tip, so I make my rounds once in awhile for his dinner. Went back to Yelp to see what to order and the brisket caught my eye, unfortunately, they changed the shape of the bun to round hamburger-like bun (without lettuce like in the photo), not like the long French in the photo from years back. Doesn't bother me, but when I opened up the box, it WAS a bit surprising to see a rather tiny sandwich wrapped in foil and a side for $17. I ordered a second side for $7 ...and an order of fries for $8. So, $32 later, I walked out with dinner for one, mostly sides. The potato salad was heavily seasoned with mustard, the cole slaw was vinegar based and the fries were... just ok. I get it, everything is pricey these days... but a side of potato salad or Cole slaw (cabbage) shouldn't be $7 for an individual serving, should it?

This place feels has good Tri‑tip, though the standout is their brisket, tender and deeply flavored. My wife and I loooove their brisket. My wife and I both started in the restaurant business and appreciate warm and friendly staff which is why we love their team. They are warm, friendly, and generous and always let us try things they are cooking up in the kitchen, probably because we can relate to them in a way that says, we see you. Running a restaurant in the 21st century is so much different than two decades ago, so we appreciate the intimate setting they create there. We feel as if we are visiting our local family restaurant, because they are always so welcoming. Their sauces are unique and flavorful. Now, lets get something straight... they are a SoCal BBQ restaurant, not Texas or Tennessee. It says it in their name (Santa Maria). So we do not understand why people compare to TX BBQ. They are both GREAT and UNIQUE to their demographic. So Cal BBQ is for the SoCal demographic. Thank you for being here Santa Maria! Their sides deserve applause too: Our favorite is the tangy potato salad and crisp slaw with kale. To summarize: Santa Maria BBQ turns every plate into a mini‑celebration of CALIFORNIA-STYLE barbecue. The meats are top-tier, the sides thoughtfully made, and the sauces--brown sugar, tangy BBQ, and lime‑butter‑garlic--offer layers of flavor to explore. If you're craving hearty, smoky, feel‑good BBQ, this place hits all the right notes. Five stars without a doubt.

Best beef ribs I've ever had. It's a small BBQ spot with about 10 tables inside. There was no one at the register when we got there as there was only one person working in the back. After calling for someone, he came out, took our order and went to the back to cook the food. There was some issues with their credit card machine that caused a delay. They had to reboot their system and it finally worked. I thought their menu was pretty pricy and somewhat limited. The meats come as a combo or by the 1/2 pound. There wasn't an option to get a side of sausage. One sausage as a combo plate was $17. The beef ribs were a little steep at $50. We waited awhile for our meal. I don't know if it's because there was a large order ahead of us but the restaurant was very empty. Tried the beef ribs, brisket, tri-tip, sausage, mac and cheese with bacon, and corn. The beef ribs were the star of the show. I cannot believe how incredibly juicy and tender it was, and how it fell off the bone. I've never had beef ribs that tasted this delicious. The brisket was good but not as juicy as the beef ribs. Tri-tip was just ok. Sausage was below average. I wouldn't get it again. Sides were just ok. The Mac and cheese with bacon sounded promising but looked and tasted just ok. I think with the prices they charged, it would be better but kind of disappointed with what you get. It was a casual order at the counter type place, and I think didn't warrant the higher prices. I would come back to this place again just for the beef ribs alone, and we have tried but they always sell out so we were unable to order it a 2nd time.

Ordered from this place for the first time and it was disappointing. We ordered delivery and it was over $80 for two people. We did not receive the drinks we ordered, we received two orders of Tri-tip and no brisket and one order had barely any meat. The one pictured had more meat but for $35 not enough. Such a bummer.

This is a pleasant, hole-in-the-wall, barbecue spot. There are a few booths, some stools at the bar, and you order at the counter. They serve beer and wine and some of the very best pulled pork, tri tip and homemade sides I have ever eaten! The sandwiches were sooo good I forgot take any pictures. The potato salad was excellent, the collard greens were excellent! The service provided by the wonderful woman at the counter was down-home awesome! She treated my elderly friend and me like we were a couple of favorite uncles. I only discovered this place because it is in the local Hobby Lobby parking lot. I was picking up some art supplies to make my little granddaughter a 6th birthday present. It seems like the present is mine. I give this humble restaurant my highest recommendation. The meat is: Real Deal Delicious !!

Came here because I was passing by looking for another store in the same shopping center, and noticed they were open for Easter. Later on that day I was going to order food from my usual place but they closed early so I called this place up to double check their hours, and sure enough, they were open until 8PM for Easter. Score. We decided to eat they and got 2 plates to share with 2 sides each: brisket and trị-tip with sides of potato salad, corn bread, beer battered fries and onion rings. The last 2 came out piping hot and freshly made. The potato salad and corn bread were just okay. Tri-tip and brisket were decent. I thought the food was good, but bf wasn't as enthused because there was a place in Long Beach that we used to frequent that was better, although I'm not into driving that far just for food. If I wanted bbq in a pinch I'd come back here so until I can find a better bbq place I'd say this one fits the bill just fine. My only qualm were their dull butter knives we had to use to cut our trị-tip and brisket, which was terribly frustrating. I quipped it just be a safety issue being as how they also serve beer there. Ha

Good food great service and TRI Tip done right Great small place with the amazing smell of smoking meats

One of the best brisket sandwiches ever. Brisket was tender and well seasoned and the brioche bread was toasted. Had it with the coleslaw and it was delicious! Place was very nice and clean. Definitely recommend!

They catered for 25 and everyone LOVED it! Paul delivered a ton of spare ribs, chicken and brisket, with coleslaw, corn and rolls. Also provided three different sauces...and chafing dishes and serving utensils. It's true Santa Maria style. Deep smokey flavor, dry rubbed meat. It was devoured. It was a very good value and Paul has a delight to work with. I recommend this place whole heartedly.

I enjoyed a pulled pork sandwich and their Mac n cheese delicious as usual hoping to try a tri-tip sandwich next time

Best bbq in Huntington Beach! Staff was amazing and accommodating. They were nice enough to stay open a bit late for us so we could celebrate a birthday there. Highly recommend! Everything on there menu is good can't make a bad choice when deciding on what to eat. Love this place.

Oh my God this is the best barbecue experience I've ever had. Is somebody from Tennessee they really bring the meats just an unbelievable experience of Private plus one of the only places you can get properly. Made kind of green strongly. Recommend an easy parking make this perfect place for your family go see Marcus for smiles. He's the guy that looks like the Witcher 3

Went in on a Sunday at 3pm and it looked closed from the outside since it was empty. The woman at the counter was nice and friendly but notified us that they were sold out of tri-tip. We had originally ordered the 3 meat combo with brisket, sausage, and pork ribs. For sides: mac & cheese and onion rings. In addition, we ordered a brisket sandwich with bbq beans and corn bread. While we were waiting for our food, we were then told sausage was also sold out so we chose chicken as a substitute. -Brisket and chicken: both very dry. -Pork ribs and corn bread: ok. -BBQ Beans: well cooked and flavorful -Mac & Cheese: cold on top and the cheese sauce was more on the milky side and not too flavorful. -Onion rings: beer-battered so they had a nice crunch but weren't really seasoned Overall, the food was not worth the price. Total: $82 before tip.

Have to go back and try the rest of their meats but the brisket sando and fries was a good beginning. Nice hole in the wall bbq restaurant with great ambience. Service was good, helpful, and friendly.

The food and service is stellar. These people CARE about me and my food and it tastes that way. I can't ask for more from a restaurant. I love going here every chance I get!

This place is a hidden gem. It is sparkling, has a nice bar and booths and the food is all great. My new favorite is the brisket but you can't go wrong with the pulled pork or the tri-tip.

Evrything about this place was fantastic ! The service, the food. Normally I'm not much of a brisket girl, but this place had the best Brisket I've ever had. When one of the workers asked if we had been there before and our party said no, he came out with a GENEROUS sample plate for us to try. We will be going back there again. Highly recommend.

This was my first and last visit. I ordered both the brisket plate and the tri-tip plate, and I was disappointed to find that they were loaded with fat and lacked sufficient meat.

Talk about authentic, mouth-watering Santa Maria-style BBQ in Huntington Beach -- Santa Maria BBQ and Catering! I recently had the pleasure of trying their catering service for a community event, and everything was absolutely incredible -- from the perfectly seasoned tri-tip to the juicy chicken and flavorful sides. You can taste the quality and tradition in every bite. Their homemade bourbon sauce and onion rings were huge hits with everyone, and the grilled vegetables were the perfect complement to the meats. Plus, the team was professional, friendly, and made the entire experience easy and stress-free.

This is my favorite BBQ place in Huntington Beach I highly recommend it!! Please try it . You won't be disappointed i promise!! Sharon is the best too!!! I had the pulled pork w/ one side ,potato salad.

A well-kept Yummie Barbque eatery located in the Hobby Lobby Shopping Center, across from GW College, in Central Huntington Beach. This local spot gets better each time we drop in for an early dinner or late afternoon fill-up. Very tasty and light, smokey BBQ flavors without setting your mouth on fire. Nice presentations coupled with generous portions of BBQ style Tri-Tip or Brisket Sandwiches full of tender/stacked meat are served on a lightly-toasted brioche bun, and your choice of classic sides. Larger portion dinner plates are also include additional sides. For the sides, we go for the beans, potato salad, and newly-improved collard greens, that are each served in small classic-looking bean pots to keep the contents warm...and then share them...these are super-tasty homemade sides! Summary Takeway: A clean shop, friendly crew, rapid service, well-organized, compact eatery with solid BBQ food choices and both soft drinks and adult beverages available. Lots of takeout and pick-up activity; and it's gaining notoriety. Hint: get there early if possible as the Brisket is a hot ticket, and you don't want to miss out! Almost forgot, ask for extra BBQ sauce to mix into the beans...Awesome! . For the sides, we go for the beans, potato salad, and newly-improved collard greens that are served in small ceramic bean pots to keep the contents warm...and then share them...these are super-tasty home-made sides! Summary take away: A clean shop, friendly crew, rapid service, well-kept, compact eatery with solid BBQ food choices and both soft drinks and adult brews available. Lots of take-out and pick-up activity, and it's gaining notoriety. Hint: get there early as the Brisket is a hot ticket and you don't want to miss out! Almost forgot: get extra BBQ Sauce to add into the beans...Awesome!

horrible nothing but fat and forgot our sides. We waited 20-30 minutes for take out and it was slabs of fat with small bits of meat between. Mac n cheese was just noodles. They forgot two of our sides to top it off. 3 different meals all fat. They gave us the tiniest portions. Go to sweet Lou's bbq 10x better and brand new. I wish I ate in store so I could request a refund. I never request refunds but this was ridiculous.

Good BBQ would recommend the tri-tip.i have had twice so far and want to try the chicken.

Santa Maria BBQ catered the food for Country Night at Temple Beth David. The chicken and beef were served hot. Cole slaw and potato salad were the sides, along with rolls. The barbecue sauce was had just the right amount of spices. Everyone enjoyed the dinner. Yum!!!

As a proud Austinite and BBQ aficionado, I couldn't resist the allure of sampling California BBQ. Huntington Beach has a hidden gem that BBQ lovers need to experience. Amanda and Paul aren't just exceptional pitmasters--they're warm, welcoming hosts who made my visit unforgettable. They even invited me into their kitchen to witness their magic firsthand--a rare and memorable treat! Here's a polished and enhanced version of your review: --- As a proud Austinite and BBQ aficionado, I couldn't resist the allure of sampling California BBQ. Huntington Beach has a hidden gem that BBQ lovers need to experience. Amanda and Paul aren't just exceptional pitmasters--they're warm, welcoming hosts who made my visit unforgettable. They even invited me into their kitchen to witness their magic firsthand--a rare and memorable treat! If you're anywhere near Huntington Beach and craving BBQ, this spot is absolutely unmissable. The Tri Tips paired with Pork Ribs is a match made in culinary heaven, bursting with flavor and tenderness. I also have to mention the coleslaw: it's vinegar-based, not mayo-based, and let me tell you--I usually steer clear of coleslaw, but this one completely won me over. Tangy, refreshing, and downright delightful!

I was in the area this morning and noticed that it has changed from BT's to Santa Maria. The brisket was tender and moist, and the beans and nuclear corn were good as well. Service was on point, they have a selection of beers on tap, and there's a decent amount of seating. Music is on, and it's a chill atmosphere. :) I'll be back.

I wish I could take a picture of my food. But it was so freaking yummy. I ate it all as soon as I got in the house . The customer service was amazing , professional courtesy. I will definitely come back. I got the brisket sandwich and bbq beans. I give this restaurant an A plus plus

02.24.2024 Dinner date with hubby after playing Uber to our kids, driving from Irvine to Long Beach and finally getting a chance to eat dinner. He was craving barbecue...but somewhere on the way home. Yelp lead us to this little place in a strip mall. You order at the counter and they bring out the food to you. The friendly female employee greeted us and took our order. Apparently they were short handed this evening because there was only one guy in the kitchen (owner?) who was also bringing out orders. It took about 30 minutes to get our order. They had quite a few DoorDash pick ups and take out orders ahead of us. But there were also a couple orders placed after us. There were 5 booths for seating and a small bar that could fit about 4-5 people. Eventually we got our food and hubby wanted to try the brisket as we drove home. It was deliciously tender and tasty. Seasoned and cooked perfectly...it melted in your mouth. It seemed more like fatty brisket. The chicken (leg and thigh) was disappointing. Definitely not grilled or barbecued because it did not have grill marks or look as if it was barbecued. It reminded me of Hawaiian shoyu chicken. The chicken was moist with a sweet taste to it. The last beef rib they had was small (it looked lonely in the take out box) and tasted okay. It was tender in some parts. The potato salad was okay. It had a mild taste with red potato chunks. I was expecting tartness from mustard because of the yellow color, but it wasn't. The cornbread was okay. It had pieces of corn in it, it had a plain taste, not really sweet. The exterior was crunchy and the inside was soft. I can't really say it was moist. When we arrived home with our food we were disappointed that we were only given two small containers of sauce - both half filled side. We were confused because the female employee who took our order let us order multiple ones. Then she came out as we were waiting for our food and asked us if we needed anything else or more sauce. So we asked for their original sauce. Not sure what was lost in translation or conversation there. I think we would definitely come back for the brisket and maybe another beef rib earlier in the day. We're willing to try the other meats.

I ordered the Tri Tip sandwich with French Fries. Good sandwich and decent fries. I had "Wooder" to drink. There was only one washroom and there were no paper towels available so I am deducting one point for that reason. If I was to assign a letter grade like is done in school this establishment would be in there solid with a B.

This place is EXPENSIVE, so take that into consideration on my expectations and review. I've been looking for a traditional Santa Maria tri-tip place and saw this place. Now, I'm not a professional, nor am I some sort of bbq expert. Yet, something tells me this place isn't it. We came in today, Sunday the 23rd, and it was pretty empty. The place is cute, and I like the decor. Place doesn't smell like a typical bbq place, and the booths are tiny. The shop is very small too. The good Service is friendly Place is clean Cute decor Nice beer selection Family friendly (tvs were playing animals and National Geographic) Cole slaw is really good The bad Food was cold to barely warm Tri-tip was ok but very chewy and stringy Served in aluminum foil wrappers The hot corn was meh Here is an example on price. The tri tip plate was 22, and we ordered 2 half pounds of tri trip making it as one pound but split to two people. With two sodas it was 70 bucks. That's pretty steep IMO. Now as I stated I am not expert, but the try tip had such a slight smoke flavor that I would guess they are using pellet grills. It's definitely not Santa Maria, as no where on any of the tri tip we had showed any sign of eve seeing a flame. Meat was tough, and chewy, as well as an odd grey color. We almost didn't eat it at all as it was served to us barely warm. The corn we got was a hotter temp. The nice server asked if we liked it, we explained our issues. They were nice enough to offer refund or discount. We politely declined as we ate most of it anyway. However that said, it's definitely a one and done for us.

Definitely try the Brisket and Tri-Tip. The meats and sides were delicious! Check them out if you want a taste of the central coast! The staff makes you feel welcome, especially Paul!

Michael's service was awesome!! And their beef Ribs is something that you would crave!! Over all experience was great. I would definitely come back!

SHARON deserves a raise she is working the register the drink counter and running the orders to the tables at lunch rush hour and the POS gives her drama. She is one of the main reasons we return. While the food is great she is fan freak'in fantastic ! Please help make her job a little easier. The cheesy Porker is my go to. Delicious.

Spectacular local BBQ. Love the brisket and ribs and chicken combo dinners. Excellent sides. Great place to grab a draft beer as well.

Superb BBQ joint! I've been a fan for a minute when they had a store in Buena Park. I have to admit, the food tastes much better here in HB! Service is always warm and friendly. Wifey helped me find this place! If you love good BBQ... you belong here!

Good portion sizes. They have sit down room. We ordered take out but were still welcomed to sit down to wait for our food to come out. Very pleasant staff. Looked like at the time they were fulfilling a catering order so you can definitely order catering from here. The brisket was a little too rich of a cut for us with the fat so we didn't end up finishing it. The pulled chicken and pork were moist and delicious. Sides were ok- not bad nothing remarkable. Prices were a little steep.

Me and my husband went into this restaurant after a hike and we were starving. He got a plate which looked like something off of the kids menu he got 3 pieces of meat that were as big as a quarter 2 sides. The potato salad was good but the coleslaw was pitiful. I got the impossible sandwich which was dry and did not have any toppings. I expected it to have onions and tomatoes and pickles and lettuce and mayo. Apparently you have to ask for those things. Both me and my husband's meal came up to $70.00 including. We payed too much for bad food. The boss needs to do something about this if they want more customers coming in. Definitely not going back.

Ambiance is ok. Small place and some decent although limited choice for beer. I ordered the brisket, chicken and sausage. The brisket was Smokey but a bit over done. But the big disappointment for me was that brisket 101 teaches you to cut brisket against the grain. This was all cut with the grain and therefore much more chewy than it needed to be. I know, it's a small thing but disappointing nonetheless. The service was a bit underwhelming although they were very nice. If you're craving bbq it's an ok option but I wasn't wowed although a standout was the beer battered french fries, worth a try and it was a first for me. The last thing that prompted me lowering the score was finding two different hairs in the banana pudding. Sorry but it was actually two different hairs. Long dark colored and medium blonde. Yuck. Kind of ruined the experience for me.

The food was amazing! We had the ribs, tri-tips, and brisket for the meat. They were all tender and seasoned well. We also enjoyed the sides. I particularly liked the corn bread. The service was great as well. This is the best BBQ in Southern California. We highly recommend!

Ordered 2 brisket sandwiches. The brisket was excellent- just wish there was more of it on the sandwich. Not a super fan of the bbq sauce they gave us, but it looks like they offer several flavors. I understand everything is expensive now., and running a small business is tough, but if I pay $17 for a sandwich, I would expect it would have a generous amount of meat on it. It did not. The Cole slaw is not a traditional slaw, it has kale in it, which I thought was good. There is a surcharge if you don't pay with cash, so total was $38 for two brisket sandwiches. And of course the system has the tip screen when you pay, so factor that in as well.

This time around, I chose to come to this spot for a business meeting and the food was so good! My go-to is the Santa Maria bowl with tri-tip and mango habanero sauce on the side, but my business partner ordered a brisket sandwich with cornbread and she said she loved it. The ambiance had a cozy feel to it and it ended up being a perfect place to have a working lunch. I almost feel like crediting the tasty food for fueling our innovation and helping us close a client sale. Service was great as always and I look forward to visiting again soon!

It hurts to say that these brisket sandwiches are better than a place in northern california we've been going to for more than 20 years.

I don't i will be coming back here. Looking forward to a good bbq place in our neighborhood . We ordered brisket , tri tip , and chicken with mac n cheese, rice , potatoes salad and corn bread. Once we got home , as soon as we opened the container of rice the smell was pretty bad. We knew it was spoiled so we couldn't feed that to our kids. The Mac and cheese was so salty , our family didn't like that as well. The meats were ok. And the bbq sauce tasted like there was a lot of liquor in it..

This place has gone downhill.My normal is the cheesy porker and potato salad. The sandwich lately has been missing ingredients. I ordered through doordash this evening. The sandwich was more just straight fat than meat. There was no bacon on it and I asked for hell fire bbq sauce and they gave me plain sauce. On occasion they run out of the sauce but they usually put a little note that says sorry and give me some mango habenero which is also good. Unfortunately I think it's time to say goodbye to this place.

I catered a couple sides from here for a company party. food was delicious and packaged well and pricing was good. would come back here.

Food was Awesome, we ate it so fast and forgot to take a picture. The service was great, and the ambience was awesome with the playlist music.

The best tri tip I've ever had!!! Ownership & workers are great too..bbq beans excellent, fries are 10/10 banana pudding 10/10 mac and cheese w the bacon also great