🔥 What Is Santa Maria Style BBQ? A California Classic Explained

If you've ever tasted the rich, smoky flavor of tri-tip grilled over red oak, you've already had a bite of one of California’s best-kept secrets: Santa Maria Style BBQ.

At Santa Maria BBQ Shack, we don’t drown our meat in sauce. We let the fire, the seasoning, and the meat speak for themselves — and that’s the essence of this time-honored style.

But what exactly is Santa Maria BBQ, and why do locals in Huntington Beach and Buena Park keep coming back for more?

🔹 A Brief History of Santa Maria BBQ

Santa Maria BBQ started in California’s central coast in the mid-1800s. Ranchers would gather for weekend cookouts, grilling meat over open red oak fires.

The method was simple, rustic, and focused entirely on flavor — no fancy marinades, no bottled sauces. Just quality beef, seasoned and smoked to perfection.

Today, it’s known as California’s signature BBQ style — and it’s what we’ve built our restaurant around.

🔹 The Flavor Starts with the Rub

Our meats — especially our famous tri-tip — are hand-rubbed with a classic blend of:

• Coarse salt

• Cracked black pepper

• Garlic powder

• (And sometimes a dash of paprika or onion powder for depth)

We don’t need sauce to hide behind — our rub brings out the natural flavor of the meat, and our customers love that.

🔹 Cooking Over Red Oak: Why It Matters

In Santa Maria-style BBQ, red oak wood is essential.

This wood burns hot and clean, giving meat a unique, slightly sweet smoky flavor that you can’t get from charcoal or gas. Our grills let us control the heat the traditional way — by raising and lowering the grate over the flame.

That’s how we achieve that perfectly tender, smoky, and juicy finish.

🔹 It’s Not Just Tri-Tip

Yes, tri-tip is king — but we’re proud to offer more:

• 🍗 Smoked chicken

• 🍖 Ribs

• 🐖 Pulled pork

• 🌽 Classic sides like beans, garlic bread, and more

Every item is prepared with the same care and grilled over that real red oak fire.

🔹 Why Locals Love Santa Maria BBQ

Santa Maria-style BBQ is:

✅ Bold, but not heavy✅ Smoky, but not overpowering✅ Simple, satisfying, and always fresh off the grill

Whether you're grabbing lunch in Huntington Beach or feeding a crowd in Buena Park, this is BBQ the way California intended.

🔥 Taste It for Yourself

If you’ve never had Santa Maria-style BBQ — or want it done right — you need to stop by Santa Maria BBQ Shack.

📍 Huntington Beach Location7144 Edinger Ave, Huntington Beach, CA(across from Golden West College)

👉 Order online for pickup or delivery👉 Ask about our BBQ catering for events and parties