#santamariabbq

Even though it’s been around for over 150 years, growing up in Kansas City, I had never heard of Santa Maria-style barbeque. It was only upon moving out to CA that I saw Tri-Tip on menus and knew there was a whole different genre of grilling I needed to explore. So when Visit Santa Maria Valley invited us to not only come and see what their area is all about, but to judge the 2nd annual Santa Maria BBQ Festival... It was an opportunity to get to know this style that we couldn’t resist!

THE FAR WESTERN TAVERN

Our first night, we ate at the famed Far Western Tavern in Orcutt. Transplanted from their first location in nearby Guadalupe, its modern exterior gives way inside to a pretty incredible recreation of the 1950’s ranchero steakhouse -- many of the original murals, mounted cow heads, red velvet wallpapers, and even the entire original bar are here, while some were slightly updated (the cowhide curtains are now a stitched-up trim lining the windows) to give the place a feel both traditional and polished.

The Far Western Tavern has long been associated with Santa Maria style BBQ, and with good reason. The Bulls Eye ribeye is a prime example of the style -- rubbed only with salt, pepper, and garlic salt before being grilled on a pit-style BBQ, it’s a little crispy on the outside and juicy all over. There’s a reason it’s a classic.

THE SANTA MARIA INN

Our lodging for the duration: another classic, the Santa Maria Inn. They’ve been around since 1917, so not only are there lots of classic fixtures and decor, but the rooms are spacious and the whole facility has a charming vintage feel. Also, if you’re a toddler, there is plenty of space to careen madly down the hallway.

JUDGING THE SANTA MARIA BBQ CONTEST

A judge’s job starts (relatively) early -- we showed up at 9 to usher the top quality meats (courtesy of local traditional butcher Woody’s Butcher Block) through health inspection and then into the hands of the eager contestants. All 10 competitors had 4 different meats to prepare -- Chicken, Baby Back Ribs, Sirloin, and the “Woody’s Twist” surprise challenge, Lamb Ribs.

Once the competitors were off and grilling, it was up to our gang of judges to patrol the grounds, peruse the “Backyarder” grills (where local chefs compete to win a free entry to next year’s pro competition) and, of course, make sure all the beer was flowing properly :D

Then it was back to the judging tent for the task at hand! Each dish had a number assigned to it (no cheating!) and we had to rate them by Kansas City Barbeque Society (ya heard) rules -- Appearance, Taste, and Texture all rated on a 2-9 scale .

My lowest score? I gave one of the lamb ribs a 5 on taste (I don’t think every chef was prepared for lamb!) but otherwise, there was a lot of delicious grilled meat. I felt like I really started to appreciate more the particular mode of ‘cueing that is Santa Maria. There’s wasn’t much in the way of sauce (though one short rib did attempt a KC-ish sauce 😱) -- mostly it was just rubbed with, again, the traditional salt, garlic salt & pepper with the occasional herbal addition (rosemary made an appearance on many of the lamb entries). Santa Maria style is somewhat Texas-like -- both growing out of old cowhand traditions -- but without the dry rubs, it's all about keeping the meat juicy while getting just the right char. The best chefs in the style are trained in the art of heat, using their adjustable-height grills to ride the valley-wind-whipped flames. With few frills, this method aspires to amplify the very essence of the meat itself. It makes for a delicate operation - when it fails, ribs can taste as plain as Wonder Bread; but when Santa Maria style succeeds, it is a mouth-watering slice of Americana.

SHAW’S STEAKHOUSE For dinner that night -- what else, but more meat!! Shaw’s is your quintessential local family steakhouse. Running since 1953, it’s not too fancy, but the food is still quality, the portions are huge, and it’s got a nice relaxed old school vibe.

NAUGHTY OAK BREWERY

The next day, we headed to Naughty Oak Brewery in neighboring Orcutt. If you only know Orcutt from speeding past on the 101, you might think it’s just a McDonald’s and a gas station. But 10 minutes up the road, you’ll find “Old Orcutt” which, ironically, has become a new center for activity with restaurants (like the new Far Western Tavern), bars, and now a great brewery.

Naughty Oak (run by husband and wife team Stephen & Emily Kitts) does a really nice job of appealing to some of their more traditional-minded beer drinkers in the area (and believe me, I spoke to a lot of Coors/PBR devotees during our time in SM) while also trying to push the flavor envelope. That results in friendly-but-flavorful concoctions like the Standard Issue Saison (a beer eagerly re-ordered by some of those same mass lager fans) the smooth-drinking Able IPA and, our favorite, based on experimental batches of strawberries given to them by local growers, My Jam! -- a barrel-aged tripel whose deliciously jammy nose belies that powerful 10.4% ABV. Watch for it in bottles soon!

PIZZERIA BELLO FORNO Last stop -- on our way out of town, one of the other new additions to old Orcutt, Pizzeria Bello Forno. Pizza? Out here? We were definitely dubious, but the wood-fired crust is very nice, the ingredients were all delicious, and we scarfed down every slice. If you’re thinking of stopping for a bite in the area that ISN’T a giant chunk of beef, these guys have a great thing going.