I love this restaurant! The food sand service are outstanding! I’m a vegetarian add there’s food I can eat—thank goodness! I highly recommend the Bourbon BBQ sauce. It’s out of this world! And we were able to play games there!!

Wanted to find a place with smoked meats. Plenty of parking, you need to enter from Stanton. As we walked into the building, we were instantly greeted with wonderful smells (which was equally appealing even after we ate). Good size portions for the price. Tasty (maybe not the best) but Id go there again for the different flavor sauce, Santa Maria style vs southern. Inside and outside dining and clean bathrooms (both out of paper towels).

You havent had amazing authentic bbq before coming here!! this is THE spot for all things bbq, brisket, and authentic santa maria grilled meats!! my first time ever having santa maria bbq, and i will never be able to go back to normal bbq ever again!! the way the meats are prepared, grilled, and seasoned are so spectacular and taste extraordinary!! their brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and sandwiches are the best of the best, and i cannot get over how amazing the staff and service are!!! these are the nicest people you will ever meet, we spent over an hour talking to chef michael while watching him prepare everything, and i have never had such a friendly and enjoyable experience at a restaurant!! the vibe of this place is so fun and lively, and with some great food to pair with it i had such an amazing experience here.my favorite dish was the beef try-tip sandwich, it had such an delicious, smoky flavor and the meat was mouthwateringly good. so tender and perfectly grilled, the flavors were just bursting in my mouth!! the soft bun with the cool slaw to complement the meat was absolutely divine. we also tried samples of the famous brisket, ribs, and pulled pork - each was prepared so intricately and seasoned with a delicious tasty house seasoning.i cannot forget about the sides - the mac and cheese, beer battered fries, and nuclear corn - all to die for and just bursting with flavors!! the mac and cheese went perfect with the meats and was so ooey gooey cheesy, and the beer battered fries were unlike any i have had before - so incredibly crispy and flavorful. they came with three sauces (mango habanero, brown sugar, and whiskey bourbon) and it was so fun trying each of the sauces with each of the sides and meats!!overall this old spanish ranchero bbq joint is the best in town, and the only authentic santa marian bbq you can find in social!! i highly recommend for all your bbq finings and more, plus some of the best service and people you will ever find here!!

A very delicious meal in an unassuming location. Friendly staff. The Tri-tip is flavorful and juicy. I highly recommend it. Everything tasted like a homemade meal. Come hungry.

Im so so glad I tried this restaurant. This was the best brisket Ive ever had. Smoked perfectly the collared greens are better than my southern Grandmas..... but dont tell her. The spicy sausage was delish!! The staff was delightful and friendly.

We loved the food from Santa Maria BBQ. We ordered takeout and when I got there they offered me a sample of the brisket (of which I already had ordered 2 plates worth) and it was amazing. It made me very impatient to get home and eat what we ordered. Let me tell you, the food did not disappoint. The brisket, beef ribs and pulled pork were incredibly moist and flavorful. My favorite sides were the beans and fries (which held up incredible well even after the drive home). We are definitely going to head here again soon.My only caution is that, like every great bbq spot, they do sell out of food so you better order early to get what you want. I cant wait to try their pork ribs and chicken next time (they were sold out today).

Picked up a delicious pot pie from Chef Swarm. Will definitely be back again!

Im originally from Kansas City, home of the best bbq in the world. Ever since Ive moved to Southern California, Ive been on the search for great bbq, and Santa Maria is the closest Ive ever found to amazing bbq. The meat is cooked to perfection, the sides are delicious, and the staff is incredibly friendly. Absolutely 5 stars!

As a1st time visit, Im usually open try new things. So I chose the brisket & pulled pork, the brisket had very little taste as well as the pork and had to be doctored up with a lot of sauce. The other dishes needed a little extra attention too, so believe I wont need to come back to this establishment anytime soon. Hopefully they can work things out in the kitchen.

10 Stars for the great service we just had. And this was our very first time trying this place out. All 3 works are extremely nice and made great recommendations! 9 stars for the food lol because not enough time to try it all. Just wish they had menus to take home because I noticed some items on the digital screen werent on the menu I overlooked. Hope they bring the 🍔 back because in the picture by the mens room it looked freaking tasty.

Look good food but too small food but $$$ lots,WAITING LONG 30 MINUTES MORE !!!

Absolutely delicious!! We can never get enough tri tip!

I just love the taste of the barbecue here. The meat is so tender and tasty it melts in my mouth. The service and atmosphere was top notch. Its the best.

I went here maybe 3 months ago during quarantine. I like the location of this place and that its located in a nice lobby of an apartment or condo (?) building. It would be cool to live or work one this building and walk down for some bbq when u feel like it I got a brisket sandwich and my boyfriend got a brisket plate. WOW the brisket had to have Been one of the best bbq briskets Ive ever had. The sandwich and the way they put it together along with the bread was just delicious. The people working were really nice too. The person ringing us up gave us samples of the brisket (which is why we ultimately decided to get it) and when we asked if the baked beans were gluten free, he didnt know and went to ask the woman who I think was the manager. She wanted to make sure and even went in the back to read the ingredients, came back and told us there was no gluten in it. I felt that was really going above and beyond for your customer instead of other places Ive encountered where they will just lie or say they dont know. I also appreciated that they didnt act bothered or annoyed either. The bbq beans were DELICIOUS by the way. I loved their corn too!! And the cilantro rice was sooooo good. The sandwich was $14 and I forgot how much the plate was but I feel its a very fair price for the quality of food and service you get.The next time were in Buena Park we will come here :)

Out of all pulled pork, out of mac and cheese. Great food but never have what we want to order!

Really really slow service, zero communication between the staff ..the restaurant needs more staff and better customer service ..I was there more that 1hour for one order that had only 3 items. This shouldnt be acceptable. Rated only 1 star but should be 0 stars. Where is management?

This place rocks! We especially liked the bourbon bbq sauce!

Weve been wanting to come here but the location is intimidating. Just park behind building. Its absolutely worth it! Great prices and so delicious. Ever sauce was so good too. We will be back.

Very good food at a reasonable price. Remember to sign up online for future deals.

The absolute best barbecue Ive ever had and Ive traveled the USA eating at steakhouses and their tri-tip and brisket is the best. Amazing.

Worth every bite. Great BBQ. We love Santa Maria BBQ. Professional and friendly staff.

Orange County has just been introduced to a REAL BBQ joint. Amazing meats slow smoked and rubbed with savory spices. The new BBQ Master, BIG DAVE from Louisiana, will satisfy your desire for smoked meat. I had the Beef Brisket Santa Maria sandwich with slaw on a fresh soft French roll; add the garlic sauce for a flavor explosion. Thanks to Mo, up front, for making the whole southern comfort experience a blessing. Im looking forward to having the pulled pork on the next visit.

The brisket was amazing! The tri-tip as well. The sides were potato salad, bbq beans, beer fries and the Santa Maria rice. Everything was great. The atmosphere of the restaurant was cool. Indoor and outdoor seating. Great music. Oh did I mention the customer service? Also fantastic. Anxious to visit again soon. I didnt catch the name of the young man that took our order, but he was super helpful and cheerful. Paul was so welcoming too😊

We had a fantastic experience in this place. We enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere and the menu. The waiters were very affable. I am happy we finally decided to try this place.

Each of us enjoy (ate evverrrrrything) our food. The pulled pork, with the two sides. I chose baked beans and collard greens- omg good. The hot links with a side/baked beans and a Stella. The other pulled pork and baked beans ordered another baked beans. The Stella kept calling my name, so I got one too.Clean place, good music playing and has an outside patio. Very friendly staff. Would come back again..and again..and again..

Odd location but decent barbecue. Got the brisket bowl. Good portion size for under 10 bucks. The brisket was plenty smoky, albeit drier than I would have preferred. The bark was decent, and there was some smoke ring present. The meat itself Id give 3 out of 5 stars. Im giving an overall 4 because the value was great. Also the rice was an unexpected pairing but they put butter, garlic and cilantro in it, so it is surprisingly good. The sauce they give on the side was some kind of bourbon bbq glaze; real sweet and thick, with a little bit of a spicy kick. I would like to come back and try some of their other meats. The owner said everything was Santa Maria style rather than southern style, which I didnt realize was a thing.

The food was ok not the best just ok. The beef ribs needed more seasoning has to use the barbecue sauce to eat them. Place was empty. Staff was very nice. French fries were really good. Mac and cheese was a cold dish would of preferred it warm. The mac and cheese is not worth the extra cost. One rib had way to much fat luck of the draw. Maybe ill come back to try something else.

Great food! Especially the brisket! Awesome service, extremely friendly staff. Im not from the area, but if for some reason Im back in town, Ill definitely eat here again!

Loved the local hang out. Had the tri tip sandwich and the brisket sandwich. Both excellent. Potatoe salad has lots of bacon and hints of paprika. Prices good too

Great food and awesome outdoor dining experience. The brisket and the tritips are great for keto people like myself. Would definitely come here again. Highly recommended

Fantastic food. The guys that work there are great too. Nice atmosphere with the neat light fixtures and open seating area.

Service was good however Ive had better bbq like Lucilles. Collard greens were delish!

Super tasty BBQ that is a great spot to come while dinning in or taking out.

Its hard to find good quality BBQ these days but Santa Maria has amazing BBQ! This place has kick you in the face fresh ingredients. I rarely ever finish entire plates but I did here and even got some more food to go. The brisket is a must try.

Food is great, we love Santa Maria BBQ. Mike T. has great customer service, such an asset to this restaurant.

Excellent bbq! Everything is delicious and the people are really nice!

Great barbeque! We go there often and have really enjoyed the service and food.

This place was ok. Nothing that was really spectacular or would make me go back.For $65 we got two kids plates, two sandwich plates, 3 fountain drinks, and a beer. I expected more flavor honestly. It wasn’t bad, but again, not spectacular. We agreed the beer battered fries were the best part of the meal.The younger cashier seemed almost as confused as we did, it being our first time there. We were literally the only ones in the place on a Saturday night. Service took about 25 minutes. He came to our table one time. Which I didn’t even expect that.Over all we probably won’t return. There’s plenty of other bbq places that offer more.

Tri tip and brisket. So tender and delicious. 😋. Paul the owner is super nice too.

Nice personel, good taste, but brisket a little dry for my taste. Excelent sides, I recommend you to try the corn, and also a cold beer with a pulled pork or brisket.

Location can be a bit perplexity as its situated inside the common area of a living complex. Street and front parking is required be sure to park in the properly designated areas. Once you enter into the actual restaurant area it has a great, clean and welcoming feel. Staff is friendly, quick to help you and educated you if need be. The portions are small compared to a typical BBQ place but they sure had flavor. We ordered beef ribs that had a good rub and brisket that was juicy and tender. You must try all the sauces especially the mustard based and bourbon. If you have a passion for heat the Mango Habanero is the way to go. Mac an Cheese was good as well as the French fries. The baked beans were flavorful but nothing out of this world. Potatoes salad was creamy and with lots of pazzaz making it delicious. They have a decent selection of beers and a few on tap that pair nicely with the food.We would surely return to this location on a future visit although I may consider ordering additional sides to compensate the small meat portions.

Been going here for the past 2 years, the food is always great & consistent

This is an amazing place to eat. Fresh Brisket is my favorite, and the nuclear corn is fantastic if you enjoy food packed with spice and flavor. Great selection of craft beer.

Good food, bad service. Went as a party of 11, called ahead three times, but when we arrived seating was not prepared. Half of the party received their food in about 30 minutes, the rest of the food took about an hour. The photo is of the tri-tip plate, baked beans, and corn.

Overpriced . . . Corn tasted like it was from a can

The Beans & fries were 🔥 Tri tip was lacking flavor & chicken was pretty undercooked. Food wasnt bad, but for the price definitely costlier then what it was worth.

Great place for lunch and very good barbecue. Probably one of the best places in town.

I have literally been eating this sandwich called a porker for about 6 weeks.... not every single day... though i wish i could eat one daily.... sadly i cant..... but it is soooo amazingly FIRE..... i mean like beyond scrumptious or delicious... its so dank i cant find a proper adjective to describe just how bomb it is... I only eat BBQ this good in the presence of my family..... i definitely recommend it for sure for a snack or a meal or however you can get it.... for the family or a date they serve brews... i think this place is D ShizNit lol

Excellent Food. If theres a wait for meat its definitely worth the wait. Courteous employees

Had the beef ribs very tasty

This is the best BBQ in Orange County!! If your craving BBQ you must check this place out, you will not be disappointed.

Great service nice people

We found this place and we were pleasantly surprised. Food very delicious.

Masterful BBQ comfort food with caring and genuine service.Brisket being sliced in front of us was a thing of beauty like watching Monet. Everyone at the service counter checked in on us and ensured we had tried and were enjoying multiple items.Collard greens were delicious and tender, I picked out the sausage. Nuclear corn and veggies were also delicious. Beef ribs were described at meaty, tender and looked to be than perfect pink inside.Had an evening comedy show commencing at the end of our meal.Delightful new place.

Everything good. Try the fries. Im glad to have found this spot.

Damn good

Food is fabulous!!!Smiling faces and positive attitude.😘

Good food high prices kind of difficult parking

Excellent BBQ in buena Park. Friendly service. The brisket is pretty damn good lol.

First time here, but it wont be the last. The food was great, had that real southern BBQ taste.I had the pulled pork slider habanero BBQ sauce, and a side of slaw.

The smokey flavor of the pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw😍It was delicious! My little ones chicken was a little overcooked. And they were out of ranch, BUT I cant leave less than 4 stars based on my sandwich alone! The behind the counter help, very attentive, a guy and a girl. Sorry I dont remember their names.

Absolouly delicious. Friendly service. Delicious smokey flavors. Can not fault. Highly recommend!

Quality meat and prep. But portion is small and taking quite long time. Better call for pick up.

I have passed by this BBQ spot wanting to check it out. I am so glad I came in for dinner tonight. THIS IS THE BEST BRISKET in Orange County. I will be back FOR SURE. The owner was super cool. Kicked back and chatted with us we are our food

Good food!! First time trying and the ribs n sides were great

This place is flavor country! I want to their other items but I keep coming for brisket! Best brisket I have had in a long time!!

The one I went to was near my home in HB...Geesh💯 I got the 2 meats nd sides.! I order pulled pork nd brisket’ the meats were undercooked! I didn’t enjoy it’ to be honest! A real pit master knows temp’ time nd rest for meats

Decent pulled pork, but not what I expected. Ordered 2 pulled pork sandwiches with the bourbon sauce, received 2 different sauces with 1 being much sweeter, darker and thinner than the other. The pulled pork was not finely shredded like I am accustom to, but instead larger chunks. The sandwiches were served on a french roll, which was a little odd, considering its more difficult to keep the meat in the sandwich with that long roll. Ordered one with side of fries and the other with mac and cheese. While the fries were fairly good seasoned fries, the mac and cheese was nearly flavorless, which was partially due to the amount of cheese and the fact that the cheese itself had nearly no flavor. Would give another shot and perhaps try the brisket or tri tip sandwich next time and would be nice to know what the different sauces actually are, but Ive better pulled pork sandwiches at other places.

I came in for the first time with my newborn and wife. From the moment I called to ask when they closed to helping me find their parking lot, this crew was extremely helpful and gracious.Beyond the great customer service, the food was perfect. The flavors, the way it was cooked. Very tender. I had ribs, wife had brisket and the sauces paired perfectly with these dishes. Their horseradish sauce is fantastic. My wife who normally doesnt like horseradish raved about how good it was.Paul went out of his way to ask how our experience was and seek out feedback. He was very pleasant and I could tell he cared deeply for customers and the community. I highly recommend this place to anybody seeking a good family environment, great customer service and awesome food. We will be back again to support this establishment. Thank you Paul and the rest of the guys.

Update for second visit:Got their one rib and slice of tri tip special with a side of coleslaw and corn. The amount of meat on the rib is a ton, its like the amount you get when ordering short ribs. Flavor was outstanding.Tri tip is still as good as it was my first time.Coleslaw has kale in it, im not a fan of kale but this was really good.First visit:Parking lot is off Stanton not Orangethorpe like the address. First thing you notice when you walk in is the amazing smell.Very friendly staff, check in on yelp to get a free drink or side.Still deciding about the potato salad. It’s decent and blah at the same time but that’s not why you come here.Their Santa Maria style sandwich comes with slaw and choice of meat and sauce. I went with the tri tip and bourbon sauce. The sauce has a slight kick to it but not too spicy.The flavor of the tri tip was outstanding, great level of seasoning and smoke flavor. They got this spot on.Plenty of seating inside and out.Shares the seating area with a coffee bar and there is a small stage in the corner for live music.

Great food - fresh and tasty. Recommend the brisket and the ribs. Interesting venue with lots of links to the community and activities taking place in adjoining rooms. Definitely worth a visit. It’s a new place so this could be why the service wasn’t so slick - that’s just the one thing to improve on as our food didn’t come out together... everything else was great...go visit.

Great BBQ real good food!

At the first moment you come to that place the personel give you a pleasant feeling. Very warm waiters, it is a friendly restaurant to hang out with friends or with your date. Great cuisine, specialist chief cook and stuff, reasonable pay and attentive service. Highly recommended.

I came here for lunch yesterday after I heard about this place and had a sample of the tri tip, kind of disappointed ☹️ being that I paid $26 bucks for something I can get in Los Angeles for about $15 when I saw the pictures of the beef ribs online I was like ok that’s worth the $26 because they are the big Texas ribs 😋 but when I got home and open mines up it was little baby beef ribs 😭 so upset 😭 wasn’t satisfied none 🤦🏿‍♀️✔️and on top of it the rib had more fat then meat 😭

I have never been more disappointed in a purchase tthis one. Im not from this area and chosebasedoff the comments and pictures ND ican assure you ouit was not likestted or photographed. The meat was so dry and it broke apart not fall off the one.im so happy I didnt buy a 15.00

Strange location (feels like gong into an apartment), and very small portions. We were surprised how small the portions were. It was tasty, but not amazing enough to justify the cost to volume ratio.

Dirty kitchen and lazy hours of service.

This is one of the best places I have ever eaten pulled pork and ribs from. The food was so savory and was cooked with love. The service was also phenomenal. Hands down amazing experience in general. Try the fries. I really reccomend them as well.

As a certified BBQ judge it is not often that I find a restaurant that will impress me. A group of us went in and ordered all the meats on the menu and I have to say, we were not disappointed. Everything was cooked properly. The flavor profiles were great. I would definitely recommend this place and I will be back.

Always exceeded expectations.

Its a nice BBQ joint, the tritip is nice and tender. Everything was really awesome. The best part about this place is it is a non for profit organization. The chairs and tables were built by veterans. He hires kids looking for their first jobs and he hires veterans as well. So go there get some good down home BBQ and the money goes to help the kids and veterans.

Great bbq

Food isnt bad but it isnt great. Definitely not what you think about when you think BBQ. Parking sucks. Im not even sure how many times we drove by for months and months wanting to try this place but unsure where to park before we decided to finally try and find parking. A little on the pricey side. They do weird things like add kale to coleslaw, which makes for a very weird barbecue experience. I guess theres a coffee shop inside too if you want that. Clean food though owners are cool. They like to hire homeless and addicts and believe that if you come in and you cant afford food theyll give you a free meal, so thats pretty cool. Not sure Ill be back though... 😊

Great BBQ .I had the 3meat combo with brisket, sausage and tri tip. The sausage was a bit spicy, the trip tip looked over cooked but when you put it in your mouth it was cooked perfectly. Very tender and a great flavor. The brisket was the big surprise. Unlike many BBQ places where the brisket is dry and you have to soak it in BBQ sauce to regain some type of moisture, this was the complete opposite. Very tender, moist and flavorful. I almost did not want to put any BBQ sauce on it because it was that good. I tried the Bourbon BBQ sauce and it had a good flavor and a little kick to it, Im not a big BBQ sauce fan but enjoyed the flavor. The coleslaw was really good, nice flavor and not overly creamy like many places, it was just right. I like collard greens and if its on the menu Ill order it so of course I ordered it and really liked it. The greens werent mushy like some places Ive eaten. They were flavorful and seems like they use the sausage when cooking it, I found a piece in with my greens. I heard one complaint that the sides were not large enough but found out that if you want more all you have to do is ask. That will be a note for next time. All in all I would recommend this place.

The food here is wonderful! You can really taste the Smoky flavor of the chicken and the amount of time they took in order to make it. The baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, and macaroni and cheese were amazing! Im not a fan of coleslaw at all, however, whatever they do to this coleslaw is delicious and highly recommend it! We will definitely be ordering again!

I drove up from Malibu for these ribs as my in-laws live around here and I was not disappointed! It was worth the drive!! I had to tell my husband to stop licking his fingers on numerous occasions😋

We have been going to SM BBQ since it opened and love the food. Today the service was a wee bit off. We should have got our drinks right away. At that moment we were the only ones there, but the server had the beers poured and just sitting there. I finally went over and asked for them. Something to improve upon is all.

Great place to get food when in a hurry. Their customer service is fast, rates are affordable, great ambience. I highly recommend this spot.

Not sure why this restaurant is receiving the rave reviews it has. Food was mediocre at best, there was zero effort by the staff, and the restaurant vibe was odd. Would not recommend.

This review is about their catering service. It deserves all 5 stars. Owner was easy to work with and very flexible as I changed my plans in the days leading up to the event. Evening of event, the staff showed up on time and fed us some great BBQ - especially the brisket - and tasty sides. They did all the serving and left me free to enjoy. If you are thinking of using Santa Maria BBQ for your event, rest assured they will do a great job for you!

This is a great place. I would have given 4.5 starts but I cant. The staff is very friendly and very welcoming. They really have solid customer service. The food is good to outstanding. In our group there was 5 adults 3 kids, everyone found something they really enjoyed. The food is better than chain BBQ joints.Highly recommend it! Parking is in back of the restaurant and apartment building- there are signs present instruct you where to park.Overall definitely a worthy place to go for lunch or dinner.

Its surprisingly hard to get a good piece of meat around here and thats why this place is a blessing. The ribs were huge, cooked to perfection, and they dont skimp out on the fat! And the hot links were super flavorful and juicy. And to top it off, the service was amazing (anabelles the best!!). Definitely check them out!

Industrial style decor. Food tasted really good. As far as California prices go it was reasonable. More of a fast food type of eatery. Staff was friendly.

Still way too expensive for what you get havent been in over a year and its the samesmall portions high pricessave your money and go to Lucilles

At the moment you arrive in that place the personel give you an agreeable feeling. Very friendly waiters, it is a friendly place to hang out with your friends or with your date. delicious food, creative chief cook and stuff, comfortable pay and generous service. Warmly recommended.

Came in on a whim one day and was not disappointed. Ribs were great, and so were the fries and Mac and cheese. The owner was a great guy to talk to as well. Will gladly come back a second time!

This was our first time here. The service was friendly and informative and the food very tasty. I had the brisket and my wife had the pork ribs and burnt ends. Everything had a good smoky flavor and the sauces complemented the meat deliciously. We will definitely be back again.

Very well organised and accessible spot. They provide generous meals and for affordable rates. I enjoyed the food a lot and the staff members were very affable and informative. Recommended.

The food is always fresh and delightful, employees gives great service. I love how neat it is and atmosphere. Keep up the good work.

Love this place but I est here too much. Im addicted to their brisket. So good!!