Santa Maria bbq and Catering — Restaurant in Huntington Beach

In the interest of full disclosure... I know one of the owners on a personal basis. That being said, a few years ago when he brought some smoked meat to a BBQ of ours I thought it was pretty good, but not the best I've ever had. This may be why it took me so long to try his restaurant once it opened, and I really wish I hadn't waited.

Food: Quite plainly put, this is the best BBQ available in Orange County. I have tried many BBQ places in OC (Beach Pit, Wood Ranch, Johnny Reb's, Lucille's etc. etc.) and I don't think any of them hold a candle to this joint. Even if you are just in the mood for a burger, these guys take the extra step of smoking burgers rather than grilling them, and it makes for a great burger. They also serve smoked turkey which is something a lot of places don't do. Ask the staff behind the counter for which sauces to use on which items. My first time in I got the sliders which let me sample three different meats.

Location: BT's is a small shop (about 1.5x the size of a subway) in a strip mall. This is a major tragedy, because the food served here, and the number of local brews on tap is worthy of a MUCH larger location (in fact I hear they are looking at upgrading sometime soon). For having such a small space, they use it well. They have a very nice bar with (as mentioned) a wide variety of craft brews on tap. They also have large TVs mounted behind the bar so you can keep up with your favorite sports. Other than the bar there are some tables that would be typical of a lunch place.

Service: I obviously have a rapport with one of the owners, but everyone there seems very friendly. While I was there several new customers came in and they spent a good amount of time recommending various items to them. If you have a dog, bring it along (but not into the store of course) as a couple of the guys are major dog fanatics, and keep biscuits behind the counter for visiting pups.

Summary: You owe it to yourself to try this place at least once. If you enjoy good BBQ and a diverse menu you'll be back...

I went here about 30 days ago and have to say I was very disappointed in the baby back rib meal I ordered. I came in around 7ish towards the end of the day and ordered to go. For $30, I was expecting tenderness, flavor and quality but I’m sorry to say the meat was extremely, extremely tough and the flavor was very strange, and were very dry. My fries were cold and tasted old. I was upset having paid $30 for such bad BBQ and for this is why I felt I had to do a review. I’m hoping since I ordered towards the end of the day the meat may have just been old, at least I hope this was the case! The staff was very friendly when I came in and seemed like a nice, chill place. I’m guessing most people come in for the beer than the food. Perhaps I’ll try again earlier in the day when the ribs are fresher and am hopeful for a better experience. I’m new to HB and this is the closest BBQ to my place and I consider BBQ a staple in my diet!

Also very confused by the amount of 4-5 star reviews?? Were they eating something different from the food I ate, or are the reviews posted by employees, friends, family, owners, etc.? Like I said, hoping it was just because I came in at the end of the day and the meat was old. I’m hoping next time...

My wife ordered online, I went to pick up the food and told them the order was under my wife’s name and also told them what I ordered. Turns out my wife put the order under my name (my mistake), unfortunately after waiting 20 minutes the staff was too dense to realize my order had been on the counter the whole time - they knew exactly what I ordered but I guess couldn’t put 2 + 2 together even though it was under a different name. I asked for extra BBQ sauce and they said it was an extra $0.50 each however the 1/2 chicken said it would come with 2 BBQ sauces already so I politely declined. When I got home, there was no BBQ sauce at all and they forgot an order of extra fries. After the 20 minute wait and forgetting one of the most critical thing at a BBQ place (the sauce) they offered me a 10% discount . . . Seriously, any respectable restaurant would’ve just comped the meal but they wanted to offer $3.50 for the spoiled meal. In the end they refunded me $10 + the side of fries that they forgot - still a joke for all the hassle. The food was good, but definitely never...