With so many different styles of regional BBQ in the U.S. alone, barbecue can easily mean different things to different people. California is, admittedly, not necessarily synonymous with the concept ...

Some regional barbecues frequently take center stage, pushing other styles undeservedly out of the way. But this underrated ...

Crystal Bermudez is your community news reporter covering northern Santa Barbara County, including the Santa Maria, Lompoc and Santa Ynez valleys. The smell of red oak smoke and sizzling meat will ...

California's Central Coast is throwing down the gauntlet this May, positioning Santa Maria Valley as the undisputed home of West Coast barbecue. As National Barbecue Month heats up, Santa Maria isn’t ...

Decode the California BBQ phrases that confuse newcomers but make perfect sense to locals who live the West Coast grill life.

Santa Maria-style barbecue dates back to the mid-19th century, when settlers in rancheros throughout the Santa Maria Valley roasted sirloin over red oak fire. A century later, in the 1950s, Santa ...

There’s no better place to swirl a glass of Pinot Noir and dive into a delicious cut of rib eye steak roasted over a red oak fire than the Santa Maria Valley. The region prides itself on its ...

Locals braved the heat in Santa Maria this weekend to attend an annual festival celebrating the rich culture of North Santa Barbara County. On Saturday afternoon, Pioneer Park was filled with the ...

Santa Maria Valley is the California Central Coast destination that put West Coast barbecue on the map. It started 150 years ago and has a rich history beginning in the mid-1800s when local ranchers ...

California is known for a lot of things—sunshine, wine, earthquakes—but its barbecue scene isn’t one of them. Which isn’t to say they don’t have it at all. There are, of course, the smattering of ...

Santa Maria Valley’s Restaurant Month shines the spotlight on the region’s distinct culinary culture. Now through Feb. 9, Dine Out Santa Maria Style and the Craft Cocktail Contest are offering some of ...

The warehouse club has brought Costco members access to a growing barbecue craze. Costco has the ability to create viral hits. Most of the time, those sort of fly under the radar, where members get ...