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 ...

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 ...

Santa Maria attorney Michael B. Clayton hosted his 25th annual barbecue for veterans and military families Tuesday at the Veterans Memorial Building in Santa Maria. The event included a parade lead by ...

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 ...

Frank Ostini is the owner of The Hitching Post II in Buellton, CA. They serve meat prepared in the Santa Maria barbecue-style. A recipe for Grilled Tri-Tip is here. Evan Kleiman host 'Good Food' ...

When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out — and let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a ...

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 ...