Santa Maria
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Santa Maria

Santa Maria

Central Coast agricultural city known for red-oak tri-tip barbecue and Santa Maria Valley wine country.

Santa Maria sits in a broad agricultural valley on California's Central Coast, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco along Highway 101. The town is best known for its barbecue tradition — Santa Maria-style tri-tip and pinquito beans cooked over red oak coals, a style that dates back to the nineteenth-century rancho era and remains the centrepiece of local cooking.

The Santa Maria Valley is also serious wine country. The Foxen Canyon Wine Trail winds through rolling hills planted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and the region's cool maritime climate produces some of California's most distinctive wines. In spring the valley floor is covered with strawberry fields and flower farms, and the annual Strawberry Festival draws crowds from up and down the coast.

Santa Maria is not a destination most travellers plan around, but if you are driving the 101 it is well worth a stop — for the barbecue alone.

Guide

Eating Out

Santa Maria exists on the culinary map for one reason: Santa Maria-style barbecue. The tradition of cooking tri-tip over red oak coals dates to the rancho era and remains the defining food experience of the area. For the most authentic version, check whether a service club or community event is running — the local Elks Lodge, Rotary, and veterans' organisations cook this way for the public and do it better than most restaurants.

Among commercial options, Far Western Tavern in nearby Guadalupe is the acknowledged benchmark. In Santa Maria itself, Shaw's Steakhouse on Broadway has been feeding the community since 1954 and does the full spread: tri-tip, pinquito beans, salsa, and garlic bread. The Santa Maria Valley also produces excellent strawberries and the surrounding farms sell directly during the spring and summer season.

Guide

Things to Do

Santa Maria's main draws are culinary and viticultural. The Foxen Canyon Wine Trail offers tastings at dozens of wineries in a laid-back rural setting, while the town itself is the place to try authentic Santa Maria-style barbecue. The Santa Maria Museum of Flight, on Airpark Drive near the airport, is a small but enthusiastic collection for aviation buffs.

Guide

When to Go

Spring (March to May) is the best time to visit. The strawberry fields are in full production, the wildflowers are out on the surrounding hillsides, and the wineries are busy but not yet overwhelmed. The annual Santa Maria Strawberry Festival, held in late April, is worth timing a visit around.

Summer brings warm days and cold nights — the marine layer keeps temperatures moderate compared to the Central Valley inland. October is harvest season in the vineyards and another excellent time to visit the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail. Winter is mild and quiet; rain is possible from December through February but rarely disruptive.