In a region where the Pacific Ocean meets rolling oak-covered hills, Santa Maria-style BBQ is more than a culinary tradition — it’s a point of local pride. Few embody this ethos as passionately as the team behind Oak and Fire BBQ, a Santa Barbara-based catering company redefining what it means to honor this authentic Central Coast style.
For founder and pitmaster Brian, Oak and Fire wasn’t born out of a lifelong plan to run a BBQ business. It evolved naturally from a love of the sea, local ingredients, and the kind of backyard gatherings that shape California’s coastal culture.
From Surf to Grill
“My passion for cooking really started as a byproduct of another passion — fishing,” the founder recalls. Growing up fishing off half-day boats in the Santa Barbara harbor and casting from local beaches, the challenge was always the same: “If I was lucky enough to come home with fish, I had to figure out what to do with them.”
That youthful curiosity led to blackened rockfish, grilled albacore burgers, halibut tacos, and white seabass ceviche. Today, Oak and Fire’s menu proudly reflects this heritage, weaving local seafood into its offerings alongside meats grilled to perfection over native red oak…