Daniel Castillo’s salsa-verde-smothered, hickory-smoked tri-tip, topped with buttery ripe avocado slices and served with a “Caesar slaw,” just steps away from the breaking waves, seems like a mirage at first.
But Smokehouse By Heritage Barbecue has been quietly operating in Bolsa Chica since May 3rd. Since then, it's been a secret known primarily to surfers, beachgoing families, and e-bikers on the boardwalk, lured in by the enticing smell of his carne asada-style tri-tip.
“Eating barbecue with tortillas and salsa is how I like to eat barbecue at home,” Castillo, a 2025 James Beard Award Finalist for “Best Chef” in California, tells L.A. TACO after a visit.
Unlike Heritage Barbecue, the emphasis at Smokehouse by Heritage BBQ is on Castillo’s tri-tip, which he marinates like carne asada and cold smokes for two hours, and then sears on his Santa Maria-style grill over hickory until it melts in your mouth. You can see the collagen on the thick-cut strips of beef.
Castillo summarizes his menu as “ Latino-style meets Black-style. It’s ‘hood, but finessed.” There is no macaroni and cheese, but there is a macaroni salad. The slaw features cotija cheese, an homage to the Caesar salad.
The only brisket on the menu comes in the form of burnt ends, and the only barbecue sauce available is a spicy one made from chipotle chiles. According to Castillo, omitting brisket and straying away from Texas-style barbecue is the whole point at his new barbecue oasis. On weekends, there are breakfast tacos and a “smokehouse breakfast burrito” featuring brisket burnt ends, avocado, and potatoes.