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| Three! Three! Three meals in one! |
714 S. Broadway
Santa Maria, CA
When in Santa Maria, eat Santa Maria BBQ. Duh...
Shaw's was highly praised all over the web, so I gave it a try.
I dig dimly-lit steakhouses, so this certainly fit the bill. As I followed the server to the table, I passed a large window allowing diners to watch the inner workings of the kitchen; more specifically, a gargantuan grill used to prepare their delectable BBQ meats.
After a nearly six-hour road trip, I was dying for a bite. With a weekend of food ahead of me, I wanted something simple - maybe a small salad with some BBQ and healthy veggies on the side.
Fail. Epic fail.
My server asked if I preferred salad or Beer Bacon Cheese Soup. Um, were there really two answers to that question? That was followed up with a listing of the daily specials, from which I chose the Tri-Tip & Linguica Combo. My salivary glands started working overtime.
A cup of cheesy, porky goodness arrived, topped with more grated cheddar. Freshly ground pepper added a kick to the rich, earthy broth, and after the bowl was licked clean I had no idea how I'd have room for my entree.
And what an entree it was!
A platter large enough to feed 2-3 people was placed in front of a blushing me. It looked like a freaking masterpiece - and tasted like it, too. The spicy linguica and tender tri-tip were grilled to perfection and accompanied by a dipping sauce that baffles me to this day. It was rich, sweet...and those are the only adjectives I can use because I've no clue what other ingredients were involved. All of this was served with a fully-loaded baked potato as well as garlic bread.
I barely made a dent in the platter, and thanked my lucky stars my hotel room had a kitchenette. I ate the leftovers for two days straight. Three fantastic meals for twenty bucks? Steal.
