Smack-dab in the heart of Southern Californian suburbia, Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill has been expanding the barbecue scene in the Golden State well beyond Santa Maria style. Since introducing of slow-cooked meats to the menu in 2009, the 1992-founded establishment has acquainted Californians with Texan and Carolinian cooking techniques and flavors in the form of plump ribs, tender brisket and supple pulled pork. Even though Wood Ranch doesn’t resemble the down-home aesthetic associated with most other BBQ joints, this elevated smoke shop can throw its hat into the ring with the best of ’em.
For those who have never had the pleasure of eating at Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill, it is very much the “Cheesecake Factory” of barbecue — without the 21-page menu. Where other ‘cue competitors such as Moo’s Craft will have customers stand in line to place their order at the register, at Wood Ranch, they enter the aesthetic front-of-house where dim, intimate lighting dances across the upholstered booths and thick wooden tables.
Once greeted and seated by the host/hostess who leads the guest to their Texas-sized seat, long, double-sided menus are handed out, and the evening’s barbecue begins.
Shredded, crisped and delicately salted, the Famous Shredded Onions kick start the meal with an easy going appetizer that is best eaten by hand. Match it with the house barbecue sauce to unlock a whole new combination of flavor. Photographed by Finn Martin/BruinLife.
To kick dinner off with the waiter’s recommendation, an order of Shredded Onions was quickly placed. Upon arrival, there was no question as to why this appetizer is touted as the “Famous Shredded Onions” on the menu. Like any proper vegetable-based side dish, these onions had all the health benefits shallow-fried out of them. Piled high in a heap of battered onion slivers, these babies were all too easy to eat by the fistful. Diners plunge their hand in — they can use a fork, but that seems weird — to the mound of onions, hoping to nibble on a few strands, only to come away with a curly mass of entangled, salty-sweet goodness. Although these shreds were not crispy, as one may expect from a fried onion, they still provided a delightfully fun and simply delicious appetizer.
Good things come in three -- and the garlic bread is no exception. Puffy on the inside, hard shell on the out, these appetizers also went well with the house BBQ sauce. Photographed by Finn Martin/BruinLife.
Since Wood Ranch is the “Cheesecake Factory” of BBQ, of course it had its own iconic — and complimentary — bread. The free dinner rolls are a staple of the establishment and for great reason. While quality did vary from bun to bun, they never disappointed. This bread was decadent with a pillowy interior and an outer crust that was slathered in garlic, butter — sometimes admittedly too much— and shaved green onion bits. Even though these rolls were great on their own, both these and the Shredded Onions were taken to another level by Wood Ranch’s defining flavor profile — its signature sauce.
A sauce so good, the restaurant had to stop setting tables with it because patrons would drink from the bottles. Smokey, tomato-based and sweet, the Wood Ranch BBQ sauce works universally well with their menu. Photographed by Finn Martin/BruinLife.
A Carolina Gold sauce will be tangy with a mustard base. Likewise, a traditional Texas sauce — if the restaurant isn’t too proud of its smoked flavor to “shroud” it with sauce — is deeply flavored from a smokey base of tomatoes and spices. Wood Ranch, on the other hand, spilled a sauce so good, that they no longer leave the bottle on the table because customers would drink it — no joke. The dip that comes with every entree borrowed a smokey tomato base from Texas but exchanged the spice for sweetness. This subtle ingredient swap did an unbelievable amount to add new dimensions to the typically rich, fatty affair.
A testament to the art of pitmasterhood, this tender brisket comes apart with a simple touch of a spoon and serves up a light and juicy bite. Match this with the accompanying chipotle sauce for a wonderful meal, and order yourself a Peanut Cole Slaw and Skillet Baked Beans for sides. Photographed by Finn Martin/BruinLife.
Although the appetizers were good enough to constitute their own meal, the actual main courses were well worth saving room for. The dry-rubbed Smoked Brisket was the kind of unbelievably tender that could only come from the hands of a seasoned pitmaster. The slabs could be pulled apart with a spoon. The inner meat was impressively juicy for a leaner brisket and contrasted the delectable mouthfeel provided by the thick outer layer of charred bark. Once again, while this was tasty enough on its own, the rich meat flavors were made all the more better by the sauce — this one, with a spicy twist. This version of Wood Ranch’s house condiment had all the trademark notes of the original, only this time, with diced chipotle peppers mixed in to deliver a strong and spicy kick to the back of the throat.
One of the lightest barbecue sandwiches you'll try in your life, the pulled pork sandwich shows up with its carefully prepared pork, Carolina slaw and pickles. The Mac and Cheese companion came as a carefully proportioned but heavy side piece to this dish. Photographed by Finn Martin/BruinLife.
Order yourself a pulled pork sandwich. Pick out some of the pork, maybe dip it into a bit of sauce — the spicier chipotle mix worked even better here — and you’ll taste a bite that delicately leans toward the drier side but is perfectly complemented by a smoky Trojan horse — the kind of smoke that gets you feeling like you’re sitting on the right side of the campfire, the kind that hints at the behind-the-scenes effort, time and care that the resident pitmaster dedicated to this classic barbecue. Though the dryness of the toasted brioche competed and sometimes buried the flavor of this pork, the companion pieces saved the day. Hazard a bite of this sandwich altogether, and you’ll crunch into another sleeping flavor, the pickle. The few pickles packed into this sandwich didn’t reach for the moon as solo acts, but they played an essential part. Their acidity eased the palette and left a pleasant tinge that cleansed the slate for the next bite. The vinegary Carolina slaw added a nice, pillowy layer to these pickles, but did not offer anything spectacular.
Since no barbecue experience is complete without a side dish, two were served with the brisket and one came with the sandwich. To accompany the brisket, the first side was Skillet Baked Beans which provided everything one expects from the dish. These beans were in the vein of the famous Bush’s can, that is to say, they were sweet and smokey. Additionally, while they were soft, they weren’t mushy and maintained a toothsome bite.
Brisket side number two was a twist on a Southern classic, Peanut Coleslaw. Textually, this dish had much to offer. In addition to the crunchy mix of crisp and leafy cabbage, the chopped peanuts added a hardier chew to the veggie-heavy side. Moving on down to flavor town, the slaw equally excited. The rice wine vinegar base carried that bright acidity while also balancing it out with a subtle sweetened finish. Furthermore, the inclusion of peanuts was fantastic as it introduced an oaky nuttiness to a predictable bite.
As a sidekick to the sandwich, a classic macaroni and cheese completed the plate. In contrast with the sandwich’s lightness, the noodle-and-cheese combo slowed things down with a heavier, velvety texture. This companion piece basked richly in its cheddar flavor and was portioned just right to not bog down a diner.
At the end of the day, while Wood Ranch caters to a more suburban audience with its upscale presentation and aesthetic when compared to more “authentic,” grassroots smoke shacks, its balanced flavors and exceptionally prepared meats are just as good as any ‘cue down South.
