Orange County Standout Heritage Barbecue Unveils Oceanside Brewpub

Awarded Bib Gourmand status by the Michelin Guide and named by Food & Wine Magazine as one of America’s best new barbecue spots, Orange County’s lauded Heritage Barbecue has landed in Oceanside, where its sweeping 10,000-square-foot second location, called Heritage Barbecue & Brewery, is opening on Sunday, January 15.

Heritage gained a fervent following through pop-ups at SoCal breweries, which led to the founding of its first restaurant in San Juan Capistrano in 2020. Owners Daniel and Brenda Castillo moved to Oceanside a year and a half ago, signing the lease for the coastal Oceanside spot last summer.

While their original location is formatted like a traditional barbecue joint, selling meats by the pound, the new brewpub is designed for a more complete dining experience, showcasing its smoked meat in tacos made with beef fat flour tortillas and sandwiches built with Japanese milk bread from the local Hokkaido Bread Company, The menu from chef Eric Linares also includes Texas queso, charro beans, chili fries, and banana pudding.

The brisket and pork butt are coming from Orange County, where pitmaster Castillo has a grander offset smoker setup, but he told Eater that they’ll be smoking everything from tri-tip to turkey, bacon, and beef cheeks at the Oceanside restaurant.

Running the 10 BBL system at the new brewery is Mike Aubuchon, whose wife AJ is the brewpub’s general manager. A veteran of Pizza Port Carlsbad, where he earned numerous beer competition medals for his recipes, Aubuchon’s lineup of barbecue-friendly brews includes So Special For You, a light Japanese rice lager, and Czech This Out!, a crisp Czech-style pilsner.

The bar’s cocktail program, headed up by Wyatt DeMars, includes creative cocktails, spritzes, slushees, and seltzers as well as wine on tap and a selection of natural wine. DeMars will also be in charge of an incoming speakeasy tucked within the brewpub that’ll have its own separate entrance. Called Ladies Love Outlaws, it will feature more complex cocktails when it opens later this season.