clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
The front of a large brewpub.

Orange County Standout Heritage Barbecue Unveils Oceanside Brewpub

Heritage Barbecue & Brewery showcases its award-winning smoked meat alongside a brand new beer lineup

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.

A man and woman stand in front of a sign.
Daniel and Brenda Castillo.
©John Troxell
A man and woman stand inside a restaurant,
AJ and Mike Aubuchon.
A bar area inside a brewery.
A long bar with an American flag on the wall.
Beer pouring from taps.
‘Bottles of wine on a counter.
A dining room full of tables.
A dining area with booths.
Banquette seating in a restaurant.
Booths on an indoor/outdoor patio.
An outdoor covered patio.
A man holds a chopped brisket sandwich.
Chopped brisket sandwich.
Ron De Angelis
A smoking cocktail.
The Main Attraction.
Ron DeAngelis
Assorted plates of food and drinks. Ron DeAngelis

Heritage Barbecue & Brewery's Food, Beer, and Bar Menus

Heritage Barbecue & Brewery, 2002 S. Coast Hwy, Oceanside; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

San Diego Restaurant Openings

Southern Breakfast Classics and Fried Chicken Land in Normal Heights

Coming Attractions

Instagram-Favorite Boba Tea Shop Coming to Westfield UTC

Coming Attractions

Yintang Spicy Hot Pot Is Expanding to Mira Mesa

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Eater San Diego newsletter

The freshest news from the local food world