Santa Maria BBQ Bowls Fans Over

The Santa Maria Valley cheered on January 1 as a beloved local catering company, Cowboy Flavor, was invited to serve its barbecue in the VIP section of the Rose Bowl’s tailgate party in Pasadena.

This was no small order, as they were tasked with serving more than 2,000 employees and guests of ESPN and Prime Sports as well as float owners, sponsors and television executives.

Sue and Billy Ruiz, who have owned and operated Cowboy Flavor for more than 40 years, tackled this mission with their know how for hospitality, flavor and fun in all that they do. We caught up with them to get the lowdown on this epic experience:

Q: Describe your experience serving at this year’s Rose Bowl?
A: Wow! It was an honor to be a part of this event and to represent Santa Maria Style Barbecue to all the good folks in Pasadena. We have to add that Prime Sports choreographed the tailgate event to perfection.

Q: How did people react to Santa Maria Style Barbecue?
A: The oak wood and meat aromas were in the air. And when people saw our pit and the quantities of meat, the cameras came out. After they tasted, the thumbs went up!

Q: What was one of your most memorable moments from the experience?
A: Putting smiles on hungry people’s faces, being in the shadow of the Rose Bowl and being asked to come back again next year for the 100th anniversary of the Rose Bowl.

Thank you to Sue and Billy Ruiz for sharing their experience and for spreading the love for Santa Maria Style Barbecue!