Heritage Barbecue

Founded in 2020 and unmistakably the product of its times, Heritage Barbecue simultaneously represents everything we love and hate about dining out today. It is at once locally unique despite a well-worn premise, serving smoked meats and sides that taste as superb as they look – and by barbecue standards, they look gorgeous – and as impressive at marketing itself as it is at preparing food. If you hadn’t heard of it before (and if you’ve lived in or researched Orange County, you probably did), social media guaranteed that you’d get learn the name through impressive collaborations with noodle gods Ramen Shack and dumpling masters Paradise Dynasty, each a great example of cross-marketing.

Each of the items on their short menu, including beef ribs, pork ribs, hot links, pulled pork, burnt ends, and brisket, is effectively its platonic ideal as seen through the lens of Texas barbecue. From the obvious penetration of smoke from their (local regulator-approved) on-site smokers to just the right levels of bark, fat, and meat on the ribs, their barbecued meats are basically unimpeachable – except, obviously, for the health concerns.

When there are specials, such as Kansas City burnt ends, duck banh mi, turkey torta, or sticky pork ribs, you can visit just to try them – and they’ll probably be great – but at a place where even dipping the base meats in barbecue sauce is unnecessary, novelty flavors are entirely optional. Apart from a charcuterie board, which we found to be only OK and has seemingly disappeared from the menu, all of Heritage’s standard items are just-right as-is, so if you’re looking for extra flavor, try the banana pudding. (Skip the cornbread.)