South Carolina bbq hound coming to Anaheim for a conference soon. I'm looking for recs for the best authentic Santa Maria style barbeque anywhere in Orange County, the full wood-fired experience: tri tip, salsa, pinquito beans. Alas, I can't make it up to Santa Maria proper this time, but anywhere in Orange County is fair game.

From the boards, some people like Lou's Red Oak in Huntington Beach, and Wood Ranch seems good (for a local chain), but is there anything else I'm missing?

Thanks!

Too bad. Shuler's in Latta SC it is then.

Thanks, and thanks esp. for the BBQ Jew website tip - hadn't seen it before!

Anyone know the status/recent history of Nelson's, right off I-95 in Lumberton? I'm heading up 95 from SC this weekend and was planning to stop in, but Yelp says they're closed and the website is down.

I thought they were just getting up and running over the past year.

Anyone know more?

Butter, biscuit mix, good chewy melted hoop cheese, hidden lipids (Crisco, oleo, lard?)

Next to my girlfriend's homemade ones, the best cheese biscuits I've ever had was one right out of the oven at the Fast Break Convenience Store in Fremont NC.

Where else?

B&M baked beans (AND B&M canned bread!) can be found at Publix stores in Columbia. As a former CT and PA resident, I've been pleasantly surprised on the exporting of such things - we've got Yuengling black and tans in SC, but they still don't export the porter, which I always buy on my swings up north. And don't even think of finding Tastycakes....

Jimmy's Mart, a convenience store on the corner of Two Notch Road (Rt. 1) and Brickyard Road in NE Columbia, sells lovely catfish stew, cooking from a big pot at the back of the store, alongside the "hot dog heaven" food bar. Each time I've been there I've been happily sated. Tomato-based sauce with large pieces of potato and smaller pieces of catfish. This is a real Chowhound place - three bucks gets you a styrofoam bowl of stew and a generous handful of saltines. They also do a biscuit breakfast but I can't yet provide a report. Anyone?

Two weeks ago I went to the Elgin SC Catfish Stomp outside Columbia and sampled the stew made by the Elgin Fire Company - also very nice, but it's reassuring I can always get a bowl at Jimmy's whenever the urge strikes.