Santa Maria Barbecue Company

This sounds like a seriously successful 7in7 stop.

You worked around the time crunch perfectly by going for takeout and, instead of risking a so-so to-go tri tip plate, you found the holy grail: the BBQ tri tip burrito. That’s a smart move for travel—everything wrapped, heat better contained, and the meat protected from drying out.

Highlights from your experience:

• Ordering strategy: Four BBQ tri tip burritos + one veggie burrito for the carpool partner, all for about $35 (no drinks). Solid value for a specialty item.
• Condiments: You chose both hot salsa and BBQ sauce on the side. The hot salsa actually being hot is a rare win in LA, and it sounds like it paired perfectly with the tri tip. The BBQ sauce being a bit heavy on the Worcestershire but still working with the meat gives it a distinct profile, and switching between salsa and sauce mid-burrito is exactly how to test range.
• Flavor & quality: You describe the burrito as “pretty phenomenal” and strong enough to rank highly even among Mexican options, not just BBQ. That’s a big compliment for a BBQ joint doing burritos.
• Veggie option: Your vegetarian carpool partner liked the veggie burrito and even has a refinement note for next time—sub mushrooms for grilled veggies—so there’s a clear path to an even better repeat order.

For the sake of the 7in7, you’ve set yourself up for a great follow-up visit: going back to try the chicken, ribs, and tri tip on a plate will give you the full picture of Santa Maria Barbecue Company’s core BBQ game. But based on this run, the BBQ tri tip burrito is already a standout and worth a dedicated return trip.