When you walk into the Original Roadhouse Grill, you’ll immediately feel at home and comfortable, even if your home does not boast a mouth-watering grill menu, full-service saloon, satellite horse racing or lets you throw your empty peanut shells on the ground.

The Original Roadhouse Grill in Santa Maria opened in May 2000 as part of an American Family Steakhouse concept developed by Los Angeles-based brothers and restaurant entrepreneurs, Larry and Ralph Cimmarusti. Their goal was to create a restaurant known for a casual, fun, family atmosphere and hearty meals. To date, there are eleven Roadhouse Grills throughout California and Oregon.

The Original Roadhouse Grill prides themselves on an extensive menu that features favorites such as slow-roasted bourbon tri-tip, fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs and hand-cut steaks from high-quality USDA beef from Washington state. All steaks are grilled over  mesquite wood and are generously seasoned with a special blend of spices.

“All of our steaks are freshly hand-cut daily in-house to ensure the highest quality,” said Vice President of Operations, Linda Bryant. “We also grind all our own burgers from our steak trim, so they’re actual steak burgers.”

There are also several steak alternatives including (but not limited to), Whiskey River salmon, BBQ chicken, turkey and veggie burgers, and an entire menu section dedicated to bison steaks, ribs, meatloaf and burgers.

While you wait for your entrées, all guests are served freshly baked yeast rolls served with homemade honey butter. Also make sure you try the extremely popular and unique Texas Egg Roll appetizer – cream cheese and jalapeño-filled wontons served with jalapeño jelly, and the featured mini-desserts are a must, served in small mason canning jars for only $1.99 each.

The Original Roadhouse Grill offers a range of choices for diners of all ages and appetites, with a section of the menu called “a little less dinner” for smaller portioned meals under $11.99, more than 20 menu items under $10, and children eat free every Tuesday night. There is also the Grillmasters Program, where diners can join online and immediately receive a $10 off coupon for enrolling, as well as specials and discounts that are good at all Original Roadhouse Grill locations.

For those diners over 21, the saloon features specialty cocktails served in Mason jars and a selection of twelve draught beers from local breweries such as Firestone Brewery, as well as their signature Peanut Tap Handle beers. Happy hour features a selection of food items for $5 everyday from 2 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

This past October also brought a new and exciting addition, completely unique to the Santa Maria location. “The California Horse Racing Board approved Original Roadhouse Grill as an Off-Track betting facility to replace the former location housed at the county fairgrounds,” said Bryant.

From Wednesday through Sunday, racing fans can enjoy the new Official California Wagering Facility in a separate bar dining and patio area. More than 26 televisions will show horse races from around the world.

“Our goal is to provide an exciting and comfortable environment for horse racing enthusiasts while retaining ample room in the restaurant for our bar and dining guests who have no interest in the sport,” said owner, Larry Cimmarusti. “We have always considered our restaurant to be a casual family friendly environment and we are confident that watching horses race can be exciting entertainment even without the wagering component.”

The Original Roadhouse Grill is located at 1423 South Bradley Road in Santa Maria. They are open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information about upcoming specials and events, visit www.originalroadhousegrill.com or call (805) 614-0586.