Chef Rick’s grilled sourdough turns barbecue sides into a Santa Barbara staple

Chef Rick’s grilled sourdough is the side dish that keeps the oven off and still brings something memorable to the table. It takes sourdough’s sturdy crumb and mild tang, then loads it with herb-infused butter, plenty of garlic, green onions, cilantro, and parmesan so it can hold its own beside smoke, sauce, and heat. The result is less like plain garlic bread and more like a cookout signature, one that lands with enough crunch and savor to feel made for summer.

Why this loaf works at a barbecue

The appeal starts with the problem it solves. The recipe grew out of a hot afternoon at home, when store-bought garlic bread felt too ordinary for a meal built around smoked meats and outdoor dining. Chef Rick kept pushing the idea until the bread became a serious accompaniment instead of an afterthought, a loaf with enough personality to make the whole plate feel more intentional.

That matters because sourdough brings the right structure for this job. King Arthur Baking describes rustic sourdough as having rich, deep flavor, mild tang, and a strong rise, which is exactly the kind of profile that can take on butter, herbs, and grilled edges without turning soggy. Sourdough fermentation itself has been used for about 5,000 years, and WebMD calls it the oldest type of leavened bread on record, so this is one of the rare summer sides that feels both current and old-school at the same time.

How to turn it into a grill-side win

The easiest way to think about the dish is as a grilled, savory bread that gets its flavor in layers. The bread needs a base that can stand up to the heat, which is why sourdough fits so well: it stays chewy enough to slice cleanly, yet it still picks up the crisp edges that make a cookout side worth repeating.

The setup is part of the appeal. This is a no-oven summer move, the kind of bread you can finish while the main grill is already hot, then carry straight to the table. Because sourdough has a natural tang and a firm structure, it works especially well when you need bread that can soak up juices without falling apart.

What to serve it with

The recipe was designed to do real work on a barbecue plate, not just sit there looking pretty. Chef Rick’s version was built to stand up to smoked meats, and the restaurant has leaned into that role with menu items that already treat grilled sourdough as part of the house style. A patty melt on sourdough and barbecued shrimp with warm soppin’ bread both point to the same idea: this is bread meant to be eaten with something juicy, smoky, or sauced.

That makes it easy to use beyond a single main dish. Set it beside a tray of ribs, spoon it under grilled shrimp, or use it as the bread that mops up the last streaks of sauce on the platter. The combination of garlic, herbs, and parmesan gives it enough flavor to feel complete on its own, but enough restraint to stay useful as a side.

Why Santa Barbara fits this bread

The recipe also makes sense in Santa Barbara, where produce culture and market shopping have shaped how local food stories get told. The Santa Barbara Certified Farmers’ Market Association says the first Santa Barbara farmers’ market was held at the Santa Barbara Mission in 1979, the association was established in 1983, and it now runs 6 weekly certified farmers’ markets with about 130 members. That kind of market network explains why a Santa Barbara-linked recipe would lean hard on fresh herbs and a sunny, ingredient-first attitude.

Chef Rick’s own history fits the same pattern. The restaurant is listed at 135 East Foster Rd. at State Rt. 135 in Orcutt, California, and its menu still uses grilled sourdough in other dishes. A 2011 Santa Maria Times profile said the restaurant had been serving diners in Orcutt since 1989, and that Rick Manson was moving on to become executive chef at the Far Western Tavern in Guadalupe, California. That span gives the bread a long restaurant life, not just a momentary internet shine.

What the loaf says about the restaurant

Chef Rick’s “barbequed” sourdough works because it sits at the intersection of repetition and improvisation. It came from years of testing bold flavors, but it also came from a practical, specific complaint: store-bought garlic bread was not enough for a meal built around grill smoke and summer heat. Once that problem got solved, the bread stopped being a side note and turned into a signature.

That is the useful lesson for any summer cookout. A good sourdough loaf does not need to act delicate to be special. Give it garlic, herbs, parmesan, and fire, and it becomes the kind of side that can carry a barbecue plate all on its own.