On Saturdays in Santa Rosa’s Roseland neighborhood, a trailer and smoker parked outside a corner deli are quietly turning Sebastopol Road into a slice of Central Texas. Pitmaster Bob Costarella, the force behind Red Eye Barbecue, runs a pop-up that leans into low-and-slow cooking, serving Central Texas-style ribs and beef cheeks that routinely draw early lines. Preorders tend to disappear by midweek, but a steady walk-in crowd still shows up for hefty plates and sides. Costarella keeps the focus on bark and smoke rather than sauce, relying on long cooks over oak and fruitwoods, and the operation runs during midday hours on weekends until everything is gone.
As reported by The Press Democrat, Costarella brings a Hill Country sensibility to Roseland, with low-and-slow oak smoke and sauce-optional plates that let the meat speak for itself. The paper notes that he sometimes finishes beef ribs over applewood sourced from a nearby Martinelli orchard. It describes his beef cheek dish, labeled “baby brisket,” as arriving in a beef tallow bath with dill pickle–artichoke salsa verde and garlic chips, and adds that his smoker typically sits out front of the deli while weekly specials rotate through the menu.
Red Eye Barbecue lays out the prices and preorder rules: pork ribs are listed at $26 for a half rack and $47 for a whole, prime beef ribs at $38 for a half rack, and the beef cheek at $25, with sides like roasted potato salad coming in at about $6. The site notes that preorders are accepted until 5 p.m. Thursday for Saturday pickup, though walk-ins are welcome as long as there is food left. That mix of online ordering and curbside pickup lets the pop-up move large cuts efficiently even without a permanent kitchen.
The pop-up is hosted at Sazón Peruvian Cuisine & Deli on Sebastopol Road, and Sazón’s site lists the restaurant at 1129 Sebastopol Road in Santa Rosa. The deli provides counter and deli space while Costarella tends the smoker at the curb, creating a hybrid takeout and dine-in setup that turns Saturday service into a neighborhood event for Roseland residents and visiting barbecue hunters alike.
The Press Democrat also traces Costarella’s route to the pit. He came up through cafés, bistros and fine-dining rooms, with a brief stint in the cannabis industry, before focusing on barbecue. He trained with Lance Kirkpatrick at Stiles Switch BBQ, apprenticed under the late Bobby Mueller, and estimated to the paper that he tended roughly 15,000 briskets during that period. Costarella told the outlet he is aiming to secure a permanent home for Red Eye in 2026.
Sonoma Magazine has already flagged Red Eye as one of the county’s notable new operations, praising the beef cheek and potato salad and advising diners to preorder for the best selection. That early buzz has helped push word of the Roseland pop-up beyond the neighborhood and into the wider North Bay dining conversation.
What To Order
The headliners are the pork ribs and the beef cheek “baby brisket,” with the ribs earning top billing for bark and smoke, and the cheek delivering a rich, pull-apart texture. Sides such as roasted potato salad and house slaw bring some balance to the plate, and sauces are intentionally optional so the smoke stays center stage. Before you go, check the latest details and pricing from Red Eye Barbecue.
How To Get It
Preorders close at 5 p.m. Thursday for Saturday pickup, which is the safest move if you have your heart set on a particular cut. If you are planning to walk in, get there early, since the midday window is short and the pop-up often sells out. For now, Roseland is the easiest place in Sonoma County to find Costarella’s Central Texas approach in action.
