The change comes after more than a year of uncertainty over the restaurant's identity. While originally billed as the San Diego extension of Chef Daniel Castillo’s Michelin-recognized Heritage Craft Barbecue, the Oceanside location has not been affiliated with Castillo or the flagship San Juan Capistrano restaurant since early 2024. Despite that separation, the restaurant continued to operate under the Heritage name, creating ongoing confusion among diners.
In a direct message sent to SanDiegoVille earlier this year, the Heritage BBQ Instagram account confirmed, "We are no longer affiliated with the Oceanside location as of January 2024. Been over a year now. Travis Lester has been operating it for the past year and a half. The name was supposed to be changed over a year ago."
The Oceanside outpost debuted in early 2023 with ambitious plans that included a 10-barrel brewing system, full bar, and even a country-western speakeasy dubbed Ladies Love Outlaws. But within months, Castillo and the original Heritage team quietly exited, leaving Lester - best known for Piña in Encinitas and the forthcoming Oceanside concept 1888 - in control. Lester, who co-founded Broseph’s Restaurant Group and has projects spanning Hermosa Beach, Santa Monica, and Cabo San Lucas, maintained much of the original menu but struggled to establish a clear brand identity.
Following a closure last week for "rehab and rebranding," the restaurant is set to reopen as Hill Street BBQ & Brew (though some communications still use the name Hill Street BBQ & Grill). Paint crews have been seen covering all the previous branding. The new concept aims to reintroduce the space to North County diners while putting to rest any lingering assumptions of Heritage affiliation.
For Castillo, whose San Juan Capistrano flagship continues to earn accolades including recognition in the California Michelin Guide and his 2025 James Beard Award nomination for Best Chef: California, the rebrand helps clarify that the Oceanside venture is no longer part of his growing barbecue empire. Fans seeking the original Heritage experience will need to travel north to Orange County, where the brand’s Texas-inspired smoked meats, house-made sausages, and cult-favorite pastrami remain intact.
The Oceanside rebrand underscores a larger issue in the hospitality industry: how restaurants communicate ownership changes and the importance of transparency in maintaining consumer trust. As Hill Street BBQ & Brew prepares to relaunch, North County diners will be watching to see if Lester can reinvigorate the concept and carve out a fresh identity for the space.
SanDiegoVille has reached out to Lester, who promised "a really big announcement coming within weeks." For now, the closure of Heritage BBQ in Oceanside brings a definitive end to its chapter under Castillo’s banner - and opens the door for its next incarnation.
Hill Street BBQ & Brew is anticipated to open in late August at 2002 South Coast Highway in San Diego's North County city of Oceanside.
Originally published on August 19, 2025.
