I'm from KC, so bbq options in CA are usually not that great. Aptos St BBQ had delicious brisket. Sides were just ok, but it's all about the meat for me. Tons of beer options. They had live music when we were there on Friday night. read more

Some of the best BBQ I've had. We love to order from here. They can run out of things so make sure you plan ahead, order early and give them some time. Great spot to dine-in as well. Had a big mistake in my order once and the staff was gracious and reached out to correct it. MUST EAT spot in town read more

Pretty good bbq joint in Aptos. I was looking for a curbside pick up option for my beach trip with my son and happy I found this place. I was able to order online, pull up to the spot at the sidewalk and they brought the food out - love the convenience very much. I had a regular sized beef brisket meal with a side of mac and cheese and coleslaw and garlic bread ($16) and my son had the little rib dinner with mac and cheese on the side ($9.50). He LOVED the ribs and I enjoyed the brisket. The only down side was I checked sauce on the side on my pine order but they completely forgot it so I didn't have any sauce to go withy brisket. That aside, I though lt it was overall pretty good. read more

Aptos St BBQ - Ribs with side of Mac and cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

Great food little over priced for what you get . But the food was good and the desert just not worth the price.

I ordered via the catering menu through the online process. I accidently ordered for the wrong date. Staff were able to change and accomodate a short timeline. I spoke with Stormy from catering at Aptos BBQ. She was super friendly and got everything processed. Food was ready on time and delicious. Carlos read more

Cute little area A little tough with parking Quaint decor Great customer service Like the options a lot Portion: 4/5 Flavors: 4/5 Price: 3.5/5 Wait time: 3.5/5 read more

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Really easy to order online. You can choose from packages based on number of people or build your own order. Came out around $30/person and everyone got their fill with a LOT of meat leftovers. So I think it was an even better value per person. Delivery was exactly on time. The hot stuff was hot and the cold stuff was cold. Utensils, honey, butter, a jar of BBQ sauce and all the meat in metal trays for easy serving or transferring to chafers. I'll be using them again! read more

Ordered takeout and loved it. Brisket, ribs, slaw and potato salad were all delish! Best BBQ in Santa Cruz/Aptos area.

Garlic bread, nice and buttery for the bun and juicy grilled meat inside. What's there not to like? Well - A bit too salty for some meats. Brisket had gobs of salt on the outside on one of them, had to spit out the bite. Parents reported bbq beef too salty. Pulled pork and tri-tip for the kids were perfect. Service was prompt. Waited about 8 minutes. Self serve waters and self-bus the tables. Prices high. Extra small bowl of macncheese for the kids cost $6. Not a great value there. Echoes and loud inside. Also hot and stuffy inside. read more

One of the best BBQ spots in NorCal and reasonably priced. Excellent breakfast tacos!!

We were looking for a spot between SF and SLO for lunch and were pleasantly surprised to find such a popular BBQ joint near Santa Cruz. It was easy to submit a pre-order online and everything was ready right on time. I would recommend pre-ordering because by the time I ordered around 11 AM, there were already certain meats (pulled pork, hot links) already sold out. I don't have much BBQ experience to go off of, but my boyfriend is pretty invested in finding good BBQ. We got the 2 meat meal that comes with 2 sides and garlic bread (~$23). I thought the pork ribs and brisket were really good, especially with the spicy sauce they have. He mentioned that the brisket was cut on the thicker side and a bit dry, but still enjoyed both meats. The sides were nothing too special: the coleslaw and beans tasted pretty minimal and the garlic bread barely had any garlic flavor. It's hard to find good BBQ in the Bay Area, but the meats were some of the best I've had so far and definitely a nice pit stop if you're passing through the area! read more

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Aptos BBQ is our go-to spot for amazing barbecue; we're there at least once a week! Whether dining in or grabbing takeout, the quality is consistently excellent. For takeout, we often order meats by the pound along with a variety of sides, and honestly, you can't go wrong with anything on the men, even the hot dogs are top-notch. Lately, I've been hooked on the loaded baked potato with pulled pork. It is super hearty and full of flavor. Most recently, we ordered their Holiday Smoked Ham for Easter dinner. I picked it up on Saturday and followed their simple reheating instructions with their glaze. It turned out perfectly, tender, smoky, and a huge hit with the family. There wasn't a single bite left! The staff at Aptos BBQ are always friendly, upbeat, and helpful, which makes every visit even better. Plus, the live music every night adds a fun and lively touch to the whole experience. Great food, great people, and a great atmosphere, what more could you ask for? read more

Brisket sandwich, today. The meat was very fatty & the bread, soggy. Not good. Especially for $25.

While in area, we decided to try Aptos St BBQ as we heard the food was really great. Their BBQ process is a combination inspired by different regions. They slow smoke their meats over seasoned oak wood to perfection. As it was lunchtime it was very busy, yet our food was ready quickly. After one places an order, a text is sent when the order is ready for pick-up. Very efficient. We tried their brisket, pulled pork, and chicken as part of their 3-Meat Meal, and the flavor was phenomenal. They also offer tri-tip, pork ribs, hot links, and salads. Sandwiches are served with one side, and the combination meat meals includes two sides and garlic bread. They offer a very large number of craft beers, seltzers & ciders on tap and in bottles. They usually have nightly live Blues music, however it is currently on hold. To take advantage of the situation, they are in the process of painting the inside. Dining is available in front of the restaurant, as well as in an outdoor enclosed area with picnic tables spaced accordingly. We recommend this establishment and will definitely return when in the area. Give them a try! read more

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Was amazing but our favorite was the hot link Mac n cheese and the trip tip. Definitely a place to come when in town. read more

Aptos St BBQ - 4meat combo shared with hubby 3 ribs 1/4 chicken Tri tip Cornbread Mac n cheese Potato Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

What a great find, THANK YOU, Yelp! This place is a gem of a find. We were on our way back from Santa Cruz to Monterey and were looking for something local. As usual, Yelp came through! This place was easy to find, and there's plenty of curbside and private parking. There's plenty of seating, and the tables are distanced safely (more than 6'. The staff was very friendly and explained the menu. The young lady that helped up was knowledgeable and helpful. I ordered the two meat combo with tri-tip and brisket, mac and cheese, and coleslaw for the sides. My wife ordered the chicken (small meal) with mac and cheese. The chicken was tender and seasoned well. The BBQ sauce they use is delicious. The brisket was so tender that it was falling apart. The tri-tip was seasoned well and very tender. They have two BBQ sauces that you can choose from the "Traditional" and "Spicy." The spicy was more on the mild side, but both were very good! They have a blues band that came in around 5:30 PM, but unfortunately, we left before they started playing. The atmosphere was friendly had a positive vibe. If you are craving good BBQ, we highly recommend this place. PS - Sorry, but I forgot to take pictures of our food. (LOL) read more

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They have the best smoked ribs in the world!! I would definitely recommend this restaurant. They have live music with blues. The smoked meats are amazing. read more

This is hands down my favorite spot for bbq of all time. Everyone is very friendly, food hits the spot and love when there is live blues playing. read more

We went an hour before closing as we were visiting Aptos, food was good sad we missed out on trying the Mac & cheese. I typically am not a fan of ribs but these were so good & so is their bbq sauce. Not a fan of their version of draft sodas but it was fine. Open late & worth stopping by for the ambiance as well they have outdoor and indoor seating read more

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It's a bit pricey, but I have to admit the food is incredibly fresh and juicy. It's very delicious. I asked for a cherry pie, but it was sold out, so I got a berry pie instead. It was fruity and came with ice cream, which complemented it nicely. One star off because of the price. read more

Not too many bbq joints outside Texas tend to impress me with their brisket...well Aptos St BBQ breaks that rule!! Perfectly done and served on a beautifully grilled piece of bread. The potato salad was on point and the little pile of picked, onions and jalapeños was perfect!! read more

Aptos St BBQ - Brisket sandwich w/ potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

Yuuup. That right there is some good ol' bbq, folks! Ribs on hit and tri-tip on one thousand! Deeeee-lish-uuuusss. Another Yelp bookmark finally annihilated! Came here a few months ago for some much needed sustenance after hiking at a nearby park. This spot has been recommended to me on a few different occasions. Since I finally made it out to the area, I couldn't help but to stop by. At the time, both indoor and outdoor dining wasn't available. I ended up taking it to the beach, so it worked out for me in the end. They have a nice looking patio with tons of shaded tables on the side of their building. The inside was void of any tables and they made sure that the social distancing protocols were in tact while people waited in line. Kevin helped me at the ordering counter and we was super pleasant and helpful! He gave me some good recommendations of what I should try it since it was my first time there. We actually ended up chatting for a minute while I waited for my food to be ready. Turns out he's a fellow hiker just like myself. He's a really cool guy and the service was excellent. Ended up ordering a two meat plate with tri-tip, ribs, baked beans, mac & cheese, and grilled toast. I would have gotten cornbread but Kevin told me that it wasn't sweet. Yeah... I can't do cornbread if it ain't sweet. That's not how I was brought up on it. Thankfully, they have another option (grilled toast). The food was packaged very nicely for to-go. No food or bbq sauce dripping all over the place and I sad appreciated this. Took it to the beach to enjoy, and my oh my did I have my way with this food. First off, can I get a round of applause for that TRI-TIP? Geezus!!! If tender had another name... this might just be it. This meat was just melting in my mouth. So, sooo good. Plus all of that good marination really showed out. The flavors were definitely on point with both the ribs, tri-tip and the bbq sauce too. Speaking of the ribs; they were yummy too. The spices were so satisfying. I would have like them to be falling off the bone, but they were still pretty solid. Obviously the star of the show was the tri-tip, but those ribs could still get it too. Fell in love with their spicy bbq sauce. I've been a fan of sweet bbq sauce for years, but I've finally come around to truly enjoying it spicy. Aptos St does a great spicy bbq sauce. The mac and cheese was a non-traditional white cheddar, but I truly enjoyed it. It was wonderfully creamy and cheesy. The grilled bread was a nice compliment to the juicy meats and cheesy mac. The only item that I wasn't a fan of were the baked beans. They were more like a chili bean style which I'm not really a fan of. Also, I felt like it could have used a bit more salt or something to spruce up the flavor. I would skip this side next time. Can't forget to mention the ample portions. You will definitely get a good bang for your buck here, especially in the meat department. All in all, I'm impressed and I really enjoyed my experience here. Great service and delicious bbq; now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about. read more

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The BBQ here was super good, very smoky tri-tip and brisket. The corn bread was a little unique, almost looked like toast, very thin and a little spongy. There's a wide selection of beers to choose from. For dessert we ordered a berry pie, very delicious!! It's served warm with a scoop of ice cream on top. read more

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We arrived at 6pm on a Saturday night. As we read about in other reviews, they were sold out of some sides and meats already. Next time we will call ahead. It's order at the counter service, which can mean long lines too. After an hour wait, we did enjoy their brisket, pulled pork with sides of coleslaw and potato salad. Let's just say it's all about the meat. The sides were lack luster but we enjoyed every bite of the beautifully smoked meats. We sat in their outdoor gravel area with picnic tables. It's a popular place and we can see why. read more

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Love these guys but the last time we got takeout they forgot one of our cornbreads. Okay, addendum: love these guys but my husband got diarrhea after the time before last that we got takeout from here. The most recent time we got takeout from here Sunday night (12/6), I got food poisoning (woke up at 1:30am and had the stomach cramps/runs for half an hour). We suspect that the culprit was the hot links because last time it was super shriveled and this time it tasted great but wasn't hot (temperature) at all. It was just warm. They now serve mac and cheese which is pretty meh. The ribs were overdone for sure. We probably won't stop going here bc it's usually awesome but after 2 diarrhea bouts in a row we probably won't go back too soon. We bought 2 $50 gift cards tho to get the $10 promo (buy $50 gift card get $10 gift voucher valid from late December through mid Feb). read more

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Aptos St. BBQ offers mouthwatering barbecue with perfectly tender brisket and flavorful pulled pork, all enhanced by house-made sauces. Paired with a rotating selection of craft beers and live blues music, it's the ideal spot for great food and atmosphere. A must-visit for BBQ lovers. A bit pricey but you get what you pay for. read more

Great place Great food and great atmosphere Music here quite often and the beer is cold read more

Always good. Best bbq in mid county. Breakfast tacos are great. Sides, like beans, coleslaw are goid too. And they have great bbq sauce. Blues Music at nite! read more

Amazing food is an understatement! This place got the recipes down! Felt like I was in Texas Baby! Definitely coming back for the burnt ends and brisket read more

Aptos St BBQ - Brisket, beef burnt ends, tri tip - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

Our party was a success thanks to the delicious Aptos BBQ catering. It was so easy, especially with the friendly delivery.

Food was delicious and right on time! Service was amazing!! Picked up a take out order and it was all just as we ordered. Thank you Aptos Street BBQ! read more

Wonderful food. I had the Raging Bull sandwich. The bread was fresh and soft; and the meat tender, sweet, and spicy. The mac and cheese had a hint of umami (gruyere?) and the beans had whole garlic cloves. The cornbread was thin and had a crisp crust, almost like a polenta. Everything tasted wonderful and fresh, and the customer service was really good too. Even the craft fountain soda is on point! You can't go wrong! read more

this is my second time coming here and I brought my girlfriends dad. We had the brisket, tri-tip, pulled pork, potato salad, and coleslaw... everything was DELICIOUS!! I like fatty brisket and they certainly delivered no lie, please do yourself a favor and try this place out!! read more

I have been telling my Bay Area friends who were on way to Santa Cruz/Monterey to stop by Aptos BBQ. Unforunately after my recent lunch there, and a dinner last year, I will no longer be going back. The brisket was the worst I have ever had as it was very dry and tough. I also got a pork ribs which while was okay, was also very dry. It was obvious that these cuts of meat were leftovers from the weekend and reheated. The reasons why it's no below 3 stars is a) I hope the owner sees this review and makes changes on serving reheated days old leftovers, b) the side dishes were still on point and good, c) still good beer selection and d) giving benefit of doubt that perhaps it's just a case of avoiding lunches and/or weekdays. While I will no longer go out of my way to eat Aptos like I have for many years, I am still rooting for Aptos though. read more

This is the second bbq place we've checked out since our friends moved to the area and we really enjoyed it! We ordered the brisket combo meal with beans and potato salad and the hot dog for my daughter. They have a nice outdoor seating area and the inside is set up to abide by all COVID guidelines. The meat was tender and the sides were flavorful - definitely my favorite so bbq place far! My friends ordered one of their sandwich specials and said it was great too! They accidentally brought us brisket instead of the hot dog, but gave it to us on the house! We'll definitely be back soon! Employees were very friendly as well! read more

Aptos St BBQ - Hot dog - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

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I was craving brisket and this did not disappoint. I put it on my salad as the protein and used a vinaigrette but first I did have to dip some big chunks in their delicious BBQ sauce. They also had live music and a killer fountain soda machine. I'll be back for sure! read more

Aptos St BBQ - Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

Hands down, some of the best bbq food I've had in aptos. The burnt ends was especially memorable. You really can't go wrong with anything you order on there menu. A MUST TRY! read more

Great food and service. We've been here many times. Arrived at 6:30pm - they're already out of tri-tip, pulled pork, ribs, burnt tip, brisket, and worst of all - potatoes !!! Sad..change your name to Aptos salads? We left. We were looking forward to music and beer til 8pm... read more

Hands down the best BBQ I've ever had! They catered my wedding and everything was perfect. The team was great and professional, and all the guests really enjoyed the food. Would highly recommend either for a quick lunch, or for a bigger catered event! read more

If you're willing to spend some cash on meat, do it. Everything else is small portioned and sub par, and if that is garlic bread in the photo, bland and no garlic, I think it's just toasted bread. I will only return for the meat. Sides, no thanks. read more

Aptos St BBQ - Tri tip. Mac n cheese. Beans. Garlic bread? - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California