My daughter purchased a class for me at at Big Jim's BBQ as a Christmas gift and I was excited. The excitement ended when I tried to register for a class. I registered for a class in February on the website http://www.bigjimbbq.com/ but never received a confirmation. In January: I emailed Chef Jim at the email provided class@bigjimbbq.com but never received a confirmation. I called Chef Jim at the number provided (415) 203-4744 and left a voicemail with my contact info. In February: I emailed Chef Jim at the email provided class@bigjimbbq.com but never received a confirmation. I called Chef Jim at the number provided (415) 203-4744 and left a voicemail with my contact info. In March: I emailed Chef Jim at the email provided class@bigjimbbq.com and chefjim@bigjimbbq.com but never received a confirmation. I called Chef Jim at the number provided (415) 203-4744 and left a voicemail with my contact info. I have been so disgusted with this guy I have not taken the time to tell this story. however, others should not be scammed so I sat down this morning to WARN others. At this point, I just want my daughter to receive a refund for gift she purchased that Chef Jim has not delivered on. I would AVOID THIS GUY as he seems motivated to accept fees but not provide classes. I will be reaching out to the BBB too. read more

Big Jim's BBQ Rocks! I've been to a wedding he's catered, a Holiday feast for extended friends/family and an event at the SF Giants games and Infineon Raceway and EVERY TIME Big Jim's BBQ is savory and delicious. Can't wait to hear about the next event! PS...Get the tri tip or pulled pork! read more

When it comes to grilling, hot dogs and hamburgers were pretty much all I would attempt and would leave the stuff like whole chicked, brisket, pork butts, etc. to the pros. After wanting to step my grilling game up, I found Chef Jim's class offered on Groupon and signed up right away after doing a bit of research. First off, Jim tore a tendon on his leg the night before the class and still showed up to do it on time and in clearly a lot of pain! He had a couple of assistants help him out, but I don't know how he was able to get through 5 hours of standing and walking from the grill to the 'classroom'. The food was outstanding. Don't bother getting breakfast before, as almost immediately we dived right into eating his awesome brisket he finished making that morning. We then went into preparing and slow cooking three racks of ribs, whole chickens, salmon, and also threw a tri tip on the gas grill. His pork shoulder was cooked earlier that morning as well since there is not enough time to slow cook it during class, and it was amazing! Jim's a great teacher and he covered everything in detail and made sure all of our questions were answered. Bottom line, bring an appetite and take good notes! Once you've taken his class and tried his food, you won't settle for less! I've already ordered the same Weber smoker we used in class, so I'll be saving the hot dogs and hamburgers for the kiddies at my Sunday BBQ's and serve up the good stuff for the adults! Highly recommend. read more

Took the BBQ class today. Jim does a great job of showing you easy to use techniques for backyard BBQ and taking it the next level. Big personality to go with the big meats. Bring your appetite. Vegans need not apply. Ribeye was left for dessert. Thanks Jim. I had a great time. read more

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My experience; this man accepted money from me for vouchers for "BBQ classes" that have never been offered. I have made several attempts to recover my money from him including a written demand that all have gone ignored. I feel as though I've been ripped off! Use of Yelp requires that I select one star in order to complete this review which I do not feel is merited. read more

Over-crowded Groupon junkies filled the cold dingy room eager to hear some "Pit-Masters" secrets that he wouldn't reveal--isn't that the whole point of taking a cooking class? He was trying to teach us how to peel the membrane off the ribs and it wouldn't come off--because it was already off! And then he showed us the Ribs on the smoker outside that were chared, black as all black, and he said "this is not what your ribs should look like!". I think Big Jim needs a new specality, because ribs ain't it! If he said Pit Master one more time, or award winning I was going to shoot myself. Spare yourself the pain! read more

Had Big Jim's in Martinez yesterday. The ribs were delicious..... Would like to take class??

Good thing they feed you at this cause you get little more than that out of it. First off it is so unorganized I was amazed. My brother and i went as a birthday gift he got for me, and although we signed up for the date and time we showed up for they had no record nor did they seem to have it for anyone else who was registering around us at the time. After that we sat around watching the chaos of the prep for the class. Once Jim started talking he was more worried about who will be competing or might be thinking of competing. He went on to say a student beat him in a competition recently after he asked the 5th group who arrived after he asked the group. He did go over some very basic but good bbq knowledge. The amount of food served was quite plentiful. But then when I grilled him about a few things like injecting liquor instead of apple juice in the meat he said you nailed it but I usually don't share that. SO overall there was some good info being shared for the weekend warrior on the grill but don't expect any real tricks of the trade to be shared as he is too worried with competing still. We also gave money for his book for recipes he was selling but did not have on hand. What a mistake, not only did 15 plus emails go unresponded too when I finally did get to speak with him he said I'm just so busy not sure when we will get those out. Months after the class still no book in site, and I doubt we will ever see it unless we show up at a class and raise hell. read more

What a class act... From the first time I called him to the day he rolled up in his "look at me, i'm so cool BBQ'' truck, this guy was blowing so much hot air out of his a**. He literally got out of the truck and started telling me about how people were honking their horns to wave at him because he's such a big deal. No Joke. I get it- it's BBQ season, caterers are busy and BBQ is popular. But listen, Big Jim's BBQ is not any better than any other BBQ caterer I've used. In fact, I highly recommend and suggest you use any other GREAT and local caterers like Charlie's BBQ, Michael Goldstien or Ray's catering. They will be more reasonably priced, grateful for your business and more focused on you instead of their names. When I first talked to big Jim, this guy could not be more full of himself... "my BBQ is the best, I've won awards, i'm bbq'ing for Colin Kaepernick, I just finished doing the biggest and coolest party for... blah, blah, BLAH" and then 1 week before my event I called to confirm everything and he couldn't find anything about my BBQ plan. I had to repeat my order, tell him my guest count, remind him of where and what time and once I was done telling him everything, he finally "found" the information. Not to mention he just HAD to state that he's been SO busy finishing doing a party for the 49'ers and some other big-wig. I DON'T CARE, focus on my order, my party and the things I'M PAYING you for. Also, I ordered food for X amount of people, not all my employees showed up and I still ran out of bbq'd meats and the meats that I did have leftovers of- HE TOOK... Thanks buddy, for taking the food I paid for, even when I asked to have the leftovers boxed up. I'm sure he took it to the next party he was going to. Gross. Only good thing I have to say is that he had two assistants, one woman and one younger dude and the younger guy was super nice and helpful at the event. Sorry Big Jim, but you're just a Big Ass read more

Tonight my family ate a yummy bbq dinner prepared by this awesome restaurant! Thank you for providing teachers and their families with a free meal. This was a wonderful gesture from our local fire agency. Being appreciated during these difficult times is extra special. read more

The business owner offers BBQ Class via Groupon but not allowing people to take advantage of the offer. I called many times to redeem the Groupon I purchased but it kept on telling me I will receive a call back confirmation but I never did. I got ripped off by this business. It was unethical business practice. read more

Had Big Jim's BBQ once before and it is good! Jim however leaves a bit to be desired. We had him booked for a party and everything for the party was all set. 14 days before the party Big Jim called and canceled because he received a better offer i.e. a bigger party. Moral of the story is beware he will bail on you for a better party! read more

I took Big Jim's class through groupon and felt that he is a guy who knows a tremendous amount about smoking and BBQing. He was also very generous with his food samples. If you go to the class do not eat before the class! I was shocked however to find that they expected you to stand for 5 hrs as there were absolutely no chairs anywhere ( not even for the employees!). I was also surprised that for the price of this class that a handout with recipes was not available. Big Jim did offer to sell you his book $10. read more

Coming from Texas, I have searched high and low for good BBQ in San Francisco! Honestly, 4 years and I have never been satisfied out here. And I rarely write reviews on yelp, but I absolutely HAVE to brag about Big Jim!! UHHHH-MAZING!!! Jim had me hooked with his pulled pork sandwiches, but I kept returning for his tri-tip with homemade sauce!! Soooo tangy with a slight kick:) Possibly better than my favorite joint in Houston, TX- and that speaks volumes! I have finally found good BBQ out West and had to announce it! I challenge anyone to beat this!!! read more

I purchased 2 Groupon tickets for his BBQ class. No classes we posted for months,classes that were posted ended up being canceled. Multiple emails never returned. I finally contacted Jim on the phone he promised a refund and 2 free classes never heard back from him. I sent multiple emails and phone calls following up and again nothing. TERRIBLE SERVICE. Jim I will contact Groupon and inform them of your actions. I will also share this post with others. read more

They do not return phone calls. I purchased a voucher for a bbq class. I called a few times and left messages no call back. The voucher eventually expired. Then a few years later while searching for a caterer for a wedding party( we really wanted bbq) we thought we would give them another chance. Once again no answer, we left another detailed message and here we are 3 weeks later and still no call. read more

Rancid Pulled Pork at GG Bridge 75th. My wife and I had this at the golden gate bridge 75th anniversary. I had the tri tip and it was so-so. My wife had the pulled pork. I took a bite and it tasted funny - by funny I mean RANCID. I smelled it and it smelled literally like dog poop. I asked my wife to smell it and what it smelled like - she said 'dog ****'. I took it back and they were very polite and eager to give me some more meat - which we didn't really feel like eating after swallowing nastiness (we each had one bite). I'm not one of those people who return food. I just don't do it. This is literally the first time in my life I have ever returned food. But someone messed up big time and should have thrown that pulled pork out. Someone forgot to rotate the walk in correctly or left it out too long. I found it suspect that it had so much bbq sauce on it - as if it was an attempt to hide the fact the meat was rancid. That meat should have been thrown out, plain and simple not served to the public. I'm sure most of their food is ok but when you choose making a buck over public health and serve rancid pork you are making a very wrong decision as you can poison and kill people with E Coli or Salmonila - or even worse turn people into vegetarians.. Guys please be careful with what you serve to the public - that was disgusting and whoever made the decision to serve that meat should be fired. read more

So I took the class on Sept 28th 2014. Chef Jim did not have his cookbooks with him. He was more the willing to mail them to use. I am now 7 months out and still no cookbook. Guess my money was good, his word isn't. I have talked to him each month and I am promised it will be sent. Still nothing. Now he is removing my posts from his facebook page. read more

"Big Jim" came and catered our team party. Everything was fantastic. Tri-tip was spectacular. Barbecued chicken was great, too. Wonton appetizers, smoked sturgeon (wow!!), perfect horseradish cole slaw, devilish cheese and raviolis... The list goes on and on. And Jim's BBQ sauce? I wish I could buy some in stores! A must have!!! Our friends wanted a BBQ caterer for their wedding and I recommended Big Jim. I cannot wait for that wedding!!!!!!!! read more

This is the best you can get. His chicken, pulled pork, brisket and tri tip are all memorable and over the top tasty. Wish Big Jim had a restaurant so I could enjoy this Pitmaster's bbq more often. For now, I just have to cross my fingers he is catering at future parties. Nice job, Jim! read more

we had chef jim and his team cater my husband's birthday bbq yesterday. the food was awesome! we had tri tip, ribs, chicken, mac n cheese and veggie lasagna - everyone definitely had seconds. great/friendly service :) we'll be calling him for future events (and hopefully he'll be available because he's quite popular and gets booked months in advance). THANK YOU chef jim for everything! read more

Big Jim's BBQ is tons of fun. Learned a lot about smoking meats. Similar to what the other yelpers mentioned, he goes over ribs, salmon, brisket, pulled pork, chicken and tri tip, which you later eat, so bring some wine. Personally, I loved that this class was outdoors overlooking the waters. Made for a perfect day -- eating, drinking, learning about bbq. Jim's a fun guy, staff is really friendly and food is terrific. Also, he's very open and encouraging about letting you take pics or videos during the demos. read more

I took Big Jims class on 2-26-12 at BBQs Galore in San Rafael. The class was pretty big (I would estimate 40). They had construction going on throughout the class in the building which made it cramped in the corner we were in. Jim explained this was temporary and they were on a time crunch. Should have postponed class until the work was completed. Also the class was a lot of information to absorb (this was good) but only 1 page hand out which was a recipe. At the beginning of class "I hope you are hungry, cause we got a lot to eat today". Had good food to eat, a pulled pork sandwich, 1 rib and then little bites here and there (so not really a lot in the span of a day) The 2 down sides: 1. He sold us cook books. They have all the ingredients listed but did not break down mixing, when to add what. 2. If you are looking for a hands expierence class this is not for you. There was no hands on. The class setup and size made that impossible. You have 40-50 people who go outside to see this BBQ and if you are in the back you might as well have stayed instide. You might not learn everything on youtube that you hear from Big Jim, but you can save some money and get the same results. All in all an ok class, but not what I expected for the price. Jim is full of "Jim" (I did this, i did that, I, I, I....) read more

Jim is the best! I left a message for him and he called me back! Bad: no restaurant! Only catering! Boo hoo...... Please open a food truck/restaurant! Thank you! read more

Big Jim Delivers! On Service. Food Quality. And of course, BBQ that can not be beat! I first met Big Jim at SF Chefs 2011. His BBQ is on a level of his own! I planned my husband's 40th surprise party, admittedly - last minute and started calling caterers around 2 weeks before the party, which was on Labor Day Weekend! When I first called Jim, he explained that he had already booked a 1,000 person party. So I called every BBQ place in the South Bay and tasted more BBQ than I have eaten in a life time-none of which came even close to Big Jim. I decided to change the menu all together and go a different way, but thought I would call Jim back and ask him for any referrals as a last ditch effort to bring BBQ to the hoe down theme of the party. Jim shocked me by saying that he could find a way to fit me in, as long as I could pick up the food since he wouldn't be able to do the full catering. I drove over an hour one way and it was worth every minute. It was a joy to work with Jim and his chef Don. The food was beyond amazing and everyone raved about the food! Apple Smoked Chicken (all organic), pulled pork, baby back ribs, beans, slaw and mac and cheese to die for. In a heart beat, I will call Big Jim again...only I will plan ahead so that I can experience the full catering services as well!!! THANKS JIM and DON!!!!!!! read more

i like to think i am pretty good on the grill, Big Jim just about proved it and just made my skills improve like sharpening my already sharp blades LOL. this guy is passionate on BBQ and his class, his attitude shows it. a PhD in smoking meats so if you are a huge BBQ fan this is a class you must take so you sharpen your skills. Ribs... amazing pulled pork.... oink oink im a little piggy!!! brisket was super duper good Chicken sooooo juicy and the Salmon very very delicious i think if i have some spare time i might crash in and see if they notice LOL read more

This is the way to go if you want to have a 1st class, stress free and delicious BBQ. Jim handled all the details and everything went off without a hitch. We had 80 people at our house and everyone was extremely impressed with the quality and presentation of the food. I am a steak lover, so the Tri-Tip did the trick for me. But don't have a BBW without ordering some of Big Jim's awarding winning salmon as it is the best I have ever had. Good BBQ is hard to find in the Bay Area, but you cannot go wrong with Big Jim's! read more

I attended a wedding rehearsal dinner in San Rafael where Big Jim's did the catering. I'm not a big pulled pork sandwich kind of guy, but this was the best pulled pork sandwich I've ever had. The cole slaw in the sandwich was an excellent addition. The beef brisket was outstanding too. Great BBQ flavor. read more

OMG! this is the best BBQ I have had since I moved to CA 14 years ago! Big Jim and crew catered our wedding in our backyard. the food was off the hook and everyone raved and came back for more! Big Jim even brought my husband & I a special plate of ribs! We had pulled pork sliders, brisket, tri-tip, mac salad, slaw, and baked beans. They were all the best ever. read more

WOw!!! I first had Big Jim's BBQ as LEFT OVERS from my husbands work off site event. There are not too many times that I say with leftovers, that is the best BBQ I have ever had in my life, Well it was. I decided that is what I wanted for my son's first birthday party 6 months later. The food made such an impression- OUTSTANDING. Well a few months before my son's birthday I luckily booked Jim for the date (he was free- whew!) . He was amazing and really helped me cater the event and food to what I wanted. He has the range to serve 2,300 pulled pork sandwiches with the Giants or completely do everything for a small intimate 20 person first birhday party in the rain. Not only did Jim always follow through (he came over days earlier to look at my set up, kitchen and help me organize the flow of things) he was professional yet personal. Everyone at the party LOVED him. He as amazing with my neighbors too as he came and set up his portable smoker and grill outside on our street. He was so polite yet fun and funny. I did not have to do a darn thing and he was on top of it. He was the hit of the party for sure. The food was killer- ask about his pulled pork nachos as an appetizer. He was able to serve food to finicky 80 year olds, picky 2 year olds, and about 20 very hungry BBQ loving adults. He left my kitchen cleaner than when I came and my dishwasher roke down the day before!!! He also left me with the yummiest left overs in the world. I need a way to buy his special BBA sauce too- out of this world. Jim, you made the day, the event and certainly the best first birthdayy party I have ever been to! thanks for going above and beyond! Lea read more

Opps!! Not Closed. Big Jims BBQ is not a restaurant. Me and the family were craving some BBQ and could not find their store front, (there is none). Big Jim's does catering only, and they must do it well according to the other reviews. Looking forward to trying them out soon. read more

Big Jim catered a neighboor Pig Roast for 50 people yesterday and the event turned out fabulous. Jim is a very likable chief and a great cook. The pig presentation was spectactular complete with the apple in its month. Jim brought everything required to cook the pig including the BBQ pit and all the condiments. Jim and his assistant cleaned up everything; this was a no hassle way to host a difficult meal to cook. Everthing was fastastic. read more

I took Big Jim's BBQ Class this weekend and had a blast! People who attended the class came from all over the Bay Area. The class is from 11am to 4pm. He is very informative and will answer all your questions. He has a great staff working for him and they are all very nice and courteous. They make you feel at home. They ran out of cook books that you could purchase for $10 and his staff kept in touch with me keeping me updated of when they would get more. I definitely recommend that you attend his class. read more

I attended Jim's BBQ class yesterday and have to say I came away with all the information I wanted and much much more. I wanted to learn the techniques of producing real BBQ and now have what I need so I can start practicing. Like the other posts be prepared to eat plenty; we had brisket, pulled pork,salmon, sausages, steak, portobello mushrooms, chicken, and of course ribs. They had some chairs and you can bring a cooler with drinks and the class was very informal with people from all over the Bay Area in attendance. One suggestion is bring a notepad to take notes on because his recipe book doesn't have blank pages for taking notes. And you will be taking lots of notes, Jim has tons of information to share and he's straight forward with it. Now it looks like I'm in the market for a smoker and looking forward to it. read more

We took big Jim's BBQ class and I'm happy to say it was awesome. Did he give away his competition level BBQ recipe? No, duh! But he did share several other recipes and a few "secret" ingredients. I've been BBQing for years and feel like I learned quite a bit. To those that commented on Jim's attitude being a bit ego driven... Allow me to share my thoughts. Big Jim is an award winning chef. He lets you know what worked in many of competitions and what failed. I wouldn't call this the position of an egomaniac. I'd call it someone who has worked incredibly hard to build a career, share his successes with others, and be proud of it! Done. Jim is great, he is an entertainer at heart and makes his classes fun. Not hands on, but you get to see his proven techniques and reap the benefits when your tasting the results. read more

Hired Chef Jim to cater our Christmas party. Chef Jim was a professional from beginning to end, and the food was absolutely delicious! I would highly recommend Big Jim's for any event you have planned. Wish you had a restaurant! read more

Big Jim is AWESOME and did an amazing for our company BBQ. Chicken and Ribs were the best I have ever had. We had lots of food and my employees were very happy happy happy! A bunch of us are going to take his BBQ class read more

Whether you are a seasoned vet or merely a BBQ enthusiast, Jim's class is a great way to spend a Sunday. You will walk away stuffed with food and knowledge. It is clear that Jim's methods have been tweaked and perfected over the years, resulting in recipes that are both extremely delicious and relatively straight forward. A lot like "America's Test Kitchen," Jim has tried everything and knows what works, and he demystifies the superfluous practices and costs. The price of admission is only the start, as Jim's wisdom is the gateway drug to a more serious and expensive hobby. Needless to say, my carbon foot print just got a whole lot tastier. read more

We had a small Super Bowl party this year about 12 people and Chef Jim was nice enough to cater it for us. The Food was amazing! We ordered pulled pork, brisket, and ribs. Just outstanding. They not only cooked the food, but also delivered it to our home. Everyone was impressed. I met Jim to drop off payment and he was very friendly even gave us a bottle of his brand new BBQ sauce. My boyfriend and I are looking forward to eventually taking the class. BTW best baked beans ever! read more

The Food itself is Amazing!! Jim is such a great person too. I have been to 3 events where he has prepared BBQ. I can't wait to take his class. read more