We had a party of 10, and the food was delicious and came out of the kitchen quickly, although pricey for the portions. Our biggest complaint is the rude and condescending service that we received from a cashier/bartender named Christina, who charged us $19.58 for one very small Manhattan drink in a small plastic cup and argued with us when we said that is ridiculous and didn't want the drink, and she even came by our table while we were dining, to tell us, again, that if we ordered a drink we have to take it and pay for it. It would have been fair to be informed of the outrageous price ($19.00) ahead of time and be more gracious and hospitable. read more

Super dry tenderloin and real intense brisket rub that is overpowering. The ribs were good, but not enough for a four star or a recommendation. The best thing about this place is the service. Our waitress was absolutely kind and helped me out with my dry tenderloin and got me a brisket quickly. Overall not great, I was disappointed in the food taste and quality. read more

I was in a group of five adults who came for dinner tonight and shared a Family Feast and a sampler. In the future I'd just do the feast, as it was plenty of food for 5. The ribs were crazy good and the pulled pork was a huge hit. For sides we did Texas toast, fries, and salad. All were really good. Our waitress Taylor was on point. Our drinks were filled quickly and we never wanted for anything. I read a lot of the reviews before coming and realize this place is hit or miss. It looks like we had a lucky night. Maybe it is time to give it another chance? read more

They definitely lowered the production value of this place, it's kinda sad. The food was still good, but it's pretty expensive for what you get. I'm sad that the vibe this place used to have isn't here anymore, but if I want good bbq I would come back! Staff is friendly as well. read more

I could have sworn I had already written a review for this place. This was supposed to be an update. But even after double-checking the filtered reviews, it appears I did not write one in the past. It's too bad. I would have given it 4 stars based on my prior visits to both the Paso and Atascadero (now closed) locations. The first time we visited Bubba's was several years ago in Atascadero. My husband had a tri-tip sandwich on Texas toast. It was really good. I don't remember what I ordered (besides the yummy Bloody Mary), but I remember liking it very much. That's why, when we returned to the area (stayed in a hotel within walking distance of their Paso location), we went there again. Important note: We went for drinks and appetizers to kill time between our son's baseball tournament games. The fried green beans are KILLER! The atmosphere/decor - a solid 4 stars. I'm not a big fan of country music, but it fits with the theme of this restaurant, and every time a certain song played (can't recall which one), the servers would do a quick little line dance. Might sound cheesy, but I thought it was entertaining. They have a mechanical bull, a talking buffalo head, and 2 tables that are enclosed in jail cells. When you're traveling with your kids, this is kind of awesome! But here's why I have to "downgrade" them to 2 stars. We stopped by on our way to Santa Cruz recently, and although the entertaining decor and music remain the same, the service is very good, and the fried green beans are still amazing, the quality of the food has declined to the point where I could no longer recommend this place for lunch/dinner. My teenage son, who definitely does not yet have a refined palate, actually made an unpleasant face when he bit into his pulled pork sandwich. This kid is not hard to please when it comes to meat sandwiches, and he did NOT finish it. AND, he actually complained that there was too much salt on the fries. That was another first for him. My BBQ chicken salad was edible, but very average. My husband got a slider sampler that was just pathetic. I'd get into details, but if this review gets any longer, it's going to need a chapter guide. SO TO SUM IT UP: Have drinks, ride the bull, people watch, get the fried green beans (maybe the chocolate cake), but don't go here to get your grub on, because you will be very disappointed. read more

It was a convenient 5 minute walk from our motel in Paso Robles. It's good for large groups, the food is so-so, I did like the pulled pork but GRUB IN A CLASS takes the cake lol .. a serious wtf Food was average but we were hungry ... there's also a mechanical bull too! read more

Good but not great barbeque. Ambience was great as a family oriented pit stop driving up and down 101. As for the food, beef ribs had minimal meat. Pork ribs were kinda falling off the bone but there was too much emphasis on the sauce and hickory flavors over dry rub spice and slow smoking. Chicken had a simple lemon garlic rub and fell off the bone quite readily. Fun, family-oriented ambience complete with actual prison cells which two of the tables fit into. Menu smacks of a chain and a bit over the top for my tastes. (They have outlets also in Merced, Visalia and Atascadero.) If its dinner time and the kids are bouncing off the wall, its a good place to stop. You are better off stopping off at Mo's in SLO if you can. read more

Bubba's SmokeHouse & Spirits - Barbeque Near Me - Paso Robles, California

Went there last night with two friends. I was really hungry. Ordered the "Big Bubba Brisket sandwich." Holy moly! Possibly the best sandwich I 've ever had. The only negative for me was the music. Shit-kicker real loud. Pretty sure I lost some I. Q. Food and service were worth it. read more

If you are passing through Paso Robles and in need of a themed BBQ restaurant, this is your place! As soon as you enter, they ask you if it's your birthday because if so, you get a load of free food. I tried their TRI TIP SANDWICH which admittedly was pretty tasty. The meat and sauce was flavorful and I liked the bread. And I had to take advantage of Taco Tuesday (yes, you heard that right) and order a few of their discounted chicken and fish tacos. If you're feeling particularly country, you could also get tri tip tacos, all wrapped up with salsa and the fixings in a flour tortilla. Service was slow. One table of what appeared to be firefighters wholly monopolized the one waitress's time and the themed decor left much to be desired. read more

This place has some amazing BBQ Food Service was spot on. I ate at the Bar and the bar tenter kept my Ice-T filled. Made some new Instagram College Friends. Lol read more

Bubba's SmokeHouse & Spirits - Barbeque Near Me - Paso Robles, California

Just happened to drive by on the way to SF and glad we did! Do You like smoked meats? Here you go!! As soon as you open the door you know you're in the right spot! Clean and quirky. And The waitress was so friendly and fast but I was here a little after lunch so it was empty. I'm thinking she's always pretty friendly though. next time I'm having a beer ! I found the food to be fresh and delicious I'd like to try it out at the dinner hour next! read more

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The ambiance was terrific. I felt like I was in a regular BBQ and steak joint in Texas. There were a ton of kids running around. Lots of families there having a great time. The mechanical bull was giving kids and adults the time of their lives. The food there was decent. When you check in on Yelp they give you a free appetizer. The was just alright - a mini nacho serviced in a martini glass...kind of odd. But it was free...shouldn't complain. I got the Big Bubba tri tip sandwich. That was pretty good. It had a lot of meat served on Texas toast! I liked it alot. I would definitely get that again. And the amount was more than enough. I only ate 1/2. The BF got the pulled pork sandwich. According to him it was too saucy. He only ate half and didn't even want to take the rest home. My final conclusion on this place...if you want to have a fun family night with some good messy chow, come here. If you're looking for great BBQ that will send you to the moon you had better keep looking. read more

Bubba's SmokeHouse & Spirits - This is their Big Bubba Special tri tip sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Paso Robles, California

We ate here after receiving a coupon in our entry packets for Western Bonanza. If I'd read the reviews first we probably wouldn't have come in, but I'm glad we did because our experience was good. The service was average, nothing more or less. The woman who took our order was pleasant. The ambiance is pretty fun, there's a creek with fish in the entryway, and a couple of jail cells you can eat inside...fun stuff for kids. I don't understand the poor reviews for food, we must have gone on a good day because this was some of the best BBQ we've had! We've had it all over the country, places famous for it in the South and Texas, so we had a high bar to meet. I got the central coast platter, and the tri tip was incredible. The delicious smoke flavor permeated throughout the meat and it was cooked perfectly and was tender. The chicken was so juicy and seasoned well. The beans were good, and the salad clean and fresh with a delicious ranch dressing. Whoever was cooking that weekend, well done! And those recipes are worth sticking with. read more

Nobody sat or acknowledged us. Left after maybe 10 minutes. Your restaurant has terrible service. Why do you pay them to treat paying customers so badly? Won't be back. Plenty of other restaurants in the area and what not read more

Haven't eaten here for some time, but my husband wanted Beef ribs and I didn't want him or the other dads in our family to do the BBQing on Fathers Day, so I Ordered their Take-Out Bonanza Feast 3 Serves 14-15 people. Was a bit hesitant as we haven't had a chance to eat here for many years. Oh my, I would definitely recommend this for a small gathering. There was so much food and everything was cooked perfectly. Something for everyone and plenty of it. Thank you Big Bubba's for having this take out service available. And we felt the price was very reasonable. read more

Greeting- yes Vibe-great bear lodge Prices- moderately affordable Parking- free lot Bathroom-fail Service- fast Food Beef ribs $27 are good but served room temp Beans are horrible Slaw is very good Fries are good WIGB? Yes $15 off your bill on birthdays! read more

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horrible service and horrible food the portion of food is very little for 30$ you can get a better and cheaper meal at McDonald's this place got my goat read more

First off the customer service is great. The ribs were tender and the chicken was jucy. The cole slaw was also on point. I saw a lot of negative comments about the food but this was not my experience. If there was a negative it would be that some of the meats had to much seasoning that made them a little salty. However that did not take away from the overall flavor and tenderness of the meat. I would say this place has some great BBQ and the people that run it are very customer service oriented. read more

Worst diarrhea ever . I have got so sick from food poisoning . Only thing I ate all day so it has to be that . Staff also rude .

You have to give Big Bubba's Bad BBQ credit for being honest. They really do serve bad BBQ in the most literal sense. The problem with Bubba's is that they build up your expectations too much. The name, the fire pit outside, the sign, the ridiculously themed decored inside, the loud sketchy people patrons. Everything makes you think this places is going to serve some bad ass BBQ. Or, at the very least, some huge portions. Instead they serve crap BBQ and, apart from the bottomless drinks, small portions. I got the pulled pork sandwich with Texas taters ($12). First, the taters are really just chips so that was a bust. The pulled pork was dry and not tender or flavourful. The bun was way too sweet. My friend had the Texas Tacos with tri tip and a side of beans ($10). The tacos were actually quite good, probably because they have Mexicans working in the kitchen. The beans were weak though. For dessert we had the Rockslide Brownie ($6.25). It came with caramel and chocolate sauce as well as ice cream. Pretty decent. Overall, the weak food and bad atmosphere means I wouldn't go back here. read more

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What a nice surprise. We had a kick ass time here. It was recommended by the clerk @ the Adelaide Inn that we try it. Turning round a corner to be seated, I was surprised to see two jail cells. Yeah, that was for me. I asked what do we have to do to eat in there? The host says, "You want to to go to jail? I'll send you to jail". If this is what they serve in jail in Paso Robles, I'm going to be a repeat offender. We ordered the full rack of baby back ribs and a few cocktails. I am always wary of getting subpar ribs wherever I go, it's just a thing. THIS TIME, I was not disappointed. Big juicy, sweet, and messy. No problems. delectable sauce, and a really good portion! The service was outstanding. I love the cow print shirts the coworkers sport. Very cute. Birthday songs about every 15 minutes... One of the employees saw me trying (failing) to take a picture with my cellphone (get it, cellphone) of us in the jail, and offered to take one with THEIR camera. We picked it up as we were leaving, and I asked her how much (after she had pasted it onto a cowprint paper BBB BBQ themed frame). She said not to worry about it. WTF? Really?? Okay, so maybe I am easily pleased, but that's what you do to guarantee repeat business... In fact, I considered coming back after a few hours at the hotel to ride the mechanical bull (yes, they do), but I decided if that I wanted to do dumb stuff like that, I should have done it in my 20's. A visit to a Western themed restaurant is always what you make it, but they DO make it easy for you to have a good time at Big Bubba's. I kind of think we'll be back again. Yes. read more

Bubba's SmokeHouse & Spirits - This be good eatin', one half of our FULL rack, baby back, BAM! - Barbeque Near Me - Paso Robles, California

My family party of 13 had to make reservations since they were too busy to take us on the original night we wanted to go. Luckily we were placed in a back corner area under a fake tree near the bathrooms where it wasn't noisy. There's a koi pond at the entrance that we didn't even notice until we were leaving. Be sure to look for it. I was torn between the passion booty kicker and blue Hawaiian for my drink. I went with the kicker since it comes with the boot you get to keep as a souvenir. Had the French style beef dip sandwich with au jus and seasoned curly fries. They tasted just like the ones at Jack in the Box. There wasn't a lot of fat on the meat, but for some reason it tasted very fatty. I barely finished it. It took a little while for everything to come out, but granted 13 orders of food on one ticket would take some time to whip up. The server let us know when they were working on it and asked us if we wanted more drinks or appetizer snacks to hold us over. She was pretty attentive. The theme and atmosphere felt like something you'd find at a major amusement park. Generally it was enjoyable. read more

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All in all, it's ok. Got the brisket and ribs with cole slaw and macaroni salad. Decent flavor on the meats, no smoke ring to speak of though. Ribs were a little tougher than I care for. Had to pull more than I expected. BBQ sauce was very good. Sides left a lot to be desired. Didn't see any smokers going when I was there, felt like I got leftover food. Portions were great for the money. read more

INCREDIBLE!! We where on our way home from SF to San Diego and a friend said it was a must stop and eat place. The food was out of this world. The service was great and everyone was polite. Highly recommend it. Can't go wrong with anything you order. read more

Horrible food, even worse service. I know this place is usually busy during fair so we made sure to try it a couple weeks before fair. It was lunch time on a Sunday. They advertise a full bar but the drinks are made out of some kind of slurpee machine. It's so gross. We ordered a combo plate with Tri tip, ribs, salad and beans. The only "good" thing was the ranch. If you're looking for central coast bbq... move along and look for something else. This is NOT it. read more

Food was great. Service was phenomenal, entire staff was so welcoming and friendly! Will be coming back!

Great food and great service. Our server Taylor was awesome and on point with everything. We ordered a little bit of everything for a group of seven that he'd been on the lake all day. The cold Modelos and Cadillac margaritas hit the spot. Great pre-4th of July spot. Keep up the good work Here are some pics the food, good presentation. read more

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Okay I am updating my review and bringing it up a couple stars. I had a conversation with the GM after my last review and said when I came back I would give them another chance. True to my word as always, I did. We did not order the ribs this time, but I did talk to the manager there and told him our experience the last time. He pointed out the little buckets on the table for the bones and I told him those weren't on our table before. I looked around and every table had one so if it was not there before it is now. I opted for the pulled pork sandwich while the others had burgers. For their part everyone enjoyed the burgers and they did look good. I chose the pulled pork because to me the mark of a good BBQ place is the pulled pork and the ribs. The meat was well seasoned and a mixture of soft and chewy (which as far as I'm concerned is the right way) this shows that they were using the cured skin meat in the mixture of pulled pork. They sauce on it was not over or under in flavor and was just right again. I had the slaw again with the meal and it was a nice balance again, close to a NC slaw, but not quite. I would recommend this to anyone stopping in this way with a desire for some BBQ. read more

Very disappointed in the slow and unfriendly service here. I went to restaurants.com and got a gift certificate here, actually it was the only option on the website for Paso. I didn't notice, when I first walked in but there was a sign on the door stating as of February 1st they will no longer accept those gift certificates. Eww... Then, we wait for 5 minutes to be seated, that would be good, however there was about only 7 tables that were seated, the rest were open, the staff to customer ratio was defiantly there... We joke with the waiter, no response, my husband ordered a plain tri tip sandwich, it came back with everything on it. When my husband send it back, it came back with everything again, just no condiments.... The food however was yummy. No complaints there. I had a chicken chipotle sandwich. It tasted like a very very SWEET chipotle, but nonetheless super good. Fries are seasoned and tasty. The tri tip sandwich was tender and had great flavor. Everything tasted really great, I was so disappointed with the slow waiters and hostess', rejection of advertised gift certificates, and lack of personality in the service.. read more

My coworkers and I stopped by for a late lunch. It's a big chain looking, casual dining restaurant with basic central coast bbq items--tri tip, grilled chicken, and pulled pork dinners and sandwiches. We all ended up getting the lunch special, I think it was $10 for 2 mini sandwiches and a side dish. The sandwiches were a good size, a decent amount of food---I got pulled pork and tri tip, both were tasty, but not amazing. None of the side dishes sounded that good to me, I ended up getting the mac salad which is a light italian dressing cold salad. My coworker got the Texas tators (homemade chips) which were awesome! Crispy and light yummm Luckily she was nice and shared, I shoulda ordered those too!! Our server was really friendly, but a bit slow. If you're in the area and especially if you're with family and kids, it's probably a decent place to go, but I wouldn't go out of my way. read more

Absolutely terrible change!!! Went in tonight and the set up has changed. You now order at the counter and pick up your own food and then they have the audacity to ask for a tip on the iPad that you order your own food on!! Order receipt says 7:56pm and it's 8:40 and the counter says I'm 8 orders behind. Looking around d the restaurant I see 10+ open tables. Customer service is lacking. Not coming back. Update: Got (most of) our food at 8:56. Ribs are over cooked. We are not the only angry customers here. I've heard three other people saying that they have been here for an hour! read more

If you ever find yourself cruising the 101 and feel the need to stop for BBQ, do yourself a favor and keep driving. Upon arriving at said establishment, I was full of hope with wide eyes and a hunger for the delicious smoked meat I was about to enjoy. Upon reviewing their menu, it was clear they offered all the standards you would ever hope for when it comes to BBQ. I ordered a two meat combo (ribs and chicken) with a side of ranch style beans and mac-n-cheese. Pretty standard items. The atrocity that I received when the plate was placed down shocked me. Let's start with the beans, which were a hybrid of sorta chili, sorta baked beans, minus the great flavor of both. Onto the mac-n-cheese...if that's what you can call powdered chalk. Then there was the bbq, all of which were as dry as the desert that surrounds the area, and couldn't be swallowed even if I poured a gallon of bbq sauce on it and forced water into my mouth like a child dry swallowing a horse pill. I feel like there is better seasoned road kill available in some parts of the world than what this establishment was serving. Also, the small portion size really helps me keep my summer body. All in all, Big Bubba's Bad BBQ was exactly that--bad BBQ. Keep moving and find yourself somewhere worth eating that won't make you sad inside. I will say that our server was very kind, so that's a bonus. read more

Good casual ambience and food. Bubba Wedge salad was a nice change for lunch . Service was excellent and food was quick to be served read more

Bubba's SmokeHouse & Spirits - Barbeque Near Me - Paso Robles, California

I have visited Bubba's many times and have always had a good experience. It's been about 3 years since my last visit and I was excited about getting some good bbq from a familiar source, but sadly it fell short from satisfaction I expected. My tri-tip was barely average my side dish was bbq beans and they lacked flavor. My wife agreed except her side was coleslaw and she had to add salt and lots of pepper again no flavor. Meat was good but for it to be the only star of the meal was not with the cost. 3 sandwiches for $45 I expect better. At least let me have a refill on my soda from the soda fountain machine yup no refills on drinks. Service was nice with a loud greeting upon our arrival but the willingness to make any concessions to sides with our meal was absolute and when finally chosen and changes to to cause announce to the counter person. All this adds up quality of food, service and convenience is key. Not feeling good about these changes makes traditions of making this a stop while traveling a must. read more

Bubba's SmokeHouse & Spirits - Tri-tip sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Paso Robles, California

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We came in with a group of 7 and there was ample seating and empty tables around, but I guess there were staffing issues. I don't know if they're understaffed all the time or just because it was a holiday weekend. The hostess had to bus the table for us herself. The workers are all super kind and hardworking, though. The decor is themed and cute. There's a tiny indoor fountain/bridge. They have "jail cell" tables--we saw a kid's party going on in one of them. Surprisingly, we all got our food within 15 minutes. The ribs are HUGE portions and they came with hearty sides. No one finished their food. I had the tri-tip sandwich and the meat was tender and cooked well. If you're looking for healthy food, this is most definitely not the place. If you want to indulge and can find a time when they're better staffed, I'd recommend it. read more

BBQ was good (I had the brisket and my son had a pulled pork sandwich. The place was noisy, but a fun atmosphere. The service was really good. read more

Stopped in because we had been seeing all the good they've been doing around Paso. We ordered our food and it was good for price but the service was a little lacking. I never have left a review of being treated differently because of skin color but today that's how We felt. Noticed we were treated differently than others. Even at the bar when my husband and friend were ordering beer they were asked if they were being discriminated against. Many eyes followed us around the restaurant any time we got up to get beer, condiments and as we were leaving... sad to see this, this day in age. read more

Great atmosphere. And I HD very attentive staff at lunchtime. The chicken was very good. I also had the pork ribs. They good, but I I had gotten the baby back ribs instead. read more

I have eaten there of and on over the years and it was always somewhat ok, but the place has really gone down rapidly in just a short time. Pulled pork sandwich was god awful, served on a hamburger bun with hardly any bbq sauce, with some kind of chopped up veggies on it? Real greasy the bun was falling apart from it. What the heck happened to "world famous smoked pork smothered in bbq on a steak roll! . Ordered over the phone for p/u (due to covid19). Woman that took our order tried to tell me they haven't had mashed potatoes and gravy (side) in years! At least 10 years!! Just had them with a meal I ordered back in February. I get there to pick up my food, I hand her a big bad bubbas card that says I get 10% of my meal. She AGAIN tells me that the server that gave me the discount (her name is written on the card) hasn't worked there in YEARS!! The server gave it to me back in October of 2019. Then says that they won't honor it because she doesn't EVEN have a button on her register for that!?!?! Seriously??? It's called a calculator lady! Deduct the lousy 10% from the bill and charge me that. Well it will be YEARS before I eat there again. Just joking. They've lost a customer. read more

Bubba's SmokeHouse & Spirits - Barbeque Near Me - Paso Robles, California

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What caught my eye about Bubba's was its unique exterior decorations that called back to a time of high western influence. Inside it was just like that with tables made of refurbished pallets, barrels, rail road spikes, and plenty of lit up cowboy lights. Bubba's menu was hard to choose from the many different bbq options that called to me. I decided to go a bit outside the norm and get the pulled pork nachos, and I will tell you what I made a mistake not getting the 1/2 portion because now I have nachos for a week, it was HUGE! On tap they had the usual beers and of course one of my favorites being shock top, so you cant go wrong if your looking for something simple. All and all great place to stop into, was walking distance from the hotel which was great after having a few drinks. read more

Bubba's SmokeHouse & Spirits - Whoa - Barbeque Near Me - Paso Robles, California