My husband and I were very disappointed in this establishment. We have been going to CJ's for over a year, and it has gone downhill. For instance, the web site stated they closed at 9pm on Sundays but they actually close at 8pm! It would have been nice to know this in advance. When we finally arrived to CJ's, they had a hand written sign stating they were out of chicken and greens. When we asked about the chicken, they were actually only out of thighs and legs. That should be posted! We ordered the 1/2 chicken with 2 sides. The chicken was awful!!! Tough meat and cold in some spots! It was evident that it was not fresh and that it had been placed in the microwave!! We asked for sides without meat. The cashier recommended the green beans. When we got our food, there was meat in the beans! Glad we didn't bite into it. The soda machine wasn't working either. We tried multiple flavors and they were flat. The cashier wasn't in a rush to rectify that either. Lastly, my son wanted ice cream. They were out of that as well. We spent over $50 for terrible food. I am very disappointed and will not be returning. read more

First time here and I'm very impressed! I absolutely loved the tri tip sandwich, potato salad and baked beans! The tri tip was very tender & delicious! The egg in the potatoes salad made it yummy and the baked beans are perfectly sweet! I took it to go and finished it all before I could take a picture to share. I'm definitely going back & will try some of the other side orders that caught my eye. Can't wait! read more

I love this place. The food is very good for the prices. I suggest everyone to come check out this place. The bar b que cook fresh every day. read more

CJ's Barbecue - Burgers Near Me - Oxnard, California

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This is my favorite bbq place now. Food is delicious and the staff is very nice! 10/10 would recommend. read more

I ordered a two meat combo: hot link/rib tips with sides of baked beans and collard greens. I also got a side of cornbread to eat with my greens cause that's how I do it. Didn't taste until I got back to the hotel. The food was hot and the sauce was plenty. The rib tips were good but nothing memorable. The same with the hotlink. The sauce was neither sweet, spicy or tangy, just so-so. The baked beans were tasty and I did finish them. The collards were lacking something but I don't know what - tasted kind of...watery? I let my daughter taste it she said, "it's not as good as yours." But decided to keep them for later as collards are her favorite greens. The cornbread looks like something you'd want to cross the "full" threshold for but it was missing something too. I think it needed more sugar. I like my cornbread to do double duty as a side and a dessert. LMAO. Service was good, bathroom a little dirty. Would I come back here again? Yes, to try something different. read more

I was trying to figure where to go have a great tri tip sandwich. we decided to go their with my girlfriend and ufff it was a great pick.! its a nice and calm environment the beans are amazing and the sandwich will make you want to lick the barbecue off your fingers its so delicious! Good prices too! read more

Honestly, I've been coming here for years. I usually always get the Philly cheesesteak sandwich with the fries and I am usually pleased. The staff is ok except for the older African American (I presume he's the manager) he's a pessimistic asshole who never smiles or says hi back even though I almost always wave and say hi when I come in. The other day I went there after not going there for quite some time and I got the Philly cheesesteak with a Side of fries and ended up getting food poisoning and violently vomiting for the next day and a half. I will never come here again. And to the older prick who never smiles or is inviting to anyone, pick a different career if you hate your job because the restaurant biz ain't for your attitude dickhead. read more

This place gets 4 stars from me on the basis that they hooked my office up with some great BBQ during once of our office parties. I was in charge of picking the place to cater our party and I opt'd for CJ's based on a prior dining experience. After I called the restaurant and left a message with one of the employees, the owner called me back and patiently went through the catering menu with me, he was very helpful, asked about my office, how many co-workers I had and if anyone had any requests. He was able to feed 36 women and have food left over, from baked bean, ribs, chicken, tri-tip, potato salad, green salad, garlic bread, we had so much food it was amazing and he quoted me a very reasonable price. The food was delivered and set up for us by the Owner himself, which I thought was a great touch and we were asked if we needed anything else. All in all our office was pretty happy with the food we had, the meats were tender and seasoned just right, the baked beans were smokey with a hint of bacon, truly a fabulous meal and great customer service, wouldn't hesitate to do business with CJ's again. read more

As I stepped to the counter to order, I immediately felt like I was inconveniencing the owner. Not a good way to feel when you're about to shell out hard earned bucks for a meal. I ordered the CJ's Special Burger, which sounded really good. The gentleman behind the counter then asked me what I wanted for a side. I had just assumed that it came with fries, so I went ahead and asked him what my options were. Instead of telling me, he proceeded to give me the slow turn + exaggerated point to the menu. Now, I'm a pretty easy going guy, but when you treat me like I'm retarded I'm probably going to take notice. I bit my tongue and decided to try the mac and cheese with my burger. Mikey got the tri-tip with potato salad and berry cobbler. This is the kind of place where you order at the counter and they bring it out to you. I realize that you don't tip the waitresses at restaurants like this, but usually they are still cordial when they bring the food around. In this case, the girl who brought our meals was surly and basically dropped our plates on the table and walked away. Strike two, CJ's. Strike two. The burger itself was fine. It had two patties, pastrami, bacon, swiss and cheddar cheese and a nice bbq sauce over the top. Unfortunately, the bottom part where the lettuce, tomato and onion resided, was coated with some kind of mayo-thousand island blend. I don't ever think that a burger should have more than one sauce, especially one that isn't listed on the menu. BBQ or mayo is fine, but not both. Also, there was a salad sized portion of lettuce on the burger. I ended up taking most of it off and using it to scrape away the excess mayo. The beef was tasty, as were the bacon and cheese. The pastrami, however, was too thick and had a lot of gristle. It didn't add anything to the burger at all. The mac and cheese was gross. You can tell from the picture that it was scooped out of a huge tray because you can see the cheesy top part clinging to the side of the dish. It was bland, unseasoned and all the table salt in the world couldn't save it. I wish I would've just gotten fries. That's what I get for being adventurous. Mikey's tri-tip was pretty good except for the one piece that was overcooked, but his sides were, if possible, worse than mine. I want to start there because Mikey has been sick as a dog today and we're pretty sure the potato salad is the culprit. It had an obscene amount of mayonnaise, so much so that I wouldn't even try it. Thank god I didn't because I'm fine today and it's the only thing on his plate that I didn't try. The "berry cobbler" was a soupy concoction that reminded me of blueberry pie filling, except the blueberries were the pea sized, canned variety that you get with store-bought pack of blueberry muffin mix. As you can also see in the photo, the crust was non-existent and there was no way that I would have ever had the balls to call this thing a cobbler. I don't feel bad about writing this honest review of CJ's barbeque because I honestly don't think the owner gives a damn about what his customers think. Most of the restaurants we review bend over backward for their patrons. In this case, it felt like he had a sense of entitlement. Maybe if the food had been on the other side of average, it would have been justified. But it wasn't, and I wasn't in the mood to be treated like a moron. We don't really do a review system like zagat's, but if we did... Two thumbs down, 0 stars, do not pass go, do not collect $200 dollars. In fact, I want my money back. See the pics at http://EatMeCalifornia.com read more

The worst bbq I have ever had. How do you ruin tritip? Sauce is bland. Meat is real fatty. Won't be back. read more

Owner is super mean, unless you are old and female (and i mean 40+). The food was nothing amazing to sucky. The sauce sucks. Like what Brian H. said, he will make you feel unwelcome if you are undecisive and ask him for suggestions. I highly don't reccomend eating here and I usually don't do this. I've eaten here a few times only to encounter the rude black owner. Not a fan of this place due to super poor service and not so yummy food. I was here with a grip of friends and some decided to get food somewhere else cuz they didn't want the stink eye from a cashier/owner. The Mexican worker was nice though. He was friendly during my first visit. The place here is small. You order, sit down, then pick up your order when called. Tri-tip was OK. fries are good. Mac N cheese was crappier than microwavable mac N cheese. I'd rather go to smokey's house of BBQ than eat here. @Rob F. i'm pretty sure the homeless guy died from eating that food :P read more

Worst BBQ ever!!! Ended up giving a homeless man the food, I feel bad that I gave it to him. What a waste of $30 dollars :( read more

I feel the need to start this review off stating that I am used to REAL Southern BBQ as I lived in FL for 11 years and 3 of those years worked at a fantastic BBQ place so whenever I go to a BBQ restaurant that isn't "my" restaurant my expectations are set pretty low. CJ's food is decent, and probably the most palatable that I've had in the state of CA (which I've eaten around and been sorely disappointed that this place is the most passable, as it's not even CLOSE to REAL Southern BBQ) Their sauce is decent and I have to say that is probably my favorite thing about eating at CJ's. Their meat is often slightly dry/overcooked, and the sides leave a lot to be desired. I have encountered the same thing at most of the other bbq restaurants in the area, and the only thing that makes CJ's a bit better is that the sauce is good and you can smother the food in it. I love that they seem to be one of the only places around that serves pulled pork (although they call it chopped pork here). They do have counter service and the employees that I have encountered do tend to be very impersonal and not very professional or friendly at all. I can tell you from living in the South that being rude is NOT part of the "experience" you should expect at a Southern BBQ, and Southerners are most often known for their manners and warmness. I give CJ's 2 stars, mostly because they're one of the better BBQ places in the area, but still leave much to be desired as far as GOOD BBQ goes. read more

This is by far one of the worst BBQ places I've been to. The meat was not properly seasoned and had a strong chemical taste from either the charcoal they use, or possibly lighter fluid. And the sauce was sub par. The chicken, tri tip, baby back ribs, and pulled pork, all tasted the same. The Mac and Cheese was horrible, and that was the kindest word I could come up with. It was basically smashed overcooked noodles drenched in butter with unmelted shredded cheese mixed in. The small sides for $2.00, think of a fruit cup. Ridiculous. I would highly recommend going to any other place. But the ranch salad dressing was good. read more

I don't know how this place had such a high rating. I had the beef ribs and the baby back ribs with coleslaw and mac & cheese. The beef ribs were tough and all fatty. The meat just stuck to the bone and when I finally got some meat it was 70%fat. The baby backs were undercooked and was just aweful. The coleslaw was just tasteless and the mac and cheese was soggy and not so cheesey. We also had the calamari and they were just costco calamari rings fried up. Again very uneventful. read more

I am from Memphis... and KNOW good BBQ. When I pulled up, I saw the pit smoker in the parking lot. Good start. I went in initially I asked where they were from. After discovering that the family lines were from Mississippi & Louisiana, I was all in. We started talking BBQ and come to find out, everything but the hush puppies was home made. I ordered a pulled pork sandwich and as we sat down to eat, I started getting sides that I didn't order. An additional treat. We ate the greens, yams, mac & cheese, black eyed peas and the poundcake. We were stuffed and HAPPY! Ambiance is what you'd want for a small BBQ joint. Red & white checkered table cloths, big screen TV & neons in the windows. I will be back for sure. It's a regular stop when we go to Ventura. On a search that has turned up FEW results for REAL BBQ in Southern california, CJ's in one I recommend constantly. read more

The food here is great, I love the chili beans and they are not stingy what so ever. The only thing I didn't like was the atmosphere it could be more lively and fun read more

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I came here because my boyfriend had a restaurant.com coupon. Turns out you can only use this deal if you PRINT OUT the coupon and it's for DINE IN ONLY. We originally planned to order food and take it back home to his parents, and when we asked if we could just order a bunch of food and take whatever we don't finish to go, this pink haired employee sarcastically asked us, "do you not know what dine-in is?" Ummmm... Excuse me? Her attitude problem alone was probably enough to keep me from coming back. It also didn't add to her professionalism how she kept coming from behind the counter to talk with some of her friends. The food wasn't even that good. The fries were bleh. The mac & cheese was GROSS. The meat was dry and lacking flavor. The buns of the burgers and sandwiches tasted seriously processed. Nothing special here. I won't be coming back, and I don't think it was worth the 80% off restaurant.com coupon. read more

Yay! I finally found somewhere great to eat in this part of Oxnard. This area of town is pretty much just fast food and Denny's and IHOP. I've always struggled to find great food when I work over here. So when i found CJ's BBQ I was very happy. Friendly staff, easy parking and some really good food! I've only been here twice but both times I've loved my food. Great bbq flavor and delicious sides. This will be my new lunch spot whenever Im in Oxnard. read more

This place does not get enough play/ exposure! That's all I have to say. Write this down- best smoked tri- tip from a modest restaurant/ to go order spot in all of Ventura County. I know that is is bold statement to make, but I am making my statement and sticking to it. I ordered the tri tip salad, my husband ordered the tri- tip plate w/ a side of sweet potato fries (which apparently are a new addition to the menu) and We also ordered a mini sweet potato pie. Yum- O Now if only one of these barbeque joints would make it's way down to Channel Islands Harbor. That would be a god send! Whatever the owner & Chef's are doing at C.J.'s don't change it! This place is a hidden gem and I will always be back. I have eaten here off and on for the past 3 years and no joke, food is always as GREAT as I last remembered it, or shockingly better- which is hard for my mouth to believe but it's the TRUTH! I L-O-V-E C.J.'s barbeque read more

CJ's Barbecue - Tri- tip salad - Burgers Near Me - Oxnard, California

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The meat is always good ! The salad isn't so much my favorite and I usually love salads and the sides are good we always order from here and usually the sides are good, we had about 2 times were the sides tasted different. The only reason I dropped down 2 stars is because on 2 occasions I called at 9:30 to order on a Saturday night and all was well got my food right before closing. The 2nd time I ordered, I called right before 9:30 and was told they were closed. The hours I thought were 10PM? So I was not sure why it would advertise that unless they closed the kitchen down early, if that is the case the restaurant should be closed itself right? Well I live 5 min away and I drove down and made it at 9:30 and it was open no one was there but I was told by the same guy (I can tell by the voice) that they were closed, I asked why the door was open he said they were CLOSING not closed. I asked why I was able to order previously on a different occasion or if the hours changed, he did not respond other than "we are closed your incorrect." Personally as much as I love CJs I was not going to ruin my experience with them with this rude person. Overall good place, I do feel it is a bit overpriced versus competitors in some items but it is delicious. I just do not understand why it says 10PM saturday or why 2 different weekends would follow protocol differently. read more

Had the three meat combo! Baby backs, tri tip, and hot links!! They are so delicious. Coleslaw and chili beans are great to! Clean and great service. read more

We came here several years ago and thought it was OK but not great. On a recommendation, we gave it another try. WOW I'm glad we did. The food is great, the family that runs the restaurant is super nice and they keep the beer mugs ice cold. If you're looking for a casual place with great food and service give CJ's a shot - you will be glad you did. read more

CJ's Barbecue - Ice cold beer - Burgers Near Me - Oxnard, California

This is my grandpa's FAVORITE BBQ PLACE! I've been with him a few times and now it's my favorite too. They have amazing beef ribs and tri tip, and the sauce is nice and spicy! Definitely recommend. read more

Best BBQ places ever excellent service staff so friendly food so delicious I will recomendó you to stop by

While being in California for a little over four years now, I had yet to find a good BBQ place. A place that would rival or resemble the taste from home in Memphis. I will say that this place is good, but I am not impressed by the sauce flavor. I would actually like to see a little more cinnamon or spices put in it. read more

Heard a lot of good things about this place, to start very friendly cashier she was awesome the spicy bbq is my fave and the fries!!! I was very disappointed in the tri tip sandwich and the Mac and cheese the sandwich has to much fat mixed in every bite I took I literally had to pick the pieces of fat out of my mouth disgusting and the Mac and cheese is so dry feels like it's warmed up Atleast from days before. The prices are good for bbq usually it costs a leg. Will give it another try but for now I'm a little grossed out from the meat read more

I started eating at CJ's when it was located on Oxnard Blvd and when it moved, I thought it was closed because I couldn't find them anywhere. Then one day, I googled them and found out they just moved to Victoria Ave! So I went and the food is just as good as it was 10 years ago when I had my first meal at CJ's. I can't lie - I pigged out on my reunion visit. I didn't eat it all at once. I took it to go since I don't live in town. I tried the mac and cheese, the red beans and rice (THE BEST!), the shrimp po boy, the red snapper po boy, the collard greens, and the gumbo. I wasn't a fan of the gumbo at all because it had whole pieces of chicken in it, the shrimp was a little soggy, and the crab legs were tough to crack. I hate beans but I absolutely LOVED the red beans and rice! Hmm, hmm good! There's plenty of parking and the prices are very reasonable. You can sit down and eat inside or you can take it to go. They have a flat screen TV inside. You'll be tempted to order to-go orders yourself! If you love soul food, this is the only place I know of in the central coast and it's also very delicious! read more

NOTE 1: I posted this review to the listing for the Ventura location in the Montalvo Square shopping center, but somehow it got merged into this listing. Silly. NOTE 2: CJ's hasn't opened yet, but I wanted to add this business so any more information that becomes available has a place to go. I will update my review and star rating as soon I have a chance to try it. CJ's is located in the former location of Daphne's Greek Food and subsequently Gandolfo's New York Deli (which seemingly closed as soon as it opened). Hopefully CJ's fares better than these two spots! They are affiliated with the CJ's BBQ in Oxnard (also on Victoria), so I am assuming the menu and quality will be the same or similar. 5 (place holder/tentative/optimistic) stars as this is a great local shopping center and Ventura still needs more BBQ spots, especially if they are good. read more

This food is literally to die for. The gumbo is the best I have ever had. I also had the ribs and OMG!!! Yams, Mac and cheese... greens everything was off the scale delicious. You have to go there and experience true delicious-ness!!!!! read more

Seriously I can not express to you the crazy size portion they serve. 4 grown folks that can eat ordered the family meal for 4. They bring all this food out and we already knew we weren't gonna be able to finish it and have take home. But wait there's more! As we are chowing down they bring out a full chicken to. So we basically ate just like kings for $12 per person. First place I've ever eaten at like this with this type of food and quantity. I'm from Alabama and know Southern food. The greens, Mac cheese and home style cooked baked beans were amazing. I will be telling everyone about this place. Nick and Nate were super cool to. I look forward to visiting port hueneme again and going here. read more

Family deal lots of food for a good portions. Pick and choose which side you want awesome. I can also ditch the chicken for more tritip awesome love their habanero BBQ sauce bomb. read more

Ok I have been here quite a few times and I do not understand the complaints about service or attitude? Service was great - attitude was very friendly and the food was AWESOME! The Tri-tip is my fav! One time the ribs were not as fall off the bone as like but everything else has been great! I have taken both my daughter and my mother-in-law and everyone young and old has loved it. This is not a fancy place - it is just a cut above a hole-in-the-wall. But clean, friendly and great food at a great price! really what more can you ask for? I think the folks with attitude issues might be the ones posting about them. read more

I ordered the pulled pork & fries...a simple order I thought. There were only two other people in the place, but it took nearly 20 minutes to get my order done! Wow! Good thing I wasn't in any hurry. The pork wasn't very good, but the fries were worse: almost cold and bland tasting. Yuck. read more

Excellent meat! I'm from Texas, so I have high standards. The tritip and baby back ribs were so great. I even like the chicken! I'm not usually a fan of bbq chicken, but at CJs it is marinated so well. I did not like the potato salad. read more

This was good i got the two meet combo Tri Tip - good and soft baby back ribs good honestly i think the Tri Tip sandwich would of been good enough - but got the combo since company was buying. Thank you YELP family for warming me about the attitude. But I think that they do it for the ambiance. I dont think they do it to be mean just to make it more fun. ALL WHO ARE CRYING ABOUT IT just roll with the punches its the fun of it. read more

I like CJs. I usually get a two meat plate that comes with two meats (obviously) two sides and bread. I almost always get the hot links as one of the meats. For me they have just the right amount of heat. They serve them chopped up and smothered in BBQ sauce. Many times I get ribs and generally like those. They smoke their own meat sand sometimes that leads to inconsistent freshness and tenderness. For sides I usually get mac and cheese which is normal southern style bbq place variety and baked beans. It is more than I can eat so I usually take home the links and beans. Service is a little spotty, I'm not sure anyone at the counter has really been friendly, but not really unfriendly either. I'd say it might help the business if they did at least act like they are welcoming, but really it is just s counter service place so as long as they get my order correct, and they always have, that is ok with me. read more

Went there for lunch today and the girl that took the order was very rude. when she brought us our food, she didn't ask if we needed anything else. we opened the bag and there were no napkins or utensils. went back in to get some she was rude again and said it's a new state law that we have to ask for them. well how are customers supposed to know that. she should have asked if we wanted to eat here or take it to go. she didn't ask if we wanted ketchup or anything else, she just put the food on the table and walked away without saying thank you or even making eye contact. So if you want bad service and throw your money away this is the place to go. Needless to say we won't be back. Also the Fish was not good at all. read more

The staff was friendly, the place was clean, and the bbq tri tip sandwich was delicious.

Was hoping for a great sandwich ordered A whole pastrami sandwich. Very disappointed sandwich was very small for the $8 price. It was the size of a del taco small burrito. Taste was just ok. Taste like fried bologna. Won't order that again. read more

CJ's Barbecue - Whole Pastrami Sandwich - Burgers Near Me - Oxnard, California