CJ&#x27;s Last Chance Diner

It was a little hot inside the establishment but it had cute decor. The service was great. We…read moreordered the BBQ platter and the Ribs and Brisket. Everything tasted good. Thank you!

$12 lunch special filled me up with delicious BBQ and a great potato salad, plus cornbread muffin.read more

Smokin' Mo's BBQ - Chico, CA

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Smokin' Mo's BBQ - Chico, CA

Slyderz Bar & Grill

4.3(47 reviews)

5.2 mi

Best Egg Benedict I've ever had! Highly recommend! Service is also amazing, great people, great…read moreowner, nice vibe, stop by!

Food is amazing! The pulled pork on the loaded fries melts in your mouth. Burgers and Tri tip…read moresandwich are perfect every bite. Definitely coming back!

Inside

Smokehouse wings

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All American (side of salad in another pic) (16.50$)

Southern Zen Barbecue

4.7(3 reviews)

6.2 mi

I've been following Southern Zen for awhile ever since I heard they were doing pop ups at the Lab…read moreBar and Grill. They have recently been added to the Secret Trail Brewing Company's food pop up rotations on Monday and Tuesday afternoons. I wanted to try all the meats but settled with the pulled pork sandwich topped with pig candy coleslaw and a side of German potato salad. + The sandwich's flavor was great. The pulled pork, coleslaw, and house made bbq sauce married perfectly. I struggled for a bit to find the bits of "pig candy" but when you do, it just adds another layer of texture and porkiness to the sandwich. + The German potato salad was not what I expected. Instead of mayonnaise, it's mixed with vinegar making it a welcomed, acidic accompaniment to the sandwich. - They were a bit slow to start off. I arrived around 4; they needed another 30 minutes. - I don't think they are fully equipped to handle the weather outside for a food stand as my pulled pork could've been warmer. I'm rooting for y'all! All in all the food was delicious, the issues are minor and could be improved over time.

Great pulled pork, the chicken wings were awesome, the corn casserole was delicious.the coleslaw…read morewas very tasty. I would recommend searching this place out and trying them.

Pulled pork sandwich w/ pig candy coleslaw and side of German potato salad

Pulled pork and chicken. Soo good!

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Two sides. One pork Candy slaw and corn bead pudding stuff. Both the bomb.

Halo Hawaiian BBQ & Poke Bar

4.4(487 reviews)

4.9 mi

I've been frequenting this restaurant since they've opened, and they never miss. I've not reviewed…read morethem previously simply because I'm stingy & they're busy enough. Tonight though, the food was next level. To set the scene, the line was out the door when I arrived, but they were flying through customers. I had thankfully placed an online order & saw it ready & waiting for me. My patience was also at a miraculous high. Blessings for all. My husband got the chicken combo plate, and he has a full meals worth of food left over for tomorrow, which is thankfully typical here. In this economy?? Yes please. The katsu was so juicy and crunchy, the bbq chicken was equally tender with a good char in places. I got a poke bowl, and I swear to god in heaven the girl who made this bowl was placed on this earth to bless my dinner tonight. I need also to go back and get her skin care routine. We ordered extra sauce and they literally 3x what we paid for. ETA for the online order was 15 mins, I walked in after 14 & my food was ready. They easily has 10 tickets they were actively working through, and as stated a line out the door. The food was impeccable. Biggest shout outs to the kitchen, those guys can cook some fantastic chicken & rice. Another round of applause for the angel making poke bowls tonight. 12/10 would & do recommend.

Seafood and bbq chicken combo…read more Fried fish: has a very thick crust. Very hot and fresh inside so be careful. 1 pc are given I dont want to be that guy but i also report everything i can. The fried fish did unfortunately have a bone in it. I posted a pic of it here when i spat it out. I dont think this is a deal breaker tho, easy removal unless the other ones have more bones Fried shrimp: better crust, thinner than the fried fish crust. Also hot inside but managable. 3 pc are given Bbq chicken: a huge chunk of meat is given times 2 (2 of em are given). Less tender than i expected, not chewy but theres a pull required when biting it. Flavor is pretty basic with a lil sweetness. Theres is a little bit of char (altho to be expected from hawaiian bbq chicken). But i still like cause its chicken Macaroni salad: easy to scoop with the fork. less sweet than i expected which i like but still had to eat some rice with it ha ha Rice: rice as usual, only minir wish is I wish there were more rice to balance out the huge chunk of meat Comes with a pickle-y zesty sauce Extra Saturday 12pm, good amount of customers, enough to seem busy while still having free seats available. Long line after I got my order. Update: its a constant long line. I think most are doing takeout Plastic Fork and knife is given for seafood and bbq chicken combo Self serve dispenser, 3 single tables, 2 tables with 4 chairs each. Trash can near the door. Water is free, self serve Take out is default, they dont ask Pay before you eat Cans if soda available in self grab fridge They do party sizes on those big tin fool trays No restroom Either way, Im from the bay and i much prefer L&L bbq that we have. The chicken is noticably different Overall, Im a big rice fan, all the food were good and I had leftovers from the big portion size. Only problem was Im not a big char fan so had to take points off and the bbq chicken was less tender than I had hoped for in a hawaiian bbq. Which gives this place a 4/5

Poke bowl

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Kinder's Meats Deli BBQ

3.6(140 reviews)

5.0 mi

Exceptional sandwiches when we first visited. Thought the change of location was rough that the…read moredowntime location, the vibe and quality remained the same.

So, still love this place, food is tasty and reasonably priced. This is one of those "hole in the…read morewall" places that my son likes to drag me to every time i'm in town. Sandwiches are between $12 & $16, and there is wide selection of sandwiches & sides to choose from. The service is pretty basic, order at the window and pick up. But it's perfect for this kind of place.

Dining area

Loaded fries

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Juice Unwind

4.9(63 reviews)

6.2 mi

As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by the woman behind the counter. We ordered the family…read moremeal which comes with 3 meats and 4 sides. For the meats, we tried out their BBQ pulled pork, Jerk chicken and Jerk pork. For the sides, we got Mac n cheese, baked beans, rice and side salad. We also ordered 2 lemonades, a strawberry lemonade and a sea moss strawberry lemonade. Everything was really flavorful!! We did not have a single complaint. All the meats were a must try and we'd definitely order again. The meat had a slight spice to it but coupled with the BBQ sauce it was easily manageable for our 7 yr old. He especially loved the baked beans and Mac n cheese!! The inside of restaurant was really clean and decorated beautifully. There is outdoor seating as well, but we opted for indoor. I didn't notice a bathroom inside, but that's not a deal breaker with how fast the service was.

The Ribs are amazing, very tender and they come right off the bone . The beans are awesome, very…read morenice flavor, the coleslaw I do not recommend.

Front entrance

Jamaican Beef Patty

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Family Meal

Chico Locker & Sausage Co. Inc.

4.3(122 reviews)

6.5 mi

This one is kind of hard…read more.. The sandwiches are good-not great. Kind of skimpy on the meat but $2 for extra meat is totally reasonable. The service is also just okay. Maybe it's because they were very busy. Not mean, not rude, just okay. Sandwiches were made quickly and correctly and are reasonably priced so that's what counts. It's small. Like tiny. And if busy the little place is stacked. A couple of tables to eat. It's fine. Lots of flies all over and I'm assuming from the open side window and the door opening all day. But that kind of grossed me out. It's a local institution and worth trying but for me it's just okay.

I love this place! The sandwiches are amazing! Tri tip is fire!!! The sausages are an always when I…read morevisit as well.

Sandwich order

Doggie Food

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Slyderz Grill

3.9(58 reviews)

5.9 mi

All the food tasted good! Service was fast and friendly. Inside looked nice and new. Prices are…read moreaverage. Good place to eat a sampling of different meats and sides that have some good flavor. 5 stars $23.50 BBQ sampler. This came with BBQ sauce on the side but it didn't need it. Brisket had a ton of flavor and tasted good. Sausage had a hint of spice and tasted good. Finally decided to use the BBQ sauce on the wings and like everything else it was good. Mac & Cheese, corn, and cornbread all were good compliments.

Needed a quick bite to eat while visiting chico…read more This place was pretty empty and quiet. The waitress was very nice and attentive. The bonus of having a place in chico is having sierra nevada beer on tap or cans that you can't get everywhere. The burger was solid. Good quality meat and a bit spicy.

Cornbread

BBQ sampler

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Mac n cheese balls. They are huge and excellent! Can't wait to go back and try more goodies!

Foothill Meat Company

4.5(24 reviews)

30.5 mi

Visited November 19th..see my receipt…read more I love this meat company! I got a standing rib roast ( prime rib with bones in and twined) for alittle over 100 bucks. It is also called a prime rib roast. It makes such an elegant main dish for the holidays! They have fresh meats...fish..jerkey..and so much more! Plenty of frozen items as well. They are fully staffed with some really nice and helpful women employees! I have an awesome recipe for the standing rib roast! You can call ahead and place an order. Thank you Foothill Meat company!

I like this place a lot. They are right there where you can see what they're doing and they're…read moreIMMACULENTLY CLEAN, with proper safety attire. They can answer any question about their product, super helpful and polite. I rate them much higher than Wagon Wheel, much higher in service as well as product.

Frozen items

Venison jerky

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Entry

Garrett's Back Home Barbecue

5.0(10 reviews)

27.8 mi

Great food Great customer service. The lady was very friendly. Wish the were there more often.read more

The food is nothing less than amazing. The service is outstanding. I cannot say enough about their…read morebarbecue establishment. I've eaten a lot of barbecue in my day, but I'll tell you truthfully this was definitely in the top three. It's family owned and operated, and you can tell that by the caring nature for the customers and their product.

Pork Butt..

Catering

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Trailer made smoked Brisket sausage

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Jp P.

11 years ago

just wanted to say how impressed i was by the service,and how well the staff works together, they all seem to enjoy working with one another, and it shows in how they get the food out, and the food is great as well! i also have my own business, and strive for quality and customer service, which cj`s has both, my hats off to the owners, for their commitment to customer service, and quality food! read more

JustMeInRB L.

15 years ago

CJ's is one of my favorite restaurants ever! We love stopping there on our way into Chico or on the way home. Great food: breakfast, lunch, bbq, WOW. Everything is fresh and delicious and has a down-home country taste. Friendly staff. Highly recommended! read more

Zach S.

7 years ago

Amazing atmosphere and staff!! The food was made right in front of us and was delicious!!

sandy u.

15 years ago

Love this place, take friends from out of town here.

CJ's Last Chance Diner - bbq - Updated September 2026

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We are extremely grateful this place exists. The friendliest people work here. We always feel…read morewelcome! I spent years in LA ...fairly high in the hospitality and consulting industry for Michelin/celebrity chefs. I feel a lot of those places could learn a great lesson from this one! Food is phenomenal for a truck. Golf course is beautiful. My newly 4yo son begs to come here for burgers and Ice cream. We sit at one of the long and extremely clean tables... dance to the fun music...watch people play games... and pretend we see dragons and turtles in the water. The food is great... Especially for a truck; however, the hospitality is completely what makes this place special. Good vibes only. I wish everyone here success and thank you for being so close to our home.

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