I love barbecue and Heads and Tails has a lot of foodies on instagram posting about it so I had to try. I got the pork rib plate and the meat was very tender. The side of bbq sauce was on the slightly sweet side. The dish came with two sides. At the recommendation of my very knowledgeable server I chose the potato salad and the arroz verde. Great selections. All this for $30. The service was friendly and good. I look forward to returning:) read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Pork rib plate - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

Back at the heads and tails barbecue place in Berkeley. Take out! The service was excellent and fast. The ambiance was great! Food was fantastic as always. The hot links were amazing, so much flavor. Pork ribs were good. The extra barbecue sauce is amazing!! Flavor wise it's delicious. Thank you! Carla l read more

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This place is pretty good. For Berkeley, it was easy to park and that is saying something. I got a bbq brisket sando. It was very good and so were the fries. The Caesar salad wrap is also very good. They had the Giants game on the TV's. I plan to return again soon. read more

I spun the block, back to Heads and Tails. Good food, cool service, cool ambiance is how I describe it today. Came in for Happy Hour, ordered the Garlic Pecorino Wings, Cheddar Link sausage, Fries, and Housemade Lemonade. The wings were delicious. The cheddar Link sausage was also very good. The housemade lemonade was perfect, with a spritz of carbonated bubbles that gave the lemonade a nice kick. A gentleman came by the table and brought over a complimentary cup of beef tallow popcorn that had a nice flavor. Although we didn't get the fries with the order, everything was good. read more

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Street parking but they made arrangements with a small parking lot next door High ceilings, wide area, spacious, lots of different seatings, multiple TVs, beautiful bar section and a self service bar in the back Service was great, helpful and informative They ran outta the oxtail poutine, too popular, need to come back But food was very good and the sauces was so flavorful Ordered their $15 cocktails and all of them were a hit Amazing spot amazing food read more

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Finally made my way to head and tails bbq. Street parking only so be advised of that. This place is clean, spacious, inviting and family friendly. Got sat almost immediately without a wait. Explored the menu with a variety of bbq items to choose from. Ended up going with the combo plate. 3 meats and 2 sides. Went with tri-tip, ribs and smoked sausage with side of coleslaw and shells and cheese (mac n cheese) and they threw in house pickles. And for starters got the trio of salsa with home made chicharonnes. Warm queso, guacamole and salsa. Bbq was good. Flavorful, seasons and the sauce was chefs kiss. The chicharrones were fresh, crispy and had that hint of spice. They also have a full bar, tv's all around, some small arcade games. Overall a good spot to bring friends and family of all ages for good food, good vibes and a good time. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

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My first bite gave me a Dickey's BBQ flavor profile in Berkeley down the street from a legendary Bay Area, barbecue joint it seemed to me like a slap in the face for a sitdown restaurant it was OK. The service was not the nice service you would expect from a highly advertised restaurant on social media . Location is great. It is in Berkeley one of the classic areas of Berkeley off of San Pablo Ave. the building is old and large classic great room for other venues maybe live music. Everyone seem to be enjoying the atmosphere lots of plates with leftover food I give this place a thumbs down and a 3 star because my mom likes it will I return probably not. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Combo chicken and pork ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

My family dined here on a Saturday while visiting the area. The service was good but the beer and food left more to be desired. We had oxtail poutine, ribs, brisket, hot link, sausage, brisket sandwich, Brussels sprouts, mac 'n' cheese, and a hazy IPA. The sandwich, beer, and mac 'n' cheese were the worst tasting of all, lacking flavor and substance. The best items were the brussels sprouts and brisket. Everything else fell somewhere in between. It was disappointing because it was pricey, I expected much better quality for the prices we paid. We will not return and we do not recommend this restaurant. read more

Great spot for comfort while watching a game, just chatting/eating with friends, whatever. My Dad called to have lunch and asked if I'd been here before, yes! They're great! So we went. It was a nice weekday, off-hour time, so we were there with little competition. After my Dad reviewed the menu, he decided on Chix wings with dry rub and a Caesar salad. I opted for the brisket sammie with a small salad. We enjoyed everything. Although my Dad would have preferred less dressing on his salad, mine as served with it on the side (better). The service was also nice, not interrupting, but attentive. I'll def return -yet again! read more

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This might be the worst bbq ever!! It took a very long time for our food to come and was cold The shell n cheese bland and cold. The cheddar sausage taste like store bought horrible sausage. The brisket was bad too. The ribs were decent. The bbq sauce was good. This was expensive we got 3 sodas $21 for soda total. When it comes to bbq I can't trust the Bay Area people. read more

We came here because I had never had poutine before and I've always wanted to try it (I'm not Canadian). So I got the oxtail poutine and OH MY GOD. I think they make their gravy out of magic? It was so unbelievably delicious, it surpassed every expectation that I had about poutine. I also tried the burnt ends and once again OH MY GOD. They were so tender and sweet and tangy and delicious, there is no question that we are coming back here on the regular. But the best part of my experience was our server, Nikki, who was so lovely and warm and funny and made us feel so welcome. I will come back for more poutine but I hope that when I do, Nikki is there, too. read more

The heads and tails is the perfect place to go eat good bbq, have some drinks and watch a good game! However the lights are very deem you can't barely see the menu lol, we went at night. The bbq meat was delicious!!! However the sides were bland except the vaquero beans those were tasty! Customer service was very good , I didn't get a chance to know the girls name. read more

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Right off the bat I noticed there was a skee ball machine and card games to choose from to play while you wait for dinner. But the food came out timely and as a Memphis gal, this was some of the best bbq I have had in the bay hands down. Everything was flavorful and tender. The staff and bar tenders were friendly. Laid back ambiance but intimate for a cute date night! I'll definitely be back, it satisfied my bbq craving! read more

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I came here on a whim with my boyfriend after seeing this restaurant on social media. The service was good. Although our oxtail fries came out after our entrées, as I thought they'd come out as a appetizer. I got a two way plate with brisket and chicken. I wanted to try the ribs, but I found it odd that on a two way plate, they were $5 more. Yet on their own, they were the same price as the pulled pork. I thought the brussel sprouts would have a bit of char on them, but they didn't. And the mac and cheese was not cheesy. The meat had little to no smokey flavor. We had beers, so I can't speak about how cocktails were. The ambiance is cool for a sports bar as there are a lot of tvs and big screens. I don't know if I would return. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Brisket, chicken, brussel sprouts and milk and mac. - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I'm a little thrown off by the 3.7 because this place was great. We came for trivia night and had such a great time! We ordered burnt ends, the tri-tip, the hotlinks, brisket, and the ribs with a side of mac and cheese. Everything was great. Loved the tri-tip and the ribs. The brisket was just alright to me, but I'm generally not a brisket person. But the star of the show was definitely the corn bread fritters. The fritters with the spicy mayo were an awesome combo. I would literally eat 2 orders of those myself. This was such a good bbq place. read more

Expensive and portions do not reflect the price. The brisket was soooo dry, thank goodness for their various bbq sauces! The brussel sprouts had some pickled topping, it would probably be better if it was roasted or something. The beans were okay. I appreciate that their bread is a dinner roll vs just a slice of untoasted bread. The pork ribs were tender. The mac and cheese was with big shell pasta which isn't my preference. Overall, the food was bleh. The burnt ends and wings were better than the bbq itself, haha. 5 stars for service, though! Great and charismatic dude. It also seems like they have plenty of weekday events/specials. The place is big and there are plenty of tvs to catch a game. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - 2 meat combo - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

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My friends and I were craving barbecue after a 10-mile run in the Berkeley Hills, and we decided to give Heads and Tails a shot! Immediately upon entering, we saw that it is a large open space with televisions and projectors playing various sports games. There is a large bar and plenty of seating inside at tables and booths. After grabbing menus and seating ourselves, we noticed that the service was great; someone immediately came to our table with waters and asked if we had any questions about the menu. We ordered two combo meals: one with a single protein (brisket) and one with two proteins (brisket and pulled pork). We selected shells & cheese and garlic rolls as the sides for both of the combo meals. The garlic rolls were large and soft, and the garlic flavor was pleasant. I do wish that they had come with butter or something to spread inside of the roll, but they were yummy nonetheless. The brisket and pulled pork had a great flavor, as well, but I do wish they had been warmer. We tried the bbq sauce that came with the combo meals, and we also tried the California gold bbq sauce and the chipotle bbq sauce. All of the sauces were flavor-packed and added a great taste to the meats. Overall, I was quite pleased with this place. I saw that they also have a brunch menu; I'd definitely be interested in trying that someday. I recommend this place!! read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Combo with brisket, pulled pork, shells & cheese, and garlic rolls - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I heard there was a Tex Mex place in the Bay and as a native Texan I had to try. The ambiance was great very open and airy. The service was amazing, all the servers we interacted with were very nice. For the Bay, I'd say this is the best BBQ I've had so far while living here. We ordered the queso fries, 2 meat (Brisket and Ribs) and 2 sides (potato salad and shells+cheese), and banana pudding. Ngl the queso was disappointing, the flavor was there but it was a little grainy on both the fries and shells. I did like the shape and crispiness of the fries. The meat was well seasoned and yummy. I think I'm used to juicier brisket but this was solid. For the sides, the roll was okay, potato salad was yummy, the pickles were yummy, and loved the BBQ sauce it came with if it was a touch spicier it'd be perfect for me. Banana pudding was good, the flavor was there but it was too runny for me. Maybe if there was more nilla wafers it'd help balance the runniness. Overall, I'd come here again and bring friends too but I'd skip the queso items unless they reformulate it a lil bit. Big shout out to the cooks tho I'm happy to have found a solid spot for BBQ in the Bay. read more

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Food was cold. Which made me sad af. We ordered, burned ends, 2 meat plates with chicken and ribs and links and pulled pork. Sides were shells with cheese and potato salad. The link needed to be cooked more My favorite thing about this place was the bread. And that's sad The Bay Area just doesn't have good bbq spots. I had high hopes for this place. Service was ok... Ambiance was cool. Will not be coming back here unless I want some good bread. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

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3.5 stars. We shared a 3 meat combo with brisket, hot link, and ribs. Consisted of 2 well proportioned slices of brisket, a long link, and 3 rib bones with 2 sides. We chose potato salad and garlic rolls (knots). Disappointingly we weren't able to try the brussel sprouts because they weren't ready. Brisket was to die for - just a little fatty. Tender and delicious though. Sorry we ate it before taking the pic. Lol. The hot link was ok. Tasted like Showboat. The Ribs weren't bad just not as tender as they could have been. No sauce on the meats but bbq sauce was available. No eggs in the potato salad and a little too much dill but it wasn't bad. The garlic knots weren't knots at all but were rolls with garlic something (I think) on top. They were absent garlic flavor all together but appeared fresh. We tried a side of fries but they were small and crunchy - like shoestring potatoes almost. Not my thing. The lady helping us was nice but we waited a long time for the check. Overall not a bad dining experience. Definitely a potential for 5 stars imo if they give the meat that smoky bbq flavor, make the ribs fall-off-the bone tender, and slather some bbq sauce at least on the links. read more

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First time here.....IG lead me here. This venue is pretty big... Lots of seating available, lots of TV posted showing sports (no audio) a nice sized full bar . Customer service is super friendly and attentive. Lunch special is Monday -Friday 11-3 Happy Hour is EVERYDAY 3-6 Brunch special is Sat and Sunday 11-3 I ordered the Trio of salsa with half chicharones and half chips and I also ordered burnt ends. Friend ordered a 2 way combo with Brisket and a cheese link, potato salad and mac and cheese. The green salsa that comes with the salsa trio is really good, the potato salad is really really good!! The mac and cheese was kinda missing some flavor for me personally The burnt ends were good Friends Brisket portion initially looked big but then he discovered it was all fat...... Our server checked with the manager and they kindly provided a more leaner cut of Brisket We both ordered a happy hour drink... I got a Modelo and he got a Mexican mule Total bill was 100 with tax and tip I would totally come here again for Happy Hour Parking is street parking only read more

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It's NFL playoff time and my friend and I decided to hangout for the Niners Eagles game. We were curious and decided to checkout a new spot to grab a few beers and BBQ. My friend arrived prior to me and added his name to the list. I arrived shortly thereafter and the place was already packed ! The staff was flexible and supportive in allowing us to find a spot or table and taking our order. Ribs weren't available at the time so I decided to order the brisket sandwich and my friend ordered the brisket plate with 2 sides (mac n cheese, cole slaw), bread and pickles. The brisket sandwich came with cole slaw on top and I ordered fries separately for an additional $6 dollars ! Unfortunately over half of the brisket sandwich was just fat and the meat on my friend's brisket plate was cold. The staff was very supportive in providing replacement meals. The subsequent dishes were better executed. Overall the brisket was very tasty and had good flavor. A self service area, near the kitchen, is available for patrons to get water and four different sauces (smoky ketchup, sweet bbq, chipotle bbq and cali gold). The sauces were pretty good ranging from mild to spicy and definitely enhanced the bbq's overall flavor. For the location itself, parking wasn't too bad but could be problematic as the location is on a major street. The restaurant has a huge bar area with plenty of TVs for viewing and there is also a large projector like screen. Overall a good place to watch a game or major sporting event. Service was really good but I wasn't too impressed with the food overall. read more

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Very cool location. Lots of TV and a projector. Parking is available at the lot next door. Ordered the 3 meat combo (brisket, pork ribs, and hot link) with vaquero beans and shells and cheese. All was delicious. Brisket was a little dry but not terrible. Full bar and good beer on tap read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - 3 meat combo - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

Recommending this spot, for anyone looking for a cool hangout type of vibe. Good for gathering of buddies, or grabbing some eats with family. The bar set up is open and welcoming, and the facilities are nice and clean. Service is friendly, and they have good hours so you can grab whatever BBQ you like in the day or later evening. My first visit to this spot was for a Yelp Elite event, and it was such a good vibe. My only ask? Add burnt ends to the menu! Loved the branded details of the bar (pictured) and how nice the staff was. Try them out, they are relatively new on the block. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

The brisket was tender and full of that rich smoky flavor, and the hot links had just the right amount of heat to make you respect them. Now let's talk about the shells and cheese--creamy, cheesy, and just the right amount of garlic crunchy goodness on top. The garlic rolls.... Garlic and buttery goodness!!!! That sweet BBQ sauce adds layers of flavor to what is already deliciously smoked meat. It's like the backup singer that steals the show-- flavorful, unexpected, and made everything even better. The staff was super friendly and on point. The whole place has a relaxed, come-as-you-are vibe. Giants game was playing on the TVs, so you already know the energy was good. Full bar? Check. Tabletop seating? Yep. Only heads-up: parking is street only, so you might have to circle the block a time or two--but trust me, it's worth it. Will definitely be back to try more of their menu items. read more

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I'm ordering catering for my job from Heads and Tails and I wanted to be sure I give them a raving review already and I don't even have the food yet. Their customer service is truly some of the best. They're going so above and beyond to ensure our needs are met. The owner, Rick is a gem, the catering manager, William is an angel, and everyone else I was greeted by upon entry was literally so kind. I noticed they had opened recently and wanted to support a new local business so I got lunch here recently and loved it enough to come back. The brisket stole my heart. I'll update this review after our catering next week but I have no doubt it will be phenomenal. Update: catering was fabulous! All my coworkers had different favorite items ranging from the brisket to the corn bread fritters. William came and set it all up too. We immediately dove in so I got very few photos. read more

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My hubs and I had the two meat choices and two sides. We chose the brisket and pork ribs and I enjoyed the brisket more. The ribs could have been more tender. For the sides, both the cole slaw and beans were delish! I liked how they had some pretty meaty pieces mixed in the beans. It was $35 for the meal and it was satisfying! read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Two meats and two sides meal (brisket and pork ribs) - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

Was invited to a special Yelp event to try out Heads and Tails. Right in South Berkeley off San Pablo there can be a hard time finding parking. However, Heads and Tails fixed that with an available lot across the street. You know if parking is not accessible I will drive right past it. Inside first you see is the bar and all the large tv's. A perfect entrance for a sports enthusiast. Also, I saw a skee ball table in the corner. Play a match while you wait on your food. Now the food: macaroni and cheese had this breadcrumb topping which gave it a nice buttery crunch. The pulled pork had a great smokey flavor to it. Brisket has the perfect smoke lines with a very juicy taste with a tender to the bite experience. Burnt ends was 100/10 my favorite love the crunchy soft bite. had a nice glaze or sauce but could eat theses everyday. Lastly, the potato salad was not my favorite. Asked one of the staff the background on it and the recipe is a family recipe. Had this after taste I could not figure out. Also, they had a bbq sauce bar in the back, can't remember which one I liked but good BBQ doesn't need sauce but a perfect added kick. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Mac n cheese, pulled pork, brisket, burnt ends and potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The brisket & ribs were to die for. So we're the shells & cheese. Corn frittters were good but the potato salad and Cole slaw were meh..,I think the potato salad might have been going bad. It had "that" taste. That's why the 3 stars. I really wanted to give them four stars but....i couldn't. We also ordered the chicken platter. Meh. I think they forgot the salt. I really wanted to love the place You order by scanning the QR code and after a bit they bring it out to you Didn't order from the bartender but he kept checking on us. Cute decor and they're was a skeeball game thingee in the corner. They had video screen with specials and deals. read more

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I've tried this place 3 times and after this last time, I feel compelled to write a review. Let me start by saying the staff has always been friendly and the dining area is okay, not bad. The brisket is where things fall short. The 3 separate times I've ordered brisket, all three times it was cut WRONG, cut with the grain not against and it drives me crazy how this can keep happening. The last time I ordered, I brought it up with the server and he told me they should cut it against. Regrettably, I got it togo and to my surprise, it was cut with the grain again. I don't understand, why go through all the trouble of smoking brisket and not know how to cut it properly. It would be like a pizza being served upside down or getting a cheeseburger and the cheese is on top of the bun, it makes no sense and completely ruins the brisket. 3 times in a row is not a coincidence. Not only was the brisket cut wrong rendering it tough and stringy, they totally screwed up the order. My 3 item combo only came with 2 meats, and the $15 large Mac n cheese was 4oz. For $85 this is completely unacceptable. Whoever is running this place needs to do better and for godsake, cut your brisket against the grain, IT MAKES NO SENSE! read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Brisket cut WRONG with the grain, stringy and tough. 3 separate times is not a coincidence. - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I hate writing low star reviews. My expectations were really high for a new BBQ joint (that's only 2 blocks from the legendary E&J's... Bold move!). Ordered brisket w/ corn salad and sprouts. The meat was smoked nicely but I got a super fatty cut that was a little too much and served luke warm. Luck of the draw, YMMV. The sweet BBQ sauce was good, the Chipotle as well. They lost me with the Cali Gold though, a sweet mustard sauce (I know some parts of the US like it but... ). The corn salad was pretty underwhelming and tasted of vinegar only, some other seasoning would have been uplifting because the cheese wasn't up to the task. The Brussel sprouts were really nice and the green sauce was 5 stars, a highlight in the veg dept. The rolls were OK as were the pickles. The space is open and vibrant with screens for viewing sports things. I'll have to come back to at least try the drinks. Service was friendly and quick so no issues there. But a BBQ joint should be all about the Q and well... read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Brisket with 2 sides combo (corn salad and Brussel sprouts) - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The food was good, our briskets have a good rate of fat and meat. The hot link was well seasoned and flavorful. The sides were good pairing. We were disappointed, there wasn't any corn bread available, but they did have corn fritters. The staffs were friendly and checked in on us occasionally. And the ambiance was relaxing and chill- many TVs all around and people were enjoying their food with sports. A thumbs up! read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Pulled Pork Sando with side of Potato Salad and EXTRA pickles - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

My son and I frequently make the drive out to Berkeley to eat here because the BBQ is that good! So it was only fitting that I reached out to Rick for a quote for our Western-themed party. Rick was incredibly kind and worked with our tight budget. He went above and beyond with our brisket and burnt ends, and even included his famous pickles (which were a huge hit!) The BBQ was gone within minutes! Everything was flavorful, perfectly cooked, and a total crowd favorite. Highly recommend for both catering and dining in. Always worth the drive! read more

Great place for a good happy hour. Definitely highly recommended if you're in Berkeley. Can't go wrong with good whiskey and good barbecue. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Surprisingly a great place to watch sports! Especially on their Football Sundays where they project the game onto a wall in addition to the many TV screens on the walls and over the bar. Fun to have games like skew ball around too. Happy hour is from 3-6PM daily (even on weekends). But outside the happy hour menu, I highly recommend the brisket! Super tender and cooked perfectly. They also have chess pieces which is hard to find. read more

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The lady who took our order was great! Unfortunately didn't catch her name. But on May 12th 2026 it was great. Food was spectacular as well I got the fried chicken sandwich and that thing was huge. Buddy got something else and asked for lean (doesn't like the fat) and it did come with a good amount of fat so make sure you specify that. Overall was a great place tho! read more

First time here food amazing!!! Beef rib wow!!!! Saw it on Tiktok sevice ambiance n food wonderful. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Amazing food was there for the first time loved it beef rib wow!!! 10/10. Saw it on Tiktok yes...yes...yes!!! - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

New find for us on San Pablo. It just a hop skip and a jump away from some of my favorite coffee shops to work at. The service here was very prompt and attentive from the minute we walked in the door. Menus was nearby and it was self seating. We had the option to walk up and order at the bar and we also had staff come up and check on us and ask about the food. Overall, I really enjoyed my time here and will have to come back for brunch! read more

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My family and I drove from Sacramento to try this place. I'll say the drinks were definitely the highlight, but overall the BBQ didn't really wow us. Best part about our food was the chips & salsa! Our waiter was super sweet, but the service felt a little slow and not very attentive. Our food came out and we didn't even have utensils I waited for her to come to the table but after a while I got up and went to the bar to ask for some. It wasn't very busy during our time there but started to pick up right before we left. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

I came by here and for the most part I liked it. The sauces and meat are gluten free. But only one side that I can eat is - mashed potatoes and they are only available on Friday. The cole slaw, also gluten free, has mayonnaise. We were greeted by a hostess and she showed us to our seats. We got the menus, they have QR codes on the table. I ordered some bubbly in a can and my husband has a michelada. He liked it and ordered a second. I was driving so I stuck to the one can. We started with the chicharrones that came with three dipping sauces. They were very, very good. Especially the cheese one, which I would have never thought of. I had the pork belly plate and my husband ordered the brisket. It was good. The pork belly was nice and hot and had a sauce with it. I wish they would have asked because I would have liked to sample the different sauces. But the BBQ sauce was good. It seemed like it could have been a family run spot and I appreciated that. I do hope to come back here and enjoy again. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Food menu. - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California