Went in skeptical after reading the reviews -- a lot of the positive ones felt fake or bot-generated. From the outside, the restaurant promotes itself as barbecue, but once inside there's nothing that really gives off that barbecue vibe. The ambiance felt off and lacked any real identity. We sat at the bar on a Monday night and it wasn't very busy, yet it still took about 10 minutes before we were greeted. We ordered non-alcoholic drinks, which came out fine, but another guest at the bar mentioned to the bartender that his drink wasn't good -- not the most reassuring thing to overhear. As for the food, it was mediocre at best. I ordered the Oak Burger, and my father got the 1/2 lb Greater Omaha tri-tip. The tri-tip was tough, not tender at all, and overall not very appetizing. My burger, aside from being incredibly overpriced, simply wasn't worth the money. Honestly -- and I can't believe I'm saying this -- you could get a burger nearly as good at Carl's Jr. To be fair, the bartender was clearly doing his best while juggling multiple tables and the bar top by himself, but he's not Superman. Because of that, guests -- including us -- waited quite a while for refills and checks. Overall, a 2/5, and that's being generous. There's a Famous Dave's up the street that's better in pretty much every way. read more

Oak & Ember - Tri tip - Halal Near Me - Ontario, California

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Made open table reservation for (4) of us for early dinner. It was our first time there greeted by Erin who was so courteous and helped us in deciding what to eat which was phenomenal! Had the BBQ BAG BOIL which had Tritip,sausage,wings,beef ribs,potatoes,corn on the cob all mixed together in a tasty sauce! Also moist cornbread SO DELICIOUS! Great ambiance with full bar and TV screens for us sports enthusiasts plenty of food for the price Will definitely return!1 read more

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Chris at Oak and Ember was amazing! Food was awesome and flavorful, the drinks were great. Definitely coming back for more, full on flavor is a real thing! read more

Wanted some juicy brisket but got the opposite. The mashed potatoes were very tasty love how garlicky they were. My son enjoyed his kids meal cheeseburger and fries. This is a very nice establishment. Just too bad the meat is super dry. Service was good. The sliders were good bc the fixings on top. read more

Oak & Ember - Halal Near Me - Ontario, California

Tri-tip -- dry, flavorless, and completely unseasoned. Chicken breast -- surprisingly moist, but the sauce they put on it tasted like straight ketchup. Honestly should be illegal. "Wagyu" carne asada -- flavorless and disappointing. Tasted like regular skirt steak/carne ranchera with none of the quality you'd expect. The sides? Straight from a bag or bucket. Store-bought everything. What a shame. I genuinely don't understand how food like this gets served and people expect the restaurant to stay open. Save your hard-earned money and go somewhere else. I definitely won't be returning. read more

My experience at Oak & Ember was just okay. We tried a few things... to start we had the loaded corn dip and smoked burnt end fundido. I think we expected the corn to be more like elote, but it was similar to a creamed corn. For our mains we had the smoked brisket tacos and brisket birria tacos. Unfortunately, my tacos were super greasy and made the tortilla taste not great. I did enjoy my drink which was the fresa margarita -- it wasn't too sweet which I enjoyed. Our server was nice and efficient, however when I went to order the tzatziki potato salad, he was quick to tell me how much he didn't like it. I appreciate the honesty, but it came off not great. read more

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Food: The food was overall very good. The Mac and cheese was our favorite thing. The fries were so good too. They had really good fry seasoning. The tri tip plate was good. You just don't even get one side I had to add the mac and cheese which is kind of odd. The sandwich did come with fries. I think the meat could've been a little better. It was good not great. Needed some more flavor. The bacon in the sandwich was VERY crunchy maybe a little too much. And there was a lot of bread Drinks: I had a few of the La Niña Fresca and they were literally so good. I want to go back for these!! They give you beer salt with the beer too! Service: The service was so good. The host was super nice and friendly. And our server was super nice and patient and polite. Very helpful too knowing it was our first time. Outside: It looked like they had a little patio but no one was sitting out there when we went. They have a lot of parking close by. Very easy to get to. Inside: The inside was so cute. They had very cute decor. They have a nice bar area. The restaurant was overall very clean. The bathrooms were clean too on a Saturday night. Overall: I will be back for the La Niña Fresca and Mac and cheese! read more

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This place was recommended to us by a friend and after trying it, there were mixed reviews. While my friend rated this a 4, I felt it was a 3 star. The overall service and cleanliness of the restaurant was great. We ordered the fire IPA, beef ribs, tri tip, mac n cheese, and potato skin. The fire IPA wasn't my favorite IPA as it had a floral-y scent, but it was alright. For me, the tri-tips were extremely disappointing as they were dry and not at all juicy. My friend who prefers well-done steaks rated this higher as it had the normal texture she prefers her steaks and it was seasoned well. The potato skins were mini loaded potatoes and were alright, they weren't as crispy as I'd hoped as they were supposed to be double fried. The mac n cheese was flavorful and the breadcrumbs on top added a nice crispy texture. The highlight of this meal was the beef ribs. They were soft and the outside flavor wasn't too sweet or salty, it was just right. Overall, I would come back and I would recommend this place, but I'd only recommend the beef ribs and mac n cheese. It doesn't compare to Texas bbq, but it's one of the better bbq places I've had in CA. read more

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It was actually pretty good. I was iffy about it with the mixed reviews. The drinks were good. The service was good. The food was yummy. Plenty of food, the prices were right. I'm definitely going back. Cute spot that I had a good time with friends. read more

This was our first time here and we had a great experience! Our server Mariah was absolutely a joy! She greeted us with a smile and was so attentive and helpful the whole time ! We definitely hope we get her when we come in again! read more

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I've been hearing a lot of hype about this place and unfortunately, I was not satisfied. I came here for Valentine's Day this past Saturday and I was all excited and ready to eat, however, it was a disappointment. First, I would like to start off with the pros of the restaurant. The place is very modern and nice and very spacious inside and they have a pretty good menu with good options to choose from. However, I didn't like either how they were turning people away when it wasn't even that crowded for people who didn't have reservations. I thought that was kind of bad for Customer Service when they even had seats at the bar or they could've just told people just to wait for a little bit it wasn't even that crowded to me. Also, our server I forgot her name was not good at all. She was kind of not really listening and she messed up a few times to the point where I just kind of ignored it. I had asked her for water with lemon and plastic cups. She never brought the plastic cups or the lemons I had to keep asking her for the stuff that she did forget. Also, she suggested some things that were good on the menu when it wasn't good. When she had went on her break, another server had helped and actually she was good very nice lady, knew her job. I'm happy that we had to get her. When I didn't like my option of ordering the tri-tip she recommended the brisket, and she said that the brisket is the most tender meat and popular there so since I didn't like the tri-tip I decided to get that. Furthermore, the brisket was still bad as well. It was terrible. It was cooked too fast and it was not ready with a lot of fat on the meat. My sides were not good. I ordered the mac & cheese and the ceasar salad that didn't taste all that great . The Mac & cheese looked like clam chowder and Kraft mac & cheese could have been better. It really didn't have any flavor to it or anything. My date also did not like his tri-tip are the chimichurri sauce that they put on top. He said that it was no flavor in his mashed potatoes also did not have any flavor. Honestly, the drinks were not even good. I ordered the Tennessee whiskey and it was overly sweet, but I didn't even say anything. I just decided to just sip the drink and not complain. Luckily, the second server I think her name was Katherine was cool. I did not enjoy both meals so she took my meal off the bill. This is the reason why the two stars is honestly just for her. She was a jewel and down to earth and she was very sad that I did not like neither of my entrées. Honestly, I grew up with a lot of cooks, and my grandfather was a really good at barbecuing. I know what good barbecue should taste like and unfortunately at oak & ember it was not it. I saw some couple ordered the ribs in that tasting menu in those that look good, but however, I was so disappointed I didn't even wanna try anything else and it made me not ever wanna come back here again because the food was that disappointing. Food 2/5 Service 3/5 I am happy that I was able to try it, but that's the whole point of experiences to let others know. -Marshay D. read more

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Oak and Ember is a HALAL American BBQ spot with lots of indoor seating as well as some patio seating. The booths are comfy with lots of padding, and the interior of the restaurant is rustic with some wood accents. I wanted to sample all their meat offerings so went with the Not So Secret, Secret Menu. Not So Secret, Secret Menu ($160) - This came with 6 different types of meat, each variety weighing in at 1 lb. In addition it was served with 6 pieces of corn bread and 4 sides. The meat items included smoky beef ribs, smoked brisket, smoked tri-tip, wagyu carne asada, chicken breast and half a chicken. My favorite were the beef ribs which were falling apart and so tender with a delicious smoky smell. The brisket was great as well, though slightly fatty. The carne asada and tri-tip weren't as tender but had excellent flavor. The half-chicken didn't have much in terms of flavor so some BBQ sauce was needed to remedy the situation. The chicken breast were a little over done and my least favorite, but still decent. For sides went with their mac and cheese, brussel sprouts (included some beef bacon), baked beans, and my favorite side from this place: fried green beans. The brussel sprouts were impressive as was the mac and cheese. The corn bread was solid as well. Overall I was impressed with the value and super happy that they had so many different types of meats to try! Another popular dish I saw people getting was the BBQ boil (a take on a sea food boil, but used BBQ meats instead of sea food). Service was so friendly, helpful, and really made for an impressive experience! I definitely will be back to try more amazing meats here! read more

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Food was 50/50. Pass on "wagu" carne asada, El Rey tacos were good. Sides were also good we had the potato salad and Mac n cheese. Reason for the 3 starts. Stick to the bbq food items. Our waitress was a bit of a "drive by" server. She seemed annoyed that we didn't know what we wanted the moment we sat down. She'd walk past us while asking "you good" and kept walking not even waiting for us to answer. No water refills. I felt more of a bother than a paying customer. -2 stars. Place was tastefully decorated. Dark and fancy is how I'd describe it. But it's NOT a fancy restaurant. read more

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We had a great experience here! From the moment we walked in, the staff was welcoming, friendly, and attentive. A special shoutout to our waiter, Chris, who made our visit even better. He was friendly, knowledgeable, checked on us throughout the meal, and made sure we had everything we needed without being overbearing. The food came out fresh, hot, and full of flavor. Every dish we ordered was delicious, and you can tell they take pride in the quality of their food. The restaurant was clean, had a great atmosphere, and the service was excellent from start to finish. Thanks again to Chris for making our dining experience so enjoyable. We'll definitely be back and highly recommend this place! read more

This place I been wanting to try happpy I came in the vibes and tone of the place really sets the tone for a bbq place as you expected the bar are is super nice , also my ribs isn't nothing the reviews said they were super delicious and juicy so much flavor thank you read more

Oak & Ember - Ribs and Brussels sprouts - Halal Near Me - Ontario, California

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Great spot for groups - amazing brisket and ribs I visited Oak & Ember Steakhouse with a group of friends for iftar, and we had a party of eight people. We ordered two of the "Not So Secret Menu" platters to share, and it turned out to be more than enough food for everyone. The ribs were incredibly flavorful and tender, and the brisket was especially impressive -- very soft, juicy, and packed with smoky flavor. Each platter comes with a choice of four sides, which made the meal feel even more complete. The portions are very generous and can easily feed about 4-6 people per platter. Even with our big group, we were all full and still had plenty of food left, which we ended up taking to go. Another great thing is that the meat is halal and tastes very fresh, which is a big plus. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is magnificent: soft lighting, chill music, and a relaxed, welcoming vibe that makes it a great place to sit and enjoy a long meal with friends. The service was also excellent. Our servers were very friendly, gave good recommendations from the menu, and the food came out surprisingly fast considering our group size. Overall, it was a great dining experience, and I would definitely recommend this place if you're looking for good barbecue, big portions, and a nice atmosphere for groups. read more

Oak & Ember - Not so secret menu - Halal Near Me - Ontario, California

Phenomenal Service & Amazing Food! Invited the family to Oak and Ember for the first time, and I can already tell it is definitely not going to be our last. ​From start to finish, the experience was incredible, largely thanks to the phenomenal service we received from Kyra. She went above and beyond and even hooked us up with the "not-so-secret" secret menu for my family, and wow--we were absolutely not disappointed! ​We had an amazing time and are already looking forward to our next visit. Highly recommend! read more

This place is okay. Food is good! Drinks are okay. Service is terrible. Let's start with food - 4.5. I went during HH and got the wings, corn dip, and cornbread - all tasty! Drinks - 3.5. They taste good/decent, but almost like they're premixed. I didn't pay close attention at the bar, but someone pointed out that they had a keg like feature for pouring drinks. If I asked for a drink on the menu but with a different liquor (vodka in place id tequila), they seemed to try to talk me out of it by saying it would cost more. By the third round, I said, that's fine. And I liked my drink! Service - 1.5. This is the BIGGEST miss. Place has potential but the bartenders are novices. In the time we were there, two bartenders ended up working the bar. Neither bartender shared the specials for HH or the day (I had to asked the bartender for the HH deals and had the hostess not informed me of their TH special for margaritas and beer, I would've never known as there is no mention of daily specials anywhere!). Aside from that, the bartenders seemed to take great care of their "regulars", but treated newbies like whatever. Not even standard customer service. At one point I tired to flag a bartender down for a straw, and I know he saw me, but he continued past to ask another patron for their drink order. It wasn't until he forced me to be obnoxious about my request, which I hate doing, that I finally got an acknowledgment. I think the owners should understand their bar and staff make a big difference in experience. Even with pre made (tasty) drinks, you can get away with it since the food is good and IF service was good. Bartenders need more training! read more

For the most part I liked this place. I don't like the seasoning on the fries and that they are over cooked. I also didn't like this particular dip. Smoked Burnt End Fundido Because of this Oaxacan Cheese. The corn dip one was really good though. Also the Ultimate Fried Brussel Sprouts And Balsamic was smelly. We had this in the car and thought that my grandson pooped his pants. We found the culprit. My daughter still ate these. She said they were good. read more

First, this isn't a food review. Sorry. This is a service, or lack thereof review. Normally if I have a bad experience in a restaurant (which is rare), especially a "mom/pop" or even a small chain, I don't write a review - I just never return. Best to just leave them be. I figure that's the best way to express my displeasure without crashing out their business. I'm aware this isn't the course most people take, but it's mine. However, with this review, I'm going to make an exception. Having said that, then, you can imagine there are no words to actually describe how... what's a good word... upset I was. First, lemme say I love BBQ. I've driven miles to get good "Q" and have no problem doing so. As such, I've never been to Oak and Ember BBQ, but I've heard good things about it and was looking forward to trying it. When we arrived for lunch a couple were standing in the waiting area. The restaurant wasn't crowded. The bartender several times glanced in our direction but continued doing his "bartending" to no one in particular. No worries I thought. Several minutes go by and we're still waiting for someone to greet us. Nothing. Out of curiosity, I asked the other couple how long they were waiting. "We walked in about five minutes before you did," was the response. I looked for the bartender who I saw had stopped by a nearby table and appeared to be taking their order. When he was done, he returned to the bartending area. Wow. Not even a "circle around" to say someone will be with you. A few moments later, a waitress appeared from the back carrying glasses of water. She neither acknowledged us or the other couple. They had enough and started to leave. I was irritated as well. As she finally made her way toward us, I stopped her and said loudly, "That's ok. We're leaving." I can't comment on their BBQ, considering the complete lack of service, I won't ever. You would think given the number of restaurant options in the area, that customer service would be an important point of emphasis for a restaurant and their staff. Especially a BBQ joint. Apparently not here. Now before anyone thinks, "maybe they were short of staff." Yes I thought about that as well, which is why we continued to wait. However, the "failure" to even acknowledge that we or the other couple had entered was blatant. If staff is that uninspired to greet a customer, simply with a "I see you" hand wave or a "gimme a minute" gesture, then getting to the food isn't important enough to try. If I could give them a zero, I would. read more

Had the Tri tip sandwich and the meat was substantial well cooked and flavorfull. The fries were sub par. Best let down was my drink Watermelon sugar had no taste of watermelon juice I knew it would be strong cause it said juice but I expect some. Servers did not seem overwhelmed but they definitely needed more staff. Overall will be returning to have the food. read more

Oak & Ember - Tri tip sandwich with fries. - Halal Near Me - Ontario, California

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Highly recommend the BBQ Boil. It's not on the menu but absolutely delicious and now than enough for 4 hungry adults. Our host definitely provided Tennessee hospitality read more

Can't review much and I will add a full review on the food when I return. My short story goes like this...came here on a Saturday evening around 7:15pm. We walked in and waited 10min for someone to put my name in the hat for a table. Around 7:30pm the hostess asked if we had a reservation. Ugh. No we did not. She then proceeded to say, she is not taking anymore reservations they were fully booked for the night. You could have told us 10min ago miss! She also said something I have not heard before- she said they are running out of food as well. Were they running out of brisket or baby back ribs? Not sure, but At 7:30pm on a Saturday!?? Haha. Kind of comical. Anyways, we had to find somewhere else to go. I'll plan to visit but when there is enough meat for this carnivore to go around. read more

Excellent service from Chris,, extremely friendly!!! amazing food and atmosphere!!! Cocktails were on point!

Great food. Great Manager Alexis will be back. Great location hidden gem for those who live at the resort. read more

Oak & Ember - Ribs, macaroni and cheese brussels sprouts - Halal Near Me - Ontario, California

We usually stay in on Friday nights to avoid crowds and long waits, Friday nights are our preferred at home date night but sometimes we are out and about and time catches up with us. Since we were in the Ontario area we decided on BBQ for two. Acknowledgment by the host was immediate and kind. Our server Jessica was beyond sweet and made some great recommendations as it was our first time here. The meal: The 1/2 LB Wagyu Asada, Brussels and mashed potatoes was enough for the both of us to share. Ended with the Bread pudding OMG delicious! A 5 star BBQ review for Oak & Amber read more

Oak & Ember - Friday night dinner at Oak & Amber - Halal Near Me - Ontario, California

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I've constantly heard about this place and this place did not disappoint. Although I kept it simple and got appetizers, they were amazing. Let's start with the $5 Margaritas on Mondays. Delish!. The smoke burnt in fundido, wings and potato skins are amazing. My Mom loved the Brisket Sandwich. We will definitely be back. Mariah H , was a amazing waitress with Octopus arms. She made sure everyone in the building was taken care of. Thanks for the amazing service. She absolutely wonderful and made sure we were great. . Thank you Babe Hopefully you get her as as your Waitress/Bartender! Don't hesitate to come check out this place. Food was 10/10 Great Food & Dranks! Top Tier Service! read more

Food is really good but I feel service can be better. That's not the servers fault more that they seem understaffed. I wish they handcrafted these drinks they show. They all come from a tap. Sad, feel that's the way things are going now a days so they can avoid having to hire specialized people. All and all I would definitely go back. read more

Pretty solid. The good stuff. The bar made an excellent drink. The Take home was amazing. The beef ribs were juicy and tender. The side dishes of Mac and cheese and mashed potatoes were good. The bad. The appetizer was dry and overcooked. The brisket was also over cooked and dry. The cornbread was dry also. Service was prompt and friendly. read more

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It was packed on a Saturday, so I'm really glad I made a reservation. The service was great our waiter was attentive and took good care of us. The tri-tip and chicken were delicious and seasoned perfectly. However, my salad didn't taste fresh, and the portions were smaller than I expected. The dishes also didn't match the photos on Yelp, which was disappointing. Overall, I felt it was overpriced for what we received. The drinks were just okay. read more

Customer service with Jessica was the best. Food was really satisfying to taste and it came out quickly. Thanks again Jessica! read more

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food was so good! The mashed potato are a must, they were so smooth and flavorful. The meats were very tender and juicy! Prices are a bit steep but worth trying out read more

Oak & Ember - Jolene - Halal Near Me - Ontario, California

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CHRIS is totally tubular Great service and great food! Definitely comin back for the happy hour.

Chris is the man. great food even better service and 3 dollars beer how can u beat it. Place is amazing great vibes.

Went here on New Year's Eve We had a reservation but walked in and it was pretty empty so we got a table right away Staff was friendly and our server was attentive (She could smile a bit more though) The food was really good They had run out of the ribs by 6:30 And they only have beef ribs So, We got the tri tip and birria tacos The flavors were great and the meat was tender Just wish they would give a tad more of the consume' and bbq sauces But overall a nice place for bbq read more

Oak & Ember - Halal Near Me - Ontario, California

Great Vibe, But Service Missed the Mark. I had mixed feelings about my visit to Oak & Ember BBQ in Ontario. The restaurant itself has a really cool Roaring 20's vibe--beautifully decorated and definitely sets a nice atmosphere. Our waiter was kind and friendly, which I appreciated, but unfortunately the overall service really fell short. We waited about 30 minutes just to be told they had run out of beef ribs, which was disappointing since that's one of the main items you'd expect from a BBQ spot. My drink also wasn't made correctly and didn't taste good at all, which added to the frustration. We did try the cheese dip, and that was actually really good--but it came with a very small portion of chips (literally about two handfuls), so that was a bit of a letdown. I'd definitely recommend making a reservation if you plan to go, as it seems like they may struggle to keep up during busy times. Overall, great ambiance and a nice waiter, but the service and execution need improvement. read more

Came here as a group of four on a my birthday, which landed on a Thursday back in October 2025. We were catching comedy show at the nearby Improv Ontario Mills. After seeing a few TikTok videos, I wanted to try the place out particularly for their bbq. The decor and interior of the restaurant was very appealing, with a nice use of gold, black and emerald green-- the bar also had TVs to watch games. My boyfriend and I ordered a bbq platter and some cocktails. Service took pretty long , because the restaurant was understaffed-- there was only one bartender and one server. When I finally received my cocktail, it was nothing special. When finally received our food, my first thing I tried was the beef, brisket... it was DRY! (I don't think I've ever had dry brisket... normally not ever be tried because of the fat content in it). It didn't seem like it was freshly cooked either. The restaurant of the bbq on the platter was also dry, with little sauce. I was highly disappointed because the restaurant did not serve the quality food, they claimed that they did in their TikTok/ IG videos. I truly hope that the restaurant improved their food and service since my last visit. But to be honest, I'm not sure that I will dine again because of my experience on my birthday. read more

So bad. Definitely not as good as other BBQ restaurants. The hype on IG was a total fail. Cocktails were watered down and horrible. Meat was over cooked and hard to chew. Too expensive for the small portion of food- halal meat... whatever to that. Definitely not worth it. read more

Chris served us on our first time here. This place was awesome, they were understaffed but Chris still found a way to make sure we got everything we needed. Great drinks, great food, great for watch parties during big games. Highly recommend read more

I kept seeing this place on tik tok and everyone would show the "bbq boil". Anyways I wanted to try this place since I was in the area. The ambiance is giving semi- upscale interior but very casual vibe. The waitress was not super friendly nor happy, just neutral doing their job. For me the brisket has the tenderness but was missing seasoning. Mac n cheese was ok, not the best but it was ok. The queso drip was a grease pile and just not appetizing. Overall I wouldn't come back, which is why I hesitate to try new places, but that's the only way to know if a place is good. 5/10 read more

Oak & Ember - Brisket Mac n cheese Queso fondido - Halal Near Me - Ontario, California