When we arrived at 5, we were pleasantly surprised by the $5 happy hour cocktails. The spiced apple margarita tasted mostly of juice but that's okay; it was $5. We ordered the ribs, wings, cole slaw, macaroni salad, and onion rings. I will say that the sauces / marinades are great here. While the wings were dry and nothing special, the sauce it came with was tangy and spicy and so addicting. I've had better ribs in Austin (Terry Blacks) that were more tender and had more meat to the bone. The sides were very good. read more

Phil's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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If you haven't been to Phil's BBQ in San Diego, are you even living or just existing in a sad, sauce-less parallel universe? First off, let's talk parking. Yes, plenty of parking a true San Diego miracle. It's like they want you to be happy before you even get out of your car. Bless them. Now the food? Good. Like, dangerously good. I came for one thing and left with a food coma and a renewed sense of purpose. The BBQ fries and onion rings are my holy grail. The fries are a mountain of crispy, cheesy, meaty chaos that I would 100% defend in court if necessary. The onion rings? Crunchy golden halos sent from the BBQ gods themselves. And let's shout out the service, which is somehow better than the food which is already criminally good. The staff is fast, friendly, and they hustle like their playlist is 90% Beyoncé. You feel taken care of in a "we've done this a million times but still love you like it's our first" kind of way. But wait the happy hour. Possibly the best in San Diego. I said it. No take-backs. It's like they looked at the other happy hours in town and said, "Aw, that's cute," then dropped the mic and a full rack of ribs. Phil's isn't just a BBQ spot it's a lifestyle. A smoky, saucy, nap-required-after kind of lifestyle. And I am here for it. read more

Phil's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

Some of the BEST bbq I've ever had. Visited family in SD and they highly recommend Phil's. The beef ribs were heavenly!!! Flavorful and amazingly well cooked. Service was spectacular. This place is extremely busy and they handled all service like pros. They have big sinks for washing your hands after devouring all the deliciousness. read more

Phil's BBQ - Rib Only (Half), Colossal Onion Rings (Small), Sausage Link Tickler, Beef Rib Dinner - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

When you come from an area in SoCal that only has options like Lucille's, dickies bbq and etc. it makes it real easy to appreciate the broiled /grilled ribs at Phil's plus all of their amazing sides! I'm not a smoked bbq fan, so Phil's is my man lol. The tickler is my go to because it has a little bit of Everythjng. The way their macaroni salad has my heart with those bits of fresh veggies. Also it's est that when you buy a link it comes with a drink. I've missed Phil's and haven't enjoyed them socket my CSUSM days over 10 years ago. The line is long when the shop opens but they quickly direct the crowd in certain lines so it's organized. Peak times can still have a wait but it's worth it. read more

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My go-to restaurant for ribs every time I'm in San Diego. This time around... it seems like the ribs were smaller than before. But the flavor is still delicious. Their BBQ sauce is different from other BBQ restaurants. This was my first time trying the chicken, and I would definitely get it again. The seasoning was perfect and the chicken was very tender. Not dry at all. The restaurant is always busy, but I was always able to find a table. read more

Phil's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great place! Get here early if you can or expect a long wait. We got here at 10:30 on a Saturday - the open at 11 - and we were not first in line. I usually get the tri tip sandwich. Keep in mind that a large side is huge so either share it with someone or plan on taking it home. read more

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Craving mesquite grilled BBQ? Since 1997, owner Phil Pace has been serving mesquite grilled baby back ribs, beef ribs, chicken and sandwiches in a casual and fun restaurant. There are a number of Phil's restaurants throughout San Diego, but I've only been to the located in Point Loma/Mid City area. Phil's is among the highest reviewed on Yelp and after a numbers visits, I'm a fan. The restaurant is hugh and is on a lot with free parking, but beware that parking can be a challenge during peak dining times. Lines of people waiting to dine inside wrap around the restaurant is a usual sight, as diners will stand in line and wait. To avoid long lines, either preorder online or by phone and pick up togo. Going to the restaurant before or after peak hours is what I do, because I want to dine in the restaurant, and experience the fun atmosphere of multiple TV screens and classic rock music playing, so Fun. Note worthy is Phil's Happy Hour specials served M-F starting at 3pm!! Seating indoor and outdoor covered patio is available for solo diners and as well as for large groups, for the later, call and make reservations to accommodate your large party. Full bar and specialty drinks served. When at Phil's get the Full experience and order what you want even if it's too much, you can always pack the rest for later. The mesquite grilled bbq beef ribs and the chicken wings are my favs. Sides are a must: onion rings, Cole slaw, baked beans, and french fries are perfect pairings. The garden salad is simply romaine lettuce and tomatoes with your choice of dressing, I suggest the blue cheese, which will transform that simple boring salad to wow. On every visit the restaurant has always been clean, with tabletops sanitized. My pup Fendi is always with Me, and the staff at Phil's has always welcomed my pup with no problem. Most of the times I've dined here is with my dining pal, who prefers restaurants with access for people with disabilities. This restaurant's layout does NOT have steps at entry and can be accessible for the disabled but due to the crowd, it is tight and a challenge maneuver inside. Service by staff has always been great, nice, accommodating and friendly. Whether it is 4th of July weekend or any occasion, for mesquite grilled BBQ, go to Phil's!! Recommend read more

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Horrible waitress on the bar side with a bandaid on her nose. We came in ordered our food brought a first timer, there was nowhere to sit on the side where you order so we walked to the bar side sat down then the waitress comes up damn near lectures us that we can't sit there because if they did have a large group which they didn't and table was empty the whole time in a tone like if we are children that we should have sat on the other side which I explain there is nowhere to sit, then she reply's that there should communication I replied I don't work here I don't have to communicate anything so we moved ruined my dinner went complained came back had one more interaction let her know she shouldn't be speaking to customers that way didn't want her to touch our food after walk out no tip all bad what a rude poorly trained waitress read more

I dine in the Phil's BBQ at this location and I am fond of over BBQ spare ribs with bones and boneless chickens of this beloved BBQ. That boneless spareribs and chickens are iconic spareribs and chickens celebrated for their tender, authentic, smoked and flavored BBQ sauce, complemented by homemade sweet and spicy BBQ sauces. Their service is a second to none. The ambiance is so great that I love this place so much . Here dishes are so delicious and unmatched in San Diego County, the Finest City of the West, california. read more

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First time and would definitely come back! Our server was Alycia in the bar area and she was phenomenal, great recommendations and happy hour before 6! Food was really good and the drinks cocktails also for $5 read more

Probably some of the best BBQ I have had in San Diego! Staff was great, portion was big, and everything was delicious! Would definitely go back read more

The long lines but goes by really fast! If you're a big party obviously you're waiting longer. It was just a date night for me so we decided to sit at the bar area which was full service. I got the beef ribs soooooo good and huge portion!! The corn bread fire!!! We also got the Tri tip sammich - I personally could do without the BBQ sauce. But decent. The bbq sauce is on the ketchupy side not really sure how to describe it. Overall would come again!!! read more

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So delicious! Staff was really helpful and attentive. It was our first time eating here and would definitely come back! Fast serve .

I'm just gonna say it. 5 beef ribs. Sauce on side. Bring home and eat it with rice!! Mmmmm. Always great food and service.

First time coming here. The portions are huge & prices are decent for that you get. I got the half chicken with 2 sides.. macaroni salad & fries. The sides were good and the chicken was really tender, but I almost couldn't finish it because they lathered it with their sauce, which was insanely sweet. I know you could put the sauce on the side, but they didn't have any other kind of bbq sauce. My mom also got half a chicken and mixed veggies on the side and they were so hard and undercooked with no seasoning. Probably wouldn't come back here if I was in town again. read more

Truly worth the hype! I'd never been to a restaurant with a record breaking number of Yelp reviews, but the experience was memorable. We ordered for pickup and while the line was long and the wait for pickup to be ready was decent, you could tell the staff had a great system set up. The beef rib was 10/10 and the other bbq meats were great as well. read more

This place is worthy of all the good reviews. We ordered a half rack baby back ribs with coleslaw and macaroni salad. We also ordered the half chicken with fries and baked beans. We ordered the onion rings. We are family of four (two kids ages 9 and 11). We aren't big eaters. This was a good amount of food for us. We had some sides leftover. Both meats were flavorful and tender. The onion rings are as good everyone says. All of the sides were delicious which can be hard to do at BBQ places. All of the staff were friendly and helpful. It has a relaxed and fun vibe. We went at 4:30pm on a Monday and the line was reasonable. read more

This is the second Phil's location I've tried, and it was equally as great. Super consistent in taste and quality! I grew up in the south and it's truly like I never left. Just really great bbq all around! read more

Phil's BBQ - Beefy rib dinner with pulled pork and Cole slaw, onion rings, and baby back ribs with corn - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

Definitely over hyped placed. I give them a 3.5 on food and service. I tried the beef and baby back ribs, and chicken. Meats is good but not amazing or mind blowing. As for the sides, fries were limpy and no seasoning. Cole slaw was fresh but lack of seasoning also. Mac salad taste very basic and baked beans just OK. Onion ring was nice and crispy but no seasoning and battered heavy. Not worth the 1+ hour wait more of 30 min. read more

I didn't realize how long I was overdue for this review!! My husband and I got married April 6, 2024 and decided to go with Phil's BBQ for our dinner and it was incredible. EVERYONE LOVED IT!! Kelli D. was the representative that we were working with from start to finish and she was great! I felt like I had so many questions and she always answered them at a very timely manner which I loved because I felt like I was stressed throughout the whole planning process lol. We fed 150 guests at the wedding and we ordered dinner rolls, garden salad, coleslaw, macaroni salad, baked beans, baked chicken and pork ribs. We were unsure what to order and Kelli helped us choose all of the items and amounts perfectly. People were able to get seconds! The day of the wedding I don't really know what was going on because my day of coordinator handled everything but I think everything went well and everyone loved the BBQ. It was a buffet line and the staff served the guests. They also packaged all the leftovers at the end of the night and left it in the kitchen for us. I would definitely recommend them for a wedding or any large event! It's a fun change from the typical wedding food. And the price is not bad at all! Compared to all the other companies and food option I was looking at. read more

Phil's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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Haven't been to Phil's in years but came with friends visiting from out of town who wanted to try it. Unfortunately, I feel like it isn't as good as I remember. The beef rib dinner was tasty (sauce was delicious) especially with mac salad and fries, but the tri-tip was too salty. I think the meat portions are also a bit smaller now (though it's still a lot of food!). There was nothing really special about the meal when I remember people would line up for hours when it was the place to go in San Diego before. Thankfully there was no wait and there's ample seating inside. It's worth trying but I wouldn't go out of my way to come back unless other people wanted to come. read more

Phil's BBQ - Beef Rib Dinner and Tri Tip - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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We went on a Saturday afternoon and thankfully there was plenty of seating. We got the Rib Dinner and the ribs definitely had the smoky flavor. I would say I wish it had more meat for its price. The meat quality could be a bit better. The mac salad was quite good! Would say it's worth trying. read more

Phil's BBQ - Rib Dinner (Quarter) with Macaroni Salad (Small) and Fresh Cut French Fries - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

I feel weird giving a Californian bbq place five stars--they don't do brisket or the normal bbq staples in the south. Ribs are for sure the specialty here, and the sauce is sort of a cross between Carolina, Texas and some other miscellaneous take on bbq. Definitely expect a wait, we came at 3:30 and still waited around half an hour to order. We got a full rack of ribs to share, potato salad, coleslaw, fries, baked beans and a Caesar salad. While waiting for our food, the waiters were so kind in checking in on everyone, asking how many were in your party and then grabbing plates and utensils for you to save you a trip! All the sides were great, especially the potato salad. I'm weird and like my potatoes "al dente", as in still slightly firm and this salad nailed it. The baked beans were good, fries portion was HUGE, and the ribs were good too (although the ends were pretty burnt, so we couldn't eat those which was the only down side). Highly recommend anyone in SD to check out! read more

Phil's BBQ - Beef Rib Dinner (Full) with potato salad and coleslaw - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

Packed as usual! Wait was about 2hrs on a Saturday evening for dinner around 5pm, but I was doing to go which had no wait (2 separate lines: 1 dine in and 1 to go). Parking was also much easier with the to go dedicated spot. Food took about 15min to make. 8/10 Ribless Dinner $17 - Corn was average. Rib meat was tender and sauce was good. Sweet and tangy. Could use some spice. Not worth the wait, but decent for take out. read more

Phil's BBQ - Boneless Ribs Plate - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

Tourist trap! The food was overly processed and sauces way to sweet. The restaurant is nice and seemed fairly clean and the service was good. However cant get over the food. You visit to eat mainly not to enjoy sitting, looking at things on the wall. Of course service is important, but you hardly speak to anyone other then when ordering. Food is a lot to be desired. Still looking for good BBQ. read more

To-go order was fast and tasted amazing. We'll be back!! Be careful to not step on any of the dine-in-here people toes. The line is Disneyland epically long. But worth it. read more

I am honestly writing this as a reminder note to myself to never order the ribless or chickless items ever again. But before I get to that, I will say that this location has the take out service perfected. There is a separate line for take out and they correctly estimated our wait time which was 10-15 minutes. This location has a lot of seating and I know they can get quite crowded. Very casual atmosphere. I thought we ordered two ribless and chickless entrees and a bone-in rib tickler but when we got home, we saw that we received a ribless tickler instead. While you do receive more meat with the no bone options, the meat is not as tender. All the meat - ribs and chicken- were dry and not good. Even the sauce couldn't save it. The fries were soggy. The coleslaw was too sweet. I only liked the steamed vegetables which were average at best. So, the food deserves a zero. But the service slightly pulled up my rating. read more

I'm not from San Diego originally but every single time I'm down there Phil's BBQ is a non negotiable stop. Like it's just on the itinerary before I even book the trip. The ribs here are the kind that make you go quiet at the table. You know when food is so good that the whole conversation just stops for a minute? That's Phil's. Fall off the bone without being mushy, smoky without being overwhelming, and the sauce they put on there hits different from anything I've had up in the Bay. I got the St. Louis style ribs and a half chicken and between those two things I was completely done for the rest of the day in the best way possible. The sides are not an afterthought either which I really appreciated. The baked beans had actual depth to them and the coleslaw was fresh and not drowning in mayo like some places do. Now look the wait can be long. Like genuinely long. I've stood outside in the sun for 45 minutes and I would do it again without hesitation. Just download something to watch or bring a friend to talk to and you'll be fine. They move the line faster than you'd expect once it gets going. The portions are massive so don't make the mistake of over ordering even though everything looks good. One plate here will take care of you for real. Phil's is the real deal. No gimmicks, no frills, just BBQ that makes you understand why people are so passionate about it. Easily one of the best meals I've had in Southern California.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ read more

Ordered: Beefy Rib Tickler (~$14): 1 beef rib, 2 onion rings, coleslaw, and fresh cut fries Beef Bone Add-On (~$10) 5 Grilled BBQ Wings (~$7): Mesquite grilled BBQ chicken wings with ranch Fountain Drink (~$3) Aya's take: First stop back in San Diego and it had to be at Phil's BBQ! It's been years since I last had it and it absolutely did not disappoint. The Beefy Rib is a must-try here. It's so tender, juicy, and massive. I didn't even need to get the second one as an add-on which I ended up taking as leftovers. Also, highly recommend getting the BBQ sauce on the side because the beef rib is super seasoned on its own. The portion of the Tickler is spot-on. For ~$14, you will leave feeling full, satisfied, and maybe even a slight food coma. The Wings were a good try; I liked that they were grilled making them extra juicy. read more

Phil's BBQ - Fountain Drink (~$3): Diet Coke - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

Christina was very kind, patient, and helpful when taking our to-go order at Phil's BBQ. She was friendly, professional, and made sure everything was taken care of. Great customer service and we really appreciated her positive attitude. Thank you, Christina! read more

When we visit San Diego, we crave Phil's all the way from Los Angeles county. The service is always busy. The food was tasty, yummy, and delicious. The beef ribs are amazing and mouth watering. The chicken is moist and just perfect. The restaurant is busy busy busy. The ambiance is alive. I like that they have sinks just to wash your hands rather than going to the restroom. Great idea! See you soon. . read more

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I was visiting San Diego and heard all the talk about this bbq place called Phil's. I arrived at the location and the line to dine in was wrapped around the building. I went to the second line which is the take out line and it moves really fast. I think we waited approximately 15 minutes. I ordered a Slab of ribs, loaded potato, along with a sausage and a pack of cookies. The total of my food was over($90.00) and was really pricey for BBQ. They did a good job packing my order and service was very good at this location. The BBQ ribs were tender and good and should have got my BBQ ribs with no sauce. The BBQ sauce at this place is horrible, and it has a plain taste to add to the meat. I was very disappointed in the BBQ sauce flavor. I was looking forward toward a different taste for BBQ sauce. The hot link was okay a little though and had a okay taste to the link. It was covered in BBQ sauce. I also ordered a loaded bake potato and it came with loaded and it was okay. My overall experience of Phil's great service if you looking to eat in a nice restaurant. However, the BBQ is over priced and the sauce is not as good as BBQ sauce I am use to from the Oakland, CA. If I ate at this place again, BBQ ribs with no sauce would be my recommendation. If you are in San Diego and want BBQ try this place. Enjoy!!!!!! read more

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Phil's Bbq is the best. I ordered the 12 baby back ribs, with sauce on the side, and a baked potato. The ribs were succulent with a great bbq flavor. The sauce that came on the side was nice and warm. I don't know where they get their potatoes from but it was creamy and tasty. I left a 20% tip when I ordered and she seemed very grateful. I noticed the tip jar was empty. People aren't tipping because they're not served at the table. These people are standing for 8 hours taking orders and need to be tipped. If you can afford to go there, you can afford the tip. The bus boy was very attentive and brought my friend extra sauce and for me extra napkins. Portions were big so I've had three meals of it already with one more to go. read more

Phil's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

INCREDIBLY rare to get great service when your server has no financial incentive. Kyleigh is fantastic: I had accidentally sat in the wrong spot because it was my first time there. I'm a young black dude, which is a demographic that honestly has a bad tipping reputation. Kyleigh very kindly explained what had happened and then proceeded to give me exceptional service with a great attitude until she left, even circling back around to tell me to have a good night while she was on her way out, when I couldn't even tip her. I had just been laid off, and I really appreciated some warmth and kindness in that moment. Good person and a good server. 11/10 Plus the ribs were cooked to perfection read more

Good food , great atmosphere, quick service . If u r in short of time sit in bar area . Happy hour is great , cocktails for $5 and they are good. Plenty of parking available. I enjoyed chick less dinner , ribs , onion rings . read more

Phil's BBQ - Sports bar , happy hour area - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

It had been several years since I have been Phil'e BBQ. Aja was amazing. She was welcoming and energetic. She expressed how much she enjoyed working at Phil's BBQ. I could tell just but her interaction with me she meant it. The restaurant was clean and smelled great. The food tasted amazing. read more

I ordered the wings to go from this place and they were amazing. The smoky spicy flavor was perfectly balanced and each wing was juicy and the perfect size. Even though this was a to go order the cashier was welcoming and provided phenomenal service. read more

Solid bbq spot that was bustling when we got here. There was an hr wait to eat inside so we took it to go! Would definitely recommend take-out. The ribs were fall-off the bone tender (order these!) but the bbq sauce was slightly overpowering. The sides (mac salad and potato salad were also decent). read more

Phil's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

Amazing BBQ! Had been meaning to try Phil's BBQ for a while now but finally stars aligned and was able to drive south and oh was it worth it! This is a Kansas City BBQ spot and meats are cooked to perfection, so much so you can really eat a bunch and not feel heavy at all. We tried the baby back ribs, super tender, beef ribs, hot link, pulled pork and tri-tip (both as extra and were ok, probably better on sandwich options), as well as the colossal onion rings which were really good, potato salad and pasta salads sides. The place gets packed pretty fast on the weekend but the line moves fairly quickly since they have plenty of seating options. Service was good and there's plenty of parking. Great BBQ experience, if I lived in SD I'd definitely be here very often! read more

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In 2022, Phil's BBQ was ranked #2 in the top 50 most reviewed restaurants and eateries on Yelp. Number one is Bottega Louie in Los Angeles. And just saying that makes this so soo sooo hard for me to write. We came at the insistence of our San Diego friend, and I hope she doesn't see this review, haha! Perhaps I was still full from lunch, but my skirt wasn't flipping for grilled meats. We shared a pulled pork sandwich, an add-on of tri tip, and an add-on of a sausage link. Maybe we just ordered the wrong items, but I wasn't impressed. The tri tip and pulled pork were dry, but I will say everything tasted very smoky. One thing that threw me off was that they didn't have brisket. I don't think you would be disappointed in Phil's BBQ, but I have to advise, Phoenix has some local BBQ spots that are better. read more

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