Pickles n' smoke showed up at the Kensington Farmers Market last Sunday. The market's weekly email message explained two days before that openings can occur in the market due to family emergencies or vacations, or for other reasons. When that happens, the market will introduce its clientele to "a start-up vendor, or someone who's too small to commit to a weekly gig, or someone who wants to try out a cool new product." The market manager, Chris, cited Pickles n' Smoke as an example of the new surprises we can look forward to. When I showed up last Sunday at noon, there was a short line to order. Customers were curious about the new vendor; perhaps many had showed up expecting Fat Daddy's, which is the usual operation at this corner. During my short walk down the market to the Pickles tent, someone whispered in my ear that the brisket from PnS was delicious. As a result, I ordered the brisket sammi, a relatively small sweet roll piled high with brisket, slaw and sauce. The sandwich cost $19, which was somewhat more than I expected to pay; the price, however, did not strike me as outrageous. I paid in cash and was pleased that there was no tip bucket begging for the dollar bill that I received in change. The sandwich was quite excellent. All the flavors blended together very well, and I wasn't terribly bothered by the sweetness of the roll. If PnS comes back to the market, I'll try buying some barbecued meat in bulk or composing a "plate," which can include multiple meats and sides. read more

Spent some time talking with the woman behind the screen @ the Kensington Farmers Market January 11, 2026. Pickles n Smoke had a booth there. She assured me it would be really good~~NOT! At least 70% pure fat. How disappointing! And I ordered baked beans side--underdone! Gross! I did go back to let her know: she said she would tell the chef. $22 down the tubes. How very disappointing read more

Swung by Armistice for a quick brew. We sat outside and saw a tent for Pickles N Smoke. We decided to try their brisket with slaw and macaroni. So good! Brisket had a lot of flavor. Slaw is vinegar based so it is nice and light. Macaroni had a good texture. So good, in fact, I ended up ordering another plate to try their pork ribs. Delicious as well! Staff is friendly. It will only be a matter of time before they make a huge name for themselves! Be sure to keep up with their pop ups if you ever want to try them out! read more

We only ordered the brisket, it was super tender and melted in my mouth. Their spicy barbecue sauce was also really good

I'll preface this by saying this isn't the best bbq I've ever had--I've been to Texas and I think this would be pretty baseline there. With that being said, I give the whole operation 5 stars for what it is--a popup, not really being prepared or served with a full restaurant setup. The vibes are great (hosted at a local winery with live music and outdoor seating). The guy running the bbq is friendly. The ribs were wonderful, flavorful with that nice bit of crispiness/toughness to them without being at all difficult to bite through. The brisket was fatty and flavorful. The mac n cheese wasn't super fresh, but again, it's one guy running the show. Definitely worth checking out! read more

Pickles N Smoke - brisket and ribs - Pop-Up Restaurants Near Me - Richmond, California

Their barbecue is very delicious with wonderful sides. It is worth a quick trip to El Cerrito/ Richmond to pick it up and they are so nice. If you have a party of 30 or more, you can preorder for catering. read more

Had David cater my baby shower and I would do it again. he messages promptly and when he delivered he was thorough, helpful and diligent on what I needed to do with the steamers. And most importantly the food was amazing. Brisket, tri tip, pork belly, coleslaw, etc. it was all amazing. read more

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Delicious !!! nice out of the way spot ! Melted in your mouth . Would go back dress warm

Catered my wedding, was outstanding. Relatively reasonable pricing for ~120 guests. The pit-man Dave was on hand and set up/managed the serving buffet smoothly. Would highly recommend hiring for any event or to check out his East Bay pop ups. The best BBQ I've had on the west coast. read more

I have been on a quest recently to find the best ribs, and recently tried Pickles N Smoke. This is definitely the best. The ribs themselves are perfectly cooked even without the sauce, and the sauce is good, too. The ribs also have a good amount of meat on them. Basically, large portions of very tasty meat. How can you go wrong? read more

Pickles and smoke has the best barbecue I have had in years! The baby back ribs were deliciously meaty, not fatty, perfectly seasoned with a yummy little bite, but not too spicy. Atmosphere is casual and relaxed, with shared tables and a wine barrel vibe. We will definitely be back! read more

The food is simply delicious and amazing! great service on top of it. This is a DO NOT MISS recommendation!

So, we went to the Windchaser winery in Berkeley and they were there selling their BBQ. We ordered the brisket, chicken, ribs, Mac n cheese, beans. The best was the ribs, tender and seasoned good. The brisket fatty part was tender but the other parts were dry. The Mac n cheese was dry and lacking flavor. The beans needed some flavor, meat, or bbq sauce in it. They tasted just like can beans. The chicken was tender and had good flavor. The coleslaw needed some seasoning or flavor as well. They didn't have links. As a popup it's not bad. Pop ups are hard to do. read more

You can't go wrong with Pickles N Smoke. They catered my wife's birthday party. Not only were the meats (and vegetarian option) and sides delicious, David did an excellent job suggesting menu options and serving our guests. Highly recommend them for your next party, event, etc. read more

Pickles N Smoke catered a party for us. The food was excellent. Everyone particularly loved the brisket. They arrived on time with equipment to keep the food warm through the evening. read more

Got 4 lbs of fatty brisket. Delicious. It's very very similar or pretty much the same as Franklin's BBQ in Austin Texas.

We recently hired Pickles N Smoke for our company picnic. None of us had had Dave's amazing BBQ before, but we are now lifetime customers! The brisket, ribs, chicken & all the sides were excellent. Everyone at our event & other folks who were lucky enough to eat leftovers (glad I ordered extra), wanted to know where the incredible food came from. Dave responded to all my emails & texts immediately which was very much appreciated. Pickles N Smoke is now our go to BBQ! read more

We had been craving some good bbq so we were super excited for the pickles n smoke pop up at flowerland in Albany and it didn't disappoint! We had ribs, brisket, a croissket, a pulled pork sandwich and Mac n cheese so we could try a variety and I found there wasn't anything I wouldn't order again. If anything, I just wanted more. It's definitely right up my alley because croissants+brisket?? Yes please! The ribs were soooo tender and brisket and pulled pork were tasty. This is all making my mouth water just thinking about it! I saw they do brunch at the factory bar sometimes, I'm just putting it out into the universe that I hope that happens again soon! read more

This brisket is amazing. I've made a few briskets in my life, but none compare to the flavors and tenderness of this incredible meat. I strongly recommend you skip the hugely time-consuming process of cooking your own brisket, and leave it to Dave, the professional. You will not be disappointed. read more

The ribs at the windchaser were excellent! Beans and slaw as well! Nice atmosphere here.

These guys are killin' it! Juicy meats? Good sauce, not drowning the meat? A massive BBQ sandwich that I can just barely get my mouth around? Check, check, and check. Dude is a genius for putting PICKLED GRAPES in the slaw, holy crap, you gotta try this. They do a pop-up at the new Great Notion taproom in Berkeley, go get you some great beer to wash down this delicious grub. read more