I remember back in 2018 Chef Hanis Calvin founded The Pioneer.  I saw him hard at work in the kitchen and the bbq was very good.  Sadly he left for other ventures.  I'm visiting for the last time as The Pioneer closed on July 8, 2025. Pioneer Bbq smokes their meats with white oak which gives their meats a smoky flavor without the bitter aftertaste. Pork baby back ribs were tender and had a smoky aroma and flavor from the white oak.  Dry rub gave the ribs a bit of sweetness from the brown sugar and some spice from the black pepper.  Very tasty. Prime beef brisket was tender and juicy.  Peppercorn based dry rub and the smoky flavor combined with the high quality beef into some delicious brisket. Staff was nice and efficient.  I'll miss this place Chef Hanis created.  I was told I could get the same Texas style bbq at a sister restaurant Del's Hideout which employs the same Executive Chef Tim Eylens.  It was back in 2011 I first sampled Chef Hanis food at Carnitas Snack Shack.  Best carnitas I ever had.  It's been since 2023 when I last saw Chef Hanis at the now closed Carbon Bbq.  I hope he is doing well. https://www.hungryones.com/2023/08/carbon-bbq/ To absent friends, lost loves, old gods, and the season of mists; and may each and every one of us always give the devil his due. Neil Gaiman read more

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Enjoyed a good bbq me at pioneer. The meat was pretty tender and the corn was a nice side. Unfortunately looks like they've closed. Dels hideout, their sister restaurant is an another good bbq option. read more

Pioneer BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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This restaurant was great but has since closed. We only ate there once, but it was an enjoyable experience. They have another location called Del's Hideout if you want to visit in San Diego. read more

The food is very good and the waitstaff & bartenders are very accommodating with special requests as well as great service, and trivia night is fun! Not sure who the manager now, but we had stopped going for a while about a year ago when the manager on shift one night was extremely rude to us when we came in about 30 min. before closing. He yelled at us about the kitchen being closed already...which we understood, but would not even let us get a drink at the bar. When he huffed off, the bartender kindly apologized & told us we definitely had time for a drink but we were already too put off by the managers rudeness to want to stay. So we thanked him for trying & then fortunately discovered Funky Fries & Burgers through Yelping an alternate place to grab a burger. So I guess we have the very rude manager at Pioneer to thank for that. Have been going there and bringing multiple guests ever since. Haven't been back to Pioneer very often, which is a shame because it is literally walking distance from my house. read more

The service here is exceptional. The waitress was very polite and attentive. The restaurant give me cool renovated warehouse vibes. There plenty of TVs around to catch some games playing. The parking lot is sort of small, so if it was a busy day it may be an issue with parking. Lastly, the bbq, the pulled park was okay. The mac and cheese was runny, everything else had no flavor. I would say this place is good for a drink with friends or solo, but the BBQ definitely is not anything to look forward too. read more

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I am shocked that I have not left a review of this spot yet as we have been multiple times! We love coming to this spot for dinner when we have the time because they do close rather early during the week so sometimes we can not make it over there in time. We came in for a Saturday night dinner and also got to enjoy doing trivia as well. I am a tri tip lover so when I read that they do a tri tip special on Saturdays I knew I had to order it and it was SOO good! I did the tri tip plate which came with 2 sides which I did the baked potato and the elote corn which everything was great. My boyfriend got the beans and mac n cheese as his sides and both of those were amazing as well. You really can't go wrong with their side options! Can't wait to come back again soon! read more

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Quality bbq spot in Grossmont! Super friendly staff who actually exude that they like their job lol. Ordered the Reuben which had the thickest pieces of pastrami I ever had! It came on rye bread with classic tasting sauerkraut (hell yeah probiotics). For dessert, I ordered the seasonal bread pudding a la mode. The seasonal fruit was blackberries, and that dessert was pretty amazing. 10/10 read more

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We went to Pioneer BBQ for Valentine's Day Dinner, they did not disappoint $59.95 for 2! Food: Ribs, meaty & tasty; chicken, tasty too! But that brisket was everything & more, I haven't had any better here in California. Beans, potato salad & coleslaw were on point as well. We had the cherry cheesecake for dessert, (it was like a deconstructed cheesecake in a glass) wasn't too sweet & very tasty! Service: Top notch! Super nice people, very welcoming! Ambiance: One of the best for us, not too crowded, laid back, not too loud, I liked the lay out of the restaurant, the whole vibe was my kind of place. I will add we usually go to Coasters in PB, but I do like the Pioneer location better (for various reasons; mainly the riffraff in PB & crowds) read more

Pioneer BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

Sat at the bar seemed to get there right before the rush. Nice, clean, semi industrial look. We shared the loaded fries, potato skins and chicken tenders. Carolina gold bbq sauce was excellent. Fries had a lot going on, the cheese sauce didn't fit in for me. Chicken tenders were some of the best I've ever had. Potato skins were very good. I'll be back to try a sandwich sometime. It's a bit pricey. Even appetizers were over $15. No killer deals on happy hour. Essential a $1 off some beers and well drinks. read more

Pioneer BBQ - BBQ POTATO SKINS - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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I have driven past this place a multitude of times and finally got a change to check them out! I love that this restaurant is family-oriented and they also own Del's Hideout which is another restaurant that's known to be kid- friendly. They have an extensive menu of local brews but I just tried their brisket sandwich with a baked potato. The brisket was so tender and flavorful, and was served on a fluffy brioche bun. My baked potatoe came with butter and sour cream, and was the perfect addition to the sandwich. The meal was a large portion for me and I ended up taking my leftovers home. At $20, I felt that it was fairly priced for bbq. I will definitely be back to try more off their menu along with their happy hour specials. If you're looking for delicious BBQ, friendly service, and a welcoming atmosphere- this is it! read more

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People raving about this place so....you know I had to check it out. It's a BBQ spot that serves alcohol. Walking in there's plenty of seating inside and a bar in front of you. Wait for a second and you'll be seated. I ordered the 2 Meat Combo with Meat Loaf, Ribs w/ Street Corn, Baked Beans & Cornbread. Plus I also tried a Loaded Potato Skins. Ribs were ok but wish they had more flavor. Meatloaf was ok and there's not a lot of meat. Street Corn was ok...Baked Beans were good....Cornbread was ok....Loaded Potatoes were good. If you're in the area check it out. read more

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Came here on a Saturday Night on Veterans Day. Parking lot was full and there was a sign that there wasw parking at Albertsons next door. We did that and found a parking spot quickly. The walk was about 3 mins and the weather was cool and crisp outside. When we arrived, the hostess seated us right away. My husband wanted to watch the football games and the spot that we were initially shown had no tv view. We tried to flag down the hostess but she was in deep conversation with another table. A man who was near the bar came to see about helping us. He wiped off a bar top table and we were able to relocate. This was very cool of him. He even offered to put the game on that we wanted, super cool dude. We sat and our server came over and introduced herself. She would bring back iced waters and then take our order. We ordered the BBQ Meal For Two. It had 6oz brisket, pulled pork, bbq chicken, texas toast, and came with choice of 3 sides. We chose: Collard Greens, Mac N Cheese, and mashed potatoes for our sides. Food came out like in 5mins! It was very unexpected. The portions were decent and the toast was warm and crunchy. The brisket was a bit fatty, but the smoke flavor was awesome. They gave us the most marbled fatty slices and it was not enjoyable. The bbq chicken was a little dry and didn't have much taste to it. I put bbq sauce on it, and it is a spicy sauce so it wasn't my thing. The pulled pork I did not try but my husband said that it was very good with good smoke flavor. The sides were okay. I asked for a dessert menu and instead of giving me one, our server told me the 4 items on it. That bothered me a bit, as I like to see how the chef describes their menu items. They had no options that included chocolate in the dessert, so I passed and thanked our server for letting me know. Overall, the customer service was very good. The place was packed, TVs had all the college football games on, and the trivia added a great atmosphere. They have Saturday Night Trivia here. It is pretty exciting to watch and they made the first round a Veterans Category. I loved the energy. We noticed that they some great daily specials, so would like to come back to try some of them. read more

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My first time here was a great experience! I ordered the pulled pork with baby back ribs. Both were excellent! The pulled pork was tender and tasty and the ribs were meaty and had great flavor. Even the sides were very good. I had the baked beans, bacon potato salad and a cornbread muffin. Service was also great. I will add Pioneer BBQ to my list of favorite California BBQ restaurants! read more

Pioneer BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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Fun vibe!! Food is great! Haven't had a bad dish yet! Love their fries!! We do a monthly dinner with friends, has to be a new location each time and eat family style. We've been back to this one a few times just to go! Really good! read more

I've been to Texas multiple times and multiple cities, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston.... each time eating pounds and pounds of delicious, juicy, tender smoked brisket. The only San Diego BBQ joint that replicates this is Pioneer BBQ! Seriously, Pioneer's Smoked Brisket here is just as good as anywhere I've had it in Texas, including Terry Black's, Pecan Lodge, Hutchison's, La Barbeque The Pit Room, and . Smokey, tender, juicy, and meaty with a really nice dry rub...so nice that I don't even put any bbq sauce on it! Best of all, this succulent meaty masterpiece is actually cheaper than Texas! $30/lb, versus mid-high $30s anywhere else in Texas. (I thought Texas was supposed to be cheaper than California, but except for smoked brisket? :) ). The sides are amazing too! Texas Toast, Mac N Cheese, Collard Greens, potato salad, corn....all just as good or better than all the Texas joints. The pork ribs are pretty good too, but not quite up to par with other bbq joints in San Diego or Texas, such as Bull's BBQ, Smoking J's, and Phil's BBQ. They good, but not "fall of the bone" tender. Friendly service all around, and nice casual and clean ambiance. read more

9/8/2024 - Only my second time here. Arrived in early afternoon and plenty of sitting. I wouldn't go here on a Sunday. Several tables with guests watching football games with game jerseys. Very loud in there with screaming and whatever. Ok. Ordered smoke meatloaf with potato salad, baked potatoes and Texas toast. The meatloaf was not good and had a kick. Taste like spam. They put some glaze or something on it and it had a spice kick and you only add sauces to meatloaf when it's dry. I would not get again. I taste no smoke flavor to the meatloaf except the sauce they placed in it. Rest of the sides were fine. I took 2 stars off for lack of good quality meatloaf. I'm always looking for a good meatloaf. Skip it here. Also, very expensive. See photos. read more

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Brisket was average everything else was above average salt ce needs more zing. Pricing seems high as well read more

Dude....first of all, the food here is amazing and it's clear that a lot of love goes into it.....and at a fair price. Second, service is exceptional, the server being knowledgeable about the food as well as the beer selection. Third, when does a server or manager ask how did "we" do? It's always more about "everything ok"? So, my response was you guys rocked it! I know it takes a team and you all did well! For my meal I ordered the Big O Melt, basically a grilled Swiss cheese on Texas Toast with caramelized onions and add your choice of BBQ meats, I chose Brisket. The meal included a side, I selected Street Corn. The sandwich was exceptional. The brisket moist and flavorful, the cheese and caramelized onions worked, add some spiced bbq sauce and Carolina style bbq sauce and it's a match made in heaven. The street corn side was a good choice; had me at first bite, canned corn but good, sweet, firm, add lime juice, a tad of mayo or cream, cotija cheese, and tajin on top (my interpretation). Paired nicely with the sandwich, other choices included Cole slaw, baked beans, fries, side salad, etc. I really enjoyed the music, decor, layout, etc, will definitely come back with family and/or friends. The only negative comment would be access in and out and parking, a bit tight. read more

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This place is consistently delicious. Every time we visit, we are happy. Service is quick and friendly and food is always great. The bbq is truly amazing. read more

Let's start off by saying the service was great! People are attentive and multiple persons checked up on us throughout our visit, not just our server. Now... I literally went there for the burnt ends and was very upset to find out they just took it off the menu a month ago! Why????? Idk so sporadically I chose the 2 meat plate combo with Prime Beef Brisket and the House Made Hot Links with Collard greens and Killer Beans for my sides. Also... I had to order the Beef Brisket Chili and the Street Corn . Food had Flavor... I can't complain there. Everything just didn't seem fresh... idk.. maybe because they opened at noon at we got there at 1 and they didn't seem busy... so I feel like we got the first made food sittin' there ready to go or they could've heated it up longer or something. We asked for sauces to help with with the smoked/dry meat and offered bbq or spicy BBQ. I didn't ask for hot sauce because I felt like those were the only two sauces they had to offer. That was only thing holding me back from 5 stars. Flavor is there! Drinks were delicious!! Service and ambiance is nice! I would go again maybe during dinner time in hopes to get fresher food right out the smoker ! Seems like a cool place to watch the game and they are dog friendly! read more

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Had a baked potato and brisket sandwich. I thought the flavor was just okay. I did feel violently ill later on, so unfortunately I won't be returning. I know there are better BBQ joints across the SD area. Service was just basic I guess, nothing memorable or super welcoming. Ambience would be great if you like Punisher stickers on your spotlessly sparkling clean massive monster truck. read more

Great BBQ in San Diego. Don't believe bad reviews. I have been here 3 years ago, and have recently returned for a taste again! And a good thing! It was as good as 3 years ago! Which is rarely happens nowadays! Service is very attentive and prompt! I love their simplicity and humane side (Unpretentious ) Beers on tap are pretty good as well. Oh almost forgot! That honey butter is crack! Just try it! read more

Pioneer BBQ - PRIME BEEF BRISKET - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

It is wonderful experience with amazing food. And a great space for families from the local community. Highly recommend.

Came here yesterday with my father and brother.And both food and service were stellar, highly recommend! And try the barbecue feast platters because They are very generous and delicious!!! read more

This place is the epitome of neighborhood comfort spot..the chef listens and the waitstaff is exceptional...must go let's keep our local small businesses rocking McDonald's will survive...and hopefully this place will too great sports or quiet if desired, food is awesome! read more

I met some old friends for dinner and to catch up! They love coming here so much and seems to be the go-to place when we get together. We opted for the party of 4 since there were 4 of us. The hardest part is always deciding which sides to get. With this meal, you get the choice of 3 sides. One of my friends chose bacon potato salad, while the other chose the Mac and cheese. For the last side, we asked our server to help us out! We asked her if the street corn or the baked beans were better and she said she loves the corn. She was so right! I always love the street corn and mac and cheese but was in love with the bacon potato salad this time! read more

Pioneer BBQ - Party of 2 - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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I ordered Pioneer BBQ one night for take out, since it's a stones throw from my place and was shocked by how massive the portions were. Pros are that the portions are hefty, the sausage link is sliced very thin and was my favorite bite of the night. Homemade thinly sliced pickles and onions accompanied the meal along with two large pieces of garlic Texas toast. We both ordered the Mac and cheese which I thought was okay but under seasoned and desperately needed to be boiled in salt. The brisket was tender mixed with lean and fatty pieces. The coleslaw was okay, the onion rings were awesome. The biggest con is the price. We spent $65 before tip for two meals. The kicker is that there's an up charge for everything: the sausage link, the mac and cheese to each meal and the onion rings. That alone added an additional $10. We would've been better off ordering the party if 2 meal but we're told we couldn't make substitutions to it. We had leftover for days and the guy who greeted me was friendly. I'm glad this place exists but think the menu and prices needs to be revisited and not have so many up charges. read more

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Hate to leave poor reviews, but this place was really disappointing. I ordered the brisket sandwich and potato salad. The brisket was tough and dry. Zero smoke ring which makes me wonder if it's actually smoked. Tasted like they used liquid smoke in the whatever they used to season or marinate it. Potato salad tasted like potato salad. Nothing special, nothing terrible. Overall a really mediocre meal. If you're looking for good brisket in the la Mesa area, I'd highly recommend Smokey and the brisket over this place. Similarly priced but the quality of the food at SATB is night and day to this place. read more

We have been wanting to try this place for a month and finally we went last Sunday! We got sit right away with no reservations. The place is spacious and clean. For drinks we order 2 Bloody Mary's, 1 red ale and 1 vodka soda. Do yourself a favor and order the Bloody Mary - it was really good! Food wise we got the bbq party of 2 (shared by 3 people). It comes with 3 sides so the amount of food was perfect. I got the 5 grain salad with turkey on the side. There was something missing with the dressing.. I didn't love it unfortunately. They have a lot of daily specials so my husband and I can't wait to go back for happy hour or Saturday trivia! read more

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Food is amazing! Great location and fun relaxing atmosphere!! I recommend, great sports bar.

Stopped by this place with a few friends for brunch last Sunday. They have daily specials and it was Bacon Bloody Mary day, so we grabbed a couple. I didn't try one, but my friend's enjoyed theirs a lot! We ordered a bbq platter with pulled pork, chicken, and brisket. On the sides we got green beans, tater tots, and onion rings. The bbq was decent. I wouldn't say it was amazing, but it got the job done. The chicken was boneless breast meat, so a tad on the dry side, but the pork and brisket made up for it. I would skip the chicken next time. I enjoyed all of the sides. Who doesn't love a tater tots? The onion rings were pretty large and very crispy, which we all loved. All in all, I would probably give it a 3.5, but it was a good meal for a good price. The service was great, and I liked the atmosphere. I would definitely come back for drinks and a few nibbles if I was in the neighborhood. read more

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This restaurant exceeded our expectations, serving outstanding food that left a lasting impression on our family's first visit.

Let me start off by saying we love Del's BBQ. This place is its sister restaurant and serves the exact food (we didn't realize this). This place is not worth going to and it's filthy. I am not even exaggerating. The first table the server sat us in was dirty (table was not wiped, there were still crumbs), so we moved only to find the next table was also dirty and looked around and all the tables were dirty. We stayed anyways since my SO isn't one to walk out of a restaurant. The server brings us utensils & plates and of course, the plates were dirty. Food comes and it's practically room temperature (came out within 5 mins)... I love dogs and have no problem with dogs being allowed at restaurants, but please clean. You see dog hair all over the table and counters. I didn't want to touch anything nor did I want to put my bag down. If I wasn't so hungry I wouldn't have ate. I was afraid of the lack of cleanliness of this place. Will not be back. Go to Del'a instead. read more

Pioneer BBQ - Food - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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First, let me say that few BBQ restaurants get a 5 Star rating from me. I started going to Pioneer BBQ near the start of 2023 and was pleasantly surprised how good the food was. I have returned to the restaurant, usually with friends, about a half a dozen times or more, in 2023. The first time I went to the restaurant, I ordered the Fish & Chips and the fish, fries and Coleslaw were very good. I specifically remembered this because the food was so good. The next time I ordered the BBQ and the BBQ was very, very good. All the sides the restaurant serve are delicious as well. Again pleasantly surprised. I ordered the vegan burger one time and again, I was surprised how good it tasted. I am not vegan but I like vegan options as I'm trying to reduce meat in my diet. The layout of the restaurant is very welcoming and the restaurant staff are very helpful and nice. Their website is even easy to use. They even have live music on Friday nights. The musician I've seen several times now is the vocalist and guitarist "Timmy D." He is a superb musician and he makes everyone feel welcome at the restaurant. ----- Update: Sometimes I read through Yelp reviews to see what other people are saying. I see in 2023 they got some One Star reviews. Some people said the food was bland. This is an outright lie. The food is very flavorful. These people must very poor taste buds or they are simply mean people. Then several people complained that the prices are too high. This a ridiculous complaint, all restaurants have high prices now, due to Covid-19 and their prices are inline with other restaurants of their caliper. Pioneer BBQ has their prices on their website. If people looked at their website before they went there and decided their prices were too high, why didn't they simply go to McDonald's? read more

Pioneer BBQ - Timmy D. playing songs and singing with his acoustical guitar on May 12, 2023. - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

I've been here twice. The first time was a great experience but this second time, we enjoyed the ambiance and the staff were friendly and provided good service. Although the food was flavorful, it was cold by the time it was served. read more

Went here on the last day of restaurant week! $25 per person for lunch and dinner, much worth it. I called to ask if there's reservations and they said no, just first come first serve. We got there around 5:45pm and it wasn't busy! There was a couple parking spaces. Just a tip, it's a bit of a small parking spot but there's always parking at the nearest plaza next door. We were seated within 5 minutes and had amazing customer service. The servers and bartenders were so nice and polite. We started our dinner off with appetizers; loaded fries and spicy bbq wings. The serve said that wings usually take a little longer to go out, but surprisingly it came out first; shortly after the loaded fries came out. We both upgraded from the restaurant week menu selections to the bbq plate upgrade! Got to choose two meats and two sides. We both had the pulled pork and beef brisket with a side of Mac n cheese and bacon potato salad. It's soo good but we didn't get to finish it. We ended our meal with what our serve recommended for dessert; the banana pudding which only comes out during SD restaurant week. She was right, it was soo good! It was light and just enough for my brother and i to finish our servings. Food was great and customer service is also great! Highly recommend. Just don't go too crazy like my brother and I; we devoured our food so fast that we didn't get to finish it and got full right away. Haha! read more

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3.5 stars. Service was ok. Food was good but not at the top of the list of BBQ places. It's on my neighborhood so very convenient.

Food was fantastic! We had full rack of ribs probably could have done half! It was excellent meaty and the meat just dropped of the bone prepared perfectly! read more

My Son and Husband were craving again for Bbq, but COASTER SALOON BBQ and DEL'S HIDEOUT BBQ wasn't on the way to where we were going for the day. So again as always, I used Yelp, and this one Popped up called "PIONEER BBQ". We drove to the Place and it looked Big and decent with plenty of Parking. We came in and were greeted right away by our Server named KATRINA. When she handed us the Menu, it really looked so Familiar, and I asked our server about it and she said that DEL'S HIDEOUT, COASTER SALOON, AND PIONEER have the same Owner. And for us that is good 'coz we've been to their other locations and we Love their food and services. So the first thing that I looked for on the Menu was my 28 oz Bloody Mary with BBQ on top, but I couldn't find it, and our server said that their food is the same as the other Branches, but not all the drinks. So we started with our order with: *BABY BACK RIBS, FULL RACK - With House pickles & onions, Texas Toast, and two choices of sides. For the sides, we chose killer baked beans and Street corn. *BBQ FEAST, PARTY of 2 - Brisket, smoked pulled pork, Bbq chicken breast, Texas Toast, House pickles & onion, and two choices of sides. For the sides, we chose killer baked beans and Mac & Cheese. *GIN IT TO WIN IT COCKTAIL- Ford's Gin, Strawberry, mint, Lime, and Fever tree grapefruit Soda. My BBQ BACK RIBS were so good, it was easy to eat 'coz meats pulled apart from the bone so easily. But the KILLER BAKED BEANS was just okay here, I like the Killer Baked Beans in their other branch, the Coaster Saloon one, coz it has more of a Bbq taste on the Beans. Oohh, but the STREET CORN was my first time trying it, and I devoured it first 'coz it was soo good. My son and husband's BBQ FEAST that they shared all tasted good, and at this location, we noticed that among the branches they have, this one has the softest and most Tender meats. Other than the Killer Baked Beans for their side is the MAC & CHEESE , this one is also good, very cheesy, but good. And for my GIN IT TO WIN IT COCKTAIL, it had a Mild amount of Alcohol, but still okay. I guess I've been to all their Branches here in San Diego already, and they are all good . Definitely, any of their Branches is ours to go for BBQ 'coz they have good Bbq and good customer service and Pet Friendly too ! read more

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Good BBQ! Nice serving size! Ribs were tasty! Original rubs! I recommend the slab and the Bacon Mac & Cheese was just right! Nice and thick...none of that watery cheese stuff! Brisket is a good choice too! Oh and the Texas toast is a must! Rustic casual interior, more like a neighborhood bar type feel. Very well ventilated with windows and doors open. We went for lunch so it was not crowded in the afternoon. Probably crowded at night maybe with the bar and tv screens giving it a "sports bar" feel. Free parking, which is a bonus!! read more

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