We were eating at Roadside almost weekly from my son was an infant for 6 yrs. After, COVID we noticed a decline in quality but we kept going but not as frequently. We moved away in 2022 and came back for a visit today 2024. It is back and now it tastes better than ever! Whatever changes they made, it shows! The soft serve machine is working, the food tastes amazing, it feels cleaner than before and the service is still very friendly! read more

Roadside BBQ - 3 meats: Beef ribs, baby back ribs, brisket, garlic fries (garlic on the side), beans, Mac & cheese, corn bread, kale (spicy). Soooo good!! - Barbeque Near Me - San Rafael, California

Highly affordable plate. Honestly small plate (sampler) was enough for me! I chose corn muffins and had expected maybe a couple of corn muffins would come. But actually they gave 4 corn muffins, which I found highly satisfying. Well-seasoned. Slightly dry (the reason I took off one star :(...) but overall I loved the taste! Delicious. Good service, good location to pick up the food read more

Roadside BBQ - Baby Back Rib Sampler Plate with Two-Bite Corn Muffin - Barbeque Near Me - San Rafael, California

I would give it 5 stars but it's my first time going. I found the staff to be friendly and welcoming. Very clean. But the most important thing, the food. I had the beef rib. I've been searching for a beef rib for quite a while. It was tender to the fork. Super tasty. Their brisket beans - ugh delicious! The potato salad? On point. It's an hour away from my house but I see myself making the effort to come when I'm craving a beef rib. Thanks, Roadside BBQ. You made my day. read more

Sides are too inconsistent. On one visit, the mac n cheese is good. The next time we go in it is a soggy mass of mediocre pasta. Same for the beans and brisket. A chunk of meat is served with the beans. The next time, two microscopic shreds of brisket, too much sauce and half a container of beans. On our very last visit the coleslaw was inedible. It was served with a dash of vinegar on green and red cabbage and carrots. If they are out of coleslaw slaw dressing, don't serve it! Absolutely a waste of money for high cost take out food. Unfortunately we will not be returning to this restaurant. We have given them 4 chances because they are local. read more

I was skeptical (because I'm a picky eater and all bbq isn't equal. The food was better than I expected. Wasn't the best I've ever had but the sauce was delicious and the greens had just enough "spice". The delivery person was quicker than I expected and the food was still hot. The packaging was eco-friendly and didn't affect the flavor at all read more

We ordered the Q for10 while camping nearby. The chicken, pork, and beef were all very good. My favorite was the ribs. There were a lot of compliments on the slaw and potato salad. The service was friendly and helpful. I would order this again! read more

Even thou I asked for the brisket to be done on the well side it still was too fatty to eat. Very disappointed

Tender baby back ribs but not much smoke flavor. BBQ sauce had little depth, more like a good bottled. Garlic fries were delicious!

Good Bbq i enjoy baby back ribs the location is very secluded i feel very exclusive there mac n cheese is better than homemade

Food was really tasty and pretty decent price and customer service was great but in this heat air conditioning would have made the experience a lot more enjoyable it was very hot inside the restaurant for someone just sitting down so I can imagine it was very uncomfortable for the staff in this heat. read more

Their ribs are 9/10 tasty!!! And they gave us extra sauce!! Very good service. Their Mac n cheese is legit. And the coleslaw isn't creamy it's tangy and refreshing! And Very nice bathrooms. Plus they give you a soft serve complimentary with your meal!! Old school vibes. Love this place. I'll be coming monthly with my husband. read more

Roadside BBQ - Pork ribs with Cole slaw Mac n cheese. And brisket and potato salad on my husbands plate. - Barbeque Near Me - San Rafael, California

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I'd been here before, eating in, a few years ago and the food was good. So when we decided we wanted BBQ delivered for dinner, we ordered with some confidence. What we got? It was almost bizarrely bad. The smoked chicken wings were cold. Not as in they had cooled down, but refrigerator cold. But look at this picture. If you had to guess what it is, you'd probably say a side of veggies, right? Wrong. This is their "Grilled Vegetable Plate" for $18.95!! I was picturing maybe some corn on the cob, thick slices of zucchini, maybe skewered onions and tomatoes, all cooked on a grill. NOT what had to be, or at least tasted like, a bag of frozen mixed veggies zapped in a microwave. Which then arrived at room temperature. And for $18.95 this box of seemingly frozen veggies should have been totally full! Yes, it came with two small sides- but that's still ridiculous. I'd say maybe they had a tough time pivoting to takeout/delivery in the time of Covid, but they also have a catering side to their business! I hope my experience was an anomaly, but I'd be remiss in not warning folks away from ordering one of the most expensive dishes on the menu. read more

Roadside BBQ - The Grilled Veggie Platter (wtf?) - Barbeque Near Me - San Rafael, California

I used Grubhub to order lunch to go. Fortunately I went in to pick up because my online order got canceled. Since I was there I ordered the ribs and smoked chicken with potato salad and cornbread. The sauces are ok, I have had better, still they hit the spot that day. I was thrilled they packed everything up quickly and efficiently. The potato salad and mini cornbread were tasty as well. It would have been nice if I had remembered to get napkins, but it worked out as we ate in the parking lot of the mall at Corte Madera. The Northgate Mall was closed obviously as it is an indoor mall. It was great to have such yummy food and fast service on a day our power was out and we had to kill time driving around. It was a late in the afternoon as well. The staff was super friendly and I appreciate all they do! The food is consistent here and that makes me happy as well. Grateful all around! read more

I love this bbq joint! It's some delicious down home cooking! We need more bbq spots like this one!

Texas cheesesteak was boiled brisket and no onions or peppers. Cheese was melted deep from microwave, bun was nothing special. Had to ask for au jui which looked like piss. Beans were hood. Be another 10 years before I teturn read more

This place is very reliable and fairly priced. It's meats are very consistent, and very tasty. I recommend the Baby Back Ribs, and brisket. The chicken sandwiches are my go to for lunch. The sides are also really good, and I recommend the baked beans (full of brisket), the veggies (very healthy and always fresh and tasty), and the coleslaw. Ambiance is not great, but very Texas themed. They have 2 TVs broadcasting sports. Parking is never an issue, and it is in Northgate Mall. I really like this place, and bring their takeout to most potlucks and picnics; and the food always gets good reviews. Happy Holidays read more

I've been to this place more times in the last 2 months than can think of and the thing that draws me to the food is its difference in cooks and the sandwiches. The last sandwich was a grilled chicken sandwich, sort of like pulled pork but on a toasted sesame brioche bun with bbq sauce loaded with the wing stop fries and coleslaw. It was so good I saved some for my dog bandit and he kept motioning to put the their homemade sauce on the fries, I did... and instantly fell in love with the food again! read more

I can't believe I've never been to Roadside before!! I'm at the mall regularly, so what was I thinking about not coming here?! We were trying to figure out where to eat for dinner after doing some shopping and couldn't think of an appetizing place nearby. There isn't a great selection of places to eat at the mall, but the bbq here is simply delicious! The service was excellent. We were greeted by the cashier/server and he kindly explained the menu options. We decided on the four meat combo with three sides. Well worth the price for the quantity and quality! Our order: slices of brisket, hot links, pork ribs and beef ribs and also three sides: mac n cheese, baked beans, and potato salad as well as complimentary mini corn bread muffins. I have to say my favorites were the pork ribs and brisket. Flavorful and juicy, not dry at all. I didn't try the beef ribs, but they looked tasty. They offer regular and hot bbq sauces at the table. The regular bbq sauce is really good, not too sweet. It doesn't need to be slathered ontop since the bbq is seasoned well and cooked perfectly. My favorite sides were the baked beans, potato salad and corn bread. The baked beans had bits of bacon mixed in, yum! I ate all of the corn bread muffins and wanted to get more. I'm bummed I didn't know about the complimentary soft serve ice cream. A great reason for me to go back! If you find yourself in a pickle trying to figure out where to eat in the area like I was, give Roadside BBQ a try. read more

Roadside BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Rafael, California

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You can't beat the price for the food you get here. It is the best food in the mall. Quick easy fast. Excellent food for a very good price. The customer service is always excellent. read more

This was the worst meal and almost inedible. The brisket was dry and tough. It wasn't freshly smoked - they had to reheat the meat. Beans tasted like they opened a can. Cornbread also dry and old. The coconut banana pie tasted like the inside of a refrigerator. read more

We ordered Large beef ribs which includes 2 sides and 4 chunky beefs. The quality of meat was perfect. Ribs have been fully cooked and also juicy. The garlic potato fries were enough for two . The cole slaw was not creamy that much. Dinning area was clean clean and costumer service was absolutely perfect. Great experience . read more

Roadside BBQ - Garlic - Barbeque Near Me - San Rafael, California

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Roadside BBQ seemed very franchisey. The meat was ok but real BBQ joints serve sauce on the side not on the meat. Meat should be able to stand on its own and not need to hide behind sauce. I would not recommend this to my friends. read more

Hot Chicken! The best ever. I like hot chicken, but most have no flavor. This is delicious and hot and tangy

Q for 2! for our order we got 2 order of baby back ribs (4 pieces of ribs each) beef brisket and pulled pork! I liked the brisket better than the pulled pork, service was easy and quick! Thank you!! read more

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My wife and I tried Roadside today. I had an MRI scheduled nearby and the thought of BBQ sounded good. We always look for outdoor seating as we always have the wife's dog. So that was a plus. Really nice pretty much brand new picnic benches out front. Plus #2! My wife went in and ordered the 3 meat combo. That's where it fell apart... the ribs were actually ok. The brisket however was very bland. No smoke, no salt nothing. I'm not a huge fan of sweet sauce but it was ok( the only thing that gave the meat any flavor. The pulled pork tasted old. I'll bet Chef Mike(microwave) had a part in beating it up as it was very watery and chewy. The macaroni and cheese was very grainy. The beans were good but get plenty to drink before trying the cornbread. read more

I was wandering around Northgate at 8:30 on a weekday. I was hungry, hot and didn't want to cook. I knew I wanted meat and something...not a burrito, not Chinese, not sushi. I stumbled up bbq roadside and was very pleasantly surprise. We bought a family meal, 14 BIG ribs, 2 large sides and corn muffins for $43.!!!!! The ribs were falling of the bone, seasoned just right and the extra sauce was not too sweet. Real dill in the potato salad! and a vinegar slaw that was light and crunchy! My first time there and definitely won't be my last read more

Food was extremely bland. The only flavor I tasted of my brisket was from the bbq sauce. Same with the mac and cheese; bland and flavorless. Also, claims to have sweet tea but is, in fact, hot, unsweetened tea. Gross. read more

This is my second time here first time I walked out because the guy behind the counter was so rude . Sounds like the owner of establishment need to have a talk with there employees. This might save them from having all this bad reviews from there employees. I ordered a brisket sandwich and it was Ok . The only problem is when I asked what sides I can get with the sandwich he said coleslaw and something else .... Didn't know that the coleslaw is in the sandwich . read more

Great meals Variety sides dishes Great restaurant to enjoy Family ambiance Tons of parking spots Good portion on meals Good prices Good place for enjoy dinner dish read more

(I used Door Dash to receive my food) Let me just jump right into this review, I had to toss my entire meal and it was $53. The fried chicken was raw on the thigh and breast, from what I could taste, bland and tasteless. The beef brisket was dry and so chewy, I had to toss it out. The mac n cheese was tasteless and greasy. The greens, which are Kale not collard greens, just in case you wondered, were filled with so much red pepper flakes, you could not even eat them. The mini pecan pie was over cooked or stale, either way, you could not even cut into it, had to toss that too. The one star was for the mini corn muffin, that was very tasty. I won't order from Roadside again. read more

I've had good, I've had bad, and I've had really good bbq. Most are not so great no matter what they think. This place is above average and most importantly they are consistent. The sides are good, the sauce is good, homemade pickles. The prices are pretty standard. Clean, friendly staff, quick service. I'm a fan. read more

I like this restaurant's vibe, unfortunately I don't like their nachos. This restaurant has a great BBQ joint feel to it. There was a cooking station behind the counter, great music, and a nice patio. The BBQ sauce, mustard sauce, and free pickles were are all very tasty. The nachos were really underwhelming. The portion size was small, the chips were tough, and they lacked cheese. Surprisingly, I couldn't even see the cheese at first. When I dug it out, there were only small patches of it. I think this restaurant partied too hard the night before their nacho 101 class. The whole point of nachos is to get cheese into my system... I would say I'm a little cheesed off, but I don't have enough of it in my system to reach that level of anger. Sad face. Disappointed face. read more

Roadside BBQ - Disappointing nachos. :-( - Barbeque Near Me - San Rafael, California

Decided to check out Roadside BBQ for lunch today. Had the "Two Way Combo Plate" with baby back ribs, brisket, two sides of french fries and a Diet coke. The food and sauces were all just ok. Flavor, tenderness, juiciness were all below average to average. Some of the baby back ribs were severely overcooked to the point where it was almost jerky like and the brisket was really salty. They do however offer FREE SOFT SERVE and a 20% discount for first responders! I won't be back since it costs too much for the amount of satisfaction acquired by eating here. Baby Back Ribs: 6/10 (Some overcooked) Brisket: 4/10 (Too salty) Diet Coke: 9/10 Corn Bread: 8/10 Price: $21.71 (after the 20% first responder discount) read more

Roadside BBQ - Receipt - Barbeque Near Me - San Rafael, California

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Overall food and staff are great! However, how can you not have A/C during these types of heat waves?? It's summer time and there's no A/C whatsoever. Feels like HELL just sitting inside, and the poor staff what about them?? Honestly, don't come in unless they fixed their A/C...... really unacceptable. read more

Nice little place located outside northgate mall. Seems to get busy due to its location. It's clean inside nice wooden decor. I read a lot of reviews saying this is one of the better BBQ places in the area. I was very disappointed. I thought the meat was tough and had a hard time coming off the bone. The mac and cheese and the garlic fries were just alright. I'll have to try other places before I decide if I'd come here again. read more

Roadside BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Rafael, California

I've come to expect good barbecue and smoked chicken (my fav) with several delicious sauces! Lots of options from loaded salads to hot sandwiches, stuffed potatoes and large dinner plates with super sides! Amazing baked beans! Macaroni n cheese but my favorite is the fresh, crisp, sweet potato fries!! Yum! Reasonable for the size of the meal! A favorite for 12 yrs or more!! read more

Food was ok service was horrible they hate their job I think and the place was ok. Dont order the wedge ! Gross watery blue cheese no bacon, some kind of fat from the pork ? Learn how to make a wedge for the price you charge. At least pretend you care about your customer. I hope the owner of this chain reads this and trains the help read more

Excellent food! Everything was really good. Noice atmosphere and quick service! Highly recommend.

I want to say that my rating is based in part by comparison with other BBQ places in the north bay. It food wasn't bad. It just didn't stand out. The service was fine. There's a good selection of meats and sides to choose from. The problem is that there's some GREAT BBQ joints in the area that I highly recommend. There's KINsmoke in Healdsburg. Or Buster's in Calistoga. Both places are excellent and worth the drive. If driving to Sonoma County is too far, there's a BBQ place called Pig in a Pickle at the Town Center shopping center in Corte Madera. The BBQ there is very good. There are some awesome BBQ joints in the East Bay too. In a vacuum, Roadside would get 3 or possibly 4 stars. Unfortunately, it is surrounded by a lot of great competition that you should try first. read more

There are not many BBQ places in Marin, so I am truly glad Roadside is here. I usually have little faith in mall-based restaurants, but this one stands out from the rest, maybe because it seems less like a chain that you would find in a mall, and more like a home-town BBQ place. We sampled several things; ribs, brisket, pulled pork, etc, and found them all to be moist and tender. The side was flavorful and had a homemade way about them. They have good outdoor seating and, at this time (Covid-19) they were following ALL precautions while still making the us feel comfortable and cared-for. The servings were ample enough to take some of it home. Yum! read more