Hello Shorter's BBQ (...goodbye Famous Dave's). I've been visiting my parents in Tracy for the past 16+ years and only found Shorter's BBQ tonight! Highlights for me were the ribs, tri-tip, potato salad, red beans/rice, but everything was great including the fried wings, fried catfish, beef brisket. I believe we found our go-to BBQ spot in Tracy for now on. Oh did I mention, the restaurant is attached to an old school bowling alley... how cool is that!! read more

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Great people and fantastic food! Love the bbq and the fish and chips! Reasonable prices. Delectable sides And the portions are big! read more

Shorter's Barbeque - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - Tracy, California

Where do I even begin? If you call their food "good BBQ", I would think you're joking with me. Just because you add sauce on a piece of meat, it doesn't make it BBQ. I was beyond disappointed. I've had my fair share of BBQ (Oakland is usually the place to look for good BBQ). Of course, you can't compare Bay Area food to food from the valley but if Im spending over $40 on BBQ, it better be some finger licking BBQ. Ordered the 3 way dinner; with the pulled pork, ribs and tri tip, as the 3 meats, and potato salad, coleslaw and Mac n cheese, as the 3 sides. Also, an order of pulled pork Nachos. Mediocre doesn't even cut it. When I eat ribs, I want the meat to fall off the bone, not bite into it and hurt my teeth. If I thought the ribs were dry, you can only imagine the tri tip. The pulled pork was the only decent thing on that plate and even then, more than half of it was not eaten. All 3 sides were the size of two spoon fulls, which was a complete disappointment. And don't get me started on those nachos. Looked like something you would get at the movie theaters but just add pulled pork to it. Real talk, everything went straight to the trash and I mean EVERYTHING. So much on spending a good amount on food and still ended up cooking dinner. I DO NOT RECOMMEND this place to anyone who loves to eat good BBQ. All I gotta say is go at your own risk read more

Don't be fooled by the exterior. This is the best BBQ I've had in years and one of the reasons I continue to try hole-in-the-wall locations. The owner is awesome. Really made us feel welcome and made sure we had a delicious meal. He's a great guy and his staff are sweet and courteous. The pulled pork was incredible and the tri tip was delicious, both portions were enormous. I was told great things about the mac and cheese even though I couldn't have any myself. I tried to order the brisket, but they were out, which should tell you all you need to know about how good it is. At the end, the owner was joking around with us and tried to get us to try his "hot hot sauce". We were convinced and had some. It definitely has a kick, but was really flavorful and delicious. I highly recommend you try this place, especially if you're on your way back from Tahoe and need a good feed. read more

Can I just say, hands down best BBQ place in Tracy? Love everything on the menu! My all time favorite is the rib basket lunch that comes with a side of your choice! The meat is so juicy and tasteful! I'm sure they get their business by word of mouth, they're located next to the bowling ally. They use family recipes which is so awesome! They even gave us samples of their banana cream pudding which I thought I wouldn't like but it was so good! I suggest calling in your order if you're on the go! That is what do during my lunch! read more

Fantastic bbq and probably the best tasting bbq I have ever tried! Service was outstanding and I have to mention the worker by the name of Jesus. Made me feel as if I were at home by how friendly he was! I am definitely making this my number 1 to go bbq place and if anyone goes there, ask for Jesus to see how amazing of a worker he is! read more

Shorter's is NOT closed as one review suggested. They are closed on Sunday and Monday, though. Great basic bbq with excellent sauce. Kind of weird when you order something and they walk out the front door and come back with your meat. They bbq in an outside area next to the building behind a fence. Both the ribs and tri-tip are great. The side dish of bbq spaghetti is a bit strange at first, but interesting and different. Try it...if you like bbq, you will like Shorter's!! read more

Delicious and good service! It is definitely worth the wait. The macaroni and cheese is my favorite. We have been here many times.

Passing by and saw the pit outside smoking away and had to pull over to try them out. The brisket was awesome and the portions are generous. Be aware, the BBQ spaghetti is Spicy!! I'll definitely be back.. read more

Shorter's Barbeque - The counter - Barbeque Near Me - Tracy, California

I had Shorters cater my 40th birthday party so I didn't have to cook. We had ribs, chicken, mac and cheese and the best brisket around. The meats were ready on time and hot. Of course all the meat was just great. It was tender and sauced just right. The mac and cheese was a big hit. Good thing we got a full sheet. David and his family do this right. I have never had a bad meal or piece of meat. They always have great portions for your dollar and you see who your money goes to and that is the best thing when you shake the guys' hand to exchange the gratitude you share. Keep on doing what you do, times are tough, support your local institutions and keep them going. read more

I definitely have some complaints about this place, but the food is really good so I'm giving it 5 stars. As other reviewers have pointed out, the people who work here are really nice and friendly. I'm thinking that they are so nice to make up for how slow they work tho... I personally don't mind waiting for good food, but at least give me the correct waiting time. I was told 15 minutes, I got my food 25 minutes later. Also don't tell me I have to wait 15 minutes because there are 2 orders in front of me, when I see you take care of 7 orders before mine. But still, very nice people as they work. Everyone who came in seemed to love them. I don't think the dining area is grimy, I think its very fitting actually. There weren't any open tables while I waited, so I took my food to go. Maybe they forgot my order or something, but she seemed pretty bent on trying to quickly put together my food. The other two people kind of just stood around, which probably didn't help her nerves much. I swear I wasn't tapping my foot or looking impatient. I really wanted to tell her to take her time. I had this gut feeling that she messed up my order, and I was right. I got potato salad when I wanted coleslaw, not a big deal because the potato salad turned out to be really good. I will definitely come back to try the coleslaw tho. I would suggest telephoning in your order to save time. ---- the hot link sausage is really good, i wonder if they made it themselves? if not, I would love to know where to get some for myself. The tritip dinner was really very good. I was very impressed. It had a great smoky flavor. At first I thought it was smothered in too much BBQ sauce, but no...it wasn't. Their BBQ sauce is not sweet and it goes well with the meat. Also, the Brisket sandwich was really good. Fries were mushy, but I like my fries that way. read more

I recently spent over 3 weeks in Texas on business and was completely disappointed by all of the BBQ I tried. Who knew I'd find some of the best I've ever had in Tracy. My girlfriend and I shared the 3 meat combo (which I believe could have easily fed 3 people) - ribs, pulled pork and brisket with sides of potato salad and coleslaw. I have to say that I've never liked brisket but after eating Shorter's brisket (finished eating 20 minutes ago)... I'm already thinking of an excuse to go back to get some more. The BBQ was cooked perfectly, moist, juicy, the right amount of smoke, and so fresh. The bbq sauce was amazing, just the right amount of sweetness with a nice little kick at the end. We came later in the day and missed out on the corn bread and banana pudding which was a little disappointing. BUT.. we will be back soon and will make it a point to come earlier in hopes of getting some corn bread and banana pudding. Oh yeah, the lady behind the counter was great too! read more

The mother-lode of great BBQ and southern cuisine. Amazing small restaurant run by husband and wife team that has the best meat and BBQ sauce I have experienced in California. Was on my way to Lake Tahoe, and stopped off for lunch. Had the bbq tri-tip and the brisket sandwich. The meat truly was cooked to perfection. Both were tender and very tasty. They use Mama Shorter's BBQ sauce which is so good that it is hard to describe. Tangy and a little sweet, but not too much of either. Very tasty and just loaded with great tasting spices. Mama Shorter also makes the homemade desserts. We had the chocolate cake, and it was scrumptious. A truly gem and great find in the little town of Tracy. Recommendation: on your way too or from Sacramento/Lake Tahoe, if you happen to be near Tracy, bypass all the fast foods joints along the freeway, and head to the downtown area. It is only 5 minutes journey for some of the best tasting BBQ. Highly recommended! read more

My family is from Texas so I may have a different standard point of reference for best BBQ then other reviewers here. For CA Shorter's is very good! I ordered the ribs and pulled pork dinners with macaroni and cheese, yams, green beans, and potato salad. First, I was disappointed that due to an earlier catering order they were out of other menu items that I initially wanted on a Saturday afternoon. Was also surprised of first BBQ place that didn't have baked beans on the menu. Nevertheless was happy they had what I ultimately ordered. Got home and my son and I tried everything. Overall everything was good- nothing was Great as others have raved. Again, this is from the perspective of being raised on Texas BBQ. But for the BBQ sauce which is on the slightly too sweet side, the ribs and pulled pork didn't seem to stand alone. Meaning it seemed there was no traditional seasoning or smoked flavor of the meat which should be the star on the plate not the sauce. The sides- yams were flavorful, but seemed to be canned, as well as the green beans. The mac was home made but maybe over cooked since the noodles were mostly flat. I assume they use sweet relish to make the potato salad because it was slightly on the too sweet side for my taste- and I must have been served from the bottom of the container because it was more like mashed potatoes. Overall, nothing was inedible- Good, just not great! Worth stopping in again to try other menu items. Definitely a good option for Tracy. Btw Famous Dave's meats are stand alone (why Dickie's didn't do so well). read more

Shorter's Barbeque - Rib dinner with green beans and potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - Tracy, California

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I love there food and peach cobbler was sooo good! Plenty of food for your money a 2 way dinner was around 17.00 well that fed 2 adults ! It was definitely worth the drive to Tracy. read more

Shorter's Barbeque - Potato Salad ,Spicy Spaghetti tri-tip and pulled Pork - Barbeque Near Me - Tracy, California

Good BBQ sauce, good ribs, & tri tip. I have yet to try more on their menu, but I know their ribs are pretty good. Tracy needs more rib spots, but I like their food. Friendly staff, however, it's a reeeally small. Only about 5 tables. I like to order take out since it is so small. I like their fries too. I'd give them a 4 on the food, but a 2 on the diner area. So a 3 is what I give to them. read more

1st visit. Saturday afternoon, not very Busy and yet we had to wait 15-20 minutes for a sandwich. The two customers that were there seem to be waiting for a while and they actually gave them both them wrong orders maybe each other orders. The cost seemed a bit high as nine dollars for a sandwich and three dollars for a side. Pulled pork was a little bit fatty and Wayover sauced, The sauce was on the sweet side and it kind of just made the bread soggy mess . The tri tip was kind of dry and bland bit over done for my taste. The sides we're very disappointing for the price. The mac & cheese was kind of just old sticky Kraft mac & cheese nothing special. I had to ask for the fries after the other food was brought to our table and was pretty obvious that they were sitting for a while they were cold and soggy old. read more

Shorter's Barbeque - Average barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Tracy, California

This place is a hit or a miss I've eaten here about 3 times and the first time it was good but the last two times it just didn't hit... Coming from Oakland to Tracy it's extremely hard to find good food let alone bbq... the Mac and cheese wasn't it for me and the chicken sandwhich was over cooked and the sandwhich overall was dry.. they have such great customer service and the vibe is nice but the food just wasn't it. read more

OK folks, this is the spot! I just hit up Shorters for the first time (with my family of 5) and it was a great meal. We did a couple of kids meals, the bbq chicken for my 5 year old and the chicken strips for my 2 year old. Their meals were both good sized portions of meat and fries, under $5, and came with fries and a drink. My wife and I both had the tri-tip meal and shared an order of greens. Da' Bomb! This place was so good, it had me coming back the next day to pick up a sandwich and side of spicy spaghetti for my lunch break at work. Hit em up! read more

This is the best BBQ place in the whole West Coast this side of the Mississippi River. The chef has to have made a pact with the devil to acquire such amazing bbq skills. The ambiance is welcoming of the place is warm and you feel right at home. The staff is just great about customer service (I mean - they remembered the last drink I had ordered the next time i visited) - the food is just amazing , flavors are right, serving portions are great, the price is just right, the sauce is a mix of bewitching and addictive... hey I think they added a bit of extra meat the first time around - just so I'd become addicted... ... and addicted I have become. Bring family and friends - this spot is AWESOME! read more

Shorter's shorts you on a good deal but doesn't on taste. I understand prices for BBQ are not cheap but the dirty atmosphere, clearly unkempt like the rest of the Bowling Alley, made it hard to swallow the price of the food. The food however... was a classic. The BBQ sauce has a wonderful depth that even wine snob could appreciate, the Banana Pudding was creamy and rich, and the Mac & Cheese tasted like it was good the day before but still quality. If the place was $1 cheaper for every item and cleaned up its ambience it would have 5 stars from me. #supportlocal read more

The ribs here are FANTASTIC! They're not overly greasy and the meat consistency is firm and in some cases a little crisp which I LOVE. No squishy greasy ribs here! The flavor is a pleasant blend of slightly sweet, slightly spicy, and moderately smoky. I think they're the best ribs I've ever had. The last rib places I went to were "Famous Dave's" and "Armadillo Willies" their food is CRAP compared to Shorter's. We just picked up the fish 'n chips along with ribs this evening. (we've had the ribs before) and they were great too. They're not beer battered, which is fine with me. They have a slightly spicy coating of corn meal and are very enjoyable. The customer service here is great. They've been very friendly both times we've visited. I would recommend calling and ordering then picking up your order. The first time we ordered ribs we waited a bit longer than we would have preferred. This time I called in the order, picked it up, and was on my way out in less than 5 minutes. This may become a once a week place for us and we're thinking about using them to cater our next party. read more

the best BBQ in Tracy. And oh yea...the chocolate cake (served on thursdays) is just like mom used to make! I love their sauce and especially the brisket and pulled pork..and the mac and cheese is to die for! read more

This little hole in the wall has delicious pulled pork and great chicken strips for the kids. The coleslaw is pretty good too but really strong pepper flavor. The folks that work here are so nice. While we were there several people were coming in to pick up large orders of catering so obviously they are a big hit for events. We will for sure be going here again. read more

This bbq restaurant was recommended to us by a couple of different family members who live in Tracy, so we thought we'd try it out. It was VERY good. We do a lot of bbq cooking and they did it up right. We tried the bbq ribs and pulled pork, with fries, cole slaw, corn bread yellow cake with chocolate frosting and peach cobbler. The ribs were cooked just right and the bbq sauce was just the way we like it, sweet, but not too sweet. The same with the pulled pork - they didn't overpower it with sauce as you could still see and taste the pork which were cooked perfectly. Its a very unassuming restaurant, but the owners were very friendly and very happy to have us visiting them. They kept checking on us to see how we were doing, which is always appreciated! read more

I was completely bummed out by this place. We got the rack of ribs with a side of Mac n cheese and the 3way combo of Tri tip, brisket, pulled pork,Potato salad, green beans. The meats had no flavor and it was just all sauce. Meat didn't even fall off the bones. The pulled pork was ok but not the best. The Mac n cheese was not good and potato salad and greens beans side was so small of a portion it's given to you in a sauce container which was ok because the potato salad was watery and green beans tased straight out the can. All of that for $70. Pretty bummed out! Never again! read more

This afternoon I decided to venture into Shorter's BBQ Pit. My initial take on the place was it, look like a duck, walked like a duck and quacked like a duck....well it must be a duck! I am used to and really enjoy good BBQ. Shorter's met and exceeded my expectations as far as a rib joint. In comparison to one of my recent reviews of Famous Dave's BBQ. Shorter's BBQ is the real deal. Upon walking down the street, your senses are buzzing because of the smoke, and everything else associated with BBQ. Now the only negative, and the reason why Shorter's doesn't get 5 stars for this particular review is that the wait time was unacceptable. I'm not sure if it was just a bad day, short staffed or what? However, upon placing my order the very polite young lady at the register informed me that my order would be ready in 15-20 minutes, which I thought hmmmmm, that's gonna be a while? Four customers and thirty minutes later, my order of Ribs and Links still were not in the grasp of my hands? Mr. Shorter came out to let me know that my order was coming up and he apologized deeply for the wait. I can only ask that the Shorters pay closer attention to wait times for their patrons. Because no matter how good the food may be, patrons have schedules too, especially if you work in the area and are on your lunch break! Fortunately, I just happened to be in the area on my day off of work. But I think you get the point! In regards to pricing....the food is great, the place looks and smells like what BBQ joint should smell like and the staff there are very friendly and polite! However, I thought that $19 for Ribs,Links and two sides which included Mac-n-Cheese and BBQ Spaghetti was a little steep. I did take notice from other patrons who had ordered their BBQ pulled pork and Tri-Tip sandwiches appeared to be a pretty good size sandwich and seemed reasonably priced. On the way out, I did pick up a menu on the counter top and looked at their prices for other plates, sandwiches and other items, which all appeared to be very appetizing! Upon my next visit to Shorter's BBQ Pit, maybe I'll check out their BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich and also give another chance on the service/wait time. We'll see how it goes the next time around! read more

Shorter's Barbeque - Rib & Link plate, with Mac-n-Cheese and BBQ Spaghetti on the side. - Barbeque Near Me - Tracy, California

I have been back three or four time now and can upgrade to five stars. The food is always excellent and Dave always make you feel at home.

I really wanted to give it 4 stars, but they are a bit short of that. I like their food, they have a very simple menu, nice service, everything is fresh. I think the tri-tip they have is better than the ribs. I eat ribs everywhere I go, and I think I would rate theirs at 3 stars. The place seems a bit dirty, and they are not open on Sundays. I am glad to have them in Tracy though, since we don't have a large selection of restaurants. Give them a shot! read more

Yeah worst customer service ever the girl with the purple eye shadow wearing a chain that said her name was Ashlyn was so terrible and disrespectful she never washed her hands , and IM NEVER COMING HEAR AGAIN !!! they tried to make me feel bad and stupid for asking for extra bread and laughed in my face do better. read more

Found this gem by chance and soo glad I did. My husband and I went here 2 weekends ago and I am still thinking of the cole slaw! It's the best I have ever had! The ribs, chicken, hot links and beef were good also...but I really loved the cole slaw! Update...my husband has went back twice since we found this place. read more

I've been eating at this place for years, usually just slipping in and ordering take-out after work. Try not to be in a hurry because food like this can take some time to prepare. What I like most is it's just good old fashioned BBQ!, they always seem to be open and have all the southern favorites. Be sure not to overlook their desserts because they rock! You wont be dissapointed with this palce. read more

First off, I'd like to say that if you're hungry, then look no further. This place does not know the term portion control. I ordered the tri tip sandwich for lunch, and that thing is packed full of meat. Luckily, it also came with a fork, I could honestly say that the amount of meat I'd get in a full order of tri tip at other bbq places still doesn't compare to the amount of meat that's in their sandwiches. The best part of this place is not the good food, however. It's the awesome service. Everyone from the lady who took my order to the guys bbq'in it up out in the back are wonderful and friendly. I was asked by 3 different people how everything was, and I have to say, it was delicious. I'll definitely be back to try other items on the menu. read more

YUM!!!!!! We drove the five minutes from our house to go downtown to one of our usual spots. The line was long so we decided to give Shorter's a try instead since I've wanted to try it out for ages. You can't walk downtown noticing the wonderful smells coming from Shorter's. We ordered the brisket sandwich and the ribs dinner. The wait was no longer than we'd expect to wait for BBQ. Everything was what I was hoping for and more! The bbq sauce was excellent and I loved the potato salad. We cannot wait to go back! read more

AMAZING BBQ. Came here for a pickup order for my first time today. Staff and owner very friendly. My husband and I just moved here and were looking for a go to Bbq place, and this totally knocked our socks off. Will be returning!! The meat trio was awesome! read more

I love this place, I can never pass through Tracy without coming down for some food. My favorite is the Tri-Tip sandwich, followed by the Pulled Pork sandwich. I have Daves BBQ sauce at my house. One would think it is overwhelming, but once it is mixed into the meat, it is so so so good. I have not tried the hot links, but my mom had the fish and loved it. Going there regularly made me aware of Dave and his mother, who makes great desserts. If i see her bringing out a fresh dessert, I cannot resist. I recommend this place to everyone, you must try it once, and after that you will be a regular. I always took my food to go since they are busy inside, and because I would be on my work lunch. read more

So we just tried Shorter's for the first time and we are happy happy happy! We had ribs, chicken, & hot links. Their sauce is just the right amount of sweet and the ribs & Chicken had a nice smoky flavor. Their sides were awesome. My husband loved the mac & cheese and he usually wont eat it, even homemade. The red beans & rice and potato salad were just as good as well. The only downside is the wait time, but call in and give it an hour and it shouldn't be a problem. It's well worth the wait! read more

Super nice folks run this place. The chef was genuinely interested in our feedback if we had any. Had a 2 meat combo: tri-tip and hot link. The tri-tip which was super tender and juicy. The BBQ sauce was excellent. We did have to ask for some more sauce since what it came with wasn't enough. The hot links were good - not sure if they make it themselves here or not though. The tri-tip was definitely the better of the two proteins we ordered. The portions of the food here was decent. If you're not terribly hungry, splitting a 2 meat combo for lunch is a decent way to go. I don't find myself in Tracy too often, but I'm pretty sure I will be back for another taste when I'm in town. read more

Wow! The BBQ here is the best I have had in a long time! I had the pleasure of meeting the owner and staff! What down to earth, friendly and helpful staff they are! I could see that the owner takes pride in his food, and rightfully so! read more

In my quest for excellent bbq I have tried several joints in California. I haven't been fortunate enough to try authentic Texas BBQ so my experiences are based solely in California. I feel a true test of good bbq in based on three meats. Brisket, ribs, an pulled pork. Of course links deserve a place also. I decided to get a three meat combo with the ribs, brisket, and pulled pork. Shorter's seems to be a few dollars more for their combos than other places I have been. Although the portion sizes were excellent. Enough for two people or in my case a couple of meals. I love the smoky flavor of the meat. The sauce is excellent with a little sweetness that accentuates the meat. The ribs fall off the bone and the brisket is tender and well cooked. The service was excellent and the atmosphere is comfortable hole in the wall bbq joint. I also got the bread pudding that was some of the best I have ever had. I love the bbq spaghetti. The cole slaw was average. I will definitely be coming back in the near future for some excellent home cooking. read more