Friendly service, EXCELLENT Bbq and Hamburgers....fried Okra was crispy and tasty. Very clean restroom! Building was historic and very interesting read more

My family and I are on a road trip and opted to stay the night in Susanville. We arrived around midday and once we'd gotten our hotel room sorted, we realized that after hours on the road eating gas station snacks, we were pretty hungry for a real meal. It's New Years Day 2026 and we assumed that most non-chain-brand places in a small town like this would be closed, but we gave Side Iron BBQ a call and were pleasantly surprised to find that they were open. Upon entering the place, we immediately knew we'd made a good choice. Side Iron is located inside the Pioneer Building and is dripping with legit old-school frontier ambiance combined with touches of classic Americana. There's an antique piano and fully-functional vintage pinball machine in the entryway, and as you pass into the main dining tall you'll find a full-scale pool table, a shelf of classic board games, a foosball game, and even some well-maintained acoustic guitars placed around, all of which invite visitors to not just scarf down a meal, but to hang out and have a great time. I've had the good fortune to eat BBQ in Texas numerous times and it has basically ruined California BBQ for me - certainly nothing I've had in the Bay Area can really compete with what I've had in Texas. Despite that, I had a good feeling about Side Iron so we went ahead and ordered a variety of items - brisket, pulled pork, a sausage link, fried okra, mac and cheese, jalapeno bacon corn, and even a burger. I'm delighted to report that this was hands-down the best BBQ I've ever had in California, and is right up there with the best BBQ I've ever eaten, period. The smoked brisket in particular was a real standout: tender, juicy, and with delightfully crispy burned edges. I seriously cannot overstate how good everything was. If Side Iron was located within 50 miles of San Francisco, there would've been a line of "food influencers" three blocks long and we would've paid 2-3X as much for this meal. The fact that we were the only patrons on New Years Day and enjoyed this incredible feast for a fraction of the price we would've paid closer to home is genuinely incredible. If you like BBQ and you're EVER anywhere near Susanville, you absolutely cannot miss the chance to try Side Iron! read more

Side Iron Bbq - Anyplace featuring beautiful working vintage pinball machines is legit in my book - Barbeque Near Me - Susanville, California

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We stopped here again because of how good it was back in July. (Mind you it was really good). You got to order from the bar for starters. Brisket was a bit greasy although it had good flavor, beans could have been cooked longer and the plate presentation was lackluster. I'm not giving up we will try it again. read more

Side Iron Bbq - Rootbeer - Barbeque Near Me - Susanville, California

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Based on the reviews of many others, I decided to try Side Iron while passing through Susanville. For a Saturday night, it was surprisingly slow, but downtown Susanville was pretty dead when I pulled up to their front door. As other reviewers had said, it's an old rustic Wild West place, with lots of old stuff, photos and a beautiful mural surrounding the back dining area. The young lady at the counter was gracious and helpful as I tried to choose my main and side dishes. Both the Pulled BBQ Brisket and Potato Salad were delicious and perfect in every way. I was full and satisfied when I left. read more

Side Iron Bbq - Dinner - Barbeque Near Me - Susanville, California

It tase more like FireQue than BBQ. There is no essence of smoke whatsoever in the meat. The brisket is chewable and cooked well but it could use a better spice rub. It seemed there was not a spice rub attempt at all. The ribs are schored with a thick crust fire crust. It looks good but is more cooked well than a good bite. Next the sausage is all pork but claimed to be beef as well. The potato salad does taste good but some of the larger pieces need to be cooked more they were a bit crunchy and hard to cut as I tried to eat them. It's a nice spot to chill and eat and service was good on a Monday. read more

Side Iron Bbq - Store logo - Barbeque Near Me - Susanville, California

Holy moley SO good! The 3 of us got: crispy chicken thigh w/ wedge salad, signature burger, pulled brisket w/ wedge salad, and every single thing was incredible. Building dates from 1862, so the interior has character and charm. We live 3 hours away and are already plotting how we can get back up to Susanville for this restaurant. read more

We were on the road for dinner and couldn't have picked a better place. It was quaint, historic, and the food was very very good. Friendly and polite service. The next time In Susanville it is a must stop for food. We loved it!!! read more

Super good. Carried out. Check your orders first as two times had to circle back. The taste of the brisket is fab! It is so satisfying. The sauce is delicious. The portion is very nice. It does have sliced pickles on it. I ate them quickly. The wedge salad is literally a wedge. It tasted like ranch and blue cheese dressing. It was satisfying however the wedge seemed to have the lettuce core/stem. Cut around it and it was fine. Weekday hours till 8pm. read more

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The ribs were wonderful! Hubby and I split a huge platter with a half order of ribs, the Mac and cheese, and the bacon jalapeño corn because we saw the reviews on Yelp! We have a couple of draft craft beers, juicy IPA by Deschutes! Everything was SO GOOD! After that wonderful lunch we went on to finish our short trip! If you're in town, stop by and check out this cool old building. Definitely shareable portions. They are still battling a fly problem but when one went for a swim in my beer, our tap-tender poured me another without issue. Drive safe! It's a great location! The service was quite friendly too! read more

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Huge establishment with their take on BBQ. We got the Smoked Sausage with Side Wedge Salad and the Pulled Lean Brisket with Mac N Cheese. Unfortunately, the Smoked Sausage tasted like a salty, unsmoked one you'd get from a supermarket and the Pulled Lean Brisket was slathered in BBQ sauce. So it's definitely not your traditional BBQ. But, it did the job and also was an enormous portion. They also have plenty of games for adults and kids alike. There were many flies pestering us though, not a good look read more

Side Iron Bbq - Menu as of 8/1/25 - Barbeque Near Me - Susanville, California

First of all, great great BBQ. But this old Pioneer Bldg has some amazing history and now rented by a great family doing the best barbecue you will find in this stretch of Northern California. I hope they find a way to enter it into some competitions to get some more renown. If Guy Fierri came through this town again, he'd definitely be featuring it on DDD. The cheesiest max and cheese. The best vinegar Cole slaw with a special ingredient. Perfectly fried okra with a balanced special sauce. The BBQ sauce on the ribs was divine. We will be back next time through town. read more

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A nice little find in Susanville. Historic building and the owner is embracing the nostalgia . I wanted steak , but couldn't do a 22 oz and prices right now are limiting the beef selection so I opted for brisket . It was tender and flavorful and reasonably priced. Ordered two sides- the wedge salad (it was okay but too loaded for my taste) and jalapeno corn (so good and healthy portion---shareable for sure). Would have done 5 stars but they were out of wine and for California this is a staple . Would go back! read more

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What an absolute gem of a BBQ spot! This place completely blew me away. The brisket was the star of the show. It's tender, juicy, melt in your mouth perfection with a flavor that's both rich and smoky without being overpowering. You can tell it's made with real care and skill. My husband and I were so impressed that we now plan our trips through town around this place, just so we can stop in for a meal. Beyond the food, the history of the building adds an unexpected charm to the whole experience. It's the kind of hole-in-the-wall spot that makes you feel like you stumbled upon something truly special, the kind of place you can't wait to tell your friends about. If you're anywhere nearby, do yourself a favor and try it, you won't regret it! read more

First off the place is cool and historic how Al can that not grab your attention! Bunch of cool artifacts and historic pieces all through the building . Staff was super helpful, attentive and patient! Great banter followed by excellent service . Now for the food , they have cookies from a local baker available at the register I snagged me a frosted strawberry pop tart cookie! Excited to try that later ! The ribs ; perfectly cooked and juicy with a little bit of that real fire char everyone loves. The bbq sauce was flavorful, tangy, sweet and Smokey. A half rack honestly looked like a whole so I'm beyond impressed and satisfied 9/10 The bacon bbq beans; holy cow I don't even like bacon, I LOVED THEM! Perfectly cooked yet again, flavorful, sweet and just delectable . 9/10 Mac N Cheese ; Moist, melty, seasoned, used my fav kind of noodles , but kinda tasted Alfredo ish lol it was still good but not giving bbq style Mac and cheese that was like fancy restraint trying to be different. Still delicious and will be gone with no leftovers ! 7/10 Overall flavor and quality was above my expectations and the portions were HUGE. Will stop by anytime I'm passing through happily! read more

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We had the lean brisket. Wow! You get a good serving of the meat. The brisket has a great flavor with a little kick. The French fries have the perfect amount of salt and pepper. The place is an old salon that has a lot of character and old pictures. Plenty of room so stop and enjoy. Sorry my picture is my plate after I had already eaten half. read more

Side Iron Bbq - Lean. Brisket (half eaten :)) - Barbeque Near Me - Susanville, California

Probably some of the best barbecue I've ever had, really wish I lived closer so I could become a regular. Will definitely be coming back here if I'm in the area again read more

I was pretty disappointed in the 26oz ribeye... lots of fat and gristle on this one, and was still a bit too rare for me. The guy at the register was nice and explained how to do the ordering. We sat in the front half of the place and the chairs were not very comfortable and table snagged my pants... there was something sharp underneath. Not sure why I gave a tip, they never came to check on us or if we needed anything, they just dropped off the meal and bailed.. guess I could have gotten up and told the guy at the register... but not sure he would have done anything.... Just not as happy with them this visit.. the potatoes were great!!! I was hungry when I left and usually I have stuff to bring home. read more

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Ate there once, it was awhile ago but everything tasted great. First time having the weird dynamic with the service, ordering at the front. I dont think they have waiters? Wasn't a bad experience though just never been to a place like that. read more

Have you ever been on a driving trip, making good time, and wanted Lunch that would get you back on the road without much delay? So was the case last week during our drive from Ashland to Genoa through Susanville. There's not much there there with a Susanville Yelp restaurant search, but Side Iron BBQ looked good. We parked almost in front of the place and were warmly greeted by a young mother, with the baby on her back. We ordered pulled pork and brisket sandwiches respectively, with salad for Gayle and me deciding that the cole slaw topping was plenty. So how long could that take? Thanks to a dropped order, it took quite a bit of time, actually. Our first hint that we were in trouble was when the 2 guys five minutes behind us were served first. On the positive side: 1. Restaurant staff were very apologetic and offered us another round of beers. We declined as I was driving. 2. Once the sandwiches arrived, they were generously stacked with meat and were very tasty. 3. The rustic and very roomy atmosphere of this historical space was pretty cool. Would we stop in again if we came this way again? Probably. read more

We were passing through Susanville yesterday around lunchtime and based on the yelp reviews we decided to stop into Side Iron barbecue. I have figured out that when we are on the road barbecue places are great because 90% of their food is already prepared and ready to go. The establishment is on the charming main street of the town and located in a very cool old building inside there's tons of seating a pool table and other amusements for Folks while they're visiting this restaurant. Overall the ambience is really cool a lot of great old pictures and fun artifacts. The joint was empty when we came in but that didn't deter us the owner greeted us warmly and asked what we would like since it was our first time there he explain how the ordering process worked. we chose a full rack of ribs and a side order of their corn with jalapeño and bacon. Oh my goodness I have never had such a great side dish, super original and loaded with bacon and just the right spice with the jalapeño. It was an unusual offering for a barbecue joint but I appreciated not having to choose from the regular side dishes. We took her order to go and pretty much demolished the corn as we drove down the road and enjoyed the ribs later on after we were arrived at our destination. I wish I would've asked for a side of barbecue sauce to go that's the only thing I was missing here for my delicious leftovers! Highly recommended, give this place a try next time you are in Susanville. read more

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Kathy and I had an awesome dinner. Owner Dustin was very gracious and friendly. Gave us a brief history of the building. Our food came after a short wait. Kathy had the Bisque with a side of jalapeño pepper, bacon corn and a wedge salad. I had a half rack of ribs and mac & cheese. It was a lot if food and very delicious. Highly recommend Side Iron Bbq. read more

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I had the half slab of ribs, mac and cheese and the potatoes salad. The ribs were very tender and well flavored with a nice char taste to them and the Mac and cheese was amazing with a rich flavor and you can tell it's homemade sauce.....very exceptional, the potatoes salad was good but the mac and ribs I had eaten first so I didn't make it to the potatoes salad that and the fact the mac is rich but I loved it l, the service was very good as it's a very calm and peaceful environment and I wouldgiive this place a 5 but nothings perfect lol. I will definitely be back read more

For Susanville I'd say it is good. Food came out a little slow...brisket was really good, salad and coleslaw were good...burgers were super bland and dry. Also there were a ton of flies flying around inside which is always a little off putting, but over all not bad! read more

This location, when it was the Pioneer, had ambience with all of the cattle brands on the wall. We gave the Side Iron BBQ a try. We were sorely disappointed. $17 for 1/2 order SL ribs - they came burnt. $5 for "tangy" coleslaw that tasted like there was nothing on it. How expensive is it to grab coleslaw from the premade bag. Surely for $5 you could have dressed it. I do not like having to leave a negative review, but for $60 with drinks, it should have and easily could have been much better. Making good food is not rocket science. read more

Stopped in for dinner. 1st of all we were assisted by the owner. He was very friendly and helpful. He patiently answered all of our questions. We ordered the sliced brisket, which included both parts of the brisket (point and flat). We also had half rack of ribs. The business was very warm and rustic. There appeared to be a full bar, although we don't drink. Now the food, the brisket was seasoned with a dry rub and served with BBQ sauce on the side. The Ribs were served with a dry rub, and BBQ sauce on the side. We try to avoid sugar and carbs as much as we caMy wife also ordered a side of slaw. The brisket was cooked/smoke excellent. The ribs had a great taste and bite. The slaw was good also. Overall, this was the best BBQ/smoked dinner we have had since we have Ben in town. Keep up the great food. read more

I had the wedge salad with crispy chicken, and my wife had the crispy chicken sandwich with coleslaw. Both were very average. I more than likely will not be back for a next time through. The coleslaw was the best thing we had. The server was very friendly and helpful. read more

Side Iron Bbq - Wedge salad with crispy chicken. - Barbeque Near Me - Susanville, California

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Great food, convivial atmosphere, games for grownups and kids. Planning to stay longer in Susanville just to go back. Most towns are not lucky enough to have a place like this! read more

Really good food and decent portions. A lot of BBQ places charge higher prices for less food. The BBQ sauce is on the sweeter side but it's nice to not have spicy everything on the menu. read more

The restaurant is nicely decorate and well lit. We want a little after the opened for lunch and they were out of a few of the meats. We ended up just getting a side of mac and cheese and a side salad. Good portions for the price. The mac and cheese was very cheesy but tasty. Staff was a little scattered. Would love to have tried the meat. read more

My husband and I went for lunch after getting our taxes done. It was very casual. We ordered at the counter. We both ordered the same thing : smoked sausage and wedge salad. We were amazed at how huge the servings were. Our only problem was that when I went to the place for cutlery there were only forks. They were kind enough to brew more iced tea for my husband. We ate mostly our salad and brought home the sausage. The staff were wonderful and did bring us knives and apologized that there were none available at the time I obtained our cutlery and napkins . read more

Side Iron Bbq - Smoked sausage and wedge salad. - Barbeque Near Me - Susanville, California

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This is a must if you're in the susanville area! The best bbq in a cool historical building. The sausage, brisket sando, fries and Mac and cheese were delicious! Friendly staff-will be back soon! Thank you! read more

Great BBQ and great people. Also some good beers on tap. Highly recommend for a stop during a long day of driving.

I don't know how this place has high ratings. Most likely do to being in a small town in the middle of nowhere. I use yelp when traveling and this place was very disappointing! Ordered ribs with the bacon beans. Ribs were obviously left over reheated, and the beans were blan. Then after pointing out that there was a hair cooked in the rib. The guy said I'm off duty, yet serving us, and said he'd let the manager know. Manager walked passed didn't make eye contact or say anything. Wouldn't recommend to anyone! read more

Side Iron Bbq - Hair cooked into rib - Barbeque Near Me - Susanville, California

Yummy food excellent service! Ribs are fall off the bone! Excellent rub. Sides jalapeños corn, and Mac and cheese are fantastic.

Driving through with my son and a little dog so a meaty bbq spot sounded just right. The staff was welcoming to all of us and the walls covered in all the brands were fun to look at and discuss. As for the food, the meats were tender and full of flavor. We will definitely be back read more

Very cool place with really good bbq. I had the pulled brisket and the Cole slaw. My son had a brisket sandwich. Both were great!

What a unique BbQ joint. The building is cool and fun to hang in with my pup as this place is dog friendly. I have never had brisket served like they do. I ordered it sliced and it came out in a steak and boy was it good. Slaw was as good and tangy (not hot). If I am ever in this area again I will make sure it is when I am hungry. read more

Overall great experience. The building is huge, so it could accommodate lots of people. The prices were standard for barbecue. The menu is small, but everything we ordered was great. I don't mind a small menu if everything is a home run. The service was fast and really friendly. There weren't a lot of people in the restaurant, but we showed up just after opening. The decor was vintage cowboy and country music playing the whole time. Love that. If you haven't given it a shot, try it out! read more

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This is for the BBQ brisket and it was great. Outside of Texas was one of the best brisket I had.

Visiting family from out of town and had dinner here with them. The BBQ ribs, brisket sandwich and bbq sausage were all great. My husband smokes a lot of YUMMY meat so I'm pretty picky when it comes to BBQ and this place did not disappoint. Oh and don't forget to have the fried green tomatoes. read more

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