This is a quaint place that reminds me of Rudy's in Texas without the Rudy's hilarious signs and decorations. I like the fact that you can either order meat by the pound or a plate with sides. We ordered half rack of ribs and a half pound of brisket. The owner is into smoking the meats with minimal seasoning. This is a nice touch sine you can always add seasoning but it is hard to take away too much. This will cause some to think the food is too plain. The sauces are good. Some rave about the German potato salad but it wasn't our best item. Both the potato salad and coleslaw were without mayonnaise. The vinegar in the coleslaw should please my Texan friends and was a nice touch. The baked beans had a nice un-traditional flavor. The place is small and seems to have a local following. We were late in the day so didn't get to smell the outside smoker working. It looks like they do a good takeout business. A tidbit: this place is where the original Texas Back 40 restaurant started. The place can get crowded so if there are no tables work with the ordering staff to help you out. We got almost the last table but by the time that the food came additional tables cleared so it looks like seating normally works. This food came on a tray family style without the Texas typical butcher paper. A nice place for a casual dinner. read more

Slow Hand BBQ - Half rack baby-back, half pound brisket plus sides. - Barbeque Near Me - Pleasant Hill, California

The best barbecue around. People is super friendly and on weekends they have bands playing.

The rueben, nachos, and brisket philly are some of my favorite things on the menu and the service is amazing! Slow Hand is my go too bbq place. read more

Whenever I am in the EastBay I find some excuse to make my way over to Slow-Hand. OMG, everything is so good. They have such a good variety extras and desserts that each trip has something new and interesting to set it apart. This last time I had my very favorite, a rack of Baby Back ribs. Like everything they serve, they're smoked right there on the premises, so you get them fresh, moist, and cooked to perfection. I dip a little sauce, but you sure don't need to. The meats have all the flavor you need, and then some! Another thing I like about Slow Hand BBQ is that it clean as a whistle. There is some charm to the sawdust floor type of BBQ places, or the picnic and paper plate joints, but Slow Hand is well appointed, comfortable, and spotless. The staff is friendly, too. We enjoy our time there, and a nice meal, every visit. This time I treated myself to a pound of their Smoked Corned Beef to-go! It lasted me a few days at home. I warmed a slice or two, with eggs over easy, for breakfast for a week! Sooooo goooooood ! Slow Hand is a bit off the beaten path, but you'll be glad you tracked them down. Oh! AND! I heard they got their start as a BBQ catering operation. I will definitely look into that! read more

Slow Hand BBQ - .....Smoked Corned Beef Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Pleasant Hill, California

Food is great and meat is nice and tender. Sides are pretty good too. We have done take out and everything is always warm and perfect.

Oh how things change. Not the food quality, no, not the staff. The menu! My beloved Reuben is now available on a daily basis so I have to make sure I don't drive anywhere near here if I'm hungry. They've added a Friday-only French dip, desserts and wait for it - a salad (insert chalkboard scratching noise here). If there's a better bbq place this side of Texas, I haven't found it. Get yourself here, just leave me a Reuben or two ok? read more

Slow Hand BBQ - Best beer on tap selection of any BBQ joint I've ever seen! - Barbeque Near Me - Pleasant Hill, California

So the wife and I stopped for a half rack of SL ribs meal.(me) and a Cobb salad(her). They had no 1/2 rack meal, just a 3 bone meal. And I got a small mac-n-cheese as an extra. $37and some change. No problem, right? Now a CLASSIC Cobb is: bacon, avocado, CHICKEN, tomato, egg and chives(if wanted) on a bed of lettuces. NOT HERE. It seems chicken is an extra. So in effect what she got was a garden salad with cheese and avocado SOLD as a COBB salad. Didn't know this until we got home with our meal as we had it to go. DON'T SELL SOMETHING AS ONE THING THEN MAKE IT SOMETHING ELSE. You lost a customer. read more

Met Dan, the owner, for the first time last night. Told him that I'd been coming to Slow Hand for decades, when he told me that they'd only been open for about nine years. LOL. My previous reviews mention a girlfriend. Well, I still come here with a GF, just a different one. This GF usually orders the pork sliders. I am now limited by a low salt diet, so I really shouldn't go near the place. Or near any other BBQ restaurant! But I do, which should give the reader an indication of how much I love the food and beer. I now get the smoked chicken and peel off the skin/brine before chowing down. The side salads are always a fresh work of art. Last night, I had an IPA from Temescal Brewing while waiting for the chicken to be available. Delicious, and Dan picks a great selection for his taps. Still a happy camper. Scores a 10 on a one to 10 scale of casual, don't wear a tux. Always clean, and the staff is has consistently been helpful and cordial. read more

Excellent BBQ! Believe me, good BBQ is Hard to find & is a Hard business to execute upon. Also had; Brisket, Tri-tip, Hot Links, St. Louis Ribs, German Potato Salad, Smoked Jerk Rub Wings. ALL very noteworthy. High points were (of course) Brisket and Tri-tip. The former Very Juicy, but not really fatty. The latter crispy crust, but not really dry inside. They also read all our minds as though I only got 1/4lb, alot were ends! Wings. Very Happy surprise. Just wanted some chx & took a chance. I've got a "thing" abt wings: can't be gross fatty nor choke-u-dry. Almost Everything I've tried fails. These are literally one of the two that got it right, as far as my opinion goes anyhow. Delivery, BTW. Tip your delivery folks Heavily and Honestly! I Very Much look forward to an in-person post COVID-19 visit.. Beef BrisketHot LinksSt. Louis Ribs read more

Slow Hand BBQ - Pudding + Whip Cream + Bourbon Cream (Bread Pudding [October - March]) - Barbeque Near Me - Pleasant Hill, California

Service was great Ally was more than amazing she answered all our questions without hesitation and was just a kind person over all. The best service we've had in years!!! Food was amazing thank you slow hand bbq for the great meal and service! read more

nice ambiance and staffs are attentive. i ordered baby back ribs half ala carte ~ the meat is so tender and juicy ~ if it is marinated with bbq sauce directly may be taste lots better, just a thought. anyway, price is just standard and if you are a meat lover then you should try here... read more

Amazing beef rib on Sundays! And brisket nachos were great. Pretty good selection of beers on tap as well. read more

Slow Hand BBQ - Big Daddy Beef Rib (Sundays Only) - Barbeque Near Me - Pleasant Hill, California

See all

We visited both Pleasant Hill and Martinez locations on Father's Day 2019 for a marathon BBQ adventure! Food was some of the we've ever had; especially ribs and brisket! The beer selection was incredible and was able to try a taste of many with the tasting-size flights. Restaurants are quaint, comfortable and the staff is warm and helpful. Highly recommend a visit for the "best BBQ in California" as described by a reviewer on "Check, Please Bay Area" read more

Slow Hand BBQ - Pulled pork sandwich and sides - Barbeque Near Me - Pleasant Hill, California

See all

Great food and selection, friendly staff,easy access, good decor. Nice bar and friendly.

Solid selections of well-prepared BBQ for a reasonable price. My wife and I ordered the half-rack of St. Louis ribs, a brisket plate with the potato salad and a half-chicken plate with a loaded baked potato to go. The amount of food ended up being enough for three days. The potato itself was a feast alone. The meats were all well-smoked(you could tell by the red ring around the outside of everything, and remained juicy without being overly greasy. Pick-up was super easy and organized. Two things that I wish were different would be the rub's flavor and also the consistency of the sauces. Also, it'd be nice to have (I'd never thought I'd say this) less bacon on the potato. read more

This yummy BBQ spot is totally hidden, but totally worth leaving the trodden path. More details to comment on: 1. The decor - YES I have to comment - is so fun and enviting. It is totally unexpected. Such a cool place to dine. I have not sat in a booth yet, but these look comfy and are usually fun. 2. The food is yummy. You order everything before you sit down. The meat is flavorful and juciy. One cannot go wrong with the menu. 3. The staff is super nice and helpful. read more

Love the friendly staff. They were very helpful with the diverse menu. I had the St. Louis style ribs were fall off the bone and perfectly smoked. The loaded baked potato was fresh and amazing. Spouse had the hot link sandwich. Large portions on all items all very delicious. I would like a sweet/hot bbq sauce available but other than that it was great. I will definitely return and try other items. read more

The restaurant was busy but not packed at 6:15pm on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I called in my order ahead of time, and it was ready at the exact time I had requested. I tried: -Moist Beef Brisket (1/4lb, $6, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=vylk_H3E3DOPyBswQb2MUw&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): YUM- one of the better beef briskets I've had in the Bay Area! I requested the moist/fatty brisket, and it was the perfect fat to lean ratio. The brisket was super tender and really flavorful- a must try! -Baby Back & St. Louis Ribs (Half Rack/6 Ribs/$14.95, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=PJPW4xXgielBf1Y72rGuzw&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): They were nice enough to do a half and half order for me, which I'm super grateful for since not a lot of restaurants are that accommodating. They boil their ribs since they fall completely off the bone super easily, but the ribs were still flavorful. My favorite was the baby back ribs, since they were still very meaty, and I liked the flavors of this rib more than the St. Louis. The St. Louis ribs had too much meat on them, and were salty. I would get the baby backs and skip the St. Louis ribs the next time around. -Cole Slaw (Small/$3.25, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=kHmMym62a866TV2ZP-g85w&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): Eh.. not so great. They used a vinegar based sauce versus mayo, and it was way too tangy for me- skip! They have two types of BBQ sauce: regular and spicy. I preferred the regular since the spicy had no kick, and was more watery than the regular (which was also more watery than my preference). I regret not ordering their Smoked Corned Beef since I came on a Friday, the only day that they offer this, but I really wanted to try their ribs. Hopefully I'll be back in this area on a Friday to check that out in addition to their mac and cheese. There is a good amount of seating inside if you want to dine in. It seemed like parking was plentiful in their lot, and street parking is also available. read more

See all

This is my favorite local BBQ place. The key is a good amount of smoke and not overcooking the meat. I smoke myself, and love Texas and Okie BBQ, and this is darn good for California. They have a nice craft beer selection and a good set of sauces. The meats are tender and juicy. The beans are great. On Fridays they have Smoked Prime Rib. On Sundays they have Smoked Beef Ribs. For these specials, CALL AHEAD, and ask for them to be smokey and rare. Get a bunch of the dinner rolls to go with your meal. The corn on the cob is very good in season. Hot links are also good. I like the St. Louis better than the Baby Back Ribs. They have a nice Chicken Cobb Salad. I don't know why, but each time I got the Tri-Tip is was dry (every other meat has always been perfect.) read more

I had a prime dip sandwich which was tasty but not terribly filling. Ordered a side salad too with a cup of ice water. The Total bill exceeded $26, not really much of a special. Good food, but a bit overpriced. Recommended price should be 20.99. I understand that Covid hit restaurants hard but if prices stay too high, volume will suffer. Good luck Slow Hand!! read more

Slow Hand BBQ - Prime dip sandwich and side salad. - Barbeque Near Me - Pleasant Hill, California

The reviews are legit! The food is great, and they have Pliny the Elder!! I ordered the tri tip sandwich, Mac and cheese, and the potato salad. Perfect. I'll be back again. read more

Slow Hand BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Pleasant Hill, California

Very disappointed with the quality. We first walked in and we were not immediately greeted. The lady on the Counter failed to acknowledge our presence and continued with her phone order. A line formed behind my girl and I but at no point did she even take a second to place the call on hold to simply say she will be right there to assist. I walk forward hoping she would see us and acknowledge us. She makes eye contact, puts her head down and continues to take the order. We waited for 10 minutes awkwardly as the line grew behind me. She finally said "Dan is the owner and he can take care of the discount for your order" The BBQ was mediocre and lacked flavor. When you have to add salt and pepper to BBQ then there's a problem. Poor service followed with poor food quality. Not a good combination. read more

See all

A little late in my review but better late than never. I am always in a quest for good barbecue. So I was looking forward to this place but it missed the mark. We ordered a mixed meat dinner platter to share and the portion was very small. The meat was dry and nothing really exciting report. The do not have cornbread on their menu and I almost fainted. It is really loud inside so we really couldn't have a conversation read more

My boyfriend introduced me to this place about 4 months ago now, since then I've made him bring me back about once a week because I literally have dreams about their delicious sweet potato tots, I would definitely recommend. Also a super cute little place to enjoy with loved ones. read more

Good BBQ and various sauce styles to pot on your food. The corned beef is both unique and good. The menu is a little basic but everything has a good taste. read more

Good BBQ Had the ribs and brisket both were great also had german potato salad that was k read more

Food was absolutely delicious. Service is friendly and very fast. Guaranteed, i will be back. I've had the brisket sandwich and the corned beef sandwich. I might try ribs next but I would eat either sandwich again and again. Thanks for having such a great restaurant. read more

We ordered delivery from Slow Hand for dinner recently and it was so, so delicious. Honestly, every meal I've had from them, whether at the restaurant, at an event, and now delivery, has been delicious. My honey got the Reuben and fries as his side, both of which he enjoyed. I got the smoked chicken sliders with mac and cheese as my side. (I rarely pass up a mac and cheese opportunity.) I also got a side salad. The portions were much larger than expected, so I ended up with leftovers (half the chicken salad and the mac and cheese) for lunch the next day. The side salad is a basic green salad with super fresh ingredients. The sliders came unassembled (smart) and I didn't even eat half the tub of chicken salad. They also sent plenty of their two BBQ sauces, one more sweet, the other spicier. I think a blend of the two is perfect. We thoroughly enjoyed everything and both the chicken salad and mac and cheese were still delicious the next day. Slow Hand continues to hold a top spot on the list of local BBQ eats. read more

Great food & platter, with perfect mix. Staff friendly and attentive. A little too loud when the band playing in the evening.

It's Mother's Day and I wanted to get Slow hand BBQ and because I didn't want to go pick it up we called DoorDash and had it delivered. When the food came we realized that only part of our order came. We called the Slow Hand on Oak Park in Pleasant Hill because we live closer to that one and we Talked to Nick and he found out that half our order was left behind at the Martinez store by Door Dash. Nick was so kind and generous to remake our food right away . I live in Pleasant Hill so it didn't take any time to get there and it was ready. We are Slow Hand eaters for life!! Nick I just wanted to THANK YOU for making my Mothers Day tasty!! Lori Sanderson read more

A great new find. West Texas barbecue great prices great quality meat we had brisket tender juicey and baby Back ribs perfectly cooked and seasoned accompanied by 2 different sauces I didn't care for the potato salad but over all a really good barbecue is hard to find read more

It was my first time here, and I didn't know what to quite expect. As I entered, I was super impressed right off the bat seeing such a clean, tidy, nice and new looking restaurant. A young guy greeted me, and I walked to the counter to place my order telling him that I wasn't sure how to order, but he was more than helpful and happy to help me with the process. I picked out and decided on ribs, potato salad And a dinner roll. The guy was incredibly nice and I was super impressed thinking that this was one of the owners. I decided to sit at the bar and wait and didn't wait long at all. My food was served up immediately. nice and hot, and as I began to double into the potato salad, which was great, I sucked my teeth into a wonderful juicy rib! Amazing food. I began chatting it up with the young man to find out his name was Marcus, and he wasn't an owner but one of the managers there. I could not believe after watching this guy, clean, bus, tables, wipe down furniture and moving at an incredibly fast pace, that this guy wasn't an owner. Not to mention he was in his early 20s! I am and was blown away by this young man's work ethic, attitude, and appreciation for his job. It's rare to find these days in anyone, let alone someone they're in their early 20s. Two Thumbs Way up for not only the food, a clean environment, but really for people that work there like Marcus. I definitely found my barbecue place of choice in the area, and will be a lifetime customer. Keep up the great work, Marcus! Your owners, I'm sure are proud and happy to have you, and if not, hit me up and I'll hire you on the spot! read more

My review is a mixed bag. The good news is that the service was exceptional, the staff was very friendly, the prices were reasonable and the loaded potato was "out of this world." The bad news is that our brisket plates and the pit burger were overcooked and VERY dry. If the meats were served hot, juicy and tasty, the restaurant would have earned five stars. read more

Food was delicious . Half salad with tri tip was perfect amount for lunch. Other orders with my group were also very pleased with their meal. Brisket sandwich, ribs and chicken read more

Super disappointed in my meal at slow hand BBQ. Ordered a half chicken and 3 smalls sides - beans, slaw and potato salad. Not a lot of food for $30. The beans and potato salad were inedible. Beans were super sweet with wine, just gross. The potato salad was so vinegary it wasn't even edible. I don't think I'll be going back. read more

We ordered a family package. What a disappointment. 4 of the smallest St louis rib I ever saw and they were dried out. Same for the 1/2 chicken, even doused with sauce. The beans were not cooked through. The Mac & Cheese was ok, The German potato salad was certainly sharp with vinegar. All the sides were rather stingy. Will not be trying again. read more

Love all their good! Our son David introduced you to us and are we glad he did! Thanks and keep up the good work! read more

Neat decorations, decent food, pet friendly is a big plus. Staff is pretty friendly. Food portion is not what you get from Texas but we'll you are in Cali so still decent. read more

This place should seriously just close its doors. Ordered a brisket sandwich and a chicken dinner. The store was out of chicken so they just didn't give it to us. Didn't tell us it was cancelled so we didn't realize we were a dinner short until it was far too late to order something else. The brisket sandwich was basically unseasoned roast beef that was 50% unrendered fat on a stale bun. The beans just tasted like pure vinegar, the mac tasted like it came from a box, and the potato salad was somehow dry? How do you make potato salad dry?! This place isn't just a bad bbq place, it's bad food in general. Literally any fast food chain can make better food. The folks running this place should be embarrassed to serve this dog food as bbq. read more

The best bbq place in all of pleasant hill hands down! Food comes fast, and it is always a hit!