The food was okay, but to be fair, I'm not really a big BBQ fan, so it may just not be my thing. My mom enjoys coming here, which is why I gave it a try. The chili beans were really good, and the sherbet that comes with the meal was definitely one of the highlights. Our waitress was very nice once we were helped, although we did have to wait a while before someone came to our table. Overall, it was a decent experience. The food wasn't necessarily my favorite, but I can see why others enjoy it. read more

See all

I've been coming here for years, and the food has always been consistently amazing. They don't change things up much, but that's part of the charm the quality never disappoints. The side of chili is my absolute favorite, and you get to choose between steak fries or a baked potato can't go wrong with either. The steak was well-seasoned and flavorful, though it wasn't cooked evenly this time. Overall, I'd rate the meal an 8.4/10. I'll definitely be back! The service was excellent friendly, patient, and great with families. The ambiance is warm and inviting, with a western-style, family-friendly vibe. read more

Smalley's Roundup Restaurant - New York Steak (16 oz) - Barbeque Near Me - Salinas, California

See all

Always good service..mostly BBQ foods but has some healthy alternatives...Yummy yummy I've got food in my tummy!!

The food was amazing! But words cant express how great the service was. Sonya was our waitress and she went above and beyond. It felt like a family owned business very welcoming. Portions are big highly suggest coming hungry. read more

Smalley's Roundup Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Salinas, California

See all

The food was delicious and served in a healthy portion. The staff are as attentive as I remember. Our order came with soup or salad, garlic bread, and chili. We will be returning. The restaurant is a family-style setting where you feel like you are sitting in a family member's dining room. read more

Smalley's has been a Family favorite for many years and has been my Dad's BIrthday request every year. It is my favorite BBQ sauce! Not only are the plates delicious but the entire staff is awesome. No dissapointments. Love the food & ambiance read more

Smalley's Roundup Restaurant - Dave's Platter & the Super Full Rack of Ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Salinas, California

My niece took me here and I thought she was playing a joke on me. I spent the last 18 years in Austin Texas, 3 blocks from a famous bbq joint. I have no idea what kind of food Smalleys even is, shoe leather in ketchup comes close. read more

An unassuming BBQ joint, but really homey vibes here. Service was excellent from beginning to finish. I wasn't super hungry, so the 3 of us ordered a ribs platter and tri tip platter. Two sides included for each entree, including clam chowder! The clam chowder was thick, almost like a corn chowder, but pretty good. I did not care for the tri tip which was thinly sliced but overly doused in bbq sauce. The ribs on the other hand were excellent, very tender and plenty of spices. They end your meal with sherbert! read more

See all

Not what it used to be compared when they were located on West Market St. We have eaten there a few times with the last time being this passed December as some friends were interested in going out. Sad to say I personally don't enjoy the meals however many persons around seem to be liking just fine. Check it out for yourselves and you decide. Me? I'm out. read more

Steaks are awesome here. I order the filet mignon rare and they cook it the way I like it.

We went to Smalley's Roundup with some friends and the dinner was outstanding! I ordered ribs & chops combo and wife ordered steak & shrimp combo. Both were delicious. I had a 1L beer to wash all the tasty meat down. If you are a carnivore and like large portions, then Smalley's is for you! read more

See all

Applebee's quality food at a mark up, and depressing ambiance. The service was great, really friendly staff but man was the food terrible. 14 oz rib eye steak was Chewy, the rack of ribs were microwaved. The chicken breast also tasted microwaved and smothered in bbq sauce. Not even my 3 year old ate the french fries which says a lot. $105 for two terrible meals. read more

The Food is delicious, I ordered a chicken salad and the chicken was super soft and with so much flavor. I brought my picky teenager for his first time and he ordered a Bacon Cheeseburger and he said it was SOO good! I asked him if he would come back again and he said Yep! The service was Very attentive. Overall our experience was Amazing. read more

This place is great. The food was delicious and the portions are very large. It's not a cheap dinner but with the portion size you can get 2 meals out of it, if you are into left overs. The shareable will definitely feed 2 people. We had the tri-tip, chicken, New York steak, and shrimp. All were really flavorful. The BBQ sauce is nice and tangy. Highly recommend read more

Well, we had an awesome time because we were in excellent company eating out with good friends. My husband and I are vegan and our good friends are not. We mostly wanted to hang out with them. So we went with low expectations. They have a portobello mushroom sandwich that is good, especially smothered with bbq sauce. Baked potatoes are on the menu and they have a decent green salad. I think they use butter, but I didn't have a reaction so maybe it's margarine that they use? If everyone in the group is vegan then this is certainly NOT the place to go. However, if a few in your group prefer to avoid meat and they don't mind seeing people in the group enjoying their meaty meal, then this is a lovely relaxed atmosphere to enjoy sharing company and a light meal that can be pieced together from the sides. The chili beans are not vegetarian. Our server was pleasant and accommodating to our questions about food options. This was a good experience and we enjoyed trying a place we obviously would never go on our own. If you are one that enjoys meat, in many forms, then the menu has many options. read more

We went to grab a late lunch here and opted for the burger and and two tri tip sandwiches- the tri tip sandwiches came out covered in sauce, the fries had zero flavor and one bite of the tri tip and it tasted old and like it was boiled. I have had food here before and their tri tip was good before but not his time. All 3 of us spit our food out and wanted to leave. Luckily the server said she would just void the orders read more

Grandma's Meal! I know my grandma wouldn't be able to eat all this! Tri-tip, 3 ribs, beans, baked potato, bread, and a garden salad. Desert included rainbow sherbet. This meal was so good so much food for 23.00. During the day they have a special from 3-5 and you can get a tri-tip, chicken, or pulled pork sandwich, beans and potato or fries for under $10. Smalleys is a Home Town institute and as a kid I remember sitting at the diner counter when they were located on West Market. This is the place you go to for meal that will not disappoint you go in knowing it will be good and leave feeling satisfied. Portions are plenty but save room for that sherbet! read more

See all

Smalley's isn't what it used to be. The 8oz ribeye steak was about 1/4 inch thick and looked like a paper steak. It was cooked medium rare. Like I asked. Not much of a cut of meat. It also had a lot of fat. Not ever going back . read more

Food was good but their prices were too high. Seem like everything on the menu had gone up $10.

Not what it used to be--I think we have better results if we eat in. Carry out gets 2 stars.

The ribs are like carnitas, way over cooked . Tritip had a funny taste. Service is great and I didn't have the heart to tell them the food was horrible. I won't be going back . 3 years ago I wrote a 3 star review but today's review is only worth a star. read more

Smalley's Roundup Restaurant - a plate of food - Barbeque Near Me - Salinas, California

See all

A little disappointed in the food but the service gets an A+. The clam chowder and salmon was good, however I wasn't fond of the trip tip, (it was wayyyyy too tough), the ribs were tender but not very flavorful, and the baked beans weren't traditional baked beans. It was essentially chili...which isn't a great combination with BBQ. Bomb bbq tastes delicious without sauce...unfortunately none of the meat gave the wow factor, with or without sauce. They also serve beer in huge mugs...so that was cool. Mmm, yeah I don't think I'd visit again, I'm sorry. read more

Smalley's Roundup Restaurant - Rib Dinner -1/2 Rack - Barbeque Near Me - Salinas, California

I'm glad I waited on this review. I've been four times since they opened at the South Main location. 1st visit was years ago and was so disappointing I never went back. However my sister always raves about their beans and ribs and orders to go frequently. So I decided to give it another try. So happy I did. The service is friendly and prompt! The steaks and ribs have been great. The beans have been very good two of three times we've been back. And the blue cheese dressing is outstanding! It's the only place I will ear the entire iceberg salad! (Being from Salinas doesn't mean you have to love iceberg lettuce.) A small suggestion/request (from sis and me); put ketchup, and bbq sauce back on the table with a spicy option. And be a little more generous with the side of beans (at least more than a condiment size ramekin)! I think I would be more apt to drive from PG to dine there and my sis would frequent more for those two small changes! You have such limited staff and to see them running around to grab sauce and ketchup for most every table served in plastic waste is wrong and wasted time and energy for your staff. read more

Food is always great Service is on point. This is a family business and ambiance is good.

Meh. Worst BBQ we've ever tasted! Chicken was too dry. Tri-tip had a funny taste and chewy texture that was not too good to eat. Ribs were not very good either. Service was just ok. Boring ambiance with no music at all. :( Will never go back! read more

Ribs were delicious. Very friendly service and I enjoyed the casual atmosphere where I was able to watch NFL football.

Food portions were very generous! We found the pork ribs to be very meaty although a little greasy. We found the chili to be a little too spicy for us. Complementary sherbet for dessert is a nice touch.. service was superb! Restaurant was clean. Very casual dining. read more

I use to frequent Smalley's regularly in the 80's and early 90's before I relocated to Southern California. This was my first time back in about 10 years and I was not disappointed. My go to meal is the Super Rib (full rack) dinner with steak fries and chili beans. The ribs were to die for and much meaty than before. The only knock was that they removed the BBQ sauce bottles from the tables and you have to ask your waiter for extra sauce which they bring to you in small to go containers. Besides that, the wait staff was excellent and attentive and the restaurant was very clean. I have a lot of friends in the Salinas area that have told me that the negative reviews on Yelp about Smalley's are from friends and family of the other competitor BBQ joint at their old establishment. I tried that place and it does not even come close to the quality of meat and flavor Smalley's puts out. I bought extra BBQ sauce to take home and I can't wait to come back and murder another plated of delicious ribs. read more

Smalley's Roundup Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Salinas, California

See all

If you're hungry for delicious MEAT COOKED OVER AN OAK WOOD BBQ PIT go to ... SALINAS CITY BBQ IF YOU LIKE RUDE, UNSANITARY SERVICE, EAT HERE! I've been here a few times and the tri tip and chicken don't taste like they were cooked over BBQ pit. They are smothered with BBQ Sauce. The only reason I came back to eat here is because I was invited. Not my choice restaurant. !! IF you're BRAVE, tight for time, call and order ahead. We ordered at 4:45 pm and received our sandwich at 5:25 pm. Our sandwich should have been $7.00 since we ordered the special BEFORE 5:00 pm. We didn't want to hassle with her attitude so we paid full price and refused to leave a tip. Service is so slow and the waitress is not welcoming, RUDE. We had pulled pork sandwiches. BEWARE the bun will be soggy!! The pulled pork sandwich is flavorless. It's a bun with unflavored shredded pork with a tablespoon of chili beans on the side. No substance bland plain meal. On the sticky table there is a dirty, greasy bottle of BBQ sauce. Free sherbet with every meal.... If you have extra time, the wait for your free sherbet is 15 minutes after being asked twice if we wanted it. We waited and received freezer burn tasting sherbet with ice crust. Two dirty spoons to eat it with where dropped on our table. . No thanks. Not impressed. The staff all looked mad. No smiles. No hello. No thank you. They are handling food and cash and NOT WASHING THEIR HANDS. The rude waitress that's always there would scratch her head every so often and not wash her hands. She's the most unwelcoming hostess waiter server there! A hairy faced guy wearing an apron came out from the kitchen and was working the cash register He was mad dogging too. I recommend the staff take courses in food handling, cooking and customer service. It's usually a domino effect so owner would benefit from this training as well. One star for the huge ice water cup! Please clean the sticky tables and everything in it. The restrooms need major cleaning as well. Ps. When we first arrived I overheard the man at the next table telling waitress his steak was well done but ordered medium rare. She then ordered him a replacement. Well it didn't arrive until 25 minutes later and the rest of his group was ready to go. I hope he wasn't charged for the inconvenience. His steak should have been rushed to him. read more

Smalley's Roundup Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Salinas, California

See all

NO NO NO! Birthday Time!!!! So, I thought ribs were cold the tri tip was smothered like in a weird ketchup! I was like ITS MY BIRTHDAY & WANTED TO TRY A NEW RESTURANT! They had on the menu ribs & ribeye & we got this skirt steak and cold ribs! The cost was outrageous it was three of us $210.00 dollars was a waste I will never go there again WERES GORDEN RAMSEY! I got a baked potato and got a sliced cheese in my potato it looked weird the cheese was not melted and the whole meal did not taste good at all!!!! I thought I would at least get a decent piece of tri-tip, but no this restaurant is disappointing! I left this restaurant hungry because I didn't touch anything there but the salad! read more

Divine food from a true American establishment. Cannot go wrong and guess what the meat is REAL!! to those who are skeptical from the bay area. Tip top!! read more

Food is consistently great. I always order the filet mignon and I get it rare. They know how to cook it every single timr. Meat is high quality. read more

Outstanding place, friendly people, the food is 5-star. It's a once a week visit for us! The place is fun and clean read more

Smalley's Roundup Restaurant - Taylor's dinner , one of my favorites - Barbeque Near Me - Salinas, California

Love this place! You know it's a family and you also get treated like one. I asked if they can kindly bring the order out and with no hesitation the agreed ( I was looking like shrek so I didn't want to be seen ) thank you for your great service! Now the food? Come on,.. did you look at the pictures? As the kids now say.. it was "!!" read more

Just not that good... No BBQ/Smoke flavor or smell. Ribs taste like they were boiled/baked and then thrown on the grill. Tri-Tip definitely was mediocre at best. Chicken was hellllllla dry. Hostess was great. Will not be spending any of my money here. Thankfully this meal was paid by gift certificates. $85 + tip sheeeeesh! read more

Smalley's Roundup Restaurant - Chicken Breast and baked beans - Barbeque Near Me - Salinas, California

See all

Smally's is always good when we dine here. We always end up with the same waiter, always attentive and friendly. My ribeye is always cooked perfectly, and I always get the fries... with the baked potato toppings on it!!! I suggested Smally's to my sister and my BIL, and now, they always head here for their steak cravings. read more

Food was good and plentiful, service was friendly although we had to remind them about drink orders and my second beer was forgotten (which was fine - but I had to make sure we weren't charged for it). The place is very "family friendly" with booths and tables - atmosphere is comfortable but not particularly attractive. read more

Went with my hubby, daughter , sis and her BF for the first time . I ordered the Dave Platter which came with 14 oz ribeye and 1/2 rack of ribs with side items included for $38.99. It was very good with generous portions . Steak seasoned and perfectly cooked . Would definitely go back ! read more

Smalley's Roundup Restaurant - Dave Platter -14oz Oz . Ribeye , 1/2 rack ribs with sides included for $38.99! - Barbeque Near Me - Salinas, California

Smalley's was highly recommended for their BBQ. I was excited to try this place. I ordered their BBQ chicken plate. The chicken came boiled with bbq sauce over. The chicken was rubbery. Not grilled. I don't remember the sides it came with. Was not memorable. Expensive. Will not be returning. read more

My family and I went out to celebrate expecting to have a nice dinner and instead were very disappointed. The ribeye steak was very chewy and tough and did not taste like quality meat. It sure did not match the price that was paid for it. When we brought it up to the waitress lady who works the front counter she made a joke out of it. We did not get any type of apology or anything. The clam chowder was also very flavorless and bland. The steak fries looked as they had been cooked in old oil and had a burnt look. Even the sherbet ice cream was super hard and seemed as it was freezer burned. Service was ok but not great. I feel like we were ripped off and will not be coming back. read more