Found this diamond in the rough from Merced to Oakhurst. Passing through Mariposa for business related purposes, decided to stop to see what they had to offer and saw this bbq spot. I am very big into bbq and if i see a spot, my tastebuds and appetite get curious. IMO, there is not a lot great bbq, living in the south for some years, i have had my fair share. This place is a great mention for bbq. From flavor to tenderness. I had the ribs, tri-tip and brisket. The tri-tip and brisket was tender and had good pepper flavor but not over powering. The ribs, amazing flavor with just a bit of a snap. Sides: coleslaw and beans. The beans were delicious. The coleslaw, well it's different but good. To each their own and this place was fantastic to me. This would be my go to for bbq if i lived in the area. read more

Smokin Oak BBQ - I was impatient and took a bite of everything first before i took a pic - Barbeque Near Me - Mariposa, California

I am an outdoor cook, so I'm leery of most barbecue places. They seldom come up to the mark. This place is an exception. The dining room is in the Something Wicked pub, and is spotless, modern and comfortable. The people are outgoing and friendly, and our food was ready quickly. The food itself is plentiful and good. Every outdoor cook has their own preferences for sauces and seasonings, but the food was well prepared and done well. No complaints. If you're in the area and want barbecue, it's definitely worth a visit. read more

We visited on May 28, 2026, during rainy weather, so the patio seating was unfortunately closed. Since the ordering area inside is fairly small, we waited outside until there was enough room to enter and placed our order. After ordering, it was a little difficult to find seating because the indoor space is limited when the patio isn't available. Luckily, a table opened up just before our food was ready. We didn't wait for the staff to clean the table because we weren't sure it wouldn't be snatched by others. That said, the food was very good, which is why I still gave it a few stars. Overall, the limited seating and the cleanliness during our visit affected the experience a bit, but the food was fine if you're hungry. read more

I'm not a bbq spot person because I myself bbq and I like mine! I'm in Mariposa for work and my hotel is right next-door to this place so it's a convenient walking distance. That's all I'd give it a try the first night just to see how it was. I was impressed and decided to have it on night too as well.. my stomach's a little sensitive so I decided to go with a salad on the second night and OMG this place is exceeded by expectations. The brisket sandwich and Jojo potatoes were amazing. The salad with the tri-tip was good, but after adding their homemade pickled jalapeños and a side of their savory ranch beans...... I ate way too much! Have a feeling I'll be back there for the remainder of the trip. So freaking good. read more

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I recently visited Mariposa on a family trip. We smelled the BBQ and had to stop. The place was packed, so I assumed it would be good, but the wait was extremely long- like 40 minutes. What really disappointed me, though, was the service. The man I'm guessing was the owner upcharged me because I ordered a kids' meal--for an actual child. He added $3 simply because he didn't see a child standing with me. He then proceeded to ask the rest of my party, as they ordered, whether there was in fact a child with us rudely. I was honestly shocked by his bedside manner and how the situation was handled. We ordered the ribs plate, and it was great food- wouldn't say the best barbecue, but good none the less, would not go back because of the whole experience. read more

Smokin Oak BBQ - kids mac and cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Mariposa, California

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Delicious BBQ in Mariposa. We had the 3 meat plate and shared with my husband. Definitely enough food for two. The servers were polite, very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. We stayed outside to enjoy the amazing smell of the smoker! The side of corn is a must try! The chili beans was tasty.. and their bbq sauces were delicious! So far everything we had was yummy. There is a sitting area inside too and the bathroom was clean. Definitely coming back! read more

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Nice quality meat but with NO SMOKE FLAVOR. This is likely the result of the restaurant being unable to keep up with demand and having to serve meat that was rushed and not properly smoked. I tried brisket, pulled pork, and tri-tip. They were very busy when I picked up my food around 6 pm. Maybe go earlier if you want properly smoked meat. I might give them another chance one day, but clearly they have some stuff to work out currently. read more

Cali Sauce on your Frito Pie and Jojos! We were in Mariposa with friends and decided to try out Smokin Oak BBQ. Our group tried the frito pie with pulled pork, 2 meat combo, pulled pork sandwich and loaded baked potato. We really enjoyed the brisket, it was tender and juicy. The pulled pork was definitely a favorite, nice tender chunks of pork and just a light coating of sauce. The potato salad was creamy, but did need a smidgen of salt. The macncheese was chessy and delicious. The loaded baked potato wasn't on the menu, but they had 1 left! The jojo potatoes are wedges of potato with a drizzle of their white bbq sauce. The staff were very friendly and answered all our questions when ordering. The have outside seating or you can take your food over to the tap room next door, Twisted Cedar Tap House. See my separate review on that. We would go back for sure go back! read more

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Amazing food and service. Will definitely stop back by on our way or from to Yosemite. read more

Smokin Oak BBQ - Smoker grill and outside patio. - Barbeque Near Me - Mariposa, California

The loaded mac & cheese is fantastic. The tri-tip sandwich special was outstanding. My son appreciated the tomatoes. The pulled pork was wonderful in the flavor department. They had a line out the door, which is a good sign, but which also means you're going to wait a little bit. The nice thing is the food was relatively quick in being delivered. Next-door is the Twisted Cedar taphouse which has mead on tap and a variety of beers in the fridge, which is important to me because I like stouts. Stoutcast.com and Thespitter.com for you baseball fans. The people are friendly and you'll meet people from all over the world. Making a half order available would be good and a side salad, too. read more

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Epic! Smokin Oak BBQ is a must-stop on the way to Yosemite. The tri-tip absolutely blew my mind -- I half wished I had influencer sunglasses just so I could rip them off and throw them across the room in disbelief. The brisket delivered the same knockout punch: tender, smoky, and dialed in. The ranch beans went above and beyond and easily stole the spotlight from a typical side dish. Food, flavor, and experience were all outstanding. 10/10, stop here if you're passing through. read more

Waited over an hour for food. They closed 1.5 hr before stated. They were out of over half the menu. They left work as the food was still not ready 1 hour later. read more

Got it--let's lean into that gym-bro angle. Here's a sharper, more personal take: "As a regular at the gym right across the street, I've been tortured by that oak-smoked aroma wafting over every damn session. Finally caved after leg day--needed protein, not excuses. Ordered the brisket straight-up: tender as hell, juicy, smoky without the grease bomb. No sides, no fuss--just meat that hit harder than my deadlifts. Staff was chill, spot was clean, and yeah, it wrecked my macros... but worth it. If you're lifting nearby, this is your cheat day upgrade. Ten out of ten, would sweat for again." read more

Traveling through Mariposa and was hungry. I looked up lunch and this place caught my eye. I ordered the 3 meat platter with Ribs, brisket and dark meat chicken. Sides of Mac and cheese and potato salad. Came in a pizza box all packed up. It came with sliced white bread, a container of some pickles and pickled onions. I chose 2 of their sauces they offered of the 4. Wish I would have got all 4. Great flavors. The food was delicious. My friend picked the Mac and cheese topped with pulled pork and said it was yummy. There's a brewery next-door that you can access without leaving the building and take your food over and enjoy some beer next door. Outside seating is available by the smoker. Great place. Folks were friendly that worked there. read more

Great flavor! Everything was delicious. John had excellent customer service and I'm sold to come back every time I am in this area. I would personally recommend pulled pork, tri tip, Mexican corn, and peanut butter pie. read more

Quality, very attentive BBQ person in caring for the BBQ Food. AWESOME Ambiance. Clean, comfortable, casual. Very Fair price for ample servings. You want BBQ....? GET IN HERE! read more

Smokin Oak BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Mariposa, California

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Not only was the food fantastic but the service was amazing. Ilona made sure my table was taken care of and went above and beyond for us! I will be coming back next time I'm in the area read more

Smokin' Oak BBQ was outstanding!! First time there, I tried the Loaded Mac & Cheese w/Pulled Pork. It was instant addiction!! So Good!! After raving to them on how good it was, they gave me a sample of the Tri-Tip, and it was so incredibly good, I had to get a Tri-Tip sandwich on my last visit. The flavor of the meat alone was some of, if not the best tasting Tri-Tip I have had ever. Just the meat on the roll with the greens was excellent all by itself, but the salsa added to it puts the sandwich over the top. So many good things on the menu that must be sampled, but they will have to wait until next time. The crew running Smokin' Oak rocks, and very were appreciative of the kind words. Another Mariposa gem that's definitely worth stopping by. read more

Most horrible customer service I've ever seen. Dude at the front ignored me for a good bit, and after I got his attention, told me they "were shutting down" at 7:30pm. read more

Great chopped beef sandwich! Brisket had a great smoke ring and you could taste the smoke in the sandwich. Everyone was super nice and helpful. If I lived here I would be eating here 2 or 3 times a week. Great food and great service what else do you need? read more

Workers were very friendly and the food was great!! Looked a little small inside but we took our food to go and ate at home. They close as soon as they sell out so plan on eating sooner than later! I got the brisket loaded Mac and it was so yummy!! read more

Smokin Oak BBQ - Brisket loaded Mac - Barbeque Near Me - Mariposa, California

Just passing through and had to try the bbq. Did not disappoint. First time seeing corn riblets on a menu, Amazing. Brisket and pulled pork, tender and juicy. Highly recommend if you're in that neck of the woods. read more

Very busy place, nice and very friendly staff. The food is amazing! brisket and tri tip and ribs melt in your mouth (small rolls)though). I think la carte meat has more meat value. Cole slaw is good too. Corn is awesome. The beans surprisingly were very good. We even got some to go with us read more

After a long hike in Yosemite, we chose to eat here based on the positive reviews, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype. We ordered the 3-meat platter (ribs, pulled pork, and tri-tip) with cornbread, elote, and potato salad. The portions were small -- both the meats and the sides -- especially considering that the ribs came with an extra charge. Out of all the meats, only the ribs stood out as flavorful. The pulled pork and tri-tip were bland and really needed seasoning. The elote consisted of just three tiny pieces, and the cornbread was incredibly dry and lacked flavor -- easily the worst I've had. Overall, the food quality didn't justify the prices. If you're in the area, you might be better off grabbing a bite at the nearby pizza place or the Mexican restaurant instead. read more

We came in this past week for lunch and were greeted by four very happy, friendly people. They helped us decide on a brisket sandwich and a freshly smoked turkey sandwich. They were both amazing and enough food for us old folks to enjoy for dinner later on that day. Everything was clean and user friendly. We sat in the Tap room and my husband enjoyed a beer and I had a glass of Mead. Can't wait to go back! read more

Smokin Oak BBQ - Turkey sandwich and yummy jojo potatoes - Barbeque Near Me - Mariposa, California

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Brisket Frito bowl ! Perfection ! And it went really well with the beer on tap! Local characters and great service . read more

Stopped here on our way to Yosemite. It was SOOOO GOOD. I had the mac n cheese with brisket. Bomb.

Great stuff! So fun to finally have a Southern BBQ place in Mariposa! The pulled pork is especially delicious!

The food was amazing, deliciously smoked meats, very pleasant service attendants with a simple casual ambiance. Smoked ribs were especially delicious accompanied by super fresh tasting coleslaw. Doesn't end there the smoked pecan cake was AMAZING! Will definitely return when traveling by this area. 5 stars for sure. read more

Take out, it has been a bit long because of the amazing success of this restaurant! Ambiance is good, people are friendly and the beer are really great Service is friendly. Great experience for a take out read more

When we arrived at the restaurant around 7 pm, some items on the menu were already unavailable, but we chose from what was left. It was delicious. Friendly staff and good music, I recommend it read more

Oh man I can't wait to come back here! I am so excited to see a barbecue place in Mariposa, and beyond that the service and food was outstanding. We were treated by the friendliest staff, not just one, but everyone in the joint was welcoming. The tri tip was outstanding, the serving was a generous portion, and the sauces were all top notch. I will be back and prioritize coming here on all my future Mariposa stays. Not enough good things to say about this place. read more

OMG!!! The food is fantastic. My husband got the pull pork, which was cooked perfectly, as well as the watermelon salad. The salad was an explosion of flavors both sweet and spicy. I got the loaded Mac & cheese. It was topped with brisket and barbecue sauce. You can get whatever meat you like. It was clearly enough for two people. Needless to say, a good box was in order. read more

IT WAS SO GOOOOOOOOD!!!! and everyone was so friendly! Highly recommend when passing through !!! read more

Smokin Oak BBQ - Loaded Mac' n cheese with Tri trip & loaded pull pork bbq sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Mariposa, California

Absolutely incredible! My comparison for BBQ is BucEes and this place blows Bucees out of the water! I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and Jojo's with extra creamy garlic sauce. Both are to die for. The meat is perfectly tender not too soft or hard, the BBQ sauce they use is great and as I said, the white sauce on the jojo's is the chefs kiss! Kind of vinegar-y, with perfect seasoning. Service is wonderful from the owner and chef. Always a smile on their face. Definitely worth the stop! read more

Brisket sand and pulled pork was delicious, very friendly staff. Nice outdoor seating area.

Food was excellent we ordered the large family meal which was more then enough for 5 adults and tried it all also the gentleman brought us the burnt ends which I recommend also, we will definitely be back next time we're visiting the area. read more

Fantastic Food and Great service in a clean, comfortable, and very relaxing atmosphere!

From the south's mouth to your ears... We are from south Mississippi and have lived in California for a while with no good BBQ. After eating this food I literally cried. I haven't tasted food this good in a LONGGGG TIME! This is the best, most authentic bbq you are going to find. The service was amazing. We tried all the meats, jojo potatoes, Mac n cheese, and potatoe salad. We sat outside by the smokers on a beautiful day with our pup. If you get the chance this is a MUST!!!! read more

Smokin Oak BBQ - The only picture I got because we ate so quickly! - Barbeque Near Me - Mariposa, California

Everything about our experience here was a 10/10! Customer service was AMAZING!!! The food was AMAZING!!! We really appreciate you guys, thank you!!! read more