This small shops serves up some really good barbecue. Hot tip: Come earlier in the day, if you can. Like at most BBQ places, they may run out of certain foods later in the day. You snooze, you lose. (Funny note: I was told, in no uncertain terms, that they were out of chicken and that I would get extra pulled pork. When I got home, I found a large piece of chicken.) The best option is the Sampler plate. You get six different proteins, three sides, and three Hawaiian rolls. The proteins are chicken, hot link, tri-tip, brisket, ribs, and pulled pork. I thought all of the proteins were very good but I especially loved the hot link. I could have eaten three of these alone. The sides are also very good. The mac and cheese and potato salad--both clearly house made--were excellent. The house made beans were ok but a little hard. I didn't love them. They have three BBQ sauces to choose from (spicy--marked with a giant "X" on the little cup, sweet, and regular. They are all delicious but you really don't need any of them. That is a sign of good BBQ. The sampler plate gives you a ton of food. At $56, it seems expensive but it is not. This plate easily feeds three people and you will probably have some leftovers. I drove 30 minutes one way for this, waited about 15 minutes, and drove another 30 minutes home. It was very much well worth it. Good BBQ is hard to find in SoCal but it exists, if you make the effort. And this is very good BBQ at reasonable prices. read more

The Rib Shack - Sampler plate: hot link, ribs, chicken, tri tip, pulled pork, brisket, mac and cheese, potato salad, beans, and rolls. FANTASTIC BBQ. - Barbeque Near Me - Fallbrook, California

Best Baby Back Ribs west of Memphis To go orders are always complete and packed well Quick service Clean kitchen and dining room read more

I was passing by and thought I would try this place. I love small independent joints like this and I wish I could give a good review. The pluses are the two kinds of bbq sauce and service. Friendly place. I ordered the brisket sandwich and it was under seasoned, over smoked, tough, and (worst of all) dry. I love brisket but this was lousy. Sorry, I cannot recommend. read more

The food is really good! We like the pork ribs, chicken and beef ribs even though they are huge. The potato salad is really good. Also enjoyed the peach cobbler. Very friendly staff even when you show up 15 minutes before closing. It's worth the drive! Fresh meat daily, it's not old and reheated. read more

First time patrons and had a positive visit, the girl at the register was very pleasant and they do offer military discount. The flavors of the meats were nice (except the chicken, husband and I agreed there was an odd floral flavor to it). Wanted to try this place on the fried okra alone as I've never been to a BBQ place that has this as an option. The okra was yummy, seasoned fries were crispy, Mac and cheese was ok, the coleslaw was meh, the potato salad was bomb! We want to try the cowboy beans next time. The BBQ sauce was flavorful and tangy, we agreed the best meat was the pulled pork, it was tender and juicy while the ribs were pretty tough and the brisket was sadly very chewy. Maybe it was just an off day, but we would definitely come back to try more things! Honestly: 3.5 stars if you could do half stars, I would have done 3, but based on the great customer service, I bumped it up to 4 stars. read more

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This visit was very disappointing. The brisket sandwich didn't have much meat on it to start with given the $16 price, and way too much of it was fat. The fries were cold, soggy, and totally inedible. read more

I ordered takeout from The Rib Shack while visiting Fallbrook as it was a rainy day so the more plentiful outdoor seating area was closed. The menu posted in store by the register was a bit more limited than online, and there were specials posted in the store (like the giant beef ribs) that were not listed online, so worth calling to ask if you're looking for beef ribs! My husband and I shared a half rack of pork ribs and a lb of brisket. For sides, we got fried okra and cole slaw, which were both really good! Meat was tender and paired perfectly with all three types of bbq sauce on the side (which I appreciated, because bbq spots that lather on too much bbq overwhelms my tastebuds). Not much indoor seating but I did see a patio outside (not in use when I stopped by due to rain). Will definitely stop by again when I am back in town! read more

The Rib Shack - Ribs and brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Fallbrook, California

Love the bbq here, the baked beans and potato salad are great as well! If youre in Fallbrook stop in!

Shout out to Rib Shack. Ordered 2 beef ribs. They only serve on Fridays and Saturdays and always sell out. Got there early. Best ribs ever. 20.99 a lb min.2 ribs. These Dino bones with 2 sides were only $30. Enough food for 2 maybe 3 I got our favorite, fried Okra(not pix) and slaw. The Slaw was not sweet and so good. The okra gone before I got home. And sauce is on the side so they look anemic but aren't. They don't hide the flavor with sauce and let you choose the sauce you want. Only complaint is the chipotle mayo served with the Okra was so watered down it was straight liquid and dripped EVERYWHERE. My floor, hand, shirt. Thought maybe a one time thing then went to put BBQ sauce on the meat and it too was watered down. That's not going to help save you $ because now I (and others ) will just order twice as much sauce. Do better with your sauces. read more

The Rib Shack - Beef Ribs (only Fridays and Saturdays) and slaw. - Barbeque Near Me - Fallbrook, California

Good BBQ. Reasonable price and sampler for 3 was a lot of meat. My whiskey club loved it. Small with outdoor area full of truck drivers with small seating inside. Recommend a to go for groups but okay for Traveler's for quick stop for good verity of bbq on and off fwy by 15 and 76. read more

Best barbecue sandwiches EVER!! Better than Phil's or Lucille's, hands down Service is great too! read more

My mom always told me that you need to go and eat where you see construction workers and cops eat. Well I found it! Just a little hole in the wall off the 76 next to a market. Their meats are so fresh because they are cooked the same day. Whoever is doing it knows what they are doing because I have never had something not good here. I love their sandwiches with one side and their prices are spot-on for meats. My favorite of the barbecue sauces is the spicier one. They have three different kinds. Regular spicy and sweet. Anytime you need a good barbecue and you're in the area I would definitely stop in and give them your appetite because they will fill it up! Enjoy I shall return read more

I hate to leave bad reviews, and only do it when it really calls for, Very disappointing experience. Customer service was horrible from the moment we arrived. The girl taking the order has no people skills, The food is bbq, should be done ready to serve yet my order took 20 minutes, how? Why? It's food that down have to be prepared. Then When the food finally came out, it was bland and the ribs were dried out. We paid over $50 fora sampler plate for 2 people and honestly the only thing i could eat and somewhat enjoy was the mac and cheese. Everything else went to waste. Definitely not worth the wait or the money. Full disclosure I did just move here from Texas where you see what you're ordering and you get your tray full of food right there on the spot. No waiting! CA needs good bbq places and this is not it! read more

The Rib Shack - Dry bland bbq ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Fallbrook, California

Delicious and never disappoints! I always get their brisket sandwich and coleslaw. Both are amazing especially the bun which tastes almost like a waffle with its sweetness. I also add the coleslaw to the sandwich for another dimension. The brisket is always so tender! Highly recommend. read more

Not a very good experience. I stopped here on the way between Escondido and Temecula and I had an Entertainment Coupon. They refused to accept my coupon. No reason was given except "we don't accept coupons." I know they've been in the Entertainment coupon program for years. My question is, why offer a discount or coupon if you're not going to honor it. My coupon said clear as day $10 discount. They offered to give me a 10% discount which totaled about $3. I just told them to have a good day and left as a non-satisfied customer. read more

The Rib Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Fallbrook, California

The meat was dry and cold. The fries and Okra cold and soggy. I expected so much more. I was a cute little shop with one guy running register and 2 in the kitchen read more

The Rib Shack - Two meat combo brisket, baby back ribs, fries and Okra - Barbeque Near Me - Fallbrook, California

It's sharing a parking lot with messy burgers and Pala Mesa marketplace. It's on the left most lot. It is a relatively small place with about 4 tables inside and a variety of seating outside with picnic tables and benches. No alcohol availanle, just tea and soft drinks. Diet coke and dietavailable, They have a menu that allows you to pick the bbq meats and sides, or sandwiches. We ordered a two meat platter to share and fries and fried okra as sides. And we got two unsweetened ice teas. We waited 25 minutes for the food. And it appeared that we were forgotten. My hubby checked back twice and when we finally got it; our fries and fried okra were mushy. The meat was reasonably good. But still a tad bit dry. The insides of the restaurant was really clean. I do see multiple polarising views on this place. Other patrons we met said the sandwiches were the way to go here. The sides are pretty ehh... was the comment we got. Probably not coming back here for a while. For others, it's a hit or miss according to the reviews. For anybody that matters, we were here on Saturday afternoon for lunch. We narrowly missed the lunch time crowd... or so we thought. read more

The Rib Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Fallbrook, California

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We love this place for the ribs, pulled pork, and cole slaw! My boyfriend goes there almost every weekend and always recommends to all of his friends and family! Great place to get a quick bbq lunch, cute small shop with easy parking! I would recommend getting a protein and two sides, the mac and cheese is amazing and the cole slaw is a must have. read more

The Rib Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Fallbrook, California

Restaurant itself is off the freeway and in a little corner of a small shopping center. There is outdoor seating and a few tables inside. Ordered 1/2 lb of the pulled pork and 1/2 lb of the brisket - no sides. Both the meats were moist and flavorful. If you're in the area, and hungry, pop in and grab some meat. It was pretty good. read more

Awesome food! Good prices for smoked meats. A small hole in the wall place off the main highway. Worth the wait!

I've eaten here plenty of times and I've never had bad experience. I always ordered the brisket and it has always been juicy and tender. This time around, I ordered the same thing, but the brisket was very dry and tough to eat. I'm going to give it another try and hope that the brisket is moist and tender like it usually is. read more

The Rib Shack - Dry and tough brisket/Dined-in, ate it right away - Barbeque Near Me - Fallbrook, California

Loved the brisket, fried okra, and beans. Didn't have a chance to try the ribs as they were already sold out. We picked up the food to go, and even though they were really busy they had our order ready within 15 mins. One young man working the front by himself, but great customer service. Will definitely go back. Also love the spicy bbq sauce. read more

Heading to the desert on New Year's Eve, the wife and I decided to stop and have a Nessy burger on the way out. We hadn't had one of those in years and when we showed up they were closed..... We smelled the BBQ smoking from the parking lot and decided to give the Rib Shack a try, THIS IS THE BEST BRISKET I'VE HAD IN CALIFORNIA SINCE I MOVED HERE FROM TEXAS IN THE 90'S!!!!! The brisket was "melt in your mouth" great, the sides were amazing and the service was top notch. Sorry Nessy, but when we come this way, we will never be able to get past the Rib Shack!!!! read more

Food was great, ribs and brisket were very tender. Seasoning on the fries was also very good but they were a tad undercooked. Mac and cheese was good, potato salad was probably the best I've ever had! Service was also great. read more

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Phenomenal BBQ in Fallbrook! Be sure to stop into the Rib Shack for some lip smackin' BBQ with local charm! We got the family sampler platter because we couldn't make up our minds... for two *very hungry* people, we had leftovers for several meals. They even sell Cheerwine! Super cute and chill vibes. Go check 'em out! read more

The Rib Shack - Front Entrance - Barbeque Near Me - Fallbrook, California

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The food at the Rib shack is awesome. If your ever in Fallbrook, California, this is the place to come get awesome "beef" ribs. Everything on the menu is great. My wife and I would go there weekly for the Rib Shack's great BBQ. We have since moved to Texas, but I loved the Rib Shack so much I mentioned the restaurant in my book, "For the Love of Brisket, page 51 and 52" Make sure you go to this diamond in the rough. It will be worth your time. San Diego is a great city to visit and if you want to try one of the best, authentic BBQ joints in San Diego, well the Rib Shack is the place. Thank you for serving great BBQ in San Diego. Sincerely John and Ana Davis read more

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Worst customer service, very weird individual as cashier. Looks at me as he's yelling my name to hand me the wrong order then says that's not my real name than corrects me on what I ordered says I ordered double fries like bro you just took my order. Worst service with great food. read more

Excellent bbq. Maybe the best in North County. We fed 3 kids and 2 adults with the sampler meal. Girl behind the counter could use some people skills but was nice. read more

Holy cow best food all homemade with such flavor new favorite place really fast service smoker outside and lots of seating

One of our family members lives in Fallbrook area of San Diego. They brought us out to The Rib Shack. It's a nice small family-owned place. I was told it was established in 2013. The lady who helped us was very cordial and helpful. When you walk in, the menu is above behind the counter. They offer dinners (Baby Back Ribs, Brisket, Tri-Tip, Pulled Pork, or Smoked Chicken with two sides and a roll). They also offer specialties, two meat combos, sandwiches, and more. They have a drink cooler if you'd like to have a drink. Glass bottles or plastic bottles. They offered three different barbeque sauces. We ended up mixing them together. Their meats were very tender, juicy, and not dry. I liked the fact that they did not smother the sauces on after they were cooked. It was a nice option to control the sugar in the sauces. They offer indoor seating as well as outdoors. The place is nicely decorated and clean. We opted to sit outdoors and enjoyed the sunshine. They have a decent area for parking. Overall, a nice place for lunch or dinner. We did see quite a few take out orders as well. I'd like to try other menu items next time. read more

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This is my 3rd time I've eaten here. The restaurant is very clean the bbq beef ribs are a must. But they only have them available once a week. But the young kids that take the orders are so darn rude and it's like a bother to take an order, not only has it happened to me I witnessed it happening to other people in the line. I'm pretty much done coming here just because of poor customer service. read more

The Rib Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Fallbrook, California

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The best food! We got take out again this time and it was put together pretty quickly and packaged well. Friendly service. I got the ribs & brisket combo, both you can cut with a feather. My wife got the brisket. Their meats are really good. We appreciate they have different BQ sauces you can pick from too as my wife likes the spicey sweet and I like spicey one. We love their potato salad and they really do have the best cole slaw and peach cobbler. read more

RIBS POST-HIKE After a long hike, my body wants food. Usually I gravitate toward meat since I've lost protein on the trail. I traveled on the 395 and stopped by the Rib Shack. Hey, it is rated 4.5-4.7 on Yelp and Google, How could it not be delicious? WHAT DID YOU ORDER? I ordered the two meat plate. It comes with two meats, two sides and a Sweet Hawaiian roll. I selected ribs and brisket. My sides were macaroni and cheese and potato salad. I also purchased a side of baked beans $5.00, ridiculous). ARE YOU FEELING IT? I found the food overrated and lackluster. Remember I was pretty hungry because I just finished hiking 10 miles. Meats - tender and smoked to perfection, but needs seasoning. This may be a no salt establishment. HOW WERE THE SIDES: I'm a firm believer that you don't need sides for meat. However, when it's barbecue you must have something to complement the meal. Macaroni and cheese: If you like macaroni and Velveeta this is the perfect combination. If you like the real deal-Pass Baked beans: combo red beans and pinto beans. Excellent smoke flavor. Everything else-Pass Potato salad: Bingo. They got this one right. Hawaiian roll: When are they never perfect? I recommend the rib shack out source their sides to a caterer that knows how to whip it good. WHAT'S YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSION? The two meat meal in my opinion can feed two. The sides can be split. For the price point at $30.00 I won't be returning. And I may also not remember to recommend. HIGHLIGHTS Immaculate inside Exemplary customer service Minimum wait time Barbecue sauce No barbecue is worth anything unless it takes all day. - William Faulkner #ribshackfallbrook #fallbrookdining #smokedoutmeats read more

The Rib Shack - Remember this the next time you're traveling on the 395 or North County San Diego? - Barbeque Near Me - Fallbrook, California

They are friendly staff and the food is always excellent very yum. We've had all of the different meats and they all are our favorite. They are very conveniently located of the 395 freeway read more

our extended family go to for take out. haven't had a bad meal yet. typical go for their platters - hawaiian rolls included, yum! my wife swears this is the best cole slaw she's had. sauce is always in the side which is nice. platters are easily meals for 2 days and the sandwiches are huge. read more

Decided to try this place out since they have beef ribs. This place is no joke.... it's not Phil's bbq or Lucille's.... it's better!! It has that Texas homestyle bbq feel and taste!! We got 1/2 lb of the brisket and 2 beef ribs. The way they do it is if you order a beef rib, it comes w 2 sides then they weigh the rib and that's how much your meal would cost. Our 2 beef rib plates was $92. That's not uncommon for good authentic bbq so I wasn't trippin!! The ribs are huuuuuuuge!!! I got the fried okra and mac n cheese as the sides. The okra was delicious, and I hate okra but this one was great!! Bbq sauce, there are 2 different kinds... I like the one that tastes like it has some type of bourbon or whiskey in it.... it was good!! The other bbq sauce was a sweeter one it was good too. They have a creamy sauce that has a hint of spice, that was really good too!! The brisket was really good and very melt in your mouth tender!! You get a free peach cobbler when you check in on Yelp and show it to them. Definitely would come back when I'm craving Texas style bbq!! read more

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For my birthday, I wanted to try one of the top rated BBQ restaurants in the area. So we visited this restaurant and ordered several of their menu items. Everything we ordered was excellent and we now understand why this restaurant is at the top of the ratings. For desert, we ordered their homemade peach cobbler which was outstanding. I don't think peach cobbler gets any better than this. read more

I drove 30 minutes out of my way as a friend said this was the best brisket he ever had all I ordered. Was the brisket told him that told me if it was good I was going to get a pound to go to take to another friend like brisket well, it was the worst dry no flavor over smoked over smoked. No flavor. Taste like biscuit Very sad and no, I did not buy more read more

You can eat steak or burger, in addition side dishes. I ate the Baby Back Rib (I don't know what it is...) but it's good. There are some tiny bones in that meat but taste good. I think I ordered French flies as side dish, but I got a Mac & Cheese. I don't care because the Mac & cheese is good. Close to exit of freeway and Gas station so it's easy to access there but its parking lot isn't big. read more

The Rib Shack - The Baby Back Rib with Mac & cheese and Potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - Fallbrook, California

They have good bbq,the hot sauce is not that hot but good . Sides are adequate . They go have outside seating