Had another wonderful lunch here today. Had to get the Fifty-Fifty again Tri-Tip and Pork Belly---Excellent! Service and ambiance is great! read more

The Tri-Tipery - Sandwiches Near Me - Ballico, California

I was so looking forward to eating here, what a disappointment. There's a sign that says made from scratch daily. What the sign needs to say is made once per day. I got the Smokey Bird. The white bbq sauce had zero flavor and the overall sandwich was dry. The bacon was obviously made hours ago, all you could taste was the congealed fat. The garlic fries were lukewarm at best and definitely not made to order. My husband got the Philly cheesesteak, that had more flavor from the peppers and onions at least but the tri tip should have been the star and it was just ok. He got the sweet potato fries and they weren't fresh either. And the soda was flat also. $51 mistake. The first time we went here, it was better. read more

Our first time here was to see a band, and of course, we had to get food -- it was delicious! We shared the regular tri-tip plate and the tri-tip with fries, and everything was cooked perfectly. The bread was amazing too! The second time, we were in Turlock and decided to order ahead for pickup. We got two tri-tip sandwiches with a side of mac and cheese, and it was the perfect amount for our family of four. My kids loved it -- my son was actually obsessed with the tri-tip! Next time, I might just get him his own plate. Both times, the service was friendly and quick. It's definitely a spot worth checking out. Just a little tip -- sometimes the card reader can be finicky, so it's handy to have some cash. Super family-friendly place, and we absolutely love it! read more

Visiting the Central Valley wanted to try something new, was craving bbq and we decided to drop by the Tri-Tipery for a quick lunch. We pulled up around noon and there wasn't much of a crowd so we were able to order and get our food pretty quickly. The menu prices are pretty good with a full meal coming in around $21.50 and under $18 for a Tri tip salad. I got their famous wagon wheel Tri tip sandwich on Texas toast. The meat itself was tasty but a little on the dry side. They shave the meat which makes pouring the bbq sauce over the sandwich a bit easier. I tried three of them and their white bbq sauce, which I think has horseradish in it was my favorite. The sriracha one was tasty too. The bread kinda falls apart but it's a tasty sandwich at the end of the day. The fries it came with were thin and crispy. Pretty good on a fry scale. The salad was was pretty average, something that I'd make at home type minus the tri tip. They give a good amount of tri-tip for the salad which is worth the add-on for less than $3. They use Ken's ranch which isn't the best. If they had a homemade ranch, I think that would elevate since they already make some good sauces. The space itself is huge. Lots of covered seating for the warm months, and plenty of park benches and tables to enjoy your meal. Looks like the concerts out here on weekends which is cool. Due to the location and not being from the area, I definitely wouldn't have found this place without Yelp, and glad we did. It's a spot that I'd check out again. read more

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The Friday's $1 ice cold beer special keeps us coming back. Got the pulled pork topped burger (the special for the day) and it was good. Their fries are also top notch. I almost never order anything that contains tri-tip because it is too dry. Their chicken, burger, and pork offerings are much better. Prices have really increased, but the $1 beers kind of offset that! read more

The Tri-Tipery - Menu 9/19/2025 - Sandwiches Near Me - Ballico, California

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This was a popular place, but still had plenty of seating for everybody. Their Tri tip was lean and has great flavor. Definitely a place that I would come back to. read more

The Tri-Tipery - Tri tip sandwich - Sandwiches Near Me - Ballico, California

Pretty good lunch/dinner spot. I ordered the Wagon Wheel with Sweet Potato Fries, it also comes with a side of fruit of the day which were apricots. The sandwich was good, the meat was tender and the side of sweet BBQ was the perfect match. Sweet potato fries were standard and the apricots were sweet. The ambiance is great, outdoor seating with lots of shade & umbrellas. Looks like they have live bands on weekends. The only thing that was annoying was that there were a lot of flies since it's all outdoors. The service was great, friendly & quick. Definitely family & dog-friendly. Looking forward to go back again! read more

The Tri-Tipery - Sandwiches Near Me - Ballico, California

I don't know, maybe I'll give it another chance at some point, but it wasn't for me. I am not snobby and can get down and dirty with the best of them, but I wasn't expecting everything to be outside and well, so "rustic". We had a little bit of everything food-wise. While everything was decent, our tri-tip was fairly dry, and I didn't find anything special enough to want to drive back out right away. We went on a night with music, and it was pretty packed. Adults, people with little kids, people drinking booze they brought from home, etc. Beers were $1 and $1.50 a can, so I'm guessing that's a huge draw. I do appreciate being able to throw them back without breaking the bank. The band was 3 guys who sorta/kinda knew which keys to play in, but again, not worth the drive. Make sure to wear a LOT of bug spray, consider carpooling with a DD to make parking easier, and plan your bathroom trips early since there is only one sad unisex bathroom inside, and a port-a-potty outside. read more

The service and friendliness of the staff is great, five star to that. Food itself four out of five stars, but it was good. I do recommend this place because they offer more than just service and food. On the weekends, they have live music and the place is spacious and clean. read more

Ballico ballico, can you say the whistle stop cafe? If you know, it's a Fried Green Tomatoes movie reference. Here goes...There is something so quaint and country about this little railroad town's Trip-Tipery. The perfect stop on a long California drive, and yes it feels like you're in the middle of nowhere, which makes it the perfect destination for a good food stop. The tri tip is so perfectly tender and thinly sliced. The BBQ sauce is special, and the sides....delicious! We stumbled upon it by a Google search chance a few mo the ago and have already gone back a second time to share it with our college kiddo who also approved. I can only not imagine how fun it is when they have their live music. read more

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What a cool place. We finally made it over there. Great Tri-Tip sandwiches. They also have awesome homemade bbq sauces and maybe the best onion rings of all time. Only drawback I saw was they don't make their own ranch dressing for the rings. I also had the pasta salad and that was delicious. It had a sweetness to it like I hadn't tasted before. Really a great spot. The service is good. It's not the type of place where they serve your table. It's a walk up window to order and another to pick up. Lots of picnic tables with umbrellas. They have a stage area and have music on the weekends so will definitely be back to check that out. read more

The Tri-Tipery - The wagon wheel with pasta salad and a plum - Sandwiches Near Me - Ballico, California

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I loved what I got. One overly salty , but when I return , I might ask about the saltiness great flavor and great sauces. Can't say enough... read more

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Quite literally a hidden gem! Located in the middle of nowhere in Ballico, CA, off of Santa Fe Road. I am fan of the outdoor concept but central valley problems, it is HOT in the summer. There is an covered patio with fans but you'll be sweating your butt off during the warmer months. You order at the register and they will call you over when your order is ready. If you like tri tip, this is a must try. From the texan sando to the harvest salad with tri tip, everything on this menu is *chefs kiss* The sauces take the flavor over the top. I also really enjoy all their sides. Mac & cheese, mac salad, garlic and sweet potato fries...I'm hungry just thinking about it. Honestly, you can't beat the prices here! $2.75 for regular beer and $4 for premium, those aren't even happy hour prices! read more

The Tri-Tipery - Harvest salad with tri tip - Sandwiches Near Me - Ballico, California

We went on a Saturday around 2pm there was no one but one family who had already ordered ate and was on their way out. So not having to wait was awesome. The customer service was just ok. The person taking the order didn't greet us he just looked at us and asked if we were ready and had an expressionless face to him the entire time we ordered. I pressed to get a receipt on the machine when I paid and no thank you was said by the male employee and he started walking away so I asked the other employee close to the Window if I can have the receipt I pressed yes for and they just handed it to me and walked back to the kitchen area. No thank you from her either no smile no nothing. We ordered the Texan and a smash burger. One of the sides was the Mac n cheese and the other meal's side was garlic fries. The meals did come with a small drink and a side of fruit (Ours had grapes that day). The Texan was a bit dry on the meat but other than that, all the food was good. read more

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The food here was good and a decent price. The Texan seemed like the most interesting sandwich on the menu and I enjoyed it. To tip, barbecue sauce, avocado, and onions made for a good combination. It wasn't huge but wasn't small either. I liked that you got to pick a side so I tried the macaroni and cheese. It wasn't amazing but wasn't bad either. Staff were friendly and there was lots of seating on a covered patio. This place was kind of in the middle of nowhere but if for some reason you happen to be in the area I suspect you'll enjoy your lunch! read more

The Tri-Tipery - Texan sandwich with macaroni and cheese - Sandwiches Near Me - Ballico, California

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Good so good. The Wagon Wheel meal is the best. Don't forget the beans are the perfect side

The food was to expensive! And for a small drink is 7 dollars! Then we have the flies, the service was alright, but we had to fight for our lives from these flies! And the ambiance is not good! This needs to improve better! read more

The Tri- Tipery is a gem of a date spot! Dynamite for a family date night! Bocce ball and games for kids and patio inside and out for time under the stars or the fading summer sun! A great menu that showcases sweet potato fries and excellent marinaded and seasoned tri tip and other cuts of meat. Great after a Ballico Elementary game to feed hungry kids! Don't pass up the opportunity to try this one out. Tell them I sent you, they will have no clue who you're talking about! read more

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Wow...they have some smashing sammies!!! The meat melts in your mouth and the taste is beyond incredible!

Amazing food and great service great stop for a road trip definitely some of the best garlic fries I've ever had

Pretty tasty, meat was a bit dry and I would have liked to see a bit more moisture. Nice oak flavor. Great spot, well done would love to try some more of what they offer. The place is super rad. read more

The Tri-Tipery - Classic Oak Tri-Tip and Onion rings. Pear not ripe but a nice touch. - Sandwiches Near Me - Ballico, California

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This place was definitely a fun time ! Needs a bit more lighting in the grass area but with the Live Band going in the background- it's a vibe ! We went on a Dolla Beer Night for my brother in laws Bday celebration ,This is one of his fave spots - they came from Sac. we came from Merced - there were people there from Modesto and Fresno!, Had a bit of everything from the menu - tasty and unique ..we were able to bring our own pie and cake for our celebration - the employees we kind and had smiles, the whole place was having a great time! I feel the only down side was the bathroom situation, for the ladies..( one bathroom inside and a PortaPot ) after drinking beers lol the line was definitely no fun ! read more

The Tri-Tipery - This was about 5pm and the party was just getting started ! Bring the mosquito spray- - Sandwiches Near Me - Ballico, California

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Worth the drive out to Balico. Wonderful first date type of place during the spring or late fall, being it is outdoor eating. No matter what you order, you'll love it. read more

My friend and I go to the Tri-Tipery at least once a month, every month. Everything on the Menu is Great! read more

Had the Fifty/fifty burger, Mac salad and street tacos - good portions, perfect reload after hike

Love the atmosphere. Outdoors. Been there a few times, I guess we don't go during "music" time. You would never thought of a food place where it's at. Love the hole in wall joints read more

I was really excited to try a sandwich from "The Tri Tipery " BBQ shop out in Balico. I have heard some goods things about this place and wanted to compare it to some other BBQ joints in the area. Today I put it up against "Big Vic's" in Turlock. Here's the breakdown of the head to head: Tri Tipery sandwich ($16.00) was served in a toasted roll that looked great and added a nice crunch to the sandwich. The meat had decent flavor but was a little on the dry side and only weighed (meat only) 4.5oz, well below the standard 8oz serving. I bought the meal which came with a 12oz side of macaroni salad, which I really enjoyed. However, if your gonna charge $16 for a sandwich you should be providing a proper sandwich. Big Vic's sandwich ($15.00) was served on a bun which I personally don't like. It is a standard serve vessel, but come on man add another $.50 cents to the price and get this on a roll. The meat had good flavor, was tender, juicy and weighed (meat only) 9.5oz where the standard serve is 8oz. Again I bought the meal and received a side of potato salad (no macaroni salad available) and was not something I enjoyed. The potato salad was more mashed than salad and the taste, to me, was just off. With this comparison, if I were going go back for a second serve (which I will), I will be heading back to Big Vic's. A good sandwich with a good serving portion and flavor. If they were to have a better roll to serve the meat in, Big Vic's is smoking. Compared to Big Vic's, the Tri Tipery sandwich lacked not only the amount, but the flavor of the tri tip. I enjoyed the bun, but when I get a sandwich I'd rather have more meat than bun. However, the macaroni salad had good flavor. For what the sandwich is, it is not worth the price. Of course this review is only my opinion and take it for what it is. read more

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The best tri-tip we've ever had!! The service was great and the food came out quickly. The ambiance gave brewery vibes and there was bocce ball for us to play while we waited for our food! read more

The Tri-Tipery - a plate of fries and a basket of meat - Sandwiches Near Me - Ballico, California

We enjoy having lunch her.. great food and the customer service is excellent.. happily give my five! read more

I had a business meeting here today. This place is really tucked away but it's worth the drive. The sandwich was so good. I highly recommend. Cool lookin' patio too! read more

The Tri-Tipery - a plate of food and a bottle of beer - Sandwiches Near Me - Ballico, California

I was a bit nervous going into the outback wilds....but when I was crawling through the hot roads i stumbled into this foreign region, ordered my food and stood there with no fear because I know they smell it, gave me a crazy smoked sandwich and I was shocked to see what cow they slaughtered cause man it was good biting into the primal animal that's been known for decades. But yee sandwich was coo.... read more

The only way to start this out is... "Oh hell no" $41 for this... no wonder there's no prices on the menu! I could have went to Arby's! The young man had no clue how to explain the menu to us. **** no one here wearing a mask after signs clearly posted around about the state order requiring masks **** The Texan with sweet potato fries and sweet tea. Where do I begin. Meat had mixed opinion. Husband liked it ok, I thought the after taste was like an old cigarette. I asked for the veggies on the side so I could see what they put on it and what a joke that was! Two of the smallest slices of avacado and a couple slivers of red onion slices so thin they were almost transparent. The cheese on the bread wasn't melted at all. The "sweet" potato fries were sooooo salty you couldn't eat them. The "sweet" tea was regular tea with a packet or two of sugar. The "piece of fruit" on the side was a nectarine. Actually the best part. The 50-50 with loaded Mac n cheese and sweet tea Never seen a sandwich that small for a price that big, honestly. Coleslaw was flavorless and dry, more like a cabbage salad. Same meat... enough said. No sauce, no condiments... so dry. Ok, now for a light in the darkness. The loaded Mac n cheese was decent. I did enjoy it and would eat it again. Only problem was the cheese needs to be melted properly with cream. Overall, my husband wants to give it a second try just for the sake of maybe a bad day. Hmm. But ok. read more

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We went here for the first time on Father's Day and wasn't too packed, but was so nice outside we had to go since they had outside seating. You go up the stairs and then order your food, and pick it up once your name is called. The outside seating is nice since it's covered, but they also have a closer outside seating area that's in the same area as where you pick up the food. We ordered the Wagon Wheel w/beans, Wagon Wheel w/french fries, Pulled Pork w/beans, Fifty Fifty w/salad, and the Loaded Nachos, and each order came with a nectarine. The Wagon Wheels were good, the tri-tip was tender and had a good smokey flavor to them. The french fries were small but delicious. The Pulled Pork was good, the pork was tender and had good flavor and had a good smokey flavor to it but needed some more BBQ sauce on it. The Fifty-Fifty was half pork belly and half tri-tip and both types of meat were delicious, tender, and had good flavor. The Loaded Nachos came with cheese sauce, sour cream, salsa, and tri-tip, and were absolutely delicious, the tri-tip was just as tender, but wish the sauce was more spread out all over the chips and not just in the center area. I would give it a 5-star if . they had the fans on so some of the flies would've been less, but is understandable since it is outside. Would definitely eat here again! read more

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Cute little spot we stop at on our way back home from Merced. Had a nice outside area to eat when it isnt too hot. The burger always taste fresh and the fries are delicious. read more

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My wagon wheel try tip sandwich was a bunch of flaked beef. There was no pink to it, and there were no slices of meat at all. It was tasteless. read more

This joint is in the middle of nowhere, right off Santa Fe in Ballico, CA. But there are many signs on Santa Fe that help you to their shop because it is quite tucked away. My friend has heard many good things about this shop so we decided to check it out one Sunday. There is a counter to order and pay at and another counter to pick up your order from. All of the seating is outdoor, but they are all shaded and are picnic-style tables. My immediate impression was not the best- when we approached the counter to look at the menu and order, the cashier looked at us and then ignored us and continued to talk to the other staff members. But I didn't let it bother me, maybe she just didn't think we were ready? We ordered 2 sandwiches (The Wagon Wheel), 2 drinks, and 2 sides of fries (sweet potato and garlic) totaling to about $32. Our order was ready in about 5 minutes or so, and off to the side there is a condiments bar with sweet and smokey BBQ sauce to add to your sandwiches. The sandwich had a good amount of tri tip in it, and inside the roll you can see that it was nicely toasted with a garlic spread on it. I combined the sweet and smokey BBQ sauce and added it into the sandwich and it was pretty good! The garlic fries were made using actual garlic (not with that garlic oil or whatever that some places use) and came in a huge portion! Our other friend ordered the loaded fries, and I was impressed to see huge chunks of tri tip and bacon in it! Most places would only use shredded tri tip in a small amount and bacon crumble but not the tri-tipery! All in all, I had a good experience and it was a pretty good lunch. Is it the best tri tip sandwich I've ever had? No, probably not but it is one of the better tri tip spots in the area. read more

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Outstanding fresh and tasty! Large portions and fast service. Love the menu verity and they now have beer! UPDATE Was in Gustine for 4th of July, The TriTipery had its new food truck there. Got the chicken sandwich $11.00 or $13.75 with fries and fruit. So I asked for fruit and fruit. The sandwich was good but they were out of the white sauce that goes on it. OK but the fruit (locally sourced)? Two nectarines still green with the Safeway sticker still on them. Are 2 green nectarines worth $2.75? Work on the "locally sourced" thing please. read more

Friendly service, clean outside seating and great food. Locally sourced food is a bonus. read more

We've heard so much about this place so we decided to try it. Glad we did. Excellent tri tip with courteous service. The Gorgonzola sauce is excellent. My wife had the cheese and pepper tri tip sandwich and loved it. Nice, relaxed atmosphere. read more

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Enjoyed really great salad with chicken, and sweet potato fries. Staff were friendly and relatively quick with service. We ate outside- casual atmosphere. read more