Tom's Chinese BBQ is a hidden gem FOR SURE This place has been around for years and I honestly will never not stop by when I'm nearby lol. Now look... it's not the fanciest spot Service isn't always the best and they don't speak the strongest English, and the aesthetic isn't really there lol. But honestly the food feels homey, authentic, and delicious every single time. The duck is sooo good, the roasted pork belly always hits, and the boa buns? bomb. Parking actually isn't too bad either. Yeah it's in the hood by a liquor store lol but I'm a firm believer that if the spot's in the hood the food about to be more than just good a definite must tryyyy read more

This is a no frills mom and pop Cantonese bbq restaurant. If you are looking for roasted meats such as duck pig or bbq pork this is the spot to go in City Heights! Just remember to bring cash! read more

Located in a small shopping center, this place has been a staple in my household since I was a child. The bbq pork bun and roasted duck slaps. I swear they taste better now that I'm an adult and can appreciate all the flavors that the food has to offer. It is a cash only place. read more

Omg where do I start!! The baked manapua was so delicious, the bread was soft and not too sweet. The filling was perfect meat to bun ratio. I also ordered the chicken feet, pigs ear and roast pork. I couldn't stop eating it. It was so flavorful. The roast pork was juicy on the inside and the skin was perfectly done!! CRISPY! They ran out of roast duck, which let's you know how good it is. I plan on going back in the morning to get it all. read more

Tom's Chinese BBQ - Roast pork, chicken feet, pig esr and backed char sui bao. - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

It's been a long while since I had food from this place but from what I can remember, it was rather mediocre. I think the bao buns were about the best thing to get there. The chicken and duck were very dry, even with the sauces. read more

The best buns I've ever had! They were freshly made and it smelled amazing in there. Cash only. read more

Tom's Chinese BBQ - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came a couple of weeks ago for a to-go order. We had chicken, duck and some pastries. The ladies working there were sweet. The food on average is good, especially if you don't want to drive across to Clairemont Mesa. The chicken and the duck were delicious and meaty. We like going here when we are in the area. read more

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I am certainly no expert in my knowledge of this type of what I think is probably Cantonese take out BBQ cuisine. I can however say that this type of Mom and Pop take out joint is absolutely worthy of your support.. I just came to try the BBQ pork buns because of the comments around here.. At $ 2.00 per this is most certainly the best value in all of San Diego. The pastry is incredibly delicious.. The filling, to me , has a bit of an off putting texture but I am willing to say that it may well be exactly as intended.. The BBQ pork hanging in the window looks incredible and the place smells fantastic... All in All ... if you consider yourself an adventurous eater... Definitely worth a try! read more

Been going here for years! This is my spot for whenever I need a good duck or salted chicken to bring to a potluck, Thanksgiving, or Christmas dinner. They also have my favorite baked barbecue buns here. Cash only and make sure you know your order when you get to the counter. They're really fast and when there's a line. they ain't got time for indecision. read more

This is our favorite Chinese BBQ place to come to. It is super far from my home, but we will try to make the trip once a month just to get good bbq. The chicken is our favorite. The flavor and texture of the skin and meat is superior to other places like 99 ranch or Sam Woo. The seasoning and flavoring is also on point. The dimsum on the other hand, is just average. Parking is not difficult. It's located inside a plaza and there are plenty of parking there. The only caution I have is, bring cash. Like many small Asian places, they only take cash. read more

Tom's Chinese BBQ - Bbq - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Hidden gem City heights Small parking Cash only Pork buns Whole pig Roast duck English second language Pre order whole pig To go only No seating Serves lunch dishes Small inside Quick service No restrooms read more

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First option when I come home to visit roasted duck is fantastic. Their seasoning and flavor has never changed since I was a little girl and our family has continued to go there for many years. Highly recommended read more

Heard about this hidden spot had to check it out in a Tuesday late afternoon. I was greeted by an older woman behind the counter. Blinds were drawn but door was open so I parked and stepped inside. Pleasantly surprised by all the yummy Chinese BBQ hanging in the display case. I got 1lb of roast pork and a bao. It's been awhile since I've purchased Chinese BBQ, it was a little price shocked for me. Service was good. I asked her to chop the meat into bite size pieces. Pork skin was crackly crisped, but the meat was a little dry leaving me wanting more flavor. Bao was in the small side, wish it wasn't wrapped in plastic. The bao to filling ratio was off. This is your no frills take out spot. May come back to try the duck. read more

Tom's Chinese BBQ - BBQ Pork Bao - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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The roasted pork was great. The owners chopped the roasted pork into individual slices for easy eating. They helped substantially with our holiday party. The only downside is the parking lot. It has small and limited spaces read more

I first visited this restaurant in 2010. I just moved back to San Diego, and was so happy to see it is still here. The food is exactly as it was, perfect. This is a mom and pop joint, a family owned business, which I love. This latest visit I tried their pork buns, coconut buns, and various other freshly made weekend items. Everything was great. This place is CASH ONLY. It's well worth the ATM withdrawal. I plan to come back soon to order the roasted pork, and roasted duck. Entering feels like a walk into China Town. It has a wonderful ambiance and energy. I really hope this restaurant stays open for decades to come. Current Menu with prices below. Run don't walk if you haven't been to this place. read more

Tom's Chinese BBQ - 2026 Menu - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Bought a pound of pork belly and had them cut it. It was outstanding! Fresh, without any gamey or off-flavors. The skin was crunchy, the fat was mostly rendered, and the meat was succulent. We went to nearby Northgate for tortillas and salsa and made some killer pork belly tacos. read more

I found this location on TikTok. I had a few hours in San Diego (sad, I know) and stumbled in here. I was happy there was baked goods for me to take back. Cash only and super affordable, especially in this economy! I tried pretty much all the baked goods. The bread was fluffy and sweet and filling complemented all of it with either a savory component or lightly sweet filling. On the weekends you'll be able to try their sesame ball and other weekend only specialties. I wish I lived in San Diego to be able to go more often but it made its way back with me to Dallas in perfect condition. read more

Tom's Chinese BBQ - Steam bun, coconut bun, pineapple bun? - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Awesome duck. Order the open duck 40$. Cooked perfectly. Highly recommend. They take a whole duck and slice it open and stick on a metal grate and cooks perfectly and the skin is real crispy read more

Dishonest Practices at This Chinese BBQ - Customers Beware! I recently had a very disappointing experience at this Chinese BBQ that has completely destroyed my trust in this business. I purchased a whole BBQ duck and specifically asked for it to be cut. However, I witnessed what appeared to be a deliberate bait-and-switch. An older woman with short hair took the duck I had chosen and brought it to the cutting station at the right corner. Instead of cutting my duck, she appeared to hide it to the side and replaced it with leftover pieces from another duck. She even leaned her body toward the divider wall, seemingly to block my view of what she was doing. This isn't the first time I suspected something like this--it happened once before when I briefly left to re-park my car after placing an order. This time, I made sure to watch carefully, and I'm certain of what I saw. I brought this to the attention of the staff, including Mr. Tom, whom I had trusted for years. Sadly, they all acted as if they didn't know what I was talking about. It's incredibly disappointing to see a place I used to support engage in what looks like long-standing dishonest behavior. I can no longer recommend this business and will not be returning. read more

Tom's bbq shop is located in not the best of neighborhoods, but has a variety of items to choose from like whole chicken, bbq pork, roasted duck and bbq pork buns etc. The place is small and parking sometimes is a challenge, but the employees here are friendly and hard at work. There are no tables to eat in but you can take your food to go! No frills! read more

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This is the place to get some roast duck and roast pork belly! This is a cash only establishment with limited parking. They speak English, Cantonese and mandarin. I'd highly recommend this! They also serve pasties and dim sum. I bought into their siu mai and it wasn't that good. I'd stick to the hot and freshly steamed if possible. read more

Tom's Chinese BBQ - Roast duck 1/2 - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

Went to grab some duck and it was okay kind of salty side to me . The bbq bun was good $2 a bun and I also bought some white sponge cake thing that came in a plate also . The service was okay seem kind of rude at first than I felt rushed to be honest . 2 people help me but it wasn't the best service. The place could been more updated it was simple mom and pop place. Not much to review to be honest the dumplings were kind of expensive and it was that great either way. But had to get some food for my mom and sister they was hungry. read more

We've tried everything at this store. One of our favorites is open duck, pig ears, tongue and intestine, egg tart. Prizes are reasonable.

Yikes. Their Roast Pork was not it. The meat part was super dry and looked/tasted like chicken somehow. Got a BBQ pork bun as well and the meat was sour (?!) so ended up having to toss it out. I know good Chinese BBQ and wanted to like this place but wouldn't recommend it. :( read more

Tom's Chinese BBQ - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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I came here after church on a Sunday because my wife was sick and was craving sesame balls. Fortunately the plaza was not that crowded and there were plenty of parking spots. I subtracted a star due to them being cash only. If that doesn't bother you, consider this place a 5 star. I ordered several sesame balls, and saw some delicious looking buns and asked the woman what they were. She replied that they were bbq pork buns. I ordered a couple of those bad boys as well. It was 10 dollars, great price and great service. My wife loved the sesame balls. I tried the sesame balls and bbq pork buns and both were really good. Next time I will definitely try the BBQ pork, as well as my favorite, BBQ duck. read more

Tom's Chinese BBQ - Sesame balls (sweet) and bbq pork buns (savory), both delicious - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

Delicious food and have been coming here since 2000. Great location and very friendly and quick service.

I've been coming occasionally for years. You can get anything from a whole roasted pig, innards, roasted duck, bao buns, whatever they have out in the pans by the time you get there. Cash only and parking is in a small shared lot. There is a language barrier but some of the ladies there speak pretty decent enough to understand. I always crave their foods with a warm bed of rice. read more

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You can easily bypass this understated strip mall. One can hardly see what this shop contains from the outside. If you can overlook the zero atmosphere and dated look, there are actually good Cantonese style offerings. The roast duck is delectable. If I had to be really picky, the skin could be a little crisper and a jus dipping sauce would be welcome. Many of the other items were either unavailable or sold out. The buns are unevenly baked so specify which ones you want. The roast pork buns were done the way I like. A sugar honey glaze with a sweet and savory bbq like filling. The coconut bun could have used more fat/butter as it was a little dry. Cash and takeout only. There is a small parking lot. read more

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A hole in the wall, family owned and cash only restaurant serving your classic Chinese BBQ meats and pastries/bread. This small restaurant has been my family's go to stop for over 20 years and throughout these years, the meats has consistently stayed true to its taste and always at a reasonable price. By no means is this a modern restaurant nor is it some fine dining stop, but as my parents used to say "it feels like being at home." You walk in and the first thing you see are the BBQ meats hanging on display in a glass casing, dripping with mouth watering juices, then the smell of fresh Chinese pastries hit you, followed by the aunties and uncles welcoming you in with big smiles on their faces as if welcoming you home. You order your meats, and while it's getting chopped up you chat with the owners as if catching up with old time friends and then you're on your way home salivating to the fragrant smell of fresh bbq meats in the car. Their crispy pork belly is never overly salty and always has that perfect crunchy layer of skin, the roast duck always succulent and always have it paired with the plum sauce, the bbq pork (the kids favorite) is tender and has a subtle nice sweetness is best paired with rice. Now are these the best classic Chinese BBQ meats I've ever had? Close but no, however, the service is always 10/10, and the taste is forever nostalgic, consistent and never disappointing. read more

Tom's Chinese BBQ - Top: Roast crispy pork belly (Siu Yuk) Bottom: Roast duck (Kao ya) - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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I remember this mall from when I was in elementary school. There was an arcade here. I biked over after school to spend afternoons basking in the light of the video screens. There were few food choices back then. I return to my old stomping grounds as the food choices have improved. Tom's BBQ opened sometime after I moved to Mira Mesa. When I'm craving baked char siu bao I try to get here around 11am. You get them fresh out of the oven then. Pastry and the juicy char siu filling are still warm. I breath in the fresh pastry scent before biting in. Flavor of the pastry is mild while the char siu filling is a mix of sweet and savory goodness. Steamed char siu bao have the same bbq pork filling as the baked version but the pastry part is soft and fluffy with a mild pastry flavor. Pretty good but I prefer the baked ones. I also bought some char siu and roast pork. Char siu is tender with a sweet and savory flavor. The roast pork is a mix of textures. The skin is crunchy, there is a soft layer of fat, and finally the tender pork. There is a delicious mix of flavors from the dry rub interacting with the pork belly during the roasting process. Roast duck had crispy skin with light flavor. Duck was tender and juicy. While there was nice duck flavor there wasn't that mix of flavors I look forward to from the duck roasting process and the 5 spice powder. I like my roast duck with much more dry rub. Noble Chef is my fav spot for roast duck. Staff was friendly and talkative, enquiring about what Chinese dialect I spoke and my family. I enjoy getting food here and the prices are fair. Visiting Tom's reminds me of the old days. I'm glad things have changed for the better in my old neighborhood. read more

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My asian cravings hunt: Char siu baos aka bbq pork baos (the baked ones) Good eats find! Found this little gem when I was craving and hunting for some good char siu baos! I'm from norcal and so missing all things bay area! Especially char siu baos (bbq pork buns). I used to get at least a weeks worth of these in Sacramento and SF and eat them for breakfast daily. Warm toasty savory meat bun.... what's not to love first thing in the morning! Obviously I need substance in the morning and it's delicious! These definitely satisfy and will do till I visit the bay again! Rows and rows of baos, they have plenty and different kinds too. If you don't know which buns are what by their tops, make sure you ask what they are or tell them exactly what you're looking for. The taste of the bbq meat filling in the baos are on point. The only thing I don't like is excess bread. I like equal meat to bread ratio in each bite. I know that is difficult since they bake that way, but less bread is ok with me! Still worth getting at $1.40 each. They also offer your typical bbq meats... bbq pork, roast pork, roast duck and salted chickens. I've tried their bbq pork and roast pork. Both are delicious and exactly what I'm used to eating in the bay. You know when you're so used to eating things that taste a certain way your entire life... Well this is it! Tom's Bbq does not disappoint! This is not a full service restaurant... so limited items and take out only. What you see is what you get and on the weekends, come early! They also offer a few other dim sum items like dumplings and dan tats (egg tarts). The siu mai and dan tats are both are good, and worth giving a try. Its small inside and during covid era, only two people are allowed inside. The parking lot is shared with other busy small businesses, so there is usually no parking. I love that they speak Chinese and it's cash only, so don't forget that cash money! Enjoy!!! read more

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Ordered 2 roasted duck for my dad's birthday! This bbq store has been here since I was a kid. This place is small so it is more of a to go place, customer service is quick and friendly. This local too!, so I don't have to go far for authentic Chinese roasted duck, they also have pork buns that are so delicious. I do recommend calling before hand to see if duck is left cause they go by fast! Duck is delicious!! read more

The pork sui main as gamey. We got half a roasted duck which was fine. Kinda scared to eat the boss since the pork in the sui main was off. Dan tats were ok. Not the greatest for parking. Cash only. Hole in the wall. read more

Thanksgiving was different this year. You couldn't really go out and do the bodacious buffet and I'm never going to buy a Thanksgiving dinner from somewhere that I have to heat up...might as well cook. So why not do Chinese!!! It was the day before Thanksgiving and when I drove up, there was a line and no parking! No street parking either! But I found a spot about a block away and after I got coffee from Ryan Bros. (shameless plug), I walked over to wait in line. This was my first time and I knew I wanted a duck, but I also wanted some dim sum. They have steamed and baked pork buns and only do the others like siu mei, har gow, and custard tarts on the weekend. So I got the baked buns and a duck. Reheated the duck the next day, and it was amazing! It wasn't crispy like the day before, but that was alright, it was still delicious! What a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving this year since things are all so effed up! LOL! Nick T also told me that they'll roast a turkey for you, so maybe next year. read more

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*CASH ONLY* A great family owned business that gave a sweet and warm welcome to us when we came in to try out their food for the first time. Seems like a first come first serve basis, so be sure to get there early if you want to get the best pickings or ensure they don't sell out of what you want! They have the Roast Duck hanging for your choosing, as well as the Roasted Pork and Pork Belly slabs. They have their baked goods and other smaller items in a display case. We wanted to get a Roast Duck and some Pork Belly, along with BBQ Pork Buns and Sesame Balls. Unfortunately, they had sold out of their Sesame Balls just as we arrived! Roast Duck ($27.00): They usually ask you to pick your own duck, but I honestly have little experience in doing so, so I asked the female owner(?) to help me. She excitedly picked one out and said she would give me the one that looked the best, and helped cut it up as well. The Duck was very well-flavored, but I do think I've had Ducks with more meat on them. Still, very enjoyable! Pork Belly ($14.95/lb): Extremely crunchy skin, which is exactly what you're looking for when you order Pork Belly! It had a nice balance of fatty pieces and meat-y pieces as well. They helped me cut this slab into pieces too. BBQ Pork Bun ($1.40/each): Super soft and fluffy bun, with delicious BBQ Pork inside. Some other reviews did mention that you either get lucky with generously-filled buns, and sometimes you aren't so lucky. I do think the one I ate had less than I expected, but it was still a very good bun overall. They have Weekend Specials as well, shown in the Menu photos attached! I will definitely come back to try out their other Bakery items as well as some of their Dim Sum items at some point. They were truly so sweet, and I'd encourage others to support smaller, family-owned businesses like Tom's. read more

Tom's Chinese BBQ - Outside, they are only allowing one customer inside at a time - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

This place is a staple on my list when I want to satisfy my chinese bbq and dim sum cravings and not wanting to dine in at a restaurant. Being from San Francisco, I'm spoiled by the abundance of grab and go chinese bbq establishments, so to learn there's only this spot + jasmine express + maybe a few others in the San Diego area, I didn't realize how hard it is to find a good spot! I think the best time to come here is during the weekend as that is when they offer their dim sum items. Depending on how early you arrive, they might not have everything ready just yet. I've noticed the past times I come here, they either have the coconut & pork buns ready but no shrimp or pork dumplings or egg tarts. The baked buns can be a hit or miss; the filling is good but the exterior can sometimes be a little more burnt than what I like. Regardless of that, everything they have here is good and cheaper than somewhere like Jasmine Express. You can order a quarter/half/full lb /whole of bbq pork or roast duck, and they will cut it for you if requested. Great for those days when I don't feel like cooking much. I think this spot is still cash only. The staff is extremely nice and friendly! They have a small parking lot which is pretty easy to find space because most people come and go around here. read more

Came here because was looking for a good option for dim sum and this seemed to fit the bill. I wanted to try something outside the typical ones people know about which are the ones on Convoy. They are cheap indeed but the quality was just not there for us. Shrimping dumpling was too thick, the shrimp filling was decent. Chicken feet was under marinated. The fried "ham so gok" was super thick and oily. Again the filling was decent but it was just too oily and thick. They sold out of egg tart very early which was unfortunate. We also tried a roasted duck and it was decent but some pieces were dry. The siu mai was okay. Steamed BBQ bun was decent. Tried the baked BBQ bun too which was okay. I didn't feel this place fulfilled my dim sum cravings, it was cheap but the quality just wasn't there for me. read more

Found a LONG piece of hair in the coconut bun! also when ordering the bbq roast pork, the lady grabs it with her WHOLE HAND, then uses the other hand to rip the piece of bbq pork! Second time here and Will NOT be coming back here. So unsanitary!!! read more

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Roasted duck and bbq pork buns were delicious. Not peking duck, but definitely quenches the craving.

I don't come here often, but this is my second visit. Each time I got the half roast duck which was tender, juicy and flavorful. They don't provide any type of sauce which I think would be helpful in enhancing the flavor. It's a hole in the wall establishment that takes cash only. There is no seating. Parking is difficult in the small lot, but there is a larger strip mall across the street with ample parking which requires that you cross busy University Avenue. I prefer coming here than driving up to Convoy for duck. The staff are quick to serve and don't speak English well, but they are friendly. read more