San Francisco Bay Area BBQ Directory


 
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Chris Allingham

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For anyone interested, here's a comprehensive list of BBQ restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area, reprinted from an article in the San Jose Mercury News.

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The many guises of Bay Area barbecue

Gotta eat? This list will help you find good "Q" no matter what part of the Bay Area you're heading for.

San Jose area

Adam's Apple Grill & Bar
923 W. Hamilton Ave., Campbell. (408) 370-2326. Food hours daily, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Some swear by the Texas tri-tip, but Eve would pick the St. Louis-style pork rib dinner ($12.95).

Andy's Bar-B-Que
700 E. Campbell Ave., Campbell. (408) 378-2838. Hours 11 a.m.-10 p.m. weekdays; 3-10 p.m. Saturday; closed Sundays. Concrete-block roadhouse with smoker that sends tantalizing blue oak smoke over Highway 17. Owner belongs to Kansas City Barbecue Society and collects bottles of sauce. Pork spare ribs, baby backs, beef ribs (Mondays only) and brisket. Prices from $10.95 to $21.95.

Armadillo Willy's
nine locations in San Jose, Santa Clara, Cupertino, Los Altos, Sunnyvale, San Mateo and, just opened, Capitola. Original branch is at 10100 S. De Anza Blvd., Cupertino. (408) 252-RIBS. Best-looking one is at 2017 Camden Ave., San Jose. (408) 371-9033. Hours 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. daily (10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays). Noon-9:30 p.m. Sundays. Main office (650) 948-4659. Known for ``real Texas BBQ'' and ``no fakin' it by bakin it.'' Probably the most consistent of the local mini-chains. Much depends on the day you go and the volume they are moving. Can be too dry. The rough-cut cole slaw is great, chunky with peanuts. Nicely decorated with galvanized steel walls, old gas station signs and, in one, a 1921 Ford Model T pickup parked on the floor. Most locations are self-service with -- horrors -- pagers that flash and vibrate when your order is ready. Try to overlook that and savor chopped brisket sandwich ($5.49).

BCC Enterprises
1305 Old Oakland Road, San Jose. (408) 297-5799. Hours Mondays-Thursdays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Fridays-Saturdays until 7 p.m. Closed Sundays. Old gas station converted to 45-seat outdoor dining. No atmosphere, just smokers at work. Go for lunchtime special rib plate ($6) offered 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays.

Henry's World Famous Hi-Life
301 W. St. John St., San Jose. (408) 295-5414. Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; dinner 5-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; dinner begins 4 p.m. Fridays-Sundays. Like San Jose State, this is a hometown institution, one with a busy bar and hungry crowds. Probably a better spot for steaks although it's also famous for ribs, with sauce on the side ($12.50).

Little Lou's BBQ
15466 Los Gatos Blvd., Los Gatos. (408) 356-5768. Weekdays only: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; 4:30-9 p.m. Hidden at the back of a shopping center. Giant portions that come with two side dishes and garlic bread. Full slab of pork ribs dinner, with sauce on meat, is $25.95; baby backs $20.95.

JC's BBQ
1080 Saratoga Ave., Saratoga. (408) 246-2146. Hours 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; noon-9 p.m. Sundays.

Mr. Steer Steak House
2367 El Camino Real, Santa Clara (408) 243-1545. Hours 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Tuesdays; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays; 4-9 p.m. Sundays. OK, it's a steak house, but many swear by the pork rib dinner ($13.75) or the rack ($16.95). Sauce is on the meat.

The Original Hickory Pit
980 E. Campbell Ave., Campbell. (408) 371-2400. Other locations in Fremont and Walnut Creek. Hours 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 6 a.m.-11 p.m. weekends. Regular or St. Louis-style ribs with red or brown sauce on the side. Red means barbecue sauce. Brown is a gravy. Yikes! Lunch platter $12.99; dinner $15.99; whole slab $16.99.

Quincy's Barbecue
70 N. Main St., Milpitas. (408) 945-7943. Hours 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; until 9 p.m. Fridays; 5-9 p.m. Saturdays. Closed Sundays-Mondays. Quincy Jones, pastor at Greater Love Church in Milpitas, built his first church with profits from Q sales. Open since 1986, the recipe is from an uncle in Houston. The secret? Don't rush it, he says. Rib dinner is $9.50.

Sam's Bar-B-Que
1110 S. Bascom Ave., San Jose. (408) 297-9151. Hours 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. Closed Sundays. Baby back pork ribs on a platter ($11.95 half-rack or $17.95 full) or ? la carte ($1 less) plus beef ribs ($10.50 half rack or $15.95 full).

Sharkey's Grill
1151 Lincoln Ave., Willow Glen, San Jose. (408) 947-1717. Hours 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Owner Dennis Toste and chef Pat Hollands operate a barbecue within a sports bar. There is a Caribbean menu, but don't miss the sweet and messy ribs ($11.50 for five at dinner or $7.50 for three ribs at lunch).

Tony Roma's A Place for Ribs
4233 Moorpark Ave., San Jose. (408) 253-4900. Hours 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; until 2 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays; noon-10 p.m. Sundays. Part of a national chain known for baby back ribs. Priced from $10.95 at lunch to $18.95 for a full slab at dinner.

Wave's Smokehouse & Saloon
65 Post St., San Jose. (408) 885-9283. Weekday hours 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; weekends noon-10 p.m. Pork ribs, sauce on the side. Prices from $9.95 to $18.95 for full slab.

Gilroy-Morgan Hill-South

Central Texan
10500 Merritt St., Castroville. (831) 633-2285. Hours 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily, except Tuesdays, when they open at 4 p.m. Welcome to the Bijou of BBQ. When owner Don Elkins, a mini-Willie Nelson look-alike, slices into one of his beef briskets, the juice actually squirts out. Spectacular. Since 1984, he has been dry-rubbing meats with a peppery blend, smoking them for up to 18 hours, never letting a flame near his beef, pork or fowl. Brisket by the pound ($10.50) is exceptional but goes fast.

The Cove
303 First St., Gilroy. (408) 848-3314. Hours Mondays-Thursdays 4-9 p.m.; Fridays-Saturdays-Sundays noon-9:30 p.m. Pizza and ribs. Meats done over the outside grill. Full dinner up to $18.95; ? la carte from $8.99 to $15.99.

Spencer's Jambalaya and Ribs Shop
1340 C First St., Gilroy. (408) 847-7227. Hours Mondays-Thursdays 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m.; until 9 p.m. Fridays; dinner only Saturdays, 4-8:30 p.m. Tyrone Spencer, whose roots go back to New Orleans, makes first-rate jambalaya with okra and a rich Creole rum cake ($3.50) and peach cobbler ($4) but his smoked ribs get high praise. Try the six-piece platter for $11.95; three-piece $8.25; subtract $1 for take-out. Fans have followed the business, previously in San Jose and Morgan Hill.

Trail Dust Barbeque
16490 Monterey Road, Morgan Hill. (408) 776-9072. Dinner only, 5-9 p.m. Thursdays; 4-9 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 4-8 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays-Wednesdays. Cash only. Motto is ``you don't need no teeth to eat our meat,'' and it's purt' near true. Biggest problem: The barbecue is so popular (and so succulent) it often sells out. Go early. Ribs ($13.95) come wet with a mild, sweetish sauce. Tri-tip ($14.95) is smoked for five hours, and some nights they do a special pulled pork ($16.95) that is superb, cooked for 20 hours. Owners Pat -- he wears the red apron -- and Sharon Patton have a dedicated following. Good steaks, terrific fresh potato salad ($1.95), homemade desserts and salads ($6.95) that use local produce.

Santa Cruz area

Cole's Bar-B-Q
8059 Aptos St., Aptos. (831) 662-1721 and 2590 Portola Dr., Santa Cruz. (831) 476-4424. Lunch and dinner daily, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Owner Tim Higbee named his two-site business for his son Cole. Ribs from $7.95 to $26.50.

Bruno's BBQ
245 H, Mt. Harmon Road (in Safeway Shopping Center), Scotts Valley, (831)-438-2227. Hours 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays; until 9 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays; closed Mondays. ``Backyard-style barbecue,'' says owner Frank Mongetta. ``This is not a cookie-cutter outfit.'' The 10-table eat-in, take-out operation offers St. Louis-style pork ribs ($9.95 half slab or $13.95 for a whole) plus baby backs and, new this year, beef brisket. Kids ribs for $3.95. Distinctive housemade sauce.

Mountain View-Palo Alto

Austin's
1616 West El Camino Real, Mountain View. (650) 969-9191. Hours 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday; noon-10 p.m. Saturdays; noon-9:30 p.m. Sundays. Texas barbecue and homestyle meals, says the sign. But the menu calls the ribs St. Louis-style ($11.95-$19.95). Also smoked baby back ribs ($10.95) and pulled pork and smoked brisket sandwiches (both $6.95). How authentic is it? Well, how about Texas-style fried calamari ($7.25)?

Uncle Frank's Louisiana-Style BBQ
2417 Pulgas Ave., East Palo Alto. (650) 321-6369. Hours noon-8 p.m. most days, and until 9 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. Closed Sundays. Owner Frank Bell uses white oak, red oak, almond and peach woods for smoking, doing meat real slow. Ribs ($7.50 sandwich or $10.75) spend 12 hours smoking; beef brisket gets 20. ``The key to our success is buying good meat and not trying to hide it in sauce,'' he says. Uncle Frank's sauce has 29 ingredients, including secrets from Red River Parish (Shreveport) ``tree roots.'' Also collard greens ($3) and from-scratch corn bread.

San Francisco

Big Nate's Barbecue
1665 Folsom St. (415) 861-4242. Hours daily until 9:30 p.m. Delivery until 9 p.m. Former NBA star Nate Thurmond may be from Ohio, but his barbecue is by way of Memphis. Pulled pork sandwich ($6.95) is an all-star. Dinner is $12.95.

Bobby Rubino's
245 Jefferson Street (415) 673-2266. Dinner all days; lunch Fridays-Sundays only. How down-home can it be on Fisherman's Wharf?

Brother-In-Law's Bar-B-Que
705 Divisadero St. (415) 931-7427. Hours 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; to midnight Fridays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays; closed Mondays. Ribs ($6.50 or $11.75) chopped to order.

Leon's
2800 Sloat Blvd. (415) 681-3071. Hours daily, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

East Bay

Carmen & Family Barbecue
692 West A St., Hayward. (510) 887-1979; also 41986 Fremont Blvd., Fremont (510) 657-5464. Generally, from 11:30 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m daily at both locations. Founder Carmen Kelly hit the Q road in Hayward in 1979 after working at E&J. The Fremont branch came in 1993. She's now semi-retired, so ask for son Robert in Fremont or Uncle D (Desmond Graham) in Hayward. Sauce is a family secret, and the hot one will light you up. Ribs ($6.50 at lunch or $9.25 at dinner) are a perfect balance of sweet pork, smoke and sauce.

Chef Edwards Bar-b-que
1998 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. (510) 834-9516. Hours weekdays 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and until 8 p.m. Fridays-Sundays. Closed Mondays. Just 10 cozy seats. Ask for the Piggly Wiggly ($4.25) pork sandwich on white bread.

Doug's Bar-B-Q
3600 San Pablo Ave., Emeryville. (510) 655-9048. Hours 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. Been here 30 years with owner Doug Kuies now in his 70s. Barbecued goat ($7.92 or $10.56) is not to be missed. Secret rub makes the rib dinner ($9.88) special.

Everett & Jones
1955 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. (510) 548-8261. Daily, 11 a.m.-midnight. Also five other E&J's in area. One of the best-known names in the West, all descended from founder Dorothy Ellington. This site is the oldest branch still standing.

Flint's
6609 Shattuck Ave., Oakland-Berkeley border. (510) 652-9605. Take-out only.

KC's Bar-B-Que
2613 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. (510) 548-1140. Hours 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. with midnight hours Fridays-Saturdays. Closed Sundays-Mondays. Open since 1968. Ask them to explain long ends and short ends (size of the ribs). Sandwich from $5.95; dinner from $7.50.

Old South Barbecue
16680 E. 14th St., at 167th Ave., San Leandro. (510) 317-0100. Hours 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily and until 10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. Closed Sundays. Only seven tables and some 20 seats. Ribs from $5.75 to $16.95. Note the smoked turkey.

Southern Heritage Bar-Be-Que
40645 Fremont Blvd., No. 23, in Fremont Shopping Center at Grimmer, Fremont. (510) 668-1850. Hours 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 11:30a.m.-9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 1-8 p.m. Sunday. Meet the King. As in ``King Solomon says BBQ ain't fast food and fast food ain't BBQ. Folks: We ain't fast food.'' This from owner Solomon Smith, originally from Eudora, Ark. (population 3,155). Mid-South style ``not Texas,'' he says of his chopped pork barbecue. Mahogany-colored homemade sauce is under-the-fingernails stuff of legend. Don't miss down-home fried okra ($2.19).
 
Here are a couple of places I read about in the September 2001 issue of "San Francisco" magazine:

San Francisco

Johnson's Bar-B-Que
2646 San Bruno Ave. (between Burrows and Bacon Sts.) (415) 467-7655. The interior of this Portola luncheonette may have seen better days, but the barbecue is at its prime. Pork shoulder, beef and pork ribs, and brisket are rendered meltingly tender in the oak- and almond-wood-fueled pit. (Chicken--as moist and savory as a phone book--emerges as the smoker's only casualty.) Skip the incendiary "thermal nuclear" sauce; it obliterates anything that comes between it and your tongue. Collards and sweetly smoky baked beans lend authentic southern flavor to the meal, while soap operas provide the lunchtime soundtrack. Service is slow but couldn't be sweeter. Anyone who tells you that barbecue is fast food is a fool and a liar.

North Bay

Red Rock Cafe and Back Door BBQ
1010 Lincoln Ave. (at Main St.), Napa (707) 226-2633. Just one bite of the huge, absurdly moist, oh-my-god-this-is-good, slow-cooked, shredded-barbecued-pork sandwich and even jaded diners fall for the charm of Red Rock's plastic-gingham, come-as-you-are environs. It's just too hard not to like a place that refuses to let your soda cup run dry and serves $2 baskets of fries aptly described as "one size fits all." The meatless-minded can fill up on veggie burgers, fish-and-chips, and salads, while the rest can enjoy burgers with bacon, blue cheese, and onion. Carnivores as far north as Calistoga know to head to Back Door BBQ--literally at the back door of Red Rock--after 4:30pm for satisfying, lean family-size slabs of baby back ribs, corn muffins, beans, and slaw, all for nary a 20-spot.

[This message has been edited by Chris Allingham (edited 09-23-2001).]
 
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