Sorry to resurrect and old post but after years and years of living in San Diego, I finally visited the Phil's over near the Sport's Arena.
I gotta side with Jeff on this one. Was expecting a taste explosion of wonderfulness but was sadly disappointed instead. The stuff I casually make in my backyard is way better then this stuff and these guys pack the house for some reason.
Am still looking for a BBQ joint in San Diego that doesn't rely on drowning their BBQ in sauce. What is the point of smoking a good piece of meat if you are going to hide the flavors with a gallon of sauce? Use the sauce to enhance rather then smother.
But in Phil's defense, it was the best franchise BBQ I've tasted so far. Still sticking with my own grub for now.