By: Lindsay Garbacik By: Lindsay Garbacik | June 23, 2022 | Food & Drink, Community,
Barbecue is perhaps the perfect hearty summer food. It just tastes better when enjoyed in glorious weather. Lucky for you, San Diego has a wide range of fabulous barbecue restaurants both new and well-loved city classics. We’ve rounded up the 7 very best barbecue spots in San Diego, perfect for all meat-lovers.
See Also: The 7 Best Frozen Summer Cocktails In San Diego
6904 Miramar Road / Website
Family-run Abbey’s Real Texas Bar-B-Q has been serving up tasty, authentically Texas-style barbecue and homemade side dishes since 1982. Every day, meats are slow-cooked in a cast-iron smoker over green oak and mesquite right on the restaurant’s premises. The beef brisket and pork shoulder are cooked this way for 18 to 24 hours, according to the joint’s website. Hot links, kielbasa sausage, burnt ends, pulled pork, chicken, and a host of sides fill the lengthy menu. The restaurant is open to walk-ins seven days a week. Online takeout orders can be placed here.
4255 Market Street / Website
Head to this family-run East Texas-style barbecue joint for dishes so good it’s obvious they’re made using secret family recipes. Meats are smoked fresh daily and when the shop sells out for the day, they’re done. The menu features barbecue meat favorites like brisket, tri-tips, ribs, rib tips, chicken, and hot links. Try the seasonal chili or sample everything with the Sampler Plate. You’ll want to save room for some of the shop’s delicious homemade desserts like lemon cake and sweet potato pie. Walk-ins are welcome, but the joint frequently sells out of meats. Online takeout orders and preorders can be placed here.
975 Greenfield Drive, El Cajon / Website
This local favorite first started as a catering company over 30 years ago. They specialize in Santa Maria-style barbecue. This means that they grill their meats, typically well-seasoned beef tri-tips, over native red oak using an adjustable grill. This style is popular around SoCal because of the windy conditions and the threat of fires, making it a safer choice than classic barbecue smokers. Buckboard’s meat menu features baby back ribs, chicken, pulled pork, and sausage, or try them all with the Best of Buck Platter. Reservations can be made here. Online takeout orders can be placed here.
15505 Olde Hwy 80, El Cajon / Website
Head to Grand Ole BBQ Flinn Springs for tasty, Central-Texas style barbecue and a stellar lineup of live music on the weekends. The menu features barbecue classics like St. Louis cut spare ribs, Texas-style hot links, turkey, pulled pork, brisket, and beef short ribs. Try the El Borracho, a choice of barbecued meat smothered in queso and corn chip-serrano relish, which was featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Stop by on Sundays for a special Argentine-style BBQ. The restaurant also has a sister location called Grand Ole BBQ y Asado and a location in Petco Park. Walk-ins are always welcome or place a takeout order online.
1520 Garnet Ave. / Website
Enjoy Texas-style barbecue from Texas-native chef Rick Daniels. Everything at the spot is homemade and the meats are cooked slowly at a low heat ensuring a tender texture and juicy flavor. The menu features barbecued meats like chicken, pulled chicken, pulled pork, brisket, and baby back ribs. Can’t choose just one? Order the Meat Madness Platter to taste a bit of everything. Happy hour runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day. Keep up with the joint’s Instagram for information on their weekly specials and live music lineup. Walk-ins are always welcome or place a takeout order online.
1201 1st Street, Coronado / Website
Relax by the water as you enjoy a heaping plate of Lil Piggy’s Memphis-style barbecue. The family-owned restaurant was inspired by the family’s trip through the southern barbecue capitals. The family enjoyed Memphis-style barbecue the most, so they took notes from a number of restaurants and created their own take on the cuisine. On their menu, find beef brisket, pulled pork, jalapeño cheddar sausage, and barbecue chicken breast. Be sure to check out the mac and cheese section of the menu too, with special toppings including pulled pork, chili, or taco fixings. Walk-ins are always welcome or place a takeout order online.
8622 Lake Murray Blvd. / Website
Stop by The Pioneer for flavorful barbecue and a lengthy list of refreshing beers, wines, and craft cocktails. The menu’s barbecued meats include spare ribs, smoked pork shoulder, prime beef brisket, beef brisket hot links, grilled barbecue chicken breast, and Nashville hot chicken. Enjoy the meats plain, with side dishes, or in an array of loaded savory sandwiches and melts. Delectable sides include bacon potato salad, brisket chili, collard greens, street corn, and onion rings, among others. The menu is well labeled so guests with dietary restrictions can easily differentiate the dishes. Walk-ins are always welcome or place a takeout order online.
Photography by: Oscar Salgado / Unsplash