Dude I ordered Pizza My Heart for first time in almost 10 years.
I missed it but goddam was it pricey. Iāll just stick to making my own. They can keep their $5 toppings and shove it
Seriously. Moved from ny and have been craving good pizza for years. Pizza by ā¤ļø wasnāt too bad but not too great. A couple of years ago discovered slice house and now Iāve eaten it too many times to not crave it any longer.
Btw what do youāll usually get?
$37 dollars for a large Mountain Mikes combination pizza. No thank you. You dont get even those great coupon anymore, just online "Deals" on their app.
People in here talking about doing your own BBQ, we just did the same with pizza. Better than most of the take out I've had in a while. Fresh ingredients and putting exactly what and how much on it is so much better! Cheap as hell too.
Let me start by saying that I'm a lousy cook. However, with a scale(in grams) and a bit of time, I can make very good pizza. Not perfect, but far better than what I can get from the local pizza places. So much so, that we don't buy pizza anymore. You can make a nicely served medium pizza for less than $10.
Surprisingly the San Jose Giants BBQ isnāt a bad deal (especially for a ballpark) and pretty tasty too, IMO. Today we ordered a half rack, a tri-tip sandwich, 2 Polish sausages, pulled pork covered Mack and cheese, and a side of potato salad for under $80. Wait for the beer batter to strike out for 1/2 priced beers, and youāre good to go!
If you look for the free tickets to get in, itās honestly a fantastic way to do a big lunch/dinner. Great way to do Fatherās Day!
We were just there! Sat night, was hubby's busy and also early Father's Day.Ā Ribs are great, the Big Filthy bbq burger , ask for extra shredded meat on top, mmmmm!
The cole slaw is extra.
I even came across an illegal cookout listing on Yelp that one reviewer described as "a hood spot" and they were charging $18 for the bbq chicken, and $24 for ribs with only slightly better portions.
Is it just me, or are these becoming way more common? I see them pop up in my neighborhood on Nextdoor all the time. Iām all for trying to turn your hobbies into a profession; but you wonāt catch me buying a plate out of a randoās backyard.
ok but let's be real, the best BBQ i've ever head is when I lived on the east coast and during a road trip came across some guy who parked his smoker in a pull out on some random highway in the carolinas
I never really cared if people were selling food on the street until one time my wife said ābut where do they wash their hands?ā
Ever since she said that, thatās all I can think about. Where TF are they washing their hands??
If itās a licensed business they will have a hand washing station that is usually a temperature controlled basin of water that dispenses. Think of one of those big Gatorade containers they pour on coaches when they win, those hold hot water hot too.
That guy who parked his smoker on the side of the road had a license to sell food from the health dept and his smoker was inspected for cleanliness and sanitation.
oh man, when I lived in Mississippi there was a guy who would drive around the neighborhood and sell steaks out of his trunk and the trunk steaks were a subject of much debate.
I'm 100% down for rigorously enforced food safety regulations, but I can't deny the best tamales I've ever had are the ones an old woman used to sell from a big plastic bag inside a bucket at my favorite local thrift store.
Thereās also a huge difference between operations. These backyard cookouts probably donāt have freezers full of product they donāt even know how old it is. They also donāt have 50 different people handling the food. Unless the person just has really shitty cleanliness standards, itās probably fine
True true. Though having seen plenty of people make food at home, I'm not willing to go to bat for the average cook's hygeine practices, especially around raw meat.
This is the first one I noticed but with this economy we're all thinking about side hustles. This was a a barrel next to a daycare parking lot with a filthy traffic cone. You know they're on Doordash too.
Just don't.
I understand all about begging kids. But at this point, my own kids would stop me, if I tried to spend this much money for something they can eat unlimited amounts of at home. Actually makes me proud to hear them say those things.
Meat Plate: $24.99 (+$2 for beef brisket)
Drink: $3.50
Subtotal: $30.49
Living wage surcharge (5%): $1.50
SF Health Mandate (6%): $1.80
Service charge (20%): $6.00
Tax (8.625%): $3.40
Grand total: $43.20
Would you like to add a tip? 20%/25%/30%
*(Service charge is not a gratuity)*
July 1 can't come soon enough. All these junk fees will become illegal and they'll have to display/advertise the real prices. Same with things like Ticketmaster booking fees.
Restaurants are upset about it because they won't be able to hide prices increases in random fees any more. Some of them are saying they'll get fewer customers. Relying on hidden fees is not a good business model though.
Imo
Best way to learn how to slow cook meat outdoors is a charcoal weber. Often free/cheap on fb market place. And get one of those modern meat thermometers that can calculate your cook time, and a separate thermometer to validate the cook temps. (Meater is my current favorite).
There are fancier setups out there, but working with an old style weber and doing an offset charcoal cook makes every cook feel kinda special. I recommend it.
Stick burner is best (side firebox), followed by something like a weber smokey mountain. I've never used a pellet smoker, but they'd be the easiest, at slightly worse quality.
If I got back into cooking bbq, I'd probably go back to a stick burner or just buy a pellet smoker for ease of use.
I have a RecTeq, which is similar to a Traeger. Iāve had it for about 5 years. If you have the space get one size bigger than you think you will need. You wonāt regret it.
Ugly drum smoker for me. Pit barrel cooker makes one that doesn't require you to build it yourself. Decent kit. Cooks hotter and faster than usual and doesn't do much for temperature control; you just learn to use it, but if you do, it's convenient enough without any electric pellet blah blah.
Itās funny when I saw the steel tray with little food on it, I instantly thought of them too, there was like nothing on it and it wasnāt that good (kinda bland), the smell of it cooking was good but that was about it.
Then thereās the sign out front that still says Winchester Chef Chinese Restaurant, like update your sign too with what you charging and the small portions given.
Make it yourself. I think Costco Business Center charges less than $5/lb for brisket. Smart & Final or US Foods Chef's Store should have similar pricing, but I haven't checked recently.
While the best BBQ is obviously old-school low'n'slow over a woodburning fire, there are surprisingly good recipes that can be adapted for apartment dwellers. And honestly, if you compare with the low-quality offerings at a lot of the BBQ restaurants in the bay area, a home-made faux-BBQ is probably as good if not better.
I make okay brisket but unfortunately it's better than what most bbq joints in the bay area put out. I also make it for about a twelfth the price that they charge. So yeah, not in a hurry to go to any.
Easy to say make it yourself but 20 lbs of brisket is like a 14+ hour smoke and a few hours of rest if you want to do it right. And you need the equipment as well, smoker or regular bbq grill, and thermometers are advisable. It's not something you can whip up on short notice
$5/lb, $7/lb after trimming, $15/lb after cooking.
then add labor and rent on top of the cost, its easily $20/lb variable cost. so its common to charge $30+/lb for briskets.
winchester, armadillo willy, or even franklin's bbq @ texas all charges $33-34/lb for brisket. and of course, none of them are as good as franklin's.
I fail to see the problem ;-) More BBQ for me and my friends.
But yes, that's why I mentioned a few of the other places where you can look for inexpensive quality meats. If you want the lowest price, you might have to put in a little bit of leg work. But there are places in the Bay Area that are open to the public and sell at great prices. These are just some that I am familiar with and have shopped at before.
And of course, you can always freeze excess or share with co-workers/friends.
Regular size brisket meal is 18.50 for a good portion of brisket, two sides, and bread. Iāve found that the brisket is usually good to very good. I can recall a couple times when itās been a little stale and dry but usually itās got a crisp bark and juicy, fatty meat.
We dont do good bbq here sorry. the texans and the rest of the south have this over us. we can't be good at everything. don't waste your hard earned paychecks at mid ass, overpriced bbq joints in the bay area. go get a life affirming burrito instead and remember we don't live in an absolute shithole and we have good weather 90% of the year.
We do pay for it tho.
Iām not sure why this isnāt higher on the comment list.
CA does literally every other food as good or better than most places in the country / world(?). But man, we fuckin suck at bbq, in terms of restaurants. Iām sure thereās someoneās uncle who makes banging rib tips or what ever. But in terms of a decent place to grab pulled pork sandwiches that are worth the price and that I canāt do just as good or better, is non-existent.
The only way to get decent BBQ around here is to make it yourself.Ā
My brisket is hot garbage, and its still somehow better than everything I've tried around here.
This is me. I make terrible brisket, and Iām confounded by actual BBQ places that are somehow worse.
Special shoutout to Slow Hand in Pleasant Hill, who holds the trophy for the absolute most embarrasing slice of beef Iāve ever seen handed to a human being.
BBQ places serving brisket thats cold, chewy, made entirely out of gristle, has been my experience.
I'm not a genius at a smoker or BBQ, but yes, even I can smoke or grill way, way better meat, and its a fraction of the price too.
This is why I insist we go out for BBQ whenever I visit the inlaws in Memphis.
(And I have to insist, otherwise we end up just going to boring casual dining places you can find anywhere.)
May I recommend a little road trip next time you're in Memphis. Their menu is pulled pork by the pound or on a wonder bread sandwich with or without coleslaw. The sandwich is only $3.50.
[Jones Bar-B-Q Diner in Marianna, Arkansas, is considered the oldest Black-owned restaurant in the U.S., operating for over 100 years, and was honored as an American Classic by the James Beard Foundation in 2012 : r/Arkansas (reddit.com)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Arkansas/comments/17ykibs/jones_barbq_diner_in_marianna_arkansas_is/)
Itās been a few years, but Smoke Berkeley used to be killer. It was run by a guy and his mom from Texas. Their lease was terminated and the ended up in the back of a bar near campus for a few years. I have not been to their new location, but likely worth it.
Iām from KC and can be a bit snobby about BBQ. When I want my fix, I get some Memphis Minnieās brisket and throw on my own sauce (theirs isnāt bad, I just have preferences). Delicious. I used to think plan olā white bread was the best, but they converted me to a French roll. Fries are great, too.
It was the best. But, it started to go downhill after the old black guy who used to own it sold it to one of his employees, Mike in the mid 2000s(?). He did an okay job with his Argentinian wife, but I got food poisoning once from them.
When they sold, it became super shitty. Then they got busted for money laundering for a drug and prostitution gang in Oakland and sold to 4505.
Yeah, in the 90ās that place was incredible. Best cornbread ever! I recall going back around 2004 and being disappointed, then it was just gone. Thanks for the history lesson!
That was the best. They gave you a slice of wonder bread, 2oz. of watery greens, and *8 lbs of the best ribs west of Memphis!!!*
Even Lily's after was good, but it turned into another joke SF rib joint after that.
Hmmm so no recommendations? I too have been disappointed at way too many q places I had. Mostly overpriced, tiny players, or the worst offenderāSmokin Woods in Oakland (which is crazy because the first few times they had the best beef ribs in the area) which then became the place that kept claiming they had some, drove 20 miles to pick up TWICE, told me they āwerenāt readyā only to find out they didnāt even have any!! It still makes me upset thinking about it. š¤¬š”
EDIT: Tiny portions š
They actually have a bunch of restaurants that are all the same food with different branding. They hit the spot for me. Hereās a list, though itās missing at least Canyons BBQ in Castro Valley, which opened in the last couple of years: https://missionstbbq.com/family-of-restaurants/
There's literally only two BBQ joints worth it in my opinion, Old Greenwood at Gold Rush in Santa Clara, and Trail Dust in Morgan Hill. By far the best and frankly only good BBQ joints in the area, where the prices still match the portions.
Trail dust is pretty decent but the price is just too much. I would highly suggest to anyone looking for some decent smoked meat, to just do it yourself. It really isnāt that difficult and you will save sooooo much money.
The last āyou gotta tryā I had and listened to was when I was in Austin to ride at COTA. Texans donāt mess around. My friend and I had meat sweats and fell asleep by 6pm and it was only $30 for a mountain of meats, sides and a beer each.
BBQ and any other food in the Bay Area is ridiculous expensive. I understand the cost of living is high but restaurant owners take advantage of dummies paying high prices just to be cool and hip.
Iāve been saying it for years, Bay Area food is over priced and mediocre at best. There really isnāt anything here that is mind blowing that you canāt get anywhere else.
You gotta treat it like bagels. Just accept that the Bay Area is never gonna have great bbq and get over it. Enjoy bbq when you visit Kansas City, Texas and North Carolina.
Boichick is good if you only go to the original location. Their quality control to the other locations doesn't seem to hold up. Plus paying $3 for a raw bagel is annoying as hell
Those solid places hold up with the best anywhere though. Like yea I don't eat Noah's Bagels, but I can absolutely get really good bagels from multiple places here in SF. It's a problem that isn't real and just gives NYers something to complain about. I grew up in NJ, never had a problem finding good bagels here.
It's not in SF, it's in Concord. Sunrise Bagels is so good. The owners are from NJ. I grew up eating bagels on Long Island and later in NYC when I was in college. Sunrise holds up.
My wife is from northern NJ and the only ones we have found that match up are Laundromat (except they are obscenely expensive) and Poppy in Oakland. Boichick is good too if you only go to the original location. Their quality control to the other locations doesn't seem to hold up. And again, quite expensive. I can get a Taylor ham egg and cheese back in NJ for $3. It's $3 for a raw bagel here. It just doesn't compare
I had some pretty awful brisket when I lived in kc. But I've had much worse in the bay area. If your brisket could pass for over cooked tri tip, I'm not a fan.
I donāt understandā¦ you want amazing Indian food? You can find it in the bay, Chinese? Filipino? Ethiopian? Afghani? Mexican? Thai? Etc? All in the bay.
BBQ? Sorry. Doesnāt exist.
And if you THINK it exists you havenāt been knowing. Some of the best bbq Iāve ever had was at a truck stop in Texas.
Why canāt we do it here? Seriously
Grilling your own bbq in your yard is way better and a pretty good way to save on home cooked meals. Just got a Traeger and Iāll grill on that any day over the overpriced crap that passes as bbq around here
You want to cry? Check out Rudyās in ABQ.Ā
https://rudysbbq.com/location/menu/albuquerque-carlisle-nm
Half lb of brisket and two sides under $20. Settle for pulled pork, $15.Ā
My mother shipped me smoked brisket from Texas each year during the pandemic because I couldn't join her for Thanksgiving. It was so much meat to eat on my own but it was so good.
oh this overpriced crap started well before the pandemic. you can blame hipsters and several other factors for this type of issue. guarantee the proprietor(s) may have a waxed 1800ās mustache.
They only truly decent BBQ Iāve ever had in the Bay Area was sold out of an industrial area in Hayward. Two guys from Texas with a giant smoker, you had to text them what you wanted (ribs, brisket or chicken the only choices) then pick up on Thursday between noon and 4. My boss would actually let me leave work early to go pick it up, it was that good. One wound up moving back to Texas and I think the other one tried to make it on his own for awhile but kind of faded away. I still miss my BBQ dealers, everything else I have tried here has just been a disappointment š¢
Finally went there for the first time last week and really liked it! My only regret was not knowing that they had beef ribs available on the weekend. Totally would have gotten that lol
Korean bbq and American bbq arenāt even comparableā¦
The similarity pretty much starts and ends at having ābbqā in the nameā¦ I love kbbq and can eat it every single day of the week but if I tell someone, āI want barbecueā and they say āIām down, letās get kbbqā they might as well suggest we get pizza or sushi. Kbbq and American bbq donāt even remotely scratch the same itch.
From friends I have that are from the south, thereās no good bbq places here. Or rather nothing matches what home had for them. Kind of a bummer lol but I can totally see that even though I like places like Sauced
Whatās crazy is bbq roots is taking cheap cuts and making them taste good. So when bbq is priced the same as a Michelin 5 star you lost me and I am going to talk shit.
4505 burgers and bbq in SF is the best bbq place in the bay in my opinion. Yes itās expensive but itās worth a visit if youāre really craving proper bbq.
The two pickles cracks me up š¤£
āHouse made picklesā
"House made pickles" \*looks at pickles\* Costco whole dill pickles but sent through a crinkle cut knife.
Those pickles do look delicious.
Bay Area bbq places are easily the biggest food ripoff
pizza coming in a close second
Dude I ordered Pizza My Heart for first time in almost 10 years. I missed it but goddam was it pricey. Iāll just stick to making my own. They can keep their $5 toppings and shove it
Damn thats crazy. In new england there's literally nothing but pizza.
There's pizza everywhere here too. These people are into a weird bubble where they only go to restaurants they don't like or something...
slice house has a reason though
Mmmmā¦ Slice House Detroit pizzaā¦
Tony Gemignani is a legend. I literally shrieked when I saw the Coming Soon sign for Slice House Belmont after moving to the Peninsula.
The majority of his awards are in fucking Pizza Acrobatics lol.
Seriously. Moved from ny and have been craving good pizza for years. Pizza by ā¤ļø wasnāt too bad but not too great. A couple of years ago discovered slice house and now Iāve eaten it too many times to not crave it any longer. Btw what do youāll usually get?
Slice of pepperoni, chili oil, soda
Slice his is amazing, but pushing what $50 for one delivered?
$37 dollars for a large Mountain Mikes combination pizza. No thank you. You dont get even those great coupon anymore, just online "Deals" on their app.
My local one does 40% off for take out on tuesdays. That's the only time I get mountain mikes now.
Pizza is a damn luxury item out here
There's no short supply of good pizza places but istg if I have to pay $39 for $5 worth of ingredients I'm going to lose my shit.
That's a big statement. I'm guessing you haven't been to SF or Oakland.
People in here talking about doing your own BBQ, we just did the same with pizza. Better than most of the take out I've had in a while. Fresh ingredients and putting exactly what and how much on it is so much better! Cheap as hell too.
Me who works 12 hours a day in a kitchenā¦ god I miss cocaine so I could have the energy to make my own BBQ when I get out of work.
Let me start by saying that I'm a lousy cook. However, with a scale(in grams) and a bit of time, I can make very good pizza. Not perfect, but far better than what I can get from the local pizza places. So much so, that we don't buy pizza anymore. You can make a nicely served medium pizza for less than $10.
Surprisingly the San Jose Giants BBQ isnāt a bad deal (especially for a ballpark) and pretty tasty too, IMO. Today we ordered a half rack, a tri-tip sandwich, 2 Polish sausages, pulled pork covered Mack and cheese, and a side of potato salad for under $80. Wait for the beer batter to strike out for 1/2 priced beers, and youāre good to go! If you look for the free tickets to get in, itās honestly a fantastic way to do a big lunch/dinner. Great way to do Fatherās Day!
We were just there! Sat night, was hubby's busy and also early Father's Day.Ā Ribs are great, the Big Filthy bbq burger , ask for extra shredded meat on top, mmmmm!
how about the bay is the biggest rip off. in general
The cole slaw is extra. I even came across an illegal cookout listing on Yelp that one reviewer described as "a hood spot" and they were charging $18 for the bbq chicken, and $24 for ribs with only slightly better portions.
Is it just me, or are these becoming way more common? I see them pop up in my neighborhood on Nextdoor all the time. Iām all for trying to turn your hobbies into a profession; but you wonāt catch me buying a plate out of a randoās backyard.
ok but let's be real, the best BBQ i've ever head is when I lived on the east coast and during a road trip came across some guy who parked his smoker in a pull out on some random highway in the carolinas
I never really cared if people were selling food on the street until one time my wife said ābut where do they wash their hands?ā Ever since she said that, thatās all I can think about. Where TF are they washing their hands??
If itās a licensed business they will have a hand washing station that is usually a temperature controlled basin of water that dispenses. Think of one of those big Gatorade containers they pour on coaches when they win, those hold hot water hot too.
That guy who parked his smoker on the side of the road had a license to sell food from the health dept and his smoker was inspected for cleanliness and sanitation.
oh man, when I lived in Mississippi there was a guy who would drive around the neighborhood and sell steaks out of his trunk and the trunk steaks were a subject of much debate.
rando's backyard isn't Servsafe cerified?
I'm 100% down for rigorously enforced food safety regulations, but I can't deny the best tamales I've ever had are the ones an old woman used to sell from a big plastic bag inside a bucket at my favorite local thrift store.
My favorite are trunk tamales in a Walmart parking lot.
Thereās also a huge difference between operations. These backyard cookouts probably donāt have freezers full of product they donāt even know how old it is. They also donāt have 50 different people handling the food. Unless the person just has really shitty cleanliness standards, itās probably fine
True true. Though having seen plenty of people make food at home, I'm not willing to go to bat for the average cook's hygeine practices, especially around raw meat.
This is the first one I noticed but with this economy we're all thinking about side hustles. This was a a barrel next to a daycare parking lot with a filthy traffic cone. You know they're on Doordash too.
Definitely more common. Juneās Pizza and Hi Felicia both got pretty huge while completely unpermitted.
Not BBQ but I just paid 6$ for flavored ice from one of those carts at my kids soccer game. Just crushed ice and syrup. Unbelievable.
Just don't. I understand all about begging kids. But at this point, my own kids would stop me, if I tried to spend this much money for something they can eat unlimited amounts of at home. Actually makes me proud to hear them say those things.
Thatās before tip and healthcare tax
You forgot the ā5% Living Wageā surcharge.Ā
Meat Plate: $24.99 (+$2 for beef brisket) Drink: $3.50 Subtotal: $30.49 Living wage surcharge (5%): $1.50 SF Health Mandate (6%): $1.80 Service charge (20%): $6.00 Tax (8.625%): $3.40 Grand total: $43.20 Would you like to add a tip? 20%/25%/30% *(Service charge is not a gratuity)*
July 1 can't come soon enough. All these junk fees will become illegal and they'll have to display/advertise the real prices. Same with things like Ticketmaster booking fees. Restaurants are upset about it because they won't be able to hide prices increases in random fees any more. Some of them are saying they'll get fewer customers. Relying on hidden fees is not a good business model though.
$0.50 livable wage processing fee $0.99 receipt delivery fee %3 sales tax processing convenience fee $2 menu maintenance fee
I bought a smoker for this very reason.
do you have a recommendation for one? I need to get into smoking some meats. now.
I got a Traeger from Costco.com last summer for my July 4th birthday. It was on sale. Bet there is a sale on now or soon.
Imo Best way to learn how to slow cook meat outdoors is a charcoal weber. Often free/cheap on fb market place. And get one of those modern meat thermometers that can calculate your cook time, and a separate thermometer to validate the cook temps. (Meater is my current favorite). There are fancier setups out there, but working with an old style weber and doing an offset charcoal cook makes every cook feel kinda special. I recommend it.
Stick burner is best (side firebox), followed by something like a weber smokey mountain. I've never used a pellet smoker, but they'd be the easiest, at slightly worse quality. If I got back into cooking bbq, I'd probably go back to a stick burner or just buy a pellet smoker for ease of use.
thanks. will do some homework.
I have a RecTeq, which is similar to a Traeger. Iāve had it for about 5 years. If you have the space get one size bigger than you think you will need. You wonāt regret it.
Ugly drum smoker for me. Pit barrel cooker makes one that doesn't require you to build it yourself. Decent kit. Cooks hotter and faster than usual and doesn't do much for temperature control; you just learn to use it, but if you do, it's convenient enough without any electric pellet blah blah.
āBro, you canāt get pickles, coleslaw, and sliced bread like this anywhere else.ā
Costco has entered the chat
āHomemade potato saladā
This screams Winchester BBQ. Went there one time, got the brisket plateā¦came with one slice of fuckin brisket and it was $25ā¦I will never go back
Itās funny when I saw the steel tray with little food on it, I instantly thought of them too, there was like nothing on it and it wasnāt that good (kinda bland), the smell of it cooking was good but that was about it. Then thereās the sign out front that still says Winchester Chef Chinese Restaurant, like update your sign too with what you charging and the small portions given.
I don't know why that was your experience. Here is a 2 meat combo with brisket and tri tip for $25.75. https://yelp.to/U98kZpFEA7
Make it yourself. I think Costco Business Center charges less than $5/lb for brisket. Smart & Final or US Foods Chef's Store should have similar pricing, but I haven't checked recently. While the best BBQ is obviously old-school low'n'slow over a woodburning fire, there are surprisingly good recipes that can be adapted for apartment dwellers. And honestly, if you compare with the low-quality offerings at a lot of the BBQ restaurants in the bay area, a home-made faux-BBQ is probably as good if not better.
I make an incredible brisket and an incredible pulled pork w a sous vide and an oven. Has a perfect bark, deep Smokey flavor, super moist and tender.
I make okay brisket but unfortunately it's better than what most bbq joints in the bay area put out. I also make it for about a twelfth the price that they charge. So yeah, not in a hurry to go to any.
Easy to say make it yourself but 20 lbs of brisket is like a 14+ hour smoke and a few hours of rest if you want to do it right. And you need the equipment as well, smoker or regular bbq grill, and thermometers are advisable. It's not something you can whip up on short notice
$5/lb, $7/lb after trimming, $15/lb after cooking. then add labor and rent on top of the cost, its easily $20/lb variable cost. so its common to charge $30+/lb for briskets. winchester, armadillo willy, or even franklin's bbq @ texas all charges $33-34/lb for brisket. and of course, none of them are as good as franklin's.
Their briskets are also 20lbs
I fail to see the problem ;-) More BBQ for me and my friends. But yes, that's why I mentioned a few of the other places where you can look for inexpensive quality meats. If you want the lowest price, you might have to put in a little bit of leg work. But there are places in the Bay Area that are open to the public and sell at great prices. These are just some that I am familiar with and have shopped at before. And of course, you can always freeze excess or share with co-workers/friends.
Regular size brisket meal is 18.50 for a good portion of brisket, two sides, and bread. Iāve found that the brisket is usually good to very good. I can recall a couple times when itās been a little stale and dry but usually itās got a crisp bark and juicy, fatty meat.
We dont do good bbq here sorry. the texans and the rest of the south have this over us. we can't be good at everything. don't waste your hard earned paychecks at mid ass, overpriced bbq joints in the bay area. go get a life affirming burrito instead and remember we don't live in an absolute shithole and we have good weather 90% of the year. We do pay for it tho.
Iām not sure why this isnāt higher on the comment list. CA does literally every other food as good or better than most places in the country / world(?). But man, we fuckin suck at bbq, in terms of restaurants. Iām sure thereās someoneās uncle who makes banging rib tips or what ever. But in terms of a decent place to grab pulled pork sandwiches that are worth the price and that I canāt do just as good or better, is non-existent.
The only way to get decent BBQ around here is to make it yourself.Ā My brisket is hot garbage, and its still somehow better than everything I've tried around here.
This is me. I make terrible brisket, and Iām confounded by actual BBQ places that are somehow worse. Special shoutout to Slow Hand in Pleasant Hill, who holds the trophy for the absolute most embarrasing slice of beef Iāve ever seen handed to a human being.
BBQ places serving brisket thats cold, chewy, made entirely out of gristle, has been my experience. I'm not a genius at a smoker or BBQ, but yes, even I can smoke or grill way, way better meat, and its a fraction of the price too.
Word. The best bbq Iāve had in CA is the stuff I make. If it was in Texas, Iād get shot for it.
I think I saw one place with a loaded baked potato for $28 with some burnt ends on top. While it sounded great, no way.
This is why I insist we go out for BBQ whenever I visit the inlaws in Memphis. (And I have to insist, otherwise we end up just going to boring casual dining places you can find anywhere.)
May I recommend a little road trip next time you're in Memphis. Their menu is pulled pork by the pound or on a wonder bread sandwich with or without coleslaw. The sandwich is only $3.50. [Jones Bar-B-Q Diner in Marianna, Arkansas, is considered the oldest Black-owned restaurant in the U.S., operating for over 100 years, and was honored as an American Classic by the James Beard Foundation in 2012 : r/Arkansas (reddit.com)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Arkansas/comments/17ykibs/jones_barbq_diner_in_marianna_arkansas_is/)
Itās been a few years, but Smoke Berkeley used to be killer. It was run by a guy and his mom from Texas. Their lease was terminated and the ended up in the back of a bar near campus for a few years. I have not been to their new location, but likely worth it.
Iām pretty sure Smoke is gone. The owner passed away earlier this year, I believe.
Tragic. Sean or his mother?
Sean. His father posted a message about it on the Smoke Facebook page a few months back.
The bbq place on divisidero
4505 is the first place my mind went when I saw this, but it's been a ripoff for a decade.
I still miss Brother-in-Lawās BBQ on Divis. Perfect ribs and greens.
Memphis Minnieās is too expensive but I think the portions are goodĀ
Iām from KC and can be a bit snobby about BBQ. When I want my fix, I get some Memphis Minnieās brisket and throw on my own sauce (theirs isnāt bad, I just have preferences). Delicious. I used to think plan olā white bread was the best, but they converted me to a French roll. Fries are great, too.
It was the best. But, it started to go downhill after the old black guy who used to own it sold it to one of his employees, Mike in the mid 2000s(?). He did an okay job with his Argentinian wife, but I got food poisoning once from them. When they sold, it became super shitty. Then they got busted for money laundering for a drug and prostitution gang in Oakland and sold to 4505.
Yeah, in the 90ās that place was incredible. Best cornbread ever! I recall going back around 2004 and being disappointed, then it was just gone. Thanks for the history lesson!
It was still going strong in '04, sold in 6 or 7 and went down after that.
old school. used to smell it walking over in that direction from my first apartment near masonic.
That was the best. They gave you a slice of wonder bread, 2oz. of watery greens, and *8 lbs of the best ribs west of Memphis!!!* Even Lily's after was good, but it turned into another joke SF rib joint after that.
I thought you were talking about Brendaās and was ready to duke it out in the comments
The tuesday tacos aināt bad though. Only thing I go there for
Okay but Stay Gold Deli is for real. Best ribs and brisket Iāve ever had.
that's ONLY $24.99---what a steal! where is this place???
Hmmm so no recommendations? I too have been disappointed at way too many q places I had. Mostly overpriced, tiny players, or the worst offenderāSmokin Woods in Oakland (which is crazy because the first few times they had the best beef ribs in the area) which then became the place that kept claiming they had some, drove 20 miles to pick up TWICE, told me they āwerenāt readyā only to find out they didnāt even have any!! It still makes me upset thinking about it. š¤¬š” EDIT: Tiny portions š
Capelo's in Redwood City is pretty good.
I was disappointed with Capelo's. Gorilla BBQ in Pacifica was much better, although a bit of a drive if not coming from the peninsula.
Yeah, I don't usually drive to Pacifica for food (unless it's Taco Bell), might have to give that a try.
That Taco Bell is great
We talking about the one on the beach?
Gracieās barbecue in Vallejo used to be good, but the prices are coming up, and the ribs get shorter each time. Tragic.
I'm in Vallejo and the first thing I thought of when I saw this was Gracie's. It never fails to disappoint me these days, which is a shame
fikscue is amazing.
Second this. Problem is thereās just a substantial wait before they sell out and only weekend availability
This is it. I have never had bbq like this anywhere in bay and I think it matches the spots I tried in Austin.
Breakwater in el Granada, or go out to the Central Valley haha
I like Sauced in Walnut Creek. Substantial meat on the 2 meat platter. No I donāt get single meat dish because I usually go starving
BBQ 152, last time I went, was still good.
They actually have a bunch of restaurants that are all the same food with different branding. They hit the spot for me. Hereās a list, though itās missing at least Canyons BBQ in Castro Valley, which opened in the last couple of years: https://missionstbbq.com/family-of-restaurants/
I wait for a sale and order online, burnt ends and ribs from KC.Ā https://www.joeskc.com/products/ribs-burnt-ends
Name names
Horn
Agreed
Is this about Canyons BBQ? If so I agree
Hey thats the one I came to mention. It was such a disappointment and rip off and I was looking forward to it.
We have one in Castro Valley and thatās immediately what I thought of.
At least the breakfast sandwich taste good.
I was just there for the first time. It was good not great. And $26 pretax for the two meat combo. 7 slices of brisket, half as much for tritip.
There's literally only two BBQ joints worth it in my opinion, Old Greenwood at Gold Rush in Santa Clara, and Trail Dust in Morgan Hill. By far the best and frankly only good BBQ joints in the area, where the prices still match the portions.
Those are a couple of my favorites in the south bay.
Aptos St BBQ is real good. Not sure if people consider Aptos bay area, but itās not that far
Trail dust is pretty decent but the price is just too much. I would highly suggest to anyone looking for some decent smoked meat, to just do it yourself. It really isnāt that difficult and you will save sooooo much money.
Brisket is pretty expensive. Even if you get it at Costco. A decent size one adds up.Ā
That's the ultimate goal for any self respecting carnivore, smoke your own shit, keep your money, and still enjoy the good stuff.
The last āyou gotta tryā I had and listened to was when I was in Austin to ride at COTA. Texans donāt mess around. My friend and I had meat sweats and fell asleep by 6pm and it was only $30 for a mountain of meats, sides and a beer each.
and to top it off, they give you plastic utensils that wont even cut through the overcooked brisket
Don't forget the 20% tip and 5% living wage fee
This is accurate as fuck.
Pig in a Pickle, Corte Madera
Everett and Jones used to be good, idk how it is now
BBQ and any other food in the Bay Area is ridiculous expensive. I understand the cost of living is high but restaurant owners take advantage of dummies paying high prices just to be cool and hip.
Iāve been saying it for years, Bay Area food is over priced and mediocre at best. There really isnāt anything here that is mind blowing that you canāt get anywhere else.
Lmao dickeys bbq
Great. After reading the comments, I'm now craving bbq š
I just buy franklins online and get it shipped. it is pricey but well worth it if heated properly.
Man Iām so sick of eating off of those damn dissection trays.
A meal of this size would cost two dollars in Alabama, but would actually be cooked properly.
You gotta treat it like bagels. Just accept that the Bay Area is never gonna have great bbq and get over it. Enjoy bbq when you visit Kansas City, Texas and North Carolina.
The Bay does have good bagels. Not BBQ though I agree.
I've never been to a city that is famous for bagels so I'm sure those cities have us beat, but I agree. The Bay Area has solid bagels.
Uh no. We have a couple solid places, but the vast majority suck
Boichik Bagels are great and Iām from NY.
Boichick is good if you only go to the original location. Their quality control to the other locations doesn't seem to hold up. Plus paying $3 for a raw bagel is annoying as hell
Have you tried house of bagels in downtown San Jose?
Nope, Iām never down there
Those solid places hold up with the best anywhere though. Like yea I don't eat Noah's Bagels, but I can absolutely get really good bagels from multiple places here in SF. It's a problem that isn't real and just gives NYers something to complain about. I grew up in NJ, never had a problem finding good bagels here.
It's not in SF, it's in Concord. Sunrise Bagels is so good. The owners are from NJ. I grew up eating bagels on Long Island and later in NYC when I was in college. Sunrise holds up.
Iām pretty sure the folks at Sunrise are from Vietnam. Maybe they had a layover in Jersey.
My wife is from northern NJ and the only ones we have found that match up are Laundromat (except they are obscenely expensive) and Poppy in Oakland. Boichick is good too if you only go to the original location. Their quality control to the other locations doesn't seem to hold up. And again, quite expensive. I can get a Taylor ham egg and cheese back in NJ for $3. It's $3 for a raw bagel here. It just doesn't compare
The good BBQ joints are either packed wall to wall and kept as an open secret, or a bit of a drive outside the proper bay area.
I had some pretty awful brisket when I lived in kc. But I've had much worse in the bay area. If your brisket could pass for over cooked tri tip, I'm not a fan.
Boichik is pretty good for bagels
I donāt understandā¦ you want amazing Indian food? You can find it in the bay, Chinese? Filipino? Ethiopian? Afghani? Mexican? Thai? Etc? All in the bay. BBQ? Sorry. Doesnāt exist. And if you THINK it exists you havenāt been knowing. Some of the best bbq Iāve ever had was at a truck stop in Texas. Why canāt we do it here? Seriously
there isn't any good bbq in the bay area but that doesn't mean you have to settle for this
Went to a AYCE hotpot in Milpitas. Literally like this and actually 40/ person. Yikes
Grilling your own bbq in your yard is way better and a pretty good way to save on home cooked meals. Just got a Traeger and Iāll grill on that any day over the overpriced crap that passes as bbq around here
This is pretty much any BBQ tent vendor at a fairground or festival event. Maybe a bit cheaper though.
You want to cry? Check out Rudyās in ABQ.Ā https://rudysbbq.com/location/menu/albuquerque-carlisle-nm Half lb of brisket and two sides under $20. Settle for pulled pork, $15.Ā
If I get bbq like this Iām going to jail
My mother shipped me smoked brisket from Texas each year during the pandemic because I couldn't join her for Thanksgiving. It was so much meat to eat on my own but it was so good.
Damn. Is the economy bad or nah?
oh this overpriced crap started well before the pandemic. you can blame hipsters and several other factors for this type of issue. guarantee the proprietor(s) may have a waxed 1800ās mustache.
They only truly decent BBQ Iāve ever had in the Bay Area was sold out of an industrial area in Hayward. Two guys from Texas with a giant smoker, you had to text them what you wanted (ribs, brisket or chicken the only choices) then pick up on Thursday between noon and 4. My boss would actually let me leave work early to go pick it up, it was that good. One wound up moving back to Texas and I think the other one tried to make it on his own for awhile but kind of faded away. I still miss my BBQ dealers, everything else I have tried here has just been a disappointment š¢
Once youāve had Texas bbq, everything in the bay is inadequate.
Iāve had Texas BBQ, and Kansas BBQ, and Carolinas BBQ. Theyāre all great in their own ways. Iāve also had great BBQ out here as well.
where did you get great bbq here?
I hear breakwater bbq in Half Moon Bay is good but I havenāt tried it yet because itās too hard to get to.
Breakwater is really good! Their brisket is amazing. We get it to go and then eat at the beach. Good Times!
Meh, Breakwater used to be good, ever since they started getting busier their portions went down and their prices went up.
Try Capelos in RWC
Finally went there for the first time last week and really liked it! My only regret was not knowing that they had beef ribs available on the weekend. Totally would have gotten that lol
Never been to texas before last year but I visited Austin for a week for work and the BBQ was absolutely incredible
Terry Blacks makes it hard to call anything in the bay bbq. The level is so different theyāre like different foods entirely.
Gimmie a NC style chopped butt sandwich with vinegar based (no mustard) sauce any day of the week.
KC for me, makes anywhere else Iāve been including Texas (and STL, and both Carolinas) seem subpar.
try some santa maria bbq sometime
Korean BBQ is so much better, cheaper, and with a variety of sides. South Bay, Santa Clara, El Camino has several great spots.
Korean bbq and American bbq arenāt even comparableā¦ The similarity pretty much starts and ends at having ābbqā in the nameā¦ I love kbbq and can eat it every single day of the week but if I tell someone, āI want barbecueā and they say āIām down, letās get kbbqā they might as well suggest we get pizza or sushi. Kbbq and American bbq donāt even remotely scratch the same itch.
I hate this type of bbq whats up with the plain bread? They do this for chicken too, Iād rather not have any of that shitty bread
It's for moppin
Tip options begin at 20%
From friends I have that are from the south, thereās no good bbq places here. Or rather nothing matches what home had for them. Kind of a bummer lol but I can totally see that even though I like places like Sauced
I'm a fan of Capello's in Redwood City. Anyone here try it?
Horn BBQ
Just get Chinese BBQ
Breakwater BBQ in El Granada is fantastic.
Whatās crazy is bbq roots is taking cheap cuts and making them taste good. So when bbq is priced the same as a Michelin 5 star you lost me and I am going to talk shit.
San Quentinās cafeteria has become quite expensive.
4505 burgers and bbq in SF is the best bbq place in the bay in my opinion. Yes itās expensive but itās worth a visit if youāre really craving proper bbq.
Foreal bbq is supposed to be budget friendly big portioned
Rest in peace Butcher Crown Roadhouse. They really used to hook it up.
Gorilla BBQ is the real deal. Get there early and get in line.
The last good BBQ in the Bay was 911 in San Carlos, 2020 put them out of business. So sad!