50 Best Barbeque Restaurants near La Jolla

“BEST L an L I have ever been to. I didn’t catch her name but there was a lady at the cashier today that has the aura of an angel!! if I were management I would promote that efficient, ray of sunshine in a heart beat💕 Very clean bathrooms and separated my curry from my chicken without being asked (nobody likes soggy katsu) 10/10“

“I recently visited Xinjiang BBQ, and it was a fantastic experience! The restaurant has a warm and welcoming atmosphere, perfect for a casual night out with friends or family. The staff was friendly and attentive, offering great recommendations and ensuring we had everything we needed.

Food: The menu offers a wide selection of skewers, from classic lamb and chicken to more unique options like grilled prawns and vegetables. The skewers were all grilled to perfection—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and packed with flavor. The highlight for me was the lamb skewers, which were seasoned just right and had that authentic smoky taste that’s hard to beat.

The restaurant also serves some great side dishes, like refreshing cucumber salad and crispy flatbread, which complemented the BBQ perfectly. Their homemade dipping sauces were excellent and added an extra layer of flavor to the skewers. If you’re a fan of spicy food, definitely“

“Best ribs, best brisket I ever had!! Worth the $$$$ very good experience , good customer service!! 🙌🏻✌🏻🍻🍻🏖️👙🐚🩱“

“great food and BBQ sauce 🙂“

“Carbon is easily one of the best restaurants in San Diego! My boyfriend and I had an amazing Valentine’s Day dinner there—great service, delicious drinks, and incredible food. I ordered the pistachio campanelle, which was an easy 11/10, and my boyfriend had the picanha steak—also 11/10! We shared a sangria, and to top it off, they surprised us with cannolis on the house. Our waitress, Michelle, was attentive and so much fun. Plus, if you’re sitting outside and get chilly, they even have blankets. We’re still talking about it. We’ll definitely be back with friends!“

“Absolutely the best BBQ food! Generous portions. Take-out was ready quickly. Amazing onion rings. 😋 The staff were great.“

“One of our family's favorite places to eat and celebrate! Food is fantastic. I recommend it to all my friends.“

“We ordered:

1: Prime New York Steak x2
2: Prime Cut Steak
3: Beef Skirt Steak
4: Sliced Beef Tongue x2 🤤🤤🤤 my favorite
6: Mini Sweet Pork Sausages
11: Spicy Beef Noodles
16: Sliced Beef Brisket
17: Black Pepper Rib Finger Meat
20: Miso Pork Belly
29: Sweet Potatoes
34: Cucumber Salad
37: Rice Paper

Diet coke, Peach & Lemon Soju, Lemon Black Tea

I HIGHLY recommend showing up 1 hour before they open on a Sunday! So much parking to choose from at that time and you're first in line. First on the waiting list and first to get a table.

All of the meats are QUALITY. They cook to perfection and have an amazing taste. Staff is also top tier. Super friendly and tentative!
This place is quaint with about 12 tables inside and 1 bathroom. If you don't show up before they open you'll probably wait two hours to eat because that's how long my group stayed to go through all of this amazing food.
We didn't have to get a new grill like other kbbq do, the heat was perfect the entire time. The picture of the line I posted is 30 minutes before opening (which is when their wait list opens). Id definitely wait because it's worth it. Or skip all of that and be first in line like we did, less stress.

I'll definitely be back again!
Thanks for making my birthday special and DELICIOUS 🫶🏽🤤🥩“

“Great friendly service… really enjoy the brisket sandwich and onion rings😋“

“Fantastic ciders and food!!“

“We had a great time here and, yes, partly because of the easy parking and relative absence of Convoy foodie hipsters but mostly because of the good space at the table, good service, and good food. Sauces could be a bit more varied but overall a super option.“

“Good food great customer service fast my go to for Kbbq“

“First time going best bbq nacho good drinks over all good service!! I highly recommend this place to go eat“

“Classic and fantastic food with great prices. Remains the benchmark for authentic cuisine. Still enjoyable after all these years.
04.04.24 - again, it always seems to amaze me how all the dishes here taste just like homemade cooking.“

“Our boy is raving about u guys!“

“Absolutely the best BBQ food! Generous portions. Take-out was ready quickly. Amazing onion rings. 😋 The staff were great.“

“awesome food. highly recommend“

“There is a wait if you go inside the restaurant but it’s worth the wait! I ordered the Sampler plate the #1 it had a big portions of each item everything tasted delicious the cornbread was moist and the garlic bread was toasty. The fountain drinks they sell there taste really good 😌 I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes bqq 😋“

“TOO GOOD ! It's been way too long since we have eaten here...close to 21 months. Even though there are heaps of Asian eateries around Irvine where we moved to in Nov, 2022 no one serves authentic Chinese food like this place. Forget about the cheesy ambience inside an old movie theater that is mostly an Asian supermarket...it's all about the incredible food. WEEKEND GETAWAY ! My wife and I hit the road at 10.30am on Friday to kick off our fun packed weekend down in San Diego. We hit heavy traffic as expected but better earlier than later. FIRST STOP ! We arrived here for lunch around 12.30pm. While my wife parked our car I headed inside to the restaurant....to my surprise Joe the long time manager recognized me straight off and showed me to a vacant table in the corner. TOO EASY ! When Joe popped over to say hi I gave him our lunch order. We knew exactly what we wanted...1 x Kung Pao Shrimp and 1 x Honey Walnut Shrimp. Joe came back with a pot of Jasmine tea and 2 tall iced waters. IT WAS PACKED ! Before too long Joe brought out my wife's huge serve of Honey Walnut Shrimp. Within 2 or 3 minutes my delectable looking Kung Pao Shrimp hit the table. MOUTHSATIONAL ! Trust me no one serves authentic Chinese food as good as here. My Kung Pao Shrimp tasted amazing...no tails on the shrimp and it was kicked up just enough. My wife was in gourmet food heaven enjoying her Honey Walnut Shrimp but I did have to pinch a few of her juicy shrimp with walnuts. THE BEST ANYWHERE !“

“Second time here and it's still amazing. They have great service and are very friendly. I love how they keep asking you if you want more. I think the prices are good for the quality of the food . I love their steaming egg pot it has great flavor. My favorite bbq place.❤️👍😊“

“Very lively place. There are some fun games to play on one side and the other side has the line dancing. The bartenders are usually pretty attentive. There's a $5 cover charge, but if you sign up the night before, you can get on the list to do the free line dancing lessons and get in for free.“

“This is a “Great Spot For A Brat” when at Petco Park watching a San Diego Padres Game. They offer Sauerkraut or cooked Onions also on a tasty bun. Condiments such as 2 types of Mustard is available and Ketchup. Napkin dispenser is available. Service is good. They could be friendlier. I recommend the Bratwurst Sandwich, too bad you can’t get the fries at one time. They told me to go somewhere else for the fries. I ended up changing my mind like some people and didn’t get any ($7)“

“Didn’t know this place existed until I stumbled into Sieu Sieu BBQ restaurant while visiting another store in the same plaza.No frills restaurant but authentic Cantonese BBQ! When they were chopping the roast pig in pieces, I can hear the crispy sound of the skin. 3 hours at dinner time, the roast pig skin is still crispy and the meat was perfectly seasoned (not too salty)!!!Also got a salted chicken. It was cooked just right, no blood still in the bone. Meat was juicy and tender. They also gave a big container of ginger onion condiment for dipping sauce. Yummy!Price is still a little cheaper than other nearby BBQ stores. Plenty of parking spaces.This is the place for roasted pork and BBQ items. We will be back for more!“

“don't miss the May Ride Road Glide burger before the month is over! a portion of the proceeds from this burger goes to the Armed Forces YMCA.“

“Good quality of meet, good customer service,“

“One of the very best pulled pork BBQ sandwich plates I've had in years. Their vinegar coleslaw and scratch potato salad was so delicious we ordered extra portions. The Pig's Gig is located in the Liberty Mall, just a small cubical that's hopping. Just one fellow who is pleasant and rockin' it! Dining in requires a little hunting for seating, but once you pop the 'to-go' box it's so worth the search! Weekday there's plenty of parking, weekends gets a little hectic.“

“I had the catfish and fries with cornbread it was simply amazing it was so good nice and hot fresh I'll definitely be back again and I will recommend this restaurant to all of my family and friends“

“Went for lunch on Friday 12:30pm and waited 30min on their digital reservation system to be seated and was finally given a table only when we asked the hostess because there were no other people ahead of us and we were showing 0 min for the last 10min on the digital reservation system until your table is ready.
The sushi chef made up for the delay as he acknowledged us and was very kind to recognize we had waited more than we needed to. The lunch specials are delicious, flavorful spicy tuna and California rolls with fresh ingredients that you can tell were just brought in and prepared that morning. Texture melted in your mouth and again the sushi chef was very kind to rush our lunch orders because of the unnecessary wait to get a table. Sushi was 10/10!“

“Well prepared delicious food.“

“Very good price for all you can eat premium waygu meats. Very simple and to the point menu. Only wish their sauces was a little better and they had one extra side like steamed egg or japchae. It's just missing one or 2 things that would make it excellent, but for the lunch price of $35 and dinner for $40 you get your value. The parking isn't too bad either compared to other spots in clairemont.“

“Songhak truly delivers an unforgettable experience! From the moment I arrived, everything was smooth, professional, and welcoming. The quality, attention to detail, and overall atmosphere were beyond impressive. It’s clear that the team behind Songhak takes great pride in what they do. Highly recommended for anyone looking for excellence — I’ll definitely be back!“

“Delicious food and great atenttion“

“Staff very accommodating, good food, great place!!!! Love it“

“Fantastic service! Great prices. Loved the outdoor eating area and the vibe!!!“

“Great to share in good company!“

“Staff very attentive and friendly“

“Had my birthday there, and you can absolutely taste the good quality of the food there. Recommend their premium family combo, I’ll say it’s a good amount for 1-2 people. The regular beef tongue is also a great option. Really nice service, the only problem is it’s a little pricey, but fair enough for what you get.“

“Bombtastic as usual! Been going for ever! Total San Diego staple!“

“The kimchi stew here is delicious. The taste I had in Korea. The side dishes are a bit salty, but overall it's okay. suggestion

The kimchi stew is absolutely delicious. The side dishes are a bit salty, but overall, they’re pretty good. The service is average, but the food is so tasty that it’s worth it.“

“Its a fun little place to go to before Padre games .. Dorothy ( I think thats her name ) is an AWESOME bartender.. The guy on the grill was funny too .. he can grill a burger 🍔 thats for sure !!“

“Amazing food!!!!❤️👍👍 must try“

“Si ojalá iii iii Ku m lo más seguro“

“Epic grub! Will be back for sure!!“

“To go buffet review only: I’ve been here several times and swap between the 99 Ranch buffet. Ultimately, Woo quality, portion size is better than 99 even though it’s $2-3 more. Had the beef with broccoli, chicken with mixed veggies. Both very good and tender meat. Rice was good also. So, today not bad as it’s been less satisfying other visits.“

“When we entered there wasn’t anyone, and tbh the restaurant’s design looked a little bare… it almost looked like it wasn’t doing well. When the food came, my entire family (with three kids) loved it. We were here for lunch and ordered noodles, and I could just say it’s comfort in my belly. Tho they took our order wrongly and served us an extra bowl of noodle (and we paid for it), we took it bcos we wanted to try something else from the menu.

A senior lady (I suppose she’s the one who cooked the dishes) came out and asked if everything was alright, and even gave us a free bottle of drink. Oh, there was also a small crowd also flowed in during our meal as well.

Would recommend!“

“Delicious food, prime location, great small business! Highly recommend!“

“First time here because my other 2 choices had long lines, it was a nice surprise to recieve a restaurant quality burger. Ordered the basic burger along with they’re crispy thin fries. The prices were very good as well considering the current market, it’s simple to justify quality and pricing when you compare it to the mainstream fast food places.“

“I got the ribs. The plate came with 4 bones and then you choose your sides. I've never been here until July 2025. It felt great that I was finally able to see the inside and be in it from the movie.

My favorite decoration was the bras hanging on the ceiling fans. And the ceiling fan was still spinning. Thank you ladies who donated their bras. I wish more places like tilted kilt did that.

There was even autographed bank notes/currency taped onto the walls.

The inside was very patriotic themed. Looks perfect! Try the onion rings!

The peach cobbler was sweet!“

“Best Chicken wings in San Diego!! #BillsMafiaApproved“

“The rib eye was the star of the show. Beef belly was good but not the best I have had. Same with the octopus. The meat is previously frozen and the texture is not perfect. I would like if they had minced garlic available not just the cloves.“