50 Best Barbeque Restaurants in San Diego

“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“

“I rarely come to this area due to no parking along 30th. You’ll have to snatch one along the side streets in the residential area.

It was well worth it and be sure to call in to make a reservation. They don’t have on line version.

We each ordered our own plate but had a chance to sample all. Four of our six items were their signature items, circled on the menu.

We ordered a mixture of pasta and meat dish. 3 of us had placed our order while the 4th came late but surprisingly, all of our dishes made it out at the same time! Kuddos to the chef!

-Arugula salad: refreshing

-Beef cheek pappardelle: my fav type of pasta. It’s handmade! The beef cheek was the winner in its tenderness.

-Picanha steak (the entree): this was a preset entree with your steak smothered in a mushroom topping. Although you could sub out your sides.

-From the grill choose 3: I chose picanha steak, peperonata which is a stewed vegetable dish, and bell pepper chimichurri sauce. I expected more from the sauce, it was mainly bell peppers.

-Pistachio Campenelle: very nutty and cheesy, the pancetta was really thin and almost dissolved

-Eggplant croque (4 pieces): I was getting full from eating 2!

The picanha steak is on the menu twice. Both same price. Once as a pre set entree where your steak is topped with a mushroom sauce.

If you choose picanha from the grill list then it’s just a plain steak and you pick your sauce and side.

I have to say, I enjoyed both. I ordered my plain steak medium yet it was more tender than my friend who ordered medium rare from the entree version. Both of our cuts were extremely chewy. Although more fatty, the skirt steak might have been a better choice.“

“great food and BBQ sauce 🙂“

“Our boy is raving about u guys!“

“I picked up some ribs and a sandwich for dinner last night and the food was awesome as always. Portions were big enough that I had leftovers. Corbin O'Reilly and Vince always make me feel special!“

“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“

“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 😋“

“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.❤️👍😊“

“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.“

“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.“

“Came here for lunch with my mom on a Wednesday. Normally, this place has no parking availability. The place is very small but cozy. But during lunch, there were plenty. Walking in, we were seated right away. You can tell how good a restaurant is when you see most of their customers were Korean. My mom ordered the kimchi jigae. She said the broth was very good but was very disappointed that she only had 1 strip of pork belly in the soup. I ordered the galbitang and it came with 2 large beef ribs with the meat so tender it fell off the bones. The broth was also very good that i finished the broth before the meat and noodles. This is a definite place to go to again and again.“

“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!“

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

“Delicious food and great atenttion“

“Great to share in good company!“

“This place is really good! Loved the fat little spicy sausages, the Lao salad, the crying tiger beef, the Mok fish and the heavenly jerky. So flavorful, warmly spicy but with lots of lemongrass and herbal flavors. Not a fancy place, but you can definitely feel the love.“

“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.“

“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.“

“It was my first time there food was amazing!“

“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.“

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

“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 🫶🏽🤤🥩“

“not korean but i have a picky vietnamese mother in law! she’s the one who wanted to give this place a five star which is ultra rare given the years that i’ve known her.

we ordered the mul naengmyeon (cold noodles #69), haemul kalguksu (seafood combo noodles #68), ddukbokki (rice cakes #3), and the gaejang (spicy raw marinated crab #46).

the ddukbokki was alright, not too sweet which is a common problem i have with other places. the marinade for the gaejang was delicious. now the dishes that really blew us away for the five stars is the haemul kalguksu and the mul naengmyeong!

the broth is rich in flavor in their own respective ways. the kalguksu broth is warming and rich with flavor, there was a slight sweetness from the seafood in the broth. while the naengmyeon has a refreshing aspect to the broth, with a natural sweetness from the pears added masterfully to the dish.

overall highly recommend! i wish i added photos before i started to pigged out and it was gone before i remembered to take a photo 😅“

“Best barbecue I've ever had in my life - definitely make sure you get there if you're in the area.“

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

“Restaurant is clean and well lit. It’s located in a very busy location.

There’s a kiosk to order as well as a cashier. They have daily specials listed in front which is perfect if you don’t know what to pick.

Parking can be busy during rush hours so plan accordingly!

Check photos for menu prices as of 6/4/25 - can be pricey but the amount you get is usually
Enough for 2 portions (at least for
Me)“

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

“We come here for brunch every time we visit San Diego. Service is great and food is delicious! Try the Cali!!“

“Just had the Smoked Brisket Sandwich...bbq sauce....was AWESOME!!!“

“Family friendly, delicious, flavorful entree's, full bar, quality entertainment, parking, a destination in North San Diego, Oceanside!“

“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.“

“Amazing tender meat!! Recommended 10 out of 10“

“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.“

“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 !“

“Delicious 😋 my preferred place“

“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)“

“Koms Barbeque is good ?? ribs taste so good leaves that good good grill flavor in your mouth I get sauce on the side cause I love that grill flavor and the Owners Mrs Kim and Mr Wilbert is very friendly and her peach cobbler is EVERYTHING I recommend you give them a visit if you want some Real Barbecue thank you Kims Barbeque See you soon“

“The food is a 10. Fresh, cooked to order and fast service ...“

“This has been my number one place to go to for the most delicious and most freshly cooked, roasted pig, regular, whole-roasted duck, and whole roasted-open duck in the whole San Diego county!! I also like their roasted pig feet and head!!😋 I have been going here for about over two decades. I have not tried their other dishes though. My favorite dish is their whole, open roasted duck!! It's really tasty and has a lot less fat than the regular, roasted one, but it still has the right amount of moisture and flavor in the meat, except the head. The duck head is sometimes dry if it is later in the afternoon. I usually get it during their first batch in the morning when they first open at 9:30am. The Cantonese lady who's also fluent in Vietnamese and English would always ask me if I want my duck to be cut. I like to watch her cutting the whole duck into nice bite sizes and all into a box nicely and neatly. I would highly recommend this place to anyone who likes the dishes I mentioned here!“

“I really enjoyed the food. We got 2 sushi rolls and chicken katsu. All 3 were delicious. My only complaint would be the miso soup which had an odd taste, I believe due to the bowl holding the scent and slight taste of whatever soap was used to clean it. Other than that, it was an enjoyable meal.“

“Located near the sdsu campus, this location is accessible to students and community members alike. The food was fresh and the katsu had a delectable crutch that left a good taste in my mouth. The cashier was a kind soul that made our L & L experience one that we’ll never forget.“

“Good quality of meet, good customer service,“

“Well prepared delicious food.“

“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.“

“Amazing , Authentic and Smoked to perfection. Must try his Original BBQ sauce.“