I'll admit that my husband and I are very picky when it comes to restaurants, it's only because my husband is such a great cook! It's rare that we ever want to come back to a restaurant, but we will be back, for sure! SJB is a charming town and small business is what makes this place. Smoke Point is behind the main street, so don't miss it. Parking is easy on the street, seating inside and out. Decor is simple, yet thoughtful, feels comfortable. Beer and drink selection good, but that is not the focus, so great family place. Great menu, I had the brisket waldorf salad, which was tast, fresh, and of generous portion... I had to share with husband. He had the 1/2 pound brisket and a sausage, both were great, but not enough. We thought the food looked lonely on the plate, maybe a larger portion with a side may look more appetizing? The food was so good, we had to try the cornbread and mac n cheese, both were tasty, though the mac n cheese was missing either crunch on top or some ooey gooey cheese. Since the town rolls it in early, it might be a good idea for them to offer a snack menu and stay open for beer and drinks... there is little to do at night, but maybe that's a good thing!
Kristi Mountford
Must stop Restaurant when you’re in San Juan! All BBQ meats are yummy! Don’t skip the cornbread or Brussels sprouts! The brisket salad is also on the reorder list!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brussels Sprouts, Cornbread
Elizabeth Linan
Yummy ?Great foodGreat serviceGood atmosphereGood portionA lot of drink options
Smoke Point has the ribs the best ribs in Monterey County. We drive from Seaside to the San Juan Bautista location when we are hungry for ribs. The side orders my wife and I ordered, beans, potato salad and asparagus, were fantastic and the portions were generous! Be sure to save room for the house made seasonal cobbler with vanilla ice cream!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Robert Gorham
I tried this restaurant today for the first time. When entering the restaurant I was greeted with a friendly smile and a very helpful server, the ambience inside was warm and inviting, and the food was delicious!I went with the baby back ribs, the brussels sprouts, and the stuffed baked potato. Yum!!!Thanks for the great food and the fantastic service!Signed,Your friendly bus driver ?
Stumbled across this wonderful little spot due to a Google search of bbq places near me. We made the ten minute drive to the sleepy little town of San Juan Batista. If you’ve never been, SJB has that old town feel to it. There isn’t a Starbucks, MxDonalds, or any other chain to grab a bite to eat. Everyone is local and everything has that old town charm.Driving up to the restaurant, the no frills, bare bones decor filled me with hope. These days, far too many places rely on flash and sizzle rather than quality food. Inside, the place has an old town diner feel with string lights adding ambiance.The menu has quite a few options. Prices seemed in line with every other bbq joint we’d been to since Covid made cost of goods soar. Unfortunately, there’s no vaccine for that. Everybody pays.My wife ordered the one meat plate with half a chicken, potato salad, and Mac and cheese. She chose a POG slushy to drink. I ordered the one meat plate with brisket, bbq beans, and fries for our three year old.I also ordered a jalapeño cheese sausage for an extra $6. The plates were $24. We ordered a slab of cornbread for $8. I had a draft beer - a whisky barrel aged porter from nearby Watsonville brewery Fruition. It was fantastic, by the way.Portions: We were incredibly surprised. Had I known the portions would be the size they were, I wouldn’t have ordered the sausage(which I took home.) These portions were surprising compared to the other bbq places we’ve visited in Aptos, Santa Cruz, Morgan Hill, and Salinas. Over the past few years, the serving size has decreased while the cost has increased. Here, it felt like we were in a Time Machine that took us back five or six years.The staff were super friendly, quick to respond, and offered our three year old stickers, crayons, and a sheet of paper to color on.They had five different sauces that were very unique. I had only one of the types of sauces previously(garden variety bbq), so I enjoyed sampling them all.I really hope everyone gives this special place a chance. It has heart and personality asks of course, is locally owned. I can o lay imagine how the desserts must have been, but that will have to be for our next visit!Kid-friendliness: They have a kid menu w/ four options, along with a page to color, crayons, and stickers
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cornbread, Mac & Cheese
Alejandra Velasquez
Vegetarian options: Portobello, Brussels sprouts are very good
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brussels Sprouts
Dave Kershaw
Great food. Great service. Great beer.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Godrick 214
This place is great. I travel for work and come from the south where bbq is king. It was surprisingly good. My father-in-law won Memphis in May 2x. While not that good, it has been some of the best restaurant bbq I have had. Keep up the good work.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fruit Cobbler, Brussels Sprouts, Mac & Cheese
Nancy Carranza
Amazing barbacue ribs!!!! I am a foodie and this place definitely is great, the mac and cheese and the charred brussel sprouts are also amazing. This place is behind Daisy's Saloon. Make sure you call before you head there, they can sell out for 1/2 an hour...but you can wait for the next batch of barbacue ribs.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brussels Sprouts, Mac & Cheese
Cool place off the 101. Friendly service and great brisket. Nice patio and dog friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Annie N.
We came here hungry for dinner on a Saturday after a long hike and we are really happy we picked this place because of how damn good and satisfying it was. The inside seating was full so they sat us on the back patio. It's still a bit chilly in early March so they provided heaters and a blanket for us to keep warm on the back outdoor patio. We ordered wings for the appetizer and they came out piping hot fresh and were so delicious. The wings had a nice crispy outside but it wasn't overly breaded or anything which was perfect. For our mains, I got a tri tip plate with Cesar salad and fries as my two sides. My partner got the half chicken with baked beans and Brussel sprouts. We also got their famous cornbread to try and that was really good and worth ordering. Our food from the wings to the tri tip, to the chicken, and all the sides were sooo good. The Kansas bbq was my favorite for the tri tip. We were both eating our food and nodding our heads in approval. Our waitress was attentive and checked on us a few times even though we were in the back patio away from all the other tables inside. We plan to return and bring family and friends here again with us. I hope to try the brisket next time!
Lynn H.
The food is really good but I paid $24 for a portabella mushroom and a few small sides for lunch. $15 would have been a better price point for veggies. Our waitress was great and the outdoor seating nice.
Very friendly service, quaint interior, and plenty of inside and outside seating. We had the brisket and sweet potato fries and they were exceptional. Also, the cornbread is spectacular. Would definitely visit again next time. I am in San Juan Bautista.
I'll admit that my husband and I are very picky when it comes to restaurants, it's only because my husband is such a great cook! It's rare that we ever want to come back to a restaurant, but we will be back, for sure! SJB is a charming town and small business is what makes this place. Smoke Point is behind the main street, so don't miss it. Parking is easy on the street, seating inside and out. Decor is simple, yet thoughtful, feels comfortable. Beer and drink selection good, but that is not the focus, so great family place. Great menu, I had the brisket waldorf salad, which was tast, fresh, and of generous portion... I had to share with husband. He had the 1/2 pound brisket and a sausage, both were great, but not enough. We thought the food looked lonely on the plate, maybe a larger portion with a side may look more appetizing? The food was so good, we had to try the cornbread and mac n cheese, both were tasty, though the mac n cheese was missing either crunch on top or some ooey gooey cheese. Since the town rolls it in early, it might be a good idea for them to offer a snack menu and stay open for beer and drinks... there is little to do at night, but maybe that's a good thing!
Must stop Restaurant when you’re in San Juan! All BBQ meats are yummy! Don’t skip the cornbread or Brussels sprouts! The brisket salad is also on the reorder list!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brussels Sprouts, Cornbread
Yummy ?Great foodGreat serviceGood atmosphereGood portionA lot of drink options
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Loaded Baked Potato, Chopped Brisket Sammy, Sandwich
Smoke Point has the ribs the best ribs in Monterey County. We drive from Seaside to the San Juan Bautista location when we are hungry for ribs. The side orders my wife and I ordered, beans, potato salad and asparagus, were fantastic and the portions were generous! Be sure to save room for the house made seasonal cobbler with vanilla ice cream!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I tried this restaurant today for the first time. When entering the restaurant I was greeted with a friendly smile and a very helpful server, the ambience inside was warm and inviting, and the food was delicious!I went with the baby back ribs, the brussels sprouts, and the stuffed baked potato. Yum!!!Thanks for the great food and the fantastic service!Signed,Your friendly bus driver ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Loaded Baked Potato, Brussels Sprouts
Stumbled across this wonderful little spot due to a Google search of bbq places near me. We made the ten minute drive to the sleepy little town of San Juan Batista. If you’ve never been, SJB has that old town feel to it. There isn’t a Starbucks, MxDonalds, or any other chain to grab a bite to eat. Everyone is local and everything has that old town charm.Driving up to the restaurant, the no frills, bare bones decor filled me with hope. These days, far too many places rely on flash and sizzle rather than quality food. Inside, the place has an old town diner feel with string lights adding ambiance.The menu has quite a few options. Prices seemed in line with every other bbq joint we’d been to since Covid made cost of goods soar. Unfortunately, there’s no vaccine for that. Everybody pays.My wife ordered the one meat plate with half a chicken, potato salad, and Mac and cheese. She chose a POG slushy to drink. I ordered the one meat plate with brisket, bbq beans, and fries for our three year old.I also ordered a jalapeño cheese sausage for an extra $6. The plates were $24. We ordered a slab of cornbread for $8. I had a draft beer - a whisky barrel aged porter from nearby Watsonville brewery Fruition. It was fantastic, by the way.Portions: We were incredibly surprised. Had I known the portions would be the size they were, I wouldn’t have ordered the sausage(which I took home.) These portions were surprising compared to the other bbq places we’ve visited in Aptos, Santa Cruz, Morgan Hill, and Salinas. Over the past few years, the serving size has decreased while the cost has increased. Here, it felt like we were in a Time Machine that took us back five or six years.The staff were super friendly, quick to respond, and offered our three year old stickers, crayons, and a sheet of paper to color on.They had five different sauces that were very unique. I had only one of the types of sauces previously(garden variety bbq), so I enjoyed sampling them all.I really hope everyone gives this special place a chance. It has heart and personality asks of course, is locally owned. I can o lay imagine how the desserts must have been, but that will have to be for our next visit!Kid-friendliness: They have a kid menu w/ four options, along with a page to color, crayons, and stickers
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cornbread, Mac & Cheese
Vegetarian options: Portobello, Brussels sprouts are very good
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brussels Sprouts
Great food. Great service. Great beer.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is great. I travel for work and come from the south where bbq is king. It was surprisingly good. My father-in-law won Memphis in May 2x. While not that good, it has been some of the best restaurant bbq I have had. Keep up the good work.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fruit Cobbler, Brussels Sprouts, Mac & Cheese
Amazing barbacue ribs!!!! I am a foodie and this place definitely is great, the mac and cheese and the charred brussel sprouts are also amazing. This place is behind Daisy's Saloon. Make sure you call before you head there, they can sell out for 1/2 an hour...but you can wait for the next batch of barbacue ribs.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brussels Sprouts, Mac & Cheese
Restaurantji Recommends
Cool place off the 101. Friendly service and great brisket. Nice patio and dog friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We came here hungry for dinner on a Saturday after a long hike and we are really happy we picked this place because of how damn good and satisfying it was. The inside seating was full so they sat us on the back patio. It's still a bit chilly in early March so they provided heaters and a blanket for us to keep warm on the back outdoor patio. We ordered wings for the appetizer and they came out piping hot fresh and were so delicious. The wings had a nice crispy outside but it wasn't overly breaded or anything which was perfect. For our mains, I got a tri tip plate with Cesar salad and fries as my two sides. My partner got the half chicken with baked beans and Brussel sprouts. We also got their famous cornbread to try and that was really good and worth ordering. Our food from the wings to the tri tip, to the chicken, and all the sides were sooo good. The Kansas bbq was my favorite for the tri tip. We were both eating our food and nodding our heads in approval. Our waitress was attentive and checked on us a few times even though we were in the back patio away from all the other tables inside. We plan to return and bring family and friends here again with us. I hope to try the brisket next time!
The food is really good but I paid $24 for a portabella mushroom and a few small sides for lunch. $15 would have been a better price point for veggies. Our waitress was great and the outdoor seating nice.
Great customer service, Great food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brussels Sprouts, Sandwich, Pulled Pork Sandwich, Cornbread
Very friendly service, quaint interior, and plenty of inside and outside seating. We had the brisket and sweet potato fries and they were exceptional. Also, the cornbread is spectacular. Would definitely visit again next time. I am in San Juan Bautista.