30 Best Barbeque Restaurants near Santee

“Man I’ve been coming to this place for years now and even still it never ceases to amaze me.

Let’s just get it out the way, the food is great high quality for such a reasonable price. That’s something you just can’t find these days in San Diego. Sure there’s other BBQ places that some may say have better BBQ, but Phil’s is a staple to San Diego just like Hodads (who also some could argue there are better burgers here, but they will never be Hodads).

Once my daughter Turned one years old, I took her here on a little father and daughter date. She absolutely loves the french fries and most days likes the rib meat from the ribless tickler ( beef rib meat without the bone, easier to feed daughter). With a decent tip we both leave happy and full for around $20 depending on tip and it “da-da” gets a beer or not… which also they have insanely good drink prices ($5 rotating beers monthly, and not bud light but good ass beers).

Today was an especially good when it comes to the service. Our food buzzer was broken or was the wrong one or something like that so we waited a little bit longer for food than normal. Samuel (god I hope I remembered this name right) noticed my daughter and I waiting and figured something was wrong. Totally helped us out. He then, super intuitively asked if I wanted a separate plate for my daughter, and a kids cup full of water. He also brought back plastic utensils for her to play with which she loved.

After all of that, I find out that Samuel is 19 and doesn’t have kids of his own. That dude is on fire and is super intuitive and on his mark. I don’t know when he gets paid, but I can tell you right now if I Own the company I would hire him in a heartbeat and pay him as much as I could physically afford. He is one of those assets to companies that’s so many bosses oversee.

I recently lost my job, And with the new job having hard times to catch up on bills. these are rare times I can take my daughter out now. I would tip this guy $100 bill if I could. And one day when I get back on my feet I will. Keep going strong, sir. You are a beast and you will succeed at everything you do in this life with the attitude and work ethic that you have.“

“I go to L&L BBQ in Santee often. I love their katsu chicken with the curry. Also like their Moco loco. I don't normally stay there because there's not that many shares and the TV's very loud. I normally just go and wait for my food and leave. The service is good. Everyone seems to be very nice. I definitely recommend eating there. If you're in that plaza that's probably the best place to eat right there in that area. What I like the most about it is that it's the only Hawaiian place around that area so it's unique.

Kid-friendliness: Yes

Wheelchair accessibility: Yes“

“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!“

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

“Papalo is my new favorite restaurant! Everything is delicious! Five stars!“

“Our boy is raving about u guys!“

“Great Friday night Live Music!! ❤️🎶“

“Took a wrong turn on the freeway and that lead us to this place. We had been wanting to come in and took this as a sign. We went for the two meat meal- brisket and pork ribs with bbq beans and cole slaw. Delicious!! Brisket was fork tender and full of flavor, pork ribs were seasoned perfectly and just right. The baked beans and slaw were just as good. We liked that they let you put your own sauce on. The tables have their house made sauces, bbq and a bbq mustard. Both fantastic! They have beef ribs but only on Sundays, so we’ll need a return trip( oh darn!) Definitely have some new fans here. Oh and worth noting, we got one meal which was plenty for the two of us.“

“Great lunch today. Tried a large sampling of the menu and all was great! The German chocolate cake was amazing!“

“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!“

“Loved everything we got tonight, the chicken sandwich, pulled pork, amazing! So were the fried Mac and cheese balls!!!!“

“I love this place , The Beer is good and cold ! The Brisket is the best for me , nice and juices, never dry w/ just a touch of char that gives it the best taste ever ! The portions seem like there smaller but I blame covid and all the other things that have gone on in our country, like the cost of living anymore is getting bad, we feel it and I'm sure the management feels it to ! And trust me ,Phil's is good but, Cali has it beat hands down !
Thanks you guys !“

“great food and BBQ sauce 🙂“

“The food and service and always amazing!!! And so got to meet Mr Coop himself today!!!“

“Every time we’ve gone, the food is good. They also have a good choice of craft beers on hand rotating. The service can be either really good or really bad. They have forgotten about us and left us waiting for a check for 40 minutes. I ordered a hamburger with two slices of cheese, when they served it the hamburger only had one slice. I asked the waitress if she could just take it back and add another slice of cheese. I am more than happy to pay for it. She blew a huffing sound, shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes and said whatever and walked away with the plate. When she brought it back, she sat the plate down and said, “Do you have enough cheese now”. My wife and I have actually enjoyed going to this place, but that waitress has turned me off for a while for sure.“

“Yumm. No cayenne heat in the sauce which I appreciate, just flavorful spices. Idk if there is cayenne or not it’s just not hot. Liked potato salad and loved the beans n fries.“

“I haven't had BBQ this good in San Diego. If you are craving legit smoked meats this place is awesome. service is as good as the food.“

“Great food, fair pricing, good portions, and VERY clean! We (family of 5)ordered 2 chicken BBQ plates, and a Smack’n Combo and still had a good amount of leftovers to enjoy later. Christian, the owner, was very friendly. My family loved our meal and the kids gave it 5 stars!“

“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)“

“Love love this place! Catfish is fire!!!“

“LuckyFlip Brand U Need Furniture? Take a Wild Guess ? The owner Proprietor Mr Eddie is a US Air Force veteran buy from him obviously hello Mr furniture since 1977 is there anywhere else you want to go to that has that kind of credibility huh nobody tell him Michelangelo sent you and tell him that I'm not going to take that against him LOL nothing wrong with being an Airedale that's for sure thank you for your service Mr Eddie! 9092447310 Call for more MERCH! #veterans #merch #filipino #asianbulldog #englishbulldog #smallbusiness“

“Delicious 😋 my preferred place“

“I always like great ribs and like coming here but unfortunately today's service wasn't very satisfying no side orders drinks no eating inside I can't give a great review until you fix this easues 🤔“

“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 ...“

“RIBS!!!!! Ribs!!! Ribs!!! Scenic view on my plate!“

“Coffee, Smoothies, Salads, Burritos, Breakfast. You can really pick anything on the menu and it'll be good. But the Shack has always been known for their BBQ plates which are my favorite in SD. The wait can be long sometimes during their peak hours but its better to order online anyways.“

“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.“

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

“Me encanto el lugar que es muy familiar♥️“