37 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.“

“Rice and Mac are good, the bbq beef tastes like it belongs on a trail. Like a jerky bag. But I would still choose this location over the La Jolla location and nothing can beat El Cajon location still
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“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.“

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

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

“great food and BBQ sauce 🙂“

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

“Our boy is raving about u guys!“

“Great BBQ I ordered the pork ribs very tender very good onion rings crispy and very good and mac and cheese I have had better but still good we also got 2 meat plate tri tip I liked my wife was not impressed and brisket that was very good and beans very good and potato salad good If you want some barbecue and are in the neighborhood definitely stopped by service was very good also“

“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.“

“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“

“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!“

“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.“

“Overall, this La Mesa location it’s not too bad. It’s pretty good. The barbecue beef again. This is a college area and yet this one in La Mesa beats the one located in La Jolla so something‘s going on over in the expensive area where they’re cheating the value or the quality where you have El Cajon and now here in La Mesa much better quality service is pretty good in the atmosphere. It’s it’s giving me that Hawaiian vibe a little bit so watch out expensive living areas you gotta pick up your game and stop being cheap.“

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

“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.“

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

“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“

“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 🤔“

“Delicious 😋 my preferred place“

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

“My first time back since I heard it’s under new ownership/management.

I ended up getting the Special BBQ Combo #1 and Seafood Combo #3. The BBQ plate came with chicken, pork and beef with a side of rice and Mac salad. The seafood combo came w fried fish and shrimp. I also got 3 spam musubis.

I have to say, the food blew me away. The portions are generous. The meats were flavorful and has a char without being burnt. The seafood combo was crispy. The spam musubis were proportional! Most places give too much rice to spam but here it’s perfect enough take away from the saltiness.

IPO has plenty of parking and lots of dining spaces to eat inside. I wanted to phone in my order but saw no phone number. When I asked, they said check IG.

They have drinks that I’ll have to try next time.“

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

“Me encanto el lugar que es muy familiar♥️“

“The brisket sandwich was exactly👌 what I was looking for at the moment, and they nailed it! Had me wanting more after I was done eating it🤤 However, the mac'n cheese could use TLC. I'm not sure if it was just that day or what, but it'll definitely not be my first choice 1/10 for the mac'n cheese“

“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.“

“La Barbacoa Autentica de Borrego is a spot that specializes in delicious meats affordably sold by the kilo, served ready to be stuffed into high-quality tortillas. A fragrant pot of comsomé de borrego stews on a burner, filling the surrounding air with its delectable aroma of simmered lamb and vegetables. Antojitos such as quesadillas, tacos, and tlacoyos are also offered. What you want to order, however, is the Lamb Mixiote, a bone-in lamb roast that has been lovingly braised until it becomes wobbly and spoon-tender. As with the aforementioned consomé, the meat and its brown juices are rich, flavorful, and bear enough muskiness to let you know you're eating lamb, but not so much as to overwhelm you with funk.The Barbacoa de Borrego (Mexican lamb barbecue) is the house specialty and it too has that feel of jiggly, sweaty meat, but leaner and more concentrated -- more lamb-y. I prefer La Barbacoa Autentica de Borrego's mixiote, but I'd gladly have the barbacoa meat in the tacos or taco dorados (what most "taco shops" in San Diego refer to as 'rolled tacos'). They do a better job with the barbacoa here than that much more popular barbacoa place in Chula Vista that I reviewed last year. The house's excellent tortillas are hand-made out of fresh masa supplied by nearby Tortilleria Lily, who themselves are rightly known for producing some of San Diego's finest corn tortillas.If you're looking for a free-standing building, a street stand, or even a food truck, finding this under-the-radar operation will be difficult. The entirety of La Barbacoa Autentica de Borrego amounts to a few banquet tables and folding chairs in a presumptive dulcería called "Candy Land" in the middle of the City Heights neighborhood -- a tiendita that is well-trafficked by neighbors purchasing cigarettes in the morning, kids from the nearby middle school in the afternoon, and connoisseurs of barbacoa de borrego on Friday afternoons, Saturdays, and Sundays. Yes, as with many places serving food out of barbacoa pits in Mexico, this spot is only open three days per week.“

“It looks like any Korean BBQ restaurant in CA, but once walking in you're warmly greeted by someone who looks like the owner. She was very friendly. Still, the menu looked like any Korean restaurant with a plethora of options from appetizers to stews, meat to sushi.

Unexpectedly, the standout dish for me was the yukhoe (beef tartare). It’s definitely different from most places in the best way: instead of being overly sweet or heavy on seasoning, Shozen’s version lets the freshness and natural flavor of the beef shine. The texture is tender and clean, the seasoning is balanced with just the right hint of sesame oil, sesame seeds, pine nuts, chives and egg yolk. Surrounding the main attractive were slices of pear and cucumber. The dish felt thoughtfully composed helping the palate go through an unforgettable culinary experience.

The al jjigae (fish egg stew) was excellent as well—deep, rich, and clean with no fishy taste or smell. It’s the kind of stew that’s comforting and layered with so much flavor that you didn't even need rice to complement it.

Lastly, the service was outstanding. The owners were incredibly kind and accommodating—warm, attentive, and always smiling. You can feel their pride in what they serve and how they care for their guests. They would come by and ask if everything tasted alright, and made sure we weren't lacking any side dishes.

I wish we went for the Korean BBQ, but we were stuffed! Maybe next time. It was definitely a restaurant that I would love to come back to when I visit SD again. A++!“

“Been coming here since I was a little kid and will forever go“

“Daisy Fernandez mom dog maxi Waxi 🐶🐾🦮🤎👧🏻“

“🙏🍻🙌👍👌🤗✌️yes yes yes yee ha“

“I gotta give this place a five star rating cause the service was great and the food was delicious. Comparing it to Epic Wings, I can honestly say this place might even beat it, especially cause the strips were more crispier.One thing is for sure, I will be returning and choosing it over Epic Wings. Oh, and this place has way more options with food and sauces.“

“Recommended place for Hawaiian comfort food conveniently located in the Ralph's shopping center. The food portions are large which is a plus. If you happen to also shop at Ralph's, look at the back of the Ralph's receipt for a $5 off $20 coupon at L&L Hawaiian BBQ, it's an awesome deal ?“

“I’m loving the wings here. I was not too impressed initially ( 2 years ago) and decided to give it a second try and I’m glad I did! The wings were super juicy and adequately seasoned, the bread was freshly baked and fluffy. I recognized that more people are here as well. Nicely done.“

“Enjoyed the tasty southern choices.“