31 Best Barbeque Restaurants near San Juan

“I am regular GW client and BIG fan as well. I had two good friends visiting from upstate New York who really wanted to see what the GW hype was all about for themselves. “Are they a really a top 5 Texas bbq joint?” After trying GW’s exquisite food and experiencing their one of a kind Texas/RGV hospitality, there was zero doubt left…one of the best in Texas and maybe the country! From the moment we arrived, first in line, I might add, my buddies and I were welcomed and made to feel like part of their team. Our hour and a half wait in line felt like 15 minutes after being welcomed by several of their employees. Then there was the food! We ordered BIG! From their trademark brisket, to their unique sides (like cheesy fideo), the best bite was the next that we took. We were also approached one their magnificent chefs, hosts and awesome co-owner George Watts III. GW really made my friend’s experience a memorable one and again proved that without question, they are one of the best and only getting better. Thank you George and the GW family!“

“RICE, POTATOES,RIBS ARE DELICIOUS 😋😋😋😋“

“First time and we love it can’t complain 10/10“

“First time coming here with my family, and we enjoyed it! The food was great, service was absolutely phenomenal, and the atmosphere was nice! As we were preparing to leave, Joe was very helpful and kind! We appreciated his service greatly! Everyone gave excellent service; I would come back again!“

“So delicious 😋, really enjoyed it.. brisket is excellent 👍🏻 💯 5 stars...“

“It was my wife and I first time eating here today and it was delicious. Good smokey B.B.Q and good customer service. We definitely recommend.“

“Counter and waitress staff are always friendly, we love the catfish special, very tasty, as good as the fancy place along the expressway, my wife likes it because it doesn't have that earthy aftertaste, try it and you'll be hooked 😋.“

“Amazing! The breakfast tacos are amazing! I’ve been coming for my Friday morning pre work fix for a few weeks and it is consistently delicious!!! The atmosphere and customer service is the best I’ve seen in a long time at any business.“

“I visited Vargas BBQ recently and it was an outstanding experience. I had the Tejano Plate, which came with a perfect variety of chicken, sausage, and brisket everything was seasoned beautifully. My wife had the **brisket and pork ribs, and she agreed that every bite was delicious.
The sides were the real stars of the meal; the green spaghetti was unique and flavorful, and the jalapeño cream corn had just the right amount of kick.
The atmosphere is welcoming and the staff makes you feel right at home. I’m only giving it 4.5 stars instead of a full 5 because they tend to sell out of certain items quickly due to their popularity, so make sure to get there early to catch the full menu! Highly recommended for anyone looking for authentic flavor.“

“Omg where do I start:….. Best customer service the Brisket is my favorite let it be in plate or sandwich Don’t forget THE (Peach Cobbler or apple cobbler and Ice Cream) for desert. And they have a gooood Ice Tea Y’all.“

“Jonah and Ramos were amazing! Fantastic customer service, honest, wonderful, and pleasant people. They never miss with their food, and I've been there repeatedly for months, whenever I can get some. Genuinely the best part about this HEB!“

“I came from San Antonio just to eat here.. what more can I say“

“My wife and I went here a few weeks ago for our wedding anniversary. Getting the BBQ/Hot Pot combo is a great deal to explore the best of both worlds. For the BBQ, I highly recommend the ribs, spicy pork belly, enoki mushrooms, and shrimp. For the hot pot, I recommend crab legs, enoki mushrooms, thin sliced beef, fishcakes, and shrimp. The sides like the fried chicken, chile torreado, black bean noodles, and kimchi are a must too! I highly recommend this place!“

“Excelente servicio y la comida deliciosa!!“

“Best experience ever we have been coming here for a while now but today we had amazing service. Yosiel did such a great job will definitely come back !! You all more servers like him .. Good job Yosiel !!!“

“Just had 3 of the best barbacoa tacos I have ever had! Ordered 3 on corn tortillas and basically got 6 for that price. Not greasy and the tortillas were perfectly handmade. The way they double stack the tortillas is excellent! The photo speaks for itself! Highly recommend!“

“Everything was delicious we went to celebrate my son 21th birthday they sang a song it was very nice everyone had a great time“

“Convenient. They sell majority what u need. Also fresh food like tortillas barbacoa, tacos, tamales, breakfast, lunch, carnitas Chicharones... They also have raspados and chips with cheese or other snacks! Great place! It does get busy tho.

Parking: Parking is a lil hectic sometimes but it mostly gets packed in the morning and especially on weekends in the morning.

Kid-friendliness: All families are allowed

Wheelchair accessibility: Yes it's accessible“

“Just perfect! What a great time when we eat there. This time we invited a couple of friends and they were just surprised with the place, the food and the atmosphere, the service and everything. Hope next time we can have a different plate, time to try something different. Greetings from México.“

“Home , RGV to visit family, craving for BBQ and cousin suggested Ace’s BBQ figuring they knew what I loved. At Edinburg location the place was kinda hidden finding out it was well worth it… brisket was super moist, sausage was on spot, as was the pork having ordered the the huge 3 meats botana plate served over tortilla chips w/ melted cheese (I was hooked)! Well presented and served and you got my business when I return home 3 times a year over Rudy’s.. Great Job and keep it up!.. Sides were very good but I was there for the meats.“

“best customer service. fastest servers, and delicious food. see for yourself.“

“100/10 absolutely recommend. That smash burger is phenomenal👌🏽🔥 Great customer service as well.“

“Awesome food just out of the grill“

“Great food and exceptional service. This is where you want to eat. You are treated like family.“

“Always a great experience when we come. Idk if he’s the manager or owner but the gentleman there is fantastic. Our service and food is always top tier. Highly recommend.“

“not getting better ....so sad- it use to be really good“

“😍great food I eat here all the time food is always good. never disappointed“

“This franchise store is amazing. We visited this restaurant on Mother's Day 2026 and found the staff very attentive and serving excellent food, prepared very well. The meal was very good. Fresh bread, delicious appetizers and great cold drinks (teas, soft drinks, etc
..). Their pre-meal salads are great and the main dishes are out of this world. Great steaks, chicken and Chops. Seasoned just right and soooooo juicy. This store is 10 out of 10. We have visited this establishment many, many times and we have never been disappointed. Mom loves her Renegade Ribeye and fully loaded baked potato. You can't go wrong. Even the side dishes are exceptional. The mac-n-cheese is a true Texas classic.“

“I stopped by El Rey de las Costillas after passing by this place a few times. Every time I drove by, it smelled increíble, so today I finally decided to stop and check it out. They do have a drive-thru, but I went inside since it was my first time.

As soon as I walked in, I wasn’t greeted. There was an older, chaparrita waitress who straight up gave me looks, like she was judging me up and down, wondering what I was doing there. I told her it was my first time and that I’d passed by before because it always smells so good. You could tell she was rushing me and basically wanted me in and out.

I ordered the parrillada #3 ribs, fajita, sausage, and chicken for about $50. I also got an agua fresca de sandía, and honestly it was really good, super refreshing.

Now let’s talk about the food.
The costillas were delicious, the meat literally fell off the bone and tasted like barbacoa. The fajitas were super soft and full of flavor, also barbacoa vibes. The chicken was okay, pero le falta algo.

Overall, the food is really good, especially the ribs. The service though, not so much. Honestly, it’s probably better to just go through the drive-thru and not dine in.“

“excelente servicio lo recomiendo“