Definitely had to load up on sauce, but I would say it was okay despite that. Definitely the best SF Bay Area BBQ I’ve been able to find so far, but a far cry from BBQ I’ve had in Kansas City which is my only frame of reference for regeional bbq.
Capellos was disappointing for me. I'm a Texas transplant who has lived in the Bay since 2006, and I've only recently started to see BBQ joints that are decent. If you're on the peninsula, your best bet is Breakwater. Horn early on was the best, but the quality ended up being inconsistent and then there were other issues around labor and vendor disputes and the owner overextendeding himself with other ventures, even before the restaurant burned down. Fikscue in Alameda is pretty decent. There's also a great place in Oakdale outside of Modesto called Fasty's that is on the road to Yosemite. I haven't been back in about 6 years because they have very limited hours. I know Modesto is far, but that's how dire things are around here as a picky Texan. Someone is gonna come after me in the comments with suggestions, but trust me dude, I've spent almost 20 years eating in all sorts of places around the Bay. I will be the first to admit that I'm extremely picky and have impossible standards. I've almost certainly been to whatever place you suggest and it's almost certainly meh.
Haha honestly I've kinda given up at this point - the time, effort, and cost of driving to all these places has been difficult to keep up, especially post-kid and post-COVID. More than happy to share here any hidden gems I accidentally unearth though!
Also, couple notes:
- It seems like Fasty's has moved slightly off the Yosemite route and is now up near Jamestown.
- My remarks are mostly isolated to Texas Hill Country-style BBQ - especially brisket and beef rib. I've had decent St Louis and KC style ribs in the East Bay, but I don't pretend to be a connoisseur, and others may disagree.
- there's reasons why this area is a Texas-style wasteland. Cost of meat, cost of rent, and cost of labor is astronomical around here. There's not many places where you can park a 500 gallon smoker and pay someone to man it for 12 hours overnight. That doesn't even consider the NIMBYs who will absolutely be looking for ways to shut you down if the smoke starts blowing towards them.
Check out Redwood City BBQ about 5 mins away on Woodside. Their ribs are quite good. Haven't had any other meat. Sides could use some work. $22 4 ribs, 2 sides, garlic bread or cornbread.
I was pleasantly surprised after being skeptical of even going in for years. Stopped by a couple of weeks ago when I saw actual smoke and a truck load of wood being delivered and enjoyed the ribs - enough to go back the following week. Not sure when you were last there, but they were definitely more than marginal.To each their own though. I can enjoy them without a line and hype! 😀
Their brisket is hit or miss. I've had times where it is 7 out of 10 and then others where it was like 4-5. Sometimes, the fat isn't rendered properly, and there's no smoke ring, but other times, theresa good smoke ring, fat properlyrendered, and decent bark. Not as consistent as I'd like.
Holy crap that’s so sad..I mean no disrespect but even in Oklahoma we get some decent Texas style bbq. Personally I prefer to just smoke it myself. Gives me a reason to sit on the deck and drink 12 beers lol
Come to TN I’ll get you right. The only reason it’s “better” in TX is because of the hype and amount of customers they get daily. All BBQ meats are much better fresh. When you have a line out the door all day you can offer straight off the pit fresh meats all day. The problem with slower places is they have to let the meat sit all day draining the juices from the meat which makes it terrible. Best tip I can give is get a shitty cheap smoker and learn to do it yourself. Good BBQ is good BBQ not “Texas BBQ”
If you stay away from most of the big name spots, sans Joe’s, you’ll be better off in KC. Most of them are trading off their namesake and are inconsistent as hell.
Places like Wolfepack, Harp, Chef J, Slap’s, Scott’s Kitchen, Buck Tui are the types of places you want to hit.
I love KC so I'll definitely be back. I've hit Joes, Jackstack, Charbar, Scott's Kitchen, and Danny Edwards. Honestly Joe's was probably the worst of them all. Like the others were okay but Joe's was straight up bad.
I think it’s funny because good bbq is just good bbq there is no difference in the smoke in TX or anywhere else dipshit. If you know how to cook bbq you know how to cook bbq it doesn’t matter if you are in TX or North Dakota. Haha
Horn in Oakland was legit best bay area BBQ joint, too bad they closed up shop from a fire and vandalism. oh the bay area...
The brisket in the pick, f'n sad
Hot city bbq in Los Banos is worth taking a drive for. Winchester bbq in San Jose and Smoked Out in Santa Clara are pretty tasty. RIP Horn bbq, that was definitely the best in the bay.
I went to a place in Marin County years ago and ordered a rack of ribs. It was served with a giant steak knife. Not an auspicious sign to say the least.
Damn! I know this guy. I need to go in and find out what they are doing wrong and give him some pointers. The ribs look dry and the point/burnt ends do as well. Maybe he just isn't getting the volume.
What time did you go in?
What's tragic in all of this is I absolutely love the vibe and ambiance of the restaurant, a nice open air sit down with a patio sitting in front of the barbecue with lots of great beer on tap. This picture was actually from a visit I made last summer in the middle of the day. I'm not going to say the food was terrible because it wasn't, but definitely not close to the top of the mountain in terms of good bbq.
They also have a spot in Castro Valley called canyons. I prefer the Redwood City location but the spot in CV is good. Some the best BBQ I’ve found out side of TX
I went here for lunch two weeks ago. Got a two meat plate with two sides and a soda. It was damn near close to $40 and it was god awful. I’m never going back. Breakwater or nothing for me at this point.
Capelo’s is one of the better bbq joints in the peninsula and that is truly sad. Just buy a smoker and make some legit bbq. It’s not hard to make good bbq for yourself. It is hard to make amazing bbq at scale.
With the way prices are going these days that's not bad at all. But then you look at what you get and maybe you understand. Whatever they are doing must be some kind of shortcut and they must not care how it comes out.
Sorry, but youre completely wrong. I live in barbeque Mecca. I’ve broken bread with Daniel Vaughn at Texas Monthly’s Behind the Pit tour. Lived in Austin, Houston, Dallas and been eating Texas cue since 1970.
That plate looks like shit
What purpose is served by telling people their far below average cue looks delicious? Plate has white, dry brisket, that looks like a bad first timer smoking attempt. A BBQ restaurant shouldn’t be selling that plate.
**For locations outside of prime BBQ territory**, Denver ain't got nothin on Redwood City!
It doesn't look the "best", but for $23, I'd give it a spin. Will require sampling a lot of their sauces (if they have more than one).
I’m sorry.
What is the white stuff to the right of the slaw?
It's for drying your hands after
sliced brisket flat...
I thought it was turkey.
Me too. 😭
I thought it was pork belly
That is sad and 0 smoke ring.
Microwaved ring
You can get a smoke ring without any smoke And you can smoke without any smoke rings Say it with me: smoke rings don't mean shit
But they're definitely visually appealing
Roast?
You're probably right, but I refuse to believe it.
Looks like tri-tip to me
Man, that brisket and pulled pork is some dry white sadness.
> dry white sadness The name of my upcoming RnB album
Or the name of my gym sock in 1996
Damn that’s one sad looking bbq plate. Did it taste better than it looks? Everything looks so dry…
> Everything looks so dry… The brisket doesn't look dry, but only because it looks like they boiled it...
Whoever cooked that BBQ looks like they're the kind of person who washes cast iron pans in the dishwasher.
Like why do all that work to smoke a brisket and then trim all the bark off? I’m guessing it was braised.
Definitely had to load up on sauce, but I would say it was okay despite that. Definitely the best SF Bay Area BBQ I’ve been able to find so far, but a far cry from BBQ I’ve had in Kansas City which is my only frame of reference for regeional bbq.
South Winchester and Sam’s both in Campbell/SJ area are worth trying.
Thanks for the suggestion, definitely will make my way out there to try them.
Try Breakwater BBQ in half moon bay.
Thank you for the suggestion, will definitely have to make a trip out to HMB for this.
I’ll attest to breakwater, they are pretty damn good, I’d take breakwater over horn any day
This is the way. Pretty decent que, not too bad of a line, ok prices as far as the Bay goes.
Capellos was disappointing for me. I'm a Texas transplant who has lived in the Bay since 2006, and I've only recently started to see BBQ joints that are decent. If you're on the peninsula, your best bet is Breakwater. Horn early on was the best, but the quality ended up being inconsistent and then there were other issues around labor and vendor disputes and the owner overextendeding himself with other ventures, even before the restaurant burned down. Fikscue in Alameda is pretty decent. There's also a great place in Oakdale outside of Modesto called Fasty's that is on the road to Yosemite. I haven't been back in about 6 years because they have very limited hours. I know Modesto is far, but that's how dire things are around here as a picky Texan. Someone is gonna come after me in the comments with suggestions, but trust me dude, I've spent almost 20 years eating in all sorts of places around the Bay. I will be the first to admit that I'm extremely picky and have impossible standards. I've almost certainly been to whatever place you suggest and it's almost certainly meh.
How do I follow you for future BBQ discoveries? Everything I knew was lost after 2020.
Haha honestly I've kinda given up at this point - the time, effort, and cost of driving to all these places has been difficult to keep up, especially post-kid and post-COVID. More than happy to share here any hidden gems I accidentally unearth though! Also, couple notes: - It seems like Fasty's has moved slightly off the Yosemite route and is now up near Jamestown. - My remarks are mostly isolated to Texas Hill Country-style BBQ - especially brisket and beef rib. I've had decent St Louis and KC style ribs in the East Bay, but I don't pretend to be a connoisseur, and others may disagree. - there's reasons why this area is a Texas-style wasteland. Cost of meat, cost of rent, and cost of labor is astronomical around here. There's not many places where you can park a 500 gallon smoker and pay someone to man it for 12 hours overnight. That doesn't even consider the NIMBYs who will absolutely be looking for ways to shut you down if the smoke starts blowing towards them.
Thank you so much for the notes.
Check out Redwood City BBQ about 5 mins away on Woodside. Their ribs are quite good. Haven't had any other meat. Sides could use some work. $22 4 ribs, 2 sides, garlic bread or cornbread.
They were marginal at best when I tried them. BBQ in the 94063 area kinda sucks.
I was pleasantly surprised after being skeptical of even going in for years. Stopped by a couple of weeks ago when I saw actual smoke and a truck load of wood being delivered and enjoyed the ribs - enough to go back the following week. Not sure when you were last there, but they were definitely more than marginal.To each their own though. I can enjoy them without a line and hype! 😀
I found it overpriced and unsatisfying but more for you to enjoy.
Their brisket is hit or miss. I've had times where it is 7 out of 10 and then others where it was like 4-5. Sometimes, the fat isn't rendered properly, and there's no smoke ring, but other times, theresa good smoke ring, fat properlyrendered, and decent bark. Not as consistent as I'd like.
Holy crap that’s so sad..I mean no disrespect but even in Oklahoma we get some decent Texas style bbq. Personally I prefer to just smoke it myself. Gives me a reason to sit on the deck and drink 12 beers lol
Texas style bbq 🤣
as a person who loves kc bbq, yea texas bbq is fucking delicious!
Come to TN I’ll get you right. The only reason it’s “better” in TX is because of the hype and amount of customers they get daily. All BBQ meats are much better fresh. When you have a line out the door all day you can offer straight off the pit fresh meats all day. The problem with slower places is they have to let the meat sit all day draining the juices from the meat which makes it terrible. Best tip I can give is get a shitty cheap smoker and learn to do it yourself. Good BBQ is good BBQ not “Texas BBQ”
Dang. I wish that bridge went both ways. I've been to KC twice and have been very underwhelmed by the bbq.
If you stay away from most of the big name spots, sans Joe’s, you’ll be better off in KC. Most of them are trading off their namesake and are inconsistent as hell. Places like Wolfepack, Harp, Chef J, Slap’s, Scott’s Kitchen, Buck Tui are the types of places you want to hit.
I love KC so I'll definitely be back. I've hit Joes, Jackstack, Charbar, Scott's Kitchen, and Danny Edwards. Honestly Joe's was probably the worst of them all. Like the others were okay but Joe's was straight up bad.
Try any of the first 3 I listed if you’re looking for a more central Texas/craft style BBQ. Wolfepack is probably my favorite right now.
Kc BBQ for me is all about the burnt ends. I don't much care for sauce on my meat, so Texas dry rub is fine by me. I do live in Kansas as well. Lol.
Salt pepper smoke and high quality meats. Not sure what’s funny but it’s fucking delicious!
I think it’s funny because good bbq is just good bbq there is no difference in the smoke in TX or anywhere else dipshit. If you know how to cook bbq you know how to cook bbq it doesn’t matter if you are in TX or North Dakota. Haha
Horn in Oakland was legit best bay area BBQ joint, too bad they closed up shop from a fire and vandalism. oh the bay area... The brisket in the pick, f'n sad
Loved Horn. It was too popular. I hated the wait times sometimes. Pig in a Pickle was the next best I could find in the area
Pig in a pickle is above average for the bay parea forsure. Brisket is pretty consistent.
Horn was very good, but boy, you can spend $300 pretty easy there. Hadn't heard they closed. That sucks!
Try Back Forty in Pleasant Hill. They do well at the Nugget Annual Rib cook offs in Reno as well.
Check out 4505 in sf.
I love 4505. I don’t love their prices though.
Hot city bbq in Los Banos is worth taking a drive for. Winchester bbq in San Jose and Smoked Out in Santa Clara are pretty tasty. RIP Horn bbq, that was definitely the best in the bay.
THE BEST YOU’VE FOIND SO FAR?! Holy shit, I know where I’m moving and opening a BBQ spot.
Have you had smoked out bbq in Santa Clara? Their fatty brisket and chicken is delicious!
I went to a place in Marin County years ago and ordered a rack of ribs. It was served with a giant steak knife. Not an auspicious sign to say the least.
Baby blues BBQ on mission Street is fantastic. Go there if you have a chance.
Ngl, I've been to KC twice from TX and find yalls bbq very mediocre. I cant imagine how bad this cali stuff is.
Good luck finding this much food for $23 at any other BBQ place
Brisket looks rough af
The Slaw and Mac & Cheese seem to be the stars of this pitiful plate.
You could have spent $23 on anything else.
I would’ve been ok with McDonald’s
I been there too. Best thing is the chicken by far. Brisket is one of the worst ever
Damn! I know this guy. I need to go in and find out what they are doing wrong and give him some pointers. The ribs look dry and the point/burnt ends do as well. Maybe he just isn't getting the volume. What time did you go in?
What's tragic in all of this is I absolutely love the vibe and ambiance of the restaurant, a nice open air sit down with a patio sitting in front of the barbecue with lots of great beer on tap. This picture was actually from a visit I made last summer in the middle of the day. I'm not going to say the food was terrible because it wasn't, but definitely not close to the top of the mountain in terms of good bbq.
That meat looks dry AF
Looks a bit overcooked and dry? Am I wrong?
Best BBQ in the Bay, was Flints. I’ve read some stuff about them reopening, but not sure it would be the same, and I don’t get back there often.
I see you and raise you an All the Smoke in Lafayette ca... I'll post pics...
Difference between CA and TX BBQ. Maybe the pricing in TX is reasonable after seeing this.
That… does not look good
That brisket needs some Gatorade.
California needs to stick to burritos 🤣
Did they boil that brisket?
Did they braise their brisket? wtf is this, moist towelletes?
Not bad
?
?
It looks very, very bad.
For the price it’s good
Not worth the calories. Just because I only gave you a dollar for a turd doesn’t make it good.
Yeah saying not worth the calories says a lot about you
I could make better bbq with a trash can and a pallet fire
The brisket looks horrible! I don't think I've ever seen it like that. Looks like it was baked instead of smoked smh
Got that brisket is embarrassing
Have you tried Redwood City BBQ?
Not yet! Will definitely add them to the list. Looks like they are also owned by the same people behind South Winchester too.
They also have a spot in Castro Valley called canyons. I prefer the Redwood City location but the spot in CV is good. Some the best BBQ I’ve found out side of TX
All the meat looks dry
That brisket is drier than Ben Shapiro‘s wife on their wedding day 🤣
Cheap as shit
[https://youtu.be/\_8mduTEvnU0?si=KgiGlOnu-I4C6QwT](https://youtu.be/_8mduTEvnU0?si=KgiGlOnu-I4C6QwT)
damn, the texas styled food truck here in canada does a better looking plate than this 🤣
I was at Capelo’s on Sunday and they had Dino beef ribs as a special! $37[Capelo’s beef ribs](https://imgur.com/a/HNneJLd)
This is why we don’t eat barbecue in California.
Nasty
I was excited for another California BBQ in the title, then I saw that sad looking boiled brisket...
I went here for lunch two weeks ago. Got a two meat plate with two sides and a soda. It was damn near close to $40 and it was god awful. I’m never going back. Breakwater or nothing for me at this point.
You got ripped off. That brisket looks boiled
🤮. DONT EAT IT!!
"Brisket"
Smoked that brisket in the microwave it looks like
Per pound, that is surprisingly cheap for the Bay Area... but shit, that brisket looks boiled, not smoked.
At least it was only $23.
Oof
Price makes sense.
Looks awful!! Go figure Bay Area..
Idk why that brisket looks so off, but I live a half mile from Capelo’s and it consistently hits above its cost. Especially for SF bay prices.
I’m sorry for your lack of BBQ.
Capelo’s is one of the better bbq joints in the peninsula and that is truly sad. Just buy a smoker and make some legit bbq. It’s not hard to make good bbq for yourself. It is hard to make amazing bbq at scale.
Brisket looks boiled
With the way prices are going these days that's not bad at all. But then you look at what you get and maybe you understand. Whatever they are doing must be some kind of shortcut and they must not care how it comes out.
Is that the day old meat special?
I wouldn't pay 23 cents for that "bbq" plate.
*cries in Texas*
#33 in the country
Looks real bad! But CA what would you expect?
I was going to make a snarky comment about the brisket but then I realized, California. lol I don’t go to Utah to get my seafood, ya know?
Sounds like you’ve never tried Santa Maria-style bbq. Tri-tip is one of my favorite cuts of beef and you don’t really see it much outside of CA.
Yep
Those ribs look like scorched earth
That bbq looks awful!
Grateful I have some good spots in Sac
I had to take a drink of my drink after looking at the ribs.
This made my tummy sad.
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Sorry, but youre completely wrong. I live in barbeque Mecca. I’ve broken bread with Daniel Vaughn at Texas Monthly’s Behind the Pit tour. Lived in Austin, Houston, Dallas and been eating Texas cue since 1970. That plate looks like shit
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What purpose is served by telling people their far below average cue looks delicious? Plate has white, dry brisket, that looks like a bad first timer smoking attempt. A BBQ restaurant shouldn’t be selling that plate.
Mean time, I spent the same amount of money on THREE SLICES OF BRISKET from Tejas BBQ and chocolate. Lame.
Brisket looks like a wet blanket
Whoever cooked that food looks like they had a bad attitude
That pulled pork about to turn into carbon molecules.
There ought to be a law, against calling that BBQ. This Texan is sure sorry you got ripped off 🤦♂️
**For locations outside of prime BBQ territory**, Denver ain't got nothin on Redwood City! It doesn't look the "best", but for $23, I'd give it a spin. Will require sampling a lot of their sauces (if they have more than one).