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Bo's Barbecue & Catering Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants American (Traditional) Event Planning & Services Caterers Restaurants Barbeque American (Traditional), Caterers, Barbeque [Edit]
3422 Mt Diablo BlvdLafayette, CA 94549
(925) 283-7133
- Hours:
Tue-Sun 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Tue-Sun 5 pm - 8:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
338 reviews for Bo's Barbecue & Catering Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Loved the potato salad, rolls and the BBQ sauce."
(in 93 reviews)
"The beer selection is fantastic as well."
(in 41 reviews)
"By far the best BBQ I've had in a long time."
(in 27 reviews)
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338 reviews in English
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Review from Tim O.
8/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Bo's is worth the price of admission. I've watched the meat fall off the bones here dozens of times, and it all started with this:
My buddies and I were graduating from Saint Mary's College in 2003 and needed a caterer for our party on campus. We called a handful of places, but only one said, "Come on down here."
That was the one-and-only Bo.
A buddy and I stopped in during off-hours. Bo proceeded to feed us plate after plate after plate of brisket, sausage, chicken, ribs and sides, including the best cold potato salad I've ever had. We ate with Bo hanging out and telling us about his place and his roots, and, when we were stuffed, he sent us home with plates wrapped in foil. I ate for a day and a half off the leftovers.
Here's the kicker: As great as Bo treated us - yes, it was good business, but whatever - we couldn't get everyone to sign on to the per-plate price, so we went with a different caterer. Six months later, when I interviewed Bo for a story I was writing for a local magazine, he ribbed me a bit for eating all the food and backing out of the catering gig but he couldn't have been nicer. He kept pushing food on me even though I tried to explain journalistic ethics.
I gave up the ethics that day. -
Review from Mario A.
San Ramon, CA
2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great BBQ and Beer! Live music and high quality BBQ. They also have a good beer selections.
I'll defiantly be back for more! -
Review from Caroline P.
Pleasant Hill, CA
1/28/2012
Great atmosphere, especially on a saturday night, its a fend for yourself kinda place where territorial batttles over seating can get pretty serious. Live music was great, lots of interesting unusual beer selections, albeit overpriced.
Now to the food.
Standard potato salad
small portion of acme baguette
Brisket negatives; was dry, too salty for me, and not the kind of flavor that raises eyebrows. It was also oily, fatty and greasy. With enough sauce I found it somewhat enjoyable.
The sauce is the red vinegar style bbq sauce with lots of cumin. I prefer thick, dark molasses and sugary bbq sauce. But it was different from the usual bbq sauce fare and that made it interesting.
Green salad was also standard, I liked that it was fresh mixed greens, not just lettuce.
My BF has the long end ribs and he really enjoyed them, said they were great and finished his whole plate.
The owner? Asian woman was very accomadating and helpful, she also gave me a soda on the house, I thought that was really cool.
All in all, I may go back to try the other dishes, might find something more suited to my tastes, however it is a bit pricey in my book for the quality, not to mention the flavors delivery is lacking in my book.
Great, fun, layed back atmosphere which was the highlight of my experience here! -
Review from Craig P.
Mill Valley, CA
2/5/2012
Sadly, I tend to agree with many of the more recent reviews that Bo's has dropped off a cliff since the change in ownership. My first visit to Bo's was 6-7 years ago, and I loved it. I lived in SF at the time, so it was too far to go for good BBQ. I recently moved to the East Bay and looked forward to making Bo's a part of my take-out rotation. I returned to Bo's yesterday, practically drooling when I pulled into the parking. I'm sad to report that I was very, very disappointed. The brisket was borderline inedible. Way too salty and greasy. The tiny cup of BBQ sauce provided with my order made it tolerable. The "green salad" was a bowl of lettuce. The potato salad was decent but no better or worse than a tub of Costco potato salad. The ribs were pretty good, but didn't make up for the overall disappointing experience. The price ($20 for two meats and sides) was much too high to justify another visit. Will search elsewhere in the East Bay for a good barbecue...
RIP Bo's. -
Review from Rod O.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/27/2012
My wife and I tend to go here when I do not feel like getting my smoker out and making some BBQ at the house.
One word of advice, if you are going for ribs, go early. They will run out on the weekends sometimes as early as 7pm. This place is always very busy and there is always a line out the door.
All the food that I have had there, ribs, brisket, chicken, links have been juicy and full of flavor.
Usually on the weekends they have a live band rockin out in the corner.
Go early to get the best selection take out or stay for the music. Pretty good selection of Belgian beers as well. -
Review from Hello M.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/27/2012
Best barbecue in Lafayette.
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Review from Ryan D.
Martinez, CA
11/21/2011
I was pretty excited to try this place since there are not too many BBQ spots in the area...the smell in the place was great, then they brought the food. All my ribs were burnt to a crisp & all pieces of my brisket were fat, for spending $30 on that one meal and about $50 total, I think the quality should have been a lot better....I will not be returning!
Oh and not to mention the small scoop of potato salad, I didn't eat any of it....my buddies dog had a pretty expensive meal tho! If u run a business u should never give customers scrap food.... I was pretty disappointed -
Review from Calvin L.
Dublin, CA
12/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Oh, Bo's, how great you have been to me, with the succulent meat paired with the wonderful selection of delicious brews, eaten in the beautiful patio with the funky beats of live jazz in the background. Tearing the meat off the bone was effortless with the tang of the sauce a brilliant symphony. Always woeful was I as the plate was licked clean and the last drop of hoppiness consumed, yet fully content with the masterpiece I had the good fortune to experience.
And with my two prior visits, the divine dream of my experiences came crashing down, encumbered by the devilish phenomenon known as complacency (or change of ownership, I'm not sure; the phenomenon is quite devious and has many disguises). I awoke harshly, cold, lonely, and with an ill feeling in my stomach. I say with a heavy heart, my friends, that Bo's Barbeque is dead.
The blissful ribs had turned into a drier, harder rendition I barely recognized. The wonderful sauce is now given in incredibly meager portions though an outrageous extra charge can bring much needed quenching as water to a man lost three days in the desert. Like a massive food shortage following a drought that dried up the local flood plains, prices skyrocketed despite the decline of food quality. With meats often astray and the beer cooler half empty, the venue that used to be packed to the brim on Saturday nights became a ghost town, with only the jazz band bringing some semblance of its former glory.
I bid you farewell, Bo's. What you used to be will always have a special place in my heart (and stomach). RIP. -
Review from David O.
Oakland, CA
12/12/2011
My go to place for BBQ in the bay area. I live in Oakland and for some reason the BBQ places in the East bay collectively do not know BBQ (oakland, Berkeley, etc). The ribs are 90% of the time great and the brisket has always been good (at least for me). The only bad point being that I have to drive all the way to Lafayette and deal with the tunnel traffic to get to good BBQ. What the hell is up with all the Oakland/Berkeley BBQ places.
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Review from Darius M.
San Bruno, CA
8/29/2011
These are some of the best ribs (beef & pork) and beef brisket that I've ever had. The potatoe salad is great too.
HIGHLY recommended if you got a hankerin' for some GUUUUD REEBS! -
Review from Michelle P.
Livermore, CA
8/5/2011
Normally we are all about Bo's........ BUT yesterday we came out from Livermore and wanted to have an early dinner around 4:45 (a sign that I'm nearing 40 :)) and when we arrived the very first thing to come out of the girl's mouth is "We only have chicken & ribs no other meat."
Alrighty..we then asked if they would allow us to have a combo meal w/ the only 2 meats they had and was told no. Combos don't include chicken which I was aware of but thought because of the lack of meat circumstances, they would compromise. So we left and ended up having a great dinner @ Emil Villa's in Walnut Creek. Where we were the youngest diners :) !
Like it was stated in another review, it would have helped if the girl was at least somewhat apologetic..hell, if she would have said a simple Hello that would have eased the disappointment.
I would suggest calling ahead to see if they have have their full menu available if you're having a craving like I was yesterday. -
Review from Larry M.
Danville, CA
6/20/2011
I have to say, outside of what comes out of my own smoker and pit or the good ol' boys BBQ in my hometown of Oakland, this is about the best quality BBQ I've had in the bay area.
Bo's uses all Niman Ranch certified organic beef, pork and chicken is a big part of why it's so good... and also why it's so expensive. The portions aren't huge, but the food is REAL tasty and prepared with care to exacting standards, because visit to visit, the quality and taste is identical. My favorite is the brisket, followed by the ribs.
Excellent selection of beverages- a little scarce on the side dishes.
It was surprising to me to see some of the other reviews about low quality and poor taste or temperature of food here- I'm REAL hard on ranking a BBQ shack and this one is way up there for me. Curious what these other folks are accustomed to as "BBQ" and what places they find more acceptable- maybe they are more used to 'oven prepared' foods called BBQ by some local restaurants? -
Review from Carol W.
Oakland, CA
12/30/2011
Best BBQ I've had in a long time. Came here with my BFF who goes all the time. He's from Texas so he knows his BBQ. I can say that not only is the food delicious but the owners are really kind and warm people. That makes them tops in my book. Go. You won't forget or regret Bo's BBQ.
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Review from Butchpoodle B.
El Sobrante, CA
6/10/2011
I've been hearing about this place through a friend of a friend for months, so tonight we finally met up there for dinner. The place is pretty cool - steel table tops with legs made of copper pipe. Patio seating is available. We got there on the early side of dinner - 6pm - and there wasn't much going on, which was fine with us.
Before we left, the place was 1/3 to 1/2 full and it was loud. Kids are a little noisy but it was the adult men watching the TV making all the noise. I'm not a big fan of the TV in a restaurant, I'll admit, but some guy standing next to my table yelling at the TV while I'm trying to eat - no, thank you.
My babe and I split a slab of ribs and our friend had the brisket. My first impression of the food was so-so ... the meat looked good and the portions large, but the sides were skimpy. Okay, well we're here for barbecue, so no biggie - right? Salad with a sweet dressing of some sort, potato salad that was just as sweet, and the infamous acme bread, which they advertise on their menu - well, they give you about three inches of it. Okay.
The sauce was good - sweet, which is good with me. They also make a hot but you have to ask for that. I'm into the sweet sauce, so that was fine with me. If you like a lot of sauce, you'll have to ask for extra. I don't like a ton of sauce, so I was okay with that. The bummer was the ribs. They offer separate ends of the rib - the juicy on the long side and the leaner on the short side. Of course, you get one of each with the slab ...
Maybe two pieces of the long side were juicy. The rest were dry. My ribs are better than these. Disappointing, especially after months of hype. My partner tried our friend's brisket and said it was delicious - but we brought a brisket dinner home for the adult child and I tried it - kind of burned on the edges too. Neither the adult child or I was impressed.
Some people really liked the burned barbecue - so I say to those ... check this place out. But if you like any juice left in your meat, don't bother. I don't have any idea why this place has such a big following (or so I hear) ... I'm disappointed, and I won't be rushing back. -
Review from Sara J.
Danville, CA
6/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Ok this place usually has amazing BBQ, I know that much, thus 2 stars... But when I show up at 6:30pm (they open for dinner @5!,) on a Sunday to have the entire menu be sold out except brisket, something is WRONG. That's just unacceptable, extremely frustrating, and a deterrent for returning in the future. I'm so disappointed and angry!
It wasn't appreciated either that all the lady would keep repeating is "we're out of everything except brisket." It was clear she was at her wit's end and had experienced enough grief over it already...but at least attempt an apologetic tone or something! I was so looking forward to it, and then BOOM! no bbq for you! just annoying...absolutely zero incentive to return. -
Review from Lisa S.
Concord, CA
6/5/2011
My husband's ribs were fair (some better than others, inconsistent). The sauce was delicious. My brisket was terrible. Crunchy, warm instead of hot, and rather dry.
The potato salad was sweet -- ew.
The menu is extremely limited. Not necessarily a deal breaker, but there was almost nothing at all to feed my daughter. She's too young to eat much bbq, but usually a place like that would have mashed potatoes, some kind of veggies, or even sweet potato fries...there was nothing at all. And the soda was $3 -- seriously? Three dollars for a bottle of soda?
The small piece of french bread that came with the meal was on the stale side. The salad was OK, little too much dressing. I would never go back. -
Review from David K.
Moraga, CA
11/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
I went to dinner here at 7:30 on a Friday night with my two daughters. They used to have a great selection of microbrews and the BBQ was pretty good. However, on this occasion the beer cooler was about half full. When I tried to order a two-way combo of chicken and links, they told me they were out of both. The brisket I "had to" order was pretty good, but it isn't what I came for. My daugters split the ribs which were pretty fatty. The meals come with about a third cup of sauce and extra costs $2 more. Overall, I think this place still charges a lot for food, but has gone down hill.
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Review from Lira K.
Mountain View, CA
Updated - 10/6/2011
Well...Bo's is slipping, based on my most recent visit. I got there about an hour before closing time, and the place was almost deserted. I ordered the brisket lunch, which has skyrocketed in price over the last couple of years, and was really disappointed. The brisket was dry and tough. It came with a tub of ice-cold potato salad and a slice of Acme bread. It used to come with corn on the cob or a small baked sweet potato, but neither was provided this time. In the past, Bo's has been one of my favorite spots in the whole Bay Area, and I'll try it a few more times just to see if I hit it on an off day. But if it doesn't get better, I'm done.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/5/2010
I emigrated from Texas to California years and years ago, and it used to be the only thing I really… Read more »
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Review from Bruno B.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 4/5/2011
Can I give 0 stars? How about negative?
Against my better judgment some friends wanted some bbq in Contra Costa. Of course, Bo's, in their Soup Nazi rendition of customer service, does not do take out orders on the phone. So we go there, 7:00 on a Saturday night and once again they are out of ribs. They take our order and then tell us they are out of links. Of course, if we could have called in the order it would have saved us the trouble. Anyway, we left and got Chinese food so I can't tell you how the remaining items tasted.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/6/2008
Bo's Blows
I love bbq and I used to really like Bo's. Took my bros to Bo's 2nite and what a… Read more »
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Review from Andrea B.
Walnut Creek, CA
10/21/2011
I really LOVE Bo's bbq. The food is soooooo good! I only wish they weren't quite so expensive... maybe a discount night or special every here or there....but .... it's so worth it. I'm hooked!
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Review from MICHELLE D.
Fremont, CA
3/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
My coworkers and I came from Berkeley to have lunch here. It was worth it. The aromas of good BBQ invade your senses as soon as you walk in. The beef brisket was great, but next time I will get the ribs.
Oh and two thumbs up for the reggae music!!! -
Review from Elysia S.
Alameda, CA
4/20/2011
My friends & I decided to eat here to celebrate a friend's birthday. We were all first timers and I heard it was the "best BBQ in the Bay Area." Eh. It was satisfying but NOT the best. I've had waaay better.
I got the Rib Dinner (short end) and the everyone else got the 2 way combo.
Rib Dinner (short end) $14.95 - Half a rack of ribs, green salad, potato salad, bread, & BBQ sauce.
2-Way Combo $17.95 - 4 pcs of ribs, beef brisket, green salad, potato salad, bread, & BBQ sauce.
RIBS: The short end is the leaner version and the long end is the juicy kind. I got the short end ribs. Surprisingly, there was a lot of meat on the ribs. Although, I felt like it was too burnt. The burnt taste threw it off a little bit and it was hard to chew.
BEEF BRISKET: It was decent but the ribs were beter then these. Then again, I didn't have enough to criticize it.
GREEN SALAD: It's a very small portion, maybe as small as the palm of your hand. The salad was pretty good and the dressing was surperb!
POTATO SALAD: I wish they added more. It was good but too small of a portion.
BREAD: Eh, I didn't like the bread AT ALL. My bread was so hard it felt like its been sitting out for so long. I could barely take a bite out of it.
BBQ SAUCE: I've had better but it was decent. It had a bit of tangy taste to it.
This place is a pretty laid back restaurant w/ a patio for people to sit outside. They don't have servers coming around asking if you're okay or if you need refills on water. This place is more of a self-serve restaurant. They don't have to-go boxes; they have you put all your food in a aluminum foil.
In my opinion this place is over priced for what you get. I guess I just expected more from previous experiences. If you're around the Pleasant Hill/Concord area I suggest trying Back Forty Texas BBQ Roadhouse off of Treat Blvd because they give WAAAAAAAAY more food w/ unlimited hot bread! OH YEAH, and your ribs aren't burnt! -
Review from Mike B.
Moraga, CA
3/28/2011
When this place first opened it was the best around. However, the last two times I have visited it was not good. The cashier was rather cold and we had a language barrier. That was evident when an entre that I did not order was presented as mine. She then proceeded to argue with me about "what I really ordered".
The ribs were good but the brisket was overdone, it was like charcoal on the outside and very dry inside. I was very let down. Bo had a great thing going but as for my family and I, we will not be going back. Very sad. -
Review from tabisky c.
Walnut Creek, CA
5/7/2011
Loved the potato salad, rolls and the BBQ sauce. We did a large takeout of ribs and brisket. Very good, but tasted even better the next day.
The owners have been very generous supporters of AHS and I am sure deeply appreciated by the community. -
Review from Craig F.
Walnut Creek, CA
7/30/2011
A rib place is supposed to have ribs right? Or maybe brisket right? More often than not they are out of food , don't waste your time anymore it's really disconcerting to get your taste buds all ready to go and come out empty handed ....
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Review from Sharon R.
Oakland, CA
8/28/2011
I went to Bo's yesterday and must say the bbq was reallly good! I got the short stack but didn't know the difference between long vs. short; i just thought it meant less ribs. It was not hot or warm as I prefer. I really enjoyed the hot sauce. We had to move inside because of the bees outside! Wonder if they can do something to control the bees (i think there is some type of entrapment you can buy, right?). I was disappointed that they did not have beans as a side and the very, very, very small portion of potato salad. Also, it was not even 6pm and they already did not have links available! My suggestion, PLEASE make enough food particularlly on the weekend!!!!! Even if you have left overs, you make enough money to handle such.
I hope they give you a bit more potato salad and add beans as a side. Since they run out of stuff so quickly, they should at least offer beans, too, as a side. My bbq was crunchy on the ends but i still enjoyed it. Read this Bo~ -
Review from Norman w.
Sacramento, CA
9/19/2011
I rate this 4 stars....it was excellent yummy bbq ribs with lots of flavor. The bbq sauce is fresh made and unique while matching the tastiness of the ribs. We had the short and long ribs and brisquettes all at one sitting! I highly recommend.
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Review from Mrs. K.
Alamo, CA
3/21/2011
Picked up the 3 Way Combo for dinner. This combo is for two ($26.95) and it is plenty of food but be warned: you only get one side (potato salad) unless you remember to ASK for the green salad. Mr. K who grew up in Texas was really annoyed that orders didn't come automatically with 2 sides (and green salad is apparently NOT a "side" for BBQ).
We tried the beef ribs, beef brisket, and the pork ribs (long end) in the combo:
Beef ribs - ok. Bit overcooked on the outside but undercooked inside on some of the ribs. Back Forty BBQ in Pleasant Hill does beef ribs MUCH better.
Beef brisket - ok. It is a bit dry and some end bits reminded me of beef jerky (yummy but not good if you're supposed to be eating brisket). The BBQ sauce helps with the dryness and is a good compliment to the brisket.
Port ribs (long end) - really good and the reason why I'm giving this place 3 stars vs. 2 stars. The ribs are meaty, perfectly cooked and not too fatty. Seasoned well.
Potato salad - really good. The portion that comes with the meal is pretty small BUT it's yummy enough that I'd pay extra for another scoop.
FYI: You can't phone in your order but the turnaround time is pretty short so it's not too much of an inconvenience. Just makes sure to check your order before you leave ... our order was missing the green salad even though we ASKED for it. -
Review from Nancy R.
Hayfork, CA
7/24/2011
My ribs were dry and crunchy. My husband, who likes barbecue, says they were good. He would probably go 4 stars. I go 2 stars. So we'll average it out at 3 stars. I didn't have to pay, so I can't tell you if the cost was worth it......
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Review from Van W.
Oakland, CA
2/17/2011
The decor - felt like a cafeteria. Not bad, just felt cold. It might be because it was cold. It was a nice big space at least.
They had a nice beer selection, their imports are expensive though!
The food was good with big portions. I tried the ribs and the brisket -- preferred the ribs.
The meat was a little dry but tender -- much like this lackluster review. My apologies. The food wasn't hot when it came out (boo) but their hot sauce was tasty. Not spicy enough, but I have absurd standards.
I'll be back! -
Review from Greg d.
Lafayette, CA
12/12/2011
We ate there last Friday night and they were out of chicken at 7:30, I ordered the beef and some of it was good, mostly chunks and no slices. But at least half of it was dried out and hard to chew. I should have asked the cook to try eating some of it himself and watched as he tried to chew and swallow it. The rest of it and the ribs on our 2 ways were fine.
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Review from Bob G.
Lafayette, CA
Updated - 2/15/2011
Decided to give it another try - big mistake. To top it off, Bo is rude and has lost all sense of catering to the customer. BRisket cooked to death and preferable on my foot as a loafer. Sides sucked like last time and the prices are ridiculous. If you want the best BBQ in the East Bay, give Boneheads Texas BBQ a call for your next business lunch - amazing!!
Sorry Bo but you've lost the edge and the ability to BBQ1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/26/2009
Oversmoked meat leaves you tasting smoke ofr 8 hours after meal. Meals are quite expensive for what… Read more »
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Review from kevin h.
Oakland, CA
9/24/2011
This place was only so-so.
Pros:
Great location
Great parking
Patio seating
Brisket was pretty good actually
Potato salad and green salad was pretty good
Cons:
Way too expensive even for BBQ
Not enough in the way of portions for the cost
Lack of sides options
Lack of real homemade beverages like lemonade
Sauce wasn't that good to me
If I'm in the area I would go back. But on http://kcbs.com they review BBQ spots and the guy says more or less if it were his last meal on earth he would want it to be Bo's. Once again demonstrating that the Bay doesn't know BBQ. -
Review from Sam A.
Alamo, CA
1/25/2011
I think this place is SO overrated
The time I went there the food was overpriced, lukewarm, and not nearly that good
I had friends go after me where they ran out of food, then took nearly an hour to get 4 people their order - on not a busy night.
They called me after they were told there were no ribs left, then saw people come in after them and served ribs. -
Review from Liz J.
Ripon, CA
10/4/2011
Best BBQ place in the East Bay! They don't have a huge variety in their menu, but what they have is AMAZING. We have had everything on the menu and the pork ribs are the best. The brisket is the best and it is so juicy with so much flavor. The salad is delicious and the potato salad is better than any other deli I have had. They always have the most amazing beer collection.
I have been coming here for so many years and it is always as good as the first. This is far better than back 40 and any other bbq place. -
Review from Sean C.
8/10/2011 3 Check-ins Here
When you got a need for meat, come to Bo's! Good prices, great food, and you leave full and happy. A must if your in the area.
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Review from Craig B.
Danville, CA
8/11/2011
AWESOME!!!!! no complaints here......see for yourself!
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Review from Jessica R.
Antioch, CA
9/26/2011
The food is totally worth the price. Yes sometimes the service is a little stiff and they do run out of certain meats on busy weekend nights, but quality and taste of the food makes it ok.
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Review from Chris S.
Emeryville, CA
9/5/2011
Recently the prices here have gone up. It seems that every time I go in, there are menu items that aren't available. Lunch and a soda runs about $15 now. The service that I used to experience had been replaced with someone who wants to charge me too much money for what I get on my plate. There are other BBQ places in the area that are a better value. I go to them now.
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Review from Marce R.
Stockton, CA
6/5/2011
Drive all the way from Stockton to eat here! Yummy.If they had Credit card I Would of given them 5 stars.
