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B's BBQ & Grill - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Barbeque Barbeque [Edit]
855 Divisadero St(between Fulton St & Mcallister St)
San Francisco, CA 94117
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA
(415) 525-3419
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
73 reviews for B's BBQ & Grill
Review Highlights
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"I am not a huge brisket fan, but theirs was fantabulous." In 38 reviews -
"Homemade Links, wood oven, excellent mac and cheese." In 18 reviews -
"BEST BAKED BEANS - BS' BBQ and Grill." In 11 reviews
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73 reviews in English
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Review from Amy D.
San Francisco, CA
9/20/2009
I haven't had much decent bbq in SF, and I enjoyed this place. I really enjoyed their spicy barbeque sauce, which wasn't really spicy at all, and the baked beans. The macaroni and cheese was okay, but I probably wouldn't order it again.
Their cornbread is definitely not fresh, special in any way, or worth the calories. I had the ribs, which were overcooked and tough on the end of the slab.
I also think it is a little overpriced for being a takeout counter. ($17.95 for half a slab of ribs and two sides). -
Review from Nish N.
12/2/2008
I could live on good barbecue, now that's a fact, so as with some of the other reviewers here, was very excited to have B's open their doors, especially within three blocks of home.
I finally tried them out last night for take-out. It's a no frills sort of place, and while there is seating, I wouldn't exactly say the place has atmosphere. While the pricing does seem a bit high, I'm willing to get beyond that for choice ingredients and meats, and the time it takes to slow cook.
I tried their Tri-Tip sandwich, which is marinated in a chile-spice blend for 24 hours, then slow smoked. I take my beef without anything but sauce, I guess I'm a purist when it comes to BBQ. B's did not disappoint - the meat was some of the more tender and juicy that I can remember. You get a side of either potato salad, Texas slaw, or Chicago BBQ baked beans, for about $8.
Next time, I'm going for one of their smokin' specialities: either the 15-hour Beef Brisket, or the St. Louis Pork Ribs. A half order (with 1 side) is $12, while a full order (with 2 sides) is about $17. You're gonna need a soda to wash that down, so that's about a $20 meal or so.
So while a meal at B's is not necessarily cheap, and you're really just paying for the food (as opposed to service, fun dining scene, etc.), they do deliver the meaty goods. If you're as much a fan of barbecue as I am, you owe it to yourself to at least try them once or thrice.Listed in: Nish's Barbecue Shack
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Review from Mick F.
Oakland, CA
1/7/2009
It was in front of this fine establishment that renewed my love of a very possibly obscene gesture in America.
So much so, i texted my mom....
"Hey mom. Fat guy just walked by Donald Ducking it."
Not even a minute goes by....she texts back.
"Donald ducking? What does that even mean?"
I giggle....text back.
"Porky Pigging it mom."
Immediately, she hits me back....
"We raised you?"
I slowly walk towards B's, obviously distracted by my cell cpnversation, but not enough where the smell of sweet Texas sauce isnt pulling me over. I go in and look over the menu.
I decide on the 3 meats. Go big. All hot.
I text back my mom after i order.
"Shirt cocking, Mom."
She immediately CALLS me.
"So, what now what is shirt-cocking?"
"I was walking to this new BBQ place and i saw a guy wearing only a shirt. No pants...no undies. Just a shirt"
Mom laughs, guy behind me line "Oh that shirt-cocker out there?"
At any rate....thats my best B's BBQ story....they just opened, so their service is a bit confused and ditzed.
But the food is amazing....no doubt.
They get the service together, and the place will kicks ass.
Tangy sauce, shirt cockers and all. -
Review from Lauren F.
Oakland, CA
12/17/2008
It is good BBQ.
It is convenient to my home, though sometimes people who shouldn't be in my neighborhood go there.
Its almost TOO convienent...BBQ may become a habit.
For $20 you can get three meats and two sides
Damn...thats some good brisket. Danny Glover would be impressed. I hear he likes brisket. -
Review from Leah C.
San Francisco, CA
11/25/2008
I'm pretty much a fan of anything in my neighborhood but B's is great because I had no problem picking up my food while wearing pajamas.
I got the brisket, which was nice and lean and the spaghetti which was meaty and flavorful.
It's a bit on the pricey side and the service is slow but friendly. I'll definitely try some of their other meats.
It's also good to note that they have veggie and vegan options. Keep in mind the spicy BBQ sauce isn't actually that spicy. -
Review from Alexis B.
San Francisco, CA
11/20/2008
And now for a review of the food!
Hurrah! Finally open!!! First impressions, by the portabello mushroom sandwich, tells me this place is going to be great. A little pricey though but I feel that is to be expected since they are going after the "gourmet" side of BBQ. As in fresh & quality ingredients.
As it is new it still has a few bugs to work out on the service side. But shoot considering tonight was their first night open, I think they are doing pretty good. I'll definitely be back.
And I don't even LIKE BBQ that much! -
Review from Paul B.
San Francisco, CA
1/7/2009
It's... alright. I would not turn up my nose at it, but I'm not especially excited to go back.
My wonderful girlfriend and I picked up barbeque to go tonight: a three-way combo of brisket, hot links, and ribs (our go-to combo for trying out new places) with hot sauce and two sides (texas slaw and baked beans, this time around) for about $20, plus an extra half-pint of mac'n'cheese.
So how did it break down? Nothing was terrible, but nothing was wonderful. The baked beans were underbaked, and the mac'n'cheese was a touch bland. The texas slaw had raisons, which I think is a nice touch. (Other than that, what makes it a "texas" slaw?) The brisket wasn't dry, but it wasn't moist like brisket should be. The hot links were nothing special, but the ribs were better than average. As for the sauce, for being hot it wasn't all that... hot. A little smokey, a little sweet. It let the meat shine through, but that's not always the point of barbeque sauce.
Their menu is more expansive than a typical barbeque joint, with salmon on Fridays, sandwiches and salads, and spaghetti as a side option. (Cue Starla: "Wait, what?")
It did seem that the portions were plentiful: we each had a plateful, and there's enough left over for a couple of lunches or one more dinner. So you're getting your money's worth.
All in all, it was alright. They are new, and I wish them the best of luck and improvement in the future. -
Review from Matt G.
1/10/2009 3 photos
I was in the Western Addition to do some work at a Community Center nearby. And for lunch, I came to one of the newest restaurants, in which just opened for nearly a month.
The newest restaurant serves BBQ cuisines with a southern twist. Despite having various other cuisines along the strip, the newest BBQ place is trying to regain domination what was once was the epicenter for southern cuisines. Oh yeah, Lily's Barbecue is still there and the two try to prevent from other new restaurants from making the neighborhood a "hood with many choices!" (Whatever that means!)
Being opened nearly a month and despite with a maximum occupancy of 25, the rejuvenated spot is very clean as expected with the Department of Health rating score of: 100 (so far, so good).
From the menu posted on the wall, the items such as: Brisket, Ribs, and Poultries are cooked rottiserrie style. You can have any of the items as a meal, sandwich and even in a salad.
I had one of the restaurant's signatured Smokehouse Sandwiches. The Smokehouse Chicken Breast is seasoned with the southern spices and comes with a grilled Ciabatta Roll, lettuce, tomato, onions, garlic mayo, spicy mustard, choice of a Barbecue Sauce (I chose Spicy) and cheese ($1.00 extra and I chose Provolone). The sandwich also comes with a choice of side and I chose the Chunky Potato Salad, made fresh with real Red Potatoes. For $7.75, it sounds like a feast, indeed it was to feed a high-volume eater like myself.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
My Visa was accepted for my meal. I might bring my family here very soon and try other items from here. Parking in the area can be problem for some.Listed in: Barbeque in the Bay Area!
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Review from Stephan W.
San Francisco, CA
11/24/2008
My brother is a big BBQ fan, so the other night when he said "new BBQ up the street" -- well I wasn't going to talk him out of it.
They've just opened and there are still some rough edges - in fact they have a hand lettered sign up saying "this is our first night with our new wait staff and we're still figuring everything out." So when the folks at the register were a little confused, and the food came out slowly and the menu on the white board was a little difficult to decipher - well that's just how it goes the first month.
So let me just say that you want to order the brisket. The brisket is worth the trip. Have I mentioned that the brisket is good? Just checking.
I ordered the 3 meats, 2 sides plate -which clocks in around $19. Not outrageously expensive for a big plate of meat at dinnertime.
I enjoyed the ribs and chicken, but not nearly as much as the brisket. The baked beans were good (but could have been much more piping hot.). The hot sauce was tangy, and a bit spicy. (but don't listen to me when it comes to spice - my tastebuds don't seem to have an upper limit.)
Sadly, they forgot to bring out our cornbread - so I'll have to tell you about that the next time I stop in.
Also, they have no beer or wine (yet?) - and I didn't ask them if folks could bring their own. -
Review from LaSha G.
Oakland, CA
1/14/2009
Originally from Texas...
yada. yada. yada.
Went to college in Memphis...
yada. yada. yada.
Can't find good barbecue in California...
yada. yada. yada.
You've heard it all before folks. My never ending search for good barbecue of the West Coast continues, but this place gets an honorable mention. Darn good pork ribs. Ok brisket...tender and marbelized, but still a little fatty and relatively bland. And the sausage...well let's just say, don't order it. Cornbread was solid and the sauce was probably the thing that reminded me most of barbecue in Texas. Not too sugary, not too vinegary. Nice mix of spices.
I will say the food here is not cheap. If you're feeling undecided, go ahead and order the 3 meat combo dinner for $19.95, which comes with 2 sides and cornbread and enough for two hungry people. It's a $1 more than the 2 meat combo dinner, but you get a full portion more of meat. Go now, before they correct this error on the menu. -
Review from Ben N.
San Francisco, CA
6/25/2009
I feel I should preface this review by saying that I am a southerner, born and bred. I love BBQ and take dire offense when someone says they serve BBQ and it's just not. In addition, I'm still appalled by the idea that so many places in SF (and elsewhere) give you wheat bread with your meal, rather than white, but that's another story.
As I have been a fan of Lilly's for a few years now, some friends told me they're not big fans of it, but think B's is great, and I would love it, so I gave it a shot.
I ordered the 2-way combo, with Brisket and Beef links (my two favorites) to draw a comparison, with collard greens, mac-n-cheese and corn bread. The brisket was dry and relatively flavorless. A piece or two had some moisture and life, but really, it kind of sucked. The links were from some guy in Louisiana that has been making them for 50 years, but by the taste, still hasn't figured out a good way of doing it. Sometimes, a great sauce can make up for bad meat. Alas, this was not the case either as the sauce, while not bad was not worth remembering either. It's decent, which does vastly improve the meat, but still doesn't make me want to eat it ever again.
As for the sides, the mac-n-cheese was slightly better than kraft, emphasis on slightly. The collard greens were very good though. Kudos to them on the greens as they are hard to get right, I'm finding. Lastly, the cornbread wasn't the worst I've ever had, but it was the worst I've had made by anyone that had made any type of food previously in their life.
If the fact that the food was mediocre (and I'm being kind by saying that) wasn't enough, the portions were downright tiny. I am a small man, and I eat relatively small portions. When I order a 2 meat combo at a BBQ joint, I expect 3 or 4 meals out of it (and that's what I get at Lilly's). I didn't finish, but not because I was full. I left enough for my 5 year old niece to make a meal of and that is all. Needless to say, I'm considering a snack right now, 20 minutes later.
The topper, and what makes it the worst BBQ I've had in a long time, was the price. After tax, a meal that couldn't fill one person cost me $23. There are two kinds of meals in this world worth paying for, ones that fill you up and ones that leave you wanting more, this was neither.
If you want BBQ in SF, don't go here...ever. Go 3 blocks and hit up Lilly's. Get the brisket, smell the smoke, notice the subtle flavors in the meat from the pit, taste a sauce with zing. I'm not saying Lilly's is the best there is anywhere, but in SF, it reigns supreme. -
Review from Corey V.
12/17/2008
I thought the food was great! The service was great and the place is clean. I had the brisket and a side of slaw. Half order (with 1 side) is $12. I showed up late so they were out of greens, but since they were out of what I wanted (and it was the end of the night) they gave me a side of Mac and Cheese. I didn't even realize this until I got home. Very good service indeed.
Slaw - great. Not too much mayo and crisp cabbage.
Brisket - very good, melt in your mouth
Mac and Cheese - very good, not trying to be too fancy
Drum roll please - The Sauce - I got a mix of mild/spicy and it was very good. Not too sweet, not too tangy. The mix was perfect blend of sweet and spicy.
As Nish said below, they aren't cheap. That's why I can't give 'em five stars. -
Review from Matthew R.
El Dorado Hills, CA
5/29/2009
So I've decided to write a self-help book.
Matthew's "I'm from the midwest" guide to happiness:
Step 1: Go get $20.
Step 2: Go to this joint and order a full rack of St. Louis Ribs (Hot), with potato salad and mac & cheese.
Step 3: Take it home and watch something on TV that involves racing, chasing, shooting, killing, maiming, and/or blowing shit up. -
Review from Rocco B.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2009
It was 1:20PM on a Saturday "morning" and I had the BBQ itch bad. I'm talking scraping my arms down to the muscle tissue bad. I decided to see what yelp had to say.
So I picked out Lilly's "The Pit" BBQ on Divisidero, but happened to pass B's on the way and I was mad hungry. Money was not a factor in this conquest, so I went all out for the full order of ribs with the hot BBQ sauce and a side of beans and spaghetti. It was $16.95 but lasted me for two hearty meals.
I recommend the spaghetti; it was LOADED with turkey and quite good. Ribs were also pretty great and kept me satisfied. Beans were sweet and delicious. The corn muffins were short of extraordinary, but they still satisfied.
Its outside my 'hood but would I make a special trip?
Hell yes. -
Review from Kristin G.
Nashville, TN
2/11/2009
Please go to B's! Pretty please! I need B's to stay in the neighborhood. It is a perfect mix of Memphis Minnie's and Lily's BBQ.
So here goes, I went to Mini-Bar for a few cocktails and we decided, hey let's grab some food on our way out from B's. Oh. My. Goodness. I walk in and it smelled amazing. The guy at the counter was super kind and inviting. I couldn't conclude if I wanted the spaghetti or the greens so he let me try both even though he personally vouched for the spaghetti. He makes it himself. Spaghetti won, hands down! I also ordered cornbread and the brisket to go. We headed out the door and I was off with my BBQ.
I actually ate most of the spaghetti on my way home but had to wait for the brisket. I got in my building and headed up the stairs to be momentarily side-tracked. My mom had sent the ear muffs I had been waiting for. So here I am 20 minutes later sitting in bed with a blanket wrapped me like a sarong, wearing rabbit ear muffs and eating BBQ. It was by far one of the best Friday's I have had in awhile. The brisket is delicious. My mouth waters thinking about it. They managed to Pavlovian response me to their brisket in one round, it is amazing!!
We need more places like B's in the neighborhood! Well not more BBQ but good food, we actually need a taqueria if someone is interested in opening up one. -
Review from Dan N.
San Francisco, CA
11/22/2008
The owners, Al and Reggies, are super-friendly.
The menu offers plenty for meat lovers, but also some veggie options.
We ordered the two meat combo - choosing the beef brisket and BBQ chicken, over the other two options pork and sausage links.
For side dishes, we choose the potato salad and Texas slaw.
The two of us had our fillings with the two meat combo for about $20 total when you include taxes - essentially $10 per person. If you're hungrier, just order the three or four meat combo for more food.
Ambiance is very low-key and casual. Maybe enough seating for 10-12 people at a time. I think most customers will be neighborhood residents ordering take-out. Service was very quick.
After your meal, just walk a few doors down Divisadero to minibar for lovely drinks.
I will definitely return again. -
Review from Jenny L.
3/24/2009
Happy from happy hour, we stumbled into B's. It was clean, and not many customers in sight. Obviously we were a bit worried, but having already walked in, didn't want to be rude and walk back out. Besides, I think it's pretty noticeable if seven of us all walked out at once.
I was already pretty full from the three pizzas we devoured at location one, but nonetheless was smart enough to order a side of mac and cheese.
OMG, $3.50 for a side?! It's like robbery. Thank goodness I was not so hungry. And was smart enough to save it for the next morning. When it was oh-so-deliciously microwaved back to life. Mmm mmm good. -
Review from Joyce L.
5/15/2009
I see this place is polarising - but all BBQ places are so here's my 2 cents' worth.
This is by far the cleanest BBQ joint I've been to. You can almost still smell the new paint!
Knowing BBQ joints generally have big servings, I weren't too worried about the prices at first. But then the portions came out - hmmm decidedly smaller than other shops around. Which is OK b/c I could actually finish it... but then why am I paying twice as much? I guess it's the location.
As oppose to what others said, their brisket (I thought) was great. Very moist. The ribs might be a little dry for some folks, but it is much leaner cut than other places I've been to. The spud salad was pretty good and I really liked the baked beans.
Overall it's OK - it's a good choice if you're heading to the Independent afterwards. But my favourite SF BBQ spot is still in Excelsior!! -
Review from eve b.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 1/28/2009
the portabella sandwich melted in my mouth. Sexy. Really good salads too. Sure, they are a little slow but they are super nice.
the food is good and clean and reasonably priced. Nuff said fo me.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/28/2008
Yummy even for vegetarians.. The Portabella sandwich rocks my world.
Great vibe, super clean and the… Read more »
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Review from Alex P.
San Francisco, CA
12/3/2008
This place was teasing me for weeks with it's promises of bbq around the corner from my place... alas, I can't think of any reason to go back there except to give it another chance; I want it to be good so bad.
For about $20 you can get a 2-way combo and get shafted in exactly 3-ways: portions, flavor, and heat-intensity.
The portions are small. No one goes to BBQ to feel hungry afterwards. If you go to try it, you've been adequately warned. The BBQ sauce is like a glorified ketchup. I really felt like I was eating tomato paste. I asked for hot sauce because I like my mouth burning. Again, tomato paste flavor just extinguishing the heat.
I think next time I'll try a sandwich, that might be where it's at with them.
The staff is nice. Hopefully they'll get better, but I'd prefer to make the trek over to Oakland for Everett & Jones. -
Review from Seth W.
San Francisco, CA
1/8/2009
A friend and I tore ourselves away from wii sports long enough to grab a bite of dinner. I was pretty excited to find a new BBQ spot only blocks away from the house and wondered how I hadn't noticed it before.
Walking in, the place was very clean and had some fun prints on the walls. Our appetite was such that we headed straight for the counter and barely noticed the array of hungry take-outers milling about the place until after we ordered and sat down to wait. Our fellow diners seemed to range from annoyed to downright angry that the food was taking so long. After over 20 minutes of waiting, someone from behind the counter called to us to ask for our receipt. "Finally!" I thought. "They must just need to confirm they packed everything up correctly." No - they hadn't even STARTED our order! Meanwhile I noticed a worker finishing a sandwich for a patron who had walked in about 15 minutes after we did.
Overall the food was fine. The free peach cobbler and spaghetti were nice but mediocre, but the ribs and brisket were tender and had a good amount of yummy sauce. I've had brisket from my friend's Texan mom, and this was nowhere near that good, but it was tasty in its own right.
They need a serious overhaul of their behind the counter processes: there were only two orders ahead of us and it still took almost 1/2 hour for our take-out order. IT'S BBQ PEOPLE! Nothing needs to be cooked! In addition they told us they were out of cornbread, but when I pointed to a large bowl with a dozen muffins they realized there were plenty and retroactively handed them out to the patrons ahead of us in line. And while our order wasn't being made, folks from behind the counter were milling about the dining room and joking with patrons.
The bottom line: not worth the wait. -
Review from Brian J.
Los Angeles, CA
1/8/2009
Rather ballsy to open up a BBQ joint in a hood with one right down the street (Da Pitt) , and another one just a handful of blocks away (Memphis Minnies). I like both those places ok, but they've never really blown me away, so I really wanted to like this place.
I waited a while to make sure they got the kinks out, but alas this place is a major disappointment. I was so optimistic it would be good that I convinced my friend that we should both order full orders. I got the brisket and she got the ribs.
Took quite a while for them to assemble these two meals considering the place was practically empty and all the food is already cooked. But I'm patient and wouldn't mind if it was worth the wait.
The brisket was super dry. Really unimpressive. And the ribs were just average. The sauces and sides were decent, but nothng too special. -
Review from Carissa R.
San Francisco, CA
5/7/2009
A couple things you should know about me as they pertain to bbq:
1) I am not from the south, nor can I profess to have any kind of expertise on the various styles of bbq (B's seems Texas-style, but who am I to judge?)
2) Dry-rubbed meat on its own doesn't do it for me. I am a sucker for that same meat drenched in a good bbq sauce.
Given my aforementioned qualities/flaws, B's BBQ was a mouthwatering mass of bbq goodness. The ribs with medium-spicy sauce were tender and fatty and tasty (and slightly spicy) all at once. I am not a huge brisket fan, but theirs was fantabulous. The macaroni and cheese was greasy, cheesy, creamy goodness and the cole slaw was delish.
I conveyed my happiness with our meal to the gentleman behind the counter and as we were leaving (around closing time), he offered a to-go container of mac n'cheese "because you like it so much." Um....HELL YES. That container was the best snack ever the next day.
Final notes:
*BF and I shared one of their combo plates and got a side of mac n'cheese. It was plenty enough food for both of us.
*B's is across the street from Little Star - the perfect place to go if you thought you wanted deep dish, but then realize you don't want it enough to wait in a crowded restaurant for 30 minutes (which is how we discovered B's). -
Review from Xavier G.
7/25/2009
I saw a special on Barbeque on the Food Network, so I was sort of craving it for awhile, so when I was exploring near Alamo Square and saw this place, I was pretty excited to try this place with a friend.
We ordered the 2 meat dinner special, which comes with two sides. So it was brisket and ribs, Texas slaw and Chicago baked beans.
The brisket, was somewhat dry, which sounds weird, because it supposed to be slow cooked with lots of juices. Although, dry, it still tasted pretty good. The ribs were a heck of a lot better, very yum! We ordered them Hot, because I was hoping for some really spicy, head scratching ribs, but they weren't that spicy at all, closer to the Medium range.
The Texas slaw probably wasn't what Texas slaw was supposed to taste like because it had absolutely no flavor. I'm always disappointed by Coleslaw in restaurants, it's sad. I think they just name-dropped the Texas part to make it sound more appetizing.
Chicago baked beans too...What's the difference between beans from Chicago as opposed to anywhere else? Anyway though, opposed to the slaw, these beans were really something. They were super tangy and full of flavor, and I kind of wished I could get beans like this all the time for barbeques because they tasted great! If the coleslaw tasted as amazing as the beans I would definitely have given this place 4 stars.
The sides are so small, like literally 3 oz containers, that I was still hungry after all that. But luckily we got the mac-n-cheese too. I was kind of excited for that because I've had amazing homemade mac-n-cheese in the past so it just sounded like this would be good too, but they were just okay. Same with the cornbread, it was just okay.
All in all, it was pretty yummy with the ribs and the baked beans, which I definitely have to come back for sometime. Note to self to ask for the ribs extra spicy because Hot wasn't that hot. I can skip the brisket and mac though. Although maybe the mac mixed in with the beans would be pretty heavenly : ) Must try later!
Oh, the place is small, and the dining area is pretty sterile. So it's more of a take-out place. Also, I heard someone say the burgers here are some of the best burgers you can get in SF. I haven't tried them, so I can't attest to them, but it's something else to try for you other Yelpers. -
Review from James C.
San Francisco, CA
1/26/2009
Could this be it?!?
Could this be the winner?!?
BEST BBQ IN SAN FRANCISCO?!?
With the Golden Globes last night, I'm going to hand out my "Best of" awards....
BEST BBQ PORK RIBS - BS' BBQ and Grill
BEST BRISKET - BS' BBQ and Grill
BEST BBQ CHICKEN - BS' BBQ and Grill
BEST BBQ LINKS - Memphis Minnie's; sorry BS', you didn't have a 4 meat combo dinner
BEST BAKED BEANS - BS' BBQ and Grill
BEST MAC AND CHEESE - Memphis Minnie's; sorry BS', the macaroni was a bit soggy
BEST CORNBREAD - Memphis Minnie's; sorry BS', you ran out at the time I ordered
And finally, the winner of BEST BBQ IN SAN FRANCISCO goes to...
*** BS' BBQ AND GRILL ***
HELL YEAH!! WOO HOO!!
Overall, the meats had a great dry rub with good smokey flavor, cooked juicy to perfection. When I return, I would probably ask for the BBQ sauce on the side as the meats were a bit overly slathered. Why cover up your well cooked meat? The sauce should enhance.
As for cost, it didn't seem particular high for good BBQ. Portions were generous!! Only $20.95 for 3 meats and 2 sides, which seemed like a better bargain that 2 meats and 2 sides for $19.95. OK, so I was hungry.
Service was friendly and attentive. It reminded me of the great BBQ places in Kansas City and South Carolina. -
Review from Kira Z.
San Francisco, CA
4/6/2009
I think that I've found THE spot to replace the hole that Leon's BBQ left when they disappeared from the scene nearly 15 years ago.
B's is as close to "true" eastern/southern BBQ that I've known west of Texas. Now many people would argue that their prices are a bit too high.. but quit your moanin. The price of food isn't cheap. If you want cheap food, of poor quality - there's a McDonald's down the way - go buy your $4.50 McRib and shad-up.
Otherwise, if you want good slow smoked flavorful quality beef and pork, then certainly go to B's and "belly-up." The portions are healthy, and the space is clean. It's not particularly adorned, which some "newer" San Franciscans might not like, but I'd rather have a place that serves good food at a reasonable price, than is high on it's own hog of how pretty, or how authentic it is, which I end up paying for with the bill.
I, and two friends, each got our meals (2 Double meat combo's and one 3 meat combo) Plus drinks and 7 sides total for about $72. Not bad at about ~$11 per person. Value-wise for what we got - I personally think its a steal. Each of us had enough leftovers for lunch/dinner the next day.
Now admittedly I had starved my self for most of the day to appreciate this meal ,but couldn't finish it. I at one point declared that the "meat has defeated me" simply because the portion for my Double meat combo was too much. The sides were tasty - and since this was the end of the day they had begun to run out of the sides... Oh well - the price you pay for waiting as the early birds got more of the good stuff.
(another way to show you that just because you don't get what you want, doesn't necessarily mean that its a bad place - they're just managing their quantities due to quality.)
Regardless... I've gone on and on... go and eat here.. but unless you're a football player (49-er, or raider) I'd say stick with the 1 meat meal, sit back and enjoy.
I'm gonna be returning - I'd suggest you do the same. -
Review from Justin B.
San Francisco, CA
4/27/2009
After spending some time in Austin I was having BBQ withdrawal... B's solved that problem. Great food and friendly people.
Medium sauce is perfect amount of spice. Ribs and Brisket are fantastic. I need to go back and try more sides. They were out of most of them when I went at closing on a Sunday. I was "stuck" with spaghetti, but to my surprise it was really tasty.
Def check it out if you are into BBQ -
Review from Issa K.
Los Angeles, CA
12/31/2008
My friend and I each ordered the half order St. Louis ribs; she got medium sauce with mac and cheese and I got hot sauce with spaghetti. The half order combo with one side is $11.85 I believe.
Overall I found the portions filling, the ribs (5 or 6 ribs) and sauce very tender and tasty, and the spaghetti delicious.
The mac and cheese was average and I was bummed that I only got one corn muffin that was served room temperature and not hot.
The whole place is very clean and the staff friendly; I'll definitely be back! -
Review from Nicole Z.
San Francisco, CA
6/18/2009
I just finished my bbq burger and had to yelp B's right away. So tasty and delicious. The hamburger meat had a rich smokey flavor, the bbq sauce was perfect, and the slaw had yellow raisins that added the perfect amount of sweetness. I'm not giving it 5 stars because I really don't know my way around bbq and can't profess it to be the best there is. They're a new place and I really hope they can make it.
BTW: Way tastier than brother-in-laws/lilly's or whatever its called now. -
Review from David R.
San Francisco, CA
5/11/2009
B's gets a C.
These guys need to get their opening act together. I understand that this is a new place, but if they say they open at a certain hour, that means that they should be ready to serve customers, not simply open their doors and have customers wait for 1/2h to finish preparing their food for the day. Yes, I was one of the first customers on a Sunday, but don't say you are open at noon if you won't be ready until 12:30pm. I almost walked out to go to Lily's (formerly Brother In-Law) BBQ down the road, but wanted to give these guys a try, being a new business in the neighborhood and all. Always willing to let some things slide initially.
The food was also so-so. I got a rack of ribs, a side of potato salad, coleslaw and pasta.
The side dishes were a tad on the expensive side a $6 a pint - pushing similar prices of Delessio. The sides were decent, but I don't think I will get them again. For the money, I would rather pick-up some sides from the Delessio salad bar.
According to my dear old (literally) friend from the south, who actually had their own family smokehouse on their property, the ribs were not properly smoked and actually charred - meaning that rather than smoking the meat for the entire time, the flames got a little out of control and actually singed the meat. The ribs were decent, but I am still a bigger fan of Lily's.
Since these guys are just starting out, I am will likely give them another shot, but as it stands Lily's is still my Divis strip ribs fave. -
Review from kevin S.
San Francisco, CA
12/11/2008
They just open here on Divis between McAllister and Fulton, west side.
I had the Brisket, with corn bread, baked beans, and some sweet potato pie. Medium spicy sauce on the brisket.
The brisket fell perfectly apart, but was still juicy inside. Solid taste to the sauce without overwhelming the brisket. Good corn bread. The baked beans were awesome, I could've eaten another bowl, much to the chagrin of my students tomorrow morning.
I'll be back for the Spice Burger and the TriTip. -
Review from Kendall D.
San Francisco, CA
1/23/2009
I'm pretty sure they don't even have a smoker at this place. The "BBQ" lacked any smoke flavor and there was no distinct smoke ring. The sausage was acceptable but not made in-house. The brisket was bland and the sauce was underwhelming.
Definitely not as good as Lilly's, which is way better than Memphis Minnie's in my opinion. None are good Q by any articulable BBQ standards, though. -
Review from Sumi Y.
San Francisco, CA
4/5/2009
Update: Went back a second time and felt cheated: If one's to pay $6.50 for a pint of a side dish, wouldn't you expect to get a real pint's worth? Instead I received a half-pint within a pint. $6.50!
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The sides were delicious but pricey for the portion. Tri-tip sandwich was good but also on the small side. Clean-looking joint. Nice service. -
Review from .. Miss Mobtown ..
San Francisco, CA
5/12/2009
Good stuff. Ribs are succulent, not too fatty, and slip right off the bone. Sides are done well, and portions seemed generous enough to match the asking price. Lily's has never really moved me, although I know it's a treasured neighborhood spot for many. As the proprietor of Bs' told us, "I'm trying to do something different with my meats" -- so look at it that way. There's plenty of room on Divis for all *kinds* of BBQ'd meats in my book. In fact, a bbq crawl may be in order some day.
The spic and span dining room lacks a little atmosphere, but tell me -- are you there for the curtains, or are you there for the meat?
They seem to have worked out the kinks in service that earlier reviewers complained about, although we were there on a weeknight, and a weekend would be a truer test. Owner's a friendly guy. Go patronize this place. We can't have enough BBQ joints in the city. Looking forward to going back and trying some of their banana pudding. -
Review from Jules G.
San Francisco, CA
12/8/2008
B's BBQ is as good as it gets!
Yes, it's been a long, slow process to see this new neighborhood joint take shape and finally open this month - but I'd say it was definitely worth the wait!
After a soft opening week or so, they are now open for lunch and dinner - and food has been amazing so far, along with really friendly service.
I was surprised to see the pricing issue come up with various yelpers.
After all, you get table service, silverware & fancy glass plates - and when was the last time you saw a City's food inspection score of 100 posted at a BBQ joint? Spanking clean and new does not equal atmosphere, but B's sure does deilver when it comes to the food:
ribs and brisket are awesome, and lighter options like the marinated tri-tip steak over spinach salad and smoked chicken salad sliders make it a perfect lunch spot. -
Review from victoria c.
San Francisco, CA
3/11/2009
Reginald and Al catered a lunch for 40 for us today- and it was screaming good. Fantastic chicken breast (and I'm not a breast chick), spectacular ribs and lovely links. Loved all the sides- spaghetti (w/ ground turkey!) coleslaw and potato sal. We fed 30 gentlemen at Laguna Honda Hospital, a good 15 hungry staff people and everybody got plates to save for dinner. It was a joy to see those sweet, old, toothless guys go to town on those rib bones. They worked with our budget- and gave us a lunch that everyone on M6 will be talking about for monthes to come.
Also- it so happens that I waited in line for an hour to get some Gorilla BBQ last weekend- it was fine, but I'd have been happier at B's. -
Review from Spanky M.
San Francisco, CA
4/30/2009
Edit: I am moving you to two stars becvause every time i come by for lunch you ARE closed. WHAT THE HELL? Your sign says you open up at 11am, then WTF are you closed at noon for? Are you on Filipino time, I am most times but not when it comes to business?
Hey I like B's the big guy att he fornt counter this morning had kind of a nasty disposition but the food spoke for itself.
As any other avid BBQ fan, i judge by the brisket and the ribs, and if they pack their own links, ill give it a shot.
I had the brisket and the ribs, greens and spaghetti. The Ribs tasted pre boiled, but the rub and the sauce mixed very well together. I had the hot sauce and it wasn't to strong that it made the other flavours dissappear. So if you like it Hot, you may consider this sauce a LIE.
I agree with others when i say these ribs maybe the best in SF. The brisket however, today, was on the dry side. The flavour was excellent, but just a little dry. I am sure this is not the case on other days. I take this back, from other reviews look slike they need to tweak their BBQ
The Greens are fantastic! I have not had greens this good since my Thanksgiving in Memphis several years ago. The spaghetti was also excellent, cooked witha southern panache, the cut the spicy links into the spaghetti to replace the meatballs. VERY GOOD! (Don't hink italian food, think southern food)
The decor was decidely ciivil rights activist A.A. The problem is that the store is trying to not only make a culinary statement but a political one as well. The political statements detracts from the culinary one, but only really for those who notice. I agree with the political statements made here, its just that many of the best resturants north or south, east or west, rural or suburban leave the politcs to conversations in the restaurant rather than walls on the restaurant. While i apppluad the owners move to simultaneously educate and decorate, maybe this would be more suited to a community center. Or perhaps I am wrong, maybe San Frnacisco could use a little waking up. -
Review from Stephanie B.
Hayward, CA
6/27/2009
Hit and miss room for improvment
meat was tender little favor'
red velvet cake all bad -
Review from C L.
San Francisco, CA
6/30/2009
The service was slow, slow, slow. We waited forever to order while the counter guy washed and washed his hands. Now I'm germaphobe so I like seeing people who serve my food wash their hands, but there has to come a time to put on those rubber gloves and start serving your customers.
Once we got our food, though, the portion size was smaller than Lilly's down the street, and my bf swore that they boiled the brisket. It was okay. -
Review from Peter Z.
San Francisco, CA
2/23/2009
Average BBQ at best.
Had the ribs, decent, not quite fall off the bone nor was there much flavor penetration but, good enough.
Brisket, ehhh, average again, not outstanding but, definately not garbage.
Potato salad and mac n' cheese very tasty, highly recomend.
House sauce has good heat, and developed flavor.
Still searching for the complete BBQ in SF
