H. Butler's BBQ
Sunnyvale, CA 94087 (408) 738-4996
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
238 reviews
Santa Clara, CA
"ATTN OWNER/S OF UNIVERSITY CHICKEN: Please open a University Chicken in Foothill/Stanford area. That'd be awesome. Mmm my mouth just…" read more »
35 Reviews for H. Butler's BBQ
I don't eat meat, so based on their sides and their service I'm going with 3 stars.
Only occasionally do they serve gardenburgers and the last time I was there they didn't serve them AND they were out of pizza. (I guess they had a larger crowd than they were prepared to serve.)
The service was slow both times I was there; but the staff were all extremely friendly. Sides were good. I'd recommend the mac and cheese and the sweet potatoes.
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
I stumbled on H. Butler's and wanted to try their BBQ a while back.
The interior is like an indoor picnic area with several widescreen TVs.
The service is OUTSTANDING! The lady that took my order was very nice and I got the three-way combo, (big mistake) with Potato salad, cole slaw, and cornbread, if I remember. The food was brought to my table in like 5 minutes, that was fast.
The plate was huge! The ribs were good, not great. Chicken could use more BBQ flavor. Links were good. The young man that delivered my dinner came by my table TWICE asking how I was doing. Now that's service!
Would I come back, maybe. I hope the BBQ would be better this time around.
I really don't know why people are hating on this place. The food is pretty damn good. The restaurant is spacious and has a cool vibe to it. Today I had the brisket and the meat was so freakin tender. I advise everyone that enjoys good BBQ to eat at this fine establishment because I feel I will be going back on a weekly basis.
To all the haters, please go back to Chile's and order your baby back ribs! If that does not suffice your lame bbq sense of taste, please petition for McDonald's to bring back the McRibb Sandwich.
This place was quite horrible. My food was cold and was definitely not great BBQ because even cold BBQ tastes great if it is prepared properly. Friends of mine visited and had the same problem....food was cold and their potatoe salas was frozen. When he contacted them directly they did not even offer a gift card or anything for his horrible food. Quite absurd. Never visit this place.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
I went with my girlfriend on a quiet friday night I believe.
Food wise, i've had better BBQ ribs. Armadillo's is much better. The ribs weren't bad though but it won't blow you away. The sides weren't bad as well
The staff was extremely friendly, which I always notice. I can't comment much on the quickness of the service b/c it was very empty so it's very hard to gauge how quick they would be during "rush hour".
If you want to catch some decent sports games, this is a decent place to be. They have multiple flat screens and also had a game in High Definition (for all you sports enthusiasts)
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
So here's a typical situation, I'm at work and we're deciding on places to eat for lunch. My coworker goes on about some awesome hole in the wall BBQ place in Mountain View and proceeded to give me their life story about it. So eventually we agree to go there since it's a Friday, but outside is pouring rain at this point and after we get into the car, we see the traffic is ridiculous on the highway. Trying to use our iPhones to find another way to get there, we decided it wasn't worth the time and effort to do so, so we were going to go to In N Out as our backup until the coworker who recommended that fantasy BBQ place was still craving BBQ and he thinks he remembers seeing a BBQ sign across the street from In N Out. So we go check it out and lo and behold there is one. That's how we got the freak accident to show up here.
Inside the place is not bad, several flat screen TVs and a good amount of tables. You really can't go wrong with the atmoshere and the people there were pretty nice, but then I got the food. I ordered a Tri Tip Sandwich and it was one the blandest and driest thing I ever had. Drenching it with A1 sauce made it a little better, but I really shouldn't be needing that for this sandwich and I was at a point where I just forced the food down. I looked over to my coworkers and they were kind of just laughing and shaking their head while trying to eat their meal. Laughing not because a joke was told, but they were eating a joke.
I'm sorry, but we all agreed Armadillo Willy's was much better and if their BBQ is that much better, then you know you're in trouble.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
My sister and I love BBQ, so we came here one day after shopping at Long's next door (when this place first opened). We were so disappointed. The food at Armadillo Willy's across the street is much better. I want to give it another shot, but I'm not sure if my taste buds will forgive me. We'll see.
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Cool (2)
Co-worker lunch. Got the brisket and spare rib combo dinner with mac-n-cheese and baked beans as my sides.
Yes, I got the "Dinner" at lunch because I noticed a pricing oddity. This combo is $13.95 in the "Dinners" section and comes with 3 ribs. It is $14.95 in the "Lunch" section and only comes with 2 ribs!! Of course, I went for the dinner combo and got 1 more rib for less $!!
The ribs were fantastic. Nice smokey flavor and falling off the bone. You could see the smoke ring on the edges of the cut sections of meat. The brisket, on the other hand, was hit or miss. Some sections were tender and melt in your mouth good, but other areas were tough and fatty like they needed more time in the smoker.
The beans were alright, nothing special. The mac and cheese needed a bit of salt and pepper, but then was pretty darn good. A little greasy, but that's cheese for you, right?
The folks there were extremely friendly and the owner, H Butler himself, came by the table to see how things were.
I was happy with my meal and I couldn't finish all my food. Everyone else was satisfied and our group covered most of the food on the menu except the pizza and bbq chicken . . . oh, and I heard the hot link was not that hot from the one guy who had that.
Ribs - 4 stars
Brisket - 2 stars
Sides - 3 stars
Oh, and apparently this place used to be a pizzeria with an established clientle so they decided to keep that going since all of the equipment came with the space. Mystery solved!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
If I could give this place negative stars, I would. I really wanted this place to be good, but it has to have been some of the worst food I've ever had.
I ordered the Tri Tip and Chicken combo with macaroni and cheese and greens as my side orders. The meat was blech. The BBQ sauce was blech. The greens were definitely the worst - they were soupy and mushy with no flavor. The macaroni and cheese was ok...until I found a hair in it! I basically only tasted bits and pieces of it and then threw it out (I got take out).
Here's where the fun started - I have food poisoning!
I ate there on Thursday night and I've been sick ever since (it's Monday now). Every time I think of that nasty food I get queasy. I feel bad because as others reported, the business owner was nice, but I have never been so sick from a few bites of food.
Do not go to this place unless you want to be sick for days.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Went here on a Friday. Not busy at all. I should have taken this as a sign. Tried the brisket , very dry, as if under a heat lamp. Ribs were just o.k. Links were spicy hot. Sides of beans and rice were tasty. Dessert, pecan pie and 7up cake were delish. Nice roomy atmosphere. Liked the Pictures of Famous Black Americans on the walls. Could be much better. They advertise on the radio. KBLX. May need another review at a later date.
I plan on coming back and trying a bit more off their menu, but as it stands the place looks like it might be okay but actually is a bit ho hum.
I am a simple man when it comes to BBQ. Basically I like it as long as its not sugary sweet ketchup baby back ribs from chilis. I hate commercial BBQ. So I hoped in to H Butlers on hunch and a nose that gave off the impression of real food. The menu, although perplexing with the dual BBQ pizza thing they got going on, seems inviting. The combos have white bread, they got links and pork ribs, the place smells right.
That being said, H Butler's sauce was a bit disappointing to me. Its thin and vinegar-esk with a heavy blend of spices. Not really my fav style. Also, the hot on hot links did not get me sweating, so there was another notch to be kicked to.
People thought this was:
Useful (7)
Funny (2)
Cool (5)
I should know better. I should know better than to go to a place if I haven't read the reviews on Yelp yet!
I had been craving barbecue for weeks - maybe months. I performed a "barbecue" search on Yelp for the Peninsula and came up with almost nothing - certainly not this place (mysteriously so). I should have taken it as a sign.
On a positive note, the man who took my order appeared to be the owner and he was exceedingly nice.
I ordered a pork ribs dinner with two sides (coleslaw and mac and cheese) and the corn bread muffin, to go - $15.10 after tax (no drink). He told me that they also have beans and rice, so I promised to try it next time. Maybe that opportunity won't come now that I've read the other reviews.
Let us acknowledge that barbecue varies from region to region, in cooking technique and sauce. I don't know from what region this BBQ hails, but it is apparently not my favorite. It is a dry barbecue with a vinegar/tomato sauce for you to add according to your preference. I think I either like a (what is it? wet?) saucier barbecue... or maybe a better dry barbecue with a thicker sauce.
I felt my portion of ribs was generous, and they were tender - except the end piece I got was dry and inedible - and they were tasty for the most part. I wasn't partial to the sauce, and there wasn't enough of it to cover the dry ribs. They should have sent me off with two little sauce containers and not just one.
The macaroni and cheese... well apparently this is another subjective food because a number of the reviewers are falling over themselves for it. I thought is was dangerously under-seasoned. I make a damn good mac and cheese, and this was just bland and boring. The magic mac and cheese at the Back Porch in Bernal Heights blew this carb crap right off the planet.
The coleslaw was savory - I'm used to it being slightly sweet. Maybe that too is a regional thing to which I'm not partial. But on top of that is was *over* seasoned. Way too much black pepper. Way too much.
The corn bread muffin was bitterly disappointing. Just a dry lump of yellow.
At these prices and with these poor reviews, I doubt I'll be back. I had intended to return for the chicken with beans and rice. It's too bad, because the owner seems really nice and I want to be on his side. But my stomach doesn't.
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
Went to H. Butler's quite awhile ago, not long after it had opened. The place was clean, the staff was very friendly and the smells coming from the kitchen were divine. We ordered our food, nothing fancy I had chicken, I think my husband had some ribs, and the kids had the usual kid stuff. The bill made our jaws drop. It was almost $80 for the four of us, for BBQ and some sodas! Wow. The food came out quickly enough and was quite good, but we will think long and hard before going back based solely on the price. Their food is good, but not THAT good.
For those wondering about the pizza/bbq combo: This used to be Sierra Sam's Pizza. Great, family owned pizza joint that was always hopping. I suspect the new owners decided to just keep the pizza ovens and expand their menu. Kind of weird, but ok.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I realy liked this place. There are so many styles of BBQ, I don't even know about them all. I don't know what you call this one, all I know is it tasted good. We had the baby back ribs lunch plate and the fried red snapper plate, with mac and cheese and a side of red beans and rice. The ribs were small but very tender and tasty. The mac and cheese was super greasy but super good! The red snapper was excellent- the cornmeal breading was delicious, especially with extra Crystal hot sauce and tartar sauce! The red beans could have been a little fresher- in fact, it seemed like they had been microwaved to heat them up- but I'm going to give them a break because it was a Sunday and we were the only people there. The staff was very friendly and inviting. It was kinda sad that it was so dead in there. I can't wait to go back and try more of their tasty selections!
5 stars it ain't, but just 1 star? That's not fair.
This is a decent, but not great BBQ joint. And remember that this is SUNNYVALE, not some BBQ mecca like Memphis or Kansas City.
I thought that the sides, specifically the yams and beans, were quite good. The beans had that deep brown sugary sweetness that I just looooove.
Rib meat fell off the bone but wasn't that smoky and lacked that real BBQ-charred crust. Links were lean and tender.
I did find the sauce to be pretty darn tasty. The only reason that I'm not giving this place 4 stars is because it's honestly not quite as good as Frank's BBQ in Mountain View which I only gave 4 stars.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Go in pairs and split a combo meal as the portions are generous.
Yams are tasty and cheesy mac is delish! I've thus far had pleasant experiences with the ribs and sweet potato pie. Hot links are s-p-i-c-y. I've never tried the pizza although I am curious about it -- there must be a reason why a BBQ place serves it.
Nice, family run business. I have found their food and service to be consistently good. Decent atmosphere and attractive setting, albeit in an awkward location within an empty strip mall. When you are craving something filling, this will always be a good bet. Beats Armadillo Willy's any day!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
The best yams I've ever had! BBQ sauce was great as far as I was concerned, and went really well with my brisket sandwich. The only negative was not checking our order before we took it home. My wife ordered a pulled pork sandwich but instead we ended up with a sliced pork sandwich. We'll definitely go back.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
This is NOT "New Orleans deep south"BBQ. The closest to the south this BBQ could be is a Baptist Potluck, which is a real zinger if you've been to one. We moved from Texas and were needing a meat fix. My husband and I came for lunch and got Chicken wings and a brisket plate. The price was absolutely ridiculous. The most expensive, upscale BBQ place in Texas wouldn't charge these prices.
Sauce - Terbs! Maybe the cheapest store brand diluted with water?
Brisket - Inedible. I really thought my husband might have a breakdown. Loaded with fat and gristle, seemed to have been boiled. The meat had to be sawed with a knife, and was floating in grease and water.
Wings - Tough, chewy, devoid of good flavor, loaded with gross. Also a bit burnt.
Sides - I had greens, which they should be embarrassed to serve, and my husband had the Mac N Cheese. The only reason I am not quantifying that they don't even deserve one star is because this is the best mac n cheese I've ever had. My husband always gets MnC, and I never think it's worth the price or calories, but this is better than I've ever made.
Go there for the Mac n cheese, but not the meat. A Mc Rib from McDonald's would be a better use of your money, and a much better tasting BBQ.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
I approached this place hesitantly because of the so-so reviews---finally, a glowing recommendation from my Mother-In-Law did the trick (I should have known...)
My wife got the pork ribs dinner, and I got the 2-way ribs and chicken dinner. Mind you, with a beer and a coke, the total was $45.
I'm not sure what planet the other reviewers are from, to call this food barbeque, but it is not what I'd classify as BBQ. First off, the meat is served naked, with too-thin sauce available from a bottle. My pork ribs were boiled and had the rub on it, but it literally looked like they forgot to throw it on the grill or any kind of fire at all. No char, no crispiness, just soft, bland rib meat. The meat itself, thankfully, was at least tender--unlike the unholy toughness that was my chicken. I kid you not--my bird tasted like a rotisserie chicken that was cooked in the microwave for 3 minutes. I didn't even take it home to pull apart in a salad, it was that bad. My wife's ribs were supposed to be the same as mine, but they were at least grilled---the problem with her ribs is they were TINY---5 tiny ribs for $14.95??? Yikes.
The sides were pedestrian---ok, nothing great.
The meat had a slight smoky flavor, but not enough. I literally started getting mad at the quality of the food during the meal, but I gathered myself and held it in for this review.
The joint was empty at 6pm---I'm not suprised, given the quality and price of the food. I will admit, the decor is VERY nice for a Q' joint, actual tableclothes, nice art prints, etc.....but I'd choose eating Uncle Frank's delicious Q in the back of Francesca's Bar ANYDAY over this mess. As mediocre as Armadillo WIlly's is, it's a much better choice for S'vale BBQ.
So, I cannot recommend this to anybody. Maybe the pizza is good, I don't know. But that's a red flag in itself, a place serving pizza and BBQ at the same time. As much as I hate to give an independent restuarant that's obviously trying hard such a bad review, I feel it's my duty.
Good night.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Came in for dinner with the family. The smoke flavoring of the chicken was delicious. The meat was not dry like most BBq joints. I was glad to not have BBq sauce thick and dripping off my food. I am not a big fan of that style of BBq sauce. My girlfriend had the catfish which was breaded and fried. It was nicely cooked and not to oily. The kids had a pork rib and mac and cheese. The ribs are not very kid friendly to eat. It was pretty pricey for 4 people to eat dinner. I would come back here for lunch but probably not bring the kids with me again.
Went on Friday for lunch around 11:45am. Ordered the #4 combination to go, took around 15-20 minutes. Brisket and bbq Pork ribs(2) with two side items: cole slaw, potato salad, fries, green salad, yams, mac and cheese, baked beans and breads or corn muffin. $18.95 Got a slice of red velvet cake for $3.75
The brisket was a little little tough to me, ample 6 oz portion. The two pork rib meat fell off the bone. I didn't care for the citrus bbq sauce, like mine spicier.
The yams were good, sweet and cinnamon and the beans were great with their smoky flavor. I wanted to try to the greens and red beans and rice but were not offered on the combination plates.
The red velvet cake was rich and moist.
Corn muffin was dry.
Nice, clean, well lit atmosphere, blues playing on the stereo with black and white photos of musicians on the walls and two large screen TVs.
Easy to miss the place, in the Longs Drugs strip mall, on East El Camino, where Fair Oaks turns into East Remington. They have their white delivery truck parked in the parking lot.
Lunch prices range $7-19 and Dinner prices range $10-29.
Portions are ample, staff is friendly, their cakes are out on display with a chalk board of their dessert and side offerings for the day.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
My boss took us out to lunch and we decided to try H. Butlers. For lunchtime in the Bay Area, it was surprisingly empty, only two other tables occupied. I decided to try the pulled pork sandwich, with a side of yams and a corn muffin. When it got to the table, I was surprised that the pork was sliced, not pulled. It was on a french roll, which was quite chewy. Some of the pork was also chewy and tough, and flavored with a vinegar-based sauce. I put more sauce on it, since it was a little dry. The yams were quite delicious, although they might have been canned, then cooked with their own spices. The corn muffin was dry so I had to put some of the yams on it moisten it.
My boss had the brisket/ribs combo, which I think was around $19. I expected a heaping plate of meat but when it got to the table, it was a small portion of brisket and two ribs. The ribs looked moist and they fell off the bone, but didn't look like it had the crunchy "crust" that I like on my BBQ.
Overall, a nice, clean place to eat. But for my South Bay BBQ needs, I'll stick with Sam's in Campbell. Their pulled pork is actually pulled pork, nicely spiced with pepper and lots of crunchy pieces. Try any of Sam's sandwiches on garlic bread and it'll never be as chewy and dry like the one I had at Butlers.
Have tried a few other BBQ places at lunch in the South Bay (Andy's, Gas Station on Oakland Road, Sparkey Malarkey's (no longer in biz), Willy's, etc.) and H. Butler is a step above. They offer ribs, tri-tip, brisket, chicken (BBQ and fried), pulled pork sandwiches, catfish, and a host of sides (try the yams). I believe the pork ribs are the best item on the menu and are definitely smoked (as true BBQ should be), not grilled. Don't expect to get away with an inexpensive meal, though. Lunch can run around $15. But it's a good place to get that BBQ fix now and again .
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Updated Update: I am sorry to say that the glory days of H. Butler's are officially over. It is still not bad but it is expensive for what it is. I have never recommended going there for dinner, by the way. Now down to a generous three stars and off my Favorites list. Sorry to see it go...
Update: Dinner menu drops the review down to 4 stars. Please see info at the end of the Lunch review. I would recommend going here for lunch but not dinner.
Yum yum! This not only is real BBQ but it is some of the best BBQ and southern food I have had anywhere. It needs to be understood that there are different kinds of BBQ - some folks enjoy what is essentially smoked meat with no sauce, other folks enjoy sweet sauces or North Carolina-style mustard based sauces. This is a place for grilled meat with sauce. I am assuming the guy who posted about this originally was a smoked meat kind of person.
Some of my co-workers and I went here for lunch. Most of the folks ordered fried catfish. I tried a little of it and found it to be light, tender, and completely devoid of that oily aftertaste so often seen with catfish. I'll have to get that next time. The rest of us ordered brisket or tri tip. The tri tip was really excellent and the sauce was a perfect balance between spicy and sweet. Personally, I tend to like my BBQ sauce on the burn-your-lips-off level of spicy (which this was not) but really enjoyed this as well.
For side dishes, yams and mac and cheese stood out. The yams were slightly sweet but not so much that I needed a dental appointment later. They seemed to be flavored with cinnamon, orange juice, and a little lime juice. The mac and cheese was the real thing and was reported to be quite good.
We didn't have any room for dessert (but the cakes in covered cake dishes sure looked good and banana pudding would've hit the spot as well) but will try it next time. They have a decent selection of beers that go well with BBQ on tap.
We are already talking about going back next week :).
EDIT: Dinner
Recently, we went back for dinner and were not as impressed as when we went there for lunch. The yams weren't as good - it seemed like they might have been freshly prepared for lunch and reheated or something like that. Don't bother with the greens - they are frozen; not fresh. Cornbread seemed dry - maybe that was also leftover from lunch?
Dinner was expensive but the portions double in size. One dinner plate would serve two people (or one with leftovers for lunch). Nevertheless, I suggest going here for lunch and not dinner.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (1)
BBQ + Pizza: Don't know why?
Went for Lunch, Had a Brisket s/w and friend had Ribs. Food was OK!!! Did not stand out.
Sides were good. BBQ sauce was also not bad. But to me BBQ = meat and my first reaction is so so.
Since its a new place, I ll give it another shot.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
The BBQ and soul food here is pretty good for California. The sauce has a nice, smokiness to it and resists the temptation to go overboard on the brown sugar. The fried catfish is light and quite tasty. So why only 2 stars?
I had a simple combo of 3 ribs and 1 link sausage, with fries and beans. With a soda, my lunch came to just under $20! For BBQ! For twenty bucks, I can have lunch at two-Michelin-starred Manresa. And I can eat at any number of establishments where the meat doesn't come out resting in a quarter-inch deep puddle of grease. A simple catfish and fries lunch is over $10. Looking at dinner prices, it would cost over 80 bucks for 4 people. For BBQ & soul food, that's outrageous.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
My boss picked this place to eat at as a farewell choice to our visiting coworkers from Europe. (Yay got the boss into yelp too). I thought it was pretty darn good. At first we looked and it was only 3 stars so we were wary, but it proved the cumulative review wrong.
The sides were delicious. I got the yams and tri-tip. Tri-tip was so so, but I tried some of my friend's pulled pork sandwich and that tasted great and the ribs looked spectacular too. The corn muffin was so so. I have had way better before. Still love E&J's in Oakland more for good ole southern cooking. But this was a not bad affair.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I checked out this place for dinner on a Friday.
Pros: Good food. Meat was tender and tasty.
Cons: 1) Waited 30 minutes for our food (take out order). Other people were complaining as well. 2) Forgot to include sides. I called and they said they have a new staff that is not as experienced. 3) Pricey.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Please do not go to Butlers bbq. My brother and I were driving on elcamino when we spotted the adverstisement for bbq. The place was clean and the workers were nice. The bbq was the worst I ever have tasted in my life. The sauce was thin and the meat (ribs) tasted like they had been boiled. The sauce was so awful I cant forget it. The sausage was uncooked and tasted like it was straight out of the grocery store. The mashed potatoe salad was gross. The banana pudding was good. We felt terrible that we wasted 80.00 on nasty expensive food. What a waste of money. Dont eat there save your money they will burn you. You will regret it.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Wish I could give it zero stars.
The brisket was the lowest quality I have ever *tried* to eat. Unchewable.
The wings were whole wings. Still didn't justify the price, especially since they tasted of fish because they're fried in the same fryer as catfish.
The potato salad was...like mashed potatos. Weird.
I will never go back here, especially since the meals are around $15 to $20 and they suck. And that's not a family meal - that's for YOUR meal.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Extraordinarily disappointing. My friend and I split a large meal that cost over $50 -- what we got was a pile of cold ribs, dry ribs, with a watery excuse for BBQ sauce on the table in a plastic ketchup bottle.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Good BBQ. The first time I went, the cornbread was a little dry and the hot links were overcooked. I would have rated it one star at the time. The service however was great, and the staff, whom I assume are the owners, seemed really happy we were there, so I can back.
The second time was much better. The cornbread was moist and fresh, and very tasty. Very New Orleans deep south kind of BBQ. I really enjoy the ribs, and the brisket. I hope some more people go and give some feedback!
This is the second time to this place. This is actually a 3.5 star place but one is unable to give partial stars. I had the Tri-Tip with yams and coleslaw. A small corn muffin was included. If you look at my other posts you will see that I am on a BBQ kick.
The Tri-Tip was cooked properly, a Little bit on the fatty side, (The meat was well marbled with fat). I have had more tender Tri Tip, but meat varies. I tasted a part of the outside of the meat, were you can see the smoke ring to let you know it was Smoked not Grilled. I think they have a nice dry spice rub that they rub the meat in before cooking. They have BBQ sauce in a plastic bottle on the table. This is a vinegar based sauce that is not too spicy or hot. Not the best sauce I have had, but others seemed to like it. (A dipping sauce). The yams came in a small bowl and were nice and sweet and warm, Good job, but almost too sweet. Not over powered with spices, like some other places I have been too. Coleslaw was about average, a little too much liquid for my taste, but overall OK. Whats up with the puny corn bread cup cakes.???
This place has a much nicer location and ambiance that the other BBQ places that I have visited. Located in a small shopping center on El Camino. To their credit, the place was nice and clean both times I visited. Music paying at mid volume. I also like that the food is served on a plate and not in plastic to-go, like other places. I had a soft drink, do not know if they have beer or wine.
Last visit I had the ribs and Brisket combo. I got this order to go. The ribs were good but not as good as uncle franks (See my other post). I got about 30 % less food than uncle franks for about $10 more. The brisket was good, but not smoked for as long as Uncle franks, and not as tender. I got 2 slices of white bread, because I did not specify
that type corn bread.
Others in the party had the Catfish, I did not try it but was told it was very good.
Overall a nice place, but a little more $$$.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
This place has real, no nonsense BBQ. The ribs remind me of Memphis with an intense smoky flavor, their hot sauce is to die for, and the greens side dish is amazingly good. One super bonus is that they deliver in Sunnyvale.
I tried this place - 3 times. The first visit was so so, the second ok, the third was the final visit.
The meat & sauce: On my first visit we had ribs and links. The rub/seasoning on the meat is pretty good. The sauce is loose and runny, not the best flavor and it does not coat the meat. The ribs were terribly fatty and had a funny plastic wrap after taste. The links were straight out of a package --- there was no hiding it. The second visit we had a brisket sandwich and chicken wings. The wings were quite good. The brisket was so fatty that I had to take the sandwich apart and cut the fat away before I ate it. There was very little smoke flavor to the meat. Just brisket, sauce and bread. The brisket sandwich did not even come with a side dish. They asked me if I wanted cheese on my BBQ brisket sandwich. Cheese on my BBQ brisket sandwich??? Cheese and BBQ-hummm. Can I get a side dish instead of the cheese? On the third and final visit, we tried the baby back ribs. When the plates arrived my head almost EXPLODED --- only 4 baby back ribs per order. The meat was only slightly smoked, the meat did not fall off the bones and the ribs were sitting in a plate juice? oil? runny sauce? I did not know what it was. Each meal was served on multiple plates. The 4 ribs were on one large plate and each side was in its own bowl. So, you end up with a table loaded with dishes along with squirt bottles of the BBQ sauce.
The sides: I must agree with the other yelpers, what is up with that small dry cornbread cupcake? Frozen collard greens???? These greens are a big problem. Frozen greens swimming in liquid that tasted of garlic powder. The yams were ok, but the serving was so small. We were given a yam chunk and some yam bits. Aside from BBQ, hot dogs, fried chicken and fish they also serve pizza. Pizza???
Ambiance: A clean and attractive restaurant. Good music and TVs.
Prices: Way to high for the quality and quantity.
Rating: The cornbread and frozen collard greens are a big zero.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
BBQ? Yes, Please!
Nothing is better than when the fam BBQ's, but… -
BBQ
Kansas City, Memphis, Texas, the Carolinas. Who… -
Work Eats
These are places where I go with my coworkers for…
Hot and New
- Athena Grill
145 reviews
Santa Clara, CA
- Lucy's Tamale Factory
30 reviews
San Jose, CA
- Bill's Cafe
170 reviews
San Jose, CA
- Ramen House Ryowa
294 reviews
Mountain View, CA
- Crawdaddy
139 reviews
San Jose, CA