old location Breakwater Barbecue is an American craft barbecue carvery specializing in all wood smoked high quality meats. They’ve been around since 2020 and were listed in the SF Chronicles top BBQ list. We were biking nearby (God’s Trail is legendary) and dropped in for lunch. They are located across from the beach, about 20 miles from San Francisco. We’ve been back several times, latest in 2026 at their new location. Happy Hour Thursday/Friday 3-6pm $2 off taco/snacks, $10 Combos, $2 off draft/wine, $30 beer buckets Online ordering is turned off on weekends, so you can’t beat the line The BBQ is as good as anything in SF. Far better than 4505. Give it a try if you are nearby. They run out of meats, so come early. Alas, Breakwater is only so good, it is still a level below the best BBQ we’ve had – Pinkerton’s Houston. Safety Pluses – Outdoor seating in the back and front. Online menu, Delivery services available, online ordering. Breakwater Food Review: Brisket ($19 per 0.5 pound) Creekstone Farms Certified Black Angus, dry rubbed. Nice black edge and lots of fat. Ample quantity. Tender juicy. Solid BBQ sauce – bit sweet. 9/10 Pork Ribs […]

This post originally from Breakwater Barbecue, El Granada

First time in Texas and we had to get BBQ. Pinkerton’s BBQ has locations in Houston and San Antonio. It is one of the top spots on Yelp when we searched, plus it was not far from IAH airport. Pinkerton, with no formal training, relentlessly pursued his dream and the restaurant has been recognized on Texas Monthly’s Top 50 BBQ Joints list 2017-2024 Menu is classic BBQ with meats by the pounds, sides, etc. Lines are long because as in other BBQ joints, the carving station is the bottleneck The food was fantastic, some of the best BBQ we have had and clearly better than anything in the San Francisco area plus a lot cheaper. Service was fine, it was more lineup, get your food and sit down. Food Review: Copper Creek Prime Brisket ($35/lb) was as juicy as I’ve seen. The meat was super tender and full of flavor. They have regular and a sweet BBQ sauce. 10/10 Glaze Pork Ribs ($26/lb) are not big and the meat falls off the bone. Smokey flavor, tender, wow. 10/10 Chopped pork shoulder ($23/lb) is a sleeper here. Most folks get the other items. It too is very tender and full of […]

This post originally from Pinkerton’s Barbecue

Horn BBQ Is a legendary barbecue restaurant in Oakland, California. It has 3.5 stars on yelp and had long lines at the old location whenever it’s open. A fire closed them down and made them re-open in April 2024 at 464 8th St. near Chinatown, Oakland at their former burger joint.  You now order using the computer tablet by the entrance, then sit down. Horn BBQ Definitely serves up barbecue that was not as good as the old location. Top-notch barbecue the San Francisco Bay area. Breakwater BBQ in El Granada is really good. 4505 in San Francisco is also good for ribs. We recently ate at Midsmoke in Charlotte North Carolina and found their barbecue definitely superior. Safety Pluses – Online menu, Delivery services available, online ordering, contact less payments. Minuses – None Food Review: Spare ribs ($14.50) by the half pound were a bit dry and not as good as the past. Barbecue sauce is on the sweet side and a bit watery. 7.5/10 Brisket ($17.50) for half pound was dry on our last visit, also not as good as the past. 6.5/10 Collard greens ($6 small) and pit beans ($6) are served in good quality. The greens […]

This post originally from Horn BBQ, Oakland

Last Update: 5/10/2024 Where does a San Francisco Foodie eat in the Durham – Chapel Hill – Research Triangle, North Carolina? Follow our journey and learn from our experiences. We have family there and will return again. Here is a compilation of more casual restaurants, snack places we visited during our 2019-2024 Durham – RTP Research Triangle trip and 2023 Asheville trip. Our goal was to find good eats at reasonable prices, primarily restaurants where locals go. We have no interest sampling cuisine that is done better at home in the San Francisco Bay Area. This is challenging on an expensive ‘island’, full of pricey tourist traps. Our Trip includes visits to Durham Chapel Hill Morrisville Asheville Food Focus: Local Mid South Cuisine BBQ Chicken and Waffles Southern Cuisine Newest reviews appear first Glasshouse Kitchen, NC 5/10/24 Why did we dine here? – Glasshouse Kitchen is a cool looking restaurant in a Industrial Park situated in the Research Triangle, surrounded by Agritech and Biotech companies. The food was solid but not as nice as the surroundings.  The server was overloaded and tried to do her best. 3.5% kitchen appreciation. Cuisine – American Location – Research Triangle, NC Verdict – Glasshouse […]

This post originally from Durham, Asheville North Carolina Restaurant Reviews

Why did we dine here? – Smoque BBQ is a highly rated BBQ restaurant in the Northern part of Chicago. We heard good things about it and decided to give it a try while on our trip to the Windy City. Many in Chicago are proud of their BBQ, so we wanted to see if it is a lot better than San Francisco’s. This restaurant is about 20 minutes from the Loop. They have a location in the Revival Food Hall in the Loop that serves a subset of this spot. There is a line often, where you line up to order, and then are guided to a table. They call your number and then you go get your food. They are pretty strict on seating people and ensuring a smooth flow. Insider Tip – Call ahead to order takeout Cuisine – BBQ Location – Chicago, Irving Park Opened – 2007 Service – Smoque BBQ had decent service with people helping you order or carry your food. Verdict – Smoque BBQ satisfied our BBQ cravings. They did not impress us as much as we expected though. Is this restaurant worth a 5 minute drive? Yes. 30 minute? Maybe. 1 Hour? […]

This post originally from Smoque BBQ, Chicago

This post originally from Gorilla BBQ Restaurant Review, Pacifica