The food is very good. Burgers: tasty meat, a lot of cheese, carameled onions and homemade ketchup. RecommendedThe place is still new
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kristopher Maingot
Food and service was great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adam Headley
**2-Star Review for Smokin J’s BBQ**Regrettably, our experience at Smokin J's BBQ left much to be desired, especially with the service. The bartender seemed overwhelmed and unable to remember who ordered what. At one point, a random dish was simply placed on our table with a dismissive "figure it out." Surprisingly, we also received extra, unordered dishes and drinks. Adding to the discomfort, the bartender was openly vaping inside, which did nothing to enhance the atmosphere.The ambiance was average, featuring only mirrors and TVs on the walls, a single intriguing fan on the ceiling, a set of bull horns, and a small mural of a pig roast that added a touch of character but couldn’t salvage the overall experience.As for the food, it was passable with a traditional Texas sauce that I enjoyed. However, the brisket was notably fatty. A choice between fatty and lean brisket would be appreciated. I'd rate the food 3 out of 5, purely for the sauce and some basic BBQ staples that were decent.Overall, given the lackluster service and just-okay atmosphere, I must rate Smokin J’s BBQ at a disappointing one star. The place needs serious improvements in staff training and perhaps a reconsideration of its decor to make it feel more welcoming.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Brisket -1 2 lb, Bean Crack, Mac N Cheese
bill fisher
If you are looking for the best smoked meats in the area, look no further. This place is it! I have smoked meats for years and their meats are the best I have ever had. I had the brisket which was smoked perfectly, moist and tasty as heck. I could eat it all day long. As for the service, it was top notch. I felt like I was at my mother's house being well taken care of for anything I needed. Seriously, the owners need to submit their meats into competitions because it is award winning. Can't wait to go back! The 4 of us each got the TV dinner tray which was a perfect portion for 2 adults n 2 kids.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
John Powers - NAI Black Commercial Real Estate
Top notch BBQ! Love this place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adam Clements
Best bbq I've had outside of
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Smokin J Sandwich, Bread Pudding with Icecream
Phillip Davidson
The food is good, but I can't understand the pricing.A grilled cheese at the poway location is 13, and here it's 24.Please explain.
Food: 4
Mark LoGiurato
Large restaurant with ample seating for large parties. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. The food has a nice smoked flavor.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Pulled Pork - 1 2 lb, Slaw
Sky Orozco
The best BBQ I’ve had in a longgggggg time! I got the TV dinner with Brisket (fatty) Mac, beans, and corn bread. The flavors and textures were on point!! Will definitely be coming back here! Thank you!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brisket -1 2 lb
R C
Smokin J's BBQ and Taphouse in Gaslamp in San Diego is the WORST BBQ food I've ever had.I ordered pulled pork, mac and cheese, and baked beans. The pulled pork came out cold (like right out of the fridge cold) and had very little flavor. The baked beans are basically chili with a lot of sugar added. The mac and cheese was powdery with a really weird texture and not a good flavor.Iced tea was completely flavorless. Essentially just brown water.The BBQ sauce is like a really runnier version of Sweet Baby Rays. Ketchup was some weird combination of cocktail sauce mixed with BBQ sauce.Customer service was extremely subpar. Really bad experience from the get-go. The host/server person handed us menus and told us to find a table over along the wall. Really weird way to welcome someone in. The place was empty but we had to sit in an awkward spot.The 4.8 rating on Google legitimately makes no sense. Those reviews have to be fake or paid for. This was literally the worst BBQ I've ever had.
Extremely overpriced. $20 brisket is the size of a sampler. Food is good, but does not match the price.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Lacey Neumann
Good food and good service. We got brisket, ribs, pulled pork and smoked jackfruit. All of it was great. Staff is super nice and on top of everything.Vegetarian options: Jackfruit yuuum
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pulled Pork - 1 2 lb
miguel peña
Very good place. Try the smoked prime rib. A generous portion and very good flavor.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
H D
The place was almost empty when we walked in around 5:30-6pm. We ordered the TV Dinner Pork Belly. While it tasted good, it was a little too dry for my taste. The amount of the sides were small. I'm not sure if we will visit again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Abril Ortega
Service is great but if you’re looking for good BBQ flavor I wouldn’t recommend. Taste and flavor is very average.
The food is very good. Burgers: tasty meat, a lot of cheese, carameled onions and homemade ketchup. RecommendedThe place is still new
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food and service was great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
**2-Star Review for Smokin J’s BBQ**Regrettably, our experience at Smokin J's BBQ left much to be desired, especially with the service. The bartender seemed overwhelmed and unable to remember who ordered what. At one point, a random dish was simply placed on our table with a dismissive "figure it out." Surprisingly, we also received extra, unordered dishes and drinks. Adding to the discomfort, the bartender was openly vaping inside, which did nothing to enhance the atmosphere.The ambiance was average, featuring only mirrors and TVs on the walls, a single intriguing fan on the ceiling, a set of bull horns, and a small mural of a pig roast that added a touch of character but couldn’t salvage the overall experience.As for the food, it was passable with a traditional Texas sauce that I enjoyed. However, the brisket was notably fatty. A choice between fatty and lean brisket would be appreciated. I'd rate the food 3 out of 5, purely for the sauce and some basic BBQ staples that were decent.Overall, given the lackluster service and just-okay atmosphere, I must rate Smokin J’s BBQ at a disappointing one star. The place needs serious improvements in staff training and perhaps a reconsideration of its decor to make it feel more welcoming.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Brisket -1 2 lb, Bean Crack, Mac N Cheese
If you are looking for the best smoked meats in the area, look no further. This place is it! I have smoked meats for years and their meats are the best I have ever had. I had the brisket which was smoked perfectly, moist and tasty as heck. I could eat it all day long. As for the service, it was top notch. I felt like I was at my mother's house being well taken care of for anything I needed. Seriously, the owners need to submit their meats into competitions because it is award winning. Can't wait to go back! The 4 of us each got the TV dinner tray which was a perfect portion for 2 adults n 2 kids.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Top notch BBQ! Love this place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best bbq I've had outside of
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Smokin J Sandwich, Bread Pudding with Icecream
The food is good, but I can't understand the pricing.A grilled cheese at the poway location is 13, and here it's 24.Please explain.
Food: 4
Large restaurant with ample seating for large parties. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. The food has a nice smoked flavor.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Pulled Pork - 1 2 lb, Slaw
The best BBQ I’ve had in a longgggggg time! I got the TV dinner with Brisket (fatty) Mac, beans, and corn bread. The flavors and textures were on point!! Will definitely be coming back here! Thank you!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brisket -1 2 lb
Smokin J's BBQ and Taphouse in Gaslamp in San Diego is the WORST BBQ food I've ever had.I ordered pulled pork, mac and cheese, and baked beans. The pulled pork came out cold (like right out of the fridge cold) and had very little flavor. The baked beans are basically chili with a lot of sugar added. The mac and cheese was powdery with a really weird texture and not a good flavor.Iced tea was completely flavorless. Essentially just brown water.The BBQ sauce is like a really runnier version of Sweet Baby Rays. Ketchup was some weird combination of cocktail sauce mixed with BBQ sauce.Customer service was extremely subpar. Really bad experience from the get-go. The host/server person handed us menus and told us to find a table over along the wall. Really weird way to welcome someone in. The place was empty but we had to sit in an awkward spot.The 4.8 rating on Google legitimately makes no sense. Those reviews have to be fake or paid for. This was literally the worst BBQ I've ever had.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
Extremely overpriced. $20 brisket is the size of a sampler. Food is good, but does not match the price.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Good food and good service. We got brisket, ribs, pulled pork and smoked jackfruit. All of it was great. Staff is super nice and on top of everything.Vegetarian options: Jackfruit yuuum
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pulled Pork - 1 2 lb
Very good place. Try the smoked prime rib. A generous portion and very good flavor.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
The place was almost empty when we walked in around 5:30-6pm. We ordered the TV Dinner Pork Belly. While it tasted good, it was a little too dry for my taste. The amount of the sides were small. I'm not sure if we will visit again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Service is great but if you’re looking for good BBQ flavor I wouldn’t recommend. Taste and flavor is very average.