By popular demand, Heritage has added the traditional barbecue platters served at its award-winning original San Juan Capistrano outpost to the menu at its brewery restaurant in Oceanside, which also holds a secret cocktail speakeasy. The barbecue specialist now offers its acclaimed brisket, pulled pork, and more a la carte and stuffs the smoked meat into tacos and sandwiches.

With restaurants in Poway as well as the Miramar area, Smokin J’s is run by the George brothers, including pitmaster Jeremy, a veteran barbecue pro. Grab some family and friends and try one of their sampler platters, which features a pound each of brisket and pulled pork as well as a whole chicken, toasted buns, and four sides including mac n’ cheese and “bean crack”, a mix of navy beans smoked and smothered in barbecue sauce with nuggets of pork belly.

This Miramar restaurant has become a hub where local business workers go for their barbecue fix, meaning it can get pretty busy during the noon hour. Lunch specials ring in under the $10 zone and include your choice of sandwiches loaded with beef brisket, pork shoulder, ham, chicken or kielbasa.

A popular catering company since 1999, this is Buckboard’s brick-and-mortar and a popular joint for ribs. Don’t miss out on sides like hush puppies with smoked jalapeño cream cheese, mac ‘n cheese balls with pasilla chile dipping sauce and a corn muffin with maple butter.

The sides at this La Mesa restaurant are just as important as the barbecue. Find beans with smoked bacon and pork belly, and crunchy, addicting onion rings. Feed the whole gang by ordering family meals with a selection of meats and sides to satisfy everyone.

Barbecue and craft beers make a tasty pairing at this El Cajon destination. The speciality is California-style barbecue tri-trip, smoked over red oak. Order the tri-tip in sandwiches and atop salads but don’t sleep on the smoked wings.

Open since 1991, the restaurant features a menu item that you can’t find anywhere else: a barbecue burrito. There are different versions: one lets you choose your own meat, one is made with rib tips, and the third is a riff on a Sloppy Joe with chopped up burnt ends. All come wrapped in a large flour tortilla with coleslaw and beans.

Reopened in an even grander form in 2022, this North Park meat dealer is still slinging fantastic Texas barbecue from its mostly open-air corner spot. With tri-tip, spare ribs, hot links, and more at lunch and dinner (at least until they sell out) Wednesday through Saturday, Sundays are reserved for Argentine-style barbecue delicacies like chorizo sandwiches, skirt steak, and blood sausage.

Still going strong after almost a decade, pitmaster Bradley “Coop” Cooper is the definition of a pro when it comes to smoking meats, specifically his ribs and brisket. Craving fried chicken with your barbecue? Also check out Da Chicken Coop, his adjacent fried chicken shack.

Bringing barbecue to Sherman Heights, this industry-friendly spot offers an eclectic menu that ranges from classics like beef back ribs and pulled pork to Scottish salmon served with charred lemon aioli.

This longtime spot on Mount Hope focuses on East Texas-style barbecue. Owned and operated by the Stance family, the menu incorporates family recipes passed down from generation to generation. Head in and dig into ribs, tri-tip and brisket. Save room for dessert like the lemon cake.