I stopped by Grand Ole BBQ because it had been recommended by a few friends. I was surprised when I arrived on a Saturday at 12:00 p.m. to see that there wasn't a line and that every item was still available. Prices here are pretty standard for BBQ meats and sides are on par as well. Between my party of six, we got a pound of brisket, one beef rib, half a pound of tri tip, and sides of slaw, macaroni salad and their fries topped with chopped brisket, Fritos and cheese sauce. The food here is rich and you'll want to take a nap immediately afterwards. The brisket is balanced between its fattiness and lean parts. The tri tip eats a little dry because it is slightly over but it goes well with the chimichurri sauce. The beef rib is perfectly marbled and is the best seasoned and my favorite item amongst the proteins. Sides are excellent as well. The slaw is not overly dressed, the noodles in the macaroni are not overcooked and the loaded fries have a wonderful contrast of different textures. I would stop by again if I'm craving BBQ in San Diego.

I have been to this place a couple of times and the one out in Flynn Springs as well... I love this place. The brisket in the tri-tip are to die for if you love barbecue. The potato salad might be my favorite along with the mac & cheese. Honestly, you could probably order anything on the menu and it's going to be great. They have different kind of barbecue sauces. We love the spicy and the sweet. They also have a bar which is decorated like the inside of the haunted mansion at Disneyland. I love their dole whip and I love dole whip mimosas ... they can get hot since it's mostly outdoors on a hot day and there's no parking really in the neighborhood so I was suggest taking an Uber. The service is always good. from the people taking your order to the bartender. They have live music somedays.

Barbecue on Father's Day at one of the hottest spots in San Diego? You'd have to be crazy, or strategic! With Grand Ole opening at noon on the dot, I arrived at 11:30 am sharp, found street parking nearby, and joined a small line of two to three couples. In 30 minutes, this line expanded rapidly! By the time we were let in, there must have been at least 60 people behind me. I brought a hat and wore sunscreen and spent my time in line writing out my order in Notes. Thus, when we were let in like the hungry cattle we all were, I got to the front fast, gave the super efficient cashier my order, and had all the food, including sauces, sides and utensils, within 10 minutes. Had we decided to eat there, we would have been able to get pretty much any table we wanted. The key to success is arriving early!! Food was so good. Pricey, but that's meat in 2024. We love Grand Ole!

It was our second time coming here and wanted to get brisket again and try the smash burger. Pretty busy on a Friday night. I love the layout bc it's mostly outdoor seating. It's been super hot so sitting outdoors is nice with the breeze. We ordered the brisket & smash burger with some sides. Brisket that day did not hit. It was very dry that I had to use the sauces a lot to moisten it up. Our first time there, the brisket was juicy and tender. The smash burger was surprisingly good. Lots of onions and a hint of bbq. I enjoyed it plus the fries were really good & crispy. Green beans were alright I felt like it needed to be cooked a bit more. Mac & cheese was pretty standard and I liked it. Overall, looks like it might be a hit or miss with this place. I like majority of the food but the meat can be inconsistent. I don't want to depend on bbq sauce to make the meat better.

Brisket was really good, Tri tip was plain. Coleslaw was mediocre. Green beans tasted like lemon. Would def order diff sides next time. It was packed on a weekday at 5pm. Luckily no line and only a couple tables left. Inside bar: $5 for the smallest sideways dole whip. -1 star.

4.5 stars Came on a Sunday to try their Argentinian style BBQ or rather grilled meats. They usually only have smoked BBQ meats but on Sundays they have an Argentine style which is unique, meats grilled over charcoal. I tried their smoked pork spare ribs, smoked brisket and the Tira De Asado (grilled beef ribs) The beef ribs were cut across the bone they way that you get Korean short ribs but thicker maybe a half inch or so. They were very smoky from being cooked over charcoal but I feel like it was something that I could come close to on my own at home. I would have preferred the regular smoked beef ribs. The brisket had a beautiful smoke ring, the parts that were covered in fat were very juicy and tender. The parts that had less fat weren't as juicy but still good. I loved the fatty parts, I guess that's a preference, my friend says he doesn't like paying for fat, I disagree, if it makes is juicy and tender make sure mine has lots of fat! I also loved the crusty smoked and heavily seasoned fat on the exterior of it. The pork spare ribs looked dry, but when I bit into it, it was super tender and moist! Guess you cant judge a book by its cover. It was my favorite of the 3 meats. Super tender and flavorful. I came as they opened and there was almost no wait and easily found parking. I stood in line to order, they gave me a buzzer and picked it up at the window when it was ready. Theres lots of open seating and a covered bar area if you want drinks too. I really enjoyed the Bbq here, I'll be back to try the smoked beef ribs for sure!

Came here on a Saturday around 5 pm after a long day at the Zoo. There's only street parking, which seems a little tight. But there are definitely spots around the neighborhood if you're willing to walk! We decided to get a pound of brisket, a pound of the link, and a pound of ribs. We ordered 2 sides of fries, 2 Mac and cheese, and 1 spicy coleslaw. I also got a cup of chili. The employee helping us recommended the Texas ranch style bbq so we got that, the sweet bbq, and the spicy bbq. We also got pickles and white bread. The ambiance is super casual and lively. The outdoor seating holds large groups and the dim bar is open to the patio. There were plenty of TVs with sport channels on. The bathrooms have the fancy Japanese toilets with heated seats and bidets as well. The bbq was pretty good! Not the best we'd ever had (our group is from Texas) but it easily satisfied us all. The brisket was soft and juicy, the ribs were cooked well, but the sausage was my favorite. Super packed with flavor and had a great snap. The chili was good and very meaty, but a tad salty. I ate it with the coleslaw and white bread which helped. The fries were super crispy and everyone liked the Mac and cheese! The bbq sauces were good as well and so were the pickles. I loved how the pickles were more on the sweet side but no one else in the group liked them as much because they don't like sweet pickles. Reminded us of Texas! Would come again.

I've been smoking meats for a few years now and I'd consider Grand Ole BBQ of the best barbecue spots in San Diego! This is the only bbq spot I will go to if ever I'm too lazy to do it myself. I ordered Brisket and the big Dino Beef Rib. You GOTTA get one of your meats EL BURRACHO style, which is a cream sauce with frito puree. It was so good, I had them host of my company luncheons for 50 people. I ordered by emailing Andy, who was kinda hard to get a hold of. Once we responded, we were rolling right along. He recommended what to order, which was 14lbs brisket, 12lbs pulled pork, potato salad, slaw, and Hawaiian rolls. They let me pick everything up before they opened to the public (and there was already a small line forming lol) and Andy helped me load up my car. It was plenty food for my luncheon and I received lots of praise for it (and the food of course)!

Lookin for a good barbecue spot aside from Phil's BBQ. This one popped up. AMBIANCE: Parking: Street parking. It can get busy so plan accordingly. Seating: Inside and patio parking. Great for groups. It seems to have about 100 for capacity Vibes: This is in the North Park area. Thus, it's crowded and eventful, and parking can be competitive. The spot itself is pretty neat - spacious with a little vintage Western - Cowboy look. Great place for big events, celebrations, or if you're tying to catch a game. FOOD: Broiled ShortRibs - Borracho style(Recommend) I was sad that they don't smoke ribs on Sunday but this was still pretty good. Juicy, savory, and right off-the-bone type of barbecue. Smother that beef with some sauce and you're in for a treat. Now the borracho is like grits or a tamale, a base of polenta (cornmeal) with cheese, onions, and peppers - relish and serrano. The borracho was an experience and made this dish extra fulfilling Potato Salad (Recommend) So many choices of sides but this stuck. I enjoyed the cold chunks of potatoes to help calm the flavors and clean your palate. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Great! Friendly people who were quick with the service. TL; DR OVERALL: 4 Stars. Deelish! Reasonable prices, good selections, and pleasant vibes. If you haven't been to Phil's BBQ then yet, try that out. However if you're looking for less of a mainstream yet creative flavor. This is your place. Enjoy! TIPS: * They don't do smoked ribs on Sunday * Borracho means drunk