Needed to escape the heat of the Valley and headed to spend some time at Rio Del Mar. Anyone that is a beach goer knows that you work up quite an appetite. So My two son's and I opted to find some bbq. Glad we decided on this place. It is easily accessible from the freeway. There is minimal parking on site but a good amount of street and residential parking within walking distance. They offer outside seating if you can't find anything inside or don't want the loudness of the live music. Speaking of music...they apparently have live music every night or just about. The two gentleman who performed were quite the duo and very entertaining! We came on a Saturday. Place was packed. We ordered ribs, tri-tip, brisket, potato salad, baked beans and bread pudding. Food was PHENOMENAL!!!! Worth every penny and the trip! Customer service was A+. As busy as they were you could almost expect to feel rushed or an employee being short and to the point, but no one was. We will be back! read more

The soda machine choices here are to die for, but the prices on the menu are outrageous !! Like seriously it's bad enough we live in a very expensive state but Damm are these prices just bad. They need something cheaper and better plus the bbq tasted watered down with no love. The first few bites are good but the rest I'll just toss it to my dog. read more

Ribs, brisket, tri tip. In that order. If we could have unlimited ribs with no other meat, we would. We love good bbq, especially with a well done fatty brisket (not well done temp-wise). Plan to sub out the mac and the baked beans. They were just... different. The Mac uses a cheese that has a sharp flavor with a not-so-great after taste. The baked beans were chalky with a hint of spice. We finished neither and were disappointed we didn't get different sides, especially having read the feedback on these two sides specifically. Would have tried the cornbread and potato salad in lieu of. We opted to sit outside since we had the doggos with us. It gets cold in the evenings and while they APPEAR to have heaters, don't be fooled. There are no propane tanks inside them and there's no plan to either. Apparently there are some propane kleptos among us. Bring a blanked or towel for your doggo to sit on as the outdoor space is all rocks. We brought our car bucket and it was a nice fit. read more

Aptos St BBQ - Bring your doggo something to sit on. The outdoor space is all rocks. - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

Everything we ordered...ribs, tri-tip, chicken, macncheese, coleslaw, potato salad, garlic bread...was incredibly delicious and cooked to perfection. We had a crowd of 23 and had our order delivered to us at our KOA campsite. The food was hot and delivered on time right to our cabin!! Plus, Stormy, at Aptos St. BBQ, was incredibly nice and patient and worked with us for whatever we needed...thanks Stormy! read more

The Brisket was wonderful and fresh With outstanding taste. The sides were mediocre Ribs were mediocre read more

Came in here on a Saturday night, loved the atmosphere. There was an awesome duo playing some blues. I ordered a combo plate with:brisket, pulled pork, beans and coleslaw. The food came out so fast for how busy it was. And honestly, some of the best bbq I have ever had! Both meats were so tender. The beans were 10/10 could have had 3 more orders of them! Coleslaw was awesome too, nice little side of vinegar added a nice bite to it. Oh and the cornbread was unreal good as well! Overall, great atmosphere, great vibes and even better food! I can't wait to be in the area again and dine here. read more

Aptos St BBQ - 2 meat combo - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

Aptos St BBQ provided catering for a party I recently hosted. Amazing! Everything was delivered hot to my door, huge portions, everyone loved it! The brisket is the best in town! Highly recommend! read more

Great barbeque for reasonable prices! They also have a pretty unique (and tasty) selection of sodas. I got the Pineapple Cream soda and my brother got the Vanilla Soda and they were both pretty good! We opted to sit outside because, although the jazz music creates a vibrant atmosphere, it was a bit too loud. Food arrived within 10-ish minutes of ordering. We got the 5 Meat Combo, which was enough to fully feed our party of 3 people. - Brisket: Very good! So tender (was hard to pick up with a fork because it kept falling apart!) and savory - Pulled pork: On the drier side, and no distinct flavors besides a strong saltiness. - Burnt ends: My favorite! So juicy and tender, nicely coated with the sweet barbeque sauce with a kick of spice. - Tri Tip: Very tough and hard to chew, was decently juicy but lacked a unique flavor profile. It was just salty - Pork ribs: Juicy and tender, a solid rib. Could use a bit more sauce though. - The cornbread that came on the side was really good, the outside was crispy and it bread itself was savory-sweet. Overall, Aptos St BBQ is a solid barbeque spot given the prices, and I would definitely come back again, especially for the Burnt Ends and cornbread! read more

Aptos St BBQ - Pineapple Cream Soda - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

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Stopped in for a long anticipated lunch after many hours of driving from Solvang. Ordered the macaroni and cheese with barbecue pulled pork. The pork was tender and nicely seasoned. The macaroni and cheese tasted good, however after I dumped some barbecue sauce on top it kicked it up a notch! The soda machine has many tasty options. I settled on the cream soda since it's not too sweet. The people here are always nice and welcoming. I noticed the new patio outdoor seating area. Well new to me anyway. It looks pretty! read more

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This BBQ joint is one of my favorite BBQ joints. Each summer, we like to visit Santa Cruz for family camping trips or stay in the many rental homes. On our Santa Cruz visits, we would always make a 15 minute trip to Aptos Street BBQ for their delicious and tender smoked ribs & meats. Back in the day it was a small BBQ joint, but since then it has expanded to a large BBQ restaurant with plenty of seating indoors and outdoors. The decor is like a rustic wood cabin with cool air conditioning. The place is clean and the staff is friendly. They have beer on tap and live blues bands on Saturday afternoons from 1pm - 4pm, and in the evenings from 6pm - 8pm nightly during the week. I like to sit inside so I can enjoy listening to the band while eating. Aptos Street BBQ is a popular restaurant and gets busy. You oplace your order at the register, and when your order is ready, they will call your name and text you too. The ribs, brisket, tri-tip, pulled pork, chicken, and salads are all great! You can't go wrong with any of the choices. I also love the garlic bread which is made with grilled soft ciabatta bread. Yummy!!! The BBQ sauce is a sweet, smokey, vinegary type sauce that has an original or spicy option. It's not too sweet & not too vinegary tho. I think it's just right! Try it the next time you are in Aptos or Santa Cruz, and I hope you enjoy Aptos Street BBQ as much as I do. read more

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Came at 4:45 on the 4th of July and they ran out of corn bread. The meats were tasty but the beans were all sauce with a few beans. They offered an alternative side and I went with the Mac and Cheese, which turned out be worse than the bean sauce with few beans. It was runny and flavorless. I spoke the manager and they became defensive and said they always serve their Mac and Cheese like that. read more

This is hands down the best BBQ I've ever had! The meat is unbelievably tender--so soft it practically falls apart on its own. The natural flavor is outstanding and shines even without the sauce (which says a lot!). You can tell they really know how to let the quality of the meat speak for itself. Even the potato salad was delicious--something that's surprisingly hard to get right. The seasoning and texture were spot on. Every part of the meal was executed to perfection. If you're a BBQ lover, this place is an absolute must. I can't wait to come back! read more

Solid bbq, I came in around 2 pm and ordered the 4 meat tray, tray came out, sides were on the smaller side but meats made up for it! Customer service was cool, beer was aight! Tasted a lil flat. Would definitely come back read more

Aptos St BBQ - Burnt ends, pork ribs , brisket, tri tip, with sides of beans and Mac - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

Best bbq I've had in my life... and I worked at a famous butcher shop. The drippings they give you to pour over, garlic toast... it is mouth watering. Love the ambience, very cozy and friendly atmosphere. read more

Quite possibly the best balanced smoked meat, not too fatty of a brisket and BBQ sauces just right. I really couldn't tweak the brisket and chicken and BBQ sauces any better for my taste. Also, I did enjoy the slice of corn bread. It was not the cakey-fluffy kind. One walks up to the cashier, orders the meal, desserts, drinks and they yell out your name when the food is ready to be picked up. Talking about drinks, they have a myriad of sodas on tap, beers, ciders and canned libations. In and outdoor seating. There is a parking lot but it seemed easier and shadier to park on the street. read more

Aptos St BBQ - Check out the smoke rings on the brisket! - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

I have tried giving the bbq another chance a few times, but I just had their ribs and they tasted b like they were from a week ago! Very disappointing read more

This is great restaurant on many levels. It definitely has the bbq/picnic vibes to it. From the table cloths to wooden tables outside and live music on certain nights indoors this place is a great time with good food. Naturally the meats are the stars of the show. We had ribs, brisket, pulled pork, tri-tip and hot link. Everything was mouth watering delicious. Additionally they had two BBQ sauces. Original and spicy. Both made in house and were flavorful. The spicy has a slight kick so those of you who can't handle a lot of spice can still pull this one off. I would say it has a medium heat to it. So if your extra sensitive stay away. Oh yeah, we were unexpectedly given a vinegar based BBQ sauce with a little bit of heat. It was good but not my cup of tea. I am not a fan on majority of vinegars. So keep that in mind. However I will say it was extremely flavorful, so if you like vinegar you'll most likely enjoy this. Sadly the sides is where things really started to fall off a bit. It bummed me out because I would love to find a good BBQ spot that also has great sides and not just outstanding BBQ. For our side dishes we got the coleslaw, baked beans, corn bread, and Mac & cheese. None of them were bad. From best to worst we'll stared with the baked beans. They were by far the best. Good flavor. Not to thin and running. The perfect amount of flavoring with bean to meat ratio. The rest were very average. The Mac and cheese was was good. It was also just very middle of the lane. Nothing bad about it but nothing outstanding either. Such as cheesy or crunchy top or unique flavor. A personal Bummer since this is my favorite side when it comes to bbq. The coleslaw was simply green cabbage. No carrots or red cabbage. I would have settled for either but it was just green cabbage. I will say it was not soggy nor was it too sweet. Both of those are big w me when it come to coleslaw but it was just meh. The cornbread was major disappointment. It looked so good. I will say the texture was the best part. It had the perfect balance of soft yet a crunchy top because it was grilled. However, it didn't have a buttery taste, even though we buttered it. It also didn't have a corn taste. It was very bland. We're open to various flavor profiles associated with cornbread, but this lacked any flavor whatsoever. Like we said no hints of butter or corn, sweetness, or corn or anything typically that comes with cornbread. We even added a single serving of butter and honey, and it just fell flat. The soda selection was top-tier though. Stubborn soda is always a win especially when it's on top. We treated ourselves to the pineapple cream. It's light yet fruity and a great soda for those who don't want anything too sweet. I'm always surprised when I try a new flavor of theirs because they're often things I wouldn't normally drink. They're full of flavor, but not overly sweet. read more

Aptos St BBQ - Meats- ribs, brisket, pulled pork, tri-tip & hot link. Sides- coleslaw, BBQ beans, & corn bread. BBQ Sauces-spicy, regular, & vinegar-based. - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

Always my go-to for our holiday luncheon catering. The online ordering is effortless, and their team is quick to respond to any questions, which makes event planning feel refreshingly smooth. Communication is spot-on, and that matters when you're hosting a crowd. Special shout-out to Alfredo, our delivery driver, who made sure everything was perfectly in place before heading out and did it all with a warm, friendly attitude. And the food? Fantastic as always. The pulled pork was the clear crowd favorite. read more

Q the Roof Another quality BBQ joint by this family-run operation that has multiple BBQ restaurants located throughout Norcal. This location might be my favorite of the bunch, tho, as the Q on our last visit was out-fucking-standing. Here's a full list: Aptos St BBQ (Aptos), Trail Dust (Morgan Hill), BBQ 152 (Gilroy), South Winchester BBQ (SJ), Salinas City BBQ (Salinas, duh), Wagon Wheel (Mt View), Mission St BBQ (Santa Cruz), The Crossroads (Carmel-by-the-Sea), and Real Smoked BBQ catering. The Good: *Outdoor dog-friendly seating *Fast-casual (i.e., order at the counter) *Friendly service *Fantastic selection of local microbrews (this is a hallmark of these Q joints) *Live Blues music 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. nightly (Sat 1 - 4 p.m.) *BBQ Beans were just a hair underdone but really good, regardless. *Ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender, smokey, and delicious. *Brisket was smokey, juicy, and full of beefy goodness. Maybe the best brisket I've had in a few years. *Carissa loved her smoked chicken. Pro Tip: Make sure to specify dark or white when you order, but I can almost guarantee the white will be dry. *The "Slaw Queen" gave her stamp of approval. The Meh: *Street parking only, which wasn't an issue for us, but it could be during peak times. *Wasn't a big fan of the Mac and Cheese, as I felt it was a little gloppy, but it was still plenty edible. The Ugly: *Not really sure what to make of the cornbread... Kinda odd, but kinda good at the same time. Very unusual. Conclusion: Excellent Q, solid beer selection, and great vibes. read more

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We ordered takeout Family pack#1. It was on time and plenty of food for 4 people and 2 kids. Great taste.!! We'll be back. Fernando Mesa read more

Devoured 2 of their breakfast tacos in record time - piping hot and delicious. Had both the brisket and pulled pork, and chose over easy egg over scrambled. read more

I came on a Friday night and it's not really crowded. The cashier seems lost and not focus. After taking the order of the person ahead of me, the cashier left and had me wait in line for about 10 minutes without saying anything. Finally took my order and had to wait for about 15 minutes. I ordered the burnt end and my wife ordered the bbq chicken. Mine was tough, flavorless and dry , won't order it again. Wish I just ordered the brisket or tri tip. The bbq chicken is alright. My side dishes were messed up, my beans was missing and also my wife's potato salad. I had to follow up several times before I got them. For me, the best I had was the garlic bread and the bbq sauce. I am not sure if I'll be back. Might as we just go to Mission St. Bbq. read more

Decided to stop by here for lunch on a whim. I forgot how good Aptos BBQ is! It's been awhile since I've eaten here and I'm not sure why? The meat is always SO tender and flavorful. They are always consistent, I've never been here and had a bad plate of food. Today I got the regular bbq chicken sandwich with a side of coleslaw (I dump it in my sandwich) and wow. So filling and delicious! My partner got the BBQ spud with brisket and my kids got their littles plate of tri-tip, choice of side and either corn bread or garlic bread. Just for $10! Not bad! The service was quick but we also came when it was empty. So that left lots of seating options! They also have a good selection of beer on tap! Only issue is parking can be tricky! Definitely check this place out! Way easier to get to than Mission St. BBQ (IYKYK) read more

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Had the Gaucho sandwich special tonight. Diced, butter-soft smoked beef brisket with provolone and chimichurri. Best thing I've put in my mouth in a long time. Everyone was friendly and there was live music. Bravo, Aptos BBQ!! read more

Ordered the smoked corned beef for St. Patrick's Day. Got the meal with the baked potato. Being of Irish descent, I've had a lot of corned beef in my life. This meat from Aptos BBQ was the BEST by orders of magnitude. Tender, not stringy, flavorful, melt in your mouth. All that and a generous portion. My condolences to all who missed this delicious treat! read more

Great place for BBQ after hiking Nisene Parks. Indoor and outdoor, limited parking. Plenty of great bbq options read more

I have been a customer of Aptos BBQ for many years. Their brisket and chicken are absolutely the best in Santa Cruz County! Recently I ordered 4 lbs of lean brisket for my out of town family to enjoy. This is a well traveled group, all of them loved the brisket! Great flavor, delivered on time with friendly service. Thank you, Matt Bloom read more

This was the BEST bbq if ever had in my life. 10/10. Brisket is insane. No words. We got the 3 meat with coleslaw and potato salad. My boyfriend got an extra side of mac and cheese. Everything was amazing. I never eat this much meat and my boyfriend and I scarfed everything down. If you are looking for good bbq come here. read more

Aptos St BBQ - Brisket, burnt ends, pork ribs, coleslaw, mac and cheese, potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

Best BBQ spot in Santa Cruz area, even though I don't care for their sides. My favorite is brisket sandwich. I also love their pickled condiments!! read more

I came back again (several times actually). This time I got the burnt ends and they were heavenly nuggets of gooey, caramelized, savory meaty goodness. The tri-tip today was good, but not amazing. The brisket sandwich is incredible as always--moist, salty, smoky well-marbled beef on soft garlic buttered sandwich bread. The pork ribs had great flavor, just the right amount of saltiness, and were soft enough to pull off the bone. The cornbread was pleasant with a slightly toasted texture. It came with a packet of honey and a pat of butter on the side. The potato salad was my favorite side. Mac and cheese had a creamy white cheesy sauce with soft, almost mushy macaroni, which I didn't much care for. I tried the beans, which were meh. The beans were heavy on a spice I didn't like, cumin maybe? I wouldn't re-order this. All of this delicious outdoor smoked barbecue paired well with the black cherry soda. There's also an option to add 1/4 lb meat to a side (like the baked potato) for $7. Service is just okay, but we're here for the food honestly. The interior is dimly lit and often has a great blues band on weekends, which really sets the vibe for a relaxed atmosphere. Next time I'll just order the burnt ends (perfection), ribs, and cornbread. I highly recommend this barbecue joint--it's the best of the all the ones ones I've tried in the greater Bay Area. read more

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The service was good and the atmosphere was great...but the food......yuck! I'm so sorry I have to write this review..... The beans tasted like someone wasted chili powder in the whole batch. The Mac and cheese tasted like spoiled cheese, and the kids brisket had more fat on it than meat. The garlic bread's garlic was so overpowering that you could hardly enjoy the chopped beef. The ice machine was inoperable..the potato salad had a pink tinge and tasted like it had some weird powder mixture. The salad was a healthy choice but the added smoked chicken did not have a "smoked" taste..just regular cold chicken with no flavor. If you have had any of these menu items that tasted similar to my experience..give this message a thumbs up. read more

Aptos St BBQ - Berry Bleu Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

Wow! Best bbq ever! I threw a birthday party for hubby last weekend and ordered between 2-3 pds each of all the different meats. We had about 15 guests and plenty of food. Everyone showed because they knew Aptos bbq was providing the foods!! Everything was delicious- with the brisket being the most popular. 2nd to that were the hotlinks. The service was awesome- along with our hostess. Ordering was simple and all on the phone. Stormy had great suggestions and added all the plates, silverware, napkins, serving pieces we needed. We're regulars at Aptos bbq but this was the first time we used the catering services! I recommend them whole heartedly and will do this again! Laurie S. Aptos, Ca read more

One of the best BBQ places I've ever been too. A great range of meats but also the extras and salads that are huge and super fresh. Way too big but don't ever change! Amazing prices too. Cannot wait to come back!! Loveliest servers and team. Wow!!! read more

Aptos St BBQ - Humongous Berry Bleu Salad. Get it!! - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

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Aptos St BBQ was a convenient restaurant near State park Nisene Marks. Order at the counter and pickup your food. Food comes fast. They use a fancy soft drink dispenser. Food was slightly above average. Safety Pluses - Online menu, Delivery services available, online ordering. Food Review: 2 Meat Meal ($26) pull pork was not as good as the ribs. Average, not special. 7.5/10 pork ribs were tender and sauced. Solid. 8/10 beans side had a slight kick. Average 7/10 mac cheese was better than expect. Not too cheesy. 7.5/10 garlic bread was average 7.5/10 Overall - Very Good Food - Very Good Decor - Very Good Service - Very Good Value - Good Would we come back - Maybe read more

Aptos St. BBQ never disappoints, it is the spot for flavorful, well-smoked barbecue in a fun, relaxed setting. The meats are tender and packed with smoky goodness, and the delicious sides perfectly complement the meal. Tri-tip is juicy, ribs cooked just right, I love the sandwiches too and the spicy sauce is a must! The ambience is laid-back with outdoor seating and music in the evenings. The customer service is friendly and efficient, staff make you feel welcome. A great spot to grab a cold beer, great food and have a good time. read more

Updated review: well unfortunately this place seems to be going down hill like everywhere else. The meal tonight was tiny compared to what we used to get. Not much meat in the full brisket meal, and the sides are in smaller containers it seems like. Also the garlic bread was flat and burned and pretty gross. They used to have this nice soft garlic bread, but the slice I got tonight was inedible and gross. Not sure I'll be back any time soon which is a shame cause it used to be one of my fave places in the area... read more

Food was decent but not very warm like it sat around for a bit. Not a hot and fresh vibe. Salads were good. Cool interior. Order and pick up at the front . read more

We had an event for our employees and ASBBQ came through! They helped to deliver lunched to our 23 various sites through our Santa Cruz County and helped to feed over a 1,000 employees over the course of three days. Jane and Michael were super responsive and helpful. Our employees love this event because they love the food! When I had my opportunity to eat my meal, I was thoroughly satisfied with my choice. PAMF Aptos St. BBQ! read more

One of my favorite places to eat, Aptos st. BBQ is not only great food but great service. I'm from Kansas so I know good BBQ- the quality is delicious, the management is friendly and knowledgeable and the environment is clean and inviting! It's exactly what I'm craving when I come into town. I would recommend this place to anyone visiting the area again and again!! read more

Aptos BBQ makes some great stuff. They have really nailed it on their smoked meats, particularly their brisket, trip tip, and pulled pork. When I arrived at 6 pm on a Thursday night I was informed they were completely sold out of all the meats with the exception of the pulled pork (even though it was listed on the sold out chalk board pictured below.) If you visit their website, you'll see their hours listed as 7 am - 9 pm "or sold out" and they take that last part seriously so don't bet on coming here late unless you call ahead first to confirm they still have inventory to sell. The vibe is lively here every night starting at 6 with their rotation of different bands coming in to share their music. Customers are a mix of families, college students, locals and tourists alike and seating can get tight during these hours. I typically order one of the bbq meals which comes with a couple sides and a piece of bread of you're choice (corn bread, garlic bread, etc...) My only gripe with the bbq plate is that the sides are very small. They're only slightly larger than the cups they provide for their BBQ sauce. Sides are so easy to make and they're inexpensive for restaurants, I wish they would be a little more generous with these portions on their plates. read more

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