I really liked the atmosphere and music at this place. While we were there they played some great classics like Loretta Lynn and random bluegrass, which is a nice change from the usual KFOG piped in. Staff were friendly and helpful, and the service was good. They also have a metric ton of beer varieties available. Unfortunately the actual BBQ sandwich we tried wasn't very good. We ordered one on garlic bread, but the combo was pretty greasy. The meat was a chopped jumble with a lot of gristle and not much meat texture. The spices used were fairly tasty and not overly sweet like a lot of BBQ but it couldn't save the poor quality meat. I wouldn't rule out coming back here but I would stick with a real cut of meat instead of one of the sandwiches. read more

Aptos St BBQ - Bathing beauty in the bathroom - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

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When I first came here not too long ago, I got here right about an hour before they were closing. They couldn't offer much on the menu for my friend and I because they run out of meat throughout the day (sadly), so all they had left was pulled pork and chicken. I asked the lady at the counter what the best thing we could have at this time would be and she suggested pulled pork sandwiches for both of us. It had the right amount of sauce and SO flavorful! I also got a side of potato salad which was pretty good too! They also have a great selection of beer as well! If I'm not mistaken, all or most of the beer are local which is cool. The bartender generously let us sample a few beers before we got to order, and I ended up getting an apple amber ale. I definitely want to come back and try their tri-tip and other selection of items. Definitely had a better experience here and I feel the quality of food is a little better than Mission St. BBQ just because the meat wasn't as dry. read more

Worth the 30 minute drive from Monterey! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Drove up here from our home in Monterey and it easily outshines the other two BBQ joints (that are both good) here in town. They have about 30 beers on tap. We had the Double Daddy Imperial Ale and it was delicious. We split the full rack of ribs and a side of garlic toast. Heaven. Smokey, with fall off layers of meat and fat with tasty morsels sticking to the bone. Plenty of seats inside and out as well as kids seats which was a plus for us. ***This is the go-to spot for Father's Day or Birthdays*** read more

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Aptos BBQ has mastered supply and demand with a monopoly on good BBQ in Aptos. Word to the.wise - pick up dinner early. Erin and I went for take out at about 7:00 on a Friday night eager to try the tritip. Knowing San Luis Obispo is famous for this cut of beef we were eager to try it from another central coast town. To our dismay Aptos BBQ was sold out. This is a frequent occurrence at the end of a service because there is a "SOLD OUT" sign right next to the cash register. When we arrived tritip and rib sandwiches were listed on the board. I read through the menu and setter on pulled pork. A few minute later the board was updated and pulled pork was sold out. We got to the front of the line and were told we should try the Friday night special brisket. Okay - 1 order please - with St. Louis Ribs. Right after we placed our order the brisket was put on the "SOLD OUT" board. Thankfully we got the last order. We also ordered a blackberry cobbler. That too went up on the "SOLD OUT" board! We thought we'd got the last of that too. However after about 5 minutes we were told it sold out before our order and we were steered to the bread pudding. Good 'nuff. We took ours to go. We still enjoyed the two-piece blues band entertaing folk in the small dining room. I also entertained myself by reading through their extensive beer menu. The microbrew per capita is quite high because of all their choices. Enjoyed brisket, ribs, and BBQ sauce. We delayed our dessert and ate it for breakfast the next day Bread pudding is the breakfast of champions. read more

Aptos St BBQ - In limited supply on a Friday night. Get here early. - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

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So good, we had lunch here twice in our 3-day Aptos beach stay. I had the BBQ chicken and hubby had the BBQ ribs. Their sweet and spicy BBQ sauce is perfect with a pint of beer or cider from their tap. Plenty of seating and fast, friendly service. Easy place to dine with families. They have deals on holidays- taco deal for cinqo de mayo as an example. Stage for performers, inside and outdoor seating. Good location in central Aptos. read more

Awesome little gem in my second favorite town in Santa Cruz County. I know the area relatively well since I've spend a good amount of time around Aptos. This specific joint is located near the old historic town section. I headed down there with a friend one day in May to give this place a go finally. Had a fun drive down 17 and to HWY 1 directly to this place, there was just barely enough parking for the amount of patrons that frequent this place. More and more people seemed to arrive as the afternoon progressed. They have a line that will seemingly always be out the door and the menu is big and seems a bit convoluted at first but there are basically a number of different combos that can be had. They ran out of a few meats by the time we got there but I was still able to try brisket and ribs here which were simply out of this damnnn worldd. OMFGGG. I took a picture of my simple meal. A set of ribs, half fatty brisket, a little potato salad, simple cole slaw, and house garlic bread. BBQ PERFECTION! Not too much and not too little food. Pair that with some 21st amendment HIGH or HELL Watermelon Beer and you have the great summer beach town BBQ meal. I seemed to receive only the best cuts of meat the house had to offer. The craft beer selections are bountiful and very choice here. I'll be back to bring for sure at some point and highly recommend it if you're hanging around SC County for a day and want the best quality BBQ around. This bests Smoking Pig in SJ by one star and I think having it in a ocean side town makes it that much better too hehe. read more

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I drive 45 minutes from Monterey just to eat BBQ at this spot. It's that good! Our favorite meats are the pulled pork, ribs, or brisket. There's nothing overly special about their root beer floats, but they are delicious! For two of us we usually split a combo meal which comes with two or three meat choices and a couple sides. I also really like their salads. I was surprised by the freshness of the lettuce and the toppings. Blackberries in my salad, OK! :) Also, live blues music from 6-8 pm. (Every night?) It just feels right to be listening to blues while eating BBQ. read more

Aptos St BBQ - Two meat combo with ribs and brisket and a pulled pork salad. - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

+6 or 7 stars for great service. If I were Tony Stark - I'd make an autonomous suit of Iron Man armor whose only job would be to fly from wherever we were *to Aptos St. BBQ*, pay Victor some major dollars, then return with a huge slab of ribs and garlic bread. I'm serious. You do whatever you want with *your* suit of Iron Man armor. read more

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Honestly, I don't rly know how to start off this review... I have no ill intent to make anyone sound or look bad, I'm merely just bummed and disappointed and I feel like it needs to be expressed. I've been coming to Aptos St Bbq for about 8+ years now and tonight sadly will probably be my last. The atmosphere, the friendly staff, and most importantly the main reason, the food has all gone so down hill. I'm not basing this review by one visit. This is based on the last 3x's I've been in recently and unfortunately I've come to the realization this isn't a bad one time experience. This has become reality at the bbq. Ordering a variety of foods each time to come to the same conclusion, a mouth full of lard, a sore jaw from trying to chew through a 1/2 inch thick slice of tri-tip and so on. What happened? Where's the OG crew that used to serve the top of the line meats in town. I'm bummed to say the least. You used to serve top notch quality meals and now it feels like y'all have lost your touch with the pride you once had in serving quality food. To pay for your high price food to come to conclusions it's hardly edible is more than upsetting. I'm bummed read more

Good is always consistently great!! They expanded with nice outdoor seats and it's always fun to listen to the live music.

Our first stop before we went to Carmel. We rarely go this way so I haddd to come this time. Pretty random area, and who woulda known. We came around 1 and it wasn't too busy. Start off with saying the cashier was super nice. We wanted to order a salad and he told us it'd be cheaper to order it as a side along with our meal. normally people wouldn't care and just charge you the expensive price. Thanks dude! the area did look like southern and old school... We ordered pulled pork sandwich- the pork was moist and soft, the garlic bread it was on, was delicious! the extra sauce was a bit too sweet? I think it was...the regular BBQ sauce was good, but the spicy one they had on the table was not my liking. ribs- you could tell it had some kind of dry rub on it, and it didn't taste like any ribs I've tasted so far, but it was good. it wasn't fall off the bone...a bit chewy but in a good way. had the baked beans- ok, and the coleslaw, also okay. wish we coulda sampled their crazy beer selection! but next time I hope! if ever in the area, definitely come again! read more

Right off the bat I'll say I would rate this place 4.5 stars if that was available. Everything about it is awesome but the side dishes are kind of basic compared to my favorite BBQ joints and they only have 1 type of sauce to choose from... That being said, the BBQ is awesome (best pork ribs ever) the beer selection is stellar (37 drafts) and they had live music on the Friday night I was there (great 2 piece blues band). There is plenty of parking and just about the right amount of tables. I was by myself and got a single seat at the community table next to some cool folks right away. I had the 2 meat combo with Tri-tip and Pork Ribs and I chose the potato salad and beans for my side dishes. I'll say it again that the pork ribs were awesome (3 ribs on this plate). I like the baby back style they have as opposed to the popular St. Louis cut that other BBQ places have because you just have one bone to deal with. The Tri-tip was very good as well, I got 3 pieces on my plate that were thick cut (1/2 inch) across the grain and were very tender. I found that they both needed more sauce but a giant bottle of the stuff was sitting on the table, only one choice though... The potato salad was good but I wished they had another hot side option. The beans were hot and pretty tasty with chunks of brisket? or some tasty meat inside. This was a bit of a drive for me so I may choose Mission St. BBQ for my next trip as they are the same owner (but currently only 3.5 stars instead of 5?). I would recommend this place for sure! read more

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This was officially my last visit. I've been coming here since it opened and I've watched the prices skyrocket, the portions dwindle (have you seen the 4" long $15 "originals"?), and the notorious limited "we're-out-of-every-meat" selection. I just don't see why anyone would want to come here with Betty's Burger now across the street. read more

DELICOUS-ness at its GREATEST! Had to yelp this right away after I went here today. Where it is located, looks like you're stuck in an old hick town or something. It looks pretty sketch, but hey! it's about the food right? Bf and I came here today, he got a Tri-Tip Sandwich with a side of garlic bread and I got the Tri-Tip Salad. YUMMMERS. My salad involved lots of leaves, pecans, apples, blackberries, blue cheese, LOTS of meat topped with raspberry vinegarette dressing. The dressing was really really flavorful. I really liked that it was a raspberry flavor and did not have lots of oil in their dressing. It tasted so good on the tri-tip! The Sandwich was pretty plain but the meat was so flavorful it didn't matter that there weren't additional ingredients in it. The bread was o0o so soft! They grill their barbecue outside and they do it in loads! So once you order the food is cooked and ready to go...so you don't have to wait a really long time. The meat is really tender and juicy and not dry AT ALL! It is pretty pricey though. The portions are decent. Not too big but not to small. I really want to get a full rack of Ribs next time! It sounds bbq-y and delicious! Coming back here again! and taking friends! read more

Aptos St BBQ - Tri-tip Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

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Great selection of beer, friendly staff, and cute establishment. We will definitely be coming back for more, my son loved it! read more

Aptos St BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

Craving BBQ for days now and with shelter in place my family isn't having any gatherings, so no bbq this memorial weekend. So I found this place close by and it's a WIN! I got the 3 piece bbq & 2 sides. Chicken was super juicy and falling off the bone. The ribs were soft and marinade so tasty. Tri tip was perfectly cooked, juicy soft meat. Coleslaw was the perfect flavor and beans were a delicious smoked bbq flavor. Garlic and corn bread was good, but I'm don't eat too many carbs. This place is on point and order was ready when I ordered online to picked up. Go enjoy yourself some bomb BBQ! read more

Such an amazing find! We were at Manresa State Beach and got hungry after lounging in the sun. I found this place on yelp that was nearby and I am SO glad we got to try it. First off, the BBQ is AMAZING. We got a 4 meat plate with brisket, tri-tip, ribs and pulled pork. The tri-tip was definitely my favorite. I also loved the dipping sauce they provided. Definitely not your typical sugary, bbq sauce, but it brought out some incredible flavors in the meat. Loved it. Their beer selection is also incredible. I was really impressed by their options of various craft beers and the range of beers they provided. Lastly, the atmosphere (both service + live music) really brought this all together for me. It is exactly what I want out of a BBQ place. Highly recommend a trip here! read more

I've gone here on many different occasions, and they always have the best tasting meat. I usually get the tri-tip sandwich with the potato salad and a rootbeer float, which I'm always highly satisfied with. I would recommend this place to anyone who loves a nice and classic BBQ meal. read more

quality of the meat is great which is super important. Not a fan of the bbq sauce myself so I wish there was more options. the potato salad is delicious but their sides are pretty small! a little on the expensive side but I'm sure Aptos rent isn't cheap. The inside is cute so I'd love to go back once covid is over. Really friendly staff too. Happy to have a bbq spot nearby! read more

Great bbq beer selection is huge brisket is perfect sides need help small selection and average at best Price little high but it's meat hog wash with pulled pork a must read more

Anything with BBQ sauce is a bit sweet for me but totally solid BBQ spot. My favs are the Gaucho and the hot links. Good beer selection. My kids get the mac & cheese read more

Super yummy!! I love the hog wash!! My dog and I love all the outside seating as well!! They sell out of stuff so make sure to get there early! Nice to have such great BBQ right here in Aptos! read more

I wanted to like it, I really did. Especially after reading the reviews but I didn't and neither did my husband. The beer was pretty good and the service was not bad. The prices were also decent, which helps. That was about the best that I could say. To start, the parking situation is kind of a hot mess. Luckily we got there at a time where we could find one spot in the tiny lot. The food was just not great. The meat did not have much flavor to it and the beans were way too sweet. The potato salad was also just okay. I think that I have been spoiled with tri-tip from other places so that this one just did not leave me wanting much. We shared a 3 item combo, which started out bad when they were out of brisket. The ribs were kinda dry and the hot link was not that hot. I wish we could have had a better experience. read more

All bbqs spots claim to be the best. Aptos doesn't. That doesn't mean the are not good, they just don't have an elitist snobby vibe. The road side concept is such a wonderful treat on the SF to LA roadtrip. Their tri tip was so flavorful. The spicy bbq sauce was equally sweet to spicy. Nice end kick. There garlic bread was great too. Slaw was just cabbage but it was sweet and it helped after the kick of the sauce. Not mind blowing, few are, but all very delicious. I was so impressed by the customer service. The young adults behind the counter were do helpful and nice. From start to finish. They really knew the menu too. I really think customer service is a key part to the entire experience. read more

Aptos St BBQ - What a great surprise stop on the way to LA. - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

Larry has created a bbq EMPIRE! This place is off the charts good! The craft beer selection is amazing too! His brother has a brewery in Gilroy called Promised Land Brewing. Try to get a pint of theirs while there! I like to get the 3 choice combo plate with brisket, ribs and chicken! I can't wait to visit here again once we open back up but in the meantime, order online! Thanks Larry for the amazing grub! read more

The brisket is awesome, as are the housemade sausages. They give you hot BBQ sauce and regular. But even without the sauce, the meat is tender and well flavored. get the variety plate--you won't be disappointed! Live music on the weekends make it even better. You can eat outside, and they have lots of beers available. It feels really personable here, as if you are hanging out with your buddy eating some BBQ. Such a gem in such a small town. Worth driving out for. read more

Their brisket is amazing! I ordered pick up while on a road trip. Brisket won me over! The ribs were okay. However, the chicken was underwhelming and undercooked. Do you know how barbecue chicken should be cooked well enough that the bones separate fairly easily? Well, we couldn't pull the chicken apart at all. Ended up throwing it away after a few bites which we never throw away barbecue! Ever! Everyplace has a bad day and I'm sure they would've replaced it had we not be on the road we would've asked. Fountain drinks were oddly pricey. The atmosphere is casual and fun. Staff was engaging and competent. We walked past the outside wood smoker and chatted with the cooks for a minute. Nice guys! We will be back for brisket! read more

Formerly a second location for local favorite Cole's BBQ, but now under new management. They have kept the same basic concept, BBQ in place but upped the game anty by adding a marvelous beer selection. Been a few times, our always voraciously hungry teenage son begs to come here often. From the BBQ Pulled Pork or Tri Tip Sandwiches which most absolutely must order on the Garlic Bread to the Tri Tip Salad I have never been disappointed. I recommend you stop by hungry, take your time order a great beer and some awesome BBQ and prepare to be messy. read more

Aptos St BBQ - Super Yum - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

This has to be one of my favorite restaurants on earth. Part of me almost did not want to write a review because then more people will find out about this little jewel, but here it goes. This is hands down the best barbecue I've ever had, and I'm a barbecue (especially pulled pork) fanatic. Anything you get from this magical BBQ haven is worth the money. The sandwiches are made on garlic bread, are served with a side of your choosing (go for potato salad) and are all to die for. My favorite is the rib sandwich on garlic bread, but unfortunately, it is frequently sold out. Have no fear though, the reason this place is a five star is that everything on the menu is absolutely outstanding! The pulled pork and raging bull are close seconds due to the increase in portions size and are complimented by craft beer makes the perfect meal. Only complaint is that sometimes portion sizes vary on the rib sandwich. The hot BBQ sauce is a must on any sandwich, I always go for two cups and am never sorry with a little extra. Potato salad completes this meal perfectly but the slaw is good as well. Top Honors to the artists that create this masterpiece of a meal, if I was rich I would go here everyday. read more

Aptos St BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

Great food! very reasonable price & fast serving! The staffs are also very accomodating & since ice cream was not available at that time, they bought one for our desserts! Their desserts are also big for sharing! Great place to eat, hang out, and be full! -yummy bbqs -big servings for desserts (always made fresh!) -great ambiance (feels like home) read more

Really good tri tip. I ordered the tri tip sandwich with the coleslaw and it was amazing! They have really good spicy bbq sauce too. My boyfriend got the tri tip and brisket basket and the brisket was really good. We got there around 6 on a Thursday and the place wasn't busy and we got our food pretty quickly too. The live entertainment that night played really well. Great food, great music, and great venue. Definitely will come back. read more

Aptos St BBQ - Tri tip sandwich with spicy bbq sauce. - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

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This is a mom & pop BBQ place in Aptos off Soquel. This place is really cool. The food is excellent and they have a ton of draft beers there too. All the beers are listed on wood plates above the taps with the Alcohol content next to the name. They have regular and hot sauces you can take home with your food too. When you head over, be aware, they might be out of certain meats, which is a true staple of a BBQ place. A real BBQ place smokes there meats all day so when they run out, that's it. And that's the way it should be too. read more

I came here on a weeknight after taking a walk on Aptos beach. We called in the order because we were starving and did not want to wait. When we arrived, it was already packaged. Since there were available tables, we sat down in the corner and devoured the BBQ pork ribs. They were so juicy and moist! Hands down the best ribs I've had so far. It's not overly sauced or sticky either! There's extra bbq sauce at the condiment station if you want more. Also, there's a lot of beer on tap! Don't forget to bring some cash and tip the live 1 man band show. He's pretty darn entertaining! read more

This place is always a great time whenever I have gone. Great food and an excellent beer selection. And I can't say enough about the atmosphere. The staff is friendly and welcoming. And the past year or so prices have gone up substantially as most things have. read more

Great find thank to fellow yelpers !!! The BBQ here is awesome. Off the beaten path but so well worth it. Wish I didn't live do far. read more

Aptos St BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

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The line was growing so they opened up another register. After that I was on my way to ordering with the quickness! I got the 2 meat plate. I ended up with tri-tip and pork ribs (sold out of brisket by 12:30 FYI). I ordered a beer with my meal. I was so indecisive with my choice due to the crazy amount of selection on tap, however no matter how busy they were, the woman. At the register offered me a sampling. Which is super cool considering, I give them an A+ for customer service. I believe they used white oak for their bomb diggity BBQ. it was so flavorful I never used any BBQ sauce with my meal. Whatever bbq sause and rub they used was plenty enough! The only drawback I had... I smell a hint of smoke hanging around on my clothes from that place while I ate outside. Not a bad thing! Just getting hungry everytime I smell myself. Anywho, what are you waiting for. Go visit them today! read more

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We used to get some really good brisket here but not anymore. A few months ago we got some that was dried out and burned on the edges, so today I asked the gentleman at the counter not to give me any burned end pieces. When I got home and opened the foil container, I found that out of 2 pounds of brisket there were only 12 ounces of nice slices of meat that I could serve. All the rest was charred, dried out and falling apart. . read more

my favorite bbq chicken sandwich and coleslaw in the world. i don't live in the area anymore but i think about it a lot

Wow what a great and well loved place!! Abita root beer and many brews on tap! But the must have is the pulled pork and the sauces!!! read more

Aptos St BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Aptos, California

My husbands favorite place in Aptos, there is a lot to choose from and prices are good.