Last year I was hiking the PCT and a bit of snow and ice spread out over 3 days grounded me in…read moreMount Laguna. So, I grabbed a room across the street at the Mt Laguna Lodge and ate many of my meals at The Outpost. I am going to be completely honest here... I fell in love with this place because of so many reasons, but mainly because it took care of "my people"... yes, the backpackers. The service was so incredible. From the friendly guys in the back on the grill supplying me with ingredient information to the professionalism of the lovely young lady working the register... to the barkeeps to an amazingly talented woman from San Diego who was the musical talent one evening... I seriously don't feel you could assemble a more amazing cast to encounter all in one place. The food... what kind of 5-star review of a restaurant would be complete if you didn't mention the food? Well, it was equally as great ... I found no reason to claim that the selections I purchased were anythjng less than flawless.... yeah, flawless. With a lot of people coming up from Greater San Diego on the weekends, they put out some incredibly amazing BBQ offerings (but only on the weekends). I never wanted to leave and they probably thought I was moving to the mountain beeeeecause mosat backpackers stay overnight ans then they are gone. Not me, lol. I need to say that no proper review of this business would be complete without saying that the husband and wife team running the place were well beyond super cool to me. Oh, and you know you stayed in town a good long time when you leave knowing all about little league teams having games canceled because of the weather and the history of the local structures. Fast forward almost a full year, and now... needless to say that I was pretty bummed out when I did a spur of the moment, 3-hour drive to Mt. Laguna (Saturday, March 7, 2026) for a re-experience, only to find The Outpost closed due to a septic leak. I am sure hoping that they will have this all fixed up soon... especially with the Pacific Crest Trail hiker season having launched on March 1 (it runs through May 31). Since the people that run this place are awesome folks, I would hate as much for them to miss out on their potential income as I would be disappointed for the hikers who may fail to have the chance to have the excellent experience that I had in 2025. Best advice: Call ahead to ensure they're open. My fingers are crossed... Respectfully, I Remain, "Trail Chef" P.C.T. 2025

My family and I stopped by here during our stay in Mt. Laguna. I must admit that I wasn't expecting…read moremuch given how remote the area is. I was pleasantly surprised at how good the food was. We ordered the smoked wings, a California burrito, the little Laguna BBQ board , chicken strips and a pizza and everything was delicious. The food was flavorful and perfectly seasoned. The restaurant has inside and outside seating. The service was great. The lady was friendly and patient while we decided what to order. If we're ever in town again, we will definitely stop by The Outpost.

Ria isn't just a bartender -- she's the whiskey whisperer, the cocktail queen, the tiny Hawaiian…read moreassassin behind the bar serving drinks so good they'll make you rethink your entire personality. Beautiful, hilarious, cool without trying, and somehow always wearing the most fire shoes in the building. She's the kind of bartender that turns "let's grab one drink" into "well damn, now we live here." Every cocktail was perfect, every recommendation hit, and her energy honestly makes the whole place. Protect Ria at all costs because that girl is a whole vibe. I Wish her all The health and the wealth and if yall don't give this woman a BONUS and a raise- i'm going on strike ;)

This is an extremely family friendly restaurant. Inside seating for those who don't have kids, but…read moreoutside is prime. I would say the kids are a bit younger, maybe 18 months to 3. There must have been at least a dozen kids or more. I told my 7 year old son not to bring balls but of course other kids did. If you park in the back there is no doubt your car will get hit. But it's softballs, not baseballs. Service is legit. Fast, friendly. They're like get in, order, get out. But we stayed for probably an hour and a half. The live music was great, not too loud. I am sad to confess the food here is not as legit as I figured based on being a San Diego local and a big DDD watcher. It probably depends on which day you come, but on Thursday, the brisket was so average. Del's in Del Cerro is better. Smoky and the Brisket is better. I had my brisket served with that nacho cheese and relish, not nearly as great as I thought it would be based on DDD. I also don't drink anymore, but if I were to have had 2-3 beers + this dinner + the enviornment I would have loved it. My son gave a huge thumbs up to his burger, daughter liked her food. If you want an experience, have time you need to kill and have kids, it's a solid spot, but in no way is this a destination if you live west of the 15. Stick to classic spots.

Off the beaten path! It is so worth the stop. Everything is homemade! Everything is incredible!…read more The soup to a burger! It was awesome! Service is excellent! Hometown feel! Nice people!

We started coming here because our family photographer (XO Kim -- check out my review!) highly…read morerecommended it, and it has become our tradition after every photo session for about five years. Enticing our kids with the animals at XO Ranch and then grabbing food at Descanso Junction has been our routine that just works. It has made taking family pictures a better experience. We always bring our dogs to the photo shoot and sit outside on the patio at Descano Junction Restaurant. We have enjoyed sitting outside. There is a wooden chair that my kids love squishing themselves into. At night they have garland lights. Unfortunately the laat time we came the heater did not have gas and we were freezing. My two younger kids still opted to eat with us because they wanted to eat with our dogs and sit in the chair. Portions here are generous and priced well. Honestly, I could probably share with my youngest, but since it's a bit of a drive for us, we each get our own dish and take home leftovers. Some menu items are served only at certain times and days, so plan around that. Service has always been consistently good -- friendly and attentive, even when we're seated on the patio with the dogs. They sell dog friendly burger patties for $5.99. Our Favorite Items Smaller Bites These come with two sliders and one side. We've tried all the options and have zero complaints. Burgers My kids love the burgers here. They're a great size and always come out juicy. We order them Medium to Medium-Well. For sides, you can pick fries, potato salad, or coleslaw, or pay extra for battered onion rings, soup, or a salad (I usually upgrade). Favorites for my family: * Traditional * Bacon Cheeseburger * Ultimate Burger My favorite burger is the Mushroom Burger I'm a mushroom lover, and this one is always cooked perfectly. Taco Salad Huge. I order it with Carne Asada and it's delicious every time. BBQ Combo: You can create your own combo. Options: Jack Daniel's Tri Tip Saint Louis Style Pork Ribs Smoked Pulled Pork Desserts I'm a dessert person. I don't have a must eat here but its a good way to end the meal. We have tried the brownie, cheesecake and apple pie. If you're in the area, definitely check this place out. Great portions, fair prices, tasty food, and consistently good service. And don't forget to walk around the shops on the same lot afterward.

Found this spot while visiting Julian. They have salads, bbq, pizzas, sides, and of course beer…read more They have plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. They have additional seating on the other side as well with tons more seating. They have a bar on the side of the additional seating as well. We came on a Saturday so it was pretty busy so our food took a while to come out. They have self serve ranch, bbq sauce, buffalo sauce, crushed red pepper, grated cheese. Plates, utensils, and boxes for you to grab and go. The margarita pizza was so good. Came out hot and ready and wasn't too oily. The street corn was good. There's so much on the menu I want to come back and try.

My fiancé and I ALWAYS stop by Julian Beer Co. whenever we're camping at William Heise County Park…read moreor Laguna Campground. At this point, it's a tradition. The staff is dope and always in a good mood, and they dress dope too! The Grand Daddy Pep pizza is our go-to and the perfect pizza to share after a day outdoors. My fiancé loves the mead, and I'm a big fan of the Pistol Whipped brew. ALWAYS BUY THE KITCHEN A BEER!

First time at Jays Southern Café and wow... what an experience! Vi was a whole vibe--super sweet,…read morefriendly, and really helped my hubby and me decide on what to order since it was our first visit. She made us feel right at home. Now let's talk food... the brisket was out of this world! Tender, flavorful, and just the right amount of smokiness. Paired with the coleslaw (so fresh and delicious) and their BBQ sauce that was sweet but not overpowering, the whole combo was dynamite. I even had to snap a "before" pic of the plate--and let's just say the "after" pic didn't survive because it was THAT good! They were out of dessert during our visit, but I'll definitely be back to try that cinnamon and lemon pound cake that customers around us were raving about. Big shoutout to Vi and to Penelope (I believe she was the cook that day) for serving up not just a meal, but an experience. The layout was super cool and very clean. I never knew this place was in Alpine but I found my new barbecue spot. Definitely come and support as they are a hidden gem We'll 100% be back soon--thanks again for the warm hospitality and amazing food!

Hey, Yelp Community! If you're looking for the BEST BBQ and Soul Food restaurant in East County,…read moreJay's Southern Cafe is the go-to spot. My brisket sandwich with a special BBQ sauce was hands down the most amazing brisket sandwich I've had. OMG, that BBQ sauce was an added yummy flavorful touch along with the fresh creamy coleslaw...the combo sooo finger-lickin' good. The young man's customer service was top notch with a smile. I didn't have to wait. Thank you!! Whenever you're in the area, you have to stop by to eat some delicious authentic Southern food and support a local family-owned business. It's Alpine BEST kept foodie secret.

Unfortunately it's a no for me ..service was great but the food 4stars . I genuinely just didn't…read morefeel the love or flavor

Was introduced to Laine's during the San Diego Soul Food Festival and had to try out some of their…read moremenu! The mac and cheese and pulled pork were both super amazing. There were a ton of vendors to try out but I would love to find them again to try out the whole menu. The staff was super sweet and the bbq sauce was probably the best of the day!

Christina was very kind, patient, and helpful when taking our to-go order at Phil's BBQ. She was…read morefriendly, professional, and made sure everything was taken care of. Great customer service and we really appreciated her positive attitude. Thank you, Christina!

Came here for the first time on a weekend trip to San Diego and Phil's BBQ will forever now be a go…read moreto spot when i'm in the area again. My partner and I shared the full rack of ribs with sauce- and trust me it's enough for 2 hungry people with the 2 sides! The ribs were juicy, tender, soft, melt in your mouth almost kind of vibe. Now, I'm not a coleslaw gal, but I ate this coleslaw as if it was my favorite salad. I ate the coleslaw more than the macaroni salad! (which is a first) lol. Okay the Colossal onion rings and the cornbread with the butter.. bless your soul for it has woken from all the souls of food. HAHA! Service was quick and the lady server was kind enough to take pictures of our group table! There's a reason why I gave this place a 5/5- I could have given it a high 6/5 but you get it.

We were on the hunt for some BBQ and decided to try this place out. It's inside Society so your…read moreseated in the bar. We ordered a brisket sandwich, ribs and chicken platter with Mac n cheese, and potatoes salad. The service was mediocre, nothing to write home about. But we did really enjoy the food. The BBQ sauce tasted of a ketchup base and it was amazing. The brisket just fell apart it was so tender, just a tad on the dry side so it needed the sauce. The ribs also just fell off the bone and had great flavor. I wish the chicken had a little more flavor but it was cooked great! The Mac and cheese tasted good but was pretty gritty. The potato salad was totally unique and I loved it, it was fresh and hit the spot. We will probably come back to try more on the menu!

Got baby back platter, brisket platter, Phat bastard burger, and The Bubba sandwich, which were all…read morepretty good. Menu says platters come with corn bread, but it came with Texas toast; there are two menus floating around, and the Texas toast is the current one as of this writing. Food was ready quickly. Ambiance - big open concept space, wasn't busy when I was there.