Oh my! The sauce complimented the beef and baby back ribs perfectly. The ribs were cooked and seasoned right. Not to much seasoning that did not overpower the natural flavor. read more

They are a long time favorite. They smell up the whole parking lot with great smells. We get takeout ofte, they always get our order right.

Came in here to try it out, best burger we ever had!!! This place is the real thing, true bbq here! And great blues music playin in the background. We'll be back for sure. Prices aren't bad either for the times read more

I would give 0 stars if I could. I ordered a tritip sandwich and fries that I never got. I waited for about 45 MINUTES and noticed big family orders coming out before mine. I asked Max the cashier what's taking so long and he said they are really busy and my food should be coming up next..(even though i placed my order well before these families) asked me what I ordered 3 times and kept getting it wrong. Very annoyed and to top it off I didn't get my food after waiting 45 minutes. Horrible service.. spend your money elsewhere. read more

Tried the ribs and brisket. I won't try anything else. This is probably best served to individuals that started cooking with heat less than 6000 years ago. read more

Cafeteria quality food. The mac and cheese is utterly disgusting, kraft macaroni would taste a million times better, also my order was wrong. read more

I stopped by CJ'S for lunch, what a pleasant surprise! The food was delicious. I had the salmon salad with raspberry vinegarette dressing. The restaurant is superbly clean and the staff courteous. I live in LA... but the next time I headed North on the 101 freeway, I will make an intentional stop here for a meal. Loved it!!!! read more

CJ's Barbecue - "That was the salmon salad." Take my word...it was scrumptious! - Burgers Near Me - Oxnard, California

Favorite BBQ here in Oxnard! Cool yet very laid back ambiance at the restaurant. Friendly and accommodating staff. (Food is great! Full chicken with french fries with a side of their special habanero sauce) burgers are also very fulfilling. read more

CJ's Barbecue - PROTEIN! (Cjs special special burger). - Burgers Near Me - Oxnard, California

I loved it. It was so nostalgic to me. The helpings were very genorous. My family and I were treated with respect. The mac n cheese were tasty but a bit over cooked. Overall I would come back for the fried fish...n homeade chips. read more

We'd love to support this business, but due to the long wait time for food, we've tried ordering online and all we get is a busy signal. I've been here countless times, I know they get a lot of business, they can afford to have one person on the phone taking orders. They have one person doing phone and taking counter orders. read more

This is my second time coming here, it's awesome the first time I got the hot wings & bbq wings with the chilly cheese fries they were great. This time I got the chilly cheese fries again because, that's how great they were and the hot wings and Philly cheesesteak sandwich! I loved it I will definitely becoming back to this place on the regular! read more

I was passing by and saw the big "BBQ sign; immediately my stomach told me to make a U-turn. You might know I have a slight barbecue problem, haven eaten it in many countries on three continents. I noticed there are a few CJ's locations so I figured it was a smallish chain but whatever. When I pulled up I noticed two big smokers in the parking lot smoking away. Like I mean big meat smokers loaded with meat. Right there I knew this was legit. I walked in and was greeted by the nice lady working the counter. The menu seemed a bit overwhelming but all I know is you should really get a two or three meat combo at any barbecue place! So I got the two meat combo with tri-tip and pulled pork, with sides of baked beans and coleslaw. Also came with a soft bread roll on the side. The sauce used in the kitchen is definitely on the sweet side, but very tasty. Prices were on par with anywhere else. She gave me an order number and told me it would be a few minutes. I found a seat in the dining area which had two TVs and enough seating for hungry people. As promised she delivered my food in a few minutes and I devoured it. I had just enough time to get to my car before the meat sweats kicked in. I will absolutely consider coming back again when I have that itch for barbecue. read more

Went for the first time today with my wife and must say the food way wasn't good at all. I got the tri-tip sandwich and my wife got the chopped pork which was REHEATED so was my MAC and CHEESE. the menu was way to big I couldn't find anything I was looking for. the owner was on the phone and wasn't much help all he did was point when I ask for the sides. my soda tasted as if tips of soda dispenser haven't ever been clean. read more

We got catered bbq & sides for a party of 50 today. The huge amount of food was ready right on time, the young man took it out to the car for us and it was enjoyed by all! Highly recommend for any party or gathering! read more

The food was great . The service was horrible girl in the front was rude asked for a plate and said she had none like ok . And it's a little over priced . read more

k.. so i love the food! No issues there! But literally EVERY SINGLE TIME i order a chicken bbq salad either the wrong type of bbq sauce is used, if i ask for spicy i get regular. Or the bbq sauce is forgotten all together. Several other occasions the ranch is missing, and if not that than the dinner roll served with it is missing. Not once, not twice. More than six times now one of the above issues has occurred.. i just don't get it! Is it because its a salad and not a heaping pile of meat?? Geezz.. some serious quality assurance is much needed. read more

Absolutely amazing food and service. The only suggestion I would encourage the owner to make is to create popular dishes without meat to accommodate vegetarian customers. The mac & cheese is delicious and the yams are always yummy. The prices are reasonable and the portion sizes are just right. Great customer services and outdoor seating if you want to stick around. #FoodThatsGood4TheSoul:) read more

We always enjoy this BBQ place when coming back from a day out on the ocean. Really good beef ribs cooked on a mesquite BBQ out back! and the baked beans are wonderful. Nice selection of sauces including mild, regular, spicy and habanero spicy, We stopped by on Labor Day but the place had just closed early for the holiday. The owner C.J. walked out and told us come on in that he would happily take care of us. We hesitated as it after all was Labor day but ended up going inside where C.J. personally served us as everyone else had gone home. A really family friendly place with a couple of sports t.v.s, wonderful food read more

The tri tip was very dry, even adding sauce didn't help. The gumbo is 20$ for a small cup. That's way too much for soup, which is disappointing. Their mac and cheese is flavorless. read more

I've been going here for years, and even had them cater large work events. The food's always been consistently good, as well as the service. NOT LAST NIGHT! We were driving home from Buellton & called in our order about 15 minutes away. Got there around 5 p.m., there was a couple sitting waiting for their food, and the woman at the counter was on the phone taking an order. She said she would be right with us. I think she got another call & took that order - that was fine - we just stood there & waited. The order came up for the couple waiting - it was to go so she got it together for them. Fine. Then some guy comes in & tells her he called in an order, and she gets it for him, and rings it up....! What?! We've been patiently waiting & then she serves him first??!! We went up to the counter & another guy comes in & says he called in an order & she starts to help him....! I had to butt in & tell her we were there before him, and she tells me "well this is a phone order" and I told her OURS was a phone order...! Jeez, it's not like it was crowded & this was confusing! So she gets our order, which had been sitting there ready... She never even says she's sorry. TERRIBLE SERVICE! The food: sides were great - we got collard greens, yams, and chili beans - all excellent My husband got rib tips - very good. I got spare ribs - dry and overcooked, even the BBQ sauce couldn't save them. Maybe it's too much to sustain 2 locations? But I won't go back to this location just because of that crappy service. read more

I was very pleased with my meal, I ordered to go, the Tri-tip was very tender the greens were really tender I could have had just a little more turkey meat in them, and the Beef ribs yes! I will definitely eat there again. read more

CJ's Barbecue - Smh! I am tickled pink right now - Burgers Near Me - Oxnard, California

See all

Small but cozy place with awesome sized portions and great service. Loved their humor with the house rules and standards!We will definitely eat here again. read more

CJ's Barbecue - Bbq spare ribs! - Burgers Near Me - Oxnard, California

Great customer service and great employees. I left my phone outside on a bench I though it was long gone only to return and the girl behind the counter returned it to me! Thank you so much !! read more

This place was horrible. Tasted like frozen ribs with sauce thrown on them. No flavor what so ever. And they were so rude it was unbelievable! Took at least 30 minutes for our food it wasn't even busy but it was terrible read more

I consider myself a BBQ snob and am very particular. With that being said I ordered the pulled pork with collard greens and Mac and cheese. The pulled pork was drowning in BBQ sauce, so much that it was way too much! The greens didn't seem to taste fresh and neither did the sweet tea. Needless to say I will not be back. read more

Another AMAZING experience with Ms. Ava. She is such a gem to this resturant and the community. My kids and are always so excited to see her when we come in. She truly takes the time to know her clientele and make them smile!! Food was fresh, hot, quick and DELICIOUS!!! read more

The best BBQ in ventura county! I come for the food, but stay for the atmosphere and friendly staff. I've never had a bad food experience with CJs, and the people there are always the SWEETEST! My go to is the pastrami burger, don't forget to have some pie too! read more

Decent bbq. A few gripes .. the sides are more like sample size they are ridiculously small. The bread they give you is small too. And finally the wait is the worst .. it's about a half hour wait after you order .. best to call it in .. read more

I tried the 6 rack BBQ, good taste with reasonable price. There was a decent flow of people, but they could improve in service. Saw my food waiting at the counter when they could have served me. read more

Nope! The one in Ventura is way better! First off if customer service is not your main priority then your already losing! And the guy with the Afro just know your attitude will cost this BBQ joint everything it could have been! Ps you never know who your waiting on guy... its people like me that keep you working. The next time you wanna be smart remember what I told you at the counter and how you looked like you where scared... remember that and maybe when your 45 working at Mc Donald's your attitude will be better! read more

Not very good. I was craving bbq tri-tip so we stopped in here. The meat was not very flavorful and was tough. The side salad was good, but I didn't like the Mac and cheese, meat or roll. I'm not a picky eater, but this place is definitely not for me. read more

This is sooo good, I had to stop asap and review. Greens, black-eyed peas, baby backs and hot links. All were phenomenal!!! Greens were well-seasoned. Hot links had just the right amount of "hot." Black eyed peas were perfect. The ribs were Smokey and tender! This is my new go to for BBQ! read more

Incredible selection of delicious food and awesome service. Without a doubt Ill stop in here for food when I'm in the area.

Ok I'm not going to be insulting or name calling on this review . This is my second time visiting this BBQ location but my first review. First time I ordered BBQ burger with string onions and cheese and hit links . This was last yr , anyways the patties were frozen not fresh and it was rubbery bites to the burger not good at all . Hot links were nice . So just now a yr later I walk in and order Tri tip sandwich BBQ sauce on the side with hot links . I'm the only person there no one else . The order was confusion to the chefs after about 10 minutes I get my order , the tri tip sandwich was not good it was cold BBQ all inside the sandwich (not on side as requested ) fries were cold the quality of the tri tip was almost the same as if it was poor quality meat fir the tri tip very bland tasting . Not s very good staff on hand in kitchen very unprofessional. read more

Tried the baby backs, a little disappointed, they left the silverskin on them, could have used a few more hours cooking not as tender as I would like and expect. I may give them another shot. read more

Really enjoyed the meal at this place. There was a nice flow of folks eating here and it was during the week. I've never been much of a BBQ person, but I think I'm a convert now. I can so picture myself coming here and ordering a BBQ something or another. There were several adults & kids in our party and the service was quick & efficient. The kids had hamburgers, fries, & mini hotdogs which wasn't bad at all. The rest of the group ordered the #2 meal. There were plenty of eats to satisfy even the hungriest among our party; Mac N Cheese, Famous Baked Beans, short & beef ribs, buttered rolls, tri-tip, & BBQ chicken. The meat was tender, tasty and flavorful. The mac n cheese- was OMG! We asked for the sauce on the side and glad we did as everyone has their own tolerance and way of doll'n up their plate. Tried their spicy BBQ sauce and it WAS amazing- it seemed to have a slight tamarind taste & the spiciness was perfect. The desserts we tried were the pecan pie (which was just "ok") and the lemon cake which was moist, tangy and sweet. I'll definitely be back to this place... read more

See all

My experiences and 15 plus years of living here, I have come to this conclusion. Not too many California BBQ locations know how to prepare real BBQ. CJ's could not compare to the worst BBQ spot in the Midwest. I don't understand how some restaurants even stay open...I have given CJ's a couple of chances like I do most establishments, three strikes you're out. I am putting CJ on the bench and negotiating a trade. I went to his express location on NBVC military base for lunch. I was happy to see the expansion of his restaurant. I will give him this...his prices and portions are spot on and fare. I ordered the spare rib dinner that came with my choice of sides; potato salad and baked beans. The potato salad was well seasoned and balanced perfectly cooked potatoes, I tend to think the salad is store bought though, It just does not have that rustic homemade taste or hand cut potato look. The baked beans were out of a can and jazzed up with their weak barbeque sauce. The thick sauce adhered to the rib well but is on the sweet side and has very little tang to it, which makes it a body-less BBQ syrup. I have to say it's a very one note sauce that needs a supporting cast of ingredients to boost up that flavor profile. My plate came with three ribs which is average for the West Coast. In the Mid West and South you normally get 4(bones) for the $10 meal price. No problem there...but the ribs... They were bland as hell! They were in dire need of seasoning and some smoke. CJ, you need to give those ribs some type of rub, and use a wood to add level of smoke and added flavor. They were also quite tough. I don't like my ribs completely falling off the bone but they need to have a tender bite to them. I was chewing these dry rubber ribs like a horse would hay. If this review sounds harsh...so be it. These lousy restaurants we spend our hard earned money on need to know when and how to step it up. I love to support independent establishments but food in a restaurants needs to be cooked with love and homemade from scratch. Fresh ingredients, no cutting corners with canned or store bought food. Taste that *expletive* before you serve it! CJ do the art of BBQueing some justice and take a trip to KC, Memphis, Texas, the Carolinas, even Omaha Nebraska. Sample, take notes and compare recipes. I have, and make better Q in my back yard. I DECLARE WAR ON SUBPAR RESTAURANTS! read more

Some friends recommend CJ'S Barbecue. The food was outstanding. Very down-to-earth atmosphere. They had a long line but moves quickly. Will recommend to friends and family. read more

Had my AXXESS card - 2 for 1 deal - and with it being late in 2016, decided to try it. Amazing pastrami burger. Sure a tad pricy - but the burger was fresh and juicy. Plus, a choice of sides. The second was a pulled pork burger. Also excellent. In both, plenty of meat piled on top of burger. read more

Ordered a pastrami burger and fries to go. Believe it or not, there was a piece of glass and a hair in the middle of the fries. I didn't believe it at first. plenty of coworkers around as witnesses. Many of us will not be eating there ever. So if you decide to take a daring chance and eat there, inspect your food thoroughly. read more

CJ's Barbecue - Glass and hair found in my fries!!!!!!! - Burgers Near Me - Oxnard, California