I have tried several joints in town but this one, so far, is the best. I love their barbecue, although some might find the sauce too sweet. I like mine mild and I get it on the side so as not to drown my pork or beef ribs. They give you a hefty serving. While I do like and my wife loves their beef ribs, I prefer their pork ribs which always have been well-seasoned, tender, and meaty with just the right amount of fat. I hate ribs that are tough, bony or have way too much fat and neither of these has ever been the case here. Their potato salad, slaw, baked beans are also good but I do wish they had more substantial down-home country cornbread in larger pieces. The kind they serve is small, a little sweet and a bit too fluffy, reminding me of Jiffy Mix which I never have liked. But I love their personal size sweet potato pie and cake slices. Wish these are available online, but they are not. Probably too hard to get the order right if they are out of something you like. My favorite is their sweet potato cake which they run out of frequently. It is delicious! I recommend them and if anyone knows of even better barbecue in or near Vallejo, please reply. Thanks! read more

The ribs and sauce is everything! This is definitely my go to anytime of the week! The ribs are literally fall off the bone. They also have very tasty cakes I visit this place at least twice a week! read more

We arrived 30 minutes before closing. The staff was very friendly and personable. We ordered the four way and tried each of the meats. The food was good and plentiful. About 3 of each meat and decent sized sides. read more

I haven't even gotten my food yet but the customer service from the cashier is non existent. She was rude and very unpleasant. The lady in front of me was taking a second ordering and switched her order to 4way instead of 4 single orders and the cashier was rude about it even after the customer apologized. Crazy! When it was my turn I tried to be light just in case she's just having a bad day And asked what was her favorite and what she recommends getting and she said, none at all. Smh. This food spot's profit might be way better if they hire a new cashier. The management should look into that! Hopefully, the food will make it worth it. read more

Loved, loved, loved when they first opened, but since then Inguess good help is hard to find. Haven't been back in about a year. Food wasn't fresh tasting, but dried out sliced beef, undercooked pork ribs. Last straw was fried catfish portion of a sandwich on large order for about $30. I can't be doing that when I can cook good my self, why pay for bad quality, wasting time and money. read more

Service wise: ZERO. Three people came in after me, ordered, and got their order. The cook is scary looking, mean and hangs her mouth open so you can see her tongue. If you are not of a certain race, she will not serve you. The older nice lady had to go back and see what she was doing with my order. The cook quickly went to stir the pot of BBQ sauce and tried to look busy. The cole slaw is not as good as KFC. Even though the sauce was pretty good, I would not go back, sadly so. read more

just cause it's drenched in bbq sauce doesn't make it bbq. i don't think their meat is smoked at all. i can make tastier ribs in my oven. i did like the sauce but thats's about it. like someone else said the name of this place will change again. read more

I got the bar bbq chicken with a side of fries the chicken was good although the portion was small and some of the fries was not fully cooked and after reading the other comments I see that i am not the only one unpleased with the cashier she definitely lacks customer service skills also should be wearing gloves she coughed into her had as she handed me my food wont be going back. read more

I was excited to try this place but was sorely disappointed. The service was ass. All the other reviews are mad accurate when they say the woman at the counter is rude, unwelcoming, and just plain mean. Like my bad for providing you business and a happy demeanor. Didn't realize it wasn't welcome. Won't be coming back, but it seems like that's their goal. read more

Really great food . Could be a whole lot better if the lady working the register didn't act like she hated her life and hates you even more for bringing business to their establishment. read more

The Ribs were drowning in barbecue sauce, the potato salad was watery the staff is ghetto. I also ordered some catfish that was crispy on the outside and raw on the inside the only thing I enjoyed there was a sweet potato cake that came from it's all good bakery in Oakland. I paid 36 dollars for nothing. read more

Solid BBQ spot, decent pricing and options as well. Usually get the 3 way combo with 3 meats and 3 sides. I prefer the sauce on the side just to keep it under control. If they had better seating I'd give them a 5, it's much easier to call ahead and pick up the order to go. read more

Don't ever serve me BBQ and everything has a lot of sauce on it. Just bad rep on BBQ. I been there twice and both times I wasn't impressed. They served me reheated fries when I order a two way, sauce was everywhere not good at all. Will not be coming back. I cook way better. O yea and always out of Greens. read more

Last night we had BBQ here. OUTSTANDING!!! All you want in a BBQ place. They actually BBQ right out front on the big huge BBQ grill. And yes they use BBQ coal. I got a whole order of chicken which is actually a half chicken. Could not finish. Oh well leftovers. There Sauce is the best I have had since my sister inlaws hubby made some homemade 2 years ago. I got the mild spicy. My better half got the Really spicy and she liked it. Potato salad was tasty but ask for it in a seperate container so it's not warm when you get home. The fries are the bomb as well as the BBQ beans. All in all I am glad to finally have a real BBQ place in Vallejo. read more

The staff is friendly, the food is cheap and clean and the brisket was mind blowingly good.

The food is great with reasonable price. I am giving this place a 3 because the lady at the register shouldn't be taking order with one hand while holding a half eaten fried catfish filet in the other hand with her mouth chowing down on it. read more

Walked up to the counter to order, waited for the lady taking my order to take a break from watching family fued.(awkward) So i order the beef hogie with fries, while waiting for my food, the lady that took my order went next door to get food (i should have taken this as a hint) so i get my food to go. When i get home i open the bag and tray.....at first it looked good...big portions and alot of bbq sauce. Fries were excellent but the meat in the sandwich was nasty, tasted like week old low grade beef that had been reheated multiple times to the point that the bbq sauce was burnt....threw the sandwich away, i only hope that the one bite i did take doesnt make me patient zero in the zombie apocapocalypse......... read more

Usually go to Rustler's but someone recommended this place so we tried it. Besides it being a lot farther away than Rustler's I didn't think it was that good. Their BBQ sauce was very good and nothing to complain about there. I didn't think there was a lot of meat on their ribs. Their 2 sides are ridiculously small like about 1/4 cup. Rustler's sides are about 3/4-1 cup in size. Rustler's serves homemade corn bread and CJ's gives you two pieces of wheat bread. No comparison there. Their macaroni salad was better than most Had a little extra spice to it. Their baked beans were also very good. They tasted like Ranch Style beans with a little sweetness added. Their french fries were really good though. They are much better than Rustler's. We also ordered a pork sandwich and it was served with a lot of meat but there were bones in the pieces of pork. it was also on a hot dog bun and got soggy fast. Ironically my husband really enjoyed his ribs and did not agree with me. Said there was a lot of meat on his ribs and he would go back. CJ's charges 15.50 for their platter and Rustler's charges 14.85 and gives larger sides and corn bread vs. regular sandwich bread. For the value Rustler's is a better option. If I didn't have anything to compare it to I probably would have loved it. But after having Rustlers several times I just found this place came up a bit short. read more

Second time trying then, ordered Slab of Pork Ribs. Meat very tender, sauce just the right heat. Would have been five if they offered Collard Grens as a side with Slab of Ribs. Going to become a regular. Hope fish orders become larger , last time on small side on Catfish Dinner. read more

It was okay for Vallejo....but I guess I really am from Oakland because it was nothing like my Everett n Jones or Flints...not my cup of tea

BBQ chicken was delicious,Tender and juicy. I like their potato salad and baked beans.

First off, no personality at all, waits for you to say something, then just looks at you and says are you ready to order, no "hello may I help you' she acted like she was doing you a favor and I believe she's the owner. Got the 3 way, ribs were so small they were even cut in half, like baby size, chicken was ok and links taste like Hormel hotlinks from foodmaxx which are gross. Too much sauce, prob to hide the mediocre taste of the meat. The attitude didn't help the food either, will never go back here again, not worth my time or money and food sure not with it. Will not recommend this place to anyone. read more

A solid bet for some good ribs. I have been eating there for some time, and the ribs are always solid. However I may be mistaken but it seems as if the ribs are now are at times boiled and then grilled. As any barbecue person knows, a good measure of flavor and texture is loss in the boiling process. read more

Rude service, but pretty good BBQ as long as it's not lathered in BBQ sauce. They do need a few more sides!

This place was my first time going so I was like let me try it out.. It was not good and it was very expensive all we got was the Hot link dinner.. This place got some work to do.. The people that run it had a guy making are food and he had Gold teeth it is not something you where working at a restaurant.. The food was not good I was so mad I try it out.. read more

I've tried CJ's a few times in the past and was pretty let down each time with the BBQ so I stopped going there. But today after work I was hungry, tired and had a craving for fried fish and I remembered seeing "Under new management" on their window the other week. So I pop in on the way home and the place was definitely cleaner and more tidy than the last time I was there although it looked like it was straight out of the 70's. The woman at the counter wasn't "friendly" exactly, no small talk or anything, just waits for you to start ordering but I think that's just her personality. She called me sweetie and was singing along with the slow jazz (and later a bit of funk) that was playing so I think she's just a chill lady. As for the food, I got fried snapper with fries and coleslaw and well...damn it was pretty good! They cook it to order so there's a small wait but it's piping hot when they box it up for you. I got the regular sized portion which comes with 5 pieces for $15 but it's easily two meals worth, the pieces are big. The fish was fried perfectly, had a great crunchy cornmeal crust and it was well seasoned. The fries were basic fries, tasty without being too salty. The coleslaw on it's own is a bit boring but I figured out that when you eat it with the fish it's freaking amazing. I saw her whip up a batch while I was waiting so it's fresh, not over dressed with mayonnaise, crunchy, and a little bit sweet. When it's eaten with the fish they really compliment each other and it really is delicious, it comes with a couple slices of bread so I made me a couple little sandwiches. Soaked in hot sauce of course. I don't know if the BBQ has gotten any better but the fried fish is definitely worth it and I'm glad I tried it because I'm for sure going back again for it. Docked a star just because it's outdated looking and that shopping center has always been super sketchy with that liquor store there. I recommend it. read more

CJ's BBQ & Fish - Fried snapper with fries and coleslaw. - Barbeque Near Me - Vallejo, California

I was looking for BBQ and I am limited to how far I can drive in the work truck. Big Brother is always watching; GPS, etc. I saw CJ's and pulled over. I ordered the Hot Link Hoagie and I am very satisfied by its presentation and taste. It's a little pricey, but the food and sauces are amazing. It's super tasty. If it was a couple dollar cheaper, it would be 5 Stars... read more

omg !!! this place has had different owner and i have given them all a chance but current owner cj's is so oooo!! good i order the links and beef brisket it was so tender and moist i cannot wait to check out the rest of the menu. oh yeah and they are nice :-) read more

Stumbled upon this place on a refueling/late lunch break on our way to Arcata. I wasn't impressed. I ordered the ribs (spicy) with a side of cole slaw. The ribs were drowning in a very wet bbq sauce. It was spicy (like I like it) but there was way too much sauce. The coleslaw was bland and boring. My husband ordered deep fried oysters with a side of fries -- that came with two generic slices of wheat bread in a ziploc bag. Greasy and greasier. Our daughter played it safe and ordered fries only. We split a slice of red velvet cake. Meh. Obviously by its packaging, it's wasn't homemade. Or fresh. The cake was crumbly dry but the icing was good. They didn't sell fountain soft drinks; just canned stuff. To get to the restroom you have to walk through the kitchen. Weird. At least it was clean. read more

Best ribs this side of the Mississippi! It's our must have place when we are in the area. My husband is picking up a rack right now. Looking forward to trying the links and brisket :-) read more

The owner did not act like she was happy to have customers at all. No "hello how may I help you" no smile no nothing and then served our food in TOGO boxes cause we ate our food in the restaurant so she was not pleasing nor happy to speak to, barely made eye contact with us or cracked a smile. My father asked for a bag and she just threw it in his hand and said "here", didn't even attempt to open the bag for him. Didn't wanna provide no water or anything. Didn't say Thankyou for us eating their food. Was WAYYYYYY to much FAT on my ribs and too much sauce read more

This place is awesome and the proprietors are about as nice as it gets. They do ribs up right.

I have eaten at this place and enjoyed what I had ordered. I love the chicken and have it without the barbque sauce. It's seasoned very well. I have had the ribs they were good although I am not really a pork eater. The potatoe salad is great. the beans are good and the colslaw is even good and I am not a colslaw eater but when I seen how it looked I tasted it and it's the only colslaw that I will eat. Great food. The smell alone will bring you into this place... read more

Being from Oakland and raised around the corner from the original Flint's, I grew up on real Oakland BBQ. I drive from Santa Rosa for CJ"s. Large portions, great sides, and friendly staff (I wish they had the links that are a continuous tube like Oakland but..). I always get the 2-way ribs/brisket (because of the link thing) medium sauce works for me. There is always leftovers. Deserts are good too. I always ask about the blackberry cobbler (when in season) they pick the blackberrys FRESH!!! It's worth the ride by it's self. read more

My first time at this establishment walked in for lunch at first I was like the food ain't going to be so great ordered the three way mini lunch special with french fries to my surprise the ribs was extremely good the hot links were great the chicken was good but the best part of the meal was the barbecue sauce great tasting sauce I would definitely go back and Order a bigger plate and a lot more barbecue sauce read more

First off, the amount of food was decent. We ordered a 4-way with 3 sides and was able to feed 3 people. (Not all of us indulged in all of the sides) But there was plenty of meat! They were out of one of the sides so we got coleslaw instead. The boys liked the food but I thought the bbq sauce and the beans were way too sweet. I personally may give them one more try and ask for the sauce on the side. The customer service is a little poor and it took an hour for the order. I would probably give it 2 stars if the boys didn't like it but I added a star for them. read more

The potato salad is so good.and the BBQ sauce is awesome also. I work in the same area and I smell the food all the way at my job.they have a big old school pit and I love to watch them use it when I'm at work read more

The food is really good. They're often out of a lot of things and the customer service stinks. But its the best barbecue in Vallejo.

I went in and asked if they had Brisket and they told me yes. She let me have a sample and I noticed it was tri tip. NOT BRISKET! It was a lite pink and tender with NO seasoning or wood smoked flavor. As I sat and waited 30 minutes plus for my order I noticed a BBQ cook putting coals on the BBQ. He put so much lighter fluid the smell had to of transferred to the food. Well I got my order to go of Tri TIP, took it home. As I opened the box all I saw was chopped up Gristly meat. What happen to the pink meat from the sample. They charged me 11.00 for this and 1 small scoop of potato salad. The meat was NOT edible and what I did try did not have even a hint of wood smoke flavor or seasoning rub. This place will turn over AGAIN in my opinion. read more

I called for take out and got hung up on three times after asking about the price of market priced items on the menu. Was then told I should come in if I have questions. I think he was just tryin to get in store business by saying that but it was really frustrating. As much as I want bbq, this all makes me not wanna go read more