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    Clifton's Gourmet Barbecue

    4.5 (123 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Clifton's Gourmet Barbecue Photos

    CLIFTON'S GOURMET BARBECUE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual

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    Dee J.

    I had completely given up on eating pulled pork sandwiches from anywhere but home, then, I tried Cliftons. The meat itself was delicious. The ratio of heat to sweetness, was spot on. The slaw was tangy, and matched the flavor from the pork perfectly. I appreciated that I didn't have to ask for it to be placed on the side. He made sure to tell me, "WE put it on the side." The small details matter to ME. The only thing I would ask to be different is for my bun to be toasted. I also ordered the mac and cheese. First of all, it looked delicious, and I believe that it would have been if the noodles weren't slightly overcooked that day. I can see not wanting to waste a good pan of noodles, but.... I will definitely return to try other food items, and of course, the cobblers-all of them. The restaurant itself looks like your typical good old-fashioned soul food restaurant, no complaints. I do look forward to my next visit.

    Berry cobbler and pecan pie!
    Lynda B.

    First off this used to only be a cobbler shop.. but the aroma of an off the chart bbq sauce was beckoning me to stop park and pick up a special lunch for family ... and ... the verdict is in ... Goodness is found here ! Service is excellent dual generational and polite, friendly , kind , quick and personal. The ambiance is quaint small town and cozy out door seating to enjoy the California sun on a quiet Pasadena afternoon excellent and tidy. The coleslaw is delicious and the meats are tender simple goodness even for complex eaters!

    Josephine C.

    On a Sunday late afternoon in mid January, my hubby called in the order. We ordered rib plate with Mac and cheese and potato salad and tri tip plate with bake beans and collared greens with 2 mini cobblers-berry and apple . It was hard to find parking lot due to Rams playoff game at the bar behind bbq place. The owner was nice and our food order was ready when we arrived. Tri tip was tender and it tastes better with a dip of bbq sauce. The Mac and cheese was really good, I was too full to try hubby's the ribs plate. Nice family owned bbq place in Pasadena.

    Vee W.

    Was in the neighborhood and wanted to stop by, ordered the sampler plate to try a little bit of everything. Ribs were good, wish the beef link and brisket had more char to them. The Mac and cheese and greens were good. Chicken for me was nothing to rave about. I do like the fact that they sell desserts as well, cobblers and pies. I didn't get a chance to try the cobbler but my friend did, she said they were really good and she'd be back. Staff were friendly and the wait wasn't long, if you want to dine there they have nice small tables on the outside to sit and eat at, the space isn't big enough to sit and eat on the inside. Would come back if I'm back in town.

    Front
    Kisha L.

    I had been hearing people talk about Clifton's, and I finally tried it. I wanted a hot link so I ordered a pork one. They had a chicken option as well, but I wanted the spicy pork one. The link was good and the sauces. It really was not spicy but had a tang to it. The place is small with a small section to eat outside. They have all types of barbecue combos and specials. I will try the combo with ribs, chicken, hotlink, and brisket next time. They sell desserts like sweet potato pie, apple pie, cobbler pie, etc. I never knew this place was here and I am glad I found it. Prices are very reasonable. Parking is on the street or in the parking lot adjacent to the restaurant. If you're looking for some barbecue for take-out Cliftons is the spot. The service is good and the menu has a nice variety of options. Note: They also do catering for events.

    Smokey and tender fall-off-the-bone ribs.
    M. T.

    OVERVIEW: smokey, tender, moist, fall off-the-bone, not salty, affordable, take out only, hole in the wall, will definitly go back. Excellent, "hole-in-the-wall", smokehouse BBQ ribs and brisket! I accidentally stumbled upon this establishment after being turned off by the outside line at another smokehouse BBQ restaurant I drove an hour to in the Lincoln Heights community of L.A. Clifton's is primarily a take-out business with two small tables outside if you wanted to eat there. It's located at the back corner of the building off of Colorado Blvd. I ordered the brisket plate and rib plate. Both come with two sides. The brisket and pork rib were very tender and moist with an ample amount of smokiness. The rib meat pulled right off the bone with little effort. I was truly impressed. I also liked the fact that both these items weren't excessively salted. In my opinion, anytime the rub is excessively salted causing the meat to be too salty, someone is trying coverup their lack of skill as a BBQ master. I was also surprised by their bbq sauce. It was sweet with a distinct, fragrant aroma. If I had to describe this aroma, I would say it was reminded me of fruity whiskey. It's definitley different from any bbq sauce I've ever tasted. The reason I ended up giving Clifton's Gourmet BBQ four stars is due to its sides. When judging these BBQ joints, one of the criterias I use are their side dishes. The coleslaw and potato salad didn't taste housemade. They tasted like every other coleslaw and potato salads I've ever had. The string beans may have been housemade, though. The prices are very reasonable compared to other smokehouse bbq joints in L.A. and Orange County. As a matter of fact, I would consider Clifton's affordably priced. Overall, I will definitly put Clifton's on my list of go to bbq restaurants.

    All this was feeding a family of 4 :) nothing was left over by the time we were done. Barely got a picture of it during the feast!
    Maddelyn R.

    I was headed to Artisanal Goods but the smell coming from this shop over took everything. The aroma from his freshly baked cobblers led us to look and inside and we ended up getting bbq chicken, ribs, brisket, sausage and 4 sides, peach and boysenberry cobblers and everything was falling off the bone and so flavorful! 70 dollars totally worth it. 10/10 will be back for more. Can't believe I spent 24 dollars for 3 croissants at AG instead of spending it here first. Clifton is an OG from Mississippi. Thank you sir for this delicious food! Cant wait to come back

    Home made peach pie
    Michael F.

    I got this information from yelp and went and tried it out. The food is out of this world tender and falls right off the bone, mac and cheese is home made and the string beans was good also. It a small hole in the wall location but i highly recommend it. Service is great and friendly and the owners are super cool. I had the ribs and very very very delicious. Need to try it out I give location a 20 stars if i could

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    4 days ago

    We ordered the bbq. It was smoky and tasty the sides were ok not my favorite but the peach cobbler was amazing! I would definitely return!

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    5 months ago

    I've come here for years. Service is excellent and the food is great. Not much to compare it to, but it's the best bbq in Pasadena.

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    11 months ago

    Customer service was good however the ribbs were definitely boiled the potato salad and Mac and Cheese was missing flavor

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    1 year ago

    The cobbler was great! It a small place with a few tables outside. The service was excellent

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Clifton's Gourmet Barbecue

    Is there a bathroom?

    It's not really an "eat in" kind of place. So not really.

    Do they have indoor seating?

    Nope. Just a bench for waiting, not for dining in. There are two small tables outside however.

    What are your weekend hours?

    Sat 11:00 am - 8:00 pm… Read more

    View All 4 Questions

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    Inside, ordering counter
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    Prosciutto - one of the best ! Perfect! Delish!
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    Father Nature Lavash Bistro
    Double-Pleasure Sandwich - falafel + Chicken shawarma
    Double-Pleasure Sandwich - falafel + Chicken shawarma
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    Croque Madame
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    Clifton's Gourmet Barbecue - southern - Updated July 2026

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