1st time visit. Potato salad I loved a lot; lots of purple onion, yay! Gouda Mac & Cheese, yummy! Ribs could've used seasoning but amazingly tender. Didn't care for bbq sauce but nice and spicy; just needed something else. I couldn't eat the too-salty brisket but they replaced with other meats. Cable car cocktail tiny glass but yummy. Best part was the service with Madison. She was amazing! And a young guy stopped by and asked if we needed a bag for to-go containers and he was fab also! We needed a great barbecue restaurant here and, with a couple tweaks, they can do it. This place should be packed. Cute restaurant and I want it to be successful! I didn't think I'd go back but I want to give another try. Maybe include a couple store-bought bbq sauces? Good luck guys! And be sure to have hot links. That's what I really wanted to try but not available. And, grill the buns so pulled pork sandwich doesn't get soggy so fast. read more

We ordered takeout from Downtown Barbecue and tried the brisket, pulled pork, ribs, mac and cheese, and cornbread. Unfortunately, the meal was pretty disappointing overall. The BBQ sauces were honestly inedible, way too much vinegar and so overpowering that it took away from everything else. The mac and cheese was completely bland with almost no flavor. The pulled pork was very fatty and had an extremely strong vinegar taste that made it hard to enjoy. The ribs were just ok, nothing terrible but nothing memorable either. The brisket and cornbread were probably the best parts of the meal, but even those weren't really anything to write home about. For the price and the hype, we expected much better. read more

Downtown BBQ: I rarely post negative reviews, but yesterday's experience at Downtown BBQ really requires sharing the information. I belong to a group of about a dozen men who visits a different restaurant every month. This is a chance to try something different with guys we know, and often leads to multiple return visits to our new "finds" with family or friends. Our group (actually a "bakers dozen" this evening) arrived at Downtown BBQ about 5:30 on Wednesday, the first day they are open each week. There were a couple of people at the bar, and maybe 25% of the tables occupied. Things started to go downhill when we ordered drinks from the drink menu on the table. The drink menu featured all the Happy Hour drinks and snacks. Asking for the well-priced Happy Hour martini ($5), we were told that Happy Hour pricing was not available at the tables. So that $5 martini actually cost $13. Why put a Happy Hour menu (which did not say "unavailable at tables") at the table? Food ordering contained more unhappy surprises. Their limited menu features four meats: ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and chicken. As we began to order our meals, we were informed that they were out of ribs. Out of ribs! A BBQ restaurant out of ribs! Early in the evening on the first night of the week they are open! The server claimed that one of the tables (the biggest table had no more than 6 people) had completely cleaned them out of ribs. Then she rudely informed us that, if we had wanted ribs, we should have ordered them in advance! We considered leaving, but felt it would be unfair for a dozen (+1) guys to drop into another restaurant without warning. There was a lot of conversations as to why a BBQ restaurant would run out of ribs after only being open for a few hours. We know that they had really struggled under the previous owner. One person questioned whether, perhaps, they could not pay their bills. But that was only speculation. Whatever the reason, running out of their primary menu item so early in the day and week certainly raised red flags. We had hoped that, with the change in ownership, the Downtown BBQ would shake off the cloud around it, and we were sadly disappointed. But if you decide to give them a try, you'll need to order your ribs in advance. I can't leave out one good point: The tallow fries were the best I have tasted recently, actually slightly exceeding my other favorite fries, at The Fern Bar in Sebastopol. So that earned them at least one star. read more

Amazing server, knew the history of the building, knew the beers on tap, offered to let you taste, the food was amazing, my wife had the sampler platter, I had the Nashville spicy chicken sandwich - best one I've ever had, and that's saying something. read more

Gave this place a wide birth after having some bad experiences there shortly after they opened, but sad to say the current iteration doesn't seem to be any better. My most recent visit we had pretty mixed service. The server was really pushy, yet they failed to deliver our first app orders (delivered to wrong table?). There weren't many people there, so it seemed like the load on the floor wasn't the issue. By the time we got our (underwhelming) apps, we all agreed we had seen enough and it would be best to just go someplace else. Additionally, we were getting the Arctic blast every time someone opened the door, so nothing here was clicking. Poor to mediocre ratings for service and food. They don't seem ready for prime time. read more

Just stopped by here for the first time. The inside of the restaurant was pretty relaxing as it was the middle of the day. Service was GREAT, very friendly and helpful bartender. Food was okay but it didn't blow my mind. The brisket nachos were decent. Just wish they had a little more kick. Tallow fries, okay, nothing to write home about. I ordered a beer as well, IPA, which was pretty nice. I'd go back if in the area, but I wouldn't drive out of my way to go here. read more

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Great biscuit pizza and service. I'd recommend eating here to anyone. I am now trying get 85 characters read more

Oops, sorry. Forgot to hit 5 stars. This is a picture of the menu I took yesterday. We ordered 2 items to go. One we had last night. We're about to enjoy the smash burger! read more

Downtown Barbecue - Look at the choices!!!! So good & tasty. Oh, I forgot about the sauce and the pickles. - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

This place has a new owner and let me say...the food is ABSOLUTELY amazing. Service is outstanding. This is coming from a BBQ snob that has eaten BBQ all over the United States. And this little gem...I'm so glad Santa Rosa has it! Just so amazing. Check it out! The Ambiance is stellar too. read more

Went here for the first time before catching a movie at the Roxy. The restaurant was big with a nice patio area, that is where we sat. You could tell our server was new but he was nice and you could tell he was trying his best. With that being said, service was slow, and had a couple hiccups with our order but over all had a good experience. I got an expresso martini since it was barely noon and those are the new it drinks. It was delicious! So good, I literally text my expresso martini fan friends. Food wise we just got appetizers. The salmon & lox deviled eggs were amazing had to share those with a few people as well through photos. My husband got fries.. they were not great not the worst but not the best either. I plan to be back. The food was good, drink was great, the workers were nice even if service wasn't 5-stars, it's in a good location by the 3rd St. parking garage. Definitely check them out if you are in the area. read more

Downtown Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

What a lovely experience my family and I had. Came down for Mother's Day and left full and satisfied. There was three of us and we all ordered the two meat combo. Between us we got the half chicken, hot links and ribs. I got the potato salad. My son got the collard greens and my aunt got the mac & cheese. I absolutely love the cornbread and the sweet cream butter they offer with it. Between the ribs and the Cajun chicken, I'm going to highly recommend the ribs . The chicken was flavorful and juicy. I think I'm just not really a big fan of Cajun... I did not like the barbecue sauce, but they also offer hot sauce, which I enjoyed. The potato salad was good with mac & cheese was better than last time I had it, the collard greens or my least favorite side. The ambience inside is giving high class vibes! I mean it is sophisticated definitely a vibe. My aunt and I decided to walk through to check out the place because it's definitely something to see great place for any occasion like a dinner or a birthday or at work meeting or a first date, I absolutely love the inside of this place! You can eat upstairs or downstairs or even outside. I mentioned in my first review how they have a full bar and I love that!! The service was friendly and welcoming. Our food came out swiftly, nice and hot. My family really enjoyed the experience and would love to come back to check out other stuff on the menu and also looking forward to checking them out for happy hour from 3 to 6 PM.... Personally I wish they offered more desserts options, like something take home like a peach cobbler or 7 up cake, bread pudding something! They do offer soft serve and a soft serve cobbler..... I was so full I did not have room to try it. I think the price of the food is reasonable and definitely affordable for a good plate of food. We all have leftovers... I probably could write more, but do yourself a favor and check out downtown barbecue, Hell book a birthday dinner there you won't regret it !! read more

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This was my first time ever at this particular barbecue place and we went for a friend's birthday dinner. There was a table of 10 and our server was incredibly patient with us since four of us showed up a little late! They had a number of different beers on tap as well as bottles and my Hubby couldn't figure out which one he liked, so our server was incredibly sweet and got him a mini 4 sample sips for him to try. He ended up loving my POG cider and got one of those! Hahaha The ambience was really relaxing and nice bar environment. Very clean and organized and they had an upstairs area as well! I would definitely like to go and check out the upstairs or even a night if they have a live music! We will definitely have to go back! read more

Downtown Barbecue - 4 Person Pitmaster Platter- $100 - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

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The ribs and cornbread were ok. Did not like the chicken , (over seasoned and over cooked), potato salad (potatoes under cooked), collard greens (very salty couldn't eat them) or the beans. ( didn't care for the flavor) Sorry but I don't think the quality of the food has improved that much under new management. We will not order from this restaurant again. This is the 2nd time we have experienced disappointment with this restaurant. read more

This place is delicious. I really do not understand the poor reviews. Good BBQ is hard to find in Northern California, so having solid BBQ in Santa Rosa feels like a blessing. Everything I have tried has been really good. My favorites are the brisket, mac and cheese, and cornbread. So yummy. I hope this place stays around, I am rooting for you all! read more

First times, love to eat BBQ.... Got chicken and ribs this time around, had a couple beers, hazy from henhouse and one of the house beers. Came with cornbread and we got fries as a side. The ribs were fall off the bone delicious, the chicken was Cajun flavored, was good, but the ribs were so good, the bbq sauces were also very good. It was very empty on a Tuesday, which was a bummer to see. We would go back, hope they survive. read more

Downtown Barbecue - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

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This bbq gem is located downtown Santa Rosa across from parking garage. We had a late lunch sound 2om. It was $1 as 1st hour free. My mom, her BFF and myself share the large meat platter-ribd, brisket, pulled pork, chicken n 4 sides (corn bread , Cole slaw, greens with ham, ma n cheese ,and finally potato salad ). They offered a seat and then a bit spicy BBQ sauce. I had a bottled root beer, mom had water a Peggy had a specialty beer in a glass . I also got the wedge salad no onions but didn't need it it eat it all. We all got dinner that night from same meal. Still chicken and some meat leftover for toays dinner. It was a little pricey but BBQ always is .. pit smoked for hours. Megan was a great server and got our order perfect!!! read more

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The meat was perfectly prepared, the squash well cooked. Service quick and professional. The plums cocktail not so great. I like the atmosphere of this old ash style. read more

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The food and ambience are great. It has a high ceiling with great decor. Open and airy. They were playing a lot of classic rock, especially Southern rock and it fit so well. Loved the brisket. She asked if I wanted lean or fatty and I said lean and got it. They have 2 sauces and both are great especially if mixed together. The potato salad is really complex with dill and vegetables in it. Not your basic boring potato salad. I also had a hot link. It was pretty chewy so she brought me another one. That was a bit better but I think they could improve that recipe. It did have great flavor. I had a wine I never heard of: Fallanghina. Very tasty and unique. It could use a wee bit more air conditioning. read more

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We were looking for a cool place to hang out and have a beer after being out in the sun, we happened upon " Downtown Barbeque" . They were pretty busy and seemed short staffed but we got seated within a few minutes. I ordered a beer with banana pudding, child ordered mac & cheese w/ banana pudding. Husband ordered the chili with a slice of cornbread. The puddings were ok , the chili was more like a soup and heavy on the brown sugar. The cornbread slice must've been the last piece available as it was really small. It was a bummer to be served all the food in paper and plastic. Service was fine. read more

Downtown Barbecue in Santa Rosa was our go to choice after a hike. Grrrr! Get your bbq grub on! What is it about a nice cold beer after being out in the sun? I had the 3rd St. Aleworks IPA and it did wet the whistle. My friend and I both ordered the Pitmaster Sandwich and we shared the Tallow Fries. Bottles of bbq are on the table for you to sample on your MEAT. My favorite was the California one that had a bit of spice. Service was friendly, atmosphere was fun, and the grub was good. We parked at a meter but across the street in the parking garage there was a sign about free parking. We were at Downtown Barbecue when it was quiet but it looks like the joint could be hopping on certain nights, especially when they have live music. They have a happy hour too. Worth visiting. read more

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I ordered the half pound brisket, and the portion size was very small. I doubt it was ever 1/2 lb, even before smoking. It came with a few pickled jalapeño slices, some pickled onions, and pickles. I also ordered the cornbread. I appreciate that you cam indicate if you want fatty meat, lean meat, or a combination of both. The flavor of the meat was ok. The texture was excellent. The cornbread was a little sweet for me, and it was missing a decent crust. Overall, everything was just ok. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. Probably won't order again. read more

Hubby and I have been a couple of times right at opening. We enjoy sitting at the bar and trying out unique cocktails and appetizers. Their craft cocktails are delicious. The slushies are a fun novelty, too, but nothing I'd make a regular go-to for myself. We've had the Wilber and Roadrunner tacos. Both were worth the try. We also have had the smoked salmon dip with house made chips. They make the smoked salmon in house and it's delicious! Chips were a bit overdone, but not bad. I appreciate the effort of a homemade chips, for sure! Haven't quite gotten around to the chicken sandwich which is on our to-list. I heard rumor they were closing. Hopefully that's not true. read more

Went there yesterday for lunch with 2 friends. Service was great, very attentive. I had the pulled pork sandwich special, lots of pulled pork on a bun with a side of coleslaw. The pulled pork was delicious and the slaw was fresh and tasty. One friend has the baby ribs which he liked and the other friend has the Asian pork tacos which he loved. They have full bar and a nice selection of beer on tap. read more

Service was fine. Food not so much. Ordered the brisket. Very small portion. I came for sum good barbecue. Ended up getting blubber-cue. Pretty much the whole brisket was pure fat. The sides...chili and collared greens were excellent. Just wish the brisket was less fat and more portion. read more

This place is an absolute hit! Food was phenomenal, service was great! And the ambiance was too tier!! read more

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The brisket was phenomenal. The taps were down the day I went but were being repaired. I had the brisket and beans. The service was great food came out quick and the bbq sauces were great too. It's a cool rustic but modern feel inside. read more

Service here is actually great. The waiters are attentive and your water cup is never empty. I ordered the brisket and the pickled jalapeños and cornbread. I thought it was pretty good. Brisket could have been softer but cooking brisket is hard in general but it had good flavor. My favorite item was their corn bread, sooooooo good. Next time I go I'll take pictures and update the review. This spots definitely a chill spot, gives backyard barbecue vibes. read more

Brisket was so tender and juicy. The waiters were friendly and attentive. I enjoyed my time there. The cocktails were aesthetically pleasing and loved the fresh rosemary. The owner/ chef I believe made around as interacted with guys which was nice to see! If you ever need BBQ and you're in downtown Santa Rosa come check it out. read more

Downtown Barbecue - Brisket w/ corn bread & MAC N CHEESE - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

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A+ restaurant! We reserved four tables upstairs for a barbecue extravaganza to celebrate graduation from Sonoma State University. what a fun restaurant! The music was great and the food was even better! Every guest that attended had an amazing time the service was impeccable. The manager was friendly and all the service was made with a smile. The owner responded quickly to text questions and provide provided an amazing menu for us to choose everything from yummy sides and dessert! BBQ A+++! read more

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Party of 6 on a weeknight. The place was pretty empty with a few seats filling up by the time we left. Appetizers of Smoked Salmon Dip and Chicken Wings were fine. Sides of mac and cheese, greens and cornbread (surprised it wasn't dried out as others have stated) were fine. Pickles and pickled onions on the side were fine. Our meats on our entrees are where the experience ended and we were so disappointed. 2 small slices of brisket overly salted on the bark rub on our entrees. Ribs, same - so much salt. Meats came lukewarm. I understand that you are most likely grilling the meats earlier in the day/week, but these did not taste fresh. They tasted and appeared as though they were refrigerated for a few days and then sliced and reheated and served. We noticed a card on the table that offered a discount for Blue Collar workers. We discussed this with our server and all agreed that one of our party was entitled to the discount. I didn't even notice until I got home that no discount was applied. Also note, it does state on the menu that groups of 6 or more will be subject to a 20% gratuity and if you pay by credit card add 3%. read more

Round two, we came back to try food again and so glad we did! The first experience was iffy because of last minute pit master and employee changes, the owner Lowell made things right for us and really appreciated it! One thing for certain, the employees have always been friendly and very efficient at what they do! The drinks were good, food was spot on, really enjoyed the pulled pork, with pickled pickles and radishes. Cornbread was tasty and not super sweet, the Mac and cheese was delicious, definitely home cooked. They have bbq sauces on table, original and spicy, both tasty! The smash double burger was yummy! Great Happy hour drink prices. The decor inside is really perfect for a bbq spot. Great improvement and job downtown bbq read more

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Let's start with the strengths. The service was friendly & we didn't have to wait at all for a table. The best thing we ate was the smoked chicken & the French fries. Both had great flavor in terms of seasoning. The rub on the chicken was so good & the fries were super fresh. The brisket wasn't bad either. Coleslaw was good. The vibe inside was nice. Seemed like it could be a fun spot to hang out with friends because they have a photo booth & games like cornhole you can play. Things we didn't love: the bbq sauce, the beans, the cornbread & the chili. The bbq sauce didn't have great flavor. It lacked in depth. The beans felt overcooked & hard. The chunks of brisket in it were good but didn't love the flavor or texture. The cornbread felt like eating straight up cornmeal. Super crumbly, dry, and wasn't served warm. Now that I'm writing this out I feel like the cornbread & chili were giving leftovers vibes. Overall, I don't know if it was an off day for the kitchen but we didn't love it. You'll have to try it for yourself & see. read more

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First and foremost: Outstanding ribs. Some of the best i've ever had anywhere in the U.S. The quality of the meat is probably the best I've ever tasted - fresh, not gamey, not sinewy. Perfectly cooked. Great sauces as well. A+ Second: Best cole slaw in California. Again, super fresh ingredients, balanced, not too creamy or too tart. Looking forward to trying more of their offerings in the future. read more

I ordered take out last Friday night, gotta try out this new bbq place downtown! It didn't disappoint. We got the 1lb brisket (lean) and it was bomb! I love the fact that you can choose lean or fat for your meats. Sides were so- so. The Mac & potato salad was good but the collard greens was too salty! The corn bread was a bit tough but it was the honey that got me..it was spicy! I preferred sweet honey. Overall, the meats are great and I'm happy we finally have a good bbq spot downtown! read more

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This place is a large location and can't miss it from the size and signage outside. Parking is adequate with metered spots right outside the door. When we walked it we were greeted and were told to pick where you like to sit. We chose outside. Lucky for us were arrived during happy hour. We immediately looked at the happy hour menu and picked a couple of their signature beverages. I had a Whiskey sour, that was the Cocktail of the day and my lady had a slushy, both drinks were delicious to the point I ordered another round before the hour was up.For the main course we choice the two meat and one side options. We chose BBQ ribs and brisket, the side was coleslaw with cornbread. For me the ribs were a bit salty and the bbq sauce was not present. The brisket was much better with no bbq sauce. I learned later the forgot to bring the 3 options on the sauce. That did make the food taste much better. Be advised you will have to determine which sauce you like. One of them is spicer than the other, you only get 2 choices. Btw the 2 meat options may not be enough for two so we opted for another and change the meat to chicken and pulled pork. For me the pulled pork was better because the chicken outsides were charred and hard. However if you cut into the inside you will yield the tender juicy meat, only thing left was to add the sauce. The wait staff were very attentive and informative!!! We were content with the food we had devoured and chose not to have dessert. Out the door the meal was $112 so be aware. If you're ever in the Sonoma downtown area looking for BBQ, like I always say try it you may like ot. read more

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Soft opening November 2024. Observing the smoky aroma on the air as you enter the former home of 3rd St., Aleworks you can't help but feel comfortable knowing what awaits, delicious barbecue! Pulled pork, sausage and chicken tacos were our selections for the evening and they did not disappoint, loaded with spices and fall apart flavor, complemented with their homemade barbecue sauces. The psycho holiday cocktail with hot apple brandy was a perfect evening sipper, highly recommend. Service was very good, timing was on point, and an issue we had was quickly addressed. We look forward to a future visit to enjoy the brisket and ribs. read more

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We went here for brunch. The service was pleasant. The eating area outside looked nice, but it was too windy for us that day. Inside was comfortable, clean and decor suited the place. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros. I wasn't sure how those would turn out because the beans were barbecue and the chorizo didn't seem to be traditional Mexican chorizo. But it was completely delicious. Eggs were cooked perfectly. Served on blue corn tortillas. Yum. They were one of my top Huevos Ranchero ever and I order those whenever I go out to breakfast (if available). Other orders the table were the Eggs Benedict with brisket and the spicy Chicken sandwich which were both served with a huge side of potatoes/fries. Too much to finish. All was good, but we agreed the Huevos Rancheros were the best. I definitely want to go back to try the tacos. read more

Keep the chef - dump the staff. We were a table of 5 on a quiet Sunday evening. The food is delicious and plentiful but the service needs an overhaul. Cocktails were weak, they ran out of ingredients to make certain drinks, delivered the wrong drinks, and had to remake one of the drinks - which was a MOCKtail. Our food order was also not correct and had to be remade, some items were lukewarm, one dish (a sandwich!) was delivered 10-min after everyone else's, and they RAN OUT OF CORNBREAD! Did I mention it was a quiet Sunday evening?! I would like to think I will return for more of the amazing Memphis ribs, tender brisket and legit potato salad, but I don't know if I can sit through another service circus. Please do better. read more

We came in with a group of 14 without a reservation... not only were we accommodated right away but honestly the food was so amazing. It all was done with care and you could tell whoever was behind the recipes, and meal preparation was doing so with love... we had one of everything, and the salmon salad, squash and brisket are all must try's! read more

I've heard great things about this place but unfortunately, it wasn't that great. Overall, the location and service were great. Parking was great. Very nice looking restaurant. Originally, my three meat combo was super cold but they resolved this quickly. The brisket was the best thing about my meal. I'd definitely just go to the casino next time for Everett and Jones. read more