It was good. Liked the service and the food. I had the Tuesday special: pulled pork sammi on sourdough with mac salad and 3 beef ribs a la carte. Ate all but 1 rib. My eyes were bigger than my stomach but thats ok ;-) read more

Mike's BBQ - I'm gonna have leftover for tomorrows lunch!!!! - Barbeque Near Me - Escondido, California

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I went into this place today for pickup and walked away with the most genuine conversation I've had at a restaurant in a long time. Customer service was tier 1. Big cuddos to management and staff. Will definitely come back. read more

I tried everything last night the pork baby back ribs are my favorite and they were very good. The coleslaw, sweet beans, and potato salad were very good. The beef ribs were on the fatty side, and the chicken was dry. I ate outside with my family we had a great time. I didn't have to drag my family through the line and there is no such thing as cutting line like the line cutting policy Phil's barbeque has. Overall this was a great place for family and large groups, friendly staff, and the seating is nice because your not sitting on top or so close to other guests allowing for a better and more private experience. Everyone minds their own business and this is why I would come here rather than Phil's BBQ in San Marcos, Ca. At Phil's your sitting on top each other and it feels very uncomfortable people are nosy and all in your business. read more

We always enjoy eating here. The patio is so nice and Mari is always the most professional, friendly hard working staff member! The food is always good! Highly recommend this one! read more

This place was designed around and for the BBQ customer! A dedicated "Hand Washing Station" for those sticky fingers after eating those ribs or sliced tri-tip sandwich! How cool is that!! Awesome customer service! And oh yeah, the Hickory Smoked BBQ is a real taste treat! The tri-tip sandwich is awesome. TRY IT....YOU have to love it! read more

I stopped in for lunch and it was just average. Nothing I would turn my car around for. I have the pulled pork and coleslaw.

I've heard a lot about this place good thing for the most part but thought we would check it out. My husband ordered the tri tip which was honestly amazing !!!! I had a chicken BBQ burger which was ok my bread was cold and just didn't care for it too hard to eat when it's all oozing out of the burger. I ordered boneless wings with spicy sauce and those were really good. They have a great selection of beer that is for sure great for watching football games so many big screens and have a great view no matter where you are seated. The service was okay we had like four different people helping us which was kind of annoying and it took way too long to get the bill. Overall it was OK. read more

Once again, I tried a BBQ place in San Diego County that I have heard decent things about that turns out to be not very good. Not sure why no one here can get it right. No one seems to think that using a real smoker is the path to good BBQ. You just can't fake it. I give them two stars because the physical place itself seems pretty good. And it has a pretty big menu that has other items that might appeal to a non-BBQ lover. That's a good thing and a bad thing. I've never been to a really good BBQ joint that had a wide variety of salads. Just sayin'. I was going to talk more about their menu but when I went to their website just now to look something up, some sort of bot takes over your computer when you try to look at the menu and tries to force you to "allow" them to send you notifications. Not cool. The homepage of their website says "San Diego's Best BBQ." Not even close...and that's not saying much. Okay, so I need to explain my opinion. I went in to order a full rack of ribs and some sides to go. I ask if I can get a full rack and she says yes. Then she says well actually I could get two pounds and that's about the same as a full rack. It's not. I said so that will feed four people with the sides? She says oh no...maybe only two. So again I ask if I can just get a full slab of ribs and she says no. SO finally I order three pounds of ribs and get some sides of beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn on the cob. For some reason it also came with garlic bread (which made me think of an Italian restaurant). I get home and we put everything out for the family to eat. There were about enough potatoes for two people. They were fine...you can't screw up mashed potatoes too much. The beans had a good meatiness to them but the beans themselves seemed like they came out of a big can of pork and beans...just with some leftover pork added to them. But the biggest problem was the ribs. I will give Mike's credit for doing spare ribs...so many places around here just do baby back ribs...which is better left to Chili's. Real BBQ places do spare ribs, and Mike's does that. But they seem as though they were just boiled and never saw the inside of a smoker. No smoke at all actually. And they were cut into big chunks rather than individual ribs. I would get a big chunk of meat and every once in awhile there would be a bone in there somewhere. It was a little weird. Very little, if any, flavor to the meat. The sweet sauce was decent...I asked for it on the side when I was informed my ribs would be slathered in sauce and put on the grill to prepare them for me. If you have to sauce them and cook them they really aren't going to be good...any experienced BBQ person will testify. I noticed they use Mesquite wood...which is normally reserved for steaks and other red meats. Not a typical BBQ wood choice and there's a reason why...it's not what makes for good BBQ. I am still looking for decent BBQ...I hear there is place in Fallbrook off the 15 that has a real smoker out front, so I guess they're next on the list. Fingers crossed. read more

More than an hour to serve the food, steaks dry and overcooked, ribs plain and the burgers so thin that they looked like the Mac Donald's one dollar menu, never coming back again!!! HORRID! read more

Wow, the bar area is awesome and they have a fantastic beer list. Didn't go in the restaurant area but from what I saw it seemed nice. The area is gigantic, tons of tables and TV's and lots of seats around the actual bar as well. The beer list has lots of options for draft, bottles, and wine. Mike's also has a full bar with knowledgeable bartenders. I love it when you can tell them that you like vodka and they just make you something which is exactly what our bartender did. We also ordered some nachos with pulled pork. They have two sizes of nachos, the regular and the larger size one. We ordered just the regular size one and it was plenty for two of us to eat. The pork on the nachos was very yummy and had a great smoke flavor. Will be back for sure. read more

Food was amazing as well as our server. Wish it was closer to us since we live in LA. We went to safari park and seen a sign for mikes bbq and thought we'd try it on our way home. So glad we stopped! read more

I never carry a flashlight in my purse but took one with me this afternoon when I left home. It came in handy as I went here to dine in for dinner. The section I was placed in, against the wall, had no functioning lights so one could not even read the menu. It is not pleasant to eat a meal with the only light available besides my flashlight was reflected light from a TV screen in the middle of the room. I loaned my flashlight to a man also in my section and another couple pulled theirs out to. When I spoke to a manager after the meal he just said hopefully they will have functioning lights again within a few weeks. I felt sorry for my waitress as it was out of her control. The meal was fine but the prices are high for the amount of food received. I won't go back in the near future and will make sure they have functioning lights before I consider dining there again. I consider it dangerous to have people using steak knives in the dark; it could have been disastrous if the knife slipped. read more

Ah man it kills me to write this review, especially during hard times like these. We used to eat at Mikes pretty frequently and it soon became our main choice over Phil's BBQ. It's been awhile and we ordered take out to enjoy at the house and it was almost like we went to a different restaurant. I ordered the tri tip and it was so salty. It wasn't nice thin slices like I remember, it was very chunky over cooked and shredded bits of meat, completely doused in sauce that make my mouth pucker from the overwhelming salt taste. The coleslaw was flavorless and watery, and my mom said her brisket was dry. On top of the greasy fries and the chewy ribs, I really wanted to take it back for an refund (obviously not an option as we had gotten halfway through our meals before we all exchanged a collective "oh yours is gross too" look). It wouldn't be a big deal, but we spent $130 on dinner and it was GROSS. We were celebrating a birthday and since we couldn't have a party this was the next best thing and it was so disappointing. This isn't the place I remember, and the only reason for such a harsh review is the fact that money is tight for everyone right now and you should be spending it on food that makes you happy. I hope they get back to their old selves soon. read more

We had planned to go to Phil's BBQ in San Marcos, however we soon discovered that they do not open on a Monday so instead we headed to this place with a few friends. Little did I know I had actually had food from here before as take out when I was working in a store and food was brought in for an evening meeting. The location is pretty easy to find, the place does both take out and eat in and there is a bar for drinks as well as the coca cola freestyle machines for soft drinks. We ordered our food from the take out area and chose to sit outside as one of the couples we went with had a dog with them. The food was ready quickly and we picked up from the bar. I had a mix of beef and pork while hubby had a beef only meal. They came with sides and we ended up sharing everything. The sides we had were macaroni cheese, fries, beans and coleslaw. The food was ok, nothing fancy. I wouldn't go out of my way to have food there but if I was in the vicinty again I wouldn't turn my nose up at it. read more

I was intrigued when I saw Mike's BBQ roll into my local strip mall. The place is huge! I've never seen it busy though, which makes me wonder how they're going to stay in business... For starters, the food is great. 4.5 stars. It has that classic wood-smoked flavor (you can get a whiff from the parking lot) and excellent BBQ sides (Wear clothes to Get Messy!). This is what keeps me coming back. They have an extensive beer selection too, but I don't some here much for that.... I'm also not a big sports fan. I might come here more often, but the service is a bit slow (order at the counter and get it yourself), and the food takes a long time to prepare. Every time I've been here (3 or 4x), I find myself wondering if the food is ever going to be ready. Prices are on the higher side of reasonable. I usually end up dining here if I want to eat out and not travel far or if I'm near home and don't mind spending a long time with my meal read more

While both of our lunch dishes were tasty, my pulled pork was more flavorful than husband's beef brisket. Friendly and accommodating staff on this Sunday. I think they improved their sweet potato fries. They have extra sauce cups behind the counter now and you can request as many as you need (used to be able to scoop extra BBQ sauce out of a container on the pick-up counter). That is fine with this germaphobe who prefers not to touch the same utensil that the grimy kid's hands in front of me touched. Sit in the right spot and you can keep track of your fantasy football team from the 5+ screens while you eat. read more

It's only right of me to say that I am not a massive BBQ enthusiast. But I do like pork and I do like BBQ. I just don't live and die by it, all Southern style. I specifically wanted to try the Pork Nachos because I do like nachos. The meat was decent but I would've loved some BBQ sauce on it. The beans were just okay. I ordered take-out, so I cannot speak to the service (though the dude at the counter was nice). But the prices were pretty high. Again, I don't get BBQ on the reg, but it seemed a bit excessive. read more

Daughter and I went here by chance going down Auto Parkway in Escondido. We were hungry and smelled something BBQlicious. We pulled in and found a couple of entrances into the place...its pretty good sized. Has some huge tv screens in the lounge (if i go back i will dine here) were you can watch from the certain areas in the dining room. When my daughter and I entered the dining side I swear I had been to this type of restaurant before. Phils? We ordered two BBQ meals (Rib Plate and the Sampler) with Beans and Coleslaw. My daughter loved her ribs both baby back and the beef ribs. She couldnt get enough of the BBQ beans (she ordered 1 large side). She liked the sweet hickory bbq. I ordered the sampler with their zesty/spicy bbq sauce. The beef ribs in my opinion tasted better than the baby back ribs. The coleslaw was good and quite average. The BBQ beans were ok bout average. The Chicken was sub average... in fact I am not totally sure it was done. It was gummy and no real flavor. I wouldnt order the chicken again. 37 bucks for two...two fountain drinks no alcohol. The service was ok... like modified busboys in the dining area and to get things you went up to the counter (silverware, drinks, containers, sauces, your order, etc.) I may go back again to see if this was just an "off day" but it wont be right away. read more

The food is good but a bit over priced for what you're getting in my opinion. I can get a massive salad with quality ingredients other places for half the price. I like that they have BBQ sauce out so you can add it however you want it and they have multiple stations to refill your drinks so you don't have to wait in line. The staff are not overly friendly but they are far from rude. read more

This place is a great place to come to when you are watching a sports game. They have 3 large projection screens so wherever you are sitting you can watch the different screens. And if you aren't into the game that's on, then they have news or WPT showing so it's all fun when dining. the drinks on tap are amazing, but when my friends ordered a double mike and coke, their drinks had so many different looks, short glass, tall glass, shot on the side, it was all inconsistent. *SAD FACE* Overall, the servers are nice. Conner was nice friendly and attentive. Food is good, but the chicken is dry. Then again, this is a BBQ place. read more

Great big place, serving reliably good barbecue. It's not the best I've ever had, but it's certainly some of the better stuff to be had in North County. I enjoy the Baby Back Ribs. They're taking care to turn out a consistently good product. Potato salad is different, in a good way. One of my favorites. Great beer selection if you're into that. read more

pricing normal but food not worth it. Coleslaw avg no seasoning. mac and cheese gross canned cheese dumped over over cooked macaroni. Chicken was not a chicken yet, undersize (pullet) 3 1/2 leg 2 inch thigh 2 inches wide over cooked Rubber. bbq sauce poured on top. I sent back 75% of my plate no discount or comp. worst ever. PLease go to food.net learn what BBQ chicken is suppose to look like Also start buying real chicken not oversized Cornish or pullets Cheating customers also no ice for water, No air condition and no one going around cleaning tables after people got up. no one wiping down seats tables a or cleaning floor. read more

I received excellent service from a very pretty and prompt waitress. The food was decent as well, I got the brisket sandwich and it didn't disappoint. The atmosphere when I went was pretty good, too. I'd recommend this place if you like beer, they have quite a decent selection. read more

Oh my god.... so good. My wife and I split a combo platter with ribs and tri tip, and a full Caesar salad. Our friends ordered a tri tip sandwich and nachos with brisket and that looked great, the brisket was delicious. Lots of beers on tap, huge screens, place is amazing. read more

I think this place is great, their signature tri tip sandwich was very good. This if not a sit down and order place you order at the counter they give you a buzzer then you go pick your food up. You can tell they worked very hard outing this place together it's ranch style and all the touches are very cool. There is also a sports bar connected but separate from the dining area. read more

Great tasting BBQ with 2 choices, and sweet or spicy. Onion rings are a must. Killer sports bar for those game days. read more

Mike's BBQ - Free Dinner for active military or retired (up to 4 people per id card ) on 11/22/12 11am-8pm - Barbeque Near Me - Escondido, California

Great food. Texas style (no sauce on top). Let's the meat speak for itself. Sean the bartender is all about service. read more

Mike's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Escondido, California

I finally tried Mike's BBQ in Escondido. They are much bigger than what I expected. I liked the restaurant setting; one for family and another one for matured guests. BBQ is KC style and pretty good. Decent service. Huge TVs all around the bar area. If you enjoy BBQ and Sports, go check it out. read more

Stopped by for lunch after getting supplies at Staples next door. Was impressed with the size and decor of the dining room. High ceilings and big screen TVs everywhere. The sampler bbq platter I ordered tasted fine. I loved the condiments, particularly the pickled carrots with garlic. Delicious and super garlicky. Next time I'm in the area I'll have to try the pulled pork. read more

We love to eat here! The food is always great & the servers are excellent! I try to eat low carb which is easy to do here with the awesome meat & salads. But if you want full on BBQ, obviously Mike's is your place. Sports bar is loaded with big screens & tasty libations. Try it, you'll be pleased!!! read more

Mike's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Escondido, California

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Yummy! Mike's BBQ catered a memorial service in Valley Center for my husband. They delivered the food on time, it was hot, but, most importantly, it was delicious! I highly recommend their brisket. I would gladly use them again. You won't be disappointed! read more

The only thing keeping this review from being 5 stars is the fact that Mikes ran out of cornbread on a UFC Saturday fight night! That was the whole reason we drove down from Temecula to Escondido to watch the fight there! They have a large tap selection. The tri-tip dinner is REALLY good along with mac-n-cheese and garlic bread. I didn't care for the chips and salsa AT ALL. read more

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Love the place. We only wish one of their sides was Mac and cheese. read more

Mike's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Escondido, California

Well, looks like they raised the prices and/or got rid of the lunch specials. The ribs were smaller and didn't have the tips as they did last time, the fries were cold and wimpy. Enjoyed the moms beans and mac and cheese. The beef brisket was shredded and juicy, tho the price and portion cannot compare to the value and flavor of another well known BBQ joint. Still good, but no longer a go to place, unless you want to spend $9 for 3 ribs and 2 small sides. And if I am not satisfied with my order at the other popular BBQ place, the manager sends a reply to make everything right whenever I think the portions are too small or the food or service not to my liking. read more

For the price I really wanted something that tasted better. The layout is really weird & a bit uncomfortable. The service was really good though. I don't want to go back but when you can smell that BBQ for miles it's kinda hard to resist. read more

Just moved to the Escondido area a couple of months ago and have been trying different places to see what's good. Heard their ad on the radio and decided to give it a try. Great place to watch sports, but food was not that great at all. I tried the sampler plate with sauce on the side (i hate when places try to cover up their mediocre food with a slathering of sauce) and a side of potato salad and mac n cheese. The beef, pork, chicken and sides were all very bland with the supposed bbq having NO SMOKE flavor whatsoever!!! Textures were good, but they all needed copious amounts of salt and pepper to make them palatable. Even my wife, who is not a big food snob commented, "this is terrible, your bbq is way better... i don't think we're going to be coming back here"... They really need to change their claim of "having the Best BBQ in San Diego" as this is just puffery and FAR from the truth... THIS IS NOT BBQ!!! Mike's is just a notch above Chili's baby back ribs...this disappointing eating experience prompted me to go home and smoke a few racks of ribs and two and half dozen drumsticks since we were all hankering for some great bbq... my motto is "GOOD BBQ DOESN'T NEED SAUCE"... we might come back to watch a game or have a beer, but definitely not for the food... on a good note, their beer selection is quite extensive and our server was great!!! read more

Growing up in Texas this is the closer thing you will get compared to back home. We had brisket place, brisket sandwich and okra. All was very good. Service was a little struggle, but other then that All was amazing. Will be coming back. Prices are a little high. read more

I have been to Mike's three times in the past six months, since a good friend has moved to Escondido. The first thing you notice is the spacious size of the place. You walk up to a hostess that will direct you to a choice of pick up counter with a small dining area, hmm? Or full service, where all of the flat screens encircle the dining area. There is also a counter bar to sit at there as well. If you are a first timer, please take time to study the extensive menu. Understand that not all BBQ is created equal. Mike's falls somewhere in the middle. I will mention my preferences and how well they deliver. Pick your seating for comfort. I am OK with the mostly high bar tables they usually want to seat you at. For cozy couples, they have a curved continuous padded seat along one wall. Also an area with low tables that can be pushed together for larger parties, and for ADA customers. If you are a regular, you may want your favorite server. You should state your preferences firmly. They have music (country-ish) playing at a pleasant volume. The numerous TV screens are silent in CC mode, and appear to each feature a different channel. Thank you. Then relax, and understand that the kitchen here is a little on the "not in a hurry" side, and if you are too, you will be fine. They have signs posted around the place and on the menu, to remind you (15-20 minutes). On all three visits we had good servers that knew the menu, answered questions, and made suggestions, and most importantly, kept refilling our iced tea promptly. I have read the numerous reviews on YELP regarding disastrous service, I would say that is probably more the exception, or were we just lucky? If you prefer your baby back pork ribs moist and "falling off the bone", you will enjoy them here like I did. The quarter chicken I ordered with them on combo #1, was more plain rotisserie, than the good stuff I've had elsewhere. Tender and moist, the two sauces that came with it (sweet & spicy) helped. They will ask you to choose, pick both, and have them on the side. This, at my waiters suggestion. I must recommend that unless you own stock in wet-naps. If you order some meats, like pulled pork, for some reason comes wrapped in foil, (portion control)? This is BBQ sacrilege!! The side choices you get to select from can be a source of confusion, and require questions with your server. If you wish to add a side, or request a substitute, plus pricing is not straightforward. The "small" sides are ample in portion to the meat servings, and you have a choice of two from the list. The "large" serving is just a choice of one from the same list, or corn on the cob, a garden salad, baked potato, steamed veggies, and what, corn bread?? that is nowhere to be found anywhere else on the menu. I went with french fries (consistently good), and coleslaw - over a cup in size - served in the same "to go" styrofoam bowl, as is most all of their sides. if you order a single large, do they double the small portion?? The beans, where a disappointment last visit. My friend liked the potato salad, they did a special cheesy fries with bacon bits for my other friend. You also get some tasty garlic bread with the combos. A sprinkle of parmesan on a sturdy texas toast is perfect for sopping up any sauce left over. My suggestion to Mike's is to have a regular sides list, then have a "premium" sides list with the upgrade pricing. Include the sweet potato and garlic fries on this list. I believe customers would upgrade, as apposed to resenting having to order separately. Why they don't give the customer a choice between corn bread or garlic bread, like most every other BBQ place is puzzling. Also print an alacarte price to add an additional regular or premium side to any order. Note: I am going off the website menu, with my memory of the table menu being the exact same. For dessert, I tried the peach cobbler. My mistake. Warm peaches served in a small skillet with sugar and cinnamon sprinkle. NO butter crust pastry weave here. The peaches had a hint of woodfired BBQ flavor, so skip this. Overall, some bemoan the price increase, but I find value all over the menu. Happy hour is Mon-Fri 3- 6, with $1 off 16oz. draft, and 25% off select (zucchini, and porkbelly brussell sprouts aren't even on the reg menu) appetizers. But what is with charging for chips and salsa?? Soup or chili, & small salad salad combo with garlic bread for $7.99 is pretty good. The "Lighter Portions" menu selections show good value at that same price. Dual pricing, half/full on salads is a help. Beverages at $2.99 is a bargain. Some cheap sweets under $5.00. I will be back to sample more goodness off their extensive menu, even quench my thirst with one of the many craft brews, showcasing San Diego's wondrous offerings. Yes, they pour the more typical suds as well, along with other craft selections. If they listen to their customers, improvement will follow. An older gentleman starts playing a keyboard. Gotta go. read more

We really used to like this place. We'd come in for street tacos on Tuesdays. The menu changed and so did the quality of the food. Had a late lunch on a Saturday. My husband's tri-tip sandwich was made with hard, dried-out, end pieces. The quesadilla I ordered came out with a ridiculous amount of fake cheese. And you can order it with Extra Cheese! Lol. 2 stars because they didn't charge us for the sandwich & the beer was good. read more

Mike's BBQ - Not sure what this was... but it wasn't real cheese. - Barbeque Near Me - Escondido, California

one of my favorite restaurants, pleasant service and very delicious and fresh food, of course I'll go again, 100% recommended mikes bbq from Escondido read more