Food: 5/5 Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 4/5 Visited Phil's for a work lunch with colleagues after having ordered their catering trays for meetings many times before. This was my first dine-in experience at this location. Had the beef ribs tickler with sausage, coleslaw, and fries. The ribs were straight-up bomb! they were super meaty, tender, flavorful, and nicely charred. The sauce has a nice sweet, tangy, and spicy balance. The link was a good portion with a good smoky flavor, and the coleslaw and fries rounded out the meal nicely. Service was efficient despite a busy lunch rush and the staff were really nice and welcoming. The catering trays we've ordered have always been solid, and that same consistency carries over to the dine-in experience. It's a little pricier than your average lunch spot, but the food actually tastes good and consistent every time, which is why Phil's gets 5 stars. read more

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Went to Phil's BBQ with some friends and my daughter and left seriously disappointed. We ordered a full rack of ribs with mac salad, fries, and a fully loaded baked potato, a Caesar salad, a kids cheeseburger, a tri-tip sandwich, and two sausage sandwiches. Honestly, everything lacked flavor, seasoning, and any sense of care. The sausage sandwiches came with pepper jack cheese that wasn't even melted, just thrown on top. The kids cheeseburger had absolutely no flavor whatsoever. At that point, I could've gone to Burger King and gotten something more satisfying. The ribs and tri-tip were both mediocre at best. Nothing stood out, nothing was memorable. We all agreed we'd rather just make this kind of food at home moving forward. For a place known for BBQ, this was a huge letdown. Definitely not worth the price, and we will not be returning. I'd honestly expect a refund after an experience like this. Also, went as soon as it opened so you cant even say they were really busy. read more

What can I say about Phil's that hasn't already been said? Big prices, big portions, good service, and a party atmosphere. Pricewise, your best bet is to pick a platter of mixed meats that your party can share out. Trust me, you won't run short. A single sausage here is about triple the size of a hot dog, and this is the kind of place that will chop a head of lettuce in half and call it a side salad. While Phil's is its own cuisine, I'd call it closest to a St. Louis style of BBQ, with everything slathered in a sweet, tomato-based kind of sauce. I happen to like it, but if you're used to a drier, smoke and salt type of BBQ like in Texas, you'd better adjust your expectations. My personal favorites are on the plate below: the Beef Ribs, their sausage, all served on a bed of fries. Great flavors, good service, and decent parking (so long as you arrive before or after the rush hour). This place scores a 5 out of 5 on the 'CTJ Scale', as noted below. 5 out of 5 stars: Come-to-Jesus good. Would be OK passing away after finishing a plate here. 4 out of 5 stars: Come-to-Mary good. Would be OK having a nosh here with Mother Mary. 3 out of 5 stars: Come-to-Joseph good. Would be OK having a beer here with Jesus' Dad. 2 out of 5 stars: Come-to-the-Apostles good. Meh. Wouldn't have my last supper here. 1 out of 5 stars: Come-to-Nobody good. I wouldn't have my penultimate supper here, either. read more

Phil's BBQ - Beef rib platter with sausage, fries, and macaroni salad. - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

I really miss Phil's BBQ in San Marcos but the extra 10 min is worth it to get to RB, esp because it is right off the freeway and has plenty of parking. Arrived for a friend date with my toddler. Service was great! It had been a while since I've been there, but ordered for a shift lead who walked me through the menu based on how hungry i was, meat and side preference. I ended up going for the 2 combo dinner meal since i was sharing with my toddler but it was more than enough food. You can get the tickler if you're not feeling as hungry, and have one choice of meat i believe. They have coke products, their fries are crispy, and their beans are sweet and barbecuey. Love how their rib meat falls off the bone. Yum read more

Phil's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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Super yummy bbq! The ribs were perfectly seasoned and love that you can have the sauce on the side. The onion rings were also phenomenal and were so crispy and thick chunks of onions. read more

Phil's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

If you see a long line at Phil's BBQ, don't let it scare you--it moves surprisingly fast and is absolutely worth it. We ordered the ribless, tri-tip, and chicken, and honestly, the standout for me was the ribless and tri-tip. Both were beautifully charred with that perfect smoky edge, and the seasoning was spot on--bold, balanced, and deeply satisfying. The tri-tip in particular had that ideal texture: tender but still with a nice bite. And can we talk about the ribless option? Brilliant. Finally, someone thought about making ribs easier to enjoy without the mess. It's one of those small innovations that makes a big difference. The cornbread with maple butter deserves its own moment. Super nutty, rich, and that maple butter hits the perfect balance between sweet and savory--it ties everything together in the best way. read more

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I love Phil's! It's my favorite BBQ place. I don't get here too often. I wish the San Marcos location wasn't closed. The chicken is my favorite. I also like that you can order an onion ring or two on the side and you don't have to get a whole order which is quite large. Another surprise is that they have the best chocolate chip cookies! Great food. Phil's never disappoints! read more

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This was my first time coming to Phil's BBQ and it did not disappoint. The line went by super fast so if it is long don't worry it is well worth the wait. From the food to service and convenience in the restaurant you can tell they have thought of everything to make this a great meal and experience. The food is very reasonably priced and trust me you will have seconds to take home for later. They do the meat so so well everything is sauced up if you want it like that and the sides complement the main dish very well. Everything is made by scratch and it shows. It's THE best BBQ place I've been to by far. The sausage is amazing! And the beef ribs are incredible! read more

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One of my favorite BBQ spots in North County! This place absolutely is delicious and never disappoints. Don't let the line out the door scare you off. It moves fairly quickly and there is plenty of open seating, great spot to accommodate large parties. Everything on the menu is legit, you can have the BBQ sauce on your entree or on the side, even take a bottle home to go. The best part is there are gluten free and even vegetarian options! Now you order at the counter and are given a buzzer once your food is ready to be picked up. Drinks are self serve (try the sweet tea) and free refills. If you are in need of a stronger drink, they do have a full service bar area with TVs to catch whatever game is on. Portions are large enough that the price point makes sense. Always enough leftovers to take home. I do recommend picking up their homemade corn bread with the maple butter. Trust me! Come on out and give them a try and you'll see why they win awards and have high ratings on Yelp. read more

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Who doesn't love Phil's! The ribs are always a go to item and beans and onion rings. Plenty of seating and condiments etc with even hand washing areas. read more

We saw this in many suggestions for good eats in San Diego and so we tried it for lunch. We went after the lunch rush (2pm) and plenty of seating for us. My brother treated and ordered two family meals (pork bbq ribs and beef ribs), fries and coleslaw, fries and potato salad. Drinks had to be ordered separately. We got a buzzer to notify us when food is ready. We were a party of 11 and the food took some time but we were given the corn bread, sweet butter, and cookies to start. The cornbread was amazing, especially with the butter, if it was warm then it would've been even better!!! Cookies were soft and chewy, super delicious! The drink options were soft drinks and tea or if you just want to get plain water. The food came and the meal came with lettuce and tomato salad (we chose ranch), fries and coleslaw/potato salad, bbq chicken, sausage, and our meat (bbq ribs). We also ordered extra ranch. First, the fries were so good, we thought it was too much but it was great and glad we got plenty. We thought it was like a better version of wings stop fries. Salad was simple and good, great mixed with meat. The beef ribs were my favorite, the pork ribs were mostly bone, chicken was great but the breast meat was dry, sausage is good! Overall, very nice, we took home the rest with to go boxes available at a to go station, we had lots of cookies left but they didn't taste as good the day after but still sweet! Restrooms were available and additional sinks were also outside for hand washing. They have faucets that were water and a dryer all in one. read more

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This is always our go-to spot when we're in San Diego. The baby back ribs are absolutely delicious. This time we tried the tri-tip, hot links, pork, ribs, and cornbread, and everything was amazing. We've never had a bad meal here and will definitely keep coming back. Customer service is always great here and we had a great time watching the 49ers win the football game with the whole family. read more

Phil's BBQ - Full rack of baby back ribs - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

- Beefy Rib Dinner (3 ribs, $33.99): I would definitely recommend this as it was a great deal and delicious. The ribs were meaty, and the BBQ sauce was tangy (although we had technically asked for it on the side). The pasta salad was flavorful. The fries were hot and crisp. Although the two included sides were supposed to be small, they were definitely quite generous in portion size! - El Toro ($12.79): Even though this is listed as one of their most popular items, I found the tri-tip meat to be rather dry. I had a much better experience with their pulled pork sandwich the last time I ate here, so if you are like me (debating between the Broham and el Toro), I would urge you toward the Broham. Ambiance: Casual, spacious. There is a large free parking lot. Ordering was very fast on a weekday evening. A handwashing station is available to make it convenient for you to wash your hands repeatedly as you consume your meats. Minus 1 star for the owner having stupid/senile political beliefs. And the dry tri-tip. read more

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Phil's is a super popular bbq staple of San Diego. We came on a Saturdays round 1pm and there was no wait. You order when you arrive then find a table after. Ordered the baby back ribs pork. It was super delicious and flavorful and meat was very tender. Got it with a side of veggies. Service was really good as well! They checked on us several times to see how we were enjoying the food. read more

Phil's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

I always eat here and the food never disappoints. They give generous portions and you will always bring some left overs to-go to share with your family and friends. Place is clean too and the service is great. read more

Phil's BBQ - Beefy Rib Tickler (1 Bone) - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

Feels like you're down home here! Good southern BBQ. Got flavorful dry rub and a slightly spicy bbq sauce Upgrade for $4.99 for a sausage and drink addition to dinner. Great deal It's the best sweet tea there. Not too sweet - so it's perfect Showed up for happy hour (3-6pm) and got $4 onion rings (large enough to wear as bangles on your wrist) and the El toro fries crispy (brisket topped fries) for $6. So worth it!!! Brody was great. Loved the service and description The menu is quite large You get the feel like you're in a barn for a real old fashioned southern bbq read more

Phil's BBQ - Colossal Onion Rings (Small) - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great food, large portions and easy place to order your food. The restaurant looks great from the inside and it's very clean. The napkins, to go boxes, bags, and utensils are located by the soda stations. They even have hand washing stations in various areas. The quality of the food is always good. The meat is tender and soft. The only funky thing is the parking entrance and exit. The service was fast. read more

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Had an awesome experience at Phil's BBQ! The food was fantastic! We got the rib plate and loaded fries, and both were absolutely on point. The drinks were just as good too, especially the margaritas and house mixed beverages. Big shoutout to Anthony, the manager, who was incredibly attentive and gave us great recommendations -- including some of the best cornbread I've ever had. Everything he suggested was a hit. Even though he's a Golden Knights fan, we'll let that slide because the service was that good. Would definitely recommend and will for sure be back! read more

Came in to get some bbq dinner and watch the Padres in the bar area. Their bar area is first class with many LCD TVs, a large sports ticker, draft beers and a full bar. Bar Staff here was very nice and attentive. Cassidy took great care of us! Awesome caring service! The lines were short at 6:30 pm and their service to turn out food is very fast! Our to go order for home was made perfectly and ready when we left our dine in experience. The ribs and chickpeas bbq dinner was fantastic as usual with great sides. The hazy ipa from st archer was cold and perfectly poured. It was thirst quenching! Great service, great bbq, great beer, fast fresh smoky bbq, and awesome atmosphere here! 5 star experience!!! Well done read more

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Tried a different location (closer to hotel) - Once again Phil's BBQ upheld the Standard of our Favorite BBQ spot ever. The meat was perfect !!! We tried the corn bread for 1st time, it instantly became our favorite. Ordering is a little different, but the customer service is great as always, I actually spilt my drink all over the table, the young lady that assisted in the clean-up was very gracious. Phil's BBQ is #1 !!! read more

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I'm a big fan of Phil's and am impressed they have been able to maintain their quality throughout their expansion. My go-to is the rib and chicken combo, add a beef rib and the fries and slaw for sides. I'm always a little disappointed they don't have mac and cheese, but the delicious cornbread makes up for it. The bar service is always the way to go. There's hardly ever a wait. Inquire about the $5 beer special. The staff is always pretty friendly and helpful with recommendations and the service is always prompt and consistent. There are several TVs if you're a sports fan. read more

Phil's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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I don't think I've been to Phil's bbq since college but I honestly don't remember it being this awesome. First of all the staff was amazing and accommodating to our family's needs. Raegan and another colleague was very attentive and even gave goodies, stickers, cookies to the kids there as it was their first time! So thoughtful and caring! All the staff there was actually very accommodating to everyone from what I experienced. We ordered the chicken dinner and baby back rib dinner and both were falling off the bone! I definitely will be coming back and will definitely be craving this again! I also loved thr full bar available at this location! Great place to spend time with friends family and have a great time read more

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We went on a weekend for lunch so it wasn't crowded. There was plenty of parking outdoors. The restaurant was very spacious with both tables and booths. We ordered the full rib dinner to share and added a sausage link with drink. The ribs were amazingly flavorful and smoky with tender meat. Some pieces had quite a bit of burnt spots but I think that's hard to control. The link was very good and bursting with flavor- a bit on the salty side for me but my husband loved it. The sides- fries were a bit soft for me but some people who prefer more of a softer texture might like it. The coleslaw wasn't great- it was a bit coarse, so I think next time I would get the corn in the cob as a side. Service was great without being intrusive. read more

Phil's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

Phil's BBq is my family's favorite eatery for BBq, the meat is flavorful, tender, spices are perfect balance of sweet, tanginess, and salty taste. The service is prompt and accommodating servers. The place is spacious with and big tables for families. read more

My go to place locally for LARGE juicy and tender BBQ Beef Ribs when you go early (like lunch time)!!! I always get a Beef Rib Dinner with an additional rib for me and my family. It's just perfect with the BBQ sauce on the ribs with an extra cup or two on the side. They have other items like sandwiches, salads and desserts. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The atmosphere is very loud like a western bar. Lots of large screen televisions showing sports. Lots of tables for eating in along with a patio covered area with fresh air coming through. Whenever I drive on the Interstate 15, you can smell the smoke inviting your senses to imagine that heavily BBQ sauced big juicy beef rib in your hands!!! I think I need to go back for more!!! read more

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Cannot beat their happy hour. Might be the best deal in San Diego. $5 for wine, margaritas, certain appetizers and beers. They have a $5 beer that they rotate monthly that is usually very good and their margaritas have fresh lemon juice and are hand shaken, you can get them with salt or tajin. They use some pretty good tequila also. Usually will sit in their bar area and they have plenty of seats and TVs it's a great place to watch a sports game with friends. read more

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Watch out for your food when ordering to go. I placed a several orders to go. One of my order is a ribless dinner but when I got home from San Marcos I go chickless dinner instead. My daughter doesn't eat a white meat chicken and the food is not eaten. read more

Very good BBQ. I had a pulled pork sandwich which was delicious and they stacked the fries high as my side. The service was great and the food was very good. I would definitely go back. read more

I went to Phills BBQ and the food and ambiance was very good. The ribs I got were very flavorful the sides were great and the service was good. 5 stars to Phills. Would go again read more

Very large BBQ place with great staff, a clean facility, and great food. The food came quickly and was very good. Ordered the Baby Back Rib Family Meal for like $110 and a Broham Burger. Would highly recommend this location for BBQ. read more

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Brandon and his team, Juan, Savanah, Adrian and Anthony are amazing. This place is as good as it gets because of its people, the food and atmosphere! If you think there's better bbq and service anywhere...prove it! G read more

Phil's BBQ - Phil's RB - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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this place is always so busy especially after 5:30. The line to eat inside is outside the door compared to the Togo line. inside they have about four different dining areas for people to sit at. The process of this restaurant is you go up to a counter order and find a table. They don't bring your food to you. You have to wait for your buzzer to go off and grab it at the counter. for the takeout area, they check your order by the name on the receipt. They also have some areas around where you can wash your hands like little sinks. There are restrooms located in the back on the left-hand side. Away from their bar seating area, which is a relatively big enough space. They also have a couple TVs over by the bar area and throughout the seating areas. It can get very busy inside, having people waiting for their orders while people are sitting at tables. Overall, we do love coming to this place since the food is really good. It is always cooked very nicely and has a good amount of sauce. Unfortunately, it just looks like you have to plan your dining and experience. You have to make sure that you give yourself enough time to get here to place an order and find a seat. read more

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This place is so good and never disappoints!! The place is clean. The staff here is nice and friendly. We ordered a full rack of ribs and it was enough for two people. Reasonably priced as well! I will be coming back. You order your food first and they give you a buzzer. once you get the buzzer, you go find a table to seat yourselves. It's practically self serve from there. If you want the full waiter experience, you'd have to go to the bar section. read more

Phil's BBQ - Full rack of ribs with fries and potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

Classic and consistent Phil's BBQ that San Diegans have grown to love, but in a better location with much shorter wait times. My only complaints are the prices and beef ribs. The prices are through the roof now! Luckily the Ticklers are still the best value on the menu and should more than satisfy most people. Their insane pricing has also encouraged me to try their burgers which are delicious, especially the Philibuster. I used to exclusively get their Beef Ribs, specifically the Beef Rib tickler with an extra Beef Rib. But I ain't paying $10 whole dollars for an extra Beef Rib when some of the ribs they give you have no meat!! I do like the recent addition of the chicken wings that are smokey and affordable. So is Phil's overrated? I would say it's overpriced, but it fills a unique food niche that you won't find easily elsewhere. read more

Phil's BBQ - Philibuster - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

It is a great BBQ diner! You pay at the entry. Some of your meal and cups are handed to you and you depending on service times and such seat your self. Phil's prepares you to have a messy yet enjoyable meal. There's plenty of napkins, paper towels, hand washing stations and handwipes to clean up after a great bite! My only caveat is the price. I understand the economy is whack right now but the prices do deter me from frequently visiting. A single meal and a drink will set you back $25 or so. Beyond that, everything else was great! I can't wait to come back! PS: THE MACARONI SALAD IS BOMB!!! read more

We love it here and come every Friday. We had a little bit of a mix up with some long waits yesterday and brought it to the attention of the manager Ocsiri. She was so responsive and genuinely concerned with providing the best quality and service we really appreciated her concern and making sure we had the best experience. Very appreciated and very happy to see this place concerned to maintain constant quality and good service read more

Supposedly very good but it seems everything was off that day, dry and saucy. Onion Ring batter feel like it's funnel cake batter. Beef Rib was very fatty. Pork Rib was drenched in sauce. Beans were very sweet. Loaded Fries the meat was dry. Sausage was the best thing. Staffs were friendly though. read more

Phil's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

The last time I had Phil's BBQ was about 10 years ago at one of their other locations, so we decided to give it another try while we were in the area. The thing is, after spending time in Texas for work, we've become a bit of BBQ snobs. We still really enjoyed the cornbread and onion rings, but the ribs were a bit off, and the boneless chicken was quite dry. The BBQ sauces were also a little too tart for our taste. That said, our group of six seemed to enjoy their meals overall. We came on a Saturday evening, and despite the long line, it moved quickly. The staff was friendly and helpful throughout our visit. read more

One of the must stop locations to dine at in San Diego county. Thankfully they have a few locations now, in the past the original location would have a line up the block and around the building. The bbq is next level here. Cornbread is decent. Their tri top el toro is one of my faves The link and drink special is a usual go to item. Parking is usually available without much issue. Prices aren't terrible and has a large dining inside for the dining in parties. Worth a try read more

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The coleslaw here is fantastic - well seasoned, juicy enough and with large cut veggie pieces that create a tangy, crunchy medley on your palate. I also appreciated the dog friendly patio, which Bf's pup enjoyed. On the flip side, the corn on the cob was bland, and the fries were cold, a bit hard and did not taste fresh. For me, the BBQ sauce was too sweet and I wasn't wowed by the tri tip flavor. Also wish they had more than one dessert option. read more