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    Phil's BBQ

    4.3 (17k reviews)
    ModerateBarbeque, Bars, American
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Phil's BBQ Photos

    PHIL'S BBQ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Loud
    Happy hour specials
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Phil's BBQ

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    Reviews With Photos

    Colossal Onion Rings (Large)
    Jasmine P.

    Delicious! Depending on how big you want portions, honestly a couple sides and an entree can be shared. Onion rings were so crispy. Wings were cooked well. We got sauce on the side. The macaroni salad was also good, not too much or little dressing. The ribless and chickless are meat without bones. Generally I like bone in my meat but, if you are trying to not eat messy then this is perfect. The meat was so soft and flavorful. Service was amazing. So friendly and our cashier walked us through the experience. And even took time to take our order and ask questions and inform us of anything we should know about the items we ordered. The place has a restaurant side and a bar side. Such a fun bbq spot. Perfect for a family dinner or lunch especially with a larger crowd.

    Beef Rib Dinner BEFORE
    alex r.

    Well Gawd Almighty!!! This kinda beef ribs in California?!!! Simply put... exceptional. I dove right into the Beef Rib Dinner, which came with three Big Ol' ribs and your choice of one large side or two small sides. I went with the fries and put up a good fight, but these ribs won. I couldn't finish my plate. The sauce was ridiculously good--sweet, smoky, and packed with flavor. The fries were crispy, seasoned well, and honestly would be the star at a lot of other places. But let's be real... you're here for the ribs. These things were mouth-watering, tender, and loaded with flavor. Every bite had that perfect bark on the outside while staying juicy on the inside. The meat pulled right off the bone and had me questioning why I don't eat here more often. Extremely busy place but staff is helpful and efficient. Place can get loud with all the hustle and bustle but you are at a BBQ SPOT so who cares!!! If you're from San Diego, you've probably already been here or at least heard the hype. If you're visiting, make sure this place is on your to-do list. Some restaurants get a lot of praise and don't live up to it. Phil's absolutely does.

    Sausage Link Tickler
    Ter L.

    5 stars specifically for Kira and her attentive & chipper attitude!! This woman loves her job and it shows!!!! With our family visit to San Diego, my BD mentioned Phil's. The only Phil's I knew at that point pertained to coffee. Lol. Not being a huge meat eater, I was kind of standoff-ish about the idea but since the establishment is known for being a staple visit whenever people come to SD, I had to do it. The 17K+ reviews and the 4.5 star solid rating also helped with that decision. Known for their slow cooked meats and their large portions, Phil's BBQ is a casual dining experience where you get a combo of self serve and attentive service from the staff- all rolled into one. Our family of 3 arrived for a late lunch. The meal consisted of: *BABY BACK RIB + CHICKEN DINNER $25.99 -paired with potato salad + sweet baked beans *BBQ WINGS- 10ct $11.95 *SAUSAGE LINK $4.99 *COLOSSAL ONION RINGS $9.99 *LARGE SIDE: STEAMED VEGGIES $4.75 * FOUNTAIN DRINKS $3.49/each Ribs and chicken were good. These meats were cooked perfectly- lathered in sauce and very tender. The wings were good and had a light kick to it- nothing to bat an eye over for us adults but a lot of soda breaks were needed for my toddler. Beans were delicious but the potato salad wasn't a fave. The onion rings were the biggest letdown- these were massive in size but so very dry and overly crunchy. This order essentially went untouched after a few bites. the hot link was delicious and the veggies were made well but bland. 3.5 stars for the food but because this review is specifically dedicated to Kira, it's automatically a FIVE!!!! This young lady truly made our visit to Phil's BBQ 100% memorable and very much enjoyed. Service doesn't get any better than what she's offering and her warmth provided to the patrons are unmatched! Girl, YOU DESERVE A MF'N RAISE!!!!!!

    beefy ribs
    Jin H.

    Always heard so many great things about Phil's, so knew I had to make a stop while in San Diego. I love bbq but don't think OC has too many great spots. We ordered the beefy ribs and baby back ribs, both were good but I was wowed by the beefy ribs. I was seriously full by just one, so I got to enjoy the rest at home. $35 for this is a pretty good deal. Literally fall off the bone, so much meat, smokey, just perfect. Sides complemented the meats well. I've also tried the cornbread here from the family meal and it is amazing, so much corn flavor and super moist.

    Philibuster with beans (5/18/26)
    Eliko S.

    We sat at the bar tonight to grab a quick meal & watch some sports as we have done in the past. M. got the Philibuster with beans & I got my usual turkey burger with the onion ring & cheese & small fries. The food took about 25 minutes to come out, and when it did, my turkey burger had no onion ring & no cheese. I mentioned this to the woman who brought it out & she took it back right away. She returned a minute later, and a slice of American cheese and an onion ring had been slapped on the burger. The cheese was not melted at all, and by that time the burger was room temp. M. said his burger was tasty & he enjoyed the beans. My small fries were good & plenty to share. I was a bit disappointed in my turkey burger today, but I'll be hopeful that next time they'll get it right because normally it is really good. Dani was handling the bar well & she was friendly and efficient. I'm not a big drinker these days, but Phil's does have a an affordable & diverse selection of libations if you do choose to imbibe during your nosh sesh or vice versa. Peace.

    Menu options posted outside
    Heatherlyn L.

    Got there with a short line so we were happy and not cranky from standing for an hour. When we ordered, we had ordered several items, including beans. Finding a seat is typically a task as they are very busy however after a minute or so one of the workers pointed us to a table in the patio . I wasn't too fond of that because they have hard chairs there. When we finally (I'm exaggerating here, we were hangry) got all our food and ate it all except for a few items. We had beef ribs and short ribs and a loaded baked potato. Like I said we had leftovers, but the food was fabulous. The meat came right off the bones. We put our food into containers and realized that we never got the beans that we ordered and agreed to order despite a 10 minute wait. We decided to mention it to somebody and they right away. Got some beans to go for us. Overall, yummy bbq joint.

    Lauryn M.

    So I had really high expectations for this place given it is regarded as THEE BBQ spot to be in San Diego. One side is a restaurant while the other side gives sports bar which was really cool. I'd like to premise this by saying amongst my friends I am considered a BBQ snob. Service - service is SUPERB. Everyone was attentive, constantly checked on us, and when I was absent minded and left my jacket one of the waitresses was nice enough to chase me down to my car. Absolutely no service complaints. Food: So I did not look at the menu before I came. Expecting a traditional menu that included brisket which is one of my favorites because if you can do a good brisket and a tender rib baaaabbyyy we in business. There was no brisket but they offered baby back ribs on and off the bone, chicken on and off the bone and hot links and some other options to satisfy ppl who aren't quite bbq fans. We ordered the baby back ribs with the chicken off the bone, bbq wings, potato salad, fries, baked beans and a chicken Cesar salad. Wings 10 out of 10 BBQ sauce and Ranch 10 out of 10 Ribs tenderness 10/10 and 7 out of 10 on the flavor. It wasn't horrible but it could've been way better Chicken off the bone 3 out of 10. This is because you can tell it wasn't cooked on a grill but seasoned with things to mimic bbq flavors. A salad will be a salad lol. However, they do put the aforementioned chicken on the salad and it wasn't my favorite thing. The sides were good I really appreciate that they have fresh cut fries. The baked beans were perfect. The potato salad was missing something that I couldn't quite put my finger on but when I put Tabasco on it, all was right with the world.

    Chicken Dinner (Half)
    Mai H.

    Fun, lively atmosphere with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, making it great for casual lunch or dinners with friends or family. Their ribs and BBQ plates leave you full. The BBQ sauce is what stands out and keeps people coming back. This chain is known for its fast-casual, family-friendly setup and grilled ribs, sandwiches, and chicken. Parking can get pretty crowded during peak lunch and dinner hours since it's right by the Sports Arena area. The lines can also get long, especially on weekends, but service usually moves quickly. Overall, it's a reliable BBQ spot with good food.

    Hot Honey Lemonade, made by Lizzy
    Tracey F.

    Excellent service (Thank you Lizzy and Roxy!)! And a GREAT place to watch Stanley Cup finals=fun and sporty atmosphere! We had happy hour Broham fries (ate em so fast I forgot a pic but I'll steal one from another post) and humongous buttermilk onion rings! Hot honey lemonade (perfection) and a Societe Pupil to wash it all down! And Fabulous chocolate chip cookies (dark and white chips)! See ya'llll soon!

    Stephanie C.

    This is my 2nd time to Phil's. When we got there, the line was loooooong! This was a work dinner, so we didn't want to wait long. My coworker said that she saw on TikTok to avoid the lines and sit at the "bar". Boy did that work! Got seated immediately! I always have to get the beef rib if it's on the menu!! The pork ribs were fall off the bone! Don't miss out on the cornbread! I think they only have the one size. Which is fine with me! I ended up taking back to my hotel for midnight snack! Coleslaw cut the richness of the meats and the beans were perfectly sweet. Will go back for the sausage link!

    Take out line left, dine in right
    Christopher P.

    One of the best BBQ spots in socal. I did take out. It could be confusing at first: you'll see a long line coming out the door for dine in, but just inside you'll see the take out line to the left. Loud inside, but very inviting. From ordering to pick up took about 20 minutes (Memorial Day weekend on a Sunday). Very reasonable wait time. Can't go wrong with any of the foods!

    Full rack dinner and half chicken dinner
    Kim Y.

    Whoa! I had high expectations after seeing that they had thousands of reviews but ended up disappointed. The line was wrapped around the building. The To-go line is a whole lot quicker. Stay to the left for to-gos. Ordered a full rack and half chicken dinners. Both were mediocre. I thought the ribs were too charred for my liking. It was tender but too sopped with sauce. The sides were average also. I thought the corn on the cob was a few pieces of corn on the cob but it was just one. It was super loud inside too.

    Bruski N.

    I haven't been to this Sports Area location in years. It is still packed with long lines. It took about 15-20 minutes to get our group a nice table, and our orders came pretty quickly. We love Phil's Ticklers menu. For $14.99 or less, you get a combo of beef, pork, or chicken with 2 onion rings, fries, and coleslaw. A great deal especially with the generous portion. My chicken was a little dry but everything else was good. My friend said the beef ribs were great and most places don't do beef ribs. We definitely will go here more.

    Sausage link

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    3 days ago

    Best BBQ chicken wings ever! And the meal deals are very generous with their portions.

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    Page 1 of 426

    Phil's BBQ Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Phil's BBQ

    Is this Halal certified?

    Great question. Not sure but it is Delicious certified. Certified by my kids loving it

    Open at 10am for early NFL games?

    Hi Joe - while we show the NFL games, we don't open until 11:00 AM. Hope to see you soon!

    Are there extra charge for using credit cards?

    Not to my knowledge.

    Do kids eat free on Sunday?

    Hey there! Thanks for reaching out. We don't currently offer a "Kids Eat Free" promotion on Sundays, but we do have some delicious options that are perfect for the whole family! Hope to see you soon!

    Is there currently a menu for dogs?

    Hi Janice, Thanks for reaching out! While we love our furry friends, we don’t currently offer a… Read more

    What is their health score?

    Is takeout easy at Phil's?

    No, you can't call ahead, there's a separate line which is easy but you have to wait in there for your name to be called and if you have social anxiety it's your worst nightmare. I prefer to be in and out fast but i can 100% confirm I'm never doing… Read more

    Is the restaurant halal?

    They are not

    Do you guys have happy hour?

    Yes - best happy hour in town! Monday - Friday from 3:00 - 6:00 PM in the bar area. $4.00: Phrings… Read more

    Is this location in a plaza with plenty of parking or is it street parking?

    There is a lot of parking on both sides of the building

    Can I order ahead for takeout?

    ABSOLUTELY 👍

    What condiments or sauces can you ask on the side when picking up food to go or do you have to order extra bbq sauce?

    We offer BBQ sauce, ranch and ketchup! Just ask when you pick up your food :)

    Is your meat halal?

    their best items are pork based, there is some beef but not as good

    Order to go?

    I've done it many times. If you know what their menu is already or you can look it up online, call it in and pay for it on a credit card and pick up.

    Any diary free and gluten option?

    Hi Wedyana, You can find our allergen menu here:… Read more

    Do they allow dogs?

    Yes - dogs are allowed on our patio!

    Do we need reservations?

    Nope! It's kinda like a fast food restaurant you order then take a seat. Then the servers come around, they also have a separate bar area that's very nice.

    How's does your phone in and pick up for orders work do we have to wait in line to pick up a to go order?

    I was there today and there's a line fir in dining & a line fir to-go orders. While waiting to dine in, I saw people walk up and confirm the phone order & the staff brought it to the counter for them. Seemed very efficient.

    Do you serve draft beer to go with to go meals?

    There's a full scale bar including draft beer

    4th of JULY... You guys open?

    Yes - till 9pm. See you then!

    View All 101 Questions

    Bowlegged BBQ

    Bowlegged BBQ

    4.5
    (1k reviews)
    7.2 mi
    $$

    Love.\nThe brisket, the catfish was great.\nI would recommend it very much, Haven't tried the pork…read moreribs, they say the banana Dessert is good

    After reading amazing reviews about Bowlegged BBQ (named after one of the owner's nickname), I came…read morewith two dear friends to celebrate their birthdays. As it happened it was one of the owner's birthday today. There was a strong and inviting community feel to this charming restaurant. I loved the backyard BBQ vibe. The décor is funky, quirky and I love it. Theres so much to look at, so much history and so many messages--and it's fun! As for the food, I noticed the brisket received some negative reviews. So I was hesitant to try this. However, I'm so glad I did. It was tender and succulent. I would order it again. The tri tip was amazing as were the baby backs. Yep, I'll be back for the baby backs. The Mac and cheese was ok. I prefer backed mac and cheese. But that's my preference. Im picky about greens and I really liked them. If you're looking for down home food an "Q" smoked by an amazing Pit Master, look no further than. Don't stop at the red lights. Z o o m over to Market St and get yourself a treat; and while you at it, say hi to Janette Maria (another owner). Her personality is the only spice you will need Sorry, I was so focused on my friends and the food that I didn't take any pictures. But there are plenty of cool photos on line.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Sampler plate
    Sampler plate
    Sides were ehhh but ribs were tender

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    Sides were ehhh but ribs were tender
    Del's Hideout

    Del's Hideout

    4.3
    (1.2k reviews)
    7.9 mi
    $$

    BBQ Month @delshideout @dinecrg welcomes the flavors of the Philippines created by Chef Martin…read more@chef_ecruz featured this weekend From chicken insal, smoked lechon pork belly, tri tip bistek, shrimp & pork lumpia, pancit, fried potatoes, steamed rice, and comforting tamarind pork soup... this BBQ feast brings smoky Texas BBQ together with Filipino comfort food for the ultimate fusion plate Family-friendly vibes, ice cold drinks, sports on every screen, and that low & slow BBQ goodness make this spot a must try in San Diego.

    Ate here today with the family. To start off, parking is a problem. They have a tiny parking lot…read morebordered by 2 hotels. We parked down the road, about a 10 minute walk. We did not have a reservation, so we stood outside in the sun for about 30 minutes or so waiting for a table that could accommodate 8 people. I didn't plan the event myself, so I don't know if they even take reservations. If they do, then that's our fault. It is an open air concept, so it's very hot in the restaurant. You sit on hard chairs with a bicycle under the table that limits leg room. There is no shortage of hillbilly music to listen too as you dine on the ill seasoned subpar food. The beer menu sucks. Thankfully I didn't need to use the restroom. Who knows what I would have encountered there. The only positive thing I can think of is that the employees are friendly and accommodating. I would not recommend this place to anyone, nor would I return. If the restaurant offered to pay for a meal with drinks for our family, I still would not return.

    Photos
    Main dining area
    Main dining area
    Bar
    Bar
    The best mac & cheese

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    The best mac & cheese
    Grand Ole BBQ Flinn Springs

    Grand Ole BBQ Flinn Springs

    4.3
    (1.3k reviews)
    23.0 mi
    $$

    Ria isn't just a bartender -- she's the whiskey whisperer, the cocktail queen, the tiny Hawaiian…read moreassassin behind the bar serving drinks so good they'll make you rethink your entire personality. Beautiful, hilarious, cool without trying, and somehow always wearing the most fire shoes in the building. She's the kind of bartender that turns "let's grab one drink" into "well damn, now we live here." Every cocktail was perfect, every recommendation hit, and her energy honestly makes the whole place. Protect Ria at all costs because that girl is a whole vibe. I Wish her all The health and the wealth and if yall don't give this woman a BONUS and a raise- i'm going on strike ;)

    This is an extremely family friendly restaurant. Inside seating for those who don't have kids, but…read moreoutside is prime. I would say the kids are a bit younger, maybe 18 months to 3. There must have been at least a dozen kids or more. I told my 7 year old son not to bring balls but of course other kids did. If you park in the back there is no doubt your car will get hit. But it's softballs, not baseballs. Service is legit. Fast, friendly. They're like get in, order, get out. But we stayed for probably an hour and a half. The live music was great, not too loud. I am sad to confess the food here is not as legit as I figured based on being a San Diego local and a big DDD watcher. It probably depends on which day you come, but on Thursday, the brisket was so average. Del's in Del Cerro is better. Smoky and the Brisket is better. I had my brisket served with that nacho cheese and relish, not nearly as great as I thought it would be based on DDD. I also don't drink anymore, but if I were to have had 2-3 beers + this dinner + the enviornment I would have loved it. My son gave a huge thumbs up to his burger, daughter liked her food. If you want an experience, have time you need to kill and have kids, it's a solid spot, but in no way is this a destination if you live west of the 15. Stick to classic spots.

    Photos
    Grand Ole BBQ Flinn Springs
    Chili verde
    Chili verde
    Texas Cheesesteak

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    Texas Cheesesteak

    Phil's BBQ - bbq - Updated July 2026

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