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Phil's BBQ

4.0 (2.1k reviews)
Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

Phil's BBQ Photos

Business Info

PHIL'S BBQ ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Dogs allowed
Good for kids

Recommended Reviews - Phil's BBQ

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Reviews With Photos

Ribs, chicken, tri tip Mac salad, potato salad, fries, beans
C P.

Order at the counter. Multiple registers. Ordered the rib meal and the chicken meal and a side of tri-tip. The chicken was a little on the dry side. The ribs were good, nice and soft, fell off the bone. The tri-tip was more like pastrami really thin and overcooked. Fries were good, once you added the creole seasoning that's on the table. Most tangy macaroni salad I've ever had. Potato salad, Beans and the cornbread were good. Self serve soda machines.

Menu is readable and complete
Imelda O.

Baby back ribs tasty and delicious in this franchise in Santee. Manager Jazmin was very professional, friendly and amicable. I was treated with outmost VIP fashion. The restaurant is clean, Great ambiance. Best baby back in the area in Southern California.

The Philibuster
Wendy S.

Phil's is an easy choice to stop in after softball Mondays at the sportplex near by. Their happy hour and monthly $5 beers is a huge draw. Often the bar is so packed so we choose to bypass the happy hour to have some space and not be so crowded. Over all the food is good. Haven't had something I haven't liked yet... love the atmosphere to just be able to go, eat at your leasure and hang out. This time the table busser was a bit to much wanting to take plates as we were still kind of snacking and talking. The place was pretty empty so wasn't an issue of needing to clear people for others. Which definitely can happen as they get busy!! I asked twice if he could just leave the plates. His response kinda got me... "it makes my job easier to do it now" okay... get that... but also, we're the customer, we aren't lingering to long, still had half a beer, snacking, and talking as a group of 4. Definitely won't deter me from coming back. Just thought it was a bit much. Give them a try if you're in and around Santee.

1/2 ribs with fries sweet beans
Isabelle G.

Today was pur first time coming to this place and it was a wonderful experience the workers there were so nice to my fam and i patient and treated with respect we will be coming again the food was delicious i loved the sweet tea... their potato salad was delicious i loved the flavor i love how their BBQ isnt too sweet its bearable the corn bread was a must with us the place is nice has alot of space tables were clean the music also there is no negativity in this place at all

Menu
Gwyn C.

Always a winner. The only small tiny issue is it's hard to hear for seniors when they place orders. And, it would be great if they had a senior menus. Mom continues to rave about the French fries so we always have to order a large to go and put in the freezer! When dad orders tri tip burger he has enough for two meals - awesome!

Small salad, full rack of ribs, Steamed veggies, sausage
Brianna L.

We had a good time here. It definitely gets busy, but we were able to snag a bar top Table. After looking at the menu, we decided against drinks. It was a good dinner. Pros: * Food was good; recommend the Ribs * Clean restaurant * Nice cashier Cons: * Salad was over $5 for a small and it was lettuce and 1/2 a tomato. Do not recommend. * Ran out of Coke Zero Extra: * We got the deal where you order a sausage and get a drink free * Parking is so-so * You order and find your own table. When your buzzer goes off, you pick up your own food * We got the sauce on the side and glad we did. We thought the sauce was crazy sweet.

Hand washing station
Norma D.

I love a great BBQ - who doesn't? Phil's is one of my favorites. I love the chicklet dinner. You get 2 large onion rings, fries, Cole slaw and BBQ Chicken chunks. The best of everything. If you've never been, you gotta go! The Santee location is busy but not as busy as Sports Arena. The staff works fast and the foods always delicious. I love that they have a hand washing station (not in the restrooms) so it's easy to wash up before you eat.

Kelly K.

Staff was very attentive and ambiance lively with plenty of indoor seating. I ordered a beef rib with Cole slaw and baked beans. The rib looked huge but turned out to be a lot of gristle and fat. It was the fattiest rib I have ever had. The taste was of really dominated by the sweet BBQ sauce. Too sweet in my opinion. If you have a sweet tooth it should be to your liking. Cole slaw was freshly made but had a lot of large pieces of core cabbage and very little seasoning. I got one taste of a celery seed. Bland but fine. The beans were disappointing. They had a flavor that was just off. Cannot describe it. I ended up throwing the beans away. Onion rings taste like the mass produced premade kind that are just fried up. They were okay. Lots of breading. The price was affordable and so if in the area I will try again and order something different.

Baby Back Rib Tickler (3 Bones)
LINA M.

Who doesn't love Phil's? It's one of San Diego's best chain restaurants for American barbecue. I love their barbecue sauce it's not too sweet and has a tiny kick at the end of either black pepper or spices. Their sides I normally always get are mac salad, potato salad, baked beans, onion rings which are huge! Their combo plated meals are usually generous servings and we usually never finish and have to take home leftovers. Extra barbecue sauce is free which is nice and they also lather your meats with a generous portion of the sauce already. Add a hot link and drink for $5! I usually alternate between this location or Point Loma depending on where I'm at, at the moment. Both locations can get pretty busy with lines outside the door. Both locations share a huge parking lot with accessible parking. It's self serve utensils and seating after you place your order at the counter and provided with a buzzer. However there are still waiters coming around to ask if you need anything.

Macaroni Salad (Large)
Peter C.

The original Phil's is always packed with a line out the door so my wife and I always go to this location when we are in town. Food is always fresh and pretty quick even with the inside being packed. Nothing beats their beef ribs and they'll always have a soft spot in my heart. Staff is always super friendly and very attentive!

Waiting area near dining room
Nancy V.

We stopped for a take out order. The restaurant was clean and inviting. The ordering and pickup went smoothly. It was a little too loud for me, but I wasn't dining in. This is a good place for locals to get a great BBQ dinner.

Rib Chicken Only (Half - All White)
Foxcy S.

I was greeted by Jazmine. She took my order and was very nice. My food was out extremely fast and Landon was also on the floor to see if I needed anything else. The food was amazing and I got a ton of food for a small price even after tip, my bill was under $20. The restaurant was clean. The ambience was perfect and the customer service was stellar. I will definitely come back to this location.

Sausage Link
Jhenny B.

Phil's BBQ has been a staple for locals and tourist's in San Diego for many years, usually there are lines out the door, but if you come off hours, there's plenty of tables. Food is hearty, delicious and flavorful. My only my thing is, the beef ribs are good but not like they use to be. They use to be fattier and fall off the bone good and more affordable. Other than that, I still enjoy the recipe. The restaurant is nice and open. They have sinks for easier clean up, which make it so convenient if you have little ones. Staff is always nice and efficient. It's always a test when you don't see a line.

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Phil's BBQ Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Phil's BBQ

Do they take reservations?

No they are walk in only.

Are dogs allowed on the patio?

Yes! Dogs are welcomed on our patios!

Is there a link for online orders?

Hi Dulcina, Unfortunately, we don't do online orders. We've changed our take-out process where… Read more

Are you open Christmas Day?

We are closed on Christmas day.

Can u dine in?

Yes. I went there yesterday (10/17/20). They have indoor and outdoor seating.

Does Phil's BBQ automatically charge a service fees? I was charged a 15-20 mins fee plus service charge for dine in. I never seen that before ever.

Hi Allie, I am happy to look into this for you. Can you please email me a copy of your receipt to… Read more

Do you guys do take out?

Hi! We do offer take-out. You can easily call the restaurant you want to place the order with and… Read more

Do they have a kids menu?

We do not have a “kids menu” but we do have our “Phils Tickler” which is smaller portion sized meals of pork, beef, or chicken :)

It says on yelp dogs allowed but I don't see outdoor seating in photos, is there somewhere to sit with the dog inside or seating outside that I'm not seeing?

Hey Nicholas, We do allow dogs in the patio section located by the bar. Just go in the front door… Read more

Will you open this Wednesday?

Yes we are open for the fourth

How long is the wait?

If you're not with kids duck into the bar. No wait. Open seating.

It says on Yelp that they deliver... anyone know which delivery service they use? Can't find on Grub Hub, Eat24 or Door dash.

Hey Will, Unfortunately we do not deliver through any delivery service. We deliver through our own service but we have a minimum order size of $200. You can call any location… Read more

How are the burgers?

they're GREAT! Check out the Philibuster- A half pounder topped with bacon, cheese, and pulled… Read more

View All 15 Questions

The Oaks Bar & Grill - Happy hour "Crispy Garlic Brussel Sprouts" $9

The Oaks Bar & Grill

(97 reviews)

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It had been quite a while since we caught Sunday football at The Oaks Bar & Grill…read more We had friends visiting from out of town and we were meeting a large group of mutual friends. The Oaks proved to be the perfect venue. When we arrived, the group had commandeered several tables in the dining room. Becky and I bellied up the adjacent large horseshoe shaped bar. The TVs were all tuned to various NFL games. A group of Steelers fans were in the dining room next to our group watching and cheering their team on a giant TV. Becky and I wanted to watch the Seahawks. Mike, Director of the Carlton Oaks Country Club, was happy to put it on one of the many TVs for us. We wanted a snack, so we ordered the Potato Skins. Potato halves filled with cheese, bacon bits and chives. They are cut lengthwise in half for easier dipping and eating. Served with ranch and sour cream for dipping. Bottles of Tapatio, Tabasco and Cholula were provided if you wanted to spice it up. They were quite tasty and the perfect portion size. Price was right too! Because of the acoustics, the dining room can get a little loud. If you just want to chill and take in the view, step outside to the patio. Great views of the golf course. Service at the bar was friendly and on point. The large groups in the dining room were being well taken care of as well.

Quite. Slow moving restaurant. Nice to chill with friends and be casual. Nice normal food…read more Good service.

Eastbound Bar & Grill - Your neighborhood bar and grill

Eastbound Bar & Grill

(1k reviews)

$$

This was such a neat place, I love how it felt like a community staple. This place was packed on a…read moreSaturday morning. I'm glad that I made it for their brunch menu! I ended up getting the breakfast burrito without the bacon to make it vegetarian and it was sooooo good. The salsa it came with was a wonderful mild red salsa. I would definitely order this breakfast burrito again. Plus the burrito was only $12.95, that is not bad at all. I also loved that they host a lot of fun themed nights and events. This really seems like a fun place to work and attend regularly, I wish it was closer to me. The day I went all the of the staff were dressed in PJs because they had a PJ party event planned for that evening. They had indoor seating as well as an outdoor back patio. Plenty of seating and plenty of TVs.

Eastbound bar and Grill is located in Lakeside they have outside patio and honestly it was a…read morereally cool vibes. The patio itself is super nice, everyone there was friendly right away and the place just felt welcoming. I ordered a Bloody Mary, some wings, and a fish taco and everything hit the spot. The experience overall was awesome. One thing I thought was really cool is during happy hour they spin a wheel and whatever it lands on becomes the promotion for the next 30 minutes, which keeps everyone engaged and makes it fun for the whole crowd. The bartenders were awesome too, super attentive and easy to talk to. Definitely a place I'd come back to again. Five stars all the way around,. If you're ever in Lakeside you should definitely check this place out, and their happy hour is great too. #LakesideCA #HappyHourVibes #FoodieFinds #PatioVibes #WingsAndTacos #LocalSpots

Phil's BBQ - bbq - Updated May 2026

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