Just finished an amazing meal with my husband at 'Que in the Public Market. We split the shredded BBQ brisket sandwich, fries, and the salt-roasted beet salad--and still had generous portions of everything. The brisket rivals any Kansas City BBQ we've had, the fries were the best I've ever eaten (crispy and perfectly seasoned), and the salad was fresh and beautifully balanced with golden and red beets, goat cheese, spiced almonds, and a light dressing that let the ingredients shine. And it was all at very reasonably priced. Highly recommend--we'll definitely be back! read more

'Que - Red and Gold Beet Salad, BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwhich, side of fries. - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

First time trying this place. Boy, it was such a good surprise and burst of flavors! Ordered the brisket burger and the garlic smashed potatoes. Totally the best choices that were recommended. If you are a garlic lover... man the garlic mashed potatoes are not for the faint of heart. Full of flavor and full of crispy caramelized goodness. Bring a pack of gum if you're on a date ;) Brisket burger had a perfectly smashed burger. I really love when the smash burger is thin and crispy on the edges with gooey cheese on top of the main part- this is that burger. The brisket on top was a nice added bonus too! All in all a solid smash burger! Thanks for the quick service and amazing food! read more

See all

Burger week ends on Feb. 25, 2026. 'Que knocks it out of the park. 5* Don't miss the outstanding medium rare, Short Rib-Brisket patty, topped with more brisket, thin fried onion rings and cheddar. (Come early in the day to avoid the crazy traffic and crowds of the film festival.) If you can't make it to 'Que during the competition, by all means enjoy this burger at the regular price. Worth every penny. Fries are well seasoned but not too salty. Baby Back Ribs; fall off the bone tender. BBQ sauce too strong and hides the flavor of the meat. Next time we'll ask for our sauce on the side. 4.5* Thank you for bringing brisket and BBQ to Santa Barbara. 'Que got us to visit the SB Public Market after an 8-10 year gap. Thank you, also. for not having a huge fire pit/smoker which _would_ destroy our great air quality!! read more

See all

I was here for the NFL conference championship games and could not resist grabbing a bite after watching the snoozefest that was the Broncos-Patriots game. This place did not disappoint whatsoever; the Smokehouse burger was amazing and the fries were addictive. I was surprised at the size of the portion considering I was held captive at the SB Public Market. Service was fast and friendly as well, and you can never complain about digging into a delicious burger while watching playoff football. A most definite 5 star experience, I highly recommend. read more

I'm so happy to see a new BBQ spot has opened at the public market. Santa Barbara lacks BBQ restaurants & they don't seem to last very long, so I'm rooting for this place to survive. On my visit I ordered the chili cheese burger which included brisket short rib. It also comes with your choice of a side dish such as fries, rustic pasta salad, farm salad, bbq bourbon beans or dill coleslaw. Naturally I chose the fries. Unfortunately, my burger was kind of cold. The flavor was there, but the burger was too mushy for me. I also ordered the blueberry cornbread, which is in the form of a mini cake. It's a shareable that won't disappoint! I loved the plump juicy blueberries in each bite. It also comes with a honey lemon butter. My friends ordered the beet salad and street corn salad. I sampled both and they were delicious! The presentation was beautiful and everything looked very fresh. We also tried the brisket, which was juicy, fatty and melted in my mouth. Loved it! The grilled and smoky chicken sandwich looked more like a lettuce sandwich. The chicken was there but it was extremely thin. Overall, there are some hit and misses here but I do look forward to coming back to try more on the menu. read more

See all

I think this might be the best BBQ in Santa Barbara. I had the sampler plate, which included brisket, pulled pork and half a rack of baby rack ribs. It was definitely worth the value. I love that it's bbq flavor from different places. I was skeptical of Carolina bbq on pulled pork, but it was absolutely delicious. I was also blown away by the ribs; could chow down a whole rack. The brisket had such a nice Smokey flavor, I just wish they included a variety of bbq sauce on the side. The dill coleslaw was some of the best I've ever had and the fries were crunchy and well seasoned. Overall, incredible addition to the public market. read more

What a delicious find! They offer the fatty cut off brisket so ask for it if you're so inclined. The mac and cheese was out of this world (I did ask for no jalapeños), and the blueberry cornbread was yum. Portions were very generous for the price. No alcohol that I saw on the menu but there are several places nearby that offer them. Staff was very friendly and accommodating. The entire food hall itself can be chaotic and very crowded (we were there on a Friday night) so buyer beware. Prepare to stalk tables to get a seat! Parking can also be a challenge but there are pay lots nearby. If you like a fun convivial atmosphere while eating some delicious food, this is the spot! read more

See all

I personally ordered the Carolina Pulled Pork Sando and it was so good! The pulled pork had a smoky flavor and the crunchy coleslaw balanced it really well. The cashier was very friendly and helpful. The food came out quick which is always a plus! This restaurant is located in the Public Market which has tons of seating and played trendy music. read more

'Que - Brisket Dirty Fries - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

The best dedicated BBQ restaurant in town. The brisket was amazing. S'more dessert looked great, so will need to come back and try it. Not greasy BBQ. Ingredients were fresh and modern menu items. read more

Came here for burger week. We tried the smokehouse burger along side with 2 other burger week burgers. This one was ok... I felt the bbq sauce hid the flavor of the meat. I probably should have asked for the sauce on the side so I could have tried the meat. But the burger was soft, you get the sweet bbq flavor but compared to the other burgers, this was ok. read more

'Que - My burger week burger - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I ended up ordering the loaded mac n cheese for $16 and added pulled pork for $6 and a sweet tea for $4 the tea was very sweet and yummy. over all I think the presentation was amazing. The panko really adds a good texture change for the Mac and cheese and the pulled pork brings a whole new deeper flavor to the Mac n cheese. The line was luckily short when I got there at around 6pm so I was able to order right away. They seemed pretty busy still maybe they had just gotten over a rush. Over all I'd be excited to try the other items on their menu read more

See all

Very fresh ingredients and not salty. It's like the healthy version of bbq. It did lack flavor and in fact had no flavor and smoke but I'm guessing they don't have a smoker out back and is a seems like a very Santa Barbara version of bbq. Service is straight forward you order in line to the right and get a buzzer for your meal. The decoration is nice and inviting. read more

'Que - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Food is excellent. Try the pulled pork. But you can't go wrong. We tried everything all spot on. The whole vibe in Public Market is terrific too. read more

First time to try, so we ordered a platter with pulled pork, ribs,and brisket. Sides of beans and fries. EVERYTHING was delicious ! We will definitely be back!!! read more

'Que - Trio of meats - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

When I say everything was cooked (and seasoned) to perfection I mean it. The first visit was the second day they opened and usually I expect something to have a hiccup.. not this time. Even the drinks were good! It was so good we came back a few days later and got the kids meals. Something kind of random I appreciate is the quality of napkins/ huge and actually wet wipes. There's nothing worse than a bbq restaurant with thin napkins that ball up when you try to use them and tiny halfway dried wipe. The portions were great, service was awesome. Super friendly staff! The public market is usually busy but I always find a table so ambience was good too. Honestly 10/10 so far. read more

'Que - Ribs and Fries Kids Meal and Kids Burger (we substituted the fries for the garlic smashed potatoes. - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We ordered the sampling barbecue platter with cornbread and house-made beans, and it was absolutely incredible. Easily some of the best barbecue I've ever had. Everything was flavorful, perfectly cooked, and just dialed in. I can't recommend this place enough--completely blown away. This is officially our new go-to barbecue spot. Highly recommend! read more

I absolutely recommend this business. The ribs were slamming! Service was excellent and over delivered. The price point is fair for the portion and you have plenty of space to move around and plenty of seating. read more

'Que - My daughter started eating before I got to take the picture lol - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

Took a double take to get right, but in the end brisket was pretty solid! Got a 1/2 lb. of brisket, but all the slices I was served were off target: not smoky enough (no smoke ring) no bark on the edges. More fatty, which normally I like some fattiness, but was too firm. Went back to the counter and started describing the situation to the cashier, and another individual, Matthew, stepped in and was very helpful and more than accommodating. I assume Matthew is the manager, or possibly an owner, and he was very knowledgeable about the cooking process for the brisket. He brought out another tray with some better cuts that had a great balance of lean meat with some fat, and def had the right smokiness and even some bark on the edges. I enjoyed the cuts and will give them another go! Thanks Matthew! read more

Food was amazing came out quick and the staff were super nice. Brisket fries 11/10 Pulled pork sandwich 9/10 Side of beans 8/10 read more

'Que - Brisket fries, side beans - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

This is located in a cool food hall with lots of choices- glad we picked 'Que. Our group tried the Smokehouse burger, smoky chicken sandwich, and the street corn salad. Everything was exceptional. The smokehouse burger was very hearty and topped with delicious brisket. The street corn salad had the elote flavors nicely put together topped with delicious pickled onions and a grilled lemon. The chicken sandwich is a must try - juicy and flavorful. Fries were crispy and so good with a nice choice of dipping sauces - ranch, jalapeño ranch, bbq sauce or ketchup. Service was reasonably quick. We found a table and enjoyed the sports on TVs around the hall while we waited. read more

'Que - Street Corn Salad - loved the dressing and those pickled onions! - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

A little overpriced, but that is the only thing approaching negative I can saw. The brisket sando was delicious and so was the blueberry cornbread and the Mac & cheese! Definitely would go back! read more

WOW. Everything is a must order! The brisket is so dreamily obviously slow cooked. The ribs have an amazing crust and rub with a tender inside. The chili is non traditional in all the best ways. Will be returning every time I'm at the Public Market. read more

See all

Food is fire! First time trying it Service is great. Not sure if he's the manager or owner but the male (not uniformed in black) provides excellent customer service. Might be my new all time fave spot to eat at. The sauce they put on the brisket fries so delish. The sauces in the burgers and sandwiches make them taste that much better. You can taste quality in the meat. Even the napkins they provide feel like really good quality. Must try!! read more

See all

Amazing bbq. Best in SB got the sampler plate. Brisket , ribs , pulled pork all fantastic. Legit bbq Excellent staff and service Sides were next level yummy Super fresh and great portions read more

Just like Whiskey 'N Rye in Solvang, Don C. Has done it again. Outstanding new BBQ restaurant in the SB Public Market. Same great food and outstanding service. Looking fwd to the new upcoming new location in Goleta! Congrats Don! Highly recommend. read more

Excellent brisket! Plus, the Ahi sandwich was really good also. Looking forward to trying again soon.

'Que is absolutely AMAZING! The brisket was to mouthwatering good and the Ahi Tuna Poke Nachos were to die for! Aaron made sure to check on us while we waited for our food and after we were finished he came out personally to get our plates and ask us how everything came out. There is something to be said for great hospitality as it seems to be dying off in the food industry and quite honestly I didn't expect to get this level of service from a place inside of a market. 10 out of 10 all the way around! Thank you again Aaron!! read more

A true BBQ in Santa Barbara in the Santa Barbara Public Market (only downside). Great food and service. I had a chili burger which is the best one I've had in Santa Barbara since Hamburger Habit got bought by the The Habit chain and stopped making them at the Goleta location. My wife had a bbq chicken Sando which came with side of garlic potatoes. We also ordered an appetizer of the blue berry cornbread. All very good. read more

Popped in to the SB Public Market on a Sunday and the place was packed. Got to the Que and placed our orders - a couple poke nachos, dirty fries and the smokehouse burger. Customer service was top notch. Super friendly and very helpful. Food came out quick and it was all great. Plenty filling and the flavors were outstanding. Completely satisfied with everything we ordered. Excellent across the board! read more

This is the best barbecue in Santa Barbara, as far as I am concerned. Now, wait. Before you get riled up, remember that, currently, SB does not do BBQ. No, I don't count your Santa Maria tri-tip. I mean authentic Texas BBQ, cooked low and slow with smoke. We've had some decent attempts, but Que is the new Sheriff in town, and luckily, they do a pretty great job. We went last night, a few days after they opened in the SB Public Market. The place was packed, but we only had to wait a few minutes for our turn. We ordered 1/2 lb of brisket, a kids' meal with ribs and fries, cornbread, and one of their NA lemonades. The wait for the food was kind of long but not terrible. First impressions - the service was incredible. The person who took our order apologized 3 times in 5 minutes for the wait (there was hardly any) and for our patience. In contrast, we were there on opening day for Wexler's Deli, and the experience at Que was a night-and-day difference. Now on to the food. Overall it's really great. Cornbread - This is a blueberry cornbread, and it's served in a small cast-iron pan. But when you get it, it's out of the pan (fine by me). It comes with whipped lemon honey butter. I love cornbread and make it regularly, and this is the best cornbread I've tasted in a long time. Or maybe ever? It's the right combination of crispy and tender. Baby Back Ribs - I am usually a brisket guy, but I think the ribs are where Que shines. We got three ribs, but you could have just told me they were slow-cooked pork. Yes, there was a bone, but there was SO much meat on them. We ate them with a knife and fork and alternated between using your fingers to pull chunks off. The sauce is perfect, with just the right amount of hickory smoke and sweetness without being overbearing. Fries - These were seasoned fries and extremely underwhelming. I think it might be the worst thing we ordered. They were not terrible, but really really mediocre. They tasted not much better than frozen fries you put in an air fryer. Brisket - ok, this is what I came for, and it left both me and my partner confused. Pros: they finish it with sea salt (which sounds like such a simple thing), and it somehow makes the meat taste really good. (Obviously), it makes it intensely savory. This is a trick I gotta steal. Cons: the issue is that they slice the meat extremely thin. We are talking like 1/4". At first, I thought it was their sneaky way of providing less meat but covering a wider surface area. Imagine you ordered a brisket pizza - if they slice it super thin, they can give you less but make it look like it covers the whole pizza. But no, we ordered it by weight. So they took 1/2 lb and decided to slice it super thin. The result? Not the soft, juicy, fatty brisket you expect. Instead, it's mostly dried out and chewy. I really have no idea why Que does this. They ruined all the pitmaster's hard work, IMO. I went back to get some to-go boxes, and again, excellent customer service. They asked me to confirm whether the boxes they brought out were good and asked if I needed extra napkins or utensils to go. While we were waiting, we looked over the menu, and let me tell you, it looks amazing. There's a great variety of dishes, many of them creative. I also like that they have a variety of sides and shareable dishes. I also like that brisket plays a big role on the menu, but after my experience, I am really scared of trying any of the brisket dishes. For example, I don't want to pay $18 for Brisket Dirty Fries only to have really thin, dry pieces of meat on top. I would want big chunks of juicy brisket. Overall, I really am glad Que is in town, and it will definitely be my go-to barbecue restaurant. I just hope they can "fix" the brisket issue. read more

Everything was absolutely to die for. So so so very good, 10/10, will be back. The staff is also amazing. James and aldo could not have been more helpful and kind, they are two beautiful souls. read more

'Que - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The food here is fine, the employees were very nice, but like everything in the public market you're paying a lot extra for the public market experience. I wouldn't say it's worth it unless you're already with a group of people who want to eat there. read more

We stumbled upon the Santa Barbara, Public Market and lucky for us we chose Que for dinner. It was absolutely delicious. The corporate chef, Bryan, was so accommodating and warm, and the food was cooked to perfection. Absolutely delicious with warm staff. Come hungry! read more

'Que - Dirty fries - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

Came here on lunch break with a few co-workers and got the BBQ sampler. Portion size was great to split 3 ways and food was amazing! Ribs were super tender and the brisket was very flavorful. The pulled pork was my personal favorite-- great flavor and not smothered in sauce. Staff was friendly and helpful with menu questions. I'm so happy to have a new favorite bbq spot in town. read more

'Que - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara Public Market just got even better with the addition of Cues BBQ. The market already offers an incredible variety of gourmet food options, but Santa Barbara has seriously been missing a truly great barbecue spot--until now. Cues absolutely hits the mark. I had the chance to try all of their meats through a sampler, and I can confidently report back: everything was delicious. Each cut was flavorful, perfectly cooked, and clearly handled by people who know barbecue. We also added an order of dirty fries (don't skip these) and paired them with their mac & cheese--both were fantastic sides and rounded out the meal perfectly. On top of the food, the staff really stood out. Super friendly, welcoming, and--most importantly to me--knowledgeable about the menu. They answered all of my questions (and I had a lot) without missing a beat, which always says a lot about a place. If you love great food and appreciate a well-run operation, Cues is a must-try. Huge win for the Public Market and exactly what Santa Barbara needed. Highly recommend. read more

LEGIT! The Street Corn Salad and the 1/2 lb brisket looked so good I ate it before taking a photo. So delicious! Service was great too. Everyone was really nice. Definitely will be one of my "go to" now. read more

Great barbecue! We ordered the smokehouse sampler platter with the smashed potatoes and beans. Amazing flavors and an excellent sauce on the ribs. The meat fell apart and was cooked to perfection. Will definitely be back! read more

Great addition to the public market. Everything we ordered was delicious and fresh. They do BBQ right!

Best service and chicken wings I've ever had! Food came out in 4 minutes! Ribs were incredible as well