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VENTURA NEEDED A SPOT LIKE THIS. Very good and solid BBQ spot here and I am so happy to have finally tried it. Located currently inside the Ventura Theatre, you will find parking in the rear parking lot. Only open on the weekends, I had to plan my visit and stopped by on a Saturday 20 min after they opened. They had a line out the door! I took this as a GREAT sign. After waiting in line for 10 min we placed our order. We got a 1/2 pound of Tri Tip and Brisket, one sausage link, a side of Mac and cheese, brisket gravy mashed potatoes and chili beans. This ran us $70 bucks and it WAS WORTH IT. The brisket was the star of the show as it was very flavorful and smoky and cooked to perfection. The tri tip was good, just needed a bit more seasoning/salt for my liking. But it was cooked to perfection. The Mac and cheese was phenomenal as well along with gravy and mashed potatoes. Over all, would have to rate this place a 8 out of 10. Make sure you stop by and support this local buisness. Every penny spent here was worth it and I already can't wait to come back again. Thanks Ruff House BBQ for the great lunch, till next time.
BBQ is outstanding - checkout their IG page for dates and times of business but it is inside of a music venue in Ventura. Full bar and lots of seating available. Did the wings with lemon pepper and their hot sauce, SUPER good and fast. There is a slightly rotating option and again it's updated via their IG for more timely updates. But will definitely come back!
It's ok... Supposedly a 16 hour cook time for the brisket, so what's wrong? The meat was dry and chalky. Most likely, the temp was too high. The beans were ok, slightly under-cooked for my preference. They are just barely cooked enough. The flavor is good, texture, not so much. The Mac-n-cheese is very cheesy. Reminds me of velveeta. Nothing special here, but it was cooked properly. The string beans were good. They were cooked very well, and flavored beautifully, but why not great? Because some of them could have been cleaned or cut better. The ambiance is where it gets points. Located inside a music hall/venue, it's pretty awesome. Just enough light to eat and see things, not super bright.
We arrived at 1:15 pm on a Sunday. We were greeted as we ordered our food. The food was good. We really enjoyed it. The only negative is they advertised until 3 o'clock but today they told us we had to be out by two because there was going to be a concert. After waiting for our food there didn't seem like much time to relax and because we had to go. Although they did offer for us to get takeout before we ate.
Its legit. This is legit BBQ smoked brisket. I had my doubts and low expectations before visiting. Texas can suck it for trying to gatekeep their amazing BBQ tradition. I've been to Texas and had life changing BBQ Brisket and I've been trying to chase that high ever since! It was takeout only, so I quickly drove to the beach to dig in lol. Brisket- juicy tender, the fat was rendered nicely, beautiful smoke ring Smoked sausage- amazing. Juicy and loads of cheese. Sides were very good, although I kept it simple, fries and baked beans. Baked beans were too sweet imo. But I know folks who like it like that so who am I to judge. BBQ Sauce was DELICIOUS and the mustard was *chefs kiss* I put this BBQ restaurant over any BBQ spot here in Ventura County. Honestly, yes I am going to say this- I ENJOYED THIS OVER MOO'S CRAFT IN LA Yes you heard me right. Been there and done that, I know my brisket. So trust me and go get yourself some legit BBQ in Ventura!
Burnt ends and chicken wings were amazing! So glad we found this place. Definitely will be back!
Simply put- just some finger lickin' good BBQ. Decided to try this place per a friends recommendation- ordered a lb of chicken wings and the pork ribs w/ coleslaw, baked beans and French fries. Everything was delicious, even the wings plain ( I ordered them naked to try the taste and they are delicious as is), the buffalo sauce definitely makes them next level though! Plenty of open seating and quick service. There's a full service bar, too if you get thirsty (; Will definitely come back whenever I'm craving some good BBQ.
I feel so fortunate that I stumbled upon the best BBQ spot thanks to Instagram! We don't really eat BBQ much but I didn't really have super high expectations since I figured it would just taste like any old BBQ but boy was I wrong. The sampler platter comes with a variety of meats and two sides, perfect to share for a group of 3-4. They set up at Ventura Music Hall every Sunday and it was a much nicer venue than I thought it would be. There are some booths and plenty of tables, as well as a clean restroom. The menu switches up a bit so be sure to give Jason a follow on IG @ruff_house_bbq to see what is on the menu for the week. Looking forward to coming back soon!
#ThankYouThursday. Thank you for serving the best BBq in the 805. Woot woot .. Oxnard native too.. like me. I can always count on having an amazing food experience! From the tacos , smash burgers, biscuit sandwiches to the yummy brisket. Currently, located at the Ventura Music Hall but looking forward to when you open your place! Thank you for raising funds for Children's Hospital and supporting other local businesses by collaborating or being a patron!!! Your business is truly a local gem!
Ruff House BBQ left an ever-lasting impression on me since the day I traveled to Ventura to try it. I arrived just before they opened, and even though the line didn't seem too long; I still had to wait about an hour and a half to finally place my order. So, come with patience here! I promise the wait is totally worth it. BTW, it is located in the Ventura Music Hall and only offered on Sundays from 11am-3pm (or until they sell out), but Jason the master BBQ wizard does occasional pop-ups at other locations. Check out his IG page for daily updates @ruff_house_bbq Ok, so I was kind of overwhelmed on what to order even though I stared at the menu while waiting in line. Everything on the menu sounded delicious, but then again it always does when you haven't eaten. I ended up going with the Chipotle Cheddar Beef Hot Link ($7), 1/2 pound Spare Ribs ($14), and 1/2 lb. Maple Bacon Pork Belly Burnt Ends ($14). I also ordered the banana cream pie pudding cup ($8), which was mind blowing delicious! It wasn't overly sweet and very well put together. These are made by Jess who teams up with Jason on Sunday's to provide the best desserts to accompany the BBQ. Her IG handle is @awkwardpastrychef if you'd like to check out her page. As for the food, the beef hot link wasn't too spicy and the Dijon dipping sauce to accompany it was the perfect balance of sweet n tangy. The spare ribs were love at first bite!! The meat was super tender, melt in your mouth delicious, and it had the perfect amount of smokiness. Honestly, these were the best I ever had in all my life lol. I also enjoyed the bbq sauce that was served with this, but you could eat them just as is. The Maple Bacon Pork Belly Burnt ends are a must order! They are little pieces of heaven and melt in your mouth. I devoured these in my car, and they didn't even require a dip in the bbq sauce that came with it. This is Cali meets Texas style BBQ, and although I've never tried Texas BBQ; this has got my stamp of approval and deserves an award! This was one of my favorite BBQ experiences I've ever had and I am looking forward to going back soon!
Located inside the Ventura Music Hall, which we didnt realize is Ruff House BBQ. Follow their IG page for updates and hours. You want to get there at opening so they do not run out of stuff. We ordered half pound of pulled pork, half pound of brisket, and 3 dry rub ribs, along with mac and cheese. Great customer service all around. Food was delicious. Favorite was the pulled pork which I was surprised, it was juicy and tender. Brisket was on the lean side. Overall great Texan Style BBQ with fantastic hospitality.
If there is one thing that comes to my mind when I think about Ruff House BBQ it is how passionate they are about what they are doing. You can tell that this is more than just a business to them. They care about providing quality food to the Ventura community and keep affordability in mind. I was fortunate enough to sample most of their foods at a Yelp Elite event and have been twice now to take advantage of their $5 smashburger appreciation days. I hope to make it out one weekend to get some more of their fantastic pulled pork, brisket, and mac n cheese soon! They currently do not have a permanent "home" and mostly operate out of the Ventura Music Hall on the weekends and sometimes at Poseidon Brewery. They offer a variety of meats including home-made sausages, tri tip, ribs, chicken, and more! Jason really knows what he is doing and it shows in the quality and flavor of the food!
I didn't want to just like this place... I wanted to love it because of all of the hype (I was following them on IG forever). But as they say, don't always believe the hype. I lined up early at Ventura Music Hall (where they host on Sundays) as I've heard the line wraps around the building. I was 4th in line and it took quite a while for me to get up front to order (it would really help if there was a QR code with the menu at the door so people wouldn't be so indecisive when they got to the front). As a solo diner, I was hoping for a combo that had meat, couple of sides. They don't offer that so I had to order everything separately. For the smallest order of brisket, 3 sides, their sausage waffle stick and dessert, my total was $60. Ouch. The sides are big enough to share among 3-4 people. The menu should have something to accommodate single diners IMO but I digress... I sat down at the bar and was ignored initially; three male guests were asked what they wanted to drink ahead of me (presumably because they were regulars since the bartender knew them by name) which was frustrating. You absolutely don't ignore guests, especially when you make eye contact. I finally got my drink and I politely asked several times for a game to be put on and there seemed to be an issue with my request. The bartender asked for help from other staff and they seemed annoyed. Maybe get the TVs going before you open? If I'm sitting at the bar and ordering a drink, I'd like to watch a game; NOT a screen saver of the beach. Food-wise, the meat was dry; not a juicy flavor like I was anticipating. It was smokey and had a red ring, very nice visually. I couldn't even really save it with the bbq sauce because even that wasn't anything to write home about. The sausage waffle special had me super excited until I took a bite and it was pink inside. The batter was great but a butter pecan syrup would have been more fitting considering the smokiness of the one bite of sausage I managed to get in. The Hawaiian mac salad and the pickle & onion garnish were the winners for me, although I was hoping it would be more considering it's a bbq place. I noticed a lot of robust and smokey flavors, so having a sweeter bbq sauce would have been a better accompaniment. However, those pickles were the real deal. Dessert was good but small for the price. The beans absolutely need a makeover. This is a very unique set up and we are lucky to have something cool like this in Ventura. I've only known the owner to appear very hard working and I hope he continues to be successful. I would try it again if I were with a group as the menu is not solo-diner friendly. The thing that weighs heaviest for me is how I was treated at the bar but hopefully it's a teachable moment. Maybe the brisket wasn't a good choice for my palate, who knows. I've had mediocre experiences in the past which completely turned around on subsequent visits so I'm hoping that happens in this case.
1 month ago
3 days ago
Went to Comfort Meal Monday last night and it was incredible! This weeks comfort meal was Smoked Salmon with yogurt dill sauce roasted Brussel sprouts and a cilantro lime rice. The salmon was beautifully smoked with a very tasty house made rub, sprouts were caramelized, sweet and still had nice crunch. Very good fluffy rice with a little lime tang. So good I ordered another Salmon meal to go. Easily will make 2 meals out of one order. I cannot wait for next Monday's choices... read more
INSANELY DELICIOUS!!!!! Okay! Okay now!! This place is FIRE! Simple menu style, different items on different days to keep it fresh! Such a great concept..It was $1 wing night and let me tell you, Crispy, flavorful, and I couldn't eat them fast enough! We got a few other items that deserve jist as much praise! Smash burger, Sweet & smokey potato with pork belly YUMM!!! The smash fries had me in a good coma! The service was friendly and and our food arrived in a timely manner, which is important. The place is spacious and is in the Ventura Music Hall, were concerts, bands, and other music events happen. I most definitely will be back for whatever this place is selling!!! This is a MUST stop with family, or friends. Great for groups. read more
VENTURA NEEDED A SPOT LIKE THIS. Very good and solid BBQ spot here and I am so happy to have finally tried it. Located currently inside the Ventura Theatre, you will find parking in the rear parking lot. Only open on the weekends, I had to plan my visit and stopped by on a Saturday 20 min after they opened. They had a line out the door! I took this as a GREAT sign. After waiting in line for 10 min we placed our order. We got a 1/2 pound of Tri Tip and Brisket, one sausage link, a side of Mac and cheese, brisket gravy mashed potatoes and chili beans. This ran us $70 bucks and it WAS WORTH IT. The brisket was the star of the show as it was very flavorful and smoky and cooked to perfection. The tri tip was good, just needed a bit more seasoning/salt for my liking. But it was cooked to perfection. The Mac and cheese was phenomenal as well along with gravy and mashed potatoes. Over all, would have to rate this place a 8 out of 10. Make sure you stop by and support this local buisness. Every penny spent here was worth it and I already can't wait to come back again. Thanks Ruff House BBQ for the great lunch, till next time. read more
BBQ is outstanding - checkout their IG page for dates and times of business but it is inside of a music venue in Ventura. Full bar and lots of seating available. Did the wings with lemon pepper and their hot sauce, SUPER good and fast. There is a slightly rotating option and again it's updated via their IG for more timely updates. But will definitely come back! read more
It's ok... Supposedly a 16 hour cook time for the brisket, so what's wrong? The meat was dry and chalky. Most likely, the temp was too high. The beans were ok, slightly under-cooked for my preference. They are just barely cooked enough. The flavor is good, texture, not so much. The Mac-n-cheese is very cheesy. Reminds me of velveeta. Nothing special here, but it was cooked properly. The string beans were good. They were cooked very well, and flavored beautifully, but why not great? Because some of them could have been cleaned or cut better. The ambiance is where it gets points. Located inside a music hall/venue, it's pretty awesome. Just enough light to eat and see things, not super bright. read more
1 month ago
4 months ago
1 month ago
We arrived at 1:15 pm on a Sunday. We were greeted as we ordered our food. The food was good. We really enjoyed it. The only negative is they advertised until 3 o'clock but today they told us we had to be out by two because there was going to be a concert. After waiting for our food there didn't seem like much time to relax and because we had to go. Although they did offer for us to get takeout before we ate. read more
Its legit. This is legit BBQ smoked brisket. I had my doubts and low expectations before visiting. Texas can suck it for trying to gatekeep their amazing BBQ tradition. I've been to Texas and had life changing BBQ Brisket and I've been trying to chase that high ever since! It was takeout only, so I quickly drove to the beach to dig in lol. Brisket- juicy tender, the fat was rendered nicely, beautiful smoke ring Smoked sausage- amazing. Juicy and loads of cheese. Sides were very good, although I kept it simple, fries and baked beans. Baked beans were too sweet imo. But I know folks who like it like that so who am I to judge. BBQ Sauce was DELICIOUS and the mustard was *chefs kiss* I put this BBQ restaurant over any BBQ spot here in Ventura County. Honestly, yes I am going to say this- I ENJOYED THIS OVER MOO'S CRAFT IN LA Yes you heard me right. Been there and done that, I know my brisket. So trust me and go get yourself some legit BBQ in Ventura! read more
11 months ago
Burnt ends and chicken wings were amazing! So glad we found this place. Definitely will be back! read more
2 years ago
Simply put- just some finger lickin' good BBQ. Decided to try this place per a friends recommendation- ordered a lb of chicken wings and the pork ribs w/ coleslaw, baked beans and French fries. Everything was delicious, even the wings plain ( I ordered them naked to try the taste and they are delicious as is), the buffalo sauce definitely makes them next level though! Plenty of open seating and quick service. There's a full service bar, too if you get thirsty (; Will definitely come back whenever I'm craving some good BBQ. read more
10 months ago
3 years ago
I feel so fortunate that I stumbled upon the best BBQ spot thanks to Instagram! We don't really eat BBQ much but I didn't really have super high expectations since I figured it would just taste like any old BBQ but boy was I wrong. The sampler platter comes with a variety of meats and two sides, perfect to share for a group of 3-4. They set up at Ventura Music Hall every Sunday and it was a much nicer venue than I thought it would be. There are some booths and plenty of tables, as well as a clean restroom. The menu switches up a bit so be sure to give Jason a follow on IG @ruff_house_bbq to see what is on the menu for the week. Looking forward to coming back soon! read more
#ThankYouThursday. Thank you for serving the best BBq in the 805. Woot woot .. Oxnard native too.. like me. I can always count on having an amazing food experience! From the tacos , smash burgers, biscuit sandwiches to the yummy brisket. Currently, located at the Ventura Music Hall but looking forward to when you open your place! Thank you for raising funds for Children's Hospital and supporting other local businesses by collaborating or being a patron!!! Your business is truly a local gem! read more
8 months ago
Ruff House BBQ left an ever-lasting impression on me since the day I traveled to Ventura to try it. I arrived just before they opened, and even though the line didn't seem too long; I still had to wait about an hour and a half to finally place my order. So, come with patience here! I promise the wait is totally worth it. BTW, it is located in the Ventura Music Hall and only offered on Sundays from 11am-3pm (or until they sell out), but Jason the master BBQ wizard does occasional pop-ups at other locations. Check out his IG page for daily updates @ruff_house_bbq Ok, so I was kind of overwhelmed on what to order even though I stared at the menu while waiting in line. Everything on the menu sounded delicious, but then again it always does when you haven't eaten. I ended up going with the Chipotle Cheddar Beef Hot Link ($7), 1/2 pound Spare Ribs ($14), and 1/2 lb. Maple Bacon Pork Belly Burnt Ends ($14). I also ordered the banana cream pie pudding cup ($8), which was mind blowing delicious! It wasn't overly sweet and very well put together. These are made by Jess who teams up with Jason on Sunday's to provide the best desserts to accompany the BBQ. Her IG handle is @awkwardpastrychef if you'd like to check out her page. As for the food, the beef hot link wasn't too spicy and the Dijon dipping sauce to accompany it was the perfect balance of sweet n tangy. The spare ribs were love at first bite!! The meat was super tender, melt in your mouth delicious, and it had the perfect amount of smokiness. Honestly, these were the best I ever had in all my life lol. I also enjoyed the bbq sauce that was served with this, but you could eat them just as is. The Maple Bacon Pork Belly Burnt ends are a must order! They are little pieces of heaven and melt in your mouth. I devoured these in my car, and they didn't even require a dip in the bbq sauce that came with it. This is Cali meets Texas style BBQ, and although I've never tried Texas BBQ; this has got my stamp of approval and deserves an award! This was one of my favorite BBQ experiences I've ever had and I am looking forward to going back soon! read more
Located inside the Ventura Music Hall, which we didnt realize is Ruff House BBQ. Follow their IG page for updates and hours. You want to get there at opening so they do not run out of stuff. We ordered half pound of pulled pork, half pound of brisket, and 3 dry rub ribs, along with mac and cheese. Great customer service all around. Food was delicious. Favorite was the pulled pork which I was surprised, it was juicy and tender. Brisket was on the lean side. Overall great Texan Style BBQ with fantastic hospitality. read more
3 years ago
If there is one thing that comes to my mind when I think about Ruff House BBQ it is how passionate they are about what they are doing. You can tell that this is more than just a business to them. They care about providing quality food to the Ventura community and keep affordability in mind. I was fortunate enough to sample most of their foods at a Yelp Elite event and have been twice now to take advantage of their $5 smashburger appreciation days. I hope to make it out one weekend to get some more of their fantastic pulled pork, brisket, and mac n cheese soon! They currently do not have a permanent "home" and mostly operate out of the Ventura Music Hall on the weekends and sometimes at Poseidon Brewery. They offer a variety of meats including home-made sausages, tri tip, ribs, chicken, and more! Jason really knows what he is doing and it shows in the quality and flavor of the food! read more
I didn't want to just like this place... I wanted to love it because of all of the hype (I was following them on IG forever). But as they say, don't always believe the hype. I lined up early at Ventura Music Hall (where they host on Sundays) as I've heard the line wraps around the building. I was 4th in line and it took quite a while for me to get up front to order (it would really help if there was a QR code with the menu at the door so people wouldn't be so indecisive when they got to the front). As a solo diner, I was hoping for a combo that had meat, couple of sides. They don't offer that so I had to order everything separately. For the smallest order of brisket, 3 sides, their sausage waffle stick and dessert, my total was $60. Ouch. The sides are big enough to share among 3-4 people. The menu should have something to accommodate single diners IMO but I digress... I sat down at the bar and was ignored initially; three male guests were asked what they wanted to drink ahead of me (presumably because they were regulars since the bartender knew them by name) which was frustrating. You absolutely don't ignore guests, especially when you make eye contact. I finally got my drink and I politely asked several times for a game to be put on and there seemed to be an issue with my request. The bartender asked for help from other staff and they seemed annoyed. Maybe get the TVs going before you open? If I'm sitting at the bar and ordering a drink, I'd like to watch a game; NOT a screen saver of the beach. Food-wise, the meat was dry; not a juicy flavor like I was anticipating. It was smokey and had a red ring, very nice visually. I couldn't even really save it with the bbq sauce because even that wasn't anything to write home about. The sausage waffle special had me super excited until I took a bite and it was pink inside. The batter was great but a butter pecan syrup would have been more fitting considering the smokiness of the one bite of sausage I managed to get in. The Hawaiian mac salad and the pickle & onion garnish were the winners for me, although I was hoping it would be more considering it's a bbq place. I noticed a lot of robust and smokey flavors, so having a sweeter bbq sauce would have been a better accompaniment. However, those pickles were the real deal. Dessert was good but small for the price. The beans absolutely need a makeover. This is a very unique set up and we are lucky to have something cool like this in Ventura. I've only known the owner to appear very hard working and I hope he continues to be successful. I would try it again if I were with a group as the menu is not solo-diner friendly. The thing that weighs heaviest for me is how I was treated at the bar but hopefully it's a teachable moment. Maybe the brisket wasn't a good choice for my palate, who knows. I've had mediocre experiences in the past which completely turned around on subsequent visits so I'm hoping that happens in this case. read more
10 months ago
1 year ago
Very friendly atmosphere. It's our first time trying the food from Ruff House. We ordered tri-tip (Saturdays only) Brisket-Mac, double-smashed +bacon burger, and Lemon Pepper Wings. Everything was amazing!!! We will be back. read more
1 year ago
Listen if you live around this spot you do not need to walk over or run, NO you need instead to teleport yourself asap and try this place out!!!! I give this place a 9 out of 10 for two reasons; 1- they forgot to put my bread in my meal which was a to-go order and 2- the potato salad had too much pickle juice. Butttttt besides that, this food was an entire house party in my mouth with all of your favorites. Mac n cheese, baked beans (which if u chop up the cheddar sausage and mix it into the baked beans were amazing; thank me later), Mexican style corn, ribs, brisket, sausage, pulled pork, and pork belly burnt ends. Normally I would share with my neighbors with any leftover foods, but not this time! Couldn't help to be greedy with this delicious food lol. Kudos to the chef, did absolutely a phenomenal job with the meats and of course the rest of the items with the exception of the potato salad but y'all may like it. I'm just not a fan of dill or pickle in my food. read more
1 year ago
I was excited to try this place after reading all the great reviews. I enjoyed the popup line and the obvious loyal following. The brisket was very good but did not compare the the Texas BBQ I have had. Still definitely worth the visit. read more
Ruffhouse bbq is SO. DANG. DELICIOUS. Very glad to have bbq in midtown and hope this place is here to stay. Everything I've tried has been perfect - thick slabs of juicy brisket, smoky pulled pork sandwich with plenty of pickles, picnic potato salad (tangy, dill, with satisfying tiny crunchy things...prob onion?), esquite corn, texas brisket in beans, and Mac n cheese. Sometimes I get full off of the sides alone, oops. You can tell everything is made with so much love and soul. As of January 2023, he has a weekly Sunday pop up from 11-4 (or sellout) at the ventura music hall. There is ample parking at the music hall, lots of seating, corn hole, and a full bar! He is also setup via 3rd party delivery services for some menu items (burgers and sandwiches). My takeout picture does not do the food any justice. Will post an update if I get a better shot soon! read more
3 years ago
My foodie friends have been encouraging me to come to this spot for forever now & the peer pressure was real! I knew they were serving up some tasty BBQ in the 805 and I was also lucky enough to sample their fixings at an event last year which was awesome. Even better then the food in my opinion was the hospitality and passion of the owner. He was extremely nice & gracious, exited to have everyone try his food and BBQing is clearly a labor of love so I tip my hat off to anyone who can do it well. With that said, is Ruff House BBQ one of the best BBQ spots in the 805, very likely (haven't tried them all but out of the ones I've tried this was definitely good). However, the hype got to us a little and as a group of three we were expecting this to be some of the best BBQ we've ever had based on the ongoing word of mouth and stellar yelp reviews. It was good don't get me wrong, but I don't think it completely lived up to what everyone said as every bite wasn't a 5/5 and having been blessed to travel the states trying BBQ from Texas and Kansas I had higher expectations then I should have. I was actually the most generous as I thought Ruff House was a solid 4/5 but the other two at my table were closer to 3.5 tough crowd and I guess even better they aren't leaving the reviews. I personally love the location as I frequent the Ventura Music Hall often and I love a more hidden locals only pop up. The venue is spacious and can fit a good amount of people as they definitely get a long line and can get busy. Nice that Ventura Music Hall opens up their bar during these hours if you want some booze. I'm also really excited about their business that they'll be opening up in downtown Ventura, a brick and mortar business is exactly what they need to get more foot traffic. Staff are super friendly and nice. Not sure if the staff working in the restaurant kitchen side are ruffs team or staff from the music hall but either way everyone was super nice and helpful. Like I said before the owner has always been nice and great that the good vibes carry over to the team working the weekend bbq shift. Be prepared to wait, nothing wrong with that - shows that people like it but this isn't a quick in and out grab unless you come right at opening. We came about 11:20am and we were not eating until closer to 12pm. This didn't bother me at all, good food takes time. Just noting for others who might be more particular about this. Pricing is a little costly but meat is expensive I get that. I'll pay a lot for a good meal but the platter we ordered for three people was $110 and given that we didn't leave noting it at 5 stars yet isn't ideal. The more people the better to split the costs and to get to try a little bit of everything. Now for the foods! My hands down favorite was the brisket. It was truly delicious. Juicy, flavorful, and a glorious smoke ring. Having smoked brisket myself I know how much work it is and this was a 5/5 hands down. I'd definitely get this again. Loved the crust and it was clearly a fan favorite as we saw a lot of people getting it. As a side the broccolini was the perfect side to breakup the heavy meat filled meal, a good choice. That was about my only favorites though this trip. The pulled pork was just okay and I remember thinking this the last time I had it. The biggest bummer being a girl who loves sausage (don't worry I get jokes about this all of the time) was how overly peppery today's batch was. I like a good pepper bite and flavorful profile but all three of us agreed it was overdone and hard to eat. Probably the first time I've left sausage behind...Lastly, the Mac and cheese just isn't for me, I've had it twice now and I don't find it to be as creamy or rich as I like my Mac and cheese to be. The BBQ is heavy enough, so maybe this is intentional but between three of us we didn't finish that side. All in all there were some mega hits and a couple misses. That's why I think 4 stars is just despite the intimidation to not give this spot the 5 so many felt it deserved. I would definitely love to come back and am really excited for their storefront coming to Ventura. The brisket alone was well worth another visit. Also I follow them avidly on social media and some of their specials look fantastic, bummed I had missed their gumbo and I definitely need to come back to try their burnt ends and pork belly. read more
Bbq place that operates out of the back kitchen of the ventura music hall on weekends only. The brisket was very tasty, with a great meaty taste and tender/moist interior. I loved all the pickles and onions they add on the side, but wasn't a fan of the wonderbread-tier bread. Not a ton of signage outside so I just parked in the back and then walked around to the front where you enter the music hall. The ordering table is behind the bar you see when you first enter. read more
Been wanting to come here ever since I tried it at an event. Been wanting my husband to try it, too. Saw he was going to be opening for Mardi Gras and told my husband we are going. We went right when he started serving orders since we have a little one so it was empty. Staff was all really nice. All the tacos sounded really good. Ended up going with brisket tacos. Once I got home I regretted not getting another one. Either way, it was delicious. The avocado salsa and queso fresco blended perfect with the brisket tacos. My husband has had BBQ in Dallas, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Colorado, Las Vegas, New Mexico, Oregon and probably more areas since he loves BBQ. After trying this he said this is by far the best brisket he has had. He's excited to go on a Sunday and try one of his trays to taste more. I am excited to get some of that Mac n Cheese and pickles again! Amazing! Do yourself a favor and go get some! read more
Best BBQ I've ever had! The smash burger is delish, flavorful with quality meat and a smoky taste. Fries are delicious perfectly seasoned and the pork belly was amazing. I can't wait to go back. Do your stomach a favor and visit ruff house. Friendly and fast service. read more
4 months ago
3 years ago
Is it possible to fall in love with a plate of bbq? Asking for myself. This food was so incredible that it was shocking. It was obvious the care and time that was put into smoking and preparing the meat because it was so well seasoned and tender. I was also served by the chef himself which was a great touch getting to talk to him and see how passionate he was about the food he served. He was down to earth which after trying his food he had every right to not be humble because that food was fire. So so good, you need to try this place! read more
7 months ago
this place is amazing, we ate like kings. i usually don't like brisket but this one fell apart so easily and melted in your mouth. can't wait to come again for $1 wing wednesday read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
I challenge anyone from Kansas City, Oklahoma or ANYWHERE else in the World to find better prepared or more interesting BBQ and Smoked meats and vegetables. The owner here, Jason, should be considered a BBQ JEDI and you owe it to yourself and the tummies of your loved ones to stop by and try his BBQ Magic!! read more
Really good smash burgers! Wish there was live music playing in here while we were eating but the burger was nice and juicy, cooked to perfection. The fries are crispy and seasoned well. The Mac and cheese a little pricey at $9 was good but a little oily, peppery and the noodles were overcooked. Overall, would dine in here again. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
I happened to be in Ventura and was lucky enough to stumble upon Ruff House when looking for a lunch spot. The bbq is absolutely incredible and I can't say enough about the quality of the smoked meats. The flavor and bark on the pork spare ribs was the best I've had, and the Mac n cheese has a unique smokiness/chipotle type flavor that's hard to describe but I absolutely loved it. Definitely looking forward to trying out more of the menu next time, and leaving room for dessert. The restaurant is inside of a music venue and I didn't see a single sign, banner, etc. for the restaurant on the outside which was pretty confusing, but I'm glad that I poked my head in to make sure I was in the right spot. Conclusion - If you're in the mood for great bbq I would highly recommend. It's worth driving 30+ minutes because it's that good, but make sure to come early as they do sell out! read more
2 years ago
Prepare for a feast. The food is so good and bbqed perfectly. And the sides are just as good. Especially the mac n cheese. Jason is an awesome guy. We're best friends but he doesn't know it yet. He serves out of the Ventura Music Hall, which is really cool. It's a nice venue. Order ahead if you can to make sure you get the goods. And don't forget the sauce! read more
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1888 E Thompson Blvd
Ventura, CA 93001
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http://www.ruffhousebbq.com
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When is Ruff house bbq opening at the Gas Works?
Asap. Hoping for less than 60 days. Until the 12-3 Saturday Sunday inside the music hall
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4 reviews that are not currently recommended
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