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    Salinas City BBQ

    4.3 (2.1k reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Salinas City BBQ Takeout or Delivery

    Salinas City BBQ Photos

    SALINAS CITY BBQ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Salinas City BBQ

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    BBQ-sauced Smoked Chicken
    Mike B.

    Salinas City BBQ really hit the spot. The Berry Bleu Salad with added tri-tip was fresh, colorful, and loaded with flavor -- crisp greens, green apples, blackberries, candied pecans, bleu cheese, and smoky tri-tip all worked perfectly together. It felt like a salad, but still had that real BBQ heartiness. The Smoked Chicken on the side was excellent too -- tender, smoky, juicy, and coated in a rich BBQ sauce that made every bite better. The grilled bread was a great touch and perfect for soaking up the extra sauce. Great portions, bold flavor, and a casual BBQ feel that makes you want to come back. A strong 4-star experience and definitely worth ordering again.

    3 meat combo
    Pearl R.

    Amazing BBQ place in Salinas! Their barbecue sauce was so good. They have both non-spicy and spicy options. There was a lot of seatings, so a lot of people dine in, but you can do takeout as well. I really enjoyed the combo. I had with three meats and two sides. Definitely get the brisket, it was the best!

    Jennifer U.

    I got the breakfast tacos, with tri tip and brisket. They came with eggs and you can pay extra for cheese and pickled jalapeños. They are decently large! Good price. My friend got the tri tip meal and it came with two sides and corn bread or garlic bread! Which is nice bc a lot of bbq places only give you white bread. Great, friendly service!

    First time here
    Joe P.

    It was our first time here and we enjoyed it. The only thing was my baked potato, all I want is butter but they gave it to me loaded. That's ok. The brisket was amazing. The ribs are kinda dry and not fall off the bone the easy I like. But all in all , it was good.

    Brisket, ribs, tater salad, cornbread and beans
    Trudy M.

    When asked if I was enjoying my meal, I responded with " this was cheaper than flying to Texas". Haha! I thoroughly enjoyed the brisket and ribs. The bbq sauce was yummy. Had the beans and tater salad. All great as well. Corn bread! Yes! I don't even live in the area. I'll be back. Worth the driv

    3 meat combo of tri-tip, ribs, brisket, beans, potato salad, and garlic bread.
    Daniel S.

    $38.50 and excellent. Ribs: on the sweet side Tri-tip: damn near perfect. Brisket: salty crust but great. Potato salad: liked it Beans: ton of smoked paprika Garlic bread: solid enough 3 meats combo was too much for one normal dude. 4 stars because it's all well made. No 5 stars because my preferences weren't a perfect match. Still, I'm very happy they exist and I can't think of a single reason not to recommend them. I'll come back for sure.

    Tri tip and pulled pork are the way to go !! Tri tip was tender and flavorful, didnt even need the bbq sauce. Ribs were tender and great flavor. White cheddar mac n cheese was creamy and delicious. The inside is quite nice and a homey feel while outside has seating for big parties. Service was great and would definetely come back again !

    Ashley G.

    Food was moderate, service was pleasant, unfortunately they were out of brisket so we settled for tri tip still filling and delicious

    Tri Tip Sandwich and Tri Tip
    Devin M.

    9/10 Definitely an amazing meal! I enjoyed both the Large Tri-Tip Sandwich and the Tri-Tip by itself. Starting with the sandwich, the soft bread and the tri tip were perfect together. It's simple, minimal, and honestly doesn't need anything extra to taste great. The side of jalapeños and pickles added a nice kick without overpowering it. The Tri-Tip on its own was also solid, seasoned perfectly and cooked just right. The only downside for me was that some of the cuts came out a bit cold, which was disappointing since everything else was on point. Service was great, everyone was friendly, and the environment had a nice vibe with the Christmas decorations. Music wasn't my favorite, but not a big deal, I was there for the food and atmosphere anyway.

    Ribs, bean, coleslaw
    Ian T.

    Been here a couple times now and have to say this is a great BBQ joint! The music, the mismatched tables and chairs, handkerchief curtains, great food and a Dr Pepper transported me back to my time in Texas! Loved the ribs and pulled pork, and the beans are amazing! The coleslaw was a little on the bland/sweet side for my taste, but throwing the pickled veggies in there made it great! Will definitely keep coming back when I'm in town!

    Pork ribs Two Meat Meal
    John A.

    For a 30$ meal it's too expensive for a tourist. And the meal was too simple. Even the meat was half cooked. So if you are not used to eat half cooked meat better ready for bloody meat when served. Also I notice the taste is a bit old.

    Sandra Lorena V.

    This spot was well recommended in the area so I decided to give it a try. First impressions: it looked like there should be a window outside the restaurant taking orders as there is dining outside. But in fact inside is where you order and can find more seating. Upon walking in service was nice. I ordered brisket, tri tip, Mac and cheese, coleslaw and cornbread. Besides the brisket with their spicy bbq sauce nothing else stood out. It was bleh/dry. I am confused as to whether it was an off day given all their awards....

    Hot link, brisket, potato salad with toasted cornbread.

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    27 days ago

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    29 days ago

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    19 days ago

    Second visit and it was just as good as the first. Mac and cheese is super creamy. Friendly environment.

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    2 days ago

    It's not as good as during the golden days of Franz orchestrating his band of his merry cowboys. I miss that. The service is so-so.

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    10 months ago

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    12 days ago

    Delicious! Enjoyed the beers on tap, plus great smoked meats. Appreciated that they had kids meals, too.

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    2 months ago

    Service was great but the Brisket I ordered was dry.. Probably won't be going back here.

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    7 months ago

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    1 month ago

    Who knew a bbq place could make one of the best salads I've ever had! Would recommend the blue berry salad, corn bread, ribs and mac!

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    1 month ago

    Our favorite place to eat when we're in the area! Sooo good! The tri-tip is amazing, though we haven't had a meat here we didn't love!

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    Page 1 of 54

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    First Awakenings

    First Awakenings

    4.2
    (1k reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    I have no idea how this place ever got a bad review. We were greeted with a smile and taken to a…read morewindow booth. The staff were fast and the service was excellent. But the best part was the food. Generous portions, fresh and everything was tasty. I was raveling but if I was ever back in town, this would s must stop. The decor was excellent, it was very clean and again the service and food were great.

    I have visited First Awakenings several times over the years, mostly for breakfast, but today my…read moreson and I decided to try lunch instead. I ordered the tuna melt and he got the chicken Caesar salad. The tuna melt was honestly really good. The sourdough bread was toasted nicely and I loved that crispy layer of cheese on the outside because that is a special tray and my favorite part of any melt sandwich. The tuna salad itself was flavorful. It came with potatoes that unfortunately were probably the only miss for me. They seemed like they were not reheated all the way, so they had that slightly cold, rubbery texture. They also serve this little cucumber and tomato salad on the side that was absolutely delicious and honestly such a nice fresh side to my sandwich. My son wasn't too impressed with the Caesar salad because he said the dressing tasted watery, but other than that everything else he liked - the chicken was flavorful and nicely cooked, the salad was fresh and crunchy. Service and atmosphere were nice. Overall, I would definitely come back for lunch again. Breakfast is also great here, so I would recommend both.

    Photos
    First Awakenings
    First Awakenings
    Bacon skillet with carnitas added

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    Bacon skillet with carnitas added
    Ariana's Restaurant

    Ariana's Restaurant

    4.0
    (175 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $

    Ariana's never disappoints. This is our go-to for weekend family breakfast. Be prepared to wait…read moreon Sundays for a table. The church crowd packs the place after service. It doesn't matter how long it's been since we've been in, they always recognize us. The service has always been on point, the food comes out fast and always delicious. Since I'm a creature of habit, I generally get the corned beef hash and eggs or the eggs benedict. 10/10 recommend for either. My girls switch it up at every visit and they've never been disappointed. The place is not much to look at and could definitely use some upgrades but don't let that stop you!

    TACOS are excellent. Remember that…read more My goodness this place is great! So my elderly mother took me here for brunch yesterday. I skipped right over the all inclusive breakfast specials and went right to the Mexican food. I've been in search of great Mexican food for a while, every since moving away from California and Colorado. Well, it's right here, in Salinas, CA at Ariana's Restaurant. I've never had better tacos in my lifetime. They were truly heaven on a plate and I only could eat so much, therefore I will be back before my trip ends to try every single taco on the menu and maybe a few other things. I here from my mom that the pancake breakfast with bacon and has browns that comes with coffee is really great too. BUT THE TACOS must be tried!

    Photos
    Steak & Eggs
    Steak & Eggs
    Ariana's Restaurant
    Machaca with eggs

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    Machaca with eggs
    The Butter House

    The Butter House

    4.5
    (2.4k reviews)
    10.6 mi
    $$

    So on the last day of my 36 hour Monterey golf trip,the boys and I needed a breakfast spot before…read morewe teed off and they mentioned to me this bomb Filipino breakfast spot and I just knew we had to check it out. We headed to The Butter House on Fremont Blvd, in Seaside. The parking at this lot was substantial as they share a lot with a few other businesses-so that was great. When we arrived it was a large room with many customers. There was no wait for our party of 6 due to the size of the restaurant with many tables in the room. Once I took a look at their menu,I was a bit overwhelmed with the sheer volume of choices but I decided to try something I would truly love,as I'm not overly familiar with Filipino breakfast items,but what Ive had so far I've truly loved. I went with Marciana's Breakfast Fried Rice ($16.50) and a single lumpia($3.05) The lumpia was just super delicious-it featured ground beef,onions,carrots,green beans,bean sprouts, and was served with a sweet chili sauce on the side. It's a great item,as many in my group ordered them and some even ordered extra to bring home. Now the fried rice dish featured butter fried rice with bacon,sausage,& ham,It also included soy sauce,onions,garlic and topped with two eggs served over-hard. I loved this dish so much that it's irritating. I'm irritated because I know this menu is full of banger items too, but I may never find out because I can't imagine ordering anything else--that's how much I enjoyed this dish In closing, if you ever find yourself in the Monterey area and want to try an awesome Filipino breakfast--get down to The Butter House-their quality is super high.

    I was down in Monterey house sitting for a month so wanted to try a local spot for brunch with my…read morewife for our 10th Anniversary celebration weekend. The reviews are great. Maybe a little too great because the experience left me wondering if they were all posted by a marketing agency. The photos on the reviews are all a little too perfect imo. Conspiracies aside, the food was awful. I just don't get how this many people could share amazing post after amazing post and jive that with my in person experience. We ordered the corned beef hash. It needed salt. How?!!! Plus they basically only used beef and potato?! The menu said it had peppers and onion so when we asked, they brought some out on the side?!! Terrible. I mean it made it taste a little better but it was still not good. Then, the "lumpia" was more like an oil soggy egg roll. Too oily to even eat because literally it was dripping oil. So gross. Clearly someone not from the lumpia making culture made these. I do not recommend this place at all. Even the coffee was terrible. Only saving grace and the second star comes from the fresh squeezed orange juice. Delicious but come on ... smh ... does not save this place at all. Sorry, I really wanted to like this but this was my experience. Hopefully it was just a weird day.

    Photos
    Croissant Breakfast Sandwich with sausage patties, fried egg, cheddar cheese and house made aioli.
    Croissant Breakfast Sandwich with sausage patties, fried egg, cheddar cheese and house made aioli.
    TBH Benedict
    TBH Benedict
    Chicken & Waffles

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    Chicken & Waffles
    Portobello's

    Portobello's

    3.8
    (285 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    I stopped by Portabello's for a Sunday brunch and overall, I had a very nice experience. We were…read moreseated right away and provided menus promptly, which is always a good start. We ordered avocado toast, French toast, banana pecan pancake, house potatoes, and an Aperol spritzer. My avocado toast was served on a single very thick piece of bread, which had a very generous amount of avocado smash and was topped off with this delightful and fresh arugula salad. I added an over easy egg for an extra charge that was the perfect balance. The house salad was simple with butter lettuce, cherry tomatoes, radish, cucumber, with a light lemon house dressing that brought the salad together. It was refreshing. The French toast is pretty standard. Nothing that particularly stood out. The banana pecan pancake was delicious and shared with everyone at the table. The house potatoes were extra crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, which I found particularly satisfying. Overall, we had a pleasant experience and found Portabello's to be a good brunch spot in Salinas. The service was fast, the food portions were big, the food tasted fresh, and it was a nice ambiance. I would definitely return for the avocado toast and potatoes. Side note - I noticed Caesar Salad was misspelled on the menu as "Caeser"

    Popped in father's Day brunch and wanted to check it out. There was a wide selection of entrées…read morethat included scrambled eggs, eggs Benedict and loco moco, French toast and pancakes as well as proteins like bacon and sausage. The service was okay as I was half way through my meal before I got coffee and ordered. Bloody Mary which was just okay with a lemon and olive on the stick...celery would have made it look prettier. The restaurant has modern feel in the courtyard area is usually the best place for an outdoor brunch.

    Photos
    Portobello's
    Grilled Chicken Portabello Sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries
    Grilled Chicken Portabello Sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries
    Bloody Mary (non spicy)

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    Bloody Mary (non spicy)

    Salinas City BBQ - bbq - Updated July 2026

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