Tried this place because we smelled the BBQ from outside. The meat itself is good but unfortunately our beef brisket seemed to have more sauce than meat on it. The sauce was very sweet and the roll it was on also didn't seem to be very good quality. Sides were average. We had macaroni salad and beans. Guy at the register seemed nice. We were hoping the food would be better here but it just seemed like too many corners were cut to save on costs. read more

Smokey Pit Barbeque Texas Style - Outside of Smokey Pit Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Auburn, California

The sides were delicious! Wasn't the best BBQ I've had but if you're hungry and looking for good prices this is a good stop. Very kind service. Ambience.... You'll be in and out. Not a fancy restaurant! read more

Arrived on a styrofoam plate nice and hot and tasty. Small place so we sat outside since it was a nice day... got to smell the goodies cooking too. I had a brisket sandwich with baked beans and potato salad. Brisket had nice smoke flavor and was juicy. The sauce was perfect. Potato salad was nice and chunky, and the beans were great... I would come back for sure. Service was nice and quick. read more

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Friendly service every time I've been there. Tender deeply smoked meats (on my most recent visit, I got tri-tip, brisket, and pulled pork). Delicious. Tasty BBQ sauce not too peppery. Generous portions. Meat is smoked in a large barrel smoker in the parking lot. Unlike some BBQ places they have never been out of any of their meats. Small dining room plus several tables outside on the sidewalk under a wide overhang. read more

Great BBQ, friendly service and affordable! We got the bbq chicken sandwich, a rack of ribs and a tri tip sandwich. All were delicious and plates were cleared which is impressive for having picky kiddos. Sides we tried were the bbq beans, potato salad and fries. The beans were a favorite- we will be back! read more

That was the most disgusting and unsanitary experience I have ever had. The owner grabbed my cash, then walked behind the counter to the "kitchen" and bare hand raw grabbed a Costco rotisserie chicken and cut it up. read more

The food is amazing plus the good customer service, guy is very polite. Ribs have a perfect taste plus the smoke ring on them is amazing. Not a lot of BBQ places out here can do it as good as Smokey Pit BBQ read more

Smokey Pit Barbeque Texas Style - Ribs from the 2-3 people meal - Barbeque Near Me - Auburn, California

Well, this is definitely a hole in the wall in a very old shopping center in Auburn. The gentleman at the register and I think the cook was very nice. The food I would have to say is not on the grade that I like when it comes to barbecue and I love barbecue. And I've had Texas barbecue, especially Texas brisket and no this does not in no way does it come close to Texas brisket. The ribs were way overcooked they did fall off the bone in chunks and not very juicy. The pulled pork and brisket were over sauced the brisket was not sliced brisket, It was pulled apart brisket. I didn't find much of any seasoning on any of the meats. All the flavor came from the barbecue sauce, which made the meat very bland no seasoning to give it extra flavor, but the barbecue sauce was actually pretty good. I got some cornbread and well I think it was microwaved, there was no browning on it. It looked like a sponge and neither side had any browning on it, didn't really taste like normal cornbread. The sides are very basic not much flavor, if you like mustard then get the macaroni salad. The reason I chose this is because it had four stars so I thought it must be good. Well, it was almost OK. The place is definitely rundown and very small. read more

Native Texan here. I had the beef brisket and will definitely back for more. Hole-in-the-wall Texas bbq at its finest. :-)

Food is delicious I had the brisket sandwich with baked beans and potato salad all delicious.

I was in Auburn to see a classic car show and the Auburn Country Fair which did not open until 4 pm. Had a little trouble finding it, in the back of a small strip mall. The owner Gurmail Singh was very welcoming. He is a one man operation. He buys the meat, cooks it and serves it. He has been doing this for 31 years and uses oak for his impressive smoker. As I was looking at his smoker, Gurmail pulled out a big piece of meat. The proteins are fresh. Purchased a 2 item dinner for $20, good portion, what a deal. Brisket This was shredded in a very nice sauce, loved it. Complex flavor. Pork Ribs Fall of the bone tender. Had a spice I could not identify but it worked. BBQ Beans and Fries Very nice. Ambiance Rustic hole in the wall place with a few tables inside, but sometimes they have the best food. So if you are fancy, may not be the place for you. This was featured in Sactown magazine a few years back here is the link. https://www.sactownmag.com/sactowns-best-bbq/ This place is a find. I am motivated to start up my smoker, thank you Gurmail. read more

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Come on, y'all. This ain't Texas bbq. First, they only serve chopped brisket, not sliced, and it's smothered in sauce. In fact everything is served sauced. Texas bbq relies more on dry rubs, so that's weird. I don't think any of it was actually barbecued at all, just baked with barbecue sauce on it. Also, everything was microwaved. Pulled from the fridge and microwaved. And they don't even have sides you'd expect like braised greens. Finally, the major fail. They didn't trim the silver skin off the ribs. This is a basic preparation mistake that should never happen. Got a bite so gross and chewy I had to spit it out. Other than all that, it's at least mostly edible, and not too expensive. read more

Good pulled Pork sandwich and side choices. Will eat here again. Service was fast and they have outdoor seating, so I stopped by on a walk with the dog for lunch. read more

Fantastic service! I stopped in at Smokey's with very limited time but lots of hunger. I let their team know, and without flinching, they just asked what I wanted. My order was ready so quickly I had time to enjoy it AND stop at another shop in the shopping center. The fries were so good, better than fast food fries. The portion was also very generous considering the accessible pricing. Can't wait to go back and try their Tri-Tip. read more

I've had outstanding bbq here many times. Unfortunately the last two times I was sold stale and uncooked brisket. It tasted like it was under an infrared lamp a day or two. I believe it is related to winter weather. His smoker is out doors. When snow was on the ground his meats tasted like lighter fluid. It must be very hard to keep the business afloat during the winter. read more

We've ordered this barbecue for several parties (graduation, birthdays etc.) The brisket is where it's at and we've never gone wrong with baked beans and coleslaw as sides. We've always gotten massive compliments from family and guests about how good the food is. When we do throw a party, we hit Grocery Outlet or Smart and Final for Hawaiian and Kaiser rolls so folks can make sandwiches (don't forget to serve sweet, sliced onion to go on the sandwich, trust me). The owner is so nice and accommodating. It's been a pleasure supporting this business! Yes, it's a little hole in the wall and nothing fancy as far as decor is concerned. But we're in Auburn, CA and that suits us just fine. read more

I was visiting my. Brother in Auburn and wanted to have a late lunch. I searched BBQ and this place came up. I decided to give it a try. The smoker out from is the real deal. I wasn't real hungry so I went with the hot link lunch with homemade potato salad that is really good as are the bbq beans. Link has a little heat, not overpowering. The sauce is really good. I scooped some up with the bread. I'll be back. Brisket and ribs just came off smoker and look wonderful. read more

Smokey Pit Barbeque Texas Style - Hot link lunch with potato salad and bbq beans - Barbeque Near Me - Auburn, California

I'm honestly wondering what is wrong with all the people who gave good reviews. The food is mediocre at best and you can hear the microwaves being used to heat up the food. Clearly not fresh. The meat comes doused in sauce which was gross, the bread was very weird, the tri tip was the worst I've ever seen from a bbq joint, and the beans tasted like Nelly ranch beans. But the biggest issue was how absolutely filthy this place was. Has anyone looked into the kitchen? I passed it on the way to the bathroom and it was absolutely disgusting. I genuinely don't know how anyone eats food from here. read more

Are you interested in enjoying some of the best, authentic Texas-style barbecue in Placer County, and many the entire Gold Country? If Texas barbecue is your game, you owe it to yourself to head over to Smokey Pit BBQ, located in downtown Auburn, CA. As you enter the restaurant, you'll notice the small, compact dining room is very plain, and the decor is very modest. The restaurant operates on what I refer to as the "taqueria format" in that you make your selection from the menu, posted above the order counter, pay for it, if the restaurant is busy, you'll receive a receipt with a number, and when your order is ready, it will be brought to your table with a smile. Oh yes... the pit, which is fired by locally grown oak wood, is located in the parking lot, outside the restaurant. From the "Lunch" menu, I went with the "Three Way Combo," with chicken, ribs and tri tip as my protein. For sides, I hit "Barbecue Beans" and "Garlic Mashed Potatoes." The lunch normally includes a hot link rather than tri tip, but my gracious host Gurmail allowed me to substitute. All lunches include a hot, buttered roll. How do I even begin to describe such amazing barbecue. You read that right... AMAZING! Each piece of meat was moist, tender, mouth-watering delicious, kissed with smoke from the oak wood, but the smoke taste did not overpower the delicious meat. And the barbecue sauce... AMAZING! It was tangy, sweet, but too sweet, mild on the "heat" side of the fence, and simply delicious. Like the smoke, it enhanced the meat, added to the amazing taste, but didn't overpower any of the goodness I enjoyed on this late Monday morning at Smokey Pit BBQ. Alright... I'll start with the chicken. The slice of chicken breast was tender, juicy, flavorful and barbecued to absolute perfection. Like the tri tip and the ribs, it was basted, and coated with Gurmail's delicious, tangy barbecue sauce, which enhanced the tender chicken. The oak smoke added to the taste but didn't overpower the chicken. This piece of barbecue chicken is the best barbecue chicken that I can remember. The chef "enhanced" my plate for giving me an extra pork rib, which was a very welcome gift. These barbecue ribs were simply delicious, beyond belief, that I simply can't describe! Each rib was large, tender and expertly cooked in the pit. No dry ribs at Smokey Pit BBQ, as each rib was juicy, and simply was mouth-watering flavorful! The ribs had a lot of meat on all four sides, with very little bone, and simply rib goodness. Like the chicken, the ribs were liberally basted with delicious barbecue sauce, which made for some of the best ribs in the greater Sacramento area. The tri tip arrived on a separate plate, as the main plate was full with chicken, ribs and sides. The generous portion of tri tip was thinly sliced, and coated with barbecue sauce to-die-for. The tri tip had a beautiful smoke cap on the outside, but was tender, moist, flavorful and pink on the inside. It was cooked medium, which is my favorite, but I didn't ask, as the meat arrived cooked medium. Like with the chicken and the ribs, the tri tip was kissed by oak smoke and coated with barbecue sauce, which enhanced the taste of this amazing tri tip. Lunch included two sides, and I went for "Barbecue Beans," - a Texas favorite - along with "Garlic Mash Potatoes." Beans were standard pinto beans, cooked in a rich, chili-infused sauce, in the style of Texas. The generous helping of mashed potatoes were creamy, with just a hint of garlic and simply delicious. The beans and mashed potatoes made for great sides to this amazing lunch. The "Hot Buttered Bread" listed on the lunch menu was half of a hot dog bun, toasted and buttered, with just a hint of garlic. It made for great dipping and scooping up all of the meat juice and barbecue sauce. So... which meat was my favorite? Honestly... I can't it was simply all amazing, and each piece of meat added a distinct and different flavor to this delicious barbecue. Smokey Pit BBQ makes REAL, Texas barbecue, in a wood-fired pit, the "old school" barbecue is made in the Texas hill country. Most California barbecue restaurants cook what I label "industrial barbecue," which is cooked indoors, in a large barbecue oven, with smoke, but the smoke is vented outside. Not so at Smokey Pit BBQ, as the barbecue is cooked outside, in the parking lot, using native oak wood, and the pit is tended, by hand, by the talented chef. If you love authentic Texas barbecue, you know the difference. The love and care that chef Gurmail puts into his barbecue show, as his barbecue is the best in the business, and offers some of the best "old school" barbecue in the greater Sacramento area. Five stars... all of the way! read more

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Stopped in twice for lunch. BBQ itself is not bad. Meat is smoked well and not dry, but it does come dowsed in sauce which the flavor of it is not the best. The Sides are okay but nothing to write home about. Not too familiar with the area so I wouldn't know what to compare it to for the area. Overall it wasn't bad but I didn't find it spectacular. Stop in and give it a try, it could just be me. read more

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Was in the area and after reading the rave reviews I had to stop by.....this spot is literally a hole in the wall and seems to be operated by 1 person. The man behind the counter was the owner but he was also the server and cashier. He was very friendly and welcoming. . The place looks sketch from the outside but heck, give it a try... Now let's get to the nitty gritty..... Review #1: Hot Link lunch special with the sides of garlic mashed potatoes and BBQ beans.... The hot link was smothered in bbq sauce and kinda reminded me of the Bar-S links! Overall they were good...the mashed potatoes were meh. Didn't really taste the garlic and it definitely needed some salt. The bbq beans were a disappointment. Where was the bbq because all I tasted were the beans...mine were a bit undercooked because the inside was still hard. I would give this dish a 3 out of 5! Review #2: 3 BBQ rib lunch special with sides of fries and Cole slaw.... 2 out of the 3 ribs were very tender and the meat literally fell off of the bone...the other rib was very tough and dry (kinda tasted like it was microwaved a few times). The Cole slaw actually tasted really good but it had a lot of pepper. The fries were your typical frozen fries. Salted just right and nothing that amazing :). I would rate this dish a 2.5 out of 5. My only issue was that after I ordered my food, I literally heard several microwaves being turned on....i think the meats were reheated in the microwave and probably not that fresh :/ You are also given buttered bread with your order which is your store bought french rolls. Overall this place is....Ok. Would I come back here....probably not... If you are craving some bbq than check this spot out. read more

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Hidden gem -- this place is great. Great ribs and great service, but don't miss out on the outstanding potato salad and coleslaw!

Owner is wonderful - food is wonderful. Would recommend to all to check out. Potato salad is some of the best I've ever had read more

Smokey Pit Barbeque Texas Style - Barbeque Near Me - Auburn, California

BEST BBQ IN TOWN !!! seriously this bbq is fantastic. every entree is delicious. My favorite is the pulled pork sandwich. pairs amazing with every side. the fries go with everything, the potato salad is mustardy goodness, the baked beans are to die for. the brisket is off the hook and the rib meal is not to be missed either. the owner is so friendly and kind, we love chatting with him every time we go. Please try this local establishment, you will not be disappointed ! read more

Do you have a craving for juicy smokey bbq chicken? Smoked ribs? Pulled pork? How about a brisket sandwich? Gurmail Singh has the magic touch for your taste buds! I came in here just an hour ago on the recommendation of a friend who couldn't stop raving about how juicy the chicken is. I couldn't help myself when my friend told me to pick a place to eat. Smokey Pitt Barbeque Texas Style takes PRIDE in cooking and serving up authentic Texas Style barbeque with only the highest beef, pork, links, and poultry. Their beautiful smoker is located right in the parking lot as you pull up. They offer dine in(dine in is a little cozy, you can also choose to sit outside) or carry out. You can choose to have your meat Ala carte, in a combo, sandwiches, or they conveniently have family style meals to suit your needs. Today, I chose a 2 combo meal that comes with your choice of 2 sides. It comes with chicken & ribs and for my sides, i chose garlic mash potatoes and coleslaw. My friend went with a brisket sandwich with potato salad and baked beans. Gurmail was very nice with a contagious smile. After paying, he went to the back and put our plates together. Everything looked so amazing! I started with the chicken(thigh) first... it is honestly I have decided that it is... BEST SMOKED CHICKEN I HAVE EVER HAD SUPER JUICY SAVORY YOUR TEETH SINK IN AS YOU BITE INTO IT I didn't want to share, but I already told my friend I would, haha... next time, she'll have to get her own. The ribs were absolutely delicious. They had good bite, stayed on the bone and so juicy. I can't get over the perfection of smokeiness and that flavor of his barbeque sauce. Am hour later, my hands still smell of smokiness and I love it (I wonder if he can make this smokey barbeque a body spray for me...) My friend's barbeque brisket sandwich was super tender, juicy, and full of flavor. I got a few bites of her sandwich and I don't know if anyone else heard me but as I ate, all you could hear from our table was..."mmmm, Mmmm, MMMMM!" I needed a bib. Maybe even a large wet towel. I enjoyed talking with Gurmail and asking about how he smoked his chicken(yes I need pointers!), how long has he been set up there(10 years), when does it get busy, best time to come... everything here is so delicious & homemade, you can see that he enjoys what he is doing. He brought a smile to my face, heart, and tummy and we can't wait to come back and order a family meal soon! Thank you, Gurmail! You knocked it out of the park and I'll be dreaming about that chicken everyday until I come back! See you soon! read more

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Fantastic! We split a tri tip dinner for lunch and had leftovers. The half pound of meat was very tender with a nice mild smoke flavor. Delicious coleslaw and garlic mashed potatoes. The BBQ sauce was great, tangy and not too sweet. It is a small cafe with 3 or 4 tables, and the AC is not coping with the heat, but we loved it. The proprietor was very friendly. read more

Well, I like to try new BBQ places wherever I travel and Auburn was no exception. The rough exterior of the place was a good sign to me. Don't want a fancy BBQ house. The smokers out in the parking area , also a good sign. Abundant side choices, good. I had the mashed potatoes and Cole slaw. Both good as an accompaniment to the generous portion of TriTip on my plate. The meat was tender with a little smoky flavor but that's about where it ended for me. The sauce was very bland and thin, almost watered down in consistency. Unlike any Texas sauce I have tried before. So that's the rub! Every thing good but the sauce is a non starter for me. Kick it up notch or two thicken it up to standard and I'll try it again when I'm in NoCAL. Value for money, Yes. Service was quick and friendly If you don't like spicy sauce it may be what you're looking for! read more

Great BBQ. Excellent flavors, tender chicken, very friendly proprietor and parking easy to access. read more

For the amount of Brisket served in their dinner plate, DELIGHTFUL! Shareable. It comes with 2 sides. Got the generous crispy slaw and the beany bbq beans. Fellow Yelpers has classified it as a hole in the wall and it is. This type of chopped brisket I had was soft chunks swimming in a luscious bbq gravy. Sweet, smokey and addictive. Would be great to dip fries into! 30 minutes later, I happen to somehow lick my lips and enjoyed another kiss from that bbq sauce. Lol! read more

Smokey Pit Barbeque Texas Style - Legit! - Barbeque Near Me - Auburn, California

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The chicken was good but everything else we ate was not. Brisket was super chewy and just drowned in sauce. Mashed potatoes and potato salad were really bad. Potato salad had way too much relish/pickles in it and was way overbearing. "Rolls" are basically hotdog buns heated up. Definitely wouldn't recommend, sorry read more

Smokey Pit Barbeque Texas Style - Barbeque Near Me - Auburn, California

This was a great hole in the wall for us to stop for lunch on a motorcycle ride. Food was amazing, well priced, and the owner operates the whole place himself. Smoked chicken was moist, the bbq sauce was sweet & Smokey, just how I like it! Slaw & Mac salad was on point too! read more

Smokey Pit Barbeque Texas Style - 3 way combo & 3 piece chicken. - Barbeque Near Me - Auburn, California

Overall: Pretty yummy. I would go back. We sat outside in a warm October day. Parking lot was quiet which made it a great spot. Indoor seating is pretty tight. Good came pretty fast, which made me wonder how much of the prep was done. I got the lunch special of chicken, sausage, and beef rib with fries and coleslaw as sides. It was pretty good. The coleslaw was creamier than I wanted but that's just a stylistic preference. The fries were thin and ok. The chicken was tasty, the beef rib had the meat falling mostly off the bone. The sausage was tasty although I would not need a lot of it! read more

Good food, good service, good value. I've never had better ribs. BBQ beans and potato salad were just fine, too. Small place, not fancy

If you like barbecue, you would love smoky pit barbecue located at 160 Harrison Ave., Auburn, CA 95603. They have to go orders at 530 889-9080. This is by far not the fanciest place, but it beats those food trucks, hands-down. I don't know the name of the owner, but I can tell you this: he loves his food, he loves to make customers happy, he always has a smile on his face when you order from him. The ribs are perfect. The meat comes off the bone, yelling with flavor. The prices are great. Can you beat a luncheon rib dinner for $12.95. You will be very happy if you come to Smoky pit barbecue. read more

Smokey Pit Barbeque Texas Style - The eating area. - Barbeque Near Me - Auburn, California

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Garmel ThankU greeaaattt eats! I'll be back anytime we come up this way from the bay area great price good service great serving size and friggin great BBQ! read more

We were traveling down to Sacramento to do some end of the season fishing and doing some bourbon hunting on the way. We saw this place and noticed it had some decent reviews so decided to give it a shot. Being a lover of brisket I had to give the Brisket sandwich a try. For my side I got the macaroni salad. The owner/guy taking orders and preparing the food was nice and had out food out pretty quickly. There were a couple of seats for outdoor dining, we chose to eat out by the truck. The sandwich was okay and covered in sauce. I'm somewhat critical of brisket and wasn't that impressed with my sandwich. It wasn't bad by any means, it just wasn't what I look for in brisket. The macaroni salad was also okay, didn't blow my mind but wasn't bad. Overall I would say it was okay BBQ and if you are looking for BBQ you should probably stop by to form your own opinion. read more

Smokey Pit Barbeque Texas Style - Brisket sandwich with macaroni and potato salad. - Barbeque Near Me - Auburn, California

When I visit a BBQ joint I always ask one question: Which meat is your best? It's a known fact that a BBQ joint SHOULD have a specialty. BBQ is complicated, each meat has it's nuances, and therefore it's nearly impossible to do each one equally well. At Smokey Pit, the answer was all of them. Red flag #1. When visiting a new BBQ joint, my MO is to order a combo plate. Smokey Pit does have this option BUT at lunch time the combo is only ribs and chicken. Red flag #2. Why limit the options? I can't be sure, but my educated guess is that these are the slower sellers and they go on special at lunch as a result. The chicken and ribs had that "old" flavor that even sauce can't hide. The ribs were also somewhat dry, especially on the outside. The beans were basic and not great, but I did enjoy the slaw, which had a strong garlic flavor. #Red flag #3 should've been #1 since I could see it in all the photos on Yelp. All of the BBQ here comes drenched in sauce. Great BBQ is the combination of meat, light seasoning, and smoke with sauce always served on the side. It's an accent to the meat, never the dominating flavor. Red flag #4 was the pit rolling smoke in the parking lot. Just like fresh baked cookies at an open house make you feel at home, the smell of wood smoke at a BBQ joint will help you remember the best BBQ of your life and hope that's what's coming. That said, many times it's just something to lure you in, and that's what I think is happening here. On top of all that, I'm not sure COVID compliance is a concern here. The guy at the register wasn't wearing a mask and I didn't see gloves either. A quick search for BBQ near Auburn reveals this is the only spot in Auburn with only a few other BBQ places "nearby" in Sacramento, Yuba and Folsom, which might explain why Smokey Pit has such great Yelp reviews. It's either that, I visited on an off day, or I don't know BBQ at all. So ya. My experience in no way measured up to the 4.5 star rating Smokey Pit enjoys. We stopped in solely based on the great reviews. It's really rare that I would have an experience SO different from the general opinion, but it sure did here. You be the judge. If it were me, I'd pass this one up. read more

Hidden gem in a little strip mall around the corner from some of Auburn's trendiest restaurants. Don't let this place get away! So good! Perfect place to eat after a hard day on the trails - or maybe picking up some BBQ to go for a gathering. Potato salad is on point, ribs are fall off the bone delicious. Fries are crisp, hot and fresh. I also got a 1/2 lb brisket to go - I'm pretty sure it was almost double that for less than $15.00. Grab some extra rolls and make your own sandwiches later! This will 100% be my go to place for BBQ on the divide - excellent value for the flavor and quality. read more

Smokey Pit Barbeque Texas Style - Lunch plate with fries and potato salad - EXCELLENT - Barbeque Near Me - Auburn, California

Seriously horrible BBQ! This was our first time at this establishment. We read the reviews and were excited, so we ordered extra ribs to our take out order - BAD decision. First of all, this was NOT Texas BBQ (as advertised). Texas BBQ is dry rubbed and moist and delicious even without the sauce. The BBQ from Smokey Pit had ZERO rub/spices on it and it chewed and tasted like we were eating an old wash rag...for each bite, we had to chew and chew and chew (did I mention - CHEW!), on a piece of dry meat with absolutely no flavor. The BBQ sauce was decent. The cornbread was thick and had bits of corn (which I liked), but either it was "smoked" for some reason or old oil was used because it had a nasty taste. The beans were good, but not worth coming in for, since they were not the main attraction. We REALLY wanted to like the place, but obviously, we won't be back read more

I have been in several times. The owner is really nice. The Tri Tip sandwich is very good. I have had Tri Tip at other places around the Auburn, New Castle, Loomis, and Rocklin areas, but this place has the best in my opinion. (delicious sides) Try it out some time when you are in Downtown Auburn. (not Old Town) Very small place; but seating outside too on a nice day. Maria R. read more