wow., i mean wow. it's been awhile since i've been blown away by food and just a simple chicken caesar and pulled pork sliders had me saying wowwww. from the perfectly cooked chicken and the homemade smokey croutons, to the perfectly marinated pulled pork, to the super refreshing and tasty drinks, im so glad we have a place we can go to since we just moved to cool. seriously the drinks are fantastic. our bartender/server carlos was fantastic and it was only his third day! i can't wait to become a regular read more

Service is Meh. No one acts like they are happy to see you. The lady that was working there only commented on how she hadn't clean tables yet. When we sat at a table she did her best not to grimace as she cleaned it. Food. I ordered the veggie wrap. It was filled with wet slimy veggies and oozed something. I think it was Italian dressing. Warm Italian dressing. I honestly thought this was a fresh veggie wrap. It was terrible. My friend ordered. The sandwich had as a side the garlic fries. The waitress presented the food and then a minute later said the cook forgot to toss it in the garlic. She took the plate to "toss" them in the garlic but the garlic and oil was just poured on top in one spot. Gross. They didn't eat the fries where the garlic was "deposited." The waitress did check on us and did refill our drinks but the grimace on her face never went away. There are so few restaurants in Cool. It would be nice if they were good with great food but this one is not. Not friendly either. Friendly goes a long way. It helps soften the blow of mediocre food. read more

Good food, good service! Spinach Salad is delicious, blackberry lemon drop is my new favorite.

Best biscuits and gravy and Bloody Mary. Cool CA. Definitely small town feel with a few shops and restaurants. This was the best of them all with great staff and really good food! The smoker was on prepping for lunch and dinner. Perfect stop before a long hike. Stubbys has it figured out read more

Stubbys Breakfast and BBQ - Yassss - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cool, California

Had a late lunch on Saturday, February 14, 2026. There were four in our party. This restaurant was clean and organized. Parking is plentiful. My only concern was the bathroom location. If you are able to climb a few steps, then no problem but anyone in a wheelchair or unable to climb a few steps, will have to step out of the restaurant, walk several steps and enter through another door to access the bathrooms. The bar had a great selection of alcohol and they had some pretty good signature drinks. Since we arrived at 3:10, the indoor grill wasn't ready for grilling steaks (grill takes time to heat and would be ready at 4) but did inform us that they could cook any steak on a cast iron skillet. Our party opted for the lunch menu and one person chose her steak to be cooked on the cast iron skillet. I ordered a Smoked Old Fashioned and requested Whistle Pig Bourbon. My cocktail was delicious and prepared properly. My aunt ordered a Cadillac Margarita and said it was strong and delicious. She also ordered an Espresso Martini after dinner and it was equally as delicious. I ordered the Longhorn. This was a smoked tri-tip sandwich with sautéed mushrooms, onions and bell peppers and topped with melted American cheese and substituted onion rings rather than French fries. The bread was so soft and I could taste the smokiness from the tri-tip. All flavors were perfectly balanced and seasoned. I would definitely order this again. The onion rings were hand beer battered and fried to perfection. My friend ordered the Western Burger. The burger had 90% lean angus beef, pepper jack cheese, onion rings, sweet bbq sauce and came with a side, she opted for onion rings. She said the burger was delicious. We ordered the crème brûlée cheese cake. OMG!!! This was one of the best cheesecakes I've ever had!! Highly, highly recommend this dessert!! Our waiter, Jordan was attentive and accommodating. He provided great service. But one of favorite things, the restaurant had amazing paper napkins!! I know this seems trivial and crazy, but I dislike cheap napkins and the need to keep asking for additional napkins because they simply don't hold up. Overall, please support Stubby's, they're a local small business and have great food, cocktails and amazing service. read more

See all

Food is good and I like the renovations. I am looking forward to coming during the day and enjoying the patio.

I'm a local and used to eat here on a regular basis. Since the remodel, food quality and service have tanked. The servers are so inattentive it is actually comical; even when it is slow. So sorry to see a favorite local spot go down hill. read more

Love the people, staff & atmosphere. We went for lunch, which was pretty quiet. Am guessing they are generally PACKED for breakfast. The food was really good. The smoked meats are really solid except the brisket. (The taste & texture of the brisket was not of meat that had been entirely cooked in the smoker. I tend to judge a BBQ place by its brisket, so this cost a star even though the rest was super good.) The chicken and sausage were A+. Prices are completely reasonable. And the drive from anywhere on the Highway 50 side is absolutely beautiful. This is a find!!! read more

We usually love this restaurant. The service is wonderful and the folks are friendly. But the past three times we've ordered to be picked up. We have ended up with very rare undercooked cheeseburgers. Not sure what changed over the past few months or so,But we started ordering well done thinking that would make a difference and it didn't. For some reason, the buns always come burned and the fries are undercooked every time now. Would really love to give them another shot, but I think I'll wait till they get a new Cook. Bummer. read more

Went for BBQ and got a steak. Unfortunately the only bbq they had was pulled pork or tritip. There was no chicken or bbq ribs available. The salad I ordered was good and fresh, the bread basket was tasty as well. The filet was a lower quality meat (probably choice) and the mashed potatoes were chunky. The steak was smothered in a sauce that wasn't very flavorful. When I had a bit of the meat that wasn't smothered in sauce the char was great and showed promise. A couple things that could help, if you order the filet, order the sauce on the side. Second if you are looking for bbq - check what days it's being served. Lastly, people were nice and attentive. A couple changes and this place could be really good. I'll be back for the ribs and see if it elevates the experience. read more

Stubbys Breakfast and BBQ - 8oz filet, mashed potatoes and a little bread. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cool, California

Went here after a hike in the trails on lake clementine. It was around 12:30. Amazing bbq and good drinks. Servers were nice and friendly. The bar is really nice and elegant. read more

Attending a larger party for about 25 people. Service was great and food delicious. Definitely recommend the brisket and chicken. Both were amazing. Oh and onion rings!!! read more

First, Stubby's has completely remodeled. And I don't mean just cosmetic, but full-on, professional, detailed remodel. I am not a contractor, but I do pay attention to detail; this remodel is 100% completed in such a way as to make all patrons feel like they are visiting ANY quality hometown restaurant. KUDOS to Brett and Ariel for their vision. Second, props to Tanya for her managing the front end. She handled a very busy night effortlessly, and you can tell she is enjoying her position with great care and positivity. She is a very valued member of the Stubby's team. Finally, props to Chris who manages the kitchen. Tuesday is prime rib night, and we are SOOOOO missed prime rib up in the divide since The Divide in Georgetown retired. The prime rib was 'chef's kiss!' It was perfectly paired with a baked potato and exceptionally seasoned zucchini squash. My only advice would be to offer creamy horseradish along with straight horseradish. Other than that, the meal was superb! Stubby's now offers an exciting selection of local beers and wine and now has an open bar for mixed drinks. Our local town has longed to the opportunity for classy dining experience; Stubby's has answered that call, finally! read more

Stubbys Breakfast and BBQ - Prime Rib (medium) seasoned zucchini and baked potato - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cool, California

Okay, we arrived at about 10 am on a Sunday morning... And only 2 cars in the parking lot... Usually we would just move on as that means most people don't care for the place... BUT!!! Their sign reads Breakfast & BBQ... Let's check it out... The ambiance seems like a 5-Star steak house... The staff was quick and courteous... Short menu but well rounded... Now the food comes out and at that exact second we wondered how could they not have a full house with a 2 hour wait list for seating... Well, that was our lucky day... No wait for what is likely the damn breakfast we have had in a few months.. And we had a good one yesterday read more

Really great BBQ! The brisket sliders were the star. Also the calamari was OFF the hook! We have calamari everywhere we go and this was close to the best we've had, and we always get calamari when we are on the coast. Good selection of beers. Very clean restaurant. read more

Very disappointing !! Service took so long, forgot what we ordered. Finally told our food was on its way, but they'd run out of fries. Maybe you run out of fries on a busy weekend night, this was Tuesday lunchtime. Super pricey for what you get. Sterile atmosphere. read more

Hosted a Birthday lunch for a party of 10 here today. Food was excellent, lots of choices (salad with pulled pork was a favorite ) and waitress went out of her way to make it an enjoyable experience. Unlike some restaurants, they do not automatically add a tip for a "large" party but the service was so good, we were happy to show our gratitude. Thank you Stubbys. read more

Stubby's Breakfast and BBQ is a small, family owned and operated restaurant in the Sierra Nevada foothill town of Cool, CA that specializes in delicious barbecue, with a twist... as both barbecue and breakfast are served every day the restaurant is open. The main dining offers seating at high tables, regular tables along with a small counter that has four seats. There are a couple of video monitors that were tuned to one of Sacramento's popular weekday morning shows. The restaurant has a simply inviting patio, but sitting outside wasn't an option on this rainy December morning. Note the large smoker at the rear of the patio, which is covered to protect the pitmaster from the elements. Stubby's off two varieties of in-house made barbecue sauce, "Sweet" or "Spicy." I tried both and both were delicious, Texas-style barbecue sauce, but the spicy type won my heart. From the "Breakfast" section of the menu, I went with "The Basic." The menu lists many choices, and I went with tri-tip, hashbrowns, eggs fried sunnyside up, and sourdough toast. Stubby's is a barbecue restaurant, so tri-tip, barbecued over oak wood in the smoker, was my choice of meat. The tri-tip was sliced against the grain of the meat, tender, juicy and simply delicious. The meat was perfectly barbecued to medium, maybe a little towards the rare side of the fence, with just a hint of smoke that you could taste, that enhanced the flavor of the beef, but didn't overpower it. Smoked tri-tip beef for breakfast certainly works for me! Pitmaster Chris has talent! I went with hashbrowns - other choices were country potatoes or fruit - and I enjoyed some outstanding hashbrowns. The large slab was cooked to an almost-crunchy golden brown on the outside - just the way I like them - and were white, tender and juicy on the inside. Come for the meat, but stay for the hashbrowns! As per my order, my two eggs arrived fried sunnyside up, and were fried perfectly. The sourdough toast arrived toasted and buttered. The Coors Light beer worked as an appetizer... or was it dessert? I must confess that after cutting up my tri-tip, I simply couldn't resist dipping it into a scoop in-house made barbecue sauce. I tried both varieties, both were flavorful and delicious, but the "Spicy BBQ" won out. My breakfast was simply delicious! The barbecued tri-tip beef was the "star" of breakfast, but the crispy hashbrowns were a runner up, and the sides rounded out the delicious breakfast. My friends Dan and Steve agreed their breakfasts were delicious. Simply said, Stubby's Breakfast and BBQ serves a delicious gold country breakfast in Cool! You'll simply love the great barbecue, breakfast, the rural atmosphere and the friendly hospitality that Chris and his staff offer. The fine cuisine offered at this restaurant will put a smile on the face of anyone who appreciates a fine breakfast, served by friendly staff. Oh yes... the barbecue is outstanding! During your travels to the gold country, you can enjoy your breakfast... along with fine barbecue at Stubby's Breakfast and BBQ, located in Cool, CA. Five star dining in every way. read more

See all

Everything from the vibe, the staff to the food. This place is quite a special gem!My family and I were so happy to stumble upon this place. The fried pickles, wings, chicken parm.. burgers, and the Bull platter!!! Woohoo..ribs, pulled pork, brisket.. we can't choose one favorite. They all hit it out of the park. Our sweet waitress was the cherry on top. We will definitely make many special trips back to enjoy this place. 10 stars! read more

Wow! What a change with their recent remodel! They have enlarged the space and turned it from a funky back woods BBQ joint into an upscale beautiful restaurant. Same good food and perhaps even friendlier service. From a handy local joint into a destination restaurant. All new furnishings! A touch I found appealing was their water service. They have wide short glasses that would be impossible to knock over (the kid glasses unfortunately are typical and not tip over proof). read more

It is one of the few restaurants that is around the area. Drove by here before when we were visiting Cool, Ca. We told ourselves if we ever came back we needed to stop in this place and check it out. We stopped in for breakfast on a Friday morning. It's a cute little mom and pop restaurant when you walk in and it has out door seating as well. We were greeted right away, were seated and given menus right away. The menu is easy to go thought, hubby ended up getting the chicken fried steak and I got the hot mess plate. Hot mess is 3 over easy eggs over their country potatoes, mushrooms, onion and their homemade gravy. Food came out quick and the servers were very attentive. They kept coming back to check on us to ensure that we had everything that we needed. Definitely cute little mom and pop restaurant. read more

See all

This place and it's staff are not capable of operating a restaurant. We were treated so poorly it was unbelievable. Don't try making a reservation because their system does not work. read more

Food, particularly great meat quality, atmosphere, service. Great place to eat, lucky to have this in Cool!

My friends I went hiking at the nearby trail. This place is a great stop near the trail to go and grab something to eat! The food tasted great and fresh. We had some small critiques, but nothing too major. The beer battered onion rings had a little too much batter. They were out of regular shoestring fries for the garlic fries, so we subbed it for curly fries. The mac and cheese had some jalapeño flavor, which wasn't stated o the menu. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing as it was delicious, but it was unexpected. The service was a bit finicky. The waitress we had was new so she was getting used to the ropes. The kitchen staff even came out instead to deliver our food to the table. The store had an overall great ambience. There's lot of natural lighting and seating. Great place to grub at after a hike and catch up with friends. read more

Stubbys Breakfast and BBQ - mushroom swiss burger + mac and cheese 2xchicken caesar twister wrap + onion rings & curly garlic fries fried chicken sandwich + coleslaw - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cool, California

Service was below average.. Waiter kept forgetting to bring out our orders My steak was way overcooked. I asked for my steak to be cooked rare and got it medium well.. They were out of certain beers and beverages.. had to settle for soda that was flat.. not nearly worth the price that was paid. read more

Stopped in f or a quick bite and a cocktail and was Not disappointed!! The smoked old fashioned was perfection and the brisket sliders were tender and had so much flavor! The house made spicy bbq sauce is fire!!! read more

Bland food, poor service, salads served with entrees and very overpriced. Sad....lovely space. And needed restaurant.in Cool. Never ask if want dessert. read more

They didn't take my allergy seriously. I ordered the salad which does not mention it has feta cheese on it. I brought the salad back because I'm allergic to dairy and told them as such. Rather than make a new salad, they tried to scrape the cheese off leaving bits of cheese all over it. Thank God I noticed before I ate it. I can't take a risk and eat here anymore. Sucks to lose one of the few options in a small community like Cool. read more

I have been meaning to try Stubbys for months. I finally did and it was worth the wait! We order smoked pork sandwiches and they were amazing. Going back for breakfast soon. Lance S. read more

Just stopped in on our way through for lunch. Best onion rings we have EVER had. Mac and cheese was so good. Everything fresh and handmade. The burgers were fresh pressed meat. My son wanted very plain tacos and they made them how he asked. Very nice people and awesome food. Forgot to take photos! read more

The new upgrade is fantastic and the food is still excellent. We went Friday for a rack of BBQ Ribs and enjoyed listening to the live music. The ribs are much thicker now. I ordered the ribs ahead and made reservations. The Cream Brulee Cheesecake was wonderful, but we will have it as a take-home next time. We do recommend going to the new restaurant. read more

This restaurant sits on a small hilltop, overlooking the highway. There aren't a lot of choices of places to eat in this small town. This one is a great choice. The menu has basic burgers and sandwiches. They smoke their own meat (brisket) out front in the parking lot. Good food, and a nice outdoor eating area. The service was great, and the "chef/owner" was very friendly and helpful. Thanks for a great lunch. read more

Stubbys Breakfast and BBQ - Wrap - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cool, California

I have been to Stubbys a few times since they have been under new ownership. Service has declined. Nice staff but slow on serving patrons. The website menu doesn't reflect the actual menu. I went tonight for the French Onion Soup. They don't even offer soup. Waitress said we changed our menu. Well.... then update your menu as well. read more

We come here because of the wonderful service we experience every single time. We were so excited to see the new renovations. Chris is amazing and cares to make his customers happy. When I think of Stubby's, I think of Chris. He makes an effort to talk with everyone. Plus the food is amazing. Very happy every time I come here. read more

We finally made it into Stubbys after driving by countless times, and it was excellent! I got the chicken bacon wrap with garlic fries and my husband got the Stubbys omelette and added chorizo. The food was excellent, staff was super nice, and met one of the owners/ chef Chris who was awesome and you can tell takes pride in the food he puts out. Overall a great experience and now that we know, we will definitely be back! read more

Stubbys Breakfast and BBQ - Stubbys omelett plus chorizo - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cool, California

See all

Love the service, and that the staff typically can rustle up BBQ instead of breakfast on weekends. But (and maybe it's because they went out of their way to serve me up ribs or brisket at 10am) the meat is lukewarm rather than piping hot. I wonder if the meat could be a bit hotter? And a request? I so love prime rib. Could you add that to the menu Thanks for being in Cool! read more

Yum! First time there - food was great. I had the western burger and my husband had the brisket and tri-tip. The western burger was juicy and well seasoned, the brisket and tri tip was tender and full of flavor. As of last week, it is under new ownership and they are still working out some kinks - when we showed up it was a full house, no tables available. Ribs sold out early. A few of the menu items are slightly rough around the edges, but I have zero doubt they'll find out what works and keep dialing it all in. All staff was extremely nice, even though they were totally slammed. Portion sizes of the sides could benefit from being slightly larger, but was overall a good value. BBQ sauce was awesome. Can't wait to go back and try more items! read more

Visiting the town of Cool. Stopped in Stubbys for a bite to eat. Ordered a cheeseburger, the texture of the meat was like a meatball, reminded me of beyond burger, tasted more like ground turkey with ground beef added, the burger was super salty, came on a giant bun that looked pale and commercial. The fries were curly fries like what you would get at a Fastfood joint, just ok. Would have given this place only two stars but the waitress Lily earned the extra star, her service was excellent. read more

So went to the new and improved Stubbys today. The renovations are really good and the inside looks so nice. Unfortunately I cannot say the same about the service and the food. I used to go to this all the time before the renovations. Service: it is only taking reservations at the moment. I was put in a booth away from all the other diners. I asked to be seated a their new bar and was told no even though the place was not full at all. When I was seated I asked if they serve the full menu at the bar and was given a very confusing reply. I need to note I was on my own so I would have preferred to be near other diners. I also asked a few questions and kept being told "I don't know ". Food: I ordered the chicken sandwich. It arrived on a very small bun with a small piece of chicken. The bun kept disintegrating as I ate it which was annoying. I ordered the coleslaw as a side. It tasted great but the portion was very small. I feel that charging over $19 for what I got was too expensive. I will go back after it has opened properly and give them a second chance. read more

First time eating there today. We caught the end of lunch rush. Fabulous service, excellent BBQ Baby Back Ribs. The meat falls right off the bone. Yummy read more