KC’S Bar B Q

Great bbq with friendly and kind service. Love it and great portion sizes, never over smoked, and at great prices.

Good BBQ all around. Tender meat, tasty sauce n not too expensive. Been around for a while, better than Everett n Jones

«We’ve got ribs and links today.»
A 2 meat combo was what I had in mind anyway, so this fit the bill. The man working the counter was amazingly friendly, even when i walked right past the cutlery bin and asked him where it was.
The meat: Ribs: the meat was tender yet had a bit of tooth to it. The meat didn’t fall off the bone, but it did pull away nicely (in my book, falling off the bone means you overcooked it). Nice smoke flavor.
Links: crispy skin, yet still juicy, good flavor, not a hot link, so my mouth is not on fire.
Sauce: This is the goldilocks of sauces: not too sweet, not too hot. Just right.
Potato salad: dill and celery flavors shone through. Yum.
Beans: Honestly, I have no feeling one way or the other about the beans. They seemed like they might be out of a can, but at the same time, maybe not. I added some sauce to them and they were instantly better.
My only issue is of my own making. I should have asked for sauce on the side. Next time I’ll remember.
How did I not know about this place?
I’ll be back.

Terrible food.
First, they poured 2 whole cups of very strong, bad BBQ sauce over the entire plate. Second, all the extremely overcooked dried out meats (ribs, briskets, sausage) had little to no flavor. It was actually kind of shocking how little seasoning was used. The sausage was inedible, dry and pretty much tasted like a Burger King «meat» patty in a pig intestine.
Also, their meat is boiled, not smoked, this is not real BBQ.
If you know nothing about good quality BBQ then this is your place. If you think you can save a plate of overcooked dry flavorless meat by pouring a vat of BBQ sauce over it, well I really don’t know what to say other than you should probably learn how to cook meat if you run a BBQ joint. You should close down shop and open a Dairy Queen.
I would never eat here again. And neither would any of the 5 other people I was with. We have been to every BBQ place in the East Bay, this one is the worst.
For example, the «sides»: a small ramekin of canned beans and a small ramekin of terrible potato salad. That’s the ONLY option for a $ 17 plate of food on San Pablo?
This place is overpriced food for culinary idiots. No thanks.

Great, great, great food! The meat was perfectly smoked. The sauce had the right amount of sweet and just a teeny bit of kick. Great potato salad and baked beans. Portions are substantial and priced fairly. Staff was friendly and all the antiques as decorations were great! Only complaint… better bread. It didn’t do it for me.

This BBQ is the real deal. Set in a non-​descript row of buildings off San Pablo, you leave modern-​day East Bay when you enter the door, arriving in the 1940’s south. My 78-​year old mother said it felt like being home in Louisiana when she was a girl. Old African-​American pictures and vintage appliances set the tone for the most delicious BBQin town.
What’s good? In a rarity, everything. The menu is not extensive meaning your BBQ essentials are treated with the proper care and respect. The owner is usually on hand at the register and is a pure old school southern gentleman.
Once the goods are delivered… and they are good… seat yourself on long tables like you find in church basements, and enjoy. And keep napkins handy, not for yourself, but for your table mates who will be oblivious to dangerously dripping BBQ sauce on various parts of their face.
Authentic food, authentic décor, authentic experience!

The best in the Bay area, and I have tried them all! It’s between here and CJ’s in the Rich for me. Kc’s ribs are the best by far. The chicken is awesome as well, and I usually never get chicken at a BBQ place. Links are made in house and are very good. The sauce is one of a kind it’s on the sweeter side and might be the best I’ve had. This is real southern pit style bbq at it’s finest. Sides are tiny and almost irrelevant. Patrick is a great guy and always takes care of his customers. Can’t say enough about this place, love it!

My wife and I stopped in because we had a hankering for some BBQ and none of the fancy new places held much appeal.
Walking into KC’s is a trip, there’s a covered wagon, antique radios, pianos, washing machines and stoves all over the place and an unassuming but squeaky clean dining area.
We both ordered the 2 combo, I got ribs and beef, she got ribs and links. I felt like I was eating forever and the pile of food never seemed to shrink. Great taste, just enough smoke through everything and the potato salad and beans were also home made and first rate.
Pride of ownership shows here, I knew the owner was taking our order, bringing out the food and keeping an eye out to make sure we were satisfied.
His dad opened the shop in ’68 and I can see why they’ve lasted so long. This is a great, no-​nonsense family business putting down some real BBQ without any BS.

First, it should be known that this place does not serve real bbq. If you’re interested in real bbq, don’t come here. This place served up quite possibly the worst «bbq» I’ve ever had.
Tried this place for the second time recently. First time, about two years ago, it didn’t seem too bad, but everything was so drowned out by their overly sweet bbq sauce that it was hard to get other flavors.
Was starving and had a hankering for bbq. BBQ Hut was closed so headed over to try KC’s again. That I hadn’t been here again in over a couple of years should have reminded me why they didn’t become a go-​to bbq joint.
I tried a three way combo with chicken, short end ribs and sliced brisket. What do I mean by «this place does not serve real bbq»? I mean there’s no smoke taste to any of the meats. There’s no smoke smell from the kitchen or anywhere on the premises. So, the place probably boils, braises or bakes their meats and try to get away with a smoke taste through their terrible sauce. At a real bbq place ask for sauce to be put on the side, this way you can taste and look at the meat, real, smoked bbq will have a nice smokey taste without the sauce. Real, smoked bbq will have a reddish smoke ring around the edges of the meat where the slow-​smoked meat is permeated by the smoke. If the meat doesn’t have this, it’s likely braised, boiled or baked meat.
Sides were no better, their beans are obviously from a can, no smoke flavor and, like the sauce, too sweet. The potato salad wasn’t too bad, but it did have an awfully strange spice or herb flavor that was unappealing.
The first time I tried this place I was greeted by a nice man behind the counter who was friendly and accommodating. The second time, not sure if it was the same guy or not, but this guy was rather brusque and had an attitude like he just wanted me out of his restaurant. Well, no problem there, I will never go back. It’s almost a lie to call this terrible food «bbq».

Hands down, the absolute BEST bbq joint in the Bay Area. Short end ribs and the links are my all time favorite, the sauce is to die for. Not to mention the homemade potato salad, and baked beans as I’m smacking my lips. I always save the best for last, which is soaking the wheat bread in the bbq sauce. #yummers

I have been searching for a barbecue joint to call home since I moved to the East Bay 5 years ago and have driven past this place to eat at larger establishments, places I went once and never returned. I tried this place Saturday and was back on Tuesday. The brisket was mouth watering, tender and delicious, the links were excellent and the ribs were fantastic, 5 hours after I bought them and I ate them cold. Large portions, great prices and the ambiance of the establishment makes me feel as if I’m at Grandma’s house…

Been here a few times now. Ribs from the dinner rib plate are always a little on the tough side, and if you eat the meat without the BBQ sauce, it really doesn’t taste great. They do give you lots of sauce, which helps cover up the meat flavor.
The potato salad is some of the worst I’ve ever had, bland and texture-​less. The bread slices are great for sopping up all the extra sauce they put on.
The staff always seem fairly unhappy to be at work. No one smiling, no one talking. They’re respectful, but don’t quite make it to friendly. I absolutely love the décor — the history, the vibe — but the whole place, although clean, just has a «dusty» feeling to it. Like no one actually lives in that space, you feel me? I mean, a BBQ joint doesn’t have to be lively, but it should feel lived in, and loved, and this one doesn’t.
I don’t think I’ll be back, but you should give it a shot at least once.

Decided to go to KC’S Bar B B Q, after being let down by many barbecue places around Berkeley. I thought that this place would be a winner, because you know they have good amount of stars on Unilocal.
We ordered one brisket plate and one ribs plate. I asked them to put the bbq sauce next to our plate, because I feel like when you just get meat that is drowned in sauce you won’t be able to taste the actual meat. Boy, did I make a huge mistake! The ribs were super dry, I honestly don’t think I’ve ever had ribs that were dry like this. After eating two ribs, I thought I’d be nicer to my teeth, and stopped eating them. By the way after tasting the first rib I decided to cover the whole plate with sauce so it covers that terrible taste of their meat. The brisket wasn’t any better. It actually tasted like smoked cardboard, and in fact its texture was also like cardboard (as you can see in the picture.) We only ate one fifth of the food that we ordered and decided to leave. I felt actually a bit sick after eating here, so be nice to yourself and do yourself, your teeth and your stomach a favor, and not come here!

I’ve been eating KC’s great BBQ for over 40 years and it is still the best BBQ in the bay area, hands down. I moved to Fresno in March 2008 and I miss my favorites, the 3 way with short ends, links and thinly sliced brisket with the sweet sauce and mashed potato salad… mmmmmmm good! KC’s has a wonderful and familiar staff who welcomes all with open arms and the décor is a history lesson in and of itself. I love it as much for it’s historical significance as much as I do for the food itself. I miss eating there and look forward to my little trips to the east bay to visit friends and sneak away for some of that great KC BBQ. I also miss the excellent cast iron cooked breakfast that they used to serve on Saturdays years ago.
KC BBQ is an enduring family business that has been successful because their BBQ is consistently good! it’s that simple.

Not the biggest menu but a good enough home selection. great tasting bbq. Four of us got all different plates and everyone enjoyed their food. Decent prices for what you get.

I have bought either a beef brisket dinner or 2 way with links and a beef brisket for years. The sweet beans and cold slaw are also good! I prefer kc bbq over Everette and Jones because KC’s serves larger portions of beef. You could also call-​in your order.
–credit cards are accepted!

A little heaven on earth. This place is seriously good.
My favorite are the ribs. They are cooked perfectly: fall off the bone and still juicy. Their potato salad and beans only add to the flavor. The BBQ sauce is the icing on the… well, meat. It’s hard to resist sopping up all the remains with the wheat bread.
This place is a little historical filled gem. Good food and good prices.

Is it a thrift store? A historical museum? Wait, a BBQ joint? No way!
We were blown away (and a bit weirded out) at the décor and vibe, but hey, we were here for the BBQ, not a home tour.
No chicken? No problem, ribs and sausage it is.
Ribs = dry. Simply put. Sausage was smoky and flavorful, but some chicken might’ve been nice. The sauce is on point, but wasn’t enough to save the average beans, cold cornbread, and potato salad sides.
We do love the guys here though, they are really on point. Super welcoming and makes you feel right at home. We just wish they’d keep a closer eye on the meats and keep them from drying out.

The choice for me was chicken and links. Just ok but edible. A little on the dry side. The sauce tasty but I had better. Beans just ok and potato salad need more help.
What I was taken in on were the historical pictures of African Americans from years past that decorated the walls. For me it told a story of our past here in America and how we survived those most horrible conditions and were able to come out on the other side battered, bruised but still with our dignity.
I will give them another shot at the dinner plate but will always return to receive more of that precious history that gives us the strength to move forward with our heads up.

Blast to the past (possibly to before you were born) by eating a slab of tender juicy ribs covered in a bright and tangy BBQ sauce and resting your elbow on a mid-1900’s stove.
KC BBQ people are chill and they don’t mess around with any frills. Come here for down to earth BBQ. Their ribs are my favorite. Just know that the larger ribs in the slab will be tender, juicy, mouth-​watering chunks of meat. The smaller ribs on the slab will be crispy, burned, dried out pieces. Forget you ate those. Or lather them with their delicious sauce to try to rehydrate them.
Their chicken can tend to be a little dry as well. Stick with the ribs.
I also owe them my gratitude because I accidentally walked out without paying. I realized I didn’t pay when my Unilocal app asked me how much it cost to eat here. I didn’t know because I hadn’t paid! I ran back into the store and apologized profusely. They were cool and thanked me for coming back. Thank goodness they gave me the benefit of the doubt and didn’t think I was trying to dine and ditch.

Berkeley is astounding in itself, with numerous cultures and thousands of historical buildings I was completely dumbfounded when I walked into KC’s Bar B Q on a Saturday morning. The ambiance is astounding — collectables from way beyond my years and black and white photos of African Americans from who knows when. There was even a framed document on owning slaves. The smell of the place alone made me remember my grandmother’s old home in rural Indiana and the antiques just made the cherry on the top. Man, I love living in the bay.
The food was sub par. We came in around 1130 for lunch and ordered the two combo (ribs with links). Considering it was early in the morning, we were all under the assumption that the food was freshly cooked and was still in the process of being made. The on going clients walking in and out of the establishment showed us a promising sign but as soon as we dug into out food we noticed that the meat was dry and seemed as though it was sitting out for quite a bit. I do like the potato salad and the baked beans were alright but I feel as though giving them a full four stars maybe a bit of a reach unless I give them another try. 3.5 stars seem more like it to me and my coworkers.
But the service was fantastic. The young woman behind the counter was extremely helpful and quick to answer questions. The middle aged guy behind the counter was friendly as well so I have no objections with their service.
Give this place a try. The historical artifacts all throughout the dinning room is enough to give this place a stop by.

To me this is as good as it gets in the Bay area. Really… the owner’s family is from Arkansas and this is a smoked version of «Southern» style BBQ with a sweet KC style sauce. Anyways, forget all of that. It’s just damned good food. I’ve never actually eaten in the restaurant itself (I’m not into the old school ambiance– I always get it to go) but I’ve been here enough to know that the food is high quality and consistent 90% of the time. It really is your best bet in the Bay area as far as I can tell…
The standout are the ribs. They’re pricey but wonderful. get a whole slab. you won’t regret it.