Bob’s & Boy’s Bar-B-Q

How does this place have 4 stars? What a disaster. Worst hotlinks and ribs I’ve ever had. And the bbq sauce was awful! Please don’t waste your time by eating here. All the other reviews that gave more than 2 stars were either paid, or have no taste buds.

RUDE RUDE RUDE!!! Got a tri tip sandwich that looked and tasted like it had just been scrapped off the bottom of the grill, the menu said it was to come on a French roll, but when I got it, it was on a hot dog bun!!! I took it back in to «Bob» he said «oh you don’t wanna eat it?» I said no so he SNATCHED it out of my hand and threw it in the trash can and went back to cooking. Then as my friend was finishing up another guy whom im assuming is on of the «Boys» came and gave me six bucks, Horrible service, I mean come on your in a run down shopping plaza the LEAST you could do it have good customer service

I’ll start with this was by far not the funkiest place I’ve stopped for to try BBQ! With all the reviews, thought this was a winner. Left my house at halftime of the Sunday football game, about 2 o clock. Got there and ordered half a chicken dinner and a hot link sandwich. Much to my surprise all I got was rewarmed stuff. The hot links bathing in sauce I was ok with, but sticking yesterday’s chicken in the microwave and just dousing it with more sauce, come on. A sucker for good Q so hopefully they can redeem themselves as I will try them again. Guess the first time I just got the honky special as they were not ready to be serving fresh off the grill food, but even at that time of day, given the season and the fact they were open for business it was unacceptable

We have been coming to this little jewel of a BBQ joint since it opened 8 years ago. It is hands down the BEST BBQ in Ventura County. The location is a dump but the neighborhood is good. The low rent keeps the prices the same, reasonable with good value for what u spend.
Rib dinner comes with 3 very meaty ribs, 2 sides and cornbread.
Their sides include: greens, black eyed peas, Mac & cheese, potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw, yams and several other items. Deserts are $ 2 and are sweet potato pie, banana pudding, and peach cobbler. The cobbler is FANTASTIC and worth the trip. What u have to know about this gem is that when the food is gone it’s gone. They can’t whip up more greens or ribs or cobbler so don’t be mad if u get there at 5pm and the rib tips or pie is gone
Owners are very nice just busy. If u want great BBQ go to Bob’s $ Boy’s!

Stopped in here for a quick lunch and all i can say is Awesome BBQ…
I’ll definitely bringing my friends here.

Bob’s & Boy’s Bar-​B-​Q is a definite must have place if you like Texan or German style bbq as well as down home cooking!!! I was there this weekend and the entire experience from the down home location, to the incredible southern style service by Mrs. Pleasant, to the mouth watering bbq was something to rave about and definitely have us coming back for more next time we are in Oxnard.
My boyfriend and I are big bbq and soul food eaters and wanted to eat somewhere good while driving through Oxnard. We are very particular where we eat bbq and soul food because we know the read deal :) He is from the south and I am a big foodie… lover of Memphis style bbq in particular. We looked up several places in Oxnard and Bob’s & Boy’s BBQ stood out so we had to go check it out. We are not fans of big establishments and like to support small family businesses (especially those that can cook) :) We had a list of places in Oxnard and were going to drive by them first to check out the scene before having lunch (we are researchers and food is no different). My boyfriend got off first, going to inspect if it was a true bbq establishment and then would come back to let me know. He went in and immediately came back out and gave me the sign that it was a «GO» :) We like down home real food cooked by real people… we drive far to get to good food and this day was no different. We see past the actual establishment and look for the quality of service, the food, and stories we find at places like this. If you like Tony Romas type places this is not a place for you!!!
We had a lot to eat… and can definitely recommend the following based on our experience (finger licking good):
Tri Trip Combo: GREAT! 4 stars
Two Meat Combo (chicken & tri tip): GREAT! 4 stars
Sides: greens, yams, black eyed peas, corn bread (this is still an establishment that uses ham hocks in both greens and black eyed peas). Corn bread is for those that like skillet style bread.
Dessert: sweet potato pie & banana cream pie (home made and delicious)
Kool Aid: red was DELICIOUS… sweet and brought back memories from childhood
If you like down home no fuss establishments with a lot of heart and service definitely go visit the down home service and food that Mr. & Mrs. Pleasant cook up for their clients fresh each and every day!

I guess if you lack a certain pigment or lack the hip-​hop/​rap type of demeanor, the service is not very good. Or, they just were having an off day? I don’t know, the guy seemed unfriendly and not caring for my money.
Therefore, I won’t be returning to this business.

When I first bit into the BBQ chicken (thigh and drumstick), I thought, whoooooa, verrrrrry sweet sauce. Then, I bit into it again, tasted a little kick this time. Then, once again… I tasted sweet and spicy. I kept eating it, and not too many bites later (small pieces), I was all done, and I found myself licking my fingers and wishing that my 2 pieces were bigger and that I could keep eating and tasting that addictive sauce. I had sauce left over, which had been smothered all over the chicken pieces, more than enough to sop up each bite with. It was THAT good. Yes, indeed. It really wasn’t too sweet afterall. I don’t know all the spices they used, but it was delicious, and I still crave it hours later when writing my review. My husband ordered rib tips, and he did get a plentiful portion of those… he said they were succulent, and he loved the spicy and sweet sauce that accompanied it (same sauce I got).
As for the sides, I ordered candied yams and cole slaw…(the «mom» in me always needing to balance everything out with protein, carb and vegetable). While the yams were baked and swimming in a divinely cinnamon-​y butter sauce, unfortunately, they hadn’t been allowed to sit long enough and permeate, so that the delectable sauce would have been «drunk» by the yams. The yams were basically tender and tasteless, but the sauce was phenomenal. No problem, though… I made use of that leftover sauce with the way too dry cornbread (sorry, but I’ve had much better than this). I broke up the cornbread pieces, which broke apart all too easily because it was dry, and made a little dessert out of it. It was delish. I do want to comment on the cole slaw because I could tell it was freshly made, whick was interesting to me because every other sampling of cole slaw I’ve ever eaten has been obviously sitting for quite some time… the cabbage crunch factor has been missing… but not today. While not overly crunchy, the cabbage and carrot combo just tasted freshly made, that’s all, and I appreciated that. Not overly sweet, either… good balance of sugar, mayo and vinegar.
This places boasts «southern style» BBQ… they even serve Kool-​Aid, which made me smile, although I didn’t get it. There were cobblers, sweet potato pie, collard greens and black-​eyed peas. I also didn’t get any of those, but they’re there for the offering. I would say this about the desserts, having viewed them in the display case as you walk in… I think they should make them with a little more density. The pies and cobblers just looked ultra flat, measuring maybe ¼−½″ thick, and while they might’ve tasted fine, I’m not sure how one could get a good mouthful of flavor when every bite would be compromised by lack of depth. Being a dessert/​flavor maven, that’s likely not enough to hit a homerun, but I didn’t taste any of them, so I don’t really know. I do know the chicken pieces were small, and I really wanted more. So there you go.
This place is all the way in Oxnard, and when you see the strip mall it’s in, you may think it’s deserted. Don’t worry, you’re still in the right place. We drove out of our way to get here, but oh boy, BOB’S AND BOY’S BAR BQ is worth the drive !!!

My husband and I love BBQ and try as many places as we can. Bob’s and Boy’s was amongst the best! The sauce was spot on (although they don’t sell it, we nagged the owner retlenlessly until he graciously gave us a cup of sauce to go,). The sauce was sweet and savory with just enough kick; it was perfect compliment to the tender meat! The ribs were tender with a lovely smoke flavor. The sides were clearly home made and fresh. The owners add a personal touch. They make sure you are happy and you feel at home.
The location is not good by California standards, but you wouldn’t think twice if you were in Texas or in the South. The strip mall looks like it needs to be demolished but the restaurant is homey and clean… authentic. This place is clearly not a chain restaurant but good BBQ s usually found in the most unusual places.
We are glad we found Bob’s and Boy’s and will definitely tell our friends and go back!

3 BBQ places in the near vicinity have closed in the last 18 months leaving Bobs and Boys as the last man standing near Channel Islands Harbor. I have hesitated to try it because of the crummy location in a nearly closed strip mall but decided to give it a try today and I was glad I did.
As I walked up I saw smoke flying, they had a grill going out front with ribs and chicken going. Inside is pretty small and a little funky, but clean. There are only two tables inside and 5 chairs at a counter. There are 2 tables in front.
The menu is pretty small– ribs, rib tips, tri tip chicken and hot links, plus sandwhich versions of those.
I tried a 2 meat combo and had the ribs and hot links. It came with 2 hotlinks and three bones, I was told i got a bonus because they normally only give 2 bones in that combo. The BBQ sauce was definitely home made and much to my liking. Kind of sweet with a nice spice to it. The hot links were juicy and had just the right amount of kick, some have too much «hot» to them but these were just right. The ribs were a little tough, as smoked meats are. I would have both again.
For sides I had BBQ beans and macaroni salad. The BBQ beans were good, but not great. They had a good flavor but I like something extra in mine, like some of the tri tip. The mac salad was unusual. I don’t think it was mayo based. It didn’t have a strong flavor and went well with the rest of the meal. It wasn’t until after I ordered that I saw a little sign on the counter that they had mac and cheese that day. I wish I would have asked because I would have liked to try it. As someone else said the cornbread was a little dry but went well with the hot link.
The service was very friendly. There was an older guy that must be the cook, he came over a few times to make sure I liked the food, and I did.

LOCATION: Janky half vacant mall strip mall; old schools/​70s. Since Ii was on a bike, I couldn’t take left over back so i got an order of half chicken. They have Kool-​aid, but its $ 1.25 =T. Sweet tea is home brewed and not sweetened with 40g of sugar. Cornbread is a bit dry, candy yam is sweet as hell =), are greens are greens. The chicken was HOT and moist! Definitely be back to try the tri-​tip everyone is talking about.

Seriously? Mediocre, at best. It took over twenty minutes to get dry tri-​tip in a roll and drown it in BBQ sauce.

I gonna be bold and say its the best BBQ I have ever tasted! I ordered the tri-​tip sand, mac salad, sweet potato pie, and yams. Everything was wonderful. The best macaroni salad I have ever had. The BBQ sauce was also amazing. My only suggestion is if they used a different bun on their tri-​tip sand because I’m not a fan of a plain old hot dog bun. O one more thing, the smell and warmth you get when you walk into the place is amazing!

It has to be the best place to get bbq and sides. there potato salad is to die for. If you enjoy supporting mom and pop places this will be for you

That might have been the best BBQ I ever ate. When I left I got watery eyes because the staff made me feel at home, and being military here with no family it gave me a taste of home. Great hospitality. The owner is prior Navy, and gave me a military discount.

Family operated. Genuine Southern Food. All homemade. Grandma is right there and these are her recipes. Most of the time I go there I’m the only Caucasian and that’s the way I like it. BBQ sauce is incredible. Southern Comfort Food at it’s best. The place does not look good but please don’t let that stop you.
Not Fancy.
Really great.
You will not be sorry.
If the everyone could eat here, I’m sure there would be world peace.

There’s a good tri-​tip sandwich to be had here with all the authentic sides a «soul food by the sea» place would have to offer. But first you have to want to go into the strip mall it is located in, which is completely deserted. It looks like one of those places in a slasher flick where all the vampires or the undead live. The mall is totally run down and the parking lot is completely not maintained to the point of the asphalt forming cracks that qualify as «chasms» in an OSHA safety guide. This strip mall has maybe a 20% occupancy… maybe. So even before you get to the BBQ place, you have to be willing to venture into this sort of no-​mans land.
Needless to say, there is plenty of parking. Hell, you might come here and be the only one parked in the entire mall parking lot! There is one or two tables outside of the place and it is not exactly the most inviting environment outside to eat at. You go inside and there’s a full yet simple menu to choose from. I got the tri-​tip sandwich with baked beans. The staff was incredibly friendly. The wait was not long at all. I got the order to go so I could go eat it at the beach instead of looking at a run down parking lot.
It’s within the fair value range of prices for most BBQ places in Ventura Co. The baked beans were decent, not stupendous by any means but better than average. The tri-​trip was DAMN good though. The meat was perfectly cooked and I loved their house BBQ sauce. I am a BBQ sauce connoisseur, I love BBQ sauce, and this place had a great style of sauce: sweet for sure, but much more tangy than the average. I don’t like the bitter kind of BBQ sauces and usually I don’t like the tangy kind, but this sauce was AWESOME. Hell, I should just come in here and get a bucket of the sauce sans the sandwich. Then life would be perfect.

Two stars for the restaurant and food, an extra star for the people who work there and own the place…
Dont get me wrong, the food was decent… but a little pricey for what we got. My girl and I ordered the three meat combo plate with the chicken, tri-​tip and ribs. The BBQ sauce was a little spicy for me but I would assume that some people would love that part. The tri-​tip was actually pretty good, but the chicken and ribs left a little to be desired. The ribs were quite fatty and the chicken was just plain dried out. You gotta understand my favorite part of BBQ is chicken… so thats what kind of did me in here. Its in a horrible location in this shopping center that apparently was going to be demolished years ago but never did… I would have never known this place was here. The people who own the place are super nice, they really do take care of you when you are there, making sure you have everything you need. They dont have bathrooms to wash your hands after getting messy but they do let you go in back of the counter and use their sink.
Overall it was not horrible in any way but I might try some of the other BBQ places in town before I go back.

Three stars from me… no way would I rate this place 4 ½ stars.
But maybe that is just personal preference. The bbq sauce had
too much of an after ‘bite’ for me. With my lips and mouth burning
it is hard for me to appreciate the delicate flavors of what I am eating.
From all indications, they only had the one flavor of bbq sauce… no
choices of mild or hot. I prefer my sauce to have more of a sweet,
smokey flavor so maybe this place is just not for me.
Large portions… reasonable prices. I had the two meat combo for $ 12.95.
Meats were the rib tips and chicken. sides were chili beans and macaroni salad. The rib tips for dry! I was thinking more along the lines of Applebee’s rib tips which I like. The chicken was ok. The chili beans were good and the macaroni salad was outstanding. so good I ordered
an extra side of it. The kids split a three meat ala carte for $ 21.95. Chicken, tri-​tip and ribs. They said the tri-​tip was outstanding and did not
comment about the ‘heat’ of the bbq sauce, so maybe it was just me.
Cute place, very friendly family owners and servers. It is just about the
only place left in a ‘dead’ strip mall that was scheduled to be demolished
just as the economy went south so that project was put on hold.
You definitely get your moneys worth here. I probably would not go back
unless I found out that they have a milder sauce. If I did return I would
probably order the tri-​tip and macaroni salad!

While at today’s Farmer’s Market, I was talking to a dude while we both picked through the fresh vegetables. In the course of the conversation, he told me that he was buying vegetables for the family soul food restaurant. Intrigued, I Google’d the place and learned that this restaurant serves up the «best soul food in Ventura County».
The Staff — Family run, including Dad, Mom, & two sons bring friendly Southern attitudes. A pleasure to be around — good people.
The Food — I ordered a hot link dinner which included 2 hot links & two sides ($ 7.95) while Deb ordered the pork rib dinner including 2 sides ($ 9.95). In addition, we sampled side orders including black-​eyed peas, mixed greens, chili beans, macaroni & cheese, and cornbread. Photos:
I liked the black-​eyed peas and Deb’s meaty, tender pork ribs, while she also enjoyed the ribs & mixed greens. In general, I thought there was a lack of seasoning in the food, whether it was freshly cooked or previously canned and/​or frozen.
The Restaurant — Old, beaten down, low budget, & probably past due for demolition. In fact, the entire strip mall was slated for destruction last year and was to be replaced with condominiums, but once the local real estate market hit the skids, so did those plans.[1] Photo:
Summary — They give a good amount of food for the price, as well as a super welcoming attitude to their customers. That said, I hope they can pay the bills, make some money, and improve upon their meals.
Footnote:
[1] In the meantime, the neighboring Chevron station (with the invaluable on-​site mechanic) was closed, the station demolished, and now the land sits empty awaiting the eventual condominium.