Jimmy’s Brick Pit BBQ

I thought it’d be entertaining to check out the bad reviews on Unilocal that this place must have received only to be as baffled (if not more baffled) as several of the other reviewers here.
The first and last time I donated my money to Phil’s BBQ was a few years ago. My friend and his two kids and me and my two kids went here for lunch. The dining area was sparcely populated as we were one of the very few customers. I recall approaching the register where I met Phil, one of the owners; what a douche. I bet this place would have done at least a little better had they invested in a FRIENDLY cashier, instead there was Phil. He didn’t smile. He didn’t ask if he could have our order. He just looked at us without expression. I felt pretty unwelcome and as if we were an interruption. With a few unrecognizeable grunts, he took our order and then our money and then we sat down at a wobbly picnic table covered in plastic. I understand the vibe they were going for but instead everything just felt cheap. I still recall how hot it was. They had several, large box fans set up throughout the restaurant blowing the hot air around because their air conditioner was broken.
The food came courtesy of smileless Phil who seemed like he was in a competion with somebody over who could say the least number of words that day; no ‘is there anything else I can get for you’?, no ‘enjoy your meals’, no anything.
I recall having ribs which sucked although the one good thing I can say is that the meat just melted off the bones but did they just pour some BBQ sauce from a jar over them? –That’s how they tasted.
Pricewise, we used a
gift certificated but the meal was still far pricier than it was worth. I may have given this place another try except the staff (Phil) was just so unfriendly.
I wrote a review on
about my experience and was then contacted via email by Phil (apparently
provides member feedback about the restaurants to the restaurant owners and includes our contact info. [which in itself is fine]). But it was Phil’s response to my sharing my experience that caused me to shake my head in dissappointment. Phil blamed by poor experience at his restaurant on my kids basically being ‘too rowdie’ (or something to that affect). OMG –ok, Phil, whatever, my two daughters and my friend’s daughter were having fun while I had them go to the bathroom and then allowed them to buy some gumballs from your machine. I’m sorry that they disturbed the otherwise somber environment.
Phil’s attitude and response to my experience solidified my prediction of Phil’s BBQ –it was only a matter of time until it closed. And now it did.

This place is so awesome. After a long day if riding and not eating since 8am this was the perfect dinner spot. The people were so friendly and I love this place. Def coming back!

Greedy building owner caused the best BBQ restaurant in the county to close it’s doors! The real history: Two retired Navy Chief’s were the owners. Their son, Jimmy, was the «Chef». His own killer BBQ sauces, from mild to OMG spicy, could have won prizes in any contest. Oh yeah, in a competition with Phil’s BBQ, JIMMY’S won hands down as voted by customers. The nicest couple with great and talented children will be sorely missed in Poway. Hope they surface somewhere in the county soon!

CLOSED??? We are so disappointed!
There are for rent signs in window and everything is cleared out. Anyone know what happened? Four stars and 212 reviews and closed :-(.

Came here after a great day hike. The owner and staff were so awesome and accommodating to us. We bought some kind of family dish, that had a little bit of everything to share with our group of 7. The meat was so tender, full of flavor, the sides were also great. The baked beans were some of the best I have ever had. The owner brought out some fresh, juicy tri tip to try, which just melted in your mouth. Even the sauces they brought out were delicious and mixed well.
We had brought our dog to the hike, and the owner even cooked up a hotlink for our dog. He was so thankful and scarfed it down. The owner came out and asked if we needed anything, how things were, very attentive. I would defently come back just for the food, some of the best BBQ this side of the Mississippi for sure!
It’s sad that they are closing on the 22^nd of Dec. So if you are wanting to go try this place, you better hurry, you will not be disappointed.

Really enjoy their pulled pork, tri tip and collard greens. Also enjoy the different sauce experiments they are trying at different times during the year.
I don’t think you’ll find a friendlier family run BBQ restaurant anywhere. Their commitment to good BBQ is second only to their commitment to family and military service. Great food, even better people.

Not a great visit. Walked in on a Saturday evening and was greeted with silence. I was the only customer in
the building, but I felt like I was interrupting quiet time. The gentleman behind the counter managed a few random sounds and grunts as I ordered. I got the brisket with mac & cheese and onion rings. Took about 10 minutes to getting food to go. When I got home, the mac & cheese had eaten through the styrofoam container. The brisket was average at best and the sauce had no spice. The cornbread was ok, as were the onion rings. I usually am willing to give places another chance, but the meal was not worth the price that was paid and I won’t go back.

We stumbled upon Jimmy’s when searching for a BBQ place a little closer to home. Due to the 4 Star rating on Unilocal,we decided to give it a try. When we walked in, we were greeted by Jimmy, who was at the front counter, taking orders. He asked if we had been there before and, when we said no, he began explaining the menu and offered a few suggestions. We ordered the Jimmy’s 3 Meat Combo Special (choice of 3 meats, 3 medium sides, 3 Cornbread Muffins or Sweet Bread) with pork ribs, beef tri-​tip, beef brisket with a side of Spicy BBQ Sauce, mashed potatoes, baked beans, and collard greens. We also received a side of 4 cheese macaroni and cheese for free from my Unilocal check-​in. All of this for $ 38. Great deal!
The restaurant itself is very casual and clean with picnic style tables and a flat screen T.V. for a bit of entertainment. Jimmy was so friendly and made us feel like good friends going over to his house for a BBQ! He after he served us, he checked on us to make sure we were enjoying our meal. He also had us try a pork rib with his sugar-​free BBQ sauce. It was yummy! It was so tender and I would’ve never guessed the sauce to be sugar-​free.
The restaurant is located Poway Road, 5 miles east of the I-​15. If you haven’t been here, you definitely should give it shot! 5 Unilocal stars for excellent customer service and awesome dishes.

Sadly disappointed. Ok I’m comparing it to Phil’s and other places I know. The tri tip was tough. The ribs were mostly fat. The prices were high. I don’t get it.
Would not go back again. Not worth the money and even if more reasonably priced the food was at best mediocre
The BBQ sauce wasn’t even something I would buy at Von’s — yeech. What a bummer!
The roast beef sandwich was super tough. There was no one to even talk to about the food or I would have tried to get something else. Would not go back :(

Come stop by Jimmy’s place! They have sweet tea like back home! Jimmy’s is the type of place that makes you feel like you’re back home in Texas even though you’re in Southern California! Jimmy owns it… his mom and dad work there also… it’s as family as it comes! Call ahead of you need or want something special also. The service is just as good as the one you got from your mother growing up!

Healthier options, you say? Nice … (keep reading)
Great local joint for BBQ. Has that super tender meat that just falls off the bone. The pork ribs are juicy and delicious.
As an added perk, they have healthier BBQ options. I get the pork ribs with the sugar-​free BBQ sauce, a steamed broccoli crown, and brown rice.
Good stuff.

Service was good a mom and pop style place for a local business. BBQ sauce is good (sweet). Portions are pretty good potato salad is ok unique taste. Cornbread is moist and corn on cob good. It is family like atmosphere with a small dining area and a little bigger one. I like it and I would return, I am visiting in ramona, Ca and Poway is sort of the big city of the area.

Had collard greens, Cold Slaw and Steamed Broccoli
Collards are smoked without fat stock (I like) but too salty unfortunately
Cold slaw was too sweet… I think they put orange in it?
Only the broccoli taste good because it’s well cooked.

This place would’ve rendered 4 stars if not only for 2 things: location & prices. Paid $ 17 for 4 bones & 2 sides & a corn bread muffin which I think was the best part of the meal! Had to order another corn bread! The ribs were juicy BUT homemade sauce was a bit watered down. The place had a nice picnic feel to it & was served by Jimmy, the owner who btw is pretty damn cute. I’d go back only if I found myself in the boonies in Poway.

When I first went to Jimmy’s Brick Pit BBQ, I asked, «What do you like?»
My friend said, «Everything.»
Not that helpful, but I have to say, it’s true. Everything that I’ve had, from Ribs, to Pulled Pork to Chicken, to their Cornbread. I’ve loved everything!!!
Fries — Yummy!
Coleslaw– Da Bomb!
Sauces — OMG!
It’s worth the long, long drive down Poway Road. :)

For BBQ in CA, this casual place serves good food with friendly service, however, I think it is overpriced for such a casual restaurant: one orders at the counter, you help yourself to plates & plastic utensils, they bring food to your table in little plastic trays covered with a food liner, and you bus your own table.
There is a mix of brick walls, tables and some picnic tables with picnic tableclothes (yes covered in plastic) — I actually like the easy family friendly feel. My hubby caught some of the game on TV and my son got a little toy from the toy machine. I appreciated that the containers to take our leftovers home were also readily available.
Hubby, young son and I went on a Saturday for lunch and it was not crowded.
When you walk in, the counter to order at is right there, so I imagine it can get crowded at the door. The friendly gal who took our order was super patient and very helpful, pointing out that if we wanted to try different things, the 3 Meat Combo Special included our choice of 3 different meats, with three 8 oz medium sides — and she pointed out that onion rings, fries or potato fries could be a side. It sounded like a good way to try a little bit of everything. We got:
5 Jalapeño poppers (cream cheese) $ 5.95 — good, but not great as I prefer the cheddar filled.
3 Meat Combo Special $ 36.00
–Baby Back ribs (3 ribs) — Very Good! My son loved this. Nice smoky flavor, tender, not over done. Order this.
–Pulled Pork — Very Good. nice pulled shred. Not stringy at all.
–Chopped Beef Brisket — Very Good. Hmm: It didn’t come chopped, it came pulled. But my hubby’s favorite of the three meats. In fact next time, he says he’ll order a brisket sandwich.
3 cornbread muffins — good. served in cupcake liners.
–Coleslaw — I liked this version with the pineapple chunks, and that it wasn’t overly dressed. A tad too sweet for my husband.
–BBQ Beans — Nice. My son ate them all. That’s awesome in my book. They were cooked just right, not overdone and mushy, and not too hard. I recommend.
–Onion rings — ok. not bad, but not as crispy as I like.
1 sweet tea $ 2.25
6 oz side of mac n cheese– * Free with Unilocal check in :) which is a perk!
My son ate this, but I prefer a creamy mac n cheese. This one came out dry, with melted cheese on top. It did the trick for my 3 yr old son, but I wouldn’t order this in future. Of course, it could have been an off day.
The bill came to $ 47.74.
The bottom line: I enjoyed the food, and think the service was helpful and friendly, however, I feel that the $ 36 3-​meat Combo special was overpriced for what we received.
Next time, I think a 2 meat combo with 2 small sides for $ 17.50 would be the way to go.

It could have been much worse.
The restaurant is not an ideal place for a BBQ dinner. The cheap window paints screams to stay far, far away than the Southern hospitality. There’s 2 rooms on opposite ends with TVs. We decided to sit in the smaller one as the other room was filled with customers watching the History channel during the NBA Finals. The History channel during a playoff game. What the heck?! The tables were covered in plastic.
The menu was simple but please put more menus viewable for customers. I found 1 on the counter. I browsed the menu and the 2 meat combination was deemed suitable for my appetite according to the owner.
Low and behold the combination was not fit for a king but a meal for my 80 year old grandma. Was he serious? The spare ribs looked like something straight out of a microwaveable box. The brisket was decent but the sauce needs improvement. The sweet corn was not sweet at all. Corn bread was dry. Ridiculous.
Im more baffled about this 4 star rating than the meal.

After a 2 mile walk I was looking for some good protein. I lurve barbecue and don’t know of any good restaurants in my town, so to Unilocal I go!
Found Jimmy’s in POWAY and thought let’s give it a try. Four stars looks good.
It was a Sunday, so it was quiet. We were actually the only people there when we arrived. The business is quiet and family run. Jimmy’s dad was manning the counter. He was super helpful and nice. They have a baby back rib special there for $ 33 which comes with a full rack (12 ribs), two sides, and cornbread muffins. We also checked in so we got to use our coupon for a 6oz side of Mac and cheese. We picked the sweet sauce. Jimmy’s dad let me know there were sauce bottles on the utensil table should I want to add spicy sauce to the ribs.
I asked Jimmy’s dad if they had a nutrition guide and he said they didn’t, but pointed out another menu option that caters to people doing low carb and he also told me that all the sauces are created by his son and that they are gluten free. It was cute how he was trying to make sure I had an option. I let him know I was just keeping track of my intake and it wasn’t necessarily for «health» reasons. :)
The inside of the restaurant is clean and nice. Ample seating, red and white picnic table cloths, sports décor and large TVs to watch the game.
The portions were perfect! The sweet sauce wasn’t that sweet to me, so I added the spicy sauce (they also carry a habanero and ghost chili sauce). I highly recommend the spicy sauce. The thing that made it for me was how the meat just fell off the bone and there was a LOT of it. It was so good I am craving it right now.
I also really liked the BBQ beans. Actually all the sides were good. Muffins seemed a little dry to me and the mashed potatoes had a small cold spot in them, but the flavor was really good.
All in all a good experience. I dinged them one star because the young lady that brought us our food seemed miserable, no smile, barely spoke. It broke consistency with how nice Jimmy’s dad was.
I will definitely come back though. We were totally stuffed and ate everything!

I went with a group of hungry people and we got the 3 Meat combination with 2 sides and cornbread.
I can honestly saw that I wasn’t impressed when the tray arrived and felt a little bad since I had recommended this place based on Unilocal reviews.
I knew right away we would leave hungry, and, we did.
I really couldn’t tell the difference between the pulled pork and the beef brisket, so that’s a problem.
It was unanimous that the Potato salad was terrible. So far, the only two decent BBQ places I’ve found in San Diego County are Phil’s and Coops, that’s it. Save your money for these two places.

Check in to get your free Mac & Cheese (which is probably one of the best my husband says he’s had in a long time!).
Jimmy’s is a small family owned restaurant and everything is homemade = AWESOME! The service is great, the food is awesome, and they’re nearby & that’s really a win/​win for us. They’re tucked away in Poway which is a nice option for BBQ lovers that live in this area, or for those who don’t want to commute to Phil’s.
We ordered:
— Half pound of chicken (yummy tender pieces cooked perfectly, not one was overdone!).
— Sweet potato fries (they were OK).
— Mac & Cheese (was my husbands favorite side).
— Corn bread (I’m never quick to order corn bread because I’m not really a fan, but I ate the whole thing!]).
— Tri tip brisket (good, good good!).
— Sweet sauce (was perfect for my sweet tooth!)
— Spicy sauce (spicy! — not one of those tame sauces, but not too spicy either — just right).
The owner also let us try a spoonful of their new Oreo cheesecake — and i don’t love cheesecake but I really could’ve had half or all of it to myself. My husband who LOVES cheesecake said he could’ve done the same. Jimmy’s is our new Go-​To place for BBQ, we’re so glad this place is nearby & isn’t crowded (at least not yet)!