A & K Barbecue

I could honestly say that there hasn’t been a restaurant where I’ve ever felt as welcomed as I did here. The service was great and the food was just alike. I had the tri-​tip dinner and it was great. I would recommend this place and will forsure be coming back.

I have been here several times, nice staff and clean. I had the tri-​tip, hotlink, and chicken. My BF had the tri-​tip sandwich, we both love the flavors and felt like the meal was very hearty as I still had some left over for the next day’s lunch. The sauce really goes deep into the meat, so its not sauce that sits on top.
I agree there is a bit of a wait, but the food is worth it and sometimes if you do not call in your order early enough they will run out of food, which is the reason for the 4 out of 5 stars. The food is delicious, so I guess that’s why when you go to order your favorite item and they don’t have it its a bit disappointing.

Tried the tri-​tip sandwich with a side of potato salad for $ 9.75 with tax. I was the first customer of the day, but things still weren’t that speedy. I really think there’s some smokey goodness there, but wasn’t able to taste much due to it drowning in bbq sauce… The potato salad was a little more vinegary than I normally like.
Moral: get the sauce on the side!

I’ve come here a few times before and had no issues. I don’t know what was going on in the kitchen a few days ago but all I have to say is the food tasted like garbage. The Mac and cheese tasted spoiled, the yams tasted canned and the rib tips were less than satisfactory. We called up and asked if the Mac and cheese was made that day and the answer we got was «some days I have the heart to make it and others I don’t, you know how it is» um no I don’t know how it is, especially if I’m paying good money eating at your restaurant. Needless to say we won’t be back. These are very nice people but I won’t support that kind of business. It was good while it lasted. No hard feelings. I don’t get mad, I just Unilocal about it.

4.11.14 I finally made it in! Some buddies I went to high school with opened this joint and I had been meaning to swing by. I’m glad I finally made it in! Their BBQ is delish and they have the best sides!!!
I ordered the rib (sauce hot) and link (sauce mild) plate. The BBQ itself was really yummy… The sauce with awesome… I love hot, but for me it was the kind of too hot to where I couldn’t enjoy the taste cuz my mouth was on fire! Hahaha. Next time I will try the mild or medium.
The homemade links were delicious. HOT!

Still waiting, it’s only been 20 minutes! Come on A and K, your food is so damn good. But some people only get 30 minutes for lunch breaks
I have been here a few times and hoped to get the regular fairly fast service. I have ordered the lunch special, ribs, which I imagine are pre-​cooked since they take 8+ hours to smoke.
— — — —
Post Meal…
It took 25 minutes from order to walk out the door with a few ribs and some fries. I saw a few togo orders head out the door while I waited so I imagine that is what caused the wait. But it wasn’t that many so I don’t know what the hold up was. The food is good so maybe they are growing faster then they expected and can’t keep up. I wish there was some communication from the woman behind the counter, letting me know how long it may be.
The slow service wont keep me from stopping by again because the food is delicious but I wont be stopping in here during lunch breaks or if I am on a time schedule. Which sucks because that severely limits the opportunity for me to eat here.
If you are reading this and are thinking about stopping in, do so. But maybe call ahead and order before you start driving.

Stopped by here on the way back home to SoCal. The people were very nice and the food was great. They closed early because they were attending a graduation, but they patiently waited for us to finish eating. I got the pork rib dinner with spicy bbq sauce, Mac and cheese and greens. Got a huge portion, totally worth the price. Nothing disappointed… Would recommend this place without hesitation.

Came in here on a Friday afternoon after seeing it from Stockton Blvd.
Holy Crap!!! This place is amazing. Very friendly lady took our order and the food was ready in what seemed like seconds. I got the full pork rib plate with the beans and mac n cheese. My girlfriend got the tri-​tip with the greens.
I could not have asked for better BBQ. Simply amazing. The beans were the best I’ve ever had.
The other great thing about this place is that friendly people were in the restaurant talking with other strangers, and not shy to make recommendations on their favorite dishes.
Love this place– will be back.

Oh my god YUM!
Craving the Q. Tired of the ones I know about so I resorted to Unilocal.A&K showed up with almost 5 stars. That is a good sign.
Drove down Stockton looking for this illustrious place. It is a touch hard to see. Just across the street from Church’s to the North.
Very friendly greeting. Quite helpful, asked if what I was in the mood for: chicken and ribs, but then I remembered that Unilocalers enjoyed the heck out of the tri-​tip. Ordered a 3 way. Dark meat chicken, tri-​tip, and ribs, mild sauce, greens, and corn.
It came out relatively quickly.
Holy smoked/​bbq meat Batman! 3 huge pork ribs, tri-​tip for days, and enormous thigh and leg. Heaven! I am a fan of rare meat and this tri-​tip was perfect, tender, delicious. The ribs were amazing, fall off the bone goodness. I know I’m in for a treat when it is served with 6 – 7 napkins.
The greens weren’t overly watery, very pleasantly bitter, with a hint of bacon or hamhock. The corn was different than I was used to but no less tasty. Kind of like creamed corn except the corn was creamed.
The price is reasonable. People are very cool. Food is excellent!
I will be back.

My mouth is watering just in anticipation of whats about to be devoured!
A&K can not be beat! My man chose this for dinner tonight — and brought it to me in the hospital. I love spicy food — and can usually handle it — the hot BBQ sauce is no joke.
We had tri tip sandwiches delicious with or without sauce. The corn was mouth watering the potato salad was alright! Can’t wait to go back — and consider having them cater in the future

**½ out of 5 stars: Pork ribs were dry and somewhat fatty and very salty. Tri tip was flavorless unless you dipped in the bbq sauce. Potato salad was very good — not sure if anyone will like chopped up pickles mixed within. I liked it. The mac & cheese was pretty good. Corn bread was huge, moist, and not that sweet (good). The lady who took my order was very nice; wait not that long. I’ll try it again hoping it’s just a fluke or something, or maybe it was just the timing. I went at 430pm in the afternoon. Maybe I’ll try around lunch time or something.

After a disappointing customer service experience at local BBQ restaurant, and a recommendation from a stranger on the street, we Unilocaled A&K and headed over. Think of Freddie’s BBQ in House of Cards; friendly folks and an atmosphere that focuses purely on the BBQ, instead of over styled investments in marketing. My order of the combo Hot Link Sausage and Tri-​tip with a side of Mac and Cheese and Yam, served under spicy sauce has got to be among the best BBQ in Sac.
As of this writing, A&K has been opened 13 months and frankly I think they are under appreciated on Unilocal,probably due to the location and lack of investment in anything but the BBQ. A great option for lunch, dinner, or takeout and your way home.

The food is as good as all other Unilocalers have reported. The place would be a 5 star joint if the tables were cleaned between each customer. I suspect they are any other time but during lunch there was one cook and one person at the counter.
Worth noting:
No ice
No fountain drinks
Strawberry Shasta
Limited staff
No fuss
Food served in styrofoam to-​go containers.
The focus is on the food. This is not a niche BBQ spot. This is old school backyard BBQ done right.

In Sacramento, it seems that a new BBQ place opens up every other day and the food seems to be lackluster. My favorites are the tri tip, hot links, spicy potato salad and macaroni and cheese and will be trying the ribs soon. It is rare when a place as great as A & K comes along and serves pretty legit BBQ. I have been here twice and the quality and taste is consistent. If your in the neighborhood, then drop by and try their lunch specials, which are very affordable and will be sure to fill you up.

Looking at all of the positive Unilocal reviews, we decided to give this place a try and holy cow, I’m glad we did.
For me, it was the pork ribs in hot sauce, with Mac & Cheese and baked beans.
At the risk of sounding cliché, the ribs were «fall off the bone» tender, and tasted sensational, (Warning, the hot sauce, really is hot… I promise) with the two sides being just as good.
My friend had the tri-​tip dinner in the mild sauce, and it was just as good.
The best review I can possibly give them, is to say that we will be back… again and again and again, for some great BBQ!
Just a little word of advise — due to cooking times, they don’t do brisket (which was what we both actually wanted), but we got over that pretty quickly after the first bite.

I’m still enjoying A&K but I have to say for the price there are a number of other potential places I would suggest trying out as well. Our last trip was a little less spectacular and I got the sense that things weren’t quite as fresh as they could be.

Found this place on Unilocal and holy cow, literally and figuratively. It’s a little out of the way for me, but I can’t wait to go out of my way to go there again.
I had the tri-​tip and rib combo with potato salad and beans. Super tasty and large enough to satisfy a boat of refugees. Flavorful, great texture, and tasted fantastic.
The tri-​tip is my true barometer to judge a BBQ joint. The tri-​tip was moist, oozing with flavor. It has like a dry rub and there are several types of sauces that you can try. If yore feeling bold, ask for the ⁷⁵⁄₂₅ mix = Super HOT. So glad that this was what I opted for as I was able to get a different meal with each bite. The corn bread was good enough to deserve its own paragraph, but I have run out of delicious adjectives.
A must try for any serious BBQ lover!

Sacramento meat-​eaters, your search is over. A & K is the place for great BBQ!
Don’t be thrown by the humble environs. Consider it a sign that the owners concentrate on the delectable smoked meats and their addictive companion dishes rather than décor.
For example, my combo plate of pork ribs, tri-​tip, baked beans and mac n cheese. The ribs were plump, well-​sauced and fall-​off-​the-​bone-​into-​my-​mouth tender. The tri-​tip was sliced thin and layered with peppery dressing. The sides were full-​flavored and perfect complements to the rich spice of the BBQ.
What more do you want?
Oh, how about daily lunch specials for $ 5.99 and a Thursday night $ 5 tri-​tip sandwich special that already has me marking my calendar? That’s when I’ll get to try the soon-​to-​be legendary potato salad and A & K’s greens. How about soft, slightly sweet cornbread? How about peach cobbler? The list goes on.
To tie this package up in a bow, I’ll note that this is a family-​run shop. And the owners seem to know that, even if you have a great product, service with a smile, a little chit-​chat and some laughs really make people want to come back.
For all of the above, A & K is a place I’ll go back to time and time again.

In the competitive world of local barbecue, A & K ranks among the greatest. My recent «guys night» visit was an experience to remember thanks to superb eats, great service and some of the best ribs in the region. It was «dirty» good — the ultimate compliment.
The restaurant, like the food, is no frills. Don’t expect any fancy paintings on the wall or menus printed on stationary. Instead, you’ll find a couple tables and a revolving menu of great foods. it comes down to what you eat, and if what you eat is as good as we had then there is no reason to fancy things up.
I got the rib and house made hot link combo with a side of beans and potato salad. For $ 15 I wasn’t expecting much, but it exceeded my expectations. The portions were big, the ribs were deliciously coated with a pepper seasoning, the hot sauce (as I requested it be) was just the right kick and the hot links were so good I didn’t want to share. Even the potato salad, which is usually some canned crap, was some of the best homemade salad I’ve had in a while.
The owner, Yosef (spelling?), was very accommodating. We came in as they were closing because we didn’t realize the time had changed for daylight savings. He was fine with our business and even came over mid-​meal and asked us if everything was to our liking, then gave us some free cornbread for the road!
I left full and and content. I can still smell the glory of our meal on my fingers. it smells like victory.

Good stuff! I had the lunch special with hot links and that was a great deal.
There really isnt much to say the links were Spicy with a slight sweetness. i really like the bbq sauce it has a nice heat and nice flavor profile. The mac cheese was good, but I wish it was a bit more saucy. The mac cheese I ate was straight up noodle, cheese (so much delicious cheese) and butter.
When comparing to other places. It’s really good, but for the price I think I might go to Momo’s meat market and get the four way (so much choices).
I’ll definately try to come back to taste the other delights they have.