LW’s BBQ

12:30 on a Thursday and this place is shutdown. Not sure if this is temporary or permanent…

Is this place closed? Sadly it looked like it when I tried to grab lunch today. Sign on the door said, «closed for repairs». Hopefully that is true. We really enjoyed our time/​meal here each time we’ve come.
Food=yum!
Value=good
Staff=awesome
Hope they open up again or pop up somewhere soon!

Excellent Carolina style barbecue, featuring many selections, very friendly service. I wish they had draft beer but, love that they have HD TV’s and they’ll give you the remote

Agree with what others have said — best kept secret in Clairemont and authentic southern smoked BBQ! I’ve had barbecue in Nashville and Texas, and this place ranks right up there. This will definitely be our spot to get BBQ in San Diego — other places just don’t compare.
We walked in, and the staff was friendly and welcoming, and in addition to having that smokey, barbecue smell (the best), the place was really clean.
For our sides, we picked out the potato salad and mac n cheese, both of which were amazing. Probably some of the best mac n cheese I’ve ever had. For the meat, we tried out the pork ribs and brisket, and chose LW’s barbecue sauce, as well as the KC sauce. Both sauces were very good, but even without the sauce, the meat was unreal. So tender that it fell apart, and the ribs fell right off the bone, even the next day, and the meat had that intense smokey flavor.
Definitely recommend this place!

Darn good
Meat falls off bone, cooked perfectly are the baby back ribs. The brisket is tastey and juicy and soft. I like phils barbecue sauce better but with l&w I don’t use any sauce.

The 3 meat combo is really good my son and I first time here they also have military discount. What a great place to eat with your family.

Ya delish! We had the triple meat platter. We had pulled pork, tri tip and brisket. All fantastic. I ate them all without any sauce or rub. We also had the mac and cheese and it was ahmazing! Cornbread needs more corn and less of a muffin taste but the spuds are spot on!

where in the world do i start.
SOUTHERN AUTHENTIC SMOKED BBQ IN SAN DIEGO!!!
Owners are from NC and have an actual smoker which is very difficult to get in san diego, however this place does it right. The food is at a great price for the amazing southern comfort they provide.
Housemade REAL sweet tea.
my husband and I gorged outsells on pulled pork, corn bread, fried okra, mac n cheese, brisket, tri tip and it was all heaven. PURE heaven.
time to come back and try the rest of the menu, this was such a piece of home for myself, every time i visit NC I can’t get enough BBQ

Such an awesome little BBQ place. The staff asked if it was my first time (indeed it was) and they took 10% off my meal. They proceeded to help me through the menu and explain that they had a genuine smoker in the back and all the meat sits in it for a substantial amount of time.
I decided to try one of everything so I got the slider trio. Not sure I can pick my favorite but it was extremely good. They have all of their sauces at the tables and ask you what ones you would like to take home. My wife raves about their mac and cheese. She was disappointed in the portion size the first time and then quickly realized how filling it is. LW’s makes me glad i don’t live in BBQ country because I would be one large individual.

Southern style or not, this place is lacking. For nearly $ 20, I’d expect higher quality food. The brisket came DRENCHED in bbq sauce. It’s a shame, because the meat seemed like it had a good tender flavor, but it was hard to taste through the bbq sauce. It might have been better allowing the customer add the bbq sauce themselves. The collared greens were way too salty. All I could taste was salt after a few bites. The coleslaw and cornbread were fine but nothing to write home about.
The place was neither clean nor dirty. They had three tvs but only one was on.
Not a complete disaster but not close to deserving the hype.

Mmmmm… drool…BBQ!!! This place is really good for San Diego — similar to Texas’ style smoking and sauce. I’ve had the Chicken and the pulled pork — very tasty! My dog can’t make up his mind which one he likes either. I think this place is in a bad location — definitely a hidden gem!

I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed, for 12 hours. When it was all over, I walked up. We didn’t find one of ‘em, not one stinkin’ dink body. The smell, you know that gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like victory.
Apocalypse Now
The scent of hickory smoke fills my lungs as I enter. :-) Manager at the front was very friendly and helpful as I can’t decide what to get… I learned the meats are all smoked for half a day and the sauces and most of the sides are all made in-​house. I decide on the the triple play combo which will let me sample 3 different meats. :-)
I pause a moment after the manager delivers my plate. That smell that I love is stronger than ever. The one that fills my heart with bliss.
The beef brisket was tender melt in your mouth goodness with a nice smoky flavor. :-)
The baby back ribs and the pork ribs were really similar. They had that same awesome smoky flavor. The pork ribs were bigger but I had a hard time telling them apart taste wise.
The french fries were really thin and crunchy. :-) Excellent flavor.
The onion rings were on the small side and had a delicious crunchy beer batter. Excellent flavor.
Nice neighborhood bbq joint not too far from home and no crazy lines like at Phil’s bbq. I prefer the dry rubbed ribs and brisket at Coop’s BBQ. I prefer the sides here as Coop’s doesn’t have a fryer. I don’t like the tangy sauce here.
2^nd visit
I tried the beef ribs. Covered in sauce the flavor was too tangy. Without the sauce the flavor of the beef was mostly from smoking and I didn’t really care for the flavor which seemed a bit acrid. Good quality beef but I’m not liking the preparation. The beef ribs are much better at Coop’s.
The bbq is really 3 ½ stars and I’m rounding up due to the great service and the fried food.

I have been hearing about this place for weeks now from friends who live in the area. Today was finally the right time to stop in and check it out. I ordered the triple play plate, a combination of 3 meats, 2 sides and choice of cornbread or a dinner roll. I really wanted to get a feel for what this place is about so I ordered their tri-​tip, med rare (it wasn’t), pulled pork, and a hot link with a side of Mac n cheese and BBQ beans w cornbread.
Ok, first things first. The tri-​tip and hot link were each an additional $ 1 to add to the combo. I paid a whopping $ 18.31 for one plate! These are 4oz meat portions. Even tho I was asked how I would like my tri-​tip cooked it still came out med-​well. Not impressed. The meats were ok. The sauces were horrible. Too much vinegar all around.
On to the sides. The BBQ beans were bad, just bad. I threw them away after one bite. Again w the vinegar! Also, too much sauce, not enuf beans. Wth? The Mac n cheese… Hmmm idk how to even explain it. It was creamy, somewhat cheesy, but mostly floury and somewhat smoky tasting. Not my cup o tea. The cornbread was alright. Not good, not bad. Meh
But here is the kicker. I ordered my food to go and they forgot to include napkins and one of the sauces wasn’t closed properly so it leaked all over everything. Needless to say I was not a happy camper.
All in all I was not impressed. In fact, I was highly disappointed. Sorry LW but Coops will always and forever have my heart for BBQ in SD. I tried. So did you.

Nothing screams «I need BBQ, stat» like 90 degree weather. Thankfully, the AC revived my soul.
I am no BBQ expert. Nevertheless, I really, really enjoyed the pork ribs. They were tender, meaty, fatty, and satiated by rib craving. The very edges were dry, hard, and stringy, though. Perhaps that’s where the sauce comes in. The mac and cheese was very creamy. The cole slaw tasted fresh and crunchy. Portions are gigantic. Definitely, I plan on returning.
Ps. There is a large room on the side which can be used for events. The wall showcases a gigantic map of the world. The thought of ribs + geography appeals to me very much.

Whoa. YUM.
I was doing laundry at the laundromat nearby when I felt my tummy start to rumble. I didn’t feel like the plethora of fast-​food options within walking distance of the shopping center, so I walked in to LW’s to see what it was all about. I don’t typically care for barbecue mainly because I rarely like the sauce they drench EVERYTHING in. It is usually waaay too sweet and sticky. A mess.
I ordered the Brisket sandwich thinking that it wouldn’t be covered in BBQ sauce and I have to admit I was a little bummed when I received my order and it was, in fact, covered in sauce. I took a bite, however, and HOLY CRAP I LIKE BARBECUE. Seriously, it turned me right then and there. The sauce wasn’t too sweet. In fact, it was smoky and savory. I gobbled up my entire sandwich in 5 minutes flat and ate about half of the already teeny portion of my Mac N’ Cheese side. The Mac was delicious, it is just super rich and creamy.
I had an excellent experience with the staff. I was waiting outside for my order but walked back in up to the counter after a while because I wasn’t sure if they brought it out to you or if you have to stop by and pick it up. Turns out they bring your order to you when it is ready. My food had just come up when I arrived back at the counter and the employee still walked it back to my table with me. It was very courteous!
I will most definitely be back to this place. There a quite a few other menu options I want to try out!

Too bad they went out of business already. I thought it was pretty darn good bbq.
The good news is: there’s another bunch moving into the same location, Mikes’ BBQ coming soon. I’ll be there when they open.

So I read these reviews posted and some of them I do have to disagree with.
Service was absolutely great. Even an older gentleman who you can tell works there came up to us to ask how we were doing etc and how we heard about the restaurant. I wonder if he was the owner. I wish I got the name of the lady that was at the front counter (curly hair) delivering the food to the tables. She had a pleasant smile and a great personality.
We ordered the following:
Trio Sliders– Smoked Chicken, Beef and Pork with French Fries
Triple Plate Combo– 3 Pork Ribs, 3 wings and 4oz brisket
Choose from 4 different sauces. I personally liked the San Diego and Traditional sauces.
The meat is so soft and flavorful. Out of all the dishes/​food, my least favorite was the chicken wings and that tasted bland to me.
Overall I would love to visit this restaurant again.

Solid start for a great new option.
Real BBQ is not easy. Amazingly difficult to get right and for anyone who hasn’t tried its hard to imagine why. LWs is a real smokehouse BBQ place. Not a grill over mesquite coals place. And the various and sundry sauces make tbs trip worth it.
The food is smoked low and slow in their Olé Hickory smoke pit. Legit. A few kinks need to be worked out — meat trimming needs some work to allow the gelatins to form on the ribs vs fat globs — but the direction is spot on. Also I like my brisket options — lean vs fatty. Serve me the point everyday of the week.
I’ll be back for more. And hopefully next time the meat will be trimmed with a bit more TLC.

Solid lunch spot. Been there once so far. Had pork ribs, fries, and beans. Beef ribs, coleslaw and fries. And pulled pork sandwich with onion rings.
We all agreed that the pork ribs were excellent. I liked my pulled pork sandwich — there is coleslaw in the sandwich, so beware if you aren’t a fan. The beef ribs were tender and fell right off the bone.
Sides: My hubby thought the coleslaw was excellent. They had crinkle fries today, and we all would have preferred shoestring fries. The onion rings were delicious. My son thought the beans were a bit on the spicy side and would prefer a BBQ baked bean instead.
Overall we didn’t go away hungry. We loved that the sauces can be out on the side and hand added. Many times I skip sauce to avoid the sugar.
Sauces: we all liked both the KC and traditional sauces. The LW’s was runny and spicy, not a thick sauce.
The people were all friendly and the head chef took time to check in with us and even showed us the smoker in action in kitchen.

They JUST opened so I am leaving some room for improvement here.
They were VERY, VERY nice, which I much appreciated.
They give you two free wings just for showing up. Those were pretty good with a nice smoky flavor, but I wasn’t a fan of the sauce.
I asked them what to get, and they suggested the brisket, so I got that (seemed too thick), mac & cheese (decent), coleslaw (needed more flavor), and cornbread (I don’t think I’ll be getting the cb again). I wasn’t super impressed with anything… but again, they just opened; they may still be working some kinks out.
They have four sauces to choose from, which is a BONUS… but two of them don’t seem to be BBQ sauce? I didn’t get them, but they were classified as «Mongolian» and «Balsamic.» The two BBQ sauces were called «Traditional» and «San Diego Style.» I didn’t love either of them. Both seemed like they had too much vinegar (?).
I do love that they were very cool… and it is nice having a new BBQ joint in Clairemont. Let’s see what happens with the food over the next couple of months.
Welcome to town!
P. S. PLEASE edit your website. It is, um, a little «odd» right now.