Lightning Jack's BBQ

near Pacific Theatres
on Clairemont Mesa Blvd

People have naturally set up towns along the rivers, lakes, and seas. Fish and game could be hunted, crops could be grown and harvested. It was life-giving. As we have "evolved" into what we perceive to be a higher race, we now now gather along the edges of shopping malls to be entertained by movies, spend money on trinkets made in China, and consume average, poorly prepared food from the same restaurants we saw at the last mall ventured to. My how we've grown.

Situated on Clairemont Mesa Blvd along the banks of the Pacific Theatres, a name other than Daphne's and Rubio's stands proud, emblazoned with a flash of lightning. Enter Lightning Jack's! As I walked towards bright neon lights I heard cries of hormonal teenagers, outraged by the unfair grounding of innocent friends and the hope of liberation on Monday.

This was a solo mission, so the kind, smiling people behind the counter were a welcome sight. Low on flow I thought I would just get to business: smoked brisket sandwich and water. As I waited I looked upon a charcoal drawing that I liked could be none other than Jack himself. A somber man. His place was modestly decorated, well-lit and unoffensive. "Turn your face away and walk backwards towards me! Keep going, keep going, keep going.. down one knee, face on the floor" the TV balked.

"Brisket, boss" he said as he handed me a tray. "Thanks." Well, no surprises here. An upgraded BK bun slightly toasted with corn meal sprinkles, filled with tender, sometimes fatty meat with no bark or smoke ring, slathered too generously with KC Masterpiece.

Mediocrity at it's best - we've perfected it.

C

Huffman's BBQ

5039 Imperial Ave

San Diego, CA 92113

I must admit I feel like quite a fool. For a while there, I was railing on Good Bro #2 to go to Huffman's because I heard that this place was "good stuff." Every time we would look at the list to choose our next barbecue adventure I would throw in, "Hey, don't forget about Huffman's, we still have to give that a shot." Knowing what I know now, I think that putting my foot in my mouth would probably taste better than eating there. Just take a look.

Was it the over-sauced ribs that put me off or the gumbo that looked like it says "Hi, you just paid $5 to lose you lunch." Try the chicken gizzards and tell us all about it, I don't think I can justify spending my money there.

Rated G for Grossness

The Wrangler BBQ Pit

1644 E Valley Pkwy

Escondido, CA 92027

Wait a minute, now didn't we review this already? I'm sure our attentive and loyal reader might say. Yes, we did in fact review The Wrangler down in El Cajon, however, this one is in Escondido. You see, back in the 1960's a man had a vision - this one was not LSD inspired - it was inspired by smoke. No, not that kind of smoke, but oak and citrus. There was even a Wrangler in PB that has now recently closed. To add to the confusion, there's a number of restaurants that are called "The BBQ Pit" all of which have very similar recipes while having only the some variations on the menu items.

Opening door and walking in will cause the cow bell to jingle, which is a quaint and nice touch because in the words of Bruce Dickenson, "I gotta have more cowbell!" A look to your left and you will see a little decoration that says, "Pig Knuckles" and "Welcome Friends" I'm feeling the warm and fuzzies. That might be just because I've had experience going to other places like this and have survived. Most people seem to require having a color pendant lights hanging from the ceiling and French or Italian posters set against richly painted walls, with the latest cool music playing and their CD's conveniently available for purchase at the counter. Not here, the Andy Griffith show was playing on the TV.

The florescent light wagon wheel chandeliers are standard Wrangler issue. The white cinder-block walls have been infused with the smell of smoke, and the men's restroom has a broken roll and buns Toastmaster. If in Italy, tourists would refer to this as homely and charming. Here we call it, ghetto. It is very ghetto, being located in a forgotten strip-mall that should have had a bowling alley. Most of clientel seem like they remember the hey days of the Wrangler when it was much newer, going here by loyalty or habit over several decades.

I walked past the counter towards the back in search of the restroom. A cook looked over as I passed by and said "down past the smoker and to the left." The smoker! There's no doubt about it here, they know that a smoker is not a person violating code in California. There it was, set there over 40 years ago and still doing it's job. a gas line fed the bottom and the door was open while the guy was getting ready to load it up with more wood. "How long is the meat smoked for?" I asked. "about 16 hours," he answered. I thought wow that's serious. The rack to the right of the smoker had a few briskets waiting to be served. I wonder how long they sit there? They're probably drying out.

Well, in fact that is just what they are doing. Sadly, without a constant flow of people the meat might be dry. Somewhat strange is that neither the pulled pork or beef had much flavor to it. The light sauce was sweet and tangy. The baked beans however did - I must say that the beans is the bright spot here. Rich, dark and and bold, there was more smoke in the beans than the meat. They did take the time to toast the buns and that was nice of them. I guess when it comes down to it, that's what stands out. It's a place with some nice people and some barbecue.

C

Good Bro. #2
Deja vu. We're here at the Wrangler again, only it's in Escondido, not El Cajon. It's a good thing we didn't stick around here for too long. I felt myself aging rapidly as we sat eating our meals. It must have been the combination of the red checkerboard table cloths, country crafts decorations, the old run down nature of the place, and old reruns of The Andy Griffith show on the TV. I'm not ready to retire yet! Time to go. Let's get rollin' to the next BBQ review.

PRIMO'S

Well this one is actually not a BBQ joint it's a marketplace. The smoke that comes rising from this little place was what lured us to check it out but that was a mistake and Good Bro #2 will have more to say about that.

Famous Dave's

303 Vista Village Dr
(at Vista Way)
Vista, CA 92083

This one famous chain that started as an Adirondack Lodge on Big Round Lake in Hayward in 1994. Dave was obsessed about barbecue. Before then, for 25 years he visited as many barbeque joints as he could, "From the neighborhood storefront BBQ shacks in Memphis, Kansas City, and Chicago, to the backwoods smoke-houses found in the Southern foothills of Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee the Carolinas, and finally, to the huge mesquite pits of Texas." Dave talks of barbeque like it's his religion and in this respect his is definitely a fundamentalist, believing "that there is no other way to smoke good "cue" than to first hand rub each slab with a blend of southern spices, then slow smoke 'em in a pit of smoldering hickory." Rightly so, for as complicated this is to find good barbeque, the solution is really found in simplicity and good fundamental technique.

The location in Vista is a behemoth. The front section holding the sign is as big as some of the barbecue shacks that I have visited. Conviently located off the 78 in a newer shopping center it stands shoulder with the likes of CA Pizza Kitchen. Outside, the fire truck red catering truck waits outside for the desperate caller in need of barbeque. As we stepped in, there were two greeters who kindly asked if we would like to sit in the garage. "Garage?" we asked, "You have a garage?" "Yes, it's actually more of a bar," she answered. "We would like to sit next to the smoker," Good Bro #2 said. A perplexed look fell over the girl. Our request must have fell out of the normal range of questions that they have been trained for. We let it go for almost 10 secs hoping that she might figure out that we were not referring to a non-existant smoking section in California, but an actual smoker that should be present in a barbeque establishment.

From the outside to the inside, this restaurant is splashed with a revived, reprinted, some authentic images and artifacts of Americana complete with a hunting trophy over the mantle. Now the menu is just as complicated. This restaurant if full-service from appetizers to soup & salad, a choice of 5 sauces, to fish, sandwiches, chicken & burgers, it goes on. We had to regroup, Dave's has award-winning St. Louis Style Ribs so we got some of that and the Texas Manhandler that would give us a taste of brisket and hot links.

The spice rub was present. The sauce that was on the ribs were actually cooked onto them, sadly, that's a first on the gauntlet that we've been through. Tender meat with good flavor, the ribs are best consumed without the addition of more sauce, the smoke flavor was evident without being overwhelming. I pulled some brisket off the sandwich and took a taste. It's a pleasant experience much like the ribs, the hot link was lively with a nice kick of heat. I may have become distracted with the hot link because I saved a piece to finish my meal with that flavor. Through the sandwich, I tried a bit of each of the sauces: Georgia Mustard - with was very vinegary, Texas Pit - which was like Rich and sassy but with a strange heat in the beginning, Rich and Sassy - the thickest of the group you can taste the pickling, Devil's Spit - which basically means you like to ruin your food with hot sauce, and whatever the last one was. In the end my mouth, was a mess of flavors, and I accomplished finishing a sandwich on a soggy BK bun.

The sides are good. That is, if you like cornbread incarnated as a muffin and texture like a Duncan Hines cupcake. I think that this would be better with frosting and some sprinkles. There was something else that reminded me of apple pie filling, the mashed potatoes were thick and heavy and not a standout. Entertained by the environment, pleased with the ribs and hot links, felt the downward spiral on the sides, left feeling sick by the sauces; this was a rollercoaster I wouldn't take the time to drive to again.

C

KBs BBQ

Carlton Hills (near the library)
Santee, CA

We heard the rumor that a new BBQ place opened up. Arms wide open, we trekked over there to embrace a new family member. We pulled into the shopping center looking for smoke signals, but saw nothing. Are we in the right place? Then we spotted the sign, KBs. Now there’s no law on the books that says that a BBQ place has to look like an old west saloon, and this place is thankful for that because it looks more like an Elvis museum that was ripped from it’s foundation by a tornado and landed in Toon Town.

A few questions about the menu items here gave us the impression that the counter folk at KBs don’t know a whole lot about BBQ. Being dinner time and all though, we decided to order up and pull up a chair. The wait for our food was not the real disappointment. Let’s just say that I try to un-remember unpleasant food experiences, like the times my mom tried to force me to eat eggplant casserole as a kid.

BBQ appeals to a lot of people, and KBs may appeal to some, but not the Good Bros. Elvis has left the building.

D

The BBQ Pit

2388 Fletcher Pkwy
El Cajon, CA 92020

This place must have come from the same BBQ wagon train trail as the Wrangler Family BBQ. The décor here is very similar, but less interesting.

I took this order to go. I was eager to get a taste once I got home. All is not good brother. The beef brisket was kind of moist and tender, but was totally missing the smokiness. Same goes for the chicken. The white styrofoam container that I thought must be the BBQ sauce, really wasn’t. Thin, pale, and lacking zest, like an old hermit living his days in a rundown ghost town.

If you’re on the BBQ trail, don’t follow the “Dead End” sign that leads you to The BBQ Pit.

D

Wrangler Family BBQ

901 El Cajon Blvd.
El Cajon, CA
www.wranglerfamilybarbecue.com

You all know those restaurants that really try to look like a 50s style diner. Well this place doesn’t need to try to look old. It really is! The décor here isn’t 50s, but I’d say 60s classic cafeteria/western. This theme is supported by the authentic wagon wheel lighting hanging from the ceiling with light provided by compact fluorescent light bulbs. Look around the place and you’ll see other visual cues that support this theme. The cafeteria style tables and chairs, the scuffed wood siding, the animal heads mounted on the walls, and the white on brown color scheme. This place could probably qualify for a spot on Antiques Roadshow.

If you haven’t made a run for the door by now, then that means you really like BBQ and you want to give this place a try. Okay, so I’ve been to this place before, so it wasn’t much of a shock to me. Good Bro #1 however must have hit sensory overload because of his non-stop hiccups right about the time we were going to place our order. So I order my grub and Good Bro #1 is unsure. So he asks the guy holding a knife behind the counter, “What do you recommend?” The guy flips the knife around and says, “We got ribs, we got brisket, we got ham. It’s all good brother.” So we both end up ordering some combination platters. All is good.

Eating was a mixed bag here. We both agreed that the ham was pretty good. It had the smoky smell and taste that we were craving. Although the brisket did have some slight smokiness to it and wasn’t dry, it wasn’t enough to really impress us. The ribs had a decent flavor and char on them, but still not the best. BBQ sauce had decent flavor, but I’ve tasted better. Side dishes were also “just okay”.

Stand out in the parking lot of Wrangler Family BBQ after dinner and you’ll be treated to the smell of real wood smoke. While your nose will be in Heaven though, your eyes will be telling your brain that it’s time to go because the view from the parking lot is not very scenic.

C

Abbey’s Real Texas BBQ

6904 Miramar Rd Ste 211

San Diego, CA, 92121

For those of you who can’t get enough of Abbey’s BBQ there are actually two. This one serves the military in the Miramar area. Or at least that’s what I could tell from the photos on the wall. Groupings of signed glossys of yesteryears’ Playboy playmates were on the wall furthest from of them the counter.

Interestingly enough, there was once a connection between the original Mirarmar Abbey’s Real Texas BBQ and the Clairemont Mesa Abbey’s Texas BBQ. Today the two stores operate independent of each other but the decorating style (sans the aforementioned embellishments) and the taste are somewhat similar.


I had the ham sandwich with beans and it – well, there’s just not that much to say. No smokey flavor to be had in the meat. It wouldn’t merit holding it up to your nose like the Wrangler version of ham. The beans had some spice but the taste and texture were still bland. I can’t stand it, this one’s done for me. Good Bro #2 you can continue this…

D

Brett's BBQ

10550 Craftsman Way, #185
San Diego, CA, 92127 in 4S

So I had to leave work and just head out to the 4S Ranch and check this one out myself. Good Bro #2 was busy bee-ing a tool for the time being. I can't blame him, he just had some B grade meat and chickless on Saturday so maybe he was a little burned out. Heck, I had some chicken wings cooked up by my cousin just the Wednesday before, you don't see me getting weak about getting some BBQ? Do ya? I'll have to deal with him Good Bro #2 later.

Back to Brett's and I'm pulling up and I can sense the light smell of smoke as I push open the front doors. Hmm... not bad, a look around and I see a bunch of old posters - I take a special note of the young BB King poster. The wall was littered with replica antique signage and framed vintage posters of Americana, stubbled with brick veneer. Construction these days - nothing's real. I only accept that kinda stuff at Disneyland, but hey, this is an upperclass strip mall.

A pretty good selection of meats: pork, beef, chicken, ribs, burger if you are under 12. There were indications as to how many hours each meat is smoked they max out at 14. Sides are classic fare: fries, potato salad, corn bread muffins, hush puppies and the like. The prices felt like I was being robbed so went for the cheapest decent eats a self-respectin man could get - pulled pork sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries! The fries were done perfectly light and crispsy, not a soggy one in the bunch. The sanwich was stacked with pork so I picked a piece out and took a whiff - lightly smokey - got a taste - OK - little dry, next piece, dip it in the sauce - better. Picked up the sandwich and all the piggies came tumbling out the bottom. Took a bite to keep me busy while i put everything back in place.

"Creeeeeek!?!" I turned around and took a look. Someone walked through the swinging saloon doors to the restroom. I saw there was another one leading to the kitchen. Hey, it that a sink in the dining area? Yes, yes it is. Good touch, definitely will be using that a little later. After the distraction I got back to business - the pork was a little dry, taste was good but I almost wanted more kick. The sauce was needed and it was nice that they put some on the sandwich and then gave you some in a container to add to your liking or dip. Although the sauce was not as good as Phil's it was pretty good. Seemed a a tad too light but it still did wonders. An occasional fry to mix it up and lemme-tell-ya-wut: still not a soggy one in the bunch! Perfect fry technique!

Updated: We got some flak for not updating this particular post (I guess no one really saw that we posted Brett's BBQ: Revisited) But just to set things straight, we have changed their grade from C+ to CERTIFIED!

I went to Jimbo's later to look around for some flour and I could still smell the smoke on my hands even after using the sink at Brett's. i would say that's a good thing.