Bob’s Smokehouse

It’s hidden gem in San Antonio. It’s small dark and smokey. But the BBQ is one of the best in the city. Baby Bob is always in a good mood. He makes my day. I been going to Bobs smokehouse since I was a kid. They moved to FM 78 and it’s still something I can’t live without.

Best BBQ I’ve EVER had! Loved the pinto beans. The ribs and brisket were seasoned and cooked to perfection. The hospitality is great! We will be repeat customers!

We had the pulled pork and the chopped brisket sandwiches. The brisket is definitely the way to go. Both were very large, juicy, and tender. The pulled pork was a tad salty, but still good. It was slow when we ate, so we didn’t have to wait long. You can call your order in ahead of time if you want. Overall, good experience.

Ribs and brisket were great, the owners were really nice. Portions were large and ice tea just right. My coworker said the chicken was moist and flavorful.

This is a nice little family restaurant. The brisket was very moist and flavorful. The chicken was cooked to perfection and had very good seasoning. The sausage was average. The BBQ sauce had the prefect balance of sweet and spicy. The potatoe salad was yummy and my boyfriend loved the buttery corn. The service was excellent. Very welcoming and friendly. I will definitely come back for some more of that juicy brisket!

We had some to go while we were visiting our soldier at Ft. Sam. We wanted to relax in our hotel room. There was plenty of food. They were extremely friendly. Service was great. Pulled pork sandwiches were good. Pulled pork plate had too many hard edges that were inedible. Would eat there again.

Pork Ribs — Perfect
Brisket — Perfect
Pulled Pork — Perfect
Pinto Beans — Perfect
Potato Salad — Okay
Went to Bob’s yesterday. This ain’t no commercial BBQ. This is like BBQ you’d get at a friends house if your friend could BBQ. This equals BBQ I make at home and I know how to make BBQ. The only down sides are no beer and potato salad not that good. Luckily I already had a buzz on and I wasn’t there for the sides. I go to a BBQ joint to eat meat, not sides. The beans were surprisingly delicious though. I’ve never had them like that, but I’m a fan.

Hands-​down the best BBQ I’ve ever had! Bob serves up some genuine home-​cooked Texas BBQ and generously portioned delicious side dishes (I recommend the 3-​meat combo with pinto beans and potato salad w/​pickles and onions). And the homemade cobbler is always perfect. On top of that Bob is a genuinely nice guy and is extremely kind and down to earth. He can strike up a conversation with anybody and makes you feel right at home every time you come in. Great food, great owner… Can’t beat it! I highly recommend you check out Bob’s BBQ!

The BBQ rivals AL BBQ… in fact, I think it’s much better! The sausages are flavorful, the ribs are tender… and the brisket is so yummy! The BBQ sauces and seasonings are homemade which takes the flavors to a new level. I am so glad I found this place!

Decent flavor BBQ. Place was a little dirty for my liking.

I ate the best BBQ I ever had when I ate at Bob’s Smokehouse on Rigsby Rd. in 1991. It was across the street from a tamale shop. Bob’s, as it was affectionately called was already at legendary status to those on the Eastside of SA. Bob’s only true competition then was Jone’s BBQ. I had never heard of Bob’s or Jone’s. But, I quickly became a fan of Bob’s, especially the brisket, homemade sausage, and heavenly sauce. I learned that the Rigsby location also had other satelite locations on Fredericksburg Rd, and S. Presa St. or S. St. Saint Mary’s St. (close proximity to the King Williams District). My memory may be escaping me, but I’m thinking there was another restaurant as well. They were owned by Bob’s children and/​or his proteges. The Rigsby location also would sell Southern style cuisines (enchiladas, greens, smother pork chops, etc.) at a different counter in the restaurant. You could hardly ever walk out of any of these establishments without reeking of smoke. I thought I had been anointed by the BBQ Gods. I had a hard time trying to figure out the homemade beef sausage that they served. I was on the fence about it for about 6 months or so, then became a true fan of the complex sausage. It differed so much from the German influenced sausages that are commonplace in Texas. True BBQ lovers ordered by the pound and ate their meat with just bread, sauce, pickles, onions, and their drink of choice.
I joined the Army and was stationed at Ft. Lewis, WA in 1999. I craved good SW Texas food, specifically Bob’s. So, on my first trip home in 2001, I sadly learned that Bob’s location on Roland & Rigsby was closed. All the other locations had closed before I left San Antonio. You see, Bob died in 1994 or 1995 and his children began fighting over the enterprise he left them. The satelite locations, which were operated by the children/​proteges, closed within a couple of years of his death. The children would argue and carry on something bad in front of customers. This type of poor business sense was the possible one of the reasons why they all closed. The Roland location was the only location that remained open in 1998 when I left for the Army. I was disappointed and literally dreamed of this BBQ for years.
Well, my dreaming for almost 17 years is no more. After researching for BBQ before coming home for a visit, I came upon a restaurant called Bob’s Smokehouse. Oh no, I said to myself… could this be. I read what a reviewer said about what he learned about this location. It talked about a history similar to what I knew of Bob’s back in the day. It was enough for me to bookmark this place and make a direct beeline to once I got off the plane. When I got here, I learned that Robert «Bob», the current owner of Bob’s, was his protégé. «Bob» is NOT related to the original Bob. «Bob» explained how he worked for years with Bob and his family and learned everything Bob knew. He talked about his ties to Bremerton, which I found surreal.
Other, than being charged $ 55 for 2 sausage links, ½ a pound of brisket, ½ a pound of pork shoulder, ½ a pound of pork ribs (3 rib bones), a pint of green beans, a RC cola, along with the regular pint of sauce, pickles, onions, and white bread that usually accompanies BBQ… I say the reunion was joyous. The sausage was almost perfect. «Bob’s» hand was a bit heavy with the sage and it was more on the dry side. The sauce was exactly how I tasted it in my mind over the last 17 years. It had the subtle notes of orange and was perfectly sweet. Paired with the smokey, charred, salty, and unctuous brisket I thought I was having experiencing nirvana. I did not even try frigging it up with pickles or bread. «Bob» said that he didn’t want to be busy and only wanted to keep things small and not have such a large following as his mentor. The restaurant looked like a house that has been converted to a restaurant. When I arrived nobody was there. It’s an unassuming building behind a metal fence. It sits on a road that also has another gem of a restaurant. People in Kirby got it good.
I will be making a trip here every time I come home. For those of us in the know, past or present, I hope this place stays around for a good while.

I ordered ribs, sausages, and brisket. Extraordinary, hole in the wall smoked meats! The brisket was tender and moist. The sausages had a snap when you bit into them and a slight kick followed. The ribs were fall off the bone delicious. Really large portions so you might want to bring a buddy to share.

Great place. Love the brisket and pulled pork. BBQ sauce is made in house and tastes great. The sausage is also made by the owner and it’s hit and miss. First time I tried it it was very good. Second time not so much. The desserts are the bomb. I’m not a fan of mesquite smoked meats, but it’s done nice here. It’s a great hole in the wall and I love it.

For months I’ve past this location on FM-​78 but the gates were always closed when I drove by. I saw the gates open today and made a quick turn into the lot.
The outside looked presentable and clean. There was no OPEN sign visible, so I headed toward the door at the decking and the door was unlocked.
The sharp, intense smokey BBQ smell hits you as you enter (a very good sign). The dining area was small and to the left of the doorway is a very loud tv.
The fella who was there was friendly and volunteered information about the food when asked. He said they make their own sausage there. I decided on trying the 3-​meatleft plate to get a sampling of what they had.
I chose: brisket, sausage, pork shoulder with greenbeans & fries as my sides. I chose lemonade with free refills as my drink. He did tell me fries would take about 5-​minutes; that was ok. He asked if I liked bread, choices were wheat or white.
The lemonade was great! I usually prefer Chick Filet’s but this was mellower. The meats: sausage was drier than I cared for and seemed ‘crumbly.’ On the plus side, it had a moderate spiciness which was nice on the tongue without ripping out the tastebuds. Since I had asked for sauce on the side, I dunked what I needed into the styrofoam cup. The brisket was surprisingly good with a nice char and little to no fat. The pork shoulder was flavorful and not greasy at all!
The sauce had a sharp, very smokey quality with just the right amount of sweetness. I liked it! On the plate were some sliced white onion and pickles.
The ‘sides’: the greenbeans were okay, even with the bacon in there it wasn’t too salty; went well with the meal. My fries came in a small cardboard basket. They were lightly seasoned, crinkle-​cut but tasted like they were filled with day old grease. I left half of them uneaten.
The white bread slices I got were wrapped in a paper napkin but the bread was dry and crumbled when I tried to make a sandwich.
Desert looked promising (peach cobbler) but I was pleasantly full; next time.
This was my first visit and I plan to pop-​in again sometime. I think I’ll pass on the fries but overall, I enjoyed my visit!

We had Bob’s smoke our turkey for us this year and it came out 7 pounds lighter and extremely dry and over cooked. Never again!

Pretty darn great. Kind of a medium sized place, about the size of two double wide trailers put together with a smokehouse on the end. I got the brisket and pulled pork with bread and potato salad. The brisket was very good, but I would have liked a bit more flavor… Though I might have ruined it by eating it wit the bread. The pork was delicious as well, and comes with a sauce automatically on top that was pretty good on its own.
The owner is a super nice guy, be sure to take his dessert recommendations of the day on your way out. I didn’t know what a chocolate squirrel was before now, but it sure was good!
Note: typing the address into a Garmin will lead you to the wrong spot. Bobs is in a very obvious place along the highway, either on the left about a ¼ mile past or on the right about a ¼ mile before where your Garmin will lead you, depending on where you’re coming from.

I really like Bob’s smokehouse! The prices are affordable. The food is flavorful and like the sign says «if you don’t see smoke it aint bbq.» Ive tried many local bbq restaurants and none can compare to Bobs

I tried Bob’s Smokehouse for lunch today and it was pretty tasty. I have fond memories of the old Bob’s Smokehouse at it’s former Roland + Rigsby location (now The Smokehouse, not as good as it used to be) but had no idea that he had reopened in a new location until I read Adam G’s review. The location is pretty out of the way in Kirby on FM 78 between I-​35 and Gibbs-​Sprawl Rd across the street from the UP train yard. It’s housed in a triple wide and the inside setup is kinda strange, it feels like you’re eating BBQ in someone’s living room and not a restaurant — I’ll definately be getting my food to go next time. Evidently Bob no longer owns this place either, «Baby Bob» is the proprietor according to the to-​go menu I picked up on my way out…
Anyway — here’s the breakdown of the Q
Brisket — 5 star — moist, tender, good smoke ring, nice smokey flavor
Pork Ribs — 4.5 star — moist, falling off the bone, a little more rub and it’d be 5 star
Sausage — 3 star — all beef, a little dry, wouldn’t get it again
Sides — 2 star — the slaw had so much mayo that it was inedible and the potato salad was very basic
Sauce — 3 star — solid but nothing special — I wish they wouldn’t have put it all over everything, next time I’m getting it on the side…
The only tea they had was sweet tea, which kinda pissed me off (no I don’t want Diabetes, thanks)
The brisket and ribs are some of the best in town though — I’ll definately be back!

Moron alert! Moron alert!
I consider myself an official charter member of both the Terminally Clueless as well as The Tragically Naïve clubs for not knowing about Bob’s Smokehouse before now. My only consolation is that I know about them now and I will visit them quite often.
Many of us know the Bob’s name which has been synonymous with great cue since 1973 (according to their history) on Roland and Rigsby for many years. After pulling out of that location (now just The Smokehouse) Bob took his smoking skills, honed in Waelder, Tx, to this small outpost east of Ft. Sam Houston on FM 78 just before Ackerman. Don’t let the Kirby address fool you, this location is only about 6 miles northeast of downtown. By the way, did you catch the name of the town Bob learned his craft in? That’s right, a Czech town. That should be your first clue.
Like all of the great BBQ joints in east and central Texas, Bob’s sits unassumingly along the roadside in a triple wide set upon a dirt and gravel lot with grandaddy’s legendary bituminous hotbox puffing away out front. The star of the show taking center stage. Inside the trailer houses a few communal tables, a walk up counter and the meat cutter’s area all in full view. Dr. Pepper menu display board of two toned pegs on slots from your childhood (ahem, not u gen y), 7-​up cakes, mini pecan and sweet potato pies, and peach cobbler spread across a card table, all await you as you step up to the counter to order.
The best smoked brisket in the city! Bar none!
Expertly charred spices on the edges, elegant pink smoke ring along the rim and melt in your mouth tender. Marbled end offers a perfect ratio of fat to meat and coupled with the sweet molasses based sauce on white bread provides a moment of thanksgiving for such a fine meal.
Make the trip and order from the marbled end, you will be so glad that you did.
I might not have to make day trips to Luling anymore.