Meat Up BBQ

Mac Attack fries are DANK, tri-​tip slider– dank, vanilla Porter — dank, service-​dank, prices-​dank, happy hour prices-​dank!

As somebody who grew in Kansas City and lived there for many years and also in Dallas, barbecue is my favorite food. I visited Meat Up after reading great reviews for the tri tip, as well as other meats. I was disappointed the Three Meat Platter is no longer on the menu. So, I got a trip tip dinner and an appetizer of the rib tips. The prices weren’t bad.
I was very disappointed in the tri tip. Compared to what I have eaten at other BBQ joints, the trip tip was dry and tough. I am used to super tender beef. While I am not a big fan of Lucille’s in Henderson, NV, their trip tip was much better. The Meat Up rib tips were quite good. Somewhat similar to burnt ends that are popular in Kansas City.
The side salad was nice, the gargonzola dressing was very good. The baked black beans were good, loved the molasses. The beer selection was nice, they had a Boulevard Beer from Kansas City on tap, which I loved.
Good food, I just have a high standard for BBQ.

The pulled pork was bland, the bar.b.que sauce was just ok. The brisket sucked, tasted like rubber and the mac n cheese had no cheese. best part like chilli. Go to blakes. I really wanted to like it, but it’s like the warmed up yesterday’s food. Overpriced for no taste

This place is so damn good, I can’t even tell you. I’ve been a regular here for the past 8 – 9 months and the staff usually knows my order just by seeing me. Always great quality and really friendly people working here. All the burgers are out of this world, but you can also get a grilled chicken salad if you’re looking to keep it a bit lighter. Shame on you Unilocalers for knocking this establishment for large portions and trying to be inventive with their menu, I’d give this restaurant 10 stars if I could.

This place is good. They have a small menu which usually indicates each item is crafted well. This is definitely the case, in my opinion.
I went in around 11:30 with three friends for early lunch. The place was clean and well organized. Not too many wall decorations, which I appreciated since many establishments overdo it these days. We were the only patrons for a bit and then a few others arrived as time went on. Most likely this was due to the time we dined.
The menu did not specify the difference between lunch and dinner item availability but the server informed us. A good selection of beers were on tap, alas I was on a lunch break from work. I plan to go back to try them!
Everyone in my party enjoyed their meals. I ordered the Rotten Richard burger. This was, hands down, one of the best and messiest burgers I have eaten. It consists of: a big beef patty, potato patty, chile verde pulled pork, garlic aioli, and cheese. The beef was cooked perfectly, juicy and well seasoned. The potato patty tasted like I had a big tater tot on my burger (that’s a good thing for me). The chile verde pulled pork was phenomenal! It was flavorful and the pork was so tender. I could have eaten a bowl of that alone!
You get a choice of BBQ dry rub fries or side salad for the burgers and sandwiches. I opted for the salad and was glad I did because they have a Gorgonzola-​Dill dressing that is wonderfully refreshing. I did try a French fry and that was also quite good. It was like eating a BBQ potato chip but better.
Definitely plan on going back here to try more. Will be bringing my family and telling my other friends to go!

Always Dependable Great Smoked BBQ Food. Tri Tip is always my favorite with the Dry Rubbed Fries!!!

BEST smoked pork in SoCal! Succulent and perfectly complimented with their addicting blackberry BBQ sauce. Their Mac Attack fries are INSANELY AWESOME and a MUST. And BBQ seasoning on the fries??? Salivating right now. I also love getting the Magic Mike but with more pulled pork instead of tri tip because PULLED PORK. And their rotating beer selection never disappoints! Friendly staff every time. Definitely a favorite, and great for football or hockey games (even if they are Kings fans, go Blackhawks! Lol)

Just ate lunch there, friendly staff, spacious for a little place, and ordered the Mac Attack Fries to go. Good stuff. I stole 1 rib from my buddy and it was good to.
I ordered via computer and got a receipt to my email. I also got a text to my cell that the order was placed. I also got a text to my cell that the order was ready… Great job!
I would go here again and try other items.

I’m surprised I hadn’t heard about this until now. My friends who live in Yorba Linda had their house warming party over the weekend, and we decided to grab some BBQ at Meat Up which was relatively close to their house. I don’t know exactly what we ordered, as my bf and his buddies did the ordering, but let’s just say we ordered a LOT of food and tried so many items on their menu that I can say that this place is a solid 4 stars in my book. It’s not the BEST BBQ I’ve had (that honor goes to Phil’s BBQ in San Diego), but it’s still pretty darn good. The highlights of the meal were the rib tips, feta fries, black beans, and baby back ribs. The pulled pork and sausage we got were just okay and the tri tip was probably our least favorite. Out of the sides, I probably liked the beans and chili the best. The mac and cheese was good too but nothing special… and the chili verde was good as well but for some reason nobody really ate it. The BBQ fries tasted like bbq chips, which I enjoyed… but for some reason their fries (even their feta fries) were kind of stale. Not sure if that’s just how they are, but the flavor was great.
I would return if I’m ever in the mood for BBQ and in the area.

Amazing Food Great Prices what else could you ask for? We will be back soon. Fresh Brewed tea super clean and friendly service

I’m no expert but…
First, the menu options are kind of unbalanced. The sandwiches and burgers are overly complicated for my taste. The best BBQ sandwiches I’ve ever had are simple– the bread, meat, and sauce do all the work. Here, each sandwich has more ingredients than the previous one. Same with the burger. This is just preference and I know people who do like them, but it’s not for me. With BBQ sandwiches, simplicity is key. The BBQ sauce is homemade (and taste good) and the meats here are smoked — why would you want to hide those flavors?
One the flip side, the classic sides are severely lacking variety. What they have is good, but they need more options, especially at the price points.
The staff is friendly. I’ve seen some reviews where people call them out, but that hasn’t been my experience. They’re not Claim Jumper all up in your business overly friendly, but they’re nice will help you out with what you need.
There’s a lot of potential for greatness here, but for me it hasn’t quite hit it. Some friends of mine disagree and love it here, so it really is preference based. BBQ and smoked meats are a religious experience and I’m just not quite on board with the doctrine here.

2^nd time around, and was not disappointed. The chile verde is some of the best ive ever had, and that alone makes the rotten richard burger phenomenal!
Also picked up a half rack of ribs, and was not able to finish the two items by myself… but i tried.
beer selection is excellent as well.

Decided to visit after monitoring reviews on Unilocal for the past year or so. I’m glad I finally did!
The portions are generous and the service is efficient (they were a tad understaffed on the Sunday night I visited) and the food is fantastic.
I really would like to say more, but all I really need to say is quit wasting your time (and money) at Lucielle’s and visit Meat Up!

Well… Hmmm…
Okay. I first came here when they opened. It’s been a few years. They have 25 taps with a good craft beer selection, but I prefer a Bud, Bud Light, Ultra or Shock Top with my BBQ. The IPAs, DIPAs, Reds & Porters are a little too heavy for my taste to grub on BBQ & drink beer. The chili was okay. No crackers, that was a bummer. Beef ribs were sold out, but no big deal. Also ordered the pulled pork sandwich which was «not dank» according to my son. The staff seems pretty cool. One worker was chugging his beer, one after the other while counting the register cash. Nice perk!

Great selection of craft beer and their BBQ is scrumptious!
I’m a sucker for smoked meat so I loved their chicken wings.
I need their recipe for the cornbread, SO f’n YUM, I could’ve made babies with it…

Comparing this to Phil’s BBQ, I wouldn’t think this is an alternative, but it an AOK stop for good food and beer for a decent price. There are other options that are really good like the Garlic Feta Fries, which are a must for this place at least once.
*Garlic Feta Fries: If you want some tasty fries that are different from the run of the mill cheese fries, these are a tasty option. These look simply made and there’s nothing wrong with that. Fried food with cheese is just what the foodie ordered. nothing complicated about this and its the simple things that make it good.
**St. Louis Ribs: This is probably the disappointing meat that I thought would be the better options. It wasn’t that tasty and not a lot of meat. More bones and less disappointment for me.
***Rib Tips: Rib tips are a much better option having more meat and just a little bit more juicy. I would get this over the other St. Louis Ribs
****BBQ Chicken: This is an AOK option if you like chicken. It’s nothing great about it. It is run of the mill from other bbq chicken I have in other places.
*****Tri Tip: One of the better options but still AOK. It was a good amount of meat and still had a good flavor.
******Bratwurst: I was pleasantly surprised by the option and would get this again. it’s similar to kielbasa texture and has enormous flavor.
*******Chili: The Chili is OUTSTANDING! I don’t see why they haven’t put chili cheese fries with this chili. It can probably match Tommy’s Chili, which I love so much. it was just a side, but it was thick and very heartful. These should be on fries immediately.

I’ve been a couple times and am not impressed. I have been to some of the best BBQ places in the country, and some of the best rated ones as well.
On my most recent visit I ordered the 4 meat sampler and found that the meat was plain without sauce. I could not tell it was smoked at all.
I thought the very sauce was OK, but everyone else hated it. The property sauce is also just OK. I had plenty of meat left over that I brought home and putting sauce from another restaurant improved the meat 500%.
I did not care for the beans at all. The fries are fries, probably Sysco.
I know my family disagrees with my opinion, but it is what it is. More than 1 visit to be confident in my review. I know I will be eating here again since for some reason the family loves it.

My husband and I came in hungry after visit to the Nixon presidential library in Yorba Linda.
We ordered 3 types of meat plate ($ 17 base) that came with 2 sides and 2 biscuits: we had tri-​tip (add $ 1) smoked chicken, Ribs (add $ 2) with Hellbilly chili & potato salad as sides.
Tri tip is good. 7 pieces. Well flavored, juicy. Get this. 4 stars.
Smoked chicken, mild smoke flavor, juicy. 3.5 stars.
Ribs. ½ rack give or take. 3.5 stars.
Sides are big, Hellbilly chili is thick. Potato salad loaded with bits of Crunchy bacon. Good. 3.5 stars.
I also ordered Feta garlic fries ($ 6): the fries were drenched in streaky globs of garlic aioli like sauce. I had feta on the side because my husband don’t like feta cheese. It’s a meal on its own. 4 stars
(This entry was written by my husband)

So when Garlicscapes and Viking food trucks had a baby out popped Meat Up BBQ. I would have been expecting a Nemisis corn brat injected with garlic. Oh some of the combos you could make from those two trucks. I was initially hesitant about going to BBQ joint spawned from garlic & sausages However the offspring MUB can proudly stand on its own two legs as a solid brick n mortar BBQ & Brew joint with a couple of twists.
DRANKS:
First off they got a pretty nice rotating craft beer selection. I counted 24 and was told that some other «locals» would be joining the line-​up. Not surprising as I have often found the two trucks at local breweries and brew fests. I had a tasty Victory Dirt Wolf DIPA. Recommend. Was hoping to try a couple others but I was soon overcome with a food coma. They keep a «live» tap list here. Http://​www​.mea​tupbbq​.com/​o​n​-​t​a​p​.html
FOOD:
Appetizer
Deep Fried Artichokes … Fresh artichoke pieces fried up until crispy and dusted in garlic seasoning. Served with a lemon, a garlic cream sauce, and garlic infused butter. Never had them like this before and they went well with the beer.
ENTREES
St Louis Ribs … Pork ribs n spares, smoked then fire finished with a light bbq glaze. While not a wholly smoke done rib these ribs were perfectly prepared for the fall off the bone crowd. I prefer mine with a little more «tug» to the bite. These were very meaty, my slab was good for two meals. They paired up well with the Cracked Pepper BBQ sauce as well as the interesting Blackberry BBQ Sauce. The smoke is good and not overpowering and the grill fired finish left them with a nice bark yet due to the cooking method no discernable smoke ring was evident. Still these were a solid 4.5****star rib.
3 Meat Tray … Pulled Pork, Smoked Bratwurst, & Smoked Tri Tip.
The Pulled Pork was very moist and had a nice hickory smoke flavor I really liked it with the Peach Habanero sauce. Would make for an awesome sammach! 4****Star
The Tri-​Tip was a bit overdone for my tastes. Maybe the flash grilling? Still it has a beefy flavor that any tri tip lover will enjoy. 3***Star
Smoked Bratwurst … I applaud Meat Up’s choice of sausage supplier. Mattern Sausages never let me down. And adding smoke to the already awesome brats then dipping these into the Peach Habanero Sauce was the trifecta for my taste buds. 4****Star
SIDES
Mac & Cheese … Mac n cheese made with shell noodles topped with herbs and bread crumbs. Yummers, it tasted even better the next day after the herbs (basil) had a chance to express their oils. 3.75***Stars
Baked Black Beans … Black beans, Tri Tip and molasses. Usually not a fan of black beans but these were fantastic. Beefy and sweet at the same time. The black beans were not dried out as they often get and contrarily moist and tender as was the generous tri-​tip chunks.4****Star
Bacon Potato Salad … Yukon potatoes, mustard-​mayo, bacon and pickle. My least favorite of the sides. Kind of a watery mustard-​mayo mix did not get my taste buds very excited. 2**Star
Chili Verde … Awww the pulled pork chili verde, tomatillos, mild peppers, seasoned broth. This was by far my favorite. Delicious green chili maybe better than my own. In the top 5 I’ve ever eaten. The chili’s had a strong yet not hot flavor that melded with the tomatillo’s and the pulled pork’s faint smokiness’ made for a hearty earthy flavor. This is a must get! I had to order a couple more sides to take home! 5*****Star You can bet I’ll be getting the CV fries next time.
SAUCES
3 BBQ sauces Peach Habanero, Cracked Pepper BBQ, and Blackberry BBQ. All three are tasty and each unique enough to couple up with the variety of meats offered.
SERVICE & ACCOMIDATIONS:
Pretty simple deal here. Find a table, grab a menu and pick a beer figure out your food order and then go place it at the counter. The food service was exceptionally quick. Appetizer in 5 min and Entrée in 10. We were checked up on several times and the beertender was very friendly and offered up tasters to help you decide what you like.
The joint is very clean (unusual for BBQ places) Bathroom was spotless too. Several flat screens for watching sports. May have to return for an NFL Sunday soon. 5****Star Plus its not too far from home.
You betcha I’ll return, many more things to try!

So this little BBQ joint opened up next to the Chinese take out place. It’s perfectly placed in the corner for late night drinking and hanging out. Same area as El Torito. The bar side of the restaurant is my favorite side, I wish they carried it over to the other half, but I get that they’re trying to be family friendly. That’s chill too! This place is competing with the BBQ joint down the street, for comparison purposes, it’s called Leadbellys BBQ. (I’ll start off by just telling you about Meat Up before comparing to Leadbelly.)
So we decided to share the three meat special (it’s on the back of the menu). We opted for pulled pork, tri-​tip, and chicken. I feel like those are pretty good representations of if a BBQ joint is good or not. We paired it with two side salads ($ 3 for the extra one) and a mac n cheese. Sides first: I super LOVED the garlic lemon salad dressing, but it is pretty much oil, just FYI. Probably even butter. Mm, so delicious. The mac n cheese was as expected, did not particularly stand out, but did not stay in the shadows either. It is of the creamy light colored variety, with breadcrumbs on it to boot. The textures for our sides were a great contrast to our meat dishes.
Now on to the meat and potatoes. Meat, anyway. The pulled pork was definitely lacking… Super disappointing considering pulled pork is one of the easier things to make. And not mess up. Disappointed. Yeah. Disappointing. It was dry and lacking in flavor. The tri-​tip was significantly better, perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection as expected at a BBQ joint. The star of the show though, the BBQ chicken. Man, the dark meat was good. The white meat was a little overdone (as with most chickens cooked whole)… Maybe they can cook it upside down and see if that helps. But definitely order the tri-​tip and chicken. :)
Comparing it to Leadbellys: Each one definitely has their strong points. I would say Leadbellys for pulled pork is the winner there. It was much juicier and tender. Really a pick, even so much time since trying it, I remember it! The tri-​tip was about the same, but if I had to choose, the award goes to Meat Up on that one. I didn’t get to try any chicken at Leadbellys, but I had the sausage, which is always good anywhere. (That one you definitely can’t mess up!)
TL;DR — Leadbellys for pulled pork, Meat Up for everything else.