Abbey’s Real Texas BBQ

We really wanted to like this place the people are really nice who work here.
Food: the brisket was a full of fat more than normal. The pulled pork was pretty good.
The baked beans were not good, the garlic bread was really greasy and didn’t taste very good.
The best thing was the salad, they put everything on the side like I asked them. That was really nice.
The onion rings were ok and the corn on the Cobb was ok.
I hope they get take care of the fruit fly issue near the ice tea machine.

I had the brisket sandwich today for lunch with potato salad and baked beans. Everything was good and tasty. I didn’t care much for the baked beans because they were a little vinegary. I like my beans a little sweeter.
I would definitely go back.

BBQ was good, though not great. Proportions were typically huge — this is America, after all. Sigh. After we ordered (me: brisket with coleslaw and potato salad; and husband: pulled pork with cole slaw and beans), we were told to help ourselves to chips and salsa at a small bar. We did. The salsa had BBQ sauce in it. I think it was just a bottled salsa (Pace, possibly) with their sweet BBQ sauce poured in it, and it was just AWFUL. Sorry, folks, this is a food fail.
The brisket was fork tender. Kudos for that. The potato salad tasted like Reser’s that you buy in the grocery store. I couldn’t eat much of it. Thought it was terrible. The coleslaw was okay, seemed fresh made, but I don’t know. For me, overall, it was not a good dining experience. Everything… EVERYTHING was sweet. There was nothing to in my meal to balance the sweet notes. If it was a song, it’d be monotone.
If you have a major sweet tooth and like Reser’s commercial salads, this may be the place for you.

I love this place WAY BETTER than Phil’s.
Abbey’s sauce is not as tart and way more yummier.
They also got this crazy ass spicy sauce bar and I love spicy!
Why go to a chain when you can get a mom and pop’s experience!

There are so many terrible bbq places. How do they stay in business? I don’t get it.
I ordered the #1 sampler with two sides (macaroni salad and potato salad) to go.
All of the meats were pretty dry. Specifically, the «sliced brisket» was cut into small rectangles and it was extremely bland and dry. No fat. No bark. It didn’t taste like it was even smoked.
The macaroni salad was okay, but it was a bit watery. The potato salad was horrendous. I took one bite and I couldn’t stomach another.
On top of everything, the prices seemed really high.
I was on my way to Burger King for lunch, but I changed my mind at the last minute because I smelled this place. That was such a bad decision. I would’ve preferred mediocre, cheap fast food.

AMAZING FOOD, great attentive staff, free chips and salsa. And the meat is cooked to perfection. Try the pulled pork sandwich. I could barely walk afterwards. I’ll definitely be back. Best bbq experience I’ve had in San Diego so far

This place has real BBQ. You can taste the smoke flavor in the meats and the sauce is on POINT! Sweet and tangy just right. The beef is always tender, never chewy. The pork is soft and has tons of flavor. The burnt ends are awesome if you really enjoy that BBQ taste.

Great food !!! Found this place on Groupon and this is the real deal. Owned and family operated with super friendly service. Owner served in Iraq and runs this business with all his kids. They lived in Texas so they know real BBQ. Décor is country along with the music and the noise level is a very moderate. All food is served family style with generous portions. Their signature BBQ sauces are awesome. If you’re in town and love Texas style BBQ check them out :)

This place totally reminds me of being in Austin: tasty BBQ, very friendly service. Horseradish on the condiment tray is a nice touch too.
They even offered to make a platter of smoked beef and chicken (which technically wasn’t on the menu as one of the combos, but readily did it to accommodate what we preferred). Bonus points for that.
Far better than Phil’s (where they drown the food in BBQ sauce). I still don’t understand why people line up for that place.

This place is just the best! Family owned barbecue place, great staff, very clean and professional, and their food OMG!!! OMG!!! My daugther loves their chichen barbecue, at home she would never eat it… lol and I am a pretty good cook!
Matt, the owner is a sweet heart, so dedicated and such a wonderful man!
GO to Abbey’s. best place in San Diego for Barbecue.

If you’re a fan of delicious BBQ, then come here!!! This isn’t Phil’s BBQ, IT’S BETTER!!!
Pros:
— Delicious smoked flavor on all the meats
— Delicious BBQ sauce that packs the right amount of heat
— Super helpful staff
— Spacious dining room
Cons:
— This isn’t a discount BBQ place, so you might spend a few bucks more here but the food truly does make up fir the difference.
Check it out if you’re interested in tasting what really good BBQ tastes like!!!

The subtle hint of woodsy smoke is one of the main reason their barbecues are so good and tasty. The brisket was tender and the pulled pork was tangy. We ordered #3 from the family package menu, that feeds 4 – 5 people.
There were 5 people in our group and we chow-​down. We thought #3 package wouldn’t be enough to feed our group; it was more than enough.
Their staff was very helpful and our order came fast. Get 10% off with Unilocal check-​in on your order $ 20 or more and 2 off on their Texas Chainsaw Sandwich.

Decided to check this place out and we were very pleased! Ordered the family meal #2 and it came with a whole chicken, pulled pork, brisket, hot links x’s 2 and for the sides we choose rice and beans. It also came with 5 garlic breads! All for $ 44.99 and I used my passport card and got 15% off and only paid $ 41. Can’t beat it! Check this place out!

Our first visit of many yet too come! 5 stars isn’t the highest rating I would give them. It would be more like 20 stars. We’ve recently relocated to San Diego from Texas, so as you can imagine we are still a little home sick. My husband saw the Groupon, then checked the Unilocal reviews and ratings. So here I am writing a review lol
The restaurant is hidden from the street, but not a big deal. It’s located next to the Denny’s, so it’s easy to find with the GPS.
When your walking towards the building, you can see all the Texas pride décor. Which obviously put a smile on our faces. You automatically smell the beautiful aroma of smoked meat once you walk in the door. And the sound of country music to help take you back home. And it smells goooooood :-)
We get to the counter and are greeted by Matthew the owners son. He is a very kind man, who takes a lot of pride in his father’s business. Just talking with him you can tell, he’s very proud of the legacy his Father is leaving. His father grew up in Texas-​San Antonio and Austin. He took his love of bbq and a family secret recipe and made it into a successful business. The family recipe is 35 years old. We didn’t get the ingredients, however, their family secrets are mouth watering good! There sauce has a ketchup base, (which we like), unlike a lot of other people who use vinegar. Abby works at the restaurant, the person who the business was named after :-) she’s very sweet.
Matthew gave us a VIP tour, as you can tell by the photos.
The portions are plentiful and the sides are homemade! I had the sliced beef brisket sandwich and my husband had the pulled pork, YUMMMY!!! And for you real Texans, they have Shiner Bock on draft! Can’t get any more Texan than that baby!
It’s good to know that a mom and pop BBQ place like this can survive the big city! Once you taste their food, you will quickly understand why.
We have definitely spread the word about this place.
Don’t forget to vote at
They are currently in 3^rd place, when in reality they are a 1^st place kind of place.

Haven’t had bbq in awhile and didn’t want to wait in line at Phil’s. This is close by my place and wanted to check it out. Love the environment inside. Really felt like I was back in Texas for bbq. We ended up getting the pork brisket bbq fries and beef ribs half slab with Cole slaw and baked beans. Brisket was a little bit tough didn’t melt in my mouth like the briskets in texas, but again we are in San Diego. Can’t complain too much. I actually like the beef ribs here more than the ones at Phil’s bc the sauce is not too tangy. Cole slaw was good but baked beans are definitely better at Phil’s. Really chill place to get bbq and very generous propotions. Would come back to try this place again.

I don’t give 5 stars very often, this place deserves it.
Owned & run by the same family for 35 years they’re serious about BBQ and proud to show you their custom built smoker from Texas.
The meat FALLS OFF THE BONE!!!
If you like smoked food get here — now. Great food, friendly staff and country music at just the right volume.
I’m so full but don’t want to leave.,

I’m a barbecue competitor and critical of any BBQ. This place has it down! Mom and pop run, cool comfy atmosphere, cold ass beer and some of the best Q I’ve had in San Diego county! (X rot for mine of course!)
I had a brisket sandwich and my bro had a pulled pork sandwich. Both were tender juicy and full of flavor!
Do yourself a favor and check it out at least once — you’ll come back!!!

Decided to have dinner there on a Saturday night. There was a small line, a couple people ordering in and a couple people picking up. I could not decide what to eat, so I said screw it, I am ordering a family pack so I can dig into more than one item and have some leftovers to take home. ½ slab of pork ribs, ½ slab of beef ribs, ½ pound of pulled pork, ½ pound of beef brisket and 3 sides (BBQ beans, macaroni salad and fries for my little on) and six garlic bread buns. When I was ordering I let the gentleman know that I wanted the brisket sliced. He stated, «yeah, it will be set up for you to eat». He misunderstood, or to be fair, I did not communicate what I wanted very well. I did not want it chopped, I wanted it sliced with the sauce on the side. What I was searching for was the all elusive smoke ring my Unilocal bud Steve– O said to aim for. I missed it, story of my life.
This BBQ meat was tender, tasty and comforting. The sauce was good. My order of preference has to be the brisket, pulled pork, pork ribs then the beef ribs. My wife was very pleased with the macaroni salad. The beans were ok.
Service was superb, I have to say these folks are very attentive and had some great personalities. They did not hesitate to turn off the large fans when I asked and provide anything we asked for even though they were on break.
The place was clean. There was a good vibe which helped us channel our inner carnivore.
With so much deliciousness, I am sorry to say there is room for improvement. Maybe not as much with the food but with how it is served. On this occasion the meat was served on the cold side. Then again, it was so much food I guess it had to be placed on a cold plastic tray. It would be better served on a heated metal tray. Same goes for the plastic bowls for the fries and beans. The fans do not help with the food temp, but I guess it is better than sitting there sweating while you eat. Also, I would have preferred to add the sauce myself. I really wanted to savor the meat.
All in all this place is a solid 4 stars. I will just have to be clear next time with my brisket. I am looking forward to using my check-​in discount next time.

This is by far my favorite BBQ restaurant ever! I look forward to eating here every time I’m in San Diego. This family owned and operated restaurant not only has the friendliest staff, but the care taken in the preparation of the food is evident from your first bite.
As for the portions, they are huge and you will never leave here hungry. Check out the photo I posted of the beef brisket sandwich and you will see what I mean. Did I mention this place is Zagat rated?!
If you are in or around San Diego and looking for the best BBQ in town, you definitely need to check this place out!

Had a brisket sandwich which was good but seemingly expensive at $ 11.50 including one side of very, very average (and exceedingly salty) beans — would not recommend. Not a fan of mayo-​based mac, potato salad or slaw and didnt want fried food or corn or carbs from the rice so went that route. Brisket was well smoked with a nice ring, not dry and served at a good temperature and well chopped with some sizeable pieces. Brisket is $ 3−4/lb wholesale so it seems a but steep, but BBQ does take labor. Bun was seriously dense and only ate the meat. Bun is likely 500 calories alone. Save those for some beer!
Place is kitschy which is what they are going for. Dirty dishes on about half of the tables detracted while acknowledging this is not fine dining.
Service was great. Everyone very friendly. They try hard but without trying more, I can rate the product as pretty darn good but with faults around the edges.

Great place to come when you’re hungry! The first time I came here I got the pork sandwich with cole slaw on the side and I’ve gotten the same thing ever since. It’s too good not to get! Havent tried their delivery yet, but it is always clean, fast service, and the meat that comes in your sandwich is really tender and high quality. They have beer too so glad that I found this place.

Our family loves this Barbecue place. The meats offered (they have ham which is my favorite) the sauce, choices of sides. The space is open and airy, with sports always on three large flatscreen tv’s. I have never had a bad meal here. Generous portions, easy to get to, why bother waiting in lines at other overly hyped BBQ in San Diego?

5 outta 5. Came here enjoy some BBQ before I leave the country. The hot link platter is simply amazing. Plus– they serve Shiner Bock!!!

The array of reviews is all over the place. I’d honestly like to see what would happen if the ones who love Abbey’s and the ones who hate it were all stuck in a room with a giant poster logo of Abbey’s to incite this conversation.
Since I really had no idea who to trust, I just went ahead and tried it myself.
It’s located in a random plaza along Miramar Rd. with a Denny’s and Taco Fiesta (which used to be Winchell’s Donuts, which will become California Burrito Company). Parking spots in fron to fit say there’s a 1-​hour limit, but I don’t think they really enforce that unless you purposely leave your car there for much much longer.
I walk in and pass all the tables to the back to order. It’s an order-​first-​then-​wait-​for-​your-​food-​then-​pick-​it-​up-​then-​seat-​yourself kind of place.
I got the beef brisket sandwich with potato salad and beans. I liked it all. Perhaps I don’t have an expert taste palette for barbecue, but there wasn’t anything about it I found to be bad. You haters almost scared me! But yeah, I enjoyed it.
Considering this was my first time here, I really can’t say I know this place like the back of my hand, because I don’t. I need to try more things. But so far, so good.
Happy Hour is 3−6pm. $ 1 off beers and starters.

My husband and I have been here three times and are always pleased. My favorite is the beef brisket and my husbands favorite is the pulled pork. Today I had family over from Texas and they were ready to criticize it, but had nothing but good things to say! The customer service is always so great as well. So happy with this place! :)

Amazing food great people and phenomenal service! Can’t wait to come back

Possibly the worst BBQ I’ve ever had. The brisket was cold, tasteless and covered in some ungodly excuse for BBQ sauce. The macaroni salad was just a pile of mayonnaise and the onion rings were cold.
The whole place was disorganized and run down. The specials sign blocked the menu sign so I couldn’t even read the menu till I got to the front. The soda machine wasn’t working, the ketchup bottles didn’t contain ketchup, but rather that same disgusting sauce that was slathered over the cold meat. There was chips and «salsa» for customers to eat while waiting for their food. Perhaps the owner is aware of the ridiculously long wait for food so he put in this makeshift salsa bar in hopes that people would be less pissed off. The salsa isn’t actually salsa but appears to be the same gross sauce in the ketchup bottles and on the cold meat. The person calling out the names of orders ready for pickup didn’t use his man voice so my food sat there for god knows how long without them making any effort to call my name again.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere casual and relaxing. There is always plenty of seating and very welcoming. You sit where you want and it’s casual and you don’t feel pressured to rush your meal like other places.
There are multiple flat screens all around. Great for viewing sports
Customer Service: the people there are friendly. The owners work there and are always helpful with your order and let’s you know what’s best for your money.
Food: the food there is great. I think it’s a lot better than Phil’s BBQ. The ribs taste better and it’s not over powered by sauce.
I’m happy that they have more choices for sides now.
My girls are not a BBQ fave when there is a lot of sauce so this place is great for them.
Price: the prices are great for what you buy. I like that they have a chip and salsa (BBQ sauce) bar. Kids love it.

I came here for a friends birthday diner. However i have never been to a BBQ place where they discouraged you from ordering the ribs.
I asked to order a half rack and was strongly discouraged by an employee from ordering them because they had very little meat. It could be maybe thats all they had left but when i go for bbq i want delicious meaty ribs.
Dont think i’ll be coming back as its a bit of a drive for me anyway.

This is the real deal!
I’ve had bbq in Georgia (where I lived for three years), Texas (where I traveled on business for 10 years), and all over the usa. This place deserves your attention!
My brisket sandwich was tender and yet had just the right amount of char on the sliced meat. The sauce was not too sweet, and yet had a slight tang.
My wife’s chicken was so tender, she used her fork to cut through. Awesome flavor.
This family business had been here for 34 years, so you know they are appreciated in the community.
Check in on Unilocal for a 10% discount. I’ll be back!

This is the best BBQ in San Diego! They are rated by Zagat! I love Texas style BBQ! It is not sweet! The taste of the meats really come through here! I got incredible Brisket, links and Macaroni /​drink for a reasonable price!
I love their Miramar location

Being from texas, I expect the best bbq in town. (San diego), let me tell you it is GOOD EATS! Try the sampler, both meats and their awesome carrots beans. Super good food. Texas style. I will be back.
Thanks alot abbys bbq!

I’m questioning my sense of smell these days after this experience.
Went to the phở place right next to it a week before and walked by Abbey’s… the smell of bbq really drew me to this place so I decided to come back to the area to try it.
I’m really disappointed… I got the sample plate of baby back ribs and chicken. The ribs were OK, I’ve had better. The MOST disappointing thing was how INCREDIBLY DRY the chicken was. I really couldn’t eat it.
Expensive for what you get.

What’s up with the ribs? It’s almost as if they where uncooked by how hard I had to bite into them. Even my knife had trouble cutting into the meat. Brisket was good though.