Huffman’s Barbeque & Catering

So sad to have learned long time ago that this place had closed down.
This used to be a regular spot of mine when I used to work and live in National City. They had some of the most delicious gumbo I have yet to taste. And believe me; I have tasted several gumbos since I love eating Soul Food. It’s probably because it’s American food and feels right at home with me since I’m American before any other nationality of my ancestors.
Oh well maybe people just don’t get this food because it was the cuisine of poor folks back in the day. But if you ask me these were real modern chefs during their best with what they had to work design food this tasty.
I usually stuck to eating the gumbo, ribs and fried seafood all while sampling the majority of their sides.
Really wish this place could have stayed open since it’s hard for me to feel comfortable walking into any other soul joint since I’m white and I’m not from the South. Somehow this place made me feel welcome.
Loved the fact they had pictures hanging on the wall of celebrities that had ate here. My favorite was Ike Turner since word was he ate here on the regular. True musical legend in my opinion. If you haven’t already heard Ike Turner and the King’s of Rhythm album A Black Man’s Soul then check it out cuz that is as raw funk as you can get.

So, so so sad to see you go! I was unpleasantly surprised when I passed by this afternoon to grab a few fried drumsticks.

It was so sad I stopped by tonight to get some awesome fried chicken and there was a sign in the window stating they would close on Jan 22. I’m gonna miss you Huffman’s!
There is info about the closing here:

So glad I went out of my way to finally try this San Diego institution. No frills, just emphasis on real good food. The beef ribs were fantastic, the yams are incredible and the Sweet Potato pie was great. So was the service, very friendly.
Pics on the walls of the founder with Ali, Foreman and other notables are kinda cool.
It’s an old place in an old neighborhood, but I know now why it had been around for so long.

This was my first time here. After hearing much hype about this establishment I have tried it and let me say one thing.
SAHARA DESERT DRY BEEF RIBS.
I love beef ribs and this establishment ruined it for me. The beef ribs were extremely tough to eat and the BBQ sauce was lacking. After several Unilocal reviews mentioning the same issue with huffmans beef ribs I ignored those warnings and being a firm believer in trying something before judging the place I went regardless. Boy was I meant with disappointment. Please save your money and do not get the beef ribs.
Aside from the beef ribs my girlfriend got fried chicken, Mac and cheese and greens. All 3 were good but nothing special to warrant coming back to this establishment. I will forever be wary of ordering beef ribs at a new establishment due to huffmans.

Pfft, not a sketch area at all — at least not in the daytime, of course.
Parking wasn’t an issue, but I assume it’s never an issue because whenever I pass by, the parking lot is empty (or close to it). I don’t see why it would be though! If you pass this place up you’re definitely missing out!
The woman who helped us was very friendly. I liked her. I think she liked us too because we went all out on getting food from here.
Ordered the BBQ Combo Plate. Although it’s around $ 15, you get more than enough food, mos def. It’s THE plate to share — it’s more than enough for two people. Bring a friend. Bring a date. Bring your dog. Whatever. Just bring someone and chow down on this barbeque sauce-​drenched deliciousness. The BBQ Plate included a couple of pork ribs, a few beef ribs, one hotlink, some slices of bread (to pick up that leftover sauce, can’t waste a good thing, guys), and two sides of your choosing. We got the mac ‘n’ cheese and greens (finally popped my collard greens cherry and I’m very satisfied). We also ordered a few extra hotlinks.
The ribs were so tender! The meat fell right off the bone. Very saucy, but add their hot sauce for that little extra kick. The hotlinks were juicy. The macaroni was cheesy. And the greens were. green. We ended up taking our last three ribs home. Ordered a little sweet potato pie to take home too. Definitely comin’ back for the chicken I’ve been reading about.
The place itself is plain, but very clean. The sign showing the prices from back in the day was insane — around 1.50 for a rib dinner? I wish I lived in those good times. If I did, I’d probably be super obese though.
I think I’ll end up going here at nighttime eventually.

This place was better 10 years ago… it’s a SD fixture. If your in the area dip in and grab some ribs and soul-​food. Check out the pictures on the wall… even Bill Clinton rep’s this joint.
This place was on-​point long ago… I like how ghetto and hard core this joint is… it’s pretty much awesome that you won’t find a weak hipster here… because there is not wasabi-​foam-​tater-​tots and they’d be to scared of the hood to get some hard core soul-food…I hope they start to bring it back to the way it was back in the day.

I had the BBQ beef ribs and they were terrible. They were not tender, definitely not fall off the bone and not smoked.
If you’ve ever had bbq beef ribs at Old Country Buffet or HomeTown Buffet, then that’s what you can expect here. No exaggeration. They probably roast the ribs at 450 degrees for two hours and slather on a boring tomato paste based sauce. This is not BBQ.
I will post pictures soon. There were knots of meat stuck to the bone and none of the connective tissue had been cooked soft.
If this place is a great SOUL food (fried chicken, greens, chittlins…) restaurant, then they should change the name.
This review has nothing to do with the neighborhood. Some of the best BBQ is in bad neighborhoods. This is just bad BBQ.
If you’ve had bbq in Texas or anywhere in the Southeast, do not come here. You will be disappointed.

Ok first of all i ordered 2 piece fried chicken, french fries, fried okra, sweet potato pie, greens adnd corn bread muffin all for $ 10.62.
The chicken was good crispy and flavorful. The fried okra was good. The breading could use a little more seasoning. The corn bread was nasty. I would have much rather had jiffy. The fries sucked. Frozen fresh out the bag kind. The greens were good, and the sweet potato pie was delish, but a little dry. All in all it was good. I’d go back.

So I’m getting all dolled up for my 2^nd date with New Guy.
Make up? Check.
Hair? Check
Cute outfit? Check
Pair of really hot heels? Check
Matching Coach bag? Check
Lip gloss for a reapplication after dinner? Check
Hello Kitty Debit Card so I can pretend that I actually want to pay? Check
As I wait for New Guy, I think of where he might take me. Perhaps he’ll go with a traditional Japanese place like Dokoro Shirahama? Or a fancy Italian restaurant like Baci? New Guy arrives and we take off.
New Guy: I know you date a lot so I wanted to take you to a place that’s a little out of the box.
Me: Oh cool! Yeah, I’m pretty adventurous when it comes to food so I’m up for anything!
Aw.he’s thoughtful and original, I think to myself. Maybe we were going to get Ethiopian? 15 minutes later, we pull into a parking lot with a florescent sign that says Huffman’s BBQ.
Me: Uh… so are we lost or something?
New Guy: Nope, this is the spot!
I look out the window and see a group of shady-​looking guys yelling at each other on one side of the parking lot. Maybe I should have left the lip gloss at home and replaced it w/​pepper spray instead. Well, this place IS «out of the box».
A neat lady takes our order. I ordered gizzards, baked beans and greens. New Guy gets a 3 piece fried chicken, fried okra and a hot link for good measure. We sit down and I’m able to take a good look at the place. Huffman’s is pretty empty except for a few benches and tables for seating.
Me: Nice décor they have here.
New Guy: Yeah, this spot’s pretty bare bones, but the food is out of this world!
Me: Not totally bare bones; the drinking fountain is a nice touch.
The food arrives quick and portions are huge. Deep fried, perfectly seasoned and smothered in gravy, Huffman’s gizzards are like little crunchy bites of heaven. The BBQed hot link and chicken were also delicious and tasted better smothered in some hot sauce, but the baked beans with pieces of bacon swimming around stole the show. To top off our meal, New Guy gets us a sweet potato pie.
I couldn’t stop smiling during the whole meal and had stopped listening to New Guy talk after the 1^st bite. My taste buds, stomach and mind were completely concentrated on my food. Each bite was better than the 1^st. What do they put in this stuff?! MSG? Crack? Or maybe just lard… Whatever it was, it was good!
At the end of the meal, I find myself looking at New Guy with a new found sense of appreciation. This man knew good food. I make a mental note to return to Huffman’s soon… just during the day time. I don’t want to get shot.

The scene:
Papel (white as paper) enters Huffman’s.
Lady behind the counter, munching on her fingernail, looks up and casts a disheartening look at Papel. «You ready to order? Whatcha want?»
Ummm…not sure give me a minute replies Papel.
«well, You is just going to have to wait a minute then, I am going to take a break.» whips out cell phone and starts a loud and very interesting conversation that I had to listen to for the sheer enjoyment of her story telling skills…
This place is for realz. The food is good, ain’t no Sister Pee Wee’s but a fine establishment in it’s own right. I could care less about the service or ambiance. I love this place for what it is. Good soul food and an authentic BBQ made with love. Plus they have chitlins.
Oh and an excellent spot to take a lady out on a date. Not sure if it is a first date spot, I have been informed that it is not. You might want to see if she can handle… a little excitement and a little «dirt» in her life. It is a good barometer to see if your little princess has some soul.

Under 25 reviews for this place? C’mon, y’all…
I used to come here back in my Lemon Grove days, but I suppose gangbanging and drive-​bys tend to keep people without valid ghetto passes out of the hood [especially at night]. I suppose dudes wearing beanies and bomber jackets just hanging out in the dark can appear sketchy.
The only thing flashy here is the sign

. Everything else is simple and basic. Just good Southern style bbq and comfort food here. My choices tonight were the hot links dinner, with greens, and mac-​n-​cheese as my sides

.
There are three links to an order; each link is split and seared on the flattop grill. The casing has a distinct snap and the links are slathered in tangy, not too spicy, bbq sauce. The greens are tender from being simmered all day, mildly bitter, with a hint of saltiness from the bacon. The mac is not seasoned or cheesy enough for my tastes, but the flavor and texture is a good contrast to the other dishes. No fountain drink machine here… only canned soda (or pop depending on where you live).
As a Unilocal infant, I’m still baffled that so few have sounded off. Huffman’s is a bbq institution that has been around since the ‘60s, when a three piece chicken dinner sold for $ 1.55 and for a measly $ 1.75 you could chow down on a large rib dinner including macaroni salad and green beans.
Now that’s a value menu!

Fried pork chops so tasty they’ll blow your wig off. Wow.
The sides I tried were macaroni salad and cole slaw, which were bland and so-​so, respectively.
I’ll go back for the chops and try a couple of different sides. Note: You can still buy a soda at lunch somewhere on this Earth for 90 cents. Here.
The staff was very nice. The neighborhood not so. For those of you like me, who are more familiar with the Lincoln Park neighborhood in Chicago than the one in San Diego: The one in San Diego is, uh, more than a tad less desirable.

This place has ok BBQ but the sauce was awful. The sauce taste like spaghetti sauce too much tomato paste.
Didn’t care for it.

Lots of different opinions about this place and now I’m adding mine. First, it’s definitely in a shady area with shady folks hanging out in the parking lot. Secondly, the food was just okay. Yes, the sauce has a little kick but just a bit too much vinegar and salt for me. The fried okra however was awesome. The collared greens and the baked beans & rice were nothing special. The ribs were a little tough which drops this down to a 2 star. I expect to be able to pull the meat off the bone with a fork and not have to rip it off with my teeth. I saw someone eating the fish fry and he seemed to be enjoying it. I don’t think I’ll be back.

Like most here in San Diego who love bbq Phil’s was about the only place we knew that was good. Well, I discovered a place that has been around for over 40 years. Their sauce is very tasty has a little kick. The beef and pork ribs has a good amout of meat on them. Their hot link sausage is good with a little spicy kick. I have been in search for a place that made the fried chicken and I think I found it! You talk about authentic southern style fried chicken this is the place! The batter coating is crispy and a hint of spice and the meat is moist and tender.
Probably the best value it their combo plate with consists of:
4 pork ribs, 2 beef ribs, hot link & two side orders for $ 15.00 This will feed two or good the next day. Oh, order a 3 piece order of fried chicken to go with it for $ 4.90
One thing to keep in mind if you want fried chicken call ahead because you’ll have to wait around 20 min. but, well worth it.
I think the only thing lacking, they don’t serve baby back ribs.
They are located just east of Lincoln High School (Imperial Ave.)

Huffman’s (
) has been around for 42 years. Sketchy area — even during the day. It’s next door to a 97 Cent store («99 Cents? Oh yeah? Well, we’re TWO CENTS better than YOU!») which had a lot of interesting individuals hanging around outside. If you ever need to study the art of «hollering» then come here as classes are every afternoon. Enroll today and hollah tomorrah!
I love BBQ and if there’s anything that I can do to speed up my death, then I’m all for it (provided it tastes good and she doesn’t have a problem with my lack of girth). I knew what I wanted before I was even dropped off by some truckers: beef ribs. Inside (
), the place was more or less empty. I checked out the menu (
) to see how this was all going to go down. Beef ribs and fries is what I told the woman (40ish?) behind the counter who was almost too thin but had a huge rack. Of ribs. For anyone who was interested.
The fries (
) were straight outta Ore-​Ida and they were not alrighta though they did find a new home in the trash. Note to self: avoid these things in the future. The beef ribs (
) had very little meat on them which, I guess, had to make room for all the fat that I found on them. They were drowned in sauce which was barely warm. I had their damn sauce all over my face and hands so bring a face mask or something because that sh*t doesn’t come off easily.
You need a key to use the bathroom which wasn’t the easiest thing to do since I still had a good amount of sauce still all over my hands — I wiped off as much as I could with the napkins that were given to me. No napkins or paper towels are at the table because you might actually need them.
In the bathroom, you have to keep one hand pressed down on the faucet handle otherwise it will only stay on for about a second. There are no paper towels in the bathroom so just do what I did and wipe your hands on the wall.
My meal was summed up perfectly by this item (
) which really tells the whole story.

Ok, I’m going to have to provide a little background info for this Unilocal…
Aside from my day job, I am a «pole position fitness» instructor by night. I teach alternative fitness classes (pole dancing, lap dance, burlesque/​gogo, etc) classes at Fun Pole Fitness in the North Park/​Hillcrest area of San Diego. It just so happens that I came to this place after teaching, so I was still wearing my shirt with a pole dancer on it (220clothing).
Anyway, it was around 9pm and I kid you not, there were some pretty «interesting» characters out. Maybe it was my shirt — but people would not leave me alone to order my damn BBQ. I didn’t understand why grown men were swaying their hips and pretending to swing around chairs and sticking their booties out. Then it hit me… my shirt! SOB!
So, I quickly ordered my BBQ Plate (beef ribs, pork ribs, a pork link, some rice with gravy, and mac and cheese. (I was ordering for three — though I am enough of a glutton to eat all of this on my own.) It was fantastic! Every piece of meat was tender and juicy (though I prefer the pork ribs over the beef.) But the pork link — oh man, that’s one HELL of a sausage (that’s what she said… ha ha ha) If for nothing else — come here for the pork sausage!
So…in conclusion — it’s definitely a place for good eats — but unless you’re ready to deal with the crazies — come before sun down!

I love this place. Takes a while for the fried chicken but it’s worth it. I even wrote a blog about it a while ago.

The fried chicken is great (I usually don’t eat the skin because but I inhaled it) you should call ahead to order your whole meal because the lady that works there is a little slow. She’s been working there for 40 years! Try the baked beans… so delicious. Corn muffin is not good though and give her the soda cans when you’re done. She recycles.
CORRECTION: PHYSICALLY SLOW