As I never trek down to San Diego, I had to make my one day trip count! So what does SD really have to offer? I did various searches on good eats but I decided to look up a tasty BBQ place. Apparently they have a highly rated place called Phil's BBQ that is growing in locations in SD area. Unfortunately none up in Orange County yet. Supposedly Phil's BBQ is rated as one of the top ten restaurants in the US by Yelp. I actually only found that out when I arrived and was waiting in the semi-long line.
Smile, you are on camera and on the internet while you wait. I read all the reviews that discuss about the long wait. Luckily this was the last stop of the night for us and I wanted to just order take out. As I have never been here before, I didn't know if there were two lines so we split up and had one person check out if there is a separate line for take out while the other one waited in line.
You can always call in the order or move to the front of the line as there are two lines, one for take out and for dining in. Once you get to the front of the line, the cashiers will hold up cute animal paddles to let you know they are available.
I didn't read too much about the reviews and am normally a bigger fan of baby back ribs so I decided to get a rack of baby back ribs. They were a bit on the drier side for my taste. The sauce was very flavorful but I wished that the ribs were smothered in it or if I had an extra side of sauce. As for the meat, the ribs were not too meaty and I think I have been spoiled by the ones at Costco or Bludso where the ribs are plump and full of meat. The BBQ sauce used here is more tangy and reminiscent to the styles you would find in Memphis.
Normally I do not get the beef ribs as they are very big and fatty. Fortunately I am greedy and wanted a bit of everything. Here you can buy by the single rib so I decided to try one. Unfortunately, I only got one! I wish I ordered a full rack or more and forgo the baby back ribs. The beef ribs were very flavorful and tender. It melted in my mouth and was loaded with flavor. This was definitely the winner of the night.
Many people recommended the Broham sandwich. At first I was hesitant because I was full from the day and I am normally not a sandwich person. I am all about the meat! ^_- This sandwich is jam packed full of pulled pork, some coleslaw, and slathered with BBQ sauce. The meat was flavorful and the buns were crisp to the bite. I could see why many people enjoy this sandwich.
All in all the food was tasty and definitely counts as a good BBQ place. I am still on the fence for it to be named one of the top ten restaurants in the US... I have never thought of San Diego to be the birth place of BBQ. I would need to head back to Memphis or take a trip to Texas for comparison. For Southern California, it is not bad. The beef ribs are pretty darn good and I would definitely swing by if I was ever down in San Diego and order myself a rack or two!
Phil's BBQ
3750 Sports Arena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 226-6333
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