Phil's BBQ

Question: Why do people stand in line to eat at Phil's BBQ?
Answer: Tasty BBQ.

The one thing you need to have in order to eat tasty BBQ at Phil's is patience. Unless you get there before they open, and even then, chances are high that you'll have to wait in line. So relax, get to know the person next to you, and enjoy this part of the Phil's experience.

Tip: If you can find a seat in the bar, you can order off the full menu and bypass the line.

Phil has been successfully cooking tasty BBQ in San Diego since 1998. His restaurant was originally located on Goldfinch Avenue in Mission Hills, where Lefty's Pizzeria (yes, the Lefty's from my previous blog post)second location is now. Due to overwhelming popularity, Phil needed more space. So he moved to his current location on Sports Arena Blvd. And the people came in droves, filling up the new, larger space, and still forming lines out the door from before the restaurant opens each day until it closes for award winning mesquite grilled ribs, chicken, and beef served with Phil's secret BBQ sauce.

While the sides Phil serves with his BBQ range from cole slaw and macaroni salad, baked beans, to batter dipped onion rings and french fries, some of his southern diners are asking for more traditional southern BBQ sides such as macaroni and cheese, corn bread, and mustard greens. But Phil comes from Ohio, not from the south. While his BBQ is very good, it is anything but traditional.

For example, Phil grills his meats rather than using a smoker. He's still able to impart that fall-off-the-bone tenderness by starting the cooking process in an oven and creating a high moisture environment that makes the meat super tender. He finishes the meat off on a grill with mesquite wood charcoal.

But don't look for that pink smoke ring around the meat because you won't find it at Phil's. His BBQ method is more like the backyard grill method. And maybe that's what makes him so popular with San Diegans. As home cooks, every backyard BBQer is trying to figure out Phil's secret and how they can replicate it because that is where Phil learned his BBQing skills: on a Weber Grill just like you have.

Whether you are from Ohio, Texas, or right here in San Diego, you won't argue that Phil's BBQ is damn tasty. Knowing that you're getting Yankee BBQ helps you understand his point of view. And knowing going in that you're going to have to wait makes the line out front not seem so bad.

Phil's BBQ
3750 Sports Arena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110