Best Lil’ Porkhouse
2201D S Shore Center Dr, Alameda, CA, 94501
Best Lil’ Porkhouse Menu
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Address :
2201D S Shore Center Dr
Alameda, CA, 94501 - Phone (510) 521-7675
- Website https://www.bestlilporkhouse.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
- Mon : 11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Brunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
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Ava C.
I'm a fan only because of the restaurant.com deal. Otherwise, I think this is too pricey. We like the meat, but the sides are not very good, especially the mac and cheese and fried okra. Yuck.
(3)Noelle G.
Super delicious. Stumbled upon this gem and it was worth it. So much food and it's delicious. They have a little area to grab puzzles and games to occupy the kids so parents can enjoy a few sane minutes. I look forward to going back.
(5)Augusto L.
Wow...I was so excited to try this place! Then I did and that excitement died very, very, very quickly. It became a faint whimper after sampling their brisket. Ambiance - it's fine. It's nothing to write home about. The bar is cool but if you're a single person, you may avoid it cause of the over abundance of loud ass families that flood this spot. Service - This was fine. The bartender was quick and chatted us up. Overall, nothing bad in this area. Food - Best Lil' Porkhouse...it should be renamed to Mediocre Lil' Porkhouse or Not Texas BBQ. I recently went to Texas and within 2 hours of arriving, I had BBQ that far surpassed anything that Lil' Porkhouse could cook up. So the brisket at Best Lil' Porhouse was lame. I bit into it and was just not impressed. The flavor was bland, the sauces were meh, etc. etc. My girl had the pulled pork and again, we were so disappointed. It was lackluster! The flavors were nothing special. I think I've had a McRib that tasted better than this. The mac and cheese was just mac and cheese. I'd love to say something good about this place but there is nothing good to say besides the service being fine. Sorry Best Lil' Porkhouse but I will never be dining at your establishment again. Good effort lil'buddy!
(2)Alexa W.
I saw the reviews for this place were not stellar, but since I had a Living Social deal, I still wanted to at least try their food. So I met up with a friend for lunch during the week and didn't expect great things. We easily got a table outside in the shade, which is a big plus for me. Al fresco all the way! Our waiter was cute (also a big plus :-)) and the food came quickly, water and soft drinks were re-filled regularly. We were not super hungry and wanted to play it safe, so we only shared an appetizer and a salad. The appetizer (fries covered in pulled pork and bacon) was so big, that we even had leftovers - and we both love to eat! The dish was as was expected. We tried their 4 different sauces (tangy, original, spicy, bbq) and liked them all with the pork and fries. The salad was nothing special, lettuce, artichokes, onions, tomatos and a vinaigrette. In the end we payed about $20 for both and were really satisfied. Is it fine dining? Nope. But OK for a slow lunch on a sunny afternoon. Not sure if I would come back though for dinner - Oakland has so many exciting BBQ options! I would probably give a 3.5.
(3)Melissa B.
We were excited to try this place because it has outdoor dining & drinks, which are 2 things that eating w/our toddler a more pleasant experience. I have to say, it was underwhelming. I had the burger & it was okay, but 5 Guys down the path is much better. My husband had the pulled pork sandwich that he said was like "eating a campfire," it was so smokey. My toddler spit out the creamed corn & when I tried it I realized why. So much cream and barely lukewarm, it was pretty gross. The final nail was the service. This was a Saturday afternoon, and while our server was nice, it was clear that no one had any idea what they were doing. The server didn't know much about the actual food or any of the beers for starters. Then 10 mins after she took our order, someone else came over to take our order. Multiple times we watched people bring out food & ask various tables if it was theirs. Food at a number of tables was late. When our food was finally brought out, no condiments were brought out & we had to wait another 10 mins for that after resorting to asking another employee to bring it out. I even had to ask twice for crayons for the kids menu coloring page. It's really too bad. We were hoping to have a new place to eat at the Southshore Center. Oh well!
(2)Tony B.
This is a good change for the shopping center. The best lil porkhouse has a good happy hour! The food is ok a step up from apple bees . I recommend getting The Remington. Its a full rack of baby back ribs 1/2 pound of pulled pork, 1/2 succulent painted hills beef brisket which was dry and 1/2 smoked mary's chicken and 4 sides. That way you can get more options and have plenty for left overs.They have a nice set of sauces you pick your poison . The lucifer is really really hot. i stuck with the sweet and tangy . the sides are really good very cheesy mac and cheese. the baked beans were flavorful love the bacon. the cream corn was nice and creamy . the potatoe salad was flavored good new item by the way . They also give you 2 small pieces of corned bread muffins good but really small. If want to give them a shot recommend getting the living social deal if still available.
(3)a b.
Its a good solid 3, I come here mainly because its close to where I live, and is by far a step up from appelbees, if you are after a drink in the mall. The food is OK, nothing to write home about but pretty decent, their various BBQ sauces are very good, as are their sliders and their mac and cheese is pretty darn good too. The bar is good to catch a game, and they have a great tap selection (for alameda) Service is a bit off, I've been coming here regularly since opening and its a bit hit or miss. Best service is sitting at the bar, but had some really slow service when sitting at a table, had to get my own drinks a couple of times as the wait staff didn't bother checking back in, now mind you I understand slow service when its busy, but not when there are just a few tables and the staff are all chatting away. All in all its "pretty good for alameda", if you live on the island its worth a visit next time you are shopping, but otherwise not worth making a special trip to come here.
(3)Leslie Y.
This is my 3rd lunch visit here, it really is ok.....love their cornbread.... All 3 times there, we have ordered the same thing....the mini value which comes with everything....pulled pork, ribs, brisket and 4 sides.....this is bet for 3 people..... Greens, mac n cheese, baked beans go very well with the meat selections...... All 3 times I have also used a living social deal......and all times I tipped at least 15 on the whole price..... But today was different, our server brought our check balance for 7.95, so I gave her a 20, she takes it away and comes back asking if we need change, I said yes.....if I calculate correctly, she was expecting a 33% tip.......lol.....I doubt it cause the servers are never around, always hanging in back talking.....we had to flag them in the back for water, bowls etc.....
(3)Tiffany D.
I have had my eye on this place for quite some time, actually every time I frequent South Shore Center I'm always saying I need to try this place out. Finally myself and my friend were starving and decided to give it a try and I hate to say it but I regret coming here. Our experience here from beginning to end was pretty bad. We came here on a Sunday afternoon and to my surprise the place really wasn't too crowded, there were one or two big parties but not an overwhelming amount of people. We were seated almost right away, tucked away in a corner. The tables are very close together so I found it hard trying to get in my seat, the gentleman behind me had to get up to let me in (talk about close quarters). We took a long over our menus, everything sounded so good so it took us a little time to figure it out and get it together. I finally opted for the Three Little Piggies which were three sliders, I got 2 brisket and 1 pulled pork with Mac N Cheese as my side dish. What I did find to be a bit odd was that we did order our drinks way before our food but the food came out super quick while we waited a good 15-20 minutes for our drinks and the waitress was in no rush to bring them to us smh. While my food looked awesome, looks most certainly can be deceiving. The three sliders all looked the same, I really couldn't distinguish which was brisket and which was pulled pork. The bun that it was on was good and buttery, the meat itself had seasoning poured on it but was a little on the dry side. The Mac N Cheese was topped with bacon and I was dying to try it, man was I disappointed, it was as if they melted down Velveeta or some type of processed cheese mixed them with the noodles and then threw bacon on top. I was so unhappy with it that I ordered a different side and sent that one back, the baked beans were somewhat better but not the best. Not only was the meal nothing to write home about and a bit of a disappointment but the service was almost non-existent. Our actual waitress only stopped by to ask how how things were one time, whenever we needed a refill or something we had to ask the other servers. Not to mention they weren't too friendly, they acted as if we were bothering them but if our server was a little more attentive we wouldn't have had to grab other random servers. I really wanted to like this place but the red flags and problems were everywhere and I doubt that I will be coming back.
(2)Jesse C.
Best Lil' Porkhouse? YES when you are talking about just in the city of Alameda because I've had BBQ in Texas and Phils down in San Diego... Came here on a monday night around 7pm. Had to wait for table that took about 20 minutes. Once in I liked the decorations and layout of the place. It was clean and Texas looking esp. with all the cow head skeletons. The 3 flat screens are nice addition above the bar. Our waiter's name was David and he was awesome. He gave us great service and hooked it up with free kale salads and lots of cornbread. We had my neice with me and he kept saying hi to her and making sure all was good with our table. My wife and I really liked him and told him we will give him a shout out here on Yelp. On Mondays kids under 6 eat FREE! Before I get to the food, I got to review the BBQ sauce. Porkhouse has some legit BBQ sauce, there is hot, regular, and sweet. I thought the sauce is good because the sauce can either enhance or ruin your BBQ and I think they had some pretty good tasting BBQ sauce. The food was good and I had the 3 sliders with baked beans. I got 2 sliders with the beef brisket and 1 with the pulled pork. The brisket was moist and tender, the pork was about the same. I like the beans because they have pieces of bacon bits in them. My wife got the mac and cheese and it also comes with bacon bits. The corn bread came out cold but it tasted good. I'll probably be back
(4)Al L.
Glad to see the revitalization of Alameda South Shore Center with the recently opened Trabocco and now Best Lil Porkhouse. Void of a barbeque restaurant in Alameda after All-American BBQ on High St. closed, it's nice to have the Best Lil Porkhouse in town. The restaurant if fairly large with tables and booths with some tables in the patio area. We made reservations and our party of three were promptly seated upon arrival. Upon seating, we were provided a plate of roasted peanuts. After checking of menu of bbq platters and sandwiches items, we ordered: "All My Exes Live in Texas" - 1/2 lb of thinly sliced smoked beef brisket and dressed with a homemade sauce with two sides and a corn muffin. My sides of onion rings and mac n cheese were tasty and the portions were good-sized. But for $19, it's on the pricey side. "Three Lil Pigs Sliders" - Pulled pork, brisket, pulled chicken on dinner rolls with one side. The side of sweet potato tots were delicious. All the meats were moist and tender. "Remember the Alamo" - smoked French Dip with beef brisket on a hoagie bun topped with melted provel cheese and a side of au jus. Our guest enjoyed her sandwich. On your table, there are three bbq sauces in original, sweet and hot, if you need more sauce for your meal. One of us ordered a red velvet cupcake. The cupcake was very moist and tasty. Overall, it's great to have a bbq restaurant back in Alameda. It's good barbeque fare, albeit on the pricier side. Just don't expect top notch bbq here as I've had better elsewhere.
(3)Kanitha S.
So, so torn on this place. Good: Brisket, pulled pork, chicken, greens, beans, corn bread, table of kids games. horrible: service, mac n cheese, ribs, wait times, ohhh the wait times, "sweet" tea. For the most part, they get the meat right as long as your willing to wait about an hour to get your food. Yes, an hour. No, I'm not exaggerating. Within that hour, your server will MAYBE check on you once. And if you had a special allergy request, add another 15 minutes to that hour because they'll bring it without requested changes and then have to take it back and remake it. I really wanted to like this place, too!
(2)Lauryn L.
Came here on a Sunday afternoon. The restaurant was not packed and yet the host was out of sight. We waited for about 2 minutes and was seated at a booth. Our waitress was courteous and took our drink orders immediately. My sister and I ordered the "Two Pigs In a Pod" which included pulled pork and brisket. We then proceeded to wait 20ish minutes for our food. Guess what? Our food wasn't even hot. I also had to constantly slather the pulled pork and brisket in BBQ sauce. I guess the only good thing about our food was the kale salad and the sweet potato tots. The tots came out of the fryer fresh and hot. I am disappointed. If I waited 20ish minutes for my food, I'd expect it to be hot. We also had to wait to get our check back. It seemed like eternity sitting there for our waitress. Would I come back? Possibly just for the sides. I can get better meat elsewhere.
(3)Charles K.
When I found out that they were opening a BLP here in Alameda, I was ecstatic! I go to the original one in San Anselmo (more times than I would like to admit), so when I heard they were opening one here, I couldn't wait to take my family and friends here. Unfortunately, maybe I overhyped it but I couldn't believe the things they served! To start off, the entire place was fairly busy but there were a few tables open -- it should not take 3 people at the hostess stand to realize that there was only one table left. 60 seconds later, we're shown to our table as the young waiter was flirting with the young hostess. 10 mins go by before we were acknowledged by our waiter. Another 5 go by before we're asked for our drink orders... All the while we had already decided on what to order. Despite the 14 (by my count including bartenders, hostess, waiters and waitresses and the manager on duty), no one checked in to see how we were doing. Had they checked, they would have been notified of the following: Mac and cheese was lukewarm at best, the fried okra tasted like it had been fried hours ago and warmed up for 15 seconds in the microwave (cold, soggy batter but warm slimy okra inside), the collard greens were devoid of any flavor but, the one shining star were the beans. Sadly, the beans were the only part of the meal that was hot. The pulled pork was cold with room temp bbq sauce drizzled on top. The flavor was there but the lack of any warmth left me unsatisfied. The brisket was as hard as jerky (I stood it up on my plate once for effect). The chicken was moist, until you got near the bone and realized that it was about 2-3 minutes undercooked. The corn bread was good, tasted like it was fresh baked... probably 18-24 hours prior to serving it to us. From the cold taste of it, I'm certain that was the last time it was near a heating tray or a heat source of any kind. We went around 8:00 pm, 2-3 hours before closing. When we left, no one from the staff acknowledged or thanked our patronage. Thanks but this will be the last time I visit this one. Biggest downer of all, they do not have the same BBQ sauces as the one in San Anselmo. How can you pretend to be a chain when your own employees do not know about your own sauces?!
(1)heather m.
It's road house southern kitsch in a cute way. Nice staff. Peanuts. Just do me a favor, turn down the lights! (I'd give ya another star...;)
(3)Cheryl M.
Tried this place for Friday lunch with a co-worker and glad we did. Less of a crowd during this time but by the time we left, it started to get busy. Service was okay...not good, not bad. Food was tasty and reasonably priced. 1/2 rack of ribs with fried okra, beans and cornbread. Nice sized portion...ribs tender, flavorful (not the best i've had), okra was good but not seasoned, beans slightly sweet and cornbread was delicious. $14 Brisket sandwich looked good but co-worker said he was not wowed...hmmm Would i return? Yes, but not rushing back...
(3)John C.
I'm not sure what is going on with some of the negative reviews. We got the small family meal for $39 and it was fantastic and portions were enormous. Only meat that I thought could have been better was the pulled pork. Ribs, brisket and chicken were very good. The sides were great - Okra, Collard Greens, Mac and Cheese and Sweet Tater tots. Hopefully this place sticks around. Happy to have a good bbq place in alameda.
(4)Kayla R.
The food is great (2 stars), the service is always terrible (0 stars). We've been 4 times now because we love the food and not once has our order been served correctly or in a timely fashion. Our last visit the poor server had about 12 tables, inside and out, and there was one server who was sitting with friends eating while he attempted to do his best. Maybe this place just needs better management?
(2)Me M.
Ew. Not good and definitely not real BBQ in any way. Pass in every way. Trust me. Service stinks too, and I thought maybe it was just the first time bc they were still working out the kinks, but nope, service is still on the lame side.
(1)Sturgis Q.
There are no Zero stars, so one will have to suffice We made reservations for Father's Day dinner. When we arrived at the restaurant at 630, we were told they had run out of food. I was really looking forward to my Father's day dinner, but we were turned away due to poor planning on management's part. On the bright side, the waitress was really apologetic and sincere (poor girl must have been crapped on after the run out) How do you run out of EVERYTHING?! Had to scramble to find another place to eat for Father's day dinner at 630 PM! Found something at 8, but by then the kids were melting down - quite a fun Father's Day, thank you Really disappointed. May not go back
(1)Andrew W.
Haven't been here since the first week they opened and the experience was a lot better. Food came out quickly, service was great. We got the mini family meal (for two) which fed all of us with leftovers to bring home. Ribs and chicken were good. Pulled pork and brisket a little more uneven. The sides were all great (creamed corn, cornbread muffins, fried okra, Mac and cheese and fries pickles). Hopefully they keep working on getting the bbq to match San Rafael and Alameda can finally have some great bbq again.
(4)Courtney G.
I was meeting two other girlfriends for lunch. The host, a gentlemen in his maybe early 20's wasn't the friendliest. He didn't make me feel welcomed, he seemed like he had better things to do. Never a good sign. So, yeah. That was my first impression. I choose a table outside and ordered the fried pickles for the dolls. Once they arrived we ordered the bogle pinot noir, it was a decent offering. The wine list could have been a little more upscale. Kendall Jackson chard at least! There was only one white by the bottle and that was jekel. Uhhh.... I'll pass. The waitress was a total sweety and she was kind enough to give us a taste, but we wound up ordering the bogle. As far as food.. One girlfriend ordered the smoked chicken sandwich and loved it. The other ordered a smoked chicken plate. Both girls loved the fries and the Mac and cheese. I like my Mac and cheese more al dente, but it was still good with the bacon bits and melty cheddar surprises throughout. I ordered "all my exes live in Texas". Good, but just good. The cornbread was fresh and delicious. The fried pickles were delicious, but the brisket was dry and sub standard. Our waitress was a+ and the ambiance of sitting out side in a relaxed environment really made it. All in all in will come back for the fried pickles, the meat isn't worth it. Armadillo willies is much better. Lol. Even hooters.
(2)D K.
Ok.. here goes an update! Where should I begin... 1. I made reservations 2 weeks ago for 7 people at 12:30pm but when we got here, table was not ready and Sarah the host said we cannot sit you until 12:45 because there are still people sitting and eating. I said if it were reserved 2 weeks ago you should've placed a sign that says reserved. She then mumbled something and decided to ignore us. 2. Finally, our table was ready at 12:40; what does Sarah do, she decides to assist the 2 people that just walked in instead of sitting us down. 3. Finally our order was taken at 12:50pm 4. It is now 1:50pm and our food is still not here!! POOR STAFF AND POOR MANAGEMENT! Mr. Fraticelli, get it together!! 5. The best server ever, Kim D., had to cook and cater to us too. I feel bad for her but she epitomizes the ultimate example of providing superb customer sevice!! THANK YOU KIM D.!! BTW.. This is our 3rd visit and it was a disappointment! It is sad that they were also running out of ribs (at lunch time)? Luckily somehow they were able to take a flight to Texas and hunted a pig and flew back to Alameda!
(1)Shaquan J.
This place is awful. I phoned in my order and was told my phone be ready in fifteen minutes. So I drove to the restaurant and waited over five minutes before anybody greeted me. ( the dining area was damn near empty) only to discover the young kid who had been staring at me the whole time was the host. And for the pleasure of this massive time suck I was rewarded with the information that my order was never even put in the system. If don't mind dining in a place that clearly doesn't value you as a customer or your business this is the place for you. Quite frankly Leona Helmsely would have been more hospitable than the staff at these place.
(1)M R.
Where's the Texas toast? I was looking forward to it, but I only saw corn muffins being served. Hmmpf I had an online deal, so I got the mini platter to try a little of everything. I had the baby back ribs, and they were tender, not fall off the bone tender, but good. I got a huge pile of pulled pork, yum, and the brisket was great. Long strips of beef about a quarter inch thick...very tender and satisfying. The half chicken was just a tad dry, but still ok. Let's get real, I don't go to bbq joints for chicken. As for the sides, the onion rings look a lot wider cut in the photos. They're thin but crunchy with a good coating ratio. The baked beans come with chopped bacon on top, and they were good, just a little too sweet. The collard greens were ok but seemed bland compared to the other items. They tasted great in my omelet the next day, though. I was disappointed by the coleslaw. It was bland, needed some tang. Lastly, the "hot" barbeque sauce hardly had any kick.
(3)Noemi M.
Delicious BBQ! The food here is very good. It is a family friendly restaurant, offering toys, books and puzzles to entertain the kids throughout dinner-love that!! Great service, fun ambiance, yummy drinks and grub. We will definitely be returning;)
(5)Greg F.
I generally have very low expectations for California barbecue restaurants, and was surprised that I like Best Lil' Porkhouse enough to go back! The ribs were competition quality, with a perfect smoke ring, and the right combination of bite and tenderness that one looks for in restaurant ribs. I was also impressed with the full bar and had excellent service. Points off for the burnt ends, which seemed to just be single cook ends cut off of their brisket. The bark was basically non-existent.
(3)Sherelle S.
Great service. Very friendly staff. The food quality is not great. I ordered the BBQ pork salad and the meat was dry, salad was overloaded with so many different things. I took 2 bites and I was done. My sister ordered the BBQ wings and there was hardly no sauce.
(2)Demesha J.
My husband and I have eaten her twice and we love it. The pulled pork was yummy. They also have a Groupon online now!
(5)K F.
I've been here several times now. Everyone that I've been here with really likes the food and I agree, the food is really good here. However, it seems to take a long time for them to bring it to you. You know they don't have to cook it ... BBQ has to be prepared well in advance. So why the delay? I sure hope that its not so you can enjoy the STALE but complementary peanuts. During my last visit, I mentioned to the waitress that the peanuts were stale (totally rancid). She said "That's how they are." and continued with "It's hard to keep them fresh when you order so many." They aren't stale when I buy them from the market or at the ball park. Humm, now I'm wondering how fresh the food is ... As for the staff, well, they're trying.
(4)Darron P.
My first time here and was greeted by the owner John. He offered me 20% off my first meal!! How awesome is that! Annisa put in my to go order and treated so well while I waited. The decor reminds me of great BBQ places in Atlanta. They have toys and coloring books for kids and a long bar for adults. My take out order was done in 7 min even though they said it would take 15 mins. I ordered the two meat combo with two side orders. The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is that my order was not right. I got ribs instead of pulled pork and no cornbread. But I enjoyed the ribs. All in all, I would go back when I'm hungry for good BBQ.
(4)Kelly C.
Got there at 7:30 on a Saturday night. They were out of every other kind of meat except baby back ribs and half chickens. Sign on the door says they are open until 10... but what will they serve? Maybe their plan is to cater to vegetarians who want to come to a BBQ joint for cornbread and collards. Unless you plan on eating (meat) when it opens don't plan on eating (meat) at all.
(1)Kira G.
I never know what to expect when it comes to mini malls, as most of the time restaurants are only chains. However I was delightfully surprised by this spot. The wait on a Friday night was a bit long ~30 minutes but it was worth it. They have everything you expect of a proper bbq joint. Long tables, a paper towel roll, and multiple sauces at the table. They also have a fully stocked bar and tv's tuned to sports, so it looks like its covering the bases for their potential audiences. The menu is short...a good sign that what they do, they do well. I was looking for brisket, but unfortunately the brisket was sold out. I've found that the beef brisket is tell tale sign of the quality of their bbq. (Due to the quality and attention that it takes to get it right.) But I got a combo of pork rib, and chicken both of which were delicious. Sides of baked beans greens and Mac and cheese. All were solid, with the exception of the Mac and cheese which processed cheese, not my fave as it makes it taste plastic-y. I will be returning and trying more of their menu items.
(4)Denise M.
Always love BBQ so I thought we will give this place in Alameda a try. Food came out looking delicious. The cream of corn was good, but s bit on a creamy side for me. The chicken wings were a bit on the dry size, however I solve that problem with the variety of Bw sauce bottles they have at the table for you. The service cannot be better and prices were reasonable. The restaurant cleanliness were well kept. I really want to give it a four stars, but can only give it a three only because I am comparing it to some other hole in the walls BBQ sauces. I am not going to mention names.
(3)Ray S.
Definitely got great racks of meat. Some amazing flavor with a very filling amount of food for the price. It is what i expect price wise so satisfied with the 20 to 40 dollar price range. Entry is about 7 dollars for a nice sandwich on up to 30 or more for a very large dinner. Highly recommended, especially if you love everett n jones but want something closer and easier to get a table at. I had brisket, ribs, and pulled pork and loved it all. Also the mac n cheese is the best ever. Cant think of anyone that can compete.
(5)John H.
Had dinner here tonight, Friday around 7:30pm. Nicely nestled in the middle of Alameda Island's South Shore outdoor mall. They have outdoor sidewalk seating, inside seating and at the bar. We were seated at a small table for two inside. Simple menu is chocked full of 'authentic' bbq items and sides. I ordered spare ribs, beef brisket, bbq beans and cole slaw. This also came with a complimentary corn bread muffin. My bride ordered a pulled pork sandwich topped with cole slaw and sides of mac & cheese and collared greens. First the good stuff: Their beef brisket is amazingly tender and delicious with nice bark, smoke ring and a thin layer of fat. It doesn't get any better than this brisket! When you have no need for a knife, you know the brisket is worthy!! Their pulled pork was also free of any fat, grissle or any of the other items you 'do not want to bite down on' in a sandwich! The slaw was good and sweet with a nice mix of veggies! The Mac and cheese was hot, thick, cheesy and delightful. Oh and the size of these sides can feed two to three people! They were huge! The bad: I don't know how people screw up simple things like iced tea (bitter), bbq beans (odd tasting) and they had about 5 different sauces from sweet to heat, none of which tasted right? Perhaps a previous diner at our table mixed some of them? Is Friday nite 'kids eat free' nite? Every table except ours had little kids at it. I'm not sure if this is good, bad or ugly? You decide! The ugly: Ribs? Not good. I really 'wanted' to like these. They looked wonderful with a deep mahogany coloring glistening on my plate. Each rib was half cut by the chef letting me do the final cut with my knife. As soon as I tried to cut through these I knew I was in trouble. Let's just say they did not cut easy. I wonder if the baby backs would have been a better option? After getting these loose, the meat was difficult-to-impossible to pull off the bone with my teeth and they were loaded with fat! I tried each bone hoping one would be worthy of the work... Well, I'll just keep my mind on the wonderful brisket! Our service was okay... I think I would return here if I was, in the area and needed a brisket fix and to try the sauces at a different table. But I'll order a soda...
(3)Annissa H.
Pretty new spot in good ol' South Shore. We had a restaurant.com coupon so we decided to give this a whirl even though my sister had told us she thought it was expensive for what it was and you could get cheaper bbq that's just as good if not better elsewhere. We went with the meal combo for two people and also chicken wings. It came with half a rack of ribs, brisket, chicken and pulled pork with your choice of sides. The meat was okay, I didn't think it was anything special but it was a whole lot of food. The meal could've fed at least three or four people. Now the sides.. fried okra wasn't good. The fried-ness and the okra didn't have a special blend like maybe fried zucchini does. You taste fried-ness, and you taste okra. I guess I also am not a fan of okra unless it's in a sauce to disguise the sliminess of it. The Mac n cheese was good but I didn't care for the pork on top but my husband really liked it. The French fries were good, I always love French fries. We both really liked the kale salad and wished we had gotten two sides of it in replacement of the okra. The salad was fresh and crisp and a really good break in between all the hearty meat. The corn bread was really good and it has corn kernels in it. Service was good, food is okay but expensive.
(2)Diane V.
Have not changed my mind, yet, about the food, but, the Blue's have come to Alameda, via Best Lil' Porkhouse & I'll give this place FIVE stars just for that! Unfortunately I don't have the name of the group that performed there but they were the Real Deal, spreadin' the love on Valentine's Day. PLEASE come back SOON! guys. You don't want to miss this group people, trust me!!
(5)Nolan B.
This place is Dynamite! Your doctor probably wouldn't recommend it but, if your looking to get into a meat coma this is the place. Pulled pork is their staple there, they have BBQ sauces on the table ranging from Tangy, sweet, hot, to super hot. Go here but, not too often.
(5)Sylvia C.
The 2 stars are for the drinks. They have some awesome mixed cocktails in reasonably sized mugs, so that you're not paying $10 for a few sips. However the food is another story. I ordered the "Build Your Own Salad" with the beef brisket. Unfortunately, the lettuce tasted like it had been mixed and waiting in the fridge, so that it had an off taste. The brisket had way too much fat so that after cutting it all off, I was left with about 3/4 of the meat. My husband had the 3 sliders that again, had lots of fat and the chicken was severely flavorless. Personally neither meal was with the $12.95.
(2)Victoria G.
This place was actually pretty good! I ordered the half rack of St. Louis ribs with fried okra and baked beans. The ribs were so succulent and very tasty! The okra was good, and I could not stop eating the baked beans! My husband ordered the pulled pork sandwich with onion rings and that was out of this world! It was tender, juicy and full of flavor! My husband devoured that in a couple of minutes! We had an awesome server, she was very friendly and helpful. The only downfall was that she was also the bar tender, so in between making drinks and serving us and others, it was kind of a waiting game. It just seemed like they were real busy and short on servers. Otherwise I would have given it 5 stars! But she was amazing even though she was doing 5 things at once! The place is a bit small for my preference, but overall great food, clean place, nice decor and friendly people! I would definitely come here again!
(4)Jonathan W.
The mac and cheese is up there with some of the best I've ever had, the brisket is sub par at best, but the pulled pork is a so good I could eat it every day. ..by far the best pulled pork I've ever eaten. .... the service in this place sucks so bad that despite the greatness of the food, I won't return again. The employees actually don't even try to hide the fact they they are straight up ignoring you. ..they straight up walk by your table amidst audible "excuse me's"and pretend there was nothing of value to attract their attention. .. get your food to go and you should be good
(3)brian t.
Wow... I never leave yelp reviews but, wow!!! I'm literally sitting here in the restaurant in disbelief... they are out of, what the advertise as "the best wings in the Bay Area", baby back ribs, burnt ends and after we ordered it, pulled pork. I ordered the rib/pulled pork combo and asked to sub brisket. On the menu it says add $2 to sub brisket, which is not a problem. However, my server informed me that it's actually $3 more... What!?!?!!? $3 is not a problem either but change your freaking menu!!!! And the food.... Hmmm.... One word DRY!!!!
(1)Jeannie T.
I came here for a birthday and arrived a bit late because of traffic so I was only able to eat what they already ordered. I had 2 ribs, a piece of chicken, some pulled pork, baked beans, sweet potato tots, deep fried okra, and collard greens. I liked the bbq flavor of their ribs and chicken. I'm a fan of bbq sauce so I thought it was good. I wish I had gotten there earlier to actually enjoy my food since I arrived when they were almost done eating. I liked the baked beans and the collard greens but the fried okra wasn't very good. And I think the sweet potato tots would've tasted better had I arrived when the food just came out. Also, their onion rings were all batter. I'd want to come back just to enjoy a meal from start to finish but I wouldn't really go out of my way just to come here unless I'm already in the area.
(3)Raymond B.
Went here with my gf. Huge fan of bbq but unfortunately this place disappointed me. I order at 345 pm and didn't recieve my order 45 min later. We ordered a Cubano, sliders, and a IPA with fried okra and French fries. The food was not impressive but will do. A little dryer than I like. The restaurant was not busy at all. We ask for peanuts while we waited and never recieved it. The waiter never checked up on us. I hope this place gets better because it could be really good if they change a few things
(1)Lynda P.
When I arrived here, the place was super busy but the staff was very attentive and sweet. My favorite item was the Moscow Mules and the bread pudding with Jack Daniel's sauce. So, SO good! Will be returning!
(5)Alicia A.
Craving for BBQ, headed here.... Wed night after 8pm, was not busy. Had to sit ourselves, took about 5 minutes before a waitress came by to drop off menus. Ordered the mini Beauregard meal for 2. It consisted of brisket, baby back ribs, chicken and pulled pork with 4 sides. They told us that they were out of onion rings, so we got the fried pickles instead. Turns out that they made a mistake, so we ended up with 5 sides. I'm not complaining though. Loved the cream corn, that was my favorite side, I could've eaten 2 bowls of that! The platter was OK, the brisket had to be doused in bbq sauce, and the pulled pork. The ribs were only so-so, it could've been more tender. Great smoky flavored on tge meats. Appreciate the waitress coming over to check on us, as I noticed another waiter or manager, who bypassed my table a couple of times and choosing to speak others and never checked in on my table. Will come back to try the piggy fries!
(3)Vinny M.
Great concept of a restaurant specially for sport weekend or the playoffs. Excellent services and great looking dinning room setup. Food had no flavors at all?!? There were house sauce in ketchup bottle and that wasn't even good either. Really. I love hot sauce specially with BBQ meat. We ordered hot wings, trip tip and BBQ ribs with macaroni cheese and corn bread. Hot wings was very dry, and so are all the meats. I even pump extra sauce but couldn't eat any. The meat had to take home and threw in garbage latter days. 2 star for food.
(2)Victor G.
Best Lil' Porkhouse looks huge from the outside. inside, it's just the bar on the left & 2 rows of tables on the right. heard there's a patio at the other end. didn't look. midafternoon not busy. got attention immediately, unfortunately, it take's time to figure out the menu. was gonna order a burger. (like i did at looney's, a poorly executed bbq place but had great burgers).. eats: three pigs .on a side ? or whatever...w/one side(11.95) -beef brisket slices in a bun had minimal sauce, added more sweet sauce meat just tender, too lean, no juice, not melt in ur mouth, bland 2ish stars -side mac & cheese with bacon bacon crumbs very flavorful mac cheese one dimensional cheesy 3 stars crumbs: -service fabulous -main food blah, worse than san rafael -sides shine as does the service. may come again if there's HH but i wouldn't eat the food here.
(3)Michael S.
Whew! What a tough audience previous reviewers have been. Much fuss over growing pains; this place is definitely worth a visit, and I can't think it's not going to mature quickly under the supervision of the GM and owner (both of whom we met yesterday). It's their first week of service, the staff is new, the menu is new, everything is new, rough around the edges, but isn't that half the excitement of being first-in? Arrived mid-evening, put our names on the list and played games (yes, they have a selection of games for adults and paper/crayons for kids) and the time passed quickly. Ordered a Mini Beauregard sampler plate (for three hungry people) with a few Atkins-style substitutions (side salads instead of the toast / corn muffins). Food arrived in a few minutes - sure, it passed us, but we flagged down the delivery person - and we dove in. Did I mention we were hungry? The pulled pork was wonderful, subtle and satisfying. There are a bunch of sauces, from not-spicy-at-all to a special kept-in-the-kitchen ghost pepper sauce, so you can tailor the food to your liking. The chicken was moist and flavorful, another win. The ribs were tasty, very satisfying. We could have ordered an additional full rack; the half-rack was gone in moments. The brisket was the only miss, a bit more fatty than I prefer. It might have been because it was the end of the supply for the evening, but I'll certainly go back to give it another try. Sides: our daughter loved the fries. The fried okra was great whilst hot, but does become slimy as things cool; eat it first. There's a mustard sauce that goes well with it. The fried pickles were a big win: unexpectedly tart and savory and crunchy and fun. Back-of-house wins. Front-of-house was a bit rough, but who cares? It's opening week, the food was good, the drama was good-natured. (People really need to get over themselves and have a bit of fun with this chaos we call life.) We are already talking about coming back soon to see how things are in week two, or three. See you there!
(4)Allen Y.
Came here on a Friday night with my wife and kids for the first time and had a nice meal. We lived in Houston for a bit so this wasn't the best BBQ we have had but it was definitely solid. Tender brisket with good smoke flavor, baby back ribs were good, and the sides (kale salad, mac and cheese, baked beans, corn chowder, and corn bread) were all very good. I have heard the service was off at best (especially when they first opened) but they have apparently got the kinks worked out because service was perfect. Friendly, attentive, and accurate. Being super kid friendly was also a bonus!
(4)Karen W.
This place has only been open a few weeks and our aunt wanted us to come try it. We came on a Sunday and there was a wait, maybe for about 15 minutes, but when you are hungry, it seems like forever. There were four of us and we ordered the Mini Buregard which feeds 2-3 because we heard that the portions were big. We had the 1/2 rack of regular ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket and 1/2 chicken along with corn muffins and four sides: kale slaw, creamed corn which had bacon bits in it, collard greens with bacon bits, and sweet potato tots. All in all it was a good first time as we had medium sized the sides and the waitress forgot to medium size it so she gave us another small 4 sides. It was plenty. The pulled pork was a bit dry and there didn't seem to be much chicken. The sides were good and plenty to share as I try not to make a "pig" out of myself.
(3)Amanda H.
Not good. For a place called, "Best lil porkhouse," the pork was severely lacking. It was dry and flavorless. I couldn't even tell the difference between the pork and chicken. The baked beans just tasted like jalapeños. The sweet potato tots would have been ok if they weren't cold. $20 for this...not worth it. I threw 75% of it away. I felt like all this food was pre-made then just heated up when it's ordered. This would explain the temperature and texture of the food. Only good part was the clean environment and super friendly hostess, but I won't be back.
(2)Lea S.
Didn't like it at all. Everything we ordered from the menu (pulled pork, brisket and some fries) was too spicy and too salty. The staff was friendly but slow. I was disappointed cause the place did give out a good impression, but sadly did not live up to the expectations.
(1)Timothy L.
Great location with the option for indoor and outdoor seating. Very friendly staff but a little too much for me. I came out here for a business lunch which I'm glad we did but the waitress kept walking by telling us it'll just be a few more minutes. This wouldnt have bothered me if it i was once or twice before getting served but it was way too often. But for the food itself: I ordered the Hog Heaven (pulled work with cole claw) and it was pretty good. I was actually surprised with how tender the pork was and how the bread was actually able to hold the sandwich. They also have 3 different option on bbq sauce (original/tangy/hot) I kept dipping my fries between the tangy and spicy (spicy was my favorite but it had a REALLY good kick to it
(4)Darren N.
Gave them two chances and both times I was really disappointed. For a bbq place you'd expect juicy baby backs that fall off the bone. Dry and tasteless is what I got.
(1)Steven Z.
Unfortunately not what we were expecting. When we arrived we loved the lay out and the kid friendly toys/activities they provide for free (which kept our toddler happy) and relatively straight forward menu. The food, well specifically the BBQ, was bad. I'm from FL originally so I know good BBQ and have had plenty my fair share of different Southern/Midwest styles as well. Besides the chicken, (we ordered the Beuregard I think the name for their sampler) all the food was over smoked & of poor quality. The pulled pork was dry and salty and tasted like it was from the day before, the ribs were also VERY dry, chewy & lacked flavor, and the brisket was just ok but layered with 50% fat through it so you were left with not much meat. Very disappointed to say the least. The side dishes were pretty good though & service friendly but we won't return. Not a bad spot though to watch a game & to grab a drink or beer. Made us miss our old BBQ joint called Bubba's Smokehouse in La Jolla/San Diego where the BBQ is amazing and their sauces even better.
(2)Davie H.
Slow service, physically and mentally. 5 mintues to seat us down (great); but I suspect that if I didn't get their attention, we would be sitting there until they close and they wouldn't even realize that we hadn't ordered yet. After ordering, 25 minutes for the food to arrive... then... we had no knives or forks to eat with, and the waitress walked away. One star for service. Food is... a tiny bit above average, but considering the price, I would say so-so. 3 stars for the food.
(2)Nicole C.
Didn't eat here, but had a great bar experience with Somarley (?). Hope I didn't butcher her name, but she's so sweet I will be back.
(5)jen c.
I've had a good meal here, BUT I've currently been on hold for 10 minutes trying to place a take out order! I was put on hold immediately upon calling for over 5 minutes, and finally got to talk to a person, said I wanted to place a to go order, and was currently placed on hold again! No BBQ for dinner tonight... Food is good (not life changing, but decent), though pricey. Service is mediocre--host & hostesses seem a little lost, we got lucky with our server. Given my last experience and this failed attempt, I'd say a solid 2.5 stars at best, in their current state.
(3)Alex M.
I went here with my boyfriend because we saw it at the mall and he thought it looked good. We were served quickly by a very nice waitress. Unfortunately, the food wasn't as good as the service. My boyfriend had ribs, pulled pork, mac and cheese, and onion rings. He said the ribs were decent but that the pork was inedible--he said it tasted like it had been on a BBQ that wasn't fully heated. The mac and cheese was subpar and cold, but the onion rings were OK. I had a BLT. I asked for the bacon to be well done, but sadly it came out too well done--a bit like cardboard. I won't hold that against them, as I did ask for it to be well done, but still... Anyway, my boyfriend starting feeling ill a few hours after eating here, and he spent the night in the bathroom--he blames the pork. Eek!
(2)Sukari H.
I went Sunday and back again yesterday. Let's just say it was a huge improvement! We were seated right away. The waitress was actually attentive we weren't left to our own devices like before. I ordered a rack of their spare ribs and shared it with a friend. I also got the Mac and cheese and collard greens. It was so gooooooood! The spare ribs were cooked to perfection so good my mouth is watering while I think about them. The Mac and cheese was just as good as last time. Oh and the collard greens so good. Something a bit odd they sprinkled bacon on my collard greens and my Mac and cheese. Which was a pleasant surprise I must admit but I didn't not ask. And the last time I went they didn't so I was like woah!
(5)Wendy L.
Food: It was okay--nothing spectacular about the barbecue. The tater tots (made with sweet potato) were really good. Service: Horrible. There were so many things that went wrong: 1) 1 Hour Wait Time When I arrived, there was a short line by the door. The waiter said the wait would be about an hour even though there were empty tables inside and outside. He said they would text me when a table opens up. I never got a text, and 40 minutes later when I came back to check, he seated me right away outside (I still saw empty tables inside. A couple walked straight in and got a table also.) 2) Taking Orders It took a very long time for someone to come take our order. There was one waitress attending to people seated outside, though when we asked her if she can place our order, she said she could not do so. 3) Out of Meat I ordered the sample platter, which should have had ribs, pulled pork, chicken, and beef brisket. However, they ran out of pulled pork (at least they had advertised that on the door earlier), and after we ordered the platter, they ran out of beef brisket. We ended up with a pound of ribs and a pound of chicken, which were just mediocre. 4) Lack of Table Prep We noticed every other table outside had condiments and a roll of paper towel. Ours did not - we ended up taking them from an empty table while we waited for someone to come take our order. 5) Side Note A waiter came by and asked if we had ordered a mimosa. When we said that wasn't us, he said, "Damn it! Now who was it..." Wow dude, you need to get your shit together.
(1)Matt H.
First visit. Good service. Very friendly and attentive. Nice beer list. Fun, comfortable decor. Games for the kids. (not my kids). Food - Well, I've had better. The baby back ribs and brisket were OK. Chicken was dry. Pulled pork was not very good. Fried pickles were very good. The tater tots and fried okra were bad. The collard greens were cooked decently, but lacked seasoning I'll go back for the ribs and beer. Want to try the burnt ends. Not a cheap meal. $80 w/ tip, for the two of us, although it was a lot of food for two and included three beers.
(2)Sammie J.
So I was going to give them 1 star until I went back and met the owners and spoke with the manager. The owners were wonderful!!! They had the chef prepare our meal to see what went wrong the previous day. Everything went well today!! The food was delicious, so were the drinks!! The service was outstanding!! (of course I'm sure that had alot to do with the owners being there) Doesn't matter. I'll be back and plan on having them cater My school's event. Thanks Folks!!! Peace & Love
(4)Tobin O.
Sorry to give this such a low rating...I never enjoy it. But I want to warn other people before they go. We were seated and then completely forgotten about. We asked a bus boy to flag a waiter down for us but it didn't happen. I noticed the same thing happened to the table across from us. When we first went in the restaurant, we went to the hostess table and she went off to show someone to their table. She didn't say "I'll be with you in a second" or anything of the like, she just left us standing there, and some sort of manager guy was there as well, and he just looked at me and walked off. It was awkward. When the food came out, the brisket was cold. I don't mean room temp...I mean cold. Our ribs were dry, and the pulled pork was soggy. Now for the positives. The BBQ sauce selection was pretty good...I enjoyed all three of the sauces I tried. I also really liked the mac n cheese, pickles, and baked beans. The atmosphere of the place was really nice as well. The price was a tad bit high, but nothing you wouldn't expect for a BBQ place in South Shore. I just wish the food wasn't old and the seating set up wasn't so bad. I would avoid this place.
(1)Tori B.
We had an excellent dinner tonight at BLPH. The hostess and servers were spot on, the food was great, and we loved the atmosphere. My husband, toddler and I split the meal for "two", it was perfect and we'll have leftovers for lunch this week. The food quality is great, it's refreshing to be able to eat at a place locally that severs quality meats at a reasonable price. We're looking forward to siting on their patio this summer and trying out their happy hour drinks that sound great. We will 100% be back soon!
(5)Sheila W.
Our waitress was really off putting, almost to the point of being rude. She made comments to me- one in particular was because I had brought in a Jamba Juice cup with me. (In my own defense, we had been walking around, and I had gotten some juice because I was thirsty. We decided to stop in here on a whim, and I had brought the cup with me without even thinking.) I dont understand why she went out of the way to point it out- we still ordered drinks and dinner. There was no need for her off putting comments. On top of that, she took our order wrong and we were given 3 incorrect sides. Maybe spend less time being snarky, and more time brushing up on the customer service. Regarding the food- mediocre at best. I'm from Kansas City, so fair warning, I'm picky about BBQ. The ribs were definitely not carved to order- they were dried out on the sides, which indicates they had been sliced much earlier in the day. The sauce didn't help the dryness. Bark on the ribs was soggy and disappointing. Brisket was dry as well. Flavor was light, but not bad. Pulled pork had decent flavor but extremely greasy. The sides were...interesting. We had the creamed corn, but it was incredibly sweet. Like my fellow diner thought it might have condensed milk in it or something. I've never had creamed corn that tasted so sugary. Mac and cheese sadly tasted as though it was made with a combo of cheddar and velveeta.
(1)Droolie Y.
MAC AND CHEESE... If you don't eat anything else there, eat the Mac and Cheese... It is amazzzzinggg.. The wings were also delicious and naked so no cakey breading.. Makes it more flavorful and easy to eat The servers were very friendly and efficient, always checking to make sure things are goo :) definitely a good spot!!!
(5)Melissa M.
Husband and I decided this is the worst BBQ we've ever had. The meat seemed like it had been cooked in a microwave- it was tough and flavorless! The BBQ sauce was nothing special and all of the 4 sides we ordered were bland. The only reason we took our leftovers home was to give to the dogs.
(1)Jackie K.
we were pleasantly surprised we had a great meal.. this was our first time there. we love lucilles in concord.. but i think we found a new place for BBQ we had.. burnt ends, chicken, baby back ribs, kale salad,beans,greens,and topped it off with a corn muffin..it was all so yummy.. we will be bringing our friends.. thanks loved it!!
(4)Anton B.
Excellent food and service. Not to mention the beautiful bar! The design of the whole place is really cool and well thought out. The owners really went the extra mile and dollar to make it special. What a great addition to our island, thank you!
(5)liquid t.
Someone in one of these reviews stated he/she "felt like they were in the South." No, no you do not. One feels like they are in a cliche, movie style Texas Roadhouse, complete with country music...oof. Go to the South, not Texas or Florida...they are not the South...and experience a real rib joint before you make a statement such as that one. That said, here is what is important: Service was pleasant and attentive - young staff so you get what you pay for (owner's not guests) Food was good. Peanuts were fresh tasting, meal was hot and as good as I expected. BBQ is Texas style and, well, I'm from Georgia so there is no comparison in my mind. GA beats TX any day, any week, any year. The ribs were well smoked and tender but sauce is king so not a huge fan (preference not execution). The fried pickles were OFF.THE.HOOK. Seriously...get them. My only concern is the Banana Pudding I ordered was not super cold and makes me hope I will not be in trouble later (if you catch my drift). Why didn't I stop eating it? Life is not very exciting most days so this is me living on the edge. Decent place and worth another trip.
(4)Lex B.
Yikes- no mashed potatoes or corn. Mediocre service, too expensive for what you get, and in general seemed like a limited menu.
(2)Jamila N.
The food is just not very good...and not very cheap. They actually put pork in/on everything (guess the name should've tipped me off): mac n cheese is super creamy n mushy with bacon (lots) on top. Collard greens have little flavor with lots of bacon on top but this was my favorite thing there... if you're skipping the pork, say so up front, it can be left off. Chicken sandwich was 'meh', don't love the brioche bun and the chicken was oddly not very tender. Can't say i'd order it again. Same with the chicken sliders. Can't say I enjoyed any of the sauces either, none were quite balanced. Service at lunchtime has been pretty good on both visits. No lunch specials so $20 ea. with tip.
(2)William C.
Okay, I tried this place yesterday, on a Thursday. I had to rush, since I was taking my daughter to her weekly piano lesson. So rushing was part of the experience. My entire family attended. I ordered the pulled pork melt sandwich, with baked beans. Ummm umm umm! It was so delicious, I couldn't stand it, so good! The beans were piping hot, probably the best part of the meal. The pulled pork was glistening with delicious cheese and BBQ sauce, on a delicious bun. Wow! So good...and that was the end of that good review. Everything else sucked! The "pigs on wings" BBQ was so salty, you could taste the underlying salt content. No, we weren't being picky, my entire family agreed (sans 9 year old daughter) that it was too salty, as in, the flavor was below the BBQ taste, which wasn't that good by the way. When we complained to the waitress, she said, I'm not kidding: "Everyone says that, I'll tell the kitchen." or words to that affect. Are you kidding? Excuse you? EXCUSE YOU!!! The BBQ was too salty!!! Nothing else needs to be "analyzed" by any staff. Fix it! The salad my wife ordered was okay, she didn't really complain. The Mac and Cheese for my daughter, was covered in crumbled up bacon, which looked delicious, but to a 9 year old, was HORRIBLE! Ohh, and it was just a lumpy, dry, bundle of nuked non-deliciousness. YEEEECH! It actually looked horrible, and probably tasted 4 times worse. I would also like to point out the immaturity of the waitress we had. I'm getting older, but this young lady looked no older than 22, but I would say, reminded me of the teen-aged staff that used to be normal fast food age. Why not hire an older, more mature wait staff, not a staff that answers "I'll alert the kitchen" but not offering to fix a $10.00 plate of wings? Disappointed! Sure. Hungry, yep! Our stop at the Bagel Store, as we left, was more appetizing than that plate of crap served to us. Granted, my meal was awesome, I was dissatisfied for my family. Yeeeeech!!!!
(2)Christina K.
Hey, we wanted tons of barbecue, and that's what we got. And we liked it! Our server, David, was stellar. He was helpful, attentive, and personable. He even told me I was under no obligation to share my gooey butter cake with anyone else at my table. ;) We had the pulled pork fries, tacos, ribs, corn bread, fried pickles, macaroni and cheese, onion rings, and the aforementioned cake. The pulled pork was plentiful and tasty. We liked he variety of sauces right at the table. The fries came with sour cream...delicious! the macaroni was creamy, and the tacos did not disappoint (substantial!). The portions are great, and I like the decor. The music was country, but not the super annoying kind. Fancier than Dickey's, but not quite homemade. If I wanted homemade, I wouldn't go out to a restaurant, so I don't expect that. Once again, our service was just great. Give this place a try!
(5)Heidi E.
This was to be our second visit at our local Porkhouse. We made reservations for a group of seven to celebrate Father's Day. We arrive at our reservation time and were greeted with "we are out of meat." Our first response is of disbelief. We made reservation, so we expected the restaurant to be prepared. No real apology. No offer for a discount to a future meal. Just "we are out of meat." All meat? A BBQ restaurant is out of meat? One person in our party had the thought that the chef go over to Safeway, which is about 100 yards away, and buy more meat. Good luck keeping your restaurant in business if you can not be prepared for holiday business. We ended up at Applebee's because we didn't want to keep hunting for a place to eat. Applebee's had enough meat.
(1)V K.
Finally! The place was open when we were in the neighborhood! Daughter had the Macho Pig Nacho because she just got her braces and was hesitant to eat, but she loved the pulled pork flavor, which was pretty good. If you want your meat to be smoked but overly smoked, then you need to come here. Great flavor for the baby back ribs and the spare, but the spare are a little smaller than other places, still good. The only negative was that the meat doesn't quite pull away from the bone on both types. Hubbies was a little cold in the middle and my baby back ribs were warm. Hubby had the mac n' cheese as a side and salad, he was focused on the meat and didn't recall them, sorry. I had the collard greens - although bacon makes everything better, not when they're cold - I loved the texture of the collard greens, but I need to order it w/out the bacon next time. Oh, the fried okra were yummy, couldn't stop eating them, which was why we had food to go. Speaking of bacon, ordered their Bloody Mary and it came w/a beautiful piece of bacon, but it was cold - hubby said to put it in my drink and maybe some of the bacon flavor would be transferred to the drink...I wasn't going to wait that long. Service was decent overall, but some of the folks might need more training - at least they were friendly.
(4)Caine H.
OK... I'm not even done with my meal and I'm writing a review. I brought my mother here for dinner. We had such high hopes for this place despite the mixed reviews. We opened the door and we were greeted with the best smell of BBQ. That's about the best thing going for this place! We ordered the sampler for two. According to the menu, it came with 1/2 slab of ribs, a half chicken, pulled pork, beef brisket, four sides, and corn bread. I ordered an Arnold Palmer. Worst one ever. At first sip I thought it was water with lemon. Where's the tea? Food arrived. Looked great. Cold, cold, cold! Pulled pork was overly smoky and not naturall. Tasted like liquid smoke. And I like smoky meat but this was ridiculous. The brisket had ok flavor but was cold and a bit tough. The chicken was tasty but cold. And it wasn't a half chicken. It was a leg and though. No breast meat. Ribs were flavorful but cold. Baked beans were super sweet and syrupy. Collard greens were bland and cold. Mac & Cheese was akin to cold wall paper paste. Cole slaw was vinegary. Corn bread was cold. We asked for butter (why did we have to ask?). It was frozen! Best part were the peanuts they brought out before our meal. If you want EXCELLENT BBQ, go to Dave's BBQ and pass this place up! Oh, and for the various sauces - they are average, garden variety, grocery store grade. When we complained, they said they would tell the chef. We asked to speak to the manager and he took the entire meal off the bill and asked us to give it another go. I'll wait a few months and try again. I'll order the exact same meal and if the quality is like tonight, I won't go back ever again. Two stars for great staff and a great smell.
(2)Rathin G.
Went there for Father's Day dinner and was told they ran out of meats!! Only hamburgers were available. Chef should be fired for not preparing enough food on time.
(1)Rusty R.
Okay Folks, now I'm upset. After having issues on three previous visits, I decided to give the restaurant another chance, since you've been in business for a while. We arrived to find the receptionist on the phone. We literally stood there for ten minutes while she took a phone order. Really, you have the receptionist up front taking phone orders? After standing there for a while, we noticed food on only one table out of about ten occupied tables. After pushing ten minutes up front, we were still not acknowledged by the girl on the phone or anyone else in the restaurant for that matter, so we walked out (for the last time). It really doesn't matter how good the ambiance or food is; if you cheap out on the help, you're sunk. You folks really should read your reviews. Customer service appears to be the number one complaint there, and sadly, no one seems to care.
(1)Jennifer L.
Cute, "barbecue themed" spot - wood, rust, stars, pigs and chickens feature in the decor, but in the hippest way possible. Good selection of beers. Service was good, if a bit green. We got the lil something or other - enough 'cue for two, with the option to sample most offerings. Pulled pork was nice and moist, brisket was great, chicken was great, ribs - you can eat those, I'll pass. There was some flavor reminiscent of formaldehyde that I just could not move past. Sides were solid - good cornbread, great cornmeal crunch on the onion rings, excellent baked beans and killer Mac. The sweet potato tots were too squishy for my liking. Overall a pretty solid joint to get your BBQ fix, but I can't quite shake the feeling that all that smoke flavor came out of a bottle and not an open fire.
(4)Jenn D.
Came here in a group of 6 with reservations at 6:30 on a Saturday. Glad we had reservations because there was a pretty big line. Still took about 10min to get seated in the outdoor area which is dog friendly. After a bit we ordered. Then it took forever and a half to get our food. The food was delicious! Just too bad it took so long. We let the manager know, so they will hopefully be working on it. He did admit service is faster inside. Seems like they're short staffed since our waitress normally works the bar. Probably will be back, but won't come hungry. If you want slightly faster service, dine inside. On another note, baby back ribs were great! We had the dinner for 4 split between all of us and it was enough for us (we were not very hungry, but it was also a good amount of food).
(3)Nickel C.
I've bee here twice, the first time the food and the service sucked. The second time just the service sucked. Water cups were never filled. I had to ask for more water 6 times. You would think if they filled one water cup at the table they'd fill the others, they didn't. I had to ask for a drink menu, then I had to ask someone to take my drink order and then I had to ask where my drinks were. They were really nice during my first visit when I had to send my food back for tasting like an ashtray. The bread they use for their sandwiches are really fluffy. The food was not at all worth the terrible service. I gave it two shots and I never want to go back. Can we get a Kinders in the east bay please.
(2)Diana T.
We read a lot of other Yelp reviews of this place before we went to eat here. A bunch said that the service was horrible. That was not our experience at all. Kira, our server, was kind, informative, and attentive. We ordered a lot of food so that we could taste everything. We liked our sides the best. My boyfriend picked the mac & cheese as his favorite. I liked the tangy, sweet baked beans - followed closely by the mac & cheese and creamed corn. For the meat, my favorite was the brisket. Neither of us really liked the pulled pork. The chicken and the baby back ribs were both a bit dry. I did like the sauce on both of them.
(3)Lori F.
We had been eagerly awaiting the opening of Best Lil' Porkhouse as there are no bbq specialty restaurants on Alameda. We tried to get in during the opening week, but the lines were just too long, and perhaps that was best anyway. We finally went last Sunday and were a little surprised to see no wait and an half empty restaurant. Maybe it was a good clue. We decided to try the Lil Beauregard (platter for two with 4 meats, 3 sides and corn muffins) to get a good sampling. WAY too much food for two, (unless you are teenage boys)! Sorry to say that the food did not measure up to the portions. The 1/2 rack of ribs, beef brisket, chicken, and pulled pork were all slathered with sauce that was so heavy on the bottled liquid smoke flavor that only the meat textures differentiated them. That said, the ribs, brisket and chicken were all dryish and the pulled pork was mushy and watery. The sides were not much better. The cole slaw was the only thing that seemed fresh, although it was rather ordinary. The mac and cheese was so gooey cheesy and pasta so overcooked that it was like drinking melted Velveeta. The baked beans had way too much sugar and were also cooked into a brownish mush, and the corn muffins were OK, but it would have been nice to have had butter or honey - something to moisten them a little. The wait staff we had was a cut above what others here mentioned. They were all friendly with the exception of the hostess (ironic). The place was clean and attractive, even with the peanut shells on the floor. The bar could use a better selection of beers on tap (not everyone wants extreme hops) and also could use more red wine choices. Pinot Noir? The staff should also be sure to wipe the bottles of sauce and condiments on the tables as those were sticky, and the paper towel roll was handy, but the quality was ridiculous and not sufficient for the sauce factor. The moist towelettes at the end of the meal were a nice and very welcome touch. I'd like to think that this place will improve with time. I'm going to give it plenty of that before venturing in again!
(2)Jessica O.
Tried them again on my lunch HOUR, which turned into my lunch two hours! Why is the service so slow? Are the briskets not already prepared? I did like the wait staff a bit more this time around, but they were still slow and the food was still cold. Get it together. Another waste of South Shore restaurant space.
(2)Peter G.
This restaurant has a serious supply chain management issue. I'm not quite sure how to spend money here. They are always out of everything. As I write this (March 17) they are out of brisket at 7:30 on a Tuesday. It's not busy. On my previous attempt (Feb 15, a Sunday, they weren't busy) they were out of brisket, baby back ribs, spare ribs, and pulled pork. That's right. Best lil pork house was only serving chicken with sides. Again, it was only around 7 pm I've had several other failed attempts to eat here. As part of my routine, I about face and go to plan B when I see the "we're out if brisket" sign on door I just don't get it. End rant. It's too bad because the BBQ and sides are really good and the staff is friendly. It's also a really cool space. I feel the addition of this restaurant (along with Trabocco) really lifts South Shore center to a new level. Just wish they could work the kinks out.
(3)Jean Y.
Pork lovers, fall in here! Had the cuban pork sandwich and it was delish. Kids had the hog heaven and 3 pulled pork sliders with sweet potato tots and they approved. Yummy Chocolate bacon dessert. We'll be back for more porky goodness.
(5)A L.
It pains me to write this review and give only 2 stars, but I feel I have to tell people I got food poisoning from eating here last night. We stopped in just before 6pm, it was a Saturday and the place was hopping. Just my husband and me so we were given the option to sit at the bar and eat there or wait a little bit for a table. The bar was a fine option, it wasn't filled with people and we got served by an attentive and friendly bartender right away. Our food tasted great. I had the baby back ribs and two sides--fried okra and baked beans. My husband had sliders and chicken wings. Everything tasted fine, good. My husband enjoyed adding the spicy sauce to his food, and I liked adding the "Sweet & Sassy" sauce to mine. We were pretty happy a good BBQ restaurant finally came to Alameda. A few hours later, about 2AM, I started to experience serious nausea. It was all over after that. Up for the next hour quite sick in the bathroom, and the only food that came back was the ribs. Then back to bed with nausea and stomach pain for another few hours. Was there some nasty bacteria in the baby back ribs? Was it in the "Sweet & Sassy" sauce in the squeeze bottle on the condiments tray? I squeezed quite a bit of it on the ribs. I ate all the ribs, but left a good bit of the okra and beans behind. Not because they weren't good, but because I wanted to be able to eat all the ribs. Now I wish I hadn't. They're no good coming back in reverse! One star for good service, one star for tastiness, but I can't face coming back, which is a shame.
(2)Mindee N.
Love this place! Good service, great atmosphere (along with live band) and fantastic BBQ!
(4)Yoshika H.
Sigh... I was really hoping for a good BBQ joint in Alameda or East Bay in general, but this wasn't to be. Despite reading some of the review, I thought I'd at least give it a try few days after they open after dust has settled. I came on Thursday night, and it was pretty empty. Place is clean and well lit, and waitress was friendly and attentive. We ordered some beer and Mini Beaugard which is said to feed 2-3 people @ $39.95 since there were 3 of us. It comes with 1/2 rack of ribs (we chose baby back), 1/4 lbs of pulled pork, 1/4 labs beef brisket, 1/2 chicken, 3 Texas toast (or corn muffin), with 4 small sides. The plate that came was really big, and there was plenty for 4 people. The baby back ribs were decent, flavorful and fairly tender although I think it could be more tender. The pulled pork was just ok -- a bit dry for my personal taste. I also wished there was a South Carolina/Virginia type of vinegar sauce to go with it. The chicken was ok, but I'm not really a BBQ chicken eater. The major disappointment was with beef brisket. I LOVE Texas style beef brisket. I pigged out on it when I was in Texas. I loved the smokiness, tenderness, fatty brisket. This one was dry, hard, and just not right. I was really bummed. I know they slow cook it here, but if the temperature isn't right, it's never gong to be tender enough... and perhaps they could select fattier brisket. Perhaps if I go back here again, I could ask for fatty brisket... I ordered desert since they had banana pudding. Unfortunately, what came out was crisp vanilla wafers, pudding, whipped cream with no banana! After stirring it for a while, I asked the waitress if there should be some banana in the banana pudding. She was surprised to hear it, and went back to the kitchen and brought out sliced banana. Obviously, this place has a lot of improvements they need to make. However, I really think there is a potential here. I wish they'd send their cooks to Texas for a while to learn how to make brisket. Until then... I'll still be searching for a real BBQ place in East Bay...
(2)James L.
This is a hidden gem in the South Shore shopping center. I have to go back to have some of the BBQ, but the burger I had was as good as any of gourmet burger spots. Beer selection was the best I've ever seen in a suburban shopping center (Drakes, Dogfish, Lagunitas, Firestone Walker...). Service was prompt and friendly. I'll have to come back for the ribs and/or brisket! Also I noticed they have large family platter for sharing.
(4)Renee C.
Kurobuta Pork, Marys Chickens... Quality products, we like coming here and usually sit at the Bar; chatting with Krystal aka Kris.. watch her work it; handling drink and food orders (at bar & to go) with finesse and a smile. Best customer service I've seen. The sliders trio is delish as well as the BLT, wow the bacon, mm mm good. I normally just "like" brisket but I do LOVE theirs. we also haven't had a side we didn't like... We find the food and atmosphere welcoming and comfortable, as a local gal and a couple that appreciate how food is cooked and where it came from I'd say this is an excellent addition to the island... oh I noticed they are very kid friendly too. The bar also pours good spirits, IPA's and nice selections of wines plus a full bar. Some of these reviews could be just a bad day or they bad karma, I don't know... I'd say give it a second chance.
(5)Carol C.
I stopped in earlier this afternoon (3:30 PM PST) for a follow up of Best Lil' Porkhouse. Reason: I wanted to give them a second chance to see if the service has improved. Then I really never gave an opinion of the food that I ordered to go. I was acknowledged immediately, got the to go menu and headed to the bar area. Somarly K. was friendly and very helpful. I told her what happened the first time I came in - I ordered to go and I ended up with someone's else order. This time around the credit card machine was working properly, which was a good thing. I was somewhat disappointed with the beef brisket (dry), which hardly had any BBQ sauce, so I switched up and ordered the "If a Pig Had Wings" (Mary Free Range Half Smoked Chicken) with two sides (fried okra and mac 'n cheese) and a piece of cornbread. For dessert - bread pudding with a dollop of whipped cream. The service has improved substantially. The wait was about 15 minutes. Then there were only a few customers, and the service was more attentive. Somarly K. was cool; she gave me a hook up of another side of mac 'n cheese. We both checked to make sure the order was correct. They almost forgot my bread pudding. I waited another 5 to 10 minutes, which was no biggie. For $15.95, they weren't kidding that it was half of a chicken. It was enough to feed my husband and me. BBQ chicken was moist, flavorful and well-seasoned - no additional BBQ sauce was necessary - 4 stars. Fried okra had a crunchy outer coating and it was not soggy - 4 stars. Crumbled bacon on top of the mac 'n cheese set it off and to the point - 4 stars. I was slightly disappointed the corn bread was not a big piece (the size of a cornbread muffin) - 3 stars. Bread pudding was decent; price of $5.95 was reasonable - 3.5 stars - missing a bourbon sauce. (Best bread pudding - bourbon pecan - I had two years ago was at the Westside Club at O.co Coliseum for $7.00. It was warm and drizzled with a bourbon sauce and chopped pecans, topped with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and a maraschino cherry.) Complimentary red velvet cupcake from first visit - 4 stars. Complimentary gooey butter cake was A-OK. Finally, as the song goes, "second time around" (Shalamar) is always better than the first time. I will return for a sit down, dine-in the third time. Y'all know that saying, "third time is a charm". It's also an opportunity to check out their presentation and taste of the "Arnie Palmer". As I have mentioned, service has improved and the half smoked chicken was on point. Thus, I am upgrading Best Lil' Porkhouse's rating from 3 stars to 4 stars.
(4)Albertino M.
Time: 2:30pm/60°F cloudy Purpose: Put this place up several months ago just don't have the time to check up on it. Since my friend Carol C. lives in Alameda, I ask her to keep an eye out for this place. Kept in touch with me saving me precious time from driving over. Thanks Carol C! Ambiance: From the outside red/black awnings with several patio picnic style tables. Currently they said, they're waiting for the umbrellas to arrive. That explains why the metal shaft in center of table. Once inside it starts from left to right 3 flat screen TVs at the bar, 16 person bar seater, with 16 beers on tap, family/kids table w/board games, puzzles, coloring books. 6-7 wall mounted tables with backless stools sits two. Other half of place are tables set up for party of 3+ or more, ceiling has the word spell out "eat bbq". Some but, not all tables has a condiment caddy so there are more than two flavors of bbq sauce besides the original and spicy. Just have to look for them or ask your fellow dinner if you can use it. Rolls of paper towels are on each table, if that won't do for you, then there are wet moist towels in packets too. Inner back utility carts, two way swinging door for the kitchen, ordering LCD screens, restrooms. Staff: Waiter started out bringing me some peanuts and menu. I said, not necessary I know what I wanted. Then he politely ask if I wanted a drink. Which I feel so bad to decline because technically still working. Prices were great for beers but, on duty work just couldn't happen. My host was attentive before and after checking up to make sure everything was alright. All other seems to be around mid 20s with the except of the bar tender the oldest of the group, there's a reason for that too. Cleanliness: Grade A, place was clean as busboy clean/wipes as patron leaves. No grease stains were visible anywhere. The bar area was clean also with finger print free mirrors, sparkling. Eats/Drinks: Order the #2 sando combo of "this little piggy had roast" $12.95 choice of one side, went with mac n cheese. For the apps got the 6pc pigs on the wings $6.95 w/honey mustard flavor. Sando was nice had good amount of roast beef slices. Not dried or burnt enough to taste the seasoning. The buns are grilled toasted with a splash of butter on both side. My bottom bun was soggy due to the fact meat juice was soaking it up making it a mess to eat. Once the bottom bun starts falling apart, I put it back down and use a fork. Layer by layer still manage to finish it without greasy fingers lol. Mac n cheese was good at least I know the corner part was scoop out for me as well. Lightly burnt cheese is like having cheese croutons all mixed in crunchy and edible. That's my hidden secret when I get mac n cheese from anywhere. Piggy wings were good plump size portions with crackling skin, drizzle with honey mustard sauce. The order came out half and half. Meaning 3/wings and 3 drumettes. Same if you order 10pcs. IMHO, wings were better than Plank the new and highly anticipated place in Oakland JLS. Products/Services: Nachos, fries, wings, sides, piggy meals, desserts, sandwiches, salads, platters, hot dogs, Texas toast, briskets, full/half racks, cold/hot beverages, beer/wine, kids menu, family meals. Catering available at least 48hr notice. Kids activities. Punch Lines: New, BBQ concepts, large flat screens, kids activities, plenty of seatings, shelled peanuts, pleasing flavors, modest cost, better than your average, drool-worthy, easy night out, always buzzing, personable staff, wood paneling, lively atmosphere, business lunch, can not go wrong here, worth the wait, casual and delicious, well seasoned, good and sloppy, crowd pleasing. Nearby chain and independently owned businesses. Lot mall parking, AC transit, shoreline drive view of ocean. Tradeoffs: It's as close as to Tony Roma's as you'll get but, without the high prices and corporate control details. Locally owned and operated vs national chain. Final Thoughts: It's a decent place to come and try out if you're in the mood for bbq and wood paneling interior. This location is suitable and ideal for your one stop shopping destination. Has everything here open mall plaza with plenty of businesses house in. Lastly you heard of never shop on a empty stomach right? So get your grub on then relax walk through the mall and wander around as time goes by fast here. Seasonal displays are up now like train display shop, ice rink, santas sleigh etc.
(3)Liza D.
Love this place. we get here around 5 pm on sunday night. It gets crowded pretty fast. we used the living social coupon and ordered mini beauregard and macho pig nacho. The food portion are huge it is so worth the money. if you came before 6 pm there is a happy hour menu where most of the appetizer is $5.
(5)Maria L.
came here for the 1st time i'm guessing it was a slow day. our server was very nice our food came out quick my husband and i got the that's all folks it was very good. we got the baked beans and the mac n cheese. the mac n cheese was delicious best mac n cheese i have ever had. it had a lot of melted cheddar cheese on the top and the bottom!! the only down side was the lemonade it was horribly sweet. gave them 4 stars because the lemonade tasted like over powdered country lemonade. we loved everything else tho.
(4)Willis W.
We had a big party and they accommodated us very well. We were seated outside on a chilly night but their heaters kept it comfortable. Food came out quickly, drinks weren't too expensive, and wait staff were friendly. Only 4 stars because I'm used to Memphis BBQ but I'll put this place up there for BBQ in the Bay Area.
(4)MonkeyPants S.
Best Lil Porkhouse is a very welcome addition to the Alameda restaurant scene. After All-American BBQ went out of business a fe years ago, Alameda hasn't had a barbecue spot, so we're very excited. I have eaten at Best Lil Porkhouse twice, both times with my husband and our toddler. This place is very kid-friendly. They have games, toys, and coloring for children to keep them occupied. There is also a thorough kids menu as well. Service has always been quick and attentive, which is a huge bonus. The side dishes here are fantastic across the board. I LOVE the creamed corn and the fried pickles. The mac n cheese is decent as are the salads. Really the only two negatives I have are the pricing and the main BBQ dishes. Prices are very high here, so be prepared for a bit of a sticker shock. Also, sadly, the BBQ just isn't very good - it's not terrible or the worst, just not good. They do not BBQ onsite, so they prepare the meats off-site somewhere and then reheat them there t order, and it's obvious. Meats can be chewy and unflavorful. I'm sure we'll be back again, but just don't go expecting the best BBQ ever.
(3)Nefarious J.
I spent $50 at this spot including tip. I'm very disappointed. Like, HELLA disappointed. The service was great. The food not so much. I wanted to order to go, but in spite of all the signs advertising "take-out" I couldn't. So, I pretended to order in and left for a quick errand and came back to my table cleared and food packaged. I arrived home and quickly noticed I was given the baby back ribs instead of the spare ribs. I also noticed that the sides were very small. The four way-combo said it could be shared among 2 people, but I think they merely give you a standard meal plus 2 sides times two. No one goes to a BBQ joint for the ribs so I refocused my attention to the meats. Dry. D-R-Y. My brisket was grey aka well, well done. The baby back ribs had a thin layer of crispness which translated into over cooked, over-broiled, over-DRY. (The ribs are already lean, so I imagine it's easy to dry out. The chicken wasn't too bad and pulled pork was less than memorable. If I were to return I would go for the cornbread, mac and cheese and the opportunity to sit on their patio. #notsoHAPPYbirthday
(2)Amy C.
I've had ribs, pulled pork, brisket, Texas toast, creamed corn, coleslaw, sweet potatoes, and all the sauces. The pork is moist and the brisket is flavorful. The ribs are a bit dry. The sides have been tasty, but my favorite is the creamed corn. Service was slow the first week of opening, but it's gotten a lot better since then.
(4)Sarah M.
If I could give this place 10 stars, I would!!! Smokey, saucy barbecue is my FAVORITE. This place nails it and their sides are killer! I always get their pulled pork sliders and mac and cheese which is sinfully gooey and delicious. Their sauces are better than 99% of bbq places I've been to. I love this place. Great atmosphere and even better food.
(5)Lauryn T.
What's with the 1 stars? This place has only been open 3 weeks, cut them some slack! Yeah some kinks, but definitely fixable! Love, love, loving the entire space at South Shore! The exterior is fun and contemporary and the interior is well executed and refreshingly rustic with a BBQ twist! The majority of the staff is young and inexperienced but they are super friendly and trying really hard to learn and get it right. With that said... Some things that they can get right is the top to bottom service; our waitress wasn't too observant with our drinks that needed refills. It was a busy night, I get it, but folks get thirsty quick! We also needed an extra plate so we asked 2 different Hispanic women for it and they didn't understand us and kept bringing the wrong item. We just wanted a plate. Allllll good!!! Food was bomb. Stairway to Hog's Heaven: pulled pork, baby back ribs, cornbread with sides of Mac and cheese and cream corn. We left with no leftovers since it was so finger licking good! I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied with the quality of the food! Again, everyone is trying. 3 weeks. Only 3 weeks. Give them a try, the food and environment is worth it! Can't wait to go back!
(4)Edward M.
My girlfriend and I came back here after a while. We were surprised that the service changed, and we actually got our food this time without having to wait a long time. The barbecue was pretty good and there was a good selection of sauces. What is really cool about here is that they have games you can take back to your table and play with them while your food is being made. Overall not a bad experience it also seemed like the waitress had more of an idea about what was on the menu and answered all of our questions. The only thing that keeps us from rating it a 5 is the price. We found that the portions were kind of small for the price that they were asking. But overall it was a good experience and would be coming back soon.
(4)Gordon L.
This place is amazing, food is great gotta get the nachos here and try the new lucifers hot sauce! I love eating at the bar, always nice to have a convo with the bartender(good vibe)
(5)Samir K.
I give this review with the knowledge that this is a brand-new restaurant, and I'll probably go back in another few months to see if some of the issues have been fixed. Get there around 11:45 on a Saturday, get seated instantly. Takes a little bit of time for the waitress to come by, we had already decided what to order. My buddy gets the ribs/pork combo, she says there's only spare ribs left, okay... this is a BBQ place without babyback ribs? Anyway. I order the chicken/brisket. She takes our order, then comes back with some popcorn, so far, so good. 35 minutes later, we had eaten our way through 2 baskets of popcorn. Our food arrives. My sides were collard greens and baked beans, my buddy's were mac and cheese and fries. Instead of chicken and brisket, I end up with pulled pork and chicken, oookay. I didn't feel like saying anything because I didn't want to wait another half hour for food. The pork was good, nice and tender, wasn't too mushy or anything. It needed a kick from sauce- the hot sauce had no flavor and the original had no spice, but combined they made a good flavor. The chicken was a little dry on the white meat, but the dark meat was tasty and the skin crisp. This too needed a boost from the BBQ sauce. Had some of my friend's spareribs, these were a little overdone but nice and meaty. Spice was good. BUT we look to the table next to us, and those fools had legit baby back ribs!! Maybe they weren't ready yet? Sides: cornbread was a little too dry, would have been better if it came out hot. Collard greens a little soggy but had a nice porky flavor. Beans were probably the best- had good heat and a proper balance of sweet and savory. Fries were crispy and nice and thick. Mac was pretty standard. Other things I noticed: Weird bathroom setup. There's no sink in the bathroom, there's this odd communal sink in the hallway. Is this sanitary? Don't people have to open the bathroom door after they do their business? Very weird to me. Service was slooooow but I'm sure that will be fixed. Cost: about right for BBQ in the east bay. Atmosphere: very family, big group oriented. Good amount of beer on tap, definitely aiming to be a social location. If you want really good BBQ in the east bay, go to BBQ hut, but if you want a nicer *atmosphere* and experience, head here! Just be prepared for them to work out a few kinks.
(3)Edrienne G.
My boyfriend and I are on our way home from this restaurant as we speak. Just like the other reviews, we had terrible service. I mean the reason you order an appetizer is so you get it BEFORE your meal, right?! Ours came out all at once, AFTER almost 25 minutes!! Oh, did I mention the food was cold? And my meal was supposed to come with 2 sides (I ordered onion rings and Mac n' cheese). Half way through my meal I realized I didn't get onion rings. It took a while before a waiter acknowledge me and informed me they were out of rings. The best part of my meal was the Mac n' cheese. It was about 9:45 pm when they started to clean up. And I mean sweep under our feet and all around us while we were still eating!!! I get it. You all want to go home. But it was disturbing to eat my food as dust and crap fly into it while they're sweeping. Cleaning and wiping down tables is something you can do while there are still customers, but sweeping the floor?! Ugh. Overall, this place needs some serious work. I give the food a 2 and the service a 1. I doubt I'll be coming back here, regardless if the reason behind all this is because the place is still brand new.
(1)Dani B.
We went in today and I got one of each slider (pulled pork, brisket, bbq chicken) with sweet potato tots, and hubby got the Cuban sandwich with macaroni and cheese. Prompt, attentive service, and very kid friendly with a kids menu, crayons, and highchairs brought right out for us. The interior is great - nice bar with excellent whisky selection, clean bathrooms (always important!), and cool decorations. The bread for the sliders was delicious. The variety of bbq sauces was good. Ok, so why 3 stars? Here is my "beef" with our food: WAY TOO MUCH LIQUID SMOKE FLAVOR on the pulled pork and chicken!! It completely overwhelmed the meat and made it borderline unpalatable. I couldn't taste anything after the first few bites except overpowering liquid smoke flavor. (yes, you can tell that it's liquid smoke, especially when they use so much of it) I didn't get a chance to pass this feedback on to our server but hope the management reads this and takes this feedback back to the kitchen.
(3)Carmella N.
We came here twice in a week to get a better feel for the place. Sure its new and there are a few wrinkles to iron out, but the staff are really trying. And the food is awesome. We are on a low carb thing so we asked them not to put any sauce on our meats. I am sure they were bewildered in the kitchen...who comes to a BBQ joint and asks for no BBQ sauce. But we brought our own no carb/no sugar so we could feel good about chowing down on the succulent ribs and smokey tendr pulled pork. We just asked for extra "pigsy dust" (yummy spice rub) and barely even needed any sauce at all. John the GM was very hospitable and approachable. Rosa, our server, was on the ball and cheerful. I love it when people really take the time to connect with their customers. This place is a win and for people who are on Paleo/Atkins/Keto diets just ask for no sauce and you are home free. We loved the games as well, which passed the time while we waited for our food. Nice touch! Hope this place stays around for a while... Ps. its not on the menu but you can ask for an order of crispy bacon...after all it is a Porkhouse...and mmmmmm....bacon!
(4)joe f.
A friend of mine, when asked about the BBQ meat at Best Lil' Porkhouse said "it's good BBQ for California and that about sums things up. I went on a Tuesday evening at 7 PM and the place was half full. We were greeted and seated the moment we walked in. The decor is nice with a good "western" feel and the service was good. We ordered the Beauregard Platter for Two - all four meats offerings and four sides. this was plenty of food for two people. The meat was served on a large platter and the sides came in a separate tray. Meat: Beef Brisket - Nice. Good smoky flavor, not too fatty. Chicken - Moist and Tender Pulled Pork - Nice smoky flavor, but the pork was shredded so thin that it didn't really have any chew. Felt a little mushy. Baby Back Ribs - Complete fail - Ribs should have a nice dark bark on them and the meat should be fall off the bone tender but still have a little chew too it. These ribs were painted red with the signature sauce but had no outer coating of rub or any smoky bark. They were tough and hard to eat and had no smoky/spicy flavor. I felt like a caveman trying to gnaw meat off a bone. They definitely needed a few more hours being smoked and slathered with sauce before they were ready to serve. All four meats came with their signature sauce. It was good but nothing memorable about it. It was not a lip-smacking, "I've got to have more of this" type sauce. Sides: Macaroni and Cheese - Creamy and tasty and served with bacon Baked Beans - Nice flavor and served with bacon Onion Rings - Crunchy and hot and served with bacon (just kidding) Fries - Greasy, limp and lukewarm. Cornbread - Nice flavor but dry. Dessert: Chocolate Ice Cream - Very Good Red velvet Cupcake - Moist flavorful cake but icing way to sweet and not enough cream cheese tang. The meal came to $66 for two including tax, tip and soft drinks. A little pricey for a Tuesday night out I enjoyed my meal enough so I'll probably go back. And its nice to have a BBQ restaurant nearby. But, if I want great BBQ in California I'll have to make it myself. UPDATE: I returned to Best Little Porkhouse. Had the Golden Nuggets burnt ends. Good but not great. Servers were annoying. It's like they had nothing to do so they kept coming over to the table asking how things were. They came over six times!! I might go back but I'm wishing for better BBQ
(3)Terry S.
Meat awesome. Corn awesome. Potato Salad awesome. Collard greens ok. Banna pudding horrible. Good selection of alcohol. I will go back because overall good food, but step that desert game up!
(4)Jacqui W.
2.5 stars. I have been here twice with the boyfriend. Twice the food was great but the customer service sucked big fat monkey balls! First time they gave us the wrong order. The second time they brought out the fries that the boyfriend didn't order, he had ordered the mac n cheese. If you get the alcoholic drinks ask for them to go light on the ice or else it's going to be water down. I'll give waitress a pass for trying and sending us home with hot mac n cheese. The food wait time is a hit or miss, so plan accordingly.
(2)Talia P.
Went there Saturday night had a reservation got seated right away which was very nice. We got our drinks then the appetizer.....and then we waited. When we walked in, the restaurant was packed so we expected the wait for the food to be a little longer then normal, new place in alameda of course it's going to be busy. But we needed up waiting almost an hour and a half for our food. And at one point the waiter seemed to want to give us our check and then quickly realize we hadn't gotten our food. It was most disappointing how unapologetic he was about the situation. A couple next to us seemed to have been in the same boat. When we finally got the food, two orders were wrong, and everything was cold. They ran out of fried okra but only told us after we asked why it wasn't on our plate. The worst part was that I know our food was sitting out for a while not only because it was cold but because the tacos I ordered had a cold soggy tortilla that fell apart as soon as I picked it up. We were starving by this point so we ate our soggy cold food and left. The food tasted ok, honestly I think we were so upset about the whole situation that we didn't even give the taste much thought. All in all it was a sad meal that could have been made better by a little more attention from the staff.
(1)kylie r.
I have been really excited about a BBQ joint opening in Alameda, so against my better judgment I came here on opening night. I should have waited a bit to come check it out because the restaurant was a total mess! It was very obvious that they were just not ready for opening night. I'm not sure if it was because they weren't expecting such a big turnout or if they were just understaffed, but the service was not good. My party of 2 was seated at the bar right away, however, it took about 10-15 minutes for the bartender to even look in our direction. Our drink orders ended up being taken by someone other than the bartender, looked like a manager maybe. When I asked about the happy hour, she was confused and said they didn't have happy hour. To this, I replied that there was a big mural on the side of the restaurant that advertised happy hour everyday and she was confused about that as well and responded as though she didn't even believe me. You guys should really know what you're advertising! That being said, beer and wine were $4 each so not too bad. Beer selection wasn't that great, and they didn't even have a beverage list for the patrons to look at. After another 10-15 minutes, a waiter who was not even servicing the bar area must have noticed the unhappy look on my face and graciously came over to take our food order. After 40 minutes of waiting for our food, a very frantic looking woman (also looked like an owner who wasn't expecting to have to double as a server) came over, asked what we order and apologized profusely before running back to the kitchen. 2 minutes later the wrong order shows up in front of us. Another 10 minutes and our actual order comes, yay finally! Food was really good. And to end the night, what do you know, the credit card machine is broken! They took our card info manually, so I will be checking my account closely the next couple of days to ensure the correct amount was charged. They did take our drinks off the tab and charged us only for the food, but frankly that was the leats they could do. I do plan to return because it was really good food, but I'll definitely wait a while to make sure they get their stuff together!
(2)Ivory M.
I wanted to try this place out and tried it, but didn't like it. #1 - I arrived there at around 5:30pm and once I was ready to order I was told that they had no Beef Brisket and no Chicken left. So I asked...what do you have then? All they had was port left. How do you run out of beef AND chicken at a BBQ house? I don't know. We had the pulled port sliders and a full rack of ribs with mac and cheese. The pork sliders were slightly cold so I sent it back for hot ones. The ribs were just ok and they could have been warmer too. When you pay $35.00 for a rack of ribs, you expect them to be good and hot off the grill. The mac and cheese was not very good because the quality of cheese was bad. My recommendation if you eat here and want to try... get small portions first to see how you like the quality and taste of the food. That way you wont waste your money and disappoint your tummy. :-/ I wanted to like this place, but it was just ok. I wont be back.... service was lacking also and had to wave servers down for silver wear and the bill. Hopefully this place will improve over time but right now they are off to a rough start.
(2)Marco P.
This is an update on my previously review. Food is just ok, maybe I'll go back, but there are several better places where to eat, even if just in Alameda. Decor is nice. It's still ridiculous how they close at 8pm on Sunday.
(3)Christine S.
I ordered the burger and let me say, the best thing about the restaurant is their host Matheo. Friendly, polite, always remembers my name when I come in, attentive. The burger was okay, but what killed it was they forgot my cole slaw. Would come again for the familiar face, but don't get your hopes up for the kitchen.
(3)Marcus L.
I enjoyed my meal, choosing to try out the ribs and pulled pork combo. The sides were tasty, the ribs were good, and the pulled pork was very tender. That being said, both my friend and I agreed that the meat needed to be smoked for a longer period. This place has potential. The food is good, but they could use a helping hand, maybe stealing some experienced talent from a better-known BBQ place. All in all, though, it's nice to have a place on the island to get some ribs or pulled pork that aren't just secondary items on the menu at places like Applebee's or Burgermeister.
(3)Corey H.
All and all, pretty good. Pulled Pork was great. Brisket was better than average, chicken was hard and crispy, not soft and succulent. Onion rings were made with real onions but the batter was hard and thick? Fried pickles were a waste of a side. Waitresses wanted to be helpful but really didn't know how. Poorly trained and unenthusiastic. Cole Slaw at KFC is better. All sides have bacon and or pork cooked in so ask beforehand if this is important to you. The dining room is boring, boring, boring. Not a 'fun' place. I will order to-go in the future but not come back to dine-in.
(3)Tuesday T.
Based on service, I give it one star. I used to live in new york. I spend a lot of time in san fran as well. I know a thing or two about eating out. I also know a thing or two about busy restaurants and crowds. I'm always considereably more patient than the average joe. If I go to a crowded restaurant, I expect to wait some time. But I went here, on a Sunday morning, and there were literally five or six other families. And a ton of employees. This place was not jumping at that time to say the least. The man who seated me was very nice. I was seated, and the place smelled good. And... that's about as far as I got. I sat there, a girl plopped a menu down, and I continued to sit there for 16 minutes. No glass of water offered, no "would you like something to drink?". I would have even taken a "hi, my name is such and such and I'll be with you shortly." I stood up, grabbed my purse and bags, and an employee, maybe manager, skulked over and said " are you heading out?" Wtf do you think, idiot? I told him that I had been sitting there for 16 minutes and no one had come over amd said anything. He said "oh, I'm so sorry..." I couldn't tell you the rest because he was looking at the back of my ass as I walked out on him. I've been in super busy places and been addressed quickly. My money is green and spends anywhere else. I took my happy ass down to Chipotle-which is where I should have gone originally. And it was damn delicious too, as always.
(1)Bawker R.
Our 1st time here. Great staff especially Fiona & Justin. We ordered "High on the Hog"-full rack of baby back ribs & "Stairway to Hog Heaven"-pulled pork & 1/2 rack baby back ribs with creamed corn, mac & cheese. Lots of food and quite delicious. The cornbread was yummy too! We had reservations on Moms' day and they were busy!!! Would highly recommend coming here! Very kid friendly too. They actually had games to keep them busy! So nice to have another great restaurant with GREAT attentive staff at Alameda's south shore shopping center!!!!! Despite how busy they were, we never had to beg for refills, napkins, etc!!!
(5)Michelle W.
Whatever you do, do not sit outside the waitress completely forgot about us when we were seated for 25 minutes and the food was mediocre.
(1)Linda P.
Our experience has been frustrating and devastating at the same time. Such beautiful decor, prefect patio, unbeatable location but serving disgusting food. My husband and I both ordered the pull pork burger. We both ate the bun, but avoid eating the pulled pork. It has so much MSG and salt that my tongue went numb and I felt my blood pressure shot through their "EAT BBQ" lighted roof with a lifetime of salt in-take in one bite. My daughter loves cheeseburger, and she split out the only bite that she took. Service was non-existence. The host seems like he hates his job. Our server recommended us all their"popular" dishes but was inedible. I wonder what the not so popular dishes tasted like. Our dessert, peach cobbler, was just an added insult to injury. Just a piece of dough and teeny tiny peaches was hard to find. Never again!! Please leave this beautiful space to someone that can actually cook, and not just a deep bank account. Unbelievable!!!
(1)Jonathan Y.
Came here with my housemates on the day of the grand opening, although we didn't intend to come for that reason. Originally we were planning to go someplace in Oakland, but with the protests going on due to the Ferguson verdict, we decided to play it safe and stay in town. For a party of six, it wasn't too hard to get a table and we were seated within 10 minutes of arrival. We ordered the Mega Beauregard, which is intended for 7-8 people, but for the six of us it was sufficiently filling. There's nothing much about the food that excites me, but perhaps that may be the result of my appetite for BBQ declining with age. I would say that Best Lil' Porkhouse is comparable to Texas Roadhouse or Applebee's. It lacks that legendary quality that would make me want to give it the extra fifth star. The service here was good and there weren't any major issues that came up. To me, this place is not "great" enough for a five star rating, but not terribly bad that I'd deduct any more stars from it. It's not great, but it's still good, and that's not a bad thing at all.
(4)Jane H.
The reviews for this place so far seem to be all over the place, so I think it's at least worth checking out for yourself. For me, it wasn't the best BBQ meal but it wasn't the worst. The ribs and chicken were OK. Nothing outstanding. Although the sides weren't bad, I was somehow very disappointed by their mediocrity. The service was also a little off. Everyone was nice, but I think they're still trying to find their groove. It also seemed like they hired a few green servers. If you're a local, definitely give it a try... but I wouldn't go out of my way for this joint.
(3)Nari An M.
My husband and I went there for dinner. We ordered baby ribs and it was pretty good. However, I agree with other yelpers about waiters being slow and inexperienced. Although I have to say that Jeff the bartender was very accommodating. His service made up for the experience we had with waiters. Oh btw, the meat is pink because it's SMOKED! Not because it's undercooked (For below yelpers who clearly haven't had smoked barbecue before)
(4)Greg M.
The food was decent, timing was off some some was not as hot as it should've been. The fried pickles were a delight and surprise and it's been ages since I had fried okra! The bottled and draught menu is solid. The service, while trying to be good is challenged. They tried sitting a five top in a four top location , which would've blocked a pathway. Then it took me raising a stink to get seated appropriately. The tables are small so larger parties of 5+ will be difficult. They are working out their kinks, but really hope they pull it together as this can be a great place for Alameda.
(3)Doctor G.
Best Lil' Porkhouse is located in the Alameda Southshore Center behind Applebee's. It's a very casual place and the service was quite good. I was very disappointed in the beef brisket, especially given the price. The brisket pieces were bacon strip-sized and only a bit thicker. It came medium well done and had no fat or other marbling. I wondered if the brisket was so thinly cut and well done because it was a lesser priced cut of beef and would have been too tough otherwise. My fried okra and onion rings were very good, and they gave us some extra corn muffins which were also excellent. Next time I'll have to try the pork dishes given the name of the restaurant. Three big televisions, but only one tuned to sports. Huh? What else would you show at a BBQ joint?
(2)Garrett D.
No complaints here, tasty food, decent prices & nice design to the place. They even let me watch the entire Warrior game with sound blasting per my request. I will definitely be back.
(4)Brittainee R.
Want Great BBQ look no further... Would've given 5 stars but food was a warm and not hot when it came to the table... Ordered the Mini Beauregard for two and had so much food left over! The Hot BBQ sauce was to die for with so much flavor!! BESt fried pickles that I've ever had. Will be coming back for more...
(4)Austin W.
The food was good, but our server literally screwed up every single thing. Forgot the beer, the food, then over charged us. It was not even busy.
(2)Lil J.
My family and I were hoping to eat at Trabocco the other evening, it was closed for a private party. So we ventured down the way to the new BBQ spot that people were talking about. I am usually hesitant about trying new places. I like people to review it first so I know what I'm getting into. But hey, got to change my ways eventually. We walked in and were greeted right away by a young friendly hostess. No uniform for the hostess, which I am not a huge fan of at restaurants. Anyway, she let us know she had two tables open but they were for reservations only, said no problem. We waited maybe 5-7 minutes. Here is the first problem... WAITING AREA IS SMALL AND NON-ACCOMMODATING to guests. We were seated at a table for 4. There are about 3 rows of tables, including booths down the side. Second problem... THE TABLES ARE WOOD AND SMALL, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE 5'11 OR LARGER. Not very convenient for bigger people, maybe the booths? Third problem... THERE IS NOT MUCH ROOM FOR LARGER PARTIES. Everything is centered around 2-4 people. Most BBQ places are going to bring bigger parties, like families and it will take up a lot of space if they bunch tables together. Looked through the menu. NO DRINKS ARE LISTED ANYWHERE. Waitress had to give us a rolled up piece of paper with the drinks offered. THEY DON'T HAVE NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER AND DON'T HAVE HARD LIQUOR. Only beer and wine. Maybe waiting on liquor license for liquor? Either way, need to list your drinks! Also no dessert listed anywhere, not even sure if they offer dessert? Ordered food. The wait time was about 20 minutes which was fine with me since it's BBQ and meat, cook it right! I ordered half pound of baby back ribs, mac and cheese, and cole slaw. COLE SLAW WAS AMAZING! MAC AND CHEESE NOT GOOD. Sticky and cheesy. The ribs were good. I like fall off the bone ribs and these were not that. I didn't have much meat on my ribs either, however my mother ordered the same thing and she had lots more meat, so maybe I got a bad batch. THE WAITRESS WAS VERY ATTENTIVE AND GOOD. However she didn't know much about the menu or meat, so when we had questions she said she had to check with the chef. Again, no uniform so it was hard to tell who worked there. The servers and bus buys wore all black, I liked that. The other thing that I could foresee being a problem is the GAMES THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO YOUR TABLE. This is a great idea for families with kids to entertain them. But that also means if kids are entertained, mom and dad are going to stay longer, which means they might not be able to turn the tables around as fast as they want to get people in. The restaurant itself is small(er) and not many tables, so people might be waiting much longer than need to when they offer games. This place is family friendly for the most part. I enjoyed my experience. I WILL BE BACK. Just a few minor tweaks and this place could do well. Good luck guys!
(3)Jennifer R.
The bestie & I decided to try this place since we were in the area & kinda on a budget. I haven't had bbq in a long while so i was excited lol. The prices were a bit high for my wallet. I had 3 sliders pork, chicken & brisket. They were a lil dry, i put some tangy bbq sauce on them. My side was mac and cheese with bacon topping. It wasn't that good i didn't like the cheese. I also had what they call sweet tea & i had to add my own sweet n low lol. Wasn't sweet to me very plain. All in all i most likely would not be returning here.
(3)Brian P.
I wanted to like this place due to convenience, etc. They have great sides but what am I coming here for? Their barbecue, of course, silly! ;) I got their $40 sampler to really taste what they offered. I've been to the South and had real solid barbecue so I had a base to judge from. I've got one critical thing to say: breaking off the bone by a simple bite into it isn't cooking the meat right, it's waaaay overcooking it!!! Not ever coming back.
(2)Princess C.
Came here and really enjoyed it overall. We got the Macho Nachos and they were really GREAT! Every chip had toppings on it! It was also really filling. I got the sliders...wouldn't get them again, they were dry and needed to have a lot of sauce added on. My fiancé got the pulled pork sandwich with cheese and that also needed sauce added....but was the best out of our entrees. I'm sure they put all the different sauces on the table so you can add whichever flavor you want to your sandwich. Will we be back.....YES.
(4)Greg K.
Nice go-to for bbq on the island. We sit at the bar, kinda quiet, a beer and drink and order the large combo for two, and it appears before my beer is gone. Probably would suffice for a family of four, the chicken was perfect, moist and a bit smokey, light on sauce. Ribs, pulled pork and sliced brisket, coleslaw not too creamy...I could do without the fried pickles but wife had to try.......nice bartender and mellow vibe.
(4)Regina M.
My plate was full with St. Louis Ribs and Beef Brisket with coleslaw. The brisket and ribs were tender. The Manager was Jay. Make sure you tell me Gina aka G. Momma sent you. Will be going back this Thursday for lunch.
(5)Lisa T.
Pulled pork is the best I've had in California. Ribs are seasoned and yummy and all the sides are good too. Unfortunately, they're consistently out of brisket and other items. We've ordered to go and received numerous return phone calls from their staff informing us that they're out of certain items. It has happened three times -- extremely unprofessional. Most places I would've never returned to but their pulled pork is so damn good I just can't help myself!!! Hahahahaha! 5 star pulled pork. I wonder how their brisket is?? Wonder if I'll ever know? They're always out!
(4)Mike B.
OMG - the best Pulled Pork ever! I also loved the Baked beans and the homemade Kettle Chips (with Bacon, Shredded Cheese and Sour Cream). Man, I could go for more of those beans right now. Yum!
(5)Tiffany C.
Glad to see a BBQ spot in Alameda finally! And they actually played country music!Food was pretty good, the ribs were a little tough but the flavor was great. We definitely will be back!
(4)Matt M.
Even after looking at the reviews, we decided to give this new place a try. Here is my assessment: 1. Greeted kindly with a smile at the door 2. Sweet tea is the bomb sauce 3. Waiters are new and nervous 4. Staff doesn't seem happy 5. Food did not come out together. 6. Mac n Cheese was cold 7. Fries tasted like fish 8. BBQ was okay, not anything to call home about (since I'm from Tennessee) 9. Okra was good All in all, new place, working out kinks, will come back to see if improvements are made
(3)Celina M.
As a Texan, I can tell you that this is legitimate southern BBQ. I ordered the "stairway to hog heaven" and subbed brisket for pork. Ribs are smoked well, house sauces are surprisingly awesome. Brisket was delicious. Honestly, they had me at sweet potato tots.
(5)Rey R.
Bad service we had our first time dinner last night Friday dec 12, 2014 .. Before we got seated the servers or the front desk people are arguing.. They are young and lack of training .. We got seated and order our beers and guess what she forgot to bring them to us... I have to ask the guy to bring them I ordered a pork sandwich and my gf ordered the chicken bbq the food arrived and no silverware ... The chicken bbq wasn't that good.. Really No names it's hard to find jobs now a days.. I've been dining out most of my life and I know a good food and a good service.... People are taking their job for granted sometimes
(1)Reinold T.
Here for lunch on 12-13. Sat at the bar and ordered a beer to enjoy with the complimentary peanuts. Ordered the fried pickles to start, followed by the sliders with baked beans. The food was all delicious and I would eat here again. Only 3 stars though for the service. Although I was promptly welcomed, I had to flag down the waiter for flatware and napkins after receiving my order. Then realizing the sliders were served without sauce, was unsuccessful in getting his attention again. Ended up swiping the sauce caddy from the table behind me. No follow-up to see how my meal was. Will try again though.
(3)Anders G.
Went here for the first time last week and I will certainly return when in Alameda. Great, fast service and nice clean restaurant, good atmosphere. I read some of the reviews afterwards and was surprised how harsh some folks decide to be on a new business opening like this at a great location for Alameda residents. I got the baby back ribs (I think it was the "High on the Hog" w/ 2 sides) and they were really good. For sides I picked Creamed Corn and Mac N' Cheese... even better. Actually, I would go as far as saying the Creamed Corn was amazing. (I eat a lot of corn.) The shelled peanuts was a nice treat too. (Sure, this place probably doesn't compare to a local smoke house in Texas that's been around for 58 thousand years, but I flew in from LA and taking the detour via Texas for a pork meal just felt a little overkill. I also don't get all my Chinese food from China, even if that obviously would be more authentic.) Didn't get any dessert. I guess that means the size of the portions was all right too. Next time I'll leave some room for it. :)
(4)Eric P.
Hand's down some of the best bbq I have have ever had!! Must try the golden nuggets!! Little bites of meaty goodness!!!
(5)Carlos C.
Place was a total let down. My food was dry and tasted like it was reheated in the microwave!! Mac an Cheese was very dry and bland. Won't be going here again.
(2)Ralph C.
I have been here four times and I will continue to return since I'm a sucker for any type of smoked/BBQ meat and a pint of Racer 5 off the tap. Now for the review- the service has always been below average, the sides have drastically improved but still need quite a bit of work, and the BBQ has a smoky flavor but comes off a bit dry. I am a bit spoiled when it comes to BBQ having originated from the midwest and lived for two years in South Texas. Fries come out under cooked- you have to chase down your servers for drinks and checks to leave, when people are lined up at the door waiting for a table. If you truly appreciate good BBQ, even better sides and Racer 5 on tap- check out Cathead's BBQ in SF (SOMA district).
(2)Christian C.
This place could be so much better than what it is. I had high expectations for this place, but many of the reviews are right. We went to meet with some friends who were visiting despite the reviews. My wife had smoked chicken with sweet potato tots and kale slaw. She said the chicken was a little to dry and lacked flavor, the tots were just ok, but she did like her kale slaw. I tasted her chicken and it lacked salt, maybe a brine since they are smoking it. I had the sampler slider with pulled pork, brisket, and chicken. First off the meat was cold and dry. I had to drown the meats in BBQ sauce to choke it down. The brisket lacked flavor and very dry, the pulled pork was all sauce and had no pork flavor. I did enjoy my creamed corn, the only thing I finished. All my friends ordered sweet iced tea. It was missing the sweet and the ice. One of my friends was not that hungry and ordered the saloon chips, which basically was kettle chips out of a bag with melted cheese and bacon. They could have used a cheese sauce but it was just melted shredded cheese. I would have given them a one star but I will have to try another time. My favorite BBQ place in Alameda closed a while ago, thought this would replace it. I was wrong. Otherwise service was just ok, it seemed to take long for our food to come out yet the food was not even hot.
(2)Vincent H.
Not a good place to get your bbq. Brisket got no smoke rings. Asked them about it and was told they put it in sauce to keep it moist. Really! Any good joint would carve it to order. And u cant lose the smoke ring by soaking it? Reallly?! briskets looked like it was boiled. May as well give me a wedge of cabbage and call it st. Patty day. Had the sample platter. 80 bucks! Stingy portion. Just as well. Everything was regrettably forgettable. Don't even bother with the pull pork. Mushy like kahlua pig. No burnt bits. Argh. What a waste of money and time. Go to k.c. or lucille. Life is too short to eat mediocre food.
(1)Janet N.
3 stars for my first visit, but this place has a lot of potential to be even better! Let me preface this by saying my family and I came here on Christmas Eve, so my experience might have been atypical from the usual. They were seating people who had reservations only and they called us to ask if we could come in earlier since they were closing at 8pm. I don't know if they're able to update their OpenTable schedule, but I wish we were informed of this sooner. However, they were very nice about it and we agreed to come in at 7pm, the last table to be seated. The food portions are HUGE, so brownie points for that! Between the four of us, we ordered the piggy back fries for starter and the dinner for 2 (1/4 rack of ribs, 1/4 lb pork, 1/4 lb brisket, 1/4 chicken and 2 large sides). The waitress was helpful in informing us that it was a lot of food and we didn't need the dinner for 4, and she was right! The four of us could barely finish everything. The piggy back fries were probably my favorite - so bad for you but oh so delicious! The meat was cooked well and very tender, although the pulled pork was a little mushy and oily. The bbq sauce added good flavor - there are bottles of 3 different kinds at your table if you want more. We decided to get 4 small sides instead of 2 large ones - fried okra, sweet potato tots, kale slaw and mac n cheese. The kale slaw was my favorite and a unique twist on cole slaw. It was a great complement to all the meat. The fried okra and sweet potato tots were also delicious and unique. The mac n cheese, however, was completely inedible. It was overcooked, mushy and there was barely any macaroni! We were basically eating chunks of cheese - disgusting! I think since we were the last people dining, we probably got the leftover scraps of mac n cheese at the bottom of the pot, and they didn't want to make more. I would have much rather they told us they were out and let us order something else. The decor of this place is pretty cool - a mix of modern and old western. Its in a great location with a good amount of seating plus a bar area. Service wasn't the greatest. Although the servers were friendly and helpful, they were not attentive. We had to chase them down multiple times for utensils (which should be at the table BEFORE the food comes), water, refills, etc.. Overall, the food was good enough for me to come back again and since this place opened recently, hopefully the service will improve. I've heard that their other location is better, so I have high hopes that this one can be just as good!
(3)Kristen E.
We had a Father's Day reservation for 7 people at 7pm that I had made weeks ago. When we arrived, they told us we had to leave because they had run out of meat. A barbecue place ran OUT OF MEAT. Seriously. We ended up going to Applebee's because they were the only place that could squeeze us in on the holiday. I wouldn't be surprised if this place closed before the end of the year as they obviously have no idea how to run a restaurant.
(1)Valentino L.
Sat down about 10 minutes. They served us peanuts...that's it. At about 15-minute mark, still no one to even ask for our drinks. Sorry little pork house, but we're not coming back. I'd give no stars if I could.
(1)Alisa M.
I wanted to score this place higher. I live super close and have been eyeing this place since before it opened. I love BBQ. Before we actually came in and ate this week we had stopped in closer to Xmas and tried to get a table one evening. We were told you needed reservations which put us off a little. Just don't see that much around these parts! But we came in on a slower weeknight this time and sat right down (it was around 7:30 or so, that helped I'm sure). Anyway, back to the topic! Positives: 1.) The ambiance is terrific. You really feel like you're somewhere in the South eating BBQ. Definitely forget you're in a mall in Alameda! 2.) The beer selection is amazing and bar seems legit. They have Sculpin IPA on TAP!! Seriously? They also have Dogfish Head. I didn't even have a look at the bar but they have a list of custom cocktails that look really good. So the bar seems awesome and I could see myself coming in for a beer and a snack sometime (the bar area and tables are separate from the main dining room). The bartender was really friendly as he delivered our beers. 3.) The food tasted good. I liked the ribs (baby back). The baked beans were a little spicy and good flavor. The brisket had good flavor and was dusted with some spices to heat things up a bit. The kale salad was really good and had a sweet dressing on it. 4.) Our server was nice and attentive. 5.) They have a big table in the front of the restaurant and it's covered in toys to keep kids amused. Brilliant! I have a toddler (almost 2) and I now know why parents opt to stay home more often than not. Going out with kids can be torture. Thanks to whoever thought of this. More restaurants should cater to families like this. Negatives: Really the only negative I have - and it's a pretty big one. The place wasn't very busy - maybe 60% full, if that. Many of the tables were finishing up their meals. So the kitchen wasn't slammed or anything. When our food arrived it wasn't hot! I saw this in another recent review and so I am assuming it's a recurring problem (hint hint, managers!). So our ribs, beef brisket, sweet potato tots and fried okra were room temperature at best. It's not like we had been waiting a long time after we ordered but perhaps the food had been sitting in the window? Maybe the food isn't prepared to order? Something like fried okra has to be hot in order to be enjoyable. Who wants lukewarm fried food? We sent the food back and the ribs & brisket were heated and the tots were a little hotter. The fried okra was still not very hot (probably microwaved them?) I truly hope they don't have a bunch of food already fried and under heat lamps. It's not hard to fry up some okra to order (I can understand if it's super busy then they should probably have it ready made since it's going out with orders quickly. Also the brisket wasn't what I expected. Thin long slices and they were pretty dry (probably due to the reheating but still). I am used to brisket like from Kinders. Thicker, moist. I will definitely give this place another shot. Cold food is much better than other gripes, am I right? And don't be surprised if I stop in just for a Sculpin :)
(3)Adam T.
Im surprised! I havent seen a good BBQ spot in Alameda in quite some time IF EVER! A tad pricey, but if yoy dont want to travel for some good Ribs and Brisket. This is the place to be. I ordered a Mini Beauregard and got it in 15 minutes with their Amazing mac n cheese, Cole slaw, Corn bread, Baked beans, and onion rings for about $40.00. Not bad! Brisket was tender and smoky, Ribs werent falling off the bone but better than Everett and Jones, and was given my to go order in less than 20 minutes. Im definitely coming back here to try much more. Im a big BBQ snob and this gave a very good first impression. Im a fan already and so were my parents. Kudos.
(4)Diem L.
Brought my Texas Coworkers to this spot and they will definitely be coming back. The Ladies at the bar does hook up the drinks...Joanna was our server!
(5)Kaylee D.
We have been anxiously awaiting the opening of this restaurant and we were not disappointed. We have a 3 year old, so decided to check it out at 4:30 on a Friday. As parents of a toddler, we are always looking for kid-friendly venues and this was as friendly as it gets! Paper towels at the tables, plastic dishware & crayons and paper to color. I also enjoyed that there was a tall wall partition between the bar & the dining area. Not because I am uptight about booze, but because it made me feel more at ease bringing a kiddo into a more adult dining establishment. After order a couple of $4 beers & perusing the menu, we decided on the Mini Beauregard sampler plate. A parade of food ensued. We ordered Mac & Cheese, Baked Beans, Fries and Coleslaw as our sides and they were the perfect compliment to the abundant meats. I am a huge fan of sauces and it was great to be able to sample all 4 of the different BBQ sauces on the table. The Mini Beauregard was a bit of a splurge for us, but when you can bring leftovers of 2 cornbread muffins & a 1/4 chicken home for lunch the next day, it is seems like a bargain. To top it off, kids get complimentary ice cream. This made my boy really happy. As for service, Keira, our server, was super personable, awesome at anticipating our needs & the perfect amount of attentive. The support staff were friendly and quick to clear plates. It was clear that the staff as a whole were still a bit green and finding their rhythm, but that is always the case with new operations and the eagerness was there in spades! My only complaint (and it is a small one) - The menu was unnecessarily confusing/ visually cluttered and could benefit from a redesign Can't wait for our next visit.
(5)Kimberly W.
I'm sorry to say I didn't have a very good experience at the place. The food was average to ok but the service .... The service was horrible! I asked my server for a lemon to go in my water he brought it to me in the Palm Of His Hand, not a napkin, not on a toothpick, not in a cup but the palm of his hand (that's just not right) He forgot half my order, (he didn't write anything down) he didn't refill my drink and this is the clincher he sat down at the table next to mine crossed his legs and proceeded to have a full on conversation. the food was average and way overpriced would I go back to this establishment? No... Do I recomend this resturant? No.... Did I want to love this place yes. My advice before spending your hard earned money here you might want to think twice.. Sorry
(1)Aaron S.
I keep hoping for this place because i love bbq but it seems every time i come in it gets worse. The food was down hill at best and we had to order appetizers three times because the kitchen was out of everything but failed to express that as we ordered over and over again. Then the ribs came out so tough we had to ask for a sharper knife to cut them. I really hope this place turns around but i wouldn't recommend it to anyone i liked for now.
(1)Eloise H.
I am from the South and picky about my barbeque joints, so I'd been looking forward to checking out Alameda's Best Lil' Porkhouse as there is a dearth of restaurants offering Southern-style cuisine on the island. I am allergic to corn syrup and called ahead to verify it was, in fact, an ingredient in their sauces, so I was a little concerned how the organic pork would taste naked. I need not have feared, however, for the divine swine on my "Hog Heaven" pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw was delicious: moist, tender, and smoky. My partner's "Bay of Pig's Cuban" with pulled pork/ham/swiss cheese and pickles was equally delicious as was the oh-so-creamy mac-and-cheese side. The staff was friendly and attentive and it was overall, a satisfying (and very filling) dining experience. I am genuinely surprised by some of the mediocre reviews as there is usually a line at BLP at dinnertime and on weekends. I am clearly not the only one who considers it to be a welcome addition to South Shore and plan to head back for some fried ochre and beef brisket ASAP.
(5)Mike L.
You guessed it, this place is a great BBQ establishment. The staff was knowledgeable of the menu and accommodating to food restrictions in my party. Great bar with plenty of draft beers for any pallet. Will return for happy hour.
(5)Nonyah B.
Tried to give it another shot by calling in on a Sunday and ordering to go. Guy on the phone said I can order but before I do he had to tell me that they were out of pulled pork, brisket and whole chicken. What was the fucking point of opening up shop today if you're basically out of more than half of your main entrees on the menu? Get your shot together. You're a BBQ place, how could you be out of all that???
(1)Donielle F.
The taste was good, but the amount of brisket you get is not worth it! The ribs could have been smoked longer the meat wasn't tender enough for my liking. The outdoor music is awesome our family loved the outdoor entertainment.
(2)Michelle D.
I wonder how long it will take this place to work out the bugs? We've done take out 4 or 5 times and dined in their restaurant once. First and foremost, on all but one occasion, the food was amazing. The first time we got take out, we got sandwiches. The staff didn't pack any sauce in our order and our sandwiches were bone dry. Other times, we are told they don't do take out at night, then a different staff will say, "We don't do take out in the day, only at night." No one really seems to be on the same page. We went there last weekend and they were out of Brisket, spare ribs, baby back ribs and pulled pork. The only thing they had left on the menu was chicken. I hope they find a way to resolve some of these issues. The place is really cute, the staff seem like they're trying their best and the food is delicious.
(3)Eddie D.
I was so excited to try this place because BBQ is the one thing Alameda is missing. We came here for the 1st time back in March and it did not disappoint. We had a great meal with good service. I got the sliders sampler where I tried the chicken, pork and brisket. My wife got the French dip and the kids each got a burger. The food is very flavorful and we had a great experience. In fact, I was going to write a 5 star review afterwards. And then came our next visit last Saturday. What a trainwreck! My in-laws were in town and we were so excited to show them our new BBQ joint. We all ordered our food and drinks. The kids were happy playing games that the restaurant provides, which I have to say is a great perk for parents. I was ¾ done with my beer and I asked for another while the waiter was there. He said OK and then grabbed my unfinished beer off the table. It was not a big deal but more of a sign of things to come. We all got our food except for my wife. Time was ticking away as we were waiting for her food and my beer...5, 10, 15 minutes, nothing and no waiter in sight. I got up to look for him and there was a chicken-wing eating event going on outside on the patio. The manager was out there to urge the guy on, which was fine but so was our waiter and he was having a great time. I not so kindly told the waiter about my wife's missing food and missing beer. He said OK, and instead of him being more focused on our table it was the opposite. I got the manager's attention though and he offered a free round. I started to feel a little better about the situation but nothing changed. Our waiter was scared off because he didn't say one word to us the rest of our visit. At least a half hour passed since we all got our food and my wife's food never came. We were all done and ready to leave at that point. I got up and told the manager the food never showed up and we wanted to go. So as we're all packing up her finally the food comes...without the side of onion rings. We tell the now silent waiter we want it "to go" and add the onion rings we ordered. He comes back with the food packed up and still no onion rings. I was about to blow and the manager does the right thing and comps our whole meal. If it wasn't for our first visit I would never come back here but I will probably give it one more try. I hope they learn and this was an anomaly and not part of the norm.
(1)Paul L.
My experience was okay with this place. The staff was customer-oriented and the food was pretty decent. They did get my order wrong at first, but they were happy to correct the issue quickly.
(3)Kristine C.
Had lunch here and I think this place needs improvement. Food was so-so I did like the fried okra and the corn bread, the fried pickles were too salty, the wings were okay as well not the best but not bad. We got the combo that feed 2 people and I have to say my sense was overwhelmed, the chicken was over smoked and burnt, the pulled pork was decent but it was lacking sauce and dry, the baby back ribs where dry as well but had good flavor, and the sliced beef was dry. And above all the food came cold so it kills the experience. Service was so-so considering there were only 3 servers and the place was kinda busy. I hope that the food is better when I do visit the area again and I can re write this review
(2)love i.
At first I was hesitant for this place because BBQ is a hit or miss type of Resturant. Either you love it or hate it. When I came here and ordered the waitress was nice. But the meat came out dry. And the Mac and cheese came with beacon (wished I knew better). As we were about to end the meal the manager came out to greet people. He asked if everything was good. And I told him everything is good but meats are too dry. At that moment he took our old food and reordered again. It was soooo good. I liked the fact that they checked on their costumers for best services. I later ordered bread pudding and it was to die for. I found out that the place is privately owned and not corporate. Very observant and looking to give excellent service. It's hard to find places that would even take ur food back of certain criteria of the individual palate. But here they were more and even go out of their way to accommodate your palate. I'll be back for sure
(5)Denise Y.
We just came home from an exasperating experience at this restaurant. After all the buzz about it's opening, we were really looking forward to trying this place. We got off to a bad start when our Open Table reservation requested an inside table and they missed seeing that and seated us outside. Unfortunately, it was the worst service we have ever experienced -- took almost an hour to get our food, and we were ready to walk out right before the food came out. Timeline: 6:30 p.m. - seated 6:40 p.m. - order taken 6:50 p.m. - brought water 7:35 p.m. - most of food arrived 7:40 p.m. - other two sides arrived (after we complained they were missing) Most of the servers looked very young and then we found out that the manager is hiring Alameda kids, but with no experience, which was obvious. However, kudos to the Asian female server who sympathized with our frustration and went back to the kitchen many times to find out why our food was taking so long. Judging by the back-up in the kitchen, we assume the cooks had no experience either. In addition, when the food was finally brought out, they didn't even get our order right. They ran out of chicken and we were supposed to have babyback and pork ribs and were only given the pork ribs, two of our sides were missing which we asked for and then after we left, I realized they also forgot our cornbread muffins. Our family of four shared a small platter with ribs, beef brisket, four sides and a pulled pork sandwich. The food was pretty good and the pulled pork was my favorite. However, after all the waiting, we didn't fully enjoy our meal. We were so tired of sitting there that we gobbled our food and just wanted to leave. We also overhead two tables around us complaining to the manager about the bad service. We were comped $20 off our bill. However, we won't be back to this restaurant for a long time until they get the kinks out. Such a disappointing start to this long-awaited restaurant! I can only give a 1-star rating because the poor, inexcusable service overshadowed the quality of the food.
(1)Cece L.
Great customer service and best place to get BBQ in Alameda! It's conveniently located in the South Shore Shopping Center. Sometimes I don't want to drive to Oakland to get BBQ so I'm happy that this place opened on the island. The beef brisket is really good. The portions are good too, not too big. I think their family meals are a good deal. However, I don't think the mac and cheese is that good, but my fiance thinks its great so I guess you'll have to try for yourself.
(5)Jenn O.
I read the Yelp reviews and went in prepared with the mindset that this is a new restaurant and there would be growing pains. I walked away pretty happy with my experience here. I think it's a good idea to make an online reservation. You seem to get seated relatively quickly with one. Food: Good! I like the family platters/options. They come with good-sized portions of ribs, brisket, pulled pork and chicken. You get to choose between corn bread and texas toast as well. The options for the sides are great. Mac n cheese, kale slaw, and creamed corn are my recommendations. Food came out quickly. They also provided complimentary peanuts and popcorn while you waited for your food. Service: Good. Yes, this is a new restaurant, and they are working out the issues, but they try hard to make their guests comfortable. Staff seemed friendly and helpful overall. Maybe it's settled down a little bit since opening day. Ambiance: Typical BBQ joint type of atmosphere. Booths, tables, and a bar. Sinks are easily accessible outside the bathrooms. I would go back.
(4)Michelle C.
Stopped in for take away and the host told me to take care of that at the bar. Service was slow, even though it wasn't busy, it took a while for the bar tender to get around to taking my order. It seemed a little over priced for what we got. Will try it again for sit down dinner, and will update my review if need be. However, haven't been overly excited to go back.
(3)Ekin G.
I think reviewers are too harsh on this place. Their spare ribs, pulled pork and baked beans were awesome. They are very kid friendly. They have heated patio seating and they even made cotton candy for the kids.
(5)Jeff K.
There is nothing wrong with Best Lil' Porkhouse but nothing that stands out either. Service was OK. We had the mini platter for two so we could sample a bunch of things. The BBQ in general was extremely smoky. I love really smoked BBQ and it was almost a little much, especially on the pulled pork. The BBQ sauces are all very similar in taste. The sides were good except the sweet potato tots which were very bland and weren't seasoned. An average experience in all ways. I would go again but I'm not rushing back.
(3)Maxine S.
Hi my name is Max I am from Memphis TN home of the best southern BBQ in USA !!! I work in the bay area and live in Alameda CA I visited this cute restaurant The Porkhouse great place it made homesick because the flavor of the BBQ was great!! Ambiance is well thought out the service is great !! I had baby back ribs, brisket fried pickles, slaw, corn, collard greens, cornbread wonderful southern flavor!! Only one slight draw back getting your food can be a bit slow only because its very busy but its worth the wait!!I give this very friendly family oriented restaurant a 4 STAR
(4)rene s.
It's top 5 bbq places in nor cal for sure. Service sucks, lot's of people standing around not being helpful. This place could really do good business if they train there staff better. I'll stop going if they don't figure out good customer service.Two times they got my order wrong for take out. They should check to make sure your order is right. Make sure you get your sauce and slaw.
(3)Jim K.
The other reviews are correct that Best L'il Porkhouse has a LOT to fix before people can enjoy their great food. My wife and I were there two nights after opening and it was quite an ordeal. Given that this location is their 3rd restaurant, I can't really figure out why their systems are so bad. - First, I don't think the staff is trained well. - Second, their server "stations" don't look to be logically designed. - They appear to have only one POS terminal so all the servers are spending more of their time standing in a line to enter orders instead of waiting on customers, delivering food, etc. - On the night we were there, they didn't have enough table supplies for all the tables. When our food came, we had to wait another five minutes for the BBQ sauces and salt and pepper (The waiter had to scrounge a rack from another table that wasn't using it (amateur hour) - The have this huge bar but no where on the menu does it tell you they have any beverages so they are missing a huge chance to profit from alcohol sales - When we finally got our bill, they didn't have it programmed to charge tax - Lastly, they had no spot on the bill to tip your server!!! We had to charge dinner and then leave a cash tip for the poor server. All said and done, the food was REALLY GOOD! I had pulled pork and my wife had the brisket. We would go again for the food. I hope these guys get it together. It was a nice environment for families and the little ones were having a ball. I really lay the blame on the management here for being so disorganized and not equipping their staff for success. If they don't get themselves together, they will either be out of business or will be on Restaurant Impossible where Robert Irvine comes in and straightens their act out.
(2)David H.
Didn't eat here. Saturday lunch host provided a guest welcoming experience of -1 on a scale of one to ten. Word of advice. . You should never come up from behind a guest and loudly ask for them to move out of the way. It's rude and unfriendly. One of your coworkers thought so as well.
(1)Elicia B.
We came as a party of 3 and ordered the Mini Beauregard, which supposedly feeds 2. Our server said we'd have plenty and she was right, we had leftovers! She was very attentive and nice and even gave us an extra cornbread when the dish only came with 2. The original BBQ sauce was really good, though I appreciate that they didn't drown the meat in it so that you could use your discretion. All of the meats were prepared well, though the brisket was a tad dry (still delicious). The sweet potato tots were like candy, and the fried okra was very good also. The kale slaw was more like a kale salad (not as saucy as traditional slaw) but still very good, almost preferred! I would go back!
(3)Tim w.
Food is good, but not great. A bit greesy, and left the place feeling a bit greesed out. We had the sliders and the French Dip. Has potential with a nice looking bar area. Our server was very friendly. Will go back again though and try other items. Nice location inside South Shore, which is reviving a bit!
(3)Mey S.
Pretty good bbq. We ordered a tray of bbq ribs, chicken, pulled pork, brisket, and a bunch of sides. Loved the ribs and chicken but did not care for the pulled pork (greasy) and brisket (too dry). The Mac n cheese, onion rings and fried pickles were good. And I loved the moist corn muffins. I think I will be returning again.
(4)Iman S.
We've been wanting to try this place out but we're a bit nervous by the reviews (mostly regarding the service). Well, I'm here to say that things are stabilizing at this new spot! The service was impeccable, our server was courteous, prompt, attentive and every promise she made (I'll be right back), she kept. And the food was super yummy. I had the baby back ribs and they were delicious. Definitely our new go-to spot for bbq in the East Bay.
(4)Ben S.
I promise this place sucks. Don't waste your time or your money. The service is poor and cold, the food was hot, but everything was mushy, over cooked and tasted the same. A perfect example of how not to do Barbecue. A week later and I'm still upset that I spent my $75 this way.
(1)Kazoua T.
I didn't try their food. Never got the chance too. When we walked in on Saturday night around 8 PM, there was a couple with an infant in front of us. A manager walked in and blatantly told them that they can't be seated even though there were tables open (inside and outside). She said something along the lines of "if we seat you, then we have to seat all the other 20 people....blah blah blah." Manager was trying to brush off the couple and then "I'm trying my best to make you happy here...blah blah blah". I don't know how long the couple had been waiting but they had enough time to peruse the menu and was able to put in an order for take-out. It was only them and us waiting to be seated at 8 PM!! My husband saw this event unfold in front of us and he was so pissed due to the lack of customer service given to the couple and the response by upper management. He says he'll never try this place just because of their response. Our wait to be seated was 45 minutes...no thanks...we're hungry with a 4 year old in tow. It would have gone so much better if the manager had said "I'm so sorry but we are over whelmed in the kitchen and cannot accommodate you this evening. How about I give your gift card for another visit?" TADA!! That would have worked miracles! What I don't understand is if you're a new business, why are you so understaffed and why in the world would you run out of food (per earlier reviews)?!?
(1)Meghan H.
Delicious food, gorgeous atmosphere, amazing staff & perfect location! Definitely headed back soon.
(5)Courtney W.
We ordered takeout at lunch and I had Stairway to Hog Heaven. It was delicious. Everything was moist and well-seasoned and saucy except for the side of coleslaw*. Lots of meat on the ribs, and I didn't feel like the sauce was covering up dryness or lack of flavor in the rib itself. They have the most delicious creamed corn I've ever tasted. Creamy, flavorful and with bits of real bacon on top. It reminded me a bit of alfredo. The BBQ sauce was great! It had a good consistency - not too watery - was smoky and sweet with a little kick. The one issue we had is they forgot the side of fries that came with someone's meal (not too big a deal, but annoying when you have takeout and you have to drive back to get it), which they replaced and threw in some corn bread to make up for it. I also sampled the okra and fried pickles. The okra was "meh." I don't care for okra, though. It tasted slightly fishy to me, but most of the sliminess was fried away. I thought the fried pickles were pretty tasty, but they must be an acquired taste, as my friend who usually likes pickles didn't care for them. *Don't get the coleslaw. It is the only thing that is both dry and bland.
(4)Lee W.
We came in to give his place another try, and left without eating. Received menus, and was not waited on again again. Sat there for 15 minutes, tried unsuccessfully to get the attention on 3 employees and was ignored. This is simply unacceptable. We came in early, the restaurant was not busy, there is no excuse for such terrible service. Sorry, but we won't be back.
(1)Nancy M.
My daughter and I went for dinner last night, (Friday), they were pretty busy so we decided to eat at the bar. The food was pretty good, but the service was superb! There were 2 young women bar tending and they went out of their way to ensure that we had a wonderful experience. We are very spoiled in the Bay Area with lots of great restaurants to choose from, so the fact that the service was so great will ensure we'll go back.
(5)Steve S.
I was pleased to have had lunch at PH for lunch. My server was Krystal aka KRYS and she was a delight...attentive, happy, quick with order knew her menu and the Specials. I had a huge shredded smoked pork sandwich with french fries....i also ordered wings to go. The smoked flavor was of cherry and apple wood and just outta Texas. Both order were deluxe. Every place gets better with time as the staff gets seasoned. I found a sweet quiet Eating place that has good food. I am happy to recommend PH to anyone Who hasn't had decent barbecue since Texas.....or not, a fine meal was had at A fair price.
(4)Suzette B.
It was a bit busy on a Saturday evening which was to be expected. My two friends and I found seats fast at the bar. The yummy drinks were served quickly by Geoff and Jay. We ate the hearty and delicious nachos. Great service, friendly staff, and a nice new atmosphere to Alameda. I would definitely go back again.
(5)Juan R.
On the edge of being really good! This is apparently a new place on the edge of being really good. The big picture - good tasting food. I had the songs and chowder and although the presentation wasn't great presentation - the taste was surprisingly good. I would come back here. But I'd like to offer a few recommendations. - diversify beer menu. Lots of IPAs and pale ales. Unless you see those as being best sellers in the area. For gods sake offer more than IPAs and Pale Ales - the meats are not smoked in cite. I'm ok with that because your sauces are good. But make sure your food doesn't look dry - I got the chowder. It was heavy on the bacon and light on the chowder. It taste it good but it you go that heavy on bacon call it a bacon and clam chowder. Also it seemed thin. Thicker is good - the wing are smoked. I love them. Have your staff sell the smoking factor. The BBQ sauce with a bit of hotness was nice with a cool beer. The same wings with buffalo was nice. But I push that BBQ sauce if I'm the wait staff - the manager kept walking back and forth checking on the staff. Never smiled. Recommendation. Check in on the customers and smiles. - I think BBQ and I think happy community. As a whole we need more friendliness from the staff. More smiles. More laugh. Small talk your clients. Again on the edge of being great. Just attention to detail and more warmth
(3)Amanda R.
My husband and I went to dinner here the other night. The food was great, the atomsphere was fun and the service was super friendly! We will definitely be coming back.
(4)Mom S.
Dinner and service here was very good. Our server was Kira. She is sooo sweet and attentive. I asked her about the coleslaw and she was honest and stated she didn't like coleslaw, so she didn't know if it was sweet. She did go to the kitchen and asked for me. She also kept our drinks full and was there when we needed wet wipes etc. Now for the food...We ordered a sampler plate. The platter has ribs, brisket, chicken and pull pork. The servings were very generous. The only thing on this platter I will never order again is the chicken. The chicken was soft and did not compare flavor wise with the other meats. The sides were good except for the onion rings. The onion rings were generic and cold when they got to us. All the other sides were hot and very good. The kid dinner was very disappointing. The mini burger was no joke, it was mini. I would call it a slider thus avoiding confusion. My husband and I will be back minus the kid lol but we will be back. The ribs, brisket, and pull pork tasted delicious. Thank you Kira for the tip about the kale slaw. I'm coming back and that will be my side.
(4)Daniel A.
Excellent pulled chicken sandwich and BBQ sauce selection. I had great service sitting at the bar. (beer and wine only for now, but I'm told they have plans for a full bar when the license come through). To all you people whining here on yelp...they have only been open a week. Calm down. Lol
(5)Serena C.
Scrumptious, meaty baby back ribs with a tangy tasty sauce with just enough hot to make me happy. Pulled pork was moist and flavorful. Chose the collard greens and baked beans for sides. Split the order with Karen and we were both stuffed.
(5)Todd H.
Ate here on December 27th. Ordered the Brisket and Pulled Pork platter. The food arrived within about ten minutes and my first impression was that it had been sitting on that plate since before I'd even ordered. The brisket and sauce drizzled on it both had that dull dry look of food that's been sitting on a plate for a while. It was lukewarm, sliced thin as bacon, and very dry, almost like jerky. The pulled pork was dull and dry on top, but was moist deeper down. It tasted bland to me, but I prefer Carolina style pulled pork, so I'm not the best judge of theirs. For sides I had Mac and Cheese which was tasty, no complaints there. The Collard Greens were outstanding! We also had the fried pickles, which for some reason came with no sauce of any kind. IMO Fried pickles don't stand on their own too well, they need some sort of sauce. I would have asked my waitress if they'd forgotten it, but she was nowhere to be found until we were almost done eating. If I had to guess I'd say they are pre-plating their platters and letting them sit until someone orders them which is just plain wrong. Dry BBQ is bad BBQ. I may give them a second shot if I get desperate for BBQ.
(2)Jes G.
Very disappointing. We were seated right away on a Sunday afternoon. After ordering, it took a LONG , very long time for our food to arrive. I figured , hey they're just preparing a great meal..but nope! Food came out cold. My brisket tasted like old, cold meat. The onion rings were extremely greasy. My boyfriend, who loves everything, did not enjoy his ribs. Portions were also small if you were to compare this to something like Famous Dave's.( Similar food, similar price) Also, our waitress almost literally pushed us out of there mid bite, I've never felt so rushed from beginning to end at any restaurant, not even one that's about to close. A major disappointment, especially since South shore could use some more good places to eat.
(1)Meghan D.
My friend just about died laughing because the experience was EXACTLY what everyone else on yelp bitches about. We were told 20 minute wait, there was at least 5 open tables (which once pointed out, the hostess let us sit). Then we were told the place was out of pretty much everything, no pulled pork, chicken, burnt ends etc. Then we left!
(2)Mike B.
The food is great and I will definitely be back. I am rating it 5 stars based on the food alone. We tried the chicken, baby back ribs, brisket and pulled pork. Our sides were kale slaw, onion rings, Mac and cheese and beans. All were excellent and I liked the fact that there are many different sauces to choose from. Compared to Everette and Jones in Oakland I would say the food is just as good and the prices are better. The service is very disorganized and it took a long time to get our food but I think that can be attributed to the restaurant being open for less than a week. The server gave us free beers which made up for the slow service. If they can improve their service and deliver the food faster, I don't think I will go back to Everette and jones again.
(5)Gwendolyn K.
I went to this restaurant for the first time, yesterday, Valentine's day with my two grandchildren. Our waitress was great and attentive. My grand daughter spilled her soda . The waitress was there to clean it up immediately and also to reassure my grand daughter. She was very kind. The food was another story. I had pulled chicken which seemed to be soaked in barbecue sauce with little flavor of something that had been barbecued. It was in a very greasy bun. My grand daughter had a children's portion pulled pork sandwich with a side of mac and cheese. The meat in her sandwich was hard and dry and her mac and cheese was gummy and tasted like it was made with a cheese product and not real cheese. She did not eat anymore after the first bite. I was very excited to come to this restaurant. I will probably come back again hoping that thinks will improve. The 3 stars were thanks to the wait staff.
(3)Vera P.
Not the best, but not the worst either. Pluses are : Huge portions, outside dining, nice wait staff, games you can take to your table to have fun, juicy meat and yummy mac & cheese. Corn bread is great also.The down sides are that the meat simply does not have a smokey taste. If you use the on the table barbecue sauces they are corn-syrupy. My bread pudding was a gummy mess with ice cream (what??) on the top. The sides are not up to par. I hope this place ups their game, because I want them to stick around and then I will do a another, hopefully better, review.
(2)Pamela B.
WOW! What a great addition to the South Shore Shopping Center. Really good ribs and brisket. Make sure to order some of their sides which include some of my favorites like collard greens, creamed corn and fried pickles. It's easy to eat your fill with the generous sized portions but try to save room for one of their southern style dessert. Great decor. Friendly staff. A favorite for me and my husband.
(5)Issy G.
It is hit or miss with the customer service. The food is alright. I gave it 3 shots to see if I would really end up liking the place. Eh. Not so much.
(2)Golad C.
The bartender was just a jerk! We went in to order a bunch of food to go and wanted a beer while we waited. He couldn't even be bothered to look at us for over 15 minutes- not cool. The rest of the staff was super sweet so it's a bummer that he had to act like that. No complaints about the food though! Beautiful decor inside too.
(3)jessica w.
they even offer a free range chicken!
(4)kristy g.
Server was nice so was management. Problem is everything from there went downhill food cold send it back send it back again I would wait for them to get all their kinks out before going back
(1)Christina K.
My dining companion and I went at 6:15 on a Saturday night. The place was full and there was a short wait. We got the mini Beauregard platter with four sides (mac & cheese, beans, cole slaw, fried pickles). It is too much food for two people. What was amazing was that the food, especially the meat platter, was served tepid-to-cold. My impression is that the kitchen decided to save time by making the platters in advance and they were sitting around cooling until they were ordered and served. The mac & cheese was also too cool and gloppy with the cheese no longer melted. Maybe a brisket sandwich would have been better. I may give this a try after a few more months to work the kinks out of the service.
(2)Niveah L.
Honestly if I could I wouldn't even put a star, but unfortunately I can't do that. I went in this evening and was told to order at the bar. The bartender did not greet my friends and I to begin with. We ordered a bunch of things. The salad wasn't good and the brisket was rare and cold on top of the salad. Our side of fried pickles only had 4 horizontal sliced pickles which seemed equal to one pickle for $3.95... The bartender got one of our orders wrong. We waited almost a whole hour just to be disappointed. Customer service sucks! She didn't even want to say "the food should be on the way soon." I will never go back! They shouldn't have opened so soon. They aren't ready.
(1)Sara S.
I came here on a Saturday evening with a friend. It was quiet when we walked in, so we sat at the bar. Paige and Krystal took wonderful care of us. They answered even or most obscure questions about spices very well. They were prompt and friendly, always smiling. We had their very reasonable happy hour Piggy Back Fries. The pork was fantastic! So much so that I ordered two sandwiches to go. We tried the mac and cheese as well. It was delicious! Cheesy, rich and covered in bacon. Highly recommended!
(5)Jason B.
***WARNING - COMPLIMENTARY PEANUTS AT TABLES*** We still like this place but as a family with a child that has nuts allergy, we can't support the way the servers promptly plop down a dish full of peanuts as complimentary appetizers without asking anyone. This is the Bay Area and it's 2015, you can't do that anymore. You can expect peanuts at a baseball game, but walking into a random restaurant shouldn't be like Russian Roulette with your kid's health.
(1)Rosie B.
I was very pleased with the service that I received from the moment I walked into the door. The waiter anticipated our needs. The baby back ribs were cooked to perfection, the collard greens were very good and the fried okra was good as well. Oh don't forget to try the chicken, pulled pork, brisket sliders. YUMMY!!!!! BLPH IS A KEEPER, I WILL RETURN. Rosie
(5)Carrie L.
I am so disappointed in this restaurant - I SO wanted it to be good. The atmosphere is nice, and the menu looked good. We ordered a small order of onion rings as an appetizer. It took a long time for them to arrive. I was a little disappointed when the waitress sat them on our table because they were thick and the picture online showed thin onion rings, which I prefer, but okay... we'll eat them anyway. Unfortunately, they were cold. They took them back and they came out again just as our lunch order arrived. I took a bite out of one and it was so hard I thought it might break my teeth. They were not worth eating. Each member of our party had something wrong with their food. Chicken wings were overcooked and dry. The baby back ribs were tough (I like tender ribs where the meat if practically falling off the bone), the brisket was dry and chewy. The 3 meat sliders were bad as well. The thin sliced brisket looked revolting. The pulled pork was just ok, but the pulled chicken was disgusting! I wouldn't feed it to a dog. Even the corn muffin had no flavor. I was really looking forward to the creamed corn, but even that was just okay... kind of gross actually. The only good thing I can say about food was the macaroni and cheese. I am super picky about my mac & cheese, but have to say this one was really good - too bad I only had a small side of it.The waitress knew we weren't happy with our food but all she said about it was to ask us if we were from the south!!! I had a restaurant.com certificate worth $25, and my final bill was still $41 for three people at lunch. Sad, especially because we left hungry.
(1)Bill D.
This has been my second visit in a week. I can't stop wanting more. Have to try the nachos.
(5)casey j.
I was uncertain to try new establishments because they're usually working out the rough edges but I was pleasantly surprised. We chatted with the owner, a very nice man. Our waitress was so entertaining cuz she played along when we teased her. The bbq chicken, pulled pork and kale salads are a must. I'm going back tmrw.
(5)D. F.
Local BBQ is nice for being close since Great American BBQ on High Street closed. The wine list is always out of what we want, it seems. We only go for ribs. The baked beans are the best side dish. But I don't like the pre-added 18% gratuity, which isn't mentioned when the bill is brought to the table. If you don't notice that on the bill as a line item, you can end up adding MORE tip on top of the 18% on the signature part of the bill. I really don't like the feeling of something being slipped over on me but once you know they do this and to not add more (unless you really feel more tan 18% is deserved, of course!), it's an OK place.
(3)Nick S.
This restaurant has very good BBQ. This has the best bbq in Alameda. The service is great. The workers are friendly. Very clean inside of the restaurant.
(5)Phil W.
I judge a bbq place by its brisket. Unfortunately, they sold out so I tried the baby back ribs. They were very tough. I ate half of my portion and took the rest home. I called the next day and they had brisket. Anticipating a good meal I eagerly waited . We apparently have a difference of opinion on what brisket is. I was served little chunks of fat and gristle that I would still be chewing if I hadn't removed it from my mouth. The first four bites were inedible. The server came over and asked me how it was. I told her of my disappointment the previous day and how terrible today's dish was. She was sweet and told me I could order something else which I declined. I gave it 1 star because it smelled wonderful and the server was kind. I will walk past here to enjoy the smell, but I will never eat here again.
(1)George B.
First off good atmosphere with friendly staff and good beer. We got the meat sampler and everything was good but the pulled pork stood out above all. Mix it with the coleslaw (duh). Ribs were second and good, brisket was fair but dry and by the time I got to the chicken I was too full to know how it tasted.
(4)Krizzia C.
HIGHLY recommended !!! This is by far the best smoke house in the Bay Area! Beautiful ambiance, clean, fast service and delicious food!!! Keep it up!!
(5)Tigerlily S.
Had a great experience here! Yummy food, great decor and the best part and the reason I'll be back our waitress Kira. They are lucky to have her, thanks for a great lunch!
(5)Hands With H.
The service was sooooo poor. The one star was for the ribs. The fried okra and sweet potato tots has NO flavor. Eh. Will probably order to go from now on.
(1)Capt T.
So my family visited this place after looking forward to a bbq restaurant in Alameda. We anticipated the opening, gave them a couple weeks to work out the kinks and went in for dinner. The service was terrible! Everything took forever. The interior was fun as was the menus etc. However it was very obvious they hired the dregs to get the place open. The food ended up being good but nothing to write about. So, that was a couple weeks ago, tonight I had a craving for bbq and as Im at work until midnight unable to leave, I asked a coworker to pick me up some food from them if I called it in. I looked at their website, found a menu and saw that take out was not only encouraged on their website but advertised in big font. I called and had a very young hostess answer and curtly say "we dont do take out orders on the phone"... "how do you order take out then?" "You have to come in to order".... I asked for a manager, put on hold, another young girl answered and asked who I was, I explained I am a customer and would like to speak to the manager. Back on hold, second young girl gets back on the phone and says her name is Marley, and she is the manager, and they dont do take out. What a freaking hassle!!! I will avoid this place and spread the word at both my ship (where I work), approx 45 crew members with a shut down galley and at my close proximity yacht club, 207 members. This is a great example of a business with an absent boss.
(1)Krista L.
I feel I'm being generous on the 2 star rating based on the fact that this is a brand new business. I've read reviews that considered the restaurant be given a break because of that fact. I was so disappointed by our visit here, probably exaggerated by the fact that we spent over $70 on a very mediocre meal and terrible service. We asked to eat on the outside patio, on a nice day, but were told that we'd have to order our food as take-out, from the bar, then take our food to the outside dining area. No biggie, until I attempted to order. It took over thirty minutes to place our order, and for the waitress to punch it into the computer. Then we waited and waited, and finally received our bagged up take out. We went back outside to finally settle into our meal, when we realized there weren't any napkins, nor utensils, even though we informed them twice, that we'd be right outside. I ordered the Western Burger from the take-out menu, but my generic burger patty on a bun came out with only lettuce and tomatoes, no sauce. When I took it back inside they stated that they don't serve the Western Burger anymore, but they would add the bacon, mayo, bbq sauce, cheese, and onion rings that the menu offered. (they should have done that in the first place) The rest of the food was ok, cold, but fairly tasty. Probably won't be back, there are so many restaurants in Alameda. This restaurant was very unorganized and needs to update their menus.
(2)Heather G.
This review is for food only. It's opening night and there were a lot of service hiccups when it came to getting the right food out of the kitchen, but our server was charming and easy to please. The meats (wings, brisket, pulled pork, chicken, and baby backs) were uniformly excellent. Baby backs were my favorite. Bonus points for serving sustainably sourced meats! Of the sides, we loved the cole slaw, collards, and onion rings. Received fried pickles (twice!) due to kitchen error and was surprised how good they were. We'll definitely be back after they work the kinks out.
(4)Neil W.
Good BBQ good service. Split a smoked Cuban with Mac and cheese side with my wife. Will come back
(4)Jerry H.
Alameda is not known for BBQ places, but we decided to give this place a try. The burnt ends sounded good, so decided to order the burnt ends, what I got was very disappointing. First of all, the burnt ends was cold, secondly it was half fat, so there wasn't much meat for $16,95, third what little meat there was, was kind of tough. I will say the service was good though, so I decided to give this place 2 stars instead of 1.
(2)William F.
If this place fails, it will be due to the horrible service! You would think they would hire employees that actually want to work or at least display some sort of customer focus? In summary my complaints are: three items we tried to order they were out of, brought out incorrect drinks a few times, forgot one of our orders and then brought it out after everyone had already eaten and it was wrong along with half the other orders! Not once did the waiter come by to offer refills, water and I had to get up and ask for a fork. The weird thing was the place was not even full and you get this type of service.
(1)Linda C.
Stumbled upon this place while cruising around South Shore with the kids. We were super excited about seeing that there was a barbecue restaurant in our hood, so we tried it out for lunch. It was pretty darn good! I had the trio of sliders, loved that I could mix & match my sliders so had a beef brisket, pulled pork, and chicken. They were all delicious along with my side of collard greens, not overcooked. The hubby had the beef brisket sandwich and my little girl had the pigs in a blanket with mac & cheese from their kids menu. There is a nice outdoor seating area, old school games that you can take to your table to play. We got hungry hungry hippo and live blues playing inside. The guitarist came outside and played for folks outdoors right in front of our table which my daughter loved. Our waitress warned us before we ordered that they were having some computer problems so the service could take a bit longer. But we chose to stay anyway. In the end it really didn't take that long but I appreciated the fact she let us know before we ordered so we had the option to leave if we couldn't wait especially with 2 small children. Really enjoyed our experience here and will definitely be back with some friends!
(4)L T.
Yum-oh-licious!! This place has good BBQ and sides, not sure why other yelpers give it bad reviews when food is good and service is amazing! KIMBERLY THANK YOUR FOR BEING A GREAT SERVER!
(5)Kara N.
We came in Sunday for lunch. We arrived around noon. It wasn't terribly busy, but the service was EXTREMELY slow from greeting us at the door, to taking our order, to bringing our food. We were offered to sit at the bar or outside heated area. We decided to sit outside, which was really nice. It took a long time before our server came over to take our order. She was not familiar with the menu at all. Quite incompetent as the menu is not big. We waited for over an hour and still no food. At about 1:20 pm, we decided to go elsewhere since we were starving and both server and manager could not give us an estimate of time. They just kept telling us they'd check on it. It was definitely not a good experience. We didn't even get to eat our food! We would still love to try the food, but will not be back any time soon. Service needs a lot of work.
(1)Dana H.
My visit in one word: Disappointed I live within a block of South Shore and frequent the shops constantly. We visited the restaurant in the first few weeks as I was quite excited to have a BBQ type of restaurant in town since we no longer have Great American BBQ. We went on a Wednesday night, about 7pm. The restaurant was about half occupied but were advised only siting in the bar area was available without a reservation....really? Then we left 30 mins later, there was plenty of tables in the restaurant. (I hate sitting in the bar area) STRIKE ONE. The food was alright, we had the brisket and pulled pork, both were tender. Sides were onion rings (only five..jip..I think yes). and fired pickles. We also received Texas Sponge, on mean Texas Toast, but since our plate had an extreme amount of liquid from the pulled pork, one piece of our TT was a soggy mess, yuk! STRIKE TWOOOO. The fried pickles were the star of the evening. No Burnt Ends......shocked! STRIKE THREE. Plates and silverware super cheap (was it purchased at Daiso?) BTW, I love Daiso! Our waiter was nice and did his job well. Maybe in the summertime I will try them again. It's no Sauced, not even close. So I will continue to drive to Livermore for my BBQ.
(2)Carol P.
I read other review, still wanted to try. two person, 5:45pm Sat nite, we got the last table. We ordered, food came fairly quickly, except took 5 minutes to get silverware. The man that delivers the food should have silverware packets in his apron. family of 4 next to us did not have our luck, kids food came in time, parents had to wait 15 more mins for their food. owner/manager did apologize and did give them some extras, again they had no second plate to share and no silverware. Food was delicious. brisket, the most tender and right amount of fat, baby back ribs were tender and delicious. Our table did not have sauces but we're really not hot sauce folk. I would go back, smaller groups are better right now. outdoor patio looked fun for the day time. I would go back, yes baked beans were delicious!
(4)Mike L.
All 3 of there locations are excellent...the best BBQ in the Bay Area by far...any restaurant goes through grow pains & staffing problems when they first open...don't let a early experience stop u from enjoying this great place...it's simply just to good of food to miss out on...I'm sure there will be more opening up around the Bay Area..cause there just that good...
(5)Luther D.
Great place with a laid back atmosphere! The owner Ken was extremely welcoming as was the bartender Geff...yes, Geff with a G! Food was awesome as well! Going back and bringing others with me! Give it some time and this place will blow up. Average to bad service is expected with a new place but again this place will do well!!!!
(5)Cj M.
We'll be back! We tried the sliders 'cause we weren't that hungry but, whoa, three slides is MORE than enough if you are hungry. Brisket slider was the best, imho. Our waitress was delightful and attentive; she and other staff there checked on us at least 8 times so it's obvious they cared. All wasn't perfect: free popcorn was burnt (both batches) but we had some good surprises though: the onion rings were especially delish (crispy and thin) and their rendition of my hometown's classic, Gooey Butter Cake was yum! Not a good place for calorie counting diners but the fun ambiance and good food, is a welcome addition to Alameda's restaurant options.
(4)Alisyn C.
I loved the corn muffins and chili. The service was awesome and they were constantly checking to see how we were doing.
(4)Zelda C.
Really slow service. Way too expensive for what you get. They were out of onion rings so we got the sweet potao tots which were nothing more than frozen fron a bag. Worst ever. Gristle and fat and no apology when we complained. Too bad.
(1)Tiff C.
All I can say is BURNT ENDS .... Went to lil pork house last night with a group and must say it was wonderful. We had several sides , chicken , brisket, burnt ends and all were delicious. The tangy BBQ sauce is also on HIT. Great spot and addition to the city of Alameda.
(4)Jayme M.
This vegetarian says the sides are really good and hearty, 3-4 makes a meal try the kale slaw :-)
(5)Donna M.
I wish there was a NO star rating on this site, because this place was awful!!!! Everything about this place sucked! Let's first start when we first arrived... Hostess was frazzled and unprofessional! We were seated right away, since we had reservations. She sat us in the bar area at a high bar table. Now, the table was too small for my tiny size 4 frame but it was WAY too small for my boyfriend, with a pro football frame! So, I went to the hostess to ask for another table. She basically had a meltdown and ignored us. Now let's get to the food.... My boyfriend ordered the combo plate of brisket and pulled pork.... Well, the brought him brisket and pulled chicken, because they ran out of pulled pork!!!!!! Couldn't figure out WHY they didn't just come out and inform him so he would have the option to order something else? And "pulled chicken"???? Would that be leftover chicken???? I had the baby back ribs that were okay but nothing to be excited about, but now the morning after???? Let's just say, my bathroom and I have developed a new relationship! It's Sunday, The day after my, ummmm, culinary disaster! I will be contacting the manager, the owner and the HEALTH DEPARTMENT early Monday! I NEVER write bad reviews on yelp, but it was so awful, I had to! Service? Awful! Food? Dangerous! We won't be going back and will discourage my many friends from doing so, as well! Oh and management, "IF" you are reading this... When I said my boyfriend had a "pro football" frame, just realize that you never know who is patronizing you establishment......today a pro player....tomorrow the president! You all need to get your act together!!!!
(1)Diana W.
We were looking forward to trying this place. Always on the look out for bbq. The food was just meh. The service was very slow! We had fried okra, blah. I had a salad with beef brisket. The brisket was dry. The BLT was also lacking enough dressing to make it hold together. The best part, Old Angry Orchard Cider. Maybe in a month or two, after they're done shaking things out, I'll give it another try.
(2)Bill M.
I am sorry but Best has to mean something. It wasn't the best bbq, not even close. The staff were friendly especially the bartender. She was very pleasant and professional. However the food was very disappointing. I did like the fried sweet tater tots, and the fried pickles. However the bbq was I am there for. I ordered the beef brisket and pork ribs combo. I later told the bartender I also wanted the burnt ends ( the fatty part and crusty part of the beef brisket). It was good. However the sliced bbq beef brisket was super dry. No juice at all. I could tell by sight it was going to be dry and it was. The pork ribs was not fall off the bone tender. It was dry, hardly any juice, and definitely again not fall off the bone. After I paid the bill, I asked to speak to the manager outside the restaurant. I told him bluntly, the food was not good. And showed him my togo box that was filled with uneaten pork ribs and beef brisket. And what he saw alarmed him and apologized. He agreed with me that the brisket and ribs were dry. The manager offered on my next visit that he will take care of me. For which I appreciated. I will try it again, in later time.
(2)Gary Z.
Excellent restaurant. Their bbq tastes like it's been smoked for hours. Service was great! Glad that we added such a great restaurant to the Alameda lineup!
(5)Maria L.
I read the reviews and most were 1 star because of the service. Let me add mine. The service was non-existent. We were shown to our table and that was about it. After waiting for what seemed like 10 mins, we finally flagged down a bus person to get our server. A waitress eventually came and said she is not our waitress but will be happy to take our order, which was nice. We had to ask for a beverage menu and after placing the beer and wine order, a bar person came and said they did not have a glass of pinot noir in the entire restaurant. So forget the wine, my husband ordered a Corona which was $6 and we both thought it was pretty high. The food finally came (an order of full ribs and an order of half ribs) and that was the end of the service. Nobody came back to see how our food was and of course we had to wait to flag somebody down again to get our bill. We were pretty disgusted with the service and agreed we will not be back. Granted this was a Friday around 5:45/6:00 pm, but that is no excuse very bad service.
(1)Erin P.
I will say a few positives and then go into why I am giving it a 2. Nice that they had crayons and games for the kids and the decor, ambiance, etc. looked good. We did come the night after the grand opening, so I am hoping they take all the negative feedback and improve this place fast before it fails. The service was by far the worst I have ever experienced. After we finally flagged a server down, I had to go ask where our drinks were after 20 minutes...these were waters and an ice tea. My girls and I got our meals about 45 after being seated. We seriously never saw our waitress again. Instead, the only experienced server there, the bartender, had to start working the tables and was very helpful. Everyone was nice, but no one knew what they were doing and I never once saw a manager or anyone trying to orchestrate the madness. My husband had to tell us to go because his hadn't come and I had to get the girls down for the night. Luckily we had driven separately. I felt sorry for the staff and feel that who ever was in charge really dropped the ball and left many of us with a really bad first impression. I feel mean writing this, but hoping this leads to some kind of change. Some of the food was cold or incorrect, too. We really want this place to make it, so please do something Pork House! I hope I can give you a great review in a couple months!
(2)Jennifer E.
Food was good. Service on the other hand was less than desirable. Waiting 43 minutes for our food which was already cooked for 14 hours according to the menu. The appetizer never made it to the table. Went to pay our check the registers were down and they told us to go to the ATM to get cash after we refused to leave our credit card information on a piece paper. I ask to speak to a manager they said they would be r with me, 25 minutes later. The second time I ask for a manager ,the gal standing in front of me the whole time I was waiting for the manager,said "I'm one the managers hope can I help you?" She explain that our food was delayed because system went down at 7pm and the order didn't sync but my check clearly stated the order was placed at 640pm. ??? She apologize smiled and gave me a giftcard for $25.
(1)Salonje R.
I was working in this plaza before this place was built and enjoyed their preview day when the restaurant offered samples to the public for reduced prices. I decided to come back to this plaza yesterday just to check out how everything looks finally and I can say that I was totally impressed. The group of young girls and manager guy did not bother to acknowledge me when I walked in but I will let that slide because I was walking straight to the bar anyways. Once I got there the seats were clean and the bar was clean. I was greeted with a smile by both of the lovely bartenders and they immediately placed a menu in front of me and asked me what I would like to drink. I ordered a bud light lime since they had a special price and I also ordered a 1/3 cut of ribs and a small side of collard greens. Coming from a family that knows a thing of two about cooking, I didn't expect anything much. When the waitress (who was nice) placed my order in front of me, my mouth began to salivate. The greens were prepared very nicely (not cooked to much, not stringy) and Were topped with a little bit of bacon bits. I am usually the kind to grab the Tabasco before tasting the greens but I decided to try it without the extra seasoning and I am glad I did. Super yummy! The ribs were beautifully prepared, not too saucy, and a good amount of meat of the bones (for the size I ordered). I have no complaints. The bartender made sure to check in with me about how things were going and also made sure to tell me to come visit them again once I was done with everything and about to leave. I would definitely recommend this place to everyone who enjoys some good BBQ! If I were a finger licker I would say it was finger licking good. Lol!
(5)Yvonne L.
Tried this place out 1/17/15, was excited for bbq...totally disappointed! We ordered a half rack of baby back ribs, greens, mac & cheese and corn bread. The ribs arrived cold. We informed the waitress, who might have been a manager, who then informed us that the ribs are pre-cooked for 15 hours then warmed per order....OK. So second half rack of baby back ribs come, cold with warm sauce on them. Informed the waitress again and called it a night. On top of that the greens were too salty and mac & cheese was more like a bowl of cheese with a few pieces of macaroni in it. Corn bread never made it to the table. The waitress tried to make it up to us by sending us home with a half rack of ribs and corn bread, which we didn't eat. Sadly won't return.
(1)Kim S.
This is our new favorite spot in Alameda for a quick meal. There are some people giving this mixed reviews immediately after them opening, but keep in mind people that there are lots of kinks to work out after opening a restaurant- especially with staff. I love the design of this spot and their BBQ is pretty good (for California). I grew up in the southeast and have traveled around this country eating BBQ, and while I wouldn't rate this up there with fantastic BBQ, it is by far the best we have in the East Bay and a lot of the bay area. This place still has some things to work out when it comes to hostesses and some of their wait staff, but that's to be expected when first opening and I refuse to take away any stars for that. The only reason I didn't give a 5 star is because while the food is good for California BBQ and some of the more authentic tasting BBQ I've had since moving to the golden state- it's not the best bbq I've ever had, so I think 4 stars is good. We will be regulars here for sure!
(4)Troy D.
My guess is that, in a month or so, this place will be worthy of four stars. And I get that it's not fair to review a place based on opening night. But the epic fail that was last night's dinner shift at BLP was one for the record books. First of all, the good news. Contrary to other reviews, I would say the meat here is substantially better than chain restaurants. The brisket, if a little too thin for my tastes, had good flavor and a respectable smoke ring. The spares were done to a turn, and even the chicken (the bane of CA BBQ restaurants) wasn't half bad. The wings on the appetizer menu were downright fabulous. The sides were very competent, from the not-to-mayonnaise-y slaw to the collards. I would have said there was scarcely any reason to eat a fried pickle, but when some appeared on my table (more anon), I was hungry enough (more anon also) to try it. Not at all horrible. All in all, the food quality augers well for the future. Now, the bad news. Opening night at BLP was a fail of biblical proportions. And since they have another location in Marin, there is utterly no excuse for it going off so poorly. Plainly inexperienced hostesses has given away tables that should have been saved, so my reservation was essentially meaningless. After standing in the crowded lobby for too long, I was offered an outside table instead of the inside one I had expected. (Tip: the heaters on the patio do cut the damp Alameda chill, but they do little to keep the food warm as you eat it.) Figuring cold food was preferable to no food, I took it. The poor waiter did his best, but with table after table stalking off in a huff and the kitchen seemingly unwilling to release any food, the odds were stacked against him. After more than a hour of sitting, watching the boiling rage of my co-diners, he started just brining out random dishes from the kitchen, throwing them on our table, and waiting for us to accept or refuse them. ("No, I didn't order the fried pickles, but eating them is better than gnawing off my own fingers from the hunger.") We eventually got all of what we ordered, but it came bit by bit, like some wild, deconstructed game show. And then the credit card machine mysteriously stopped working. Yes, there are ATMs all over Southshore, but I'm not sure why I should have put myself out to make their evening go smoother. They certainly didn't extend me the same courtesy. We got a good laugh, though, when the waiter suggested we might have a personal check. I asked him if he had a time machine in back, so I could go back to 1994 and get one. So they got my promise that, when they had worked out their data problem, I would come back and pay. Which will happen. And I'll even eat there again, trust that in a few (hopefully short) days or weeks, BLP will become a third reason to eat at Southshore (after Five Guys and the extremely good Trabboco.)
(2)Brittney B.
The pulled chicken sandwich was delicious, the cole slaw was great! Nice, casual atmosphere. Can't wait to go back and try other items on the menu.
(5)Portia M.
absolutely horrible!!!! everything is pre-made and frozen. nothing fresh from the croutons to salad dressing. i ordered pulled pork nachos fake cheese. excuse me nacho cheese sauce dry as hell meat and tostitos chips $12. my nephew got ribs salty sweet potato nuggets. frozen , corn bread was jiffy mix. this is not bbq in any form. the baked beans was the most tasty.
(1)Justin L.
Incompetent service. Waited for ONE HOUR only to have our table given away to someone else because the hostess is horrible and incapable. No desire to return and have my time wasted and treated rudely. Terrible first impression!!! You're better of at Applebee's where the service is miles better
(1)DeAnn F.
Cute place and fast service. Had babyback ribs and pulled pork - added some of the table sauces but everything had a wonderful smoked flavor. Fried pickles were great - had never had before. Collard greens were OK (needed more vinegar) but the baked beans were fabulous. A little spicy something (jalapenos?) in them. Add corn bread and that was the meal. No room for dessert. They were out of brisket that evening; will try that when we return.
(5)Sheryl S.
My mom and I stopped by today to eat lunch, and we were so impressed with the restaurant's decor, the hostess was super sweet, the service was great, and the food was awesome. Go try! Delicious! :)
(5)Channing T.
I've been here twice and there were two changes one good and one bad. The service has definitely improved and food came out of the kitchen fast. I enjoyed the dinner. My dining partner and I both had pulled pork sandwiches. We ordered the slaw on the side and we each had the single side that comes with the sandwich. The main problem was the side portions. Neither of us are particularly big eaters but the sides, including the slaw, were really SMALL. Five small onion rings and a small handful of French fries. The bowl for the side slaw was half full. I would have enjoyed this meal much more if I didn't go away feeling like I wasn't given enough to eat. Strange and surprising coming out of a bbq joint kitchen.
(3)S A.
South Shore Center has sure come a long way. Grew up in Alameda and would spend hours at South Shore Center when all they had was the Walgreen's magazine counter and Orange Julius. Now there are so many stores and both Trabocco and Best Lil Porkhouse are great additions. We were here on NY's eve and ordered the Mega Beauregard and it was more than our party of 11 could handle! We had leftovers for the next day. Sides were great. Loved the collard greens and onion rings. Ribs were full of smoke flavor. Kids and adults were all happy. Service was great ! We will be back and look forward to seeing the full bar open.
(4)Sheila L.
Our family ate at Best Lil' Porkhouse a couple of weeks ago. We really enjoyed it. The service was good. Our server, Mariah, was efficient, very pleasant and did a great job. The food was good. We enjoyed the atmosphere. It was nice to have the tvs with ballgames playing but not overwhelming. The decor is very well done. We will definitely return. When the weather is warmer and there is access to the outside tables it will be even better.
(4)Jack O.
My girl friend and I came to this place 2 weeks ago. The food was decent. The customer service was terrible. When we first sat down, we had to wait 15 minutes for the server take our order. We waited... We were more than patient. Then 1 hour later we finally got our food! The restaurant wasn't even busy. Some staff members were spacing out. Another customer farted in my face. I had to wait 1 hour and 15 minutes to get fed!
(1)Stephanie L.
I thought the food was good. We ordered the mini combo with four sides and texas toast to go. It was more than enough for two of us. The ribs and brisket were good but I really liked the pulled pork...very tasty, even without the sauce. The French fries and tater tots were just ok but the mac n cheese and beans were very good. We ordered to go so I cannot comment on the service, but they said our food would be ready in 15 minutes and it was. Cant wait to go back.
(4)Sandy P.
I have been here several times since they opened. When they first opened they had some kinks to work out, the wait for the food took a while but was well worth the wait, each time I go, it gets better and better, the Host/Hostess are friendly, servers are awesome and the Manager John is so nice. I have read some of these reviews and I think what some of these folks are forgetting, it takes time to get it together,and they are just being picky!! I love the sliders, their collard greens are delish and the corn bread, oh lord! AMAZING, The heavenly hog sandwich, Pulled Pork and cheese topped with Bacon!! HEAVENLY is right :) I dont have young kids but noticed they have toys available, what a great idea, keeps kids busy after they are done eating but Mom and Dad are not done yet! stops kids getting antsy , Desserts are awesome too....I will be back time and time again!!
(5)Vivian Z.
Great experience. The food was great. I got their trio sliders and mac and cheese; I enjoyed all of it. Their sweet BBQ sauce was my favorite. The service was good, our waiter was very attentive. It had a nice family environment.
(5)George O.
My friends and I went there last week for a birthday dinner. The ambiance and food was decent but the service was a let down. It's a new place, I get that, but we were disappointed multiple times. The GM was very helpful and resolved our issues. But seriously, the owner, not management needs to take responsibility for the lack of service and quality of employees. I think that they should have done a "soft opening" to work out all of the issues. The chicken wings were nice and different. Don't expect their BBQ to be extra saucy. It's very dry but you can add more sauce with the sauces on the table. I would rather drive to Oakland to eat BBQ than to eat there again; thus, I rate it two stars for the helpful GM and OK food.
(2)Paloma S.
I love this place! The food is excellent (Loved the pork and chicken) and the service was great. Don't know why other yelpers are being so harsh- I loved it! I will definitely be coming back and bringing my friends and family.
(5)John G.
My wife and I have been anxiously awaiting the opening of this restaurant. We should've waited a couple of months until they got the kinks out. It took 25 minutes after we ordered for us to to get our meals. Virtually every part of the meal was either wrong, poorly prepared, or of mediocre quality. The side salad had no dressing. The french fries were dry and all dregs from the bottom of a batch. The cornbread had no butter or honey. I ordered St Louis ribs and received baby back ribs that were over cooked and dry. The pulled pork, onion rings, and fried okra were mediocre at best. All of the ice in the ice tea was melted. The waitress didn't come back to the table to check on the meal until we flagged her down because we had to leave. When we went to pay the bill, we were informed that they didn't take credit cards. There was zero quality control in place - no management walking the tables and inquiring about the meals. For a newly opened BBQ restaurant that is actually fairly pricey, everything about the experience was disappointing. We may or may not try it again.
(1)Chris T.
Dry food, no taste, pricey food! I got the pulled pork and brisket platter with onion rings and collar green. I ate half of my plate, when I normally will chow down everything. My family got other items. We were one of the first people to arrive. After ordering, we waited 50min to get our food. Brisket was way too dry. Baby back ribs were bland, spare ribs was a little better. Both ribs were not fall off the bone variety. Some parts of the pulled pork were dry, some were watery. Onion rings and fried okra were tasteless. Baked beans were watery. Sweet potato tots were decent. Chicken wings, corn bread and french fries were the only items with any taste. Perhaps they expect you to slather a bunch of the bbq sauce on the food to cover up the lack of taste, or they don't do dry rub bbq. It's like they made some meats beforehand and reheated them when the order came, which leads to the dry meat.
(1)Ashley M.
I understand that it was Grand Opening night but you have two other running restaurants right? Shouldn't you know what your doing? My friends birthday was the same day of the opening and she loves BBQ so we were thrilled to find out it opened that day.... well there is no info on there website for their Alameda location so I had to call there Corte Madera store to get the phone number. I started trying to get a hold of them at about 1 o'clock called at least I kid you not 3 times every hour until about 7pm... We were all supposed to be meeting around 8, since we never got a hold of anyone we figured it should be fine just to walk in... Oh how we were so wrong, so I get there and walk in... mind you they are not that busy there are MANY empty tables... we were told they are no longer taking "walk ins"... are you kidding me?! So after hours of trying to reach you and your employees not doing their job by simply answering the (constantly ringing) phone we get turned away and end up having to go to apple bees.... Just out of curiosity my friend called to see if we could make a reservation... and was awkwardly told that they are closing early.... so on your "grand opening" you close early? They don't seem to know what they are doing at all.... Definitely WILL NOT be even attempting to go back for a few months, hopefully then they will have their staff together.
(1)Sash C.
I was excited when I saw this place getting built, but unfortunately it didn't live up to what I consider good BBQ. I gave this place a try twice, but both times I was disappointed. First time, I ordered ribs. They tasted fine, but they didn't fall off the bone like I had hoped. It was actually pretty hard to even separate the ribs with a knife. Second time, I ordered a pulled pork sandwich. Also, tasted ok, BUT something is wrong with their sauce. I added extra sauce that was at the table for taste, and when I got home my stomach was in pain (as well as my girlfriend's) the rest of the night and it followed into the next day. My stomach just couldn't digest whatever was in that sauce apparently. CAUTION: Stay away from the table sauce. Some weird indigestible chemical is in it or maybe it's just me (and my girlfriend), I don't know, but we won't be back. Sad. About the table service, I think they're understaffed, but friendly.
(2)Joel K.
I wore shirt and shoes, but they still wouldn't serve me. I called in hoping to order some takeout for my family and me. I was told they didn't do takeout over the phone and would have to come in. Absurd, but we didn't have a "plan B" so I schlepped out on a cold January night because I'm the dad and it's my job. The hostess tells me I'll have to order at the bar. The bar is full so I go to the end. The bartender isn't too busy and appears ready to help. I tell the barkeep I want to order togo, but am told I can't order food unless I'm seated. There are no available seats in the bar. There is an NFL playoff game on. Nobody's going anywhere soon. So I'm supposed to stand there in the bar waiting for a seat to clear just so I can get takeout? The management that put this policy in place are clearly idiots who must not want my business. But that does not excuse the staff for not figuring out a way to serve me. I've worked in service industries for 30 years including 10 years as a food server. While the customer is not always right, he must be served. A server should understand this even if the management is too obtuse to convey it. I was pretty excited about BBQ on the island too. But it will be a long while before I step foot in the Best Lil' Porkhouse again.
(1)D H.
We definitely had a very disappointing experience for our first visit here. I had been looking forward to the opening because its different from most restaurants nearby. Food was mediocre at best. We had the Beauregard platter to share which was a good choice because you can sample different items. Pulled pork and brisket had a really nice smoky flavor but were dry and cold. The ribs, very disappointing. Chewy, fatty, and dried out. The sides were all pretty good. Overall, I thought the food was ok and had potential, but I had hoped for better. Now on to the bad: the service. All of the staff were teenagers and very very confused. After we sat down, no one came to our table for at least 20 minutes. We had to flag someone down and she said she wasn't our server, but took our order anyway. After all the other tables around us started getting their food, we still had yet to meet our server. Finally asked for the manager who was very professional and apologetic. She brought us our "server" who still never did a single thing for us. After we finally got our food about an hour into this whole thing, you could tell it had been sitting in the window for a while. Very frustrating experience overall. Might give it another try after they hire professional and experienced staff who have actually had some type of training.
(2)