Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

this place is «whatever» to me. i think i got kind of sick from their beef brisket, i swear… it was kind of dry and the sauce tasted watered down the two times i visited.
this place has less-​than-​savory sides. i do not like their sides at all actually.
i think this place’s only real redeeming quality is their self-​serve «free» ice cream and their turkey sandwich, which my bf really enjoyed. other than that, i’ll go ahead and save my $ 10 or so for somewhere better.
no wonder why they closed. i feel kinda bad for the owners but whatever i guess… hahaha aww.

**Closed**
I liked it and ate here when in the neighborhood. Very nice people and good service. Good price for food and it was family friendly. For the BBQ purists, it may not have met your standards, but for affordable and casual BBQ fast food, it was OK in my book. I am sorry to see it closed.

R.I.P. Dickeys.
You were a fraud. No smoke. Fake BBQ. And you had people create fake accounts to give you «glowing» reviews.
Well, the public voted and you didn’t make it. Nice concept, bad execution.

There are probably better BBQ places in OC that have a more authentic feel. But this place is surprisingly good for a quick service restaurant type. We love coming on Sundays because kids eat free and the little rugrats actually do some damage on the food. They also love the free ALL YOU CAN EAT soft serve ice cream… ok, I probably love it more than they do!
The other thing I love about this place is they use the tiny crushed ice that I grew up with in the south. It’s silly, but there’s something comforting about hearing the ice dispense into their plastic drink cups.
It’s the little things that count…

The manager/​owner of Dickey’s was at a networking luncheon I went to and I got a buy one get one free coupon from him, so I decided to pick up some take-​out BBQ on the way home the same day. I got two orders of the 2-​meat plate:
1^st plate — hot link and pork ribs
2^nd plate — polish link and pork ribs
(they ran out of beef brisket — BOOOOO!!!)
The plates came with sliced onions, sliced pickles, and a dinner roll. I ordered two extra sides — waffle fries and coleslaw. I thought it was lame that the plates don’t come with at least one side… I coulda sworn when I phoned in my order he asked if i wanted a la carte or the plate — I said plate but then he never asked me what i wanted for my sides so that’s when I piped up and asked if i could order two sides.
That leaves me perplexed… what’s the difference really between their a la carte and plate options then? Having sliced onions, pickles and a roll hardly constitutes a «plate» IMHO…
Anyhoo… I also ordered two small yellow cuppy drinks, thus, bringing my grand total to $ 13.73. Not too shabby for a BBQ plate dinner for two.
Verdict on the BBQ? Not too bad but not super great, it seemed to be missing that smoky essence that you get with BBQ ribs and hot links. I’m gonna assume they were outta liquid smoke that day or all the other meat items probably taste similar… smoke-​less. The waffle fries were really awesome, though! And the coleslaw was pretty good, too. I’d probably go back to Dickey’s if i was jones-​ing for BBQ… it sure beats Lucilles’s.

To me, it’s just okay. I’m from the south and this place in no way compares to places back home, not that I really expected it to.
The cashier was so ditsy it was ridiculous. «Huh, what, wait, oh» I seriously thought she was kidding at first. But unfortunately she was not. I found it a little strange that we had to ask 4 different employees if certain items contain pork as we do not eat pork. Never got a clear answer.
When we first got our food the hubby’s was hot mine on the other hand was COLD. Not just like been sitting out a while not really hot but COLD. I being someone who is afraid of workers spitting in my food was just going to head to Chick-​Fil-​A after but my hubby insisted on telling the staff. After a few minutes I was presented with a brand new HOT plate of food. Much better.
Side note– The chicken nuggets they use for kids meals are from Costco. The dinosaur shaped ones. 100% white meat, Tyson. Nice.
Pros:
SWEET TEA
Mac and Cheese is really good
Pickles
Ice cream
Cons:
Slow cashier
Workers don’t know what the food contains
Cold food (at first)

My mom and I were at the Antique Flea market that IVC has the first Sunday of every month. We love it so much!
Anyways– we were just about leaving when this guy shoved a coupon in my hands. My immediate thought was to trash it, but I was hungry and was tired of the same ol thing, so I took a look. It was for Dickey’s~
We went with completely empty stomach and it was like the hottest day in history. We went in and ordered for thw hole family, so we ordered like everything on the menu practically.
It was really good! We were so impressed by the free soft serve machine in the dining room. It was great! We ate appetizers of soft serve and loaded up on the pickles from the pickle jar.
When we got home we enjoyed the baked potato casserole (YUM), coleslaw, pulled pork and some buiscuits. SO TASTY! Its nice to have something new in Irvine for a change.

The food is good. If you feel their price is little expensive check them out on
. They have 25 $ gift very for like 3 or 4 dollars.
I like the free ice cream machine and the pickle jar.

Came here for lunch and it wasn’t bad… I love pork! And theirs was very tender and juicy. The sides are just «okay» there is nothing really special about them.
However, it is a little pricey for lunch. $ 10.99 for one meat, but it is A LOT of food. You get 2 sides and bread… and they even have a free soft service machine there! yummy…
The only thing that was sad is they ran out of pickles. I guess, there is usually a large pickle jar there but not when I went… BOOOOO!!!
(I was so full I guess it wasn’t like I needed more food to eat) he he! :)

I came in here with mid to low expectations for BBQ food, and I left with a finer appreciation for… pickles? Aside from a few slices in my burger, I’m just not a huge fan of the brined cucumber. I just can’t crunch on one purely as a snack. But here, I helped myself to several of those complimentary giant-​sized pickles. I’m no pickle expert, but I thought it was crisp, refreshing, and had just the right amount of tart and sweetness. Every bite and crunch of that pickle was savored. Dip it in some of that spicy BBQ sauce, and voila, the BBQ pickle is born.
Unfortunately, I didn’t share the same enthusiasm for my 2-​item combo plate, which consisted of beef brisket, pulled pork, with a side of waffle fries and baked beans. Although both types of meat were tender and moist, it severely lacked any flavor. I wanted to taste some type of smokiness, some type of spice rub, some type of soul. What ultimately rescued the brisket and pork was the spicy vinegar-​based BBQ sauce, which in pour-​it-​yourself fashion, finally brought some life into my meal. I’ll happily bring a tub of that BBQ sauce home, and fire up my own Weber grill.
My waffle fries and baked beans were okay, and I liked that little brown pot that the beans came in with. But what I really wanted was more meat for my $ 13 plate. When it came time for the free dessert, the machine rumbled loudly and vibrated profusely, struggling to dispense the faux vanilla-​flavored soft serve ice cream. Nevermind that the ice cream started melting as soon as it saw daylight, that machine desperately needs to be put of its misery.
So will I be ever back? Two words. BBQ pickle.

Not bad, not bad at all for bbq joint in Irvine. After months of talking about going here, we finally decided to try it the other day. This location used to be a dance studio and now it has transformed into Dickey’s. At first, I thought it would be like the atmosphere of Lucille’s but it wasn’t. Dickey’s is like a homey, quiet, to-​go place with table seating.
I ordered the harvest wrap and added the beef brisket ($ 9) but without the meat, it is about $ 5.50. The wraps and salads is part of their new healthy menu. The portion of the wrap is pretty generous. The harvest salad contains lettuce, cranberries, tangerines, and walnuts; and wrapped with the brisket I ordered. The briskets was tender but maybe a little dry so don’t forget to slather it with the bbq sauce they provide. In my opinion, if they charge $ 4 more to add the meat, I wish they would have added a little more.
The bbq does not seem authentic since you don’t really taste the smokeyness of the bbq or do you see the smoke rings you might see at a true bbq place.
The service from the time we walked in is great. The lady behind the counter guided us through the menu and patiently waited until we made up our minds. The great thing about dining in the restaurant, you can partake in the free giant pickles and soft serve ice cream. The soft serve is not as solid as I hoped for but it was still good. I had two cones!

Had the pulled pork sandwich — man it is good.
Pork. Good bbq sauce.
Giant coke.
A great lunch for $ 10 with no effort on my part.
I love porky goodness.

I came here the other night when I hadn’t eaten all day so I was really hungry by the time I arrived at Dickey’s.
I ordered the three meat combination plate and shared it with my mom.
I picked smoked chicken breast, brisket, and the pork ribs.
For sides, I picked the baked potato casserole and coleslaw.
The combo also comes with a roll, but we ordered an extra two at 50cents each.
The chicken breast and brisket were both really moist and both needed barbecue sauce. I found the spicy sauce a little too strong so I mixed it with the regular one and then it tasted much better.
The ribs were good. they didn’t have much meat, but they also didn’t have much fat which made it easier to eat.
The sides were decent, the baked potato casserole was pretty much like bacon and cheese mashed potatoes and the coleslaw was standard.
The dinner rolls are amazing here, super fresh and warm, served buttered.
They reminded me of mini ciabattas.
The pickles are large and somewhat spicy, a good contrast to the sweet barbecue sauces.
The free ice cream machine is a definite hit. and I like the small cones they have because the ice cream doesn’t melt as fast.
+ decent prices
+ unlimited free ice cream and pickles
— the meats need sauce

I came here for lunch with a friend and we split the $ 14.99 Rib Plate that came with 2 sides (got potato salad and criss-​cut fries) and a roll.
The roll itself is amazing, super soft, warm and buttery *drools*
The potato salad didnt taste like the usual (it was really creamy insteady of chunky) but it was still tasty nonetheless although very filling.
Criss cut fries were good, dipped in the BBQ sauce, even better.
There are GIGANTIC pickles in a jar free for the grabbing. I love pickles but I’d never be able to finish theirs with that size and ahem girth. I had to slice it up in many multiple pieces to share with the rest of the table.
FREE Icecream! Only one flavor of Vanilla but it tasted all the better knowing it was free (or the price was supplemented into the meal prices) and it came with a mini cake cone.
Notice that I pretty much talked about the sides and freebies before the meat. Well, the meat, although super tender and fell off the bone with just a slight tug was quite bland. I had to soak it in the BBQ sauce (also contained in large jugs that you can scoop out) for the taste to get anywhere.
I wouldn’t rush to come back but it’s not a bad place to go once in a long while if you’re working in the area and dig the freebies and tasty sides.

Stepped in for lunch recently after discovering that there’s a new Texan-​style BBQ place in town. I’m not a BBQ connoisseur or anything, but it’s safe to say that Dickey’s managed to satisfy my once-​in-​awhile BBQ craving.
Cutting to the chase, Dickey’s does a respectable job at delivering food that can satisfy your meat needs. Unfortunately, there’s nothing really to scream home about when compared to the competition.
The pork ribs are good but could be tenderer. It would also be nice if they offered more than 1 type of ribs to order and style. The brisket was a tad on the dry side.
Of brighter note, the chicken turned out to be very succulent, tender and juicy. The BBQ sauce is a little watery but still flavorful and I found it complemented the chicken well. Dickey’s, fortunately, has BBQ sauce dispensers if you want to go bolder on taste.
For the sides, I had waffle fries and mac ‘n’ cheese. Both were very good. The bread roll is buttery delicious. Funny, I think I enjoyed eating the sides more than the ribs. At about $ 11 for a 2 meats & 2 sides combo meal, it’s very reasonably priced and you do get a lot of food.
Oh and lets not forget about the FREE soft serve ice cream you can dispense to your heart’s content. Yay!
So while the food at Dickey’s isn’t the greatest BBQ around, it ain’t bad either. And for the price, I’d rather come in here to eat than head to Lucille’s. Plus how can I say no to free ice cream?

Well, I had heard that Dickey’s was opening near me, so I decided to try it out. Since I had not been to Dickey’s before, I asked for a recommendation, and ended up ordering a two meat plate — pulled pork and the brisket. It came with two sides, and I tried the coleslaw and the potato salad.
I went on a Tuesday night, and the place was pretty slow. One of the staff brought out my food. The pulled pork was quite good. Tender, nice flavor. The brisket was a different issue. It was pretty bland, not very tender, and not very visually appealing. The coleslaw wasn’t bad and the potato salad had decent flavor.
But coming to a BBQ place, I was expecting something better. Given that they had only opened September 2, I would have expected the owner /​mgr to walk around to find out how everything was. He chatted briefly with another older couple, but didn’t bother talking to the others, including me, at least initially. I thought it was kind of odd that he was eating his dinner in the dining area (and if he was going to do that, you would think he would be eating BBQ — he looked like he was eating a ceasar salad).
I had the same experience as Christina T — I thought the ice cream machine was not working, but found that you just had to pull the handle up much higher than you would think. While the ice cream was free, I found it to be too soft (hard to get it to even stay in the cone), so no points on that from me.
It’s funny — I found myself happy about the crushed ice as well. But if I go to a BBQ place, and my fond memory is the ice machine, I don’t think I need to go back. Although it is touted more as an informal quick service place, I didn’t think it was particularly inexpensive, given what you got.

Each member of my family has a reason for returning to Dickey’s. Unfortunately, it’s not the quality of the barbeque.
Hubby = Big pickles. Free and unlimited!
Me = Freshly baked, warm, buttery dinner rolls.
Li’l one = Ice cream cones. Free and unlimited!
By Irvine standards, prices are affordable and the barbequed meats are good. But in the BBQ Olympics, Dickey’s would be lucky to get a seat in the stands.

A few things:
1. The ice-​cream machine is not broken, you just have to push the handle up farther than you think you should. FREE ICE CREAM IS GOOD FOR ME!
2. The roll is DELISH! Indescribable, warm, fluffy goodness! I wonder if they sell them all by themselves!
3. According to my bf who is a BBQ enthusiast — this place was very disappointing and should be ashamed to be associated with the Dickey’s in TX. Reasons? He had the brisket, ribs and a pulled pork.
Let me elaborate. BBQ lacked flavor and texture. No smoke rings, juices or any other indication it was BBQ. Portions were laughable. Sides were not worth a second glacé, let alone a second try. They substituted the original Texas Toast with a roll.
I have never seen him this down about BBQ. Dickey’s has always had a special place in his heart and he was a loyal customer in Dallas for 10 years until he moved back to CA. He was counting down the days for the Irvine opening, but a tear came to eye after experiencing what could be the worst BBQ in his life. Of course, I’m being melodramic. But he did walk out of there with a sense of incompleteness and disappointment.
And last but not least — the décor was confused. Feng Shui waterfall by the entrance/​exit, up-​scale Mc’Ds feel (not a compliment) and no Southern BBQ feel. If you disregard the the sign and just walked in, you’d think you’re at a super clean Denny’s.
In conclusion —
Pros: free ice cream, pickles and the roll
Cons: everything else.

Let me caveat that the we ordered the food to-​go (Monday Night Football and BBQ are a match made in heaven), so I can’t comment on the service, atmosphere or even the free ice cream: o (
I had ordered the ribs with mac&cheese and potato casserole (aka mashed potatoes with a sprinkle of cheese and bacon). Fiancé had the 3 meat plate (brisket, pulled pork and turkey) with the potato salad and beans.
My plate: Let me first start off saying that I was VERY surprised that the meat is ridiculously moist and tender. The meat literally fell off the bone. FI had gotten both regular and spicy sauces. This spicy sauce had a good kick. Mac and Cheese was good (but then again, I never really met a Mac & Cheese I didn’t like… oh wait, I take that back, Souplantation’s M&C sucks butt) and the potato casserole just looked like a heart attack in a Styrofoam cup. I had a few bites of it. The portions of the sides were nice and hearty.
FI’s plate: Again, all 3 meats were moist which was really surprising. Even the turkey wasn’t dry and that’s usually the case w/​turkey. FI said that the beans had too much jalapeño and the potato salad had too many pickles and the vinegar-​y taste overpowered it.
Both meals came with 2 pieces of bread, which had a slight sweet taste to them– they don’t have anything against Lucille’s biscuits and apple butter– yum!
The reason for 3 stars–
— meat was great, but sides could have been better
— The meal overall was really expensive– FI’s plate alone was $ 15 and his meat portions were relatively small.
Total our dinner costs $ 30. Maybe we should have had the quintessential pizza to accompany our Monday Night Football.

So there she was, standing in line in front of me, wearing what appeared to be a nightgown and house slippers. She had two rug rats in tow and a third one about to pop out any minute now. The only thing that would have completed her look would have been large pink rollers in her bleached-​out hair. Turning to me, she drawled, «I am SO thrilled! I moved out here from Texas about a year ago and have been craving Dickey’s the whole time! I’m SO glad they opened one up here in Irvine!»
Being the snarky prick that I am, I thought to myself, «Did they have to bring the Texans with them too? Wasn’t the BBQ enough?» But, of course, I just gave her a clenched grin and held my tongue (as well as my breath) until she had ordered and moved on.
I do have to give them some credit though. When it comes to BBQ, don’t mess with Texas. The beef brisket was moist and tender with a good beef flavor. And the pulled pork was just fantastic, probably the best I have ever had. Succulent and delicious, this little piggy just melts in your mouth.
One of the things I like about the BBQ here is that they leave the saucing up to you, so you can have as much or as little as you want. They offer a choice of mild or hot. Even though I love spicy foods, I thought the mild sauce — with just a dash of the hot — offered the perfect balance of sweetness, sourness, and spiciness.
The side dishes, however, were less than impressive. The cole slaw was good, but the baked beans were no better than the talking-​dog canned stuff. The potato salad was too sweet for me, due to the addition of relish, and the mac and cheese was very blah — just pasta shells with some melted Velveeta mixed in. But the meat more than made up for the mediocre sides.
At the sauce station, you can also help yourself to the huge jar of whole pickles, which are great as a topping to the BBQ or on their own. You can also help yourself to soft serve ice cream, although the machine was broken on the day I visited. Both are FREE OF CHARGE!
On my way out, I passed by the woman and her kids. This time I gave her a genuine smile and said, «Welcome to California!» Since I have a feeling I’m going to be running into her at Dickey’s quite regularly, I figure I might as well be a good neighbor.