That Boy Good

Great atmosphere and amazing food. One of our favorite restaurants out here in Oceanside. Can’t go wrong with the chicken and waffles, order it every time.

Dirty fries, chicken and waffles, collard greens. All exceptional. Best soul food place I’ve ever been to. Will be a regular here on our way up from San Diego.

Love the funky southern atmosphere, the collard greens and corn bread are the best this southern girl has ever had, and the dirty fries with brisket are AWESOME!

Brisket is back baby! This place is one of our favorites in all of SoCal, and one of the two best bbq places south of mammoth.
Bat wings entrance with friendly, kinda divey-​fun feel. Solid beer selection, great happy hours, and they give you ribs as a garnish with your bloody mary!
We love all of the food here! Everyone that visits us from the midwest (and anywhere to be honest) we try to take here. They love it too. We regularly get the dirty fries, brisket, smoked wings (really good), and jalapeño cornbread; but it is all GOOD! If you like BBQ (no matter where you are from) and you are in o-​side then you should check out TBG (That Boy Good).

So much foooodddd, soo fullllll, soooo gooood!
+ Fried Chicken — This was definitely not my favorite Fried Chicken. This style didn’t seem authentic… they were more like giant flat chicken tenders than anything. The meat was tender and juicy, but you don’t get that nice, fatty layer of fried chicken skin. It’s just batter, and more batter. I would not recommend this at all, well, unless you’re a huge fan of chicken tenders.
+ Pulled Pork — This was delicious. The pork was juicy and tender, and full of flavor
+ BBQ Pork Ribs — The meat was pretty lean and a little on the dryer side, but still really delicious. Add a little bbq sauce, and the dish was saved!
+ Links — Super tasty, and the skin had a really nice snap to it. You can taste the saltiness and spices. These are really filling though! We had to take ours in a doggy bag to-​go.
+ French Fries — Nothing special, but they were tasty. You get A LOT with an order, and they are crispy and soggy at the center. In my eyes, this is the exact texture I look for in fries.
+ Mac and cheese — Jumbo maccoroni shells! I don’t see these often! Their mac n cheese was excellent. The pasta is cooked until soft, and it’s just pure, melty, cheesy goodness.
+ Cole slaw — Creamy and refreshing. It’s always a good accompaniment to BBQ. Something a little lighter to go down with ALL THEM MEATS.
+ Collard Greens — I’m a huge fan of collard greens and these were decent. They were a little soggy and salty, but I really didn’t mind at all!
+ Cornbread — The cornbread was soft, moist, and sweet. You can definitely taste the corn, and the crust is divine! They give you a decently size slice with an order, and it’s really filling.
Overall, the BBQ is LEGIT. They give generous portions, the price is decent, and the ambiance is fun and casual. I also love any place where you can get BEER BY THE PITCHER. «Pitcher» is seriously one of my favorite words to see on a menu. Our service was also just as pleasant and we enjoyed the lively atmosphere.

Happened to be in the area and decided to finally give this place a try. The ambience is not something normal for me but I guess it goes with the restaurant’s southern vibe. I had the chicken and waffle and boy that was good. The menu says thigh but it’s more of boneless thigh meat which actually made my experience far better since I don’t have to struggle eating through the bones. It comes with 3 waffles which balances the saltiness of the chicken and a side of fries. We tried substituting the fries for something else since we had the dirty fries as appetizer but to no avail. Overall a great place to eat and hang out with family and friends.
Tip:
Don’t be a butt hurt chargers fan is you saw the «boo chargers» sign at the front end corner of their ceiling since this is a saints bar/​restaurant.

Finally decided to give this place a try after being in the area. Glad we did! Came from shopping at Oceanside Telescope and walked in. first thing that hit me was the smell of smoking meat! I said to the wife that it smells like our back yard when I smoke meat as well. Ambiance is very NOLA so it’s not fancy, but it doesn’t have to be.
I ordered the Brisket sandwhich and the wife had the full rack of baby backs. Both came with sides like cole slaw, beans and corn bread. The brisket was tender and you could tell it was cooked low and slow like it should be (not sure why someone would say it tasted like it came out of a can… do they can brisket?) but mine was delish! Wifes ribs were very good too… tender and pulled apart easily. The sides themselves were tasty as well. All in all a good BBQ meal.
Service was quick and attentive. The BBQ sauces that they have on the table (mild and hot) are a tasty addition but not necessary! Come have a meal… you wont be disappointed!

Dirty fries are a meal it themselves here. Get a choice of pulled pork or brisket. Jalapeños, cheese, delicious.
Definitely get those!

This place does not live up to it’s name. It’d much more appropriate if it was named ‘That Boy Flippin’ Awesome’, or, ‘That Boy Great’ or my personal favorite, ‘That Boy Should Teach Phil How to BBQ’. Seriously though, extra points for naming the place after a line in ‘Coming to America’.
First things first — If you are into hot wings like I am, don’t mess around, get an order here! The wings are smoked, then fried, and are hands down the best wings I’ve ever had, period. They offer ranch and blue cheese, and garnish the wings with celery and thick sliced carrots.
BBQ Bloody Mary — for $ 10, you get a Bloody garnished with two perfectly smoked beef ribs. $ 8 on Sunday. This makes for a perfect appetizer, and will give you a perfect idea of the quality and flavor you can expect from the other meats.
Tuesdays — $ 8 gets you a massive pulled pork sandwich with a side, and a beer. $ 9 gets you the brisket. This is a ton of food, and there’s not a better deal on all of North County.
Pork Ribs — Get the full rack. Take half a rack home for the next day. Be in BBQ bliss for two days straight.
Sides — The Greens, Mac and Cheese, Fries, and Beans are all on point. The jalapeño cornbread is sweet with a nice touch of heat.
Dirty Fries — Oh man, these are trouble. Split them with someone, because the order is huge! French fries covered in nacho cheese, topped with either pulled pork or brisket, and a generous helping of fresh sliced jalapenos.
The owner is a Saints fan, so there’s that. Two large TV’s always showing something interesting, mainly sports. I bet watching a Saints game here is a ton of fun.
If you’re a BBQ fan, and you haven’t checked this place out, do your self a favor, and get down to That Boy Good!!!

I’ve been to my share of BBQ joints in North County. Brett’s in Encinitas, Phil’s in San Marcos and Felixs’ in Oceanside. TBG blows all three of them out of the water.
I had a hankering for BBQ, but wanted something new. I am SO GLAD I found this place. This is the best BBQ I have ever had in my life. I think because their menu is region specific, it gives it that extra bang I was missing at the other «generic BBQ» spots.
The dirty fries did not disappoint. We went for the upgraded brisket. As others mentioned, it was a meal in itself, even with 2 people. We almost licked the bowl clean. The brisket was tender, and the cheese sauce adds a the perfect creamy touch. Don’t be scared of the jalapeños, they somehow cure them so they are not super spicy.
For the main, I decided for the chicken and waffle. To me, this is a measure of the quality of a place and it lived up to the expectation. I didn’t want the fries it came with, so I got the chicken thigh plate with mac n cheese and coleslaw, and a side of a waffle. I was only able to eat half because of the aforementioned fries, but am looking forward to leftovers tomorrow. Everything was spot on. The chicken was juicy and crispy, the waffle wasn’t soggy and the mac n cheese was some of the best I ever had.
My husband had the combo plate with greens (spicy!) and Mac n cheese.
The service was outstanding. Attentive, frequent visits and pleasant attitude. In a small space and as busy as they are, it can be a crapshoot on service but like everything else here, it was outstanding.
I just know that I will be having dreams about this dinner tonight. I cannot wait to go back. I would say I was sad that I didn’t come sooner, but I am not, because I would be the size of a house.
We arrived at around 6 and waited about 15 minutes, but when we left at about 7:30 there had to be about 30 people waiting. The word is out! That Boy Good is THE place for BBQ in North County!

Rib Bloody Mary… Awesome!
BBQ is good too. If you’re up for something different try the chicken and waffles, very tasty. If you’re all in and don’t care about calories go for the dirty fries, pulled pork, melted cheese and peppers, worth the $ 10. Go on the weekdays, the wait on the weekend is long. Setting is more of a bar with some tables than a full restaurant, if you’re looking for that, go to Phil’s BBQ.
Overall, very good and a must try for BBQ in Oceanside.

More like a 3.5÷5 stars.
we went down to the flowers fields and stopped at this place on the way back up.
the first thing I noticed about this town was that barber shops littered this city. It was insane… almost every street I saw a different one.
lol…
anyways, for the food… we were lucky enough to come during happy hour. During happy hour, you’re able to get 1 drink soda or a domestic beer, 1 entrée and a small side for roughly 7 – 9 bucks.
we got the pulled pork and pulled brisket sandwich with ice tea for 15 bucks. Killer deal.
I highly recommend the brisket sandwich.
I did some people munching on dirty fries… looked very very enticing!
Something cool about this place is that they are selling their ceiling. Yeah, trust me, it doesn’t make a lot of sense if you first hear it… but once you see it, it makes total sense. They are selling their ceiling as Ads space. Pretty cool and ingenious if you ask me.
The reason why it didn’t get 4 stars, was due to the wait time. We got seated right away, but the time to get the food took forever.
I think the people next to us at the bar, order after us and got their food before us.
=(

I’ve driven by this place dozens of times and have always said, «I should stop there and see what they have». Well finally I did and I can’t believe that I have been missing out all this time on such an amazing BBQ place. Their barbecue was right on the money.
The atmosphere was laid back and the staff were great in going through the choices. I settled on the ribs and collard greens which were every bit as good as any that I’ve had back east in North or South Carolina.
Oceanside never ceases to amaze me with its brew pubs and restaurants, and this one is another one to add to my favorites list.
Don’t forget to order the dirty fries — pulled pork and fries smothered with melted cheese!

Finally getting around to write my review about this hole-​in-​the-​wall & of course, I’m speechless. My fiancé & I ventured out here on a Thursday night, hungry as heck. I’ve had this sitting in my Unilocal Bookmarks for quite some time & I thought «it’s about damn time we visit this place.»
We walked in w people waiting for tables. But, we didn’t mind taking the two seats that were left at the bar, so we didn’t have to wait. That’s probably one «eh» about this place is that it’s a little small & crowded but ain’t no thang. Doesn’t bug me lol.
We got greeted by an awesome bartender! He was super nice & greeted us w lots of kindness. He got us our drinks while we scrolled through the menu & ordered right when he returned.
I got the chicken & waffles plate aka heaven in a basket…& my fiancé got the BBQ pulled pork sandwich which he said «hit the spot». We were both pleased to come here! I would’ve never gone here in all honesty. I’m not a big fan of Oceanside lol but regardless of location, y’all gotta check this place out!

Ooo, that Boy so BAD!
You only need your nose to find this place along Coast Highway. Even the walls smell of smokin’ meat.
The atmosphere is authentic without being hokey. Sink into one of their over-​worn leather chairs as you wait for your table — there’s ALWAYS a wait — and let the wood paneling and blues music transport you to the juke joints of the Deep South.
Butter my butt and call me a biscuit! — That Boy Good uses family recipes, and WOW you can tell. Every plate comes out tasting like Mammaw is really back in the kitchen making your fixings.
The BBQ Pork Ribs are hands down the best thing on the menu. Smoky, fall-​off-​the-​bone, tender, and sauced — you can’t leave without ordering a full rack. The BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich comes out looking uglier than homemade sin… which means I fall in love every time! Even the bun is buttery and perfect for sopping up all the saucy leftovers.
My dining-​mate is a professional BBQ judge who travels state to state sampling our nation’s best, and even he gives That Boy Good a searing seal of approval.
This Boy is definitely one of Oceanside’s finest. Come hungry.

I came here for a lunch event this past week and man was it busy!!!
They’ve got a really tight space and for hosting their lunch break and as well as the lunch for this event, the staff here did a really great job keeping up with orders. Since it was just me, I was offered a seat the bar. Mister bartender was really busy cause he kept running back and forth from one end of the bar to the other.
For lunch, I ordered the Skrimshaw beer, which was nice and delicious on a warm day. I also got the dirty fries as my meal! SO GOOD!!! This is a must, but there is A LOT of jalapeño on here! When they said fresh… they mean it, but there was so much that I had to end up picking it all off because when it comes to spice… I’m a wuss!!!
My one issue with the place here, and this is why I took off the one star, is that when I was seated at the bar, I kept getting hit in the back by peoples elbows. When I went to look to see who kept hitting me, it was the employees. Now I know it said it’s a tight space here, but I must have gotten hit 5 – 10 times by flying elbows. People who passed by, gently placed their hand on me to let me know I needed to move forward so they could get by. But the constant drive by elbowing got tiring after awhile.

First experience was pretty delicious. All the dishes served at neighboring tables were good size portions and everyone seemed happy.
I was in the mood for some chicken and waffles and found what I was looking for with quick and friendly service within minutes.
This is a good size place with a nice bar to belly up to. The area was spacious yet I’m sure the seats are all taken up during any happy hour or busy afternoon

We had our team’s holiday luncheon here and I’m glad we did! My coworkers have been talking about this place so it was great to finally check it out.
A breakdown of the place:
Ambiance: N’Orleans style stuff, random writings on the wall in the restroom hallway, interesting décor on the ceiling and photos of customers on the tables. Don’t expect fancy, it’s a divey-​type place.
Location: Downtown Oceanside, so again, don’t expect anything fancy
Parking: Street parking, if you’re lucky, a parking space right in front
Prices: moderate
Service: Not bad, sometimes we couldn’t get our waitress’ attention and other times, she’d offer refills but really friendly
Diet: if you’re vegetarian or vegan, don’t come here
Now, the break down of what we ordered and what I thought of all of them. We did family style, so it was nice to be able to try a bit of everything without being stuck with it. I left there completely stuffed and needing a nap.
–Dirty fries: That boy SOOO Good and one of my favorite things to eat there
–Chicken and waffles: (chicken was good, but not impressionable. Waffles were great)
–Cat fish: deep fried and delicious
–Wings: honey bbq was good, the spicy one wasn’t that spicy and kind of dry
–Pulled pork: delicious
–Links: it was good, I didn’t have much room in my stomach left to eat anymore
–hand cut fries: good, but like any other fries when it’s not dirty
–Mac and cheese: yummy, cheesy and they use the bigger macaroni, which I love
–Cole slaw: I liked it but I didn’t have a lot of it so I can’t really say
–Collard Greens: good, but not great

Had read Elle N.‘s review and thought, «if I was ever near Oceanside, I would stop for that.» What do ya know, hubby and I were driving back from a weekend of decadence and decided to make one last stop!
Found street parking along Coast Hwy.
We were able to grab a table right away (although I saw people waiting when we left).
Service was friendly and casual.
Drinks looked good, but it was time to detox, so I grabbed a soda.
Food:
Dirty Fries-​This is a MEAL. This was supposed to be a starter, but we way overindulged which made it difficult to eat the rest of our food. Fries, mac n’cheese sauce, pulled pork, sweet BBQ sauce & jalapenos. Seriously. Jalapenos are necessary to offset the sweetness of the BBQ sauce.
Cornmeal Crusted Delta Catfish Strips-​I LOVE Fried Catfish, when its done right. The cornmeal on this was tasty and I loved that they used smaller pieces so that its fried thoroughly. Yep, this was all gone.
BBQ Pork Ribs-​Hubby could only eat one rib (DAMN YOU, Dirty Fries!), but it was good.
Smoked Beans were Very Good.
Final Note: Bar had 3 tvs playing 3 different football games. Great spot to grab drinks & watch a game.

Walking down The Pacific Coast Hwy towards the beach is one of those That Boy Good situations you can find yourself in many of the coastal Cali city’s. This city happens to be where the ocean is by your side and where a ninja can find That Boy Good!
Taking a glimpse of a sign that’s says BBQ and cold beer wile driving down the road is sure to make anyone smile or just want to visit here at one point as that’s just what’s That Boy Good.
The Barbie-​Q was decent the meat was tender the sauce was alright as I felt the sauce had no big difference from the hot to the regular BBQ sauce. I’m not sure about you but when I reach for a bottle of hot BBQ sauce I want a spice to spice it up but that didn’t exist here.
The Dirty Fries were definitely the best part of what’s That Boy Good here forshures and just a pile of pulled pork, fries, Q sauce, cheese sauce, and the always delicious jalapeños to give it that kick we didn’t find in the hot BBQ sauce.
My pulled pork sandwich was pretty good the meat was tender and went well with the slaw that I had added to it but nothing about it really set anything apart from other BBQ places I frequent in the So Cali area and pretty much a reason why I wouldn’t make a trip back here.
The location is on the Main Street so parking is terrible at that but there is a parking lot behind the building so circle around it and get lucky to score a spot.
They are also selling their ceiling I found that kinda cool as you can leave your mark, business, or just buy one for the grommets to draw their little pictures of awesomeness all over to have it placed above your head.
That Boy Good I doubt I’d be back but I’m sure you’ll lure more in for that BBQ and cold beer!