Johnson’s Barbeque

I got the 2 by 2 by 2 combo. The pork ribs were O.K., with good medium sauce. The baked beans & greens lacked flavor. The chicken tasted roasted, not bar-​b-​qued, and was very average. The hot links tasted store baught, and dipped in sauce.
Very slow service. We faxed the order in 30 minutes in advance, and still waited 30 minutes to get our order. We were the only people in the restaurant at 12:30 pm.
Restaurant itself is dirty and smells bad.

I was born and raised in Texas so I know a thing or two about good BBQ. I’ve also been on a quest to find a place in the bay area that does it right, not just adequately. I think I’ve found that place in Johnsons.
Brisket was perfectly juicy, with some great heat in the sauce. The potato salad reminded me of the way I used to have it when I was a kid. And the greens? Pretty much the only place I’ve seen them do ‘em right.
Wherever you are in the city make a trek to check this place out. It’s a hole in the wall but it’s super tasty.

It was decent BBQ at best. Beef ribs with fall off the bone meat? Nope. My girlfriend was gnawing on a beef rib like a rabid beast. She never looked sexier though.
–I got the beef sandwich. Pulled beef drenched in BBQ over a hamburger bun with a side of potato salad. Sounds good huh? Eh, it was okay. I enjoyed the spiciness of the sauce. But beef wasn’t great. I swear the potato salad was from Costco. For $ 8, wasn’t a great deal. I was full but very unsatisfied.
–The girlfriend got the ½ order of beef ribs. 3 HUGE ribs and a side of fries for $ 11. The ribs had a lot of meat as long as you worked at it. Judging by the amount of sauce on her fingers and face, she seemed to enjoy it though. AY OH! Just kidding.
–The people that work there are super friendly. There is an asian male waiter, very shy but very helpful. As we were the only diners in the restaurant, he was there when we needed him and left us alone when we didn’t. And the matriarch of the shop was this little black lady that the exiting diners called «Mama». She was super friendly. Just for our entertainment, she turned on this robot santa that danced to «Who let the dogs out» by Baha men. CLASSIC.
Two stars for the beef sandwich. Three stars for the beef ribs. Four for the service. Take the average, Johnson’s BBQ gets three stars.
P. S. Cash only. And it’s kind of dingy.

I know people have been saying that this place has «fall off the bones barbecue» but I’m pretty that was before they changed owners. First off, this place in a nondescript row of stores, there’s only street parking and they only take CASH. We’ve definitely had better barbecue. If you like peppery barbecue sauce and St. Louis style ribs (versus honey based sauce or baby back ribs) then this is the place for you. I wasn’t too impressed with the sauce at all and the ribs were meaty but not in a good way, they were too tough.
The main chef was friendly. He actually came out to say ‘hi’ while we were there paying. The place itself looks somewhat run down, it’s truly a take out place. Not a sit down and have a date or family dinner meal kind of place. Overall it was a 2 star joint due to the quality of the food, it just wasn’t what I was hoping for…

I’m very sad to say that this place has been going down hill quickly ever since the old couple that ran it forever retired.
I don’t know how the people that are in there now are related to the Johnson’s but they don’t seem to have the knack for BBQ.
The last couple of times I’ve been in there the meat was dry and chewy.
I hope they get their act together.

For me, good bbq has to be juicy and tender, but great bbq has to have a dee-​lishous sauce on top of that. Johnson’s has GREAT bbq!
I ordered my succulent pork ribs with a fiery sauce. My mouth said «stop — that persistent heat is getting to me!», but my taste buds said «keep going you wimp — it’s too tasty to quit now!»

Pork ribs = tender and juicy
Brisket = tender and juicy
Red beans = fine
Baked beans = awesome
Greens = fine
Potato salad = fine (my friend thought awesome)
Medium hot sauce ROCKED
Sweet potato pie = wonderful (high complement from me, since I have made a few in my day)
Meat portions = INSANE
Get over yourself if you can’t handle the interior. Go there for the take-​out and for the customer service from Mr. and Mrs. Johnson (they’re salt of the earth). Oh, and make sure you bring CASH (no plastic taken).
YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY.

Someone recommended this place as authentic BBQ. I checked some of my trusted Unilocaler’s reviews and decided to give it a try.
I’m underwhelmed! True BBQ tastes great because of the combination of the quality of the meat and art of the process of bbq’ing. Dousing grilled meat in a gallon of sauce does not great BBQ make.
Brisket is supposed to be tender and flavorful. Here the brisket was bland and a little tough.
Ribs are also supposed to be tender. Here the pork ribs were stringy and tough.
I’m not even going to address the sausage situation since not one BBQ place in California has even come close. Johnson’s is no exception.
Oh yes, serving the food on plastic plate and no silverware didn’t help the experience.

I’ll be honest. I hadn’t even tasted the goods and Johnson’s was already getting five stars. Reason being? The following slogan:
«You can’t beat my meat».
Oh yeah. This was printed on the guy’s shirt running the joint. Could have been Johnson himself. He welcomed me by saying I looked like I could eat «fifteen slabs», which you know, after making a dirty mess of this succulent falling off the bone chicken complemented by some fantastic baked beans, I very well could have.
Sixteen years in business. You can’t beat his meat.

I’ve only been to a few bbq spots in the bay, and believe me, this one wins over the other spot that I went to, which shall remain unnamed due to lackluster performance and high expectations. Let’s just say you don’t go here for the ambiance. This is your classic hole in the wall, but what great treasures hide behind these doors.
The roomies and I all got bbq pork sandwiches with medium sauce. WOOO WEEE that shit was on point! we waited 15 – 20 minutes, and the sandwiches came out piping hot. well, if you can even call it a sandwich. I think it was a few slices of bread with a steaming pile of bbq meat on top. thats wassup! we also ordered some chicken wings. those were amazing. I definitely wanna come back and try the ribs because that’s what everyone raves about. We checked this place out without coming on Unilocal.I’m glad to see the masses enjoyed it as much as we did.

One of the better BBQ places in SF. Ambiance/​décor probably won’t do anything for you, but who needs those niceties when you’re grubbing on some Que.
We honed in on the spice thermometer poster and as we were giving our order, the SO firmly said he wanted HOT when asked about sauce. I’m not kidding, I could have heard a pin drop. Finally a customer broke the silence and asked, «Are you sure? Give the man a taste first!» Now we like our food spicy, but the «hot hot» sauce is carazeee hot, so we got one «regular hot» and one «medium hot».
Pork ribs, beef brisket came out lickety split with the sauce on the side. Greens were decent. Potato salad was very good. Baked beens were made fresh — don’t expect a can of thick Bush’s baked beans. Cut of meat were good, not dry, and the portions are huge. If sauce is important to you when it comes to BBQ, you have to try this place.
Spoke to Mr. Johnson himself and said that I give the stamp of approval, being from Virginia and all. Come to find out his bro’s alma mater is in VA — small world. All in all, nice guy, nice business, and good food. We’ll definitely be back.

The reviews aren’t kidding about generous portions – they’re almost obscene. Still, it means I’ll get 2 – 3 meals out of my lunch order, so I’m not complaining! Also believe everything you hear about the interior, too. Seriously, it’s like someone cut a room out of a house and stuck it in the front half of the place.
Got the pork sandwich with baked beans & greens (2^nd side’ll run you back $ 1.50 if you get a sandwich). Excellent meat, and the medium-​spicy sauce almost kicked my sorry butt. SOOOO tasty, though. I’d gotten my order to go, and by the time I got home, the bun had congealed into a surprisingly tasty barbecue bread pudding. The greens were nothing to write home (or Unilocal) about, but I’d get the beans again.

If you are looking for an upscale, hip, cutting edge and pretentious restaurant that serves haute cuisine, then you came to the wrong place! As for the décor, it is a not a visual tour de force or a model of style, elegance and functionality. The words like «dump», «hole in the wall», «outdated», «disorganized», «messy» and «crap piled upon crap», and «dirty», does not do it justice. People go to this place because of the food, not the ambiance.
Despite how amazing bleak this place looks. The food is AMAZING! I am totally addicted to their hot links and their pork ribs. The price is right. The portions are good. I usually order double servings of the coleslaw. It does a good job of mellowing out of the spices. Sometimes I use the extra coleslaw, complementary sliced bread, and hot links to make a poor man’s spicy BBQ slaw dog. I would recommend ordering «to go». The staff is very friendly. I would go there again for the hot links and pork ribs. One last thing, the BBQ sauce is very spicy. I would order «mild sauce». If you don’t you might go from having «hot lips» to «no lips».

4.5 stars.
It is good.
Its in the hood
Its cooked with wood
The price is right
For a decent bite
Portions are not light
The meal was fight
Now my pants are tight.
Food coma, good night!
EAT HERE!
(12÷07÷09)

You guys rocked my world today. You took me to may happy place on a sunny San Francisco day. I almost went into sexy food dance mode. On the instruction of our lead host Luthor L, Pete B ordered us up a BBQ feast of bombastic brisket beef, oh so sweet sausage, roast chicken, succulent ribs for your pleasure and some of the most tantalising side dishes I have ever had the pleasure of cramming into my face. A special mention goes out to the yams. DAMN YOU ARE A FINE VEGETABLE SPECIMEN WHEN YOU ARE COOKED THE JOHNSON WAY! We had so much meat and sides it became a battle of wills. I would not lose. Luthor L, Pete B and I with a little help from Shaina K beat the meat. «I have now discovered that shouting out ‘Beat the Meat’ is an unfortunate thing to say this side of the pond.»
If you can decipher my psychotic babble you will unearth one truth… Johnsons do sensational BBQ food that you should, will and must try. Don’t expect beautiful surroundings, as you won’t find any. Let the food do the talking and let yourself peacefully float up to food heaven. Amen!

Just the right ambiance for a hole-​in-​the-​wall BBQ joint. Warm and inviting «welcome to my kitchen and sit a spell» service. Very good but not great BBQ.
Ribs would have stood on their own with nice caramelized rub smoked to falling off the bone perfection. Sauce was good but smothering. (Next time I’ll know to ask for sauce on the side.) Chosen sides of slaw and baked bean missed their mark with the former being overly mayo’d and the latter not especially flavorful. At $ 13.50 for a rib dinner plate, there was too much of everything. Too much for one person but too little for two. They would have been better off pricing it lower with smaller portions. I was also bummed to discover that yams were on the menu but wasn’t one of the side choices.

Seriously, when I was younger I’d walk by this place and they would never be open. Then I find out on Unilocal that people think they’ve got really good barbecue. Well, I’ve lived in the neighborhood for nearly forty years, and I finally dropped in last week to give this place a try. You know what people say — better late than never.
The barbecue was very good. It was my usual late afternoon lunch time, and the restaurant was empty. I grabbed a seat at the counter and there was that familiar coin glued to the table top that I’ve read about so often. You can tell by just looking around that this restaurant has been here for awhile. Everything looks vintage and things like the menu are just plain worn (
).
I had a decision to make. I had special plans for dinner that night, but I wanted to sample as much as possible without stuffing myself. Then I selected the largest option that I could have ordered. I asked the friendly lady behind the counter for the 2+2+2. That’s 2 links, 2 ribs and 2 pieces of either chicken or beef plus 2 side dishes and 2 slices of bread. I selected the chicken and asked for the cole slaw and the potato salad as my sides. You get to choose your degree of hotness with the sauce, and they have a chart to help you make your decision (
). I played it safe when the lady behind the counter asked me whether I was sure I was making the right decision.
Quality takes time. At least that’s what the laminated placard on the counter said (
). Just then the man whose photo is on that placard walked into the restaurant. I asked whether he was the owner and he hesitated. I told him he looked so much like the man on that photo so he had to fess up. I enjoyed good conversation with that gentleman.
The food was ready rather quickly, and they packed everything for me in a to-​go box, but I had planned to eat it there. Once I saw the humongous portion I knew why they packed my food to go. There was no way I was going to finish all of that (
) in one sitting. I took my knife and fork and carefully cut into the links; it was quite good. I was then reminded that good barbecue is meant to be eaten with the hands. The kind gentleman gave me a stack of napkins. Oh yeah, I dug in. The sauce was tasty and just a bit smoky. The gigantic piece of chicken was a huge breast with the wing attached. The two ribs were actually four bones big. I didn’t even come close to finishing half of what they served me.
The chicken was moist and flavorful. The bones within the wing came out with ease. The meat on the pork ribs fell off the bone rather easily, but parts of the meat required quite a bit of chewing because along the edges it was much like good jerky. Very flavorful but contrary to the quote that is painted on the window you’ll definitely need teeth to chew the meat. The potato salad had big chunks of potato and it was nice and creamy. I found the cole slaw was too creamy for my taste however. The links which are mild in flavor soaked up the flavor of the sauce really well.
I had enough food left over for a big dinner the next night. So this is what I’ve been missing. I’ll definitely return, and this time it won’t take another forty years.

It’s been almost a year since I’ve visited your shop, Mr Johnson, but golly gosh… the way your Barbeque meats melt in my mouth has never been forgotten. I haven’t been able to find quite the same anywhere in SF (thus far).
A group of us came to visit you one cold November evening. I guess it was too cold for most people since you guys were in the process of closing up early for the night. Bless your souls… you re-​opened the shop to let the 8 of us eat in the restaurant, and served us some very very yummy food.
I shared a combination meal with 3 people… chicken, links, ribs and 3 or so sides. Very good sample of the range of stuff you had to offer and the servings was so big it could’ve fed 5! And the sauce you use!!! Ohhh that was good.
Just to my left, my buddy had the pulled pork sandwich — he reckons it is the best way to tell whether a Barbeque joint is good or not. Well, you didn’t disappoint him!
So Mr Johnson, it really sucks that I don’t drive… because I would’ve been coming to you for meaty goodness whenever I need a fix!

Don’t you just love Barbeque cooking in the South… South of San Francisco!
Well, you don’t need to travel far to enjoy the taste of the southern taste of barbeque. Just come to San Francisco’s San Bruno Ave. to enjoy the southern food. Where the Asian population is increasing every single day, Johnson’s Barbeque still stands tall and has something to say to prevent the Asian population from taking over.
Like most businesses on my debut, I came here for lunch and feeling a bit lost, like an outsider. The friendly father and son treated me like a king and took my order. I told the father that I wanted the Barbeque Chicken and Hot Link Combination. My $ 8.50 combo comes with a Leg and Thigh smothered in a choice of their southern Barbeque sauce, ranging from mild-​to-​spicy, a hot link and choice of sides, in which, I chose Rice. (surprised?) The meal was prepared by the son and he did a faboulous job on preparing my leg and thigh by making them juicy and tender. So tender, that the meat falls right out from the bone. Like the slogan posted on the business window, «Even people without teeth can bite into the meat!» Or something similiar. The Hot link was also very juicy and tender, but less spicy and tolerable enough for anybody.
While enjoying my meal, I was entertained by the father lecturing his patrons on his path to success to open a good tasting Barbeque place. A sentimental and inspirational lecture that anybody can enjoy listening and pick up as a tip for success.
I wanted to take home a whole Sweet Potato Pie to take home to my kids. Unfortunately, the popular pie wasn’t available on the weekends. No worries, I’ll be back during the weekdays where the wife prepares the pies and hopefullly does all the cooking.
I paid my lunch in cash, in which they only accept.

Portola has got to be the single most unknown commercial district in SF (and hey, even the Bayview is known by reputation). I could’ve whizzed by on the 101 year-​in, year-​out and would’ve never realized all this stuff was here (were it not for Unilocal,of course). The neighborhood, which essentially just consists of a long line of storefronts on San Bruno Ave, is a dive-lover’s paradise, and I didn’t really find it to be that ghetto either.
Of all the restaurants in Portola, Johnson’s seems to have the largest Unilocal profile, and since good BBQ in SF has been damn hard to find, it was the obvious first stop for me.
Apparently there’s a different kind of BBQ for every state in the south, and here they do it Arkansas-​style. Well, Arkansas makes good presidents, why not good BBQ? I got the rib slab, which for $ 24 comes with three sides and could feed 3 very hungry people (or 4 people with a little restraint). So it’s a good deal, which is a plus. They make a big deal about their super hot sauce here, but the wife nixed that idea, so we settled on medium and it was just right for both of us. So how’s the ribs? While it may not unseat Uncle Frank’s (but really, who can?), it’s easily the best stuff I’ve had in SF so far. Tender, smoky, spicy, and enough fruity, woody flavor to make it feel like you’re eating it at a picnic in the forest.
Now for the sides: Baked Beans don’t normally interest me, but these has tons of flavor that complimented the meat perfectly. Coleslaw and potato salad had a lot of potential, but just a tad too sickly-​sweet for my taste.
In short, Johnson’s is a must for any SF BBQ fan. Just call in your order and they’ll have it ready in no time. Naturally, you will probably want to get take-​out unless you’re in the mood for the whole «2 token tables, 0 token ambience» thing.