City Smoke House

Ordered BBQ catering for a Christmas party. Everything was amazing, on time, great communication and easy. I paid via invoice, and then just showed up to pick up everything. Would order again! Brisket, chicken, and mac and cheese were all delicious.

I recently had the pleasure of trying City Smoke House and let me tell you, it was an absolute treat! The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender, packed with a smoky goodness that left me craving for more. The brisket was melt-in-your-mouth perfection, perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. And the pulled pork? Oh my, it was a flavor explosion that left me speechless. The flavor of every dish was exceptional, a mouthwatering blend of spices and love that truly made each bite memorable. And speaking of love, the BBQ sauce was the star of the show – a delightful balance of tangy, sweet, and spicy that complemented the meats flawlessly. Not only was the food top-notch, but the service was also outstanding. From the moment I placed my order, the team was attentive, friendly, and incredibly accommodating to all my requests. If you're looking for a BBQ catering experience that will leave your taste buds dancing with joy, look no further. City Smoke House is a must-try, and I guarantee you won't be disappointed. I can't wait for the next occasion to indulge in their mouthwatering meats once more!

During the epidemic they're actually making the most amazing have hamburgers to order I mean they are just huge they have this sweet and sweet and sour pickle if they add to it the guy to try it the prices are very reasonable and I'm sure that they'll make you discover anything else if you order ahead of time I know they do ribs and I've heard they do the brisket they do online ordering and I think there's trying to start their catering back so check them out tell him the redhead sent you

Got some double bacon cheeseburgers with some friends at their old location about a year ago and we've been waiting for them to reopen ever since — probably the best burgers we've had in the city and very reasonably priced. They're currently doing catering out of their new location within the shopping center on Van Ness that holds the CGV cinema upstairs; got to try some brisket and mac-and-cheese which were both top-tier. Super friendly owners as well — really looking forward to their official opening in a couple weeks 👍🏼

Thanks for letting me taste the brisket and the mac & cheese! The brisket is definitely one of the best I had in the Bay, and I am ESPECIALLY impressed with the bbq sauce. I can’t wait for your restaurant to officially open in the near future. I’ll definitely be looking forward to it. Again, thank you!!

We came here to discover they are only catering currently, but the owners made us a meal for the trouble and it was outstanding! I’ve never experienced more caring and kind service! We eat a lot of bbq from around the country and this was top notch! The brisket is phenomenal. Oooo and the burgers are fantastic, especially with the homemade, fresh buns.. wow! Loooved the Mac as well! Thank you City Smoke House!!

City smokehouse has generously donated multiple meals to UCSF nurses. I don’t eat meat so I’m not much of a BBQ person normally but WOW this place is amazing. Their mushroom dishes are incredible - very juicy, savory and satisfying. Also their Mac & cheese might be the best I have ever had. Definitely eat here!

They are currently only catering but I and some friends stopped by thinking they were open for walk-ins. The guy apologetically offered us some “BBQ sauce to go” and it was phenomenal. 10/10 would wander in again.

Run, do not walk. RUN to have City Smoke House cater your next party. The Brian and Brandon team is terrific in all counts: Terrific chefs, creative menu planners, and terrific people. They catered, with very little notice, my party of 17 and made great suggestions: Wonderful, spice-rubbed and smoked ribs; OMG sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, mac n' cheese to die for, killer beans, cornbread & Jalapeno muffins, dinner rolls. They helped make my party a hit. Like I said, run don't walk. You know I will be working with these guys again. Oh yeah.

Office had a rare catered lunch from our boss earlier this spring 2023 and no one had heard of this place before. There were 4 selections to pick from which were pulled chicken, pulled pork, portobello mushroom and the beef brisket cooked for 14 hours. I enjoyed it with good size portion that filled me up completely. I might have to skip dinner or eat light dinner maybe. Beans, Mac and cheese and bread were all soft and good. I poured the nice sauce with an excellent balance of tang, spice and sweet rolled into one taste which was impressive for me. I liked how each of the meals came in preset personal size meal and labeled well for easy distribution. We had 2 vegetarian workers and this meal was perfect and they enjoyed it too! :) San Francisco doesn't have too many barbecue places for some reason, maybe No county music stations here might be part of it and one will have to travel to suburbs to go get some BBQ and chase down some food trucks. This a a good catering company that serves something different. If we do get catering it is mostly boring sandwiches, so this was a fun change of pace.

I am extremely impressed with how tasty this brisket was! Our office got City Smoke House catered and honestly it's hard to get good bbq in the city ESPECIALLY large amounts of it. Everything was amazing.

This place is the best! We order catering from here for all of our jobsite events / holidays and they are always reliable. Massive portions for the headcount given. They can provide delivery and setup with plates, utensils, serving spoons, and table cloths. Pro tip: ask for to go boxes because you will forsure need them! I've had all of the meats and sides that they offer, and they're all hits. The meat is always tender and moist. The mac and cheese is phenomenal.

Great food. Great service. General portions. Always on time. Best take out BBQ in the city.

Had the catered lunch and was pretty good! Pulled pork was pretty moist and the beans were a bit too sweet but was tasty. The collard greens were just okay but everything else was solid.

These folks are super responsive, easy to work with, and provide great food! I use them as a splurge caterer.

This was my third City Smoke House catering experience. Their food is phenomenal which keeps us coming back for special occasions. My first time having City BBQ was when my school had an event catered. The chicken, portobello mushrooms and Mac n cheese were standouts. (pre-covid) When my brother turned 40 in September we ordered for a socially distant backyard hangout. The food was delivered piping hot to the Sunset. No reheating needed. The brisket, ribs and Mac n cheese were mouthwatering. In addition to the food being delicious the portions are generous and we had tons of leftovers. Thanksgiving was different this year and we decided that although the circumstances sucked- the food didn't need to! I picked up our order from their location in the Tenderloin near Dotties Cafe. The area is a bit sketchy and the door was locked when I arrived. However, I got my food and was back in my car in under 2 minutes. Everything was delicious as expected except the mashed potatoes. They tasted like boxed instant potatoes (yuck). I personally did not care for the smoked turkey but everyone in my family loved it. I noticed the individual meals had BBQ sauce for the turkey (ours came with gravy) so I'm wondering if I'd like it more with sauce. Overall, we will happily continue to support this incredible local family business. Thank you City Smoke House!

Had catered lunch at our SF clinic for our staff and providers. Best BBQ we've ever had!!!! Meat was tender, mac-n-cheese was delicious, beans were outstanding...and all the food had so much flavor. Great customer service too! Set up the food trays and labeled the food, provided plenty of plates/napkins/utensils....AMAZING!!

I ordered City Smoke House for my kids' birthday party, just yesterday, and wanted to write a review right away. Working with the owner, Brian, was amazing from my first email inquiry. He was responsive, kind, accommodating and prompt with delivery. The prices were great and the amount of food we received...wow! All our guests were able to take food home (with boxes CSH provided) and we still have a ton left! The food itself was AMAZING! Everything I ate was truly delicious. We received so many compliments from all of our guests. Everyone loved it! It was a hit!! Thanks City Smoke House for making this a seamless part of our event! Would definitely work with them again!

City Smoke catered our 30 yr anniversary AAA City Turkey Day Championship event for 40 people at the Boat House at Lake Merced. Brian was responsive and delivered a great experience for the players and their families. The food was on time and absolutely delicious. Thank you City Smoke! Coach White

I've been ordering catering from City Smoke House for business meetings and I consistently receive exceptional feedback! Oftentimes with a WOW! The meats are cooked to tender perfection, the salad is fresh and colorful, the mac and cheese is a must, the portions are generous and the food is packaged with care and stays warm! Their service is also above and beyond! Brian is so helpful and provides a high level of service. He makes sure that things run smoothly and understands the importance of a good meal for a business meeting. Thank you City Smoke House! I will continue to order as often as I can!

So my friend told me I HAD to try this place out so we made a day out of it and drove from Oakland to get their burgers. First off, the owners are so nice! In these pandemic times it is so important to support local businesses and I am so happy we were able to that day. City Smokehouse does mostly catering now but you can order their amazing burgers. I ordered the single cheeseburger with added brisket...You HAVE to get the added brisket! I also got the baked beans and mac n cheese. They were so nice and added a extra pattie to make it a double! And it came with chips and a drink. While they were cooking it, they let us sample a new wing recipe too! I love the owners! The food took about 20-30 minutes, which is fine because it's cooked to order. And OMG this burger was sooo juicy and flavorful. The sauce, the pickles, and the brisket were everything! My friend was not lying! The baked beans have brisket in them too...just amazing. You have to try this place if you love burgers and brisket! I also ordered one ToGo for my husband and let's just say...a week later and he is still talking about it Lol. Definitely will be back. The restaurant is located in the gritty tenderloin district of San Francisco so just know that before you go. I would 100% recommend this place for good BBQ!

I ordered City Smoke House for a company happy hour and it was the best decision I ever made! EVERYONE loved the food (pork ribs, rotisserie chicken, hot links, mac n cheese, beans and candied yams and the cornbread cheddar jalapeño biscuits ). The barbecue sauce was so good we wanted to take shots of it! Brian helped me with the order and personally delivered the food, on-time and HOT!! I will definitely order from City Smoke House again!

If I could give Brian and Brandon one million stars, I would. We hired them for the Five Keys Class of 2023 graduation and 20th anniversary BBQ celebration. 544 RSVPs. Best customer service ever! We had quite a few BBQ afficiandos and they said the food was also the best ever. They came, they set up, they stayed. I can't recommend them highly enough! That was yesterday...can't wait to have some leftovers tonight! :-)

Amazing !!!!!! First time here and I was so shocked to see the items they served . Mmmm about to tear up this double cheeseburger with bacon . Biggest burger I have ever eaten in my entire life seriously . And I got my whole meal for 10$ Meal was 10/10 . Yummy , delicious , and scrumptious .

Amazing service and food! Had to plan a last minute birthday party and City Smoke House came through. Guests raved about the food and everyone was super happy!

Somebody told me about this place and man, I'm glad I tried it out. I got this big ass burger, actually double bacon cheeseburger, soda and chips for 10 bucks bro. Come on now, how you going to fight with that?! It's in the hood and the burger is good, it's got cheese and brings it to your knees. While you're waiting for your burger to be ready, you should go to 66 6th Street and get you a dope ass Thrasher sweatshirt or t-shirt.

Thank goodness there is a BBQ place near the Tenderloin and this place is so GOOD! Although the plates I wanted were for catering only, they are serving take-out sandwiches. Now I'm not a sandwich fan, but these are so good, all have a little bit of coleslaw inside in a big, kinda sweet bun-perfect. And their sandwiches come with a bag of chips of your choice, a can of soda and a side of bbq sauce. Go and order in person, only a 10 mins wait, (they do some major catering in the back). -Sandwich with Hot Link and added beef brisket: Don't get a sandwich with added brisket, it is too much to eat with your hands and fully enjoy, the portions are big. The hot link was freshly grilled & spicy so that was good. -Sandwich with Brisket: It was so good, the meat was tender with a touch of BBQ sauce, (the sweet, brown bbq sauce--not the vinegary kind which I don't like). There is so much meat packed into that sandwich, I couldn't finish my side of beans--And I eat a lot! -Side of Greens: I'm really picky about my greens, I like ham hock in it, with a touch of sweet, a touch of vinegar and the greens over-cooked and wilted. These greens were not overcooked and there were bits of meat in them, but they were really bitter with no vinegar taste, (something I was able to fix by putting in some of the Chrystal hot sauce packets they give you). -Side of Mac N'Cheese: I realized generally I'm not a mac n'cheese fan, too much carbs. You know if I only like Kraft Mac n' Cheese out of a box with the orange powder, I'm not an expert. This mac n' cheese was incredibly cheesy and thick--and I realize that most mac n' cheese connoisseurs would love this. They are so friendly and eager, makes you just want to support them. A woman in front of me in line, (there wasn't much of a line), told them "I waited months for you guys to open!" I can see why, I will definitely be supporting this place weekly and hope they continue to do really well.

Phenomenal burger. This place is now open for lunch and I am glad. Tried their double cheeseburger with a side of baked beans and it is great. One of the best burgers I've tried and the baked beans are absolutely down south bbq quality.

My husband found this place shared on Facebook by a friend, and HAD to try it ! So today for his birthday we got all the siblings and mom together for a trip all the way from Vacaville (45 minute drive) . My husband was excited to try their pulled pork and various sides and my mother in law was especially excited to try their bacon burger! They only had burgers available and 3 side choices, Mac n cheese, baked beans, greens. We ordered so much food that it took 45 minutes to cook since everything is prepared fresh! We enjoyed the walk down towards the outdoor mall. The owner/manager insisted on making sure everything was fresh right down to the buns! They included a free burger for us to try while we waited for our food to be prepared. They hooked us up with some sides for my husbands birthday as well. My husband mentioned he was hoping to try the pulled pork and the owner ended up giving us ribs to try as well! The food was amazing, ribs were fall off the bone juicy and you could tell just by looking at them! Burgers were full of flavor and juicy as well! Mac n cheese was a good flavor (not the baked kind I was expecting but a spiced cheese sauce) still great! Customer service though - hands down phenomenal! Thank you guys for making this trip worth it and taking such great care of my family! We will be back soon - goal is to try the whole menu ! I will say parking was horrendous, we ended up parking down an alley and paying to do so. Super sketch area, saw lots of interesting people doing interesting things...

I think about these burgers all the time they are so good. I work in this neighborhood and when I am not at work I really cannot wait to get back to work just to eat lunch here. The brisket is stellar and the chili beans are too but the burger is the stuff that dreams are made of. My mouth is literally watering as I type this. The folks who run it are super nice and very accommodating, which combined with the tasty food makes it super easy to visit and revisit! Do yourself a favor and eat here. I cannot speak highly enough about this place!!

Food is delicious!! Always excited to hear when our company orders from here! The first time I had a plate from our catered food, I fell in love with the Mac n Cheese. So much that I had to make sure we had it at my daughter's first birthday. Ordered last min and came through in clutch. So greatful and cannot wait to order again. PS. BBQ sauce is sooo good.

I was blown away by this meal! I'm typically very skeptical about caterers because it's difficult to get the right portion-to-flavor ratio. It was delicious!! The order of deliciousness: 1. Rotisserie Chicken: Fall-off-the-bone! I was quite impressed with this chicken because it exceeded my expectations. It looked very appetizing and mouthwatering. It tasted even better than it looks. 2. Mac & Cheese: Yummy! They nailed the cheese consistency and flavor. 3. Baked Beans: I usually don't care much about beans, but these beans deserve a grand prize. It was really fabulous! Mixed greens salad was like any other salad, but it's a great addition to the meal. The smoked portobello and vegan loaf were mediocre. The beef brisket was okay!

Delicious! I've had the BBQ many times and it's really, really good. Recently, I tried the new burger and it's amazing. One of, if not, "the" best burger I've ever tasted. The burger is awesome. It is picture perfect with care and attention to every detail. The mix of beef is very tasty. The combination of chopped onions and sauce is a perfect blend and accompaniment. The bun soaks up all that goodness and keeps it together just enough, while not overburdening the burger by too much bread. They've found the secret combination of meat, sauce, and bun to create the perfect burger. It feels like a Michelin burger in a common man's surroundings, unpretentious and appealing to gourmets, techies, and locals. Well done. It's only a block off market, near the shopping area. So, if you're in the area, drop by for lunch. But, call ahead. Because it's mostly catering, the hours can be non-standard.

I have been enjoying their amazing BBQ office catering for years, but when I saw they had a NEW bacon double cheeseburger for take-out, well, just had to try. The burger lived up to their reputation. It was very cheese and bacon forward with a nice char on the beef patties, perfect amount of sauce, and just enough onions and pickles. The buttery toasted buns were especially good, and the whole thing was a nap-inducing feast. If you are a burger fan, you need to give this a try. I will be back for more!

If you're looking for an outstanding, melt-in-your-mouth, hidden gem, burger experience stop by City Smoke House. I went by and grabbed a double bacon cheeseburger (to go, no dine-in) and I can honestly say each bite took me on a euphoric adventure. The bun so buttery so good. The meat tender and flavorful. Just the right amount of dressings. Highly recommend.

Just got catering from these guys today through Cater2Me. Okay, I'm not a BBQ expert, but this is probably the best damn BBQ I've had! We got set up with: mac & cheese, haricot verts, rotisserie chicken, beef brisket, portobello mushroom caps, and dinner rolls. I got to sample everything but the portobello. The chicken had a flavorful rub and was so moist and tender. The beef brisket was moist as well and so easily picked apart with a fork and the accompanying bbq sauce made it even more incredible. The mac n cheese was so comforting and super creamy; they added black pepper too which makes it different than your typical mac n cheese. The haricot verts was served cold which was a little odd but the garlic, oil, and rub made it forgivable as it was a great veggie dish for everyone's taste buds. You can tell that City Smoke House takes a lot of pride in their food. If you have a catering need and want some comforting southern grub than City Smoke House won't disappoint. I just wish they were able to offer some lunch plates for those who just want to indulge in some bbq by themselves!

Oh my goodness! Legit the best BBQ I've ever had! The amount of love that goes into this food is incredibly noticeable! The brisket and the bacon burgers are like gourmet, the best you could get! With housemade buns, sauces and spreads! I would drive long distances to get this again! And I will!

My company got catered dinner from here today and it was delicious! We had the rotisserie chicken, spinach salad, pulled pork, and pesto bowtie pasta. The chicken was super juicy and tender with a really nice smoky flavor to it. I also really liked the pulled pork though it was a little oily.

Food was catered in at the hospital I work at and was AMAZING. So incredibly thoughtful of them and everything was delicious. Highly recommend the brisket. We also had mushroom, Mac n cheese, and pesto pasta. Everything was perfectly cooked and would love to enjoy again! Thank you City Smoke House.

City Smoke House provides some of the best BBQ catering in San Francisco that is perfect for company events, conferences, parties, and more! The office I work at oftentimes orders catering from City Smoke House during our free lunch days. We typically have multiple catering options to choose from in the office on different floors, but this scrumptious BBQ always has a long line. Everything from their pulled pork to their portobellos is prepared very well for a mouthwatering time. Their food is always consistent and dependable. Can't wait for the next opportunity to have more of their delicious BBQ!

The food here is soooo good. The mac and cheese and ribs are to die for here. The ribs are super tender and the seasoning is so delicious! The owners are super nice, it's always great to support a local small business! Highly recommend for your next catering event.

By the smell, I thought this would be good. Really good. I was also really wrong. The rotisserie chicken was decent, but the grilled portobella was awful and mac and cheese was equally-dismal (greasy and flavourless). The smell, however, was transfixing. I was practically salivating as I loaded up my plate, only to be severely bummed out with each forkful.

I have used City Smoke House to cater large construction BBQs over the last few years and they have NEVER disappointed. If you can send construction folks away happy and FULL, you've got it figured out! Awesome menu, great communication, great service. I finally had the opportunity to try their new take-out lunch today and in the words of Guy Fieri - "This is out of bounds!" I didn't see it on the November ballot this year, but Brandon and Brian should be nominated for Co-mayors of Flavortown - Both the burger and brisket sandwich were as good as it gets! And home made buns? C'mon man!! Do yourself a favor and go support your local community smokehouse!

We had City Smoke House for thanksgiving 2020 and I'm so, so, beyond glad that we did. Their platter came with turkey, collard greens, stuffing, Mac and cheese, cheese biscuits, and cranberry sauce and it was ALL AMAZING. I think I exclaimed "wow!" After trying each new thing. The turkey meat was so tender and juicy, the Mac and cheese so flavorful - I could go on and on! The owners really, really know what they're doing. I'll be back for more.

They only did catering in the past but now you can order right off the sidewalk. I got a single bacon cheese burger chips and bottled water for $10. Excellent burger. Best in town. For the price you can't beat it.

My work family and I were having a small birthday celebration and decided to give this place a try. It was the best lunch decision I have ever made. We got several orders of the Double Bacon Cheeseburger and it was amazing. Hands down the best burger I have ever had. Very juicy, cheesy and delicious sauce. It came with chips and a soft drink. We are always looking to try new lunch spots and supporting our local restaurants. The City Smoke House will be be our new to go place whenever we are craving a good burger. We were all so satisfied with the food that we will be ordering BBQ trays in the near future. I must add that their customer service was excellent. Caitlin was very nice while assisting me with this order and accomodated us in every way possible. Brian delivered the food to our place of work and brought it inside to our table, which I will call it the white glove experience. The price is very reasonable and not pricy at all. I was so impressed by this restaurant that I would give it 10 stars if I could. I highly recommend it to everyone, you will not be dissappointed. Thanks everyone involved for the great service.

Worst decision of my life. I went here and picked up a couple mac n cheese to go, ended up getting food poisoning. I've been sick for the past two days

While being totally sucked into the computer screen, I noticed some waving out of the corner of my eye that brought me back into reality. Coleslaw: I love coleslaw. This was crunchy, cut up into small pieces, with just the right amount of creamy dressing. 3.5/5 Mac: Creamy, slightly cheesy, did the job. I've had better mac though. 3.25/5 Candied yams: Fell apart in your mouth, sugary with a hint of ginger 3.25/5 Pulled pork: Not quite fall apart in your mouth, but tender enough and smoky. I liked the tangy sweet BBQ sauce 3.5/5 Rotisserie chicken: Fall off the bone, meat could have been a bit more moist. More strippy as opposed to fried chicken chunks. 3.25/5 Jalapeno cornbread: This was different. I like the heat it brought, and it was moist and almost muffin-like. 4/5 -- Edit: City smoke house for cheat day lunch again! Beans: I'm a huge comfort food person, and while these were definitely on the sugary side of things, they were comforting and a good accompaniment to the pulled pork. 3.25/5 Smoked portabello mushroom. Meaty, smoky mushroom. What isn't there to love about satisfying veggies? No jalapeno cornbread today! Better luck next time. -- Edit: And again! Today's cheat day addition brings you collard greens and pesto bow tie pasta The pesto pasta had decent flavor, but now I'm spoiled and all about al dente pasta. This was okay in terms of firmness. The sun dried tomato strips were a nice touch. 3.25/5 The collard greens were boiled, without any sort of seasoning other than salt. It was super healthy, so a plus if you're eating healthy, but taste-wise a 3/5.

This place is the best when it comes to food and customer service! They have always supported our community in several ways. They have feed the homeless and front lines workers . They continue to do so during the pandemic and they are greatly appreciated! Please do your part and pay it forward by supporting this establishment. Thank you Caitlin and crew for our hooked up Thanksgiving meal! See ya'll soon.

Thank you City Smoke House for making our Company Holiday Party complete with AMAZING food! Caitlin made the ordering process so easy & the delivery was on time, I couldn't have asked for more. Everyone loved it and they kept asking where it was from! Bonus: We had tons of leftovers for the next day! Everything was really flavorful and the meat/chicken were so soft that you didn't need a knife to cut it. We will definitely use City Smoke again in the future!

City Smoke House is the best BBQ in the bay area, hands down. Their ribs, brisket and mac and cheese are my absolute favorite. If you're looking for veggie options, they're smoked portobello mushroom is incredible - along with a ton of other options to suit whatever type of meal you're trying to create. I've ordered several times from these guys and they're always able to help me cater to the event/audience to get me exactly what I'm looking for. Thank you, City Smoke House, for having the most bomb BBQ in the bay and for always putting a smile on everyone's face!!!

I always get excited when this spot caters us! The ribs always vanish first because everyone knows that's the good stuff! I really like the corn as well! A bit spicy and sweet! The pasta are bomb as well! The chicken and pulled meat is a hit or miss because sometimes it's just right and some times it's really dry but good thing there is bbq sauce to make you feel like it was never dry in the first place!

I can not say enough kind words to describe the owners and employees at City smoke house, I am a nurse at Ucsf, during this pandemic all they could think about what was they could do to help. Selflessly they catered and fed 2 shifts on 2 separate occasions, we offered to tip them and they refused to take it. The food was INCREDIBLE, we will definitely order from them again in the time to come. Words can not express my gratitude, their gesture boosted morale, and put smiles on so many healthcare workers faces. Thank you all so much!!

City Smoke House is a crowd pleaser. We've ordered City Smoke House a number of times at our office now and each time their savory barbeque items have been devoured with a plethora of excited grins and gushing. Their staff are also extremely professional. We normally order City Smoke House through Zerocater - but I've always found their staff in my past phone interactions to be helpful and friendly. You can't go wrong with City Smoke House for a big hungry group. Their brisket, rotisserie chicken, mac and cheese and ribs are sure things. Trust.

Really one of the best barbecues I've had! Perfect for a big group for Fourth of July weekend. The portions are huge and delicious so leftovers are your best friend. I especially loved the mac & cheese and I even drizzled it with theirhomemade barbecue sauce. The chicken and pork were super tender and flavorful. Everyone was very pleased!

Won't get to even try the food, because they do not answer the phone, nor return messages. I was warned by the person who recommended this place that they "can be tough to get a hold of". Well, over 24 hours since I left a message and called twice, I have gotten no response. Moving on to a different food option. How you can survive as a catering company that does not answer the phone or return calls, and have a reputation as being hard to get a hold of, is beyond me.

We're not in Kansas anymore. Or Texas, South Carolina, Arkansas, Oklahoma or wherever BBQ is the name of the game. Instead, San Francisco can lay claim to some of the best catered BBQ I've had in recent memory. City Smoke House, you've got my attention. Let's start with a classic, the beef brisket. To call it juicy would be one thing, but the smokiness really gives it a distinct flavor. Ribs are not my favorite thing in the world but CSH does em just the way I like 'em: fall of the bone good. Even the rotisserie chicken is special in its own delicious way but the tender meat is enjoyable with every bite. Some folks fancy a little BBQ sauce to add to the experience, I think one can do without. Then there are their super delicious pastas. BBQ is only better when the sides are just as tasty. Thankfully, the collard greens are stewed to tasty perfection and the mac and cheese is definitely a winner. It is also worth pointing out that both versions are also available in vegan form. Glad I won't have to give up my favorite foods even when curbing the animal flavor. I would recommend their food to any party, big or small, and I would recommend double servings of everything. Most of the food will run out and whatever doesn't, would make for some seriously epic leftovers. I am not sure when I'll be able to try them again, but when the day comes you can bet I'll be giddy with excitement.

Hate to be the fly in the ointment here, but I had a pretty negative impression of these guys. I contacted them via email about five weeks in advance of my event inquiring if they were available to cater to a group of 20-24 people. They responded with a menu, and said that they were available on the date that I needed them. We had a friendly five minute chat on the phone regarding the particulars, and how I might be able to sample their cuisine in advance. Next day, I ask them for a written quote via email. One day later.. Nothing.. Alright.. no biggie. They must be busy or have a day job. I inquire again via email the following day. NOTHING. A couple of days later yet, I leave them a phone message & an email asking them if they are still available or interested, or just let me know if they cannot help. About four kindly worded friendly sounding emails I send, and two or three rather patient sounding phone messages I leave with them and what do I hear? NO word, NOTHING, NADA, no response whatsoever from City Smokehouse!! WTF?!?! or in this case.. WTFBBQ!?!?! Sooooo.. Fast forward four weeks or so. One evening, about five days before my event, City Smokehouse sends me a quick email back saying to the effect that "hey.. if you are interested, we are available. And yeah, we understand if you went with someone else, says City Smokehouse. Huh? Oh realllllllllyyyy now.. You don't say?? GIVE ME A #$%#@$%' break. City Smoke House should have responded to me back in the planning stages at least two weeks in advance. NOT at the last darned minute with less than a week to go! This is just completely unprofessional behavior. Advice to City Smoke House: Let your Yes be Yes, and Your Nos be NOs. Don't hide under a rock if you are uncertain. Just get back to your prospects within 24-48 hours. Be HONEST and LET us know if you've already got something booked or if you just can't do it. We can take the bad news. Be up front about things. Is that too much to ask? Needless to say, I was quite pleased with a different provider.