CJ’s BBQ Smokehouse

Everything was great. The server and manager were on top of things and friendly, the food tasted great, and the blues music was a nice backdrop to this Texas smokehouse. When it comes to sides, the fries and candied yams were our tables favorite. The cornbread can feed a family of four, so be ready for a Texas sized serving if you go that route.

After visiting again for the gumbo I was even more disappointed. $30 for a bowl of gumbo and there were three tiny crab knuckles. Are you kidding me?! Update: They added some lunch specials, decent price for a sandwich and their fries are still good. The gumbo (or whatever the soup was) was good, but really doesn't need king crab. If it didn't have king crab and was maybe a third less in price I'd get it regularly. It also had some shrimp shells left the soup which is something to fix I guess. Old: This place was expensive and had mediocre food. The pulled pork sandwich had some of the driest pulled pork I've ever tasted and cost $20?! At least the fries were good... The pork ribs tasted fine, but half of them didn't even fall off the bone. Really it was just the BBQ sauce carrying the dish. The sides were awful, the mac and cheese was totally broken up and the collard greens tasted like they'd been sitting in plain water for a day. $28 for just pork ribs though? I think they've got a lot to figure out and the prices need to come down. This is a BBQ place with the same atmosphere as Mo's before it, not a nice sit down restaurant.

We were in the area. Wanted BBQ and this one stood out because menu seemed kid friendly, our toddler is picky. They were slow on a Thursday night 5:30pm ish. My husband and I shared a tri tip plate with 2 sides. And my toddler got corn dog and the Mac n cheese. We got lemonade for her. Didn’t realize the mason jar was HUGE! So def not kid sized. I wish they had more kid sized options for drinks. Food was amazing! The fries, the tri tip the red onions and pickles(I’m usually not a pickle person). The Mac was okay. My toddler wasn’t too fond of it either. My only tiny gripe was I wish they had sun shades. There were only few places we could sit because the sun was too bright. But other than that the servers were great and great food.

I was very excited to see a new BBQ place open up where Mo's used to be and even more thrilled when I saw they offered beef ribs. Today I had a chance to call in a take out order. The woman who answered the phone was very friendly. She took down my order and estimated a 25 minute wait time. When I arrived, the order was ready to go! Everyone working there seemed happy and helpful. There was plenty of seating inside and they were playing blues which lent itself to the overall southern BBQ vibe. As far as I could tell, there wasn't any outdoor seating. When I got home, I was eager to try the beef ribs first since that was what initially attracted me here. These might be the best beef ribs in the city. They were meaty and tender with a hint of smoke and great BBQ sauce. I would score these above F. McClintocks and Ribline which is saying something because their ribs are great too. The hot wings were decent. Better than the local pizza places' hot wings (kind of a low bar to be honest) but not as good as Buffalo Wild Wings or Wingstop. I had mixed feelings about the sides. The mac & cheese was honestly what brought the score down from five stars to four stars. Sadly, it was bland and dry. Unless they do some major revisions to the recipe, I won't be ordering this again. However, the potato salad was good. It was creamy, tangy, and just a hint of sweetness. It tasted a lot fresher than the mac & cheese. I'm happy we have another option and style of BBQ in town and I will return again to try some of their other offerings!

Omg...this place has some bomb bbq. My wife had their Beef Ribs and they fell the bone so easily. I had the Pork Rib Ends and man... they were like candy. It's such an amazing, s weet BBQ. The tri-tip practically melted in your mouth. The service was great. Very friendly people, including CJ himself. This is definitely a new favorite place. I want to come back to try their fish, chicken sandwich, and hamburger.

We ordered baby back and tri-tip. While tasty, I was ultimately disappointed that they came pre-sauced (sauce was available on the side). I did mention this to the staff and apparently sauce or no sauce is an option. I don't know if this was stated on the menu or not. Since sauced is an option, I'm unsure why unsauced isn't the default. In addition to the meats, I enjoyed the mac and cheese (perhaps the best I've had at a BBQ restaurant) and the corn bread. The corn beard was moist and delicious. I would visit again and get the meats without sauce.

Hi Everyone, We had lunch at CJs today. If I could give it a number rating it would be 4.5/10. Our server was a young gal and super nice. I’d say service was a solid 10/10. Atmosphere was inviting and the restaurant itself was clean. It was not busy when we went. The food is where it disappointed. The gumbo, it sounded good but maybe that was my mistake getting gumbo at a bbq joint. The seafood smell was overbearing. I’ve had some good seafood gumbo in the past and none had as well like to call it a “morro bay” smell. If you have been to morro bay you definitely know what smell I’m talking about. The taste was average. Nothing to be excited about. For $18 the size and quality was not worth it. Tiana’s place in Disneyland has more flavor and worth every dollar. I did appreciate the variety of items in the gumbo. There was chicken, crab, sausage, and shrimp. The gumbo was 2/10. The beef ribs were cold. I even asked the server if it was customary to serve cold ribs since it was our first time here and it was just weird the ribs were cold. Not even the bbq sauce was warmed up. The meat was soft but not fall off the bone. I can appreciate a decently cooked beef rib. The sauce was good, sweet but not too sweet. The rib would have been a solid 8/10 if it was hot, however the lack of warmth gives the rib a rating 5/10. Our sides for the ribs were Mac and cheese and potato salad. The Mac and cheese 2/10 it had nice texture but no flavor. It was cheese and noodles. I will say the Mac and cheese was warmer than the ribs! The potato salad was decent a solid 4/10z My daughter got the corn dog and French fries. It was your typical corn dog with steak fries HOWEVER the steak fries was hot temperature wise and crispy. Overall we probably won’t return since the quality wasn’t great for the price we paid. I know this place just opened so I hope the owners take this a genuine feedback and not a bash on their place. Attached is a picture of the ribs, gumbo and our receipt for proof of purchase.

Was excited to try a new BBQ place in town but unfortunately was not what I was hoping for. Placed an online order for potato skins, a pulled pork sandwich and a tri tip sandwich but realized when I got home that I was given two pulled pork sandwiches. The sandwiches were mediocre at best and for $21 each they're extremely overpriced. Potato skins were just ok and usually I love mac n cheese and potato salad sides but both of those were disappointing as well. Plenty of better places to eat nearby especially at this price point.

This bbq location used to be Mo's but since CJ's BBQ took over, it is tasting mo betta. We have patronized CJ's BBQ in back to back months as it was so good, it made us want to travel back to it again. I'm hooked on the gigantic 4-Beef BBQ combo plate. Good, smoky, meaty beef ribs are difficult to find. I have not tried a bad side yet. When you repeatedly read about the excellent corn bread, you must trust this feedback. When you put their provided (local?) honey and whipped butter on their corn bread, bam, immediate fan for life! My wife has tried the tri-tip plate and the pulled pork plate with differing sides with a desire to keep working through the menu. As do I. We were fortunate to meet the owner during our first visit. Nice man with great BBQ for our county. Do yourself a favor and get there to try what we feel is easily the best BBQ in the county. Not as the new best bbq joint to try but as the best BBQ food in our area. We're fortunate enough to finally, without any qualms, state our truth on the matter. Let's keep this BBQ busy week they stick around.

Walking into the brand new CJ's BBQ in SLO I was excited to try the ribs. It was nice being greeted by friendly waitresses who promptly took my order. 1/2 rack of ribs arrived along with the choice of 2 sides. I picked potato salad and corn bread off the "sensational sides" part of the menu. You can also order burgers that come w fries or you can substitute for one of the 6oz. Sides. There's fried catfish by the pound (super popular or the ever famous "Mama's Seafood from 'Nawleens' the food is amazing. You can get a pulled pork, pastrami or Tri-tip sandwich. The owner learned from his parents and it shows as the pies are made fresh along with everything on the menu. For the non-meat orders there's a vegetable veggie burger or a vegetable sandwich. Happy hour is Tuesday-Friday 3-6pm so stop in and get some down home cooking. $$$$ is my only concern as a dinner for 5 is going to be pricey. Overall: A

Great selection of BBQ choices pork, tri-tip and chicken. I'm having a pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw. Nice dining room with plenty of windows.There are Bathrooms for men and women. Our server was very kind and attentive.

We came in for a late night burger, and it was everything we dreamed of. I had the patty melt, and my husband had a shake.

Walking in my family was greeted by friendly faces and lively blues music. Really feeling the southern down home vibes. The aroma of BBQ got me so excited for what was to come. We ordered tri-tip plate with macaroni and chili, grilled cod with baked beans and potato salad, and blackened cod with corn bread and coleslaw. Berry cobbler for dessert. I was fortunate to try everything. First tray the tri-tip is amazing, tender, well seasoned, perfect. The Smokey BBQ sauce they serve with it, amazing! Best BBQ I've had in a long while. The chili, best chili! If it hasn't won an award it needs to! The Mac was overcooked not much there. Second tray baked fish flaky and grilled to perfection, baked beans delicious all you would want from baked beans sweet & savory, the potato salad some potatoes were a little hard but a great classic taste to any BBQ. Last tray I ordered the blackened cod, great taste again grilled to perfection. The fish is served with tartar sauce. The coleslaw was delicious and fresh complimented the fish very well. The cornbread is fantastic, slightly sweet and moist. For dessert we tried their berry cobbler, served warm it is thick very rich in flavor. Everything tastes freshly made in house I really appreciate the details I will definitely be back! This is my go to for BBQ on the central coast!!!!! Our server is such an amazing phenomenon, a mind reader for never having to ask for anything, totally on top of everything! Seriously I barely had time to think for spicy BBQ sauce here he comes to drop it off. Moments like this were repeated throughout our visit. My family just laughed at me they know how I ask for things all the time, so big thanks to you! Food 9.99/10 Service 11/10 Ambience 10/10

I was very excited to see a new BBQ place open up where Mo's used to be and even more thrilled when I saw they offered beef ribs. Today I had a chance to call in a take out order. The woman who answered the phone was very friendly. She took down my order and estimated a 25 minute wait time. When I arrived, the order was ready to go! Everyone working there seemed happy and helpful. There was plenty of seating inside and they were playing blues which lent itself to the overall southern BBQ vibe. As far as I could tell, there wasn't any outdoor seating. When I got home, I was eager to try the beef ribs first since that was what initially attracted me here. These might be the best beef ribs in the city. They were meaty and tender with a hint of smoke and great BBQ sauce. I would score these above F. McClintocks and Ribline which is saying something because their ribs are great too. The hot wings were decent. Better than the local pizza places' hot wings (kind of a low bar to be honest) but not as good as Buffalo Wild Wings or Wingstop. I had mixed feelings about the sides. The mac & cheese was honestly what brought the score down from five stars to four stars. Sadly, it was bland and dry. Unless they do some major revisions to the recipe, I won't be ordering this again. However, the potato salad was good. It was creamy, tangy, and just a hint of sweetness. It tasted a lot fresher than the mac & cheese. I'm happy we have another option and style of BBQ in town and I will return again to try some of their other offerings!

This is our second visit. The first time was carry out so we decided to eat in this time. I'm so glad we did! Blues on the speakers, sports on the tvs, and brews on tap. We've tried the tri-tip, blackened catfish, ribs, and rib tips. Yum! The sides are tasty, too. Try the house made potato chips. They're magnificent! Next time I'll leave room for dessert! The owners are kind and bbq aficionados and prices were more than reasonable for the area. We will definitely be back.

This place is the bomb...ribs, tri-tip and pilled porks are excellent...awesome customer service and the country music add a perfect ambiance. Definitely would come back and recommend this place to others....

Very relaxed atmosphere with Jazz and Blues playing in the background. The tri tip was delicious. They serve very healthy portions. We had a very large party and they served us very quickly. We'll be back!

Let's first talk about the amazing folks running CJs!!! Attentive, kind, joyful, welcoming laughter, genuine!!!!!! I wasn't sure about the Blood Orange beer and they let me have a small taste to see if I liked it! It was delightful. The variety of BBQ sauces were tasty, the ribs delicious & the Dr. Pepper for my teenage daughter was a must have:) it was a lovely space with opened windows letting in the fresh air of San Luis!

We stumbled on this gem by accident on our way to Cal Poly Slo and let me tell you it was the best BBQ ever! The food, music selection and the ultra friendly customer service are nothing short of spectacular I recommend you start off with Bourbon wings they are fire! We also had tri tip, chili beans, ribs, fried potato chips, corn bread and everything was delicious. Of course I can't leave out the super cold beer in a schooner to wash it all down. CJ's is our must stop spot every time we go up to slo.

I was so excited to see there was a new bbq restaurant in SLO. We had the pork ribs, beef ribs and chicken. And, for sides we had the cole slaw, collard greens and corn bread. They were out of hush puppies which I had heard were good. The meats were smoked to perfection. However, the sauce had almost no flavor and the greens were super bland. The cole slaw was also bland but it was crunchy and had the faint taste of pineapple, which I liked. I also thought the cornbread was good. It was moist and baked to perfection. If you can't handle spice this is the place for you. Unfortunately, I don't think I will be going back. I do wish him much success!! Who knows maybe it was an off day....

I can describe this place in one word and 2 letters, and that is Authentic af! Wow, great tasting food and unlike anything in SLO. Gumbo was amazing, baby back ribs "falling off the bone" tender (my gf quote). Service was great and fast, ambience was nice and perfect music for the food and vibes. We will be returning because they have such a variety and it all looks amazing. Thanks again CJ we'll be back PS don't forget the hush puppies

My boyfriend and I were in SLO for the day so we decided to go and check CJ's out on a Sunday at 6pm. Not packed at all. The waitress was an absolute doll. She was super super sweet one of the best waitresses my boyfriend and I have ever had. (very bummed I can't remember her name, started with an S) Would honestly just be back for her amazing service. We COMPLETELY cleared out our tray of food. The candied yams were so delicious as well as the beans. Everything about this restaurant was great, from the music to the food.

I went to CJs last Saturday after PolyCon. That's going to be a new tradition. I wasn't going to eat, just have a glass of wine but the smell of the BBQ that hit me when I opened the door made me think "I've gotta try something" and it was absolutely worth it! Luckily circumstances played out in my favor so I got to try a sampling of Tri-tip, beef ribs, and pork ribs. The beef rib was my favorite but all the food was outstanding. The overall experience was amazing to. Very friendly staff, everything was clean, and the atmosphere was classy. I love CJs and I'd recommended to all the meat eaters in the SLO area. I understand they have a restaurant in Oxnard too. So now I know where to stop on my way to Los Angeles.

Tried to get in to a more established BBQ joint, but the lines and wait were way too long, so we walked a bit over to the newly opened CJ's BBQ, and what a great choice that turned out to be. The pastrami (unusual for a southern BBQ spot) was terrific, as were the tie-tip, hush puppies, and skins (get them with meat.... You won't regret it...). We couldn't be happier, and I really hope this place succeeds - we'll be back next trip up here...

I'm heartbroken.... Really loved this place. Catfish and gumbo were on point. Now all I got is a t-shirt. Thanks for the great experience Chris!

Everyone always talks about Firestone and Old SLO, but CJ's is by far the BEST bbq slo has to offer!! We got the baby back ribs, fried catfish, potato skins, and onion rings. All were a solid 11/10. The ribs melted off the bone and the catfish was seasoned so well. Onion rings were the best ones I've had in a long time. Highly recommend this place for anyone craving BBQ.

The food is awesome sauce so good that I can't even explain it like the people are so nice there and the food is literally heaven like you don't understand literally heaven Like the location is perfect like I'm pretty sure they're only four months in and it's so beautiful there and today they just had their ribbon cut awesome sauce

Pretty disappointing. Ate here for lunch today. Ordered 1/2 lb tri tip, baked beans, coleslaw and corn bread. Wanted to order beef brisket - said they don't carry that. Never heard of a bbq place not carrying that staple. The tri tip had no flavor, I don't think was even cooked on a smoker but in an over. Was overcooked and smothered in bbq sauce. Weird. The corn bread had no flavor either and overcooked and dried out. Beans and coleslaw were good.

It was such a great experience all around! CJ was in the front of the house greeting everyone coming in, he makes you want to come in to his space. The food was very good. At our table we had ribs, burgers, tri tip and pulled pork sandwiches. Everything was so flavorful. The French fries are the best around. And then...he just brought us out some catfish for our table to try. Great place and would highly recommend.

Waitress was super sweet. Food was ok. The ribs were good, fries good, candied yams not as great, Mac and cheese is boiled noodles and cheese on it with zero flavor, salmon was good just not a lot of flavor.

Awful pulled pork sandwich. Overly sauced. No other ingredients but pulled pork, sauce and bread. Just bland pork(only had a couple pieces of gristle). No hint of smoke in the food or in the establishment. Service was good. Fries were mediocre.

Been here a couple of times before. However the last 2 times we came it's been closed. Today, Saturday September 6th, it's 7:35pm and it's closed. No sign on door, chairs are all up, lights are off. Last time it was closed they had a sign on the door something about the Chef. Maybe they should update their hours to let people know they are closed.

This was our first time here, and overall, it was a very good experience. The baby back ribs were excellent, as was the cornbread and peach cobbler. My husband had the hot link sandwich, which he said lacked flavor. The collard greens were not to his liking. Next time, he will try something different. The establishment was clean and inviting, the wait staff was friendly and efficient. The owner was too! We will be back.

Excellent. 3rd time here...tried Tri-Trip sandwich, burger, wings. Best in town. Beer ice cold. Don't wait to support this business. We need this here! TV set up is great to catch a game.

Went back to CJ's on a day they're supposed to be open and the place was locked and bolted. Can only assume they've gone out of business (even though their website says they're still open). Too bad, I liked this place on my first visit and was looking forward to eating there again. RIP CJ's.

My husband went to Cal Poly years ago so we came up for the long weekend with our young family for a visit. We have two littles, ages 2 and 8 months so we are constantly looking for a quick option to get settled for food. To our surprise, Cj's had some space around dinner time. We got in no problem and were met by "Cj" himself. All I have to say is THE FOOD IS SOME OF THE BEST I've ever had. I've lived in the south, I'm from Chicago- Cj's BBQ is phenomenal and I cannot wait for more people to discover it for themselves. Good luck to you Cj!!

Went to CJ's for the first time for a birthday dinner. Ordered the tri tip sandwich with mac n cheese. The tri tip sandwich was really good and cooked to perfection, bbq sauce was great. I think they really need to work on their sides. mac n cheese was pretty bland and oily with the cheese being a gummy texture. the baked beans and cornbread my friend got were very mediocre with the beans definitely being bushes baked beans from a can. The restaurant was clean, but, lacked any ventilation or fans, making it very warm in there on an August afternoon. For the price, I don't think I'd go back but definitely not the worst place to eat in SLO.

We stopped in a few days ago for the first time to get some ribs. our server was pleasant and stopped by several times to see if there was anything we needed. Our order was Amazing. The Baby Back Ribs were the thick kind where the extra meat on the ribs has not been trimmed off. The slow roast resulted in a crispy layer on the outdide and a tender inside. The fries were perfectly cooked to a golden finish that was crispy and not oily. It was served nice and hot. Their homemade sauces are great. We will be back again to try more menu selections. Definitely recommend this place.

Best Southern homemade BBQ!!! First time trying this place and asked the server what they recommended and they said everything was good and he wasn't lying! From the Bourbon Wings, TriTip, Chili Beans, Mac & Cheese, Corn Bread and topped it off with their chocolate ice cream brownie!!! We couldn't get enough and went back the next day! They have excellent customer service and if you're lucky enough to meet the owner Chris,he has that southern hospitality!!! And almost forgot to mention his ice cold beers! Food and hospitality don't get better than this! They have TVs all around making a perfect place for a cold beer and to watch sports games! We will definitely be stopping by when we are in town visiting our daughter in college!

Service was excellent!! Super helpful Great food!! Best bbq sauce!! Great atmosphere!!

I had high hopes for this place. Customer service was terrible. The servers were nice. We were sat down with no menus. It was a long time until someone asked us if we needed some. I'm guessing it was the owner, maybe the manager? But even then, it took a while for him to come back. He was talking it up with a friend. Once we had our menus, it was another long wait. Our waitress was talking it up with the owner/manager over by the kitchen. The Tri Tip sandwich was just ok. Mac n cheese was basic. The fries were good, seasoned well. Overall was not happy with the service. There were only seven customers and four of them were already eating. I paid for an hour parking and we shared the sandwich, and had 5mins left.

The food was so good! My family was greeted quickly and kindly, and the owner even stopped by our table to see how we were doing. Don't skip the tri tip and the cornbread!! Next time I'm in slo I'm definitely coming back!

Got the fried fish (cod) and fries with a side salad. Hella good food and friendly service.

I eat here weekly. Great smoked meats and the sides are primo (corn bread, chili and mac are my faves). Owner is always working and super cool. Nothing else like it in town.

amazing BBQ and hospitality! We had 1 lbs tri tip, macNcheese and corn bread - very delicious! The service is 5 of 5.

This is a very good BBQ restaurant. We were impressed by the bbq and the sides. Sauce is good and service excellent. Thanks, Chris and Mark for bringing authentic bbq back to SLO

I ordered a corn dog to go and it was very good! Very nice flavor and crisp outside. I definitely recommend stopping by here. And the service was great as well.

We had an order of beef and pork ribs plus corn bread, collard greens, chili beans and mac and cheese. Everything was delicious and the service was superb. Give CJ's a try!!

We're so glad we tried this wonderful new BBQ place! The people were friendly and welcoming, the music was top-notch, prices were reasonable, portions were large and the food was delicious! Loved the nice big water glasses too. My favorite was the vinegary potato salad! Yum!

Authentic BBQ restaurant. The owner and crew were very welcoming. The food is on point!

This was out first time at CJ's. The BBQ and sides were so yummy. My husband had the pork ribs and I had the beef ribs. Both were great! I was especially fond of the corn bread! Our daughter had the tri tip sandwich. It was so good she didn't want to share!We will be going back! Thanks to Mark and the CJ's crew for a fun and delicious Saturday night!

This place is the real deal. The barbque was amazing, and I got to taste a sample of the gumbo - best ever (way better than New Orleans!) The cobbler at the end was to die for. The food was superb, the service was, too, and so was the beer. Such a nice place! Visiting with CJ capped off our experience. We'll be back!

Had the most amazing burger, fries and fried catfish tonight. The owner is great. Highly recommend!

Stopped by here wanting some good BBQ. We were not disappointed. This place is great. Very clean with lots of seating. The beef ribs were amazing!! Great smoked flavor and the bbq sauces were excellent. Spicy was just the right kick. The corn bread!!! Whoa now that is a huge piece of bread. It had a great light sweet taste. Not greasy at all. The food was perfect. The owner was talking and helping out. Great wait staff. We will be back for sure!

I have eaten at every BBQ joint in the area and CJ's does it right. The ribs and tri tips are unbelievable. The sauce, the sides, the meat was all on point. If you want the real-deal hit CJ's. Everyone else is in the area are faking it. The service was perfect, not too nosey, not too far away. CJ was roaming the restaurant making sure everyone was having a good time. My new favorite in SLO.

Fantastic new BBQ spot in SLO! Ribs were outstanding. Meat just fell off the bone. BBQ sauce is amazing.

Service was amazing. The barbecue is great. The barbecue sauce they use is awesome coleslaw mac & cheese cornbread was all good. The owner is a great guy. The ambience is good and the music is great too.