Coop’s West Texas BBQ & Catering

San Diego’s Best Barbecue Restaurants | Eater San Diego

"Owner and pitmaster Bradley “Coop” Cooper keeps his restaurant — known for standout ribs and brisket — open on weekends from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or until the food is sold out. A Lemon Grove barbecue standout, the community raves about Coop’s combination plates with one meat choice and two sides (there is a $3 additional charge for beef brisket, pulled pork, and ribs). Sandwiches with beef brisket, jerk chicken, and Texas sausage on a warm brioche bun are also offered. For catering information or to order online, visit its website." - Paolo Bicchieri

How Coronavirus Is Affecting San Diego’s Food World | Eater San Diego

"I found that Coop’s West Texas BBQ in Lemon Grove had become a destination on the barbecue circuit for its smoked meat, but owner Bradrick Cooper shortened service to lunchtime heading into 2020 to focus on busiest hours and give staff more family time; business dropped sharply as the pandemic hit, with sales plunging by 60 percent right before San Diego’s March 2020 shutdown." - Eater Staff

How Coop’s West Texas BBQ in San Diego Is Surviving, One Year Into the Pandemic | Eater San Diego

"By the end of 2019, as Coop’s West Texas BBQ was heading into its 10th year of operation, owner Brad Cooper told me business was unusually slow. The Lemon Grove eatery had become a destination on the barbecue circuit, drawing fans from all over Southern California for its smoked meat, but Cooper — a former nurse — watched diners decline and sales plummet 60 percent just before San Diego’s March 2020 shutdown. He shortened service to lunchtime in early 2020 to focus on the busiest hours and give his daughter Tara, who manages the restaurant, and the other ladies on staff more time with their families. Though he considered closing, he stayed open with reduced hours and unexpectedly had his biggest day since Christmas; he eventually rehired employees and says sales have been pretty steady since. Grateful to “stay afloat,” he credits barbecue’s durability as a takeout item, has spent pandemic downtime welding smokers for customers, experiments with Tex-Mex (including an award-winning pulled pork tamale), and is planning to franchise by 2022, streamlining the menu so he can train franchisees to deliver consistently good product because, as he warns, “all it takes is one bad plate.”" - Candice Woo

A beloved weekend-only smoke shack where brisket and ribs go until sold out. Profiled by KPBS in February 2025 and kept on Eater’s essential lists for its community roots and legit West Texas style.