Grand Ole BBQ Y Asado
Barbecue restaurant · San Diego ·
Texas-style BBQ and Argentinean grilled meats served
Texas-style BBQ and Argentinean grilled meats served
"The original North Park outpost still slings Texas barbecue from its outdoor corner spot decked out with picnic tables and huge smoker and grill. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., Grand Ole has established itself as one of the city’s highly regarded smoked meat dining destinations offering tri-tip, spare ribs, hot links, and more at lunch and dinner (at least until they sell out). Sundays are reserved for Argentine-style barbecue delicacies like chorizo sandwiches, skirt steak, and blood sausage. Visitors will be able to place orders online by the end of this month or by calling." - Paolo Bicchieri
"This barbecue standout’s flagship location in North Park is the perfect spot for groups to gather around platters of Texas-style brisket, spare ribs, hot links, and more paired with sides like Texas bean salad and slaw. Stop in on Sundays for Argentine asado, when the menu features delicacies such as choripan, blood sausage, and grilled short ribs. The dedicated patio area has picnic tables with wide-brimmed red umbrellas for shade." - Helen I. Hwang
"It's an overdue homecoming for the acclaimed barbecue destination, which is nearly ready to reopen its North Park flagship after more than three years closed for what was meant to be a relatively quick remodel — keep an eye on the restaurant’s social media for an opening-date announcement. Founded in 2015 by Andy Harris, who turned a lifelong obsession with smoked meat into an instant sensation starting with just a smoker, a few picnic tables and some string lights, the operation has since expanded to a massive 15,000-square-foot restaurant in East County and joined the concessions roster at Petco Park. The renovated North Park location multiplies the outdoor tables and adds a well-appointed dining room decorated with Disney-inspired artwork, a new Toro Islander bar named for the late Nate Soroko with expanded beer taps, three walk-up ordering windows and a satellite patio bar. A 1,000-gallon Texas pit and three grills will cook larger batches of signature smoked meats — tri-tip, brisket, pulled pork, Texas turkey, hot links and ribs — and the bigger kitchen enables more menu items, including new sides like sticky rice and kimchi plus vegan versions of chili, tacos and burgers. Desserts range from ice cream sundaes and dipped cones to tropical Dole Whip and root beer floats made with Abita draft root beer; Sunday asado is returning with chorizo sandwiches and grilled Argentine skirt steak and lamb shoulder, and Harris is bringing back a BYOB policy one day a week." - Candice Woo
"A fixture in North Park since it debuted in 2015, I've watched Grand Ole BBQ y Asado's smokers fall silent in early 2019 when the 32nd Street restaurant closed for a remodel. Founder and pitmaster Andy Harris has been focused on an enormous 15,000-square-foot barbecue wonderland he opened last year in the East County community of Flinn Springs in partnership with local hospitality group Social Syndicate. The flagship North Park location—originally aiming to reopen last May—has been held up by permitting issues; the revamp will eventually feature a climate-controlled outdoor dining room, a new bar for beer and wine, and an enlarged kitchen that will allow for an expanded menu. Harris told Eater that construction will resume and he hopes to get up and running by early May 2020." - Candice Woo
"I learned that the original North Park location, which will celebrate its fourth anniversary later this fall, was recently shuttered for a remodel and is aiming to reopen by May; the owner says the vibe will remain the same, but the refresh is intended to make the restaurant more comfortable with a large awning plus fans and heaters for climate control, a spruced-up dining room and a new beer-and-wine bar, and a kitchen expansion that will enlarge the menu to include additional side dishes and non-barbecue options, including vegan-friendly plates." - Candice Woo
