Old Slo BBQ Co.

The side of the restaurant is adjacent to the pay parking lot. It was difficult to find using GPS. Street pay parking is available. Maximum parking is 3 hours. Handicap parking and acvess is available. Restaurant has outdoor and indoor seating. You order at the outdoor window counter and seat at any available table. Customer service at the order counter was very friendly, patient and helpful. It was our a first time here so we had lots of questions. The wait for the orders was under 10 minutes. My strawberry salad with chicken was great. Hubby's brisket with beans and bread was delicious. At the back wall of the restaurant is a row of spigots for your choice of draught beer which was very interesting. There are two TV monitors indoors. Large floor to celing windows face the street so you get a good view of the shops, shoppers, etc. The interior is neat clean and organized. Restrooms are located in the back.

We both tried the tri tip sandwich on sour dough and it was good. The sourdough was a great choice and the bread was tasty. The BBQ sauce came on the side, which was good as it was super sweet. Would have loved some horseradish.

Ordered the tri-trip sandwich since reviews talked really nice about it, plus I thought it was the popular item. Around 16 dollars, so I was surprised when I saw the portion size of it. But then I thought it probably makes up for it with the taste, however, it tasted normal. Not bad but not outstanding enough that I felt it justified the cost. Just bread and beef, with a side of bbq sauce. Probably should have ordered a different item or maybe come in earlier, if I wanted a better portion size I suppose.

A friend and I were enjoying the Thursday Night Market when we happened upon Old Slo BBQ giving out free samples of tri tip, pulled pork & ribs. Trying the tri tip, I was pleasantly surprised about the flavor and the texture of the meat, which was quite tender. The young gentleman at the front then tells us that there's a $5 discount on the tri tip sandwich which sold me and my friend and I waited in line for 30min to get this sandwich. About an hour after trying them out to when we finally got our food, I was shocked. Not only was the tri tip sandwich quite small for a normal $15 price tag (perhaps the $5 discount means you get the small? No one told us) but half the tri tip in the sandwich was raw. Inedibly raw. I swear I poked the raw meat and the sandwich giggled (bad joke). It was an awful experience. I considered talking to the staff about it, but they were so slammed and stressed that I decided to cut my loss and write this review to hopefully warn other customer & hopefully get management to avoid letting something like this happen. I mean you can see in the picture my hoagie bun was quite bloody..

A No-Frills Barbecue Gem I ordered the tri-tip combo plate and understand why they are known for their tri-tip. It was absolutely delicious - meat was incredibly tender and flavorful, cooked to perfection. Their sauces are homemade, i got the bbq and ranch, but the meat didn't need it. As a side, I ordered the apple cucumber coleslaw - it was incredibly fresh and light on the mayo. I could have easily used an extra side of it! I also tried the sweet potato fries, which i might order well done next time. The garlic bread is unremarkable. Next time I'll skip it and ask for more coleslaw!

SLO bbq joint with an outdoor counter order service and a self serve tap room for craft beers. Having visited here through our roadtrips, the food is consistent, specifically the recommended tritip sandwiches. Serving size is good enough though a bit on the smaller side. Orders with fries come with a huge helping of spuds. All service (during lunch experience) is via the counter. For the self service tap you are given a tap card after depositing your debit or credit card at the counter. The main draw for the place are the bbq and definitely the extensive luat of rotating beer tap offerings. The layout is very casual and much in a sports bar style. An outdoor picnic style area is also available. Good place for families and large informal gatherings annd for watching televised sports events.

Good food and very cool industrial / urban chic' vibe. We arrived just before closing and the crew was still friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend the pulled pork sandwich and the smoked chicken sandwich. Added some of their BBQ sauce to both and they were both outstanding

I have been coming here for at least a decade. It is our family's favorite little spot in the kids that love it. Unfortunately the food has really gone down a hill in the past several years. The pulled pork is to always be so good and reliable. Now you never know what you're going to get, it could be extremely bland and greasy or it could be overcooked and tough with like burnt pieces mixed in. Even the tri-tip sandwiches have gone downhill. I don't know if they're using a lower quality meat and they got rid of whatever recipe they used to follow? I am not sure but it pains me to leave this review because they used to be so good

I was greeted with a smile and my order taken very efficiently. It was only a short wait until my BBQ Chef Salad was ready.

My parents and I were driving through SLO, and since I had planned ahead, a colleague of mine who went to school at Cal Poly shared a few recommendations. We opted for High Street Deli, but when we arrived, we found out it was graduation weekend and they were extremely busy: we'd have to wait at least 45 minutes for sandwiches. If we weren't trying to get all the way to Ventura before dinner time, we might have stayed, but time was not on our side (it was already 4 p.m.), so we decided to try another spot on my colleague's list. Old SLO BBQ did not answer the phone when I called, but since they were just a mile away, we gave it a shot. There were a fair number of people eating outside, but there was not a long line, so I asked about the wait time and was told it would only be 15 minutes. This was good enough; I ordered a Tri-Tip Sandwich and the Cowboy Corn Pie. The sandwich was not bad, but it was not anything special, either. It needed additional BBQ sauce beyond what was on it. The Cowboy Corn Pie was somewhat tasty and had a little kick, but again, there was nothing worth writing home about. I was really disappointed in how long it took for my order to come out after I had specifically asked about time and explained that I needed to get back on the road (and after I gave a generous tip); if the person had said it would be half an hour, I would have gone elsewhere for a quick bite. When the food was finally ready, I thought I would at least get an apology. That was too hopeful. There was one other thing that bothered me about my visit. I accidentally mistyped a digit on my phone number and only noticed as I was clicking enter. I asked if I could re-enter my number for the loyalty points, but the employee who was taking customers' orders didn't think it was possible and didn't make any effort to figure it out. I don't know when I'll be back in San Luis Obispo, but I won't be running back to Old SLO BBQ. The wait for a sandwich at High Street Deli will be way more worth it.

this place was fine. a pretty small menu of sandwiches, sliders, and plates with a few sides. it's in a corner lot with available (paid) parking and there is indoor and outdoor seating. they even provide little spinning table fans to keep flies away. i got a slider and a side of beans. my friends got a pulled pork sandwich with fries and two other sliders with a side of corn pie. they were a little stingy with their bbq sauce, but you can also go in and pump your own sauce on the side, so that's what we did when the window denied our request. i also got a side of ranch for the fries and it was pretty good. the sandwiches are basic; buttered bread and meat and that's it. the sausage sandwich came with grilled peppers and looked better than everything else. the quality of meat was good. i thought the corn pie was excellent. it was like creamed corn bread pudding with jalapenos. the beans also had meat included but was way too tomato forward for my taste. it actually led to me having bad acid reflux and throwing up for the first time in 2 years. i threw up so much that i had to go to the emergency room after and they said i had food poisoning but i really think it was just that the beans were too acidic from the tomatoes. my friends who also tried the beans did not become ill and i'm truly not holding my experience against the restaurant; i just think that the food was fine and nothing special.

Good Tri-tip and pulled pork sliders! Crispy fries and delicious corn pie. Skip the candied bacon on the Tri-tip sliders. Not worth it. Pretty small scraps put into your sandwich and really not needed since the Tri-Tip slider with the provided sauce is delicious. Also ordered the strawberry salad which was excellent. Friendly service :) I especially like the self-serve beer. Got to try a variety of local beers. We were passing by on our way home up north but we'll be back for more visits!

Dined in 11/29/24 and it was about 25 min walk from the hotel. It was a bit more difficult ti find. Plus when you get in, you would think that a cashier was inside or a server but it is quite confusing. Order first outside of the establishment and then you sit down and wait for your food. Service was nice though, friendly staff. The food was not as I expected, the pulled pork sandwich was a decent size but nothing special to it. The platter combo of tri tip was okay, and meat tender but missing flavor. Fries were okay too. I was hoping it would have been better though. My boyfriend liked the food. The place is quite casual and there are lots of beer selections out back, there were other places to sit on the other side. Nothing fancy. It was pretty busy out in downtown so if you can walk, it's best to.

I adore this place, I haven't had the pleasure of actually sitting down in this restaurant yet. It's just the pulled pork. I'm in love. I firmly feel the photos speak for themselves! I'm leaving this 2nd review bc this place is so kind. My driver decided 2 keep my order lol which wasn't funny @ the time. I should've had to repay for another sandwich, they knew what happened & kindly replaced my order!?! Swiftly I might add. Cant go wrong w OLD SLO BBQ.

We stopped by on a roadtrip back from Santa Barbara. We had a bit of a hard time finding the place, given the neighborhood construction, but we found it finally. It's right next to a paid city parking lot, so it's totally convenient for pick up. I was really excited to try their linguica, but they were out! Something about the fryer? They mentioned not having fries either. I was pretty disappointed, as I had already psyched myself up for the combo with their tri tip. Anyway, we just settled on the tri tip with a salad and beans for sides. They had a great ranch! The tri tip was solid, but not amazing. The beans were also good. Definitely unique. Hopefully on our next visit, we can try everything!

This is such a cute restaurant!! Super quick and convenient service, lots of menu options (including gluten free alternatives!), a variety of self serve beers, BOARD GAMES, and lots of seating options near the cute decorations and windows, especially around the holidays. I got their chicken tenders & fries and my parents got the tri-tip sandwich, everything was amazing. The ranch & bbq sauces are also super yummy! and can't forget their pebble ice cubes ;)

The ribs were definitely the highlight! Love the cornbread as well. You order at the counter and seat yourself. Brisket was also solid! Definitely get the ribs.

Amazing bbq pick plate. Did not anticipate such good food. Recommend this restaurant.

Old Slo BBQ catered our wedding. Everything went very well. We chose tri tip & chicken with several sides they recommended. We added on appetizers which they served & a drink station with lemonade, water, iced tea & coffee. Everyone commented on how delicious everything was & servers were helpful with bussing tables & clean up. Highly recommended them for your catering needs.

Old Slo is a solid spot for Santa Maria BBQ. Service was fast given the long line. We got two Pit Plates ($17.05 each), one with tri-tip and the other with ribs. Both were flavorful and the beans were a nice side as well.

Went to the walk up window in downtown SLO. Service was rude and the food was worse. Pulled pork was dry, tough and doused in a flavorless liquid. Tri tip was chewy and the consistency of shoe leather. Seeing some of the other reviews, this could have been an off day but if so, it was way off. Outdoor seating was crawling with ants. We ended up tossing our whole meal and going to Firestone--good and consistent.

This has been my favorite BBQ spot for years. Excellent selection, great quality meats. Parking lot and entrance are all wheelchair accessible. Outside order and pick up window are well lit and counter is low enough for wheelchair. Service is great friendly and clean. Sitting area is clean, bathrooms available and wheelchair accessible. Overall, place is very clean, fun atmosphere and excellent food.

A place that we've missed a lot since moving from the area is Old SLO BBQ. Consistently solid food, and they do a good job getting food out quickly despite how busy they can get. The only struggle here can be finding an outdoor table. Inside they have a wall of beer you can pour yourself, with some solid local offerings, and plenty of seating on both sides of the restaurant. One of our favorite meals during Farmer's Market has always been their sandwiches (Tri-Tip and Pulled Pork). As of 5/30/24, they are $10 each and slightly smaller than the full size sandwich which can be $3-6 more. Their tri-tip was well cooked, tender and goes great with some of their BBQ sauce on the fresh roll. My wife loves their pulled pork and stated it was exactly as she remembered it. Fries were not bad (I like mine a little more crispy) and the chicken slider was a nice few bites to try their chicken. Overall, a great spot. By far one of the best and most consistent in SLO, even going years in between visits. Can't wait to stop in again next time we are in town.

Perfect late night spot! Gluten free chicken tenders are great sauce selection and the staff were so kind. Definitely coming back here! Best late night menu in SLO.

I work downtown I used to come here weekly. In my opinion it is the best flavored bbq in town, however, the establishment is not what it used to be. I pay $20ish for a pit plate, the portion is so small my 2 year olds hand covers it, see the photos. There are 4 or 5 employees standing around talking, don't expect your bbq sauce to be in the bag, you must ask or no bbq sauce for you! (Soup man voice) Then when you get to eating there is a hair in the food!? Wow sad display never coming back again. I bought a pulled pork sando recently, just get that it's more meat and you can get a side al la cart, thank me later.

Great BBQ! Service was expedient and our orders were precise. The servings were generous. A limited selection of sides. I only wish we could pick our 2 sides, instead of being forced to select bread as one. A wider choice of sides would be great as well - green beans, baked beans, etc (like most bbq joints). The food was tasty & the hand cut fries were good. The tri-tip was tender but blah, until we put bbq sauce on it. The corn pie (corn bread) was unique and fantastic. They have 30+ craft beers and 10 wines on tap for your pleasure.

As soon as we got to Old Slo BBQ we were greeted by a very kind & helpful employee , JP, who made a food recommendation for us and explained the strategy for the self serve taps & how to get the best experience. This was my first time at the taproom and I had a great time sampling so many different drinks! It was a mellow environment, not too much noise pollution like other places downtown, and I loved how clean it was. Hope to visit again soon!

Delicious and consistently so every time! Employees are great and should be praised. Will be coming back time and time again

Old SLO BBQ has two separate indoor areas that are cojoined in the rear of the building. Both have tables for dining, while one has 46 taps of beer and wine. There are also tables under mature trees for shaded outdoor dining. Artwork decorates the walls and is available for purchase. For on-site entertainment, there is a large selection of board, card, and other games for the patrons. Many different seating options are available, including tables that seat twenty patrons for parties or communal dining. One places their order at the outside window and picks up the order when their name is called. There is no table service. There is limited parking on the street (be sure to pre-pay at the kiosk) and a parking lot in front off Nipimo St. We had their Strawberry Field Salad with added Tri-tip and a Pulled Pork Sandwich with French fries. The menu is limited, but the food very good. Overall, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I feel like the quality of meat could be upgraded but for a quick BBQ experience it works. Great beer selection. No fuss eatery.

Super quick service and great value. Really good BBQ but not as good as our favorite up in Morgan Hill. The tri-tip was solid but missing a rub or marinade that would put it over the top. We will definitely be visiting again.

Old SLO BBQ catered dinner at our daughter's wedding at Flying Caballos Ranch and they absolutely knocked it out of the park! The food was delicious! Many of our guests said it was the best food they have ever had at a wedding - and they have been to a lot of weddings! It could not have been better!

Visited SLO recently and this eatery was on several "don't miss" lists. Ordered two pit plates, tri-tip and ribs. The coleslaw is quite different - has cucumbers - and tasty. The meats were great, but we couldn't finish the garlic breads, so took them with us. Casual ambiance, good and friendly staff. Unique beer taps (serve yourself). If we're ever back in SLO, we'll definitely stop by again.

I wanted to try the oakwood triptip BBQ on my vacation to the California central coast. Thats their signature dish and its hard to find elsewhere - so I made a point of getting it at several places. I'm declaring OLD SLO BBQ in San Luis Opisbo as the medal winner. They had a really nice cook on the meat and sliced it thickly against the grain. You could taste that redwood smoke on the meat. I also enjoyed their beans as a side dish - those were doctored up with small chunks of meat and were obviously given some thought and love. They also give you some house made salsa as an additional spice....something different from the standard Memphis style sauce most places serve up. All in all it was yummy ! I would be a regular if I lived close by.

Tried the strawberry milkshake and it was amazing!! Kinda tastes like cotton candy. May have to start coming here more than Firestone just because of the milkshakes

Service and food are on point! I'm very big on my barbecue and this is definitely one of my favorite spot, especially for pulled pork.

Perfect as always!!! This place gets better each time we visit. Even though it was quite busy, the managed to send out the order fast.

Some of the best BBQ I've ever had! You order outside at a window where a very nice guy took our order, and can sit inside or outside. We ordered two plates, tri tip and their ribs, I do not remember what kind they were. But both were absolutely amazing. The ribs were easy to eat came right off the bone and did not have too much bbq sauce. With the plate you are able to get two sides, one being the garlic bread and the other is your choice of a few options but you can change out the garlic bread if you like. All the sides were also good they had a spicy cucumber apple coleslaw which was very interesting but good nonetheless. You can also get their sandwiches. They even had gluten free chicken tenders which we sadly did not get to try as they were all out but we plan on going back to try them out! They also have beer on tab if you are into that as well. Super cute place had parking right next to it as well. Definitely recommend for some traditional BBQ.

Awesome BBQ. Wish we lived in the area, we'd be there all the time. Everyone loved everything. Tri-tip, ribs, pulled pork. You can get a full meal or just a slider as a snack.

First time, liked the food, I'll be back to try more. I visited with my family and we ordered: Pit Plate Tri Tip with Cole Slaw (4 Stars). The Garlic Bread (5 Stars) was awesome! They have a thick layer of a garlic, parmesan, herbs and butter mixture on top of some really tangy sourdough bread, then broiled to get some crispy edges and light browning. I slapped some Tri Tip on top for a perfect bite. The Tri Tip was also very good, perfect cooked and juicy. The cole slaw is very good, cucumber is a nice touch, light dressing keeps everything crispy. Pulled Pork Sandwich (3 Stars) I'll get something else next time. The meat was decent, but a little dry, BBQ sauce helps but they need a vinegar based hot sauce to help cut the richness of the meat. They had a sweet habanero sauce with not much heat, too sweet for me. The bun was decent, but not much flavor, I wish they grilled some garlic butter on it or something. Next time: Tri Tip sandwich Ribs Santa Maria Pinquito Beans Corn pie Until next time...

This place has always been a favorite. Delicious SM style bbq. Friendly, fast but nutritious. The tap wall is fun to try different beers and wines. We often share a pit plate when we are super hungry.

Stopped here on the way down to Ventury County. I was pretty excited to try this place, but wasn't too stunned. You order in the front and enter through some doors and you can eat outside or inside. The cashier was nice and polite. (They also had a new beer tap room next door) I ordered the trip tip sandwich, the sandwich was a bit dry and not enough bbq. It was too simple. I ordered the combo so it came with a side of fries and a drink, the fries were soft and mushy and missing flavor. I would give it another try and order something else! Overall, it was not too busy not too many people in there but the overall vibe was chill, they had TV's, definitely a spot you can grab a drink and enjoy the vibes. A big downside was the bathrooms, they were overflowed with paper towels and wet floors.

Really great place though the ordering/seating situation is confusing for a new person to the area. The BBQ that I ordered was awesome and the order of fries was actually a GIANT PILE of them and I couldn't finish... so damn good too. Though I didn't drink, the RFID beer tap wall is amazing. I have never seen a setup like this in person. I will have to come back to try it out.

Best food ever! We got chicken, tri tip and pulled pork. They were all great! Get the tri tip!!!

The ribs were very good but you could taste the salt on them. The fries are very yummy. I would not recommend the corn pie side that they make. The tri tip is always very good. The strawberry lemonade is also good. Last night I received the best service this far. Usually you have to try and get employees attention all the time but this was not the case last night. The ambience inside is clean log cabin style in the back seating area and clean white tile in the front seating area with high top chair seating.

Great casual BBQ spot. The family really enjoyed the tri-tip, chicken, and ribs! Thank you for accommodating for gluten-sensitive people like me!

Ruben our cashier was very friendly and accommodating when we ordered here for the first time. The homemade strawberry lemonade was recommended in leu of a soda, which was absolutely delicious. The wait for our lunch was very short. I'll definitely be back to try the rest of the menu.

This completely unassuming spot has some really solid BBQ! I was pretty skeptical of the food because this place has all the atmosphere of a McDonald's quite frankly. But oh man, the food was killer! We had the tri tip and pulled pork plates and both were delicious. The toast was hands down the best I've ever had. I need to know where they source this bread because it was to die for! Overall an unexpected hit for us after every other place nearby closed early or had massive wait times. Beer is also self serve with a bunch of taps on hand. Sounds fun and great in theory, but was less functional than expected.

Still great after all these years. It only gets better. Best Tri tip around. Always great service.

I had the tri tip sliders and fries. The meal was very tasty and the service was fast the staff was friendly.

Small menu. I wasn't feeling the side so ended up just getting tri-tip to go. Kind of a snack size. It would be nice if they had a meat platter with multiple types of meat. The tri-tip & bbq sauce was good. I should've ordered more than one since I ended up ordering food from my hotel immediately after.

The end of Higuera in downtown SLO you find Old SLO BBQ. It was late afternoon Saturday and I went to go grab a full rack of ribs w my puppy Linkin. The place was absolutely packed with indoor as well as outside full of people eating. You order from a to-go window with their menu being pretty basic. The rack of ribs are something new so I decided to give them a try. I usually order the tri-tip sandwich for $14.25, it's really good. I was surprised to see two cartons of ribs in the to-go bag. If you like your food with BBQ sauce make sure you ask for it on the side. I was surprised my ribs were tough, not the fall of the bone like most bbq places. The flavor was excellent, but I had to seriously floss after this meal. 5-stars none the less because their tri-tip sando is delicious. They have a Louisiana sausage that is spicy if you like heat. The sides are great too. Look at menu from their website. Last but not least--you HAVE to try one of their signature milkshakes. Wow, what an awesome treat. A

Sooo good tri-tip is the Bbq sauce is the boss Sourdough bread is yummy. The Parmesan is even better.

Old SLO BBQ had a yummy pulled pork sandwich, tasty fries and a delicious chocolate shake. I enjoyed the indoor and outdoor seating options and thought that an order window was a cute touch. The ambiance was rustic and western reminiscent. The staff were friendly but not obviously excited to serve. Overall, my experience was that the food was good and the staff wasn't bad but the location made the experience

Great food! My spouse and I both got their pulled pork sammiches and it was very flavorful, and almost like carnitas. They out a garlic cilantro bbq sauce on it that I could have drank with a straw. The corn pie was a nice side, subtle corn flavors, nothing smack you in the face but very tasty, I'd order it all again. Full disclosure, we were headed to Mo's but saw that this place was rated better. Mo's might be a little more eclectic, and might have more selections but I did find the pork at Old Slo much better.

This was a great spot at one time. You were able to call in your order to pick up on the way to work, and the sandwich actually had some meat on it. Now not only can you not call in your order anymore, they hardly even put any tri tip on the sandwich, (and it's been over cooked more and more now). Oh yeah, and the prices have gone up even though you get less meat. If you want more bang for your buck, and some fries with a TON more flavor, just take the short walk to Firestone for a better and cheaper Tri tip. You will not only get more meat, but it will also be a lot more tender than what you will get at Old San Luis BBQ.

Tender, slow cooked meat. Beer on tap. We particularly like the pulled pork sandwich, tri tip sandwich on San Luis sourdough, and strawberry fields salad. Tap room it on a tab. If you like to sample and/or only want half pints this is the place. Many local ipa/Pilsner beer options. Cider & wine on the tap too! Great family place.