The Rib Co

Great food and service. This was recommended to us from a staff member at the front desk of the Marriott down the road and boy it did not disappoint. From the south we love bbq and trying new places all around the country. I got the steak and my wife got the build your own plate. She got the pulled pork and brisket. Everything was excellent and they cook the steaks on the grill outside on the patio in front of you. If you are in 29 Palms, definitely make this spot a 🛑 on your route or stay.

Decided to try this place as take out for the first time. The ribs were absolutely FALL OFF THE BONE! Probably the most tender ribs I’ve ever had and I’ve been all over southern USA and Texas. The ribs were juicy and well seasoned. The half rack came with two sides which I got mashed potato and broccoli which were delicious but small portion, so I took off a star. The burger was huge. I’d say 8/10 since it was cooked to medium and it came with crispy thin fries. My favorite. I’d come back to try their signature dry rub ribs.

Big note that a lot of menu options are old and no longer being served. My opinion is to call before ordering online. Now as for the food it's ok. The ribs were very tender but lacked flavor. The beans also ok nothing to get happy about. My beans are so much better ( my opinion) The salad was good and liked the homemade croutons were delicious. Ranch dressing was good as well.

Yummy BBQ, love the side dishes too Generous portions of serving sizes Super helpful and friendly waitress and chefs who cooked our BBQ Special thanks to Jennifer our waitress for explaining to us about the menu and helping us picking the right meats to satisfy our taste buds

Don’t judge a book by its cover: UH-MAIZING food. We had ribs, steak and a burger. Everything was amaizing. Great family owned vibe. Staff was great!

Had a late dinner here last night (20:30). It's a busy time of year with nearby Joshua Tree, so the wait was about 1 hour. The meat is cooked out front of the small restaurant over a bed of 🔥. We had the 10oz steak and baked potato, the rib sampler plate and a ceasar salad. We also sampled the baked beans, coleslaw and the cornbread muffins with honey butter. Oh so good! A friendly staff who are in constant motion given the popularity of this family run restaurant.

Wonderful place to get BBQ especially after hiking in Joshua Tree! Wonderful service, juicy chicken and Baby Back Ribs taste like they are made at home and come off the bone easy. Great meat portion but smaller sides (but thats why they are sides)

I used to enjoy coming here. The food was good during the pandemic. But the last two times I've come here the service is super slow and the food has been off. Yesterday we had ribs that were obviously reheated. They tasted like old grease. The coleslaw was spoiled as if it had been sitting out in the heat. It wasn't served cold. When I mentioned it to the server I didn't get the reaction I expected. Very disappointing. We won't be back again. And just to follow up on what was written above. We got sick from the little bit that we did eat. The health department should definitely take a look at this place.

Keep in mind it's five stars based on its location. If it was in down town San Diego it would be about a three star. But they are not competing with downtown San Diego. We had a large group show up and were seated immediately. Service was prompt and no mistakes made on our orders. Now in the other reviews I've read they claim their steak was over cooked on multiple reviews. I'm assuming they are using a delivery service. Our steaks were cooked to perfection. An exact med rare. Now if a steak sits in a take out container it will retain heat and continue to cook. We got the Ribeye and the house sirloin. Others got ribs, pulled pork, a healthy mix. Everyone loved what they got and had zero complaints.

We stopped by The Rib Co in Twenty Nine Palms to celebrate my birthday, and as always, it did not disappoint. My sister, nephews, and I ordered the quarter combo, a perfect trio of skinless BBQ chicken breast, baby back ribs, and beef ribs with our favorite sides of crispy fries, BBQ beans, creamy mashed potatoes, macaroni & cheese and tangy coleslaw. My brother chose the steak and rib combination, and every bite was smoky, tender, and full of that signature mesquite flavor The Rib Co has been mastering since 1997. Since we had our puppies with us, we ordered our meal to go and enjoyed it poolside at our desert rental home. It was the perfect way to celebrate another trip around the sun. Even as takeout, everything tasted fresh, flavorful, and made with care. The jalapeño poppers were so good we ordered them twice, and the house-made ranch dressing that came with them was thick, creamy, and absolutely delicious. We ended our meal with peach cobbler and cheesecake, both heavenly. The warm corn muffins with honey butter were the perfect touch, sweet, soft, and comforting. The Rib Co has everything I love about this desert oasis: friendly staff, a clean and welcoming atmosphere, and pitmasters who take pride in their craft. You can feel the love and dedication in every bite. It is my go-to spot every time I am in town and a true local treasure. If you find yourself near Twenty Nine Palms, do yourself a favor and stop by. This is BBQ done right, from the heart.

Absolutely AMAZING ~ 1.Top-notch hospitality - The staff was incredibly friendly and went above and beyond. Their recommendations were spot-on and made the meal even better. 2. The cornbread... wow - Now I understand why they don't sell it on its own--it's unbelievably good. Soft, flavorful, and just the right amount of sweetness. Truly heavenly. 3. The ribs--game changer -I'm usually not even a big fan of ribs, but these completely won me over. I could easily take down a half rack... maybe even a full one. Perfectly cooked and packed with flavor.

We came here for dinner the night after new year and it was a packed house. I ordered the classic half ribs with steamed veggies and potato salad and it was more than enough for a small person like me and probably perfect for someone who is a bit more hungry. We also ordered the onions rings which were some of the best fresh onion rings I've ever had. The jalapeños stuffed Appetizer is also a must try. They make all of their BBQ sauces in house and even the ranch dressing was made in house. All of their sides are also homemade and all taste very fresh. Even though it was packed, service was amazing and we didn't have to wait much at all before our food arrived. The place was very comfy and quaint and there's even some outdoor seating area so you have options on seating locations. Overall highly recommend. Everything we had was fresh and delicious!

I can not recommend enough how amazing this place is. My BF and I came from our JT campsite on a Tuesday night around 5:30PM. The tables inside were all full so we wrote our name and number and was told a 30-40 min wait. Well, the incredible staff nailed it on the timing. They called us about 35 mins, at us down and we ordered the Rib Sampler. This was certainly enough for the two of us- we were stuffed!! The honey butter biscuits were delicious. The ribs were fall-off-the-bone-tender and soooo flavorful! We were able to switch out the backed beans with the Mac n cheese, which was a pleasant surprise but the coleslaw was my favorite of the two sides. Seeing the cook bbq the ribs right before entering the restaurant was such a nice touch, and the inside was cozy and warm with the heater on, thankfully, bc it was so cold outside! 10/10 recommend!

The staff were very friendly and welcoming. We tried the RibCo burger, half rack of beef ribs with whiskey sauce, half rack with the house rub, plus mashed potatoes and macaroni on the side. The sides were alright, just a bit small compared to the amount of BBQ. The burger came out well done instead of medium, but it still tasted good. The beef ribs had great flavor and were really tender, though not very meaty and had some silver skin which made it a bit chewy. The house rub ribs were the least enjoyable since they were quite dry. Maybe just not our lucky batch this time.

A cozy place to stop and eat when visiting Joshua Tree! We stopped here on a Saturday night and got seated pretty fast. We sat inside and the staff went over the top with service and made sure everything was going well. The ambiance was good but smokey because we sat inside. I ordered the Half Rack of Ribs Combo with the Whiskey Sauce. I would prefer this over the BBQ! The ribs were super soft and I was super full off of my dish! 10/10 recommend the souther style sweet tea!

A little salty for me but good sized portions and the cobbler was bomb. We will be back.

We stumbled upon this place because we saw smoke. We love a good BBQ place and this IS a great BBQ place. The staff was very friendly. The portions are large and the food was fantastic. I had 1/2 rack (3 ribs) of beef ribs and my husband had 1/2 rack (6 ribs) baby back pork ribs, potato salad and Mac n cheese. Great food.

The quality of the food here was incredible. Heads up the plates and starters are huge. Staff were really cool and kind as well.

The aroma is intoxicating! I love the smell of barbecue! We arrived right around opening and had our best meal in 29 Palms. The ribs were delicious! I ordered them original style with coleslaw and potato salad. (My tip for next time is to ask for additional bbq sauce, it was good!) my husband enjoyed the fried chicken and meatloaf. The little corn muffins that came with our meals were tasty too. Service was friendly, informative, and fast! This was my favorite full-service experience in the area during the trip.

Weird place, they don't allow customers switch to-go order to eat-in since the price is the same. I wonder what happened to them before and made them made such decision. Food is meh, onion rings are too salty, coleslaw was watery and ribs is tough. No utensils included when ordered to-go was another weird thing.

After a long day of hiking, our group of 6 was starving and was excited for some barbecue. Unfortunately, we had a pretty mid experience. The restaurant itself is pretty small. We put down our name and were told to wait in our car since there was no space to wait at the restaurant. They initially quoted a 30 min wait but changed it to "around 15 mins" when they saw our hesitation. The wait ended up being close to 45 mins. The food itself was also just ok. Especially since it took an additional 20-30 mins to arrive after ordering. Our biggest gripe overall was that the meat was overcooked and dry. Our group ordered some different ribs and chicken and we all thought our food was a little dry. The Mac n cheese side was a smaller portion than I expected. Lastly, we wished the cornbread was warmer (the butter didn't melt when we put it on). Would probably recommend stopping somewhere else for food if you're in the area.

FYI, Latino couple here. We went at 6 pm on a Saturday. Busy, but not busy enough to warrant forgetting a salad or ever coming back to check on us. Not only do they forget the salad, they were also rude in how they talked to us but they were real sweet and suddenly remembered how to have customer service skills or a working memory for the Caucasian patrons. The ribs aren't that good. Fatty. Never coming back here again. I shouldn't have tipped, but then that'd make us the bad guys.

Was famished after a day of hiking and comet chasing in Joshua Tree and Rib Co totally hit the spot! The Triple Threat ribs were delicious and they have super yummy and comforting mac & cheese. Very chill, simple vibes with indoor and outdoor seating - and it's fun to watch the pit master at work on their huge outdoor grills! While the restaurant was very cozy and welcoming, I was exhausted so I got my food to go. I ordered the half rack Triple Threat plate which comes with their baby back ribs covered in their house rub (1), their BBQ sauce (2), AND their Tennessee whiskey glaze (3) for a triple explosion of flavor - it was fabulous and the ribs were cooked flawlessly. It also comes with coleslaw and BBQ beans which they let me sub for Mac & cheese no charge. Both sides were delicious. They also include a couple of corn muffins and honey butter and wooo were they good! And I got some of their homemade peach cobbler just for funsies - it was just ok but tbh I'm not a huge fan of peaches or peach cobbler so I think it's just my personal preference. The dough seemed a little undercooked but the flavor was pretty decent. Prices are pretty reasonable considering you're kind of out in the middle of nowhere by a national park. It took a while for my order but everything was fresh. There are a few tables inside with a TV on one of the walls playing sports - very unassuming and relaxed. There's also a large patio with more seating outside than in. I like that it's family owned - Service for the most part was friendly and helpful. One of the ladies helping with my order got kind of weird when I asked to sit at a small table to wait (they weren't very busy) - she didn't really seem to like that so I stood by the door but it's hard to stay out of the way - so they don't really have anywhere to hang out while you wait I guess? Made me a tad uncomfortable but no big deal. They have a large parking lot that's unpaved and rather bumpy so be careful going in and out - low clearance cars may struggle a bit. All in all a good experience - an excellent location just outside Joshua Tree - I'd definitely eat here again when visiting the area.

Went in last night on 10/12/25 around 5:30PM. The cashier/server, a tall manly looking white lady with brunette hair In a bun was an absolute hater. The most arrogant and condescending person I've ever dealt with at any restaurant in town. We chose to sit outside on the patio tables. She was snarky from the start and goes "Just to let you know if you choose to go outside and you want to come back in to dine we will not accommodate you. Whether you sit by the smoke or not you can't come back in." Like mam... it's a barbecue joint.. not a fancy dining establishment. Control yourself. We wanted to sit outside. The fact that you're told to tell your customers this every time one comes in is pretty embarrassing. We chose to share the $40 meat platter with two sides. We chose the steak, ribs and our two sides. She never asked us what kind of ribs we wanted and gave us pork. We were a party of TWO. When she served us, her education and table side manners were yeeted out the window. She quite literally said; "Don't fight for it now!" (Wtf) Then when she came over to check on us again she said "You guys enjoying sharing?" As though we weren't a couple that does this often as we don't eat much but rather children. The steak was overcooked so much it shook the table when cut and the ribs, disappointing and mediocre. I'm not spending a dime here again due to the poor service. Worst place I've been to in the entire year I've been here. Can't wait to try the soul food place next door. I'm sure they don't treat their customers with passive aggressive foolishness, childish humor and remarks that weren't asked for.

BEWARE: This restaurant clearly caters to locals, and visitors may not feel welcomed. From the moment we walked in, the tone was off. Instead of a friendly greeting, we were told, "Because you're a large group, there can only be one form of payment." Okay... but would it somehow be different if we ordered to-go and paid separately? The logic didn't make much sense unless their POS system is truly that limited. Not a huge deal on its own, but the tone made it feel unnecessarily hostile right from the start. After being seated, the host gave us menus and offered water--totally normal. But things went downhill fast. While a server was delivering hot cornbread to another table, she abruptly turned to us and said, "There are NO outside food or drinks allowed, so you'll need to take that drink back to the car," complete with an exaggerated facial expression directed at my sister... who didn't even have a drink. I also didn't notice any signs at the entrance saying outside food or drinks weren't allowed. Regardless, her tone was irritated, condescending, and completely inappropriate for interacting with potential paying customers. We ultimately chose to leave and let her know her attitude was out of line. She made it clear she didn't care, telling us our patronage didn't matter. I only regret not capturing the interaction on video so that tiktok can see the true side to this restaurant. After reading other Yelp reviews, it's hard not to wonder whether our group was being stereotyped. I genuinely hope that wasn't the case, but it's difficult to ignore how differently we were treated compared to the white customers around us, who seemed to receive noticeably warmer and friendlier service. P.S. To that server (big tall over grown lady) who claimed that having an outside drink is "against food code": that's simply not accurate. Misrepresenting health regulations to customers is concerning, and I'll be reaching out to the health department for clarification. I also plan to contact the appropriate building authorities regarding the 2x4 holding up the air-conditioning unit on the side of the building, as that appears to be a potential safety issue.

I just want to say this place is SO so so salty. The corn bread is dry. - Ribs Sampler 2.2/5 The ribs are on the saltier side. Everything was mediocre- the best rib was the Triple Threat. The slaw was underseasoned and the beans weren't that great. - Ribs Co Burger 1.9/5 Below average burger. Free parking in lot.

We went in on a Sunday, quite hungry after hiking Joshua Tree National Park. My husband and I shared the rib sampler and the peach cobbler. Everything was so delicious! Cornbread muffins with yummy honey butter was served in the beginning. The beef ribs in the sampler were my favorite! The crumble in the peach cobbler was to die for! Service was super friendly and they have a huge parking lot. Will definitely return if in the area. 10/10

We drove by, and I saw the smoke from the grills out front, and had to go back for dinner. Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as it looked. Everything was smothered in their bbq sauce which tasted too tomato sauce/ketchup like for my tastes. If you go, get dry with sauce on the side. The cornbread muffins were the highlight, served with delicious honey butter.

The best ribs I ever had. Friendly staff, large portions, amazing food. We'll be back soon.

I brought my parents and husband here after a trip to Joshua Tree, and although I was unimpressed by the decor the bbq blew us away. I will definitely be stopping here every time I am in the area moving forward.

Ribs had no flavor and they had been boiled or baked too long. The ribs were mushy. No seasonings on the meat. The sauces they offer has seasonings, but weren't that tasty. Real BBQ is suppose to be cooked on a grill for the entire cook.

Was in the area and stopped here for some beef ribs. Started with the spinach artichoke dip, which was delicious. The beef ribs were somewhat average, but the portion was generous and filling. I really enjoyed the beans and coleslaw. Service was excellent.

Service was great at this BBQ find in 29 Palms. I'm a Memphis native and a girl who lived in Kansas City for a long time. I know good BBQ. Some of the food is above average and some not. The ribs were really salty and mostly tender to falling off the bone, but the meatier parts were bone dry. We had the Triple Threat with Mac and Cheese, Beans and Coleslaw. The beans taste like they just have their regular sauce added. They are very tangy. The Mac was great. The coleslaw is a nice bite. The cornbread muffins are very sweet. I would have loved regular butter instead of honey butter or regular cornbread and honey butter. All in all a good meal. The ambiance is not why you come here. Check them out.

Really good bbq place. Not fancy, but nice staff and service. Food was really good also. Everything was grilled right outside and smells great.

Great service and delicious ribs. My boyfriend got the sampler platter with every kind of rib and it was so huge I started laughing when it came out. He made big inroads into it though. I got a half rack of baby backs which were also generously portioned. Tender, fall off the bone, deliciousness.

The word about town is that this is THE place to go in Twentynine Palms. While my snarky sense of humor thought "well that is a low bar to meet" after finally being able to get in changed my mind to "yep this place would stand up even in food cities. Would I say this might be my go to place if it were in Reno? Yes, most definitely. We got into town after making the looooooong drive down from Reno and thought - well, let's give it a try. We walked in, place was packed and the wait time for a table was 45 minutes, time for a take-out order - also 45 minutes. Wasn't going to happen. We came back to try our luck our last night in town. We walked in for an early dinner and got seated right away. So glad we made it. Service, food, and welcoming atmosphere hit the trifecta! We each ordered a half rack of ribs - Baby Back for me, and House Rub for my husband. Both were slap yo mama, falling off the bone yummy. I got mine with a double side of coleslaw. Jennifer checked on us and refilled drinks as needed. Tips on going - come early, or call ahead to get put on the waiting list, or call in a takeout order. Most of all be patient. They are a small establishment, food is cooked when ordered, it is VERY popular, and it is worth the wait when they are busy.

Fantastic.... Food Fall off the ribs ... had the sampler ... I couldn't eat it all.. Friendly fast service I will come back for sure...

Happened to find this spot on accident but glad we did! Great food, great prices, large portions and nice family atmosphere

I absolutely LOVE Rib Co!!! The customer service is amazing! The food is even better! Best ribs ever!

The place is a dive but the food is good. The server was tired and irritable, but again, the food was good and nice servers with bad food is a worse scenario. They should spend a few bucks making the place nicer inside. I know it is a military town, but that does not mean the place cannot be nicer.....

Delicious ribs and the staff is so nice!! Stopped by this place on our way home from Vegas. Ordered a rib plate. The staff was super nice, our order came out quickly and the food was delicious! the ribs were soft and perfect, we were so hungry and we appreciated the kind staff so much.

This is what meat was meant to taste like. Happy mouth happy life. Necessary for beautiful weekends.

Food was so delicious, I didn't get the waitress's name but she was so enthusiastic and very helpful as well as polite. My family enjoyed their food, his is the second time I've come here and I'd come back again!

The Ribs are incredible! Fall off the bone tender and so very flavorful! No fat on these ribs! Their bbq sauce is amazing too! Service is excellent, very kind staff. Ambiance is casual and there can be a wait because they get busy and seating is limited. I can't wait to get these ribs again! Best beef ribs I've ever had!Thank you!

Amazing food and great staff. We saw this place when visiting Joshua Tree National Park and decided to stop in from dinner around 6:00. Apparently everyone else had the same idea because within 20 minutes of our arrival they had about another 10 tables come in. The staff dud an amazing job during this rush, you could tell they were obviously busy but it didn't affect how they were taking care of people. A unique thing about this place is that they grill all of there food outside in front of the building. This does create some smoke on the patio but that was a draw for us to sit outside. You can tell that they care about their food because everything we ordered and saw at other tables was freshly made, nothing was pre-prosesed from the corn muffins with honey butter,to the mac & cheese,and even the French fries were fresh cut potatoes. We had baby back and beef ribs, both were fall off the bone tender. The brisket was a little different but my wife loved it. If you are in the area you need to visit them!

Food was on point, highly recommend, worth the wait. Lots of parking. You get good portions for the price. Meat is juicy and tender. Your clothes may smell smoky after because the smoke from the fire pit can waft inside. Went back x2 when we were in the area, no regrets. The grill marks were beautiful. My house steak with mushroom sauce was better than some steaks I've had in steak houses in the big cities. Sauces for steaks it costs extra, you can get extra sauce for ribs too, but it's extra. Can get busy during peak times.

Stopped here on a whim. Best choice ever!!! Great Ribs, service was amazing! The corn muffins were sooo good wish they offered them Al carte for sale!!!

Ordered food to go which took about 30-45 minutes. I got the half chicken which came with a side of mashed potatoes and broccoli. The chicken was juicy and had some bbq sauce. The potato nachos were good but kind of basic and overcooked. I didn't like the jalapeños as the smoked flavor was too much.

I took the family out to Joshua tree for the first time and we wanted to stop and get a quick bite. Found this incredible family owned restaurant on the side of the road. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but with the massive grills and smokers they had I knew we were already on the right track. Everyone was so friendly and you could tell it was a local joint because everyone was talking to each other by name. I ordered the triple threat baby back ribs. I definitely had no idea what I was going to be up against in this man versus food challenge. My wife got the brisket sandwich and my daughter got the burger. My son got the fried chicken. Everybody was eating off of each other's plate it was so amazing. You can call me, Fred Flintstone because when this slab of ribs came out, I thought the table was going to tip over. They were the meatiest juiciest most amazing ribs I've ever had. Take a look at the pictures below. You can't go wrong with anything you order here. It's all homemade and You will feel right at home!!

Amazing food and service ! will not disappoint! We came in late and with a party of 7. The staff was more than accommodating and the food was fantastic. We ordered the fried chicken, a couple triple threat ribs , the Philly and the brisket sandwich (with onion rings inside,can't remember the name) along with Mac n cheese, baked beans ,coleslaw and fries. Everything was hot and tasted great the way it came. Only thing I can say is the cornbread was a little dry but it was the end of the night Place was clean and staff was friendly. All in all great experience. Will def be back. Thanks yall !

meh at best. Have eaten here several times for take out due to limited options in the area. Dont order the shrimp unless you want to fire up your stove to finish cooking them. Eating in wasn't that much better. Ordered a steak medium and it came out still eating grass in the pasture it was so raw. Sides are bland, especially their cornbread. Ribs are over cooked, under smoked and too much fat on them.

Very good food ! I recommend this place ! For the 5 sampler ribs for $42 but very worth the try!!!! Home made honey butter with muffin is bomb ! Highly recommend the Tennessee whiskey pork ribs very soft and juicy

Visiting from LA and was excited to try this place based on the glowing reviews. There were a few negative reviews that I was wary of but assumed they were one off experienced. Unfortunately, my experience was consistent with the lower ratings. Ordered the full rack of triple threat ribs and whisky bbq chicken tenders. The flavor of the ribs were not balanced. They were overly salty and that overshadowed anything the sauce could have offered. They also could have used more time being smoked. The cook is fall off the bone if that is your preferred way to have ribs. The tenders were incredibly dry even when dipped in sauce/ranch and the breading tasted of oil. Service for the takeout order was pleasant.

The food was amazing. I would actually travel all the way back here staying in a hotel just to eat their barbecue again what talented human beings. The food again is just incredible all of it.

Don't let the older exterior fool you into thinking this place doesn't put the effort in. Just from walking by the grill out front, you'll smell that you're about to get some good food. The portions are large enough that even after a morning of hiking, none of us were able to finish a plate. The DFS sandwich was packed full of fillings, and the meat was almost impossible to pick up with a fork it was so tender. The potato salad was also pretty great.

BBQ in California that can play ball with any bbq in the south. It's worth the drive to Twentynine Palms

When searching for a dinner spot on the first night of vacation, I came across this place. It looks like this is the spot to be for some good bbq food and then some. We got the French dip and then an awesome brisket sandwich with onion rings involved. Yum! Both sandwiches were tasty and hit the spot. If I were to choose between the two, I would recommend the brisket sandwich. I'm a huge fry person and I have to say these were too thin for me, but I made them work. We also got a side of Mac n cheese as well, because that's a must. The max was cheesy and also had a flavor of a pizza cheese blend, I couldn't figure it out. It was yummy and definitely left me wanting more. I would recommend this place to anyone in the area, the food is a knock out.