Everett & Jones Barbeque — Restaurant in Berkeley

While like other guides, I won't say this is the best BBQ I've ever had.

Not that it wasn't well done, they know what they are doing with meat. It's the rest of the process where things fell off.

Let me explain. But before I do, I want to qualify myself by saying I have won half a dozen blue ribbons for my BBQ and in 1991, was the CBS National Recipe Contest winner.

Add to that my degree in Food and Beverage management and many years in the food service business both in high and low positions, I think I am reasonably and objectively qualified to render an accurate review of this BBQ.

First, I have to give kudos to the counter lady who was so nice, sweet, polite and helpful, you got to wonder why this kind of customer service isn't available at much more pricey places to eat.

Well, on reason is that this place has their soul in it, whereas a higher ticket establishment may only be there for the money and all you get is hype and lip service. Such is California, if you think about it.

It's the Gold Rush gone to seed. You see it everywhere.

This young lady made it a pleasure to fork over money easily, and you can't say that about a lot of establishments. So I ordered my favorites, pork ribs and brisket. Pork ribs because I love them most, and brisket because if you can't do good brisket, you aren't in the BBQ business for real.

I got as my four sides, green beans, baked beans (also another indicator of BBQ competence) potato salad and macaroni and cheese. Wheat bread came on the side.

Everything was timely and well packaged. I promptly came home and began. The ribs are simply great, and they cuts the chef chooses to use in your order are an indication of how they view you as a customer.

Anyone who has gone into a restaurant and got the stink eye from the kitchen crew better watch their bites carefully just about anywhere you go, although California used to be the top of the leader board in this sport.

And all you got to protect yourself is the old adage, "Let the buyer beware."

There are three versions of sauce, mild, spicy and hot, and I chose mild because I like to taste meat not heat, when I am dropping a significant dime.

The cuts of rib I got and the smoke on them and in them and the texture of the exterior versus the tenderness of the interior almost made the fact it fell off the bone redundant, and that is saying something in the BBQ world.

The sauce was a little watery but had good flavor but it was overly sweet. However, this is just a preference in the BBQ world and the smoke master usually gets his way with such things and customers go along for the ride, even if it is not their choice.

When I BBQ, I make my sauce a balance of sweet, tangy and spicy so everyone is happy. It also makes a whale of a flavor combination. So, the overwhelming sweet of the sauce did not overwhelm the smoke and succulence of the pork, fortunately. But it nearly did.

That could not be said for the brisket, though while tender, professionally cut, plentiful and generous to say the least for my money, was so slathered in a pool of sauce I frankly could not taste the beef, though I tried.

I thought there might be some delicious beef flavor underneath that sauce, but I couldn't find it. So, I have to drop one star for destroying the beef with sweet.

I had to drop another star because when I went to enjoy the slices of bread with my order, the first thing I got a hit of even before they went in my mouth was mold.

Now, black mold in California is the new asbestos, and when it gets into your body, it never comes out. It feels like you are sick just a little all the time, and it can be bad news for unprotected elderly.

That said, because most restaurants clean with strong agents like bleach or orange oil, there is never any excuse for black mold being present in a food service institution, except for one.

They don't clean the restaurant well, ever.

The hit of mold in my nose before I even bit into the bread was the reason I take off another star. And there you have my...

My family & I drove to Berkeley Sept 26, 2020 especially for the Everett & Jones BBQ after hearing that this was the best location out of the three (3) locations.

We called the Berkeley location to see if they had outside seating.....we were told NO outside seating at any of the locations....WE arrive at the Berkeley location and they have pinic benches outside for customers.

I should have taken the 1st red flag and left before placing order, customer service starts at the the door and they are truly lacking in that.....but we always want to support black owned businesses Less than 10mins after ordering our order was ready...another red flag

We took our orders home....AND WE WERE TOTALLY SHOCKED, DISGUSTED, AND DISAPPOINTED IN THE FOOD. Appearance & Lack of Taste looked as if food was tossed into container all at once you couldn't tell what was what

We ordered two 3way combo plates (chicken, brisket, ribs sides mac n cheese, green beans) 3 thinly sliced brisket that was a tough as leather very over cook, chicken was the same over cooked. Asked for green beans they give me the tasteless beans..and literally a spoonful of mac n cheese.

The 2nd order wasn't any better side of potatoe salad bland bland bland brisket tough & dry Rib & chicken

We felt like the food was left over and reheated it was the worst BBq I have ever had in my life Food pictures were deceiving I would not recommend this BBQ it is a rip off for the amount you pay...

First off we were driving around Berkeley looking for somewhere good to eat amongst all the Indian restaurants. We parked and just walked upon this place. Be warned it is a bit pricy, more like $$- $$$ dollar signs.

BBQ sauce was spot on. Me and my fiance got the medium and it had just the right amount of spice and heat. The ribs were cooked to perfection. The brisket was a little tough but still moist. We had the green beans, macaroni & cheese, and potato salad (which was forced on us due to no substitutions) for our sides. Green beans have a vinegar tang to them. Macaroni could use a little more flavoring and a creamier sauce. Potato salad had way too much mayonnaise in it.

Why only 2 stars is because the lady that put the meat is our trays did so with her BARE HANDS!!! That's right now gloves or any kind of protection. I watched this with disgust and still only ate the food instead of demanding my money back because I wanted to promote black owned businesses.

The lady grabbed everything with her bare hands. She grabbed the meat, the trays, the napkins, the receipt, and even the flatware. I was utterly besides myself. I don't know own if I'll ever go back to this place, but I do know own I'll not endorse this place for proper food handling skills to...