Art's BBQ — Restaurant in Crescent City

I stopped by this place on my vacation through California a few weeks ago. Seeing the 4.8 rating and having had some very good BBQ in my life, I was hoping to be blown away by the quality of the food. Unfortunately, this was not the case. People who are giving this place 5 star reviews and are making comments about how amazing the taste is are either friends / family of the place that are lying, are super biased, or have never had BBQ other than Dickie's. I did see a lot of high school kids stopping by when I was there, so maybe the latter is the case.

I got the chicken, pulled pork and brisket. The chicken was by far the best meat and was actually above average, followed by a solid pulled pork that was nothing too special, with a below-average brisket. The brisket was dry and chewy and did not melt in my mouth like the best BBQ places I have been to make them, which is disappointing because a properly-prepared brisket has the potential to taste better than all of the other meats.

It is worth noting that this is a fast casual BBQ place; I suspect they pre-make everything and let it sit in warmers; even though I came in fairly early with no rush, I got my food very quickly for a BBQ place. I also wanted to try the mac & cheese side, but was told they were still frozen and thawing (was told it would be around 2PM so I don't know if this happens every day or not), so clearly they do not make them fresh. I actually think this is probably a good thing for the mac as in my experience it typically tastes better after having sat overnight, but if they are doing this with the mac they are probably doing it with other menu items. The baked beans tasted like generic canned beans, although the flatbread is a solid choice for a side. I don't know what they put in the house made sauce, but the main ingredient is ranch, and it tastes decent but you are not missing too much if you never try it.

I will say that they give very generous portions on the food, which is why I am giving this place 4 stars instead of a 3 star rating. I bought the 3 meat combo plate, and what you can't see from the picture I took is that there is rice under everything except the beans. As someone who can order two entrees from a restaurant and eat both and sometimes still get more after, this plate left me completely full. A normal person will not be able to finish this by themselves. I can't remember what I paid, but I think it was a little over $20, which especially in California is a very good price for...

Crescent City's finest barbeque joint! Experience authentic Mediterranean barbecue from this family owned and family ran facility. Nowhere else in town will you get such a grand small town experience. The building is very basic tidy and clean. As you walk in you'll see Art behind the register ready to take your order with a very grateful attitude and friendly smile. Look to the right of Art and you'll see a very basic menu of just a few choices. But don't let the appearance of this simple chalk and chalkboard menu fool you. Each one of the three BBQ meat choices (pork, chicken, and beef kebab) are grilled to perfection just outside. This American-Armenian family is a delight to this town and well represents the American Dream! This BBQ joint has been 4 years in the making for them, as thru the family's hard work they have restored and remodeled the restaurant themselves. This lil' BBQ joint is one of the Crescent City's best kept secrets. You can get a full meal that's cheaper than McDonalds and as quick. The flavor and healthiness of the food rivals an other in Northern California. Plates include choice of meat on white rice with sides of humus, cole slaw, or baked beans. Also try one of their authentic Mediterranean wraps for...

We grabbed dinner to-go here recently while traveling and staying at an RV resort in the area. We went for BBQ as we had never tried Armenian food before. If you haven't tried it either, you definitely must! You're in for a real treat! The restaurant is small but clean and inviting. The young man at the counter made us feel welcome from the moment we walked in and was happy to answer our questions about the menu choices. We chose to share a combo plate. The beef was perfectly seasoned ground beef on a skewer and it was absolutely delicious! The chicken was cooked over an open flame and it was juicy and oh so good! The pork chop was smoked to perfection. We loved the seasoning...it was unique and complimented each entree perfectly without being overwhelming. The meats were served on a generous bed of white rice with two side dishes. We chose a double order of the baked beans and they were scrumptious! If I had to do it over again, I would probably try the hummus along with the beans because I am betting it was also terrific. The portions were very generous and I'd say dinner for two of us with two sodas for about $12 was a steal! I wish I'd taken a few photos of the food but I was too busy enjoying it! We will definitely go back next time we're...