Coop’s West Texas BBQ & Catering — Restaurant in Lemon Grove

Ordered on Doordash so I can't speak to anything but the food.

Got the chicken, mac and cheese, potato salad and collard greens. If you LOVE some good, home cooked collard greens, look no further. THEY ARE FIRE. I moved out here a few months back and I have been missing greens HEAVY. These tasted like my mom or my grandma made them with alllll the love. I would come here just for the greens alone. Their hours are extremely limited right now so I may need to stock up on some for when a craving hits.

Mac and cheese wasn't giving what I hoped it would. I didn't end up finishing the small portion I ordered. Could have been creamier and cheesier. More cheddar is needed in addition to more liquid prior to baking. I think that would have made all the difference. I didn't take any pics because I dug in too quickly, but the photos others have uploaded to Google and Yelp are accurate.

Took one bite of the potato salad and knew I wasn't going to eat anymore of it. :/ I am not saying it's from Vons at all, but it did have a really artificial store-bought taste and was too vinegar-y for me to really enjoy it. I know everyone has a different preference when it comes to potato salad flavor profiles, but my family would not allow this one at our cookout.

The southwestern jerk chicken was perfectly cooked. Not at all dry, and they didn't skimp on the portion. This may be a personal thing, but I didn't like the mild southwestern jerk flavor much. It wasn't enough to carry the chicken on its own, so I did try it with the BBQ sauce. That was a tad too sweet and way too vinegar-y for me to enjoy. I wish it was balanced with a bit more heat and less of the vinegar.

All that being said, I hated to hear this place was about to close down because it's clear they make their food with love. I also love to support black-owned businesses. I have watched several people review Coop's on YouTube and that's how I even found this place and decided to order from them and not the other BBQ spots in SD.

While I think there is room for improvement with some of their recipes, let's support and keep Coop's open! I will update this after my next visit so I can review some of the...

Coops is a barbecue eatery that also has soul food sides as well as traditional side for barbecue meals.

San Diego has a lot of cue places but to be honest, Coop's outranks them all when considering taste, smoke, and sauce flavoring. There is no other place that makes Sweet Potato Pies this moist and perfectly balanced with smooth texture and sweetness.

There are only a couple of soul food restaurants in San Diego. One is located in downtown San Diego way overpriced another one is located in Paradise Valley but the food is hit and miss.

Boxed potato salad (blah), collard greens (fresh), yams (Sundays only), brisket- 5 ⭐'s.

What I can say about Coops is that it is consistently reliable for the flavor you may be seeking.

Once in awhile I had some ribs that did not meet the expectation but that's less noticeable than most noticeable. I would consider the portions to be fair related to the price when comparing to other cities or competitors that sell barbecue. While at the same time Coops charge extra for everythaaang.

Given the shortage in employees they are no longer taking phone orders. The line could be long you may wait 30 seconds up to 30 minutes. Waiting for your food may take 10 to 60 minutes. You probably shouldn't come here if you're really really hungry because you're going to have to wait but you will eat every bit of food that comes on your dish. Next door they have a fried fish and fried chicken establishment as well so that might be another great option.

You could bring your own turkey or ham and they'll smoke it for you for $4 a pound not a bad deal.

I believe we should patron local businesses that deliver...

The ssssalivation is REAL! Coop knows how to do it right! His Q is legit. Tasty, tender, juicy ribs n brisket that don’t need any sauce. Every bite that slides off the bone has loads of smokiness. They go down like buttahh... But, le’me tell you, that spicy sauce is so dope. It’s bursting with so much flavor and adds some heat to the bites. It’s just a cherry on top of the sundae. So ask for the spicy sauce. It’s so good. Their sides are all great. Starting with that cornbread. The pieces are huge and perfect. They have the right amount of moisture that they don’t get all crumbly n crummy. So yummy! I could stop there, but I love their bbq beans that have chunks of pineapple. Didn’t expect that my first time there when they first opened. But I’ve been a sucker for it ever since. If you don’t want something sweet, the red beans n rice are also great. They even have chunks of the brisket in it. I must say, I never really had collard greens till I discovered Coops. I’ve had it since at other places, but I really like the way they make the greens here. I always gotta have it on my plate to complete my scrumptious meal. I usually order for pick up and bring my stash home for the fam. There is limited seating inside and outside if you can’t wait to get home. The tortuous drive is the hardest part for me! Thanks for keeping the legend goin, Coop!

(The only drawback: the hours! Please stay open past 3pm. People don’t grab dinner before then. The business will at least triple if it stayed open to at least 6-7pm! And summer is coming! I’ll do (5) stars for...