Calhoun Family Texas Barbeque — Restaurant in Murrieta

Got there at 6pm on a Saturday, they close at 8pm, but were already out of some items including their sweet potato pies which reportedly sell out fast. They actually ended up closing at 7pm. I was still able to order a sampler plate but they substituted boneless chicken.

The place is a standard fast food layout with a small dining area (~20 seats) and everything is served in styrofoam containers with plastic silverware even when you eat there. At least the staff/family are very nice

As far as the food the first thing you notice is nothing is smothered in BBQ sauce, in fact the boneless chicken only had a very light dry rub. Unfortunately the best thing they sell is their BBQ sauce which isn't the best I've had but is very good, why they don't cook with it much or at all I don't understand.

Starting with the Baby Back Ribs while they did have a little BBQ sauce on them they definitely needed more. They had a very scorched flavor that still was apparent even after smothering with sauce, had very little meat to them that had to be chewed/scraped off the bone, very disappointed.

The boneless chicken was even worse, extreme scorched flavor, dry, almost inedible.

The pulled pork was good, but somewhat overcooked as it lost almost all consistency, the brisket was much better.

As for the sides they were a little small 4oz?? The potato salad was good with a strong mustard tang and a bit of black pepper, the BBQ brisket baked beans were average and had no noticeable brisket in them didn't hold a candle to Lucille's.

They were generous with (2) 4oz?? cups of their BBQ sauce I could use for dipping/smothering.

So honestly if this is the best that Murrieta/Temecula has to offer I'd prefer to drive...

As a long time resident, I tried Calhoun's today for the first time. For years, I've read and been told that this establishment has the best Texas BBQ in the county. I gave up going to a local brewery to satisfy my wife's hankering for some BBQ. Once inside, it was packed and 1 couple was waiting outside. That to me was a good sign. The place is small so we decided to order to go. I had the small spare rib plate (2 ribs) with coleslaw, and my wife got the small Baby Back (4) plate with potato salad. They were busy and the staff was friendly but moving fast! My spare ribs (2) we're dry but tasty; (I wondered if they were a day old). To help the dryness I use some of their BBQ sauce. It's the best I've ever tasted but was unfortunately the best part of my meal. The coleslaw was just ok, not bad, definitely not exceptional. A small dry bread roll was provided and it was nothing special. I asked my wife how her baby back ribs were. To our dismay, the (4) ribs she got had barely any meat on them and were very dry. She gave me one and I had to use a fork to get the meat off the bone. I wondered if they were a day old. The meat was so tough. I honestly didn't eat it. I asked her how her potato salad was and she said it was okay. She agreed the barbecue sauce was the best part of the meal. We even saved what little we had left. From all the reviews I've seen and the word of mouth reviews, that was pretty disappointing. I expected more, especially having paid $35 for small portions. I know this establishment has high reviews. I'm hoping I just stumbled in on a bad day. I'm going to give it another try but it certainly wasn't worth my...

I stopped by on Friday with a friend of mine. She wasn't really hungry so she asked me to order her Natural Cut Fries and Potato Salad. I ordered myself, Half Chicken and Mac N Cheese. I had to wait a bit to get help, but I was understanding because I've worked restaurants before. Mrs. Calhoun's (owner) took my order then I sat in a table. After she helped few customers behind me, she asked me if I wanted an additional plate since she noticed I came with my friend. I said yes, and thank you. People kept coming in to order and others were waiting on their orders. I immediately knew this place was going be good. Once she brought our food, she noticed the table was a bit dirty so she immediately cleaned it herself before giving us our food. I loved the BBQ flavor sauce and the chicken was tender. The Mac N Cheese had black pepper and good cheese texture. I also would like to mention the cup size was perfect for my feasting. I will definitely be back! She gave good service, the food is flavorful. Even my friend liked the food a lot. I plan to go again and this time take my sister and mom with me. I hope and know that in the near future Calhoun's Family Texas BBQ will get a bigger location so there is more seating. I will definitely be able take my siblings and their kiddos. But in the meantime I might just need place a catering order and just let my family try it here at the house, no matter what Calhoun's Family is serving our communities with flavorful BBQ meals, good heart and staying strong through it all. Thank you for my first time experience and everything your doing to keep going with...