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Smokin J's BBQ - Gaslamp, San Diego, CA

Smokin J's BBQ - Gaslamp

4.7 (43)
$30 and under
Barbecue
751 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 5 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Good for groups
  • Good for special occasions
  • Lively
Grab your partner and hitch up that wagon, Smokin J's BBQ is now open in the Gaslamp Quarter! Located 5 minutes from the Convention Center, and a mere 10 minutes from Petco Park or the Rady Shell by foot, we are your new favorite spot for slow-smoked brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and craft beer. Smokin J's BBQ won Reader Magazine's poll for Best BBQ in San Diego in 2022 and at our spot in the Gaslamp Quarter we strive to create a warm and inviting atmosphere perfect for date nights, family outings, Sunday football, weekend brunch, or for anytime you want eat a great meal with great people. Open for lunch, dinner, and breakfast on the weekends, we offer plenty of indoor seating, a spacious bar, and patio seating.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Barbecue, American, Breakfast
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Fri 11:00 am–9:00 pm Sat, Sun 10:00 am–9:00 pm Brunch Fri–Sun 11:00 am–1:30 pm Happy Hour Mon–Fri 3:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Rick Daniels
  • Catering
    Contact us for downtown catering options at josh@smokinjsrealbbq.com
  • Private party facilities
    Rent out our entire 2,000 sq. ft., open floor plan, dining room any day of the week. Located in a historic building in the historic Gaslamp District, we will help you host an historic event!
  • Private party contact
    Joshua George: (703) 314-1486
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Cross street
    We validate for the Horton Plaza parking garage across the street.
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Entertainment, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • The Happiest Hour

    Multiple dates available
    $4 draft beer and $4 pulled pork sliders! That's right folks, Happy Hour at Smokin J's BBQ is a tasty little treat from 3p-5p every day we are open. For a whopping $8 you can be the proud owner of a pint of local craft beer and a pulled pork slider. See you there!
    The Happiest Hour Photo

Private dining

What 43 people are saying

Smokin J's BBQ - Gaslamp reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

43 Reviews
  1. Jennifer VIP

    Phoenix10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was amazing! Service was great. If you like BBQ definitely give it a try.

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  2. Marian VIP

    Philadelphia45 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 10, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We loved the food Great rib tips, brisket Cole slaw, corn bread The place was welcoming and the service was great I like a place where you can chat a little with the host or the wait staff This place is an overall neighborhood gem If we lived in San Diego we would be regular visitors

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  3. Riley

    Unspecified1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food here was excellent in a comforting atmosphere and friendly staff. Blueberry cobbler as well as the brisket fries are a MUST. Brisket chili was also phenomenal.

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  4. Robert

    Unspecified1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Loved it for vday with the wife and the beer was solid. The meat was even better and would recommend the brisket for sure. The lighting was nice and romantic despite being a “bbq joint.” My only complaints was the mac and cheese was light on taste but i like my mac rich so im bias and also the corn bread had an excellent sweet flavor but was a tad dry but might just of been an older batch so I added extra butter. Overall really nice experience and will be going back for that brisket and beer. 9.5/10

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  5. Josh

    N. Ireland2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 1, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Overall good very good food on offer but would have liked to see something like the tv meal menu option but with the choice of 2 meats on the tray. Service was ok, staff spent a lot of time busy with each other although the restaurant was very quiet. My biggest issue on the service side was when it came to paying the check. I was not offered an itemised check and just presented with a card machine that with my total to which I added a tip. After paying I did the math and realised that a service charge must have been added to my bill without this being made clear as I was not presented an itemised bill, nor is it stated on the menus or website (we were a table of 2). I felt pretty annoyed and a bit cheated. Make sure you request an itemised bill!!!

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  6. Bernhard

    New York City5 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on January 19, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Good food for a reasonable price, ambience could be nicer

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  7. Rolando

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined on December 28, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Excelente servicio de todos. Buena comida y muy abundantes las cantidades.

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  8. Maxwell

    San Diego2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on December 17, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Smokin' J's BBQ is a gem unbeknownst to us. My wife and I were attending an event at the Balboa Theater and were looking to make a reservation close to the venue. Smokin' J's is literally across the street...it couldn't be more convenient. Everything was excellent, the service was outstanding, the food was delicious with very ample portions. Even though we live in Encinitas, we will go back downtown to dine at Smokin' J's again. To us, it was a hidden gem.

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  9. Ellen

    Seattle18 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on November 13, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Food was good but not great. The ambience was trying a bit too hard to be cool and on theme. Service was very good.

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  10. Eric

    Los Angeles1 review

    5.0

    Dined on November 11, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was delicious and portions were good. I was really surprised the place wasn’t absolutely packed when considering the value.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Smokin J's BBQ - Gaslamp offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 795-1456.

Smokin J's BBQ - Gaslamp is rated 4.7 stars by 43 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Diego
  4. San Diego
  5. Downtown

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 5 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Smokin J's BBQ - Gaslamp

751 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Additional information

  • Cross street
    We validate for the Horton Plaza parking garage across the street.
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Fri 11:00 am–9:00 pm Sat, Sun 10:00 am–9:00 pm Brunch Fri–Sun 11:00 am–1:30 pm Happy Hour Mon–Fri 3:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Barbecue, American, Breakfast
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Rick Daniels
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Entertainment, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    Contact us for downtown catering options at josh@smokinjsrealbbq.com
  • Private party facilities
    Rent out our entire 2,000 sq. ft., open floor plan, dining room any day of the week. Located in a historic building in the historic Gaslamp District, we will help you host an historic event!
  • Private party contact
    Joshua George: (703) 314-1486
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