3 Pigs BBQ - San Carlos

Spring is here and with it comes all sorts of things to do once the weather gets warmer. I'm talking BBQ, people! Here's a place that is about an hour from Santa Cruz, but I am dedicating this review to Conor since he lives close by. (Tell us what you think in the comment, buddy!) To get there, take 101 North, then Whipple Ave. exit to San Carlos.

3 Pigs website

At the end of the charming downtown, you will find 3 Pigs. It came up as highly recommended on Yelp, so let's give it a go. Plenty of street parking around.

Cool decor inside with a country BBQ vibe. Sports on the TVs and cold beer on tap. Scanning the menu, there was all the typical BBQ items with a few surprises. They have "loaded" Mac & Cheese (comes with meat) and Kale Watermelon Feta Salad. Also, fried chicken!

Julie went with the classic St. Louis ribs dinner (half-rack $20.50) with 2 sides - coleslaw and Quinoa salad. The pork was fall-off-the-bone good and she liked the salads too. She was especially happy with the choice of BBQ sauces at the table. She tried them all, but preferred the "house" sauce. The slaw was crunchy and tangy with a sprinkle of sesame seeds - delish!

Beside the house sauce, there was also Memphis (sweet), Spicy, Spicy Vinegar and Mustard. I tried all 5 and liked them all.

My choice for dinner was the Taco Sampler ($10) with shredded beef, chicken and pork. It also had onions, cilantro and a remoulade sauce on the side. I squirted sauces all over the tacos and went a little crazy, but was happily sedated with a full belly.

I think the tacos were more of a deal than the ribs, but we had to try them. Everything was quality, so it's worth the money. I'm coming back to try the mac'n cheese loaded. (The dish, not me...)

Scores out of 10:
Food: 8
Service: 6
Atmosphere: 7
Value for price: 7
Overall: 7

Cole's BBQ

The foggy weather on East Cliff made me grab a hoodie and toss it in the backseat on my way to meet Alan for lunch. Ever since I reviewed Casa Rosita's (link) which is right next door, I'd been meaning to get back there for Cole's. Today was the day.

Cole's BBQ

This place is tiny! Like only three tables inside where you order at the counter. There's more room out on the deck.

After scouting the menu, I decided on the $10.95 Lunch Special - pork ribs, fries and garlic bread. They let me substitute the coleslaw for the fries. Alan went with the Tri-Tip sandwich and fries ($11.95).

Three meaty ribs were delivered to our table and my eyes got big. Yum! They had BBQ squeeze bottles, so on the sauce went. I took a bite and nearly burned my fingers. Let it cool down, bro! So I turned my focus to the slaw. It was flowing over the bowl and tasted crisp and fresh. Not too sweet, which is good. A satisfying crunch. The bread was soaked in garlic butter and was squished flat. I peeled off a section to share. Got a few fries in trade!

Alan's meal was huge! Thick cut fries with salt, pepper and some sugar I think. They were really great. I'm ordering more next time. His steak was cut thin and drenched in sauce. He gave a thumbs up as he devoured his lunch.

My ribs were okay, but too tough and chewing was a chore. It's should fall off the bone, right? Next time I will try the beef ribs. The coleslaw and fries were the stars today, as well as the tri-tip. The price is not a bargain, but reasonable. It is the only BBQ on East Cliff, so no nearby competition to lower prices. As for how it rates with other BBQs in town, I'll need more research, but Cole's is a step below Mission St. BBQ for me.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 7
Service: n/a
Atmosphere: 7
Value for price: 5
Overall: 6

Happy Hound - Los Gatos

I've been on a burger and hot dog kick lately. Must be the approaching summer. This cold weather needs to high-tail it outta here already! One fun place that's just over the hill in Los Gatos is the Happy Hound. It started in 1971, so you know they know what's up.

Happy Hound (Yelp)

There's only a few tables inside and several around the back, so when this place gets busy, to-go is the way to go. We got there at 6pm on a Saturday night and grabbed a couple stools at the counter.

The menu is basic - hot dogs, burgers, chicken sandwich, fries, onion rings and drinks/shakes. You can watch them grill it all up through the glass. So would the food be better than a Boardwalk snack shack or fast food?

Our first order was the Polish Dog ($5.95), which was on a roll with tomato, red onions, mustard and pickles. You get your food in a plastic basket with checkered wax paper. The sausage was grilled perfectly and the roll was toasted. So far, so good!

We got the medium fries ($2.95) instead of the small and the massive size. The massive one would feed an entire little league team since it filled the whole bag. Medium was enough for the two of us, but the fries weren't spectacular.

The onion rings ($3.95) were actually pretty great! They come with either ranch or BBQ sauce and the batter was thick and crispy. They use some sort of seasoning on it and it was a step above the norm.

I was feeling like a burger and got the basic ($4.95) with lettuce, red onion, tomato and pickles. I couldn't get a lot of flavor from the meat, unfortunately, so I'd have to rate it sub-par. A bit too much onion too, so I took off most of it.

I don't know a lot of places in Los Gatos to get a hot dog, so I'd guess this is the place to go. I'd definitely come back for the onion rings, but would stay away from the burgers.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 6 (+1 for onion rings)
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Value for price: 6
Overall: 5.50

Hindquarter Bar & Grille

Well, hello everybody and welcome again to the SC Food Blog (tip of the hat to Evan). Today we are talking ribs and one of the best places in town is the Hindquarter, downtown. Just over the bridge from CVS, across from Riverside Lighting.

Hindquarter website

We went on a Wednesday night about 6pm and it was crowded. Not "can't find a table" crowded, but we got the last parking spot in their lot (score!). There's plenty of street parking around back. We heard they extended the Santa Cruz Restaurant Week prix fixe menu, so we had to try it. You get an appetizer, entree and dessert for $25. My folks went and raved about the French Onion soup and Creme Brûlée.

The hostess seated us right away and also brought us some bread and water. After our drinks were ordered, we ordered our meals. Our sever was busy with lots of tables and was a bit slow to get back to us. Maybe more people were there for the $25 deal.

Man, Dad was right! This delectable French Onion Soup was so tasty. It was hot and all the cheese was melty. The onions were translucent and the broth was very good (not too salty). The bread on top soaked in all the soup and made for a nice texture. A++! We were both very happy we both ordered this.

Next up was my entree, St. Louis Ribs plus mashed potatoes and cole slaw. This is what the HQ is all about. Ribs and steaks. The pork melted off the bone and made my fingers all saucy. In a good way. The slaw had a peppery taste, which balanced off the cool crunch. And who doesn't like mashed taters? Everything on this plate was top notch.

She got the Margartita Steak with sautéed Brussel Sprouts and a baked potato. The beef had a tart, green sauce over it and it didn't taste right to her. Luckily, it was easy to brush off. I tried it and it was okay, but not a good match for the steak. She liked the potato, but was disappointed with the sprouts. They were cooked through, limp and soggy. Better to have them crispy.

Dessert was the Creme Brûlée and it had a nice crunch to the top. Any food you have to crack to get to is okay by me. I'm looking at you, Mr. Egg. Anyway, the caramelized sugar on top matched perfectly with the silky custard underneath. She was very happy and even let me try a bite.

This was because I ordered the Hot Fudge Brownie with vanilla ice cream and she wanted a bite back. The presentation on this dish left a lot to be desired, but tested great. The fudge was warm and dripping down the chocolate walnut-filled brownie. Too bad it looked like an afterthought. But the flavors were all there.

This is the main dining room and they have several other rooms off of this. Also, the sports bar is around the corner with TVs and a full bar. Check out their happy hour (4:30-6:30pm) for good deals. And their website lists daily specials and sometimes a coupon too.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 7 (but 10 for the ribs)
Service: 6
Atmosphere: 7
Value for price: 7
Overall: 6.75

Mission St. BBQ

I'd been meaning to get over to Mission St. BBQ for a blog post, but I knew I needed an expert to help with the review. There's nobody else close to my son Chris when it comes to a love of BBQ.

Website (Facebook page)

We got there late for dinner around 7:15pm, but the place was busy. There's menus on the shelf when you walk in and they have all the standard meats and sides for a BBQ place. This place has the same owners as Aptos St. BBQ, so if you've been there, it's the same menu.

This place used to be a KFC and then it was an Italian place. Since I work close-by, my co-workers and I were very happy to see a BBQ place move in. Lots of tables inside and few on the patio too. They also have an extensive beer list with several taps. Check out Wednesday for a $5 pint night. We ordered and then got cups for the soda machine ($2.49 each).

Chris went with the Pulled Pork dinner ($9.99) with 2 sides (beans and potato salad). It also came with toasted bread and hog wash. What's that, you ask? Hog wash is a vinegar/pepper sauce if you like your meat tangy. It's a nice extra. He was happy with the hearty meal and didn't even finish all the beans.

I went with the Westside Combo ($8.99), which is a choice of three of their meats and bread and a side. I got the tri-tip, pulled pork and a beef rib. I was a little sad when it was brought out to me... was this going to fill me up? The tri-tip was very tender and flavorful, but I wished I had more. The pork was great, but the rib had barely any meat on it. Good thing I could finish Chris' beans!

There's not another BBQ on the Westside of town, so this is it. Luckily, they fill the bill with good quality food, but I would knock them for the portions. I guess when you are the only one around, you can charge what you want.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 7
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Value for price: 5
Overall: 6