Carmen & Family Bar-B-Q

I wish I could comment on more than the links, beans, greens, cornbread and sweet potato pie, but that’s all I get. EVERY TIME!!! And its good as hell. EVERY TIME!!! Excellent and attentive customer service. Be careful with the hot sauce, its got some fire.

Been going here for more than twenty years. Consistently the best ribs around and I’ve had bbq everywhere. Only caution, be careful with the hot sauce. It can be dangerous.

I have been coming to this place for a few years now whenever in the Fremont area trying to support one of the few bbq joints left in the bay, though I have always thought of this place to be mediocre at best considering it doesn’t even have a real wood burning smoker on the premises. Over the past two years I’ve noticed two price increases along with skimpier portions. For $ 9.50 plus tax you’ll get a lunch plate with the equivalent of 1 hot link cut up thin, laid flat and spread out all around the plate to make it appear to be full, topped off with some watery, tasteless BBQ sauce, a small scoop of Costco grade potato salad and one generous slice of bread cut up in half.

Hands down the best BBQ I’ve had from a restaurant in my entire life. Been eating here my entire life and have yet to find any other place that can compare. I also have to mention that I highly doubt you will find any other place in the East Bay that provides better BBQ sauce. It’s a consequential missed opportunity to not stop here on your trip to the promise land of food euphoria.
Meal of choice:
Beef and Link Combo

Ive been here hella times. Always the same very consistant with quality of their food. It doesnt matter what you get youll love it. Everything is just sooo delicious!

Outstanding. I don’t know how Smoking Pig or Texas Roadhouse even exist when there is real BBQ to be had at Carmen’s.
The greens are one side dish not to be overlooked.
The brisket has always been delicious every time– and they will give you fatty pieces if you ask– but my favorite are the beef links. Can’t go wrong with a combo of the two and collards on the side.

Don’t let this unassuming place fool you. It has amazing premium BBQ at a reasonable price.
We had the brisket, ribs, beans and potato salad. Everything was fantastic. He gave us a taste of a hot link too. The sauce comes in three heats and it is not thick at all which concerned me. No worries because the viscosity allows for the sauce to soak into all the nooks and crannies. Each bite bursts in your mouth with great BBQ flavor.
One of Carmen’s kin runs the joint and he is one of the nicest guys around. If it is not too busy have a chat.
Stop in for the great smell and you will be hooked.

Just got back from Carmen’s where I sopped my plate clean with a slice of bread. I had the two-​meat combo of ribs and links and a side of baked beans. The links were the best links I have had so far in my life – beefy and moist and just perfect and dare I say it, better than Everett & Jones. The baked beans were perfectly cooked and porky with just enough onion to brighten it up. Just be warned, the medium sauce is pretty spicy, my tongue is still a little bit burning from it. Best barbecue in Fremont. If you have a barbecue itch or you are under the mistaken impression that Smoking Pig is good barbecue, you need to eat here now.

My Boss just brought me some Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Corn Bread, Mac n Cheese! Also the medium BBQ sauce. Have to say it was really good. I finished all and am full! Never had Jerk chicken before and it was little spicy hut vary flavorful. Dipping chicken in the sauce was the best. I should have ordered the yams cause he did and they we bomb! Next time.

Moved away from the Bay 20+ years ago and now I’m back, had to visit one of my favorite spots and after not having this BBQ IN 20 years, eating there for the first tonight was like heaven. Still some of the best tasting BBQ around.
Keep up the excellent work and please keep producing this wonderful BBQ! Had a link & Rib combo absolutely delicious it brought back the greatest memories.

As always, great food! Brisket and beef links are my favorite combo. Corn bread is a must.

Family run operation that really needs a lesson in making true «Q». I ordered the brisket lunch with the sauce on the side. Be careful when selecting the sauce. I asked for hot and am glad I had it on the side. It was nuclear! Had they put it in the meat as is typically done, I wouldn’t have been able to eat it.
The brisket was disappointing. I’m not sure how it was cooked cut it didn’t appear to be smoked. There was no ring and the pieces were on the dry side. Where’s the juicy, fatty parts? The potato salad was ok.

Not good BBQ
Pork Ribs — 1 Star Meat is tender and falls off the bone but it’s been cooked and burned a few times. The taste is horrible.
Beef Links — 1 Star Meat taste blah and burnt. Would have much more taste if they did not slice and return the links
BBQ Sauce (mild) — 2 Stars flavor ok but not great.
BBQ Sauce (medium) — 1 Star spicy with bad flavor
Collard Greens — 3 Stars Good flavor just needs salt
Potato Salad — 3 Stars Good flavor just needs salt.
Other reviews are ok to good, so maybe I just went on the wrong day. I will try again and update my review if it gets better.

Wow! Nice to have a REAL BBQ place in town.
The links are by far the best I’ve had. As a Chef I am a Link connoisseur and these guys do it perfect! Sauce compliments well. I am a huge Spicy food lover but over time I can’t handle it like I used to do to health reasons. The medium is perfect! portions are good sized. Just quality BBQ the way it should be. Sit at the counter and order some BBQ, have a Coke bottle or a beer and watch a ball game. Carmen’s does not disappoint!

Haven’t been here in 7 years and this place is still as good as always! Rob still makes the killer barbecue! Love this place!

This is basically a take-​out place with a few tables. If you eat there expect paper plate service.
The ribs are smokey with a nice tang. But there are a bit over cooked and a little tough. The hot links are very good and tasted fresh. Nice selection of beers on tap.
Everything is pre-​cut (or to be more accurately hacked with a cleaver) which is fine for the links and brisket but you need to watch out for slivers of bones in the ribs.

We always pass by Carmen’s and always plan on going but im so glad i finaly tried it. Ribs is bomb! Specilally the hot sauce. I didnt enjoy the links as much as I enjoyed the ribs. I cant wait to try the chicken and their corn bread.

I love trying out independent mom & pop restaurants, and I am always in the mood for a good BBQ joint. I found «Carmen & Family Bar-​B-​Q» when I was doing work near Fremont Blvd. I decided to try them out during my lunch break. I ordered their chicken combo plate, which includes a scoop of potato salad and bread. Even though I was the only customer there, it still took a while for them to prepare my food; but at least I knew that my chicken was going to be served fresh to me. The chicken was good, but the portions was very small. I felt that it wasn’t worth the difference in quality compared to quantity that you would get at a chain BBQ restaurant.
I don’t really see myself coming back here again, unless another co-​working or friend is interested in dining here. If you want to support your local businesses, their food is decent enough to dine here; but you can find a better BBQ restaurant elsewhere in the Fremont area.

I am new to California and Fremont. Tried Carmen’s for the first time. Really good.
It’s not much for atmosphere but who cares. Just BBQ joint. They have a couple craft beers on tap which is great.
I had the two meat combo with chicken and brisket. Both were delish. Sides of potato salad and beans were not very good though. Had to dock a star because of that.
And there is Robert, the only person working there. What a nice guy. Really friendly and accommodating. But he is alone so be patient. He works very hard to get the orders out quickly and all things considered does a great job of it. But again, he is alone so if multiple customers are waiting he can easily get backed up. So be prepared for that possibility.
Great spot. I will be back often.

Aaaaassss we enter this establishment we notice it’s very out dated, but still very we’ll kept and clean. Old school «insert letters here» type of menu, but with two huge LED TVs to watch the games. ALSO, the chef gave us samples and said this is our best stuff tonight, which was the brisket.
Now to the food…
Ribs dinner plate
— Ribs were good not the best, it did come off the bone
— good thing is they serves RIB TIPS which were delicious, don’t get mad if it’s dry (they’re supposed to be dry!)
— sauce yes this is a sauce BBQ spot so they one of the best sauces I’ve ever had it ranges from trad, mild, spicy, hot, really hot
Brisket
— very moist not over cooked and delicious
— sauce yes this is a sauce BBQ spot so they one of the best sauces I’ve ever had it ranges from trad, mild, spicy, hot, really hot
Potato salad
— it’s actually not store bought and very tangy and tasty! I give it a ⁷⁄₁₀
Cornbread
— dry they put honey on it to make it better but all I can say is dry…
I hope this helps, don’t skip it because of its looks, just try it!
Unilocal!