Leadbellys Barbecue

Can’t figure out why a place so good is sooooo small! We had to wait outside on the curb for 20 minutes to be seated. There are only a couple of tables, so if they are full you will be waiting.
The BBQ was average, I wouldn’t brag about it, but it’s not the best I’ve ever had. I will say the fries they serve are really good! The servers were excellent and very helpful and interact with us and met all our needs. I read on the reviews that the Mac and Cheese was outstanding, again I thought it was okay, but I’ve had better.
I wasn’t disappointed but I wasn’t overly excited either. Again, it’s good but not outstanding!

The food was delicious and service was good. I will be back and bringing more people with me.

All of the porks are probably the best in the area, but i think the supporting cast of appetizers is what made me think, I wish there was more. The only dish that comes to mind is the fries that had an apocalypse of pork on top. It was really probaby too much fat that I couldn’t even take it. That’s probably why college kids can go to this place and love it because they can handle such obcene food, that I kinda wish I was younger for that. My body can’t handle that anymore.
In any case, this place is a try, but it is AOK. Nothing stops me from driving to San Marcos or San Diego to go to Phil’s Bbq though. A better option that I prefer is actually Meat Up BBQ not to far from here in Placentia. I did enjoy the food. Thank you.

Order the pulled pork, brisket, and pork belly plate. Also the pork belly garlic fries.
It was a disappointment for me. The only thing that taste good is the fries and pulled pork…

It was good but it wasn’t THAT great. The fries are pretty overrated if you ask me, but satisfying nonetheless. Wouldn’t pick this place again, but maybe it’s bc I’m not a big BBQ fan anyways.

I wanted to LOVE this place, I really did. But after eating here I found myself saying, «I wish Unilocal would let me give half stars». This place isn’t quite a 4 OR a 3 star. It’s a 3.5. The food was good. Just good. Macy (spelling?) was an excellent server. Overall our party of 6 left satisfied with no real complaints.
I ordered the 2 meat combo and opted for the brisket and pork belly, after being told they were out of Burnt Ends. We were all a little disappointed about that btw. My two sides were cornbread and the jalapeño mac & cheese. The meats were good. The brisket was juicy and the pork belly was crispy. The jalapeño mac was delicious (probably my favorite) and sadly my cornbread had a hint of staleness to it.
Something was missing here and I can’t put my finger on it. The best way I can explain it is: Leadbelly’s falls somewhere between a backyard BBQ & Lucille’s. And for the prices, I expected more. Perhaps more flavor or maybe bigger portions? Option 3 would be keeping everything the same and dropping the prices a little.

Disclaimer: friends&family in Texas makes me a pretty snobby bbq eater. I ordered the brisket and house sausage. Next time I’ll probably try the pork ribs
Brisket– the flavor was nice. However, it wasn’t so much that it was DRY as that it was lean. It’s hard to find well marbled brisket here though, so that’s just how it is. I compensated for the lack of fat by drenching it in their sweet sauce (which I liked!)
Sausage — suspicious. It was good, but it was too thinly sliced (also presliced) and smooth for me to think it’s homemade. The flavor was actually excellent– they give it a quick stirfry with some onions and such, no need for BBQ sauce. Again, however, it just didn’t seem like house sausage to me. Please note that I mean this in a sausage from a Texan BBQ joint way. Otherwise it was tasty and I will reorder this when I want sausage.
I am grateful that there’s decent BBQ near me, though. DEFINITELY will be coming back when I am craving BBQ.

Great place love the food everything is so juicy and fresh love the pork belly fries and I can’t go wrong with a Pabst blue ribbon good old American beer

Unilocal challenge ⁰³¹⁄₃₆₅
Ok what i love here is the cornbread. Its bomb.
The pork belly fries. I mean cmon what a horrible sight. San gyup sal gamja. Omggggosssh i wanted to eat so bad. I dont eat pork and avoid salt so i just took pics of it. My buddy loved em but he likes taco bell so yeah.
Portions are generous for some items like the two mentioned above.
Bbq sauces. Homemade. Very nice. Sweet vinegary one and a spicy one. I was using both. At minimal of course.
The chicken was whatever. It tasted like el pollo loco.
Bbq beans sucked. Didnt like too much.
Homie got brisket. Three long but thin slices.
If we didnt get appetizermy buddy not full. And i had to eat the house bread to be full.
Service was good but they did forget my soda so i sat there a few minutes b4 i realized they forgot.
Serves beer and has sports on tv.
Comfort food = yes.
Southern bbq = hell no. Its cali bbq.

Three stars because the brisket was dry. Can’t give a BBQ place high ratings if the brisket isn’t good. Bit of a shame cause the pulled pork was juicy and tender.
The loaded pork garlic fries were the answer to all my pork prayers. You get a huge plate of crispy seasoned fries that are smothered with pork, cheese, and a delicious house BBQ sauce. Spicy, sweet, crunchy, and savory with a hit of acid from the BBQ sauce. I was in heaven. Don’t let the pictures fool you, the plate is huuuuge. My group of four were unable to finish the dish.
Sides were hit or miss for me. The collard greens were fresh and perfectly cooked. The creamed corn was watery. The bread was a thicker version of the the generic Wonderbread kind you’d find at a grocery store — underwhelming. I plan on sticking to fries and trying out a sandwich next time.
Overall, generous portions, cozy/​casual environment, great beer selection (solid craft choices), and friendly service.

I’m surprised I haven’t written a review for this place. I’ve eaten here a dozen times or so. Recently for take out twice in the last month and a half or so.
Their tri tip and brisket sandwiches are good, the bread didn’t get soggy (even for ordering to-​go) and the spicy mustard is excellent.
The meat plates have plenty of options and I ALWAYS try to get burnt ends if they still have them because charred meaty deliciousness defines BBQ for me. The sides are all delicious too, even the baked beans and I actually hate baked beans normally. They’re more smokey than sweet and that’s probably why. You get a plain piece of bread to sop up all the juices and the only way to improve the meal would be to warm the bread somehow.
The loaded pork garlic fries are amazing and enough to feed 2 people as a meal or 4+ as a filling appetizer and the weird/​slightly sweet white gravy sauce stuff they serve with it is surprisingly good on the fries.
Their BBQ sauce is really good. The spicy has the right amount of heat, and the sweet is a little smokey and not too sweet for my taste.
I like that they offer a wedge salad because even though it’s so simple, it seems like only major restaurants have them and it’s my favorite.
Last but not least, the employees are awesome. They are polite, prompt, and attentive. They can get busy, but it’s a small place so the service has never been bad, and ordering over the phone has never been a hassle either. My order is always ready when they say it will be and I get out quickly.

My first review for 2016!
This place is awesome. I had to find a place to eat coming home from church. This place has been on my bookmark for some time now and decided to come here. I was with a couple of boys, so I knew they would enjoy a more meaty meal. We arrived before six and got a table right away. This place is located right off the freeway.
We decided to share the pork garlic fries. This thing was delicious. I love fries. The most epic thing on this was the fried pork belly. It was crunchy on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside. I would just want to come back, time and time again for this. Lucky, I don’t live in the area. The pork garlic fries also come with a side of gravy. Dipping my fries in the gravy sauce was wonderful. Mmmmm.
My husband ended up getting the two plate meal. He got brisket and tri-​tip for me. His sides were cream corn and corn bread. I also added a side of jalapeño n bacon mac and cheese. I really enjoyed my mac and cheese. The tri-​tip was good. Corn bread was moist but I had better. I was one happy camper.
Overall, great place to come eat. There isn’t too many tables and seats, so I can see how this place can get busy, however, they do have fast service.

This place is awesome! I’m so glad we came here and it’s all thanks to another place not having their liquor license yet and me really wanting a beer!
I had trouble deciding because everything sounded so good on the menu. I ended up going for the chicken and smoked sausage étouffée and it was bomb! It was pretty spicy and the chicken and sausage were super delicious and the dish was creamy and perfect. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
We started with an order of pig in a peppers and they were pretty good too. We were early on a Saturday night and lucked out with sitting down right away but I’ve seen some of the pics here of this place packed and with good reason. The service was great and our waiter was friendly and helpful.
We will definitely be back; I’ve gotta try those pork belly fries!

Came here to try out what every Unilocaler has been posting – the Pork Belly garlic fries. I figured this would be a good birthday dinner before the holidays. The order is quite large and can be a meal in itself. There’s a good amount of pulled pork under the pork belly. There’s suppose to be bacon pieces also but we didn’t see any. The fries underneath were good. They taste homemade and not frozen. Overall a very good dish.
We also had a one meat plate of Tri-​tip which was very tender. It came with two sides but nothing looked that great, so we got a salad and hush puppies.

Leadbelly’s Barbecue makes the culinary grade.
Like Pizza, SoCal’s Barbecue chops are pretty darn pathetic with very few exceptions (okay, one in the case of Barbecue: Bludso’s in Compton). Leadbelly’s Barbecue is a start in the right direction to reverse the age old trend of barbecue suckdom here in OC. Located in a nondescript strip mall in a forgotten section of Fullerton off the 57 one would be forgiven for not even knowing the place exists, even as a local, but one would be missing out on a hidden gem. The smell of ‘cue blasts you as you walk in and if you think Korean Barbecue can have you smelling like smoke, just wait until you leave Leadbelly’s!
I had wild animals chasing me to my car.
The menu is quite large for the genre and offers Sandwiches, Burgers and even Cobblers along with the usual Barbecue suspects. By waitress direction I went with the 1 meat combination featuring Tri Tip, Creamed Corn and Jalapeño Mac & Cheese. All plates come with Texas toast flanking the goods. Plate costs kick off at $ 15.00 and you can rack up a healthy bill quickly if you add on the sides and meat.
I will start with the side dishes because they were both phenomenal. The Jalapeño Mac & Cheese came loaded with a pile of Bacon bits atop it and featured a creamy/​cheesiness that all other Mac & Cheese should strive to become. It also had the perfect kick of heat in the closing notes. One of the best I have in ages. The Creamed Corn was also no slouch: a loose slurry of savory corn flavor riddled with niblets. I cannot stress enough how «on game» Leadbellys Barbecue is in the sides department.
The Tri Tip was also very good, but sadly not exceptional. The rub is high in black pepper which is a novel change to the Santa Maria seasoning most Californians have come to expect and the cuts of beef packed plenty of smoky punch but the meat was cooked well beyond medium rare. This forced the use of the homemade sauce that is supplied on the tables, which moistened the experience, but also lessened it. I prefer barbecue to be a sauce free event. Deal killer? Hell no… I still finished the entire plate.
It is easily apparent that Leadbellys Barbecue takes themselves as well as their craft seriously and I commend their efforts because we need more real Barbecue spots locally. I am excited to return for another visit soon to see if their Brisket can bring on a 5^th star.

This is one of the better BBQ restaurants in Orange County. I have been here three or four times, and here are my favorites so far:
Pulled Pork Nachos: Exactly what it sounds like — imagine regular nachos topped with a hefty pile of pulled pork. This is a pretty large dish — definitely meant to be shared.
Loaded Pork Garlic Fries: Like the nachos, the loaded fries are very tasty with chunks of garlic, pork belly, and lots of melted cheese. I would choose either the nachos or the fries as an appetizer, unless you have a very large group of people.
Burnt Ends: These delicious, juicy little cubes of flavor are BBQ heaven. Either arrive early or call ahead to reserve these as they usually run out by dinnertime.
The meat combos are generally quite large. I typically order a two or three meat combo plate and share with my boyfriend, depending on how hungry we are. The atmosphere is pretty casual. There are a few TVs and they carry a good amount of beer on tap, so this is a good place to go for a game.

Great discovery — right next to the Holiday Inn Fullerton.
We needed to find a place with some good gluten free options — so called to double check — no problem, come on in.
First of all, the pulled pork nachos — holy cow — order that to share with a big bunch of people!
We also ordered the 3 meat combo (Brisket, Pulled Pork and Hot links) — brisket was tasty and tender. The pulled pork was very good, and the hot links were terrific!!! The spicy mac-​n-​cheese was pretty good, but the beans were fabulous!
Head over to Leadbellys and get your BBQ on! You won’t be disappointed!

The pork belly fries ($ 12) were awesome. My boys said it was the best fries they ever had! The burgers are massive and can definitely be split amongst 2 kids. Both my boys had more than a half leftover each.
The Cobb salad could be a lot better if they used better lettuce like romaine instead of ice berg.
Service could be a lot better. We stood in the front for awhile before someone greeted us. The server shorted us a whole place setting (fork and plate), maybe she didn’t notice my daughter? And the check took forever to get go us… When we did receive the check I took it upon myself to drop it off to the front counter, I just figured no one would come pick it up.
PS yes I know you were busy but just saying. I’m a server to and multitasking should be skill learned!

For some reason I always mistakenly call this place lardbellys. Probably because I feel like a lard after stuffing my face with all the wonderful food!
But nonetheless leadbellys is a great bbq spot with great food! The loaded pork fries are my favorite. The meats and gravy on that thing results to a party in my mouth. You should get this if you come, be sure to share though because this portion is huge. I also love the cream corn so I would recommend getting a side as well.
The décor inside is fun to look at, and I’ve always had amazing service here. Whenever I come food comes out on time and even though I feel like a lard after the food is still delicious.
Plus parking is never an issue since it is located in a random plaza with no traffic! If you’re on a diet don’t come here, but if you want some satisfying BBQ then you should stop by!

I ordered the three meat combination plate for $ 19.
Pork belly — It was in the shape of thick bacon. But, the meat did not taste like bacon nor did it have any distinctive pork flavor. The meat was overcooked and dry.
Brisket — This was the best of the meats. But, that is not stating much because the meat was dry and overcooked. It did have a slight smokey flavor.
Pork ribs — They provided me three very small pork ribs. The was no distinctive pork flavor and no BBQ smoke flavor. Also, the meat was dry and overcooked.
Jalapeño mac and cheese side — It tasted like normal mac and cheese with a little jalapeño flavor.
BBQ beans side — They tasted like regular pork and beans.
They provide you with sauces to put on your meat. The regular BBQ sauce did not taste very good. The Jalapeño BBQ was fairly good. It did not however taste very spicy nor did it have a jalapeño flavor.
Overall, Leadbelly’s is your typical OC BBQ joint which is very average in quality. It definitely does not compare to good BBQ joints in places like Texas or St. Louis.