Bailey BBQ

Came to Julian to get some yummy pie and was so sad to see this place is closed. Definitley was my favorite bbq place around. Pulled up to a few people in front to see if it was actually closed and they were the group that was supposed to play there tonight. I guess it was a sudden closing. :(

Hopefully rumors of this establishment’s plan to close are greatly exaggerated. It’s a fine bar with heavy pours and cold beer, a lone outpost of cool in a touristy locale. The pulled pork is fantastic.
Try to make it out when local favorite Nancarrow is on stage. You’ll want to stay all night!

I had been here once before and the service was great, along with our food!
We went back this weekend for Mother’s Day so granted it was super busy and it took a while, but our food was delicious, the server (s) were super nice, and even though we were freezing outside since we had our dogs, it was worth coming back to again.
Maybe next time they’ll have heaters for the outdoor seating but we definitely can’t wait to come back for some more pulled pork!

Old style Western tavern with homestyle BBQ food. I enjoyed the ambience of the restaurant– there is an old style stove with a fire and picnic tables. You feel like you are in The Andy Griffith Show or at Disneyland. The food was tasty, but my meat was somewhat cold in my sandwich and didn’t look like it was cooked all the way. Otherwise, my prime rib sandwich with bacon and fried onion rings was delicious and hit the spot.

This was probably the worst experience I’ve ever had at a restaurant. I do not like the idea of using Unilocal to spread negativity or bash on restaurants unnecessarily. Special exception for Bailey BBQ. If you are on the fence about this place, do yourself a favor and RUN the opposite direction.
We had a group of 9 hungry people. Came here after a four hour hike. When we got there, we could already tell they were understaffed, but stuck it out. How bad could it be? We were patient and understanding from the beginning. After over an hour of waiting for our food, our patience definitely wore thin. We were ignored when trying to get the attention from the staff. All the tables who came after us got their food already. When our friend walked up to our waiter, he couldn’t ignore us, he kept it real. The kitchen staff did not have their act together, did not know where our food was, our waiter told us he would leave if he were us, he even recommended a different place to eat and said he was ready to leave himself.
The experience at Bailey BBQ was worst than things I’ve watched on Restaurant Impossible. AVOID THIS PLACE.

We ate here after a nice hike and staff informed us that the fryer was down & was gonna be few hours before other BBQ was ready, sandwiches and salads were ok though. So we thought well that’s ok we’ll get the sandwiches. I got a pulled pork sandwich & my husband got the tri-​tip sandwich.
Unfortunately there was very little meat & on a soggy bun :(mine was supposed to have coleslaw on it and really only had about a tablespoon amount.

This is some of the best tri tip I’ve had! Staff was nice and attentive and food came out very quick. The portions were reasonable for lunch. Loved the atmosphere as well. We will definitely be coming back!

Holy New Years Weekend Julian. I didn’t know it would be this crazy out there but wowza, the place was PACKED. the streets were lined with people and pie shops had lines around the blocks.
We headed down the way to Bailey’s at the recommendation of a friend. Put our names in and settled in for what we were told would be a 45 minute wait. Dude, I sympathize with how crazy busy it was. People were haunting the poor hostess like she had state secrets on that clipboard. She did a great job maintaining her cool with impatient customers. As soon as she’d walk away for second, folks would poke around the list and menus as if there was something more to be said about the situation.
WE just chilled and sent a friend to get a pie. If we’re gonna wait in lines, might as well divide and conquer. If we hadn’t just finished hiking 4 miles I would have headed into the city and found another pile of meat but! We stayed anyways and patiently waited.
After a little over an hour (about 20 minutes longer than her estimate) we were escorted into the second building (with the bar) and sat at a comfy picnic table. We chatted with the hostess on our way in and expressed how cool she was under pressure. She said it’s like this every year on NY’s/Christmas weekends and even worse if there is snow.
My A-​ok has nothing to do with the wait, but everything to do with what happened next and my actual meal. Our server came to get our order and had to stop me as soon as I started talking to inform me that they were basically out of everything except pulled pork and Brisket. After waiting over an hour I had my heart set on ribs — what a bummer they were not better prepped for the busy holiday season. Brisket plate it is then. I ordered potato salad and onion rings for my sides. Onion Rings were great (how can they not be?) but the rest of my food fell short for me. My food was almost cold, and the brisket was tough and dry, the potato salad was just okay and I had to salt and pepper it a bunch.
The service was friendly and fine, food came out pretty quick — but at the end of the day it just wasn’t the quality I had hopefully waited in line for. Maybe we were getting the short end of the overcooked stick after a long busy day — but as the hostess herself said, it happens every year so they should have been more prepared. I also wished she had let us know they were out of everything as we were waiting — we would have stayed, but it would have managed out expectations well so that we were not dissapointed as soon as we sat down.

I had been wanting to try this BBQ spot for almost two years! I always saw it when I would take trips to Julian for a hike and grabbed pie after, but I finally did it!
The meat itself was not what I expected, but it wasn’t bad! Just really wish my food was hot, not warm! It wasn’t as tender as I had hoped, definitely a little stiff for my tastes. I got the beef brisket platter, and I guess I was hoping for a plate of hot BBQ. It came out a bit cold, and of course, I had to send it back for them to reheat. They brought it back just as warm. The baked beans were good but not very memorable. The beer-​battered onion rings, however, were delicious! They were perfectly crisp on the outside and the onion itself had a great taste. Dipped in ranch, perfection.
The service was a weird blend. The hostess was amazingly friendly, but my server seemed uncomfortable with the fact I was there alone. Yes, dining alone is a thing when you take a night trip to see the stars! (it’s actually not very hard to dine alone, you should try it some time if you haven’t already).
Overall, not sure I would visit again for the beef brisket, but I would def go back and get the sandwiches the whole world was ordering!

My girlfreind and I went here while visiting Julian for the day. Save your money and get a sandwich at the local corner store… I had the brisket plate with baked beans and mac-​n-​cheese. The brisket plate is $ 18 dollars and claims to be smoked to perfection. It’s tough meat (like chewing leather) and flavorless. The BBQ sauce is watery and flavorless as well. The beans were bland and flavorless as well. The mac-​n-​cheese is a thin, watery cheese on perfectly cooked noodles (so they do know how to cook noodles). My girlfreind had the ½ rack of baby back ribs with potato salad and onion rings. The ribs are ok. Not fall off the bone cooked but not terrible. However, the sides were also bland and flavorless. The potato salad was horrible. Lastly, the portions are small, not what you expect from a BBQ place.
On the bright side, Our server was very freindly. She did a fine job.
Just the food is terrible and the prices are to rip off tourists who won’t be back again. Note to ownership here: you can shear a sheep many times, but skin it only once.
We won’t be back to this place.

My boyfriend & I came here for dinner & were looking for a bar to watch Sunday Night Football. Customer service was friendly. I do not know what Pandora station they were listening to but it was on point! Mix of Hip Hop & Reggae! There is a stage in the corner for live concerts.
Bailey’s BBQ Nachos (Choice of Pulled Chicken or Pulled Pork) = Chips covered with cheese, sour cream, green onions, jalapeños, BBQ sauce, pulled pork — I highly suggest ordering something else if you come here. They give whole pieces of pork so it was not necessarily pulled pork. In addition, it was tough & dry, even with extra BBQ. Huge portion though, enough for 2.
We were also excited to try Hard Apple Cider but were informed that they did not have anymore, as well as many of there other beers…

My boyfriend and I were visiting Julian for the day and saw this BBQ place we wanted to try!
I didn’t like how the tables didn’t have back support, I have back problems and need to lean on something. The tables were like picnic tables.
We ordered the pork nachos as an appetizer. As soon as we got it we noticed the cheese was not melted at all and it was cold. We were trying to get our waitresses attention for a while, she finally came over right when we got our food delivered. We got the nachos sent back and got another order.
We both ordered baby back ribs, Mac and cheese, and Cole slaw. The ribs were delicious! They were a little difficult to cut, there definitely not fall off the bone ribs but they were still pretty tasty! The Mac and cheese was horrible. It was just noodle there was barley any cheese. Worst Mac and cheese I’ve ever had… we finally got our nachos again and they were perfect this time and very delicious! They tasted great with the BBQ sauce on them.
Overall the food was pretty good. Our waitress could of been more friendly, never once saw her smile.

My wife and I went to Julian for Labor Day with some friends and as we came into town, this was the first restaurant that we saw. Barbeque sounded great and the barbeque smell coming from the restaurant was filling the air so we walked in, gave our name, and waited a short time for our table. Only 10 – 15 minutes later, it was ready.
The food was super good and reminded me of the barbeque food in Memphis, TN. The meat had a nice smoky flavor to it and was super tender. We were all impressed with our meals and hope to go back to Julian one day soon so that we can eat there again. The only thing that they are missing is sweet tea. Please put it on your menu!!!

This is not a flashy place. In fact, it is really rural in style and décor. I’ve been to Julian many times, and have never noticed this nondescript restaurant.
While in Julian, my wife’s delicate olfactory sensor picked up eau-d’BBQ. She followed her nose and I followed her behind. I mean, behind her. We ended up at Bailey BBQ & Julian Brewing Company. But our previous stop was Nickel Beer Company, so we opted for BBQ dinners and lemonade as libation.
We were seated in a delightful 1600 square foot ‘converted’ barn, I mean just barely converted to restaurant use. The tables were classic wood picnic tables covered with oilcloth. There was a full drum set on one wall, indicating they have live music here. It’s very family-​friendly room, and the fullest definition of rustic. It’s available for private hoe-​downs, I was told.
She ordered the (half) Pulled Pork Sandwich ($ 7), which included a side of Garlic Parmesan French Fries. Other options were regular French Fries, Beer Battered Onion Rings, BBQ Beans, Potato Salad, Coleslaw, or Mac N Cheese, That is an outstanding range of choices!
The pulled pork was very tender, smokey and delicious. The BBQ sauce had a tangy taste and a little heat in the finish. I was permitted a bite, and found the sandwich to be quite good. The garlic Parmesan fries were out of this world good, not an exaggeration.
I became very busy attacking my massive plate of Baily’s BBQ Nachos with pulled pork ($ 10). The fresh homemade tortilla chips were smothered with cheese, sour cream, green onions, jalapenos, warm BBQ sauce, and way more pulled pork than I expected. It was an outrageously messy and delicious dinner for me, and no, I couldn’t finish it. I’ve never had nachos with BBQ sauce, and I recommend trying it here. Wow, what an interesting meal. Thankfully for all concerned, there was a well-​stocked napkin dispenser at the table.
BBQ sauce is a delicacy as well as a delicate subject. I found Baily’s sauce to be tangy, sweet, and with a residue of heat that was quite pleasant. Others who regard themselves as experts may not like it, or they might, I don’t care. I liked it.
The lemonade also tasted homemade, and I found it to be quite refreshing. Our server was attentive in an unpolished way, goes with the territory, I guess. Hoe-​downs, too.
As the BBQ wars rage in San Diego, Baily’s BBQ in Julian just keeps serving a delightful product at a very reasonable price. Note, the wait for the table was zero minutes, and the food arrived about 10 minutes after being ordered. Chew on that.

The BBQ is OK at best…
If you get something stick with the pulled pork. Brisket is over cooked and is tough and dry.
The sides are mediocre. But the local beer is pretty good. The worst part is the place smells and sounds amazing and the best part is the staff is really good.
The sauce lacks any originality and is forgettable. I have to try a different spot next time I go to Julian. I will stop in here again only to have some beer.

Solid 3 stars for BBQ.
The sauce is what makes or breaks the BBQ place and Baileys had an okay sauce. It’s wasn’t as flavorful as Phils or some others that I tried. There wasn’t enough tang to it if you know what I mean.
The meat itself was pretty good. I got the tri tip sandwich and it was a bit dry and so was the pulled pork. But it was definitely a generous portion. I had to drenched the sandwich in sauce. You can taste the smokiness and smell it as you approach the restaurant. I got the garlic Parmesan fries which turned out to be good.
It’s a good all American BBQ spot in Julian compared to the other restaurants around there, not many options. There’s not much to it but it’ll hold you over til the next meal.

Came on a Sunday around 6pm, only because the boyfie and I couldn’t find any other restaurant that looked good. First, we walked in and it looked like they had just finished cleaning up and were closed. All of the chairs were up on the tables and it was completely dead. But then we were redirected to the building next door, which was actually a bar. It looked like the picnic tables were just placed right on top of the square dancing floor. It was very dark inside and the tv’s were on, with no sound or captions.
We took our seats but it took us awhile to place our orders because there seemed to be only 2 – 3 actual working employees out of the 6 that I saw walking around and talking to the patrons sitting at the bar.
When we finally ordered, boyfie went with a tri-​tip sandwich and I went with the brisket and pulled pork combo plate.
Though service was not the best, the food was actually pretty good! We were very surprised. I think more than the meat being good though, it was the bbq sauce that made it good. The chew on the meat was good enough though. Soft and tender. For the sides, they were out of Mac and cheese and beans so I went for double garlic Parmesan fries. These fries… Are more like crispy flour dredged fries with a sprinkle of chopped, raw garlic. Not the best «Parmesan fries» but they were very crispy and delicious.
Out of the beer selections, I can’t remember what I had, but it was a lighter beer. It was pretty good. Nice and cold with a good crisp flavor and feel. Like a very upgraded bud light.
I started writing this review the day of, but it’s been a month or two now that I’m finally getting to finish this, so my memory is hazy. I just remember being pleasantly surprised and boyfie and I enjoyed our meal. If we go back to Julian, we probably will try another restaurant but if we’re in the mood for bbq while we’re there, we’ll probably be back.

Definitely not my favorite BBQ.
This is not a fancy place and the food is bland! Ambiance is non existence is this is an old house that was turned into a restaurant. There is one bar, one TV, and the tables are all picnic tables.
There was only one server for the whole restaurant and she couldn’t handle all of the tables. She was very sweet however. It took her about 15 minutes to greet us and another 15 minutes before we were brought waters. I ordered the half sized pulled pork sandwich with a side of macaroni and cheese (recommended by the server). The sandwich was bland and there was way too much fat versus meat. I had to drench my sandwich in BBQ sauce and the Mac and cheese was too cheesey and not the good kind. The cheese tasted like the fake kind of cheese. Luckily my friend ordered the potato salad which was good so I just ate all of his. The half sandwich is $ 7 and the full is $ 10. They also have plates that come with 2 sides. Plates will run you $ 10-​$ 30. Additional sides will run you $ 4 and include French fries, onion rings, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, garlic Parmesan fries, bbq beans, and coleslaw.
Will I be back? No. Was it horrible? No. I would say it was mediocre food.

Unfortunately was not impressed. We got the bbq pulled pork sandwich, burnt end brisket sandwich, and the brisket plate. Each san which had a side and two for the plate.
The one good thing was that they offer their sandwiches in half orders with a side. The French fries and onion rings were good. Both sandwiches was more bread than meat. The brisket plate was dry and tough to cut. Seemed to be cooked medium well.
Julian is a rather small town, so considering the limited choices available and that Julian isnt famous for BBQ, Baileys wasn’t bad. But I have definitely had much better BBQ elsehere.

I gave it a 2 star because it was ok. Their bbq sauce was too much for the tri tip sandwich. But the parmesan cheese fries where yummy. Wanted to get the Mac and cheese but they didn’t serve it because the chief didn’t feel like making it today. And also they didn’t serve wings or ribs.
Service was alright. They took forever just to bring us hot tea. All they did was put the cup in the microwave with water and heat it up. That took them 10 mins just to make it.