Harold’s Ribs

Washing the car the other day and noticed a BBQ stand at the corner of the lot where the car wash is at. Didn’t think much of it so I went about my business. Returned to the car wash a ½ hour later to have another car washed and decided to pay Harold a visit while waiting for my car.
There were 2 other families ahead of me ordering ribs.
When it was my turn I decided to order a full rack of ribs along with 2 hot links. For starters a rack of ribs cost $ 25. It’s a bit steep but decided it was worth supporting an entrepreneur. Each hot link costs $ 5. I was all-​in for $ 35.
The ribs had a dry rub and no sauce. According to Harold, he doesn’t brine his ribs but marinates his ribs for 3 hours and smokes em for another 4. The ribs are sweet. They’re not the fall off the bone type of ribs. The ribs were delicious as I don’t care for saucy ribs.
The hot links were not what I expected. They were not already cooked. Basically they were like Oscar Mayer links that he had to cook on a George Foreman like grill. Harold did warn me that the hot links were hot and they were no joke! So Harold splits the links in half down the middle and puts them in a hotdog and pulls out a tray of condiments.
Overall Harold is true to his craft and is proud of his ribs.
I would go back but would not order the links. Maybe I’ll try the BBQ chicken instead.

When my friend came up to me and asked me if I wanted to get bbq ribs from a carwash, I looked at him with a «what are you on» look. When he shot back that «i’m serious» look, I said ok.
This is the real deal. Located in the parking lot of a car wash, Harold’s ribs are the real deal. Full rack for $ 25 bucks. Every piece you get is a juicy, succulent, sweet, piece of meat. Harold himself is also quite the man. I am definitely coming back to this spot and encourage you all to do the same. I mean, how many times can you really say you got delicious bbq at the carwash?

My first ribs on the West Coast — as good as any I’ve had back East. Harold was also a super friendly dude and held a rack for me when I called ahead. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would eat again.

Smoky and sweet St. Louis style ribs. I have only had the ribs and that’s more than ok since that is all uninterested in!
I can hear Harold now, (yelling) «Riiiiiibs, hot dooooogs!»

I keep trying to go here and keep missing the ribs (gotta get ‘em before he sells out!), which only made me want to try them more, because that business structure is the hallmark of great BBQ.
We finally got some this morning while we were getting the car washed (for reference: Sunday, about 11 am). Yessssss. We got the ribs «sandwich,» which is a small hoagie roll (we got ours toasted) served open with a pile of about 7 or 8 St. Louis style ribs on top. He offered us some condiments (quite a spread, actually: two types of mustard, ketchup, mayo, onions, jalapeños, relish, and tomato), but we wanted to taste the flavor of the ribs themselves, so opted for no toppings. This earned a nod of approval from the BBQ man (I assume Harold? Anyway, he’s a cool dude), who also prefers them that way, which convinced us we were making the right decision.
Ok, onto the ribs. We treated the «sandwich» like an order of ribs with a side of toast; I don’t see how you could really eat the thing as a sandwich, because the ribs have bones, of course. Anyway, the ribs were delicious. He does a dry rub and sprays them with apple juice for a little sweetness. So, so good! Perfectly cooked, a little juicy on the inside and a little crispy on the outside. My husband grew up in the South and is very particular about BBQ, and he enjoyed them thoroughly and chatted with the guy for a while about ribs. His mark of approval is always a good standard for BBQ :-)
If you don’t get there in time for the ribs, Harold’s also serves hot dogs, but they’re kind of a sad consolation prize compared to the ribs. I mean, they’re fine hot dogs, but if the ribs are available, you’d have to be crazy to order a hot dog. We’ll definitely be back!

good ribs. My kids wish we could get these every time I get my car washed. (That’s a good endorsement.) I also like the idea of getting my dinner at the car wash.

Harold’s ribs are as legit! Some of the best you can find anywhere on Earth! I never thought I would experience these levels of culinary delights at a car wash. Life is funny. Eat some ribs!

I am not a big ribs fan but have sampled them from Chicago to Dallas to Memphis. Harold’s ribs are the best that I ever had. Great texture and taste. And not covered with messy sauce. These are the first ribs that I actually want to eat again.

Not only was I surprised it was a food truck (listed under restaurants), but it was closed at 1pm on a moday. Went to Cocina’s down the street instead.

Sometimes honey-​do assignments pay off… Last weekend, my wifey informed me that I had to drive my daughter to her babysitting gig. It was by text of course, so I couldn’t shoot back with a facetious, verbal rejoinder. Instead, I replied, «Yes, dear…» which is the proper response to a honey-​do order, er… request. :)
In any case, it was close to lunchtime when I had to drop her off, so I searched for BBQ places around Mountain View. Of course, Dickies and Armadillo Willy’s came up on top. But I was NOT in the mood for retail chain BBQ (though I’ll do Dickies in a pinch). I wanted real BBQ, and then I came across Harold’s.
I immediately went to see what my fellow Unilocalers thought of it, and was pleased to see the generally good ratings. So mind made up, I hopped into the car with daughter in tow, dropped her off, then set off to Lozano’s Car Wash.
I walked up to see a smiling Harold hucking it up with the people around his drum pit. That put an immediate smile on my face because this was a man who loves what he does. He turned to see me in my bright Hawaiian shirt, and said, «Now THAT’S a day-​off shirt. Looks like you’re needin’ some ribs to bring back to the family.» «Oh yeah… a full slab…» was all I needed to say.
He chose a nice, shiny rack for me, turned them over a few times to inspect them, then went to his prep stand and cut up my ribs. In less than five minutes, I was back in my car, hunger pangs nagging at me the entire drive back home to Cupertino.
I was practically drooling by the time I walked into my kitchen… I opened up one of the foil-​wrapped packages, and was greeted to the most beautiful sight of dry-​rubbed ribs. Gorgeous smoke ring. Of course, I had to take a bite, and the taste was amazing! Not overly sweet nor salty; the perfect balance of spices to bring out the taste of the pork. That’s important to me — I want to taste the meat.
These aren’t fall-​off-​the-​bone ribs, but neither are they tough. The meat will pull off the bone cleanly, and that’s EXACTLY how I like my ribs. The important thing was that the fat was rendered perfectly in these ribs. They were juicy, without dripping, and that’s also how I like them.
The only ribs I’ve had that were better were at Uncle Frank’s, but that’s long since burned down, and a sports bar and grill has replaced it. But still, this place gets my endorsement of 5 stars. I think they’re better than Jon Jon’s in San Jose, and even slightly better than the Smokin’ Pig’s ribs (but I love the Pig for their brisket).
Now people might think that $ 22.00 is a lot to pay for a full slab. But the Smokin’ Pig’s ribs are $ 28.95, and Jon Jon’s are $ 28.00. So it’s a good price if you want great ribs. Since there’s really no eating area to speak of, Harold doesn’t have the overhead, so he can keep his prices lower.
I definitely will be back for more!

Bit pricey but it’s quite good…

Suuuuuuuuweeeeeeeee!!!
Outstanding BBQ ribs!!!
No Slackness here. Gave a rack to my stepson whose in cooking school in SF.
He fell out of his chair because the flavor is soooo good! Sauceless – crunchy crispy tender goodness!!!

After reading the reviews. I finally picked up a slab for me, myself & I to share. Hubby doesn’t eat beef… so I had to get a whole slab like, I said, um, for the 3 of us…
It was in the early afternoon & I was excited. Of course, I pick the time Harold is on vacation. His stand in was friendly, cheerfully telling me that I’d be back within the week because they’re that good. Well, it’s been several weeks w/​no huge plans to go back just yet. While I like dry ribs (I’m usually scraping sauce off of bbq anything), I wasn’t wowed by the slab that I got. They actually were too dried out, not sweet (as others have commented on) & were indeed smokey. Since I do love ribs, don’t make ‘em at home, I will try Harold’s again — when I remember to pull a legal u-​turn on the Camino during pre-​lunch hour. Ribs for breakfast are fine by me!

Harold’s is legendary and I was thrilled to pay my first visit.
Price of a full rack is now $ 22 and worth every penny. I have never tasted ribs quite like this. Complex, wonderful flavors and the cut of meat has the perfect amount of fat. You can tell the man puts a lot of heart in his work! And this is hard work! Respect.
The ribs are not fall-​off-​the-​bone, but having taken a barbecue class I am informed there is not just ONE style of barbecue. Taste rules!
Harold himself is such a stand-​up guy — warm, down-​to-​earth, real. Shopping with him truly was a pleasure and an honor. His demeanor, good nature and service deserve five stars, no bull.
I was delighted to discover that he also sells rib sandwich ($ 11 at the time of asking) and a variety of dog. I was in a bit of a hurry so didn’t take it all in. I intend to be back for more indeed.
I showed up early to beat the lunch crowd, not just at Harold’s but overall. That turned out to be a wise move because parking appeared scanty in the vicinity. That would be the only caveat.

It was good for a quick pick up meal. He has good sauce. I came right when he was packing up and he was nice enough to unpack and cut my ribs. They were a little dry but still good. I will probably go back when I don’t feel like cooking.

This place is good. I went for a car wash yesterday and had some ribs with friends. It was our first time. And yes, Harold is a really nice guy. It was a pleasure talking to him.
Harold’s is a ribs only place. No sides not many places to sit. It’s BBQ at a car wash. So you can eat there or take it to go.
That said, the we polished off a couple racks of ribs quickly. A full rack for $ 21. That’s the price now. The flavor was unique. Sooooo smokey. If you like smoked ribs, this is a great place to enjoy them. The flavors are sweet, so if you’re looking for something salty, this might not be it. No, these ribs were not fall off the bone but the flavors were all there. It depends on what you like. Harold says he usually has 20 racks of ribs in the morning. At 1PM I only saw 6 left and we had 2.
Harold spends 4 hours marinating the ribs and 3 hours smoking them. Gets up at 4AM to do this. Did I mention he’s 70? We’ll try going to this place earlier next time, but YES we are going again.

I read about this guy in the paper The Daily Post. About a week after the fervor died down, I stopped by to get a rack. They weren’t fall off the bone, the fat really not rendered, and there wasn’t really anything about them that I couldn’t do better at home. They dry rub was decent, but nothing special. Maybe I went on a bad day, I don’t know. Judging from my taste buds and the size of my stomach, I probably won’t return.
The ribs were priced a bit high and they were not much bigger than the $ 9.99 Tony Romas that you can get at Safeway, and they really weren’t any better. I wanted to like them, and after Uncle Frank’s at Francescias closed down, I wanted to find some good local ribs. Unfortunately these didn’t do the job.
I love me some good BBQ. Unfortunately there still isn’t anything in the area that gives me cravings. So we have marginally better Dickies in Mtn View now… still nothing compared to real southern BBQ. At first, it was absolutely horrid. Now they’re much better. Still marginally 3 stars. Better than Armadillos (bleh) I guess.
I miss the dry rub oak fired slow cooked ribs at Austins (closed, formerly Tony Roma’s in Mtn View). I absolutely miss Uncle Franks his bbq was good and his sauce excellent. His ribs were good, but his brisket i what I miss the most.
Two stars may seem a little harsh, but 5 stars are saved for places that I get that immediate urge or craving when I think about them.

I’ve only written 1 other 5 Star BBQ review & that’s for Bo’s in Lafayette, much closer to me. Still love Bo’s, but Harold’s are delicious. He uses what tastes like a honey rub or marinade that sauce would ruin. Bo’s ribs are great & go wonderfully with his sauce, even though it’s not hot. Harold’s are ‘ya’ can’t stop eating them’ ribs. Half rack for $ 12.00 is what I usually get. Believe a rack is $ 21.00. Harold is a nice guy. Told me he’s there Wed-​Sat from 9 to 4:00. Stop in by late morning or call, because once, despite having a few racks on his outdoor grill, they were all spoken for. So good…

I’ve been in CA for 5 years. Been looking for some decent ribs. Harold’s ribs are great! By far the best ribs I’ve found since moving from TX. Dry-​rubbed, great price, and friendly service. He’s open on Wed — Sun. You should try them out.

Quick & simple spare ribs. Cash only, but no taxes and simple dollar amounts. $ 12 for half rack, $ 21 for a full rack. You just give Harold the cash, and he turns around and packs some slabs for you. I like how simple the whole process is.
These are dry rub ribs, so there is no sauce, yet the ribs are still amazingly juicy. When I opened up the foil they were wrapped in, the aroma hit me hard. They have an outstanding smoky smell.
On the downside, the rub is way too sweet for me. I can see why some people would like the rub, but it’s not for me. The ribs were also really small.
It was still fun buying ribs from a guy at a car wash.