Bay’s BBQ

The couple is the sweetest couple you could ever meet, and I wish there were more restaurant operators who offered the same level of customer service as they did.
Its just that it isn’t BBQ. You can feature the standard BBQ meat that’s available at other BBQ spots, but it just wasn’t BBQ. Granted, that had got to be the softest brisket I’ve had in awhile, but it simply wasn’t BBQd. Plus the meat was overcooked.
Cornbread needed butter, baked beans were decent, but the brisket wasn’t BBQd. I can’t over emphasize that enough. It’s not BBQ. The other question is why would it take over 15 minutes if the meat was BBQ? Goto any BBQ spot in the area that the meat is basically cooked to order right off the bat.

Not at all satisfying. The service is mediocre, but the food did come out fairly quickly. Although my husband and I were the only two there.
I ordered the brisket sliders and it was not great. The meat was very bland. Even extra bbq sauce couldn’t save it. The potato salad was OK. Nothing particularly special about it. My husband wasn’t too pleased either.
The food is OK, nothing great or special. The place itself is clean and quaint.

They have the meat right, especially the ribs. The prices are great too. The sides and hours could use some work though.

Friendly service. But I would not call this top of line BBQ. The meat is old and the sauce is not authentic.

I smoke meats and the brisket was boiled. He told me so. He said the brisket was smoked for 48 hours and the ribs 12. No way. No smoke ring on the meat.
I challenge any at home brisket smoker tell me the brisket was smoked. All I tasted was moms roast beef. No smoke flavor at all.

Got home and looked at my plate & was extremely disappointed. The brisket was tough, the ribs were all fat & no meat. There was absolutely nothing special about the links as they could have been microwaved! I don’t write many reviews but save your dough and take a drive into Oakland and get some real BBQ at a mom & Pop shop! Wish I could give less than one star…

Closed down by health dept as of Oct 2.
Ooops!

Nice little bbq spot in the cut. Not much bbq spots around in the area so definitely a spot we will frequent for lunch!

The sweetest couple I have ever met! I was just browsing around outside while they were still closed and she invited me in to order. Good food! Awesome service!
Give this place another chsnce as they really strive to keep their customers happy!

Very rude staff

They had a booth at the San Leandro Cherry Festival and I ordered the one way which consisted of 2 ribs, baked beans and a biscuit! It was tasty and juicy so I’m going to have to get to their restaurant to really give it the taste test.

My meal was hardly edible– I got the jr. Smoked chicken meal– chicken, garlic bread, baked beans. Chicken was cold, the bread was soo stale and hard it cut up my gums. Beans were fine. Def not returning.

MMM MMMM GOOOOD
Some of the best BBQ I’ve had in a while!
I just tried this place for the first time today and I’m still licking my fingers! Great selection of smoked meats. I had a 3 way and it was delicious. Good food, good service. I’ll definitely be back =P

I’ve been here a couple times and this place is pretty good.
The first time I came here they seemed to still be getting their act together but after my most recent visit the other day there weren’t any ordering problems.
In the past I’ve had the brisket which was fine. Not the moistest but certainly pretty good for the price. It came with a bunch of sides as well.
The other day I ordered the pulled pork sliders and they were tasty. I think they’re $ 5.99 and the sliders are made with slaw and they come with a side. I had the potato salad which wasn’t bad. I also got a cherry limeade and that was so refreshing during this heat wave. I don’t think it was too expensive either.
There’s a friendly cutie that works up front so that’s a good reason for me to come in more often.

Are you kidding me with these bad reviewers??? I mean come ON!!! Ok, when it says the restaurant is BBQ, that’s what I am going in for. Not the seafood. Don’t care. If the spirit moves me, I’ll try it someday but I have no expectations because, to me, if i go to a BBQ restaurant, I expect meat. Plenty of it. Well seasoned. Rich flavor. Right combination of chewy and tender. And I got it in spades. I practically had to pull the car over on the way home the smell was killing me so bad!!! The family jumped me at the door and the dog sat there with a look like «if you REALLY loved me, you’d give me one of those» the whole time.
I am pretty surprised by the way people rate restaurants. I guess we’re all a little different. Im a down to earth person. I don’t claim to be any kind of BBQ expert. I just know what tastes good and these ribs taste very very good. I think, rather than taking advice from Unilocal,I’ll do as Toucan Sam always said … follow your nose!
Cheers!

NOt sure why people don’t like this place (maybe a problem with previous ownership?):
the flavors are clean and delicious, portions generous, sauces fresh, staff nice, space is simple, attractive and maybe a bit hip (what? in SL?!). I mean there is a pile of real wood for BBQing right behind the counter!
Give it a try next time your feeling meaty.

Bay’s is finally open 7 days a week with regular hours! feeling the Q couldn’t be all that («meat dry rubbed and then smoked»), i went with the fish & chip figuring it couldn’t be screwed up. WRONG!
eats:
seafood combo special (7.99) 2 items with choice of side
–potato salad previously referigerated. tasted cold, mushy, tasteless
snapper and catfish, cornmealed breaded, nice crunch, too much breading
–5 pieces, large and small
–tasted watery, fish obviously previously frozen.,
fish not completely cooked., lots of cornmeal breading
–stomach felt funny afterwards
crumbs:
–fish & side good value when done right. (4 stars)
–wasn;t so it;s 2 stars
–efficient, friendly service.
–Q probably cooked but ??? the taste?

I am very picky about BBQ. Bays gets several things done right! I eat there
once a week or so, and I’ve honed in on what to order: Chicken!
Staff: 5 stars. The owners and workers are very friendly and accommodating! They want to hear feedback and they listen to it!
Chicken: 5 stars: smokey meat, excellent rub underneath the skin, good texture on skin. Absolutely delicious. $ 7 for two chicken quarters meal!
Ribs: 3.5 stars: smokey, good smoke ring, but sometimes fatty and light on seasoning. Sometimes the ribs are 4 stars.
Cornbread: 3.5 stars. Decent. Much better than their previous garlic bread side.
Brisket: I don’t care for the Brisket. It seems like it has been baked or boiled instead of smoked.
BBQ Sauce: I really love the vinegar based mild sauce. It goes great with Chicken and Ribs.
Links: I had them once and liked them. I’m not an expert on links, so I would say 4 stars, but I don’t’ have much to compare to.

I wanted to like this local BBQ place.
The staff was friendly and the place is clean, but the Q was just OK (or maybe a hair below the «OK» mark).
I got a three way plate with ribs, links and brisket.
The ribs were the best of the lot. a nice smoke ring with good smoke flavor, but nothing else. No complexity, perhaps a dry rub would have helped.
The brisket had a texture like it was braised for a long time, then smoked. It was extremely tender, but more like a crockpot brisket than BBQ. Again, good smoke flavor, but the texture really threw me.
The links were also OK, not much to say about them.

Been here before when it was Pelton’s BBQ (Black Owned) and it was okay. Then a Korean Family bought it and I only came for the bulgogi or shall I say the Korean Food. Now it is owned by a Vietnamese family. I should have known better and tried their Vietnamese dishes instead of the BBQ! If so I probably would not have to write this review…
The gentlemen at the counter recommended the BBQ Special which consist of Links, Ribs and Chicken with potato salad and garlic bread!
Okay first, I heard the microwave go off, which was the alert sign! Then the food came out right after. My food still came out warm close to being cold. And I mean nothing was hot about the plate! So I mentioned it to the gentlemen and he claims he took the ribs out at 2 PM well it is not 4 PM! The links are the links you purchase from Safeway and the quarter chicken was cold too! Damn I was disappointed but I haven’t eaten all day and did not want to waste my money! There was no flavor in the meat.
They have a nice smoker there but I don’t think they understand the concept of smoking BBQ! YOU HAVE TO SEASON THE MEAT WITH SPECIAL RUB AND LET IT SIT FOR AWHILE AND SLOW COOK IT!!! NOT JUST SMOTHER IT WITH BBQ SAUCE FOR FLAVOR! Nothing tender about the meat or flavor from the rub. The sauce tasted like BBQ sauce and Hoisin Sauce mixed together.
I hope they do get it right because I would hate for them to lose money on this investment.
If they are not upset with this review I planned on going back to try their Phở or Vietnamese dishes.
The last few people who tried to establish that place failed and I hope they don’t fail but some places are just not meant to occupy unless you have something unique to offer and if you are trying to do BBQ, learn the process at the least.
Best Wishes!