jones brothers mississippi bbq / san diego, ca

jones brothers mississippi bbq / san diego, ca

Jones Brothers Mississippi BBQ is a little joint off Euclid Ave. near Lincoln Park. Jake suggested we try this place out last month after he spent some time talking to one of the owners. We’ve passed by this little nondescript BBQ spot a few times when we were on our way to Chula Vista and avoiding the traffic-clogged 805 freeway during rush hour. The smells of BBQ wafting in the air always made our mouths water and we finally had the chance to stop in to check out their BBQ.

bbq-overview

[bbq overview – 3 meat combination with 3 sides – $22.99]

View their menu!

The ladies at the counter were really helpful and friendly – greeting us warmly as we came inside and grabbed a menu to try and figure out what we wanted. They even suggested that we get the 3 meat combination – that way we’d get to try a bunch of stuff for one price. That’s what we ended up doing and it was more than enough food for Jake, T and I to share for lunch with plenty of leftovers for later.

They also let us sample the BBQ sauce. They have a regular mild BBQ sauce, a spicy BBQ and what they call “Twist BBQ” sauce – a combination of the mild and spicy. I got a little taste of the twist and enjoyed it enough to agree that we have all of our meats smothered in the “twist” sauce. It had a delightfully sweet taste and just a enough of an extra spice to give it a tiny kick – which is about as much spice as I could take or want. I am, after all, still a wimp when it comes to spicy stuff.

pulled-pork-in-bbq-sauce

[pulled pork]

The pulled pork ended up being my favorite meat of the three that we tried.

The pork was very tender and juicy. It melted away in my mouth from how tender it was and the sweetish sauce was a great accompaniment to the pork. I like pulled pork with sauce on it, so this was perfectly fine to me. I’m not sure what makes this stuff “Mississippi” style BBQ, but whatever it is, I like it. There’s no tangy flavor (rejoice!) just a nice, sweet and clean flavor from the sauce and the juicy meat.

beef-brisket

[beef brisket]

I’m really not a brisket person – I don’t know what it is that turns me off from it – but this beef brisket wasn’t too bad, especially with that tasty BBQ sauce. Jake and T seemed to enjoy it but there was one item they enjoyed just a bit more…

hot-links-in-bbq-sauce

[hot links]

… which was the hot links! There is a damn good amount of hot links here, also covered and tossed in their “twist” BBQ sauce. I am normally a great big fan of hot links and these hot links were also very good – juicy with a nice crisp “snap” to the links – but good god, they were really spicy! The “hot” part of the name was not lost on these links and they were much spicier than what little old me is used to and I sadly couldn’t eat too many of them. Jake and T were pretty bonkers for them though, and considering they like spicy stuff, this one was the winner for them that day.

Damn me and my low tolerance for spicy. Continue reading “jones brothers mississippi bbq / san diego, ca”

pete mayo’s waffle burgers / lincoln park – san diego, ca

Waffle burgers. Say it with me – waffle burgers! Why hasn’t anyone else done this? I’m surprised this hasn’t popped up into the consciousness sooner – using waffles as a replacement for buns. The idea sounds awesome… but how’s the execution?

Pete Mayo’s Waffle Burgers is a tiny little restaurant located on Imperial Avenue in Lincoln Park aka not the best part of town. I grew up nearby so I know what it’s like. It’s one of those restaurants you could pass a million times without ever noticing it because it’s in such a weird location right on that busy, busy street.

There’s not much to it once you step inside, either. Two tables at best with a sparse counter and only paper menus to reveal what treats they’re cooking up in the kitchen.

[the menu]

The items are all cheap, too. The most expensive sandwich rings in at $6.25 for a cracked peppered turkey waffle sandwich which you can get served hot or cold.

[the small countertop/kitchen]

Jake actually discovered this one on Yelp with only two reviews to it’s credit. The name intrigued me enough to want to go by. Our first attempt failed when they were not open yet on a Saturday morning with no hours posted in the window. We took our chances this time around one October morning to find them open for business.

[the original waffle burger – $5.50]

I took the plunge and decided to order the “original” waffle burger which comes on your choice of waffle (buttermilk, blueberry, multi grain or cinnamon – I picked buttermilk) with a 1/4 lb patty, grilled onions, bell peppers (I asked for none), lettuce, tomatoes and cheese with a good bit of mayo, mustard and ketchup.

[waffle burger – once bitten, twice shy]

I loved the waffle as the “bun” but this burger could use some improvements. The beef was quite obviously a frozen patty and it was a bit underseasoned and wasn’t the freshest burger I’ve ever had. The condiments were fine, though it was a bit heavy handed on the mustard. Overall I wasn’t impressed, but I didn’t think it was awful either. The idea was more exciting then the execution in this case. On the other hand, there were these chicken waffle sandwiches…

[mayo’s chicken n bacon sandwich – $5.75]

Jake ordered a Chicken n Bacon waffle sandwich with a multiple grain waffle.

Let’s just say that I was jealous of his meal after one bite.

Continue reading “pete mayo’s waffle burgers / lincoln park – san diego, ca”