Phil's BBQ

Phil's BBQ
Phil's BBQ
Native name
Phil's BBQ, Inc.
TypePrivate
IndustryRestaurant
Founded1998; 28 years ago (1998)
FounderPhil Pace
HeadquartersSan Diego, California,
San Diego
,
United States
Number of locations
4 Stores, 1 Outlet Airport
Key peopleKevin Sheehan, President & CEO; Nicholas Vick, COO

Phil's BBQ is a barbeque restaurant that was founded by Phil Pace. Their first location opened in 1998 in the Mission Hills neighborhood of San Diego, California. They have since expanded and now have four restaurant locations, with additional outlet in San Diego International Airport with a new location in Chandler, Arizona to be opened in 2027. The restaurants have received positive reception. Cameras were installed at each location to view wait times. It was featured on the shows Adam Richman's Best Sandwich in America and Man v. Food. Phil's BBQ was the second most commonly reviewed business in the United States on Yelp for 2013.

History

Phil's BBQ was first opened in 1998 in the Mission Hills in San Diego, California, by owner Phil Pace. In 2007, it closed Missions Hills doors to relocated in Point Loma. Another location was later opened in 2010 in San Marcos.

In 2012, Phil leased approximately 7,000 square feet of land for a new location in Santee. The restaurant first opened on October 30, 2012 at the Old Trolley Square. A type of camera (called "BBQUEUE CAM") was registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and installed at each location so customers can gauge wait times visit on the restaurant's official website..

In 2013, San Diego International Airport open a Phil's BBQ and the restaurant had an official ribbon cutting in the newly renovated Terminal 2. Two locations were opened in Petco Park the 1st was opened in March 2013 which was named "Stadium Food King" and a second location in March 2014 near Section 113 but both locations in Petco Park have since been closed.

On April 25, 2016, an 8th location was opened in Rancho Bernardo.

Sycuan Casino opened a Phil's BBQ outlet in their "unCommons" in 2019.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in California, the San Marcos location was closed down in 2020, Pace said "The decision to close really, truly was heartfelt." On Friday July 3, 2020, a 10th location in Temecula, originally scheduled to open in March 2020, was opened. The location was originally scheduled to open in March 2020 but was rescheduled due to Riverside County being ordered by California Governor Gavin Newsom to close restaurants.

Future expansion

The restaurant is planning to open a Chandler, Arizona location in 2027. This will be the first Arizona restaurant with a full renovation of a 10,000 square foot former Mexican restaurant.

Philanthropic activities

The restaurant hosted a barbeque benefit the Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County for from 2008 until 2019 at .

It has also helped sponsor events for the San Diego Police Foundation Women in Blue, the San Diego Police Foundation K9 Program,[better source needed] and the San Diego Center for Children.

Recognition

The restaurant participated in a Travel Channel television show Adam Richman's Best Sandwich in America in 2012, and its "El Toro" sandwich won the title of best sandwich on the West Coast. The sandwich was also featured on an earlier show by Richman called Man v. Food.

San Diego Magazine Readers' Picks voted the restaurant as Best Barbeque seventeen times from 2008 to 2025, and the California Restaurant Association awarded it the Gold Medallion for Best BBQ thirteen times from 2006 to 2019. The restaurant was awarded the Gold Medallion for Restaurant of the Year by the association in 2009.

The restaurant was the second most commonly reviewed business on the user-based review website Yelp in the United States for 2013.

Business Insider rated the restaurant in the top 50 Best Barbecue Joints in America in 2016.

The San Diego Airport location was named number 1 for atmosphere by USA Today's 10 Best Airport Bars and Restaurants for Atmosphere in March 2016.

In March of 2022, Yelp rated the restaurant as second in their top 50 most reviewed restaurants and eateries.

The website Decor Hint described the restaurant in a February 2026 food review as a "jaw dropping experience".

Nextdoor San Diego Midway Community voted as the 2026 "Fave" Local Go-To Restaurant.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "About Phil's BBQ". Phil's BBQ. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  2. ↑ Weisberg, Lori (December 30, 2013). "Phil's BBQ will temporarily close". The San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  3. ↑ Weisberg, Lori (February 15, 2012). "Phil's BBQ coming to Santee". The San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Phil's BBQ Opens in Santee October 30". East County Magazine. October 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Trademark search". tmsearch.uspto.gov. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Phil's BBQ". Frommer's. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  7. ↑ "All Things BBQ: Phil's | San Diego Reader". www.sandiegoreader.com. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Phil's BBQ officially opens in Terminal 2 at Lindbergh Field". CBS 8 News. August 27, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  9. ↑ Grieco, Sarah (March 22, 2013). "Phil's BBQ Coming to Downtown". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  10. ↑ Jennewein, Chris (March 24, 2014). "Phil's BBQ Expands With 2nd Location in PETCO Park". Times of San Diego. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  11. ↑ Howe, Caroline (April 25, 2016). "New Phil's BBQ Location Opens". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
  12. ↑ McGinnis, Evan (March 22, 2019). "Sycuan Casino Resort Grand Opening: March 27, 2019 | San Diego, CA". Sycuan Casino Resort. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
  13. ↑ Parente, Michele (January 16, 2019). "Sycuan Casino to add Hodad's, Phil's BBQ, other iconic San Diego eateries". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
  14. ↑ Coronado, Lauren (November 19, 2020). "Phil's BBQ in San Marcos Permanently Closed". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
  15. ↑ "After coronavirus delay, Phil's BBQ will open July 3 in Temecula". Press Enterprise. June 30, 2026. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Phil's BBQ Planning First Arizona Location in Chandler". WhatNow. May 5, 2026. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
  17. ↑ "A Barbecue Benefit for Big Brothers Big Sisters". San Diego Magazine. July 29, 2019. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Tenth Annual Phil's Big BBQ at the Ballpark Benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County". www.newswire.com (Press release). Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  19. ↑ Henning, Kelly (February 16, 2024). "Women in Blue Sponsor Spotlight: Cami Bingham - Phil's BBQ". San Diego Police Foundation. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
  20. ↑ Glazer, Joyce. "K9 Program". San Diego Police Foundation. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  21. ↑ "AFP San Diego's National Philanthropy Day luncheon presented by Sharp Health Care". San Diego Magazine. November 7, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  22. 1 2 Weisberg, Lori (July 19, 2012). "Does Phil's BBQ have best sandwich in America?". The San Diego Tribune. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  23. ↑ "San Diego Best Restaurants". San Diego Magazine. February 20, 2013. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  24. ↑ "San Diego Recommendations from PCBC 2013". San Diego Magazine. February 15, 2013. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  25. 1 2 Orange, Kelly. "Gold Medallion Awards 2009 San Diego – The Farmers Market Box". Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Gold Medallion Awards presented to top San Diego restaurants". Restaurant News. June 2, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  27. ↑ Garske, Monica (June 9, 2015). "California Restaurant Association Awards Local Eateries". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  28. ↑ Garske, Monica (January 17, 2014). "Phil's BBQ Ranked 2nd Most 'Yelp' Reviewed Business in Nation". NBC San Diego. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  29. ↑ Martin, Emmie (July 4, 2016). "The 50 best barbecue joints in America, ranked". Business Insider. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  30. ↑ McVicker, Laura (March 10, 2016). "San Diego Airport Restaurant Named No. 1 for Atmosphere". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  31. ↑ Bunge, Sara (March 7, 2022). "The top 50 most reviewed restaurants and eateries on Yelp". Yelp - Official Blog. Retrieved August 18, 2026.
  32. ↑ Whitaker, Sharon (February 15, 2026). "This San Diego, California Restaurant Serves A Platter So Big It Stops People Mid-Sentence". Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  33. ↑ Nextdoor. "2026 Fave Awards". nextdoor.com. Retrieved October 27, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

32°45′01″N 117°10′17″W / 32.7504°N 117.1715°W / 32.7504; -117.1715