Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Brazen BBQ Is Smoke-a-licious

After driving by to check out the extensive renovations being done on the restaurant space on the corner of Fifth and Washington in Hillcrest and then driving by and catching whiffs of smoked meat, I finally got a chance to stop in to Brazen BBQ Smokehouse & Bar for lunch yesterday.

My thoughts during the weeks of waiting for this place to open were along the lines of, "With all the effort they're putting into the design of this place, I hope the food lives up to the look and that they do well." Because from landscaping to signage to interior, a lot of investment was spent here. And I'm happy it was, because the look of the place, the feel of it, is all part of the experience.

Two chefs and friends for seven years -- John Bracamonte and Brad Thomas -- began competing at cooking events in 2009, taking home award after award (trophies and ribbons are showcased around the restaurant). They decided to open a restaurant in John's hometown (he grew up in Escondido). Some of the meat will smoke for up to 24 hours before it's served. Because it was our first time, David and I opted for a tasting platter -- three meats, three sides. We followed the cashier's recommendation and got the brisket, pulled pork, and ribs.

BBQ sauce is available on the side, rather than mixed with the meat, and for good reason: the meat itself is so flavorful and well rendered -- crispy on the outside, tender on the inside -- it really doesn't need sauce. But I'm a sauce girl, so though I enjoyed several bites without, I did try out the two BBQ sauce varieties. Both were sweet and tangy and complemented the meat.

I would have liked to have seen a third sauce, one with spice, because there's not any kick to the two. Sure, there's Tabasco, but it's not the same as having the burn incorporated into the sauce.

My favorite of the sides was the "ancho spiced baked beans." They did have a chile kick and that familiar, complex sweetness that goes so well with smoked meat.

I also liked the "smoked kernel corn medley" -- again, it was sweet and spicy.

The "crusty macaroni & cheese" was okay, nothing stellar, but it was nice and crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside. With all the other flavors on the table, the mac 'n' cheese was just a bit too bland for me.

The platter came with cornbread. I loved the spice (I'm guessing jalapeño) in the bread, but overall it was on the dry side. It would be perfect with just an extra hint of moisture.

Overall, we were stoked on the smoked. There are so many other items on the menu that I look forward to tasting. Everyone around us had sandwiches, which were piled high with toppings such as fried jalapeños and caramelized onions. I'm curious about the BBQ tacos -- having tasted the meat, I'm optimistic.

There's also a burger topped with chili. Now that's just downright decadent. I can't wait to try it.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Gonzo Report: Three nights of Mission Bayfest bring bliss

“This is a top-notch production.”
Next Article

The danger of San Diego's hoarders

The $1 million Flash Comics #1

After driving by to check out the extensive renovations being done on the restaurant space on the corner of Fifth and Washington in Hillcrest and then driving by and catching whiffs of smoked meat, I finally got a chance to stop in to Brazen BBQ Smokehouse & Bar for lunch yesterday.

My thoughts during the weeks of waiting for this place to open were along the lines of, "With all the effort they're putting into the design of this place, I hope the food lives up to the look and that they do well." Because from landscaping to signage to interior, a lot of investment was spent here. And I'm happy it was, because the look of the place, the feel of it, is all part of the experience.

Two chefs and friends for seven years -- John Bracamonte and Brad Thomas -- began competing at cooking events in 2009, taking home award after award (trophies and ribbons are showcased around the restaurant). They decided to open a restaurant in John's hometown (he grew up in Escondido). Some of the meat will smoke for up to 24 hours before it's served. Because it was our first time, David and I opted for a tasting platter -- three meats, three sides. We followed the cashier's recommendation and got the brisket, pulled pork, and ribs.

BBQ sauce is available on the side, rather than mixed with the meat, and for good reason: the meat itself is so flavorful and well rendered -- crispy on the outside, tender on the inside -- it really doesn't need sauce. But I'm a sauce girl, so though I enjoyed several bites without, I did try out the two BBQ sauce varieties. Both were sweet and tangy and complemented the meat.

I would have liked to have seen a third sauce, one with spice, because there's not any kick to the two. Sure, there's Tabasco, but it's not the same as having the burn incorporated into the sauce.

My favorite of the sides was the "ancho spiced baked beans." They did have a chile kick and that familiar, complex sweetness that goes so well with smoked meat.

I also liked the "smoked kernel corn medley" -- again, it was sweet and spicy.

The "crusty macaroni & cheese" was okay, nothing stellar, but it was nice and crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside. With all the other flavors on the table, the mac 'n' cheese was just a bit too bland for me.

The platter came with cornbread. I loved the spice (I'm guessing jalapeño) in the bread, but overall it was on the dry side. It would be perfect with just an extra hint of moisture.

Overall, we were stoked on the smoked. There are so many other items on the menu that I look forward to tasting. Everyone around us had sandwiches, which were piled high with toppings such as fried jalapeños and caramelized onions. I'm curious about the BBQ tacos -- having tasted the meat, I'm optimistic.

There's also a burger topped with chili. Now that's just downright decadent. I can't wait to try it.

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

A Proper Brunch: Proper Gastropub

Next Article

Smoking or Non?

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader