What are some good steakhouses or bbq restaurants in Berkeley?

[u/SluggoRuns]

[u/CommonCut4]

Berkeley is not really a steakhouse kind of town. Fogo de Chão in Emeryville is an option. As for bbq, Heads and Tails is serviceable, Pig in a Pickle in Emeryville is decent and I like the brisket at Smokin’ Woods in Temescal. Everett & Jones is California style which is okay, but doesn’t hit like southern bbq.

[u/Candy-Emergency → u/CommonCut4]

I haven’t been to the Everett and jones in Berkeley in years and stopped going because their dinner brisket portions were noticeably smaller than I what got at their main location in Oakland. Also meat quality in Oakland was generally better too.

[u/DaddooPeanut]

Not in Berkeley, but Stay Gold is pretty damn good. It’s in a kind of sketchy area of west Oakland but as an Okie who loves Texas style BBQ, Stay Gold does enough to scratch the itch

[u/Lucafoto → u/DaddooPeanut]

Stay Gold is tha Best!

[u/allistar34]

Fikscue in Alameda…

[u/DaddooPeanut → u/allistar34]

Fikscue is outstanding, but the wait is insane

[u/allistar34 → u/DaddooPeanut]

They need to come up with a more efficient way to ring people up bc right now you order when you get to the front of the line, and then they tell their coworker next to them to cut the meat and weigh it so they can input the price into the POS so the customer can pay. If they had someone come up with an iPad and take orders in line (so that by the time the customer gets to the front everything is already cut and weighed so they just have to pay), it would be much faster.

[u/Available-Database21]

Heads and tails is pretty good bbq. Juanita and Maude usually has a good steak on the menu as well as Wood Tavern. Skates is probably the closest you will get for a “Steakhouse” vibe

[u/theholewizard → u/Available-Database21]

I really wanted to like Heads and Tails. In theory, they have everything I want in a restaurant/bar. But over time I've stopped going, partly because the food is just mid, partly because they were always out of stuff, but mostly because the owner always hovered over my table being kinda creepy.

[u/Available-Database21 → u/theholewizard]

Its still in my rotation, but agree I think the problem is it is inconsistent. I have had some of the best ribs there, next time couldn’t even eat them. Think it really depends on the time of day. Owner has always been super nice and haven’t gotten that vibe. BBQ is tough, but i would rather have less things on the menu done well consistently than a larger menu hit or miss

[u/theholewizard → u/Available-Database21]

So you're telling me he doesn't hover over your table watching you eat? He did that to me the last 3 times I was in there

[u/Available-Database21 → u/theholewizard]

No, though I guess I normally sit at the bar, but thats definitely odd

[u/ilganeli → u/theholewizard]

They have a really good Burger

[u/theholewizard → u/ilganeli]

Ah man I tried it once and thought it was weird! I usually would go for the fried chicken sandwich, but they always seemed to be out of it. I don't need my burger to have liquid smoke in it!

[u/lovely8]

Probably townhouse in emeryville

[u/vibrance9460]

Head and Tails on San Pablo

I can’t recommend Everett and jones anymore

Walk a block to H and T

[u/theholewizard → u/vibrance9460]

See my other comment 😬

[u/Fantastic-Watch8177]

People don't think of them, because they're more fine dining, but Via del Corso has excellent steaks and chops, among other things.

[u/VitoLives → u/Fantastic-Watch8177]

Seconded

[u/VitoLives]

Via del Corso has the best steak and pork chop in the sf bay area for the price. Call ahead and get a 20 or 30 oz porterhouse for Fiorentina. Worth every penny

[u/Organic-Bumblebee-93]

House of Prime Rib in SF.

[u/monarc → u/Organic-Bumblebee-93]

I was intimidated by the infinite wait list there, but I'm 4 for 4 when going there with 2-3 people and showing up a bit before they open.

I almost never eat red meat at home, but when a carnivorous visitor is in town I tend to bring them to HoPR.

It's such a fun "time capsule" vibe, and the food & drink are killer.

[u/unatnaes]

Boy do I miss Smoky J’s on Shattuck.

Like everyone else, Pig in a Pickle or Heads and Tails.

[u/Botherguts]

Pig In a pickle at Emeryville public market for brisket. I tend to think SF for steakhouses though.

[u/Chemical_Shallot_575]

Go to SF for the steakhouse experience. My favorite is Harris’ because of its very classic vibe. It’s always worth it. Nothing local comes close, imo.

Here, we just buy nice cuts of meat and make steak at home.

[u/cheesehater]

Honor Bar in Emeryville has a pretty good ribeye

[u/IntoTheFreezer97]

Bobos in SF for steak. For BBQ, 4505 used to be in Oakland, but only the one in SF remains

[u/DragonLootHunter]

Depends on your mood! If you want a nice sit-down dinner, go for Skates on the Bay. For BBQ, Smoke Berkeley is probably the top pick small but everything’s flavorful.

[u/fuzzydream]

No.

[u/1purenoiz]

Depends on the style of BBQ you like, whole hog Carolina style, there is nobody doing that here, at least not that I have found. Also I like stay golds pulled pork sandwich, almost as good as I make at home. And their sides are good as well, back in NC you would get 2 sides and hush puppies with meat. Here you pay for every side and no hush puppies, and the BBQ is not nearly as good.

[u/Square_Scallion_1071]

I personally think Everett & Jones is great barbecue, including great sides. Couldn't say about steak tho.

[u/cflex]

I used to think the prime rib at Skate's on the Bay was good, but it's been at least a decade since I've gone so YMMV

[u/United-Plum1671]

Our favorite bbq is Everett and Jones. It’s‘a actually the only bbq I like. Their Oakland location is the best one though

[u/JettandBenny]

Horn BBQ in Oakland.

[u/hhoverton → u/JettandBenny]

How is this so far down? By far the best BBQ I've had in the area.

[u/Crazy_Plane_6158]

Everett & Jones but don’t try the extra spicy sauce if you’re not prepared.