Barbeques Galore

This has been a bad experience. I purchased a replacement grill that was the same manufacturer, dimensions etc as my worn out existing unit. It arrived without instructions and my installer put it in. Without instructions it was tricky to set up the wiring. After several calls, they never sent them. Fast forward to its current status of failing starters, lights etc, I call to request service but I was told that the construction of the island precludes service. While they sent instructions this time, the instructions — nor their sales pitch when I bought it — did not describe specs for the island that could have been modified. Now I have a nonfunctioning grill that they won’t service. Multiple requests to discuss with the manager have gone unanswered. I would suggest trying any other source for a grill as they just push sales and don’t support their own, somewhat mediocre, equipment.

I now see why this store has awful reviews, it’s because their service is in fact awful. I spent $ 2500+ on a BBQ in the last 6 months and so far the igniter broke and two of the knobs broke as well. After getting zero help from the employees in the Encinitas branch I called the warranty department and they agreed to send me a new igniter which I had to then install and pay $ 17 for shipping a handling for the part.
I called the warranty department a second time about the knobs and they told me to call Curt to schedule a service call. Well when I called Curt I found out the minimum service call charge is $ 99. Don’t get me wrong this is in incredible business model… sell awful BBQs that break and then charge the customer to fix their overpriced and underperforming BBQ.
Over the course of my lifetime I suspect I will be buying multiple BBQs like this but I assure you I will NEVER buy a BBQ from BBQ Galore again. I should have listened to my landscaper when he said he recommended Bull’s over BBQ Galore. I won’t make the mistake again.

UPDATE!!! I contacted the corporate office after the local store refusal to return or exchange my item. A regional manager arranged for the item to be replaced with correct cover at no cost to me. As a result, I am adding stars. The responsiveness of the regional team made up for the local stores handling of the matter.

July of 2012 I visited the San Marcos store (now closed) and purchased my second Capt’n Cook BBQ (Model: B2612ALP). The Encinitas store is now the closest so I’m attaching my review here.
My previous Capt’n Cook had lasted 12 years and was still operational, but getting a little worn looking. This was great and so I naively expected the same from my new one.
Not so… Basically the quality has really tanked. Following are the issues:
1) Electric Flame starter failed after 4 months (battery changed, no joy) (previous one was manual and still worked after 12 years)
2) Cheap Stainless hood corroded and easily scratched.
3) Hood handle badly corroded
4) Flame tamer ceramics began deteriorating almost immediately. Cleaning would accelerate the deterioration so it discourage one from doing the necessary cleaning. I now have only ONE remaining ceramic that is intact as they crumble easily. At $ 12 a pop (total of 8 need) and a maximum life span of about 2 years, over the same 12 years I had my first BBQ these could cost MORE than the BBQ itself (over $ 500). NOT a good deal. Note that my first Capt’n Cook only required new Flame Tamers ONCE in the 12 years I owned it.
5) Drip pan system got clogged very fast and required almost weekly cleaning.
All in all I would not recommend it.
(Note; We use our BBQ at least once if not twice a day, year around so it gets heavy use. This was also true with our first Capt’n Cook so the use pattern is identical)

The staff is very knowledgable and kind. This store is great as it carries Big Green Egg products. They also have a wide. Writer of rubs and other grilling materials.
Of course some of the items are on the pricier side but do your research and know how much the items should cost.

Great selection of high-​end grills (gas and charcoal), rubs, and woods. Bought the best rub I have ever had there and some oak for smoking. The staff was friendly and it’s worth checking out! This is my new place for grilling accessories!

I bought a Weber barbecue here because it was the only place I could find that would deliver and install. It took three weeks to get it. The installers were total rookies. They followed the instruction booklet point by point as if they had never assembled this model previously. I purchased a wood chip box & the installers told me it was the wrong model for this grill. It wasn’t. It fit perfectly. They said they couldn’t connect the gas because the pipe was too close to the wall. I had to connect it. Before they gave up on installing the gas, they started to remove the valve cover without shutting off the main gas line. They told me that the barbecue cover was not on the truck. I asked them to look again and they found it. Today, about 10 days after the delivery, the salesperson called to see if I had gotten the gas connected. When I told him how disappointed I was in the installers and the service overall, he barely apologized. And then, as if this none of this mattered, he said if I ever need help in the future to call. He never offered any kind of compensation – a credit for the installation charge, a store credit for some kind of barbecue accessory, or something to make up for the terrible service.

Not sure why everyone is so negative here. My experience has been fantastic dealing with the manager Jim to big Bob. I bought one if their generic BBQ’s along with 2K in drawers and it is amazing. I had numerous questions, and all the staff were fantastic. Great selection of firepit rocks, way more than any other place I went to, and sweet selection of wood chips.
Great STAFF

I just purchased a smoker from these guys and I asked them what the return policy is. They told me 30 days unopened. I asked him «what if it does not work» he told me to contact the manufacturer. That’s BS, they wouldn’t even be able to help. I think they’ll be under soon.

My 9 year old Weber grill recently stopped working, so i went to BBQ’s galorein search of a new one. I ended up with the 7553 series… pricey at $ 1000 including delivery and assembly, BUT, it lives up to the Weber quality. The staff at the store were well-​informed and set up delivery for the following day. A couple of weeks later, i received a phone call from the salesman who sold me the grill. He called to follow up and to be sure that everything was working well and asked if i had any questions or concerns. Very happy with the product and the service. Thank you!

Wow besides Sarah everyone gave 1 star and has 1 review under their belt. Well let me add some validity to the rating here. I’ve been a fan of BBQ since as far back as I remember, but never really got into it until a teenager who loved working the grill and basically relearning good habits my dad taught me. Since then I’ve owed a half dozen grills and BBQ’s, built a few of my own from various places and for the everday person looking to not burn their chicken with sweet baby rays this place may not be for you. It’s also not for the advanced smoker aging their own fruit wood, making their own dry rubs and sauces. It’s a great place to get gadgets like thermometers, skewers, etc. They have a healthy spice and rub selection, but all commercial and great places to start and get ideas for your own personal transformation from griller to pit master.
As many of the previous reviewers bought grills to install during remodels they do have quite a few to choose from, but I’ve been exclusively smoking for about 6 years now and would never go back. They carry quite a few high end fancy models, all expensive and some rather home décor heating systems.
The only reason I come here regularly is to get traeger pellets for one of my auger fed smokers. They carry a good selection of flavors, sell them for cheap, will order from traeger for me.
The staff is pretty helpful if you know what you want, the selection is ok, but I really feel that all the bad press everyone is getting isn’t fully indicative of the experience you can expect. Yeah probably don’t buy a grill, don’t have a contractor install it. You should be smoking it anyhow and don’t buy a Weber anything. I’ve made better quality and study grills myself. I do however recommend the Green egg which they carry. Superior insulation. Bright open layout. Plenty of space to browse. I get my lump wood from Lowes, but they carry a lot of fuel in bulk here.
The quality of your food is not in line with the price of your grill. I get the whole ease of use reasoning, but you may as well go to Home Depot across the street for that. Not a single person actually reviewed them, just rants and raves. Sounds like there is a lot of turnover here, which is never good and granted I don’t recall anyone’s names, I’ve never had a bad experience here, but never a good one. So so all around, a little pricey would be my last thought.

WOW, I wouldn’t have gone here if I’d taken a second to look at the reviews beforehand and not just gone on the recommendation of our contractor helping us with our remodel.
Our bbq was just installed and we sprung for the rotisserie grill. We have used the regular bbq several times, but went to use the rotisserie and it wouldn’t ignite. My husband called to ask if we were doing something incorrectly and they said they’d be willing to come out and look for $ 99, but we voided our warranty by not installing the bbq ourselves or with them (which wasn’t given to us as an option at all). It came fully assembled and just needed to be put in the space, but myself and my husband couldn’t lift it ourselves, so we voided our warranty!!! What the F kind of customer service is that!!! Um, I’ll tell you… NONE.
So, we bought a VERY, VERY expensive grill, when we already had a great grill, so we could have a built-​in. At the recommendation of our contractor, we went with these guys. But because he helped install it, we now cannot have one that functions unless we pay MORE???
It sounds like the bbq store and the contractors are in collusion with one another. Tell your customers to come here, then install it, which voids their warranty, and then they won’t know it’s defective merchandise until they go to use it and have to pay extra to get their defective product to ever work.
I wonder if they give the contractor a kick back for that!!!

Two encounters, both bad. A year or so ago I went there to get a replacement grill for my Weber. They didn’t have it, but said they would order it and call when it arrived. I ended up following up twice with them and finally gave up.
More recently I wanted to buy a replacement for my Weber charcoal lighter «chimney». They didn’t have the Weber model, so I settled for what they carried. The first time I used it, the aluminum finish started blistering and flaking off into the BBQ, leaving the unfinished steel underneath. When I returned it and pointed out that I didn’t like paint on my steak, the guy offered me a replacement as his solution!
I ordered the Weber model I wanted in the first place from Amazon and will avoid this place from now on.

Do not go to these guys for repairs. They charged me $ 99 in advance just to set up an appointment for the repair. Then, before they came out to do the job, they wanted to charge me another $ 100 for the parts they thought I might need (without ever seeing my grill). Thats like going in for an oil change and having the shop charge you (in advance) for 4 new tires. I will never go to this store again.

My wife and I did our best to buy an infrared BBQ for more money than anyone should spend for an outdoor appliance that cooks meat. If I said the salesmen were aloof, I’d be complimenting them. They were downright rude, difficult to get a price out of and were inconsistent from our first visit to second trip to the store. In spite of the obstacles the sales staff threw at us, we overcame and plunked down a credit card for a grand and a half.
As we left the store, I told my wife that I had never felt less satisfied buying a large ticket item in my life.
To make a short story long, the BBQ was to be delivered 5 days later to our home. We had to call on day 6, only to be told the model we choose was no longer in stock and the only one that was left in a warehouse somewhere in S. Cal was damaged when they took it out of the box.
Bottom line: The prices are high, our satisfaction is low and the customer service is pitiful. They win, we won’t be returning. Are they barbeque snobs? No, this is a store with a culture of, «who give a bleep.»