Sneaky’s BBQ

Caught them at the El Rio pop up last week and my oh my! The pulled pork! The brisket! Both were super tasty. I normally favor ribs over brisket, but with this brisket, I may be a convert. Too legit to quit. And yes, I’ve had BBQ in Texas and the Southeastern US, so I’m not a BBQ neophyte.

BBQ delivery. Not just average BBQ, not even good BBQ, but great BBQ. Delivered to your doorstep. Sneaky’s is an instant favorite once you get on their mailing list and place a Friday delivery order with Ben, who is extremely friendly and helpful. While I’m not going to say it’s the best BBQ in town, because that is a tall order, it is definitely one of the top contenders.
We placed an order for some pork belly, some brisket and some ribs. While they were all well above average, the one that stood out the most and was by far the best was the brisket. Reheated following Ben’s instructions this came out so tender and so flavorful that it just melts in your mouth. I’d even suggest skipping on the sauces and just enjoying the natural smokey flavor that it has on its own.
What I did not get to try but want to experiment with in future orders are the beans (which were sold out) and the pulled pork. I’d probably also forego the belly and ribs in favor of double or even triple the brisket. It’s just that good.
Overall, I don’t even know if any other quality BBQ options deliver to your door, but even if they exist I can’t possibly imagine them competing in quality with Sneaky’s. So for what they offer I contend that Sneaky’s is «as good as it gets.»

I had Sneaky’s cater a birthday party this weekend in Stinson and they were fantastic. I picked Sneaky’s out of a couple caterers because of their reviews, this moderate range price, and most importantly their responsiveness. I appreciated that my emails were responded to promptly and I felt confident having the even in their hands. The food was delivered on time to our house with detailed directions how to warm it up. We had the brisket, chicken, pulled pork, mac n cheese, and cole slaw for 30 people. We ended up having 35 people and still had a ton leftover. The brisket and mac n cheese were particularly outstanding. Highly recommend.

Tried the pop-​up at Vinyl. I’m from Texas, and I can tell you this stuff is legit. Loved the brisket sandwich, the beans, and the shells and cheese.

I’m very particular about food and was planning a large party. I didn’t have a chance to taste any of Sneaky’s food in advance, so I considered it a big risk to go into it sight unseen. However, what I got blew my mind.
First of all, Ben, the owner, was super responsive and a complete pleasure to work with over the course of several days and many emails. He was very professional and his estimates were exactly right on. I told him I’d be supplementing his food with a few of my dishes.
Now, the food. Starting with the brisket… I do not eat beef but ordered this for my guests based on the reviews here. My experience with brisket was as a kid, and my mom served us this dried out, leathery looking stuff. That was my frame of reference and I couldn’t understand why people even ate it. But the minute I took the foil off the pan, I could understand why everyone raved about this.
The HUGE, moist slices were nothing like what Mom made. In fact, I actually ate a piece because it was so delicious looking, and it was so fantastic, I could have almost been converted back to being a meat eater. All my guests went nuts and agreed that they’d never had anything like it.
On to the the ribs… so moist and flavorful… I’m a total convert. Now as a heads up, what they use is a dry rub, and it was to die for. Nothing like anything I’ve ever had. So while they provided 2 kinds of sauce on the side (sensational in themselves, especially the mustard bbq sauce), the meat really didn’t need anything. If you’re used to saucy ribs, this will be a different experience but wow, they were amazing.
Next was the chicken, usually dry in most restaurants. Again, the rub was fabulous and even 2 days later when I warmed up the last of the leftovers, they were still moist. With all the meats, I really appreciated the rub so that I could enjoy the food itself without having to consume mouthfuls of sugary sauce.
Added to all that, the delivery came exactly at my requested time and the meat stayed hot for a long time.
I will most definitely be ordering BBQ from Sneaky’s again. Don’t miss it!

OMG the pork belly, I drive to a Bar to pick this up, it’s delicious. Pulled pork, brisket, beans, greens, corn bread, it’s the best BBQ in SF!

In short: Sneaky’s is absolutely the best barbecue in San Francisco. It’s not even a close call.
I’ve eaten at every BBQ joint in SF worth a visit. Last week, I ate at Franklin Barbecue in Austin (the #1 BBQ joint in Texas/​the World according to Texas Monthly and pretty much any BBQ aficionado). The two-​hour plus wait to even order was fully worth it. I think Daniel Vaughn (Texas Monthly BBQ editor) would agree Sneaky’s is at least in the same league as the joints in the top tier of the Texas Monthly list. I don’t want to disparage any of the other folks trying to make good BBQ in SF, so suffice it to say nothing else is even comparable.
The kind of BBQ I like: Texas BBQ is all about brisket and the holy trinity — the aforementioned brisket plus ribs and sausage (I don’t personally care about sausage/​hot links). Pulled pork isn’t a Texas specialty, but in my opinion (and probably offending a lot of South Carolinians here, apologies) smoking perfect brisket and ribs, whole meats with layered flavors and textures (the crisp outer bark, velvety fat, and tender meat) that don’t require sauce makes for a better meal than a perfect batch of pulled pork, which is inherently lacking in texture (being uniformly shredded) and reliant on sauce for moisture and flavor. Good pulled pork is delicious; just doesn’t make sense to me to allocate any of my protein-​and-​fat digestive capabilities to it when I can have perfectly tender brisket and ribs (and at Sneaky’s, the decadent pork belly) instead.
Sneaky’s website doesn’t even mention brisket or Texas-​style BBQ, which makes it even more impressive that they do it better than anyone in the Bay Area. I do enjoy their pulled pork, just haven’t eaten very much of it because their other specialties are the real experience, for me.
Sneaky’s meats: Really you just need to taste the brisket, ribs, and pork belly; descriptive text is inadequate, so I’ll make my attempt brief. The Sneaky’s I had delivered last week required that I reheat it in the oven before enjoying, and it was delivered late in the day by my request. Yet the brisket was still fatty and delicious upon reheating, the layers of flavorful bark, delicate fat (yes), and tender meat melting on the tongue (there were some leaner slices, but I didn’t specify fatty brisket only).
The ribs were similarly tender, falling off the bone (a requirement for good BBQ; and sadly many Bay Area places serve not only less-​than-​tender but chewy ribs, which is wholly unacceptable). The pork belly was tender and delicate, the meat and fat portions indistinguishable to the tongue, with a crispy, salty outer layer (though not the thickest bark).
Sneaky’s sauces: Sneaky’s has fine sauces, but you don’t need sauce for the three meats above (truly). Before I had perfectly tender and well-​seasoned meats, I doubted whenever I heard what I assumed were BBQ snobs saying that «real BBQ doesn’t need sauce.» Well, it’s true. (For other Bay Area BBQ joints, you probably do need sauce, because the meat isn’t good.)
If you end up using them (for pulled pork, say) Sneaky’s sauces are thinner and taste like they’re made from real ingredients, instead of the secret family recipe of a typical BBQ joint (a «suicide soda» of low-​grade ketchup, mustard, corn syrup, and preservatives). I understand the nostalgia for ribs or some other dish with a sticky, syrupy sauce. I just prefer to keep those flawed but significant flavors as memories; the good feelings they bring wear thinner upon each reintroduction.
Sneaky’s sides: The best BBQ joints in the world (yes, even Franklin) have forgettable at best and often flat-​out bad side dishes. I understand the argument that Daniel Vaughn and others who judge BBQ have made: for them, it’s all about the meat. But for me (and I would think most humans who are not BBQ critics) meat should not be an entire meal. So the logic of delicately seasoning high quality meats and slowly smoking them for a dozen or so hours until they are perfectly tender, multi-​faceted flavor experiences, and then serving them alongside some of the lowest-​quality, preservative-​ridden side dishes is a baffling choice, to me.
I understand that it is «traditional» to have an ice cream scoop of bright yellow and unintentionally mashed «potato salad,» why-​bother cole-​slaw, corn-​syrupy «baked» beans, and a half loaf of actual Wonder Bread. There are times when these kinds of dishes sound somewhat appetizing for nostalgic purposes.
But most of the time (and for me, nearly 100% of the time), I want real food. Sneaky’s side dishes are real food. In particular, I like their collard greens, which were nicely braised and toothsome even reheated.
I ordered Sneaky’s for delivery on my 29^th and 30^th birthdays and hope to keep the tradition going. The only thing I don’t understand is how the only place with such respect for the craft doesn’t have a permanent location, but as long as Sneaky’s keeps smoking, I’ll be happy.

Pop Up @ Tuesday Trivia Night at Vinyl
Pulled pork sandwich-​generous portion of protein but didn’t care for the mop sauce on top. I found the sauce to be too sweet and smoky and found myself wanting a more savory bite. I can’t say if the sauce was authentic but I do know it wasn’t to my liking.
Overall Thoughts
When I go back to Trivia Night, I will certainly give it another go!

4.5
Have had more of the menu now and am now over the moon about every single thing but that’s more a personal preference. The pulled pork sammy is a bit spicier than I prefer but I know that’s the style. If you eat meat, eat at Sneaky’s.

The food here is capital A Amazing!
Why just four stars then? The ribs made me a bit sad, but we’ll get to that later.
Overall, this place is a good solid find. Hard to locate as it hides inside the bar Rebel, but if you come here you won’t be disappointed. Came here on a Wednesday night, when the bar had a happy hour going and man was everything good.
Buy one get one free drinks, and delicious bbq what a great combo! $ 40 bucks here gets you three meats and 2 sides, and me and the fiancé went with the ribs, chicken, brisket, collard greens and fries. The brisket was really good, and the chicken solid. The ribs were a shade dry due to the dry rub, but still fall off the bone tender. The collard greens were also really flavorful and delicious…
but the star of the whole meal was the cornbread. Hands down best cornbread I’ve ever had. If i could run into the back and steal the recipe and several servings of this thing I could. And served with honey butter. Dear god is there such a thing as too much of a good thing is too much? We got like 2 orders and 1 more to go. It’s like crack I tell you!
Pros: Good service, great cornbread, good food
Cons: A bit loud sometimes, and crowded once the bar goes full swing.

Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve been led this astray by fellow Unilocalers. I’ll start off with a disclaimer that we had Sneaky’s deliver, so, whether that affected the quality of their food is a judgement I will leave to you. But, should you have any interest in having them deliver, any orders over $ 35 are free to delivery within San Francisco, which is a plus on those days you just don’t want to go out.
Well, if they were tasty, anyway. We ordered a full rack of baby back ribs, 20oz of kurobuta pork belly, mac and cheese, and cornbread, for a sticker shocking ~$ 55 (shocking only after we saw how little it actually got us). The ribs were nowhere near tender, and fairly lacking in flavor: a combination of bland and just lacking in depth. The pork belly, while cooked well, and quite tender, was similarly lacking in flavor (a feat I thought impossible for pork belly). The mac and cheese was okay though, and, as many have mentioned, quite buttery — but again, nothing spectacular. Sadly, the only thing that stood out from the entire order was the cornbread, which is not even made by Sneaky’s, but by Hot Mess Baking instead.
I can’t claim to have tried any other BBQ joints in the city yet, but, having had much, much better elsewhere, I refuse to believe there is not better here in SF, and for much better value too.

My friends and I came here for lunch after the Chocolate Salon. After eating dessert first, was I ready to get my meat on. Screw the vegetable diet, ribs were in order. But unfortunately, that was not the case, as the brunch menu was a different menu. It didn’t contain any ribs.
It is a limited menu, so look at their website for what is listed. There were only 3 brunch entrée items on the menu. From the selection I chose the beef brisket, served with cole slaw, beans, and cornbread. Served with either a salad or fruit cup, I chose the salad.
The beef brisket was really good. Juicy, flavor full, and moist. The skin and fat was also delicious. I asked for their BBQ hot sauce, which really worked well with the dish. The salad was ok but really, my main focus was on the brisket. Everything is served over the cornbread, so it became soggy. Tasty, but soggy and would need to be tried again by itself.
I will be coming back to try the back back ribs, as that was my main focus which was not met. When the chef came out to ask how everything was, it was really good, but I should have told him to put the ribs on the brunch menu. Oh Sneaky’s BBQ, why were you so sneaky to me today?

02.04.12
Dual birthday party for 20+. Footie pajamas party took over our reserved area. We gathered [pretty much] every other stool available and crowded ourselves around two tables.
18 drinks served first round. Food comes out. Pulled pork. Baby back ribs. Brisket. BBQ chicken. Pork belly. Spicy chicken wings. Rooster chicken wings (highly recommend). Mac and cheese. Beans. Cole slaw. Collard greens. Fries. Cornbread.
Second round of drinks. Fruity shots for the whole table, on the house. That’s how you keep a large crowd happy!
You will leave with your fingers a bit sticky and your tummy very satisfied.

I’m proud to say that I started eating Sneaky’s back when they were still only doing underground delivery service (i.e. every week we got an email from Pat and Ben saying they were going to make deliveries for certain dishes on a certain day of the week and did we want in?). I still love Sneaky’s in their brick and mortar setup in Rebel.
I die for the BBQ chicken, BBQ ribs, brisket, pulled pork, cornbread, and shells and cheese (I realize I named pretty much almost everything on their menu just now). Awesome BBQ from two random dudes who just decided they liked cooking southern food in their spare time, I highly recommend.

After seeing the mention in Food and WIne and the added recommendation of an old co-​worker we decided to check this place out after I met with a prospective business associate. He was up for a beer but we invited him to hang with us. Little did he know he was going to be eating smoked meat at a gay bar with loud pumping music. When his wife texted him, I told him to reply: «Im at a gay bar eating lots of meat and Im not coming home!» har har har
Besides the rocking music which seems to be out of place at dinner time, the space is empty. We had an awesome waitress who presented us with a platter of pulled pork, brisket, and chicken. We also got 30 wings, and sides of collards, corn bread, and fries. Everything was solid but I dont think it hit my expectations from my old co-​coworker. What I was told after however was what they were out of was their best selections, the ribs and pork belly. Shoot, Ill just have to return, with some ear plugs or have the catering dept drop something off.

[M]ona: 4 Stars
[W]ayne: 5 Stars
Average: 4.5 Stars
+ Nice Ambiance
+ Great Food
+ Nice Portions
+ Excellent Service
+ Accepts Credit Cards
— May Be Hard to Find (Located inside Rebel)
[W] First off, let’s make it clear that this place is located IN Rebel Bar. I have to say that this place is definitely a «sneaky» place to put a BBQ spot but it was well worth it! The setting is kind of inside a lounge/​bar and as we sat down, I couldn’t help but notice that they have dancing poles on the back stage as well as 2 in the dining room. It kind of got me thinking like hmm… first you eat great food, then get drunk at the bar, then dance your ass off on the poles haha. Very very interesting night if you get drunk or whatnot. [
Let’s get into the food! I’m going to have to revert back to a little high school girl state and say OMG, THIS FOOD IS SOOOO GOOD! We had the 2 item combo tonight with the PULLED PORK and the BBQ BABY BACK RIBS! It included two sides which we got the COLESLAW and the MAC-​AND-​CHEESE. I’ve been craving COLLARED GREENS for a while so I ordered that on the side as well. [
Christina, our very pleasant server tonight, let us know that the entrée we ordered already came with its own BBQ sauce but she was nice enough to let us try out the mustard and rooster sauce as well! That’s one hell of a way to earn your stars as well as have some repeat customers who had never tried out your stuff before!
[M] There were healthy servings of both the PULLED PORK and the BBQ BABY BACK RIBS for two so you will not be displeased. The ribs looked burnt on the top when it initially came out, however we found out quick that it was actually their house rub. Both meats were very satisfying!
The COLESLAW, MAC-​AND-​CHEESE and especially the COLLARED GREENS were excellent sides as well. In fact, the collard greens were so good that Wayne had to order a separate one to go lols.
All in all, great food and great service. We will be back!

I’m not a huge BBQ person and I’d probably never, ever eat BBQ if it weren’t someone else’s idea and I hadn’t already tried incessantly to suggest something, anything, else. And yet I find myself daydreaming about Sneaky’s pulled pork, mac n cheese and those amazing chicken wings. Their sauce’s are incredible, the service is attentive, friendly and helpful and their portions are out of this world (pretty sure I ate my weight in marinated pulled pork last night).
Only drawback is their seating arrangments — small tables with wobbly chairs (not a good combination when you’re half way through your meal and feel the need to lean back, unbutton your jeans and take a breather). Either way I think it’s safe to say I’m a huge fan of Sneaky’s…I may even sneak in there tonight for a couple finger lickin’ wings!

When I first heard about Sneaky’s, I imagined a ninja dressed in all black, dropping off a package of BBQ at my door step and flying away into the darkness.
It was quite an intriguing idea but every time my friends and I tried to place an order online, they had already run out of a lot of their meats for the week. This was BEFORE they found their permanent home inside Rebel. I was so excited to hear that Sneaky’s was finally open for business and finally got to try it out last night.
First off, I loved the atmosphere at Rebel. Laid back, plenty of tables and space, great service and adorable waiters who you just want to hug because they are so nice. We got there right before 7pm on a Wednesday and got «buy 1 get 1 free» drinks as part of their happy hour. S-​W-​E-​E-​T. The night was off to a good start…
We ordered a three item combo plate (ribs, pulled pork and pork belly) with 3 sides (cole slaw, mac and cheese, baked beans) and 20 wings to share amongst 5 people. Prices are decent. On Wednesdays, 20 wings will only cost you $ 13. The 3-​meat plate including sides was $ 36.
The wings and sides were the highlights for me. The wings, oh the wings! You have to try the wings! I wish every day could be Wing Wednesday. They came out hot, with good flavor and great sauces. If you like spicy… try the suffer sauce. ;) We pretty much devoured the wings since it was finger-​lickin’ good. Mac and cheese, cole slaw and beans were all nicely made with great flavors! Unfortunately, although I really liked the Carolina-​style pulled pork, the ribs and pork belly weren’t as tender as I usually like.
Overall, I’m not in love with Sneaky’s, but I would definitely come back, especially for the wings! A huge plus is that unlike some of the other BBQ joints in the city that don’t have a seating area, you can actually sit down inside and enjoy a nice evening with BBQ, beer and great service.

As you may know, San Francisco is bereft of good barbecue places. It’s a sad fact that barbecue is the gaping hole in the gourmet potpourri that makes up the dining scene in this great city. Sure, there’s Memphis Minnie’s, but name three others as good. Go ahead, I’ll wait… (tick-​tock-​tick-​tock)… hmmm, I’m getting old. Well, Sneaky’s is not exactly new since they’ve apparently been delivering since late 2008. What is new is the dine-​in option they are now providing in the Rebel bar (formerly the Octavia Lounge).
Just two weeks old, it’s a bit like Nick’s Crispy Tacos or Fat Taco in that you’re eating in what is really a bar lounge. In fact, Jamie W. and I were initially confused what we were supposed to do when we entered Rebel since people looked like they were starting to drink at the little tables at a quarter to six. We were told to sit anywhere, so we chose one of the back high-​toppers just below the glittery disco ball. Swirling in shimmer and 80’s new-​wave, we couldn’t quite believe they even served hot food at all, but the menu was full of hearty temptations that sounded so good.
Turned out to be quite good indeed. We both went for the Two-​Meat Combination Plates with Two Sides at $ 24 each. Now we did something similar at Roadside BBQ a few weeks earlier for comparatively cheaper. Just proves you pay for what you get because the portions are extremely generous here. Jamie ordered the Nine Jumbo Wings and the Baby-​Back Ribs under the theory that less is not more but that more is indeed more (see photo). Ideal with the cooling ranch dip, the wings were delicious with a BBQ sauce rub that retains a flavor textured with smoke and then deep-​fried.
The pork ribs were flavorful with a smoky deep rub that was only slightly hindered by a too-​pink interior. I had the same ribs and coupled it with a lengthy section of the Kurobuta Pork Belly, an obsession for me anytime I see it on a menu, this time dry-​rubbed as well (see photo). Really tasty. As good as all the meat was, we both thought the standouts were the sides. The collard greens, for once, were not overcooked to a watery submission. Instead, they held their texture with a nice freshness. The macaroni and cheese was gooey, baked down-​home goodness.
The baked beans were cooked just right with an edge of sweetness that worked, and even the fries were well turned. A half-​dozen dipping sauces come with the plates with the honey mustard the most popular between the two of us. We were ridiculously stuffed afterward to the point of feeling somnambulant. Service was extremely attentive by a couple of waiters who appeared to be tag-​teaming. Even with a disco ball evoking memories of my days in polyester and platform shoes, we are most definitely coming back for more sit-​down eats here.
FOOD — 4 stars… really well-​turned barbecue with outstanding sides
AMBIANCE — 3.5 stars… Saturday Night Fever with motorcycle helmets
SERVICE — 4 stars… attentive and ready with the refills
TOTAL — 4 stars… dare I say it… OK, I will… best casual-​style barbecue I’ve had in SF in a long, long time

Sneaky’s is amazing BBQ delivered to your front door. The pork spare ribs, baby back ribs, pulled pork, mac n cheese and cole slaw arrived chilled, and I was given specific verbal instructions on how to reheat the foods. For the meats the microwave worked perfectly, but for the mac n cheese I think I preferred heating that in the toaster oven instead.
The Pork Spare Ribs (
) were excellent. Sneaky’s BBQ sauce is both tangy and spicy so don’t be surprised if it leaves you patting a bit of moisture off your forehead. The BBQ sauce was already brushed onto the meat which had a very nice rub applied on it. The meat had a nice smoky flavor to it and was fall off the bone tender. The rack I got was fairly lean with just a small amount of fat where the soft bones are. As lean as the meat was it was surprisingly moist too.
For those concerned about the spicy sauce I’d recommend the Baby Back Ribs (
). The baby backs had the same delicious rub on the meat, but the BBQ sauce arrived in separate containers so you could apply as little or as much sauce as you wish. The baby backs were just as delicious as the the regular spare ribs and the meat was equally lean and tender.
After two big slabs of ribs I was pretty full, but I still had to give the Pulled Pork (
) a try. The meat and the sauce are packaged separately also. The pulled pork was good but the vinegar taste was a bit strong for my taste. If you can get around the vinegar taste the pork was actually quite flavorful. Again, the pulled pork was considerably lean, but the meat was not as tender as the meat on the ribs. I tried applying more sauce in an attempt to mask the vinegar taste, but it still managed to overpower the sauce. Not sure if I would order this again.
The Mac n Cheese (
) came with big visible patches of melted cheese. I stuck this in the toaster oven in order to firm up the noodles and try to reform the thick cheesy layer on top. I thought the mac n cheese was very good with a very cheesey flavor. My only wish would be that it were slightly more creamy.
The Cole Slaw (
) was fresh and crisp. The chopped up pieces of cabbage were mixed in a thin, milky dressing of sweet vinegar. I thought its flavor and crispy freshness complemented the ribs and the pulled pork very well. In my opinion I would have preferred a slightly creamier dressing. Just as a variation I chipped some fresh carrots in a food processor and added it to the slaw.
If you are interested in ordering some delicious BBQ from Sneaky’s visit their blog site for the menu and for current prices and get on their weekly email list. All orders are made via email only, and Ben and Pat are very quick in replying to questions you might have. They deliver two days per week, and it appears the delivery days change from week to week. Their prices aren’t too bad either and tax and delivery are included in the prices.