Gorilla Barbeque--Pacifica (BBQ)

I had a hankering for some barbeque, and it was also my boyfriend's birthday, so I thought some good smoked meat would be in order. I saw this place on the Food Network a couple years back and thought I'd give it a try. Now I'm a once-yearly regular. It's quite a trek for me but completely worth it.

http://www.gorillabbq.com/

Located right off the highway at 2145 Coast Highway in Pacifica, it's surprising they even have a house number. It's basically a train car with a big smoker in the back and they only do take out. This is not the cheapest place, but they serve high-quality meat with huge portions. Below are a few of my favorite things, which is pretty much their whole menu.

My absolute favorite item here is actually not meat at all. It's their Mac N' Cheese, which is a side. I usually get an extra side of it. The pasta is perfectly al dente, it tastes like it's all cheddar, but it's a sharper one so it has a nice bite and they sprinkle the top with some garlic bread crumbs. It's so cheesy; when I take a fork full, the cheese will stretch a few inches before it breaks. So yummy.

Let's talk about the meat. This is the three meat combo with chicken, hot links, and beef ribs (hot links were buried but in another picture below). Everything is smoked. The hot links taste homemade and had that nice snap when bitten into. The ribs are great. Very meaty, with that wonderful smokey-ness and a good texture. Not falling-off-the-bone moist but just the right pull to get it off the bone.

Chicken can be a little tricky since it can dry out easily but this one was not dry. It also had that nice smokey flavor and any leftovers can make a great chicken salad.

Hot links

They sell their bbq sauce by the bottle and I wish I bought some. It's a little tangy and a little spicy with a very complex flavor profile. This can be poured over anything.

This is a two-meat combo with beef brisket and pulled pork. Each combo includes two sides, beans & rice, a corn muffin and bbq sauce. I opted for mushroom as one of my sides and they were surprisingly good. Also nicely smokey and fresh. The beef brisket has that nice pink smoke ring around it and makes a really good sandwich and their pulled pork is tender and delicious. The corn muffin is also very moist.

I would highly recommend giving them a try at least once, even if it is a bit of a drive.