The Smoke Point BBQ & Provisions - San Juan Bautista, California

Mariah carpenter

I can’t even tell you the last time I was in San Juan Bautista but I can’t tell you I’m going back now for this barbecue joint! I was so impressed by the kind stuff and the flavors and smoke of the barbecue. I grew up with family from the south and I am no stranger to the smoke, flavor, and char of the meat. I did feel like my brisket sandwich had a bit of fat, but the piece was huge! They also provided gluten-free bread and I was super impressed. The potato skins were out of this world packed with flavor and good pieces of meat. I can’t wait to go back and try something else!

J Shah

Took our 4th graders to Mission San Juan Bautista with our friends and after the mission visit we were looking for a lunch place. We were greeted quickly and as we were in a largish party, and a beautiful day, we opted to sit outside in the garden. The kids had plenty of room to play and the smoker was active in the yard - providing a show! The food was great, the atmosphere fun, and our server was amazing! At the end, she asked if we wanted separate checks and helped out out so didn’t have go back and forth on Venmo! We really appreciated the extra lengths she went 🙂 definitely stop by if you get a chance… while most of our party had the smoked meats - salad, filet, chicken sandwich- the corn bread and loaded potato for vegetarians is pretty filling, and they also have enough options to make the lunch a filling experience!

Kamiar K.

Great bbq, coming from a Texan ? brisket, coleslaw, and potato salad were a great combo. Perfect amount of fat on the brisket. Corn bread was an add-on and it was delicious (large portion size for one order on the side!).

Ross Casley

A no-frills restaurant in a quiet little California mission town, but it has the best smoked meat dishes for many miles around. I drive here from the San Francisco peninsula every few months because the food (and the selection of barbecue sauces) are just so good.

KDG

Stumbled across this wonderful little spot due to a Google search of bbq places near me. We made the ten minute drive to the sleepy little town of San Juan Batista. If you’ve never been, SJB has that old town feel to it. There isn’t a Starbucks, MxDonalds, or any other chain to grab a bite to eat. Everyone is local and everything has that old town charm.

Driving up to the restaurant, the no frills, bare bones decor filled me with hope. These days, far too many places rely on flash and sizzle rather than quality food. Inside, the place has an old town diner feel with string lights adding ambiance.

The menu has quite a few options. Prices seemed in line with every other bbq joint we’d been to since Covid made cost of goods soar. Unfortunately, there’s no vaccine for that. Everybody pays.

My wife ordered the one meat plate with half a chicken, potato salad, and Mac and cheese. She chose a POG slushy to drink. I ordered the one meat plate with brisket, bbq beans, and fries for our three year old.
I also ordered a jalapeño cheese sausage for an extra $6. The plates were $24. We ordered a slab of cornbread for $8. I had a draft beer - a whisky barrel aged porter from nearby Watsonville brewery Fruition. It was fantastic, by the way.

Portions: We were incredibly surprised. Had I known the portions would be the size they were, I wouldn’t have ordered the sausage(which I took home.) These portions were surprising compared to the other bbq places we’ve visited in Aptos, Santa Cruz, Morgan Hill, and Salinas. Over the past few years, the serving size has decreased while the cost has increased. Here, it felt like we were in a Time Machine that took us back five or six years.

The staff were super friendly, quick to respond, and offered our three year old stickers, crayons, and a sheet of paper to color on.

They had five different sauces that were very unique. I had only one of the types of sauces previously(garden variety bbq), so I enjoyed sampling them all.

I really hope everyone gives this special place a chance. It has heart and personality asks of course, is locally owned. I can o lay imagine how the desserts must have been, but that will have to be for our next visit!

Fran Fitzharris

I’ve been visiting this spot from its opening and still to this day enjoy my food, beverage, & costumer service experience. Wings, loaded baked potato, salads, ribs, brisket, beer, and booze for all the foodies near & far. Just don’t be a snobbish @$$ who thinks they know everything about BBQ because you don’t. Be kind and don’t sleep on their amazing cornbread. It’s the BEST!

Jennifer Carr

We just had a great lunch at this place. Had heard about it from friends and decided to give it a try when driving through San Juan Batista. Waitress was very friendly and helpful. Husband had brisket plate, with fries and coleslaw and said it was great. I had Brisket Waldorf Salad and loved it. Sat on back deck as it was a nice day. Great place, will definitely go back and will recommend to others!

Jeff Wickum- Wickum Group

What a find! And I certainly will remember for the future. Great BBQ. I had the brisket sandwich which was amazing. Wife had the salad that was covered in bacon with quality greens. If you go, definitely get the brussel sprouts. Beer selection on tap was stellar as well. Yee-haw!!