Circle H Barbecue

Tried going there for my 1^st visit and they were closed during hours they were supposed to be open. Have tried calling them a few times during normal business hours and did not get anyone to pickup. They may be closed for good. Not sure.

I really wanted to like Circle H BBQ, but they are just not there yet. For lunch I had the Sweet and Saucy sandwich, which is a combination of pulled pork and brisket. As other reviewers noted, I also had a large chunk of fat in my sandwich. The brisket was overcooked and dry. Otherwise the meat had a nice smoke flavor that was not overpowering. While I did like the bun, it was too much for the meat. Each bite was mostly bun with a little meat.
For a side I had the red potato salad. I would choose something else. It had little flavor and was too «wet» with an abundance of mayo.
On the big plus side, the owner (assumed) is quite nice and eager to please.
I will try Circle H BBQ again to see if this is not just opening jitters.

Oh hey, Circle H!
You’re really nice inside, and your waitress was a doll!
Your food is a great value, and tasty too!
Your mac & cheese is a delight, that’s right!
Much bigger portions than Joe’s Real BBQ. and no heinous brat children in church clothes to deal with.
Yay!

Being that I’m new to this side of town, I’m really trying to find a decent BBQ place to eat at since I’m to far from all my favorites on the East side of town. A few weeks ago, I found this place, ate there and just never bothered to review it. Tonight I went back for seconds since I had a good experience the first time, and it wasn’t as much fun as I remember.
The first time I was here, it was a Saturday night and there was hardly any one in the place. I came here tonight (Friday) and the place was slightly busier. I went up to the counter to review the menu, and the girl who took my order answered my questions. I thought I had told her that I was eating there. I swear I did. She assumed that I was carrying out. I don’t know how that got mixed up, but my first red flag should have been her saying «you can wait at the bar.» I said «no, I’m going to sit in the back.»
So, ordered the Brisket sandwich, and waited in the back. Other patrons that were there before me all got there food, and eventually my order was ready. After she delievered the other orders to the table, she looked at me and said «your foods ready.» Um, okay, so bring it out like you did the others?
Eventually the other girl walked the bag with my food in it in a to go box with no drink to my table. I told her that I wanted to eat it here, and would like to get a plate. She apologized, and took the bag of food back with her. At this point, I went up to the counter to get my drink because honestly I was getting kinda thirsty. As I approached the girl who initially took my order was talking to the guy working behind the counter and taking orders and sort of looked in my direction. As I got closer, they suddenly stopped talking, looked down at the floor and scattered. I guess I’m problem customer now? To much of a diva? or maybe I’m just so tired that Im being crazy and irrational?
Eventually my food came back out on the plate and the brisket was okay. If I had reviewed the place the first time I went, I probably would have given them 4 to 5 stars. Now? 3 and thats about it.

I went to lunch not log ago to Circle H and I was pleasantly surprised. The service was awesome, our waitress was fun and full of good advise. we ordered the Gringo nachos and they were so oddly addictive. I then had the Texas beef Brisket with Mac & Cheese and coleslaw. The Brisket was extremely good in fact it was some of the best brisket I have had since living in the phoenix area, the Mac and cheese was baked with 3 cheeses just how I like it, the coleslaw was good. They had three sauces and all three were good with the Brisket. Yes, this is one I will be returning to, it was truly worth my time and money. There are still more dishes I need to sample so there will be another update once I am able to.

It took some time for them to settle in and work out some of the details, but, now, a few months after opening… this place is awesome!
Great food, solid local bottled-​beer selection (though I’m hoping for drafts at some point!), and enjoyable service. I enjoy places that are always testing different items out, and Circle H is always trying to improve: adding a new sauce here or listening to customers comments there.
I hope that Cirlce H is just the beginning of improving the whole 7^th Avenue and Camelback shopping area!

Yay! Finally, a decent BBQ joint in Central Phoenix! I went here for lunch on President’s Day with coworkers. It’s an unexpected brand new-​looking building on the NW corner of Camelback and 7^th Ave.
We walked in and there were probably only 3 other tables of people in the large dining area. The menu is chock full of delicious sounding meals (including hamburgers with pastrami and sausages on top)! But I settled on a classic — the brisket sandwich, with baked beans on the side. We also ordered the deviled eggs for an appetizer. The eggs were okay — not bad for a restaurant, but definitely not like homemade. So I can do without those next time.
So we waited, and waited, and waited, and FINALLY, we received our food. I know there were 6 of us at the table, but the place was empty, so unless they were slaughtering cows in the back, it shouldn’t have taken that long to bring out 5 sandwiches and 1 salad. The brisket on my sandwich was nice and moist, and the side of sauce had a good balance of sweet and spice. I generously used the sauces provided on the tables also — one is super spicy and the other is sort of tangy, so they’re good together. My beans were a little al dente (my nice way of saying they were a little under cooked), but they had good flavor and the candied pork on top was awesome!
It was definitely a good experience, and I’ll be going back, but if they want to attract the lunchtime crowd, they’ll need to work on speeding up their service a bit. I would really give a 3.5 star rating if I could, but rounded up instead of down because the flavors were really good.

From the start, the service was great. Someone was there immediately when I walked in. I had my fiancé and 14mo old sleeping in the truck so I brought the menu out to her and walked back in to make the order. I talked with the guy there for a minute and said I would be back in, in a few minutes to grab the food. He actually brought it out to me before I could get back in the restaurant.
When we got home, we had noticed one of our sides was missing. I’m not a spaz like a lot of people and everyone makes mistakes. Its understandable. So I called and told the guy we didn’t get one of our sides and that I lived right around the corner and would be back in a couple of minutes, to keep it warm for me. He immediately apologized and offered a free side to go with the one I was picking up (didn’t ask for it). When I returned, the young man I spoke with and that took my order seen me pulling up and ran out to bring me my sides.
That’s service and it was with a smile!
5 minutes later I was able to eat the most delicious BBQ, in fact I am eating the leftovers from last night for lunch today.
mmmMMMMmmmmmmm…
I’ll be back soon!!!

Where do you get great BBQ when you are craving something like Brisket and you are in central Phoenix??? Circle H is the answer! I think Circle H’s brisket could be the very best in the valley. I got so stuck on just the beef brisket that I did not try the other offerings. What a mistake because owner Bill Sandweg makes one of the best hambergers as well.
I’ve had the Pig and The Pastrami burgers. Let me warn you, after eating one of these behemoth’s, you either need to nap or forget about dinner if you have one for lunch. The Pig burger at $ 10.00 comes with a choice of sides and generally err on the side of the fries. The fries are handcut and fresh. Does not get any better than that. You can definitley split the burger.
Pulled pork and chicken are all good choices but beef brisket is so good. Their BBQ sauce is very unique (only wish they would have it on the table, but I would drink it then) and they came up with a new mustard based Carolina sauce which is scrumdelicious.
This is a «Great» addition to local dining and a huge win for BBQ fans. Desserts, well have not gotten there yet because frankly, I can’t eat another calorie for at least 4 hours.
Fifth Star will come when the interior gets completed with old photos from valley. They have many but looking for more.

Have to try to get there early for the amazing deserts, once there gone, you’re out of luck. The pulled pork is super tender and falls apart.
Make sure you sit in Al’s section, great service and he’ll have you laughing with his jokes.

Stopped by for a quick bite on a Saturday afternoon. Did not realize that the place had just opened (or at it appeared that way). Quite crowded with patrons, a bubble machine, and a DJ.
It was bit loud with all the commotion, but still within reason. The menu is compact, but offered all the usual suspects. I went for the Pulled Pork sandwich with a side of cole slaw. I dumped the cole slaw on top of the pork and went to town on the sandwich. Meat was moist and smoky. The sauce had a hint of of kick. Very tasty.
The service was a bit slow, but the place was pretty much full up so I expected it to take a bit of time.
Good joint. Would return.

burger heaven! I had THE PIG Burger… it. was. delicious. and it was served on a pretzel roll. mmmmmm
Good vibe feeling in Circle H, I like the pictures on the walls, the bar look, the entire environment was relaxed and easy going. I came the day of the official ribbon cutting, so I got to see that happen (i had no idea those giant gold scissors were real scissors by the way. i guess, that is a dumb though b/​c what else would they be??) and it was nice to see everyone gathered for this moment.
The french fires were piping hot and delicious, they have all sorts of sides like slaw, beans, mac n cheese etc.
I also had a bite of the brisket sandwich. It was so very very good, I am ordering that next time I go back.
Local beers on tap, good price too.
Great start for a new restaurant, there were of course the new hickups, but those kins get worked out with more time. Nothing to worry about. That’s how you learn!

The Arizona BBQ Club, AZBarbeque (
) did a BBQ Crawl here this past weekend.
The experience & food were fantastic. The location right off the light rail in Phoenix is certainly a positive point, but I think most of their business comes from locals or weekday business people.
We were there right when they opened on Sunday & there were people waiting outside for them to open. That to me is a good sign to begin with.
As we entered, you could smell the aroma of BBQ which once again, is a great sign as many BBQ Restaurants in town here don’t smell like BBQ at all.
We were seated immediately & the owner Bill came on out & introduced himself & proceeded to tell our group about his passion & vision for BBQ. It is great to see a Restaurant owner who has a passion for what he does and isn’t just in business to make the almighty dollar.
They were gracious enough to bring us samples of many of their food including their Deviled Eggs, Pork, Chicken & Brisket meats & several different sauces.
We then all ordered off the menu. I chose to go with one of their BBQ Burgers, the Del Rey which had Sausage & Grilled Onions on top of a wood fired burger. It was amazing. The Sausage, Cheese, onions, seasoning & burger had my tastebuds exploding.
With 13 of our BBQ Club members in attendance, we pretty much tried everything on the menu. All of it was tasty, flavorful & moist, a great combination for cooking BBQ.
They then gave us a great tour of the kitchen, smoker, prep area & cook area.
This is a very well set up BBQ Restaurant with great ambiance & aroma.
I know we will be back soon.
Stop in & see them & enjoy a great meal.

I would love to see this location succeed! Really great food. We had chicken and brisket along with a few sides. The chicken was so very moist and really tender. Unlike some chicken, the flavor was beyond the skin and the meat was really, really good. The brisket was flavorful and not greasy. Maybe just a bit dry but that did not take away from the taste. Seasonal veggies were great, loved the fries with skins on and the baked beans were great.
A tough location with the light rail making it somewhat challenging to get into that shopping center. Circle H is a great addition to the neighborhood.

best brisket since my great uncle smoked it on the ranch in Southeastern AZ. i’d stake my family’s K_​W (that’s K-​bar-​W to you non-​ranch folk) steak on it!
And they’ve got a REAL smoker in the back! They may use liquid smoke in Texas, but this is the real thing, folks! Don’t believe me? Check the pic; I’ve got the smoky shirt from those few seconds’ standing in front of its open doors to prove it!
–pulled pork sandwich. ask for the mustard sauce. divine.
–sirloin burger topped with andouille sausage and cheese. ask for no bun.
–green pork chili. that’s hatch green chiles inside! corn and hominy as well.
–hand cut fries. these ain’t no fast-​food potatoes!
but the best dish of all is the combo…
–brisket and half-​rack. did i mention the mustard sauce? ask for it.
meat falls off the bone, rich smoky flavor
and i get to choose two sides…
–coleslaw
–potato salad
–(did I mention the mustard sauce?) it’s new this week, a family recipe from the Carolinas where they start their sauces from mustard, not from tomatoes. Don’t miss it.
#sorry to say it, but the sandwich buns need an upgrade. i know there’s probably a history here for their choice, but they just don’t do justice to the wonders inside.
#yeah, the bathrooms are still remnants of this place’s old days as a taco shop (10 years vacant!), but ladies, it’s a BBQ JOINT! live a little!
#and yeah, the décor is a bit cold, but i’m here for excellent food and great service, not the pics on the wall. And they were excellent and great!
As of the writing of this review, they don’t have their liquor license yet, but the counter is already placed for it. I can’t wait to enjoy a bucket of beer with a rack of those ribs. Ooh, I just can’t wait!
This is the second of my neighborhood «audit» reviews since discovering some bullying bobblehead minions from the curve. Aren’t they supposed to be automatically placed behind a filter? Admin! Admin! Over here!

This place has the potential… I can see it and I hope that they improve upon what they have and strive to make it better! I had the brisket, seasonal vegetables and baked beans. The brisket was pretty good, verging on the dry side but wasn’t completely dry. I think if they added a sauce on the side it would help a lot! The seasonal vegetables were nothing more than broccoli and mushrooms, which I don’t really care for so I made due. I think it would be nice if the waiter or waitress was aware of what the seasonal vegetables were for that day and let the customer know so they could make a decision based off what they were offering that day. The baked beans had a good flavor.
I am going back to see if they have improved because like I said earlier, this place does have a lot of potential!

I don’t see myself ever going here again.
I really wanted to enjoy it. I love Copperstar coffee, and I love supporting local.
I didn’t order barbecue, but I sampled brisket and carmelized pork off my boyfriend’s plate. The pork was yummy! And the brisket tasted almost like it was enhanced not by a smoker, but by liquid smoke. Ultimate turnoff. Especially to a Texan that knows, loves, and embraces their BBQ. And he hated the BBQ sauce but I was afraid to try it.
Anyway, I ordered the soup of the day — a vegetarian chili — the Arizona Garden Salad, and a side of baked beans.
As the bowl of a chili I will call nothing short of a «hot mess» came to me, I was immediately disenchanted. It had hominy, corn, black beans, and kidney beans. This flavorless heap of bile wasn’t made better by dumping cheese and salt on it. There was little to no seasoning in it, apart from maybe tomato sauce and chili powder. Not to mention they majorly overdid it on the corn, as the chili was served with corn chips. I struggled to get through it, as I hate wasting food.
Then my salad came — best part of the meal! It was made with fresh oranges, a strong and flavorful dressing, lovely dates, pecans, and feta. This salad was right up my alley.
Then I sampled the beans — allspice. These are not your traditional «baked beans on toast» type of baked beans — no, they were refried baked beans. With spices that did not contribute to the flavor. I like allspice, too. But the flavor was overpowering and I couldn’t get past the first bite.

One star would be giving it a holiday gift!
For me Copper Star Coffee Shop has been a place where consistency and pride is taken in their food and presentation. Unfortunately, Circle H BBQ is nothing like the prior statement.
My first visit to Circle H BBQ centered on ordering a half slap of ribs. They were extremely over-​cooked. There was more charcoal on the top, back and ends that was just not editable. Once you scraped away the charcoal, on the tops, ends and the center ribs, there was one that was eatable.
The company offered me a second chance to try their food, by giving me a complementary full slap. Nothing had improved.
They say they smoke the ribs, but there was no odor to that effect. In face the ribs I ordered the second time spend over 20 minutes on the grill after the order was placed.
Btw…the waitress at the front counter couldn’t even tell be the type of rub on the ribs and the type of cut they were. When I asked if they were smoked (cooked) daily, she said some are if you get here early — others were from the refrigerator from last night. The so called «dry-​rub» seasoning was tasteless. The BBQ sauce is major strange!
The bottom line is the ribs were not worth the cost they were charging. ($ 14/​Half for 6 bones and $ 26/​Whole 12 – 13 bones both with sides) I have high hopes for the brisket, but it might be a while untill I try that endeavor.
Overall if they don’t change the way they ‘burn” the ribs, run, run or drive real fast to another place. The charcoal is not good for you and there is lots of it!
Honey Bears, My Mothers or even driving to Famous Dave’s is well worth the trip.
Sorry to burst your bubble, I too, had high hops for a centrally located rib place.
I’m still waiting.

Yes, yes, yes. Bill Sandweg has done it again.
I have been in love with his glorious coffeeshop, Copper Star Coffee, for years. When I heard him mention a new BBQ joint earlier this summer, I tucked away that bit of information in the back of my mind and waited patiently to learn more about it. The soft opening of Circle H Barbeque was this past Monday, and today, my fiancé and I stopped in today for lunch.
Right off the bat, we were pleased to see a few cars in the lot, including three Phoenix Police vehicles. I don’t know what it is, but Phoenix PD always seem to know of the good lunch spots, so seeing them there already was a nice treat. Upon entering, we were greeted warmly by Clarissa, my favorite barista from Copper Star. It was so nice to see her there in the hostess role. We chatted briefly and she took us to our table. While we waited for our server, we admired the restaurant. Thankfully, it doesn’t look like a Taco Cabana any longer! The floors are polished concrete, the tables are rustic-​looking wood four-​tops, each branded with the Circle H logo. Above, the beams are exposed. There’s also a patio, which I’m anxious to enjoy.
After looking over the menu and drooling over each item, we placed our order with our server, who was very friendly. He told us about a few things on the men and explained that a few weren’t yet available, such as the three-​layer Dr. Pepper cake. I am SO looking forward to trying that once it’s available! I ordered the BBQ Chicken Sandwich and Bryan ordered the Brisket sandwich, each with fries. After waiting only a short while, our food was brought out in little plastic baskets lined with checked paper. The sandwiches, served on warm, soft potato buns, were piled high with meat and had a bit of sauce already on, with a small ramekin of extra sauce on the side. They were each accompanied by large servings of really delicious fries. In short, the food is amazing. Both meats were tender, flavorful, and had a really gorgeous smoky flavor. And the BBQ sauce? Wow. So, so good. Tangy, sweet, and just really, really good. We are both excited to try so many other things on the menu! Our bill, which included two sandwiches and two drinks, came to just $ 21 and change. What a bargain!
Word to the wise: Arrive hungry. The portions are generous, and even if you’re full, you’ll fight to finish every last bite. Yeah, it’s THAT good. Also, try dipping your fries in the BBQ sauce. Heavenly.
Bill has done a really great job with Circle H and we are so excited to introduce it to family and friends and to visit often. Keep up the great work!

Copper Star has always been a place that feels like home to me, and the owners have spared no expense at making their next venture, Circle H Barbecue, feel the same way. I also can’t thank them enough for seeing the potential in the old Taco Cabana (and for keeping their bathroom signs — it’s a riot!!).
The place has such a nice vibe to it, and the attention to detail can really be seen in the well designed menu, the space and the staff. The tables are all branded with the circle h logo, which is actually a brand once used on a family farm. Pictures of the family hang on the walls to admire as you wander about the space and there is a lot of room to socialize and enjoy some great barbecue.
I’ve been waiting ages for this place to open, and upon hearing of their first official day of their soft opening (grand opening coming in a month or so), I was able to convince a few friends to swing in to grab some dinner. While everything on the menu wasn’t there, most of it was. Well, aside from the Dr. Pepper cake which I am now dying to try. The menu consists of appetizers, some common, some uncommon, like the grilled cheese sandwich trio I think will be a frequent meal and the gringo nachos. Salads are available as well as sandwiches, platters and huge combo meals that will probably cover a family for a decent price.
I had the brisket sandwich, and the others in my party had the Memphis Flyer (pulled pork + slaw). The food came quickly in a basket with the typical red and white checkered paper. Mine came with the sauce on the side, which is homemade. While the brisket needed no sauce, it was too good to resist and I loaded it on. The bun never got too soggy and hard to manage and the barbecue was amazing. It was enough for a meal too without feeling too full.
They are still in the process of opening, and as such all the decorations aren’t yet up and the bar is not available quite yet, but this should not keep you from trying it out soon. The patio is gorgeous, the people are great, and it’s another great reuse of space by a great local business owner. Bonus is that it’s right off the light rail so you have no excuse to not head there. They will also eventually serve breakfast, which, well, we all know I’m a fan of.