Phil’s BBQ

My first visit here I wanted to try something and other than Starbucks. The people were super nice but the food and drinks not so much. I had the American breakfast which was bacon or sausage, eggs, breakfast potatoes and cornbread. The eggs were horrible! They had a weird smell almost like a rubber smell and the taste wasn’t pleasant. The potatoes and cornbread were good though. The coffee was average and my Bloody Mary wasn’t not the greatest but drinkable.

Worst possible Q ever. Whoever owns this dump needs to go back to culinary school. Dry and depressing brisket

Phils BBQ (SD Airport)
CA: SD: Downtown
8pm Tuesday 16^th January 2016
Three Stars
You get one final taste of San Diego at Phil’s BBQ before leaving. I had the classic broham (pulled pork, coleslaw, and bun) + two sides: Macaroni salad and French fries. It looked very pretty but wasn’t great tasting. The pork was a bit dry from the reheating and he overall lack of sauce. The bun was almost stale so I didn’t eat it. The fries were tasty but had no salt (which is the norm). The Mac salad was fine. The service was surprisingly good. They serve local San Diego beer but I opted for whiskey at the bar.

Airport locations never seem to do the brand right. While the facility is very nice with a full service bar and 10 large flat screen televisions, the chicken I had was over cooked and dry even with the bbq sauce. The onion rings were a little burnt as well. No table service. You order at the counter and pick up when your pager goes off. A nice enough place but today the food was mediocre.

Words I rarely hear from my man’s mouth, «I am full» were uttered by him after devouring the El Toro tri-​tip sandwich plate that came with a plate full of crispy perfectly cooked fries and two more sides. I got the ribs tickler which while the smallest meal on the menu (3 bones, fries, cole slaw, corn bread and the 2 perfectly cooked onion rings) left me full as well. Great service, the BBQ sauce was amazing. Great quality and price point (all of that food for only 24 bucks). Surprisingly great for airport food, can’t wait to fly back to San Diego for some more!

BEST AIRPORT BBQ BREAKFAST AT 8:00AM
I love Phil’s BBQ. I used to have friends buy the BBQ sauce from Costco in SD and bring it back for me, that’s how much I love Phil’s. (Thank you Ryan M!)
LOCATION: inside Terminal 2, San Diego International Airport. Hawaiian flies out of Terminal 2. Lucky me! And most importantly, NO LINES! If you’ve ever been to original Phil’s, you know what a nightmare those lines are.
BREAKFAST IS SERVED only at this location!
There are three other locations in San Diego (Point Loma, San Marcos, and Santee), but they all don’t open until 11am. This location opens early enough to order a breakfast burrito before you hop on your flight! I ordered the CALIFORNIA BURRITO BOWL — pulled pork with scrambled eggs, guacamole, and fries. They put some sauce on top, and I added another 8oz after that because I can never get enough of their sauce. It was so good, it knocked me out for the entire 6 hour flight back home. I can’t speak for the other items at this airport location, but the breakfast bowl was perfection.
BAR is OPEN!
If you don’t like BBQ, they also have a free standing bar right at the end of the terminal, and it was open in the morning.
BBQ sauce and GOOBA dust dry rub!
If you know what I’m talkin about, then you know how excited I was to find both the sauce and dry rub sold here. I don’t know if the prices are the same as the restaurant but I didn’t really care at that point cuz I was taking them all home with me.
If you’re on the Hawaiian flight 15 to Honolulu, you better hurry back to your gate on the other end of the terminal. I almost missed my flight home because I was savoring every last bite, lick, and smell of my favorite BBQ place. Don’t forget to bring me back some of the sauce.

Waiting for our flight at Lindbergh Field, my wife and I decided to try the tiny Phil’s shop here, knowing it would be our last chance to try good olé American food for several weeks.
She ordered a Sculpin, and I ordered a Longfin, both Ballast Point beers, $ 7.70 each. The Longfin I could drink all day, every day, but we both agreed that one glass of Sculpin is enough. The grapefruit taste becomes a bit overbearing, but the initial taste is very refreshing. The glasses were properly chilled, certainly adding to the experience.
To keep the beer company, we split an order of fries ($ 3.30). The order is easily large enough for two adults, and the potatoes were very fresh and nicely browned. They were not over-​salted, a common occurrence with fries. They were, in fact, delicious !
And best of all. .. NO LINE !! I’m a fan, and have been since their days in Mission Hills.

We were flying out of the San Diego airport again this year. We had such a good experience here last year we decided to try it again. Again it was a very good meal and did not disappoint. The BBQ is very good.

I ordered the yogurt «parfait». I got yogurt topped with granola for $ 8.50. Yes I read the sign, it says «yogurt parfait with granola» and asked the cashier and she even confirmed that it’s made like that there. Guess I should’ve known better than to get yogurt parfait at a BBQ place. But how it is listed is a bit misleading.

We got this at the airport. Not sure if the quality is different at the actual restaurant, but I’ve had better.
The Sweet:
— BBQ sauce — its good.
— The ribs — soft, came off the meat, saucy
— pulled pork sandwich — if its dry — add the sauce
— strong potato salad and cole slaw
The Sour:
— Fries weren’t fresh. Either get a fresh batch or don’t waste your time eating potatoes that taste like cardboard.
— In general, not the best bbq place i’ve been to, and not amazing. For an airport restaurant its pretty good…

Man listen. I ate lunch here, got the Chick Tickler which is basically a sampler plate with chicken bbq. Awesome. My flight was so late that I had the pleasure of eating here for dinner too! Had the BBQ Broham sandwich combo. Amazing. I’m from North Carolina, had a lot of BBQ in my life, but I’m telling you… this stuff was on point. Absolutely recommend you miss a flight for this stuff!

Mediocre BBQ. I didn’t like their sauce. Tasted like a mixture of tabasco sauce and pepper sauce. Actually, probably one of the worst BBQ sauces that I have ever tasted!

I’ve been to this Phils barbecue several times and it never disappoints. The staff are friendly and the orders are pretty quick to be made. It’s located in terminal two of the airport near gate 45. It’s not my favorite barbecue out there but it is pretty good nevertheless.
I love how the coleslaw tastes on top of the pork sandwiches. They offered to put it on the side if you’d like. But if you do decide to put it on top of your sandwich make sure you eat it within 20 to 30 minutes because it’ll make the sandwich soggy. Very unique blend of flavors. I always ask for an extra barbecue sauce on the side because for some reason there never seems to be enough barbecue sauce on the sandwich. And for a barbecue place, I need to have plenty of barbecue sauce. The french fries are a little on the burtside but they’re very tasty surprisingly. All the menu items are slightly higher than you would find outside the airport but that’s to be expected. Also make sure you are hungry because the portions are pretty large.

Mmmmm… when we fly into San Diego, we frequently plan our trip around «where we want to eat»… obviously — doesn’t everyone?! Phil’s is usually one of them.
We were just in town for the night, and had friends to meet up with and get another suitcase at Costco for all the trinkets we bought while on vacay… so we ran out of time to visit Phil’s Sports Arena.:0(
I was so happy to see them in Terminal 2 (near gates 39 – 45). Got the Rib Tickler and it was a good size portion of fries, Cole slaw, 2 bracelet-​size onion rings and piece of cornbread for $ 10. Now, the main event… The ribs. They were 4 really sad, small, overcooked bones. It’s like they save the ends of slabs of ribs (y’know, this smaller, less meatier, more bonier ribs) just for this «tickler» plate.
I’m all about the sauce. They could put the sauce on shoe leather and I would still eat it… which is what it felt like when I was chewing, er, gnawing on the ribs I got. It’s ok… I like char and I like jerky… throw on Phil’s namesake sauce, and I’m good. I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you want more «rib-​ish» meatier pieces… try the other Rib meals… not the Tickler.
It still satisfied my Phil’s craving… just wish they had extra sauce packets that I could take on the plane for my rings and fries that I couldn’t finish…

Not as amazing as the Phils BBQ actual store but compared to normal airport food. This is amazing. Get the ribs if you have 10−15mins before your flight. Get the sandwich combo if you don’t. The potato salad and cole slaw were great. the Sandwich also comes with coleslaw in it so you can get a different side.

How Phil’s BBQ almost got me fired:
So my boss and I had a flight that boarded in an hour. In Terminal 1. We were hungry, and I had been told to eat at Phil’s before leaving San Diego. Out comes my Unilocal app, and lo and behold: a Phil’s at the airport! Is it too good to be true?!
It was just over in the next terminal … which in a normal airport wouldn’t be a big deal. We asked a TSA agent, and quickly learned the hard truth: we would have to walk out of T1, down the sidewalk to T2, and go through security to eat at Phil’s. Ok, no big deal — we were hungry, and I talked my boss into it.
After getting through security in T2 (the wrong terminal for us, but the right one for our stomachs), we asked another airport employee which way to Phil’s. Bombshell #2: follow that walkway to the end, turn left, walk a mile to the end of the terminal, then keep going for half an eternity, then «I hear that’s where Phil’s is on the left.» As though nobody had ever ventured that far before.
I don’t want to say my job was on the line or anything, but my boss was definitely getting pretty annoyed. So what did I do? I trusted Unilocal and stuck my neck out, talked him through it, and convinced him we could make it out there and back in time. Unilocal says it’s good — it WILL be good.
After walking approximately 1 half-​marathon, instagramming some tumbleweeds blowing down a moving sidewalk, giving water to a parched guy crawling through the desert at Gate 38 with buzzards circling overhead, and asking the wise man at the top of the Gate 42 mountain the meaning of life, there it was: an oasis? The pot of gold at the end of a rainbow? No — it’s Phil’s BBQ! We made it!
The nice young lady at Phil’s pearly gates helped us know what would be quick, we wolfed it down, packed our 2-​day supply of fresh water, and began our journey back. Back through the Tour De Terminal Two, back outside & up the sidewalk, into T1 and through security again (we were really getting good at it), and to our gate — which, you guessed, was at the far end of Terminal One.
Exhausted, each of us 10 lbs lighter in spite of having eaten 15 lbs of ribs, soaking wet, we arrived at our gate just before our flight began boarding. They soon called First Class, and as my boss walking to the door, he glanced back at me. That split-​second look said everything: You just put me through the ordeal of a lifetime. My legs and feet hurt, my suit is sweaty, and my heart is still racing from the stress of almost missing our flight. I was almost stuck overnight here because of you. But man, those were good ribs. My stomach is happy. That was worth the walk — maybe even more. You are worth what I pay you — nay, even more. You, my friend, deserve a raise.“
And that’s how I got promoted.
[Long story short: Phil’s is at the far end of terminal 2, really good ribs, pretty standard potato salad & slaw, the cornbread was a bit sub-​par (tasted like it was cooked a couple days earlier), best onion rings I’ve ever had, quick & friendly service.]

The San Diego Airport is probably one of the best airports I have visited, simply because it always looks fresh and clean. I don’t often see trash lying around, and even the bathrooms are pretty clean. More importantly, this airport is easy to navigate. Although I’ve only been there twice so far, I was quickly able to locate my gate and do a little exploring in the meantime.
On my last visit to the airport, my flight was delayed, so I was looking for a lunch option. I didn’t know that there was a Phil’s BBQ in the airport … and seeing the signature sign was a welcomed surprise. Better yet, the eatery/​bar was RIGHT next to my gate. How convenient! It definitely assuaged my annoyance over my delayed flight, since now I would be able to enjoy lunch at one of my favorite BBQ joints.
This Phil’s sports a smaller menu than the ones at the normal restaurant locations, but it contains most of the eatery’s best sellers. The airport menu offers Phil’s best-​selling pork ribs, beef ribs, chicken, «El Toro» tri-​tip sandwich, «BBQ Broham» pulled pork sandwich and two different Ticklers. I was happy to see that my favorite «Chick Tickler» made it onto the menu, and I decided to stick with my tried-​and-​true favorite while waiting for my flight.
I ordered my meal to-​go, even though I was going to be dining right there at the restaurant. There’s ample seating, both at the bar and in the dining area. I got my buzzer as soon as I ordered, and it didn’t take too long for my food to come out, since there weren’t too many customers. There’s a station with all the condiments and utensils you may need — and I immediately found my favorite Cajun seasoning there as well.
It’s so nice to know that there’s a Phil’s right here in the airport, in case my flight ever gets delayed again or I need a meal option before my flight. Here’s what I got:
«Chick Tickler»: Though this can be deemed as an appetizer-​sized plate, this dish is my go-​to from Phil’s. However, the airport meal is slightly different because it includes cornbread! Very moist and delicious cornbread, I might add. Besides the cornbread, the meal includes bite-​sized, white meat chicken, French fries, two onion rings and coleslaw. I learned on my last visit to Phil’s that I could substitute the coleslaw with another element of the meal. I substituted the slaw with more fries on my last visit; this time, I opted for an extra onion ring instead. I felt that the SD Airport’s version of this «Chick Tickler» meal was larger (I’m not sure if it was more expensive as well), but I only got three pieces of chicken in the actual Phil’s restaurant, whereas at this location, I got 5 – 6. Though I received less fries, I wasn’t complaining because the onion rings and cornbread definitely filled me up. Everything tasted as great as I remembered it to – the onion rings were perfectly fried to a golden brown and were nice and crispy; the chicken bites were coated generously in the famous sweet-​and-​sour-​and-​slightly-​spicy BBQ sauce. I ordered some extra BBQ sauce on the side for dipping my fries. Tip: Sprinkle some of the Cajun seasoning on everything to achieve a saltier, garlicky flavor! I discovered how much I LOVE this Cajun seasoning on my last visit to Phil’s. It adds a little kick to those fries and chicken!
«Breakfast Burritos»: I noticed that this airport Phil’s sells breakfast burritos … but since I was there around noon, I missed the breakfast cut-​off time (I think the breakfast burritos are only served until 10 or 10:30 a.m.). However, they sounded delicious – one even comes with pulled pork – and I would definitely like to try them one day. Good to know that Phil’s offers breakfast, in case I have an earlier flight in the future.

Phil’s BBQ is a San Diego favorite, and it’s so great that there’s an airport location! I am all about meat, and Phil’s is happy to deliver. I think El Toro is the best deal — a generous sandwich of sliced tri-​tip with plenty of BBQ sauce. The portion of meat is amazing. You could order an extra sandwich bun and split the meat into two legit sandwiches. And then, you get two sides?! I had coleslaw and potato salad, which were both good. Of course, the meat will always be the star of any meal here.
If you’re in terminal 2 and need food (or just want food), definitely hit up Phil’s BBQ.

With two hours to kill at the airport we decided to grab ourselves a meal at Phils. Been to one of their other resturants before so I was excited to see if the kept the same quality here!
Ther was no line so we could order quickly, I went for the quarter ribs dinner which you get four ribs and two sides to. I intentionally avoided the fries due to previous encounters and took macaronis and coleslaw instead! It took less then five minutes before it was time to grab our food, one of the reasons why you should go here! The ribs taste fantastic as always and the sides was good! The fries taste bad as expected but it didn’t matter!
If you want to try Phils BBQ and you don’t want to wait more than an hour for your food you should really do it here! There was no line and almost zero wait for your food. If you want the most for you money and at the same time try the famous BBQ place, this is the place to eat at! If your not going to the airport anytime soon or you want to have a good meal at a cosy restaurant then you should go to their other restaurants! But bring a sunchair because the line is going to be long!

My flight was leaving at a decent hour but since we got to the airport early, we didn’t eat anything before we left. With the new renovations and construction at the San Diego International Airport, some really great changes have happened, one being a Phil’s BBQ location!
Imagine this: NO LONG ASS LINE!!! NO WAITING!!!
I ordered the ribs and chick less combo: 4 ribs with a bar-​b-​q chicken breast. It came with your choice of two sides and a piece of cornbread.
She: It will be about 10 minutes, is that alright?
Me: Uummm yeah! Beats waiting in Pt. Loma
I guess no one really orders this much in the AM. The few other tables had breakfast or a sandwich.
She: I’m sorry, we don’t have macaroni or potato salad.
WHAT??? Okay, give me the beans. I pity the poor person who’s sitting behind me on the plane… LOLLLL!
Ribs and chicken were delicious with a spicy kick with the sauce! Fries were crispy! Beans were good! Staff was friendly! Overall, if you are ever in Terminal 2, take advantage of Phi’s!!!