Well this hurts...When Mike's opened the food is what kept me coming back. I used to live close by and I would come at least twice a month. The last two times I have came here the food has been average, nothing special. It seems like they have changed a lot of the recipes and cuts of meat, and the food does not come out the same every time. It looks like the kitchen needs to go back to the basics and figure out why Mikes became so popular in the first place. Other than the food...the atmosphere is killer, they have a great bar and a bunch of TVs to watch different sports.
Review Source:I really like the bar at Mike's. Â I've had the pleasure of eating and drinking here twice now, and both times I was really impressed with the facility, the selection of booze, and the food.
Located in a strip mall, you wouldn't expect too much of Mike's. Â However, when you walk in, there is a large bar section with a huge selection of large, flat screened TVs positioned around the bar area, and then there's also a good sized restaurant to the side of the bar area.
The bar is large, and comfortable enough to eat at. Â The bartenders are very friendly (although service can be a bit slow), and they're willing to put on a show and surprise you with a fun mixed drink if you ask. Â
The barbecue tastes great, as does the mac n cheese. Â There are plenty of beers on tap, and even more by the bottle, so don't be afraid to ask for the local brews. Â The place is on the pricey side, but it's not terribly atrocious for a full night of sports filled entertainment with friends.
Run, don't walk from this horrendous establishment!
I went here for my first time last week. Normally I wait to leave such a negative review until I have tried a place a couple times but this experience was so bad that I don't feel any guilt what so ever for this review. This place had some of the worst customer service I have ever seen, and the food was terrible too.
When we walked into the lounge I thought hey this place looks awesome! Big tvs everywhere and HUGE beer selection. I was a little worried because the place was empty on a Satuday at like 4pm. Thats prime weekend happy hour time, why is it dead? Now I know why...
One not particularly friendly woman took our drink order. Since they had such a large beer list I asked if they had any Dogfish Head?, she looked at me like I was from another planet. A second even grouchier looking woman with a stink on her face and gigantic fake breasts delivered our beers, dropped them and that was that. Then a third woman came to take our order. My husband ordered pulled pork sandwich and I ordered a hamburger. I made sure to ask the server for a side of ranch with my fries (I was a server for years, I know its a pain to have to go back for ranch so I always ask before). Quite some time later, more then the standard 15 minutes, our food came. This is where it got really bad...
An overweight blonde woman brought our food, again...grouchy! She literally slammed the plates on the table and started to haul a** away from the table and I said "excuse me, side of ranch?" I kept it short because she was moving so quickly. She turned around and gave me the dirtiest look. Like how dare I ask her for something. She turned and didn't say ok, or just a minute, she just walked away. Within 30 seconds I see something fly over my shoulder and I hear a man say "Ranch!". A very tall slender bar back tossed a plastic covered ranch cup over my shoulder onto the table!!! I could not believe how incredibly rude!
Finally the food was terrible, we were starving so we ate it (most of it). My order came out wrong. My husband even said his food was awful and he never complains. The service, I was fuming. We had 5 different people at our table, only one was slightly helpful. We will never be back. We left laughing thinking well, you don't know if you don't try. We tried, and that was that. It was expensive too for such a horrible experience.
Last but not least there are little laminated signs on each table affixed with zip ties that say "if you are not happy, please let us know before leaving a negative yelp comment!" Yes, complete with exclamation mark to add insult to injury. Obviously they get a lot of negative feed back. Instead of condescending to your customers with silly signs, why don't you invest your time in training your DREADFUL staff!
I lived in Texas for 20 years (in CA for 14 now) so I long for great barbeque. Â I tell you what Mike's BBQ has some of the BEST Tasting Baby Backs I have had. Â I love the flavor, the moistness and the way they just fall off the bone. Â Interested in great ribs, try Mike's, you won't be disappointed.
Review Source:Order: Six 22oz beers, fourteen total wings (one order of 9, one order of 5), one order of fried pickles = $80 not including tip.
The majority of this review is for the sports bar portion of the restaurant. Mike's has an amazing set up with three huge screens so you are not missing any action from any angle. The food is fine (standard bar fare + BBQ) - nothing knock your socks off amazing... but that's not my issue. A friend and I were here to watch the game (NBA Finals, Game 7 - Heat/Spurs) and have a few beers, appz, and dinner. My issue with this place is that I was at the sports bar area to watch the game, yet there is a band playing. A very very loud band. My server couldn't even hear us when she was trying to take our order. Why on earth would you book a band to play during one of the biggest sports nights of the year? The bar area was packed with everyone screaming at each other because of the volume of the band. I don't know about other spectators, but I like to watch the game, talk about plays and players with my party or fellow sports fans, and be able to hear some of the commentary if I so choose. This just wasn't possible. I am not against music or live bands at a bar... just not so loud! Let's be honest, most patrons were at the sports bar last night to watch basketball, save a table or two (no offense to the band whatsoever, but it was the final game of the season!!!). After the game and having beers and appz  we skipped dinner and went somewhere else because right when the 4th quarter buzzer went off, the band started right back up again. We couldn't even hear the MVP commentary! Despite this hiccup, I'd be willing to give Mike's sports bar another whirl in the future and possibly change my review if these issues are addressed, just because it's a great place watch sports with friends and get some food (if you don't mind cost over atmosphere). We'll see how football season pans out.
I tried everything last night the pork baby back ribs are my favorite and they were very good. The coleslaw, sweet beans, and potato salad were very good. The beef ribs were on the fatty side, and the chicken was dry. I ate outside with my family we had a great time.
I didn't have to drag my family through the line and there is no such thing as cutting line like the line cutting policy Phil's barbeque has.
Overall this was a great place for family and large groups, friendly staff, and the seating is nice because your not sitting on top or so close to other guests allowing for a better and more private experience. Everyone minds their own business and this is why I would come here rather than Phil's BBQ in San Marcos, Ca.
At Phil's your sitting on top each other and it feels very uncomfortable people are nosy and all in your business.
After getting a good whiff of BBQ a couple weeks ago my wife and i decided to give Mike's a try. Oddly, their entire lighted sign on the front of the building was off and it looked dark at the entrance but they were open. Â Just as other reviewers have mentioned, the front door area is dimly lit and you don't really know which way you're supposed to go. For a Friday night it was not that busy at all, but it would have been nice to have a friendly greeter near the entrance.
We ordered our meal and it came pretty quickly, but when the food arrived it wasn't even hot (both of our meals). With the food coming out so quickly, and it being cold already, how long was it sitting out before they gave it to us?? Â Anyway, when I took the food to the counter to have them reheat it, it just so happened that another lady was bringing up HER meal also, saying that their whole table received cold food! Â They heated my food and it really didn't even make a difference.
Anyway, their BBQ sauce was okay but nothing to really write home about. Â It's also hard to enjoy it if the food isn't hot! Â The beef ribs were a bit fatty and there wasn't a lot of chicken on the bones. My wife wanted the baked potato but they were out so she got the beans. Â The beans were "ehhh" as was the corn on the cob. The coke was also flat and not as bubbly as coke should be.
The service wasn't bad but it seems like something was missing from the crew working that night. Â It was kinda like they're just people who needed a job vs. people who really know their BBQ and love the product they're selling (like the employees at Phil's).
Phil's BBQ is our #1 go-to BBQ joint but we're ALWAYS willing to give other places a try. Unfortunately, Mike's did not give us a good enough first impression and we won't be coming back. We should have looked at the reviews before we went as it appears others feel the same way. Â Sadly, I really don't think this place will be around for very long.
I laid a HUGE fart at my table just before leaving....so keep in mind if you go there any time soon. I'll let you try to guess which table it was :)
Food is vry good, but it is pricey. Â Ambiance is that of a sports bar, but they have family dinning too. Â If you want fantastic barbecue and don't mind paying for it,....you get what you pay for, but expect a hole in your pocket. Â Had chicken once and it wasn't good, beef and pork is awesome. Â Chicken wings are fantastic, Mac and cheese is delicious.
Review Source:I was intrigued when I saw Mike's BBQ roll into my local strip mall. Â The place is huge! Â I've never seen it busy though, which makes me wonder how they're going to stay in business...
 For starters, the food is great.  4.5 stars.  It has that classic wood-smoked flavor (you can get a whiff from the parking lot) and excellent BBQ sides (Wear clothes to Get Messy!).  This is what keeps me coming back.  They have an extensive beer selection too, but I don't some here much for that.... I'm also not a big sports fan.
I might come here more often, but the service is a bit slow (order at the counter and get it yourself), and the food takes a long time to prepare. Â Every time I've been here (3 or 4x), I find myself wondering if the food is ever going to be ready. Â Prices are on the higher side of reasonable. Â I usually end up dining here if I want to eat out and not travel far or if I'm near home and don't mind spending a long time with my meal
Wow, the bar area is awesome and they have a fantastic beer list. Â Didn't go in the restaurant area but from what I saw it seemed nice. Â The area is gigantic, tons of tables and TV's and lots of seats around the actual bar as well. Â The beer list has lots of options for draft, bottles, and wine. Â Mike's also has a full bar with knowledgeable bartenders. Â I love it when you can tell them that you like vodka and they just make you something which is exactly what our bartender did. Â We also ordered some nachos with pulled pork. Â They have two sizes of nachos, the regular and the larger size one. Â We ordered just the regular size one and it was plenty for two of us to eat. Â The pork on the nachos was very yummy and had a great smoke flavor. Â Will be back for sure.
Review Source:Review is for beer and service only!
This place is HUGE! I'm happy to see that Mike's has taken up residency in this space. I came here with both of my younger brothers, and my boyfriend. Five days before St. Pats and they were out of their Guinness $4 pint special. No worries, our friendly server had several suggestions as an alternative. Their beer selection is huge, you can find their offerings on the chalkboard on the wall, or in their beer menu.
The menu is laid out so that similar beers are grouped together. Fancy a lager? There's a whole section for that. IPAs are more of your thing? They've got those grouped together too. Ales? Mike's has got you covered.
Beer prices are reasonable, and our glasses were refilled as needed with no need to flag down the server on our own.
It's only right of me to say that I am not a massive BBQ enthusiast. Â But I do like pork and I do like BBQ. Â I just don't live and die by it, all Southern style.
I specifically wanted to try the Pork Nachos because I do like nachos. Â The meat was decent but I would've loved some BBQ sauce on it. Â The beans were just okay.
I ordered take-out, so I cannot speak to the service (though the dude at the counter was nice). Â But the prices were pretty high. Â Again, I don't get BBQ on the reg, but it seemed a bit excessive.
The food is good but a bit over priced for what you're getting in my opinion. I can get a massive salad with quality ingredients other places for half the price. Â I like that they have BBQ sauce out so you can add it however you want it and they have multiple stations to refill your drinks so you don't have to wait in line. The staff are not overly friendly but they are far from rude.
Review Source:The restaurant is large and open, and it was very clean. They have self-serve soft drinks and a hand washing station.
The menu has all the typical items you would expect to find at a BBQ place. I ordered the brisket sandwich with coleslaw, a side of Mom's beans, and a soda. The total for my order was about $13. I was with 3 other people, and our order was ready after about 15 minutes. When we went to the counter to grab our plates, the employee struggled to properly identify what each plate contained. He ended up giving each person the wrong order, but we were able to straighten it out at the table.
The Diet Coke was completely flat. Disgusting. $2.25 wasted. Ugh. Â
My plate had a small bowl of beans, a plastic ramekin with the BBQ sauce, a bun with coleslaw, and brisket wrapped in foil. From first glance, the brisket looked pretty disgusting. It was uniformly dark brown and it honestly looked as if it had been braised in a slow cooker. After assembling the sandwich and trying my first bite, I was sorely disappointed. The meat was wet and stringy (confirming my suspicion about braising) and I couldn't detect any flavor other than beef. No rub, no smoke, nothing. It was pretty damn gross. The BBQ sauce was nothing to write home about, but it wasn't awful. The coleslaw was good, but the brisket on a $10 sandwich should have flavor. I doubt it even saw the grill, let alone a proper smoker. Gross.
The beans sounded good, but they were pretty disappointing, too. The texture was fine, but the flavor was overwhelmingly peppery and slightly spicy. Nothing like you'd expect from a BBQ place. Once again, no smoke flavor detected.
I didn't finish the sandwich or the beans, and I was hungry when we arrived.
The place has potential. It has a nice open feel, it's clean, and we were greeted and helped with friendly smiles from the staff. However, until they do something about the food, I won't recommend this place and will not be going back.
Entry signage needs to let customers know where to go it was confusing. Â There is a HUGE blank canvas (blank walls) right when you enter and you don't know if you should go to the right or left.
1/2 the restaurant is a sports bar. Â The other half is a normal restaurant.
The sports bar decor is really cool. Â Our server was really awesome. Â
My disappointment is in the food.
-Wings- Â alright but didn't really care for their sweet sauce or the spicy . Â Kinda bland
`Loaded potatoes with Brisket. my friend got tri tip. Â I was expecting a pretty loaded potato to come out... instead we got plates with everything wrapped in tin foil. Â We had to put our potatoes together ourself. Â Took up way to much space and it was just weird.
-pork- strong mesquite flavor... a bit overpowering and the texture was chewy. Â It needed more BBQ sauce and there was none on the table. Â
- Brisket was tender but, lacking in flavor  (needed sauce to mask it)
-Mac n cheese- weird flavor and bland
- Onion rings a lil too hard and chewy no seasoning/flavor
-corn on cob- would have been nice if it were grilled
Friend had 4 beers, I had a Dr pepper.
Our bill was 56.00
I'd go back for drinks but, not really for food. Â I'd go to Famous Daves in Vista
Underwhelmed and unimpressed.
Order: #3 Combo Ribs and Mike's Chicken pieces,side of fries and coleslaw, fountain drink
Food: Earning 1 star, the fall off the bone ribs were the silver lining for this entire meal. The chicken pieces were drier than an over fried chicken breast (note: no amount of BBQ sauce can ever fix jerky), coleslaw has an artificial sweetness similar to toothpaste, fries were cold, and sadly the BBQ sauce tasted more like the ketchup sitting at our table. Â Sad.
Overall atmosphere: Despite the aroma of BBQ hitting you face upon entering the parking lot and the big screen  TVs (second star earned) the servers here were definitely lackluster.  We ordered our food on the dining side and decided to eat on the bar side. Little did we know we would be completely ignored. I understand that we didn't order from the waitress, but if she had stopped at our table even once when she served the table next to us or when she cleaned the table right next to us, we would've ordered a drink. Customer service 101: greet your customers!
Sorry Mike's BBQ you've failed in my yelp world. I may go back to prove myself wrong and to give you second chance for redemption, but until then I hope someone adds some "spice" to your restaurant.
Check your take out before leaving!
I fell in love with this places pulled pork sandwich when they first opened up, but personally i think the ciabatta bread is the best part of it.
Tonight was just a normal take out night and i ordered my usual w/ a side order of fries. I pick up 15 minutes later and go home. As soon as i open the container i realize the sandwich has a regular burger bun. This normally wouldn't have been such a big deal, but i specifically told the guy over the phone i wanted "ciabatta bread". I decided to call them up to see if i can order another for free.
A female answers the phone and says she's sorry and that if she can get my address and phone # she'll deliver it "immediately". It's been over 2 hours....you think I'm getting my ciabatta bread tonight?!
While in the area we thought we'd try somewhere we hadn't been to before. Upon entering we found the place to be quite spacious and well laid out. Â It's the type of establishment where you place your order at a counter and pick up your food when it's ready. It can be a tad confusing as to where you order once you enter the building. There's this random counter with menu's posted on the walls above it. It gives the appearance that you should place your order there but you don't. You need to follow the foot prints on the ground which takes you further in to the building....to another other counter with menus and signs "order here". Â There were a few people standing at that random counter when we first walked in. Â Some left and others followed the foot prints on the floor.
Large selection of BBQ items and a "cheese pizza"....that one threw me off. We both picked different items (Ribs and Chicken) so we could try a little of both. Food came and they were much smaller portions then we anticipated, especially for the price we paid. Â Because of that I can say it's overpriced for what you get. Â The food itself was "okay". Â nothing exciting, nothing I'd make special trip to return for. I've had better but I've also had worse. Â Whenever I see mac n cheese at a BBQ place I get my hopes up. My hopes were crushed on this mac n cheese. Â It definitely has one of those out of the box tastes to it. I'd actually prefer the blue box mac n cheese compared to this one. Didn't even eat a third of it. Â The BBQ sauces (they had two seem out of the bottle and not homemade). Â
They also have sports bar on one side of the building. Â There were NFL playoff games going on so it was quite crowded in that area of the building. We didn't go inside of the sports bar but it sounded lively. Â It was kind of weird seeing customers bringing in their own beer. I doubt the owners or managers knew that was occurring but we did see a couple different people do it.....unless customers are taking Bud Lights in a can from inside the sports bar outside then walking back inside. I don't think I've ever been to a sports bar that served canned beers, but then again I haven't been to that many. Â They might want to keep an eye out for that. Â I don't think the ATF would take kindly to that. Â I'm not saying anything though.
Overall I'd have to say the experience was disappointing. Â It's so hard to find some good BBQ in the North County.
Well, looks like they raised the prices and/or got rid of the lunch specials. Â The ribs were smaller and didn't have the tips as they did last time, the fries were cold and wimpy. Â Enjoyed the moms beans and mac and cheese. Â The beef brisket was shredded and juicy, tho the price and portion cannot compare to the value and flavor of another well known BBQ joint. Â Still good, but no longer a go to place, unless you want to spend $9 for 3 ribs and 2 small sides.
And if I am not satisfied with my order at the other popular BBQ place, the manager sends a reply to make everything right whenever I think the portions are too small or the food or service not to my liking.
Beer. Â And BBQ. Â Close to home. Â Why not? Â We have been to Mike's BBQ twice now and I wish I could give it 5 stars. Â The food is great. Â The service is pretty good and everyone is friendly here. Â
My main issue is with the beer. Â Don't get me wrong - they have a great and extensive beer list. Â My problem is that no one here knows anything about the beer. What's the Devotion? "I don't know". Â
In addition - their beer list is not accurate. Â They have a chalkboard and a printed list. Â Neither of them are current. Â Is it that hard to print out a copy each day of what is currently only tap? Â Or fix the chalkboard? Â Or cross off beers on the board that have run out? Â The chalkboard is maybe not big enough but it would be helpful if they listed the brewery or type or beer, etc. Â They could learn from a place like Sublime Ale House that updates their beer list every day and lists type of beer, ABV, etc. Â Okay, maybe I'm being a picky beer snob, but it does make it difficult to order beer when they aren't sure what stuff is and you can't get a current list. Â That being said - the beer prices ARE reasonable.
Will we go back? Â Maybe. Â Hopefully they will fix their beer list issues. Â This place could be awesome and at least 4 or 5 stars if they work on that. Â We had the ribs and a pulled pork sandwich here and both were pretty tasty. Â Dare I say - better than Phil's? Â At LEAST they have a better beer selection than Phil's and the food is at least equal.
I had a bad experience on my first visit. I placed an order for carry out, paid for it and waited, and started to get concerned when all I ordered was a pork sandwich and some mac and cheese and still had not been served  or acknowledged after waiting 30 minutes in an empty dining room with no other customers present  I asked the girl at the register about my order and she acted like she had no knowledge of it, so I asked for a refund and was not given an apology or an explanation, she just shrugged her shoulders and returned the money to my card. She claimed to be the shift supervisor and said there was not an owner or manager available to talk to.
I was planning on booking a military retirement party here (50+ people), and dropped in to try the food, but this bad experience was enough to make me second think that and look into other options.
We enjoy coming to Mike's BBQ. Â My husband likes to come to watch Badger games, since we don't have cable at home, and they are usually very accommodating. Â Since they have so many TVs in the sports bar, they will always put the game on at least one of them. Â Good beer selection, including local and craft beers. Â My husband was delighted to find one of his favorite Belgian beers on the menu.
Service is spotty. Â We have sat in the sports bar and waited awhile to have our order taken. Â Sometimes it seems to take a long while to get your food, though most of the time lately, it is reasonable. Â
The best things about Mike's BBQ are the Signature Sandwich (tri-tip) and the Pulled Pork sandwich. Â Best ever!
Your obviously here for the BBQ, order the BBQ thats all I have to say.................. My first visit got a ribs plate it was so amazing delish but my second visit I was on a "diet" and I got a salad and oh man it just wasnt as good as I had expected. I guess when in rome do what the romans do and here EAT THE BBQ.....................LOL
Very tasty and satisfying I'd definetly go back when the funds are available too!
I think the bar is the star at this location.Good size, clean, with a lot of TV's and memorabilia around.
It's really nice having a place I can get a local micro-brew in town at a great price. The size of their beers per price are great usually at under 6 bucks. Their beer list is quite extensive and surprising, so I think if they promote that, it will definitely keep people coming back.
The service has been good for the most part with a friendly wait staff. On the bar side, you seat yourself and wait for a staff member to take your order. A sign that stated "please seat yourself" might come in handy.
For bar food I tried their nachos (okay), pizza (also okay, but reminds me of a personal sized frozen one), onion rings (a little greasy) and fries (very good and seasoned with just the right amount of salt).
Their Signature Sandwich is probably my favorite so far. It includes thin slices of tri-tip and you can get traditional hickory or Mike's Tangy BBQ sauce. I've only had the tangy and it was great. The tri-tip was well cooked and seasoned terrifically with little to no fat. I enjoyed that a lot.
If sports bars aren't your thing, you can walk to the right and go to the restaurant instead. They also have a big room that can be rented for events too.
All in all, Escondido needed a BBQ place, and a sports bar. Mike's has a great opportunity to fill that need and I would give this place a try.
I was soooo looking forward to writing up a better than 3 star review. But alas...to borrow from Michael Corleone:
"You broke my heart Fredo...(smooooch!) You broke my heart!"
Everything started off quite well and normal. We ordered our food. We paid and got our receipt and our pager. That was at 1:46pm. Â Then the second part of our family (my in-laws) came up to order for themselves right after. Same thing: Order-Pay-Get Pager. That was at 1:50pm
I get my family's order about 10 minutes after we place the order (not too bad I think). We waited and waited for my in laws to get their food so we could start. We waited, waited and waited. All the while other numbers were being called up. But not theirs.
Long story short it was almost 40 minutes till they got called up and the order came up and incomplete. They forgot my nephews Mac&Cheese.
At this point everyone in our group is pissed & hungry. We asks for the manager and the employee handling the matter says that the manager is not in.
Really? Not in?
After much back & forth, the employee offers an apology and a coupon for 20% off the next visit. Oh The Mac&Cheese eventually showed up 10 minutes late after we asked for it and after we were told it would take about 2 minutes to whip up another batch. smh
AS FOR THE FOOD:
The Food and portions were A-OKAY (3 stars) Mikes BBQ really have the BBQ thing locked. Very flavorful. However I can't say the same about their Mac&Cheese. IT'S HORRIBLE! So not worth the wait.
I don't know how one screws up Mac&Cheese, but if you want to know how ask the cook at Mikes BBQ. Im sure they'll be able to explain the lengthy process since it takes so long to prepare.
FINALLY: Im not calling anyone a liar, but...I did see someone sitting inside the office that said MANAGER as we were leaving.
Never again.
Love the fact that this place is so close to my house when there's a craving for good BBQ.. I've gotten used to ordering dry and just dipping the meat rather than being smothered and overwhelmed with the sauce..
Beware when you order the beef ribs.. Three bones might sound little but believe when I say it's plenty!!
Mike's BBQ for dinner tonight for the first (and last) time. First the good: Â Service was fine, prices reasonable, quiet acoustics, and easy parking. Â Now the bad: Brisket sandwich meat had very little flavor, pork ribs were soft and mushy, beef ribs were very fatty. Â None of the meats had any smoky taste.
The two BBQ sauces were not so good either, but they were warm. Â We really enjoy Brett's BBQ in Encinitas and Phil's BBQ in San Marcos. Â They are both much better than Mike's BBQ. Â Oh well, we gave it a try...
If your In Esco or on your way to SD this place is a must to try! The homegirl and I stopped in on our way to Sd, I had the Ribs with beans and Mac. THe BBQ sauce that coats the ribs is amazing Nice smokey flavor with a little spice. The sides tasted fresh and not like its been sitting under a heatlamp. Very pleased!
Service is on point.... Marina is very helpful and never left our drinks empty.
The bartender had a good pour as well.
Would def recommend this spot to EVERYONE!
This place makes BBQ just that much better.
Cheers!
I really needed steak last night and didn't want to drop a bill to get a good one. Â Then, EUREKA! Â I remembered that Mike's BBQ has steaks and I'd never tried them. Â I called the husband and told him to get on the road to meet me there for dinner.
I ordered the Top Sirloin, medium, with a baked potato. Â The husband ordered his usual cobb salad without the bleu cheese. Â What REALLLLLLY annoyed me - and seriously, I would have rated them 4 stars if this hadn't happened since there is no 3.5 rating - was that they asked if I wanted to add any toppings besides butter. Â I asked if they charged for sour cream and he said they did. Â REALLY? Â This is a restaurant, condiments should come with your food. Â I paid the 50 cents for sour cream, but I was ticked about it. Â Super rude and inappropriate.
Luckily, the food was awesome. Â The steak was cooked PERFECTLY and tasted delicious. Â I mean, we're not talking wagyu or anything, but it was a good steak, seasoned well and cooked right. Â The baked potato, also cooked well. Â The husband loved his salad. Â Of course, we did drop $30 for that steak, salad and one drink.
Good stuff. Â We've been there often and we'll be back. Â Happy to know that I can grab a steak there at a decent price.
I have tried to love this place. Â The staff are wonderful and sadly my complaints are out of their control. The food is pretty much what you would expect from an Escondido sports bar and I've been coming here since they opened their door. Â
On my last visit, I was amazed when I looked at my bill. Â My Grey Goose and sodas were $9/drink. Â These were *not* heavy pours. Â This is the first time I've been charged so much for my cocktails at Mike's.
I spoke with Mary- Â who is apparently a manager. Â She said $9 was the price and has always been the price. Â She also said she worked very hard to make sure the prices were comparable to what was in the area. Well, I did my own study. I would suggest that Mary take a visit to Vintana's, right around the corner. It's part of the Cohn Restaurant Group. Â Their specialty cocktails made with top shelf alcohol are $9 and the pours are heavy. Â Plus, the food is far better and in the same price range as Mike's BBQ. Â
I'll only be back to Mike's if there is a sporting event that my boyfriend must watch. Â So sad that they have lost a very regular customer over something so small.
Another ok BBQ joint. Â Its to bad that the employees here were not to nice. Â I even think the ladie that helped my family and I out was a supervisor or a manager. Â Not one out of the 6 workers that were behind the counter greeted us. Â I asked for a suggestion about the food the ladie that rang us up said" its totally up to you". Â WOW NOT GOING TO EAT HERE AGAIN. Â Please Mike if you are reading this put your employees thru customer service. Â
The food was ok. Â I had the meaty fries and they were alot of fries and fair amount of meat. Â I Â had asked for more nacho cheese and added BBQ sauce. Â My time there could of been a better time.
I absolutely love this place!! The food and environment is great! Gets really packed on UFC Fight nights. But which bar doesn't? Just make sure to get their early, if you want to get a good seat. The staff on the bar side are wonderful. After a long day at work.... the happy hour specials are great!
On the restaurant side, the staff can be a hit or miss with good customer service. But I can't lower their rating just off that. I know how it is to work in a restaurant, when it's jam packed. Depending on the person (employee). They either know how to handle and cater to a full house.. or don't. I understand it can be a little stressful at times.
Great place!!! Give it a try =]
I really really want to love this place and I've given it about 6 chances but EVERYTIME I come in, somehow my order is messed up or the timing of the food coming out, when I'm in groups is very off.
Last night I came in with a friend for just one drink. Surely nothing can go wrong... I'm only grabbing ONE beer, why not?? After my friend and I are through we pay our $9 tab. We put down $20. Our server is clearly ready to go home so she immidiately brings our change back and after a few minutes takes back the little black bill book where our change was kept. My friend and I are having a deep discussion and didn't even realize she took ALL of our change back. REALLY?? You pocketed an $11 tip for a $9 tab??? Tacky. Clearly it was a mistake but didn't have the decency to say something. It was dishonest and this will be the last time I come back.... never again.
I have to agree with other reviewers regarding the confusion when first coming in and the lack of customer service. It is off-putting.
As far as the food goes, it's amazingly blah. We have ordered takeout twice. The first time we ordered the brisket sandwich and half rack of baby backs. Brisket was soft but tasted only of beef. The ribs were tender with slight smokey taste. Their two sauces are similar with one having more of a vinegar bite. The sauces are very straight forward: catchup base and lacking depth of flavor.
Our second time we ordered a full rack of baby backs with sides of mac n cheese and onion rings. Again the ribs were tender but this time only slightly warm and the "bark" completely soft. The onion rings were horrid: soaked in oil and the batter still raw inside. Mac n Cheese was good: real cheese with a balance of garlic and nutmeg.
If Mike's puts a rub on any of the meats, i certainly could not tell. Tender but flavorless meat does not make great BBQ or any BBQ for that matter. To bad Mike's is is such a let down, we live near by and it would have been fantastic to have a great BBQ joint close to us. Oh well, more $ for Phil's.
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