June 20, 2020
Alums of San Diego's popular Grand Ole BBQ are gearing up to bring smoky goodness to Sherman Heights. El Barbecue is opening in the space that last housed Sister Ray's.
El Barbecue was started as a pop-up earlier this year by Chefs Ami Cisnero and Brandon Standafer, who both previously worked for Grand Ole BBQ. Ami is a 2010 graduate of San Diego Culinary Institute and a native San Diegan who once led the kitchen at Grand Ole BBQ Flynn Springs and has worked in the kitchens at JRDN, Mister A's, and most recently at North Park's Heart & Trotter Butcher. Brandon is from Kentucky and helped start Grand Ole BBQ with Andy Harris, first as a catering company and then the brick and mortar in North Park.
"When Covid hit, I quit my job and Brandon and I started doing the El Barbecue pop up at Isabel’s Cantina in Pacific Beach," explained Chef Ami Cisneros. "Sister Ray's co-owner Tom Logsdon (who has a sandwich named after him on our menu) approached us with this opportunity and we jumped at it. We will hopefully start selling next month. Our menu will not be centered on any specific kind of barbecue and instead encompass all the BBQs we love, including Mexican, Argentinean, and Korean."
El Barbecue will offer an extensive menu for limited dine-in and take out, as well as an expansive catering menu. Expect dishes like slow smoked spare ribs, pulled pork, brisket, tri tip, wings, hot links, salmon and more, plus daily specials, a variety of sandwiches and rotating specials. The restaurant will also serve breakfast, which will include biscuits, breakfast sandwiches, breakfast tacos and more. El Barbecue will also have an array of beer cans for purchase.
El Barbecue is located at 549 25th Street in San Diego's Sherman Heights neighborhood.
elbarbecuesd.com.
