History

Since 1998, BBQ lovers across San Diego County have turned to restaurateur Phil Pace to satisfy a singular craving: mesquite grilled baby back and beef ribs, chicken and sandwiches. Serving thousands of customers a day from a diverse clientele of skateboarders to Bentleys, Phil has built his foundation on consistency, quality, freshness and friendly service.

"We thrive on providing each guest with the 'Phil's Experience', which basically comes down to organized chaos," laughs owner Phil Pace. "The biggest reason behind our success is our loyal customers who have supported us and waited in line for a taste of BBQ since '98."

Since opening our doors in San Diego, Phil's BBQ has served over one million (and counting!) gallons of Phil’s signature BBQ sauce (enough to fill Shamu's tank). Expanding from four employees to well over 400, we have become an employer of choice in San Diego. In 2007, after the smoke cleared from the original Phil's BBQ location in Mission Hills, the restaurant relocated to a much larger space in Point Loma. Even with a change of location, the Phil's experience and menu remains the same: long lines of anticipation, an energetic, friendly atmosphere, fantastic food, huge portions, and many, many, paper towels.

Over the years, Phil’s BBQ has successfully opened four more freestanding restaurants in San Marcos (shuttered at lease end in 2020), Santee, Rancho Bernardo, and Temecula. We also have a location in the San Diego International Airport (Terminal 2 West).

Phil doesn't come from a long line of BBQ connoisseurs. Instead, he created from scratch a top-secret recipe for BBQ rubs and sauce while taking his dad's advice “to only cook what you know best and treat employees like family.” Phil has been a pioneer of fast-casual dining since the opening of the first restaurant, giving San Diegans what they want - great BBQ! Taking care, satisfying cravings, and supporting customers has always been the number one priority.

Philanthropy

Since the San Diego community has been an intricate part of the Phil’s BBQ journey, we have contributed over one million dollars to various charities around the County over the years. We support organizations that benefit underprivileged children and their education, needy families, and animals.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County
• Boys & Girls Club of East County
• Garfield Highschool Foundation
• Honor Flight San Diego
• Labrador Rescuers
• Rancho Coastal Humane Society
• San Diego Center for Children
• San Diego Police Foundation
• San Diego Youth Services
• The Burn Institute
• The Seany Foundation

ResQue Ranch

A longtime horse lover and animal rescuer, Phil wanted to give back to the community in another way other than his restaurant. In 2014, he founded ResQue Ranch in Escondido, California – a non-profit equine rescue and rehabilitation center that provides shelter, food, physical therapy, socialization, training, and adoption opportunities for rescued and rehabilitated horses. They rescue neglected, abused, abandoned, emaciated, retired, lame, and injured horses, all of whom otherwise remain at great risk of ending up in the slaughter pipeline.
For more information, you can visit resqueranch.org.