Red Smoke Grill: Barbecue With All The Fixings

My family and I are huge barbecue fans so we decided to make a picnic day and have some delicious local food.

This was our first time at , 4501 Hopyard Road in Pleasanton, and we were pleasantly surprised.

We decided to get our order to go and hang out in our backyard and enjoy some much-needed family time.

Before I go into what we ordered, I would like to share a little bit of the restaurant’s background from the website.

Red Smoke Grill was developed by Jim Painter and Ken Hinshaw, both locals. Each partner has nearly 30 years of experience in the food business dating back to the mid-1970s, the website says.

Red Smoke Grill is a concept restaurant combining convenience with a fast casual atmosphere. It serves freshly prepared food made with high-quality ingredients. Chef Ken buys all-natural chickens, choice tri-tip, and tender pork, which ensures the most flavorful and tender meats, the site says.

Now to the good part.

We ordered the famous tri-tip ($11.49 for 6 ounces or $15.49 for 10 ounces) and some pulled pork sandwiches ($6.59 for a regular and $7.99 for a large.) 

The tri-tip came with a buttery corn muffin and two sides of our choice; we picked garlic mashed potatoes and cole slaw. With the pulled pork sandwiches came with one side for just an extra 99 cents — we chose roasted corn salad.

The tri-tip was super moist and tender. The meat was also very lean, which is rare for a piece of meat like that. The spices were also very good, but it needed to be dressed with a little bit of BBQ sauce at some points because the meat had a spice and smoke ring.

The corn muffin was slightly dry but it came with some butter, which was delicious and perked the bread right up. The pulled pork sandwich is really good, with a tangy and smoky sauce and the perfect amount of cole slaw on a soft bun that did not get soggy — a big plus.

Now onto the sides. The garlic mashed potatoes were creamy and full of pieces of garlic. The best part is that the skins are included so you get a little bit of texture in every bite. The cole slaw was creamy and full of a great dressing and crispy veggies. The roasted corn salad was fresh and flavorful but not our favorite, as it lacked seasoning.

All and all this was a great meal for a picnic day and I would love to go back to try the chicken and ribs as well as the onion rings and fries!

See the website for menus and hours of operation.