Apricot Wood California Bbq - Patterson

Now, let’s discuss the service. Our server, Alma V., took our order without any issues and brought our food promptly, but after that, she completely disappeared. We didn’t see her again until we requested our bill and boxes for our leftovers. Not once did Alma check in to see how our meal was or if we wanted more drinks. When I brought this to her attention, she looked at me as if she were in shock and claimed she didn’t see anything wrong with her service. She honestly believed everything was fine. I asked her how she could assume everything was okay without checking in on us. In the end, for the first time in a long while, I chose not to tip my server. I didn’t feel guilty about it because she simply didn’t deserve one.

For all I know, it could be the best barbecue in California, but I’ll never know. I stopped by during a road trip and went to the restroom. After waiting about 10 minutes, I noticed that no one in the nearly empty restaurant seemed interested in taking my order. I was feeling a bit hangry and in a hurry to get back to Berkeley for dinner, so I decided it was better to hit the road. I might give them another chance the next time I’m on the 5, but my first impression was definitely not a good one.

The Crazy Fries arrived quickly and were quite substantial. These are spiral-cut potato wedges topped with bacon, pulled pork, cheese sauce, grilled jalapeños, cilantro crema, and salsa. They were absolutely delicious and filling enough that we could have made a meal just out of them. Next came the California Orchard Salad, which was a delightful mix of green apples, grapes, oranges, strawberries, celery, almonds, cranberries, avocado slices, mixed greens, and blue cheese crumbles. Since I was sharing the salad with my husband, who isn’t a fan of blue cheese, we requested the cheese on the side. We were also given a selection of dressings to try. Honey mustard is our favorite, but there was also an avocado dressing, among others. To make sure we both enjoyed the salad, we asked for honey mustard and avocado dressing on the side. We were glad we did, as the avocado dressing wasn’t to our liking, but the honey mustard paired beautifully with the fruit in the salad. When our BBQ combo plate arrived, we were impressed by the generous portions of brisket and three substantial ribs, accompanied by both cornbread and garlic bread. Unsure which to try, we opted to pay a little extra for both types of bread. They came out grilled with a side of butter. The garlic bread was decent, but the cornbread was a standout—especially with its caramelized edges from the grill. We sampled several BBQ sauces from the caddy and found that we liked the Apricot Chipotle and Smokey BBQ best, even though the meats were flavorful enough on their own. Delicious! Lastly, we chose roasted Brussels sprouts for our Market Side, and it was an excellent choice. They were crispy, light, and tasty. We were very glad we stopped for an early dinner, and we even took home leftovers for lunch the next day!

I was not planning on having lunch at Apricot Wood California BBQ. I was not even planning on stopping in Patterson. Ironically to avoid the wildfire smoke, I was heading to Monterey, but decided to skip after checking the traffic. Apricot Wood is just off Interstate 5 at the Patterson Exit behind the gas stations and fast food joints. Parking is limited in front, but ample in the area. The layout of the restaurant is a little different with two stories and an outdoor patio. There are the requisite number of silly signs on the wall and a modern looking interior, but the star is the food. Service can be a little slow, but you can order to go to speed things up. Speaking of the food, this barbecue is very good. They smoke with apricot wood along with other woods. The menu is rather extensive with a lot of meats, fancy sandwiches, and many great sides. I chose the brisket with smoked corn and garlic bread. It also came with pickles and six bbq sauces. The meat was really good. My brisket has a nice smoke ring with a robust rub and a good fat layer. It paired well with the sauces, but was excellent baked as well. The sides were amazing. The corn was fresh with garlic butter and a great roasted flavor. The garlic bread used a thin artisan bread similar to ciabatta and helps sop up sauce. Is Apricot Wood worth the drive? Probably. Many people zoom by on their way across California, but the locals and other weary travelers have found a nice option. Prices aren't that much more than the fast food options, but you will need to sit a spell to enjoy the barbecue and prepare for the meat coma!

A welcome change to our usual stop of fast food while en route between LA and SF. At first we were reluctant to stop because it was a bit of a rainy drive, but we were pleasantly surprised that they had ample indoor seating. We greeted and seated quickly when we arrived. The smell of smoked meat that welcomes you lets you know its going to be a great meal. We ordered the sliders off the appetizer menu so we could give the different smoked meats a try, and the two protein option with brisket, ribs, corn bread, and Brussels sprouts. And we rounded it off with a half order of onion rings. The sliders were a great choice because it let us sample a little of two different meats, the onion rings were the perfect amount of crispy I was hoping for a bit more onion but given the long car ride ahead of us im sure my husband appreciated the amount they used. The brisket was Smokey and melt in your mouth. The ribs were tender, well seasoned, and fall off the bone. We both enjoyed the roasted Brussels sprouts (and for a side, we thought it was a very good portion . They also have a caddy full of sauces, so if you're a sauce boss and like lots of choices this is definitely a good stop for you. My winner for the mea was the corn bread it looks like they bake it in a loaf, cut off a slice, then warm the slice before serving by throwing it on the grill the grill that they likely cook meat on because it has a wonderful slight taste of bbq (maybe even bacon . The only thing better than the great offerings was the fast and friendly service we encountered. Everyone was pleasant and when we were leaving our server even noticed how much we were enjoying sampling all the bbq sauces so she packed (and labeled some for us to go with our leftovers (oh yes, there will be leftovers giant portions!