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Name: Meat Up BBQ
Address: 1450 N Kraemer Blvd, Placentia, CA, 92870
Telephone: (714) 983-7558
Price range: Under $11
Rating: 3.93

Meat Up BBQ

1450 N Kraemer Blvd, Placentia, CA, 92870

(714) 983-7558
Store is closed

Meat Up BBQ Menu

Starters

Garlic Fries

Rib Tips

Smoked Wings

Smothered and Covered Chili Verde Fries

Mac Attack Fries

Single St. Louis Rib Bone

Garlic Fries

Rib Tips

Smoked Wings

Smothered and Covered Chili Verde Fries

Mac Attack Fries

Single St. Louis Rib Bone
Salads

Smoked Chicken Salad

Seattle Sunrise Salad

Smoked Chicken Salad

Seattle Sunrise Salad
Sandwiches

Pulled Pork Sandwich

Tri Tip Cheesesteak Sandwich

Cuban Sandwich

Odin Sandwich

The Mighty Zeus Sandwich

Smoked Chicken Sandwich

Just a Tri Tip Sandwich

The Kraken Sandwich

Pulled Pork Sandwich

Tri Tip Cheesesteak Sandwich

Cuban Sandwich

Odin Sandwich

The Mighty Zeus Sandwich

Smoked Chicken Sandwich

Just a Tri Tip Sandwich

The Kraken Sandwich
Burgers

Chili Cheese Burger

The Farva Burger

Bacon and Bleu Burger

American Psycho Burger

Chili Cheese Burger

The Farva Burger

Bacon and Bleu Burger

American Psycho Burger
Meat Entrees

St. Louis Ribs

Pulled Pork

Tri Tip

Bratwurst Plate

Smoked Chicken Breast

St. Louis Ribs

Pulled Pork

Tri Tip

Bratwurst Plate

Smoked Chicken Breast
Family Packs

Small Family Pack

Large Family Pack

Small Family Pack

Large Family Pack
Classic Sides

Baked Black Beans

BBQ Dry Rub Fries

Seasonal Veggie

Side Salad

Baked Black Beans

BBQ Dry Rub Fries

Seasonal Veggie

Side Salad
Premium Sides

Mac 'n Cheese

Beef Chili

Chili Verde

Mac 'n Cheese

Beef Chili

Chili Verde
Kid's Meals (12 and Under)

Kid's Sidekick Sliders

Kid's Chicken Nuggets

Kid's Dawg

Kid's Pulled Pork Sliders

Kid's Sidekick Sliders

Kid's Chicken Nuggets

Kid's Dawg

Kid's Pulled Pork Sliders

Healthy Meal suggestions for Meat Up BBQ

Starters

Garlic Fries [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Rib Tips [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Smoked Wings [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Smothered and Covered Chili Verde Fries [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mac Attack Fries [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Single St. Louis Rib Bone [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Garlic Fries [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Rib Tips [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Smoked Wings [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Smothered and Covered Chili Verde Fries [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mac Attack Fries [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Single St. Louis Rib Bone [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Salads

Smoked Chicken Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Seattle Sunrise Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Smoked Chicken Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Seattle Sunrise Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Sandwiches

Pulled Pork Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tri Tip Cheesesteak Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cuban Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Odin Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Mighty Zeus Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Smoked Chicken Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Just a Tri Tip Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Kraken Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pulled Pork Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tri Tip Cheesesteak Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cuban Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Odin Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Mighty Zeus Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Smoked Chicken Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Just a Tri Tip Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Kraken Sandwich [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Burgers

Chili Cheese Burger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Farva Burger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bacon and Bleu Burger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

American Psycho Burger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chili Cheese Burger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

The Farva Burger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bacon and Bleu Burger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

American Psycho Burger [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Meat Entrees

St. Louis Ribs [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pulled Pork [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tri Tip [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bratwurst Plate [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Smoked Chicken Breast [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

St. Louis Ribs [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pulled Pork [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tri Tip [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bratwurst Plate [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Smoked Chicken Breast [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Family Packs

Small Family Pack [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Large Family Pack [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Small Family Pack [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Large Family Pack [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Classic Sides

Baked Black Beans [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

BBQ Dry Rub Fries [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Seasonal Veggie [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Side Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Baked Black Beans [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

BBQ Dry Rub Fries [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Seasonal Veggie [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Side Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Premium Sides

Mac 'n Cheese [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Beef Chili [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chili Verde [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mac 'n Cheese [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Beef Chili [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chili Verde [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Kid's Meals (12 and Under)

Kid's Sidekick Sliders [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kid's Chicken Nuggets [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kid's Dawg [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kid's Pulled Pork Sliders [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kid's Sidekick Sliders [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kid's Chicken Nuggets [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kid's Dawg [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kid's Pulled Pork Sliders [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Visit below restaurant in Placentia for healthy meals suggestion.

Denny’s ( 108 E Orangethorpe Ave )

Burger King ( 1188 E Yorba Linda Blvd )

Visit below restaurant in Placentia for healthy meals suggestion.

Denny’s ( 108 E Orangethorpe Ave )

Burger King ( 1188 E Yorba Linda Blvd )

Write An Anonymous Review

Sheri Z.

Place is pretty good. Husband had lunch here with a co-worker and wanted me to check it out. Just as everyone else has said.. Garlic sauce feta fries are the way to go. I had the OC Cheesesteak (pretty good) and he had the pulled pork sandwich. Tons of pulled pork. He really enjoyed. Couple downsides: we love a variety of beer and while the beer was good, it was definitely not cold enough. They need to check the temps on their taps. And they need to clean their tables better. The napkin dispenser was filthy. I had to clean it to get clean napkins out. We would try again.
(3)
Cynthia S.

My husband and I were looking for a place near our house to get some good BBQ and beer after a crap day. Have been driving by this place for sometime cause it's on my way home from work. I ordered the the Odin and he got the brisket. The food was really good. I'm a hot dog connoisseur (in my own mind) and this was great. We order beer but didn't know what kind we wanted. The server suggested their flights. Such an awesome idea! Especially for craft beers. We choose 4 different beers and one of the ones we asked for was out so they did a "Bartenders Choice". He choose something called "Knee Deep". That ended up being our favorite. It was so good that night my busband and I drove to Total Wine and more to buy it (unfortunately they didn't have it). The sole con that I had was that I asked the server for the Odin without bacon but she said that it was just little pieces and they mixed in with the kraut. When I got it, it was literally strips of bacon. Which I guess was good because it was easy to remove. Overall: Dug the place. We are going back.
(5)
Heather B.

This place is the best! First off when you walk in, your drawn to the dark wood bar top with 25 taps sitting behind it ( most of which are craft beers, so they get a 6th star for that, I was greeted by a nice server and I decided to sit up at the bar. I ordered a wolf among us IPA from Golden road and it was ahhhmazing. I then ordered the smoked bird sand which with the mac and cheese, first off the Mac and cheese I dove into first and the creamy cheese with the Italian sea seamed bread crumbs on top gave it that crispness that you expect from A great Mac and cheese. Now let me tell you, the smoked bird blew me away, the ciabatta bread with the arugula,tomatoes, pickled veggies like a Bon mie was great! The black pepper bbq sauce with I think cilantro aioli was perfection, I will for sure be coming back to watch la kings games here!
(5)
Kacie H.

Came to enjoy lunch here and I was a little disappointed this time. I got the tri-tip plate which was lacking the punch I was craving from last time. The BBQ sauce helped a bit but my meal continued to let me down. The Mac and cheese was too runny and the chili verde was defiantly missing something from the last time I had enjoyed it. The Anthem cider was of course amazing, but I left feeling a bit sad and longing for more flavor. Perhaps it was just a bad day. I hope to visit again and get that 4th star back up on my review!
(3)
Steve W.

Because I go consider myself a bbq professional I will give you my honest score for this start up. Went there for lunch waited 15 min plus for food ordered wings and feta fries 6 drumets fries 13 bucks coworker order number 2 brisket and pulled pork 4 slice brisket dried out pulled pork dry look old he paid 23 bucks for that. People this why you do not open a bbq joint if you are not a pit master they are charging way to much for the product you are getting. There are other places that are better and I personally know my bbq at home kills what I had today. Sorry for the real but they need to figure out this business and try again. No flavor small portion and cost is high. Not worth the time. I do appreciate your response. I have spent 30 yrs learning bbq creating spice season traveling eating different country's and really trying to find flavors and foods that are truly great I guess I am food guy baker, pit master of my domain who believes in if the food is great the people will come eat and enjoy and won't mind paying because it is a experience that you want to enjoy.
(1)
Ted R.

I waited a while to review this place, and have been here four times, so I guess it's time. The last time I ordered take out on a Sunday evening about 6:30 and went to pick it up. Had a nice pale ale while I waited. I was the only customer until almost time to leave (more about that later). Beers: A nice selection. Could use a couple more pale ales, but that's just my preference. When they opened they would gladly give you tastes of beer before you ordered. While I didn't need any, I now see that they charge a couple of bucks for a small taste. Interesting. Food: Getting better. I think when they opened they were really leaning towards the food truck concept of food. Very spicy, trendy and hip. It wasn't bad, but some things were a miss, and it seemed a little out of touch with the neighborhood. I think they've mellowed out a bit now. Some things are great -- the fries, some of the sides. The entrees, half chicken and half rack of ribs, were good. Frankly, could have used a little more spice, maybe some dry rub or some smoke. But still it was good. Service: Don't know what happened here. At first they were friendly and seemed to love having customers. Didn't get that feeling this time. I was greeted by a server that was very nice and helpful. On the other hand, the owner, and I guess the chef? stood in front of me talking about schedules, even leaning on the counter almost touching me, and never said a word. Weird. Finally, a party of four came in and I got to see their new ordering scheme. The friendly server greeted them at the door with menus and sat them at a table. Then she proceeded to tell them when they were ready, to walk up to the counter to order. What? Four people in the restaurant during dinner hour and you want to make it difficult to order? Sorry, this part gets a zero. I hoping that they are still fine tuning things and they can get back on track. The place is close and I like the beers.
(3)
CJ Y.

I am shocked at all the 5 star review...some of them are very suspicious. Came here for lunch today. Ordered the #2, porcetta and brisket. Both meats was super dry and bland. Felt like it sat for a few hours before it was served to me. Chicken wings on the other hand was pretty good, wish it was spicier though. My co-worker ordered one of the hamburger, also indicated that it was on the dry side. Service was friendly. If they want to improve, they should check out the porcetta at Kroft located in Anaheim Packing House. For brisket, both Dickey's and Lucilles are way better. Check the pix that I posted, it will show you how dry it is.
(1)
jennifer d.

Food AMAZING! choice selection in beer AMAZING! lunch or dinner. Dinning in or to go this place is great Love love love it! I honestly prefer to dine in because I love everyone that works in here...Garlic feta fries are my #1 favorite thing here!!!
(5)
Nalinya D.

Sorry guys: I just ordered a salad to go for $10. This salad consisted of diced chicken, field greens, feta cheese and tomatoes. When I opened the box, there were 3 containers of sauce and so little salad that the lettuce barely covered the bottom of the plate! Also, the heat of the chicken completely cooked the delicate lettuce. Back to the drawing board on this one, guys.
(2)
John O.

The food is excellent. The service is friendly and fast. Their portion size is plenty. Today was my second time here, and I walked out very satisfied again. Their prices are not bad at all, especially considering what you get. The BBQ fries are the best. The hamburger meat is very tasty. The extras they put on it just enhances the flavor. They have self serve refillable fountain drinks.
(5)
Sunny W.

They are very serious about their beer, the glass is rinsed and poured just right. The bbq are nice but the beer are really the boss here in this place. Ask the guys about pairing suggestions for different kind of bbq meat.
(5)
Josh B.

Pretty dang good. Beer was good, wings were good, and pulled pork sandwich was good. Happy hour Tuesday-Friday until 5 dollar beer and dollar off appetizers are a decent deal. The BBQ rub fries were BOMB! Some of my favorite fries i have had. Only reason for 4 stars and not 5 was that it took a while to get our food. But, by no means too long. Friendly service and comfortable vibe. For sure will go back and try something else. The sand pulled pork was good but I'm excited to try something new next time.
(4)
Dag H.

You may want to leave your taste buds at home! The only thing going for this place is beer. Eek is right!
(1)
Jerrold S.

The places was packed on our first visit during the soft opening. Great beer list. ~20 taps with good local representation. The wings had a nice smoke and the gorgonzola dipping sauce was an interesting choice. Good but different. The porchetta is another different item. It isn't cut into big chops but chopped up like pulled pork. There are some dry pieces but if you get a moister piece and a good crunchy skin piece you're in business. The brisket was flavorful and tasty but could have used a lot more smoke. The bbq sauce was pretty good not too sweet. We'll be back and based on the lines they are going to do well. The service was nice and friendly but going through some soft opening jitters. My guess is that in a few weeks they get everything ironed out and this will be a solid bbq place in north OC.
(3)
Sarina Y.

They kicked us out of our usual haunts after the Super Bowl so we decided to come here on the way home. Walked in and it was a ghost town. Not bad, that means faster service. I got a cider and chili verde fries to start (servers rec.) and it was delish- great sauce! The bratwurst I got as an entrÃ©e was a little smokey, but manageable. Stay away from the mac and cheese and cole slaw-no flavor. The chili was great- had a good texture and spice. Overall, service=wonderful (because we were the only ones there). Food=not bad, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come back. Price= better than Lucilles.... But then again, I think Lucilles has their smoking formula down to fine science. Give this place some time, they might pull out a decent balance on their food. I think they've only been open for a short time.
(3)
Amanda B.

Experience: Pros: very laid back environment you get your own cups and to go boxes etc, quiet, there's a cute little outdoor area to eat at it's kind of a diamond in the rough I wouldn't have ever known it was there, everyone was really nice and had good customer service Cons: we walked in and were greeted by a hostess and she gave us menus and explained that we order first then sit down, she didn't take us to our seat or anything like a sign could have told us that, and a sign doesn't cost 10 an hour, she may have other functions but if all she is doing is saying hi/bye and passing out menus/ standing there texting.. just get a sign. The only other thing I would mention is that at the end I we went up and got our to go boxes but there were no bags I had to wait in line to request a bag to hold our to go boxes, if your going to be a laid back place and make me get my own stuff then truly be laid back and have all material for me in 1 place. He offered me a to go cup for my drink which was nice but if they give those out then just put then in the section with all the other stuff. Food: we had: BBQ tips, pulled pork, bacon potato salad, BBQ rub French fries, chili, and Mac n cheese BBQ tips were mostly bone Pulled pork was a little dry but flavorful Mac n cheese/BBQ rub fries was good, chili was all right very smokey tasting in a good way and the potato salad was weird, not very good kind of tastes like mustard it was sour I wish there were more side options like corn or mashed potatoes Overall it's okay if you don't feel like paying more or waiting in line at Lucille's I would go again I guess
(3)
Stacy B.

So amazing!!! My hubby and I both got burgers. I can't remember the names, but mine had potatoes and pork Chile Verde and my hubs had gorgonzola....I think. I was in burger heaven and couldn't even focus on his amazingness. My hamburger was perfection!! So flavorful and perfectly cooked. The fries had a great sweet, salty, savory thing going on. All I can say is amaze!! I will be going back. The other amazing thing was the customer service. At first, I was concerned because the girl that was taking our order seemed annoyed because I special ordered something for my son. However, after a few moments of annoyance she actually did ask the chef and they agreed (my 2 year old doesn't eat meat so to accommodate, they made him a cheese quesadillia). I seriously am so appreciative for the accommodation. Thank you!!!!
(5)
Cherisse R.

Wanted to try it and was not disappointed. They give huge portions. Ribs were fall off the bone delicious. Had take out but will dine in next time. It seems like a lively fun atmosphere.
(5)
B L.

Excited to try a new place out today. But was disappointed. Staff was not happy to be there and were unwilling to please the customer ( except for the fun and helpful girl with brown hair and glasses). Was asking what was good to get and the bearded guy said everything...so I chose something he offered only to be told about 2 seconds later "oh sorry we are out"?? They were unwilling to accommodate a customer who only wanted to order meat without sides...shouldn't seem like a big deal...but it was. Sadly with the lack of food options (even listed on their menu), unwillingness to please the customer, and food only being decent...this place probably won't make it. So...Meat up maybe you guys should have some meat choices for the people who are not interested in your sides:)
(2)
Kathy H.

Ate here last Wednesday night. It was our 2nd time around & although we live walking distance, we really hadn't been itching to return since our first experience was kind of a "whatever" experience. I will say this time things changed - first time we went they had just opened & were operating sporadically (open one day, closed the next) and maybe were working out some kinks in the kitchen staff or whatever. This time, hubby & I ordered the "Zeus" sandwich (tri-tip) and it was delicious. Son had the burger, can't recall the name but he liked it too. Also a plus - when I ordered, the guy forgot to put on my other son's kids hot dog. When I noticed it was not on the receipt, I got back in line to tell him & pay for it. Even though he was attending to a line, he saw me standing there & walked out to see what was wrong. He put in the order with the hot dog at no charge. Really cool! We will return ... want to try those garlic/feta fries!!!!!!
(4)
Krikor T.

Good BBQ!!! Not great! but better than most of the BBQs around this area. some of their sandwiches and burgers are great creations.... The others, not so much. Garlic feta fries, Chile Verde fries, Chili, mac and cheese. OC cheesesteak, Rotten Richard and pulled pork are all Good. I didn't like the Odin at all. The flavors didn't fuse together well in my opinion. I also prefer their black cracked pepper BBQ sauce over their Blackberry BBQ sauce. I like their food and based on their food I give it a solid 4 stars. But I dont like the way you order at this place and because of that I am going to rate it 3 stars.
(3)
Brandi V.

This place had the absolute best bbq I've had in quite awhile. My friend had the Rotten Richard and absolutely loved it. I had the pulled pork which was also amazing. Both sandwich were great for the price, coming with a side - we both got the Mac n cheese - yum. We are in the area for a conference and chose the restaurant based on the description for the garlic and feta fries and they did NOT disappoint. I would travel back out here just for those. The homemade bbq sauces were also great - and coming from two people who know true Carolina bbq - you can take that to the bank!
(5)
Craig M.

DO NOT EAT HERE! We waited a few months before eating here. We wanted to make they had settled in before trying out this new local BBQ to give it a fair shot. Last Sunday I finally convinced my family to venture over there. Here are the results: My Wife and I shared the 3 meat platter with roasted "veggies" and salad: - Pulled pork was a lump of fat with about 40%meat - Sausage was good, I doubt they make it there, since it was quality - Rib Tips were the most DRY meat I have had ever. could not chew, they tasted as if they were 2 weeks old. - Roasted Veggie "s" the menu stated veggies, it was just ONE veggie brussel sprouts which were average. - Salad, which we did not eat. Son #1: Ordered Cheesesteak sandwich, he said it was fine, but would rather have Philly cheesesteak across the street. Son#2: Chicken wings, he was ok with them Daughter: Ordered chicken nuggets from kids menu. The menu stated chicken pieces. They were no different then "Dino nuggets" you would expect a meat house to have actual chicken meat for them and not deep fried chicken goo. The overall dining was below average, typical of a low grade BBQ you order at a register before sitting, which is fine. Then you go sit down. The restaurant is not lit well and you feel like you are sitting in compartments and not a big restaurant. The servers were cheerful no issue there. When our food was brought to the table they had messed up 2 orders and we had to wait for them to prepare our ordered meals. I do not understand how they could mess up 2 meals since they may have been at 20% capacity. I do not think they get it. They may have an ok food truck, but leave the restaurant business to true restaurateurs. Overall this place was a joke and I was really rooting for them to be a great BBQ we need one in Placentia.
(1)
ANGELA V.

Staff was super nice and helpful. My husband and I split a meatup tray with 3 meats. Ribs, chicken and tri tip. We got garlic feta fries and chili for our sides. The fries were good. All three meats tasted dry and reheated. As soon as they brought it to our table I could tell it would taste dry and reheated. Especially the tri tip, It looked totally dried up. It did have a slight Smokey flavor, I'll give them that. The ribs were far from falling off the bone. I had a hell of a time splitting them with a knife. My husband and I didn't feel full or satisfied after this meal. They have 25 craft beers on tap but I wanted something simple like a bud light or coors light but they didn't have any. I would be whiling to come back and try their pulled pork.
(2)
John K.

Took my teenage son here for lunch one day, and WOW! Ordered: feta cheese fries, fried artichokes (my favorite), rotten Richard, came with a side of chili, which my son raved about. Everything tasted great, and it was so much food for the two of us, we got to take a lot of leftovers for later.
(5)
Samarie R.

I'm a backyard smoker who likes to smoke good pulled pork, ribs, chicken, etc. so I have my favorite tastes when it come to BBQ. Meat Up BBQ hits so many great flavor notes with their food. The pulled pork was tender, moist, tasty, and has a nice flavorful bark that doesn't overwhelm the meat. The Smoked Fried Chicken was very nicely done with a good balanced level of smoke taste and delicious brine. They have a BBQ sandwich called Odin that is a bratwurst with bacon, cheese, sauerkraut, braised cabbage, all served on a lobster roll. So good. The Garlic Feta Fries are to die for and it's such a large serving that you can easily share it with 2 or 3 people. The selection of craft beers on tap is large. There are several side dishes available. The Black Beans with tri-tip are reminiscent of baked beans except made with black beans instead. A little sweet, a little vinegar-y, a lot tasty. The Mac and Cheese is very cheesy and rich. The Bacon Potato salad is like an old-fashioned mustard-y potato salad. Very satisfying for potato salad. I'm looking forward to trying the rest of the sides on future visits. The one disappointment was the tri-tip. While the actual flavor of the seasonings and smoke were really good, the meat itself was not anywhere close to tender. The outer edges of the tri-tip were starting to get tender but the rest of the meat didn't get a chance to get there. I look forward to going back and trying more items on their menu. Four stars only because of the tri-tip. Otherwise this would have been a 5 star review.
(4)
Aldrige S.

Great flavor! Authentic bbq very hard to come by this days. Very laid back great food. Just a little pricey but we'll worth it! Definitely coming back & recommending family and friends.
(4)
Larry C.

Really don't know what to say about this place. First of all it's kinda food truck meets fast food meets restaurant, it's a bit of a train wreck. There are no servers, you sit down look at the menu then wait in line and pay and tip before you have a bad meal. Care for a refill? Go wait in line again. The food: We ordered the Rotten Richard burger The Zeus tri tip sandwich, a chicken nugget kids meal and some wings. Burger was a tragic mess. Bun didn't hold up to the sloppy uninspired, bland burger. Tri Tip sandwich looked better but again lacked flavor. Slight smoke flavor, but that was it. The wings weren't my cup of tea. I can see where people could like them. Not me. Chicken nugget kids meal, Here is where my expirence really went south. The nuggets had to be microwaved and the fries were a soggy greasy mess. First of all, I don't know how these made it out of the kitchen, but to try and feed them to a 3 year old. Just plan disrespectful. It was really a waste of $50. If there is a positive, they have a good selection of craft beer. Go there for that and skip the food.
(1)
John C.

My wife, her friend and I came to Meat Up and super impressed with this little BBQ spot. Wife and here friend split tri tip mac and roasted veggies. Tri tip was spot on moist and with no BBQ. NOT THAT THEY DON'T HAVE IT. They give the option to put either their blackberry sauce or cracked black pepper sauce. (Both incredible! ) Any I got a sandwich pork belly Cubano. With chille verda fries. All I have to say is wow! If you're looking for you to be waited on hand and foot. This place only had one food runner. She was awesome and hooked us up with everything we needed. But it wasn't busy. Just go!
(5)
Adri L.

Food was amazing! I had the rotten Richard burger. Taste of garlic was amazing. The green chili was packed in a container for me. I didn't care for the flavor much. I'm use to Mexican food green chili and it didn't taste similar to it. My husband had the OC cheesesteak sandwich and BBQ rubbed fries and loved it. I had The hellbilly chili as a side and wished I ordered a second. We ordered out online. It was so easy to place our order and pay with the square app. You are informed by text when to pick up and when your order is ready. We will definitely come back and stay for their large selection of craft beers.
(5)
Victor C.

Came for lunch, its the type of place where you order at the counter and then they bring you you're food. Inside you can tell a lot of the work was done by the owners themselves, the colors of paint and lighting are all okay, but not sharp or well polished. Lots of men were inside eating, only one attractive blonde was there with a friend. They have a great variety of beers on taps. Their hell billy chili was amazing. I had their burger as well the American phsyco and it didn't have enough sauce to cover the huge pattie of beef, however the beef itself tasted good. Also had the garlic feta fries which were amazing. SO SO GOO UH UH UH UH
(4)
Mark J.

Great place for local craft beers!! They had at least five IPA's on draft, which is right up my alley. The tri-tip was very good, the BBQ sauces tasty and creative. We will definitely be back!!
(4)
Juan K.

I came in and contrary to other BBQ places, this one you actually dine in. We sat down and were given a menu. Their food selection was amazing! I ordered the hell billy burger and my friends ordered other things like the philly cheese steak sandwich. The food was very tasty, and very filling. Anything you order here is good. You can't miss!
(5)
Christina K.

So we walked in and the first question we are asked is "do you have a reservation?". I messaged the business on here a week and a half before asking if we need them and I got a response that only for groups of 8 or more they take them. I told the girl there this and she was perplexed and said they do in fact take reservations especially for a holiday like Fathers Day. So that was a bummer because the only way they could accommodate us was on the patio (party of 6 plus a baby). Thank God we were the first ones on the patio so we could effectively put the umbrellas around us to get enough shade, but it was 91 degrees out. Then we are told it's the type of place where you go order at the counter... I guess that's fine but that was another thing where right away we were like "ugh!". But honestly they totally redeem themselves with the food. Everything is excellent. We all got different orders so we could taste everything and the beer selection is fantastic. The service needs some tweaking because they forgot two of our sides but in the end I just asked for them to give my husbands beer tab a credit for what I had already paid. I would go again and I will update the review once I do so.
(3)
Brittany R.

Great local friendly place with one kick ass craft beer selection. These guys take food to a whole new level with some really great flavor ideas! People this is not your average BBQ joint. They dont do babybacks. They do St louis...and the best damn ones in OC. If you dont like creative flavors that wow your taste buds then save your crappy reviews and go eat ribs at Marie Calendars. My family and I frequent this place and LOVE it!!!! There is something for everyone on the menu. Give these guys a chance.
(5)
Shaun H.

Great BBQ great beer list! Family dining and a doggy friendly patio! I've ordered the wings each time I've gone there. I order them crispy because that's how I like them. The gorgonzola chefs dip compliments the wing sauce well. The bartenders know their beers and know how to advise me when it comes to ordering a "chick" beer and my hubby a "milkshake" full-bodied beer. Don't forget to order their special garlic fries before you get your entree. You'll have enough food for tomorrow's lunch, too.
(5)
Patricia H.

I tried meat up for the first time. Excellent service! I ordered the tri tip dinner with an extra side of barbeque rub fries. The dinner came with two sides. I choose black baked beans. They were wonderful! A little sweet with a peppery kick. I also had the potato salad....all I could taste was mustard. Trip tip was good.... I loved the sauce! The fries were sweet... I did not care for them. The total was 23.00 with tip.
(3)
Mohammed B.

The food, friendliness, and speed of service was amazing. I would definitely recommend this place . Although I wish they one day add beef ribs too the menu , i would still recommend this place .
(5)
Jason C.

I stopped by on a Saturday for lunch. I had the Hillbilly Deluxe burger with garlic feta fries and my daughter had the half chicken plate...both were outstanding. I happened to be going to a family gathering the next day in the same part of town, so I decided to stop by and pick up some meat by the pound. Although I didn't order ahead, they took care of me and pulled everything together within just a few minutes. The food was a huge hit at the party. The food is great, the service is great, and the beers on tap are great. What more can you ask for?
(5)
Samantha W.

I've been here about 5 times now and have been meaning to write a review! The food is absolutely delicious! My favorite thing on the menu is the Garlic Feta Fries, as well as, the new Tri Tip sandwich they added a few weeks or so ago, the Mighty Zeus. Sooooooooo darn yummy! Every thing I've tried as been wonderful and all the people I've been with have had the same opinion. Also, I attended their first time of having Board Game nights, which was a total success! Really hope they have more coming up!
(5)
Brian S.

Foodgasms a plenty at meat up BBQ. I had some of their pulled pork and wings which were seasoned just to my liking. I can't tell you how many times I've been disappointed in the flavor or cooking of wings, and they were cooked fantastically. The pork was juicy and seasoned so good. The rotten Richard is amazingly crafted. Wasn't sure about it at first, but that first bite put my worries to shame. The Gorgonzola(?) & feta garlic fries are tasty tasty too. They also have my favorite beer on tap too... Mother earth's Cali creamin' ale. If you haven't tried this you need to. Go here just for that beer if you don't want food, the people are super cool. All around, amazing food
(5)
Alex F.

We live across the street from this new BBQ spot and decided to try it out. The beer selection is pretty good as they have a lot of local brews. As for the food, Meat Up was VERY disappointing. I ordered a Pulled Pork sandwich which for a BBQ place you would assume it would be loaded with meat. It was not, there was hardly any meat on it and there was a lot of fat. My wifes sandwich had the same issue, too much fat not enough meat. We got out kids chicken strips which is normally the go to item when we go to a restaurant. The breading was not even cooked all the way through and my kids were picking it off. The worst of all was the Mac. I don't know how you can go wrong with mac but they did. My sons mac was creamy and over seasoned, and my mac was dry and hardly creamy at all, and the food came out at the same time. The service was alright. It took a little while to get our 2 star food. We were bummed out since this spot is so close to the house, but we found another spot on Placentia Ave where you get exactly what you want when you go to a BBQ restaurant...
(2)
Kelly S.

Excellent food, great beer selection, wonderful atmosphere. Definitely give it a try!
(5)
Kym C.

We wanted to like this place as it seems busy on the weekends and who doesn't love bbq. Cons: *Service is just ok. Our server was efficient, but didn't seem to care either way on our experience. They seem like wait staff in a local dive bar - in that if they knew you personally, you would get sperior service. But newbies - as we were - just received the basic ho hum service. *Food: Hubby had cheese steak sandwich. He was expecting more meat and cheese, but it seemed all bread with a little cheese and meat. For $11, the breadwich seemed pricey. He said the meat was good, but there was not enough of it. *The smoked chicken has a funky after taste, I brought it home to our dog. *I have 20/20 vision and menu is in tiny font. Who does that? *Cheapo plastic glasses for the soft drinks. *Cornbread tasted like lemon bread. Ugh. Fries and Beans were good! Tons of beers on tap - but no beer menu that they can be brought to the table and it changes all the time. **Maybe posting one on your website so customer can view on their phone** While we were there, we ordered take a takeout meal from the Chinese place next door,
(2)
Steve T.

Love bbq but don't always have time to fire up the WSM and spend 5+ hrs on ribs so Im always willing to give new bbq places a shot. Had the 2 meat combo with pulled pork and brisket for take out lunch and the highlight of the meal were the cilantro slaw and that butter they include. Approx 10oz of meat combined, pulled pork was ok, had big chunks of fat in it. Brisket was dry and didn't have much flavor. Hate to say it but taste like meat that was microwaved. I used all the sauce they gave me. Seems to me it's difficult to be profitable and produce great quality bbq day in day out as the best bbq I've ever had in SoCal has been in someone's backyard For the same money I'd head over to Lucille's a few miles up the road.
(2)
Heather P.

I so want to give this more stars but just can't find any reason to. I'm a big supporter of small, local business but the food here just misses the mark. The decor is great. The service was fantastic. The beer was cold and on tap. The problem was the food. It was just average at best. We tried the ribs, porchetta, and chicken. The ribs were too tough to even bite through. They weren't sauced either which is how I prefer them. The meats were just mediocre. Not good as they are the main attraction! The sides were yummy. Mac & cheese, chili, broccoli salad. But with the lackluster meats ... This place falls short. The prices were comparable to Lucille's ... So for us, we won't be back here.
(3)
Tim W.

Been here twice have had a few things every thing has been great chili verda fries and the rotten Richard
(5)
Ellen G.

Excellent local BBQ! Had the tri-tip, mac & cheese and some amazing garlic feta fries. Not only was the food fantastic, but the customer service was stellar. We hadn't finished one side order, and our waitress offered us our choice of another side. Thanks for the great lunch experience!
(5)
Alon R.

One of the few places I've been to that has successfully made the transition from truck to table. My only complaint is that they should have charged me more: it was unfair for a meal that good to have been so inexpensive! While it's easy to snap judge on the first few days and come to a wrong conclusion, like a fine wine a good restaurant takes time to come into its own. For anyone who has or hasn't been before, this place is ready to drink now: best place for a beer and bbq in town. Supporting this type of business is what will make it possible for talented people who care to stay out of corporate kitchens. If you don't come, just don't complain when all that's left is crappy chain food. Summary: More than just the amazing food, great beer selection and considerate service, I felt good eating here and left with a better day. Chances are by coming here you will too.
(5)
zach g.

Love this place! Great food - Meat up puts their own creative twist on traditional BBQ, but still keeps its roots grounded. We have had many things on the menu, and none have disappointed. Try the chili verde fries for an appetizer and the porchetta cubano to stuff you to the gills. Awesome beer - Man, they have around 20-25 taps of rotating craft goodness. A lot of local breweries represented, as well as rarer brews (Bourbon County, Grapefruit Sculpin, Deep River just to name a few). Also, bartender has a good bit of knowledge about the beer/breweries which is always nice. Perfect service - Friendly, informative staff. what more can you ask for. So glad to have this place around the corner from my house! Another good BBQ place in Placentia!
(5)
H C.

We need this and we got it! Great BBQ and great selection of beer. Casual and comfortable.
(5)
Scott D.

Second time here. Came for a nice light beer and some lunch. Since they rotate beers they didn't have what I was looking for. They made a recommendation for another and it hit the spot. The hell billy chili is to die for too.
(4)
Candice M.

Great BEER amazing FOOD with 3 flat screen tvs, can't get better then that. Awesome selection of local brewery's, and the owner is saying more to come. can't wait to try their ciders. There food Is spectacular with cheap prices. Very excited to have a new restaurant in town!
(5)
Nam B.

Right when you walk in, the first thing you'll notice is the whole place is smoked up with that BBQ smoke - talk about indoor grilling. Meat Up is brought to you by the same people who have been traveling around in that Viking Truck. Instead of weenies, they decided this time to put their hands to work on sandwiches and BBQ stuff. Things I ate: 1.The Porchetta Cubano sandwich (pork belly and loin smoked & roasted, smoked ham, pepper jack cheese, house mustard BBQ sauce, house pickles) 2.The Rotten Richard burger (1/2 lb. beef patty, pulled pork chili verde, sharp cheddar, panko crumbed fried garlic mashed potatoes) Both were alright good, but when you add their BBQ sauce on, the food became delicious! Especially the Rotten Richard (which wasn't rotten at all, lol). When asked, they will give you 2 kinds of BBQ sauces - a traditional, and a darker slightly berry like one. It's definitely the sauces that makes this place any worth noticing. The coleslaw and mac & cheese, although a bit different, were just flat in flavor.
(4)
Myra G.

So my family and I wanted to come here on Mother's Day after seeing this place on KTLA5 news but the place was so packed that they ran out of food. I'm here today and the place does not disappoint. You walk into the smell of BBQ. One of the ladies explains that you order at the front and seat yourself. They have a wide selection of beers. The food was awesome. They somehow forgot to bring out my daughters food with the rest of our meal. ( they brought it out as soon as I reminded them and they apologized) but I still give them 5 stars because I thought the food looked good, tasted good and was value for money. The place stared getting busy around 6:30 with a steady stream of customers which is a good sign that the food is fresh. I'll be back with my family.
(5)
Ryan B.

Jumped in here for a late lunch and loved the place. Ordered the two meat combo with tri tip and pulled pork (sides of mac and cheese and BBQ rub fries). Definitely hit the spot! My buddy ordered the massive Magic Mike sandwich. It was bloody impressive and tasty lookin'! He had to take the second half to go, it was so sizeable! I hope to get back soon! Loved the rockin' music too. Hey, Metallica on the soundtrack for BBQ? I'm in.
(4)
Brendan M.

Went to this place a few weeks ago and lemme tell u. The food was off the chain. And the service was phenomenal. Will definitely be coming back. Thanks again for everything.
(5)
Amanda S.

I have been wanting to eat some really good ribs these past couple of weeks, so anytime I have some type of craving, I always resort to Yelp. This location had some nice reviews, a good rating and was near me, so hey, why not try out this place out. I came here yesterday with my family. Upon entering, you are hit with the smell of BBQ, which is what I like at any BBQ joint, cause I know that the place is legit. There was a hostess off to the side who let us know what to do. The place is basically a self service, so I have no idea what most people are saying about service being slow. The place reminded me of Philz BBQ in San Diego. You place your order at the counter, find your own seat, and get your own drinks. I had no problem with this because I like the self service. The BBQ sauces are already provided on the table. There are three, Smoked Peach Habenero, Cracked pepper, and Blackberry BBQ sauce. Didn't try the smoked peach habenero but it smelled like mustard, the cracked pepper tasted like the usual bbq sauce. and blackberry was like a slight sweet tasting bbq sauce. After placing our orders, the food didn't take too long to arrive as some other reviewers have stated. I ordered, the two meats combo of ribs and tri tip with potato salad and mac and cheese. My brother ordered the same but instead of mac and cheese, he got baked beans. My cousin got the St. Louis ribs and my other cousin got the the tri tip. We also ordered the Feta Garlic Fries to share all around. All our tri tips were really dry and slightly tough. No smoke ring, but had a light smoke flavor. I couldn't taste the rub on it, so had to resort to drenching it in the BBQ sauces. Mine and my brothers ribs were very juicy and tender, but there was no smoke ring. There was a nice light smokey flavor, but we couldn't really taste the rub. So once again, we resorted to flavoring it with the BBQ sauces. What was weird though was my cousin who ordered the same ribs as us, said her's was really tough and dry. She wasn't even able to eat it. The potato salad was too tangy for our preference. The mac and cheese was gooey but tasted grainy and bland. The baked beans my brother liked. He said that it had a nice spice to it. Also with all our combos, it came with a piece of bread, which was basically a Hawaiian roll. The feta garlic fries were not that great. I guess the mix was a little weird for me. Which is not common for me to say, since I've eaten a lot of weird things. The fries were nicely cooked, but seemed to be drenched in oil towards the bottom of the basket. It was topped with feta, a cream sauce, and rosemary. I'm not sure which part was weird for me but, it was alright. I mostly picked at the part that didn't have the mixture on top. Overall, I think this place was alright. The ambiance was nice. The self service was very convenient. But the food was not the greatest. I gave it 2 stars mostly because I liked the feel of the place and the convenience of everything. Plus my ribs was tender and juicy. But it wasn't consistent since my cousins was dry and tough.
(2)
Lauren M.

My boyfriend and I tried this place on a whim because we were in the area. Just like reviewers have said, you do smell that bbq smoke right when you walk in. Good sign, right? We asked what beers they have on tap when we sat down, and she said, "Oh we don't have a written list, so you can go look by the bar and come back and order." Huh. Okay... No problem. We started off with the wings and the Gorgonzola dipping sauce. Awesome start to our meal. I love the smoked chicken because it didn't feel so heavy. The sauce was awesome and complimented the flavor of the wings perfectly. We were pretty excited since we were off to a good start... Until the actual entree came out. We decided to split the #2... Which is a choice of 2 meats and 2 sides. We opted for the ribs and the tri tip, along with the black beans and fries for our sides. The tri tip was super fatty... Usually it's one of my favorites and a go to when I order meats. It was lacking flavor as well and needed to be doused in bbq sauce. Meh. The ribs looked like they had been sitting underneath a heat lamp for a few hours and was not lathered in sauce... It was just dumped on top. The flavor was lacking in the actual meat as well. The black beans were REALLY sweet... The fries were good... But can you mess those up? The cornbread given with the meal was really good with the honey sauce they supply, though. If I ever were to come back, which doesn't seem likely since the meat seemed to be the issues, I would just get some wings, something on tap, and maybe those fries everyone seems crazy about. Go somewhere else for your bbq cravings. Mine were not satisfied here.
(2)
Matt S.

Excellent food and drink. Great alternative to a "sports bar." Super friendly staff. Being able to catch a game without having some drunk dude spilling his beer down my back makes me happy happy.
(5)
Jennafer F.

Pretty frickin good. As soon as you walk in the smell wins u over!!! The food was great the service super friendly and perfectly chosen beers and wines for the food. Will be back!!!
(5)
Moira M.

Bless this place! So glad there's finally a good bbq joint in P-town! I got the baked fried chicken with a side of mac and cheese and the salad with creamy garlic lemon dressing. So so yummy! The mac and cheese was a little bland to me so I added a little bit of the blackberry bbq sauce on it and it made it 10x better. I also shared the smothered chili verde fries with my family. A good size and also 10x better with the bbq sauce with a hint of their hot sauce. There's two separate seating areas in the restaurant. We sat at the tables where the bar is located. I was a little sad we didn't sit at the other seating area because it seemed like there was game night going on equipped with classic board games. I thought that was pretty neat. You don't see that often at a restaurant. I may just have to try that next time. 4/5 because the mac and cheese literally tasted like just mac and no cheese but the bbq sauce quickly made up for that :)
(4)
Karen M.

Been here a couple of times and NEVER lets me down. Friendly atmosphere good music playin, good games on the tvs... am not much of a craft beer person but, I have even found a couple I would add to my list of favorite beverages. Food is AWESOME!!!!! Garlic Feta fries oh my... my bestie is a mac n cheese kinda girl.... love this place wish it was closer to my home.
(5)
Rocky H.

My wife and I lunch there excellent I would highly recommend it. The service was also excellent.
(4)
Paul H.

Our server kept pronouncing porchetta wrong and that bothered me. How do you take a meat place seriously if they don't know how to speak the meaty language? The food itself was ok. We got a lot of stuff. First the fries with meat. That was good. I forgot what it was called. Then I obviously got the porchetta (which is pronounced porketta). That was good too. Though a bit overpriced. I also got a three meat platter and that's when it was not so good. The meat was so dry. And they barely give you any sauce in a little tiny paper cup. They need to either make the meat juicier or give more sauce to dip it in.
(2)
Andrew M.

Decided to try the place out since they had high yelp reviews.. Wow, what a mistake. The place was dead, with only 3 people drinking at the bar, yet the service was horrible and slow. Food was sub par as well, and way over priced for what it was. Not sure how this place has so many stars!
(1)
Derek M.

Good Beer, Good Music & Good Food! I will keep coming back!
(5)
Jessica M.

Meaty goodness slathered in a delicious blackberry barbecue Awesome sauce, with delightful cheesy noodle goodness on the side. And served by lovely people. Such yum! Much tasty! I will be back, bacon potato salad. Wait for me.
(5)
Cel P.

I love the huge selection of craft beer. They have very reasonable prices for great beer. The feta garlic fries are to die for. They have their own style of BBQ. I've also had the brisket and the tri-tip and they are both good. Next time I'll try one of their sandwiches- they are big. There are a few seating areas including a patio and a section for large parties.
(5)
S C.

Meat Up is my go to spot for consistently good food and continually rotating beer selection. With 25 taps, you are sure to find something bomb every time. The hot wings and smothered chili verde fries are excellent!! I've had the mighty Zeus sandwich which has smoked tri tip, garlic cilantro aioli and feta cheese, needless to say it was an overload of awesomeness. Bottom line: get some Meat Up in your life!
(5)
Chelsa H.

Absolutely love this place!!! I've been here twice now, and I've never been disappointed. First time, I split the cheese steak sandwich with my friend, and that was really good! Last night, I had the ribs. Lord have mercy.....melted in my mouth!!! My kids loved their chicken nuggets and my oldest literally devoured his mac and cheese....and he's a VERY picky eater!! Also, the fries must've been good because the kids kept stealing them from my plate haha! My husband had the pulled pork sandwich, and he loved it. I do have some suggestions: 1. Heaters on the patio!!! My first time here, we ended up on the patio, and I nearly froze to death!! 2. Add dessert to the menu. My kids asked if they could have dessert last night, and I had to tell them no because you don't have it. 3. Try and keep the cider in stock. I tried to order it, and our server, Vanessa, informed me that you had just run out of it. I don't really drink beer, but I love me some cider!!!
(5)
Brian M.

I really hope the reason this place was so bad is because they are still in their "soft" opening. I tried ordering the Smoked Bird and BBQ, only to be informed they were out of chicken. I instead got the pulled pork sandwich, which was totally underwhelming. I hedged my bets and ordered wings but they were the worst I've ever had. They were so smoky and "barbecued" that it completely dried them out. Not good. We were seated on the opposite side of the bar, next to the bathroom and kitchen, so we were subjected to loud and obnoxious cooks yelling the entire time. I might try it again when the real menu is released but my first experience was terrible.
(1)
Monica K.

BBQ was about a 2.... No smoke flavor at all...The Blackheart burger wasn't cooked to order... I like it bloody and it was charred! My husband got the pulled pork and tri tip. Pulled pork was supposably had been smoked for 13 hours! There must be a hole in their smoker cause there was ZERO smoke flavor in the pulled pork. Same goes for the tri tip. Only thing with smoked flavor was the bbq black beans. The chili was very tasty, and the fries were good. Their beer selection is ok. Over all its a 3... Wouldn't come back not enough flavor for bbq. Good service, just not good bbq.
(3)
Tim W.

I really want to give more stars (as the owners and the servers are nice) but I've had the tri-tip twice and it needs some work... it's just too dry/tough. Also, the kids chicken fingers looked like they were pre-formed franken-chicken and not freshly made. The beer selection is ace, though... worth coming for that alone. Maybe add more veggie selections too? Very cool people running the joint, I hope they can work out the kinks.
(3)
Brad D.

I really wanted to like this place because you can't have too many good BBQ places. Sadly, I don't think this is going to one of them unless they really step up their game. I saw lots of great reviews and was hopeful but a little nervous since most of them seemed to talk about sandwiches and appetizers. First off, there's not a single "meat on the bone" item on the menu. I don't think you can be a serious BBQ joint without ribs on the menu. At the table we had the porchetta, brisket and pulled pork. To me a porchetta is a rolled roast but this came out as cubes of dry pork loin that didn't have much flavor. A few had crisp fatty edges that were like fried pork rinds, that while tasty, certainly weren't BBQ. The pulled pork was on the dry side and didn't have much smokey flavor. The brisket was the best but even it came out in cubes so it was a little hard to identify. Brisket should come out as nice slabs glistening with moisture. None of the meat was very hot. On the plus side. I really liked the BBQ sauce, the baked beans and the broccoli salad. There's a great selection of beers from micro breweries.
(2)
Drew M.

My rating is based on the fact that this is a new start. GREAT FOOD. Get the pesto coleslaw. Good regional beer selection or bring your own wine. No corkage fee that's a deal. I will go back and try more of the menu but had the hot dog loaded on my first visit.
(3)
Alfredo R.

To begin with, the food was over priced for being a self serve restaurant. Although the portions were a good size,the food was terrible. The chicken was overly smoked to the point that all you can taste was smoke and no meat. The tri tip,which I paid extra for, was fatty and tough. My wife's tri tip is better, and she doesn't know how to cook, so that really says something. Another thing is the poor tasting bbq sauces. In the attempt to be gourmet and original, they missed the mark. That's my take on this place. I don't think I'll be going back soon... or ever.
(1)
Pilar S.

The food was Delicious and so was the Beer. We had a large group and everyone was happy with their selection. The meat was very tender. The service was excellent, the waitress was sweet and very accommodating. We ended up with a larger group than we thought we would have and they were very nice bringing us extra chairs and added tables. Keep up the good work! From experience, when a place first opens up the food is high quality, then after awhile it goes downhill. Customers know the difference, don't let it go down. It's a great little place... :)
(5)
Sophia K.

So, I was on my way to do some grocery shopping, and realized I was hungry. You know the rule...never grocery shop on an empty stomach! I've been eyeballing this place ever since I saw the sign go up in the shopping complex (they are a new business here.) So finally I decided to give them a try. The food was delicious! I had the pulled pork sandwich with mac-n-cheese. It was a good size sandwich! The meat was juicy and flavorful. It comes with thick homemade pickles and horseradish slaw which gives the sandwich a nice balanced crunch. The BBQ sauce was delicious too! Sweet and tangy. I devoured it! The mac-n-cheese was pretty good too. They have a lot of beers on tap here. Too bad I came in the early afternoon, otherwise I'd love to try one. Atmosphere is super casual. The staff was friendly and helpful as well. My only hang up here is the very limited menu. At this time, they are not serving ribs. And ribs is usually what I order when coming to a BBQ joint. The menu states that they may be adding more items in the future. I hope it includes ribs! Overall, this place is delicious and a good stop if you want a beer and BBQ sandwich. I want to try the porchetta next time.
(4)
Yazhmine C.

You seat yourself and you have to get up and walk across the room to order... if this place is labeled as a restaurant then have the host come to the table to take the orders. The beans stole the show and the BBQ was good but cold. We just ate and left.
(3)
D.j. J.

Just stopped by here and the food was great! I'm a big fan of there Chilli Verde! If they could put like just a bowl of that on the menu I would be here daily! It's a self serve kind of BBQ. The Blackberry BBQ sauce is amazing as well. Recommending the pulled pork sandwich as well!
(5)
Stefanie H.

The beer was amazing and the service was good. That's where it ended. The meat was fatty and the brisket tastes like oven roasted brisket with liquid smoke. I so want to give a good review because I love garlic scapes and the Viking truck, it is a local restaurant and I also love good beer but it just wasn't there. Please improve so I can come back!!
(2)
R W.

Good but not awesome. Thought menu was a little strange @ first glance as we were prepared for strait up BBQ. But the Kalifornia fusion menu works. Staff was friendly and very understanding to my food allergies. Food may be slightly overpriced by maybe 10%. Quality was pretty good and had good flavour. Next tyme I'll be sure to order my burger medium rare as they didn't ask, nor did I mention, how I like it prepared. Neverless @ medium It was still juicy enuff and tasty. Chili beans were very good. Wife's sandwich was good but very fatty, almost too fatty. The Bar has a nice selection of craft beers, stouts and ciders. We'll try again to look for a little improvement as they are the new kids in towne.
(4)
Kenny C.

My girlfriend and I tried this place out. It was amazing! She got the 1/2 smoked chicken combo with Mac n cheese and bbq rub fries. I got the 2 meat combo with pulled pork, chicken, black bean brisket, and chili. The meats were tender, juicy, and full of flavor. The mac n cheese was the best I've had in a long time. The black bean brisket side was the best side ever. I definitely recommend this to everyone!!!! Affordable, quality, delicious, and a great beer selection!
(5)
Jeffrey B.

Unfortunate choice for a pulled pork lover! Dry, stringy, not very flavorful pork was topped with awful, runny, mayo-filled coleslaw. The best thing was the toasted bun. Skip this joint.
(2)
Jamie O.

This place was just OK for me. It's brand new and I live right down the street so my boyfriend wanted to try it. I read a lot of great reviews and was hopeful. When you walk in, the atmosphere is very casual and laid back. There are TV's throughout which makes this a great place for game days. Me personally, I am not a huge fan of BBQ. I ordered the pulled pork plate with macaroni and broccoli salad. The pork was so salty. I felt as though I wanted to rinse it off in water. the menu was extremely small. I know it was a soft opening but there were not even ribs on the menu. I have never been to a BBQ place without ribs. The macaroni and cheese was sub-par. It was almost as though they cooked pasta and threw shredded cheese on top and served it as mac n cheese. The broccoli salad was say too saucy. They did not have a drink menu for the table. We had to get up and walk to the bar to look at the menu. To me, that's very inconvenient. I hope this place gets better as it becomes more established.
(2)
Chad H.

Mmm Smokey goodness without the usual dirty BBQ place. Great beer selection, I'd write more but I'm stuffed and satisfied.
(5)
Kayla N.

Incredible incredible incredible meats. Today is their first official day open and I am pleasantly surprised. This place has great potential. Their beer and food menu is relatively short right now, but I was told they plan on adding a new menu item weekly. They also are planning on working with the Bruery here in Placentia to get some more craft beers on draft. I can only see more and more great things to come. I would suggest that they add a student discount or college night, due to their proximity to both CSUF and Fullerton college.
(5)
Jeramy D.

I had a craving for bbq that was near, But also had 20+ craft beers. So I drove to Placentia to see what'sup, And ended at the destination known as Meat Up! I walked in and that place was striking, I was greeted by Luis the Viking! My face lit up with cheer, As I saw the list of local and rare beers. Then I had a wiff of something from the kitchen, As they pulled out the smoker brisket, pork and chicken. I ordered to start some from fries with garlic and gorgonzola, then heard from the stereo a classic from Metallica. I gotta say Meat Up! is not lame, from their bar you can watch the game. Great spot for families and friends, But you might leave there with a big fat end. I can't wait to watch Meat Up! grow, Were they smoke their meats slow and low.
(5)
Ashley R.

Awesome beer choices. Great food options. Not just your typical meat platter BBQ joint, lots of BBQ favorites with a twist! Like the the porchetta Cubano sandwich! Great execution and we will be back!
(5)
Jim L.

Had lunch today. Only one person taking orders for 5 minutes. If someone wants to sample different beers you are put on "wait" Finally another person decided to help us. BBQ sauce is good but our rib pieces were so so. You are given a card board tray which needs at least a wax paper lining. Once and last visit.
(2)
Michael S.

the Cubano is great! The Mac n cheese is just the best. Ribs coming next week they say, so I'll be back
(5)
David H.

Review would have been a 1 if it had not been for the BBQ fries and beers on tap. This restaurant recently opened and we wanted to give it a try. We were a little disappointed. Beer selection is very good. True brisket should be smoked for at least 13-15 hours, fat trimmed and either served thin sliced or chopped. Their brisket seemed to be oven cooked, heavy on the fat, little to no smoke and served barely warm and way to thick. Sides were the BBQ fries which were good and Mac and cheese, the Mac and cheese was less than average and served again barely warm. Corn bread was not good at all, heavy and tasted like it had been sitting for hours. One in our party had the Cubano sandwich and indicated it was good. Also had the black beans as a side and indicated they tasted like liquid smoke. The restaurant was busy, noise level was excessive as not much to absorb the sound. Service was just ok. We were really hoping this place would exceed our expectations as we wanted to have a great local BBQ restaurant to frequent. Definitely disappointed.
(2)
Mirella C.

Awesome place with great food and staff !! Plenty of great craft beers on tap too! When I came i had the smoking Ruben burger with the BBQ beans (which were sooooo good) and a yummy corn slaw .. Very tasty!! Deff coming back here again!!! Compliments to the chef!!
(5)
Juan E.

Been here a couple of times to eat and so far my experiences have both been great. Very laid back environment with amazing food and a very good craft beer selection. The staff is genuine and very friendly.
(5)
Leanne E.

Fair at best. Everyone there was polite and friendly but it just didn't do it for me. I felt like they put plate of food in the microwave and served it. Too bad really as I was hoping to love it. BBQ food should be savored. Nothing savory about this place.
(2)
Alejandra R.

This place is amazing! I'm not a if fan of BBQ but OMG!!! Yesterday my husband and I came here wanting to try it for a while now. We ordered the 4 meat choices (tri-tip, rib tips, and regular ribs) it was amazing. For $22 we were able to share this, they give good sized portions too. I was completely satisfied with this visit.we will be back!
(5)
Andrew L.

I went to this place today for lunch after seeing the solid reviews, but left really disappointed. Maybe I was expecting too much? It is located in Placentia after all. I think I'd rather eat at Lucielle's. The vibe and atmosphere was solid. A lot of great craft beers on tap, moderately priced from $5- $8 bucks. However, the food was below average. Apps/sides: Garlic feta fries: Soggy, but good garlic flavor. Coleslaw: Really bland. I'd rather eat KFC's coleslaw. Mac and cheese: Decent. No other remarks. Potato salad: Nothing special. Brisket beans: Probably the best thing I ate there. I'd recommend this for sure if you're trying this place out. Meats: Porchetta: Bland and dry. Beef brisket: Hard, dry and chewed like chuck beef. It tasted old. I've had better day-old microwaved steak that tasted better than this. Smokes sausage: Good smoked flavor, but how how can you mess up on sausage? Ribs: Average, nothing special. Service was great and I want the restaurant to be successful, but I don't think I'll be going there again.
(2)
Gary P.

On 5/11, I wrote a review, critical primarily in that the BBQ did not meet my expectations when measured against the competition. I stand by that review though I know that new restaurants will tweak things until they feel they got it right. I neglected to mention that after 30 minutes of waiting for our meal, my wife inquired, and it was discovered that our order had been lost in the system. The order taker tried to make it right by giving us two beers and desert on the house. Once our food was finally served they stopped by frequently to make sure everything was OK. For that I should have given them two stars. I never judge a place based upon one review. Hopefully Meat Up will make some changes for the positive. I'll let you know next time!
(2)
Tom E.

hmmm... I wanted so much to like this place... Didn't happen. hope next time is better. Contacted through Yelp, going back to try again soon.
(3)
Ester V.

MAN. I had the porchetta cubano Hubby had the pulled pork sandwich. We both had garlic feta fries and broccoli bacon cranberry. Little man had chicken nuggets and mac n cheese. FLAVOR.amazing. just flavor happiness happening. Waitress was great. One of the owners gave up his seat in the shade to let us sit. GREAT PEOPLE. I was skeptical, but totally glad I went. Will come back again.LOVE.
(5)
Alicia G.

Ordered rib tips, was told they were sold out about 10 minutes after placing order, so tri tip it was! Tri tip was seasoned well, liked the house BBQ sauce. Mac n cheese was barely warm, might have been good if hot. Chile Verde was decent enough. Mixed veggies were solo yellow squash sauteed in oil with no seasoning. Uninteresting. Will come back to try a burger or a dog, will not try anything I previously ordered. Hoping future orders will up the stars on this review.
(2)
Scott B.

Out with the average (SueAnns) and in with the better....I will be overly generous in my rating since they just opened and are still getting the kinks out. I love me good barbecue and compare Meat Up more to Lead Bellys and not Lucille's. The good/great: a large selection of craft brews on tap...very adventurous, unique and some locals beers. The decor is a vast improvement over the last 2 restaurants that haunt this space, and it will improve as they add more character to the place...right now it is a tad bland....but I prefer neutral to offensive. I ordered the one meat plate...I had the porchetta...it is like a poor man's burnt ends with pork instead of beef...very good...sides were excellent....slaw and beans with bits of pork in it were delicious. Owner was there super committed to customer service and requesting feedback. The ok/needs improvement: I sat at the bar and it brought back bad memories when I was 6 and sat at the dinner table and the top of the table was at my chin...the stools are too low or the bar top too high..take your pick...it is kind of a strange layout so there are a lot of people at and around the bar... This is a great addition to the community and on the night I was there all the locals were there: council member, city manager, other owners of local restaurants....these guys have a track record of success and this place will be no different...I suspect I will meet up, pull my seat up and fork over a portion of my disposable income at the Meat Up many times in the future.
(5)
Gina L.

This is just based on service...came in around 9pm to pick up a menu as we didn't know that this place had opened & were picking up takeout next door. We were cheerfully greeted by a gentleman who shared this menu with us. Alerted us that they were just working things out, and that they were just doing a soft opening. Great beers on draft, friendly staff, & place smelled incredible! Can't wait to come back!
(5)
Annie A.

This is my new BBQ place!!! I've already been three times. Let me tell you, their garlic feta fries are heavenly! The feta is the best I've ever had! You will not regret ordering these. The pulled pork was delicious and the black beans are bomb. Great craft beer selection. Awesome staff and service. Highly recommend! I can't wait to try more of their menu. Best new restaurant in the neighborhood!
(5)
Tanya M.

I came in during lunch and I had the Smoked Bird & BBQ sandwich and it was SOOO GOOD! Super Yummy and Tasty! The flavors in the sandwich all went well together and they even gave me extra sauces on the side which I loved. The other items on the menu made my mouth water just reading their descriptions so I can't wait to come back and chow down some more! Next time it will be dinner so that I can try some of their specialty beers that they serve on tap. Beer and BBQ? Can't go wrong!!!
(5)
Brandon M.

Great food great beer. Awesome! The mac attack appetizer and the wings are awesome. Try the knee deep brew. Super awesome
(5)
Kari P.

Another great meal experienced at MeatUp BBQ! Chicken wrap, hellbilly chili and a coconut stout from Barley Forge...this girl is in heaven!!
(4)
Steven T.

This place rocks. It is the best BBQ spot in the OC . great food, great people and ice cold craft beer. You will not be disappointed when you come in to eat or just to come in for beer appetizers and to watch the game on their many TV sets
(5)
Steve H.

I personally don't get the hype on this place. I really want to like it. My first trip in was during their soft opening. Expectations weren't too high; I figured they would still be working out some bugs. We had the fries with brisket and blue cheese, the porchetta, the brisket, and my son had a burger. The brisket on the fries was moist and tender, but didn't have a ton of smoke. The porchetta and brisket entrees were really dry. The porchetta was cool, lacked smoke flavor, and had un-rendered fat and connective tissue. It seemed like it really needed more time on the smoker. The highlight of the meal was my son's burger. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare and tasted great. We had beans, greens and the slaw for sides, and none of them were remarkable. The service was really nice and friendly. My second trip was a month or so later. I ordered the smokin' rueben burger and another plain burger for my son. They didn't ask how we wanted them cooked as they did on our first trip, and I forgot to specify. What came out were dry, gray in the middle well done burgers. My 12-year old son took two bites and said it wasn't nearly as good as his first time there. I had to agree with him. My other issue on the second trip was the service. The place was almost empty, and while our waitress was friendly, she seemed to be pretty busy doing other things. The bearded guy behind the bar (owner?) was too busy talking to his buddies to even come over and ask us how our food was. Based on the other reviews, the beer selection and the location, I may try this place again, but ownership needs to step up their game from what I can see. EDIT: Thank you for the response to my review. Perhaps hype was the wrong word. I was referring to the number of positive reviews. I will definitely be going back to give these guys another shot in light of the other reviews. The main reason that I will go back, though, is that the owners clearly care about input from their customers.
(3)
Phil R.

Five stars for good food and caring service at a restaurant that hasn't fully opened yet. Had the westcoast wings, brisket cheesesteak sandwich, and garlic feta fries. All great. Not sure how they spiced the wings, but I loved them. 4/8/2015 update - Went back once more and it was good. Changed my rating to four stars. They changed their wings and they were not as good as before. Good service. I hope they stay in business because we need more places like this in the area.
(4)
LAURA K.

Wow! I am sad to see all the bad reviews just recently posted because we had an AMAZING experience! Wahhhhhhh I have to walk up to the counter to order, wahhhh I don't like their cup color...SERIOUSLY?! What kind of world are we living in where you complain about that stuff?! First world problems, much?!! We came here during their soft opening and Meat Up has definitely stepped it up since then. We gave the wings another chance and we are so happy they did cause they were great! I never had smoked hot wings before and the dipping sauce paired well with the sauce. The boyfriend got the Chili Burger ( Hellbilly I think it was called?) and I got the Pulled pork. I opted for the pesto slaw instead of the horseradish that usually comes on it and it was delicious! Not overloaded with Mayo like some BBQ places I've been, and it was perfectly seasoned. Wish I could get a hold of the recipe!! Looks like they switched buns and I like these much more. Thick enough to hold the ginormous amount of meat and sauce piled on but not to thick and overbearing like the last time. There was rarely any fat so I'm not sure if the other reviewers came on an off day or what. I had a bite of the Hellbilly and that was so good. Love that chili!! The Mac and cheese did not disappoint either. Everything was perfectly smoked and the two BBQ sauce options were phenomenal, and made on site! The service was great! Walking not even 20 feet to place my order did not slow down service, I didn't have to go up and ask for a refill or anything. You simply order there. The waitress frequently checked on every table and brought us anything we asked for, was prompt, and attentive. Come on yelpers, rate the food...not the fact that you have to walk your fat a$$ up to the counter to order. Not every eating establishment has to cater to your laziness!
(5)
S Z.

More of a biker bar with craft beer than genuine bbq. Can't complain about that other than the obnoxious locals who come here. Yea, they got great beer, and their bbq is alright but it can't beat Texas bbq. Don't drink and drive!
(3)
Anne P.

First time here gotta say the best BBQ I've had, worth looking for. 3 of us got three different meals and all said it was amazing gonna be a regular here for sure.
(5)
Jim C.

Great selection of food and beer. Ribs were great, feta fries were amazing!
(5)
Matt E.

Meet up BBQ is fantastic! I've tried a hand full of things here now, the Cubano is knocked out of the park, the potato salad is super tasty, the filthy Richard is unique but a 10/10. The owners of the Garlic truck and Viking truck are on their A game here. Do it, get here already and get stuffed. Oh yeah, 24 taps! Get stuffed Yorba Linda
(5)
Meghan P.

About to be a graduate of a bachelors in business and working in the service industry myself I can say this is one of the worst restaurants I've ever been too on so many levels. I'm only writing this review so the owner hopefully reads this to fix this restaurant! 1. Walking in to a restaurant and immediately not being greeted and having no hostess, what is that? Ok so we sorta understood after about 2 minutes it was seat yourself. It then took about 5 minutes for us to be greeted and get menus which was a one sided piece of paper? If your trying to get customers come in at least lamenate it or something I would think. 2. The food literally took 45 minutes to get and we saw several staff or who looked like staff members just standing to the bartenders over by where the food comes out. No one was really busy yet our waiter was very unattentive and after almost an hour our food came and we were basically pissed off and wanted to leave at that point. We ordered pulled pork sandwiches and they were ok but had no sauce really on it I mean a typical pulled pork sandwich is supposed to come drenched in bbq sauce right so we had to ask for sauce on the side. Our sides I have to say were the only thing they have figured out those were super delicious! But it's hard to enjoy a good meal if you seriously wait an hour to eat when there is less then 20 people there in the first place. I didn't feel a good vibe at all in this place from start to finish. It seemed more like people just all there hanging out relaxing then enjoying a good meal. I feel like this place has a lot of basic things to work on and shouldn't even be open u till they get their menu right and fix very basic operational problems, The first time I came here with my boyfriend we were very excited to try a new bbq place and we waited about 10 minutes before someone even took our name down which was just a random frantic server who finally realized we were waiting forever to try to get a table!! Granted it was a busy night so we understood but then we realized people who had come in long in before us hadn't even been seated yet. It was horrible. Learn how to run things!!!! We ended up leaving after about 40 min of waiting and were so disappointed because we knew we wouldn't be seated anytime soon. Probably won't be coming back because I couldn't believe how many things were so poorly run. This is why restaurants fail! I seriously don't understand how people can choose to run a business without getting these simple rules of a business so wrong and mismanaged.
(1)
Robin C.

Went last night and it was fabulous!! Service was great!! Can't wait to go back and try all the beers.
(5)
Anthony O.

This place is amazing. Great beer, great food, great people that work here. Get the word out about Meat up BBQ. AWESOME PLACE.
(5)
Lisa P.

We are not in Placentia during lunch usually, but yesterday we were, so we drove to this location expecting to find Sue Ann's (which evidently closed a year ago.) Instead, we found Meat Up BBQ. We checked out their menu - which included 25 craft beers on tap (which sold my husband) - and decided to stay. We split a generous plate of delicious tri tip which came with two sides (and a roll). We picked the Mac and cheese as one of our sides - it was one of the best Mac and cheeses I've tasted. A great experience - we'll be back.
(5)
Fatty M.

Update, I have eaten every sandwich and liked them all. As they are food truck guys, I thought I should lean that way...... Well, I scanned the menu and saw SMOKED FRIED CHICKEN. I asked about the breading and they said it was very light. So, I tried it, it was delightful. The breading was just barely there, very juicy and smokey. I think it's my favorite, well other than the smothered fries.
(5)
Zoot V.

I came here because I heard so much about this place. It was very disappointing. I could see coming here for the beer or the cute waitress, but not for the food. I got the waitress suggestion of rib tips. my friend got the sausage sandwich. My rib tips were completely dried out to the point of being like beef jerky. his sausage was very mediocre at best. The broccoli salad was good. And the chili was good. But I don't think I would recommend it to my friends. It wasn't the worst food I have had but barely edible.
(2)
Richard Y.

The food is ok. The feta fries are really good! The ribs are good but everything else is just ok
(3)
LINDA I.

I hate myself, but I ate the whole thing. I couldn't stop, the roasted veggies were even amazing, seriously... The pulled pork sandwich is a yes, for sure, but I also snaked 3 bites of my husband's oc cheese steak sandwich which was equally as delicious. The worst part was having to decide which thing to order, their menu is modern and original and I can't wait try the chili verde fries. Go, try it, but go hungry, you will not be disappointed. The only other thing I can say is "Lucille who?"
(5)
Ryan M.

Feta fries are delicious! Luis know what he's talking about when it comes to beers. The Hef he recommended was awesome!
(5)
Kaitlin M.

I had the OC Brisket Cheesesteak with the Mac N Cheese and it was delicious. My husband had the pulled pork with side of slaw. He said the pulled pork was great but the slaw had little to no flavor which was disappointing because it is said to have pears, apples and peppers in it which you couldn't taste. The owner Mike knows his craft beer and will give you endless taste tests and stats on each beer until you find the perfect beer for you. We will definitely come back.
(4)
Kyle P.

What you will find here are delicious sandwiches, fries with amazing toppings, and the best and most unique hot wings I've ever tasted. There is a selection of beer that rivals most brewery tasting rooms. Beyond the food and beer, you can really feel that the owners truly care about the customer and their experience. This is one of the many reasons I will frequent this place. Seriously, the wings are stellar. That gorgonzola sauce has changed my opinion of bleu cheese.
(5)
I P.

They're getting 2 stars for the bbq black beans, the fried artichokes, the blackberry bbq sauce (yumm!) and a decent beer selection. I was not impressed by anything else and I suspect that they enjoyed success as a food truck because the food is good, if your only option is a food truck. In order to compete as a sit down restaurant, they've got to step it up. The porchetta was dry and lacked flavor. It's probably good as a sandwich because you can drown it in bbq sauce, but it was entirely without flavor/seasoning. The tri-tip was ok, but nothing that would draw me back here. The St. Louis ribs were good, but also forgettable. The thing that drove me nuts the most, was the inexperienced waitress. We made the mistake of saying we needed a few minutes to peruse the menu and then we had to hunt her down to finally place the order. I asked her to describe the porchetta plate and I was left more confused AFTER her explanation than before. I had to ask the owner, who obviously knew what he was talking about. We got our appetizer (artichokes) with no plates or utensils and I had to ask 3 times before we actually got them. My husband ordered a two meat tray, but only half of the food came out and we had to play waitress-scavenger hunt again to get it corrected. She was a nice girl, but seemed a little in over her head and distracted. Last, but not least, she brought us our check without asking if we wanted to order anything else, so I felt like we were being rushed out. With the beer selection they have available, I could see folks wanting to sit a while and have drinks, so it would make sense to ask patrons if they're ready for the check.
(2)
Joshua Z.

Stopped by to pick up some to-go, had a few beers at the bar. This place is what Placentia needs! Legit BBQ, even to-go sandwiches were on point! Cheers to this new place in my neighborhood.
(5)
Bubz B.

I've been to Meat Up BBQ a handful of times and I have never been a bad experience. The service is top notch and the food is amazing! I highly recommend the West Coast Wings, Porchetta Cubano and the Hellbilly Chili. When there, say what's up to the big guy Mike behind the bar, he's a helluva dude!
(5)
Lisa D.

Open for only 4 days and already a popular hot spot in town. Dog friendly patio seating with an amazing selection of beer on tap to compliment the delicious food. You MUST experience the black beans and garlic fries at Meat Up BBQ with your meal or you're missing out! YUMARIFIC
(5)
Gina C.

Great place for dinner. Lots of parking and space to hang out and enjoy the company of great friends. My husband enjoyed the beer. I was able to bring a bottle of wine in with us. Food was delicious. We had to order our food at the bar. I was fine with that. I could see where that might put some customers out, but it gave us a chance to check out all the different beers they have on hand. I will be back for sure again.
(5)
Stephanie D.

My family just ate here tonight, and I have to say I was impressed! Walking in I could see it was very clean, the atmosphere was relaxed and fun, and the staff was friendly. One of the managers brought out some sample foods to try, looking for feedback as they were adding new items to the menu - the ribs we sampled were perfectly tender and full of meat, and the rub was flavorful with a nice peppery heat. They also let us sample some of the beers before committing to ordering a glassful, something I appreciated (but wouldn't have expected had we sat down after 5:00... It got busy!). There were at least 20 craft brews on tap, I'm looking forward to them offering beer flights. The food we ordered was delicious. Here's our rundown: 1) We ordered the appetizer fries that have feta, which I'm not normally a big fan of but worked excellent in this application. The flavors balanced well and we all pigged out on them and still had more leftover by the time our main courses arrived. I normally would have eaten less of an appetizer, but they were so good. And filling as I soon found out. 2) My husband ordered the Filthy Richard burger with the side of Black beans and brisket (the beans had a more descriptive name); those were both must-haves on our next trip. The beans were a meal in themselves as far as flavor and the ingredient list. Every part of the burger was excellent, and it was positively unique with its mashed potato patty. 3) I had the OC Brisket Cheesesteak with Mac & Cheese. The mac had a satisfyingly creamy cheese sauce with a crispy topping that looked like a finely shredded cheese. It would be hard to pick between the beans or the mac & cheese, but I think the beans are more impressive overall. My sandwich was good, but I would try another menu item. I was disappointed by the lack of peppers on the sandwich, and there were thick tomato slices that I think were out of place. 4) My 4 year old ordered the kids chicken nuggets and mac and cheese. She, unprompted, exclaimed that the mac was, "good, really yummy!" She ate the chicken nuggets quickly, once they cooled down, but let me try a bite with some of their bbq sauce. The nuggets were the best I've ever tasted, the batter was light and flakey which was a big hit with everyone at the table. We will definitely be back again soon.
(5)
Raymond C.

I am an economics student and I'm going to graduate eventually. So far the experience has been good. It has a good vibe.
(4)
Will K.

I really wanted to like this place. Loved the idea of a new Bbq place in town with a good beer selection. But our experience here left us disappointed. We arrived at the restaurant and sat down at 6:30, didn't get our order taken until 7:00. Food didn't arrive until 7:45. Wow, hour and fifteen minutes to get food. They did ask for our order when we sat down but we needed a few mins to look at the menu. That was our mistake. Didn't know that the waitress would be back a half hour later. We ordered the triple meat plate of ribs (charged us $2 extra), tri tip, and porchetta. The porchetta was dry and crumbled pieces of pork with very little favor, the ribs were small with very little meat and was not fond of the flavor without having to drown in Bbq sauce (good sauce). The tri tip was ok, moist but not much flavor without that good Bbq sauce. We also ordered the hill billey burger and feta fries. Was not very impressed with this $12 burger. The feta cheese fries however was probably the most flavorful from what we ordered. Wished the fries were crispier though. Will not be coming back here.
(2)
Darin S.

Great craft beer / food destination. Great experience and friendly service. We will be back.
(5)
John C.

It was a good dinning experience. I went for the odin, while I wasn't a fan of the lobster roll I did enjoy the bratwurst. My wife had the hellybelly burger. She left little trace of it afterwards. The star of the meal was the garlic feta fries. The perfect crisp fries with a garlic aioli and feta cheese. We will be returning with friends.
(5)
Stephanie O.

I had very high hopes but this was a total disappointment. I got the brisket and it was small chunks of what appeared to be dried out processed "something". They didn't ask me what kind of sauce I wanted and there was an excessively spicy, way too much vinegar sauce on the meat. The only thing on the plate that was any good was the garlic bread. My husband had pulled pork and some kind of beans. Also, both horrible. Plus when we were there, what kind of BBQ restaurant does not serve ribs. Maybe they have them now, but they didn't when we went. All in all this was a collossal failure. It is my understanding that the two people who started this came from different backgrounds. One BBQ and the other a Garlic Truck or something like that. It appears the garlic fella knows his stuff. But I'm sorry BBQ guy. You don't know BBQ. I managed a very popular BBQ restaurant in south Florida for 6 years. We would have lines around the building waiting to get in. Unless you fix the BBQ at Meat Up BBQ you need to call yourself something else. Maybe just tap into your beer/bar business and get away from the BBQ all together. I'm sorry, but I won't be back. I'm giving 1 star because the waitress we had was very nice and apologetic for our disappointment
(1)
Jason G.

Was excited to try this place and the food was pretty good. We went with the oc cheesesteak and it was different, in a good way, than any other sandwich I've ever had. The meat itself was nothing spectacular but the combination of ingredients in the sandwich were creative. The bbq rub fries and the mac and cheese were the highlight for me. I was not impressed with the long wait for a sandwich and fries. Maybe it's just me but the one thing that really bothered me was that the staff in the back around the food was vaping, really gross and unsanitary to me, may not bother others at all.
(3)
Kevin A.

This place is doing pretty dam well for its first month and they are in soft launch. I spoke with one of the owners and full menu will be rolled out sometime around Dec 1st 2014. On that note they have a huge selection of draft beers that rotate out every month . Garlic feta fries and the green Chile fries are legit.... I tried the cubano sandwhich and the rotten Richard both satisfying. I can't wait to check out their ribs and brisket once the full menu is released in a week or so.
(4)
Isabella E.

So I've been here twice now! They actually have really great service and the food is super delicious as well. With the two meat tray for some reason they only gave me a leg which was strange since it said it was half chicken which should be a breast and a leg. I don't know if they forgot or what but it was a little weird. Either way I would recommend this place if you like good barbecue. Slightly pricy but whatever. And the Mac and cheese and corn bread are amazing!!
(4)
Sandy G.

Had kind of a strange experience here beginning with entering the place. We walked in and just stood there with no one acknowledging us. At least 4 waitresses walked by but no one said anything to us. I finally interrupted two that were together and asked if we have to order at the counter and pay first or wait to be seated because this was our first time. She told us they were looking for menus and to just sit wherever and someone would help us. Anyway, we finally placed our order and waited. Our garlic fries came out after a short time. They were greasy on the outside and dry on the inside, but the flavor was good. We waited and waited for our food. Finally after 45 min of placing our order, it came. There wasn't much meat on my 2 meat platter. For $17, expected a little more. The tri tip was good and pulled pork ok too. Needed BBQ sauce tho. Mac n cheese was good but cold. We asked if she could reheat it and she brought us a fresh one instead. But it was cold too! Maybe that's how they serve it?? Anyway, I loved how it was al dente. The slaw I liked too because it was refreshing, not mayonnaise-y.
(3)
Kevin P.

Went there tonight, looking for burnt ends, didn't have any. After talking with the owner made sense as to why he didn't. At this stage of the business, just wasn't cost effective. Had rib tips instead with a side of slaw and chili.....chili was the best I HAVE EVER HAD, Hands down. And after talking with the owner as to how rib tips are made, all the more impressed with the process. Also amazing different local craft beers served weekly. Give this place a chance, forgot to mention one thing.....if the slaw is great at a BBQ place, imagine how good the BBQ is.
(5)
Heather H.

I came here with my bbq loving husband and he is thrilled to have found this place! He said he had the best burger he's ever had (the hillbilly). We shared the feta fries - ridiculously fantastic! My daughter got the grilled cheese and Mac & cheese - thumbs up for that too! We loved the atmosphere - service and everything we ordered! We will be back again and will try some of the beers.
(5)
Mindy B.

This place is hit or miss. I think you will either love it or hate it. Don't come expecting a bbq joint as most of their "good" food are burgers & sandwiches. Which are pretty amazing. If you can look beyond the weird layout, pricey food and no servers then you will like this place. Imagine food truck food but a little pricier. Personally i think they could benefit from lowering their prices a bit OR providing servers. I'm not into paying $12 for a hotdog but getting my own drink & ordering at the register.
(3)
Tommy E.

Super friendly environment. Amazing food and even better service. Have a great selection of beer. Highly recommend!
(5)
Mitun S.

From the reviews on yelp, this place sounds pretty hit or miss depending on what you get. Luckily for me, my experience was pretty good. Me and my girlfriend were immediately greeted upon coming into Meat Up, and we sat right in front of the bar. They have a lot of unique beers on tap, something i'd definitely look into the next time I come here. We shared the smothered and covered fries ($7) and the OC cheesesteak ($11). The fries were a decent size, and had plenty of pork, verde sauce, and cheese on it. Pork was really tender shredded pork and had pretty decent flavor. For the size of it and the amount of stuff they put on it, 7 bucks isn't bad considering most shareable appetizers at places can run $10+ bucks. The cheese steak was served on a deceivingly soft yet sturdy bread. The meat was pretty smoky flavored, which I loved, but beyond that it didn't have much seasoning. The veggies were similar in that they could have used a little salt, or any type of seasoning. I think this may be intentional, because they keep bottles of BBQ sauce at the table that went perfect with the sandwich. They had a black pepper one as well as a blackberry, but the blackberry was way too sweet for my taste. The black pepper was one tasty and had a nice little kick. Overall I'd say its a 3.5, because I feel like the meat and veggies could have been seasoned a little bit more. Rounding up to 4 because the quality of the food along with the portions + the price made it feel worth it.
(4)
Terry D.

New BBQ place. Lots of beers but fine if you don't drink too. Flavors are weird. I didn't like most of it. I had hoped for a great BBQ restaurant. This isn't it. I'm sorry as I wanted it to be great.
(2)
Monty P.

Went here yesterday for lunch with my mom. Absolutely incredible experience from start to finish. The waitress we had was a co owner and super nice and knowledgable. We had my eight month old daughter with us and she didn't seem to mind the occasional scream/yelp. The food was phenomenal. I had the pulled pork sandwich. Lots of meat and just the right amount of smokiness and BBQ flavor slathered on top. Mom had the chicken and loved it. This is a local business run by a young couple ... Definitely going to be back here to support it. Very impressed!
(5)
Ken K.

Here is the deal. I really was excited when this place opened. In fact, I made sure I was there on opening night and have been back numerous times. I really want this place to succeed as I love Texas bbq. Opening night featured pretty good food and lousy service. I guessed that both would get better as it showed plenty of promise. Unfortunately, the food seems to have improved but the service has gotten worse. During the last couple months I have gone in three times. Each time I sat at the bar and waited and waited to get served ....or even greeted. Each time I ended up leaving as I was never acknowledged. The last visit I sat at the bar for over 15 minutes without a greeting. I understand that the staff might not have seen me or gotten busy or? But, after the owner passed me 3 times and the bartender passed me twice ....all without any acknowledgement I decided it didn't matter how good the food would be. I don't expect great service all the time, but I do expect some service. Three strikes, you are out. This isn't a food truck where people just wait in line.....you need to treat us like valuable customers
(2)
Tara P.

The garlic feta fries are amazing! I love this place. The black heart burger is definitely one to try as well. I love supporting small, family owned places. The staff and owners are very friendly and go above and beyond to keep their customers happy. I look forward to being a regular here. What a great addition to the community!
(5)
Daniel V.

I split the two meat combo with my friend. I had the Tri tip and she got the chicken. It was supposed to be half of a chicken, but all we got was a leg and thigh. Oh well. It was all good. Our sides were the Mac and cheese and baked beans, which were both delicious.
(4)
Christopher S.

1st time here and I really liked the place. You can tell it is a work in process but all in all very good. They had a good vibe friendly staff. Good beers and the food was awesome. While there they grabbed a call for take out and in refreshing fashion they talked some out of a dish because it didn't travel well. It would have been easy to just sell it and not care about the customer. For the folks that didn't like this place I say go to one of the big corporate BBQ places and get the mass produced food and macro brewed beers. It was obvious these folks love what they do and the food and service showed it
(4)
Sam C.

Open 2 weeks and already solid!! Full menu coming soon. Great food and awesome rotating craft brew!! No Shock Top here!!! Come check it out.
(4)
Murphy S.

This place was so great tonight!! Hillbilly was the best!!! Love the place and will go back again and again!!
(5)
Steve C.

It's great to have another BBQ option in Northern OC and another fine restaurant in Placentia. We went for lunch on a Saturday. Business was brisk, and the two owners were there, nice to see. I had the Brisket Cheesesteak and fries. I have to mention the fries first because they were possibly the best fries I've ever had - well seasoned and super crispy. The sandwich was good too, with chunks of brisket and caramelized onions and peppers. I'm not sure about the tomato slices, especially since the slice on one half of my sandwich was very thick. I'd make sure the tomato slices were thin or lose them altogether and maybe add a little more brisket. David's pulled pork sandwich was a tower of meat, with slaw, and he said it was very drippy but top notch. Buns were really nice. I'm very picky about BBQ sauce, and theirs was very good, a little spicy and not too sweet. David got the dill potato salad which was straightforward but good. Despite having a wealth of beers on tap, they also had very nice straightforward ice tea. Service was great. We look forward to our next visit.
(4)
B A.

Had the three meat combo with the two sides. I thought $19 would have gotten just a little more food. The brisket was tasty. The chicken was a little dry. I wish they had made the fries just a little crispier. But overall, would go back again in the future for drinks at the bar.
(2)
Sandy L.

We picked up food to go this evening and absolutely loved it ! Pulled pork, tri-tip, beans and the most incredible mac & cheese I have ever eaten. Large portions, super friendly staff. They even offered me a glass of water while I waited. We will definitely be regulars.
(5)
Michael O.

Nice restaurant! Great selection of beer. Great, friendly service and yummy sides!
(4)
Jay P.

Great service with a smile! Attentive and never had an empty beverage cup on the table! Food was great! I recommend trying the rotten Richard burger and the beans &brisket side. So many beers on tap I lost track. Mostly delicious craft beers too! I'll be back for sure.
(5)
Dave P.

We ate here for the 1st time. I was disappointed. I ordered the 2 meat platter, pulled pork and chicken. Just ok Wife had pulled pork sandwich , lots of fat. Son had ribs again fatty. Sides were Mac n cheese temp was Luke warm, and baked black beans again luke warm. Corn bread was cold and dry. The meat didn't taste like it was cooked in a smoker. The wings were good , sauce was excellent I know that this is a new business but I spent $70 on BBQ and expected a lot better. Lots of beer on tap but this is a BBQ place not a bar. I hope they make it as they are nice people, so don't be offended just listen to the customers and make some corrections. Good luck
(2)
John N.

We went for my birthday so we bought everything. Walked in and found the decor to be OK and the service was friendly. Wife ordered a pork belly/loin sandwich with mac & cheese side while I gluttonized over a smoked fried chicken/St. Louis ribs platter with tri-tip black beans and bacon potato salad. Also had chicken wing appetizer (1/2 buffalo and 1/2 BBQ flavored), 2 beef sliders, and an EPIC cranberry ale. My wife LOVED the black beans and we both really liked the pork. I dug the beer; actually found it refreshing (something I rarely find in beers). Everything else was either meh or not awesome. The flavors in the smoked fried chicken didn't really meld well together and it was dry. Wings were good but way too small. And unfortunately, the BBQ sauces were not awesome: best way to describe it was they were forcing the Carolina vinegary sauces to dance with the sweeter sauces out west. It just didn't work. It was also way too pricey for the small portions and OK flavors. If you ever do go, get a beer and one of those pork loin/belly sandwiches with a side of black beans. You'd leave happy. Everything else...dunno.
(2)
Amber B.

We've been to meat up twice now and loved each visit. First time we had amazing brisket fries and shared the porchetta. We were given a couple samples of craft beer before making our choice. Great selection of beers. Second visit we had the chili verde fries which were good too. I had the Reuben burger which I loved and my husband had the rotten Richard which by the looks of his face, covered in food, he loved. Looking forward to coming back and trying more menu items. There's a couple tv's in the main dining room that always have local teams playing.
(5)
Pat F.

Soooo disappointing! I came away from my visit to Meat Up Bbq totally conflicted. The hostess, who took my order, was helpful and sweet, setting a good initial impression. Although the food was up pretty fast, I had enough time to notice that the hardwood floors were a disaster, more black scuff marks than visible hardwood, making me wonder about kitchen cleanliness. The place was dark, dingy, depressing, sorely in need of a little spiffing up, with color, and attractive design elements. Even something fun and funky would have helped. The hostess delivered the Brainless Raspberry beer, that I'd ordered, quickly. Not good, bland without any sweetness, that one might expect of a fruity beer. I had ordered rib tips with bacon potato salad and bbq black beans as my sides. It arrived to my table on an old rectangular aluminum tray, that reminded me of a jail or military dining hall. It was lined with a piece of butcher paper on which the rib tips were dumped. C'mon guys! Give me a rustic basket, a paper plate, or something but don't shove it at me on a prison tray and expect it to be appealing. Presentation is everything! First bite was tater salad, one of my fave foods. It was bland, dry, and completely unseasoned. By the time I reached the bottom of the little styrofoam cup that it was served in, I was still searching for just one little bite of bacon. It was not to be found! The blackberry barbecue sauce was mighty tasty, sweet tangy, with a bit of a bite. However, hard dry rib tips were so under or completely UNseasoned, that they became completely overpowered, by the sauce. After a few bites of the ribs, it was as though, I had been eating bbq sauce by the spoonful, cloying sweet, without any counterbalance from well seasoned juicy meat. About three little tips was all I could handle. Amazingly, although I am not a fan of black beans, that became the best bite on the plate. They were also sweet, but pleasantly so, and had bits of beef brisket, and the fiery touch of jalapenos, that balanced the sweetness. That's a dish worth ordering. The bread was a little doughy mini dinner roll that turned gummy as it was chewed. Not a pleasant accompaniment like a crusty sour dough roll might have been. I requested a container, for the rib tips, but after loading the container realized that I really didn't want to eat them again. It was out of the old waste-not-want-not programming, that I had given any thought to a repeat of this disappointing meal, On second thought I left the box on the table. My best guess here is that, the owners have some good ideas but probably lack some much needed experience to execute well. With some fine tuning and advice from experienced pros, they might eventually turn their endeavor, into a fun, funky, and delectable dining experience. As for me, however, one such disappointment, and $20 down the drain, was enough for me. Doubt that I'll be risking it again.
(1)
David B.

The other night as we were driving down Yorba Linda Blvd. The Meat Up sign cought my interest. Leslie was our server,she was just supper... I had the Barley Forge Stout ( Awesome) and the Odin, sausage.... It's the reason I'm writing this... Just the "Best" and I should known because I'm a Butcher. Can't get much better than Meat Up....
(5)
Christopher H.

I had the OC Brisket Cheesesteak Sandwich and it was amazing! The service is great! I can bring a family, group, or whatever here! Great beer selection!
(5)
Dion M.

We have been here twice. The first time was really good, the second time was pretty bad. While the brisket was really good only a few days after opening, several weeks later they started chopping it up rather than slicing it. To me that really changed the flavor a lot - and the fact that the meat was excessively fatty the second time. Although that may seem bad, it wasn't the most disappointing thing. The most disappointing thing was they had a slaw called Fire Slaw. It was incredible - the type off thing that would bring you back to an establishment all by itself because it was exclusive to that place. I'm sure I will go back to meat up and give it one more shot as the tie breaker, but most likely after their "soft opening" period is over. WHich by the way has been going on for some time.
(3)
Bob F.

We went on Saturday evening. It was crowded, but we were able to get a table. We stood at the front for a couple minutes without being acknowledged, but I'm guessing this was because of their "order at the counter, then wait at a table" policy. I'm not a fan of this ordering at the counter thing, especially when they've got friendly and attentive staff working in the restaurant. Seems like they are only one step away from making this a positive experience. I would also like to point out, although I don't care for this ordering experience, it is the food that is responsible for my rating. The place is called "Meat Up BBQ" and there are several BBQ style decorations, this would lead me to believe that they know something about BBQ. Let me be clear, they do not. I ordered the half rack of St. Louis style ribs. The ribs tasted like they were boiled, then grilled. That's a deal breaker. At least the sauce tasted homemade, but it lacked a strong flavor. It probably would be a good sauce for actual slow smoked BBQ, but for this flavorless boiled meat, it was lacking. The broccoli salad was pretty good, the mac and cheese was boring, but edible, and the cornbread muffin type thing was good. The tri tip beans were 2 star, not much flavor, but the meat was tender. The garlic feta french fries were very tasty and I felt you got a lot for your order. I should also say that I ate here when they first opened and had pretty much the same experience, this was my second, and probably last, visit. I remember the wings being very good on the first visit, I just didn't have room to try them again. On the upside, the place was packed, the bar was hopping, and judging by the other reviews, they probably have good sandwiches. My only contention is that they probably shouldn't call it a BBQ joint, it is not their strong suit. If you haven't had the opportunity to experience real BBQ, I encourage you to visit Bigmista's Sammich Shop in Long Beach. I can honestly say, that it's the only "real" BBQ I've had in California. I'll keep searching, but for me it's the only BBQ game around.
(2)
Claude A.

First time here.....Outstanding food, outstanding ambience. Wife and I will be definitely be back. Bye-bye dicky's.
(5)
Michael M.

Apparently they are still preparing the menu for the official opening after the holidays, but the items they've committed to thus far are fabulous. From hot links to wings, the texture & flavors are spot on. With their house-made sauces be prepared for a BBQ experience that is both bold & unique. Upon entering the establishment we were greeted with a sample of their ribs they are tinkering with before making them a permanent fixture on the menu. With just the right balance of spicy & sweet, these ribs will be a welcome addition. The microbrew beer selections was a pleasant surprise. From local OC & San Diego breweries to Goose Island out of ChiTown, the selection was astounding. And the helpfulness of the bar staff in making our selections without being pretentious was a refreshing experience. There is no doubt we will be back!!
(5)
Linda O.

Delicious BBQ. I'm used to Texas BBQ and this is very, very close to the best. The ribs fall off the bone and the chicken is scrumptious. My fav! The Hellbelly Chili is superb. Just enough heat without ruining the flavor. 25 beers on tap is a great selection to choose from. Get the Garlic Feta Fries. Unreal flavor. Highly recommend. We will be going back, for sure!!!
(5)
Amanda R.

I recently had the privilege of enjoying some catered Meat Up at an event. The pulled pork was so flavorful and tender. The Mac and cheese was a creamy, cheesy delight! The best part was the amazing smoky taste of their BBQ black beans! My mouth is watering thinking about my next meal from MeatUp. I will see you soon!
(5)
Keri B.

Fries were Amazon as was all the food we ordered. Service was outstanding as well, this will be a regular in our lineup.
(5)
Robert Z.

nicely done gents
(4)
Mike A.

This place is amazing! Awesome beer selection served ice cold. The food itself is BBQ done right. The Cubano is a sandwich I highly recommend. We also tried the feta cheese fries, which were amazing, with such a unique flavor. Truly original ideas that tastes great, it's more then a good meal, it's a dining experience.
(5)
CJ B.

The staff was super nice and friendly, it was clean and the food was amazing. I have already started recommending it to friends. I had the Odin... it was amazing! And the mac n cheese was awesome too.
(5)
Toni N.

So i will say that since it was only open for 2 weeks when i went in, i will say all their things aren't quite tuned in yet. 1. Wings - Excellent! 2. Pulled Pork Sandwhich - Needs a Bit more Seasoning / Smoking. I recommend that if its made in an oven, using a combination of smoke paprika, liquid smoke, and fresh ground pepper will make it really good. 3. Chicken - Needs Work. And i will say, i have been to a good a mount of beer places and its sad that i can't read their beer menu from a distance of 10 feet away from it. I can't see their Beer Menu!!! Definitely, needs work. I do recommend that with time it will get better, just make sure its not bland.
(3)
Jim V.

You walk in and it smells like barbecue so that's a good sign. It started out as self seating, then the host realize it started getting busy and he started seating people. Table behind us hadn't seen the server and the manager asked if they've been helped yet and they said no so he got the waitress I then heard the waitress tell the tell the host you need to let me know when you sit people in my area. I chuckled to myself because if it self seating you need to pay attention to new people sitting in your area. I will say the barbecue sauce was pretty good , the potato salad was good, the pulled pork was okay, my pulled pork actually came out just Luke warm not hot so I don't know if that's the norm or if I just didn't get hot pulled pork. They didn't have a lot of meat selection the the brisket was okay but only came out warm. I just felt for the amount I paid for the two meat combo I didn't get a big portion. Also I know it's a soft opening but I don't know how you can open a barbecue restaurant to not have ribs on the menu. I don't drink beer but they had a whole Lotta beers to choose from and that looked it can get be fun to do some beer tasting. The pulled pork sandwich was an okay amount of meat but for 10 bucks I expected more and also it was pretty gross how oily or greasy the bun was. After two bites into it the bun was falling apart. The fries were actually pretty good I saw a post that they were not that great but they're actually crispy and good. For a new restaurant it had a lotta room to improve, they need to get the seating organized and get a lot more meat selection on the menu. For the amount of food I got at the price I paid I don't think I'll be back I'll probably continue go to Leadbelly's
(2)
Ellen A.

We came here for dinner recently. It was a Friday night and the place was busy, a good sign. The food and drinks were great and we had lots to take home for leftovers...the pulled pork sandwich is huge. And plenty of bbq sauce on the table this time! Blackberry sauce= delish. The only thing I am not a fan of is ordering at the bar...kinda awkward for a sit down place.
(5)
Lisa R.

I tried this place for the first time ever and I have to say, It was AMAZING. The food was awesome and my daughter (who is a VERY picky eater) devoured her mac and cheese. It was a nice relaxed friendly atmosphere, which I like since I have 2 smaller children. The staff there was SO friendly from the cooks to our waitress! Her name was Amie, she was simply awesome, so accommodating and on top of everything. I definitely recommend this place and I will definitely being going back!
(5)
Bryant N.

Went in to grab some of the Goose Island BCS. Grest menu, the tritip sandwich was delicious, bbq sauces were great as well. And for the best part....the tap list! The owners know the craft beer business and their taps reflect it. Something for everyone on there. Chatted wirh one of the owners quit a bit...nice guys who know the craft and have the passion. Awesome we have a place like this in Placentia.
(5)
Linda K.

I saw this place in the news and decided to give it a try and was very impressed. We were not disappointed. We are definitely coming soon. The ribs were delicious very meaty.
(5)
Lanae T.

Great beer selection and delicious bbq! Tucked in the corner and right down the street. Love it!
(5)
John M.

Wow. Super friendly staff, amazing food, and beers us "beer snobs" have never had before or even seen on a tap list. Big big BIG recommend.
(5)
Keith D.

Fresh takes on some old favorites...pull pork and Cubano sandwich, baked beans, and broccoli salad was all very good. Like to see them get some baby-back ribs. Excellent quality!
(4)
Teri D.

The absolute BEST smoked chicken wings I have ever tried!!!! Great selection of local brew on tap! Excellent service!!!!
(5)
Jordan F.

I love this place!!! Apparently they just had their soft soft opening this weekend so we made it just in time. Owners of the garlicscapes truck, porco ricco, and Viking truck. First let's start with beer. AMAZING!!!! Tons of GABF GOLD WINNERS ON TAP. As of today they had a limited food menu but what I tried was sooooo good. The rotten Richard was ridiculous. Fried mashed potatoes and green chili verde combined with a 1/2 pound patty with what I think was home made buns. It came with a kale and spinach side was a great addition. The owners were out talking with everyone and made us feel very welcome. I can't wait for the grand opening! I'll be here every Sunday for the football and beer. Love it.!
(5)
Rob W.

Pulled pork is very dry did not seem fresh. Should not even been plated. Bbq sauce was so so.
(2)
Angelina A.

Started with the wings and gorgonzola dip...delicious!! Smoky bbq taste. Ate the pulled pork sandwich and loved every bite. 2 thumbs up!!
(5)
Alejandra S.

It's hard to find a bbq place with amazing bbq sauce. This place nailed the sauce especially the berry bbq sauce. Great staff very friendly. The brisket is sooo good and pulled pork so yummy. And the Mac and cheese soooo full of flavor. This is going to be my number 1 BBQ place in california.
(5)
Brandon S.

I went here shortly after their opening and was very impressed! I tried the Brisket Cheese steak w/BBQ rub fries. The food was filling and delicious! This place has an awesome beer list too. Can't wait to go back to try more stuff off their menu.
(5)
Matt D.

I felt compelled to update my review as I have returned several times to dine in and take food to go. Meat Up has definitely upped their game and have come into their own. All of the beer taps are fully functional and have a delicious hard to procure craft beer or cider flowing through their veins. The menu is growing and the Porchetta is still amazing. The hospitality level cannot be beat and treating their customers like family is a natural instinct for the team. I have enjoyed reading other people's reviews. Either they embrace the BBQ fusion that elevates BBQ in a new and delicious direction while still paying homage to competition BBQ, or they are people who are competition BBQ purists that are angry at the musical BBQ riff's being played by the Meat Up BBQ kitchen team. For me, I love both styles and can enjoy both classical BBQ and Jazz BBQ. The growing pains have been worked out. Next I hope to see Ribs and Rib Tips from the Meat Up Crew as well as Meats by the Pound and a Family Pack to go. I would anticipate these options arriving as the demand becomes more predictable. It is a great place to watch sports. My only dream is that Santa will bring them some resin wicker sofa's to put on the patio for lounging and smoking cigars. At that point, I will pay the teenage neighbor kid to be my driver and become a permanent fixture. Well done team. Keep forging ahead in your BBQ dream. It's a delicious one.
(5)
Brian G.

Visited twice. Would go back again. A bit pricey but food is good. Brisket tender and tasty. The braut was good and the pulled pork was decent. Mac and cheese on the side I recommend . Service is good would like to see ribs! Bbq sauce is flavorful but id like a spicy version. Location is easy to find and its nice to have a bbq place in Placentia.
(4)
Minh N.

Had dinner last friday and meat selection was only 4 items. I ordered the 3 meat meal and wife got 2 meat meal. Both got mac n cheese fries and broccoli salad. The best thing I had was the salad. Meat, fries and mac were cold and the mac n cheese was tasteless. Wish we had a better experience here. I will stick with leadbellys for my local bbq cravings.
(1)
Daniel M.

Ok, i don't even like BBQ restaurants. They are either over priced or its not real backyard BBQ. But omfg, this place is amazing. I had the brisket sandwich and the meat was perfect. The garlic feta fries are out of this world. Costumer service was outstanding and they have so many great beers on tap. There is a dish here for any appetite. It is definitely worth a try, you won't regret it
(5)
Brian D.

Great people...great food....second time I have been in...1st time was soft opening....second time was great...even better than the free food I received at soft opening...lol...they have a fun place with great food...keep it up....we will be regulars!
(5)
Kim B.

Nice!! Yummy! Never got in to visit previous tenant but already came to Meat up, can you tell we are drawn more towards meat? Lol. Place was cool lots of tv's, Thusday night football on, people friendly, food great. Hubby got the Cuban yummmm and I got pulled pork sammy another grateful one. Their black pepper bbq sauce was the bomb! An Owner Lewis, was super nice letting us try samples of some brews we didn't know. We'll be back!
(5)
Scott D.

First time here and I will come back but they still need some help. Need to put some ribs on the menu the beer was not cold enough I suggest the tap at 27 to 28 degrees. The beans where great and the pull pork and brisket where about a 7. Louis thanks for your quick response I will be back soon.
(5)
Luis F.

Was looking for a snack and a good brew so had the chicken wings appetizers which were bathed in a delicious sweet, tangy house sauce. Dipping sauce was a unique blend of ranch, gorgonzola & dill which was the ideal pairing. Finally had a pint of Bootlegger's Black Phoenix Nitro,.. and then closed my eyes, kissed the sky and thanked the Almighty for a piece of Heaven right there in Placentia !
(5)
Bill R.

There are times in life where a meal is so bad that you don't even want to go back to the shopping center that the restaurant was located in. The food was not great but as bad as the food was the service was even worse. Apparently they figured I should have ordered something else because they got our order wrong twice we had to send both plates back for them to fix. I don't know what they were thinking. It took forever to get the meal in the first place and then we had to wait to get the replacement. I am leaving to go take my son to a birthday party while my wife and friends remain, still trying to get the check. Go to El Torito across the parking lot from this place the service there is bad too but at least the food will be good.
(1)
Austin Y.

Great bang for your buck! They really serve up the meat and the food is amazing! Try the garlic fries. They're to die for.
(5)
Louise D.

First time here. Nice place and friendly service. Husband is enjoying the beer but wine selection is limited although the red wine is just fine. Will check back in after the food comes. One interesting observation, 90% of the men here have beards. Hmmm? Okay part two...My husband and I had had the Brisket Cheesesteak Sandwich. They were excellent!!! I also had the opportunity to try the Blackberry BBQ sauce and it was a sauce that I would love to use at home...Mmm! We will certainly come back. Staff was friendly and accommodated us very nicely with our special needs. This restaurant provides good food and friendly service and in my book, they are both necessary for me to return and this place has both.
(5)
Suzie N.

Sad to say this was a big disappointment. Meat was tough. Tri-tip and burger. Pulled pork was fine. Sides just so so. Fries were soggy. Was hoping for a keeper. Maybe it was the heat. I might give it one more try but I doubt it.
(2)
Caron B.

Very good Cubano sandwich. Burger was very good. Amazing homemade pickle. Excellent Mac n cheese. Kids' chicken nuggets were delish. Service was great. Food came out nice and quick too. Will definitely be back!
(4)
Christopher O.

So many beers on tap! So much good food! My new favorite restaurant. If you like BBQ, smoked meat, or are just an unashamed carnivore, this is the place for you.
(5)
Don N.

Good grief! These one star babies need to get a life! The meat was fatty? Come on now, that is not a bad thing. Fat = flavor in BBQ language. I was in Saturday night and I thought the wings had an amazing smokey flavor, maybe a bit dry, but otherwise excellent. Thought the Cubano sandwich was the bomb. Love the mustard dressing and the pickles. The hellbilly chili was good, but to live up to the name, needs more HEAT! Great flavors over all, not bad for the beginnings of a great establishment. I suspect they'll fix some of the cook times, etc. as they go down the road, hey I burn my BBQ all the time, still tastes good. On another note, for me the lighting was a bit too bright. Less school cafeteria and more dive bar type lighting would be good.
(4)
James G.

Had dinner recently at meat up in Yorba Linda, Ca and food was very average at best including 3 small pieces of tri-tip, ribs were very dry and over cooked, and finally mac n cheese was good. The atmosphere was very low energy with no explanation of menu by waitress and place was fairly busy at time of my visit. I was hoping for friendlier staff, great food, and great beers, but I was received was disappointment with my visit. I understand all new business needs great food and customer service to succeed, but this place just lacked desire and great food! Hopefully things will get better here in the future and I hope they turn it around to succeed!! Also place is hidden in shopping center behind El torito. GOOD LUCK
(3)
Barry M.

All I can say is I want more! I had the Cubano today with a side of greens. Talk about tons of flavor and textures. Tender meaty, savory, delicious, plus great craft beer selection. I had a Knuckle Sandwich and a Campfire Stout. Outstanding. Can't wait to go back to try something else. And this was the soft opening, limited menu? Holy crap! Outstanding homey feel , looking forward to many more visits here. Well done Mike, Louis, and Heather!
(5)
J G.

2nd visit. Pulled Pork is OK, but Brisket is sub par still. Prices are high for what you get. Here's an odd one, the Bar is about 4" too high for some reason. If you are short better grab a table. Sides seem like the best bet as far as I can tell. As for the brisket, previously one worker when questioned about the lack of a smoke ring said "we don't cook it that way". This time one confirmed they are smoking them but can't figure out why no ring. SUGGESTION: I would try taking a chilled briskest out of a super cold fridge say 32-34 deg. The right into a 250 degree smoker. If that will not work for you try vaccine sealing and place in a igloo with ice over until chilled to 32-34 degrees. Works for me regardless of wood type. KEEP IT GOING GUYS!!
(3)
Mike C.

Have had dinner here on five separate occasions since opening week. Food was decent the second time and has gone downhill since. Last visit, rib tips were gristle, service is now something fast casual and the beer selection was weak (no red ales) and only one dark beer. Really wanted to like this place, but sadly it did not pan out,
(1)
Kissie D.

Busy busy! This new restaurant was packed on their first day of opening. Didn't mind waiting because staff was super nice and very apologetic. And of course, because I had several craft beers to choose from. I ordered the Rotten Richard with fries. A burger on top of garlic mashed Potato's and topped with green chili verde. Bomb! Burger cooked just right! The fries were tasty and the Gorgonzola dipping sauce.....so good I could drink it! So happy to find this place. We will be regulars for sure. Not sure why krystle s. would question their 5 stars on their second day open? With 9 reviews I would think that's common. How sad that one persons idiotic assumption can put a damper on a business....I suppose it won't matter because the food speaks for itself! Maybe she should try the food before yelping it?? Just an idea
(5)
Cindy C.

The menu all looks soooo good and I had to go with the rotten Richard! Hamburger with pulled pork chili verde, Panko crusted fried garlic mashed potato and cheddar cheese and the bbq beans and brisket for my side... Omg! It was sooooo good and perfect! I had these with the garlic feta fries... ! They have a great selection of craft beers and we were able to bring our own wine (with NO corkage fee)! I can't wait to go back and keep trying more items! For a new start up company not ran by some big corporate conglomerate, I really think these guys have a gem here and I'm fully confident that they will continue to improve.
(5)
Alison C.

This restaurant has a great selection of beers and delicious food. The service is great too! They let you sample as many beers as you want. Impressed!
(5)
Chelsie D.

Stopped by here for some apetizers and a beer. I started out with the westcoast wings and the garlic feta fries, both were full of flavor and soooo delicious. I'm not too big on spicy but the wings are just the right amount of zest and spice. I was still a little hungry and wanted to try some sides so I ordered the black beans and broccoli salad. The broccoli salad was an excellent mix with the cranberries and sunflowerseeds in it. The service here was excellent and very friendly. I paired my meal with a strong triple IPA and finished with a coconut amber beer. There is a huge variety of beers on tap, and there seems to be something here for everyone! I will definately be back to try other main menu items and see what else they add over time. Great addition to placentia.
(5)
Brian M.

Awesome atmosphere and the only place to get contemporary BBQ around! We went in a group and the favorites were the wings, burgers, feta fries, and pulled pork. The owner even took the time to personally introduce himself. We will definitely go back.
(5)
David H.

I got a chance to eat here the other evening for dinner. The place was quite full, and there was plenty of staff. No wait for a table, food was delivered quick and the price was quite reasonable. Great Beer selection. From the time I walked in and smelled the delicious BBQ in the air until I left everything was great. Next time you are in the mood for BBQ I certainly recommend stopping by.
(5)
Matthew G.

Came in a few nights ago, food was okay the staff is very helpful and the beer selection is very good. But back to the food, we had the smoked fried chicken and the half rack of ribs. Sides were okay, the fries were very tasty although they had a slight taste of liquid smoke on them which after a while can put a off putting taste in your mouth. The chicken was good, nice and crisp. But the ribs, they were almost over done. As some one who smokes meat a lot I guess my expectations are higher than most. The fact the meat just fell off the bone means they either boil the ribs or cook them in the oven, which would explain the liquid smoke taste. The bbq sauce is good, but with the ribs tasting of liquid smoke it just was off putting. Mac and cheese was way too creamy baked beans were okay but just tasted like black beans and pepper. Maybe it was a bad night for them I'm not sure, but for nearly 40 bucks just not completely worth it. I want to love it because I love to support local places but it's kind of tough.
(3)
Jason D.

came in for the first time the other day during a soft opening. you would never have guessed it was a soft opening the service was great and good was phenomenal! I had the rotten Richard it was unbelievable and my girlfriend had the Cubano... which I ate half of... also ridiculously tasty. we can't wait to come back here again!
(5)
Vickie R.

Loved it! Great service, delicious beer and incredible BBQ- there were even amazing homemade pickles on my pulled pork sandwich. I'm from Texas and this food was more gourmet BBQ-
(5)
Carrie L.

We went right after opening and it was AWFUL. Poor food, poor service, and disconnected ownership. A sure FAIL at that rate... So tonight we decided to give it one more try. The hope was that the issues before were from being new. Well that was NOT the case. The only difference was the service. The server was very helpful, and accommodating. That was the only positive piece. The good was NOT good. The only thing that was good was the NON BBQ. The garlic fries were great!! The rest of the food was poor at best. I had a wrap- I literally at one bite. The server asked if she could replace it and was very sweet. But I said no. At that point I was over it and I did order it. I saw her tell the owner about it. He was the same non-interactive, disconnected guy from last time. When we left there were zero people at the bar top and one table. It is no wonder why. As a owner operator if you do not interact with your guests you WILL FAIL. Go take a lesson from Craftsman wood fired pizza or Mr Katsu- both awesome food and awesome ownership!!!
(1)
Oliver W.

Luis F. From Meat Up. Thank you for following up with my comment. I appreciate your point of view and will continue to use Meat Up and as place to get my beer and meat coma fix on my Saturday afternoons or do a take out order for the family.
(4)
Blake H.

This place is beyond amazing. Love their selection of beer and the food is even more delicious !!! I definitely recommend.
(5)
Mike K.

Went there last night to pick up some To Go ribs. Pretty disappointing. Very bland. seemed as if they had been boiled and thrown in the oven. Heard the same thing from a neighbor. Not going again.
(2)
J B.

My wife and I ate here the first week they were open and it wasn't very good. Brisket, bad, porcetta (sp?) not good. I went back two weeks ago for lunch and after scanning the menu decided the Mighty Zeus sandwich looked good. Not to go over the top, but it was the best sandwich I've ever had in my life and I'm in my 60s. Delicious combo of tender tri-tip, cheese (feta?) and peppers on a fresh as can be roll. Fries, meh, fries. I went back today and got the same sandwich and subbed the Hillbilly chili for the fries. Same great sandwich as before and the chili was excellent. I may become a regular Friday lunch customer.
(4)
Shannon T.

My first visit was nothing but satisfying. I chose to sit at the bar so I may enjoy a beer and food and was happily greeted by the bar keep. (Who I later found out if co-owner) upon debating my beer selection he readily offered his knowledge and suggestions based on my interests. The draught list was unique and intriguing and thus overwhelming with the choices. Sure enough he was spot on with a craft beer by 4 Sons that suited my palate. He informed my boyfriend and I that they were still perfecting the menu but offered us a sample of ribs they were testing out as a future item. They were DELICIOUS! We ordered the wing appetizer to start which paired perfectly with the homemade Gorgonzola dip and followed it with a tray of meat and sides that did not disappoint. The restaurant may still be fine tuning the details but thus far they have what every restaurant needs: knowledgeable and friendly staff, great food, and an awesome beer selection! I will definitely be a regular here.
(5)
Kayla G.

If are looking for a place to host a party, this is it! I can not say enough about the owner Mike and the staff for what they did for my guest and I. Long story short, I turned to Meat Up last minute when another venue (MaCallans in Brea) underwent new management and decided to change my party cost even though everything was booked. Mike worked with me on everything and even printed individual menu's for the guest. It was my husbands 30th bday and we had already been beer tasting prior to coming. HE made sure that there was baskets of cheese fries on all tables (which my friends are still talking about), and he made sure that everyone was taken care of right away! I must say the short man behind the bar was rude to a few of our guest, but everyone still had a blast. Mike even let us hang a banner for the birthday boy. We had 37 people show up and eat and drink, which might seem like a lot, but that didn't slow the restaurant down from getting out food out fast and hot. Everything was cooked to order and all 37 people received and ate food within the hour. I would definitely recommend this place to everyone else. They seemed to have a rough opening since its only been a few months, but I think they have it dialed in now. THANK YOU MIKE for making our party amazing. I am sure my friends are coming back soon!
(5)
Chicha M.

Really?? 5 stars? No way! We really wanted this to be a great new place to eat in the area and it was SO bad. I got the Porchetta Cubano sandwich shown on the 2nd picture and it did not look anything like that. It was ALL bread (i had to tear off the top) with diced up pieces of really dry pork without any flavor that when you lifted the sandwich to eat it everything feel out....This mess was $12.00!!! My guest ordered the 2 meat combo and got the brisket which waitress said it would not be dry and the chicken. When it arrived, it was placed on a large aluminum tray as to make it appear like a lot of food! Brisket was 4 very small pieces of very dry meat and a leg and thigh of chicken so so. It comes with 2 small various side dishes which were actually pretty good.....this for $18.00! There is a picture posted by Steven T. on 10/28 which shows 7 pieces!! We only got 4!!! We will not be going back.
(1)
Bryan O.

Bomb food check it out!! Got the prochetta Cubano and Chile Verde fries are off the hook! Great prices beer on tap...and great service!
(5)
Jay E.

Fantastic beer selection, just first class. Wings 10/10, great BBQ platters. Had a lot of fun chatting with the staff about beer. I'm jealous of people who are local to this spot.
(5)
Jesus Q.

The food was great, the staff was amazing, there was ample parking. Definitely looking forward to coming back to this place again.
(5)
Tony F.

This place is awesome, I am so glad they opened in the area. Love the crew and the food. The smoked buffalo wings are the best along with everything I have tried. The feta garlic fries are out of this world. Great selection of craft beers. If you are in town to go to El Torito, stop... look back a few hundred feet and change your taste!
(5)
Brian L.

I SO wanted to like this place, as my quest for REAL BBQ in OC continues. The staff was super nice and friendly, the atmosphere was not bad either, but the food really really needs help. I ordered brisket, cole slaw and BBQ beans, my wife got the pulled pork, BBQ beans, and potato salad. The brisket:, wow was I disappointed, it looked like chopped beef that was pan fried, dry, no sauce, and unusual texture, real brisket is thinly sliced and allows you to see the smoke ring, here NONE was present. The Pulled pork: had some bits of bark, but the bark should have had nice rich smokey flavor which it did not, it was VERY bland, all leading me to wonder if these meats were smoked at all, they seemed to all be oven roasted instead of BBQ'd, or smoked, very peculiar. The BBQ bean, they were black beans a nice touch, and were very flavorful, this was the best part of the meal as the cole slaw was terrible..The water they serve is straight from the tap unfilter basically sewer water, which is very disappointing as I like my BBQ with clean water and lemon to taste the true BBQ flavors, but in this case all roads lead to nowhere. PLEASE if you are the owner and read this review, for the love of BBQ get smoking!! fix the sides and welcome us with REAL smoked BBQ I beg you!! Right now, you are on par with JP23, which is being hammed by bad food, and only survives because of the location and sports bar, please don't go down that road, I think you have the makings of a great place, just fix the food!!
(2)
J C.

Poor service, high prices, food sub par at best. Got takeout and didn't even receive any BBQ sauce. BBQ sauce... Really?!?!
(1)
Aj S.

Beer was awesome and service was great. I feel bad for the people who post 1- and 2-star reviews looking for whatever reason they can think of to pick a place apart. This place has great food, delicious beers, and friendly service. It's always clean, always meets expectations. What more would you want from a restaurant? Really excited to see this place thrive & will definitely be back in hopes that it helps them do so. Thanks!
(5)
Johnnie A.

We will give them another shot once they get there full menu. We went with another couple. The place wasn't very busy good service great beer selection. But its about bbq. $17 for a 2 meat combo with 2 sides I had the brisket and porchetta with mac @ chz and bbq black beans. the sides were good the porchetta had no flavor and the brisket was ok. They cut it in chunks which is odd. The chix wings are tasty and the feta garlic fries are good too. Good flavored bbq sauce. As a restaurant veteran and a foodie. I think they need to focus on food instead of beer selection.
(3)
J W.

The Odin's bacon was a little burnt, but the lobster bun was to die for. The Mac and cheese was rich and delicious. Service from Leslie was spot on. The horseradish slaw is unique and perfect with the pulled pork. Definitely coming back.
(4)
Jacob E.

Great food, amazing beer, friendly staff! What more could you ask for. Amazing place, highly recommended.
(5)
Lisa E.

Hey guys, I know you love your 87 beers, but any chance of offering even 1 or 2 wine options?
(3)
Jennifer W.

Delicious and the craft beers are excellent! The brisket was my favorite with the MacNCheese. The OC Brisket Cheesesteak sandwich is to die for! We highly recommend this place. Good place to catch some football and have a few beers too. Plus it's walking distance from our house so added bonus!
(5)
Ken M.

I came in last night with some friends to check it out. The owner "Mike" was there and we all talked for awhile about the beer selection and menu. They have a great craft beer list and he recommended some to sample and we tasted a few from Figueroa Mountain, Bottle logic, Packinghouse, Anderson Valley, Oscar Blue's, Left Coast, etc... So we had glasses of Knee Deep- Simtra Triple IPA, Bootleggers- Knuckle Sandwich DIPA & an awesome Campfire Stout from High Water Brewing that tasted like Smore's. Now it's time to eat and we all had the Porchetta Cubano sandwich & it was mouthwatering crazy delicious (pork belly, ham, pepper jack cheese, pickles. bbq sauce) I can still taste it. They have a bar, plenty of tables and a few good size HDTV's to watch the game. Great barbeque & craft beer selection, we will be back for many more visit's!!!
(5)
Alisha G.

Yes! 3 of my favorite food trucks unite in a restaurant with amazing craft beer too?! Will be a recurring stop in orange county, for sure!
(5)
Kalene B.

Garlic feta fries are delicious! Pretty much the only reason I would go back. First time I went here it was a Friday night, busy but then again dining area is very small. I got the pulled pork sandwich, it was good. Coleslaw not very good, Mac n cheese was cold but I figured not too bad. Went back last night around 6:30 not busy and there was one guy behind the bar and two servers. We sat down and were told by bartender our server would be right with us. It literally took at least 7 minutes for our waitress to come to our table and when she did it was to tell us she would be right with us.when she came back We ordered food and drinks at the same time. Took another 5-10 minutes to get our drinks. Seems as though they hired inexperienced servers. Food: ribs tasted like they had Been popped in microwave and pulled pork and homemade pickles inedible. The only good things were the garlic feta fries and my beans. I want to like this place since its near my house but I don't know if I want to spend another $50 just to be disappointed again.
(3)
Ali C.

I really wanted to like this place. I love the idea that more small, independent restaurants are opening in North Orange County; however, the food was just alright. Prices are reasonable and the ambiance/dÃ©cor is nice, but I thought the food was not up to par. I ordered a chicken sandwich and my hubby ordered a burger. There was nothing really great about the food, it was average at best. Also, service was spotty. When we walked in, we waited for a couple minutes for a host to come by. We asked how long the wait was because there were a few groups waiting and her response was "I don't know because I just sat some people". Isn't that part of your job to gauge wait times? I asked her if it would be closer to 15 minutes or closer to an hour (since its a small restaurant). She said probably 30 minutes. She ended up seating us in less than 10 minutes. When are server came to the table, my husband asked if they had any Amber beer on tap since the beers are posted on a board over the bar in the smallest font possible, which we couldn't read from our table (I appreciate they rotate their beers often, so they don't have them printed on a menu). Our server said no I don't think so, so my hubby ordered something else (the server prefaced the conversation with "I am very knowledgeable about all the beers so please ask me questions). When we were walking out we read the beer board and sure enough and Amber was listed! Hopefully it's just growing pains, but I think we'll wait a few months before we return for a second try!
(2)
Joanna K.

I have actually been wanting to come here since they opened, but mixed reviews initially delayed my visit. We eat out often and have to watch our budget. So, when reviews improved dramatically over the year and a coupon came in the meal, I thought, "I'm in!" My hubby got the pulled pork sandwich and I got the Kraken (crab cake) sandwich. He got the salad with his and I ordered fries with mine (which a choice of either of those comes with it which is a plus in my book!). Upon receiving our food, it looked amazing. We cut it all in half so we could both try everything...which I recommend! The salad was ample and good. The food temperature, flavor and quality was very good. The service was okay - you have to go up and order, it's then served and you kind of get checked on (drinks are self serve). I thought, "hmm, if I wanted refills on alcohol I guess you have to flag down the busy server (I saw only one running both sides of restaurant). The "neutrals" to me were having to find a table and then go back and stand in line for food. For the prices, I think they can take your order at the table...I mean you don't pay when you order; so that is confusing. So, then later, we had to go back to the counter to pay. Kind of odd dynamics. The music was not to my taste - screaching singing - but perhaps other patrons like it...they didn't seem to though. I think that management should have at least 2 servers. Ours was busy so not much service. The manager did start taking orders to alleviate the server's workload. It would also be nice to have the BBQ sauces marked so the customer knows what they are. Having an employee smell the bottle at the table to guess what is inside isn't necessarily a good substitute, ha!! Overall, I would definitely go back. I would look for a coupon again though because even with the coupon, the 2 of us paid $30 for dinner (including tip) with sodas...with beer orders, that bill would go up dramatically. Last thought, this is a good place for Placentia and a welcome replacement for the prior establishment. WELCOME!
(5)
Bill H.

Just finished a great lunch meal at this new to me bar b q spot. Had the red chile and bacon potato salad the main was the rib tips, very good The partners are brew experts and have a larger than most selection to choose from and it rotates more choices over time.. The owners are great to talk to and the food is great, like a "guys place" but wait they have salads and a nice atmosphere. I would recommend it highly... Give it a try it won't disappoint.. Higgins
(4)
Shannon F.

Came here for lunch when El Torito next door wouldn't seat us (literally stood in their lobby for 5 minutes with NO service what so ever). As fate would have it and thanks to Yelp, we walked across the parking lot to eat BBQ for lunch instead. Thank god we did because it was AMAZING! I got the pulled pork sandwich with french fries. The pork was soft and moist big giant pieces with little to no fat, an amazingly soft and firm toasted but, cool crunchy coleslaw, season fries with ranch sauce to dip in and yummy sauces on the table to further flavor the sandwich. I had to eat it with a fork and knife! My fiance got the OC cheese steak sandwich which was equally amazing. big pieces of caramelized peppers and onions, gooey cheese, yummy stead, piled high and delish. I wish I lived close to hear cause I would be coming back for more ALL the time!! PS: heard the owner talking to a vendor in the building how they used to be a food truck. Wow, bravo to you guys!
(5)
Pamela L.

So this little BBQ joint opened up next to the Chinese take out place. It's perfectly placed in the corner for late night drinking and hanging out. Same area as El Torito. The bar side of the restaurant is my favorite side, I wish they carried it over to the other half, but I get that they're trying to be family friendly. That's chill too! This place is competing with the BBQ joint down the street, for comparison purposes, it's called Leadbellys BBQ. (I'll start off by just telling you about Meat Up before comparing to Leadbelly.) So we decided to share the three meat special (it's on the back of the menu). We opted for pulled pork, tri-tip, and chicken. I feel like those are pretty good representations of if a BBQ joint is good or not. We paired it with two side salads ($3 for the extra one) and a mac n cheese. Sides first: I super LOVED the garlic lemon salad dressing, but it is pretty much oil, just FYI. Probably even butter. Mm, so delicious. The mac n cheese was as expected, did not particularly stand out, but did not stay in the shadows either. It is of the creamy light colored variety, with breadcrumbs on it to boot. The textures for our sides were a great contrast to our meat dishes. Now on to the meat and potatoes. Meat, anyway. The pulled pork was definitely lacking... Super disappointing considering pulled pork is one of the easier things to make. And not mess up. Disappointed. Yeah. Disappointing. It was dry and lacking in flavor. The tri-tip was significantly better, perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection as expected at a BBQ joint. The star of the show though, the BBQ chicken. Man, the dark meat was good. The white meat was a little overdone (as with most chickens cooked whole)... Maybe they can cook it upside down and see if that helps. But definitely order the tri-tip and chicken. :) Comparing it to Leadbellys: Each one definitely has their strong points. I would say Leadbellys for pulled pork is the winner there. It was much juicier and tender. Really a pick, even so much time since trying it, I remember it! The tri-tip was about the same, but if I had to choose, the award goes to Meat Up on that one. I didn't get to try any chicken at Leadbellys, but I had the sausage, which is always good anywhere. (That one you definitely can't mess up!) TL;DR - Leadbellys for pulled pork, Meat Up for everything else.
(4)
Joe T.

Wife wanted to try this place so we did. Great bbq with lots of beers on draft. The prices were good and they had tvs to watch the football games. Try it.
(4)
Evan S.

Girlfriend didn't want to come here at all because all she ever wants to eat is Vietnamese food. Didn't tell her where we were going and came here for dinner. Both our first time coming here and we absolutely loved it! She couldn't stop saying "oh my god this is so good" and I couldn't stop saying "I'm so glad you chose to come here". It was fricking amazing food. I had the smoking Reuben and she had a 2 meat plate with fried chicken and pulled pork. Service was prompt and the guy who served us was super friendly. I will definitely come back here again. Would've given 5 stars but got a hair in the pulled pork, but hey shit happens and I didn't complain.
(4)
Rob D.

2.5. I gave the extra .5 because the pork ribs were not too bad but still overcooked and a bit dry. Another futile attempt to try to find good BBQ in OC. I ordered the three meat combination with tri tip, porchetta and pork ribs priced at $24. The service here was EXTREMELY slow. After I ordered, I waited 35 minutes for my meal. Ridiculous. The tri tip has a fairly good smokey flavor to it but it was dry. After eating a couple of slices, I just stopped eating it because it was so dry. The porchetta was a huge fail. It came in chunks but it was flavorless and very dry. I stopped eating it after less than half way through. The pork ribs were the best having a nice smokey flavor but again, they were a bit dry. I ordered the chile and also the mac and cheese sides. The chile was pretty good with a lot of meat. The mac and cheese was nothing to write home about. The sauces here were okay. But, I don't go to a BBQ joint for the sauces. I go for the meat. And, if the meat fails, the BBQ joint fails. They got the smoke right on a couple of meats. But, they are overcooking their meat to the point that it almost as dry as beef jerky.
(2)
Pete F.

With its food truck roots, using paper trays for plates is a way to maintain that connection, I guess. The meats are served on toaster pans with a wax paper that rips when you try to slice the meat and sides are served In paper cups that that doubles as takeout boxes. Frankly I'd prefer proper plates and dishes when I walk into a restaurant. Also consistent with the food truck genre, the food prep is very decadent. I walked out wishing I didn't indulge so much. The feta garlic fries was generously adorned with cheese. The beans were very sweet and full of meat. The mac & cheese was cheesy and rich. As for the entrees, the best was the St Louis ribs. The ribs were meaty and flavorful. I believe an order came with 5 ribs. The fried smoked chicken was also good but would be better if not so over cooked. The smoked tri tip was the major disappointment. It came sliced thin and, by its texture, appeared to have been sitting out for awhile so it was dry, tough and lacked flavor. The service was very good - friendly and attentive. The value was okay. Portions for entrees were on the petite side but the sides will fill you up. From other reviews, it appear they've been working on improvements. I think they're close but have a little more do go.
(3)
Matt S.

Simple yet fantastic. Ordered the 2 meat plate w ribs and chicken. Servers were friendly and helpful. Food came out quickly. Beer selection was above average, not great. Sat at the bar. Bar top is too high for my liking. My litmus test is whether or not i would return and if i would order the same thing again. Yes and hell yes.
(4)
Kaitlin J.

Best BBQ spot in Placentia! I love the cracked pepper sauce, and the OC cheese steak is mouth watering!
(5)
Frank M.

Went here last night. Based on some of the previous reviews I crossed my fingers and went there with family and friends. I'm happy we did. We arrived around 5pm on a Saturday evening and sat out on their patio. We took a look at the menu and ordered our food and drinks (the order has to be placed inside but they'll bring everything out to you). The service was good and they even allow dogs on the patio. We sampled some of the beer samplers (some exotic) and ordered the garlic fries with feta cheese. OMG, I'm not a feta cheese lover but it sure was good on these fries. Yum! We also ordered the bbq chicken which was decent, the ribs which were delicious, rib tips were delicious and the tri-tip which was OUTSTANDING! There's a bar on the inside and there's televisons everywhere (except outside). The bathrooms were clean and well stocked and there's plenty of parking. I finally found a place that's not so commercial with some down home cooking. I will definitely be back for more.
(4)
Shawna C.

Another delicious meal delayed for too long due to busy schedules, too many places to see and enjoy, and the fact that I rarely look at my bookmarks. I had these guys bookmarked for a while. My husband informed me that Meat Up was created by Food Truck owners Garlic Scapes and The Viking Truck. They decided to go with the BBQ route on their permanent location! After having this place bookmarked right after they opened, we finally decided to head on over. We ended up going with the three meat plate to share, and it did fill us up. People are easily discouraged from the looks of BBQ meat plates as the portions look small, but it fools you every time. For our meat selections we went with the short ribs made with their blackberry bbq sauce, and we also had tri tip and pulled pork. I almost always have to get pulled pork. For our two side items we went with the bbq black beans with tri tip, and mac n cheese. It also came out with a roll which we split. The food came out and we dove in. As my luck goes, we ended up with a lopsided table as always, but they were swamped when we came in, and it died way down by the time we left. I found everything to be delicious, but my favorite was the pulled pork. It's a personal preference. I started to try every item with each of their bbq sauces on the end to use. (Cracked Pepper and Blackberry) but since the short ribs came with blackberry on it, I finished the other two meats off with the cracked pepper sauce. I guess they forgot to bring us knives, so we ate animal style. I didn't feel like dealing with the mess of a crowd and it was no big deal. I had a fork for the pulled pork, and the ribs I ate with my hands anyways. It was no biggie to do the same with the tri tip. The side items were delicious as well. The bbq black beans with tri tip had excellent flavor but it was spicy. I don't do well at all with spicy. It was delicious but had a kick to it and I was getting full so I let my husband enjoy more of that. In return he let me enjoy more of the mac n cheese. I really liked the mac n cheese. It's not like your regular kind. I am probably way off but it reminded me more of a white cheddar than your average deal. I loved it. Pricing was average for BBQ. The three meat plate was $19 and with drinks and tri tip costing a little extra, the total was $27 for both of us. Friendly service, yummy food. I will be back.
(4)
Jessica Rae A.

The Mac Attack Fries were AMAZING! My boyfriend were able to finish them quickly because of how delicious they were. They're a pretty big portion so splitting them amongst a group would also work. The Tri Tip was seasoned well but a little tougher than I've had at other BBQ places. The sides were okay. First, the Mac and Cheese lacked something. It was a little bland for my taste and for me, lacked a little cheese. The Bacon Potato Salad was also a little disappointing. I was expecting an infusion of bacon flavor into the potato salad. What I got was some cold and hard bacon bits thrown on top of the salad. The bacon bits were also cold, so that probably means it was refrigerated for a while (maybe that's why it was hard?) The sides I ordered could not stand on their own and if I were to go back, I'd probably only order the fries as my only side. My boyfriend ordered their chili and he did not enjoy it as well. All in all, an okay experience. I'll probably come back just for the Mac Attack Fries and to try the Garlic Feta Fries.
(3)
Alisha J.

We ordered a large order for lunch and Mike got everything we needed correct. The food was amazing. We orders salads, sandwiches and fries. All very good. I got the oc cheese steak and would definitely recommend this. However, I wasn't a fan of the Chile Verde fries but maybe it's because I took them to go. You got a thumbs up from 8 of us here!
(5)
Chris G.

I ordered the OC CHEESE STEAK sandwich. With the first bite I broke into tears. It was like a kitten sliding down a rainbow, a baseball players first grandslam, that new car smell, a fresh pair of socks, I shirt straight from the dryer on a cold day, or lastly Morgan Freeman narrating a couple bear cubs playing in a meadow. All that aside it was fantastic and definitely worth the drive. Not to mention lots of great beers.
(5)
Andy K.

We live close to this place and I'm always looking for ways to spend money in my city. I had a day off work and the wife wanted to get some lunch after she got off work. Usually we go to our local, but she wanted to take me to Meat Up. I'd never been and I had another friend who went and didn't care for it. I was leery, but they had a good craft beer selection so I was willing to try it. Glad we did. Menu had pretty normal BBQ options - tri tip, pulled pork, bratwurst, chicken. Crab cake? I was super intrigued by that last one, but opted for the pulled pork sandwich. I try to use pulled pork as a baseline for any BBQ place. I figure if you can't do that right, you shouldn't be making bbq. What really blew me away was the beer selection. This wasn't just a few taps or some bombers. There were at least twenty-five taps. And while I am not a craft beer God, I do consider myself and enthusiast and if i haven't tried a beer, I've at least heard of it. They had beers, even SoCal beers, that I'd never even heard of. Awesome, I love trying new beer. Warlock IPA from Craft Brewing Company in Lake Elsinore. One thing I like about Meat Up, is ordering and paying at the counter. Especially with groups of people. Splitting a check with a group is a hassle and trying to figure out who ordered what and paying on one check is a great way to ruin friendships. Order at the counter, get a table number, and a nice young lady brings your food in a few minutes. Food arrives and holy crap that's a lot of pulled pork. Easily it's two sandwiches worth. In fact I actually opened it up and scraped half the meat off and took it home. Bun for the sandwich is sprinkled with I dunno, some kinds of seeds (see my pictures). As a side I got the (I think this is the right name) Hellbelly Chili. I can see big chunks of beef, green peppers, green onions, beans, and a dollop of sour cream. The pulled pork was tender with the end pieces having a good crust on them. I would've preferred it be shredded up a little more, but flavor-wise it was spot on. Not too much sauce and it seemed like it wasn't sitting in a heating tray of juices. You know, sometimes you can tell it's been sitting around because it's soaked in juices? This didn't seem to be the case. The aforementioned bun had a nice toasty crunch to it, like they'd grilled it a little first. Very buttery, in a good way. Airy, with a nice feel and bite. Also cole slaw was in there which gave a nice counter point. I prefer vinegar cole slaw, but this was good also. I had to scrape half of it off with the meat because it would've just made a mess. The chili was really good. Nice flavor, little kick without being forehead-sweat hot. The green onions were a little on the strong side, maybe fewer of them would've been better, or sliced thinner? I don't know, that's probably a personal preference thing. But it was chock full of meet and beans and other good stuff. Good consistency. Honestly, for lunch, I would've been happy with just a beer and the chili. The sandwich was good but it was a lot of food; wife and I could've split the sandwich and probably been just fine for 2 people. That's not a knock, by any means. I went out of there stuffed and happy. Wife liked her tri-tip plate, and we took some of that home too. She really liked the peach/habanero sauce on the table, and the dressing that came with her side salad was good. Kind of a dill-ranch thing. Will we go back? Absolutely. They have kid options too, altho lord knows if my kids will actually eat there. I could absolutely see me sitting on the patio on a warm evening, date-night kind of thing, enjoying a nice beer and the feta fries my wife also raved about (we didn't get, but she's had them before). I need to try a few more things on the menu, but so far I'm a fan.
(4)
Kelvin C.

I really really wanted to like this place more as it's local and I'd been promoting this place to my wife only to be disappointed times 10. Here's what we had: 3 meat bbq platter: Ribs - All I tasted was smoked wood. I love smokey meats but it tasted like they brined it in liquid smoke. Tri-tip - The best of the bunch. The tri-tip was tender and tasted good. Porchetta - This one was a fail. It's literally chunks of pork belly with no seasoning. I was sooo disappointed. It was pretty much pure fat. Fries - These were good. Nice and crispy. Cole slaw - uggghhh. This was inedible. The slaw was so thick it was like eating pure milk fat. Also, they used so much of this one ingredient (tasted like licorice) that I almost yacked. I can't stand licorice. However, the service was good and their craft beer selection is outstanding so 2 stars for that. I'll never be able to live this one down with my wife. 2 stars.
(2)
Jenn S.

I will be back because it was amazing. Beer selection was great. The two sandwiches we had were so very good and unique. Loved the flavor!!
(5)
Jesse R.

Wow, this is the absolute worst brisket to have ever been served. How on earth people give this more than 1 star reviews is beyond me. If SoCal calls this a BBQ establishment then a crash course in smoked meat and flavor from a state that takes BBQ seriously is in order. No matter what kind of BBQ you're into this place is sure to disappoint. No smoke rings, no color, no moisture...just dehydrated beef jerky-esque meat is all you're going to receive. Sides are marginally good and will help get the taste of horrifically cooked pork or beef out of your mouth. UPDATE - for whatever reason I am unable to update my original review which was written while still sitting at the table just after being served what was in the photo. The owner of the establishment did come and apologize for the bad brisket and mentioned they're still dialing in their smoking techniques. He took the meal off of the bill and invited us to come back at a later date. The service was solid in contrast to the meals and ownership was sympathetic to our complaints. Style points for sure.
(1)
Susan V.

Wow! Great food! My husband and I loved what we ordered. We had the Rotten Richard Burger and the OC cheese steak. Oh, and we had the garlic fries too. The fries were delicious and this place does not cheat you on the portions you get. The fries were perfect extra crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Made it perfect for the cheese and sauce. My husband loves the cheese steak sandwich he dipped it in a little blackberry bbq sauce and loved it even more. I had the burger and it was very good I thought the fried potato patty was a bit heavy for me. I took it out and enjoyed the burger a lot better that way. We both really liked the freshness of all the food. We live a drive away. But I know we will be back. I do need to say though that they need to clean up their patio. We were going to sit outside, but there were napkins and trash on the floor. They also need to wipe down the furniture. Just some tidying-up will work!
(4)
D Q.

Worst tri tip I have ever tasted. Like overcooked rubber. Zero stars. Good craft beer selection earned them 2 stars.
(2)
Steven C.

Meat Up BBQ is what you get when the minds behind the Garlicscapes and Viking food trucks come together and it's a winner. Despite neither of the aforementioned trucks are BBQ based the concept is a novel idea and it works. Whatever the reasoning may be the fact of the matter is this is a quality BBQ joint and I hope people come down and check them out. We are seeing more and more of these food truck restaurant collaborations popping up and so far in my experiences they have for the most part paid off. As we walked in we found the place to be packed and a substantial line still waiting to order. We looked over a menu and decided upon sharing (remember sharing is caring) a three meat plate as I slipped out onto the patio and staked us out a table as it opened up. Out total after drinks was about $27 which for two people to share a meal was quite reasonable in my opinion and all of the food was quite good. Our three meat plate consisted of rib tips made with their signature blackberry BBQ sauce, tri-tip and pulled pork and we opted to go with the BBQ black beans and mac n cheese as our side components. I was pleased to see that the food came out quite quickly and the looked great. The tri-tip was my favorite and when topped with the cracked pepper BBQ sauce on the table was like pure heaven. The pulled pork also had great flavor and was cooked to perfection as well but I personally found the rib tips to be the weakest dish overall. The blackberry BBQ sauce was fantastic and I would definitely buy a bottle of this for home but the ribs were a little too tough and seemed a bit overcooked to me as I had a hard time getting the meat from the bone. The BBQ black beans were fantastic but unfortunately for my wife had a touch too much heat on them for her so I ended up eating the majority of these myself. In exchange my wife conquered more of the mac n cheese after I took a small portion for myself to try. The mac n cheese was another highlight of the night and seemed lighter in color as if they used a combination of parmesan and other cheeses into the mix, whatever it is, it was good. We also split a dinner roll which was nothing to write home about but was a nice complement to the meal nonetheless. I was a bit worried that sitting outside would cause our service to lack a bit and although a bit slow it worked out fine. The pricing here is pretty reasonable and if shared among a group of two or more can be quite good when wanting to sample multiple items from the menu. Despite this being a bit of a drive for us, it has definitely earned itself a return visit sometime down the line. There are so many unsatisfactory BBQ joints out there that it is always nice to find a place of this caliber. I do wonder how being so close to Blake's Place will affect the business but there is more than enough BBQ lovers out there that both places should continue to thrive. The guys from Garlicscapes and The Viking Truck deserve a lot of praise for taking a gamble on this place, but it paid off big time. We both enjoyed our meal and will definitely keep this in mind the next time we are craving a BBQ night out.
(4)
Ron D.

Another great dinner tonight. Pork belly with potato salad side and slaw. Half rack of ribs with beans and Mac and cheese sides. MLB on the TV as a bonus
(5)
Travis W.

My cousin turned me onto this new little spot that is the new kid on the block in the BBQ world. He told me they had about 25 taps so right away I was already down to visit. Finally had the chance to stop in with my wife and I. Now reading all the reviews after visiting I can see people are not pleased with the BBQ. Me personally I am not a huge fan of just BBQ plates so my wife and I went with sandwiches, and both were mighty fantastic. I got the Cubano Sandwich and she grabbed the Smoked Chicken. They were both fantastic, the Cubano was full of flavor and had a nice balance to it. If I could change one thing it would be a thinner piece of ham. It was thick cut but I am not complaining more is better right? I had some food envy once I took a bite of the Smoked Chicken. That was a darn good sandwich. I would come back for these alone. PLUS that broccoli and bacon with cranberry was such a fantastic side, it had me wanting more of it once it was gone. All the sides that they have look good, take it from me try once of the many sides instead of just phoning it in and grabbing the fries. The people here were really nice, I was chatting with the bartender about the brews they had and he knew his stuff for sure. They will be getting some great beers coming through here. I recommend getting on Taphunter if your not on it already Meat Up. And from what I understand more is coming to the menu. Its just still kind of a soft opening. I can't wait to come back and try a burger and the other stuff on the menu like the wings. And if you need me to kill the rest of the Ponto IPA I can totally make that happen guys!!! CHEERS!!!
(4)
Matt H.

Meat Up is the concept that came from the dudes who own some of Orange County's most scrumptious food trucks The Viking Truck, Garlicscapes, & Porko Rico BBQ. So with that said i had high expectations of Meat Up and they definitely came through wile they are only in the stages of soft opening the food flavors were definitely there! We ordered some drinks before hand they have a great selection of local craft brews which you can't go wrong with. Out of all of them I ordered a cider because it just sounded good for the mean time. We started off by getting the garlic feta fries and wow are they good soo flavorful and just hit the spot before our BBQ came. Pulled pork sandwiches are always one of my favorite things to get and that was no exception here it was piled high and packed full of flavor they have a delicious BBQ sauce that is rich and a bit spicy but not overwhelming and just right. For my side i ordered the beans they were black beans in a smokey BBQ sauce goodness that were just yummy. Overall this was some of the best BBQ ive had in a wile and I will look forward to coming back here soon especially when they get a full menu in place because some of the items my friends ordered also looked quite good and that definitely includes the burgers wow they look devastatingly good!
(5)
Bigg D.

This place has a lot of growing thats needed, their cooks should have learn how to smoke meat before they opened, ribs where over cooked, the pork belly was under cooked, wings was dry, the highlight was the fries and sweet rolls
(1)
Randi B.

This place is so good! We came last night for dinner, and I'm really glad we did! I was already a fan of both The Viking Truck and Garlic Scapes, so I knew this place would be great. They have only been open about two weeks, so they have a limited menu. But what they have is delicious, and I can't wait to see what else they have in the future. I had the #1 with Brisket, BBQ Rub Fries, and Lemon Dill Potato Salad. No complaints! The Brisket was tender and tasty, I loved both BBQ sauces served with them, one was smoky and spicy, and the other was made with blackberries and very sweet. The fries were honestly some of the best I have ever had. BF had the Porchetta Cubano sandwich. Truly a delicious sandwich, and a good portion too. The pork belly was so flavorful, and the house made pickles were great. BF was really impressed with the beer selection and he enjoyed the one he had. Service was fast and friendly, and the prices were good. I am looking forward to going back and trying more of their menu, all of it sounds great!
(5)
Amy C.

Holy Amazing BBQ, Batman! What an incredible meal. Really pleased with my meal. Definitely making this a favorite - shame that I don't live here!!! My pulled pork sandwich was perfect. Tender meat under a poppyseed bun, topped with pickles and sauce. This sandwich was huge! My Uncle had the full rack of ribs. Tender and juicy. Plenty left over for dinner at home - for everyone. Everyone's favorite appetizer was the basket of Garlic Feta Fries' flavor explosion! Do not miss these fries. Awesome. The other appetizer was supremely tasty: deep-fried artichoke. Mmmmmm. I'm really hoping they go national and open a restaurant in my hometown. Until then, this will be the BBQ place I will dream sweet Blackberry BBQ sauce dreams of until the next vacation to Orange County comes.
(5)
Jessie L.

All I have to say is you need to get the mac attack fries. They're delicious fries covered in mac and cheese, pulled pork, and chili. We split it among 6 of us and it was heavy but delicious! I also got the chicken wrap with the potato salad as a side. Both were great, I prefer potato salads with with crunch but it wasn't bad. The chicken wrap was very flavorful, it was enough food to feed me for lunch and dinner. The owner was super nice and accommodating, we had a large group for lunch and they let us set up additional seats and tables outside.
(4)
Brian F.

Meat perfection!! Six of us went to Meat Up today for my birthday. I was anxious to try it after seeing the segment on KTLA Morning News Burrous' Bites. Our meals way exceeded all expectations! We showed up right at 11:30 and were greeted by the delicious aromas of smoked meats. Let's get right into it: The star of the show was the pulled pork! Cooked 13+ hours, tender, lean, moist. I have never had a better pulled pork! Next up tri tip. Incredibly tender and full of that insane smokey flavor- meat crack!! Dad had the ribs, and raved about them. I was impressed by the perfect amount of char on the surface. Mom has the chicken, she loved it. My son had the massive pulled pork sandwich- Huuuge! The sides rocked! Mac & Cheese is the real deal! Cole slaw is excellent. Chili Verde is amazing. And I loved the Hellbilly Chili! We split 3 slices of their bacon cheesecake- a totally unique and tasty dessert! The staff are so friendly and genuinely glad you're there. The atmosphere is modern rock & roll casual. I want to make Meat Up my regular meet up!!
(5)
Sheila J.

I was finally able to visit this establishment, 9 months after it opened! That's a shame, since I reside in the city of Placentia. The place has a chillax feel, when you walk in and allows for plenty of seating. My eyes were drawn to the expansive bar, beers on tap, and menu above. I had a chance to talk to one of the owners, since I co-admin the Placentia Buzz Facebook page. He assured me business was doing pretty good, yet still different from the food truck world. I ordered the slider of the day and the Mack Attack Fries. Both were tasty and affordable and paired well, with my Bud Light! I'd return here in a heartbeat and look foreward to sampling more dishes and dessert!
(4)
Elle P.

I want to try everything on the menu! The staff is nice, the food is even better. I had barbecue french fries once at a hot dog place in SF and since then have missed them. Now I found them in SoCal! The fries are great then, if you want, they top them with delicious stuff. The Kraken crsab cake sandwich is my favorite so far. This place is not affordable enough for everyday but definitely worth a visit, or ten
(5)
George C.

Really liked this BBQ place! Leslie was an awesome server and Luis the manager was a pleasure to talk to about beer and music. They both chatted with me while I ate at the bar. Felt "home-ey" like I was a regular there. I got the 3 meat combo (porchetta, half chicken and Trip Tip) with mac n cheese and BBQ black beans. The meats: Porchetta: Basically white meat pork belly. It was delicious! Especially the fried rind parts! My favorite! Like chicharon. I saw another reviewer give it a bad rating because he said it wasn't seasoned? Pork Belly doesn't need seasoning! It is supposed to be dipped in sauce every time I've had it at other restaurants and it went great with the blackberry BBQ sauce. I enjoyed it. Tri top: Delicious! Right amount of marbled meat, perfect soft texture and smokeyness. The rub on it is great and also enjoyed it with the blackberry BBQ sauce. Half chicken: it was so delicious that it didn't need sauce! It was smokey and flavorful and juicy!!! Perfectly cooked . Prob my fav meat so far. Sides: Mac n cheese: Delicious! Topped with bread crumbs it was cheesy gooey and hearty. BBQ black beans: My favorite! Recommended getting these. It was smokey sweet BBQ with chunks of tri tip to add to the flavor. Excellent side! Also had a great beer selection! I didn't get to try them all (I will one day) but I wanted a light beer so I got a peach/hibiscus summerweisse that was excellent. Very refreshing and slightly tart like a sour beer I will definitely be coming back!!!
(5)
Brian R.

Back again...having the black heart burger and fries....with a Saint Archer Porter.....pretty darn good......
(5)
Katarina S.

Food was good, but pretty pricey for a place this casual. The bar can get really loud, and they don't have every kind of beer on their menu board available which was a little confusing. Got the Black Heart burger and a side of mac and cheese and both were really yummy.
(4)
M C.

Go to Dicky's instead! Or Lucille's. $87 for Rib tips that were overcooked and excessively fatty, tri tip that was tough, and 3 average kids meals. Staff was nice. Won't be back again anytime soon. I would give it a 3 on food, but lost a star because I had to pay a premium for sub par food. Chile Verde was meh. Bacon potato salad was meh. Seasoned veggies were soggy. Half of my kids chicken nuggets were pure batter with zero chicken. Pulled pork sandwich was blah. Beer selection sucks unless you like crappy bitter ipas and the like. This place is trying to be successful at trendy instead of trying to be successful at serving good food. FYI. it's seat yourself, so if you come in with more than 4 be ready to fight for a table. Who wants to have people snake their parking spot then snake their table. Ugh
(2)
Kevin L.

Food was really good. I'd definitely come back for more. Wish they offered more BBQ varieties but the ones they did offer were good. Service was great, the beer variety was plentiful, and the atmosphere was comfortable. Thank you!
(5)
Christopher G.

Great place to eat. Love the beer on tap. They change out every few days and get new ones. Had the magic mike sandwich and a bomb cowboy crunch. Love the creativity. Love the people who work there. Will return and tell everyone
(5)
Nancy E.

Outstanding first visit yesterday for lunch...and we will definitely be back! Usually, the "order at the counter and have it brought to your table" type restaurant is not what I am looking for when I go out for a leisurely meal. However, Meat Up BBQ and another "counter" restaurant we have recently visited (El Amerikano in Fullerton, I am talking about you!) have had me re-thinking my stance on this issue. In any case, the aroma emitting from this place is the first thing you notice. I felt like one of those cartoon characters floating on air while my nose led me to Meat Up's door. Heavenly, is the only way to describe it. We were greeted in a friendly fashion and every attempt was made to get us seated in a timely manner. The menu was out of a comfort-food dream: Garlic Feta Fries, Chili Verde Fries, Mac and Cheese, Pulled Pork, Smoked Sausage, Ribs, Hellbilly Chili...just about everything and anything one would want. Our table shared the Garlic Feta Fries and the Chili Verde Fries while we waited for our lunches. The fries and our fine beer (and the craft beer selection was absolutely glorious!) were nearly enough to leave us full and happy, but there was more pleasure to come. The OC Philly Cheesesteak was a huge success. The Smoked Sausage, mouth-watering. The barbeque tri-tip and pulled pork combo plates were delectable. Even the kids-meal sliders on Hawaiian rolls were a hit! A special shout-out to the divine Chili Verde, which I had as a side dish. The staff was quite friendly, the ambience pleasant and, again, the food and beer were out of this world. As I said at the beginning, this will definitely require a return visit. I cannot wait!
(5)
Gerry P.

Barbecue, beer, and board games. A formula that works magic! I found this place through scouring the vast, deep, yelp and I'm glad I found it. When I came a few days ago I was welcomed with a well picked beer section from which I got a goose island pale ale (anything from goose island is amazing). With happy hour pricing it was around $5 only. The hostess greeted me with a smile and was very helpful with explaining what to order. We eventually ordered one of the Mac sliders (deep fried mac and cheese patty), feta fries, and the pulled pork sandwich with a salad. The slider was so unique and tasty, I could've eaten 3 more of them. My favorite was the pulled pork because it was so tender, flavorful, and juicy! The portion size of everything was bigger than average, so you get what you pay for. The sauces on the table were really complimentary to the food we ordered. I enjoyed the smoked peach habanero sauce. It was tangy with just a enough kick to it. Another cool factor that this place had was the board games. I didn't get to play any but i saw a nice selection of games and people were actually playing them! How cool is that? Service: 5 stars Food: 5 stars
(5)
Brian K.

Only thing I missed was the corn bread. I would come back again. Pulled pork was good. Was missing a little vinegar Bbq sauce. But that's just the carolina in me.
(4)
Tamara T.

Came here for a co-workers retirement lunch and read up on this place before I got here to get tips on what to get and was a bit skeptical but overall I was satisfied with the bbq and sides. I got the 3 meats plate with sausage, tri-tip, and rib tips and macaroni and fries as my sides. I loved the macaroni and thought it was authentic and spent most of my time eating that and the fries. When I finally got to the meats my stomach was halfway full and there was A LOT of meat to be eaten still. I thought they didn't offer me as much sausage as the other two meats but lo and behold I found three pieces of sausage hiding under my pile of tri-tip and instant happiness struck my heart! Took the rest back to the office and had tasty leftovers for lunch for two days. One issue I did have was that the soda had a weird after taste and my co-workers pointed it out before I even said anything. It had a stale after taste that might be from (I'm going out on a limb here) the nozzles not being completely cleaned out? I'd definitely come back if I'm in the area on a weekend and recommend trying them out.
(3)
Al P.

Wow, never thought I find a place like this in placenta, ca. I'm pleasantly surprised. Anyways, what can I say, great place and great food. Nothing beats a great pulled pork sandwich. My friend had the Cubans which was just as good. I highly recommend this this. What a great addition to placenta.
(4)
Cari S.

The food is really good, the prices are reasonable, the service is above average (but not exceptional). I'd probably give Meat-Up a three star rating if it wasn't for the portion sizes. Meat Up BBQ hooks you up with meat. I had a BBQ chicken salad. It was delicious. Every single bite had chicken. Even at the end of the salad, when the lettuce and other toppings were long gone, I still had chicken in the salad bowl (AND I was giving my son some of my chicken). This is not normal. Most places charge you $10.00 for a salad that has a few pieces of meat on it. Meat-Up will charge you $10.00 for a salad, but it's worth every penny. My salad was amazing. My husband's ribs where a little dry, although they were very meaty. The appetizers were yummy. The environment was fun. They serve good beer, but the place is still kid friendly. I would definitely go back.
(4)
Annie L.

I don't even know how to begin reviewing this place so let's just cut to the chase. Ordered a 3 meat BBQ plate with 2 sides to share: Pulled pork, brisket, ribs, broccoli salad, fries, and it also came with a biscuit. Over heard the restaurant owner or chef talking about how they try to perfect their meats, etc etc etc... ok cool. Sounds promising! Unfortunately, we were quickly disappointed as soon as our food came out. Our food was cold, the biscuit was refrigerator cold and stale. What's going on here? We tasted the meats and it was bland and chewy, especially the brisket. Color of the meat was dull, you can't taste the smoked flavor, or any flavor for that matter. There was just something about this meal that didn't taste right at all. Then it hit us....the bbq tasted like it was microwaved from leftovers. I could've cooked up this disaster myself...and trust me, you don't want to eat my cooking. I'm sure the freshly made BBQ is great according to all the raving reviews here. But I don't think it's worth taking that chance again when there are other BBQ places around. On the plus side, the decor of this restaurant is nice and there is a big screen TV. The service was great. Didn't care for the cheap plastic blue cups my water was served in though. Don't serve drinks in non-clear cups. It's gross, I can't tell what I'm drinking. Was the water leftovers too? LoL
(1)

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Address : 1450 N Kraemer Blvd
Placentia, CA, 92870
Phone (714) 983-7558
Website https://www.meatupbbq.com
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Specialities

Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Garage, Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Dogs Allowed : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes

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Meat Up BBQ

1450 N Kraemer Blvd, Placentia, CA, 92870

Meat Up BBQ Menu

Starters

Salads

Sandwiches

Burgers

Meat Entrees

Family Packs

Classic Sides

Premium Sides

Kid's Meals (12 and Under)

Healthy Meal suggestions for Meat Up BBQ

Starters

Salads

Sandwiches

Burgers

Meat Entrees

Family Packs

Classic Sides

Premium Sides

Kid's Meals (12 and Under)

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