You'll Go Apes Over Gorilla Barbecue

Saturday Date Night

As seen on DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES........

At 4:00 PM on a Saturday, we rushed to Pacifica on Highway 1 only to be told by Rich "Mr. Gorilla Barbecue" that he's out of barbecue for the day --until he added after a pause--"EXCEPT for a rack of pork ribs that will be ready in 15 minutes and that's about it." Whew!

Should we blame Diner, Drive-ins and Dives' Guy Fieri for putting this train car turned barbecue house on the map or should we admit that Gorilla Barbecue is the bomb?!

THE RACK OF PORK: I say YES! to both. Our barbecue ribs were most tender, fall off the bones, juiciest and flavored all the way through dry-rubbed barbecue I've ever had. (They'll give you barbecue sauce on the side.) We saw firewood being hauled for the next day's barbecue.

Whole Rack of Pork

SIDES: We also had sides of potato salad (very creamy), corn on the cob and barbecued zucchini.

Barbecued Zucchinis

BARBECUE SAUCE: The barbecue sauce that came with it was not sweet enough to my liking. Actually it was more on the vinegary-savory side but it's still good and smokey. I like mine maple-y sweet.

RICH THE "GORILLA GUY": Rich was very friendly and told the disappointed folks "sorry" with such niceness that will make you want to come back again. (One woman said that was her third failed attempt already to get Gorilla Barbecue.) Not only is Rich a genuis barbecuer and a local celebrity but a ham as well. He happily posed for pictures with his fans!

TAB: $23 for a full rack of ribs and a Diet Coke +  $8 for the sides
TOTAL: $31 with plenty of leftovers for the next day's lunch.

PLUS: $20 for the autographed recipe booked signed by both Guy Fieri and Mr. Rich "Gorilla Barbecue" guy himself.

We drove into the sunset , parked our car by the ocean in Pacifica and happily devoured our ribs like two hungry Neanderthals.

SURVIVAL TIP: Get there before 12 PM. Barbecues are sold out by 4 PM! A little after and "better luck next time!"

FOODIE GIRL'S RATINGS: 4  STARS for very tender,  juicy, and well-flavored barbecue as well as  very friendly service.

Key:
0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Very disappointing but there it has some good things to offer.
3 Stars: It is okay but do not expect much. I will still return.
4 Stars: I like it!
5 Stars: I will be dreaming of you at night!
6 Stars: Perfection (or close to)!!!!!