Is 3rd time the charm? If not, it was going to be strike 3 and you’re out, that’s for sure. As you all know, I’ve given Jones’ BBQ 2 chances in the past to come through and each time it was a flat out bust, except for the potato salad. Which is good if you like potato salad, but if the word BBQ or Barbecue is in the name of your joint? You should have some decent smoky meats and sister, or brother, Jones’ has not delivered me this. I’ve received a few emails and comments from close friends and complete strangers over the last year saying that Jones’ BBQ isn’t about the BBQ, it’s about the fried chicken. Aroo?

Side of Gravy & Rice
Big D and I finally got up the will to head out along the Dam road and see about getting us some of this Fried Chicken. They gots quite a few ways to order, family pack this and 8 pcs that. We decided on an 8 piece with 3 sides for nearly $15.00. Our sides consisted of Mac & Cheese, Gravy & Rice and tater salad. For another few dollars you can get all white meat, not bad. I dearly love my breasts and wings, but I wanted to save a few bucks, just in case it would have to go in the trash.
Since it isn’t KFC, you gotta wait for a while. This was fine, it gave Big D and I a chance to hang out and catch some sun. In maybe 20 minutes the cook/waiter and very courteous lone employee brought out our order and off we went, back to Big D’s place of work (a house that doubles as an office).

After opening the styrofoam container and pulling out the packages of bread, flatware and little packages of hot sauce (excellent), this is what we were greeted with. Some of the best looking fried chicken I’ve seen in years and it smelled good too. What I liked most about the smell was the fryed goodness and chicken. No crazy ingredients, pure Fried Chicken baby. And how did it taste?
Even better than it looked or smelled, the shit is good, real good. Juicy, yet NO grease in the bottom of the container! Crunchy where it needs to be and it was perfectly cooked to the bone. The chicken was good chicken too, not some funky crud with fat in all the wrong places or just too much of it. The skin wasn’t all flappy everywhere, just as it should be, on the chicken.
Okay, so the chicken was worth every penny, every second it took to drive there and back, and even worth the future health risks. What about the sides? As you can see the Gravy & Rice looked rich and yet separate, not all mooshed together. Hell, you can do that later if you care to. This gravy, is home made love in the pure form. I give this gravy an A- (needed a lump of butter). I would have liked to had biscuits though, MmMmMm. Next I dove in to the Mac & Cheese, again a home run. There’s the tangy bite of the mustard, yay! It was a complete package, pasta cheese and tang. I couldn’t believe our luck, well there was the tater salad to go.

Look center and to the right a bit, see that yellow? Unblended egg yolk and couldn’t see much else. Don’t you guys TASTE it?
Okay, so this batch of tater salad got tossed. As Big D said, “Bad mashed potatoes.” This is too bad because tater salad is a holy grail of bbq joints, fried chicken or no. But since my last batch of tater salad was great? Deal with it, food varies and move on.

I don’t know what to say other than I’m glad Manny made me go back and try the Fried Chicken at Jones’ BBQ in El Sobrante. This is the kind of fried chicken people drive a long ways for. This is the kind of fried chicken that people will talk about for 30 years after the restaurant has closed and gone away, just like our beloved Silver Dollar restaurant of old. This is the kind of fried chicken you’ll be driving for soon enough, don’t you think?
Biggles
Jones’ BBQ
3550 San Pablo Dam Road #B3
El Sobrante, CA 94803
510-758-9227