That Boy Not Only Good, He's Great

That Boy Good

326 Horne St. 

Oceanside, CA 92054

It's that time again when we make a sojourn south to get Katie a new Coach purse for her birthday at the Outlets in Carlsbad. It's probably no secret that I'm not a fan of shopping at the outlets down here. I usually go into the jam-packed Coach store for about five minutes, soon grow bored, and just wait outside for Katie to finish getting her discounted purse. So my favorite part of the day is, of course, picking somewhere to eat. I narrowed our choices to six restaurants this year and finally decided on That Boy Good BBQ.

Leaving Carlsbad, I punched That Boy Good into Google Maps, and it led us to this newer of the two T..B.G. locations, which was fine because I had heard that parking at their original location on PCH can be a little bit challenging, especially on weekends like this one. This location, situated on the corner of Horne and Civic Center, has an oversized lot and is closer to the freeway. This is their walk-up counter and catering center and space, which they share with Northern Pine Brewing Company.

That Boy Good is owned by a husband and wife team. Chef Mark Millwood is a Navy veteran who lived all over the world growing up, including Mississippi, where he acquired his love of southern cooking, which would later become the basis for this restaurant. In 2008, while both were working in Colorado, Mark met his future bride while they opened a five-star resort in Vail. Together, they finally settled in Oceanside, had a son, and opened their first spot nearly six years ago. This second location opened just over half a year ago. I've heard this spot is a great alternative when there's a long wait at the one on PCH.

We arrived just before 5 on a Sunday evening and walked up to the register to order. The menu will not overwhelm you with choices. They offer six kinds of smoked meats, seven different sides, and then a couple of what I'd call hybrid specials that combine both their sides and meats. Prices are not too extreme, and I've seen more wallet-draining prices at other barbecue restaurants. We quickly made our selections and sat at one of their unoccupied communal tables that filled the rather ample space. Let's see if this is indeed the best barbecue in these parts.

Here's a brief overview of what we got at That Boy Good. Yes, we went overboard, but I did not know when I'd be back, and I wanted to try most of their menu. So I'd say mission accomplished. Let's take a look at all of this food in more detail.

Let's start things off with what Katie ordered this early evening. She's a big fan of deviled eggs, so the Deviled Egg of the Day ($3.50) was a must. On this day, the deviled egg was a barbecue chicken egg. It was topped with a jalapeno, some barbecue sauce, and a chicken and egg mousse pipped into the hollowed egg shell. Katie said they nailed this. There was definitely a barbecue chicken feel to these, and she would not hesitate to get them again. For her entree, she went with the Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich ($9.25). The hefty pork on this sandwich was moist but not mushy, which is a tricky balance. The bun was structurally sound and nicely toasted. If you like extra meat, you can add it to the sandwich for an additional $3, but there was plenty on here for Katie's taste. One of the better-pulled pork sandwiches Katie has had in a while. With the sandwich, you get a choice of one small side item, and Katie selected the Corn on the Cob, which was grilled over the same wood they use to smoke their meats, and as a result, it infused a smokiness into the ear of the corn to elevate this side a bit. She was delighted with everything she had here on this visit.

When I saw that they offered a BBQ Combo Plate ($27), I knew that's what I'd be having. Whenever I'm eating at a new place for the first time, my strategy is to get the most variety on one plate, and this was definitely the best option at That Boy Good. It comes with Half a Rack of Pork Ribs, Pulled Pork, and Chopped Beef Brisket. They give you at least half a pound of meat for each, but that's a conservative guess. The portion sizes are enormous. The best of the meats was probably the brisket, which I will ask for sliced instead of chopped next time. This moist and tender brisket included a good mixture of meat, a small fat, and some crispy end pieces. It's one of the best I have had since a trip to Bludso's many years ago. The pulled pork was another winner. Just like Katie's sandwich, it was moist without being too mushy. The ribs completed the trifecta of excellent meats. Plenty of delicious pork on each bone. It pulled gently away from the bone with minimal effort. I liked that they did not mask the authentic flavor of the meat with lots of smoke flavoring, and they allowed each customer to add their desired sauce to each option, not that you even need sauce for barbecue this good. The sides were on point as well. The Collard Greens are the real deal here and do not need to be gussied up with bits of meat like many other places have to resort to. The Mac and Cheese is another subtle side item that works. Not over the top cheesy, it clings to the well-cooked noodles wonderfully and provides a nice mellow flavor that makes this one of the lightest versions of this sometimes too heavy for its own good side dish. The only thing I was not so excited about was the Cornbread. It had a good texture, but I like a sweeter version. However, Katie loved this, and I was happy she took it off my hands.

To round out our meal at That Boy Good, we got these Dirty Fries with Beef Hot Links ($11). These are basically cheese fries with your choice of meat on top of them. I was surprised that they put four hot links on top of these, but they do not skimp on the serving sizes at That Boy Good. The fries were fried nicely, and I'm not usually a big fan of cheese sauce, but it was good here. The beef links were excellent, with a nice snap to the casings, but it would have been easier to eat if they were sliced in more manageable bite-sized pieces. Next time I'm getting these fries with brisket on them.

As I walked out of That Boy Good with my three to-go containers filled with food I would cherish eating for the next two days, I had a sense of dread spread over me, thinking about next year's visit to the Carlsbad Outlets. Part of the only reason I like coming down here is the chance to pick and try a restaurant we usually would not get a chance to try, and it will now be hard to pass by here and not come to That Boy Good. But, of course, the other reason I like coming down here is to make Katie happy with a gift she deserves for putting up with me. Just had to make sure I got that in. Back to this visit, though. That Boy Good is one of the better barbecue restaurants in Southern California and one of the best we have been to in recent times. The value for the money is excellent as the servings are good-sized, and you will have leftovers for the next day. Service at this casual counter restaurant was cordial, and the vibe was very mellow. 

Out of five bicycles (because Oceanside is the starting point for the 3,000-mile bike race, Race Across America), five being best to zero being worst, That Boy Good BBQ gets 4 bicycles.

For more information about That Boy Good, head over to their website here: https://www.thatboygoodbbq.com/