POWAY, Calif. — Most people find the best BBQ in cities such as St. Louis, Nashville and Memphis, but the 'Brisket Brothers' want you to add San Diego to your list. In this Zevely Zone, I headed to Smokin' J's BBQ in Poway.
This is the story of how one smoker and two brothers turned into three restaurants and the growing lore of the brisket brothers. Before I tell you about a new barbecue spot that's pouring it on across San Diego County, the story of the "Brisket Brothers" starts in Virginia. "From the time he was three years old he wanted to open his own restaurant," said Josh George about his little brother Jeremy.
"Jeremy is the cook," said Josh. Jeremy mostly stays in the kitchen, but Josh has a different set of skills. "My past life I was a pro athlete," said Josh.
This may surprise you because at 4 years old, Josh fell out of a high-rise apartment building. "I ended up falling twelve stories. Flipped over and ended up landing straight up on my feet and shattered my femurs, dislocated my hips," said Josh.
Instead of a wheelchair slowing him down for life, Josh grew up to become a professional wheelchair racer. "I made my first national team when I was 20 years old, I went to five Paralympic games and raced in Athens, Beijing, London Rio and Tokyo," said Josh. The Gold medal winner also set several world records. For a while, he was the fastest man on earth in a wheelchair. "Yeah, for a hot second," said Josh.
Speaking of hot, the 'Brisket Brothers' use California white oak to slow cook all of their meats. "These are our Smokin' J sandwiches. They are our signature sandwich," said Josh while giving me a tour of their kitchen.
Josh and Jeremy are opening their third Smokin J’s in three years. "Oh man, when you are signing the lease, it is terribly exciting and then half an hour later it is terribly horrifying," said Josh. Their BBQ chain continues to grow with locations in Poway, Miramar and the Gaslamp Quarter. The first table we visited was filled with satisfied customers. Here are the first four comments we received.
"So good."
"It's delicious."
"It's amazing."
"It's just great."
Whereas Jeremy was too busy in the kitchen to join us for the interview, Josh was ready for his close-up. "I am the face, ha, ha, ha, I don't know, I can talk," laughed Josh.
Along with professional wheelchair racing, he is also a motivational speaker. "Delicious brisket, you know you want it," said Josh as I tackled a Smokin' J sandwich. With the portions around here, I'd need every bit of inspiration to finish this race. "You got one more in you, I know it, I know it," said Josh. I told him, "I'm thinking about tapping out." He responded," No one way man it's too good to stop you got this man."
The new Smokin J’s restaurant will be located at 751 4th Avenue, occupying a highly visible spot in San Diego’s famous Gaslamp Quarter. Smokin J’s existing locations include the Old Poway Village Shopping Center in Poway and Miralani Brewer’s District in Miramar, which opened in early 2023.
"It is an incredible milestone to be opening our third restaurant in the greater San Diego area made possible by our amazing team that has been growing with us over the years. We are all excited to share some new dishes we’ve been working on that will only be available downtown," said Jeremy George, Co-Owner of Smokin J’s BBQ. “After opening our first restaurant 3-and-a-half years ago, San Diego has really begun to feel like home. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to open a spot in the Gaslamp District, the heart of our new home,” said Josh George, Co-Owner of Smokin J’s BBQ.
At Smokin J’s new location, menu highlights will include the acclaimed pork shoulders and briskets smoked for 12-16 hours. Follow Smokin J’s BBQ on social media on Instagram and Facebook. To learn more about Smokin J’s BBQ, please click here.