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Quality barbecue spots are few and far between on the Peninsula, but two new restaurants serving smoked meats recently opened within days of each other in Redwood City.
Redwood City BBQ opened at 640 Woodside Road, formerly Ohana Express, last Monday while the owner of Jack’s Fire opened his doors at 3215 Oak Knoll Drive, Suite C in Emerald Hills.
The owners of South Winchester BBQ in San Jose run Redwood City BBQ, an employee confirmed. Redwood City BBQ serves typical smoked meats, from tri-tip and brisket to pork butt, available on their own, as a meal with sides or on sandwiches.
Jack Winfield, an East Palo Alto resident who grew up in Redwood City, is behind the eponymous Jack’s Fire. Winfield worked in advertising and finance for 30 years, including at JPMorgan Chase, before deciding to take the plunge and pursue a longtime dream to open a restaurant. He said he’s loved cooking since a young age, when he’d sit on the kitchen counter watching his mother cook.
Smoked brisket at Jack’s Fire. Photo courtesy Jack Winfield/Yelp.
Winfield also loves barbecue. At Jack’s Fire, a wood-burning smoker from South Carolina churns out Texas-style brisket with salt and pepper, dry-rubbed St. Louis ribs (Winfield leaves it up to the customer to decide whether adding sauce is appropriate), smoked turkey breast and Carolina-style pulled pork. Sides include macaroni and cheese, sweet-chili green beans, collard greens and salads.
He plans to expand the menu to reflect "different avenues that aren’t explored by most barbecue restaurants," such as a banh mi sandwich and large plate beef ribs that he described as "huge and succulent and beautiful."
There will also be more sides, such as crispy Brussel sprouts, roasted cauliflower and Texas red chili.
For now, Jack’s Fire is only open Fridays and Saturdays starting at 5 p.m. (warning: he sold out within three hours last week) but will eventually be open from 11 a.m. until about 9 p.m.