If you drive by Corbin’s Q on El Cajon Boulevard while they’re grilling out front, the first thing you’ll notice is the aromatic BBQ smell wafting down the street, then you’ll see the sign “Honk for BBQ”. And honk everyone does.

With more than 20,000 hours of grilling time, Corbin’s main desire is to keep the great family traditions growing.

Corbin O’Reilly grew up on a ranch near San Luis Obispo with around 80 head of cattle. The central Coast of California is cattle country and residents take their BBQ seriously. If you have been to the San Luis Obispo farmer’s market on Thursday nights, you’ll know about the dueling BBQ stalls with each one claiming to be better than the other. All of them excellent.

That’s where Corbin learned the fine art of Santa Maria Style BBQ – which is meat simply seasoned with pepper, salt, and granulated garlic. “I made my own open pit grill and cook Santa Maria style here in San Diego. We use Red Oak which is only grown in California,” O’Reilly said.

“We grill every morning,” O’Reilly continued. “Our tri-tip, pulled pork and baby back ribs are the popular meats. Both the house made mac and cheese and ranch-style beans are our popular side dishes. But, not to worry, we also offer potato salad and coleslaw as our side dishes. If you want more vegetables, you can have a protein-topped salad such as a Chicken Santa Fe Salad, Pulled Pork Cobb Salad, or a Tri-Tip Salad.”

Another passion of Corbin’s is auto renovation where he tricks out the antique vehicles and adds beer taps. He started with a 1952 Chevy Panel Truck and now has around 15 trucks. He has licensed his trucks throughout the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Corbin’s Q continues to grow.

“We will be expanding our patio area to house our expanded full bar,” O’Reilly said. You can hire them for weddings, parties, corporate events even family days at the pumpkin patch.

“I work hard every day to provide for my family, my staff and their families,” O’Reilly said. “BBQ is for the people, and we want them to enjoy our food.”

Corbin’s Q is located at 6548 El Cajon Blvd. Phone number (619) 913-3287; call in to order and pick up or dine in and enjoy their dining room or patio.

Ir a corbinsq.com to see their menu. To see the tap trucks, go to: taptrucksd.com.

Just remember to honk for BBQ.

– Robin Dohrn-Simpson is a local food and travel writer. Reach her at robindohrnsimpson.com.