There’s a new flavor in Pacific Beach, one that is sure to please barbecue lovers: Gloria’s Bar-B-Q opened its doors at 978 Garnet Ave. on Jan. 25. “I wanted to bring something a little bit different and unique to the area,” said head chef Tony Turner. Gloria’s Bar-B-Q is a Southern-style barbecue restaurant, the only one of its kind in Pacific Beach. Portions at the restaurant are as large as they are unique. “We’re going to feature a lot of different wild game, something a little different for the area,” Turner said. The menu at Gloria’s Bar-B-Q reflects that. In addition to beef, chicken and pork, buffalo is part of the fare — including buffalo sausage, boneless buffalo and buffalo ribs. “It’s a little more unique and a little more different than what the other guys are carrying,” Turner said. At the center of the kitchen is Turner, a five-star chef from Northern California who has donned the hat and apron for more than 30 years. The former personal chef for actor Danny Glover cooked up the idea for a barbecue restaurant in Pacific Beach with his three cousins, who double as owners of the restaurant. “We were originally going to open up a sandwich shop, but once this opportunity came along, we said let’s go ahead and do the rib place now,” Turner said. For those arriving hungry, Turner recommends the Gloria’s All Meat Sampler Extravaganza. Made for two people, the plate features six different types of meat to go along with a pair of sides, perhaps cornbread and sweet potato fries. “It is a sampler platter featuring all we have,” Turner said. “It’s got the buffalo, the baby back ribs, the chicken, the tri-tip, the brisket, the hot links. It’s got a little bit of everything on it.” And for dessert, it’s hard to go wrong with Turner’s world-renowned bread pudding. The delicate dish has four different fruits in it and is coated in a sauce made up of four different liquors. Gloria’s Bar-B-Q serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and is open seven days a week. With modern furniture and a floor made to look like grass, the interior of the eatery has a modern yet homey feeling — and that is not by accident. “We have a family attitude and we got the love here,” Turner said. “We just have that camaraderie.” Gloria’s Bar-B-Q 978 Garnet Ave.; (858) 274-3612; HOURS: Sundays-Wednesdays: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursdays-Saturdays: 7 a.m. to 2 a.m.
