Restaurant Review: Hand-Me-A-Rib Barbecue in Vacaville, California

Hand-Me-A-Rib is located in the Alamo Shopping Center off of 900 Alamo Drive in Vacaville, California. They aim to serve an Tyler, Texas style barbecue menu full of smoky meats and tasty sides. The family-owned restaurant used to run this a number of years ago in downtown Vacaville but had to close doors. A few years later they have re-opened and are satisfying the Vacaville public with every tasty bite!

Before I get into the quality of food and lovely service, I must talk about my favorite part of this restaurant: the sweet tea. I absolutely can't believe that they serve ready-brewed sweet tea. This is almost liquid crack cocaine to a southerner. And since I'm a southerner living in Northern California, I am very relieved that I can get sweet tea with my barbecue without pouring tons of equal into my unsweet tea. Hand-Me-A-Rib will always get my respect for serving it!

The atmosphere of the restaurant is very family-friendly. Almost too family friendly. Don't be surprised if you hear Uncle Larry and his clan get into it a little bit here and there as they prep the food. It is part of the charm. There were about three weeks between my first and second visit. As soon as I walked in the door, Larry's wife, Kaye, looked at me and said "well, it's about TIME you came back!" Nothing like a little home cooking to make you feel welcome! In fact, Hand-Me-A-Rib got its name from what Mr. Johnson used to hear at family reunions. "We would eat and all you would hear was "hand me a rib" if the food was good."

MY absolute favorite meal at Hand- Me-A -Rib is the pulled pork sandwich. The meat is cooked to perfection on their wood barbecue smoker behind the restaurant. As soon as you take a bite into this delectable meal, you can taste the shreds of pork melting on your taste buds just as pulled pork should. This is by far the tenderest pulled pork I've had in my life! It comes with just a little bit of spice to complement the sweet Texas sauce you can get on top or on the side.

The ribs are no joke, either. A generous rib plate will get you more tender meat lathered with that sweet sauce. If the ribs aren't enough for you, Hand-Me-A-Rib also serves brisket (chipped beef), sausages and chicken. If you have the gumption and the stomach, order the 4 way combo of hot links, chicken, pulled pork and ribs. You also get two sides- I recommend the baked beans as one of them. The beans are equally smoky with a sweetness only a grandma's kiss can rival.

If you really have a fix for pulled pork or brisket, Hand-Me-A-Rib is right off I-80 at the Alamo Drive exit. Stop in, get some sweet tea, and prepare to fill your stomach with some sweet Tyler, Texas barbecue!