Felix's BBQ with Soul (Oceanside, CA)

I managed to take my family on a bit of a wild goose chase out to Oceanside, California for some barbecue. We came to San Diego for a week-long vacation, and I picked Felix's BBQ with Soul as my one customary barbecue indulgence. Our afternoon activity already put us up in Carlsbad, so I figured this would be an easy addition to the itinerary. Not so much, given both the traffic and the distance.

Felix's has more of a casual, bistro-esque interior than I was anticipating. It was comfortable and clean, without much decoration to speak of really. Some cool blues music might have been a better choice for ambiance than the old crooners, but that's a personal opinion. Either way, it was still pleasant.

We ordered an appetizer of fried green tomatoes for no real reason in particular. Barbecue joint aside, this was a little far from the Mason-Dixon line, so I had some reservations about them.

The tomatoes had a well-seasoned batter, and their tartness paired well with the zesty remoulade accompaniment. That said, they were kind of falling apart at the seams, which made them fairly difficult to eat.

I initially had my eye on sharing a four-meat, four-side sampler platter, but the wife was more interested in chicken tenders for some unholy reason. Without her to help eat at least a little of my meat, I settled on a custom two-meat combo of tri-tip and St. Louis ribs with macaroni and sweet potato fries. When eating barbecue in California, tri-tip is pretty much a given.

Our complimentary cornbread was slightly sweet and not the least bit dry. Big elbow pasta was a good choice for the macaroni. The cheese was a little grainy, though still very gooey and tasty. My fries were sufficient, but nothing special at all.

The tri-tip was a little chewy, but not dry. It was an interesting texture. The fattier slices were more tender, and their fat was also nicely rendered. I found a moderate smokiness without the usual smoke ring. The crust, though seasoned well, didn't really add that much to the flavor profile. All in all, I liked it just fine.

Both the tri-tip and the ribs were served over lettuce for some bizarre reason. My ribs were big and meaty, but St. Louis ribs they were not, since the rib tips, etc. were all still attached. I appreciated the deep red crust. The meat came off with zero effort, a touch overcooked. Their honey glaze was fairly sweet, while the peppery rub was a good contrast. A third-rack was as many ribs as I needed today.

Felix's BBQ with Soul was a little hit or miss. It was also pretty expensive. Besides my custom order, we had the tomato appetizer, an order of chicken tenders, and a kids PB&J. All of that, with tax and tip, ran an astonishing $80.00! The food was ok, but certainly not worth that much. While I'm grateful to my wife for indulging my hobby, I wish that I had picked someplace else.

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Felix's BBQ with Soul
3613 Ocean Ranch Blvd
Oceanside, CA 92056
(760) 439-7072
http://www.felixsbbq.com/