About Us
Our Story

Welcome to Mike’s Backyard Barbecue, your go-to BBQ destination at Garlic World! We’re open every Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm, or until we sell out.
At Mike’s, we believe in serving only the freshest, slow-smoked meats. Each weekend, Mike starts the oak wood fire at 6 am to ensure everything is perfectly cooked by 11 am.
Our commitment to quality means we never reheat food, so when we run out, that’s it for the day. Any leftovers are shared with our neighbors or donated to the homeless, keeping our community spirit alive.






















Services
Why you Should choose Mike’s Backyard Barbeque
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Order Ahead
Placing an order with Mike’s Backyard Barbecue is simple and convenient. You can call, message, or email us ahead of time to arrange your large group order.
Catering
On-Site Catering
Our catering service starts at $28 per person, including green salad, garlic bread, beans (baked or chili), and your choice of 1-4 meats: Tri-Tip, Ribs, Chicken, or Pulled Pork. Note that table service and cleanup are not included.
Catering
Pick-Up Catering
For those who prefer to enjoy our delicious BBQ at home, we offer a hassle-free pick-up catering service. Located at Garlic World in Gilroy, CA, you can place your order in advance and specify a pickup time.
Find out why our customer’s
love our BBQ
EXCELLENT Based on 45 reviews Ari R.2025-02-08Verified Incredibly friendly staff who clearly enjoy what they do and it shows in the food! I'm the kind of person who appreciates when bbq doesn't need to be covered in sauce to be good. While their sauces are delicious, the meat was juicy and flavorful with a great rub and definitely did not need the sauce to be tasty. Highly recommend! James W.2025-01-28Verified This is the best BBQ I have ever tasted!! Mike and crew make excellent tri-tip, ribs, chicken, beans, salad, garlic bread!! Mike is a first class act!!!! Beyond delicious!! And great people too!! Sterling B.2025-01-02Verified Been wanting to check this place out as I live in Gilroy but never had the chance to taste...went last week and they ran out meat(good thing) so I opted for a slab of ribs and some sides..the meat was very tasty and smoky.. looking forward to my next order so I can share with my bros.. Michael K.2024-12-21Verified Finally got to try Mike's backyard bbq this weekend. Definitely stop by if you are around the area, looking for some great homestyle bbq. We had a bit of everything, except the brisket (only Sundays ) and left full and happy. Check it out, this place will not disappoint Theresia H.2024-11-20Verified Always great service & food! Recommend ordering head of time because Mike sells out! Great guy! Knows how to BBQ! John D.2024-11-17Verified All I Want to Q Husband and wife run American BBQ catering and pop-up that serves up their wares every weekend at famous Hwy 101 S roadside specialty food stand, Garlic World. The Good: *Love the location at Garlic World, which is one of our favorite places to get spices, sauces, and pickled veg, as we stop-by often on the way back home when driving 101N. *Friendly service *Plenty of parking in the private lot *Outdoor seating only *Drinks and beer available but must be purchased thru Garlic World. *Great prices as the Small Family Meal is a steal at $49 *BBQ beans were very unique and delicious and had a very Bush's Baked Beans texture but a more earthy, less sweet flavor that we both adored. *Brisket (Sundays only) was solid! Nice smoke, tender, and thicc cuts. *Ribs were good but the texture was a little off. Just felt like they needed another 30-45min in the smoker, but otherwise they were great. *Three housemade sauces that were all pretty good, but the sweet & spicy was the best of the bunch. *Chicken was smokey and a bit dry, but overall very acceptable. *Housemade pickles! *Delivery thru DoorDash The Meh: *Coleslaw was OK but desperately needed salt. *Garlic Bread was really just French bread with the "essence" of Garlic. This is Gilroy--let us have the Garlic flavor! The Ugly: *Trying to merge back on the freeway can be a bit hairy, so gird your loins... 0_o Conclusion: Damn fine BBQ at great prices. Maui S.2024-09-22Verified At the last second, my friend and I stopped to check this restaurant out and Garlic World. We are so happy that we did! The Tri Tip was cooked and seasoned to perfection, exactly the tenderness you are looking for when getting bbq. Unfortunately they were out of the Pork Ribs & Brisket, but it gives us a reason to come back here! The order itself didn't take too long at all to be made, the service on point. Great place, definitely try it! Josie L.2024-09-14Verified Probably one of the best BBQ ribs in California! But I'm from SF and there aren't much here or in the east bay so coming across this place during a stop in a road trip going back up 101 north is a pretty nice break for a long distance. Now the ribs stole the show, I came here almost a month ago and I still remembered it! It was literally fall off the bone Super moist and juicy but so tender it just slid off the rib bone. We went twice, once going down and needed to stop for gas nearby and 2nd time back up on 101 for them and buying a whole rack to bring home for the fam because we enjoyed it so much! The BBQ sauce complimented the meats and I wish they made more to sell but they don't. Either way it's a great spot to stop for lunch especially on a roadtrip. If you're heading up north on 101, passing Gilroy definitely give it a try! (The pulled pork was a little dry The tri-tip was good, but because tri-tips are usually a lean cut it was also slightly more dry than I would've preferred more fatty skin around it.) Mike S.2024-07-13Verified Amazing bbq! One of the few places in Ca that does it right! Tri-tip and brisket are perfection! One of the few bbq places where I'd prefer not to use the sauces (which are also really good). But the flavor of the meats really stand out in their own they way it should be! Samantha L.2024-06-16Verified nice spot right next to garlic world. we stopped by after cherry picking and was convinced by the great reviews. for 6, we ordered the large platter - beans and slaw: average - garlic bread: so garlicky and soft! - ribs: delicious! - chicken: nice smoked flavor - tri tip: wow!!! so tender and delicious, best item - pulled pork: solid although the food was good, was a bit bummed by the service. instead of the 12 ribs that was included, only 3 were available. options were wait 45m for the rest or get a substitution. we opted for pulled pork substitution but the amount they gave us in exchange was very minimal (about a fistful of meat)
Sonia B2025-01-18 I wish we had found this place sooner! We ate very well and even shopped at the store! It will now be a place we come back to again and again when we visit from Fresno Fernando Orozco2024-11-17 We decided to stop here after hearing great things and reading some positive reviews, and we're glad we did. We've passed by this place countless times before, but now I’ll never forget the experience. My wife and I were both happily surprised by the food. We had ribs, chicken and pulled pork sandwiches—and everything was incredible. The sandwiches were delicious, but the ribs were something else. They practically fell off the bone with every bite. What really made the experience special, though, was Mike and his wife. Their warmth and hospitality made us feel like we were family. It’s rare to find a place where you not only love the food but also feel so welcomed. Honestly, even without the amazing food, we’d return just to enjoy their kindness. If you’re debating whether to stop, don’t think twice. 10/10 would recommend. You won’t regret it. Rachel2024-09-15 Stopped by at Garlic World and grabbed a brisket and garlic lovers tritip sandwich to go. Sandwiches came super fast. The meat was impressively tender. I'd skip the coleslaw and get only beans for the side next time. Joy2024-09-08 Soo good 🤤 I had to pause and take a photo of my brisket sandwich for this review 🤗 Briskets are available SUNDAYS only! We got lucky 🙂↔️ Matt Owens2024-09-02 Amazing fall off the bone ribs. Coleslaw is top quality and made fresh. Lori ONeil2024-08-19 THE BEST BBQ I've tasted in the area. Will definitely be back! YUMMY! Leo Anaya2024-07-29 Mike and the family are great at BBQ! Meat always has that smoke ring, well balanced rub, and tender meat that melts in your mouth. Ribs are the staple of bbq. They should fall off the bone and be meaty with flavor. Mike and family execute this well! I keep coming back and I live in Gilroy. Flavio Torres2024-06-16 Nice smoke ring, the tri-tip sandwich was very easy to bite, delicious. Their beans are very flavored, and the staff is super friendly.