By Delia Cannon
By Delia Cannon
What does a Lemon Grove restaurant have in common with 99 other restaurants spanning from Hawaii to New York? A highly coveted spot on “Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the US for 2016.” Coop’s West Texas Barbecue received the honor of making the annually published list due to the large amount of positive reviews it received. Owner Brad Coop was surprised to discover he had made the list this year, and touched that people wanted to recognize his work on a national level. Yelp is a website that allows users to connect with businesses by sharing their ratings and thoughts on businesses they have used.
California State Sen. Joel Anderson appreciated the significance of Coop’s achievement and presented the establishment with a Senate Certificate of Recognition for its dedication to providing delicious barbecue, outstanding customer service, and a variety of employment opportunities to the community of Lemon Grove.
“Locally owned businesses are a staple for building a strong local economy, and places like Coop’s West Texas Barbecue bring us together at the table while strengthening our community,” said Anderson. “I am proud of Brad and his team’s work to build their business here in Lemon Grove and it’s exciting to have our local business on a prestigious list.”
While Coop is not a San Diego native, he made it his home in creating a community of friends and supporters. Prior to opening Coop’s West Texas Barbecue, Coop returned to his hometown of Midland, Texas and learned how to make barbecue from his father, who owned his own barbecue restaurant. Coop’s inspiration came from his father, who said, “Son, if you learn how to do this, you’ll never be a broke man.” After Coop learned the tricks of the trade from his father, he moved back to San Diego and noticed the lack of barbecue places that could compete with the barbecue of his home state.
His desire to make barbecue cuisine more prominent inspired him to start cooking samples and bringing them to work or beauty and barber shops. Coop surveyed the responses to his food and adjusted the recipes based on feedback. After accumulating positive responses from a wide variety of customers, he found the space in Lemon Grove and opened Coop’s West Texas Barbecue in October 2010.
The authenticity of the barbecue is what customers love about Coop’s, and it has inspired quite a following from within the San Diego area. Coop’s plan when he established his business was to make Lemon Grove a destination for barbecue lovers to flock to.
When asked what he’s looking forward to most for his restaurant in 2016, Coop said that he hoped to continue to expand his business and reach more customers. Coop is focusing on continuing to produce award-winning food and preparing for the opening of his new restaurant right across from his parking lot, Da Chicken Coop, which opened March 1.
