BBQ in Manteca and Camping at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite

Climbing Half Dome is on many people’s bucket list. I can safely scratch it off of mine. Last month, I was part of a group that set out to climb Half Dome as part of a 50th birthday celebration. Sad thing was (happily, the only sad thing about our climb) is that the birthday girl broke her ankle the DAY BEFORE we left! We had to set out on our adventure without our fearless leader.

As many of you know, a big part of any adventure is about the food and wine! On our way to Yosemite, my roomie and I stopped in at a BBQ place in Manteca, Weber’s BBQ. OMG! I haven’t had pulled pork like that in ages. I wanted to cry with happiness during my meal, the pork and the sauce was that good. Intensely spicy but not too hot, and so tender that it melts in your mouth. The owner extraordinaire is Carissa (who is also a preacher) and her helping hand is her son Myles. They welcome you in like it was their home. If you are ever driving through this area, you MUST STOP and say hi to Carissa and eat some of her BBQ!

Camping at the Ahwahnee is the only way I will go camping. The architecture is just breathtaking, it almost doesn’t matter what the food was like. Thankfully, it’s pretty good there at the lodge. I say pretty good, it’s fairly spendy but then, you are paying for the incredible view. The wine list was average, with hits from well-known California wine producers, but you could find some gems in there. We selected a few wines from Tablas Creek. The hike went well and the best part about hiking 16 miles is that you can pretty much toss your diet out the window for that night.

On our way back to San Francisco, I shared Weber’s BBQ menu with the girls. Everyone called ahead and picked up their dinners to take back to their families. The only problem is that when my roomie and I called, they had been cleaned out of ribs. Majorly bummed for myself but very happy for Carissa to get such great business. She’s working on getting her wine/beer license and I hope to be helping her out with a few selections. Manteca is no longer a place to drive thought on your way to Yosemite, Weber’s BBQ puts in on the map!

Webers BBQ: 823 Mellon Ave, Manteca, CA 95337

Tel: (209) 823-4227

Hours: Tue-Thu 11am–7pm; Fri-Sat 11am–9pm; Sun-Mon Closed

The Ahwahnee Hotel