San Pablo location
photo CC SA-BY Our Oakland
sign, September, 2011
photo CC SA-BY Our Oakland
Flint's Bar-B-Q was a local barbecue restaurant chain that started in 1968, with at least three branches in Oakland. The last closed in 2010.
The restaurant was started by Willie Flintroy in 1968 at Havenscourt and E. 14th Streets. Willie passed away in 1972, but his brothers Freeman and Neil kept the business going.
Flint's was always a no-frills affair. The Shattuck location was take-out only, and not a very impressive store front. But people would line up to get it. Part of the love for Flint's was its sauce. Customers would ask for it to be poured on the potato salad, and mop up the last drops with the slices of white bread that came with every order. There have even been attempts to reverse-engineer the recipe, but with mixed success. 2
Everett & Jones Barbeque founder Dorothy Everett worked at the first Flint's, first tending a smoke pit, and later as the first manager of the store. 1
6637 Bancroft Ave. - Havenscourt
6609 Shattuck Ave. - Bushrod
3114 San Pablo Ave. - Hoover-Foster and Clawson
Links and References
- Everett and Jones Barbeque - The Family (via archive.org)
- Flint's BBQ Sauce, The Legendary Sauce by William Edward Summers
- Oakland Barbecue Legend’s Granddaughter Is Starting a New Creole Soul Food Business by Luke Tsai SF Eater October 27, 2020
- Oakland’s legendary Flint’s BBQ schedules another pop-up event East Bay Times March 2, 2020
- Flint’s, an Icon of Oakland Barbecue, Plots Return to Original Location by Luke Tsai KQED March 23, 2021
