Sacramento-area barbecue favorite sets up new digs on Folsom Blvd. following arson
Nearly two months after a fire gutted their North Highlands restaurant, the owners of Bear West BBQ reopened at a new location in unincorporated Rosemont, welcoming loyal customers and new faces to a space that already feels like home.
Carl and Saundra Johnson opened the doors Wednesday on Folsom Boulevard near La Quinta Drive, across town from where they started at Watt Avenue near Freedom Park Drive. The building is larger with seating for more than 40 guests — compared to just 16 at their previous location .
“It’s like, ‘look how fast — look how God moves’. It’s just amazing,” Saundra Johnson said Wednesday night. “I’m so grateful and so thankful. Today is, like, almost just two months ago that the building was on fire.”
The restaurant had operated in North Highlands since 2017. After an arson fire on Oct. 2, the Johnsons moved quickly to secure and renovate a new location. They signed a lease within weeks and began remodeling the structure that started as a Pizza Hut then was Subway before going idle six years ago.
And there was much to be done — work continued Wednesday night as a welder was out back finishing on one of the outdoor grills a few hours after Carl Johnson poured concrete for an outdoor patio.
A soft opening was held the weekend before Wednesday’s full return, with a new delivery platform and takeout orders already keeping the kitchen in a rhythm. With TVs on the wall and a bright but cozy feel, everything was clicking just like it had before.
Carl Johnson called the move “a big step up” after the shock of the arson, which remains under investigation.
“There’s a lot of old faces showing up again, and we’re also seeing new faces,” he said. “We’re just super happy about getting reopened. ... I think we’ll be doing a lot better in this area.”
By early evening, a steady stream of diners flowed in as orders made their way out the door or to one of the comfy booths. Nearly all of the original employees were back on the job dishing out the mild and spicy barbecue sauce that’s as craveable as the beef, pork and chicken menu items.
The meats hadn’t missed a beat, even if the kitchen was a tad more bare than they wanted (the big, shiny hood will arrive any time now, Carl said). A more noticeable change is the prep line, now tucked out of view. You’ll still get a warm greeting at the pickup counter, but watching your order come together was part of the charm.
An order of St. Louis-style ribs (half-slab of six for $20) had just the right sticky, fall-off-the-bone appeal. A 1-pound order of beef tri-tip ($42; $22 for the half-pound) was tender and seasoned well — its flavor does fine even without a dollop of sauce.
Just as tasty are the grilled hot links (mild or spicy, 6 pieces for $16) or barbecue chicken (6 pieces, $18).
The “Your Way Meal” combo (three meats for $30) can come with any of the meats, but feels incomplete without choosing the pulled pork. (A half-pound on its own is $19.) All of the combos on the menu come with two signature sides.
The mac and cheese (large for $13) is a comfort meal on its own, and the cornbread ($2 each) flakes the way you expect — either balance the protein-heavy plates. Other sides include collard greens, potato salad, sweet yams and baked beans.
All four desserts ($7 each) are hard to pass up: I’ll never say no to Momma’s Peach Cobbler, but my wife says the banana pudding with vanilla wafers takes the prize.
The Johnsons said community support — and lessons learned — propelled them to a new chapter. A GoFundMe created after the fire raised more than $8,000 to help Bear West stand back up.
“My son said, ‘You’re like a phoenix — you just come through the fire and here you are, back on top’,” Saundra said after the team’s marathon restart.
Although the restaurant’s full name was Bear West BBQ and Soul Food, the owners say they are sticking with the shorter moniker for now. A second, more upscale location could come in the future, they hinted.
Bear West BBQ
Address: 9011 Folsom Blvd., Rosemont
Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday; closed Mondays and Tuesdays
Website: bearwestbbq.com/menu
Vegetarian options: Sides won’t leave you hungry
Drinks: Soft drinks, teas and more including April’s Kool-Aid
Noise level: Moderate
Outdoor seating: In the works
This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 10:00 AM.
