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    1st Base BBQ

    5.0 (2 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

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    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
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    2 months ago

    Got the rib tips and chicken wings and it's definitely the best food I've had while in Waterloo. Highly recommend.

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    Starbecks Smokehouse - No combo meal because I had to order the individual 1/4 oz portion of the plain meats.  Shame the burnt ends came sauced.

    Starbecks Smokehouse

    3.9(151 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    Ok I tend to be a bbq critic but I love driving around the country and in my random lunch stops…read morereview a place. Unbiased but tough. Atmosphere- very busy in design, but actually not overdone for a quick stop in or small group of 5-10 people. I stopped in on a random Saturday about 6pm by myself. There were many occupying the outdoor space so it was easy to get in and go. Prolly seats 60-80 at FULL capacity but 20 occupied was nice. There's so much to take you in to look at design wise. They did a good job setting it up. Food- what you came for. I'd say for a random stop, this place was 5 star. I ordered the big sexy burger and didn't do a combo so I could check out the plain sides of meats. It's awesome that they offer a simple ala carte for all their meats but was a little pricey. (Worth it- good portion). The burger had a good smoky flavor and the brisket added to it. It's a great option. In regards to the meats I ordered the burnt ends and the pork. Usually I find places like this don't even offer Burnt ends at the end of the day because they do limited amounts. They said no problem and always have some ready which was good. However I was surprised to find them already sauced (why?). I thought it seemed a bit tough and very broken down with bits of hard in it. Not hard bits of bark, but like "we always have it available and stir it up to keep it fresh" hard with stringy meat mixed in. It was a bit chewy in places and there was huge unrendered fat pieces as well. But I will say there was good flavor there and it wasnt dry (2-3 stars) Now the pork......this was the best thing there. It was seasoned right, has good texture and was moist with great flavor. Unsauced and you can see the smoke ring and has bits of bark too. Seasoning is flavorful (more savory and not pepper or spicy). The pork gets 5 stars. Also of note was the corn bread which was pretty good too . I hate super dry cornbread and this was not. Overall the food was above average to great. Can't say it will consistently be that way and the burnt ends need work but everything else was borderline exceptional enough to win me over. Service- probably the most lacking issue. The high school kid that brought up my order didn't care to even look at me and called my number and looked at his phone. Not that simple "order up" is hard but that's just the overall vibe from everyone. The spunky order taker was clearly the bubbly personality and was nice but she glanced me over when asking questions. It was clear that I told them I was just passing thru, loved to experience new Q and asked for a recommendation. She was helpful and said her favorite was the turkey but didn't really want to engage more. And the restroom had not been cleaning for a bit. See the pic for the reference . I'd honestly say it's a great place despite all my negativity. Owners clearly put in the right efforts to set it up and the food is mostly great. I'd recommend maybe they need a little help with the brisket and maybe a jolt of motivation to find good workers to keep the service up but if they could do that, this place has potential to be top 5 of all the places I've been with BBQ. Happy travels!

    We used Starbucks to cater an event and everyone left fat and happy. I will say the brisket was on…read morethe drier side and I've heard it's not usually like that. All the other dishes: pulled pork, pulled chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, Mac n cheese, and corn bread were a hit. The interior is also neat and definitely pays tribute to a classic southern BBQ joint with all the lights and signs you could imagine. It's not quite at the top of BBQ places that I've tried but falls somewhere right in the middle. Juicer brisket, fattier burnt ends Will brine it to the next level!

    Photos
    Starbecks Smokehouse - Here's the front order and pickup counter.

    Here's the front order and pickup counter.

    Starbecks Smokehouse - The two meat and 1/3 rd rack of ribs combo

    The two meat and 1/3 rd rack of ribs combo

    Starbecks Smokehouse

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    1st Base BBQ - bbq - Updated July 2026

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