We were walking down Main Street looking for someplace to sit out in the sun and have a cold drink. This place fit the bill, with plenty of seating out on the patio and a variety of beers on tap. I opted for a grapefruit sculpin ipa and my bf chose a local community mosaic ipa. Both were served in ice cold glasses and tasted yummy fresh. The inside of the place has a lot of personality, dollar bills pinned to the ceiling, a javelina mounted on the wall, Pink Floyd and the Beatles playing in the background, etc. We wound up ordering a couple plates of chopped brisket with coleslaw & potato salad. The food was good, not the best or fanciest bbq we've seen or tried but pretty delicious! The bbq sauce was really tasty too, just the right thickness and tang. AJ, the owner, is absolutely friendly, courteous, and polite. We really enjoyed our visit here. read more

service was awesome. ambiance was pretty good after they turned off the news. sausage was good... but the ribs? no. tasted like lighter fluid and somehow were served cold. at least the staff is nice. read more

This place is a hidden gem at the end of Main Street in Grapevine. It's dog-friendly on the patio and if you have a dog, they have frozen bones that they'll kindly offer to you for your dogs enjoyment. I'd go back just because of their friendliness. The owners are very involved and quickly come out and greet you...AJ and Megan greet you with a friendly face and a warm hello...letting you know they genuinely appreciate your business. I'd go back again!!! 5 stars! read more

Amazing barbecue and service!! Some of the best barbecue we've ever had. Beef rib was very tender and cooked well, with great smoky flavor and nice pink coloring. Didn't need any sauce and could just appreciate the meat. Wanted to keep the bone as a souvenir. We're from our of town but would definitely come back. Whole staff is very friendly. Make sure to take a dollar to tack to the ceiling! read more

AJ's On Main - Barbeque Near Me - Grapevine, Texas

Great service, food, and a true Texas vibe. Lots of draft beer available and locals hanging out at the bar. I had a frito pie that was awesome. If you like a small town BBQ joint feel this is the place to go! read more

YOU HAVE TO VISIT THIS PLACE. I wandered into AJ's on Main in Grapevine, Texas, expecting a cool, rustic BBQ joint that embodies Texas. I was expecting a good and hardy meal, some small talk, and a refreshing cool beer. What I received was FAR beyond my basic expectations. I enjoyed some of the tastiest BBQ I've ever eaten; had some delicious local craft brews --not to mention the informative education on the local Texas brew culture that accompanied my pints; and I partook in two of the very smoothest Texas bourbons I've ever had that had be begging for another sip. Plus, if this wasn't enough, I had a hell of an in-depth and rousing conversation with the owner/operator/chef, AJ AJ is a gregarious, energetic, and passionate man that pours his heart and soul into what he does. And what he does is provide a dining experience that is down-home, entertaining, and by God, some good food. All of the barbecue is prepared at the establishment in a very large and impressive locomotive shaped cooker. I was lucky enough to get a tour and education of the cooker. It was a very interesting and humbling experience. I recommend anyone who visits to inquire. Anyway, back to the food. It was great, plain and simple. I had the beef tips that were meaty and full of flavor, a generous helping of pulled pork, which I loved, and the sausage that had a nice spice to it and melted in my mouth. I appreciate all forms of bbq, and the multiple ways it's approached. AJ has his own unique way of preparation and delivery that is original and belly pleasing. I especially liked the homemade, secret-recipe, bbq sauce. I was going to swipe a bottle when AJ wasn't looking actually. Just joking, I did try to pry the recipe out of him, but no dice! If you are ever in Grapevine and you want an enjoying BBQ experience and a good time, I recommend AJ's. Ask AJ about the bar, the cooker, the side walk even, you will get a hell of good story that connects his passion to his food, his business and his family. read more

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Food was got. The menu was small on the table, but we asked about other options and they can do about anything you ask. AJ was a great host and we swapped some good stories. Stay true A.J. We really enjoyed our lunch! read more

Ajs was a good choice for dinner and drinks before our dance lesson in grapevine. The place was empty when we got there but filled up quickly. The brisket sandwich was good and the bbq sauce was really good but the fries were amazing!! Their drinks were a little high priced but the bartender was good about giving you your money's worth. The best part was our waiter-he was younger but so friendly and sweet. He is a great asset to Ajs. read more

This place is small Started with the poppers. No batter on them and they were great. Bake potato loaded was as good as it could be with what looked like store bought chopped BBQ. THE PLACE DID NOT EVEN SMELL LIKE A BBQ JOINT POPPERS WERE GREAT read more

Cozy little place inside or a great porch to dine outside, with great food and a full service bar. Great place to meet friends.

The smell from the smoker drew us in. The food and drinks kept us there. Friendly place where locals and tourists can congregate and have a good time. Saturday's special is a smoked prime rib. The homemade au gratin potatoes and cole sale were amazing sides. Great selection of regional beers. Hubby and Canadians in for a conference liked the Manhattan's. Will be going back for karaoke night on a Friday. read more

Looks like a fun place to get a beer. Skip the food. Didn't have the ribs, but the brisket and sausage was very disappointing. Walk up the street for better options. read more

We are here while downtown for the Christmas events. The menu was limited to brisket, pulled pork sandwiches, fried catfish and fried nuggets. They have ribs and they have two sides: chips or fries. My Grandkids liked the nuggets shaped like animals, but they would rather have had healthier options for sides - like fruit or apple sauce. I had the pulled pork without the Texas toast and fries. The food was definitely tasty. The fries were really good!! The prices are affordable. It's a basic menu - one family came and left because they had no sausage - another family came and left to go get burgers. read more

Hands down my favorite place to hang at in Grapevine! Great drink selection, BBQ is delicious and AJ is the best. If you need a place to sit and recharge before you head back out into the world, you want to be at AJ's on Main. Go see for yourself! read more

I am so sad to give AJs a bad review. It's such a cute little building on Main Street. With the most in attentive staff and rude owner ever. We walk in and the staff were all just shooting the sh*t at the bar. They took our drink order but then we waited. And waited. And waited. Finally a lady came over and apologized saying she thought someone else took our order. Uh...we were the only people in there. How did you miss this? Anyway we ordered a three meat platter to share with sausage (so gross), ribs (awful) and brisket (yuck). The only thing that was good was the Ore Ida fries and okra. My husband said this was the worst barbecue he has ever had. When the server came to bring our food I asked who the owner was and she looked at me like I was an idiot and nodded her head to the guy sitting at the bar. It just seems to me like the owner would want to greet their guests. I'm all about supporting local business but we won't be back. So after I posted this, the rude elusive Aj messaged me to chastise me for not speaking to him. Jackass. You were in the same teeny room. YOU can talk to me. read more

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Brisket was ok. Super salty. Battered fries are yummy but kinda hard to mess that up. The sausage was horrible. Reheated. Maybe a day or two old? Super dry and tasteless. My wife liked the fried okra. read more

AJ's On Main The tiny little shack on Main Street in Grapevine with the amazing BBQ smells wafting down the street. Now that the temps are a little more bearable in Texas, I've been cruising to lunch with my windows down. I passed by AJ's on Main and quite literally whipped into the next parking lot because of the amazing smell coming from the smoke pits outside. The day I was in, what looked like the entire Grapevine Fire Department, had nearly every seat of the place filled. Hey if the whole Fire Dept. is eating here... it's gotta be good, right? So for starters, the pace is TINY. Maybe 7 tables total and the whole place is dominated by a heavily stocked bar, maybe over stocked for the room they have. Equally small is the menu just a select handful of options. Ribs, Brisket, Pulled Pork, Sausage, etc... Basic BBQ joint staples. I decide I'd get the 2 meat plate. Which only comes with 1 side, a bit stingy for the price of the plate, I think. But the BBQ smelled so good from outside. So I ask for Brisket, Sausage and coleslaw... when I was there... at 11:50am they were out of Sausage and coleslaw... REALLY? It wasn't even full on lunch rush yet. A couple minutes later a guy 1 table over asked for sausage and coleslaw, when denied he bellowed out "Damn, how early do I need to get here, 10:30?" I ended up ordering Brisket, Ribs and Potato Salad and an Ice Tea... Hell if they're out of stuff this early in the day... it's gotta be good, right? The food.... is good, really good. The brisket is moist with the perfect amount of smoke flavor, the ribs fell right off the bone also kissed with the right amount of smoke. The potato salad, while not what I wanted, was good too. Now with that being said about the awesome food this place fell short in so many other ways. First, I ordered the brisket expecting to get a few slices... I don't know if I missed this on the menu, but what I got was chopped beef... really good chopped beef, but when you're wanting... and expecting sliced brisket it's just not the same. Second, for my 2 meat plate I got ribs... 2 ribs... again really good ribs... but only 2 tiny ribs. Stingy for the price, especially when they don't give you 2 sides on the plate. Which, I guess, didn't matter because they were out of coleslaw already. Third, the waiter was distracted or overwhelmed and not on the ball... he was busy chatting up people, meanwhile every seat of this 40 seat joint was full... no time for giving your life story. If my potato salad hadn't come with spoon in it I might not have had ANY silverware. I could never get the kid's attention to bring me any. I ate with the spoon they stuck in my potato salad. Also I was never offered a refill on my tea.... oh and the tea... maybe their biggest offense. The Iced Tea is the Gold Peak Instant Iced Tea... which to me tastes just like instant Nestea. If you're trying to come off as a real Texas BBQ shack, serve real brewed Iced Tea. It's just that simple. So my final verdict. When it comes to AJ's think small... Small Place, Small Menu, Small Portions. Really Good BBQ... But they're too stingy with what they give you... serve bad Iced Tea... and get there early... they might run out of what you want and the waiter might not be overwhelmed as I'm sure a joint this small gets maxed out every day. read more

I recently started working down the street from AJs and decided to stop in for lunch today to check it out.. The ambiance is small, quaint and fits right in with businesses on Main Street. Service was also very prompt and friendly. I ordered a brisket sandwich with fries to go for $7 (plus tax). My office is half a block away so I was quite surprised that my sandwich was cold when I opened it up. The fries were seasoned nicely and hot. The brisket was full of fat and since it was cold made it uneatable. Very disappointing and I would need to get something to eat if I hadn't gotten a good amount of fries. As a foodie who will drive all over town for something I like to eat, I won't be back and will find another option walking further or getting in my car to drive. So disappointing. read more

My husband and I had dinner here this evening. The restaurant has a tavern feel. It's quite small, but not cramped. There are 2 tables outside - smokers were seated there, so we chose to sit inside. The owner, AJ, offered to serve us a little brisket and a little pulled pork. WOW, both were fantastic! We opted for no bread and substituted beans for the fries. If you like cumin, you'll love the beans! We love good BBQ and this place is the DEAL! AJ is a great guy, the food is simple and delicious, the restaurant is small and comfortable. Can't wait to go back again! read more

I just left and it was the worst BBQ I've ever had in my life. My ribs were all fat it was disgusting I didn't even eat it and they still charged me. My boyfriend got the potato salad which was very bland and the beans were ok but nothing special. Bartleys, meat u anywhere, & hard eight are the best - not this place at all. Don't waste your $! read more

I stopped at the new bbq place on main street grapevine. The sausage sandwich is top notch but they only do sandwiches with fries. No bbq plates. If you want beans or potato salad it is an "add on". I don't dig that idea of not being able to order a combination plate or get meat with beans and potato salad as a regular bbq plate. Maybe this does exist here but the menu ONLY shows bbq sandwiches or fried fish/chicken baskets. I would drive the extra distance to Feedstore Bbq on a weekday. If it is a weekend...North Main Bbq in Euless blows this place out of the water. I need potato salad and beans with my bbq all on one plate, not fries that I can get at any drive thru window. read more

AJ's On Main - Interior - Barbeque Near Me - Grapevine, Texas

I would give a zero if I could, this was my first & last time to go to this establishment. WHY? We were a party of 15 co workers out to dinner getting together on a weekday, our service was good, food was horrible I ordered appetizers one being Mac cheese bites , when they arrived they were the tasteless frozen type. I ordered the brisket it arrived looking like a pile of baby food, came with a side , I orders a salad which was some green mix on a plate with a few small croutons ( I was expecting a tomato, cucumber on it but nope just a small plate of green mix) I ordered a baked potato which I was told was included, it arrived cold, hard and later I learned they charged me $7.50 for the horrible potato. This was my first time here & also my last. My friends also agreed, over priced, lousy tasteless food , served in a very unappealing unappetizing presentation. read more

Amazing and friendly service. In a very charming area and food was fresh and delicious! 10/10 recommend.

Stopped in for dinner with the family and was not disappointed. I had the brisket and it was amazing. Living in Michigan we can't get BBQ like this. My wife had the pulled pork and wanted to go back for lunch the next day. The kids loved the mac and cheese bites and wings. Actually had to order a second batch because my oldest (8) ate them all. The location is great with a comfortable dining room. The owner really makes you feel like family when you are there. Definitely going to go back whenever I visit the metroplex. read more

Me and my boyfriend are very satisfied customers. AJ's rustic setting is fun and the staff is very friendly. If you like hickory flavor, this is a great spot. We had brisket sandwiches. Fries came out hot and the smoke flavor of the meat was perfect. AJ gets involved in the community charities and clearly loves his work. Well worth a visit and will leave you satisfied. read more

AJ's On Main - Barbeque Near Me - Grapevine, Texas

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Small venue but sized for the offering. BBQ meats come with no sauce. Add your own. Also served with no pickles not onions. What...BBQ with no pickles not onions? Great potato salad flavor. Turkey has medium smoked flavor - Could be bolder. Sausage tastes great. Too expensive for the serving size. A sausage sandwich is sliced pieces properly placed on a bun in one single layer. Ugh! read more

A very small place, filled with a lot of regulars who watch politics and drink. Only a few tables in the place. The food is very limited and the items they have on the menu aren't up to date. If you think bbq, you think the regular menu items like Brisket, Mac and cheese, potato salad, coleslaw, sausage etc., but they didn't have anything like that. Tried to order the beef ribs, but they were really pork ribs. They were tender, but really lacked flavor and the bbq sauce they have on the table tasted old. I get it's Covid times, but we had hopes based on the previous reviews. We weren't impressed and probably won't be back. read more

THIS IS THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN GRAPEVINE!! After leaving lunch at another downtown restaurant There was this very delicious smell flowing thru the air, so much so that I had to stop in and see if the taste matched the smell. The owner was kind enough to allow me to sample the pulled pork, brisket and homemade sausage and I was NOT disappointed. If you like real smoked Texas BBQ you need to eat here. read more

This place was just bad. Felt like we were intruding when we walked in the door and the place was empty. Waiter had no idea what beers were on tap. Appetizers were good (bacon-wrapped jalapeno and chicken poppers). We both had the three meat platter: Brisket, sausage and ribs. The brisket was chopped which was disappointing. Doused in sauce to make it edible. Sausage wasn't bad but the ribs... my God the ribs, were abysmal. Charred all the way through and drier than a Griswald family Christmas turkey. Tasted like tar and were wholly inedible. Took forever to get the check (had to ask for it then wave it inthe air to get someone to pick it up. I'll avoid this place in the future. You should too. read more

Bourbon butter bread pudding is a must! No nonsense barbecue with a great selection of local brews (**Shout out to Grapevine Brewery's Lakefire** ) Great brisket, smokey and oh so tender. Plus that sauce, just the right balance of sweetness, heat, and acid. Service was so friendly and they kept the beers coming! read more

OMG...Had the beef rib, fork tender fell off the bone. Megan and AJ are like old friends and we just met. If my travels bring me back to Grapevine, I'll definitely make the return trip. Well worth a try. read more

Best BBQ in the Metroplex. Bar none. ... Friendliest staff and AJ cooks the best ribs in North Texas. Love this place. read more

We are new to Texas, so we were super excited to try anything that has to do with smoked BBQ. We were coming back from Art Google Festival in Forth Worth and we were starving. We found this place, thanks again to Yelp! I hate going to any place where they are close to their closing hours because I think it's rude on our part, but we did not have anything to eat all day besides beer. It was 30 minutes before they closed and only one customer in the restaurant remains including us. The staff or owners were very nice and inviting. They made awesome margaritas and Moscow Mules. We ordered smoked chicken and pork ribs with a side salad. I enjoy ribs that fall right off the bone. They also have this BBQ sauce that compliments the meat. We will be back to try other things on the menu next time. Thanks for having us in so late. We appreciate it!! read more

Grapevine is known for its cute little quaint shops and AJ's falls right into that category. Everytime we are in town I have to head to AJ's. My parents are regulars there and really love the owner and staff. On my last visit they served me a beer blend (Angry Orchard and a Burban Barrol Stout). It was delicious and then I had to come back the next day to have another with their delicious beef. You can't go wrong stopping in here for some yummy barbeque and a good beer. read more

We randomly tried this place out before our painting class around the corner. I feel like if you are a BBQ restaurant, you should be putting out killer BBQ. I tried the two meat platter of chicken and brisket with baked beans and sweet tea. I have never been to a BBQ restaurant where everything they out was inedible. The chicken was on the bone and missing the skin on the breast. It was so dry I couldn't take more than the one bite. I also think if you order brisket, it should be served sliced unless you get a brisket sandwich. The brisket was served chopped with no sort of bread. It was also very dry and deemed inedible. BBQ sauce could not save these two meats! The beans were like eating thick mud that was burnt, and overly sweet. Last but not least, how do mess up sweet tea? This is Texas and we like our sweet tea, but it was so sweet that I kept mixing it with the ice hoping it would get better. It didn't and I asked for unsweet tea half way thru and it still was overly sweet. The owner asked if I needed a to go box. I declined and asked for the check which prompted him to ask if everything was OK. I said no, everything was dry. He looked at my entire plate of food that was pretty much untouched and noticed the beans were off and stated the meat may have been on the warmer for too long. I did not make a stink and was willing to pay for my three bites of food but he promptly removed my order from the check. Supporting local businesses is important to me, but we will not be back. read more

AJ's On Main - Barbeque Near Me - Grapevine, Texas

Not in DFW top 10 in my humble opinion. Brisket was good, but the sausage tasted like it was day old. Fried okra was very good, but it's hard to mess that up. The jalapeño poppers were outstanding. The place has a cool neighborhood bar feel, but very small. Great location on Main St. I will give it another try. read more

Always enjoy AJ's. The sausage and brisket are good. The okra is top notch. If you are here, you MUST get the bread pudding. It comes with a wonderful glaze and BONUS it doesn't have raisins. The staff is always very friendly and the food comes out fast. Sure parking can be problematic and the place is pretty small. But it is well worth the visit. Give them a shot! read more

We found AJ while coming out of a Real Estate closing that took way too long. We could smell the BBQ from inside the building and thought we would stop by. 1st impressions, this is such a small joint with humble surroundings that we were not expecting much! We walk in and were quickly greeted by a friendly waiter asking us to grab a seat of our choosing. We settled in and looked at the very concise 1 page menu. Not too many choices, but enough if you like BBQ and Catfish. My wife had the Catfish and Okra. She loved it. Catfish was flaky and tender with steam bursting out. Lightly breaded with a flavorful breading. Okra done right, not overcooked but just the right texture that well prepared fried Okra will have. I had the 2 meat plate consisting of Brisket and Sausage. The Brisket was chopped instead of sliced, however, some of the most tender and moist I have ever found. With a gentle hint of Hickory it was a fantastic taste with or without their BBQ sauce. Now as for the Sausage, this was the best Sausage I have ever had in my life. In my family, I have 2 uncles with butcher shops and my grandpa also was known for his smoked meats, sausages and head cheese. Each makes their own smoked sausage. It is so good that some customers order it from across the country and have it shipped via dry ice. I can honestly say, the Sausage I had at AJ beat my uncle Marty's and tied my Grandpa's homemade Sausage. I will be coming back just to take a few pounds of theirs home to South Dakota and Nevada... The waiter had informed me the Sausage was just finishing as I arrived so I only hope our next visit, it taste 1/2 as good as the 1st batch. I can hardly wait... read more

Absolute worst Bbq I have ever had. I really like the location but the food was horrible.

I decided to try it out even though my wife kept trying to change my mind. Glad I stuck to it! The food was on point! And the atmosphere was great! On my way out I decided to take a shot of whisky and pin a dollar to the ceiling. Both the owners came and joined me with shots and said " No one drinks alone here " Yep that made my day! ...My wife said she was glad she picked this place to eat. LoL! read more

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