The Rating System is a rating for the day I visited the establishment. (E) Exceeds Expectations: Taste is above peers (M) Meets Expectations: Taste is what one should expect (N) Needs Improvement: Taste is below peers (D) Disappointing: Does not live up to hype (V+) Value is worth the price (V-) Value is not worth the price (E) Brisket-best I found son far in west Texas (M) Pork ribs (E) Coleslaw (E) Crinkle Fries -Crispy not soggy (M) Beans (E) Macaroni salad (N) Mac and Cheese-bit runny work on your rue (E) Ice Cream - home made perfect end to the meal. MUST HAVE! (E) Service (E) Cleanliness (V+)-Great value plenty of side options -can choose how much meat you want on your plate ie. small-regular-large priced accordingly. read more

Great food and fast service! Friendly and helpful staff. Super for dining in or take out orders.

This is probably one of the best places to eat in Big Spring for lunch. It is roughly 25-30$ a plate the times I went in. I had the catfish and you get quite a bit of fish. But very good catfish read more

Food is way OVER-PRICED, they aren't the only place overpriced but then was even before the failing economy. Portions are small and as stated in the beginning, you don't get what you pay for. Staff is nice and professional when it comes to serving customers. Definitely get a good BBQ feel from the restaurant itself but the food is over the top in cost. read more

Tired bbq. Service was good. Standard bbq far from the '50's. Sauce too sweet for me.

Yummy. Had the pulled pork and coleslaw for lunch. Yummy. Staff is cheerful, friendly. Room is bright with big windows on 3 walls. read more

Al's & Son Bar-B-Q - Dining room and big windows. - Barbeque Near Me - Big Spring, Texas

We are constant BBQ diners and this place was really worth a detour off the highway to grab a great bite to eat. One child's plate and one small one meat plate was $33. Reasonable and filling! We had the moist brisket which was good. The sausage looks to be Polish style and the pinto beans have some chili powder in them. We ate inside the restaurant and at the end of our meal, the server offered us vanilla ice cream. A hit! We are always willing to go a little out of the way to try a town favorite, and Al's was worth every bit! read more

Al's & Son Bar-B-Q - Inside the restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Big Spring, Texas

Food was excellent! Staff was very friendly. I'll definitely go back next time I'm in town.

Staff were friendly and helpful. BBQ and sides were great especially the corn salad. The chicken habanero sausage was a highlight. They even had homemade ice cream! Atmosphere was that of a burger bar, large open dining space. Happy we stopped there. read more

Better off going to a franchise. Yuck. If you want good bbq, go to Big John's on west 3rd.

Love Al's, don't eat there too often but never disappointed when I do! Got a pound of brisket last time I went and it was sooo good. I couldn't wait until I got home to eat it. Recently ordered a chicken salad and they stuff that salad full! I would've rather had my chicken hot but it was still good cold. read more

Thanks for another Great meal Al and Sons! Hadn't been here in a while, but never disappointing. read more

After moving to Big Spring, I quickly realized that this place has better BBQ than any place I've tried in the Dallas-Fort Worth area where I lived for 20+ years prior. All of their meats are solid tasting, juicy, with just enough smoke taste. My recommendation though is "Big Al's Special" - the juiciest beef brisket sandwich you could ever want, topped with sausage slices, BBQ sauce, and pickled relish. You get a scoop of their scrumptuous potato salad too. I died and went to BBQ heaven.... read more

I know this is a BBQ place but you MUST try their hamburgers! Their Large burger is a 1/2 pound patty they pat themselves. It takes a little longer for the burger but it's worth the wait. No frozen patties here!! Their option on fries are home style & crinkle cut. I always opt for the home style. The ribs are amazeballs. The Brisket is always superb. Jalapeño sausage is the best. I love their sauce and the potato salad is delicious. I guess the only bad thing I have to say about Al's is that they're not open on Sundays and they close early on Saturdays. Manuel, Sally, & crew are always very helpful and friendly. FYI, don't miss out on the free homemade ice cream if you dine in. read more

Had lunch here today. Checked the menu, 3 item with sides $18. Cool. Ordered my meats and got 1 scoop of beans and 2 scoops of green beans. Large drink. $23.03... either the drink cost $5 or I got charged extra for something. Portion size was kinda small. Tho, the quality of the food was amazing!! I really want to support local, but when the chain store a couple blocks down the street is cheaper and larger portions, and yes, lower quality. it's a difficult choice for me... I may go back and try out the burgers... read more

Ok this place is not worth the money you pay. Large combo plate is $22 and you get maybe $5 worth of meat. The weigh the plate then put meat on the plate. The meat was cold. Was supposed to get three sides but they do not have a good selection of sides to choose from. Do not recommend this place and I will not be coming back to this scam place. They robbing people No sir. Your prices are based on plates not all that BS you just wrote on here. because there were several of us that ate there and two of us got bbq plates. I got the bigger plate with some design on it and the other guy got the plate with no design and we both had the same amount of meat so don't say it's base on the amount of time to cook. Because I can get twice the meat at coopers and it's 20x better then yours. Just saying Best to you. read more

I'm posting a third review for this restaurant. The first two were bad. I gave them another try because they have some loyal customers. I got a hamburger and some sliced brisket. I humbly apologize to Al and Sons for my previous reviews. They were probably having an off day. The hamburger and fries were outstanding. The brisket was above outstanding! I know brisket as I have eaten at many of the greats from Austin to Lockhart to Dallas and Houston. These guys are getting it done. What a great job!!!! I'm looking forward to your food again soon! read more

Family business with excellent West-Texas style BBQ. Been twice, both times has the sliced beef + pulled pork combo plate. The beef is meltingly tender, and the pork is bathed in a sweet sauce that's perfect. Sides are served cafeteria-style, so pick 3 and load up as you like. I was happy with mac-n-cheese, green beans, and corn-on-the-cob. Desserts are offered as well - I had the banana pudding, and it was an excellent ending to the meal...except that if you dine in, you can also grab a (free) scoop of homemade (you can actually see the old-school ice-cream maker) vanilla ice cream. Everyone was very attentive and friendly. Price is a little on the high side for BBQ - combo meal + a drink is looking just shy of $20, but the food is worth the price. Restaurant itself is roomy with a steady flow of patrons both times I've been there. read more

Al's & Son Bar-B-Q - Two meat regular plate with the fixings plus banana pudding in the background. - Barbeque Near Me - Big Spring, Texas

The ribs, brisket and banana pudding are excellent. Very good barbecue. I enjoy it every time.

Al's & Son is a perfect example of why it's always a good idea to get off the interstate and go local. Great BBQ, chocolate cake to die for, and free homemade vanilla ice cream. It was all delicious and the people were very friendly. This was a great mid-way lunch stop on our drive across Texas. read more

Al's & Son Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Big Spring, Texas

Thought I'd give this place a try on my drive through Big Spring en route home to Ft Worth. Wanted to support a local business vs a chain during this COVID pandemic. Ordered a chopped beef sandwich and a side of potato salad. Chopped beef sandwich was more along the lines of a sloppy joe. Pretty skimpy with a lot of sauce and minimal amount of meat. Potato salad was average. read more

Chose the BBQ combo plate with 2 choices of meat (I chose sliced beef and chicken breast) and 3 sides. Half of my beef was lean and the other half, anything but lean...I don't like marbled meat. Flavor was average for both the beef and chicken. My sides were mac and cheese, green beans and something I thought was mashed potatoes. The latter turned out to be a cold dish...maybe blended up potato salad...I didn't care for it. Green beans were okay in flavor but the mac and cheese was very dry...and both were only lukewarm. Sweet tea was only moderately sweet. $20 is too much for an average tasting lunch. Best thing about Al's: Free scoop of delicious homemade vanilla ice cream! read more

This place was really good. We were passing through and saw this older place on the Gregg. Decided to give it a shot. It is cafeteria style with tons to choose from. I had catfish plate... amazing, cooked perfectly, my son ordered the bacon cheese burger and couldn't finish it... he said it was great, my wife had steak fingers... a little over cooked but tasty. Tea tasted a bit old but it was really late in the evening, understandable. Staff was friendly. We will definitely go back next time we are in town. read more

Al's & Son Bar-B-Q - Catfish plate - Barbeque Near Me - Big Spring, Texas

The portions were great! It was 55$ for two children and two adults with only 3 drinks. The ice cream is AMAZING. My daughter absolutely loved it. The shrimp is great, crispy. The cole slaw was horrible. read more

If you are expecting sweet smokey "bar-b-que" beans and moist flavorful beef brisket you need to head to the Midwest, 'cuz this ain't it. If black on the edge brisket with little flavor and plain over-cooked beans is your feast, then this is your place. No smokey sweet flavor, even the sauce is sub-standard. When you smell that delicious smell a block away you know you are heading in the right direction. You won't smell it here...not even inside. Ok for kids, well lit, clean enough, but thumbs down on the cuisine. Sorry Texans, this ain't BBQ. Try Kansas or Missouri. read more

Best BBQ in West Texas. The brisket is moist and flavorful, and they really pile it on. The sides are a bit of the norm (beans, green beans, coleslaw) but the best of the bunch is the potato salad. It's homemade and really tastes out of this world. They also make their own ice cream, which by far is unique to any other restaurant in the area. Great place if you find yourself passing through Big Spring for lunch or dinner. read more

Great burger, home made burger and fries. Great all around service. And brought us homemade ice cream to finish. Best Ice Cream I've ever tasted! read more

Got the brisket plate. Generous portion with three sides, Texas toast and complimentary ice cream. Brisket was tender and tasted very good. I ate it without the bbq sauce. read more

Al's & Son Bar-B-Q - Brisket plate - Barbeque Near Me - Big Spring, Texas

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I saw better reviews for Sonny's up the road, but that place was closed when we came through town around lunchtime yesterday. Al's was open and had enough pick-up trucks in the parking lot to convince us to give it a try. Overall, it was an average Texas BBQ joint. Sauce was solid -- thick and tangy with a bit of a kick. The brisket was a bit on the fatty side for our taste. If you like it lean, get it sliced and ask for a lean cut. The chopped brisket comes premixed with sauce, so it's hard to see fatty it is and how much meat vs. sauce you're actually getting. My conclusion is, there's not enough meat for the price. The ladleful of chopped meat applied to my bun was really paltry and the sandwich comes with one side at a price of over $8! Not such a great value. The restaurant makes its own vanilla all ice cream -- we didn't try it, but it comes free with any meal, apparently. Other people seemed to enjoy it so probable worth a try. Nice big to-go cups for your tea. read more

I ordered the large meat plate. The brisket was smokey and tender. The jalapeño sausage was a little tough and dry. The side dishes of beans were so delicious, cole slaw tasted well, and the corn on the cob was tough and old. The reason for the 3 stars was because of the 1/2 lb of pulled pork that was so greasy I couldn't eat it. read more

Really good food and the service was too! Cafeteria style with lots of help. We'd stop again! read more

Al's & Son Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Big Spring, Texas

Love Al's & sons! Been a customer since I was a small child. As a matter of fact, because of their potato salad being so close to like what mom used to make oh, I hope all other BBQ places potato salad up to their standard. I will judge other BBQ joints by their potato salad, if it's not as good as Al's it just don't make the cut. LOL. Oh, guess I should comment on their barbecue meat, excellent brisket and ribs. Pretty good grilled chicken to. All in all I guess I could say I like Al's & sons BBQ. read more

Tried this place for the 1st time and it was Ight ...the ribs and brisket idk and the buffet was good it was half/pound burger but u other brisket and 4 ribs and burger each of them with no side and cane to 30 dollars...way to pricey for the taste read more

It Amazes me that someone would post...."My bread had rat poop on it".....REALLY... I'm a Big Spring Native, I have eaten at Al's as a young kid when Al himself was still around, then Chuck his son, and now Matt... There has NEVER been anything like Rat poop on bread....That's just ridiculous...and a "Blatant Lie". Matt has kept everything up like it should be and the BBQ the same way his grandfather did. They just completely remodeled the restaurant...keeping up with the times. Sherry, Matt, and the staff are friendly, still offer customer service the way it use to be...and turn out quality BBQ that you would expect from a business that has been around for 58 years. Everybody has a different take or likeness when it comes to BBQ....Just because you might not like it does not mean it's not good. So, for Poor Ol' Luke...who said he had rat poop on his bread...(LoL) We'll just keep supporting Al's and Son BBQ for another 58 years and Beyond......"Poor Ol' Luke" read more

Great burger! Hand formed patty and a fix it yourself bar. Hand cut fries were amazing. Service was great. One of my friends had a sliced brisket sandwich that had enough meat for two people. Another friend had chicken breast and sides. Not too great. Mac and cheese was good the other sides (weird potato salad and equally strange coleslaw) not so great. Brought homemade vanilla ice cream at the end of our meal. read more

Ugh! We used to live in Big Spring in mid-1990s and loved Al's. We would often compare their food to other barbecue places because it was so good. Today we chose Al's when we made the drive to visit the place. That was a mistake! The bodacious ham sandwich is no longer made with love in the back on Texas toast. Now the ham gets slapped on cold stake bun and I had to make it myself from the burger bar. The brisket wasn't good. The only good thing was the potato salad. We should have gone to Big John's or our other old haunt - Rocky's! read more

The potato salad is the best I ever had. I wish they could ship it to me in Austin. The other things I have tried there have been delicious as well. read more

Best BBQ in town. Love the Brisket & Chicken combo w/ potato salad, cole slaw & beans w/ jalapeños in them. Then get sweet tea w/ lime and top it off with some homemade ice cream (for free). Have a really good chicken salad w/ a homemade house salad. Its worth getting if you want a salad. The BBQ sauce is very good. They have had the same great crew through the oil boom and maintained really good service. read more

The atmosphere is nice. On this date I purchase the bacon cheeseburger, order of onion rings and a small drink. The total price for all items was $19.54. I could understand the price if I were to get a 3/4 pound burger and a family size order order of onion rings and an extra large drink. All I received was a 1/2 pound burger with three strips of the thin pre-cooked bacon, approximately six small onion rings, and the small drink. The food was mediocre and would have been a good deal for about $9. All in all mediocre food and way overpriced. read more

Al's has gotten way too expensive in my opinion. But, my main problem with this place is that the dining area smells like the restrooms. Sewage. I think if they'd fix the smell I could tolerate the high prices on occasion. read more