I have been to Texas many times. I have been to Tennessee, Kentucky, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Missouri. This is the best damn BBQ I have had. I am sure there are places better than this down south. But in Milwaukee, this is as good as it gets. For some reason, Saz's is rated higher than this place, and that surprises me. While Saz's offers better side dishes and more variety, this place is authentic BBQ. Ashley's has a great smokey flavor thats hard to find in the north. Whoever made these ribs is a culinary genius. I'm just saying. Yes. It is probably in the worst neighborhood in Milwaukee. Its in North Division just west of I-43 and southeast of Park West. While I was driving home, I saw a crime scene down one of the streets near this place (I'm guessing by all the cop cars and police tape it was a homicide). But if you go while it's still light out (I went at 5:30pm), you should have no problem. Plus, I wouldn't really trust a BBQ place in Fox Point or Brookfield. You need to go into these parts of town for good BBQ. Otherwise just eat at Applebee's on Bluemound Rd and prepare to be disappointed. I was a little worried the portions weren't big enough. I had the rib dinner, which came with beans, coleslaw, and bread. I also got a side of fries. I couldn't finish all of it, and I have a huge appetite. Prices were very fair for the amount of food I got. It was about $11, and filled me up much more than $25 worth of food at famous daves or texas roadhouse. Check this place out. What are you waiting for? EDIT (5/24/13): Just went a second time today. Better than last time. The ribs were much meatier. Definitely recommend this place! (again I can't stress this enough, go during the day!) EDIT (10/14/13): One complaint I have: they have terrible hours. I drove down here on Monday only to find the store was closed. I would LOVE to come here Sunday after work, but they close at 7PM. 7PM? Really? How early do you think people eat in this...uh...millennium? Still great food though. I'm writing this in Texas, and I still can't find BBQ as good as Ashley's. Oh, and I go here after dark all of the time. No problems... I've actually met some pretty friendly people. But trust your instincts. read more

I've lived in Los Angeles, Miami, and now, for a short time Milwaukee. These are the 2nd best ribs I've ever had, and trust me i've had a few. The only better ribs I've ever had were sold on a street corner in a little enclave of subsidized, project housing in Coral Gables - right next to my alma mater, the University of Miami. The man who sold those ribs, Mr. Kelly, informed me that he would regularly partake in national BBQ competitions, and that he never came in lower than 6th place - his ribs were out of this world incredible. Never will be bested. Ever. All of that being said, Ashley's is a very, very, very close second. It is one of the most amazing culinary experiences I've ever had. I am going to be a lifelong customer - or at least until I get the hell out of Milwaukee and move back to Miami so I can get those on the corner ribs. I highly recommend Ashley's to anyone who has a soul. If you don't like their ribs, I suggest you kill yourself. read more

Omg, somebody was paying attention when the original owner ( old man Ashley) was cooking. The food is so delicious, it takes back to when I was a kid. I remember as a little girl my mom go Fridays and buy everybody a bbq dinner. I had chance to visit during black restaurants week, I'm a regular customer now. read more

Tip: Get the Rib Tips. Pass on the Pulled Pork and Cole Slaw. SUPER Divey "restaurant". (It is a closet/room, with a bank teller glass, that has a protective [bullet-proof] turntable, where your food and money will pass between.) There were advertisements about a "buffet" within, and I'm still not sure how that would work... Especially since there were 5 chairs and no tables, and a handful of old school arcade games. While the "ambiance" might make you concerned about the health standards at this locale, you quickly get over it when you bite into one of their rib tips. Seriously. Fantastic sauce, meaty pieces, not too much fat, super delightfully smokey, moist and not burnt. Overall, a great foodie experience. If you want some local food, Ashley's is a place that you should not overlook. It's well worth the wait and the trepidation. (Minus that of the Pulled Pork and warm cole slaw that is...) read more

Huge meaty portions (get the ribs). Great side options (like mac n cheese, baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, greens, etc.). Saucy deliciousness. Friendly service. Reasonably priced. What's not to like?! Well, here's a tip (not a rib tip): If you want Ashley's to deliver, you better call early. As in, immediately upon awakening. We planned on ordering Ashley's delivery in time for a 7pm Packer kick-off. But lo and behold, when we went to place an order at 5pm, they said in order to have food delivered, we would have had to place the order by 1pm that day. WHAT FRESH HELL IS THIS?!? Holy BBQ blue balls. Someone please hire Mr. Ashley an extra delivery boy. I'm sure some strapping young Milwaukeean would work for free pulled pork. (I know my 16 year old self would! Beats working behind the ShopKo jewelry counter.) Bottom line: Order early. Or, brave the bulletproof glass and just carry out. Because it is good - and totally worth it!! read more

BBQ was good. Had the outside dinner and rib tips. The outside was excellent. Sides were on the small side. Rib tips were kind of burnt and were mostly bones. Kind of disappointed. Sauce was just enough not too much or too little. Sketchy part of town but it's a different type of sauce from Saz's so worth trying. Will go back to try other things and request different sides. read more

Went on Yelp to find good BBQ in Milwaukee and Ashley's was rated high so I drove over to check it out on Wednesday night. I am sad to say I did not have a chance to try the food because their credit card machine was out of date. I was traveling on business so I wanted to use my amex card. Even though the menu says they accept amex I was not able to use my card there. The person at the window was not all that nice either so instead of paying cash I went elsewhere. read more

Ashley's is way better than Speedqueen. Get the pork shoulder and the Mac and cheese with some hot sauce mixed in it. read more

Ashley's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I'm originally from the south. I love fried catfish. this is the closest I've had to what I grew up with. bbq is pretty good to. wish they offered real fried chicken instead of boneless chicken breast. breast meat is the least flavorful part of the bird. also be warned that the chicken typically takes longer for them to prepare compared to other menu options. on the weekends, I'd recommend making a reservation. there aren't a lot of tables and sometimes they get slammed. read more

Canceled online order after me waiting 20 after I checked on food just to have me reorder in store because they said they were too busy....

The food from here is AWESOME! The portion sizes are very reasonable and they're great for leftovers too. :D One of the other reviewers mentioned this, but I wanted to go into greater detail about their deliveries. We really like getting delivery from here because, other than the food being really good, is that the delivery folks are really nice. The wait times are also very reasonable, especially considering that they have to travel a long ways to get to us. The owner himself comes out sometimes to make a delivery, but even when it's not him the people have always been really polite and just extremely nice. They always are really happy to see you - genuinely so, and the energy that they exhibit is really something you don't see often. I know that some may feel nervous about ordering from Ashley's because it's located in a bad neighborhood, but to extend stereotypes associated with that to the staff of Ashley's would give one a very poor impression of what they're really like. The other concern that sometimes might pop up about hole-in-the-wall places, especially in bad neighborhoods, is sanitation. I've NEVER gotten sick from Ashley's, and neither has my boyfriend. We've ordered all of the different dinners (yes, I did order the Snout dinner). They've always been delicious, and gastro-friendly. ;P read more

Rib tip sandwhich is awesome macaroni cheese and greens on point. Well definitely order again.

I enjoyed the food, it was fresh and the quantity is good for the price! And the owner is always so pleasant towards me considering he doesn't know me that's a plus. read more

GREAT Delivery Service. FOOD BAD.. You Knew it will be Bad PERCH Dinner, Served with NO TARTAR SAUCE or LEMONS Fries,Mushrooms and Onions Rings were VERY Spicy..Not Indicated Ribs SUCKED Ruin a FINE Ding Experience. Rates with Other HORRIBLE Foods in Milwaukee read more

I got the shoulder dinner with a side of greens. The meat was tender, moist, smokey, and the sauce was great. The greens were very good as well, flavorful and not too greasy. The other two included sides (coleslaw and baked beans) were simply OK. The the Speed Queen vs. Ashely's discussion, I'd put them on par with each other. The portions are about the same as is the overall quality and flavor of the food. I'd rate them higher but their menu doesn't have prices listed and they don't say what sides are available. I only knew about their greens from Yelp. read more

My friend and I ordered food from this establishment via GrubHub. Whomever prepared the order must not have read the special instructions to not include bread and the meat (s) were to have mixed sauce. Needless to say, when the meals finally arrived (orders were late) there was bread added which was MOLDED! I contacted GrubHub to let them know what happened and stated I had no problem contacting the restaurant. Called to inform the manager/supervisor of the problems with the orders was questioned by the manager who goes by the name of "Hennessy" of what did I want them to do? Her attitude was very flippant and defensive. Tried reaching out on FB to no avail and no response. The once quality customer service here has gone. The food is not of the same caliber it once was and substandard. After so many years of being a loyal customer of this restaurant I have had it. They have lost me as a customer once and for all. Negative rating! read more

Poor service ribs were dry and old not fresh Mac and cheese had a fricken hair in it and my fries were cold and soggy. Definitely never ordering from here again I would ask for a refund but I'm sure they won't give me my money back. #trashbag read more

Best bbq in MKE. Period. Don't expect a fancy space and to be waited on. It's a to go place. If you are lucky enough to get something that just came out of the pit it is sublime. Sauce a bit on sweet side, at least to me. for those that base bbq on the sauce alone read more

Beat BBQ I've had. Everything on the menu is fantastic. I usually go with 1/2 shoulder, 1/2 tip dinner. However everything Darnell makes is amazing!!! read more

Today the Lord blessed me with some real BBQ. Had the luxury of a fat plate with all the fixings. I'm sad I didnt have more and I promise the box weighed something like 2 pounds. This ain't chain BBQ nonsense. This is stand out in the cold, feed that fire burnt end goodness. read more

This is a long overdue review. Ashley's is simply the best BBQ in Milwaukee. It's not Texas BBQ where beef is king. It's about the pork. Shoulder, tips, and ribs. All excellent. Tender, slightly smoky, and flavorful. Their hot links are also very good. Sides are tasty. What I also appreciate is the service I get. I'm frequently found eating off the trunk of my car in Ashely's lot. Darnell comes out to check on me and bring me extra napkins. Do I look messy. We have a Jewish tradition in our house to pick up a ton of Ashley's BBQ on Good Friday and feast. Got a call from an unrecognizable number in the middle of the afternoon this year. It was Darnell, asking how our lunch was. I call that service! read more

When did barbeque become fancy and expensive? Ashley's is neither. Yeah, the menu is leaning up against the wall and you can't read any prices. Yeah, there's bulletproof glass and a turntable for grabbing your food. Yeah, they do a soul food buffet on Sundays. Yeah, it's kinda in a shadier part of town. None of this changes the food. The food is delicious, the quantities are decent, and the price is fair. I'd eat here once a week if it wouldn't turn me into a whale. Check this place out if you're hankering for some BBQ. YUM. read more

Okay, so I was excited to try this restaurant because I see a lot of traffic coming in and out. So my husband and I ordered a beef rib dinner and a catfish dinner. Sadly, IT WAS A HORRIBLE. The catfish had a dark tint maybe the grease it was fried in was dirty, burnt, or needed to be changed. Although it was fried the fish was very mushy. The beef ribs were actually okay however the fries were just thrown on top of the ribs with the bbq sauce that made the fries wet and soggy. The baked beans were light skinned and I've never seen that anywhere before. We ordered banana pudding and I could tell it was old because the pudding around the top was turning hard and orange. The coleslaw tasted strongly of vinegar. I expected so much more! I won't eat there anymore. Oh and this was actually $37... again $37!! -inserts face slap here-. read more

A hole in the wall joint with tasty food. Carry out only. As of this review, they don't have a driver so are unable to offer delivery. Barbecued ribs are good, but when ordering a family meal good for 4-5 people, the sides were extremely tiny. The potato salad and coleslaw portions would have fed one or two. read more

Had Ashley's for the first time yesterday. This is the most authentic bbq I've had since my dad closed down the Bluegrass Bar and Grill in Uniontown, Ky some years ago. I had the ribs, potato salad, corn and greens. I'd give all stars but have not yet tried the mac and cheese and shoulder so I'll review again this afternoon because I have not had quite enough greens, ribs and corn yet. Really quite impressed. read more

another of the very few places offering authentic bbq in milwaukee that deserves praise. highly recommended are the shoulder dinner and rib tips. the shoulder is perfectly cooked in a tangy and slightly spicy sauce. the menu also features many other non-bbq items, including burgers, perch, catfish, corned beef, gyros, ice cream and sundaes. saturdays and sundays feature a soul food buffet. delivery available. read more

Excellent shoulder dinner reasonable price I will be coming back as far as the sides to me they were reasonable size no different then speed queen or places like jjs and hooks. cole slaw was very good same with the baked beans and if you don't care for slaw and beans you can substitute fries read more

We visited Ashley's this evening after reading the reviews and having a taste for BBQ. I was very happy with the food. We tried the rib tips, shoulder, shoulder sandwich, the greens, baked beans, potato salad and coleslaw. Everything was very good. The sandwich had a very good amount of meat and wasn't drenched in sauce but was very good and the meat was tender and flavorable. The greens were very good and seasoned. I've been in Milwaukee a;; my life and had never gone to Ashley's but I'll be back. We called in our order and didn't have to wait long when we got there and the order was correct. It sounded as though a young person was taking the order so I was very happy that everything was exactly as ordered. The prices are very reasonable and the portions are nice. read more

This is my main place for bbq. My first experience wasn't great but I decided to give it a second chance ... I'm glad I did!

Ordered delivery. Mac and cheese was horrible. Would have rather eaten easy Mac from the box. Soggy, wet, falling apart noodles. Shoulder sandwich was small. read more

Hands down the best barbecue in Milwaukee. The variety and and sauces make this a must eat if visiting or living in the city.

Great BBQ,ribs a little dry.Great fries.Ya get a lot of food for the price.Everything else was great.Go during day......

I love Ashley's. I order the slab and its enough for two meals. The bbq has great sauce. This is the best in Milwaukee. Avoid places like Smoke Shack and Saz's if you want a good bbq. read more

Stopped in on a Tuesday @ 6pm for a light meal before an event. Will never return. We were the only table waiting for food...so it should have at least been HOT. Thank goodness we only did appetizers, cause I would have hated to pay full price for a whole meal that was lacking. Wings=small and cold and just plain bad. The BBQ meat on top of their chips was DICED...seriously - it should be shredded. And of course that was cold. Don't waste your time either with the mac n cheese. Overcooked pasta and I've made better at home. read more

I was going to write the classic Black Panther retort. But most are correct the hood there is sketchy as someone put it. I have found the whole world is sketchy now days. just always be aware of your surroundings weather it be on 27 and center or in mequon. The ribs and prices are worth the trip. read more

Excellent customer service! And excellent food! We ordered through Uber Eats this evening. The delivery was missing some items. I called in with the issue and one of the owners, Mr. Ashley, personally delivered the missing items himself. Top notch! Thanks Mr. Ashley and thanks to your team! You all made things right and we appreciate it. We will definitely be ordering again! We love your bbq (you turned into our faves vs. Speed Queen a while back) and my fave is the collards! They are to die for!!!! read more

I was anticipating trying Ashley's and really wanted to like it but idk what I was served as everything was thrown into one box not separated. The meats, shoulder and tips, were all mostly inedible fat. The mac and cheese I'm sure was old - the yams were okay and they forgot my fries that came with my meal. read more

I often find myself stopping in at Ashley's as I head north for the weekend. The food is just great, and they don't skimp on how much you get. Ashley's is my favorite BBQ in Miwaukee. Mostly I get the Ribs, and Tips. I have to try other things.... like the snout dinner! read more

This is one of my favorite BBQ spots. Nice outdoor area, friendly staff. BBQ I had was a brisket sandwich which was great. I have been multiple times and would highly recommend this. Only suggestion would be to have extra sauce in a bottle at the table. read more

If you're in the area this is a great barbecue place. I recommend anything they have. Check it out you won't be disappointed