Stopped for the night in Ava, Missouri (southern central Missouri) Had the brisket sandwich snd it was great, very tender and juicy. Came with chips and a pickle. The brisket was not overly smoked, just right. The barbecue sauce was also good, a sweet version. Also had their Blackberry Cobbler which was good. Definitely worth stopping for barbecue. read more

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This was a pleasant find in a small town. Parking was easy and accessible: Service was prompt and helpful , I enjoyed the look , very clean , quiet and well maintained, The food was great and very affordable. read more

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The Brisket was awesome, nice inviting atmosphere, I recommend it for Bbq lovers.Its in Ava Missouri, a little country town south of of Mansfield off of highway 60. read more

I have been there for the Meatloaf it is to die for. Get there early because the run out.

So I'm giving only three stars because it took roughly ten minutes, after being seated, to receive a menu and to order my drink. This was not the fault of the waitress, who was fantastic, but rather poor waitstaff scheduling on the part of management. She was running!!! Now the food. The portion size of the sandwich was great. The sides were limited and therefore I think made the price for the sandwich, a pickle, and a small bag of chips a little pricey ($8.99) The slaw and beans were $2.50 extra. Now the taste. The Smoked pulled pork and the BBQ sauce had a seasoning in it that was almost all I could taste. I was a little disappointed. The BBQ beans were flavored okay but still had that seasoning that I didn't care for. The sauce of the beans was very thin. The BBQ sauce on the table was thin as well. Flavor is completely objective and the next person may absolutely love the flavor and texture but I was not a fan. I've had BBQ/smoked meat in NC, Memphis TN, SC, Kansas City, MO, AZ, TX so my limited tasting does NOT make me an expert. read more

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Best BBQ in town! I know they have a few locations but I hit this one the most. Convenient location, plenty of parking. Place is always reliable. Quality of food is top tier, service is respectable, establishment is clean and prices are fair. I always enjoy eating here. Thanks for the pleasant experiences y'all, keep up the good work. read more

Pretty good food for the price, honestly! The customer service is amazing and the ribs are TO DIE FOR!! I love going here whenever I can. Also just one if my favorite places to get coleslaw. read more

I really wanted to enjoy my meal at Hucklebuck, but the food just wasn't very good. The decor is cute and homey, and features lots of mounted deer and elk heads. The staff is very friendly and is quick with drinks and complimentary peanuts. I ordered the 1/3 slab of ribs dinner plate, which comes with two sides and a slice of garlic bread. There's no dancing around the fact that the ribs were not good. They had a bizarre chemical taste to them. I don't know what they smoke their ribs in, but it didn't taste like wood smoke. I had to drown them in sauce just to make them palatable. Even then, I barely ate two. They were also very fatty, so overall they were not enjoyable. On the other hand, the baked beans were quite tasty. My second side, the corn on the cob, was boiled beyond oblivion. It was OK, but it would have been much better had it not been overcooked. The garlic bread was delicious, but I'm pretty sure it's the frozen kind you get at the grocery store. My friends have tried the pulled pork and brisket sandwiches, and they were both much better than the ribs. I would go back to Hucklebuck, but I would stick to the sandwiches. read more

Backroads BBQ - the front of the restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Ava, Missouri

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Great brisket! It is so tender and delicious. Great service and the cobbler is so good. We were visiting Missouri and we loved this place and hope to come back again soon! read more

I was surprised. I had no idea Ava had a place like this. Excellent bar b q. Had the pork loin. Excellent. Easy access.

In general I don't eat BBQ but WOWZERS - THE PORK RIBS HERE WERE PHENOMINAL!!! Staff offered excellent service, very clean establishment, generous portions for the price and super nice atmosphere. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND STOPPING HERE!! read more

I ordered a half slab of ribs without sides as I was told I could do so. However, I was charged the same amount as if I had ordered a meal with sides. As far as the ribs were concerned, I felt like they were underdone. They were overly pink, not quite bloody, but clearly not all the way done. They were also pretty fatty and greasy. The taste was ok, but not much smoke flavor. read more

My wife and I went out to eat dinner and Hucklebuck's was having a special. Rib dinner with pulled pork. We ordered two and just under 5 minutes our server had our meals on the table. It looked all so good until I bit into one of the ribs. The rib was rotten. I never in my life ate rotten ribs but it was, It also smelled rotten. The girl server with braces on her teeth took our meals back to the kitchen which she told us she tried one of the ribs and it seemed to be ok with her. (she had no food stuck in her braces) She charged us for our drinks and we left. My wife and I being in our 70's have eaten in BBQ places in 5 different states and we know what BBQ taste like. Hucklebuck's is by far the worst restaurant we have ever been in. With food like this I wonder why the health department does not shut them down? Never again! read more

This is my new favorite restaurant in Ava. I love barbeque, and I have been eying this place for weeks. I went there twice in the last week because I have a little addiction to the pulled pork. I love pulled pork. The first time I went, I ordered the king-sized pulled pork sandwich with beans and slaw as sides for $7.50 after tax. It was a massive serving, so the second time I opted for the queen-size, which was like $6.50 after tax. The pulled pork is cooked well. There is very little to no fat on it, which I like, and the little bits of the burnt crust are wonderful. They do their bbq with a dry rub, which I believe is more the Memphis style than KC, but I love both. I smothered my sandwich in bbq sauce, and it was wonderful. The cole slaw was average. It was a very basic cole slaw with nothing special, but at the same time, it was good. You can't go wrong with simple. I love the flavor combination of pulled pork and cole slaw. I also liked their beans a lot. They were reminiscent of baked beans that I've had in KC. They were sweet and had bits of meat in them. Delicious. A co-worker got the baked potato that comes with sour cream, cheese, onions, and pulled pork on it. This is seriously the biggest potato I've ever seen. She was raving about it, and I'll definitely have to try it some time as well as the ribs and smoked chicken. The dead animal decor is not exactly my thing, but I love it in here. They have a lot of deer heads and two elk, which are pretty impressive. They also have pictures up of people hunting and fishing. My favorite is a kid with a pretty big fish and the biggest smile on his face. The decor is really fun to look at and it is a bbq joint so the dead animal theme definitely works. read more

Found this place trying to find the Casey's to grab lunch on the go. We decided to try this instead and it did not disappoint :) Friendly staff, cute little place and good food. I had their Thursday special, the smoked meatloaf. Delicious! We had a party of 6 and everyone enjoyed their meal. read more

Overall Hucklebuck is a good place to eat! The food is pretty tasty! I enjoy the sausage links, pulled pork and brisket. The only thing that prevents me from eating at Hucklebuck more frequently is the fact that they do no accept credit/debit cards!!! read more

This review rating is based on the barbecue which is excellent, fall off the bone tender. The baked beans are also very well seasoned and recommended. The cole slaw needs a lot of work. The dressing is completely tasteless. They serve peanuts in the shell in buckets on the tables, a nice touch. What I don't like is the plastic flatware and having my drinks served in foam cups. I detest that aspect so would rather have my food to go and eat it at home with real utensils and glassware. This is one of the better places to eat in Ava which lacks in decent restaurants. The barbecue is worth coming here for. The ribs are very meaty and delicious. My husband started out with two because we weren't all that hungry, but, after eating his two, he ordered two more. read more

Very good BBQ! I had a to go box of brisket, beans and cold slaw and it was very nice portions, great flavor and very polite staff. Definitely recommend! read more

We had wanted to try this for quite some time as the outside decor is really neat. Has all the logs cut for BBQ smoking and just looked like a fun place. The decor inside is woodsy. Booths are made of polished wood and there are lanterns hanging from the ceiling with moose cutouts. Hardwood flooring, with numerous mounted deer heads throughout the restaurant. Great atmosphere but you can't eat atmosphere! Only takes cash and checks. Complimentary baskets of peanuts as appetizers. Food is served on plastic. Not much serving for price. No fried foods, no french fries. I had the Hucklebuck Salad with brisket and honey french dressing. Came in small plastic bowl with packet dressing. While it was good, not much of it and the brisket was more like roast beef. My husband had a brisket sandwich with potato salad and baked beans. He too was not impressed. We ate there a day ago and he has had stomach problems since. Not sure what it was. Possibly the potato salad as it was not cool to the touch. Maybe out too long? He said his brisket sandwich was like roast beef. Did not even taste smoked. No BBQ sauce added, sauce is on the table to add to food if desired. When we eat BBQ we want it smoked and sauced, like KC BBQ. We were still hungry upon leaving. Felt like we had just eaten a school lunch, not enough food for price or serving. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME! read more

Good food, good service. Don't forget your cash...they don't accept debit/credit cards.

If you like BBQ Brisket, you won't get cheated here! Cherry smoked brisket and ribs were absolutely amazing! I was told to get the baked beans and slaw with it. Unbelievable!! I wish I could go back and do it again tomorrow! Great job to all there...EXCELLENT! read more

I have eaten at the Hucklebuck twice this week and would recommend it to anyone who loves barbeque. I had the pulled pork sandwich and then the sliced brisket today and they are both excellent. They had a special with vegetable beef soup and then one with chili today. My friend had the ribs and thought they were quite good. Looking forward to another trip there. read more

Wow, I can't believe Hucklebuck's has not gotten better reviews, and I just had to put my two cents in. Coming from Kansas City (one of the self-proclaimed BBQ capitals) I am very impressed with Hucklebuck's. I grew up eating the saucy Arthur Bryant's and Gate's BBQ from my hometown, but I also love Memphis style BBQ which is very different. I have tried almost everything on the Hucklebuck's menu and it's great for a tiny town like Ava. I like Hucklebuck's because the employees are very friendly, the prices are good, and you cannot find much (if any) FRIED sides on the menu, which makes it a little bit healthier. Give Hucklebuck's a try the next time you are in town, it's very good! read more

This is a family place with only soft drinks served. Food, briskit and pulled pork, is delicious. We just came from there again and will soon go back. The baked beans are very good and the slaw is very good, tool. Janice B read more

Good BBQ pork. But their health concerns are far below average. The cute waitress that handles the side items as the buttered bread runs the cash registers as well and never washes her hands. And she use her hands to put the bread on your plate after touching all that money. Ugh... read more