We tried Mendel's because it was in walking distance of our hotel, and to tell the truth, it was just ok. It was a busy weekend for them, so maybe that was the problem. Positives - We were seated immediately which was good because at other places there were long waits. Also, the sweet sauce that went with the brisket was delicious. Negatives - I ordered the half chicken which they ran out of. They substituted the grilled chicken breast instead. Unfortunately it was very dry. I would like to try this place again when it is not as busy. read more

Backyard BBQ & Brew - Barbeque Near Me - Surfside, Florida

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I like kosher food and I like bbq....the guy whose restaurant this is a bbq maestro and the flavors just melt in your mouth here. The guy who is the check came over to our table to schmooze( make light conversation- yiddish phrase) to tell me that he thinks I was at his father's wedding in brooklyn in the early 80s...which is entirely possible. Shmooze= banter I went with my former neighbor in chicago and his 3 friends. This is a very popular place as they want you to get a online reservation and not calling on the phone. Although they say it closes at 9pm they wont rush you out at that time.i came late so I was worried about it. I got there at 8:30 , reservation for 8, my friends got there at 8:15....I was glad I let them order instead of me as they ordered the 2 orders of brisket and burned ends and some assorted other meats. Speaking of bbq I would say if you Are a semi bbq aficionado like myself and are in Miami or even Broward come visit this place because it smells just as good as the famous Weber grill in Chicago and that is not an easy feat if you are a kosher bbq chef. . The order came and it just melts in you mouth and if you are cutting it with a fork and knife so you dont feel like a scene from the show "vikings" then it will be very easy to cut.. It's very high class but not pretentious. Good people watching as well. Some guys are taking their wives out and some guys are very religious and are using this as the meal to deal the deal so they can pop the question to the woman they met last week or the week before. Such is dating in the chasidic realm. I wont knock it if I have not tried it :) My sodium level was enhanced and I'm drinking water as we speak for it to be fully restored. Not that it's a bad thing, right. The one thing I would suggest is that they invest in printing up some laminated menus as it is on one page on both sides. It would be much classier than the piece of paper that is handed to me like I might be an 8th grade customer and all i need is a number 2 pencil. read more

Backyard BBQ & Brew - Barbeque Near Me - Surfside, Florida

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On this day, we didn't have anything reserved for dinner, which was a mistake. Since we were in Bal Harbor, we just quickly looked up a restaurant on Google Maps and this one had brisket and was nearby. It also had a high rating. Unfortunately, it was a huge let down. The rating on Yelp was more accurate that Google. Everything on the menu was shockingly expensive for a BBQ joint. It is a Kosher restaurant, which might partly explain the prices. We got brisket, corn, a poutine, a salad, hot dog, and french fries. The only thing that was really good was the fries. The brisket was bland and some pieces had hard to chew ends - the kind that scratch your throat unexpectedly. The salad literally had spoiled pieces of orange in it. read more

Truly fond of Mendel and his food but changing my review from years ago from a 5 star to 4. Reason being that the place is starting to show it's wear and tear, the bathrooms & the booths. Also, and maybe this is my imagination or maybe because it's yeshiva week, the portion, of at least the sundae, seemed smaller. Pluses include new, to me, appetizer of sweet potatoes and burnt ends (yum) & dessert (their take on NOLA bread pudding- so good). The servers are numerous and oh so nice, and they remain calm and unruffled even under trying circumstances. read more

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Kosher eats have come a long way from what was once very limiting in restaurant and cuisine selections to what is thriving today as the boundaries of Kosher taste buds are stretching to flavors, seasonings and cooking techniques from other cultures. Kosher bbq is fast becoming a growing delicious option and quickly getting noteriety and recognition too. Owner Mendel of this fine BBQ establishment has won accolades at many bbq competitions for his smoke meats and proudly serves them here. Like any great BBQ joint, they serve till they run out and only make a certain amount per day, so don't get there late! Reservations are highly recommended, especially those times when the area is inundated with NYC snow birds ;) My favorites here are the brisket, burnt ends, ribs, chicken wings, the BBQ "sundae", classic beef burger, and the pecan pie!! Do not skip dessert here! Staff has always been friendly, but since it's a beach/vacation community I heard retaining good staff long term is near impossible sadly. Still, looking forward to my next visit very soon! read more

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A must when I am in Surfside. Very great service and wonderful options. I look forward to trying the Poutine Truffle Fries next time. read more

Backyard BBQ & Brew - Pulled Smoked Beef Sweet Potato Fries - Barbeque Near Me - Surfside, Florida

I work so hard for my $ and not to blow it on below par expensive food. The brisket was inedible ( dry and hard) the burnt ends drowned in BBQ sauce and the meat was not good. The burger looked like it was boiled not grilled. It felt like a rubber puck. Forget about the taste. The coleslaw was for sure spoiled. I could go on and on about the $275 I spent on a take out dinner I dumped in the trash.. read more

Great food, great service. My waitress was the best. I remember her from Miami Beach. Salmon was crispy and delicious. Corn on the cob was a real treat. Next time I'll try the smoked meats. read more

Backyard BBQ & Brew - Salmon and corn. - Barbeque Near Me - Surfside, Florida

Giving this restaurant three stars because when we came here two years ago it was a much better experience than this time so maybe they were having an off night or maybe it has changed. We got the fries with the brisket and BBQ aioli and this was probably the best thing we had all night. Got the daily combo platter for $150, which came with 4 very small ribs, 4 pieces of very very dry brisket and some burnt ends. The burnt ends were very good, the ribs were just OK and the brisket was beyond awful as it was cold, flavorless, and dry. The platter came with two sides we chose Cole slaw and corn. Had to send the Cole slaw back because it tasted so off. Swapped it with no problem for a side Caesar salad which was pretty good. While the waitress was very very nice the service in general was not great as the staff was hard to access and no one was walking around. I came back again because I enjoyed my meal last time but wouldn't come back again. read more

Backyard BBQ & Brew - Fries with brisket and bbq aioli - Barbeque Near Me - Surfside, Florida

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This was Probably the worst "BBQ" I have ever had. Ordered the 80$ platter. It's said to feed 1-2 people, it feeds 1, barely. But this one fed 0 because we sent it back and left. But even if it was good/edible it was enough for 1 adult in my opinion. I could have eaten 2 of those platter, if it was good. Let me explain. When the platter came out at first glance it looked ok, but it was to "ARRANGED" it looked over presented and too "picturesque" We tasted a rib, a cube of burnt ends, and a bite of the brisket. Honestly in my opinion it was all inedible. The beans tasted ok but seamed old, mushy and the fact that the beans were barley warm and the bowl they were in was scolding piping hot says 1 thing "MICROWAVE" we didn't bother with the coleslaw. The only think on the platter that wasn't completely disappointing was the 3 pickle slices, gee thanks. I guess since rbis platter is supposed to serve 2 people, its 1 and 1/2 pickle slices each, that you very little. It just felt like this place is overpriced, cheap/stingy with their product and their portions and has no real talent for making and serving good tasting and good smelling BBq. 1st- the "secret" off menu add on for 10$ to add a Dino rib was "secretly" upped to $20. Which is weird because if it's a secret item, how do you change the price? Thought that was a little bit of tomfoolery but ok... asked the manager to honor the price that it has been for quite some time but the 10$ extra was so important to the manager he said no, that we have to pay 20$. So we passed, not because of 10$ but because of principles. Feeling ripped off isnt nice or a good way to start off a meal. Never spoke to or met the manager mind you, he/she only communicated through the waiter. Big no no. Con 2nd- I know bbq. I know that a full rack of ribs is 10-12 ribs and can even be 13 ribs AND that yes 2 people can definitely split a full rack of ribs even though I can definitely polish off a full rack as an appetizer. Even if you don't know BBQ that's pretty well known amongst people that are fans of and enjoy bbq or anyone that has seen a rack of ribs for sale in the supermarket!!! I can't stand when restaurants think the customer is stupid. The menu said the combo platter for $80 comes with a FULL rack of ribs. So naturally I was expecting 10-12 ribs. When the platter came out it had 5 ribs. Which in the bbq world is know as a "cheaters rack" meaning, ribs on each end of the rack were removed and held back- usually to create another portion... it was not surprising to me that when the platter came out they were not connected like ribs should be in a "RACK" but stacked on top of each other like chicken wings would be. I took one look and laughed and said to myself, those look awful. I took 1 bite and spit it out. Dry, COLD, chewy & almost completely flavorless except for the fresh bbq sauce that was squirted on top, AND OLD. I'd say they were probably made within the past week or so. No chance were they smoked for 8 hours same day I ordered them like I was told. No chance. Make fresh ribs, smoke them for 8 hours, eat some. Then toss a few in the refrigerator for a week- then take them out and take a bite and tell me if you can tell the difference, I'm sure you can too. But I think most customers have no taste or knowledge of food and many are probably wowed but the $80 price tag but I haven't really a clue how this place gets away with this- I'd have to attribute it to their customer base. Or maybe this was an off day but I think it's the customer base. You'd think they'd know how to do BBQ in the south. 3rd- in addition to the 1/2 rack of ribs that was in the menu as a FULL RACK the burnt ends were cold, tuff/chewy, lacked flavor, were old/stale and were not burnt ends. Probably also a week old. They were just cubes of meat, probably brisket or sirloin but I count tell because they were hard and cold, over cooked and lacked flavor. The fact that these were passed off as "burnt ends" was insulting to me never mind that they were inedible. Also served cold with a squirt of Bbq sauce on them. 4th- so far the $80 combo platter was 5 ribs, about 6 "burnt ends" and I put burnt ends in quotes because I have no idea what those cubes of meat were, but they were not burnt ends and the "brisket". 2 small slices of brisket, for $80 for 2 people to share? Sorry not sorry the bbq here is an insult and the prices are insane. So back to the brisket, it was not good. Are you surprised? Cold, almost flavorless and fatty. Seamed soggy, like it's stored in bbq far/runoff mixed with water. It was not how brisket should be. I was looking forward to the brisket as a saving piece. But it was gross. the one bite we tried was cold, chewy, and lacked flavor. Nothing even smelled like it was smoked or smells good. No yummy Oder no Smokey flavor. The brisket tasted/felt like it was just taken out of the refrigerator and put in the microwave, partly room temperature & partly cold. read more

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Food was very expensive. The menu on Yelp needs to be updated. It's Tuesday and very crowded. We sat at the bar because you needed a reservation. There was a line of people waiting for their reservation. read more

Had a delicious Dino rib dinner and the Mocha Chocolate Cake dessert was great! But, without question, the best part of the night was our server, Mike! He was funny, engaging and attentive to our needs. Backyard BBQ is fortunate to have someone like Mike. looking forward to our next visit. read more

Love everything about this place. Ivan was our server last time we were there and he was the best! Everyone there is amazing and the food never fails! Best restaurant in surfside!!! read more

The burnt ends were not real burnt ends (not a single crispy bite and fat could have been rendered better) but still tasted great and had a good mix of fatty and meaty pieces. Chicken poppers and BBQ burger were also delicious. One of our two servers was also strangely stingy about giving us water, only filling our cups up about 3/4 and not leaving the carafe at the table, but I think that was her own weirdness because our other server left is with a nice carafe of ice water. Don't waste your money on the "HOT" cookie though: it was just room temperature and the ice cream it was served with had a strange chemical flavor typical of cheaper pareve ice cream. read more

Inconsistent food .... good steak , terrible chicken. Poor service. Has management changed? Used to be much better.

Don't let the humble digs fool you. This place serves up some of the best barbecue this side of the Mason Dixon line...in sunny south Florida. Who knew Florida could serve up barbecue this good? The ambience has a rustic, "barbecue-esque" feel and charm. However, be prepared...good barbecue brings big crowds, and this place can get quite packed. In fact, It can almost feel like a cafeteria or mess hall at times, but don't let that stop you. This place is a virtual shrine to impossibly good barbecue and worth the hassle. Interestingly, the atmosphere is only half the story. It turns out this is a kosher restaurant that adheres to Jewish dietary laws. Lord have mercy... I never knew kosher barbecue could taste so good! In fact, this barbecue joint has actually won many contests and the owner is happy to tell you all about it. I had the pleasure of meeting Mendel, the owner of this ode to barbecue deliciousness. He was kind, engaging, and genuinely concerned about his patrons. When I asked him questions and offered suggestions he was extremely thankful and receptive. We started things off with the delectable chili and chicken poppers. Folks, this chili was right on point. Flavored just right, this chili had lots of meat, beans, and just the perfect amount of heat. It also came with a generous portion of tortilla chips. I swear I could hear the angels singing. Although the ribs looked good, we happened to notice a tantalizingly good burger that was being served to the table right next to us. It was topped with delicious brisket, sauce, along with other fixings. I was instantly under its spell and simply had to have this burger. It honestly looked too good to pass up. In fact, several people at my table were also taken by this burger and couldn't resist its power! It didn't disappoint. The barbecue gods were definitely shining down on this burger! This aptly named "barbecue burger" is topped with delectable pulled brisket that literally melts in your mouth. Each bite was better than the next, and I quickly devoured this wonderful creation. The accompanying french fries were also delicious. I'm quite convinced that this burger could bring world peace. Other delicious options that I sampled were the beef ribs and grilled chicken breast. Both were quite tasty and oozing with flavor. All in all, this was solid barbecue served up alongside good service and a very warm and welcoming owner. Next time you're in Miami, run (don't walk) to backyard BBQ. I can't wait for my next visit! read more

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I would give this bbq joint 3 stars for their food, but I was shocked at the $80 price tag on a pretty small combo platter, so I whacked it back to 2 stars. The brisket was decent. Moist, but not overly fatty, as sometimes the moist ones can be. The ribs were weird. Huge bones and wayyyyy too little meat. The burnt ends were like a smoked chuck roast to me. Very fatty, zero crunch and no glazed bits.... All soft. Basically, not burnt ends. The best thing on the combo plate is the cold slaw. read more

My mouth is watering just thinking of this meal! It was my first time having a kosher meal in Miami, and this place was recommended by a friend who lives in the area. Definitively a must try. MENU selections: During busy meal times, I highly recommend to have a reservation, but since we came on Tuesday for lunch after the mad rush of memorial weekend it was pretty empty. Their meat options were a bit limited because of the weekend rush, but the server let us know ahead of time before we ordered. SERVICE: There was only 1 guy doing all of the service and I could tell he was scattered and a bit overwhelmed even though there were only 3 groups in the restaurant at the time. We had to ask a few times for water and it got annoying, but he eventually came around. FOOD: You can't even tell this is a "kosher" food place because of the high quality menu options and delicious flavors. You can really tell the chef was trying to make this experience as authentic as possible, as if you're chowing down in Tennessee! The meats were all marinated and cooked to perfection. For four people we shared a salad, the poutine with brisket, the burger with baked beans and short ribs with side of green beans. No one touched the egg on the salad, for there was a plethora of other good protein options. BTW the salad was very large portion. Mendel himself came by and brought us some of his famous honey pomogranate BBQ sauce, a must try! Adding a drizzle to the short rib meats just adds another level of flavor. I wanted to buy a bottle but it was too large for my carry on, damn you TSA! I'll have to buy a bottle online when he has it available in stock. read more

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Ladies and gentlemen, this is barbecue at It's best. Yelp should have this at 5 stars! The barbecue meat is kosher. Translation? The meat and chicken is of the highest quality. Plus, the service is super fast and friendly. Thank you your hospitality, Nicole. Again, folks. The food here is super delicious! Finger licking good! Miguel Restrepo read more

Surprisingly my favorite thing I had here was the hamburger. Cooked perfectly with the egg slightly over cooked. The burnt ends had very good flavor. But they were not crispy at all; they really just tasted like chunks of barbecue. Still good but not crispy like expected. Surprisingly a PARVE pecan pie with ice cream was fantastic. My mother is a connoisseur of pecan pie and she would've loved this one and had no idea it had no dairy in it read more

Backyard BBQ & Brew - Burger - Barbeque Near Me - Surfside, Florida

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I came here for lunch and was definitely not impressed with their food or the menu. They didn't have such a wide selection but perhaps my expectations were too high. This place is only open for lunch they don't have dinner. The beer selection is OK. They only had about four beers on draft. Their menu was not updated with the current brews which was kind of annoying and they were also out of a lot of beers. I did order the brisket and it was amazing but a little too coated with bbq sauce however it was so tender. Not sure if I would come back here again. read more

Backyard BBQ & Brew - Barbeque Near Me - Surfside, Florida

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Valentines evening probably YL wasn't the best night to go. The list of sold out items at 8pm was longer than the available items. They did have brisket which was quite delicious and tender. We sat at the bar as the hostess quoted close to a two hour wait. No problem there. Bar was dirty and staff were a little loud and not particularly attentive. Could have just been an off night. Pretty expensive for the portion size as well. read more

Backyard BBQ & Brew - Barbeque Near Me - Surfside, Florida

The food was bomb! Idk why there are so many 1 star reviews, but I'll tell you this - it's really delicious. Also, Ivan is incredible!

We found Mendel's online while we still on the road. Was just down the road from our hotel. The food was fantastic. My wife had the bbq sandwich and I had the bbq burger. Both were wonderful. Our fries were tasty and I had a good Manhattan. Service was quick and our server Katie was phenomenal. Highly recommend. read more

There were 8 of us on a group vacation, and of all the meals we had around Miami, this was both the worst and the most overpriced. THE SERVICE: Our server didn't seem aware of our needs, wasn't always around when we needed him, and when my friend asked for a burger to-go at the end of the meal, he still brought it out on a plate. I came late after everyone had ordered, so I don't know the exact names of all the dishes. THE COST: $287 total. * Fries - 2.5 stars Too soft, not enough crisp, and dry. * Sweet Potato Fries - 4 stars One of the few things I was impressed with! These were moist yet had a good crisp. The best surprise was when I thought I was bitting into a carrot and it turned out to be a fry! * Veggies - 2.5 stars These were either steamed or boiled and had very little flavor, though a decent crunch. * Salad - 3 stars pic: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/backyard-bbq-and-brew-surfside-2?select=CQ0wmSk3lkWAaGbfsBqmGQ#INUpk9nrZIFi3WdBSikJZA Generic, fine, but everything was cut into really large pieces so it was hard to share. * Brisket - 2 stars pic: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/backyard-bbq-and-brew-surfside-2?select=CQ0wmSk3lkWAaGbfsBqmGQ#mOffleegX54B5tA6hV8thw This tasted processed and was over-sauced. We likened this to canned meat, and the phrase "cat food" was tossed around as well. The meat had no texture and was like rubber that they tried to cover up with a thick, artificial-tasting sauce. * Cowboy Steak - 3.5 stars pic: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/backyard-bbq-and-brew-surfside-2?select=CQ0wmSk3lkWAaGbfsBqmGQ#CQ0wmSk3lkWAaGbfsBqmGQ Actually pretty good, relative to the rest of the meal. The meat was good quality and tender. It was quite rare--we asked for medium-rare but it was really undercooked, basically bloody almost all the way through. We enjoyed the fatty parts of the meat around the bone, too. read more

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Food is great Everything on the menu is a home run.service and the ambiance were great. When you go there check out their freshly made desserts. Reservations in advance is a must read more

The service and hospitality is just as good as the food. Not just dinner, but a culinary experience. Kudos to this fine establishment fOr expanding kosher dining in a way I've never experienced it. You'll need lots and lots of napkins. Def order from the smoker, brisket was superb. read more

Backyard BBQ & Brew - Barbeque Near Me - Surfside, Florida

Just had a great experience at Mendel's. From the start, when we walked in, we were greeted with a smile. We mentioned to our wait staff that we have some severe food allergies. He quickly got the owner and the mashgiach. They all came out and listened to our list of allergies and were able to modify our order to our needs. My wife and I couldn't believe how fast the food came out. It was just a couple minutes. We ordered wings with sweet tangy sauce, the combo special with Dino ribs, and a few cocktails. Everything was delicious! Can't wait to come back. Thanks so much for a great experience! read more

Rude host this past Friday night. Very unwelcoming attitude and environment for I would not recommend this place.

Love love love !! Their bbq meat is to die for& their poutine fries with beef omg love it!

Amazing!!! Mendel doors an amazing job making delicious kosher BBQ!!! The burnt ends melt in your mouth. The brisket was perfectly smoked. The ribs were seasoned to perfection. A must try when in south Florida. read more

Backyard BBQ & Brew - Barbeque Near Me - Surfside, Florida

Great service. Fun inviting atmosphere! Food was great! Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for good flavors!

Just came back to our favorite spot in Surfside and had a great dinner at Backyard BBQ. Mike was our server and he was excellent, frequently checking on us to ensure that we were taken care of. Water was replenished frequently, food came out very quickly, beautifully presented, and it was delicious. read more

This is a first class barbque resteraunt anywhere in the world. I've eaten at most famous ones across the country. Mendals stands at the top with any pitmaster. T Except for not pig youd never know it was kosher. 100 stars on a 10bstar scale. 1st rate read more

The food was absolutely delicious and the service was wonderful. We ordered the Mendel's special brisket with fries, chicken wings, corn, mashed potatoes and the bourbon pecan pie. We shared this among two adults and one child and it was perfect. Our waitress was a pleasure and genuinely cared that we enjoyed our experience. I will absolutely be back for more! read more

This restaurant is a jewel, or THE JEWEL if you like a great BBQ kosher and a great beer selection.

Casual and rustic kosher bar bq restaurant- good for families or groups of friends. The service was adequate, quick and concise, in the land of notoriously bad service (yes you, Miami). I must also add the service can be very spotty. We have been to this restaurant numerous times over past 2 years. Mostly the service has been frustratingly poor-tonight's service was an improvement. Food came out quickly and hamburgers were very good, juicy and cooked medium. Worth a try- I'm suggesting going when it's not a busy night. read more

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Fuimos con muchas expectativas y no nos gustó la comida , ni la atención, el lugar estaba casi vacío y se demoraron en atendernos , mi hija pidió unos pollito y se demoraron en traer el maíz y las papas, la comida súper cara y no nos gusto read more

Pre cooked burgers, dry buns bad service.. this place is not what it used to be. Never come again

Very good food and the service was great! Our server Ivan was great, very personable ! We ordered the poutine and combo platter and everything was so tender, flavorful and delicious! Will definitely be back to try the dessert! read more

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