I had the chicken half, it smoked perfectly. Just fell off the bone ! My sides..baked beans & slaw. Both made just like my mom use to. Staff was friendly & attentive. It's a small family owned place & yes it's real BBQ. They smoke it onsite...right next door. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is, the soft drinks are in plastic bottles. Stop in and have at it! read more

The food was inedible. I ordered 3 chicken halves which were ok but dry, very dry. The stew had been over salted and peppered to the point that you could not eat it. So save your money not worth it. read more

Big Oak Bbq - Chicken Plate with stew and onion rings. - Barbeque Near Me - Ila, Georgia

Excellent bbq, stew, chicken plates, etc!! Love this bbq-- just wish it was closer to Athens!!

Just ate at Big Oak BBQ, Half Chicken Plate, it was so good and Fresh Cooked and my Wife loved it !! we will Definitely be coming back. Everyone come to Ila Ga, and eat at Big Oak BBQ. read more

Need some country music or classic rock for atmosphere. Great portions, good smoke on the meat, sweet tea, good fine cut slaw, I always stop when I am in the area! read more

The people are very nice here. Service I quick and neat. Don't even get me started on the food so good. We had a big Order because it was our whole family so they did mess up on one plate. We weren't mad at all. They were very apologetic though and gave us 3 free desserts. The vibe inside the building I great very clean and bright makes you feel happy. If you're hungry and want a great bbq experience come to big oak! read more

They have awesome BBQ and sides and they are pretty quick as well. They are very friendly and easy to buy from.

I would give 1 star if the waitress wasn't so amazing. The food....absolutely disgusting. We moved here from FL about 8 months ago so when I think of BBQ I'm thinking BBQ. We kept seeing this place seemed pretty busy so we figured it had to be good. Well looks are deceiving. The BBQ sauce was gross, the meats were gross. Don't waste your money. Waitress was great Sweet tea was pretty good and that's it. read more

Great little hole in the wall barbecue place. Went in during dinner time, no wait and food was awesome! If you are in the commerce area, check out this place, it won't disappoint you! read more

Big Oak Bbq - a plate of food on a table - Barbeque Near Me - Ila, Georgia

Its billed as a bbq joint but its more. Menu has pork bbq, hamburger, ribs, wings, chicken, fries, mac n cheese, slaw, beans and chips. Its decent for a lunch spot. The inside is nicer than the outside would lead you to think. The waitress takes your order and best part is they leave a pitcher of tea on the table for self refills. They have the type of brunswick stew I like, thin not chunky. The food is fine, not ground breaking but good. I'd go back. read more

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Awesome barbecue and wings. Great service too. They are only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Make plans to go sometime. Ask for Melissa. read more

Big Oak Bbq - a plate of grilled meat - Barbeque Near Me - Ila, Georgia

Nastiest, most tasteless, most under seasoned stuff I have ever put in my mouth! This place needs serious help, and they are only open on the weekends. Why would anyone waste their time and money on this place? Now, I know some of you may think I have it out for this place, or maybe you think disgruntled employee, or maybe you're thinking something totally different. However, I assure you I do not know these people or this business! I just moved here and decided to try the food cause I love bbq. Never again! I am a classically trained chef I have eaten so good food and some bad food, but this is just as close to excrament as you could possibly get. Not to mention the service is just as bad as the food for the most part, however, there are a couple of waitresses that actually seem to care. So in short, on a scale of 1-10: Food (-50) Service (2) Quality (-50) Price (4) Seasoning (-100) Flavor (-100) If you go to this place prepare for complete and utter disappointment! read more

Last time for us! We have been several times. The first time was pretty good. It has gone down hill from there. From the dirty tables, to the unfriendly waitresses, to the mediocre food, to the diminishing portion sizes...I have just had enough. If you go, order the stew - it is good. Never order the hamburger steak - chewy, no flavor, wouldn't consider it meat! The macaroni and cheese is good. My husband likes the bbq. The sauces are "Hot" and "Mild" - from a store bought bottle. All the tables had not been cleaned off so we picked one. The waitress took all the trash off then proceeded to bring our drinks. Never wiped it down. Bottom line - order the BBQ and stew to go OR don't bother with this place...gone way downhill! read more

For openers, if you believe the best barbecue is usually found in the worst part of town, in a place with bars on the window and just enough grease on the table to write your initials, then this isn't it. If, on the oner hand, you're looking for some good 'cue just off the highway on a county road, heading into north Georgia, and in a shack GPS says is on the other side of the street, then Big Oak BBQ is it. Funny thing is that while they've been there for 10 years, they have (before today) only one review on Yelp and that was what led us there. Their menu runs the gamut from ribs, pork and chicken to wings and burgers, although we didn't see anyone opting for the latter. Big Oak's rib plate ( two slides from a limited list plus chips and a couple slices of bread) consists of four St. Louis cut ribs for $8.95 - one heckuva bargain when you consider that most places sell a half rack, sans any sides at all (never mind the chips) for a lot more and a half rack is just two bones more. The ribs were thick but a little too easy off the bone, suggesting something early on before the low and slow smoke... baked? Par boiled? Don't know, but meat on ribs 100% barbecued don't normally come off the bone that easily. We opted for the Brunswick stew and slaw. The stew will remind you of the rest-in-peace Harold's near the penitentiary in Atlanta if you've ever been, delicious, almost pureed meat, with a good flavor. The slaw was finely chopped and almostKFC like. In facty, now that comes to mind, the owner reminded us of a rural Colonel Sanders - same white moustache, beard and welcoming smile. The pulled pork plate (two sides, chips) for $7.50 was as good.Moist pork with enough flavor you know know t was cooked low and slow, but not so much that you enjoy it all over again and again for hours afterwards. The baked beans that crowded the plate were a little better than most, while the macaroni & cheese was just macaroni & cheese. No mention of brisket and didn't ask. Big Oak has two sauces: a Hot that really isn't, and a Mild that is almost too sweet. Fairly good, but sweet We were served by a friendly friend of the owner who double working in an Athens doctor's office... couldn't have been nicer, while the two other staffers (one waiting a table with a phone into her ear) could use a little cordiality training. Couple of unusual things about Big Oak: order half and half tea (Ia southern thing) and then leave a pitcher of both on the table - no waiting for refills. Scarf up the stew? Our waitresses wanted to know if we'd like more. Credit cards? Nope, but they will take your check. They don't advertise and unlike most restaurants, they don't look to cater. This ramshackle restaurant with little ceramic pigs scattered about and a unisex restroom free of any graffiti, does well doing but one thing: making fairly good barbecue low and slow over a bed of hickory wit some pecan tossed in for that mellow flavor. Bottom line, Big Oak is off the beaten path, does a good job getting flavor into the meat, serves up a couple exceptional sides (and two that aren't) in fairly large helpings at some off the beaten path prices. Hungry for some good barbecue and anywhere near Comnmerce, Georgia, then Big Oak is worth finding just across the road from where GPS says it should be but isn't. read more

This is the best I've found and I've been around. The slaw is outstanding the real BBQ is smoked to perfection. I'll come from Athens to get some more. read more

Loved the ribs. OMG! So good. I liked the Brunswick stew but did not love it after I had heard so much about it. It was good just not like my moms homemade and also my previous pastor makes really good stew. He just makes it too spicy for me. I believe stew should have some heat but it's up to the individual how hot. Dessert was expensive $2.50 for chocolate delight. Banana pudding was not homemade cooked but instant pudding kind. Each to their own. read more

This is one of my fav BBQ Redtsurants. I've never tried anything but the BBQ and Stew with their own BBQ Sauce. And their BBQ Sandwiches and slaw. All are DELICIOUS!! I'm sure the rest if their menu is too. Try it you won't be disappointed. read more

This place has gone down hill fast. Ordered brisket plate got 3 thin small strips that were at least half fat half meat the fries were at best child portion and barely room temperature and the stew was even colder than the fries understaffed by at least 2 servers which was just the icing on this terrible experience cake tonite was our last visit as I can't see how they will be in business much longer nice place for someone to open a real bbq place read more

Mediocre. Canned beans and slaw. Meat is chopped loin by the taste. Nice quiet location and the service is competent. Nothing here to bring me back. read more

I live in Colorado and always search out good bar b q when I'm in ga. I had the rib plate with beans and stew. They were the best ribs I have ever had! The home made sauce was so good I bought some to mail back home. I finished off with a home made red devil cake. Holy cow it was so moist and delicious. The restaurant was packed a Nd had a steady stream of people going in and out. The place is kinda hard to find. Literally a hole in the wall off a long rural road. But if you can find it you will be treated to some amazing food!!! read more

Always good and the portions are generous. Best BBQ around. Oh and homemade cake for dessert : )

This is the worst place I have ever eatin. The ham tasted spoiled and was Disgusting. If there willing to serve spoiled ham than they don't care about the costumers. read more

I went there before the first of the year, and it was just okay. But, I just passed it again and it was fantastic! Love the bbq! Great service. read more

I had wanted to take my mom out for a Mother's Day lunch while we were in Commerce shopping. I listed off restaurants and she chose here because a review said they had great Brunswick stew. This place is off the beaten path but nor far from the main area. We were both excited. We walked in and it looked like the hole-in-the-wall you would expect great barbecue from. We ordered barbecue sandwiches, mac-and-cheese, fries, and the Brunswick stew. The food came out quick but the server seemed pissed off she had to work and the place was empty. We both immediately tried the Brunswick stew and were disappointed. It was pureed and extremely bland. I went to the mac-and-cheese next, and I will judge a barbeque place on thier mac-and-cheese alone, tasted like it was made with Velveeta, not real cheese. The fries were not bad but nothing special. The barbecue sandwich itself? Plain. I could have gotten a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and chopped it and had it taste the same. No flavor at all. No smoky flavor (why was this called barbeque?). I had to pour gobs of sauce on it to choke it down. How was the sauce you ask? Like it was bought at a grocery store. My entire meal was either a huge disappointment or I tried to look at it as sustenance to get it down. The prices weren't bad but definitely not the special meal I had hoped to treat my mom to. I was embarrassed this was where we went. After shopping I wanted to buy her dinner to make up for it. On the way out of town we grabbed Chick-fil-a. read more

Some of the best Brunswick stew and pulled pork around here. My sister always get BBQ chicken and always good.