Disappointing. Ordered burnt ends and got 5 small pieces, one of which was pure fat. Tasty, but really?!? Potato salad was very good. Huge mound of soggy curly fries. Decent barbecue sauce. Waitress didn't have information on local beers. Pies sounded good, but wasn't hungry enough to try. read more

Big R's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Joplin, Missouri

FOOD POISONING! We ate there on Sat at 4 pm and my son ended up violently sick and passed out! He ate their potato salad!

Excellent food at a great price, jodi is a excellent waitress, it is perfect. Amazing deserts!

The food is great and the service is excellent. The brisket is delicious and the Suzie's are awesome, as is the pie. Mikali is the best server you will find. Highly recommend Big R's! read more

Burt ends and portions are pretty good. BBQ sauce is good as well. Prices are very reasonable! Smoked chops are good as well. Gotta give it a shot!! read more

Big R's BBQ - Elevated bar in main restaurant area. Don't drink too much and miss a step! - Barbeque Near Me - Joplin, Missouri

I got a daily lunch special of chopped brisket with Susie qs drink and dessert for $9. The portion of curly fries was enough for four people. The brisket has no fat and was great. I wasn't a fan of the bbq sauce as it was sweet and I prefer a spicy. But it was good nonetheless. I also upsized the dessert to pie. This too was too much to eat so I get to take half of it home. I'm a big eater having been asked to leave buffets before so that's saying a lot for portion size here. read more

Good food nice people except some customers are kinda redneck racist in their attitude and when they ask where I'm from I just say it's nunya. I'm Indigenous but they think I'm Mexican. I think all This area is racist. read more

Just OK. Ribs were a bit dry, pulled pork was ordinary. They had only one mild sauce, but the server made up a small amount of spicier product. The side were basic. The dessert pie slice we got to take out was mostly whipped cream. So, as for food, not what we expected from the reviews and their press. The service, however, was quite good. The drinks selection was also good and the facility has a good atmosphere and authentic look. I hope they haven't taken their eyes off the most important thing and we just caught their kitchen on a bad night. read more

Very eclectic old style bbq restaurant with friendly staff, good prices and good beer selection. Order the 3 meat combo plate for 2 with 2 sides - great deal and a way to try more things. Oh, yes, and the pies! read more

Big R's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Joplin, Missouri

The meat was cooked to perfection, the staff was everything one could desire, but the sauce was too sweet for my taste (with no option for something more savory or spicy). If you're in Joplin, you will not waste your time by going here. That's not a back-handed compliment; it is sincere and I hope this establishment prospers. read more

Had an amazing lunch experience here. Our server Jodi was outstanding, making sure as first timers we had a taste test of several sides. As everything is made from scratch it was hard to choose which one we wanted with our sandwiches. The half order curly fries was Huge and very tasty, had to take some home. The homemade rolls with apple butter were delicious. The brisket and pulled pork sandwiches with side sauce were very tasty. The pudding pies were the perfect ending. Jodi made our first visit one to remember. read more

Down home spot for some great brisket. The place was jammed at lunchtime, so parking can be tight. Being a BBQ joint, I expected more offerings in the sauce department though...only one was to be found. BTW: An order of fries can feed three people. read more

Big R's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Joplin, Missouri

Driving through on our way back to Texas and stayed in Joplin for the night. I searched the internet and came across this place. I ordered Togo because of COVID and picked it up. Ordered brisket and a burger. I was beyond sad about both. I should have known that brisket wouldn't live up to my Houston favorites but this was beyond disappointing. Dry, skinny, sad brisket. The best part was the bbq sauce and the French fry side. The burger was underwhelming even in the blind hunger I felt... in a hungry, I drove all day, I'll eat anything kind of hunger it was meh. I'm hoping it was an off meal for them but thinking it might be the norm. read more

I've been there twice. Got the pulled pork last time and brisket this time. The meal was really good except for the meat both times. Dry, tough, flavorless. Both types of meat 2 different weeks. Fried mushrooms were absolutely delicious! They aren't portabello mushrooms like the menu says, but they are good! The baked potato was huge and delicious. The beans were just ok. The pie last time was really good. Prices decent. The meat was the worse thing on my plate. read more

This is still one of the best BBQ places I have been to across the country....ribs were awesome, brisket was no pretender.......awesome smoke flavor read more

Big R's BBQ - Ribs, brisket.......can you see the jar of sweet tea - Barbeque Near Me - Joplin, Missouri

The pies here are amazing. Came here to get pies for the holidays and can't wait to go back for the food. Loved the cherry pie. May take one back with me. read more

My wife and I were in Joplin for some basketball games and were looking for a place for dinner on Valentines Day. We didn't have a reservation so we knew it might be tough and we would likely have to wait. After striking out at several spots, we ended up at Big R's. Looked like your standard rib place from the outside. We checked in and they said it would be a 30 minute wait. We asked if we could have a drink and wait at the bar - the bar had several open seats. The hostess didn't seem to happy with us waiting at the bar for some reason, but eventually said it was okay. Bartenders and waitresses were super nice and friendly despite the fact that they were very busy. They gave suggestions on what to eat and talked to us about the area. After about 50 minutes we checked back in to see the status of our table. The hostess again was not very friendly or nice about it. We understood without a reservation we would have to wait and were fine with it, but she just was not very friendly. About 10 minutes later we got seated at a booth. Again the wait staff was great - very attentive and friendly despite being very busy. We ordered the ribs for 2 which came with 4 sides. We got a side salad - which was very fresh and had crumbled croutons and ranch dressing. It was very good. We also got a big baked potato which was very big and again very good. We asked for sour cream and butter but only got the butter - but still it was good. Our third side was steamed vegetables which were decent. Our last side were the Suzy-Q's - essentially curly French fries. They were highly recommended by the wait staff. They were not good at all- it was essentially a big pile of French fries drenched in grease. The full slab of ribs was a lot of food but they were disappointing. The ribs were cold and tasted like they had been sitting out under a heat lamp or something like that. The meat was not very fresh and was very dry. We didn't get dessert but the pieces of pie looked amazing. Overall nothing too special about this place. read more

Somewhat limited menu but what ever you order rest assured that it will be delicious. Save room for their pies. Bad-to-the-bone!!

It's alright. I have definitely had better and much better tasting BBQs. But this is in the middle of a small town so I guess it's good for what it is. The sweet tea is great. read more

Normally this place has great food but today not so much. We ordered ribs for 2 & 4 sides. Barbecue ribs were dry in with the sauce. The coleslaw I took one bite out of it and it tasted like it was spoiled it was nasty and I pitched it didn't even eat the rest potato salad was good barbecue beans were good but I think we're going to sideline Big R's bbq for now. We had ours delivered through GrubHub which service as usual with Grubhub was awesome.i know that in July Big R's bbq is cutting back their hours about the middle of July open only a couple days a week. So we will be giving Red hot and blue restaurant or service. read more

Great smoked BBQ. Staff very nice and the lies are delicious. Burnt ends were very tasty.

1.5 hr wait - sorry to say not worth a 10 min wait. Was in town from Des Moines and looking for something local. The hostess and waitress were awesome, but the food was just not good. The chicken fingers for the kids were dripping in grease to the point where they wouldn't eat them, the fries were a soggy mess, the burnt ends were ok... nothing special, the ranch pasta salad tasted like it sat all day and was dry, the potato salad & the appetizer sampler was the best part. read more

This place was amazing! The food was delicious! I had the hot ham and swiss and the turtle pie! Our waitress was awesome! For the life of me, I can't remember her name. She joked with us and helped us out since we had never been there before. Their prices were decent too! We ate two meals for $20 and a piece of pie. The portions were huge and we left very full! The pie was homemade and the crust was flaky. It is a small joint and definitely a gem! We'll be back!! read more

Great place to eat. Had the brisket plate with beans and coleslaw. The brisket and beans were amazing and coleslaw is all about what you are used to so each region of the country makes it different. It was good but I would prefer a bit more flavor but that is just my opinion. Staff was excellent and friendly and everything was served in a timely manner. Great place to bring family and friends. read more

Sort of a quichy little hole in the wall place. I had the pulled pork plate. Pork was great, BBQ beans excellent as was the potato salad. Overall the portions were a touch on the small side but the value was there. Oh, and you get a small slice of watermelon, a nice touch. It's the cream pies, holy smokes, make sure you leave room. I had the chocolate cream with cherries, real cherries. The portion was huge, the flavor incredible. I'll definitely be back. read more

Holy Hannah are the portion sizes here enormous. I was with a party of 6 people and we kicked the dinner off with the appetizer sampler. We ordered 2 samplers, since the server said you only get a few of each item. We would have been fine ordering 1 - we had so much left over! The pork tenderloin was awesome. Of course we finished the dinner - splitting a couple different slices of pie....which again we couldn't finish. Overall great service and food....just felt incredible guilty with all the food we wasted. read more

The Breaded Fried Tenderloin sandwich was tasty, tender and fried right. The size was manageable. Some places serve huge BFT's which seem to be popular, but this "BIG" sandwich was more than enough to satisfy my hunger. A very good sandwich. I ordered it undressed with onion, pickles and mustard on the side. Worth the money. Waitress was pleasant and efficient. read more

Big R's BBQ - Breaded Fried Tenderloin sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Joplin, Missouri

KNOWN FOR - BBQ BUZZ - Pies - Brisket (6/10) + Sauce (9/10) I ALSO TRIED - Ribs (8/10) + Sauce (10/10) - Pulled Pork (5/10) + Sauce (6/10) - Cheddar Baked Potato Soup (9/10) - Baked Beans (3/10) - Pumpkin Pecan Pie (5/10) Last day for a business trip, so I ventured out a little further than "viewing distance from the hotel." I'm glad I could end on a high note too, considering that I almost wrote off Joplin after having 1-star food at Hackett's Hot Wings. Figured I should do BBQ, because here I am, smack dab in the middle of 2 of my favorite styles of BBQ - KC and St. Louis! RIBS These are the smokiest ribs I've ever had! I mean, I took one bite, sans sauce, and I swear I just kissed a camp fire! I was practically dying of smoke inhalation...and that's a GOOD thing, when it comes to ribs! The smokiness was so smoky it was sweet! When it's bitter - then you know you've burnt it, but they figured out how to get it just right! And then the sauce...they deliver it to your table in a clear ketchup bottle, but it's warm! And oooOOOooh! When you mix that on to the super smoky ribs, the flavor is just out of this freakin world! I'm getting high just sniffing my fingers still! There's no doubting that I will be craving this combination for a long time! The one thing that prevented it from being an 11, though, was the texture. Had the rib meat been more moist, I think this may have beaten RJ's Bob Be Que, to become the best ribs (with sauce) I've ever had! The ribs were smoked long enough where there's almost a skin that's looks almost like leather - but it's like the tenderest beef jerky ever! The sauce is very nice and smoky (thanks KC) and sweet (thanks StL), with a small bit of tang, but only enough to get your saliva going. This sauce is just incomprehensible! BRISKET I don't like brisket, but I keep getting it to see if anyone can make me actually like it. Jack's BBQ in Nashville did, but it wasn't overwhelming. I think I appreciated the brisket here too. They're thinly sliced, and even though there were a few slices with a lot of fat, it's easy to pick off. They gave 3-4 slices of it. Some bites had a beautiful buttery taste to it that made it good by itself. But then you add the sauce, and it's like WOW! I won't say it's craveworthy, but maybe one day I'll find the right brisket. PULLED PORK I won't say it was bone dry, but it wasn't very moist. And it wasn't shredded very well either. Flavor was just ok, and it had almost adequate seasoning. Smokiness was a little light. In a word, I could describe this as very dense. If you dropped it on the floor, you'd hear a series of thuds. If you dropped the Houston Pulled Pork on the ground, you'd hear a lot of bassy splats! THAT's how I like 'em. Strangely, the sauce couldn't save it. It only made it a little better. In the end, I'm looking for straight juicy pork flavors, and I didn't find 'em here. POTATO SOUP This was probably one of the best soups I've ever had. It's so clean, yet creamy and hearty! Potatoes were not mushy, not hard, but just perfect! It also wasn't super salty, like most, but seasoned perfectly. Little bacon bits helped add a slight smoky taste, and shredded cheddar gave some added creaminess. BAKED BEANS It's not 3 stars because it was bad, but it was just bad to me. I do have to give it to them - they actually made beans that weren't just Bush's Baked Beans. There's certainly more tang in here than most, and had kind of an onion persuasion, with a little smoke. I prefer Bush's actually. To each his own. PUMPKIN PECAN PIE I'm not a pumpkin or pecan pie person, but they recommended it, so I tried it. I thought it was ok. Crust was very good. I'm more into buttery flavors. I probably shoulda stuck to my guns and gotten the Banana Creme Pie. R IS FOR RETARDEDLY GOOD! This place is incredible! I can't believe it only has 20 reviews, then again, it's not out in the open like Range Line Road, where my hotel is. It's a few miles out, and through local neighborhood roads too (at least according to my GPS). Staff is super friendly! Food is super good. Joplin, you found yourself a winner! read more

I really liked this place. It was not very fancy, but the food was very good and the waitress I had was also very friendly. There are several Bar-B-Q places in Joplin and this is one of my favorites. read more

My original review stands: If I lived in Joplin I would eat here at least once a week. It's got so many delicious comfort food choices I would never run out of options! And then there is the pie. Seriously, if you get here and have to wait (and you likely will in the evenings) you will watch the pie ice box at the front slowly grow more empty and more empty. But, yippee! You can go in and buy a whole pie and save it back for your dessert there and then take home the rest! But whatever you do, save room for pie. Good luck with that...but at least try. The pies are made by the owner every morning and once they are gone they are gone. And they are good...very good! The wife had a lovely steak and said it was cooked perfectly. She didn't ask for any sauce so that was a sign to me that the flavor was spot on! I opted to the BBQ this time. Ribs = 9. Fall off the bone perfect. A good size too for baby backs. I was almost sorry I didn't just get a full rack of ribs. Nice crust and pink meat. These were as good as any ribs I have had in Texas or KC. Brisket = 7. A little overcooked for my taste. There wasn't that lovely pink band around the edge. But it wasn't tough and I could cut it with my fork. Pulled pork = 9. This was my favorite of their BBQ selection until I tried the ribs. Either the plate or the Sammy. Get it - be happy. The sauce is the thick, smokey, tomatoey kind. Not the thin vinegar kind. So be aware you are getting KC style sauce and not the Texas kind. Wife's 8oz rib eye = 9. Beautiful thick cut, grilled just as she asked. Juicy and tender. And at $15 a super deal! They've got chicken and burgers and fish. But get a nice steak or some Q. And please get the applesauce. If you like applesauce this stuff will knock your hat off. Try the apple butter than comes with the biscuit basket too. Yum and more yum. Beers and house wine. It can get a little loud when it's packed. This is a very good Mom and Pop place that if you are anywhere near Joplin you should definitely try. Be ready to wait, be ready to joust for a place to park out front. Be ready to be so full you'll feel a bit guilty...but you'll still have pie! read more

The ribs were fall of the bone tender and tasty, unfortunately I ordered the chick fried steak...it was gross. The appetizer sampler was a good variety of fried good stuff read more

This was a barbecue restaurant I was dying to try during my trek through Missouri. I was wanting to see why Missouri was famous for their barbecue and what people think about it. I was shocked that this restaurant had a number of selections to choose from on the menu, and the various number of meals you could have. For the first part, there was a 45 minute wait, but that's not going to be included here. I'll get to the food right away. I had a medium well steak (8 oz) with a side of apple sauce and Susie Q's. I was thrilled with how the apple sauce tasted, because it was made with real apples and tasted like none other that I've had in my life. I enjoyed that a lot. The steak had a nice, tender flavor to it. They also gave me steak sauce to add on to it. I must say I could've gone for a larger size, but I was A OK with this steak and its taste. Plus the Susie Q's were awesome, just like the ones mentioned in my White Grill review. I seem to have tasted those every day I was up there in Missouri. They also give you these jar like cups to drink with. The waitresses also give you refills frequently, I find that nice. So overall, the restaurant gets 5 stars for its amazing food, great service, and decent table seating inside. Parking can be a pain, but there's always room in the back and some parallel parking available. read more

Hey come for the BBQ, and stay for the pies! Their signs say it all: "We've got the meat you can't beat!" and "The pie you can't deny!" WoW that is right by us! My husband and I enjoyed Perfect Baby Back Ribs, tangy and balanced house made BBQ sauce, awesome melt in your mouth Brisket, Sweet Potato w/crunchy brown sugar, butter, and pecan topping, fresh hot fluffy biscuits, crisp green salad, Mmmmm! Sausage rounded the sampler platter and each meat was delectable and memorable! Then the PIE! Banana Cream, silky creamy fluffy goodness laden with sweet banana slices, wrapped in clouds if fresh whipped cream? OMG!! The best! Our server Isis was XLNT, a beautiful girl with a way of feeling like instant friends! Big R's is down home food, fun, and friends, bless our incredible luck, we found it by chance... it's very welcoming and we will be back! DO NOT LEAVE WITHOUT PIE!! Dee Dee & Mike Klus San Jose, CA read more

I was in town for 1 night only...Was driving my new 911 (new to me) from Dallas back home. Great staff! Very helpful, cheerful. The food was a bit delayed (it was closing time), so the manager offered a discount comp the delay. The food was good. Started out with a huge basket of rolls that would feed a table of 4. Very yeasty and perfect after a long day of driving. For the main course, I had the babyback ribs and an order of brisket. Both were cooked home style without too much rub or sauce on them. The house sauce was decent. I'd go back in anytime. read more

Food is good; portions are small. I ordered the chef salad (which normally comes with ham and pulled pork), but I requested sirloin (which is an option for a different salad). The waitress obliged, but according to her, I should have just asked if the chef would cut off and prepare his hand. Apparently she got in trouble for the order. I asked her to up-charge me, but she didn't. She just said not to expect that sort of option in the future. So don't go expecting to be accommodated. Don't get me wrong, the staff is friendly, but I didn't feel I was being difficult. read more

Very reasonably priced. But brisket was very dry and ratio of beef to bun favored the bun. Nice curly fries. Lots of them. And everyone needs a quart jar of Pepsi. I just wanted more better meat 9 lunch special. read more

Great food and MASSIVE portions! The meats there were very good, nice smoke through out one what all I tried. The side of fries could have been a meal in itself. If you go for a first time I would recommend trying the brisket or pulled pork. They were both great! I unfortunately did not try their pies...yet! The staff was great. The ones i dealt with were all polite, fun and friendly. Alyssa (did I spell it right?) treated us good and had a constant honest smile. That's something to don't see often from people that deal with the public!! We will be swinging by here again! read more

I've been here a couple times now, and it's always busy. The wait has never been very long for seating, and the wait staff are quick and friendly, Always with a smile. I have had the ribs, and I would get them again. Fall off the bone, full of flavor. And the steak salad is a definite must try meal, it's a meal on its own, fresh cooked steak to your liking, walnuts, strawberries and blue cheese. It's becoming my go to lunch when in town. It may not be the classiest place in town, but they have great meat, and better service than any other BBQ joint in the area. They make their own pies, and have a great variety to try. read more

Everything about this place was great!! Service was amazing, and the food was nothing short of phenomenal! Got burnt ends and the special sausage as the side and both were great, then the rolls with the apple butter was to die for! To top it off, got the pecan pie, with a twist, and you sure won't have to twist my wrist to get another slice of that big ole pie! read more

The best pies! The interior is the neatest of the BBQ restaurants in Joplin. I just love the feel of the place and the music takes it up a notch. I can't speak to the food in the restaurant because we only came to eat pie for dessert tonight, but I can say that they catered a party I was at and it was amazing! The meats were moist, and the sides were better than any other BBQ place in town, hands down! Maybe it's because it seemed like there were more than two sides to choose from. I'll be back here to see how the food in the restaurant measures up to the catering... read more