We stopped at Kretchzsky BBQ in Caro with a group of four... two adults and two kids…read more Unfortunately, this was a disappointing experience from beginning to end, and based on what we experienced, I wouldn't return.
The overall experience
This is a counter service BBQ joint. You order at the counter, your food comes in styrofoam containers, and you get your own plastic silverware. That's not necessarily a problem by itself, but when you're paying more than $80 for four people and aren't getting sides with most of the meals, the overall value starts to become an issue.
There is also an upcharge for paying with a credit card. I paid cash because of that, but I don't like seeing businesses add a fee simply for using a card.
More concerning was the lack of understanding when we asked about gluten free options. We had someone in our group with celiac disease, and the person taking our order didn't seem to understand what a gluten allergy or cross contamination actually means. That made us very uncomfortable about what could safely be eaten. If you have celiac disease or a serious gluten allergy, I would strongly recommend asking detailed questions and being very cautious here.
Then we found out they had no ice, and most of the fountain drinks were unavailable. There wasn't a single diet drink available, which was particularly frustrating because three people in our group are diabetic. They did have 20 ounce bottles of Faygo available from a refrigerator for $2 each, but there were still no diet options.
The sauce situation
When our food arrived, none of our meals came with BBQ sauce. I've eaten at a lot of BBQ restaurants, and I honestly can't remember ever being served BBQ without sauce being available with the meal.
I went back to the counter and asked if we were supposed to get sauce. I was told no. I then asked for some and was told it was $2 per small dipping cup.
All four of us wanted two sauces, which would have been another $8 on top of an already expensive meal. I explained that I've never been to a BBQ restaurant that didn't provide at least some sauce with the order. The response was essentially, "OK."
That was the final straw for me. Charging extra for a tiny cup of BBQ sauce when you're already charging what I consider a premium price for the food is simply not something I'm interested in supporting.
Now, the food.
I ordered a full rack of ribs with mac and cheese and coleslaw. I specifically requested the ribs without BBQ sauce so I could have sauce on the side but got no sauce.
The ribs were, unfortunately, some of the worst I've had at a BBQ restaurant. They had very little smoke flavor, were extremely fatty and soggy, and didn't have the texture I'd expect from properly smoked ribs. There was also no noticeable smoke ring. While a smoke ring by itself doesn't prove whether ribs were properly smoked, combined with the extremely faint smoke flavor, it certainly left me questioning how long they had actually been on the smoker.
Properly smoked ribs should have rendered much more of the excess fat, and a good BBQ operation should generally trim excessive fat before cooking. These ribs just didn't taste or eat like ribs that had been properly smoked.
The mac and cheese was underwhelming. The coleslaw was actually good in flavor, although it was on the dry side.
The pulled pork sandwich was OK nothing particularly special.
The pulled chicken was dry.
The pulled pork itself was average at best.
Overall: The food was disappointing, the value was poor, the drink selection was extremely limited, the lack of understanding regarding celiac disease was concerning, and having to pay extra for BBQ sauce was the final strike for me.
We spent more than $80 for four people, with only one person ordering sides, and still would have had to spend another $8 just to have enough BBQ sauce for everyone.
I don't mind paying good money for good BBQ. In fact, I'll happily pay more when the quality justifies it. But at this price point, I expect better food, better service, better options, and a much better overall experience.
Unfortunately, Kretchzsky BBQ missed the mark for us, and I won't be making a return visit.
