We stopped in during a quick trip to the city to see a show. We were seated quickly at dinner time on a busy Saturday and Our server Austin was fantastic. We enjoyed the signature old fashioned while we waited for fired pickles and our dinners. The kids loved the Mac n cheese and tenders or course. Highly recommend! read more

We came here after dinner with a bunch of business colleagues. The atmosphere here is definitely full of energy, even on the weeknights. The drinks were well made and the service was very good. They have plenty of space so bring the whole group! read more

Food is tasty- but not worth the price. My husband and I ordered the brisket nachos and they gave us not even a handful of brisket.. for $20. Also ordered a double burger and the Pattie's weren't even 1/4 IBs. Environment is nice. Prices are too high for what you are getting. read more

It's definitely a quality BBQ place, I tried the mac and cheese which was great, as was the spoonbread, the general joe chicken app was really good, I split the BBQ combo, it was good, and then the banana pudding for dessert, which was pre packaged and not homemade. Not as well priced or as good as Honky Tonk, but not bad for the area read more

Lots of reviews dont always mean a great place to eat... This place was packed on a weekday night. I wound up sitting at the bar as I didn't want to take up a table. The music piped through the place was good, modern country. Plenty of different bourbon available and its priced well.. minus the addition of $2 to toss a piece of ice in the glass. Maybe I'm just cheap, but they don't charge me that in the other (smaller) cities I frequent. I had the burnt ends... not all that great to be honest. They came out at around a billion degrees and burnt the crap outta my tongue. As far as taste goes they were lacking in flavor. They just seemed a bit not burnt and fatty read more

We stopped here for breakfast/brunch on our way to hit the L to the airport. Our first nearby choice was PACKED with an hour wait, but Bub City seated us immediately. It's definitely an anomaly, since it's a "country bar" in the middle of downtown Chicago. We'll have to come back to try the actual BBQ some day. We started by sharing the cinnamon roll pullaparts. They are served in the cast-iron skillet in which they are baked, and were dangerously tasty (and fulfilled my craving for Cinnabon when heading to the airport). I had The King waffle, which is described as consisting of bacon, peanut butter, and banana (obviously a nod to Elvis in more than just name). The peanut butter seemed to be in what at first I thought was whipped butter or whipped cream on top, but actually had peanut butter in it (yet still smooth, cool, and airy like whipped cream). The bananas were sliced very thin, and the waffle itself was fluffy on the inside. They do good crispy bacon. My girlfriend ordered a special which consisted of an entree from a specific list (it was some kind of breakfast nachos in her case, I think), plus a choice of three sides, which we shared (more bacon, tater tots, and one other I forget). This particular brunch special is not viewable on their website menus, unfortunately. Had we not been about to run to O'Hare, she would have liked to have tried the Bloody Mary bar (airplane bloody marys are a tradition for her, so she passed). This is a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, which are ubiquitous in Chicago. Any L.E.Y. restaurant you are familiar with outside Chicago (even other states), know that the original location is there. Get the app and collect some points! That being said, they have some big restrictions on using reward dollars, so be aware you can collect reward points/dollars during a weekend visit, but you can't spend them (exception is birthday dollars). read more

Color me basic but I loved Bub City. I met a friend here to catch up and kill time until a late dinner reservation. The decor is decidedly Texan and the clientele is overwhelmingly plaid-clad; it made me miss my days living in Austin. Our server was bubbly and great with suggestions, sealing our decision to try the Giddy Up Fries. It's no secret that I harbor a deep love of nacho cheese despite living in the greatest state for dairy, so a pile of waffle fries, gooey golden goodness, and perfectly cooked pulled pork barbecue was a perfect treat. Bub City also has cider on tap, which was crucial for not getting uncomfortably full with such a hearty snack. There are a ton of great places for food in Chicago, and even though Bub City is a little schticky I'd totally go back. read more

The Melman brothers have done it again...the food/concept/decor/service are all so perfect. For drinks we had the frozen Mexican Firing Squad. It was good but you can really taste (and feel) the tequila. Now for the food, we started with the Giddy Up Fries and the Cowboy Wedge Salad. The fries are the ridiculous type of tasty - with more toppings than the menu lets on. More like wedge-fry nachos with two types of cheese, shredded pork, sour cream, and jalapeños. Bring along 3 friends to share this one, because it's huge! The Wedge Salad was good too. After those too, we were too full to try anything else. Can't wait to go back and try the pulled pork sandwich and everything else on the menu! read more

Bub City - Giddy up fries...yuuuuummmmm - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Every single thing was absolutely phenomenal. There was four of us and the wait wasn't that bad for a busy Friday night. Each one of us had a different thing from the barbecued ribs to the salmon and every single thing was absolutely phenomenal. Our server was kind, attentive, and sweet as pie. The Ambiance was definitely a little country and a little city. The temperature was perfect to sit outside to enjoy our meal. We even got a flight of whiskey for 20 bucks and all of them were fantastic picks. read more

Beat ribs I've EVER tasted. Service was great. Environment super cool and laid back. I will definitely visit this place again if I find myself back in Chicago. read more

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AMAZING BBQ in the heart of the city!!! Food held up to that of the "BBQ states"; we walked from the Wrigley Building and thought it was far; but ended up being just a few blocks away; definitely worth it after! read more

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We had a bbq craving and wanted delivery, but a terrible dilemma arose. Our usual place was closed and our second choice was out of ribs! We haven't been to Bub City but have been curious about it. We decided to give their delivery service a go. We ordered: Babyback ribs: The rub was amazing! I barely needed any sauce because it was that good. Burnt ends: I don't usually care for these but they were okay. Fiance liked them. Classic mac & cheese: Flavor was ok but the sauce was a bit gummy. Brussels sprouts: crispy and delicious! Our only complaint was that the food arrived ice cold. It could have been due to the packaging but it was still a little disappointing. We've had hot food from other places. The food is probably better when dining in. I want to visit just for the ribs! read more

Bub City - Bub City delivery - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Live Music on Sunday's for Brunch! Best Rib Tips (BBQ food) in the River North area AND just a fun southern style restaurant to go to! Not sure of all the days, but Sunday, they have an awesome bloody mary buffet bar with oysters, shrimps, you name it, it's there! Been here a few times, so first suggestion- Make Reservations!! And be ready for a noisy environment, with great service and food. I don't think you can go wrong with anything that you order but I do suggest meat! The crispy fried chicken is awesome. Just come with an empty belly. I feel like this is a restaurant that's different compared to all that is around, so if you are exploring the area, this is a great stop by, even if you come in for just a drink. There aren't many BBQ restaurants in the area, and if they are, they don't do so well, and Bub City has done wonders opening it's doors not to long ago. Lots of people, from observation, have a challenging time deciding what to pick to eat since everything looks great! I suggest looking at the menu before hand to narrow down your choices! read more

Bub City - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Go for drinks & appetizers. The rest of the menu is not worth eating. Really disappointed.

Originally I was a little skeptical about Bub City barbecue however after having a barbecue. Tasty season very well. Later on today I will have the chicken fried for lunch I'll let you know later taste. read more

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The restaurant is a nice addition to River North. It's right next to Rick Bayless' three restaurants and across the street from the Baton Club. They really pack you in pretty tight, so if you like to sit back and prop your boots on the table, this isn't the place for you. It's also rather loud, and we didn't even have any live music being played on stage. Came to Bub City on a Friday night with reservations for 2 at 6:30. We arrived a little early and did not get our table until nearly 6:50. I kind of understand that a popular restaurant isn't going to have your table ready exactly at your reserved time given the nature of customers, but waiting 20 minutes is a bit much. Anyway, after waiting for 20 minutes past our reservation time, we were seated and promptly served well. Our waitress was excellent and she was training somebody that evening, so we had double the attention we might have received any other night. Since we had taken a look at the menu prior to arriving, we ordered pretty quickly. For appetizers, we ordered the fried pickles (yum..!) and for our main courses, I ordered the beef brisket sandwich and waffle fries and my wife ordered the french-fried shrimp platter. We also ordered a side of spoon cornbread, which was excellent as well. The fried pickles were excellent, and the food was great as well. The excellent service continued throughout our meal. Our meal with appetizers (no drinks) came out to a little over $40 before gratuity. All in, Bub City's BBQ isn't the greatest in Chicago. There are a lot of other options available, but if you are looking for BBQ and are in the River North or downtown area, this isn't a bad place. read more

Bub City - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

After hearing some buzz about this place I finally stopped in for a few beers and appetizers. The service was good - the waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu offerings and was quick to help. I'm not one to give two stars often, but I just really did not like the food here. I got the loaded waffles fries with pulled pork, pimento cheese, jalapeños, sour cream, and BBQ sauce - sounds good right? Unfortunately it really just was not good, and I hardly made a dent in it. I typically like all of these things, especially combined, but wasn't a fan today. The food was heavy and quickly turned into a soggy pile of fries, and there was a flavor to the pork that was just hot, but not savory or good. The beers were good, the ambience was fun, and the service was certainly good, but I came for the food and really did not like it. It's fun for a group to grab a few drinks - and I would give it another try, but would not order the same item I did today. read more

Bub City - Looks good but was not a fan - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been to Bub on a weekend night and I just stopped by with a group for lunch yesterday. Full disclosure, I'm by no means a country fan, but I can appreciate a good country/BBQ place. Pros --Good ambiance --food was good --Band was great! (played non-country songs which I appreciated) Cons --Pretty pricey, small sized sandwhich --Side options for sandwhiches are pretty poor, you can choose two types of fries, seriously? And if you want to sub anything it's like $4 extra, even if the item you are subbing costs less than they charge for fries, hmm... --I had to request ice in my water, I thought that was a standard thing?? --Layout is not ideal for bands, the center section is broken off on the two sides which makes it hard to move from the bar to the center section (not sure how to better describe this, haha) read more

Bub City - Pulled BBQ chicken sandwhich, substituted BBQ beans for fries, cole slaw side - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fried pickles are fried pickles, really you can't mess them up, so I really don't know why people are making such a big deal out of it. Bub City is meant to be a country southern type of place and while it's different from its surrounding River North eateries, I didn't quite feel it fit in well here. You can't really transplant southern food and the southern feel here and expect it not to lose its quality and genuine feel. Bub City to me feels like a knock-off of something it wants to be. Food-wise I didn't think it was all that great, still like the BBQ at Chicago q better. My lobster roll was good in that it had a lot of meat in it, but it was served way too cold and lacked any real flavor--kind of missing that yummy creamy buttery taste and salt. The place is disorganized and chaotic, really awkward layout. Service is also disorganized and chaotic. We came in right before the lunch rush and still didn't get to put in our order quickly, the waiter was all over the place, our food took a really long time to come out, and then the waiter didn't follow up with us much after that, we had to flag down water boys for service. Also, they play uncomfortably loud music in here, so forget about having a conversation unless you're prepared to scream at the top of your lungs to be heard. Unless you're really curious, I say skip it! read more

We love James!!!!!!! James went out of his way to make sure we were okay and we had an amazing experience with his service. Thank you for being a good human (enter heart here) read more

I was in Chicago for a quick work trip last weekend, and our group stopped by a really nice restaurant for lunch. The wait was 1.5 hours. Excuuuse me? We were starving, and I don't think anyone would have considered waiting 1.5 hours, so we went next door to Bub City where there was no wait. I repeat, NO WAIT. Not sure what that means, but the restaurant was pretty crowded so I figured it was just our lucky day. The atmosphere was pretty lively. Loud country music, casual, and a peppy wait staff. I figure it would be even more rowdy on the weekends, which could be a good thing if that's what you're into. A quiet dinner out? Not so much. As for the food, my husband and I shared a basket of fried pickles for an appetizer. These were yummy - the breading was not too thick, had just the right amount of crunch. You'd think it would be hard to mess up something fried, but we've tasted it and it's no good. So I'm very happy with these. I'd order them every time. For the main meal, I ordered a hickory chicken pulled BBQ sandwich. I did like it, but I did not love it. It was primarily because of the sauce, which was Memphis spicy-style. I prefer sweeter BBQ. They did have two kinds of sauce on the table, but since my sandwich had BBQ on it already, there was no point. If I was to go back, I'd ask for a naked sandwich so I could use the other sauce. Came with a side of coleslaw. The cabbage in the slaw was diced up so tiny, but it was very very creamy and good. However, texture-wise, a little weird. My husband ordered some spoonbread (without cheese), and this was an awesome side. Sweet, warm and delicious. I would have liked the cheese on it, but it's good to know they will serve it without. Even though the first restaurant we tried to go to was unavailable, I can't say I'm disappointed in where we ended up. It wasn't anything incredibly special, but it was decent enough for lunch. Would we go back if we were locals? Yes. read more

Well it's been a while since we've been here came on sat night At 6 sat right away which was cool Place was busy but no line thank goodness I had the north to flasks which was bourbon blackberry and fernet pretty good I must say Jim had the old fashioned Which was also good . We stared with the buffalo chicken nuggets which were outstanding . The sauce had a nice kick and a pretty decent blue cheese dressing . For dinner I had the burnt ends which were really good and him had fried chicken which was also very good . Sides waffle fries and corn both good Definitely a different experience than our last time ! read more

Bub City - Fried chicken - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Bub City cannot get it wrong. The food is absolutely mouth watering delicious. My stable is always chopped brisket or the fried chicken. The portions are huge but for some reason they changed the menu and the sides do not come with the entrees, which is lame. Either way, its loud, its got a great vibe and live music almost every night. We actually came here and had some of our engagement photos taken because we love the country vibe and decor so much. The photos turned out awesome! read more

We stopped into Bub City because we had grabbed some drinks at Three Dots and wanted something substantial to eat, rather than snacks, so we popped into Bub City. It was a Friday night around dinner time and we were able to get a table right away, which was a nice surprise. While I, myself, am not a Whiskey/Bourbonite (I enjoy a good bourbon when someone else offers but I couldn't pick out a good one myself) but my partner was very impressed with the Whisky Bars on both sides of the restaurant. The food was good, nothing was a stand-out or showstopper but none of it was bad or gross either. We sat right next to a stage and I am sure when it gets late, and the sun goes down, that place gets hoppin'! My party (table of 4) was really warm because they had the air conditioning either off or low because they had the doors open and the windows open. I'm sure that would've felt great if we were seated near the windows but we were far from them and sweating a bit. I'd like to try again maybe in the colder months! read more

Bub City - Whisky/Bourbon Bar - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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DO NOT GO HERE- the door man profiles you and is really rude and makes you uncomfortable

This place is great! Lauren our server was so sweet and we met the owner, who was also amazing in answering all our questions about bourbon. We tried several of the Bubs single barrel picks and we were more than impressed. Thank you for the incredible drink selection and service, we will be back next time we're in Chicago! read more

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I come here an alarming amount of times. It's right by my work and my go-to place for lunch. Mind you, I can't stand country music, but it's easily drowned out by the heaven I'm in whilst eating the 8 Buck Cluck with waffle fries and the must-have fried pickles (slices, not spears, because spears are stupid). I always get the 8 Buck Cluck, a simply-made, but crazy delicious hot chicken sandwich that comes with a side of cole-slaw. It used to also come with a side of waffle fries, but last year Bub City decided to devastate me by no longer offering it (yet the price remained the same, but I digress). Good eats. Their mac & cheese is a knockout as well. Recommend. read more

Bub City - 8 Buck Cluck! - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Just moved to River North and decided to walk around the neighborhood on a (finally) sunny day, stumbled upon Bub City and there happened to be 1 table open in their patio! Our waitress was so great, helped us right away, made suggestions, and checked in regularly! We had the Mac & Cheese app, the Chicken and Waffles, and a Chicken Sandwich. Sandwich and Mac were excellent! The chicken and waffles was okay, it had a different powdery seasoning on it that I think was supposed to make it their "BBQ Style", that was the only thing that made it a little off. Otherwise the chicken and the waffles part was great. Overall great experience, nice live band, great patio, and above all great service!! read more

Bub City - Fried Chicken & Waffle Fried Chicken Sandwich Phoebe's Classic Mac and Cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Late lunch on a Monday and there was a burger deal for $5! Ordered the one meat and 3 sides as well. The brisket sandwich was juicy and tender. As for the sides- Mac and cheese, waffle ranch fries and Brussel sprout chips were a good combination with my entree. read more

Bub City - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We decided to eat here instead of frontera grill because it was in the neighborhood we would be in and we had been to frontera grill a number of times. The brisket was done perfectly. The portion looked small but plenty filling. The Cole slaw is strange. It tasted like cream cheese and finely shredded cabbage. Gross and I love Cole slaw and all kinds. I had the fried chicken. It was good. It comes with nothing. So we ordered one of their sides. Tator tots. Tons of them. You could share with 4 people. They were basically tatie tots deep fried. Other sides looked gross and just a bunch of carb-filled foods. Brussel sprouts was the only green side on the menu. Might have been a side salad. Not sure. The whiskey selection was nice. No wine to speak of. Just one brand. A white, red and a sparkling. Beer selection was good. Service was sub par. We had to seek out our server a few times. Fun atmosphere though. Sports theme for sure. read more

All there food is smoked. Witch taste good. But every time it make me feel unhappy and sick.. This is my 4th time coming here / my 4th time getting sick. So I think i will never comeback and if I do I will get nothing. So I will also always rate this restaurant a 1-0 star -AND THAT IS FINAL!!!! 5-31-15 read more

Bub City - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Bub City appears to be quite a popular bar in the River North hub with live country music, which was surprisingly good. I came out to meet up with a group of friends on a Saturday night and there was definitely a line out the door, so be ready to wait (unless you have friends who are smart enough to get there before 9pm and can sneak you through the bouncers *wink wink*) I enjoyed my Hurricane. Didn't try the BBQ on the menu, but my friends seemed to have enjoyed it before complaining that it got too heavy. Noise level is not conducive for conversations. And it gets really crowded once the live music starts to play, so be prepared to be bumped into left and right even if you have a table/seats. read more

I ordered carryout, I wish I would have went inside I think I would have been more satisfied. The atmosphere is very nice, I could see myself watching a game there. I ordered the giddy up fries which are delicious and they are $14 they do give you a large portion. I also ordered the brisket sandwich, which is $10 and comes with coleslaw. I was not that pleased with the brisket sandwich, I felt it was overpriced and kind of reminded me of brisket that you can get from Walmart for about $3. I let someone else try it, and they said it tasted like a microwave type brisket. Next time I will go inside and probably try their mac and cheese that does look delicious. read more

Bub City - Giddy up fries $14 - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I love Bub City! The service is always on point, sitting at the bar is fun, and their blonde ale is really good. The tables are really close together, almost too close for comfort. Also, the restaurant is always busy so it's best to make a reservation (opentable anyone?) To me, the food is really good. If you want to split and appetizer the giddy up fries (with pulled pork on them ) and the fried pickles are a good way to go. As an entree we split the chicken and rib (baby back) combo. Both the ribs and the chicken were juicy and flavorful. The onion straw side dish is where it's at! I will be back to try other BBQ options! read more

Bub City - Giddy up fries, too good! - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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For our first lunch in Chi-town, I was with the GF and her folks in the neighborhood of some of Rick Bayless' restaurants. But due to wait times and the fact that we were starving, we opted to head to Bub City, which was right next door. Once I saw the whiskey bar on the right, I figured we were home. The atmosphere was a bit cow-boy kitschy, but seemed perfect for brunch. Beef Brisket Burnt Ends Hashbrowns [$6.95] + Fried Egg [$1.49] When I saw burnt ends on the menu, I knew we had to order it. Unfortunately, there was only a pittance of burnt ends actually in this dish. Still, there was a certain creaminess to the potatoes that was magnified by the addition of the fried egg. The scallions added freshness, with the shreds of regular brisket offering some savory bites. Texture was needed here (read: more crispy bits of burnt ends!) Giddy Up Fries [$12.95] Pulled pork, cheddar, jalapeno, sour cream We saw another table with a huge platter of waffle fries topped with a smorgasbord of nacho toppings. So we had to get the giddy up fries as well. This is the better bet - there was plenty of pulled pork, cheese, peppers, and jalapenos, on top of crispy waffle fries. Definitely a good dish to share with a couple of drinks. El Paso Chopped Salad [$9.95] + Fried Chicken [$3.95] The GF went with the fried chicken chopped salad, which offered fresh greens, tomatoes, beans, corn, cucumber, and a chopped egg. The fried chicken came sized as nuggets, but were still moist and juicy. Fried Chicken & Waffles [$14.95] Bacon-jalapeno honey, country gravy The fried chicken on my dish were similar. The accompanying country gravy was thick, heavy, and savory - just what you need after a late night. The bacon jalapeno honey could have used more kick from the jalapeno and bacon. The waffle was no point though - crisp, light, offering a great contrast in texture. Overall, Bub City seems to be a fun place to grab brunch with friends. The wheel isn't exactly reinvented here, but that's alright. I'll definitely need to check out the straight up BBQ next time I come around town. read more

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Mac and cheese = worth going for Nashville hot tenders = not the best. Very greasy. Atmosphere = pretty fun and country. I've also been for happy hour which was a good time. Service = my friend had a shell fish allergy so they had to cook her wings in a different fryer. Kudos for safety as that is most important! That said, her dish was about 10 mins late from the tables. The manager did apologize which was appreciated. read more

Bub City - Mac and cheese was so good - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Yummy!!! I have fallen in love with food apps and have been ordering delivery like crazy. I have been wanting to check out Bub City so I used my grubhub $10.00 coupon to order Bub City. Don't judge how much I ordered cause I didn't eat it all in one sitting :) LOL Sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit - OMG that biscuit! Even if the rest of the ingredients were missing from the sandwich I would still not complain cause that buttermilk biscuit was just that good. The egg was made perfectly and the gooey cheese was the icing on top. This sandwich alone is 5 stars Waffle Fries - I'm not a huge fan of waffle fries and these were okay. Nothing special. Brussel Sprouts - I had these for lunch the next day and they were amazing! Love whatever sauce they are in. I would totally order these again. All in all good food and I will have to go check out the restaurant. read more

Bub City - Sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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After the weather finally turning around me and my girlfriends decided to try out bub city! It was a Tuesday night and the windows/garage doors were open and it was a beautiful spring night! We got there and let the hostess know of our 5 party reservations, we also let her know it was a surprise and that the birthday girl would be arriving later. The hostess was great and took the cupcakes that we brought for her to the back (and remembered to bring it out post dinner and drinks)!! Our waitress was also really cute and bubbly and apologized for orders taking long. Overall is a very lively spot, even on a Tuesday night. Tables were all full (so with this said, make reservations!) We didn't get to make it to the 10P open karaoke night, since we decided to go to 3 dots and a dash--around the corner and down the alley! Glad to take this off my list. I was a bit disappointed because the lobster roll wasn't on the menu--waitress said its only seasonal read more

Bub City - This is one of the side salads. Huge portion--asked for pulled pork instead of the fried chicken! A must!!! - Barbeque Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Decided to pull the trigger on this place because Smoque's was closed. If you're looking for an authentic genuine bbq joint, this isn't it, the pulled pork tasted as if it was pre-packed and the brisket was chewy almost like they didn't smoke it low & slow. I'm not a fan of bbq sauce on the meat but it seemed as if the cook wanted to hide the flavor. You can tell this is more of a hangout place but I'll pass next time I'm in town. read more

Not the servers fault, but tonight my food came with pork in the meal not once but twice after letting them know I was vegetarian. Disgusting. Beyond the fact that I am vegetarian we avoid pork products for religious beliefs as do many people. the blatant disregard the kitchen had making sure food was free of certain allergens/requests was abysmal. read more