Now mind you this place is in Kent, Washington and not Austin Texas. If you've been spoiled by southern barbecue, it is always going to be hard to live up to. Caveman kitchen does a respectable job though. Stopped in for lunch with a friend and opted for a rack of ribs and polar sausage. The ribs were nicely cooked tender, and pulled off the bone easily. The barbecue sauce was good, but could have used a little bit more tang. The polar sausage was delicious. Just the right hint of spices and a nice snap when you bit into it. For a great local barbecue experience, I recommend caveman kitchen. read more

CaveMan Kitchen is my go to for smoked whole chickens. The chickens are well cooked through and deliciously seasoned, smoked, and succulent! I also grab the large potato salad. Staff are friendly and quick too! read more

The food was pretty okay. Wait was super long for my meal, when all of my friends were served right away. Also it'd be nice if you could access the bathroom without needing a chaperone. Definitely a place to go to get a large gathering catered, but I'm not so sure about them as a place to get a single meal. read more

Stopped in here on a Friday at 330pm on our way south to try to wait out traffic. That plan didn't really work (it still took us about 3 hours to get home), but discovering this place made it worth it. My step dad mentioned that he'd come here once in 1979 when he was working in the area and never forgot about it. No indoor seating, friendliest people and the best BBQ you can find around. Between the four of us in the car, we got 2 pork rib dinners (one with some supremely thick chili, and the other with a side salad), an order of the polish sausage dinner, an Alabama slam sandwich and (I believe) an order of smoked salmon. The pork ribs do come smothered, which I know is not a style of BBQ that everyone agrees with, but man, are they delicious. Incredible amounts of meat on every bone, and the BBQ isn't too spicy or tangy. What I thought was kind of weird was that when we were sitting on the picnic tables in front of the place, there was a classic car sitting in the parking lot idling with no one in it. Other people came up to pick up orders and just left their cars in the parking lot running. This...doesn't feel like the greatest neighborhood (there was a car with a boot on it across the street) but there must be some high trust and magic with this place or the people that run it. The owner had come in after we'd placed our order, and when I went in to pick it up, she commented about how they make everything from scratch there, including the salad dressings, and had them put other dressings in with our order to try. My mom couldn't believe how good their balsamic was! When the owner came out to talk to us at the table while we were finishing up eating, she told us that her dad worked in tool & die at Boeing, and had opened the restaurant in 1971 because he was worried about how everybody had started smoking dope, so he needed to give his kids something else to smoke - and they've been in business ever since, in the same location, even after a fire burned the place down and lawsuits over the name. Additional things to try when you're here: the dragon wheel (seasoned roasted root vegetables), the bootleg pudding (a bread pudding, the owner told us how her dad had made this up, but I can't remember it), the carrot cake, and the porkcicles (these are spicy though!). read more

This place was recommended by a colleague & decided to try but was not too impressed. Was not expecting bbq sauce to be all over the rib & polish sausage. 1 price was okay but the other was very chewy & was unable to eat it after a bite. Chicken was good. Flavor was just right & not dry. Coleslaw was a bit different & was good. Chili was a little sweet but was okay. Bread that came with the combo meal was really good. This was perfectly baked with great flavor. read more

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Picked up a bbq pork sandwich for lunch. The meat had a great Smokey flavor that was as covered in a homemade bbq sauce that was flavorful. Portion size was good. read more

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We were craving BBQ so came up to Caveman Kitchen. We ordered two HamBetters for breakfast tomorrow, and the bride got the Salmon Dip sandwich and iced water. I ordered the Poor Boy sandwich meal with Coleslaw and Jones Root Beer fountain drink. Also got a side of Salmon Dip for later. Food came quickly and the sandwiches were wonderful. The Coleslaw was great, as was the Salmon Dip later. The next morning we enjoyed the HamBetters with Chutney. Very nice. Great BBQ and great service. Thank you. read more

CaveMan Kitchen - Salmon Dip sandwich. - Barbeque Near Me - Kent, Washington

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Many years have passed since last I went to Cave Man, and I imagine many more years will pass again before I return. Some things have not changed. The location, decor, and picnic area is largely as I remember. They've modernized as needed, but they still have a narrow entry with not too much space to wait. The employees are still wonderful and friendly and the food still plentiful. It just wasn't as tasty. The bread was chewy and pretty basic. The meat a wee bit under seasoned and very fatty. The au jus forgettable. I remember loving this place, but not so much these days. read more

Quintessential smoked bbq. They have been making great bbq for several generations and the formula is correct! read more

CaveMan Kitchen - Cave Man - Jan 2017 - Barbeque Near Me - Kent, Washington

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No complaints on the service and a salad is a salad. The problem those ribs. Sorry no good at all. Trying to force myself to eat them because I paid for them. If only I had a dog. I will not be a repeat customer. read more

CaveMan Kitchen - 1 lb rib's - Barbeque Near Me - Kent, Washington

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Delicious!!! I had the Alabama slammer it was great! Meat was smoked perfectly, coleslaw was delicious, and the sauce was right on the mark. Outside seating available, service was good. read more

CaveMan Kitchen - Alabama Slam Sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Kent, Washington

Just ordered the whole chicken through doordash, it was moist and flavorful, will definitely order again!!! Thankyou for the amazing food!!

Best ever smoked turkey ever and the Dragon Wheels are to die for! Excellent customer service and Rosanne and Richard are the BEST!

I've never had a more delicious, flavorful chicken like the ones at caveman. Out of this world ! Perfection

Fantastic chicken, coleslaw, potato salad, and baked beans, all taste like they are made in-house and very fresh. This is a perfect option for take out to feed a group. We've had it for family dinners, reunions with more people, and for staff lunches. Really delicious and travels well! They have been in business since the early '70's for a reason! read more

If you order something that says that it is a dinner meal you would expect something a little more especially for the price. This order was to go and had the sides and roll as advertised but to find only 2 ribs as part of the "meal" is a generous use of the word. If the food had been amazing it might explain the cost but that just wasn't the case. For the same price and flavor I could have gone to a local chain and at least gotten at least a half rack. Not worth the wait or the $$. read more

Came here a few times over the years. Not what it use to be.. Not as good as it smells.... The slice beef is more deli sandwich style. I've never had bbq slice so thin. It's not brisket too. It's more like the eye round. Friendly staff.. bought a couple whole roast pig in the past.... Salty as heck.. but no flavor. Just salt.. read more

I recently moved to Tukwila, and my office is now in Kent. What a delight to discover Cave Man Kitchen is just down the street! Their BBQ Chicken Sandwich was hot and delicious read more

Incredible food! The smoked meats are unparalleled! Great sides also! Best potato salad around! Delicious baked beans, bacon in every bite! Bread Pudding is truly exceptional! This place is an institution and has been for many, many decades! Nothing around can compete with them! Service is engaging and obviously like what they're doing! It is funky to be sure, but that's part of the charm of the place. Picnic tables outside for summer dining. read more

Went for the first time because I was hungry and thought that I would be getting a lot of protein, unfortunately for the amount of protein that I got I probably could've gotten a better deal elsewhere. Sincerely, everything seems to be over sugared and over seasoned the dragon wheel not really sure why it's called that is only potatoes and carrots with a couple of bad pieces of pork. The salmon had 10 pieces that were really bite-size of salmon and the cake was just over seasoned and sugar versus actually having cream or otherwise on top of the carrot cake Not sure I'm gonna go back again As for service, they seem like nice respectful people. I think there's some improvements to the menu that could be made. read more

I really wish I could give this place more than 5 stars, very friendly staff, being our first time here, they guided us to some excellent choices! Wife had the Salmon sandwich, I had the 1/2 chicken meal. They where both wonderful! Chicken was moist and flavorful, excellent smoke!. And the baked beans, holy smokes the baked beans, best baked bean ever. read more

It is unfair that the vapors escaping the CaveMan Kitchen's smokers, wafting down West Valley Road to the parking lot at the Boeing Space Center, would tantalize you into driving there and spending half your lunch hour waiting in line... mouth watering. Their ribs are a monument to excess. Try 'em. Everything there is worth the drive and the wait. read more

I have always wanted to try this place, it always smelled so good, so today I decided to stop in, not very friendly. so I ordered the sliced beef, typically, when I go to a BBQ place you expect thick slices not thinned sliced and I expect brisket not what ever sliced beef that was, the sauce tastes like ketchup and bbq sauce, I couldn't eat it, the meat was like deli meat so thinly slice, had no flavor very bland. worse BBQ food I have ever tasted, and I have had some bad ones, but baby this place took the cake. the smell doesn't reflect in the foot. horrible. I just wasted 30 bucks on dog food. read more

CaveMan Kitchen - Sliced beef. Red sauce that tastes just like ketchup. I don't recommend if you enjoy BBQ, this place will make you mad. - Barbeque Near Me - Kent, Washington

Had the beef, chicken and that pork/veggie pack. They only thing I liked was the chicken. It was very tender. The beef was sort of dry.

Incredible bbq! The nicest of owners deliver the best bbq around. I will be back soon!

Again what more can I say? Great food, friendly and helpful staff (this time my Mom went after not knowing what to get-then got samples to try out stuff). Ambiance is divey but you are here for BBQ and family friendly service. Great spot! read more

CaveMan Kitchen - Chicken Sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Kent, Washington

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Ordered delivery and it came on time and as expected. It was freshly prepared and tasted good

One of the best hidden gems in the nation. I grew up eating caveman as a child of the 80s and their food is still just as delicious today as it was 3 decades ago. I now live in the South and I still can't find food like this down there! My go-to is the smoked chicken sandwich with BBQ sauce. Tender smoked white meat with tangy BBQ sauce on a buttered and toasted fresh bread. The Potato salad is a must for the side and there is no rival for this recipe out there. Savory, fresh made with whole food ingredients. No MSG or additives, no liquid smoke, no cut corners or cheating here. It's wonderful Try a dragon wheel as well with caramelized onions that form a crust with the potatoes and carrots and smoked pork. Perfect. The place is old. It has outdoor dining only so temper your expectations. Pick it up to go or enjoy a picnic onsite. The staff are friendly and fast. Do it. Now. read more

I've been going to Caveman since I was a kid and when my kids asked to go I was ready for some nostalgia. I was feeling a little apprehensive with some of the reviews but it was as good as ever and the service was so friendly. My son got the beatsa pizza which reminded me of my youth and looked the same. Pretty tasty. We will be back. read more

Came here today and ordered a rib plate with coleslaw. Ribs were over sauced and dry with no flavor. Coleslaw tasted like vinegar only and was dry. I would not recommend at all read more

Best food I've ever had! Don't listen to the bad reviews on this website the food is delicious and the staff is friendly!

Outstanding... not that's not enough. This is better than home cooking(cause you don't have to do dishes!) this place feels like family cooking for you after you won the big game. Cooked from scratch, no joke every SINGLE THING is made from scratch even the mustard (Nathan said literally like 3 things aren't made in house!!). Nathan (manager and catering director) and the ladies that seemed to be everywhere doing all things, showed us an amazing first time experience. As such this is and will be our go to any time in the kent area!! Love love love the flavors, huge portions, and all done with so much care to the details. THANK YOU read more

CaveMan Kitchen - Barbeque Near Me - Kent, Washington

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It's thanksgiving day and we asked if we can order a turkey and I believe we were talking to the owner on the phone she said they were closed but she's was going to leave us a smoked turkey for us. Upon pickup we seen them with a van FULL of turkey's, the sweet couple were on their way to donate them and we asked how much & she pointed to the sky and said "this is from the big guy above you" sweetest lady i've ever met. Both her and her husband deserve everything in the world. Me and my family are so thankful. read more

CaveMan Kitchen - Barbeque Near Me - Kent, Washington

So I was impressed, being that I was on a keto diet, how accommodating the staff and the food. I like how they prepared the food and the level of consideration the staff had at caveman kitchen. I ordered the quarter chicken dinner... should have when with the half! Lol I guess I was hungrier than I thought, not their fault. The chicken was flavorful and you have to love the Smoked flavor of the meat. But! My favorite was their chili! So meaty and delicious!! I will be back. read more

CaveMan Kitchen - Outside - Barbeque Near Me - Kent, Washington

Food is always good here. The chicken bacon ranch is the bomb. So is the ham sandwich. But their potato salad? To die for! read more

Hello, I have been a loyal Caveman Customer for 44yrs. I usebto eat lunch outside with Dick All the time. Hot polish, medium baked bean , lemonade. When I didn't have enough money just bread and baked bean. Dick would bring me a sandwich saying don't do without because your short on money. That being said what happened to the food!!!?? It's been a year or so since I have been in. The hot polish had no heat. At least they went back to crusty bread. But the beans!! Not the same at all The taste is totally different Will not be buying those again. The meat on the sandwich was not caramelized at all. The old convection ovens did so much better Sorry to say. For 27.00 for a sandwich extra meat and medium baked bean. It needs to be better. Dick Donley would not stand for this. read more

My fiancé's co-worker said this was the BBQ place to go to and That it was really good. We already have our favorite BBQ place in the area, but in a effort to branch out we decided to see for ourselves. Our go to's usually include some kind of Bbq meat on a sandwich, potato salad and bbq ribs. The special for today (it's a Sunday) was 1/2 lb Bbq Ribs, a small side and a drink for $14.99 My fiancé ordered the Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich and the Dragons Wheels. My ribs were delicious. They were lathered in sauce and the meat had good flavor, but the majority of my portion was bones so that was slightly disappointing. The potato salad was kind of like cold mashed potatoes with egg. A little too sweet for our tastes considering we like a more savory potato salad with big pieces of potato. The Chicken Bacon Ranch ($12-14) sandwich had a good portion of meat in it. The meat was a little dry. The presence of the ranch was not noticeable. And the sandwich was cut so that the second you took a bite it all fell apart. The Dragon Wheels were ($6.99) you got a tiny sized boat of well roasted potatoes with carrots, onion and a piece of pork in it. I was super disappointed with the portion size of the Dragon Wheels. While they tasted good I would never pay -almost $7 for a boat no bigger than my hand of potatoes. We received a complimentary dessert. It was good and a nice surprise to find in our bag of food to go. The staff was super friendly and that made the experience pleasant. I felt bad for the cook because it was her preparing all of the food for the orders and the only one order taker. read more

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My wife and I used to go there years ago and the experience was always great. We were driving home to Auburn and we drove past and decided on a whim to stop. We ordered our food to go and my wife went inside to get it while I waited in the car. 2 sandwiches (beef and chicken), pinwheel, potato salad and their apple desert. We also received garlic bread. It ran us $92.00. We discovered when we got home we didn't get the potato salad. The food for the price was subpar compared to what we used to get. The Meat was on a French roll and not very hot at all and the meat was dry. The BBQ sauce was terrible. Tasted like ketchup mixed with BBQ sauce. Afterward we had the apple desert which turned out to be what looked and tasted like canned apples on top of garlic bread. Took two bites and tossed it. Question: after eating a sandwich on a French Roll with garlic bread on the side what makes you think a person wants to eat canned apples on top of more garlic bread for desert? I don't know what happened to this establishment but it is definitely not the same as we remember. Highly disappointed and what a waste of money. We felt we got ripped off. read more

This is the second time I've eaten here and the food doesn't disappoint. What does is the service, this three stars. The attitude towards customers, snide remarks towards fellow employees and arguing amongst employees while waiting for your food set for a bad taste before eating your food. While the food has great flavor I can't say this is a place I'd like to frequent or recommend. read more

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I mainly take out restaurant, but the food is amazing when I just want some good meat with ajus this is where I go. They have some great sides to go with your meals as well. read more