Why do I do it. Why do I continuously bludgeon myself ordering barbecue with only halfway…read moreexpectations so I can make false claims about how good the food is, and have an excuse to fall back on? I got this off of grub dash or whatever delivery service it's called. I really wanted barbecue, but I didn't expect to get mostly unpalatable, stringy meat substances. Before you guys read this & judge me, I do a LOT of smoking. I have some stuff I've smoked, in my profile. I have Backwoods Lil Chubby G2 competition reverse flow water smoker, smoked tons of meat and have been in competitions, so I know my stuff. This isn't my stuff. I ordered the three meat combo, with brisket, pulled pork and chicken. I'm not too sure where the brisket is? Was it that stringy beef meat stuff? I couldn't tell the difference between that or what the pork was supposed to be. The chicken is obvious, and while we're on the topic, the chicken is the only thing that had a distinguished flavor of smoke. As far as the other 2 meats, other than a hint of smoke, bland and flavorless. Meat portion size is insulting. I basically paid $30 for five sides and cornbread. Cornbread is actually really good. The highlight of the whole meal, and the only thing that I actually finished. I can't wholeheartedly say that the mac and cheese is made in house, nor the pasta or potato salad or beans for that matter, but I could be wrong (but I'm pretty sure I'm not, seeing the caliber of this food). I was reserving one star, out of consideration for this place, in case the brisket wasn't as tender as it should be, seeing how I had this delivered 11 miles away, but then again, I don't even know where the brisket was. If you're shredding or chopping your brisket (who does that!?), you need to close your doors, because it's obvious that you don't know how to smoke brisket. Brisket is meant to be sliced, not masked by chopping or shredding, then thrown in a steamer tray. I ate about half of it, and tossed the rest out. Headed to Denny's for another lackluster supper. Obviously the people on here raving about how good this place is, haven't had barbecue outside of famous Dave's, Dickies or some other low end franchise. Very disappointed, and waste of money. Sorry Ritchies.... Live and learn I guess. ***DISCLAIMER*** This pure, uncut, honest review is federally protected under Federal Law by way of Bill #EO14149. Removal or alteration of this review by Yelp and/or their affiliates without Expressed consent by it's author is strictly prohibited by FEDERAL law. VIolators will be prosecuted, and litigation imminent.

I ordered a side of Corn bread, Baked Beans, and Banana Pudding...to make it simple:…read more Corn bread: 7/10, needs more salt Baked Beans: 10/10 really yummy actually! Would come back just for that Banana Pudding: 1/10, Definitely need to find an actual recipe for BBQ (perhaps Texas style) Banana pudding instead of just spooning instant banana pudding with sliced banana and wafers in a cup. I was really disappointed by it, unfortunately. The service was friendly and nice! The dining area, albeit I didn't sit in for dining, seemed a bit sterile. I heard somewhere it's under new management so I'm hoping some things change.

Made a return trip and this time the entire family got to enjoy their bbq. For the 1st timers, they…read morereally enjoyed everything. So happy to have found good bbq close to home

Let me preface this by saying 3-stars is a bit generous, but there is great promise here…read more The story behind this place is a great story, and you should check it out in the local papers (I think both Janesville and Beloit covered it). This being said, it doesn't save the disappointment of the food. While there is some indoor seating, the goal seems to be primarily take-out. I believe only about four stools are in the place. The service was pretty slow, but not bad. I got the rib sampler tray, or something like that. I tried to look up the exact name, but their online menu is a picture of their paper menu, and completely unreadable, so I could not. It came with two bones, cut St. Louis style, and about a dozen rib tips. For sides, your only options are onion strings or fries, for anything else, you have to order separately, or pay for upgrade, which I found odd. This being said, I added the coleslaw to my meal to see how it was. The ribs came out doused in sauce, which isn't necessarily bad, but the sauce was. Lacking any sort of flavor, other than tomato, the sauce was a huge drawback. Atop this, the ribs were no particularly special, which made for a poor 1-2 punch. The meat was pretty well smoked, but lacked the quality needed to account for the other shortcomings. It has great potential however. On the other hand, the rib tips had almost no redeeming qualities. Both skimpy on meat and flavor, the sauce bath also did them no favors. Very disappointing. The onion strings were pretty good, but an awkward pairing. However, if I ever am in the area with a hankering for onion strings, I'll definitely stop by. The slaw was unremarkable, and warrants no further comment. Two final notes: 1. While I certainly prefer my meat to need no sauce, let alone be coated in it, Backyard went a step beyond. No sauce is served on the counter, or even on the side. In fact, if you want more, you have to pay for additional cups of sauce, which I found quite odd. 2. Despite a huge disappointment and a very small desire to return, this place does have great potential. The meat is well cooked, and only hampered down by the additional factors. Fine-tuning the sauce (or starting entirely over) and getting some better cuts of meat will go far. With the low prices and convenient location to South Janesville, Backyard Barbecue certainly has a great potential, and I look forward to stopping by again to try the pork and see if it can make up for this experience.

This five star review for this little family owned barbecue joint is pretty much dedicated to one…read moredelicious sandwich that they've been serving up for a number of years now. I'm talking about the Sho Boat. Plenty of reviews have already mentioned it, and even though I've had other items on their menu, and they've all been delicious, when you stop by Smokehouse Barbecue, you will notice two things... 1. There is typically a line. 2. 99% of the patrons are getting the Sho Boat. So much so that the woman behind the counter just points to people with her pen and says, "Sho Boat? How about you, Sho Boat?" The sandwich consists of perfectly seasoned chopped pork shoulder. Smoked daily on the pit outside on the back of the establishment. It's an awesome blend of juicy, meaty chucks of pork with just enough fat to pull it all together. It's then covered in a sweet and tangy homemade barbecue sauce on a nice crusty French roll and served with a side of fries, which are also drizzled in their signature sauce. The Yelp! reviews for this place mostly feature pictures of this sandwich, as you will see here in mine. There's not much else to say that hasn't already been written. Yes, it occupies a side space in a local Shell gas station. Yes, it is family run business by people who are absolutely lovely, super friendly, warm and inviting. Lastly, and most importantly, the sandwich is fantastic! The Food Network has got a TV show where all of the top chefs in America tell you about their favorite places and things to eat. The exact name escapes me, but if there were one of these famous chefs that was from Rockford, Illinois, there is no doubt they would be telling you about the this sandwich. It's that good. Again, their menu features more food besides the sandwich, although it is quite limited... But if delicious barbecue is your thing, and you don't mind waiting a minute or two, then this is a must have. Some of the reviews said this is cash only, however when we were there, they were taking a credit card. There is also ATM inside of the establishment. Smokehouse Barbecue isn't much to look at, but the people that work there know what they're doing, and it definitely shows! No frills... just one of the best sandwiches I've ever had served to you with a warm smile by wonderful people that care.

Passing thru Rockford and remembered a great little bbq joint near 20. Got their bbq pork showboat…read more Just as good as I remembered. They were quick and the food was flavorful. A small family business on the side of a shell station. Worth a stop

Sophia's is a must stop breakfast delight. The omelettes are incredibly fluffy, so delicious and…read morethe crepes are awesome. Julie was an excellent server taking care of all our needs. We are never disappointed in this wonderful restaurant.

The owner is the rudest person I have ever met in my life. He treats his staff like excuse the word…read moreslaves. He belittled them in front of customers. He walks around like he doesn't have to answer to anyone. The food is mediocre. The best food is breakfast. what can you do to eggs and toast and bacon but the rest of the food thrown in the fryer there's nothing cooked their homemade And if you even question the quality of something that you've got which I did he yells at you so I wouldn't go there again if it was free plenty of other places to eat so do yourself a favor, especially if you were senior citizen, which I am very rude to senior citizens very rude. No respect for the customer at All go somewhere else where they appreciate your business and take responsibility if the customer is not happy.

Bomb af. Don't take my word for it. Go see for yourself. I usually get the chicken legs and hush…read morepuppies.

I ordered through DoorDash, but I have a very restricted diet when it comes to having celiacs. I…read morehad called another location since the loves park locations line was busy, and had asked if they used wheat (gluten) to bread their fish. She was very short and rude at the Rockford location, saying "I don't think we do", no checking with a manager to double check, just being short, and rather dismissive. But, the LOVES PARK location went above and beyond, the lady on the phone was SO sweet, asking her manager what changes we could make for the item I'd requested, since it did have wheat products. She was so kind and courteous to my dietary restriction since it could harm me pretty severely, and made sure I got something that wouldn't harm me and land me in a position where I could be in danger. Thank you all so so much for being so kind to your customers! To the lady on the phone, I really appreciate you.

Great food, prices and service. Small town atmosphere, which we love. I had chicken quesadillas and…read moremy spouse had a burger with soup. No leftovers!

Sliw and expensive for a sandwich we were out of towers and waitress was more concerned about a few…read morelocals not very welcoming

Really good, basic, home style meals. Nothing fancy, nothing gourmet. Just simple food done right…read more Incredibly friendly owner and staff. Talk to the owner if you get a chance, the guy genuinely cares about his customers and seems to really appreciate it when you tell him you enjoyed your meal.

The service here is wonderful. Everyone is friendly, especially the owner. The burgers are nothing…read moreto write home about, but the cheesecakes and reuben soup are to die for. I've never had a soup here that I didn't like, and sometimes the owner gives us a free second helping if they have extra when it's closing time.

The best food is found here. I don't usually enjoy a potato salad or any traditional bbq sides. The…read morecornbread is incredible. The baked potatoes are always perfect. The meats are always cooked beautifully. The open eating area is nice and cozy but spacious and inviting. The outside area has a kids ply area and another canopy area with additional seating nearby but it all gets pretty full on the weekends. The staff are always pleasant and the service is superb. Always pleased with everything here.

This is a fun roadside stop with a cool atmosphere being in a barn with rolled up doors so you can…read moreenjoy the weather. Service was incredibly quick and the prices are hard to beat for BBQ. If you need a quick BBQ fix, stop in. I really wanted to love this place but found it fell short in a few areas: the pulled pork sandwich meat lacked much flavor, as did the sauces. Nothing stand out. The pork was very juicy and had a nice amount of fat. Slaw was also just okay.