The food is incredible. Bluto was one of the best sandwiches I've had in a long time. I was only in town for two days and didn't plan on eating dinner here two day in a row. Then Steve challenged to come back the next day and try the catfish. I'm glad I did, it was awesome. read more

A friend recommended this place. I left disappointed. Not sure what the sauce is made of, but I wouldn't call it BBQ sauce. Meat was very fatty and I questioned if it was even done. The French fries were homemade and they were good. There was at least 6 chairs that didn't even have a back on them. Also had trouble find how to get into the parking lot. read more

Traveling on business and stumbled on this BBQ gem. It is that hidden restaurant in town that only locals know about, but has great food. The rib meat fell off the bones and was really good and the hot links are also great. If you are out in springfield and looking for BBQ you can't go wrong here. read more

Well this was my first trip to Crosstown BBQ. Had a lunch special. It was really good. The Hot Link was extra delicious. I will be back!!! read more

This a delayed review since my husband and I visited Crosstown BBQ last September while visiting our college athlete son in Springfield, MO. Driving up, it kind of looks like a dive. Inside was basic diner: tables and booths. But Steve, the owner, MAKES the place. He was pleasant and helpful but not overbearing. We chatted about college sports and he even knew the college in our hometown and recalled a spectacular basketball event that occurred several years ago. The BBQ was wonderful: large portions, choice of sauce, great ingredients! Steve takes great pride in his food and service. We have recommended Crosstown to several people. read more

If you want good food you have to check it out. Best smoked ham I have ever had. Great service at a good price.

Very good food! I tried the big papa, which was brisket, hot links, and ribs. Everything was phenomenal. They do however cook the ribs for a long time, so mine was somewhat charred on the outside. read more

Amazing and got their self a regular customer. Enough said. From small towns where BBQ huge n this one hits home. Thanks guys keep it it will be back. can't wait to try other meats you severe read more

I have eaten here every time I've been in town for the past 30 years and it never disappoints. Today was brisket and smoke link sandwich--mucho delicious! read more

Outstanding "old school" BBQ. Service and food were OUTSTANDING. I was driving cross country from Massachusetts to Arizona just after the new year (I'm a AZ Snowbird). I looked on Google the night before for a good BBQ place that I could stop at around noon time the following day. Well I found it !!! No shiny commercial electric smoker here that uses pellets like all the chains you find across the country. Meats aren't measured on a digital scale. Mr Steve Williams the owner introduced himself during my visit. He took the business over from his parents in the 80's. The smoker was original equipment from I guess was decades old. Several "timeline" pictures, newspaper articles and awards lined the walls of this BBQ joint cut out of time from years past. Steve was a true gentleman. While I was waiting for my food he was wheeling in 50 lb bags of potatoes and I thought gee, I don't recall seeing baked potato on the menu. Then my three-meat, two side meal arrived. Oh my....hand cut fries! That explains all the russets. Spot on St Louis ribs. No sauce needed. Brisket was perfect and hot link cut lengthwise? What a great idea and perfect way to use the white bread served with meals. I truly enjoyed my stop and look forward to visiting again driving east or west between my two homes. Thanks again Mr Steve Don C read more

Yep, just plain ole gooood BBQ! I ate there for the first time in 1974 and after moving back to Missouri, I found it again. It's even better than it was in 1974, and it was fantastic then! If you want the best BBQ in Springfield, this is the place to be. Try the hot sauce. I like both the hot sauce and mild. You will love the beans! All in all, just give it a try. You'll be going back for more. read more

Looking for a place to eat BBQ ?? LOOK NO MORE !! I'm very picky with what foods taste like - the flavor must be truly delicious-the texture has to be good , the the price decent and the service and personality outgoing and friendly . My husband and I were traveling through on our road trip from LA to GA . We decided to head to Crosstown for our valentines day dinner . After reading the reviews (they were mixed but mostly positive) we gave it a try . At first you look at it like it might not be anything special , a little hole in the wall type place . You may question - how good could it possibly be looking at the plain building . When you walk in it isn't a fancy joint - but we weren't there to lick the walls and eat the chairs - we were there hoping for a good meal. We were kindly and enthusiastically greeted by the owner Steve who doesn't lack the personality feature often looked for .He took pride in the food and was confident - you can tell he works hard to please his customers and make sure they leave full and happy .We ordered the big papa- it comes with home made hot links , a few meaty fall off the bone ribs with home made sauce , and tender smoked beef brisket- the sides were home made potato salad (BOMB) and beans( also BOMB) - I WAS BLOWN AWAY how AMAZING the food was . I can't remember the last time I had such a generous portion of tasty AUTHENTIC BBQ . This spot should be on DDD - Guy sure is missing out ! In all I do not feel 5 stars are enough for this diamond in the rough . Think I'm exaggerating? TRY IT FOR YOURSELF :) you will not be disappointed with this place - if I'm ever back in the area I would have a couple full rack of ribs (they are that good ). thank you Steve for the experience so rare to encounter in most other restaurants !! - the east coasties couple read more

I think BBQ is very subjective, which explains the love hate relationship folks seems to have in the reviews. My wife took me there for lunch today (she is from the area) and i found the experience to be great. We met the owner Steve almost immediately upon entering, who was very friendly and full of sugestions and BBQ chat. He offered to make a breaded catfish/BBQ plate when i was torn between the two. I accepted his offer and selected the sliced pork with mild sauce, beans, coleslaw and the breaded fried catfish. I found the meat without sauce to be tasty and tender, the sauce to be tasty without overly sweet, and tasted unique to the premises. Enjoyed the beans and coleslaw (mayo based) and thr fish was great, both wih and without the tartar sauce, which also tasted unique to the place. My wife may actually side with the waitress and prefer the fish (she tried some of mine) and her potato salad was good as well. The building was clean, if old and a bit run down, but the kitchen area was fine when i looked back there. Lets call it rustic or quaint. The meat was not burnt (unlike that place that is supposedly voted the best BBQ in town, which i will never be back to. That place was modern and what one expects visually, but the BBQ itself was like the Olive Garden or Applebee's of BBQ, and over half my sandwich was burnt meat) and would be fine on a sandwich without the sauce as much as with. That is good meat. Price was just fine for my plate, and i gladly paid. Steve talked to us again as we left, and it is evident he has a passion for his shop and community. In conclusion, i will be back, gladly, and look forward to trying the rest of the menu and the hot sauce. I will most likely end up ordering both sauces as a mix, which is my preferred general temp. Thank you Steve and Crosstown Barbecue! You made two customers today. read more

Fantastic bbq! Relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff. Anyone who enjoys good bbq must eat at Crosstown! Ribs are fall-off-the-bone delicious. Pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw reminds me of Memphis. Forget the chain restaurants. For great bbq make Crosstown BBQ your bbq destination. read more

I have given crosstown bbq a few chances and I have to tell you, there is just nothing impressive about it. It is not very flavorful, not sure what that sauce is supposed to be, but it is far from anything I have had before and not in a good way. I don't care for the racist commercial that says "Do you want to get bbq from this guy?" and shows a caucasian guy in a chef's uniform acting all goofy. That never struck me right. It is just not good bbq...very bland. read more

Incredibly over priced for what you get.. the meat is sliced so thin I could consider it deli meat and to top it off they give you white bread?.. $10 for a tiny sandwich and $15 for a some what normal sized meal. read more

This place is a small family owned restaurant (my favorite kind). The cook took our order and served us. The service was fast and friendly, but the food...the food is what will keep you coming back over and over. The sauce is awesome, the variety was impressive, and the ribs were the best I've had in a very long time. Let's not forget the portions are HUGE! read more

Came in for the first time today. The place was dark, old and felt dirty. There was a dead insect on my table. The waitress was matter of fact and not friendly. I got a ham sandwich and tea--cost $7.50 which I thought was a little high considering the small size of the sandwich. It was served plain and cut in half which was mashed down in the middle and did not look all that good. Taste was better than the appearance. It was an overall disappointing experience. I will not return. read more

Holy massive portions Batman. This place is not afraid to show you how good their barbecue is with giant plates. I drove there for lunch with a friend who complained about the distance the ENTIRE way. When we got there he complained about the lack of people the interior and about anything else he could. We ordered and when our food came he was still complaining. One bite and his eyes got wide with sauce all over his face he said "Damn this is good, i mean really good" I think that pretty much sums up this place. It has an amazing history fall off the bone barbecue with a great tangy spicy sauce. The brisket is the best I've had in Springfield so far and the ribs are awesome. The coleslaw is not merely a side it deserves it's own listing. The pulled pork was moist and tasty. Again the smokey goodness is highlighted by this sauce. They also sell just the sauce at the counter. Normally I would say something witty and clever right here but I am just too damn satisfied right now to be anything but pleasant. read more

Locally this used to be known as "Jessie's Crosstown" but the torch has been passed to a new generation, and Steve maintains the same quality and attention to detail that his father displayed. If you're looking for fine china and sterling cutlery... why do you want BBQ? If you want the best BBQ you can get in Springfield... well, now you're getting somewhere. This place has always been famous for its hot links, and these sausage prove their worth in every bite. Spicy, flavorful, and cooked to the perfect degree of doneness, you can get them on a plate or in a bun, and no matter whether you go the low carb route on the sandwich route, you'll be on a road to gastronomical paradise. You may see references on here to "run down" but inside the place is the same as it was in the late 70s when I first came here, and its clean as a whistle. The servers are friendly, and the food is magnificent. If you want the best BBQ in Springfield, come here. You won't be sorry! read more

Came here with clients at their recommendation and absolutely loved the food, atmosphere and people. The food was awesome! I had a sandwich with beef and pork. My side of fries was delicious. We all enjoyed! read more

I cam in from out of town and had a craving for barbecue. I found this place on Yelp! and am really glad that I did. It was some of the best barbecue I've had. The location is out of the way and looks like it's probably a converted house, but that's by no means a bad thing. The owner greeted me as soon as I walked in and gave me a fantastic recommendation. I had the big boy - ribs, roast cuts, sausage, fries, and baked beans. The ribs were tender and smokey, the roast cuts were tender and juicy, the sausage was bursting with flavor, the fries were a little limp, but still good, and the baked beans were fantastic. The barbecue sauce was sweet and slightly spicy, very different from what I'm used to, but not in a bad way. The owner was very friendly and helpful. Overall it was a great experience and worth the trip. read more

I once was a K.C. Melt Down fan. The place has really gone to pot lately. Meat Dried Out and on top of that The Owner has lost a 25 year long customer because He wanted to be rude to my wife. I'll check Yelp to find a new place. read more

Great atmosphere, great food! Steve was a pleasure to visit with. Not a tourist trap like so many! Good family owned BBQ!

Best beef ribs I've ever tasted and I grew up in KC and have tried them all. Steve and his family are very personable and I definitely will be back next time I'm any where near Springfield. read more

Worst I've ever eaten. I was in the mood for some BBQ and decided to give Crosstown a try due to the raving reviews. I went through the drive thru and service was very friendly. I ordered the Big Papa and the Four Ribs dinners. Total was $30 so I had high expectations. My ribs were more like beef jerky, my fries were flavorless petrified potato sticks and the "two pieces of bread" was literally two pieces of white sandwich bread thrown on top of the food. My husband hated his food as well and he's pretty easy to please. I honestly wanted to brush my teeth to get the taste out of my mouth. I hate to leave this review because I'm sure the owners are nice people and who knows if it was just a bad day to eat there but I won't be going back. I feel reviews should be honest to your experience. I prefer The Rib Shack and Buckingham's. read more

Very friendly staff - if you like sweet BBQ, you'll like it.

Born and raised in Springfield and Crosstown isn't what is used to be. Went there for dinner with my family and we will never go back. It was dirty and they shouldn't be proud of what they served us- we ordered ribs and sandwiches. The sandwiches for dinner portions were too small for the price, the beans were cold and gross and the ribs were terrible; fatty with a lot of tendons and the meat was burned. To top if off our bill was $50 for 2 adults and 2 children. read more

Ummm...how this place is averaging a four-star rating, I'll never know. And massive portions?? I ordered a "large" pork sandwich that costed 9.50 and got what would've been considered a kid's sandwich anywhere else. It came with french fries (which were good), but that's it. The bread was right out of the bag; not even grilled whatsoever. the sauce was cheap and nasty. It resembeled BBQ sauce in no way or fashion. The pork was sliced, and had no flavor to speak of. This place didn't even have pulled pork. Someone on here in another review said that this was Kansas City BBQ without the attitude, or something along those lines. Well, I'm not sure about the attitude, but if the rest is true, then I won't be going to KC to eat BBQ anytime soon. 4 sandwiches with 4 drinks costed $50!!! You can get the pork plate at Buckingham's that really does have a pretty huge pulled pork sandwich, with your choice of 2 sides, and 2 ribs for $8.99! It is a wayy larger serving, and the food flavor and quality blows this joint away. Bottom line...this place sucks, and is highly overrated,at least from my experience. Sorry Crosstown, I was eager to write a review for you. I just didn't want it to be like this. read more