Honestly, I have to say it but Danken doesn't do it for me anymore. The meats are always dry and the sides lack flavor. They still have awesome bbq sauce and great catfish plates. The pricing and customer service remain great and it's appreciated. However, it's not the same. read more

If you haven't been, the elderly lady at the ordering counter will cut you off right quick if you don't get your side preferences in quickly. My grandson was a little too slow and she sent us with entres only on down to the cashier who was very sweet and brought our sides out later. The brisket had a good smoke, but it was sliced thin, dry and tough. The ribs were average and a little chewy. The BBQ dipping sauce was good and helpful with the dry brisket. read more

Used to love Danken Trail. Been going there for years! Their sides were the best of any BBQ place we've ever patronized. Lately, though, the quality has taken a nosedive. For my go-to, the chopped brisket sandwich, they used to chop the meat finely, just the way I like it. Now, it's in chunks and has more fat. The potato salad is sometimes more mush than potato. It's almost as if they make instant potatoes and just add a few boiled potatoes to it. Tried steak night, but meat was full of gristle. And the guy taking your order used to be very personable. Now, it's almost as if he feels like it's an imposition on him to even talk to you. Very disappointing, and we're now on the hunt for a good BBQ joint. read more

Tried the fried catfish... surprised to know a BBQ restaurant served catfish! It was cooked to order.... they even cut into smaller strips & cooked crispy as requested..... delicious, as well as their homemade fries! They have the BEST banana pudding! read more

I know that in this day and age it's tough to find a restaurant that is consistent and well managed. I'm not going to say that even the best can't have an off day, because that is human nature dealing with leadership and large staff groups. This evening though, everything seemed perfect. The food was really good. All items seemed available and plenty. Quality or taste was fabulous. Dining area was clean and staff seemed well dressed and attentive to the customers. Loved the music station they were playing, nostalgic, and pleasantly took me back to my enjoyable teenage years as I enjoyed the chopped chicken home buttered bread sandwich, greens, and those fantastic baked beans Danken Trail is famous for. The Men's room needed a little attention, but you don't bust a restaurant down a star for a small thing. In the whole and big picture, it was a great experience at Danken Trail B-B-Q restaurant! I recommend it fully! read more

I hate to have to say this but I had the worst experience ever here. I came in to pick up some red beans and rice. First off there was no rice. Then there is this tall blonde woman with tattoos that was rude. Gave me a small spoonful of red beans and said it was a full serving. The beans didn't reach over half the cup. I will include a picture along with this review. The least you could do is give someone a full serving if you are going to charge the full price. At very least is have some half way decent service. 6.00 for what I got was not worth it. read more

Danken Trail B-B-Q - Red beans and rice - Barbeque Near Me - Monroe, Louisiana

Very average and bland barbecue, meat is tough and dry, price is high as well, service was good though

Been going to Danken for 25 years or more. Best Poboys around and the sides are great too!

Very dissapointing food. The staff was very friendly but the food missed the mark on all levels. The sliced ham had no smoke flavor and was barely above room temp and the green beans we so over peppered that's all you could taste. The sliced brisquet was super tough and so dry it was hard to swallow. One thi g that did not disappoint was the beans they were delicious! This was our second visit there thinking maybe the forst time they were just having a bad day but after giving them another chance we will not be going back.the building was clean and nice atmosphere though . read more

This was my go-to place in college (30-something years ago). Finally got to go back today, and...nope. You can't go home. It won't be as good aa you remember. Or maybe it just ain't what it used to be. Potato salad and cole slaw were both good (the slaw was dine cut with a lot of dressing - I prefer leas dressing but the flavor was good), but the brisket was dry and tough. Ribs were small and not very tender, either. I do like the serve-yourself, buffet style line of side orders - so you can give yourself a big pile of potato salad, or just a wee bit if you like). If I need a BBQ fix, I might go back and try some chicken or sausage, but I wouldn't recommend the ribs or brisket. read more

Solid & I mean SOLID BBQ...especially the chicken. Their chicken is ON POINT. Why not comment on the brisket or pulled pork...because those are forgiving when smoked. Chicken is thrill or kill and they nailed it: THRILL! If you fly into KMLU bring $1.00 yes 1 whole American dollar and they'll give you a meal ticket. Great stop, great BBQ read more

Danken Trail B-B-Q - Chicken, pulled pork, black eyed peas and okra - Barbeque Near Me - Monroe, Louisiana

A must visit for my trips home! HUGE toasted french bread sandwiches dressed with fresh lettuce and tangy tomato - and probably 3/4 a pound of thickly sliced brisket. We are big eaters and split one for two of us. Complimenting the feast is are a huge portion of crispy HOT hand cut french fries. But what makes this place shine is the containers of hot peppery GRAVY served with each order. Dip your fries in it and you are in heaven. The enormous condiment station includes white onion slices, pickles, peppers, BBQ sauces and the all important lemon wedges! The banana pudding is over the top GOOD with just the right amount of vanilla wafers. Have also tried the BBQ ribs, BBQ chicken, beans, slaw and Texas Toast. Amazingly good and plates are about $7.00. GREAT people watching! Families, military and police groups, families, church groups and college guys hunkered down on their plates. Clean as a whistle with abundant parking and self serve drinks. Would recommend as a favorite over anything in Texas or Las Vegas. I am almost certain that Thursday night is BBQ'd rib eyes and they also do a booming business on Fried Fish. read more

We visit Monroe a few times a year to see family and we always go out of our way to eat at the Danken Trail. This past weekend, we visited Danken Trail for dinner. Here is our review: Service: The line moved quickly and the servers were friendly. The biggest problem that we had was the relatively new policy on "their family spreads". Let me warn you a head of time. We ordered the Trail Pack (as we have on many, many occasions before) and we were told that we would need to leave the restaurant to eat the food. I believe the exact words were "if you buy a family spread, you have to take it to go". We were shocked that after driving 20 minutes to go out to dinner that we were kicked out of a restaurant for buying one of their products. The upside, we did not need to spend $7+ on drinks. So you have been warned - the owner/ manager will not let you eat at the restaurant if you buy a Trail pack. Food: The Brisket and Sausage were good as always. The baked beans are awesome. The lima beans were so-so. The mac-n-cheese looked past it's expiration date so we passed on it. The food could have been better eaten fresh in the restaurant instead of microwaving once we returned home. I doubt that we will be back!!! read more

Best BBQ in Monroe! Hands down . It has been here forever( over 40 years). But the fried in corn meal catfish is my favorite and I always get us extra hush puppies. We share a large and order extra banana pudding. When I lived out of town. It was on the list of places to eat while I was home. #localmonroe #bbqmonroe #dankentrail read more

Last time brought some brisket and sausage and omg. The brisket we cannot bite. I thought it was supposed to be tender and fall off easily. But omg. It was like tough!!! I end up throwing it away! Then the sausage was like they just barely cook and cut up. We threw that away too. Did they change owner and cooks??? This was like a few weeks ago. Wished I had taken pic of meat. But I was so mad I threw it away! Very bad experience! read more

Food was ok but experience was ruined by horrible service. Black female cashier with braids had lousy attitude. She was rude and discourteous and should not be allowed to have contact with customers. She would benefit from extensive training in dealing with the public. Otherwise, should be relegated to non-customer contact. Will not be going back as a result. read more

My ribs were basically raw. This was my first time trying Danken out and I heard great things. Sad to say they underdelivered. Neither me, my spouse, or child enjoyed out meal read more

I had the half chicken plate. Chicken was great. Turnip greens were good. Black eyed peas tasted like they weren't seasoned at all. Not even salt. So not sure what's going on there. Unsweetened tea tasted like it was left in a thermos in a hot car all day. So a mixed experience overall, but they do have some solid bbq. read more

I was home visiting and I had a taste for a delicious and tender brisket poboy. I did not find either at Danken Trail. I ordered the brisket poboy and it was cold and tough. I don't think they take pride in the food the way they did when I was here a few years ago. I won't be back. read more

If y'all would like to eat barbecue and sides without absolutely no flavor, head right in. The brisket had no seasoning whatsoever, the chicken skin is as rubbery as a car tire, and the barbecue sauce which should be able to save all, somehow made the meat worse. The vegetable sides were flavorless. The chili was unappetizingly sweet with a layer of oil coating it. Don't come in, it's not worth your time nor money. read more

My absolute favorite BBQ place. Grew up eating here & make sure I go every time I go back home to visit. 10/10 Plates are right sized for price & the food is amazingly great! read more

The brisket and ribs are delicious. I ordered a 2 meat plate on Waitr and got $5 off using code Local5!

So I'm not a native, but I came here with my mom and grandma, who both grew up in Monroe, so I really relied on their judgement for food. And I mean, honestly, good BBQ is good BBQ, it doesn't matter where you are. I was a little scared to try this place because of the rating, but we were hungry, and I was determined to not eat at a chain restaurant while down in the country. Not happening. So we stopped here. Why does this place only have 2.5 stars? I was really surprised...the food was SO good! Granted, the service isn't exactly friendly. It's a cafeteria-style kinda place...you tell the guy what you want, he puts it on your plate and you slide on down while they add your sides. Nobody cares about your feelings; they just want to serve you good food. And they do! So as long as nobody is blatantly disrespecting me, I could also care less if they don't smile when they ask me what I want. Just gimme my food! My mom and I had ribs and chicken, granny had the brisket, and everything was gone in a matter of minutes. Best real BBQ I've had in a really long time...and granny said so to, so it must be true. lol read more

Always a great place eat here weekly when I'm town. Definitely great bbq friendly staff when I come back this is usually my first stop.

We arrived at Danken's around 7 pm after a long day of driving. We had a party of 15, Including a two year old, and 2 six year olds. Everybody working there was super friendly to go along with their good food. VERY helpful when we went through the line. The people that say they aren't friendly must be Yankees because us Southerners understood other friendly people. Even that late they had everything we ordered. Keep up the good work, Danken's. read more

I am orginally from this area, and this it the BBQ by which all others are judged. I grew up eating Danken Trail and I love it. It has been a staple in Monroe and has been in various buildings all in the same area of the Parish of Ouachita. Lets get the bad out of the way. The service here can ruin an otherwise good meal. The staff is among some of the snottiest that you will ever encounter. That is the reason for one less star. Since the food is good and they have the market cornered Monroe, they dont try as hard as they should. Sometimes the portions are a bit skimpy. Now, the good. The food. mmmm its the stuff that dreams are made of. I dont know what they do that makes it taste the way it does, but it developes as you eat it. The beans have chunks of meat in it and I hate baked beans, but I love these. The brisket is so good, the sausage is good, the sides are good. overall, it is just plain good. If you get a chance to go that way, try this restaurant and Podnuh's and join the debate that has been raging for years about who has the best BBQ in the area! read more

Great BBQ! Nice smoky taste in meat. Brisket was a little dry, but sauce was slightly hot. Sides are excellent...slaw good taste, BBQ beans were creamy and have a smoky taste too. Peach cobbler was tasty too. Texas toast has a sweet flavor and sweet tea was just that...sweet! read more

Danken Trail B-B-Q - Front of business - Barbeque Near Me - Monroe, Louisiana

Get the half poboy, brisket, w/bbq sauce instead of gravy. Comes with fries or you can get a side from the sides bar.. Its Plenty of food.. Dewayne is the main man behind the counter.. He has been there for many years and knows his bbq.. read more

The meat and beans taste like lighter fluid. The potato salad was bland. We purchased the Family pack and only the sausage And Texas Toast was tolerable . Waste of time and money. I gave my chicken to the dog. read more

Very helpful staff! It was our first time coming here and to help us decide which meat to choose, the cook let us sample each one. (All were very good) my fiance got the plateful with a mix of meats and i got a sausage plate. All the food was fresh tasting and really tasteful. Atmosphere is really "homey". Great place to dine at! read more

Ordered a steak here as we do every Thursday at least 4 up to 7. Arrived t pick up the steak and was totally ignored at the register. The lady(dad owns the place)was arguing with several co workers about their taxes. I knocked on the register counter for 2 minutes still no service. So the guy who was fixing my food politely heard me and ask me if I was there to pick up. I said yes. At this point the daughter of the owner decided to acknowledge my presence at this point. Her attitude was very nasty and she attempted to he flip and I told her you don't talk to me they way. My dam money is spent here every Thursday. She jerked my card and threw my receipt to sign at me. I in return threw he pen at her and asked who the owner was. She began to pay her chest saying I'm the boss my dad own the place. I told her I don't give a dam which own the place I will come back tomorrow to tell him my experience. The guys outside apologized for her actions. The 100 plus dollars w spend every Thursday on steaks will now go elsewhere. read more

Excellent BBQ all around! Amazing brisket,chicken, and side fixings -beans and mac & cheese!! The beans were some of the most tasty I have ever had. The friendly staff along with one of the owners really added to the evening's dinner! Not sure why it is so lowly rated, this placevis great and will recommend to any Geocachers passing thru! read more

It's a shame when a product of any kind is ruined or exploited for gain,even more so when with the same amount of effort could have maintained that product that is lost! This is a fact about this BBQ. When I moved here one year ago the food was good, not great, but good, the service was crap except for the meat carver. But he was shadowed by a teen age kid, making sure the cuts were small. My last visit was my last. This place has ruined a long term BBQ. The two owners are there for only the quick dollar and I predict will be selling out soon. The ribs have to be, now, the worst I have ever had. Cooked so fast that you best bring your good teeth with you! Never mind the half cooked pieces of fat that you have to spit out! If you have ever had a well prepared plate if ribs , then you know what I'm talking about. This has been ongoing for a year, but has worsened when the out of town partner last visited and worked for a short time. Then he left? The staff does not want to hear from you, so don't bother. You will cause your heartburn to go super nova. The sauce is now something I would pour down the drain. You can make it yourself, one part bottled sauce, the cheapest, add two or more parts vinegar, stir and serve. The sides have become heated canned product. Once they hade to throw away all the cabbage, bagged and from a source, due to spoilage. Twice the tea vats had to be dumped due to spoilage and complaints. This was while I was there. What is going on the rest of the time? This is a good town with a huge selection of good food. pass on this one, until the new owners get it back to normal! NO STARS EVEN THOUGH I TOUCHED ONE! read more

I always get the "Trail Special" when I go. It's a chopped beef BBQ sandwich with 2 sides (the baked beans and loaded mashed potatoes are on point). The food is always delicious and it only ends up costing $6.50 or $7 if you don't get a drink. read more

I placed a To-Go order over the telephone. I was told it would be ready in 15-20 minutes. I went to pick my order up and the order was not ready!! I waited an extra 15 minutes while at least 4 employees tried to make my order. A young man did carry my order to my car because of the long wait I had. I get home and realize there is no cobbler, but banana pudding. I am allergic to bananas!!! I call Darken Trail and spoke with the manager. She said they were out of cobbler so she decided to give me banana pudding...SHE decided, not me!! When I told her I was allergic to bananas, she said, oh, it didn't touch your other food!! I was very upset by the fact that she didn't give me an option of what I wanted! She said she would give me another side! I didn't need another side, I was already home! When I asked for the District Manager"s number, she then offered me my money back. The manager was very rude!! Our ribs were okay, but the chicken was very rubbery! And of course I didn't enjoy my sides!! read more

Horrible, absolutely horrible, the ribs were tasteless, the beans an macaroni, were stone cold, service was crap. Screw this place.

This was always my favorite place to get a great poboy. The bread was terrific. Kinda like a sourdough, and definitely different than at any other restaurant. They built a new restaurant next door to the old place, and it's just not the same. I takes a while for a new place to get that smokehouse smell, you know. I don't know if they changed hands or not, but they changed the bread for the poboys. Generic white sub rolls from the grocery store. It ruined the whole experience. However, they have the absolute best homemade, handcut, battered fries and gravy you'll ever eat. Also, spoon some of the gravy on the poboy for an orgasmic eating experience. Ordering is a bit different, in that you have to fill out a form and hand it to the person cutting the meat. They hand you the stub, which you hand to the cashier with payment. I would have given it 5 stars, but the change in the bread just kills me. It has kept me away. I used to make a point of going out of my way, just for the poboys. read more

I used to eat here years ago and food was great. Today meat was too chewy and the beans didn't taste the same. Wasted money here today