In the interest of full disclosure, I confess that I am usually a vegetarian. I can count on one hand the number of times that I eat meat in a year. That said, this place was such a dive that the moment I laid eyes on it, I knew I must go. I've lived in the South so I know good bbq. This tiny hole in the wall with no place for seating and bare bones decor immediately gets 5 stars for ambiance in my book. Who the heck wants tablecloths when you're eating bbq? The only thing that would improve the feel would be buying it off the back of truck rather than a storefront, but you can't have everything. The fact that it is hidden behind a junkyard and beside a chain link fence makes up for the fact that it's not a truck. If you have a hard time finding it, look directly across the street from the boarded up IHOP... Awesome... BBQ tastes far better, the worse a neighbor looks. The owner, Mr. Dowling, was quite charming and is cute in a George Foreman way. He called me "young lady" as he did with all the female clientele. Their BBQ sauce was very good and that makes any meat taste good. I sampled a few things but since they are most proud of their ribs, I'll comment on that. First, the meat fell off the bone, major score in my book. Delicious smoky flavor was nice. A bit of extra flabby fat but that doesn't bother me, it helps cook and keep the meat tender. My only mark down is that the end cuts were a little over cooked and dried out so they were too chewy, but the big ribs were great. I won't be a regular cuz I don't eat much meat, but when I have a hankering, I'll be back to try what I missed. read more

Another gem in Trenton. I'm not a ribs guy, but their ribs are like m&ms.

I have never had the chance to try authentic smoked meats before, but after trying the baby back ribs and the pulled pork I am a huge fan. I also got sides of smoked baked beans and mac and cheese. Rediculously good. Not to mention the prices were VERY reasonable (only 10.99 for 2 meats and 2 sides). I can't wait to go back. read more

Located in a strip mall in much need of an update. The ribs were tasty but on the fatty side and overcooked and burnt in some spots. I would have preferred more meat. Staff is friendly but the seating needs some work. We sat outside but the noise from the traffic on the road nearby was loud. Some of the tables were broken or wobbly. We moved a few times trying to find one that "worked". read more

Update: As of July 2016, I think they have closed. If they haven't, they may have moved. Tasty and comforting; the ribs had a nice char. I hope this local business does well; it is affordable and unique in the area. read more

1st time I went, I had the ribs and the chicken wings. Very good! So, I take home a menu and plot my next BBQ adventure with a friend. The menu states that smoked turkey is available only on Wednesday. My friend doesn't eat pork and didn't want the chicken wings but was super excited about the turkey. I called on Tuesday to ask if the smoked turkey would indeed be available the next day and was told they didn't have any at the moment (they supposedly ordered some 2weeks prior but never got it) but call back on Wednesday. My friend called back on Wednesday (with high hopes) only to hear that they didn't have enough time to cook it but call again the next day. Uh... no. If an item is not going to be ordered or cooked or whatever the case may be, then they should take it off their menu. That's not good business. I did like the place and the one meal I got from there so far but what good is a menu you can't actually order from? I'd go again forearmed with the knowledge that they may not have what they say they have. Have a Plan B if you go. read more

The food comes out extremely quick and the management is curtious and criendly. The food itself is good, but not great. The brisket was dry in some areas and seemed a bit over cooked. The baked beans seemed like they were straight crom the can and the macaroni salad was of a supermarket quality. The prices seem reasonable for a BBQ place although it leaves more to be desired. read more

Sorry, the baby back ribs were NOT tender. They were dry and I had to really work to get the meat off of them. They should be smoked longer ... TOTHE point that they are falling off the bone. The collard greens were not seasoned very well and were either bagged or no one took the time to trim the stems off of them. The barbecue sauce was tasty; it had a nice zing to it and the cornbread was OK. Not a place I'd return to. read more

Pulled pork was decent. Could have had more flavor. Very disappointed with Mac n cheese. It was like macaroni with a pink of shredded cheese. Customer service wasn't bad but wasn't something that stood out either. On average not a bad place but much better BBQ in the area. read more

The food was horrible. Brisket was overdone and I was served dried out scraps. There might have been a dry rub on the brisket since I could taste paprika. The slices were not finished with wet bbq sauce. The ribs were dry and overdone. Small containers of a red sauce (with lots of cayenne) were included. The baked beans were bland and reminded us of campbell's baked beans. The "texas toast" was a slice of wonder-bread, not buttered or grilled. The coleslaw was heavy on horseradish and mayo. Just an awful meal. I will not go back! read more

I had high hopes coming in, seeing how I'm a BBQ fiend and there is little else in the area. Hugely disappointment! Ordered the brisket 'burnt ends' to go for the most intense flavor of their meat, along with a side of cole slaw and smoke rice. The slaw was obviously something out of a jar and loaded with tasteless mayo. The rice was steamed rice with some sort of brown pan drippings poured over. The brisket was THE worst I have ever had! I've had SLIM JIMS that tasted better. The meat was dry and had a consistency like beef jerky. I don't mind a little chew, but this IMHO this 'brisket' should have never been served! I'm all about second chances, so I made an effort to return for another try several weeks later on the off chance that this was out of the norm. Imagine my surprise when I called the number on two separate days to put in a lunch order and the phone number on their take out menu (609-583-4450) rang and rang. I tried calling the number referenced on the web ((609-883-7665) and that one is out of service. Even drove by an found the place closed. Ate Chinese, never to return if they should open again. read more

Love the ribs and brisket. Pulled pork could use more moisture and flavor. Cornbread and baked beans are great. Corn on the cob could use more flavor. Staff is very friendly and prices are reasonable. read more

POOR BUSINESS ETIQUETTE!!! I was having a celebratory cookout for my son's college graduation and decided to give Dowling ' s BBQ some business...Welllllll, I guess they didn't need nor want my business! I should have known this was not going to end well when I stopped in the restaurant and tried to get simple questions answered without success...although pleasant, the guy working the register was useless...He left to ask the OWNER for answers and came back with " he said he's busy and can you call tomorrow" WTF??? Really!! I told him that was very unprofessional and after a while the OWNER comes out...we talk and I attempt to get a price quote without success AGAIN...mind you it's Wednesday and I need this BBQ for Saturday...he takes down my contact information and all of the details of my order and tells me that he will be calling his distributor and will definitely call me on Thursday with the cost of everything...Thursday comes and goes...no call...Friday comes and around lunch time I call him...pleasant cashier who again is absolutely useless answers the phone and of course the OWNER is not there...ok so I leave my name and number again with a promise that he will have him call me as soon as he comes back...needless to say I never got a call back.. SMH...Trifling and Unprofessional that's all I can say...THANK GOD FOR TEXAS ROADHOUSE!!!! Norm came through for me at the last minute and everything was GREAT...I will never go back to Dowling ' s BBQ...not worth the aggravation! read more

I was excited to see this BBQ spot was opening up near my job, and was completely underwhelmed. I ordered the beef ribs platter to go. When I arrived at my destination and opened the container I was extremely disappointed to discover it contained 1 rib. The rib was fat and bone, there was no actual meat on it, which furthered my disappointment. The potato salad was runny and tasted like vinegar. The baked beans were generic and tasted like they came from a can and received nothing additional to add flavor. My co-workers were as equally unimpressed with their meals, although both enjoyed the coleslaw. Needless to say, we will not be returning. read more