I stopped by Caldwell County BBQ for dinner on a Saturday evening. Located in Gilbert, I found…read morestreet parking right in front of the restaurant despite it being quite busy. I'll preface this review by saying I have very high standards when it comes to BBQ. I am from Houston after all. Caldwell County BBQ very much lived up to the hype. It's no surprise their reviews are so good. Ambiance (5/5): Caldwell County BBQ serves Texas-style BBQ. I felt right at home. There's a lot of Texan decor and the sort of ambiance you would expect at a BBQ joint. It's a spacious restaurant with plenty of seating outside and a decent amount of seating inside. We sat inside. One of the things they do well is keeping the A/C blasting both indoors and outdoors (while you're likely going to wait in line) along with misters. Definitely something you need in Phoenix! Service (4/5): I hate waiting in line. Though it's not unusual at popular BBQ spots, I still wish places like this would hire a couple of more people to make the line move faster (or even completely eliminate the lines). We probably waited in line for about 20 minutes. They have a water cooler along the route, but it was all out. Something the staff should check on a little more frequently. With all this being said, Caldwell County is well worth the wait. Drinks (5/5): Whenever I'm at a BBQ joint, I'm looking for sweet tea. Which they have here. Plus your standard assortment of soft drinks and alcohol, with a focus on beer. Food (5/5): BBQ joints typically have you pay by weight or by plates (one meat, two meats, three meats, etc.). Caldwell does it by the pound unless you go with a sandwich, loaded baked potato, etc. What's nice is they also have a family pack for 4 which comes with brisket, pulled pork, and your choice of ribs, sausage, or one other protein which is escaping me. Plus two large pint-size sides. We rolled with this option as it's a good deal (brisket, pulled pork, and St. Louis style ribs with corn casserole and mac and cheese). White bread, pickles, onions, and jalapenos are available free of charge. There are three BBQ sauces at each table: their classic BBQ, spicy, and AZ gold). We also added a quarter pound of the AZ burnt ends. Man, these are some quality meats. Brisket is the true test of Texas BBQ and the shining star. The brisket here isn't the best I've ever had but it's quite respectable. The sweet and spicy AZ burnt ends were delicious too. The ribs were tender and had a nice sweet glaze on them. The pulled pork was my least favorite, but still quite good. The sides are solid, though they could be a bit better. The mac and cheese was too peppery for my taste and the corn casserole was too sweet. Like pretty much all craft BBQ these days, Caldwell County BBQ isn't cheap. But the quality is there. This is the type of place that I would come back to again and again. They also have a location in Peoria though this one is the original. And I hear they don't run out of meats as other BBQ joints do (especially in Texas). That's a big plus! It's always a bummer when a BBQ joint is out of something you want. If you haven't been to Caldwell County BBQ, change that quick. Yeehaw!

5/6/26 Today was my Neighbors 89th Birthday, the celebration…read morewas food for 30 people managed as Filipino family service. Parking 5/5 We arrived at 6 pm and took one of the last spots in the back. Service 10/5 Celebration arrangements were done by my neighbors amazing daughter who ordered the Full Monte sampler which included generous portions of protein, all the sides and drinks. Seating 15/5 Anyone familiar with Caldwells business model knows this is a wait inline to order, move over to the cashier then search for seatings which can be challenging at best during peak lunch & dinner hours. In our case the Caldwell's manager Torrin personally re-arranged tables so our group could be seated together and included one table for all the food and gifts. Food 10/5 This rating recognizes Caldwell's BBQ is wildly popular. Pushing it higher for this experience was how the food was delivered to the party. Once our party of 30 were seated together, four + large variety platters of protein, sides and fountain beverages were placed on a serving table family style. Atmosphere 5/5 The back patio was our celebration location and it was filling up quickly and we gathered for the celebration. During the course of our visit we enjoyed the transition from daylight to evening where the atmosphere of the back patio began to soften with a wonderful span of string patio lighting for outdoor ambiance. This quickly became an extremely fun place to move table to table visiting with everyone. My neighbors family (11 siblings, 9 stateside) are Doctors and Nurses who served in the VA Hospitals throughout the US and their families who have treated me as family over the years. What a beautiful family and culture. Caldwell's staff To Torrin. Malissa our birthday Girl's daughter made all the arrangements and surprise us with a banquet; and you delivered big time for this celebration!m. From getting our food out to arranging tables to keep our large group together is truly amazing! The entire Caldwell team has our sincere gratitude. Food and venue were off the carts to handle a Luau style feast like this. Clearly the Caldwell's team went above and beyond for us! Thinking about BBQ my friends, stop thinking and get to Caldwell's Country BBQ-SYOY!

The food was amazing. I got the two meat plate for about $24 . I got brisket and pulled pork ,…read morepotato salad and coleslaw. Banana pudding as desert. The service was really good the workers were very welcoming and nice. The overall vibe and ambiance is chill. They have indoor and outdoor seating. Inside has a/c if you want to stay super cool. Outside seating has benches and most of water spraying to stay cool as well. I would definitely return In The future. I found this place on google and I'm glad I did.

I've had this brand at another location, so when I saw there was one near my hotel I knew it was a…read morego to! Haven't have the brisket, and opted for the jalapeño cheddar sausage, cheese grits, and the potato salad. Brisket was all that greens are made of, the sausage was as expected. Grits were loaded with flavor, and the potato salad was average. Sauces were available, but none were necessary! Only downside was lack of local beers... opted for a Coke but cold beer would out this over the top! Ambiance is picnic holler, service was at the counter but helpful, and prices are in line with expectation...

Love Bobby Q's! Love their cornbread!…read more Love the Pineapple Passion! Love the Hogs Heaven! Love the BBQ Rotisserie chicken! Love HARRISON the server!! His service is wonderful every single time ! He's one of the reasons I go back!

So, showed up at 3:55 pm on 5/11. Sat on the patio. We were there for happy hour my friend had…read moreshowed up at 3:40. Our server was initially very attentive and got him his wine and me my beer. This is where the service fell apart. The server never came back This is May in Phoenix. If the server was overloaded with other tables we could understand. This was not the case. There were 3 other patrons in the restaurant. All the servers and other employees were at the hostess stand and there were 4 of them. A bartender could tell visually that our drinks at that point were almost empty. However, we were not her customers Fair enough! However, at 4:15 pm I would expect our server to have come back to check on us. Also, not begrudging employees working double shifts. But, 2 other employees eating wings in the bar. All things forgiven if I had gotten decent service. I was going to eat dinner. But, given the service climate. I decided to cut my losses and pay for my beverages and leave . I would have commented to the Manager on duty if one has been visible. I have been to other locations of BobbyQ's and had a great experience. It's just a shame the employee's and management at this location don't care. Even though this location is only 3.5 miles from my house. I doubt I will be back. It might be a while, but will go to the 27th ave location. Good luck with this location You might want to fix your service challenges or you might go the way of Zen Burger. People will only put up with so much even if the food is exceptional. Don't rest on your Laurel's.

Saw Mission mentioned on a YouTube video, that listed the five best and five worst barbecue chains…read morein the country.. Mission was #5 on the five best list. So we decided to try it out, did an online order for takeout. I had the brisket and pulled pork. Both were amazing. My sides was Maggie's Mac n Cheese. It's was sooo good. My roommate got the salmon, pulled pork and the Mac n cheese. She said it was very tasty. Both of tried the peach cobbler, and both agreed it's the best we've had. The woman that got my order together was very nice and informative. Do not remember her name. But the initials GD were on the first time card she gave us.. We will definitely be back. also love the fact they support the armed forces and first responders. And lived seeing a sign that read "Play like a champion today" Being a Notre Dame fan, that is Hugh bonus points. #GoIrish

Decided to try this place because our favorite bbq spot ran out of brisket…read more Pulled in the empty parking lot. Not a good sign although it was early 4:30, on a Saturday. Had a good score (4.7) so we decided to give it a shot Nice place inside. Decorated with veterans in mind. Has a similar setup to Rudy's where you order/pay up front and they call you up when it's ready. Was kind of worried because the place didn't smell like bbq. Ordered the turkey and jalapeno sausage with a side of bbq beans. Has a selection of six different bbq sauces at the table. I wasn't too impressed with any of them. There is a mustard sauce up by the drinks that was pretty tasty tho. The turkey was dry. The sausage had decent spices but the skin was a little tough. Neither had a bbq/smoky taste. The beans tasted like canned pork and beans with sugar and bits of brisket added. All and all I wasn't too impressed and probably won't be back. The staff was friendly and helpful and I was hoping it would be better

West Texas BBQ…read more Good. Pricey. Quality cuts. Oh mmmmmmmy. I had smoked turkey and a pork rib. Spouse had the brisket. Sides were jalapeño and cheese grits, cole slaw and BBQ pork beans. Grits was too cheesy and rich for me. The rest, 10/10. Not cheap but worth every calorie and dime.

This place is The Pits, but in the best way possible. We took home a quart each of beans plus mac…read moreand cheese. Kraft is Not the cheesiest. My loyal Food Patrol of regular observers know we spent some days in Sunnyslope tending to family business. Little Miss BBQ was a refueling stop. The last time we stopped in for a meal there was no meal. The goods were gone, eaten by an eager, hungry, horde. March 31, 2026 at 3 p.m. They were open, fully stocked. 1962 was the year my Dad was sent to Oklahoma to teach Air Forces from across the globe how to keep the engines of their nuke-tipped Intercontinental Ballistic Missles prepped and ready in case Boom Moment arrived. We lived to the south in Vernon, Texas where I learned the culinary tradition of Moon Pies and RC Cola, or Dr. Pepper. I also had my first meal of Texas Bar B Que. That set my taste for BBQ Brisket and BBQ beans; sweet, smoky and tender. I've since dined in Lufkin, Nacogdoches, Abilene and Merkel. We hit Mr. B's fabulously delicious BBQ near Harper's Ferry, VA. Another year we went on to BBQ in St Louis; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Memphis, Tennesee. Locally, Bobby Q, My Mother's, TexAz and others I cannot remember. A BBQ universe of flavor, texture, and squirt-on supplemental sauces. BBQ is a very personal pitmaster production, with very personal diner's tastes. The BBQ firing squad has me against a wall, asking me if I want a smoked rib before I die for not writing much about Little Miss BBQ. I'll take the BBQ shack between Merkel and Blair, Texas. I kept going back by myself, yhen with groups of people, always returning in my memory List of BBQ Favorites. That Hole on the Plains and the town of my BBQ initiation, Vernon. Little Miss BBQ is a very cool place. It is worth a visit for the architecture alone. The pits are out the window as you enter the doors and hook a left to the BBQ ride crowd control railing. Menu is on the wall, on at least two spots. The northwest corner has a takeout counter. We ordered brisket sandwich and beans. The brisket was further flavored choosing one or more of the three sauces: sweet hot ish BBQ, sweet mustard sauce and one more flavor. My top taste of the meal was prickly pear lemonade. Going back for a refill I found 2/3 lemonade and 1/3 prickly pear made my perfect BBQ beverage. The peppery beans with another serving of pulled meat mixed in improved on my palate with sweet sauce added. The mustard sauce was recommended for our sandwich. It was a good addition. Will the family return here to dine? I'll write another review when we come back.

With our reservation we were seated right away and greeted by our waitress, whose name I…read moreunfortunately didn't catch, but she was so awesome + helpful with taking our orders and giving her recommendations. There wasn't a big wait time for the food at all! Soon after we arrived, the corn bread was served (yummy but it fell apart easily), shortly followed by our spinach queso appetizer (very yummy), and not too long after that, our main course arrived (SUPER yummy).We ordered the Whole Hog Heaven, which was definitely worth its price for our family of 4 -- It came with your choice of 2 ribs/2 meats/3 sides. We ended up packing up the leftovers, aka a lil over half of the platter that was left... we made it our lunch/dinner for the following day lol. The waitress also offered complimentary warm/fresh donuts after we finished our meal, and the donuts were AMAZING. Kinda had the taste and texture of a churro. We were here for Easter Sunday, so I thought it was cute to see a little festivity with the egg and bunny decoration to our drinks (check my image). The vibe in here was pretty sociable, I would overall def recommend this place for any mini group gathering :) One small thing I will say is that the Brussel sprouts were a bit overly flavored or saucy

So, showed up at 3:55 pm on 5/11. Sat on the patio. We were there for happy hour my friend had…read moreshowed up at 3:40. Our server was initially very attentive and got him his wine and me my beer. This is where the service fell apart. The server never came back This is May in Phoenix. If the server was overloaded with other tables we could understand. This was not the case. There were 3 other patrons in the restaurant. All the servers and other employees were at the hostess stand and there were 4 of them. A bartender could tell visually that our drinks at that point were almost empty. However, we were not her customers Fair enough! However, at 4:15 pm I would expect our server to have come back to check on us. Also, not begrudging employees working double shifts. But, 2 other employees eating wings in the bar. All things forgiven if I had gotten decent service. I was going to eat dinner. But, given the service climate. I decided to cut my losses and pay for my beverages and leave . I would have commented to the Manager on duty if one has been visible. I have been to other locations of BobbyQ's and had a great experience. It's just a shame the employee's and management at this location don't care. Even though this location is only 3.5 miles from my house. I doubt I will be back. It might be a while, but will go to the 27th ave location. Good luck with this location You might want to fix your service challenges or you might go the way of Zen Burger. People will only put up with so much even if the food is exceptional. Don't rest on your Laurel's.

Delicious BBQ! Our family's favorite here. The brisket, smoked corn, and ribs are excellent every…read moretime! Everyone is so friendly and customer service is great. I highly recommend Frasher's for great food and service.

This was was an OMG foodie moment! After some searching around for a meal I ended up at FRASHER's…read morefor some BBQ.. What a classic joint with high end quality smoked meats. Ok, it's food review time. I ordered a few items, Smoked Turkey & Ribs combo, Gumbo, Burnt Ends Sandwich & chicken wings our food experiences at Frasher's has always been high quality BBQ. But one thing that I always love dining on is the smoked turkey. So moist and tender, a flavor that will stick in your mind when thinking smoked meat...

used to be waaaaayyyyyyy better. Brisket wasn't as good. New potatoes were undercookedread more

rudy's country store and barbecue was really good…read more I just wish they had labels on their sauce. Other than that the service was pretty good, we couldn't decide what meat to get, and they gave samples on some of their meats that they had. The ambience had picnic style seating, to go stations if you couldn't finish their generous portions. And lots of wax paper to enjoy your barbecue on

My husband took me to this restaurant after having tried it one time while visiting in Arizona. I…read morecould understand why he wanted me to try the food. It was exceptionally delicious. This what we ordered: Brisket Hot links Pork Belly Pork Ribs BBQ Beans Collard Greens BBQ Spaghetti Hot Water Cornbread Cedar Lane Lemonade Everything was flavored nicely. If I had to omit one item from our order it would be the beans. My favorite was the BBQ Spaghetti, collard greens and the Hot water cornbread. I thought the beans would have a bit more flavor, but I've never been a bean kind of gal. You will need to try it for yourself! The Hot water Cornbread was great. The texture was a little gritty, but still yummy. The shape is what caught me by surprise. It was round and flat almost like a pancake. The service was outstanding. Friendly and hardworking. The food came out in good time. There is plenty of seating inside and outside. Has a warm but rustic vibe. I would most definitely revisit this spot whenever in the area.

On the Southside of Phoenix, the main thoroughfare being Broadway, you are in the black side of…read moretown. Like many of our cities, Phoenix legislated racial housing covenants. The whites stayed north because local industry made real estate in the southside less desirable. Slaughterhouses and rendering factories gave south Phoenix a black cowboy population. Sure, there are cowboy groups in California - West Oakland and Compton - but these guys are all LARPing. That is, they're playing the part. Weekend warriors. The afro-vaqueros of Phoenix are dyed in the wool, real deal westerners. So anyway, it's in this milleu you find AT JL BBQ. Alongside said cowpoke, you may, as I did, dine next to a couple 304s. It's an active neighborhood, what can you say? Neither here nor there, but the ephemera that adorns the walls is different than what you might find at a soul food place. It's decidedly more American as such. Speaking of the signage: one of them reminds you that bbq is not fast food and that a patient temperament is of the utmost. Yet, the smoker ain't going. The Cue been cooked. As for the sides, no one does greens and Mac n cheese a la minute. So if everything is prepared, why do I have to wait? I kid. I jest. The girl behind the counter was all by herself. Gave great recommendations. And even gifted me a bottle of water On this visit, brisket was sold out. Late afternoon: makes sense. They had pulled pork. Bites of the smokerd rendered fat therein had the effect of rocket fuel. Pork belly was even porkier than the aforementioned shredded butt. Ribs pretty good too. Mac: ultra cheesy. Pot liquor from the collard greens came in clutch for hydrating the more dry pieces of pork.

Well, well, well. Don't judge a book by its cover because this place is the absolute bomb for bbq…read more I had the pulled pork and it was amazing. Burgers are great, brisket was flavorful and tender. Mac and cheese, potato salad fries, name it and it was great. The owner came out and met us and is such a nice young man. He holds a bible study here on Thursday night at 7:00pm. A must try for sure and for certain

Stopped by Eric's Barbecue and wow--this place delivers where it counts…read more I ordered the prime rib sandwich and it was absolutely to die for. Tender, flavorful, and the kind of sandwich that makes you slow down just to enjoy every bite. Our table grabbed three sides to share, and that turned out to be the right move. The mac and cheese? Life-changing. Gooey, rich, and deeply satisfying. The potato salad was served cold and instantly gave me 4th of July picnic vibes--in the best way. And the beans had that perfect balance of flavor that makes you want to guard your cup like it's gold. This was my parents' first visit, and I'll say the setup can be a little confusing at first, especially if you're new. We came around 4:00 when it was pleasantly quiet, which helped, but I can see how it might feel a bit overwhelming during a rush. Not a knock--just something to be aware of. Places that are this good tend to stay busy, and that comes with a learning curve. All in all, incredible food, solid portions, and absolutely worth the visit. We'll be back.