Brisket is dry, sides didn't taste fresh, plate was very messy, looked like everything was just thrown together. And overpriced for the quality read more

This place has always been great! I just ate there for the first time in a couple years and it's still awesome.my favorite is the half chicken with beans and it's always good.service is quick and polite.ambiance is great as it should be.i highly recommend it to anyone,you won't be disappointed! read more

Awesome ribs, beans and amazing sauce! Ginny, the owner really takes care of her business greets everyone and ensures that her Wood fired smoke meats are cooked to perfection. Hot rod barbecues dining, kitchen and serving area is very clean. read more

We always meet up around this area to drop kiddos off at grandparents for the summer. They picked this spot for a meet up. So it's a very tiny spot, never seen so much parking lot and very little restaurant. I didn't go in having high expectations because well, Louisiana isn't known for their bbq... The staff consisted of very young adults. They were all very friendly and took care of us well. My 6 y/o got a kids rib plate and the employee added the end piece as well. Score!! My teen and I shared the plate full and everybody else got a chopped brisket sandwich. I like going to bbq joints and trying a little bit of everything, so the Plate Full was perfect!! Wish more places had options like this. That being said, the chicken was super juicy and smoky, the Turkey was okay, the brisket was not my favorite, sausage had a bit of spice, and the pulled pork was exactly how it should be. The sides were where it was at!! The Mac n cheese was phenomenal, potato salad was fantastic, the beans were smoky and full of flavor, and the cobbler was a perfect finish to the meal. Even the sliced bread (which they toast) was amazing. While the staff weighs the meat, you're responsible for getting your own sides. Be prepared to pay for water, only .40cents, just throwing it out there. Hahaha I would def return, can't beat those prices for bbq anywhere else. Cute little bbq joint where the ambiance is very local, small town!! Don't miss it. read more

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This is one of my favorite places to come to whenever I venture out to Louisiana. I first went in 2019 and came back in 2024. The quality is exactly how I remember it except this time, all of the food was hot on the first time around. You walk in and order at the counter. The staff is quite friendly and always willing to help you. There's also a drive thru however I've never used it. I ordered the two meat plate while my aunt ordered the rib plate. I told the employee which side I wanted and they explained that you serve yourself your own sides. I've never been to a restaurant that allows you to serve yourself your own sides but I am not complaining at all. They must have changed this since the last time I came here because I remember them serving me my sides. It's no big deal as I kindly helped myself to a side of beans and cole slaw. Everything was delicious! My favorite part of my meal were the baked beans. I wish I had that recipe because those beans were full of flavor and love. The sausage was tasty and so was the brisket (albeit it was a bit dry but it was fine with BBQ sauce). The two meat plate was around $12 which is a great deal for the amount of food you get. We sat inside the restaurant to enjoy our meal. Overall, this is one of my favorite BBQ spots and my Californian born self is sad that we don't have Hot Rod close by! I'll be back next time I'm in town. read more

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Food is a solid 4/5 but the Ambience and service is 2/5. The servers rarely smile and the greetings are generally dry at best.

First time and service was great! A very kind lady helped me order and recommended the nachos which were delicious!

Never disappointed. The foods always good. Especially the peach cobbler! Staff is always friendly and it's always clean.

We had the two meat plate, brisket and turkey. Both were tender and didn't require a knife. The sides were self serve, novel concept, and was friendly and clean. I highly recommend when in Ruston. read more

Stopped to get BBQ before hitting the campground for the night. People there were great all dressed up for Halloween. Great costumes and great service. Friendly and helpful. It was a perfect little BBQ joint. The brisket and ribs were delicious and the sides were tasty too. If I'm ever back in LA we will stop again. Suggest anyone traveling through get off the beaten path and enjoy !! read more

AMAZING FOOD! Great local spot! The staff was all super sweet! Great experience. We were just passing through & we are so happy we stopped. read more

Hot Rod Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Ruston, Louisiana

Customer service was excellent food looking good and tastes good. I will be back. It was clean inside and out you get greeted when you come in and there is truck parking for your big rig read more

The food is good, could be better. The service has always been good. And the atmosphere could be updated

Stopped by on our way back to Minden ,for lunch. I ordered the 2 meat plate ( Link And Beef Brisket ) Cooked Perfectly ! Sides were great BBQ Beans and Potato Salad,Texas Toast And Peach Cobbler ! Wow! So, Good! Too Full from all the Goodness read more

Hot Rod Bar-B-Q - Yum - Barbeque Near Me - Ruston, Louisiana

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Food was delicious. Typical setup for Barbecue restaurants in the area where you go through a line to pick up food. Not our favorite way to eat a birthday dinner but if you want good Barbecue this is the place to go. read more

Quick service, Very polite, friendly and very clean . AMAZING BBQ. This is a great place for everyone

Man oh man driving through Louisiana and got a strange hankering for some Bar-B-Que! Kept passing joints and finally gave up but pulled over for some go go juice! And lo and behold rolled up on this little joint! Only grabbed a sliced Sandwich and potato salad but it was tasty as hell! Only complaint was I was hankering for fries! But again the potato salad was scrumptious! So if you're around that area give it a shot! And as usual for what it is it deserves its four star! P.S. the sauce was spicy and delicious! read more

I ordered the brisket plate with baked beans and potato salad. The beans were awesome & the brisket was decent, they forgot to give us the bbq sauce though. read more

Peach cobbler blew it out the park. Great service, good food with great bbq sauce. A must stop easy access right off the freeway.

Great service! Family friendly atmosphere and, of course, the bbq was delicious! Looking forward to another visit!

I was staying in Ruston for work and couldn't wait to have Hot Rod BBQ for dinner. I frequently dined there while in college at Tech and ever since have made it a point to stop when I'm in the area. Last night was the first time I was disappointed. The chopped brisket was dry and had no seasoning. That was the only meat I chose so I was stuck trying to drown it in sauce to give it a boost. It didn't work and I didn't finish eating it. Everything else was fantastic, baked beans, potato salad and peach cobbler was great. It won't be my last time visiting but hopefully next time the brisket is better. read more

Pretty positive I ended up getting food poisoning here. I was not my best the next day. I heard good things about this place but to my experience it was horrible. The meat were all very very dry and unseasoned. Their dipping sauce is very good, but it would be nice to not be reliant on a side sauce for good bbq. The beans were just your average beans, nothing very special like everyone has said. The coleslaw though was amazing! And so was the potato salad. The Texas toast was very bland and dry. I don't think I would recommend f this spot to anyone. Huge disappointment. read more

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Short wait and good food! Service was friendly. I got the brisket sandwich plate and others at the table got the multi-meat plates. Everything was juicy and good. read more

First timer at Hot Rod. The pulled pork is pretty good. The sausage is amazing. Potato salad is already. Good sweet tea is a plus. Good peach cobbler. Sauce is good. Ambience is friendly. They have a racing themed inside. You tell them what kind of meat or plate you want, to eat in or to go. They put the meats on the plate and you serve yourself the rest then pay! Easy serve, easy go. Great food, great people. read more

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Always a great meal at Hot Rod BBQ. The smoked chicken was moist and flavorful. My teens enjoyed the turkey and brisket sandwiches. All the sides we tried were delicious: potato salad, coleslaw, beans, MAC and cheese, cobbler. read more

Was in Ruston for an appointment and stopped in at around 12:30. They were relatively busy but got my food very quickly. Got chopped brisket and sausage plate, and food was very good. read more

The brisket was alright but pretty cold. The baked beans were meh I didn't really enjoy them. The peach cobbler was pretty bad way too sweet for me. The sausage was good to some of the people I was with it so I would say it was decent I just didn't enjoy it personally. It's pretty expensive about 40$ for 3 people. Maybe we just caught them on a bad day but I would advise for it to be a last resort kind of restaurant. read more

Pretty decent barbecue place. A little bit off the highway interstate easy to find. Concept is a little bit weird. You walk into what looks like a cafeteria line and order your food and they give you the meats.And then off the cafeteria line you pick your sides or dessert. Food is pretty good. Unfortunately on this visit they were out of pork so I got the brisket and sausage which was pretty good. sides are also pretty good. read more

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Manager was yelling at the workers in front of the customers. Food is okay but not too professional this night

I come from California. How is it that no one here in Louisiana....ESP bbq joints have NO IDEA what TRI-TIP IS??? Chicken is good, but the beef was very dry. read more

Beans are cobbler are good. But there's better meat elsewhere. I like the pickles and onions.

If your not looking for anything fancy but you are looking for great food and friendly staff, this is a wonderful little BBQ place. The meat is not fatty. The place is clean. I go back every chance I get. read more

The site says $ but it should be $$. 2 specials at 3 pm we're 26.09 for a late lunch. I had the lunch special at 8.50 & the hubby had the 1 meat with 2 sides at 10.25 plus we each had a drink. We both had brisket. Mine was chopped on the sandwich & his was sliced. The brisket had the smoke ring but it was way over cooked & he said it was tough & dried out and it looked it to me. Now the sides were delicious we both had coleslaw & beans. The beans had a thick gravy consistency with pieces of meat and all the beans that melded together nicely. Coleslaw crisp & flavorful. Good pickles & jalapeños. Rest rooms clean & neat as was the restaurant. The restaurant had a steady flow of customers. read more

First, an admission. As a Texan, I'm a barbecue snob. I love what I love. I hate what I hate. That being said, trying a new place in north central Louisiana was a risky proposition for me, but I'm pleased to say it paid off. We've got great food: good, solid barbecue. The brisket is moist and the sausage is very good; the sauce isn't bad. The sides are even good. Outside of Texas, I consider that an accomplishment :-) (I told you I was a snob!) Second, the prices are reasonable. I got a two-meat plate with two sides, which was PLENTY (they give generous portions of meat and sides), and ended up not eating every bite... and got out of there for $9. Excellent deal, compared to some places I've been. Finally, the service was excellent. When I walked in, I have to admit I saw high school kids working in there, and my heart sank. I can say with a sigh of relief that these aren't your typical bored-spaced-out-McDonalds-worker high school students. They were sharp, unbelievably polite, friendly and efficient. I was in and out with my to-go order in five minutes. Let me put it this way: I'll be back. They won this Texan over just by providing good food at a good price with great service. read more

Very good sides. Reasonably priced. Sausage is good. Ribs are ok. Brisket is tender but bland. The outside "crust" that is usually Packed full of flavor is not. Friendly people and fast service. read more

I ordered the two meat plate with brisket and sausage. Brisket was very dry and bland. Sausage was undercooked and almost gave me food poisoning. Luckily I only ate one piece which made my stomach upset within the hour. Worst bbq I've ever had. read more

Small portions for the price. Ribs and pulled pork were excellent. Sauce was fair.

I had doubts about giving my stuffed brisket potato even two stars. There was maybe two tablespoons of meat, partly fat. I have had many good lunches at Hot Rod, but this was takeout, and I didn't look at it until I got home. read more

Great bar b que. I've only ever called my order In but haven't ever been disappointed. Ask for silverware on your to-go plate or you'll have to eat the potato salad with your fingers like I did. Yes, it's that good. Sausage and brisket are phenomenal. read more

Once again, Yelp has steered us to a great spot. Two of us got brisket and two got pulled pork. Both were delicious. The BBQ sauce was really tasty and was served warm. The BBQ sauce and the sides were homemade. I had chili/beans and potato salad. I'm not a big potato salad eater, but it was very good. My DH had the chili w/ beans and cole slaw. He said it was very good as well. My daughter had the only complaint - no Mac and cheese. But then the pulled pork was so tasty, I don't think she cared. Bottom line- we'll definitely be stopping here again whenever we drive through the area. read more