Rustic appearance. Friendly staff. Quick service. Bread, soft, and flavorful. Sides, could make a meal on those alone. So very good. Brisket, ribs, so tender,full of pit smoked flavor, juicy, and just falling apart . Super delicious. Jalapeño sausage, great taste. Worth a stop by and try. They have other items available to eat, not just a barbecue spot. read more

Food was ok, but again, out of sides abs out of desert. Seems to happen a lot! Somehow they need to plan better. Also the service was marginal. We did get there 20 minutes before closing, but we had 3 people ordering steaks, so not a small tab. Sad to write this. Owners are my neighbors. If I am dropping over $100 for food and tip, ya have to look somewhere else read more

Don't serve brisket with fat and gristle. The default should be lean unless I ask for fat and gristle. Along with Underwoods in Brownwood, the old staples of west Texas BBQ have fallen. 30 years ago this place was world class and what people drove for miles to taste. It's a shell of what it used to be. Not all good things last. Avoid the nostalgia. Too bad. read more

The service was mediocre, the beans were bland, the brisket was also bland and dry. The sweet potato fries were good. Way over priced. read more

We are new to Abilene and this was literally our first experience. We didn't want to spend TOO much money, but were in the mood for a hearty meal. Joe Allen's fit the bill. A fun casual (almost raucous) environment, this place will fill you up (but I wouldn't go there on a diet). What I found really interesting is that you can choose how thick you want your ribeye. We are big ribeye people, so that made it a hit. To give you a sense of the atmosphere, there is a longhorn head on just about every wall, and if you are wearing a cowboy hat here, you won't stand out. I would recommend it! I only gave it 4 stars because the cuisine isn't the healthiest or most contemporary. But hey....this is Abilene! read more

If you're looking for true Texas comfort food done right, Joe Allen's absolutely delivers. From the moment the plates hit the table, you know you're in for something special.Our waitress Hannah was just the sweetest. She recommended the sweet potato fries and they were perfect. The brisket was tender, smoky, and full of flavor with that perfect bark, and the ribs were fall-off-the-bone delicious. The smoked turkey was juicy and surprisingly rich, and the sausage had just the right snap. Add in classic sides like buttery corn, perfectly seasoned green beans, and crispy fries, and it's a full-on feast. Don't skip the homemade bread and BBQ sauce--they tie everything together and elevate every bite. The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming, and the portions are generous, making it the kind of place you leave full and happy. Joe Allen's is the kind of spot you'll crave long after the meal is over. We'll definitely be back! read more

See all

Brisket sandwich was ok, fairly tender etc. I ordered moist but it still could have been trimmed a little more.Not Blacks, Franklins, Pinkertons type quality. Staff was friendly and a nice atmosphere overall. The cornbread was dry and only jalapeño and not regular which was a disappointment. The fries were awful and tasted like they were not cooked throughly. Green beans were ok read more

Great food! Great service! Got my food fast! I recommend this place! The ambience is really good! If you stop by in Abilene Texas I totally recommend it here! read more

Joe Allen's Pit BBQ - Restraint - Barbeque Near Me - Abilene, Texas

The brisket sandwich was incredible. We were on a road trip from California to Tennessee & Bama and back and ate Bbq in every state. This place had one of the best brisket sandwiches anywhere!!! read more

Very friendly, laid back atmosphere. Food came out quick! Perfect place to stop if you are craving a good hometown west texas meal on the go. My only complaint was my turkey was slightly dry. The brisket was very tender and smokey. We would stop again! read more

It has been a LONG time since I've eaten at Joe Allen's. I remembered their sign with lunch specials and thought I'd give it a try. The hamburger basket was tempting but then I saw the lunch steak as a special also. The steak was perfectly cooked, very tender, and very tasty. My waitress was an extremely nice young lady, 7-Sierra. Altogether a great lunch. Like Arnold Swartinager "I'll be back!" read more

Joe Allen's Pit BBQ - Lunch special steak - Barbeque Near Me - Abilene, Texas

This is a sit down place! Woo hoo! Our waitress was awesome- she brought the menus, and drinks immediately: two sweet teas. We ordered the hush puppies which came with tartar sauce! Yum! I got the three meat plate- the sliced brisket was tasty for sure, and the least well prepared meat on the plate- delicious! The next one up was the chicken. Smaller portion, but super moist and tasty, and finally the ribs- oh my head. FamTASTIC. The only thing I didn't eat all up was the Cole slaw- it was just ok. Fried okra was also great. Hubby got a stuffed baked potato with chopped brisket, and we ordered two sandwiches to go. We forgot to try the cobbler, but we were stuffed! Pretty good price point for the amount of food we carried off. Oh! Waitress also immediately brought us two pieces each of the jalapeño cornbread, regular cornbread, and sourdough bread slices. I mean- outstanding service, great food, good price. What else can you ask for??? read more

Always a great steak here! Bar-B-Que is reported to also be excellent but I can't pass up the opportunity to enjoy one of Joe Allen's steaks when we're in Abilene. read more

I'm not to sure yeah it was clean. But portions seem to be small and not very seasoned. I'm in town working and let me say I'll get papa John's tomorrow. Great service food come out real fast/ read more

I'm not from Abilene. I'm here from the Gulf Coast area working on a large construction project and after finishing my first week of work, I wanted a steak! Joe Allen's is on my way to work so I figured I would try it out. I went all in and ordered the porterhouse. The steak came out and it was quite large! That's all fine and good but let's cut off a bite and see how it tastes... First of all, it had to have been at least an inch thick, maybe more. I took that first bite and it all but melted in my mouth. I was in cow meat heaven! I don't like bloody so a good medium is how I ordered it...and it was perfect. Overall, the steak was delicious and I'll be going back very soon to try something different....or....I might just get another porterhouse! I highly recommend this restaurant read more

After seeing that one of my favorite Abilene BBQ joints was closed on Mondays, I was looking for another place to eat. WELL, after reading here about inspection scores (see link), I will certainly look for another restaurant. Can someone please explain to me how a place with such scores can still be allowed to operate?!!! https://www.yelp.com/inspections/joe-allens-pit-bbq-abilene-2 Thank you YELP for provide potential customers with this important health information. read more

Pricing is good for the amount of food and the quality of it all. They make the cornbread and sourdough bread, we bought a loaf of sourdough. Texas Bbq place ambience is cool. The portions will make you happy. We had chopped brisket,jalapeño sausage (not too spicy), ribs, sweet potato fries, and home fries, all was very good. Daily specials. Lots to explore. We will be back! Eat here! read more

Joe Allen's Pit BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Abilene, Texas

It was ok, the corn bread were dry as hell, onion rings were over fried also thick breading and a very thin slice of onion. The brisket meat was good tho. read more

Joe Allen's Pit BBQ - The meat was good - Barbeque Near Me - Abilene, Texas

See all

We were greeted immediately and seated within a few minutes. Our server greeted us and offered to bring rolls while we waited for the other 2 members of our party to arrive. Her timing was perfect - we were not rushed and when we were ready to order she offered suggestions. The food was delivered in about 10 minutes and was hot, fresh and very tasty. Chopped brisket sandwich was stuffed with delicious brisket. Definitely worth the price. We will be going back! read more

Not sure how people could come up with a negative thing to say about this place? The service was very fast and the BBQ and sides are delicious. It is very fairly priced too. My family enjoyed it both times we've eaten at Joe Allen's. read more

Coming through Abilene and staying at the hotel where the front desk said Joe Allens was the place for some good food. Well, that was incorrect. I had the chicken fried steak, pintos and steamed vegetables. Ther was more seasoning on hospital food. The gravy was bland too. The wife had the senior meal with chicken thighs, coleslaw and green beans. How you cook chicken thighs dry, I have no idea. She is a coleslaw lover and took on bite of theirs and just shook her head no. She did manage to choke down most of her green beans. Portions are small too, very small. I told her I have no idea how this place stays in business. I'm not here to beat the place to death, just here stating the facts. headed to southeast Texas in the morning where they season their food. Oh. 40 something dollars for this meal with iced tea and a tip. read more

This place was perfect!! From the food, to the atmosphere, and the service! It was exactly what we were searching for.

Joe allens bbq.. has to be the most disappointing place Ive ever ate at. this spot was highly recommended, by white folk. It is disgusting. The corn bread is pretty good, but the meats? For being slow cooked, they are dry and distasteful. I ordered a medium rare rib eye with potato salad and cabbage. I got beans and saur kraut. Wtf. My waitress was rude and rushing. Theres nothing from this experience that was worth the wait. Food was bland or gross, service was rushed and hurried. Im very disappointed read more

Good food, good service interesting atmosphere. Got the steak special was a good price cooked perfect, good portion for the money. My wife got the brisket, good flavor but was over cooked a bit, was a little dry. Plus was no fatty portion which we both like. Would definitely go back. read more

Best steaks and brisket. Their brisket is so tasty and tender. Ribeyes are stellar! Nice folks who do good cookin' and que'in. If you are in town, go to Joe Allen's! read more

It is what it is Meat was tasty, sides...not so much. Mashed potato salad that tasted like they took Walmart potato salad and mashed it. Yuck Coleslaw was way over thought, keep it simple!!! read more

This place is awesome !! It is the first restaurant I go to when I visit Abilene. If this is your first visit to Joe Allen's, I recommend the 1-1/4" ribeye with either sweet potato or loaded baked potato. Unless you're breaking a three day fast, you will probably be taking away half of it to consume later. It comes with a delicious side salad and excellent service from the staff members. This meal including iced tea and gratuity only costs $70 which is more than reasonable when you consider the quality and presentation of the cuisine, as well as, the friendly, helpful staff taking care of you. The dining area and washroom has always been clean every time I have dined here. The legacy characteristic of this fine establishment is consistency. read more

Joe Allen's Pit BBQ - 1-1/4" Ribeye with loaded Baked Potato - Barbeque Near Me - Abilene, Texas

See all

Get their fajitas!! Get them medium rare! This place is a staple in Abilene and for very good reason. I have been coming here since I was a boy and I have always loved it. Trust me, you will not find better fajitas than these! read more

I ate here at Joe Allen's during my time in the USAF back in the 90's and again 25+ years later, just a few weeks ago and the steaks are still just as good as I remember them. To the jackwagon @Markish J., playing the race card: Grow the hell up bro. I'm a Caucasian American and have crap service more frequently now than ever. It's not a race thing, it's a generational workforce thing! The quicker you folks can quit being butthurt about things the rest of us deal with all the time the better off we all will be. Delete or report my review IJDGAF. I'm sick and tired people crying RACISM when things aren't to their liking. Joe Allen's, keep up the great consistent work! You won't hear me slam you guys for having to wait an extra 30 minutes for my order, it was worth the extra wait. read more

Popular place - even late lunch was busy! Nice, rustic interior, very appropriate for barbecue. Provided jalapeño cornbread (very good) and slices of sourdough while I waited for my meal. Ordered 2-meat plate with two sides. Potatoes salad was like mashed potatoes with veggies mixed in - different, but fine. Fried okra was good. Brisket was fine, not too much smoke, nice ring and a little more fat than I prefer. Jalapeño/cheese sausage was great! Really a big plate of food. I was having such a good time I had to try a dessert, too. Waitress recommended banana pudding. It too, was different - it was real deal, made from scratch with no jello pudding added. Overall a good experience. Huge surprise when I got the check for $18.03 including iced tea! That's a LOT of food for relatively small price. read more

Joe Allen's Pit BBQ - 2-meat plate - brisket, sausage, potato salad and fried okra with cornbread and sourdough slices. - Barbeque Near Me - Abilene, Texas

See all

Hey Siri show me mediocre BBQ Siri: Joe Allen's Pit BBQ Abilene, Texas I have eaten here multiple times thinking it's going to live up to hype. It hasn't yet. Everything I have tried has been average. Not great, not terrible, average. Brisket, sides you name it average. The staff is very friendly I will give them that but the food is average. Prices are also reasonable for BBQ so I can't knock them for that. read more

I can't tell you anything about the food here because after waiting more than 1/2 hour we had to flag down a worker to ask where our order was, and they hadn't started it yet. We left. read more

The first time I went here was in '95. It was the best steak I have ever had. Today I brought my whole family here because some of them are here for work. Anyone talking bad about this place does not know what a great wood fired steak is about. I have never tried their bbq but I guarantee nobody does a steak better. The staff are all friendly and so nice. We took two kids under three and they never treated us as a burden. Always going to be the best steak I have ever had. read more

Food was fantastic and plentiful! Service was prompt and friendly. Bathrooms were dirty and not well maintained though.

Food was great, Christy was an amazing waitress and took great care of us. The steak, the catfish, the hush puppies are in a shape I've never had hush puppies in. Overall great food, great people and great atmosphere read more

The best steak in Abilene. We don't waste our time and money anymore checking out new places for a better steak. We always end up back at Joe Allen's read more

This place is as Texas as it gets. Food is really good. And let me tell you about the service. Love the service here. Everyone is polite and helpful. I think my servers name was Haley. I told her that it was my 1st time here as I just moved into town. She definitely didn't steer me wrong with her suggestions. She also brought bread and was so nice and polite the whole time. I will definitely be back. read more

Outstanding across the boards! The food is tremendous, the staff is great, and the ambiance is perfect for a great meal. My favorite BBQ place and one of my favorite overall restaurants in Abilene. Can't recommend Joe Allen's enough. read more

Stopped by for lunch since my husband mentioned their BBQ fajitas that he's had in the past. SERVICE - A hostess will come and greet you and then your waiter is your main person. I'm not sure about the person's name but she was quick. FOOD Complimentary Bread - This was a variety of jalapeño cornbread, regular cornbread, and white bread. The jalapeño cornbread was tasty as it had a little bit of spice to it. The sweetness of the bread balanced it all out. The regular cornbread was fine but nothing outstanding. I did not try the white bread as it just looked like sliced white sandwich bread. Grilled Salmon - This was difficult for me to eat because it was very fishy. It did not smell or taste too fresh. After having the salmon from Copper Creek, this one did not compare. Beef Fajitas - You can get the extra toppings (peppers, onions, cheese) for an additional price but my husband just wanted the meat and tortilla. He smothered the meat with the BBQ sauce and it was tasty. They give you big slices of beef so it was good. Steamed Veggies - This was literally just steamed veggies. No seasoning or any flavor. I dipped mine in BBQ sauce. Sweet Potato Fries - These were not crispy at all. Just limp potatoes that were soaked in oil. Baked Potato - This was good. I feel like you cannot mess up a baked potato so I enjoyed this. Fried Okra - These had a nice crispy batter to them. Overall, I cannot say this would be a restaurant that I would want to return to. It was a great experience to try a place my husband used to go to but I think one time was enough. read more

Came in Joe Allen's and ordered to go order to take to the park very disappointed my brisket was cold like it was out of the refrigerator not warm at all cut to thick and tough and fries were homemade but old usually the food is good and hot and reasonably priced not this time I will think twice before I go back and it will not be to go at least if you eat there they can fix your food if it's not right . read more