Am from out of town, stopped in and ate two chopped sandwiches for lunch and ordered two lean brisket plates to go for supper. Got home and looked what we got and it was nearly all fat trimmings. After us trimming there was barely enough for one little portion. Also no pickles, no onions, and NO BREAD. Spent $50. Very disappointed that they value a customer that little. read more

We stopped at this place as we were driving across Texas and heard that it was one of the better bbq's around. Our experience as well as the quality of the food was poor. The waitress was extremely rude and did not want to ask the kitchen what oil the fried food was fried in even after being told it was because of an allergy issue. She simply did not care and just told me to order something else instead. I ended up getting the small plate of ribs and green beans. They weren't lying on the menu about the plate being small, it was $12 for 3 skinny little ribs. The green beans tasted like they came out of a can. The only reason I am giving this place two stars is because my friend ordered the beef brisket and he said it was good. So, order that if you decide to come here. read more

As a former Coleman and Abilene resident, this was my "Go-To" Steakhouse in Abilene. Visit ever now and again and try to get back in there when I can. Steaks are the best around. I usually get the rib-eye and it totally ROX MY SOX. Never had the Q, but it'd be hard to go wrong ordering steak here. read more

Excellent service, the steak was done well and the restaurant isn't really fancy. Just the way I like it. Great job Joe Allen's. read more

Got the brisket, and I thought it was good - but then I'm not a Texan, so what do I know about BBQ's? :) read more

It's been about a decade since I went to Joe Allen's, but it stuck with me. I was there for business and as we flew in to Abilene, the flight attendant advised us to go to JA's. The next day, the company I was meeting with brought it in for lunch...great BBQ. That night, we asked at the hotel where we should eat, they told us to go to Joe Allen's, so we did. As I remember it, it's a funky combo of buildings of slightly different shapes and sizes connected to make a single restaurant. Also memorable were the huge rattlesnake skins on the walls. Now I'm from New York City (think Pace Picante sauce), but I have had my fair share of BBQ around the country and this right up there. Although I think we wound up eating their BBQ at least 5 times in 3 days, nobody in my group dared to order their "Bowl of Meat." read more

Heard good things about this place as they grill with mesquite so decided to swing by on my way home from Garden City. Even though the name suggest a BBQ joint, it's more of a steakhouse. It's your typical sit-down restaurant so I'd be weary of ordering BBQ unless I got to see the meat selection beforehand. Saw a 2" thick ribeye steak on the menu and had to try it. Ordered it medium well done along with french fries, cabbage, and a house salad. The waitperson also offered a choice of fresh bread, corn bread or jalapeño corn bread. The fresh bread was home made and served warm, very delish. The salad was average, nothing to write home about but wasn't bad either. Before the main course came out, the waitperson came by and asked if I wanted Heinz 57 or A1 steak sauce; I quipped that a good steak shouldn't need steak sauce to which the waiter agreed. The steak was very impressive in size and was probably more than 2" thick and had a nice charred outside. Even though I had ordered medium well, the inside was rare. I know it's challenging to perfectly cook a thick steak so I didn't fuss. The meat didn't have much flavor and there wasn't much marbling to speak of, the only fat was a ring on the outside. There was a bit of sinew and a chunk of bone but overall the steak was OK; I've had worse. The french fries were excellent and the cabbage was great also. The waitperson was very attentive and the price was reasonable given the quantity of food and the location. I'll definitely try this place again when I'm in the neighborhood; although I'll get the 1" ribeye or try the BBQ. read more

Steak was delicious!!! The best part is you order your steak by the thickness, 1/2" up to 2"!! My baked sweet potato was on the dwarfish side, but the steak was ginormous so it evened everything out. If you are on Abilene, TX for some odd reason I recommend you go and check out Joe Allen's Pit Bar-B-Que. read more

Joe Allen's Pit BBQ - Beautiful 1 1/2" steak!! - Barbeque Near Me - Abilene, Texas

I was in Abilene for a few days and was told that Joe Allen's was the place to go for great BBQ. I went down with a couple friends and we had a pretty good meal--it wasn't the best BBQ I ever ate but it was pretty good. I tried the regular combo that came with three meats. I went with shredded brisket, jalapeño cheese sausage, and ham. It also came with your choice of three sides. The portions were pretty generous too! All of that and a large soft drink came to about $14.00. The brisket and house BBQ sauce were excellent and very tasty, as was the jalapeño cheese sausage. The ham was a little dry but still pretty decent. The service was also good. The waitress was attentive and kept our drinks filled. The food was prepared and delivered quickly. Overall, it was a positive experience and I would recommend Joe Allen's to others! read more

Ate here yesterday expecting really good food. Big disappointment! We both ordered the "special", turkey & dressing. Just awful. The dressing tasted like it came out of a box, the turkey was way overdone, they were out of cranberry sauce, which we did not know until the meal was half over! The only saving grace was the homemade bread, tea, & good side salad. The service wasn't great either, & I never saw the bus person spray down a table after customers left said tables! read more

Very good food and service. Friendly employees. Fast service, clean environment Highly recommended!!!!!! read more

Honestly was a little irritated that I had to get up to look at the walls for appetizers but the main thing was that the food sucked. The steak was good but not good enough for me to come back since everything else tasted dry and flavorless. I'd rather go to Texas road house if I'm going out to dinner at least least their rolls and appetizers are good while I'm waiting on my meal. read more

Restaurant is run down. Flies. The water tasted terrible. We had a party of five all ordering different items. Everything except the sauce was just average or worse. Service was good and prices average. read more

Picked up dinner last night. 3 bbq sandwich's & fixins plus chicken breast. The chicken breast was over seasoned for me. Tasted nothing but pepper. The potato salad, cabbage & red beans were good. The buns were old & smelled funny. Threw those away. The staff here is best part of Joe Allen's. Really great people read more

This was the goto pit BBQ spot back in the day. As an Air Force pilot we used to come here regularly and have what I considered the best Texas brisket ever. I just returned after a decade and was extremely disappointed. The meat was average but served cold, only two end pieces of cornbread that were dry and crumbly. Even the sweet potato fries were cold. What happened Joe? read more

I won't be back to Joe Allen's. My husband had great memories of this restaurant from his days as an airman at Dyess AFB and wanted to eat here again as we passed through town. He said his dinner was ok, but mine was bad from the start. The ice tea looked like colored water, the cornbread was dry and stale and my salad had brown edges on the lettuce leaves. I ordered a T-bone steak, medium rare. When it arrived it was maybe 1/4 inch thick and well on it's way to being medium-well done. I debated briefly and decided that a steak costing me $23 should be done right. So I sent it back. The next one came out medium rare, but full of gristle. In addition, the green beans were cooked to almost mush and my baked potato was burned (how do you burn a baked potato??). Definitely not the stellar meal I was expecting. read more

Cheap, great sirloins and good barbecue. I'm not too big on their sides other than their potato options, but that's just a personal preference and I know other people like them. Also, if you have friends visiting from outside of the south/Texas, take them here and let them have their "omg I ate at a legit southern steakhouse" moment. read more

VERY disappointed with the food and service. Just recently moved to area and thought about checking this place out. Diffently will not return. Food nothing to write home about. Plus at check out I was debited another parties bil. $939.00. Took 3 business days to have bank reverse charges. Not even a apology. Lost my business for good. read more

Best steak in Texas. The steak is cooked to perfection and the seasoning is life changing. No other seasoning will ever be good enough. Good news is they sell it in the restaurant so you can duplicate the taste. Best ever. read more

Ate here again in the past week. I believe that the overall feel and the food has gotten better. I had the strip and it was good. Its a good place to eat, just not my go to for steak. read more

Haven't eaten here since they moved to this location, so we gave it a try. It was great. Super friendly service & an excellent steak! The sides were flavorful with good portions! We will be back! read more

I give this place 0 stars! We showed up and put our name in the list as we were told it would be a minimum of 15-20 minutes wait. I left my husband, daughter and mother in-law waiting as I went to the rest room after sitting 10 minutes in the car. When I went I. To use the restroom there was a hallway crowded of people arriving. I over heard a group inside and out that there was a 20 minute wait. I came out of the restroom and noticed my husband, child and mother-in-law were still sitting. A lady came and asked me if we had a table of 2 and I told her we'd been waiting nearly 40 minutes. I pointed out a table to her that was open and she told me it was reserved. BS, we were the only Hispanics here and they actually sat the next table to the folks that walked in next. Sad but true, racism in font of not just my eyes but my daughters. We went to Sharon's and were treated with the upright respect we deserved. They didn't deserve our business nevertheless God sees all ugly. read more

Joe Allen's use to be in small buildings over on Treadaway blvd but since moved to South 11th just a block east of Treadaway. The old location had that old look with livestock tanks filled with ice and beer. There was always a line to get in. I have eaten there for years and have professional friends and clients stop in Abilene just to eat at Joe Allen's. I have one friend that is a judge and lives 3 hours car drive away. He flies his plane out once a month just to eat at Joe's. The new location is really nice with a lot more room. You can get food to go or sit down in the restaurant. The decor is authentic West Texas and you'll enjoy just looking around at stuff on the wall. This is a place we local Texans visit, not the look alike steak places like Road House, Logans, Outback. Joe's Ribeye's are awesome. They will show you the meat and cut to your order if asked. Mouth watering tender ribeye cuts that almost make a steak knife unnecessary. Try medium-rare, Mmm, Mmm. The biggest thing you'll notice right away is the authentic mesquite smoke and beef flavor in the air that hits as you pull in to park. It makes you want to say no to the steak and load up on the barbecue...but don't do that if you have a friend with you. One of you order each and share! The service at the new location was a bit slow in the early days but nowadays they seem to have it all under control. When you eat here, its all about the meat! If you want fancy smancy side dishes then this is not the place (though they are quite good). If you're after authentic local steak and brisket, this is it. Have cold beer or ice tea with it and you are set. read more

We only had their brisket, but it was delicious. The atmosphere is relaxed in a rustic setting. Service is good. The only thing I didn't like was the potato salad. I understand that there is all kinds, but sweet relish potato salad is not one I care for. read more

The website says they close a 10pm, as we were walking in the parking lot, at 9:45, hoping to grab a quick bite to eat, they turned the open sign off and shut the shades in the window, yes they did see us walking up and chose not to serve us! Not very friendly! read more

Went here for lunch after the dog show and would have had a better lunch at the dog show. Portions were small, meat and turkey sliced sandwich thin. Sausage was dry if that is possible but it required the sauce just to swallow it. One little rib on the mixed meat plate and it was dry as well. Homemade bread and corn bread were served cold. Service was slow and poor. Waitress burned her chance for a tip by admitting she was slow because she was on the phone with her friends. Will not return and suggest you avoid this place as well. Abilene has many good BBQ joints and this is not one of them. read more

This place used to be legendary. As other reviewers have stated, since the moved from Treadway to S. 11th, things have gone downhill and I have to concur. The first time I stepped foot in the place (Treadway location) was the year 2000. I was amazing. That was my first chopped brisket sandwich ever and I loved it. I can't remember when the business moved to S 11th but it hasn't been the same since. The food quality has gone down hill, I think the sandwhich size has gotten smaller, and the service can be mediocre. One reviewer mentioned the potato salad being like mashed potatoes. I have to admit, I love it that way and that's one aspect I feel hasn't gone downhill. I just hate to see a once beloved place with some great memories go to crap...I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. I haven't stopped going to Joe Allens, but my visits are not that frequent. read more

12 of us sat down for a meal and ordered a variety of dishes including steak, hamburgers, catfish and chicken, the last person was served 1 hour and 35 minutes from the time we sat down (they were not busy at all). Joe, find another profession, this restaurant used to be the best, but know it is now the worst. Save yourself some time and go get a sirloin at Chills...at least it wont take an hour and a half! read more

Heard great things but was so disappointed. Everything from brisket to ribs were DRY and the BBQ sauce was not that great (personal preference in sauce). Veggies seemed as though they were out of a can and the potato salad was mashed. When I think of potato salad I think of pieces of potato etc. Not mashed potatoes. read more

We waited for an hour for our food before we finally just left. The salad that we were served wasn't very good, and the cornbread was dry. I can't comment on our other food because it never arrived. The waiter said the long wait was probably because the hamburger was ordered well-done. I've burnt burgers in less time that an hour. We left, and I don't think we'll be back. Very disappointing. read more

I heard a few people talking about this place and felt most BBQ places in TX would know what they're doing, boy was I wrong. The ambiance was your typical road house country dining place, worked well. The noise level was moderate, it was early on a Friday night so i'm sure that place gets hopping. I ordered the Filet (well done) like I always do.... opted to spend the money to see how good their Filet was. Well....half of it was fatty, and the meat was sent back because it was still RED in the center. The meat upon coming back still was pink (which according to my understanding of cooking 101 is not well done). I grew tired of waiting for them to get things right and just ate what came back, except for the uber fatty parts. There were flies buzzing around the food, sometimes landing on the edge of a glass or even the food itself. Really?? The rest of the meal was moderate and nothing to write home about. If anything, the home-cooked bread served at the top of the meal was the most redeeming part. Additionally, some of the kitchen crew came out in the dining area and were not very presentable. In fact, they were dirty and just shouldn't be seen by patrons in my opinion. Out of sight, out of mind. Joe Allen owners/managers.... next time you hire a teenage kid to do back kitchen work and he has the presentation of a meth head, just keep them in the back. Won't be back...don't need it.....certainly don't want it. I didn't get a chance to go to Perini's Steak House in Buffalo Gap, but hear that's one to try. As an out-of-town city boy, I'm always looking for down home cooking that doesn't suck.... hoping Perini's will deliver, unlike Joe Allens. read more

Wow. We were on the way from San Antonio to Plainview, and we stopped off for lunch at this place. I had a ribs/brisket combo, while my partner had the ribs - both excellent, I can't recommend this place enough read more

I have eaten at Joe Allen's twice since I moved here last year. It was highly recommended by my squadron commander in Italy, who was stationed at Dyess for his first assignment. I was not dissapointed in this place. As soon as you pull into the parking lot, you can smell that Bar-B-Que pit cooking. It smells soooo good. The environment is nice and the service is friendly. We went for lunch and the prices were very reasonable. The sliced brisket samich is nummy! All of the sides are really good. read more

Came here for lunch while working nearby. It was hardly busy at all! Service was very attentive and on the ball. I had a very delicious chopped brisket sandwich and a HUGE side of fried okra...enough to feed two people. The meal was reasonably priced, under $10. I would definitely recommend this place of ever in the area and in the mood for barbecue. read more

I took my family here tonight for the first time and for the last time...I've never felt so ripped off. The BBQ is crap the portions are a joke. I could cook a better steak half asleep and mostly drunk.half of my steak was fat..literally half!!! Best thing about this place was the bread and the cornbread is dry and stale. read more

Haven't been here in years due to a sudden decrease in food quality. Today I had a chopped brisket sandwich. It wasn't bad. A couple of bites were very salty but meat was tender. Potato salad is more like sweet mashed potatoes but as with the sandwich isn't bad. I would still refer friends to Square's BBQ when in Abilene. read more

Had this been in Atlanta it would have been good not just OK but this is Texas where I expect more of BBQ brisket. The other reviewers are right about the service, it was lacking. I asked for pickles and got them when I finished my meal, even though I am bad about eating fast that should not have happened and my beer was not cold something the server should have noticed when she picked it up. If you have brisket be sure and have the sliced not the chopped but that should go without saying anywhere according to me. read more

This place has potential to be quite good, but inconsistency is its weakness. One night you'll go and get a top-flight steak. The next night it's totally off the mark. Also....as steakhouses in Abilene go, the atmosphere here is at the bottom end of the scale. read more

Visiting from out of town i was told they had the best bbq in town. It was just OK, the saving grace was their sausage. Other than that i didnt find anything to be great. It is also a bit overpriced for the quality. Staff is friendly though. read more

Casual, diner feel. Food was good, but a bit pricey. I couldv'e eaten the beans and cornbread and that would have been filling!