I just had lunch at a different and mediocre BBQ place and found myself missing J's in Ripon. FANTASTIC BBQ. I miss the brisket, the bread, the Kentucky style white sauce. Can't wait to be back in the area and enjoy some J's! read more

This place has amazing bbq and a great selection on side dishes. The brisket is cooked to perfection and the chicken is tender and moist. They also have a great selection on bbq sauces. The side dishes are phenomenal. The macaroni and cheese is a must try. The cinnamon apple are amazing as well. read more

J's BBQ - Brisket macaroni and cheese and potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - Ripon, Wisconsin

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New location on Watson street is comfortable and stylishly designed. Service was great. Selection of sides was top notch for BBQ joints. Meat was not as good as Texas BBQ like rudys but definitely a welcome addition to the downtown ripon food scene. Definitely recommended. read more

Wow. Had the lunch special with beef brisket. Moist, tender and flavorful. I went back in line...I wanted to sample the pulled pork. I was shocked when they made a small slider side one, and told me it was on them. Not saying you will get a free sandwich. But, i share this story because this never happens to me. Well, I was glad I tried the pulled pork...DELICIOUS!!! read more

Excellent bbq!! Brisket was moist and perfectly cooked. Buffalo sauce had just the right amount of heat and spices. Don't miss this place.

The staff and friendly and helpful, being our first we had no clue what the process was. The food was tasty and enough for two if you have sample plate. read more

Let's start with the bordering rude response I got when I came in. Never been there before, told the woman behind the bar we had a party of 8 + 2 toddlers and a baby and we'd need boosters, etc. All she said was we can accomodate you (but made no moves to do so), and no, there isn't a hostess. Completely DIY, she didn't even point out the boosters, we had to hunt for them. A while after we were all through the line, and most of us had at least some of our food, a busboy-type brought belated parts of our order and asked us if there was anything else. I said yes, I need some ketchup. He said, it's over there (meaning go get it yourself). At the end of the meal, diners are expected to bus their own greasy trays. The garbage can was full. My husband's tray held the inedible remains of his meal--two slabs of fat that were part of his brisket serving. read more

Very impressive! The brisket was amazing! Pastrami rubbed, not dry at all. The baked beans are out of this world!!! Great Mac & cheese. Only negative were the wings, not smoked :(. Everything else was terrific. I will drive back here again!!! read more

Always awesome place to eat. Wait can belong on a Friday but we'll worth it! Tried most offerings from menu and have yet to be disappointed. Truly a gem read more

We've been waiting for a semi-local BBQ joint that satisfies all things BBQ! Wow, great atmosphere, amazing service and staff and excellent food! We got a sampler that had enough food to feed my family of five and we loved it all!!! GO HERE NOW :) you will not be disappointed! read more

J's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Ripon, Wisconsin

Meet my daughter & son-in-law here because they are trying bbq restaurants around the state and they live in the Dells and we live in Sheboygan so it was a halfway meetups place. To start with the counter people weren't the friendly, menu was complicated and the food at best wasn't even average. We had brisket, ribs, chicken, beans & mac n cheese. The Mac n cheese was good along with the ribs. The beans were alright but the brisket had no smoke flavor and the chicken was dry & no flavor! For the price, $ 65, I will not be back! After reading the other reviews they must have been at a different J's BBQ or related to the owners. read more

Great food, fast service! What more need I say? Pleasant decor, fits the type of food available. Lot of cosmbos to choose from. Be sure to check hrs. Not open every day. read more

First, the Yelp hours posted are not correct. We have just moved to the area and needed something to eat after several hours of cleaning and organizing. Saw the reviews for J's on yelp and moseyed on over. The 5 of us( fiance' and our kids) waltzed in and were informed they're closing. 2:30 Saturday afternoon. Any who, we are about to walk and one of the owners tells the young fella cleaning up to go ahead and seat us, there were a couple other tables still eating. She helped us with the menu we made our choices and had a seat. By the way "SPRECHER ROOT BEER ON TAP"!!!!!!!!! The food did not take long to start coming out. Owners sent out an order of nachos and later a couple of Bullseye sandwiches. Not once did we feel like we were being rushed out because of closing. On to the food. We love mac and cheese. We moved here from Louisiana and everyone thinks theirs is the best. I have never eaten such rich and creamy goodness in my life. Our 5 year old considers himself connoisseur of mac and cheese and stated that he will eat it nowhere else. The ribs were cooked to where the meat had just barely enough strength to hang on to the bone. With the slightest pull all that smokey goodness was set free. I didn't try the BBQ sauce, the rub and the smoke was enough. The garlic cheesy mash was more of a smash. The potatoes were not smooth and textureless, but had perfect sized chunks with just the right hint of garlic and cheesyness. Nachos had cheese sauce not shredded and melted. Our 8 year old pointed out the similar taste to the mac and cheese and it was the same creamy nectar used on both. The breading on the boneless wings was the perfect mix of spice and texture. Not dry but not mushy. It's easy to overdo fish tacos. These were light and flakey and the pineapple salsa did not overpower the fish but gave it a nice sweet partner. Lastly the brisket Bullseye sandwiches. I have never had Kentucky white BBQ sauce. It was excellent. One of the pieces of brisket on the sandwich had a burnt end that thought it was going to get away. No says I. It was comparable to eating a tiny piece BBQ ambrosia. One of the owners came by before we left and shot the breeze with us for a little told us why the hours were different and how they were catching up after the messed up year. We will be working our way through the menu. Giddy up! read more

We absolutely love eating here. So affordable for our family of 6. The quality of the food is amazing. Everything is just so yummy. Atmosphere is fun and the system for ordering makes the whole process so quick and easy. read more

The location is very unassuming. Looking at the outside of the building, you somewhat temper your expectations. Once inside you are treated to some of the best bbq that you will have anywhere in the area. I will routinely drive 45 minutes to eat here. The bbq is great with a variety of offerings. They have some creative sides (try the pineapple salsa) and the sauces add a great touch. The food is definitely worth a visit, but the owners are the icing on the cake. They give J's a hometown feel and you always feel like they care and are actually happy to have your business. J's is absolutely a must. The bbq rivals bbq that I have had down south. It is not something one would normally associate with this part of the country. read more

Love this place! So hard to decide what to get!! Ended up with Brisket (amazing!), Mac & cheese (also amazing), baked beans (de-lish), & sweet potatoe fries! Everything was amazing!! I also loved that J's has all of their sauces available for you to try & use. read more

Very good BBQ! We ordered the nachos and the raspberry jalapeño chutney is AMAZING!! The brisket on the nachos was very flavorful and tender. Drinks were strong. Wish we lived closer. This place is legit! read more

Went for Lunch on Saturday and finally somewhere a little closer to home that knows how to cook some BBQ. Thank you J's! Fun place and nice to see the presentation of BBQ the way it should be, on a tray just like down in the south. Love the fact they cut the brisket in front of you and even ask what area you want your cut from. The sauce and condiment bar was very nice and offered all kinds of options. Great cornbread, mac and cheese was good and creamy. Beans were very good but a little too sweet. read more

I always enjoy eating here. I love the pulled pork and Spanish rice. Great prices and great service.

It's ok. The brisket was good. Garlic-cheesy-mashed and sweet potato fries were good. Thought the fried haddock was salty. Not crazy about the manner in which the food is served. Brisket and mashed potatoes not plated. Served on a paper-lined cafeteria tray. My husband's food came out right away but had to wait for mine and received it in stages. Confusing and dark station where condiments and drinks are located. We were halfway through our meal before we realized where the sauces were. Saw someone walk out with dill pickles and had to ask where they were located. Nice outside eating area. Don't know that we'll return. read more

Though the outside of the building is about as aesthetic as a pole barn, the BBQ flavors cookin' inside will amaze and delight the tastebuds. The owners have done a fantastic job of transforming the interior into a slice of Texas. Their beef brisket has a sweet an savory crust that I would eat whole bowl of with a spoon if they would let me. My new favorite however is getting a pulled pork sandwich on a pretzel roll smothered in their Kentucky White sauce. Garlic cheesy mash, sweet potato fries and apples are just a few of my favorite side options. Easily the first place I recommend to friends and family when they visit Ripon. read more

I'm a fan of good brisket and this place had it. The shrimp was outstanding. As we're the baked beans.

This restaurant offers some of the best barbecue I've EVER had! They're unique in the fact that they do not use a wait staff. You get the food yourself, which really adds to the experience. Their brisket is to die for, but most of their food is! I would definitely recommend stopping by read more

Seriously if you haven't eaten at J's you are definitely missing out. The proof that s in the brisket, corner bread, pulled pork, beer soup, sangria, cranberry chutney and the best fried okra I've ever eaten here in Wisconsin! read more

Fantastic food made by good people . some of the best barbecue I've ever had . The macaroni and cheese is amazing .

Ribs, ribs & more ribs! Add sides of home made mac-n-cheese & house kettle chips then finish with a glass of delicious tea. J's is like no other! Yum! read more

We ordered the brisket on nachos (yum), and with beans, Mac and cheese, cornbread...everything was fantastic. Excellent small business. Cute interior. read more

We love J's. We go there almost once a week. Can't go wrong with anything there. Brisket is excellent, pulled pork, ribs, and shrimp are great as well. We love the chutney on the brisket, and ranch with the sweet potato fries. Can't beat the location downtown too. A must while visiting Ripon! read more

This is probably my new favorite BBQ place. The line was long (about 30 minutes on a Friday), but definitely worth the wait. I highly recommend the brisket and the corn bread was really tasty. I would like to see J's expand to Oshkosh so I can come eat here more often! read more

This place is such a gem. I had to give it 5 stars because there was nothing I didn't like about it. It was one of the best BBQ joints I've ever experienced. We went to Green Lake for a weekend and decided to check this place out for lunch after finding it on Yelp. Everything on the menu sounded good, so we asked for recommendations from the person working. They ended up giving us some kind of sampler platter which was a TON of food for just $26. We got ribs, pulled pork, chicken wings, brisket, sweet potato fries, mac and cheese, and cornbread - essentially a buffet. Two of us obviously couldn't eat it all, but we loved trying everything and we enjoyed the leftovers the next day. Everything was absolutely amazing. All of the meat was flavorful and juicy, the different BBQ sauces were great, and all of the sides were way above standard. I was impressed with everything. Plus, the workers were extremely friendly and helpful/attentive, and the decor was really cool. I will totally be back. I wish this place was closer to Chicago. If you go here, go with the sampler platter so you can try everything. You shouldn't skimp on anything. It's all worth it. read more

J's BBQ - Sample platter: Pulled pork, wings, ribs, brisket, mac & cheese, sweet potato fries, and cornbread. Go big or go home. SO good. - Barbeque Near Me - Ripon, Wisconsin

Great find when I was visiting my parents over Xmas. I was initially hesitant due to the random location attached to the bowling alley but once inside it feels like you're in a real Texas BBQ joint. And the food did not disappoint. Brisket was top notch. Wings were very meatty and with great taste. Great selection of bbq and sauce options. Will definitely be back next time I'm in town. read more

With almost everything made in house, from the succulent smoked brisket to the garlic mashed potatoes, this is Texas style in a small Wisconsin town. A meal that I keep coming back to is the lunch special. Brisket, a choice of bread, a side, chips and a drink for $10. The hand portioned meals are sure to fill you up, the only downside is they are closed Sunday to Tuesday. I guess great BBQ takes time to prepare. read more

J's is great. I stumbled across this restaurant on the afternoon of New Year's Eve, they happened to be open and I was in Ripon with friends, including a vegetarian. The vegetarian (AND vegan, AND gluten free) options were clearly marked on the menu, which was hugely appreciated. Everything was delicious. The fries and sweet potato fries were delivered to the table fresh from the fryer and were crisp and light. The macaroni and cheese was rich and creamy, everything you would expect from a barbecue joint in Wisconsin. The highlight though, as you might think, was the barbecue. I had the brisket which was smoky and juicy and absolutely delicious, and complimented the homemade sauces perfectly. On top of great food, the atmosphere is fantastic with attention to every detail, like corrugated tin on the bar, pressed tin ceiling, warm lighting. Jen, the owner who greeted us as we came in, was incredibly nice and helpful, especially when it came to talking about vegetarian options. Can't recommend this place highly enough. Do yourself a huge favor and go to J's. read more

Good BBQ! The sampler is way more than 2 can eat but we tried! My personal favorite, the shredded pork and the ribs were very good. Love the Mac. Full bar as well! Would recommend!! read more

J's BBQ - Sampler platter and 2 beers $34 - Barbeque Near Me - Ripon, Wisconsin

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Don't miss this one! Everything is homemade, loved the brisket and Mac and cheese. Shareable portions! Yes, it's attached to a bowling alley- give it a try,, you'll be glad you did! read more

We went with friends for dinner. They moved from the bowling ally and have their own place downtown in Ripon. It's so quaint!!! The food is so very good! Service with a smile and tons of regulars. We will be back. Very soon!! I don't know what took us so long but glad we found this place! read more

Fantastic! This is definitely the best BBQ within 100 miles (at least). Service is great, even when they're busy. The food is fresh, hot and flavorful and the prices are fair. It's a long drive for us, but worth the effort! read more

I was disappointed with the ribs. Ordered the 1/2 rack which tasted like they were par-boiled with BBQ sauce and a mushy texture. No taste of smoke or was there at smoky smell that you normally fine in these places. read more

I enjoy having BBQ of this quality in the north. I don't have to go visit family down south anymore!!! Sweat tea is excellent. Loved being able have fried okra, too! Oh yes, the wings, the pork, the beef ... it's very good, too. read more

Best BBQ in Wisconsin with outstanding customer service. They have mouthwatering brisket and true Texas sized side dishes that are equally as good. read more