While visiting the Pro Football HOF we were given this recommendation from a staff member. Couldn't be happier with the choice. Felt like we stepped back a few years and were treated to some excellent bbq sandwiches Tried the Brisket and pulled pork and both were great. Highly recommend trying the cornbread muffins and treating yourself to a malt or milkshake. Staff were great and they have off street parking as well. read more

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Ok so I get that it used to be a BBQ shack, but there isnt anything barbecued anymore here, i got the "brisket" it was not brisket it was roast beef, I also got the ham, also not bbq but tasty none the less, I got some potato salad and it wasnt bad, now I did 2 stars because I went looking for brisket but it wasnt a bbq shack, with that said nice people , and cute building and should embrace a "lunch counter" or "sandwich shop" but def not bbq. read more

Ordered delivery due to family illness. The relish was not accompanied by the ham sandwiches, which was a deal breaker for sure. Cole slaw helped to make up for that. The Mac and cheese with pulled pork was hot and filling. Get the delivery corrected and it would be a constant rotation. read more

Small cute little place. I had brisket, coleslaw, and a wonderful Cornbread muffin with Ice-T. Good flavor for the brisket read more

Kennedy's Bar-B-Que - Pulled Brisket sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Canton, Ohio

First - this is a darling little diner - originally opened in 1922. Inside there are, maybe 4 booths, and 8 seats at a counter. The menu was amazingly simple. So, I had a cup of bean soup and a pork sandwich. The pork was a generous serving on a standard hamburger bun. No bbq sauce, mayo, mustard, etc. -- just meat and bread. I got some relish on the side but it didn't do much for me. The beans in my little cup were not soft...additional ham was nice. My wife got a potato and ham cup of soup and a cornbread muffin. Both were small and unremarkable - just OK. The server was personable, attentive and near perfect. Unfortunately the food wasnt. Too bad - what a cool little place! read more

This place is an institution. If you love bean soup, Amish pies this is the place. Fast service AND DONT skip the pickle relish

Will not go here again. I ordered the brisket sandwich. Instead of slicing the meat against the grain, they pulled it with the grain as in pulled pork. I could not take a bite without taking the strand of meat. Almost impossible to chew. The new take home menu has already hit the trash. read more

The bbq was good.I got the pulled pork,macaroni salad. My hubby got the brisket with Mac and cheese. the Mac and cheese was nasty. The experience was great the servicer was kind of rude . read more

Stopped here for lunch after a trip to the Canton Car Museum. It's a small diner in a neighborhood by the stadium park. I got daily special. BBQ sandwich, cup of bean soup and a drink. $8.50. It hit the spot. Not fancy but good. Just what I was looking for. read more

Once again Yelp saves the day (or at least a boring few hours in Canton, Ohio). Flew into Ohio a few weeks ago to meet with a customer and had literally hours to kill so I headed to downtown Canton to see if I could find anything to do. After a few minutes on my handy Yelp app this little BBQ joint kept popping up on the search results; sold. The location was outside of downtown and almost looked a little bit in the middle of nowhere; I never would have known to come here without Yelp. This was the best lunch I had the entire trip. The pulled pork sandwich was pretty good although nothing to rave about, but (1) the helping was huge and (2) their relish is awesome. I've never had anything quite like that and I wish I could have bought some to take home (they do sell it in jars to-go but relish setting in a car for hours didn't sound like a sanitary decision). It looked almost like mustard seed as the main ingredient (cabbage?) was chopped super-fine; it wasn't more of a vinegar taste then sweet or spciy, but Idon't think there was vinegar in it. Basically no one knows the recipe and it's a family secret. Their sweet BBQ sauce was also some of the best I've ever had; perfect balance of tanginess. So the sauce and relish seem to just elevate the meat from good to great. I also decided to try their 'famous' bean soup with chunks of ham in it. It seemed that the ham sandwich is their specialty, but if you want to try a little bit (correction, a LOT bit) of everything then the white bean soup with the pork sandwich offers a good sampling of their menu. And since I was in no rush I hung around for a bit and then tried a slice of homemade black raspberry pie, sans the ice cream. Was pretty good but I think it was just canned fruit and I doubt the dough was scratch made. So if you find yourself near or in Canton and looking for a bit to eat just off the highway (or are visiting the NFL Hall of Fame right nearby) then skip the regular roadside chains and venture over to Kenndey's. As a bonus if it's a nice day you can grab some food to go and picnic across the street in McKinley Memorial Park. read more

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Kennedy's bbq has gone DOWNHILL!! So sad really. So today I went in at 2:00, the guy serving was also the sandwich maker, and no he never washed his hands. I ordered soup and a ham sandwich. He was flying all over the place, he looked overwhelmed. I should've walked out. But instead i received my food and went directly to the monument to eat. First my soup. I put a spoonful in my mouth, IT WAS FREEZING COLD. Disgusting to say the least. My crackers were even stale. Ughhh. So next my sandwich I open it up to put the relish and bbq sauce on it and i barely see any meat, so unlike them also. My meat was mostly fat and chunky at that. GROSS!! I know its in a suspect neighborhood but they don't have to stoop so low. Id rather eat Two fat guys in Perry or Hog heaven on Cleveland ave. Ill never ever go back!!! I'm the saddest person in Canton. read more

Kennedy's Bar-B-Que - I put it straight in the trash, GROSS - Barbeque Near Me - Canton, Ohio

This was meh for me. We had gotten a buy one, get one half-off coupon from the nearby McKinley Presidential Library. I got a beef brisket sandwich and a pulled pork sandwich to-go with all the toppings. Both sandwiches' contents were cold and didn't have enough BBQ sauce. Their famous relish was super vinegary and didn't have a lot of flavor. Wouldn't recommend it, but the total was only $7.50 for two sandwiches. read more

Kennedy's Bar-B-Que - Beef Sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Canton, Ohio

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Love this place. I grew up in Canton. My mom and grandma bought the ham from here and it was so good. Every time I get back to Canton I always stop by and get a pound or two of ham to take home to Cleveland. Since they smoke their own meats it is definitely the best around. I was glad to see on my last visit there was a nice lunch crowd. It is a Canton institution. Check it out! read more

8 Tables and a restaurant the size of a nice living room in a suburban middle class house but being around the corner from the McKinley Presidential Library and a partnership with them, we found this place for a quick lunch before we hit the road. While we were there this girl of about 7 years old came in with a dollar and asked for two popsicles, a mom and daughter shared a sandwich and soup and another customer had a malt. You can get cornbread, pulled pork, chicken, chili, bean soup, bbq, pie, cookies and shakes. Take a step back to the 50's with a little Kansas City bbq feel and there you have it. If you are lucky the train will come into the station next door because they still have an old fashioned conductor changing the tracks as it comes into the station. P.S. - They do cater and do take out by the pound or meals. read more

This is the type of little local hole-in-the-wall place where you wonder how it survived before Yelp. It's quite hidden but it serves up a respectable lunch at a reasonable price. Get the navy bean soup and save a piece of cornbread for it. Our table tried every type of meat and not one was a disappointment. read more

First time in Canton and took a chance on Kennnedy. Afterwards, we were happy we did. The location is nice by a park. The building is old and small, but clean and nostalgic. Has a lunch counter feel complete with a glass pie shelf and the retro product ads. When we arrived there was no one there yet, but when we left there had been a dozen or so folks, lots of regulars, and the firemen (truck and all). Service was friendly and relatively quick. The food was excellent. The menu was simple... Chose the meat for the sandwich, soup, corn bread, and pies. That was it. Bean soup with shaved ham was very tasty. Had Smoked ham and a pulled pork sandwich. Both are smoked on premises and outstanding. The relish was a highlight at this joint. I have eaten several different styles of pulled pork with slaw.... But nothing like this. It was a spicy tasting cabbage and celery slaw that was practically a paste. Very yummy and very unique. Price was great for what we got :) read more

Total comfort food! My husband and I found this place just after we moved to Canton. It's now our favorite spot to go for a quick meal. I go for the ham sandwich - a huge pile of smoked ham on a soft bun. I have them melt swiss in the middle and add mustard. My husband goes for the BBQ pork ALSO piled high on a soft bun and he LOVES the slaw they put on top. Today we had a slice of pie - awesome awesome. Inexpensive, clean, adorable - and don't forget to try the bean soup! read more

Best bean soup in town!! Ham is amazing.. Try the little sampler sliders oork and ham..yumm read more

Kennedy's Bar-B-Que - Lunch time at the oldest bbq in canton - Barbeque Near Me - Canton, Ohio

A great local restaurant. With a small menu of sandwiches, pie, soup, cornbread, and meat. The ham sandwich is served warm with their famous relish on a simple soft bun. The bean soup has white beans and pork. It is very simple and yummy!! The cornbread is served warm and goes perfect with the soup. They serve kettle chips from a local company that are very good. The owners of Taggarts recently bought this historical BBQ joint! They extended the hours so now they are open on the weekends. The place is full of locals. A lot of ppl order meat to take home. So feel free to call in orders for some really tender and tasty meat. The restaurant is very small, but do not let that stop you from trying out their very good meat. The only reason I am giving it 4/5 is because the sandwiches are kind of smaller in comparison to the serving sizes that are often provided in similar local restaurants. read more

I Had the turkey sandwich and it was fabulous! The employees were so helpful and even willing to get photos of us out front. If you can't make up your mind about what to order, get the mini sliders. read more

Three stars could be a stretch on this one, and I'll give it that mostly because it's an independently owned place, it has an old school cool vibe, and it's clean. I had the bean soup for a starter, and it was hot and freshly made. I had to salt and pepper it up quite a bit, but it was a decent, warm bowl of goodness on a cold day. I got a pulled pork sandwich to follow up and it was okay. Way too salty for my taste, which was a big contrast with the soup. Anyhow, I'll go back sometime to try them again. Today may have been an off day. Cheers. read more

A little hometown gem! Be sure to try the beef brisket---it was fabulous!

Lived in the Canton area for 60 years now, and always knew this place was here, but never tried it. I went there 3 weeks ago to try it out and found out that there is no barbeque here! When I go to a BBQ place, I expect to smell the smoke from the BBQ pit or smoker. None of that here. Menu has about 12 items total. I chose the pulled pork sandwich. I watched the waitress go into the tiny kitchen, open a refrigerator, scoop out the pulled pork, and they must microwave it because she brought my sandwich about a minute later. I wonder where they get this pork from, because it isn't made here. No fries or anything else to go with the sandwich. I heard the waitress tell another customer that they don't have a deep fryer. I could have gotten a bag of chips, but just had the sandwich and a Pepsi. Very, very disappointing. read more

I love Kennedy's Bar-B-Que! I am a frequent diner and I really like all of their sandwiches. The ham with relish is amazing! They smoke their own meats and they are high quality. The smoked turkey is my favorite and my daughter loves their pulled pork. Highly recommend this place! read more

If you are stuck in this God forsaken city like me and it's lunch time, you must try this place! Kennedy's is tasty, unique & classic.

We went here at the suggestion of someone from the city's CVB who knew of my affection for great local joints. She promised me the sandwiches would "Knock my socks off", and Kennedy's didn't disappoint. The homemade spicy, cabbage-based relish was a nice touch, and I'm glad our server insisted on bringing us some to try when she found out we hadn't been here before. The place was, as someone else mentioned here, full of locals, which I always take as a good sign. Better yet, the place had its own little smokehouse out back, so we knew it had the possibility of being a real winner before we even walked through the door. Lunch of nicely moist and spicy pulled pork sandwiches and ice tea for two was filling and definitely priced right! $13.50 for two. I also liked the back story of how the owner of another long-time local restaurant bought Kennedy's after the owner's death, thus saving a local restaurant open since the 1920s from closing. read more

Enjoyed lunch here and was pleasantly surprised. Walking in the door, it is a small, quaint place with a great atmosphere. Retro product ads, lunch counter and an old milkshake blender meet the eye. Menu is very simple. I got the lunch special $8 for a pork sandwich, soup (I got the ham and bean) and a drink. I also got two corn muffins for .75. Husband for a pork slider and it was pretty large itself. My meal, which I cut in half and ate the soup... which is FABULOUS. It was a white bean soup with a large amount of ham in it. Lunch for two days for $8. I think pork slider was like 2.75. It was very reasonable and we will definitely be back!! You can see why they have been around forever! Thanks!! read more

Not impressed at all, my first time there and always heard how great the food was and was I so disappointed! The ham on the sandwich was sliced thin, if I wanted thinly cut ham I would have gone to the grocery store. Bean soup was bland, no seasoning the same thinly sliced ham was then added to the bean soup and wasn't even cut into pieces. The relish is horrible and over powered the sandwich, I had to scrape it off the sandwich to just taste the ham. The relish is thick and gritty. read more

The only thing that's BBQ here is the pulled pork, which was ok. Chili was bland. Rolls were basically supermarket brand hamburger rolls. Not sure why it's not just called Kennedy's sandwiches. read more

Great neighborhood joint that does everything right. Smoked meats, homemade relish, Troyer's pies. Delish every time we go.

A fairly simple menu, but what they have is good. We'd give this a higher rating but for lack of diversity on the menu. Pros: staff was very friendly and accommodating; gave some excellent recommendations. Very close to highway and right next to a park. Pie and soup obviously homemade and delicious! Cons: very small, hard to sit a group of more than 4. Would have been nice if there were more options for BBQ sauce and ribs (no ribs, a surprise at a BBQ joint). No high chairs or booster seats. read more

It's a small place, but people are friendly and the service and food are good. I had the grilled cheese with relish; and although it sounded like an unusual combination it was actually good. If you're visiting the Pro Football Hall of Fame, this is a nice spot to have lunch. read more

At long last, I finally made my way to the Kennedy BBQ. Having lived in Stark County forever, I had heard about this place most of my life, but for whatever reason, I never made it down there. I think a big reason is because it's a "lunch only" place, that keeps lunch only hours (although that just changed). Regardless, I was heading downtown for something, so I popped it into the GPS, and voila, there it was. It's not exactly in the middle of nowhere, as would be hard in a downtown setting, but it's certainly off the main drag. On the corner of 7th street and the street that runs parallel with Monument Park. Once you get inside, it's small. Like three booths, two tables, and a bar... small. While it's not ideal, I think that's part of it's old school charm. You could very easily picture yourself in 1950, and this place would foot the bill. Anyways, on to the food. I had never been before, so I asked the gentleman working the counter what he suggested. He said either the pulled pork with relish on a soft bun; or the ham sandwich with cheese and yellow mustard. He also said the bean soup was good. So, I went with his suggestion and got the pork sammy and a cup of the white bean soup. The sandwich came out stacked to the ceiling with meat, on a soft bun. On top of that was the relish, which I still can't come up with a way to accurately describe other than that it was very tasty. Sweet, tangy, and a good texture. The meat was tender, decent flavor. About halfway through I decided to add their BBQ sauce, which was also good. The soup was white bean, and it had ham in it as well. It doesn't hold up to my absolute favorite (Boom boom bean soup - Top of the Viaduct in Massillon) but still pretty good none the less. I got a Dr. Pepper from the fountain as well. Service was fast and friendly. The only knock I would have if there was a complaint would be price. For lunch, which was a sandwich, cup of soup, and a soda, it came to $10 and some change. After a $3 tip, you're looking over $13 for lunch, which in my opinion is a little high, especially seeing as this is really nothing more than a greasy spoon/diner. Overall, it was certainly a solid meal for lunch, and all things considered I would probably go back again if I was in the area. read more

Went to the Pro Football HOF and left wanting something local. My husband wanted BBQ so Yelped to find Kennedy BarBQ. When we pulled up there was only one other car there and we were concerned. Went on in and found gracious service and very good food for a reasonable price. I had the ham sandwich and a chocolate malt, thick and yummy. My hubby had pulled pork and bean soup with cornbread muffins-2 for .75. Very good! I asked to try the relish since I didn't get any with my meal and am glad I did. Unique and terrific! Wanted to take some home but it needed to be refrigerated and we were traveling on to Cleveland. Would highly recommend. Don't run away from the small, unimpressive outside- GO IN and eat! Great experience! read more

Really yummy and cheap! Only bad part for me was no sweet tea. Pulled pork sandwich was great! 1/2 lb of pork with relish and sauce for 4.90! Chili was $3 and Mac salad was $2! Enjoyed it all! Have fun coming here! Small place, but yummy food! read more

After visiting the Football Hall of Fame needed a nearby place for lunch. My nephew liked the option for barbecue so we found Kennedy's in YELP. Ran into a regular as we were walking in; he'd been coming for 40 years. It was easy to find, an unassuming building until you pull into the parking lot and can see the meat smokers. Service was very friendly and quick for a party of 5. Lunch special was very reasonable. Pulled pork was very tender; you could add as much or as little sauce. Corn bread was awesome. Macaroni salad was very good. Be sure to use the relish! It adds an unexpected kick! Great find! Thank you fellow Yelpers. read more

Great pulled pork sandwiches and Michael ALWAYS provides excellent customer service. You have to be a little patient if it's busy but it's worth it. Great little restaraunt. You gotta give it a try. read more

Kennedys is an institution in Canton, Ohio and well worth the trip if your in the area! Great food, service, in a quaint cozy environment. Yum! read more

Delicious food. The relish is outstanding and the manager, Michael, was so kind and helpful.

Pork was dry, soup was awesome, relish was also good. I may give it a second try.