red bee bbq seems to have a lot of regulars, and i can see why. the service is so friendly and…read morefast, and it's a great price for bbq! there's not much seating indoors or outdoors, but it seems like most people take their food to-go. my boyfriend ordered a lunch special, which comes with a meat and two sides, with smoked beef brisket, mac & cheese, and fried rice. i ordered a 2 meats and 2 sides combo, with pork ribs, pulled pork, corn bread, and crazy corn.
- smoked beef brisket (2/5): this was a chopped brisket, and most of the pieces were very small and soft. some of the bigger pieces were a little chewy, and the brisket didn't taste fresh. it was more like a pot roast or braised beef than brisket. it was marinated in a sweet bbq sauce, which i would've preferred less sweet, and i thought there was too much of it. it was a good and filling serving though
- pulled pork (3.5/5): better than the brisket! but it also didn't taste very fresh. it was juicy and tender and marinated in a more smoky and salty bbq sauce, which i liked better
- pork ribs (3.5/5): not fall-off-the-bone like ribs should be but more tender than i expected! the flavor was somewhat in between the pulled pork and beef brisket, with a sweet bbq sauce on top of a peppery and savory rub. i did think it needed more sauce, so i asked for an extra cup of bbq sauce on the side. the ribs were pretty big and meaty!
- mac & cheese (2/5): honestly just an okay mac & cheese. it wasn't really that flavorful or cheesy, and it probably could've used a little more salt. the consistency was a little runny
- fried rice (2.5/5): like fried rice you would get from panda express. it wasn't bad - just a little flavorless and an option if you wanted to eat your meat over rice. i thought it was nice to mute the strong flavor of the brisket a bit. i did like how moist it was
- corn bread (4/5): one of the best items on the plate! i liked the sweetness and flavor from the cornmeal, although it was a little too sweet for my preference. it was also a little dry, like a dense cake. it would've been great warm
- crazy corn (4/5): a very classic elote! the amount of mayo and chili on the corn was perfect. my only complaint was that the corn wasn't the freshest, and it didn't come out very hot
red bee bbq is definitely not a traditional bbq restaurant - it's an asian-owned fast food bbq joint, and the food reflects that. it doesn't even come close to the best bbq we've ever had, but it's extremely affordable and the portion sizes are great. and besides, the staff is so kind! i generally like beef brisket over any other bbq meat, but i would definitely recommend the pulled pork over brisket here. just don't come with any expectations, and the food will satisfy.