Susan N.

We stopped by Papa Bear's food truck for a quick dinner and we were pretty happy with everything. The three meat combo fed the two of us and we were both really full afterwards. You get a good portion of each meat. The pulled pork had lots of flavor and it was still very juicy. Not dry at all. I typically avoid pulled pork because I don't really like shredded meat but I kept going back for more. Sausage had decent flavor, not our favorite, but had a good snap to it. The brisket was tender and flavorful. Our favorite of the three. Amazing on its own and with the bbq sauces they offered. Their sauces were pretty good -- our favorite was the spicy bbq. They had a classic bbq, spicy bbq and a Texas gold which was mustard forward. We liked all three. The sides were fine -- beans were salty in my opinion. Potato salad was good but we didn't like the huge chunks of potatoes.. and Mac had a good cheese sauce. We will consider getting more meat next time and try different sides.

Art H.

1/17/25 Sorry for the delayed post there was no Verizon service in AJ the day of our visit. Back after nearly a year from our last visit and a name change? Parking 5/5 No problem finding a place to park in their postage stamp sized and often full parking lot. First observation approaching the restaurant and getting out of our vehicle is what appears to be a nice new restaurant signage "Texas BBQ". Atmosphere 5/5 Very small and simple dining area with limited tables which are challenging to score during lunch and dinner rush hours. It is clean and organized with order staff delivery which is nice. Food 5/5 The Bread & Butter attraction for the restaurant is their signature smoked Brisket and sausage. Today were ordered the sausage sandwich and the brisket sandwich both with coleslaw and my brisket basket side also included the smoked Mac & cheese. My wife like her sausage sandwich but agreed she is sticking with the brisket next visit. I enjoyed the brisket however the smoked Mac & Cheese was disappointing. It wasn't anything like my last visit lacking any notes of smoke and the cheese was thick and clumpy which over-powered the pallet.,aside from lacking smoke flavor it appeared to be an aging batch. My next visit I'll opt for the backed beans. Service 5/5 Rating is based on a counter ordered staff delivered meal to table. Staff is always helpful and friendly. To be fair, today wasn't the OMGosh Becky experience we enjoyed during our last visit. To balance my personal disappointment was my observation of the huge rush of faithful customers which makes statement of satisfaction. You be the judge. Brisket or not to Brisket my Fiends-SYOY. Art

Dolores D.

Really good food. We got the sampler and upgraded the sides to pints. The mac and cheese is really good. The potato salad was okay. The fries are yummy. All the meats were delicious. The staff is really nice. Hope they build another location closer to Phoenix.

Kim R.

Small place, at one end there is counter seating and 4 tables. Other end has all counter seating. Menu is on the wall as you walk in the door (picture not great). Right away we noticed several items were sold out (by 6:30pm) pulled pork, smoked turkey, hot sausage links and corn bread. That's the reason for 4 stars. Food had a nice smoked flavor, not too heavy and Brisket was tender. You order at the counter and then they call you up. Banana pudding was average not many bananas. Open 11am to 8pm Tuesday thru Saturday closed Sunday and Monday. Might return only go earlier for a better selection.

McKinzie S.

YUM! Amazing food and quick service. We were also able to purchase bee pollen granules. Definitely worth the stop!

Mary C.

Papa Bears Texas BBQ serves delicious & moist bbq meats with deep smoked flavours. Meats are slow cooked to Texas style. Side are house made and also excellent. We had the Pappa Bears Samples (4 meats and 3 sides). The pull pork and brisket are the stand outs. For the sides, I loved the mac and cheese (so creamy and cheesy). The sampler feed 3 people comfortably. We also ordered a side of the fully loaded fries and it was good but hard to take from the plate when the cheese cools off and sticks together. Service was friendly and helpful. Place your order at the counter and give them your name if you wish to eat in. The eat in area is clean and contemporary and seats for about 22 people. I noticed lots of take outs.

Brianne G.

Let me start off by saying I am bias. Lol I have lived in Tennessee previously and the BBQ there can't really compete with anything here in AZ. I also have two BBQ places here that almost match up and they are my go to spots. I wanted to put that out there so you understand my frame of mind for this BBQ joint. I recently moved to south AJ/Eastmark area so I was excited to try something new close by my new home. I saw a IG reel about this place so I hopped in my car and took a little drive up to it. The ambiance: When you first come up to this place, it is right off a main road. Minimal parking and looks to be a quaint mom and pop shop (which are my favorite.) When I walked in, I noticed how small it was. Do not plan on coming here with a large group unless you're taking it to go! I took pics of how it is laid out. The decor was fitting for a BBQ place.. the music was like 90s rock which was kinda interesting. They had two bathrooms, 2 tables seating 4 each, 2 tables for 2, and two "bar tops" for lack of a better term. Everything appears new and very clean. The service: The staff here is phenomenal. They are kind, attentive and helpful when it comes to helping you choose what to get. They always seemed busy, cleaning, organizing and they genuinely loved their jobs. The food: Even though I came solo, I decided to take my food to go. I ordered the lean brisket place with mac and cheese and potato salad. It also comes with some white bread which I appreciated as that's what TN served with their BBQ (I assume TX BBQ too) The BBQ sauce was flavorful, not spicy or sweet just BBQ. I am not sure if they have more BBQ flavor offerings - I will have to ask next time. The BBQ tasted good and the meat as well. They pepper their brisket so I had to get used to that. Next time I'm going to go half lean half fatty or all fatty to see if I like it better. I gave the meat & sauce a 7.5 out of 10. I will also probably get slaw next time as I forgot to have them add it on my order! The potato salad was delicious. I gave that a 8 out of 10. The mac and cheese was also very tasty I give that about a 8.5 out of 10. Overall, if you're looking for good BBQ close by, don't hesitate to swing by and give Papa Bears a try. I usually have some wishlist ideas for the owners of establishments after I try them out and rate them but this is my first time in a long time where I didn't see any issues what so ever. Owners/management are doing a great job!

Dean B.

Worth the drive! I've been to dozens of BBQ places in the metro, this is near the top of the list across the board. The building is a bit of a hole in the wall in the middle of nowhere...actually, it's across the street from the middle of nowhere. You can make a side quest in the area for some nice hiking before or after. Google that shit, there are some trails out there almost as gorgeous as my wife. Three kinds of sausage links, Smoked, Hot Link, and Jalapeño Cheddar. All good and if you're just getting one, go for Jalapeño. I'd pass on the beans next time but the slaw and cornbread were good. The Mac & Cheese was fantastic! The Baby Back Ribs were a little undercooked but super flavorful. Brisket (mix of moist and lean) was outstanding. Pulled Pork was very good. The highlight and surprise was the Smoked Turkey. Perhaps the best I've ever had, flavorful and as juicy as could be. They feature two very good BBQ sauces, a sweet tomato-based sauce and a mustard based Gold sauce. Gold on the turkey was *Chef's Kiss* and sweet red on Baby Backs was very nice. I like the pork and brisket like I like my wife - totally naked. They sell their rub and red sauce. I bought a bottle of rub to use on my next cook at home. Counter service only and nice people. Beware there's not much seating, so come and wait, come early, or come late. They don't have any chicken so don't be a chicken, make a trip to Apache Junction for some great BBQ. And don't bother telling them I sent you, I don't get paid for this.

Alan B.

I've been wanting to come here for a while now. Another yelpers pictures got it for me. I came by and got the brisket plate which comes with 2 sides, I chose Mac n cheese and coleslaw. I also got a loaded fries with brisket and jalapeños. Way more food than I could eat! The woman taking the order was really nice, and the people coming in for their food were all really nice! I must've ate my brisket in the wrong order cause it was torture for me lol. I started with the extremely moist to dry, I should have done it the other way around. I sadly didn't get to eat much of my loaded fries because I was super full!! But I did take them home to go. Their brisket is really good here, no sauce needed! I'll definitely be coming back for the grizzly sandwich I think it was called...

Excellent Texas BBQ. Stopped for a late lunch at about 2:00 on a Friday and the small dining area was half full. We both had the Turkey Sandwich which was piled high with four thick slabs of tender fall-apart turkey breast on a squishy brioche bun. I opted for the table-side BBQ sauce rather than the white horseradish sauce it usually comes with. The beans with chilis and just-like-Mom-made potato salad side dishes were very tasty. We ordered at the counter and the meals came in 5 or 10 minutes. Not a lot of atmosphere in the limited seating area that consists of 4 sit down tables and a short hightop counter.There may be outdoor seating (?) but there weren't any tables on the covered porch. Fairly nondescript from the busy street with limited parking, so keep your eyes open when you try it.

Bruce A.

WHAT A GREAT MEAL.... our 1st visit to Texas BBQ (aka: Papa Bears BBQ) Nice indoor seating, friendly staff, and excellent Sausage and Brisket Plates. We enjoyed the taste and will be back often. Thanks!

Steve D.

This business started as a Texas BBQ food truck, but recently expanded to add this brick-and-mortar location, which offered fast, friendly service and a small dining area during my dine-in late lunch visit. My beef brisket plate ($16.95) was brought to my table just a few minutes after I ordered at the counter. It was generously sized with meat, two sides, onions, pickles and two slices of white bread. Two sauces were available at the tables (regular and Texas mustard), but I also heard they have spicy BBQ sauce available upon request. The brisket was somewhat greasy, the pinto beans were pretty basic, and the bread was somewhat stale. I did, however, like the slaw and the pickles. I found the dining area to be clean and basic with background music coming from the kitchen. They also offered a few bottled beers. Overall, A-OK.