Excellent, got half rack of ribs, brisket, and fried chicken. For me my brother and mom. Ended up getting another half rack. Got mac n cheese coleslaw cornbread mashed potato and greens(were also immaculate). Service was great and food came in under 10 minutes. Drove half hour for this place and always is excellent. Decor is a little dated but adds to the southern charm. read more

I've been all over the country and visited a lot of BBQ joint and though you cannot beat the places in the south this is the next best thing. I would say they are a mix between Southern and Memphis style bbq. The ribs are awesome and the sauce they make is really good. The sides are also a highlight of the menu. Especially the onion rings, beans and dirty rice. For the price you can't beat it. I also love the kind of dive bar atmosphere you get when walking in. Love that they don't go the traditional new age modern look but keep it like you're walking into a bar down south. read more

The food is great, the beer selection is awesome and the waitstaff are friendly. What more can you really ask for in a place. I take all my friends here when they first come to Davis and sure enough this turns out to be their regular bar as well. I really don't think there is a better bar in Davis Square. read more

Redbones is an interesting establishment. The decor is almost creepy with low lighting. In other words, it does not resemble a BBQ restaurant. The food is sub par. The dry rib rub appears to only be on the ribs for added context, not really for the flavor. There are four sauces, but none of them are really that great. I would rather one amazing sauce rather than multiple mediocre sauces. To be honest, here in the northeast it must be pretty good judging by the crowd size, but Redbones wouldn't survive a week in the south. The price was also fairly steep. On the plus side, the sausage and cornbread were good. The fried pickles and jalapenos were also good...but, then again, kind of hard to mess up throwing things into a fryer. The food would receive only 2 stars, but the have 33oz beers. How can you go wrong with one of those!? They also have a surprisingly vast beer selection. But, they don't have bud light on draft! And, you call yourselves a BBQ restaurant!? read more

Oh, man, I love this place. I'm a HUGE fan of ribs and all shaved meats so this is totally the place for me. Go with one of the combos (I like the St. Louis Ribs & Whatever), you won't be disappointed. My one complaint is that the ribs aren't saucy enough. I don't know if it's cuz I always order the wrong style, but I like the kind that are slathered in BBQ sauce and, like, dripping with it. Other than that, it's amazing! read more

Recently got take away from here. I called, chatted with the girl for a bit, she put me on hold one, apologized profusely for having done so when she got back on the line, and took my order. I got a parking spot right out front, the food was done in 15 minutes (the lower end of the estimate she'd given me after my order was placed) and I was headed home. I also now have tons of little tupperware containers cause of the slaw and beans! Bonus! It's a bit pricey for me to eat here often, but it's a nice treat. I am always really satisfied with the food, and service. read more

Redbones continues to have lines out the door on almost every night of the week. Places that suck usually do not have people lining up outside, drooling. This is just far enough off the beaten path to discourage hordes of tourists and Duck Boat dropouts so the folks waiting, hopefully, know what they are in for. The food quality seems to have been taken into consideration, thankfully, the sauces are full of life once again. The pulled pork is juicy, the baby back ribs smoked just right and the potato salad is fap-tastic. Service is a pain the ass. I mean, for the servers. This place gets packed, if you sit on the bar side upstairs, wear a helmet and be prepared to fight for adjoining barstools. But, stand your ground. Tip well, and be nice to the barkeeps and you will be rewarded with kindness and extra sauce upon request. read more

With 750+ reviews, Redbones hardly needs another, but after two visits, I'm compelled to add my opinion to the mix. During both visits, I enjoyed excellent service and good food, making this a reliable and acceptable barbecue joint. The fried pickles and jalapeños offered as an appetizer are a tasty, if not unnecessary, way to start off a meal (though, honestly, the smaller pickles that dominated my first order were preferable to the larger cuts prevalent during my second visit). For entrees, I've tried both the pulled pork sandwich and the fried catfish sandwich, both of which were quite satisfying. The pulled pork was tender and infused with an excellent mix of spices while the catfish was fried perfectly in a batter that didn't try to mask the fish's delicate flavor. I ordered the former as a plate while opting for the "solo" option for the latter, and a decision I ultimately regretted as I was still hungry after finishing the sandwich. Considering the quality sides that accompanied the pulled pork sandwich, I was disappointed that much more by my choice. Don't repeat my mistake unless, of course, you're certain you will be too full to try even a small sample of the sides a plate includes. The first floor's decor is reminiscent of Southern barbecue restaurants I've visited, but descending to the lower level, you would be forgiven for thinking you've entered a different restaurant bedecked in a hippie surfer motif. Thankfully, having two levels allows this extremely-popular restaurant to reasonably accommodate the capacity crowds it regularly attracts. To this point, almost any time I pass Chester Street on a weekend, there are people waiting out front for tables. Should you find yourself in the area with a barbecue craving and some patience, a visit to Redbones is well-advised. read more

Best bbq in the area for sure. I love their fried pickles and their mac and cheese is one of my favorites. You can go wrong with the baby back ribs but i also liked their pulled pork. Their beer selection is also diverse and the downstairs part has a really cool vibe with all the artwork. Definitely a good choice if youre looking for good food at a good price (and who isnt?) read more

In Davis Square and craving a really huge platter of meat and/or some passable flan? Do it here. Great place for groups.

frankly i think i would give this place 5 stars on the waitress alone. she ROCKED, and we were a table of 9. was suuuuper knowledgeable about beer selection, was very clear about the different types of ribs, made sure we were well-watered, well-fed, well-sauced, and well-cleaned. accommodated requests to have sides put on separate plates, gave us re-heating instructions, and brought us extra sauces (and extra salsa for me!) to take home. that, and the food was great. i've always thought ribs weren't really a thing a pseudo-kosher jew like myself could indulge in, but was pleasantly surprised to find their texas beef ribs, which were freakin fantastic. that, and i sided it with mac and cheese (hence the separate plates - now you understand what i mean about pseudo-kosher), fried okra, and crispy potatoes. did the "meat and three" so all that was only 16 bones, the beer was reasonable at $5 (mmmm punkin beer), and i've got enough in leftovers for lunch tomorrow. rock this shaz. stat. read more

I'm obsessed with this place! The service was so friendly and welcoming and the food was delicious. I was dancing in my seat, the whole meal. The smoked brisket, Mac n cheese and mashed potatoes were amazing. I also really enjoyed the fried jalapeños and collard greens. Very highly recommended Redbones! read more

This is just a fun place! And not half bad bbq either! I have always enjoyed going here. For newbies, I highly recommend sitting back by the kitchen window... they are known to pitch you some free tasty morsels at the bar back there. I love the beer, the fritters and the molasses-y sweet sauce. The missing fifth star... not traditional baked beans and dry brisket in my experience. That hasn't stopped me from going back again and again though! read more

Yum! Tried this for the first time today, and was very pleased. We just moved to the area and have been on the lookout for some finger-lickin' barbecue. Some tips: - Ask for the 4 BBQ sauce flavors so you can try them all when you order the AMAZING pulled pork sandwich. I don't even care for pork, but I was scarfing down my husband's delish sandwich the whole meal. I will order that next time for sure. - Look for the specials because you can get a good amount of food for a little bit cheaper than the more pricey main entree - Get a beer there. The options are endless. I wasn't super hungry, so I got the Mac and Cheese, which was pretty standard. Not bad, not amazing. But that's not what this place is about. Looking forward to going back for some ribs! read more

As a few other reviewers noted, Redbones is overrated BBQ. Fried okra was tasteless, pulled pork was bland, with a mushy consistency (I think because they included a lot of the globby fat that is left in pork butt or shoulder after slow cooking). Even their BBQ sauces were bland! I know it's New England, but really -- we can do better than this. For better BBQ head to Blue Ribbon in Newton or Arlington or Bison County on Moody St. in Waltham. read more

I really wanted to like this place especially since I was craving for some fried chicken and okra (especially after seeing the movie The Help). I've tried Blue Ribbon in Arlington, but that was sub par when it comes to BBQ. So I went to Redbones in Somerville because a friend recommended it. First off, my husband and I went for lunch. It seems the menu is the same for lunch and dinner. When you first walk into this place, you get the feeling that this place is going to seem gritty and old looking inside and I was right. The other thing that stands out is the horrible loud music they got playing. Anyway, my husband ordered the pulled pork sandwich plate with 2 sides and I ordered the fried chicken with okra and mashed potatoes. The fried chicken was not as crispy as I had hoped and the okra was just OK as fried. I was hoping that the okra was going to be fried in corn meal, but that was not the case. My husband's pulled pork was average tasting. At least they didn't cover it in BBQ sauce or liquid smoke like I've tasted in other places. The 2 sides he ordered were the worst; coleslaw with no taste and limp onion rings. Why has this place remained open since the eighties??Maybe it is because of its location among young people. All I know is I won't be back. FYI, the other thing I noticed is the the ribs are around $20.00 per plate which isn't cheap even for this place. At least if there is no ambiance, at least provide good food!! read more

Hot, spicy, savory, mouth-watering barbeque! Great place to take an out-of-towner. It kicks Blue Ribbon's ass!

I want to preface this review by saying that I went on the day the groupon expired, and so did everyone else apparently... slackers. I got to Redbones at dinner time and was greeted with a line out the door. I was told there would be a 90 minute wait, but then realized there were actually two people take separate lists of reservations (not sure how that works). The bar area is first come, first serve, and so I hung out there until I found a few seats to sit in. They were actually facing the wall, not at the bar and after looking around for an elusive menu, I finally had to ask the couple next to us to borrow theirs. Once we were ready to order, I had to wait again and flag down an employee only to be told that he would not take our order and we must ask the bartender. I would like to see him try to yell an order to a bartender in a packed tiny little room. Fortunately, we tried to flag down another employee, and a very nice girl (I think her name was Kara) took our order for us and entered it into the bartender's computer. She even came by afterwards to check on us, even though she wasn't "technically" our server. People like that really make a great restaurant experience! Our drinks and food came pretty quickly. The Celts Green Margarita was delicious! The hushpuppies should probably be removed from the menu as it is not so good. The corn fritters tasted like a funnel cake and the ribs were just so-so. The standout for sure was the pulled chicken sandwich. The beans were bland and the fries were average. I would consider coming back for drinks, but probably not for food. read more

Meh. My friends had been hearing great things about this spot for a long time, so we tried it out. While the ribs were well-cooked and there was a lovely smoke ring, they and the rest of the food were severely underseasoned. The rub just wasn't up to par. The jerk beef, albeit good (and a little too spicy), wasn't authentically Jamaican. The greens weren't seasoned at all. The fried fish, however, was exceptional. If this is the best barbeque Boston has to offer, I'd skip it... read more

This is the place to get BBQ around the Boston area. All of their meat is fantastic and the atmosphere is great. Basically a wanna be dive bar that serves small batch bourbon, craft brews and really good BBQ. Is it the greatest BBQ I have ever had... no, but its awesome for New England. The only knock I have on this place is the coleslaw kinda sucks, just not my style. read more

I would have given this place a negative star if it had existed. Redbones is absolutely horrible! If there were BBQ police, this place would be due for a raid. Never, and I mean never go here! The meat had no flavor and the BBQ sauces did nothing to save the lack luster slabs of meat on my plate. The place should be ashamed to call itself a BBQ joint. If the owners of this place are reading, you should do us all a favor. Either get a new chief that knows something about BBQ, or pack it up and close the doors. Unless this place changes, it has no business serving BBQ. read more

As a vegetarian my experience at Red Bones is much different but it is still a solid choice. You can definitely eat well here as a vegetarian there are salads, a mushroom and a veggie burger, and so many yummy sides. My favorites are the mac and cheese, the fried okra, the free corn bread, and the corn fritters. The beer choices are always solid. The atmosphere can be a little chaotic at times. My favorite spot is a seat at the downstairs bar were it feels a little more sane. read more

Not only is this place the best BBQ you'll get in Boston, but it's also the coolest joint to eat it too! Cool artwork, fun and friendly wait staff, and if you're lucky enough to sit at the counter they usually give you some free food! We also ordered delivery from them last night, and there was a slight mixup that left us with twice the amount of food that we ordered. We only paid for one portion, and we'll be eating the best BBQ all weekend. We love you Redbones!!!! read more

Redbones has been one of my all time favorites for well over ten years. Never once had a bad experience. Great food, great people, great service, great times! read more

Great spot for the carnivore and authentic BBQ lover. Yeah, the pulled pork, all the ribs, the chicken wings, the catfish, even the pot likker. Large portions for hearty eaters. Excellent beer selection, decent margaritas too. The staff are sharp and easy going, the atmosphere funky and way casual. A favorite with the college crowd. Deliveries via bike is cool. These guys are great community supporters, donating time/food/space to all kinds of local needs. read more

Have the Caribbean jerk steak sandwich and thank me later. It gave me a 109th bone in my body. The atmosphere is great an lively, the decor is trendy, and the beer selection is top notch. They have delerium tremens and nocturnum, which is important. read more

This place is raved about but unless you plan/love eating lots of meat, this place is alright. The concept of the place is great. The bbq is good but not the best I've had. If you are in the area, you should check it out for it's popularity. read more

Delicious! I've only been twice but both times I couldn't wait to return! Friendly and attentive staff, cozy environment and food and drinks were perfect! read more

I'm in town from California and I was looking for some southern food. Unfortunately, this place lacks all of its soul. I ordered through door dash and I only received two chicken strips with my dinner that was so spicy I couldn't eat it and the ribs were over cooked and I never received my bbq sauce, napkins or utensils. I requested my money back from door dash. read more

This place is great! The building is a little hard to find, but worth the adventure. Once you walk in you have a few different areas to sit. It's small and a little cramped but the food and drink make up for it. The beer selection is amazing for a BBQ joint. Didn't look at the mixed or wine list but folks, were here for BBQ and beer! Now the BBQ was amazing. We got a mix of all they have to offer. The Texas style ribs were spot on! I lived in texas for 3 years and learned what real BBQ is, and if it's cooked with anything but smoke and takes less then 8 hours, it's not real BBQ. But the BBQ here was great. Just about as good as your going to get for "real" BBQ in the area. The prices were alright but if your going to get BBQ you should expect to pay a little money to get it. All in all it's a great place for BBQ and I will be going back time and time again. read more

yeah, i know this place has over 800 reviews. not like mine's gonna change things here. still, this needs to be said. the salt lick in austin is not better than this place. i'm sure nobody would agree with me. but, sorry salt lick is all hype, imho. plus, this place has awesome beer on tap, a fact salt lick can do nothing about. anyway, the bbq is very good, esp considering this is new england. the place itself is very cool and oddly enough, i've seen some very attractive women here ... again, esp considering this is new england. oh and wow, sneaky good nachos! wasn't expecting that. do not overlook 'em on your next trip, as they're not traditionally associated with bbq. read more

After months of wanting to, I finally went there last week and the food is as good, if not better, than my already high expectations. The atmosphere is really good - high energy and very unpretentious. The service is superb - our waitress was very knowledgeable, friendly and changed our order without any fuss when there was a misunderstanding. But the food - OMG. That is the high point of this place. The ribs are so well seasoned that you don't need bbq sauce and the meat simply falls off the bone. And the fried catfish is out of this world. These guys know their deep frying. It tastes just as good the next day, cold out of the fridge. And yes - the portion are enormous - I think you'll always need a doggy bag. read more

Redbones is obviously an amazing establishment. A hole-in-the-wall that you have to visit at least once. Unfortunately, I am allergic to gluten and all of their sauces have wheat in them and I was a bit underwhelmed by the sausage (as to be expected at a BBQ joint). The atmosphere is great and the staff was very helpful and friendly. read more

We sat downstairs had a great atmosphere play good music the service was good and the food was excellent

It was a Wednesday night, not crowded at all, 8 of us arrived slightly after 6pm and sat upstairs. I ordered the barbecue belt, no substitute as I check to see if I can avoid the beef rib, not a fan of beef rib in general. The belt had briskets, sausage, 2 St.louis rib, 2 baby back ribs, and one beef rib, plus two sides. When the plate arrives, it all looked good. But look is deceiving, everything was dry except the sausage. The brisket was falling apart line dried speckles, and both style pork ribs texture are like jerky. I didn't even try the beef rib but my friend who ordered the same dish said it was dry also. It could be we were the first set of dinner crowd so the meat may have been sitting out but it still cost the same as someone else's later order. I'm very disappointed. At this point, I like Blue Ribbon BBQ way better than Redbones. read more

We've been going here for years and while the food is always good, the orders are always wrong. For example, we got take out this time and ordered a jerk chicken, and was given a beer can chicken (?) definitely not jerk. We also asked for Louisiana style ribs and got baby back, or something else, no Louisiana style. We specifically requested every sauce, and only got the medium, in three different containers. This is like the third time they have gotten every aspect of our order wrong. Again, very tasty, wrong order. If you're okay with gambling with getting the right food, this place will be fine for you, but for the amount we pay, I'd like for someone to check the order at least once! read more

It's rowdy. The waiters are no nonsense, and you get your food fast. Go for the ribs. They are delicious. You get cornbread free with every order. Not bad. And, they have local home brewed beer. You must try the Cisco Whaler Pale Tale Ale. Bomb. A place to gather with a group of friends and eat meat. I'd go back for sure, but only if I was in the mood. read more

Red bones is definitely one of my favorite places to go out for dinner. Yea, it's crowded cuz it's AWESOME! And the noise? All part of the ambience for me! In my opinion, it's best to wait an extra 5 or 10 minutes for a table downstairs. The atmosphere is so different that it's like an entirely different restaurant. As for the food, everything I have had there was great. I found my favorite thing, though, and pretty much stick to it every single time I go there: sliced brisket sandwich with hot sauce and a dark and stormy. Mmmmm! Their beers are really good too but I can never seem to deny the dark and stormies. On two occasions my boyfriend and I have ordered food over the phone. The second time they accidentally gave us someone else's meal entirely, but the manager apologized and told us to keep the food plus he sent us our correct order AND comped it on my credit card! Still I am definitely going to stick to dining in, it's a good time if you bring a good crowd and aren't the type who likes to keep their fingers clean. read more

i cannot count how many places in this city you can find a good casked brew, but this is one of em. i had the fried catfish about a month ago with their cask brew, and my friend had the fried oyster po'boy. good god. i love fried southern fare. had a little siracha going too, a lil mixing of cuisines, but who's paying attention. read more

It may sound like blasphemy, but I am actually not a huge fan of the ribs at redbones. However, I love pretty much everything else about this place. Their beer selection is phenomenal! They always have great and interesting beers on tap. The tend to have a couple of duds on the list (Heineken, Pabst Blue Ribbon, really?), so whatever you do, don't spin the wheel. On the food menu the appetizers are nice and the pulled pork and hash are fantastic. Portions are all very generous, so just stick with the sandwich versions rather than the full dinner plates. Also, how can you not love a place that puts on their own Oktoberfest street fair? read more