I waddled into this barbecue place like a hungry bear that had just discovered a buffet and the smell of smoked meat hit me so hard my stomach practically started cheering. I sat down, opened the menu, and immediately realized ordering one thing would be a tragedy, so I decided to sample basically the entire menu like some kind of extremely enthusiastic barbecue scientist. First I ordered ribs--multiple racks, not just one--and the waiter raised an eyebrow like he was watching a nature documentary about an unusually determined animal. When the ribs arrived they were shiny with sauce and smelled incredible, and after one bite I knew I had made the correct life decision. Then I ordered brisket, which was so tender it practically fell apart when I looked at it and tasted so smoky and rich that I briefly forgot about every responsibility I have ever had. After that I decided it would be irresponsible not to try the pulled pork, which showed up in a mountain so large it probably needed its own ZIP code, and when I piled it onto a bun and took a bite I genuinely considered standing up and applauding the chef. Of course barbecue without sides would be barbaric, so I ordered mac and cheese, baked beans, cornbread, fries, and coleslaw, and every single one of them tasted amazing--the mac and cheese was ridiculously creamy, the baked beans tasted like they had been simmering since the invention of fire, and the cornbread was sweet and perfect. At this point the waiter kept walking by my table and staring at the growing pile of empty plates while I continued pointing at more things on the menu and saying "yes, that one too," like a pirate collecting treasure except the treasure was smoked meat and the chest was my stomach. Then I tried their sausage platter which looked like it belonged at a Viking feast and somehow tasted even better than everything else I had already eaten, which honestly didn't seem possible. Eventually I decided dessert was necessary for scientific purposes, so I ordered banana pudding and pecan pie and both were unbelievably good, which was impressive considering I had already eaten enough barbecue to feed a small village. Unfortunately right as I was thinking about ordering one more thing, the manager came over and politely informed me that I had ordered more food than anyone in the history of the restaurant and that I might have to leave because I was apparently eating like the final boss of barbecue. I walked out extremely full, very happy, and slightly offended that my passion for smoked meat had gotten me kicked out, but despite that small inconvenience the food was so good that I would absolutely come back again... although next time I might wear a disguise and attempt to order the entire menu all over again. read more

Phenomenal bbq. Stopped on way for takeout and it did not disappoint. Really good food prices are ok, wish they did chicken too. So good!

If the sully sandwich is on the menu it is a must try! Loaded with steak tips. The smoked meatloaf sandwich was a pleasant surprise for being extremely flavorful read more

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The Rusty Can in Byfield, MA is a must-visit for BBQ lovers and comfort food fans alike. Known for its smoky, flavorful meats and laid-back no frills vibe, what really sets it apart is their daily specials board--updated regularly on social media so you never miss a mouthwatering surprise. Whether it's a brisket melt, smoked wings, or something totally unexpected, the specials keep things fresh and exciting. Thursday is THE day to go for their nachos. The portions are generous, the staff is friendly, and the food always hits the spot. A local gem that's well worth the trip! Personal favorites are the brisket, egg, and cheese or the cajun smoked wings. read more

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Best burger I've ever had! Cooked to perfection. Good prices, amazing food and friendly staff

We were able to get seated right away on a Tuesday evening at 6:30. The staff was brisk and acted annoyed that they were working there, but I'm from the Midwest, so maybe it's a New England thing. This BBQ was amazing and super flavorful. The people at our table all ate either pulled pork or brisket. Both were fantastic! We would definitely visit again! read more

Brisket was dry and bland. No flop just fall and break. 5th time getting Brisket here over the years and this BBQ is trash by Texas standards. Sorry to the hommies that I know that worked there over the years. Popular place in New England with terribly sub par smoked meat. read more

Great find on the way to Kennebunkport for a quick meal. Place was full so we got food from the takeout and ate eat on picnic tables outside. Will be stopping annually! read more

Great food. Great service. Great ambiance. Its the Rusty Can! I've had the pulled pork here before and it was among the best I've ever had. Now I'm back for more and they had a 3-way beef on their specials. oh boy was it a real treat. Absolutely recommend. The people here are great read more

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Wow this place nails barbecue - brisket was melt in your mouth and that Mac and cheese was so gooey and savory! Partner loved the hot chicken ribs. There's so many unique offerings for specials that it makes it a super exciting place to come back to! They also sell the delicious Churn and Co ice cream pints (they're pricy but the best ice cream ever - try it!!). There was a long wait when we went and service could've been better - it was fine but not as attentive and we had to track down folks a few times. Ambiance is on the divey side and lots of parking available. read more

Rusty Can - Hot chicken ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Byfield, Massachusetts

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Great food, great service, nice wait staff. This is a medium-sized establishment with all types of patrons. The only part of the food I didn't like was the bread that goes with meat; it's just Wonder Bread, although I understand that this is what BBQ places serve. read more

IYKYK and IYDK, YMO. All of that is code for "get your Boston butt in here!" Be prepared before you go: 1) there will be a wait for a table, doesn't matter if you go on a Monday night or weekend; 2) follow their Insta page because they post their blackboard specials menu and it changes daily; 3) bring your appetite! This place never lets you leave hungry. And if you didn't leave with a stomachache from overeating their amazing food, you definitely didn't do it right :) FWIW, they do have salads and lighter fare. And off the menu, their cheeseburger is my go-to. It is what I crave when I want a burger. Just go. But heed my advice! read more

Best bbq around I'd recommend the brisket bomb it's life changing. Great staff, great food

The ambiance is a gritty bbq place. The service is great and the food is outstanding. I got the sliced brisket and it was some of the best I've ever had. Paired with Mac and cheese, cornbread and fries. I will 1000% be back. read more

I was pleasantly surprised when we stumbled upon this place. We ordered the pulled pork taco, Mac n cheese, beans, cornbread, slaw, and fried chicken sandwich. Taco: tortilla was good, lots of meat (sorta greasy), too much sour cream. See pic. Mac n cheese: love the shells, cheesy, no flavor Beans: tasty Cornbread: soft, fall apart soft, and tasty Slaw: tasty (my hubby's favorite thing) Chicken sandwich: slimy, soggy, and some interesting looking meat. See pic. Because of its 4.5 stars, I had really high expectations but it didn't deliver. read more

Rusty Can - "Fried" chicken sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Byfield, Massachusetts

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Food is fabulous prices are moderate. It is worth the trip to Byfield. Food quality is A1

Met some friends Thursday night for some yummy bbq. The place has two sides: a bar side with some seating and a much brighter and open side. The food was great; we got a mix of many offerings, from nachos to wings, to a three-way tray. Everything was really seasoned and cooked well. The collard greens were too vinegary for my taste buds, but the hubs loved them. BBQ Beans were ok, lil sweet for me. The cornbread was really yummy and crumbly. The wings had a great sauce with a kick of addictive heat. The brisket was my favorite meat, but the ribs were a close second with succulent fall of the bone meat. Faith, our server, was amazing and knew what she was doing. It made our meal that much better. The best part, I think, was the prices for what you get could not be beaten. We had plenty to take home as well. I can't wait to bring more friends to this place! read more

Rusty Can - Barbeque Near Me - Byfield, Massachusetts

Great place to get drinks after work. The food is also pretty good. Would highly recommend.

Best BBQ in New England. Nothing fancy - just great food. I'm a regular here and have had almost everything on the menu. Can't go wrong. I mostly sit at the bar. Tito's and soda is always on point. Decent pour. The Special Board is where it's really at. The Brisket Bomb is most def the fish worth driving to. Best prime rib ever when it pops up. The pork belly w some BBQ sauce is my version of dessert. The ribs. The brisket. Pulled pork. The wings. All to die for. The Cuban. Pork belly pastrami!!!! I'll be there. A brisket 3-way??? You know you're on the North Shore. Portion sizes are outstanding. Never had a bad meal here. Consistency is king and I keep coming back!!! read more

Best barbecue spot around. Friendly service, chill environment. Me and my wife always come back to this place. Try their specials, you won't be disappointed. read more

Outstanding! We went there last night around 5:00 and the hostesses said it was about a 20 wait, went back to the car and within minutes the hostesses was outside yelling our name going above her job. We got served promptly and we had the slices brisket that was so moist and juicy with great flavor along with pulled pork, cornbread and Mac and cheese. The rib plate had more than the menu stated and were great too. We ended up taking about half of each meal home. The place was easy to miss as I didn't think it was that close to the highway and looks nondescript from the outside. Yes we will be back when in the area or for a special trip. read more

It's the best BBQ in New England, and it's not even close. The rotating specials is the best part, because there is always at least 3 things I gotta have. Hard to only choose 1! read more

I can see why this place is popular. But I've had better bbq at other places. The atmosphere and service is cool. read more

3 stars. The staff was cool. The fries were great. And my daughter said her burger was good. My fried buffalo chicken sandwich had tiny bones in it. I've heard nothing but great things about this place and next time I'll just get a burger! read more

Rusty Can - Barbeque Near Me - Byfield, Massachusetts

The staff are Wonderful and the food is out of this world. If you like BBQ food this is the place to go!!!!! The menu has something for everyone. They also make good adult drinks. we head back every chance we get. I highly recommend this place to everyone that asks for a Good BBQ restaurant, I tell them this is the Best!! see you soon read more

Best BBQ I've ever had in New England, friendly service, will go back again when I'm in the area.

Food was excellent! Service was just OK. Took a long time to get someone to come over to our table. People seated after us had ordered and received their food before we even got water. But...the food was plentiful and very good read more

So good! Quick and friendly service. Portions were big and food was great. Went to Rusty Can before hockey game at Governor's and went back afterward for dinner. Would go back again any time. Easy access to I-95 and SR-1 read more

Same high rating, just an update with more thoughts on recently tried specials. Pork Ribs: Same. Lots of rub and great pork flavor. Only possible criticisms would be a little less smoke than, say, BT's, and sometimes they're too tender, but 8 or 9 times out of 10 they're perfect. The most reliably good ribs of any place in New England. Pulled Pork: Last time I said "one of the better" pulled porks. Now I'd say one of the very best. Brisket: Same high quality. THE best in New England. I hate turds on Facebook restaurant groups who say "hands down" when saying a place is best, but the brisket at Rusty Can is the best "hands down": smokiness, spice rub, tenderness, juiciness, beefiness, all there, no one aspect outshining any other. Always fresh, never a reheat like at the pretenders. Pork Belly: Still great. It's available in sandwiches too, but best had solo by the quarter pound. Burger: Rusty Can isn't a burger joint, but they take pride in their burgers, which are NOT an afterthought or obligatory menu add-on. Crust: it's there. Juicy: it's there, even at medium. Nice zesty sauce that looks like liquid cheese but isn't cheese. Fresh Big Marty's bun. The burger here is perfect for when you want to dabble in the daily specials that are riffs on barbecue and then get something that's not barbecue. Duck: It's not offered often, usually a Sunday special every few weeks, but if you're a fan of the Can and see it posted, go get it. Succulent, crisp skin, barky, and gamey in a good way inside. Usually complemented with an Asian style sticky sauce. When the duck is offered as a leg quarter, even better, because it's less commitment (gotta try the other specials that day too) and usually even more crisp. I've seen leg quarters appear as a fried item and as a smoked item. The fried is very good; the smoked is great. Brisket Bomb: If Rusty Can did nothing else other than this, I'd still come here often. A large sub with chopped brisket and bits of pepperoni, onions, and peppers, with melted cheese worked in to lubricate just enough and let you taste every flavor in every bite. Probably repurposed brisket, but the quality of the brisket in this sandwich is a quantum leap over first run brisket just about anywhere else. Pork Chop Sandwich, Fried Chicken Sandwich: Both sandwiches are excellent. Lots of contrasting flavors and good crispness on the fry. Not greasy. Like the burger, a good item to get when dabbling in the barbecue specials instead of the barbecue mainstays. Half Chicken: Had this once when it was a Thanksgiving themed special. Worth getting. Biscuit and Gravy: It's been a special a few times in a few different configurations, usually with chicken, sometimes studded with Tasso ham. Looks horrible. Tastes wonderful. Gotta fork-and-knife it, eat biscuit and gravy in the same bite. I ordered 2 more to take home for lunches later in the week. Kielbasa Stick: Looks good, tastes good, but it's served at room temperature, like a bigger, better Slim Jim, so not my thing. I prefer taking it home and heating it up, but there are usually other specials far better, so I skip it. Pork Pastrami: Occasional sandwich special, would be better on rye than on a sub roll, but the meat (from tongue no less) is tasty enough that the bread doesn't matter. Beef Shank: At first glance, the pulled meat looks like pulled pork, but it's beef and it's beefier (heavier) than brisket. You might like it better; you might not. Either way, worth a try. Tacos: A few offerings per day, usually carnitas, but sometimes unusual meats like beef cheeks. As a purist, I prefer straight meat, with sides on the side, but the few tacos I've had here have been good, with the onions, herbs, salsas, and other sour flavors balancing the heaviness of the proteins. Ask if the special has 1 big taco or 2 little ones, because 2 are easier to share. Chili Cheese Frito Pie: Fun item, basically Fritos topped with chili and cheese. Nice combo of flavors and textures. Chili on the mild side. Duck Rillettes: Think chicken salad, made with duck, but with the flavor of pulled pork (if tuna is chicken of the sea then duck is pig of the sea). Great smoky flavor. Not gonna lie, it took a little getting used to eating in cold, but a great item, served with toast and cippolini onions for mashing in. Gourmet dining in a honky tonk. Shepherd's Pie: Made with a combo of meats (I think beef and pork), a hefty bowl of meat, smoke and fluffiness (mashed sweet potatoes on top). Warm, hearty, delicious, and creative, all in one. Doesn't appear often, so jump on it if it does. Chicken Fried Ribs: Battered and served fully coated in thick, spicy Nashville Hot sauce, it's not only a good way to keep the everyday ribs fresh, but a nice item in its own right. And the ribs within are still good ribs in their own right. You get about a half dozen, so best for sharing. Really zesty sauce, with more oomph than the Buffalo sauce they use for wings. read more

Stopped in for lunch after checking YELP rating, which was 4.5. Admittedly, hesitated when arrived as the name fit the exterior, but trusted fellow Yelpers and went inside. The restaurant was clean and the staff pleasant. There is a low key and relaxed ambiance with a distressed motif of fixtures. Ordered the Pork and Mojo Chicken Taco special which was outstanding. It was a 2 taco meal with generous smoked protein portions and well balanced seasoning. Sides are a la cart, but had plenty of food with my entree. Highly recommend this local gem. read more

Rusty Can - Arrival at the Rusty Can Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Byfield, Massachusetts

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It's not that they do anything wrong. I'm just not a fan of their menu: don't like dry rub. I want to get sticky and messy eating my ribs

The burger was really good. You can tell when you walk in you're gonna get a good meal. Great service too I'd definitely recommend. You can skip the fries though. read more

Ok. Not great. Loud and uncomfortable except in bar area. Go early. No reservations. Very crowded long wait times. Bbq is good. Kind of salty. read more

I really enjoy the barbecue here, so five stars for the food. This place is a local dive, which is cute, but it just feels filthy. There are flies buzzing around everywhere in warmer weather. I understand there's a lot of take-out, so people are walking in and out, but it's gross. However, that doesn't stop me from going there. Especially for the brisket nachos that are a special on Thursday night. read more

Wow! As a Southern-born BBQ lover, I'm at a loss at how Rusty Can has been a mere 20 miles away for the last six years. And, am I ever glad that this oversight has been corrected! I had the two-meat plate with sliced brisket and pork ribs. Both were good -and- the ribs were shut up out of this world crazy good. Tender - cooked at the exact right temperature so that they held on the bone but weren't chewy like pork ribs can get. For sides, I went with the collards and mac & cheese. Again, both were good, but the collards... nice and vinegary with chunks of pork. Amazing. All washed down with a can of the house lager. It doesn't get any better than this - especially on the North Shore. read more

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Lets start with disclosing I am not a huge BarBQue fan, but my boyfriend is. The food is very good. He loves the BBQ. We had a pate appetizer that was out of this world! Served either grilled bread and onion. Absolutely amazing! Great burger, chicken sandwich and steak and cheese melt. Desserts are superb! The best choc chip bread pudding and pecan pie! Anything you have here will be delicious. Excellent weight staff. Great drink selection. Definitely a must try read more

My son just loves the chicken sandwich. That is his favorite sandwich of all time. Just delicious

Food is always fresh and tastes amazing. I drive from south of Boston for a 3-way Super Beef.

Heard a lot about Rusty Can, was able to come here for lunch a few days ago and I really enjoyed it! I had the pulled pork plate which is usually my go to any BBQ place I go to. The meat was soft and tasty, the BBQ sauce that was at our table was a great topper, I wish it had more TANG but still did the job. The fries were ok along with the slaw but the corn bread stole the show ! Yum , slap some butter on top and call it a day ! read more

Rusty Can - Pulled pork - Barbeque Near Me - Byfield, Massachusetts

So delicious!! And amazing customer service. We were given the wrong order and they made it right. Definitely go to this restaurant!