SO GOOD! The meats was so tender that we had to ask how they got it that way. Pulled chicken was amazing, the BBQ nachos were piled high and full of fresh jalapeños, and the ribs were so moist and soft that not only did they fall off the bone - the bone was literally soft! The staff was great and the atmosphere was super chill. After a day of hiking around the lake, this was the perfect place to stop. read more

Graduation wknd...take out party pack was a great idea! Glad they offered this option for a busy wknd. Everyone was so friendly and serviceable as they packed up all our dishes for 10. Food choices were wonderful...all was very good. They thought of everything...the cherry on top was when an employee ran a block down the street with the baked beans they forgot to pack!! read more

If you get Emily as your server I guarantee you'll enjoy your experience. The interior is very warm and welcoming. Good vibes. For the food this is where they take a hit. I ordered the, I think it was called the Two Piece, you get two meats and two side and cornbread. I got the sausage and the 1/4 pound of brisket for my meats. The sausage was really good. The brisket did have a good flavor and was juicy however they need to do a better job removing the fat cap from the brisket. A third of my brisket was all fat. My sides were their house made sweet and spicy pickle jar that were fantastic. My other side was the Mac and Cheese. This was another disappointing item. Good overall taste but very dried out. Not very cheese. They definitely need to find a better recipe for their Mac and cheese. read more

Meat was great, Sides left on the plate. Attentive polite servers that never pressured the clock. Decor was spot on for an upscale BBQ joint. read more

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First time here and we really liked it. Ordered the fried okra app (nice, crunchy, delicious). For main course we shared the Wings and Ribs with a salad and fries. The meat fell off the bone and was barbecued in a very good rub. The fries were dusted with some rub as well. Awesome food. We ate and took some home. Great service and atmosphere. Parking is a challenge because every single street parking spot for blocks is metered. It's $1 / hr with a 30 cent credit card convenience fee. Not too bad. Recommend. read more

SmokeWorks - Fried Okra - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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I almost never leave reviews, but I felt like I had to for this one. This place used to be amazing, but it's really gone downhill. Not sure if it's fewer customers or changes in food prep, but the quality just isn't the same. The ribs used to be incredible--fall-off-the-bone good. I ordered them last week and they were tough and stiff, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt and tried again tonight. Same thing: hard to cut, hard to pull apart, nothing like what they used to be. The chicken in the kids' quesadilla was dry as a desert. The wings and nachos were okay, but overall it feels like a different restaurant now. This used to be a celebration spot for us, and now I honestly wouldn't eat here for free. Really sad to see. Service was fine, seems like training ground for new waiters for Social Cantina read more

Upon arriving at the establishment, it was hard to tell whether they were open or not from the outside because you can't see whether the lights are on inside so the only way to know was to try and open the door. Once inside, the vibe was a bit confusing as it looked upscale but wasn't the feel of a typical BBQ place. Don't get me wrong though, it was clean and very nice looking, just not your typical BBQ type environment we're used to. Waitress was a college student and was very attentive during our visit. Meal: my husband and I both had water to drink, I ordered the 2 meat combo meal of brisket and pork belly along with 2 sides. I chose Mac & cheese and coleslaw and the meal automatically came with cornbread and butter and sweet & spicy pickles (and boy are those spicy ones SPICYYYY). The pork belly came with a seasoning on it (which was a surprise but didn't bother me either) and the brisket did not. Both meats had a nice smokey undertone, tasted great and weren't dry. I smashed the Mac & cheese and coleslaw because they were SO good. My husband ordered 1 lb of pulled pork (no sides) and didn't know it would come with seasoning on it either and would've preferred it not have, but otherwise meat was tender, not dry and we took the seasoned parts of his pulled pork home so I could eat it for lunch the next day. I would definitely eat here again and had a great experience. Just wanted my review to encompass our food experience as well as the overall vibe and a few things we would change but nothing that would impact their overall star review. If I was going to give them a 5-star, I would have to see that it's easy to tell when the restaurant is open vs not (we entered in the SmokeWorks door not Social Cantina's), not season the meats at all but leave the seasoning on the table and let the customer decide whether they want it on their meat or not. read more

SmokeWorks - Brisket, pork belly, Mac & cheese, coleslaw, sweet & spicy pickles, cornbread and butter - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Found this place on a trip to Bloomington for work. It wasn't busy so I got sat right away and since it was BBQ the food came out quick. I got the two meat platter with pulled pork and pork belly with mac n cheese, loaded mashed potatoes, and cornbread. Overall the food was just okay, not my favorite style of BBQ as it was a little more on the vinegary side. The mac n cheese had this weird seasoning that I didn't like but the corn bread was good and the pork belly was something new to try. read more

SmokeWorks - Pulled pork pork belly mac n cheese corn bread mashed potatoes - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Just stopped in for a cocktail. Amazing whiskey selection. It was quiet as the students aren't back from summer vacation. Some nice cocktails on the menu, too. Good Buffalo Trace distillery options but a little light on the Elijah Craig and 1792 selections. read more

SmokeWorks - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

I love barbecue, so I'm always willing to try a new barbecue spot. On a visit to IN, I was craving bbq food and stumbled upon this place (the name also sold me because I love whiskey). Surprisingly they were not packed on a Friday evening. The staff were very helpful in giving their opinion on certain dishes. I ordered their brisket with macaroni and cheese and had the Brisket Deviled Eggs which were delicious. My niece ordered the Hickory Smoked Wings (delicious as well) and loaded nachos. read more

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We were there on 05/25/24. They have a small area where you could have a private dinner for maybe 10 or so. The rest of the place is filled with booths and tables with a long bar in the back. Rustic decor and fun signs. We all thought the light up "occupied" signs outside the single stall restrooms were fun. Our party of four was happy with our drinks and meals. The drinks were delicious. We had the Peanut Butter Old Fashioned, the Bourbon Peach Tea, the Manhattan, and a shot/beer combo. We were all pleased with the drinks. I also have to say that their prices for drinks were really good. Maybe because it is a college town. The cocktails were $7-$9. That is way cheaper than our area. We ordered the Stadium Burger, Brisket Tacos, and two trays. One tray was brisket, ribs, fries, and cole slaw. The other was brisket, pulled pork, fries, and loaded mashed potatoes. The server brought us trays with small cups of each of the sauces they had. This was a nice touch and allowed us to compare them. I prefer bbq that has a rub and I can use my own sauce, so I was happy with my food. The fries were crispy and sprinkled with their rub. Our server was attentive and pleasant. We would definitely go back. In fact, I wish they weren't four hours away so I could go more often. read more

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Visited SmokeWorks on a Sunday evening. We tried to appetizers the fried okra and the deviled eggs. The fried okra was delicious and the deviled eggs were good, but I would've preferred just regular deviled eggs. They have a variety of sauces and provide a tray to sample each. I tried the smoked turkey which was amazing. Two thick slices smoked perfection. My daughter had the wings which she enjoyed but they are on bone. The rest had regular barbecue and enjoyed their meal. The ambience is nice and the whiskey bar is gorgeous, I didn't have an opportunity to try the whiskey but my family tried a few cocktails and all gave a thumbs up. The servers were knowledgeable and attentive. I will definitely be back. read more

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This is our go to place that's dog friendly with great food. I often meet my friend who has a service dog. We sit outside to enjoy the peoplewatching, and it is nice to be located on the square with plenty going on. Staff have always been very respectful of his service dog - not trying to pet and always offering water. The food is great. They have several sauces and I like them all - the bourbon bbq is my favorite. They also have really good fried pickles and a great bourbon shake. read more

Can't Lie As A Person Who Grew Up In Memphis Tn This BBQ Was Far Off From Bake Beans To The potato salad If You Go To Memphis An Order The Same At Any Restaurant It Will Not Ever Look Like This read more

SmokeWorks - Baked Beans and Potato Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Ribs tasty but could have been cooked longer. No brisket, banana pudding or pulled pork! It was a football game day dinner though. Sausage and biscuits were excellent. Service excellent. read more

We were the first ones there tonight. The music was good, the TVs had a couple of games on. Server was great, she was friendly and smiled, she gave us plenty of time to read thru the menu. Had the pitmaster special with Mac n' cheese, sweet tater, the ribs & wings with baked beans & sweet & spicy pickles, and brisket with green beans w/bacon. We shared the chocolate peanut butter pie. It could have had more peanut butter, but was still good. The food was great, probably the best bbq we've found since moving to Indiana 4 years ago. Will definitely be back. read more

SmokeWorks in Bloomington, IN is home to mouthwatering BBQ! The interior is sleek and modern, and the food is above average. My family and I stopped by on a weekday for an early lunch, and our first experience was excellent. The service was phenomenal, and the food was prepared exactly how we requested. Our appetizers and entrees were HUGE - very filling and packed with flavor! I recommend the WINGS & RIBS (1/2 rack of ribs, small order of hickory smoked bone-in wings, French fries, corn on the cob, and cornbread). It's a great combination of food and really leaves you satisfied. Looking forward to another visit next time we are in the area! read more

SmokeWorks - WINGS & RIBS (1/2 rack of ribs, small order of hickory smoked bone-in wings, French fries, corn on the cob, and cornbread) - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

The atmosphere is nice but the food was mediocre at best. I got the brisket tray with 1 side (baked beans). The baked beans weren't good. I don't know what it was about them, I just didn't like them. I got one slice of very well done brisket that was tough and chewy. It came with a piece of cornbread that was ok. My husband got chicken wings which were good. We also got the deviled egg appetizer which was mediocre as well. The eggs were rubbery. Nothing special about it. 1 piece of brisket, baked beans and a cornbread muffin was around $14.50. Not worth it. We will not go back. Our server was very nice though! read more

I was looking for BBQ on Memorial Day in Bloomington because of 'Merica. I looked at Smoke Works and knew this was a BBQ joint I had to try. The restaurant is located in downtown Bloomington in what appears to be an old but remodeled building. There is parking on the street and there are tables outside. I was really hungry today since I didn't have time for lunch so I went with the Pitmaster to try most of it. The pitmaster has ribs, pulled pork and brisket with 2 sides. All the meat was delicious. I did not know BBQ could be this good in Indiana. The ribs had a good rub to them, the brisket had a tasty bark and a good mix of fat, and the pork was tender and juicy. This was easily a 5 star for me. I chose mac and cheese and potato salad as my 2 sides. The mac and cheese was creamy and cheesy and the potato salad was a chilled mustard variety though it had some celery in it. There are 4 sauces. The first one was supposedly a Memphis sweet but it tasted more like a Texas mesquite to me. The second was an Alabama Roll Tide white sauce. The other two sauces were a smoky ketchup base in mild and hot. The hot was not much hotter than the mild. The most surprising thing about Smoke Works though was their sweet tea. I'm from Alabama and I'm a snob with sweet tea. It's always a risk getting sweet tea in Indiana but Smoke Works had possibly the best sweet tea I've had in Indiana. I told the waitress that and she took it as a compliment and praise. Smoke Works is pricey but if you want quality BBQ, you will pay up and this Smoke Works is worth it. read more

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Excellent food and drinks here. Great service and decent prices. I especially like the blueberry moonshine drink!

Stopped after boating all day, for being a little flashy for a bbq I was impressed with the appetizers an food presentation was great server was on her ps and qs listening to her with another couple that was all about the drink side she knew her stuff pretty well, was fast and attentive now kind you this was 7 on a Thursday was pretty dead be kinda interesting to see on a more busier day but definitely worth checking out if your in the area an in need of bbq read more

I was in town visiting a friend (who was also visiting.) looked this place up on Yelp and not only did it have decent reviews but it was only a block from his hotel. Good menu options, good service, great food. Both of us were very satisfied when we left. read more

There is metered street parking available for this place. It is $1/hour. The restaurant is located right next door to its sister restaurant, Social Cantina. They have indoor dining, bar seating and a small patio area out front in the street. In side of the restaurant is a small private dining area/meeting room right in the middle of the place. There are a couple of televisions at the bar and a few in the dining area to watch mostly sports. They strictly enforce the wearing of masks to your table. I was with the littles and we all had to go back and get our masks to walk 40 feet to our table into a dining area that was empty. He was not sure if my 2 year old needed a mask either. All the while there were staff with their masks on incorrectly. Anyway, rules are rules, that was cool, no huge deal, we walked back to the car and got our mask and were seated. It took a while for our server to come get our order. He was very friendly and helpful though. I ordered macaroni and corn on the cob for the littles, and a wing and rib platter for myself. The food was prepared quickly. The littles liked the corn and one of them liked the macaroni. My food was pretty good. The rib meat fell right off the bone. The wings were smoked and had a lot of flavor. My sides were baked beans and fries. The fries were ok, tasted slightly undercooked to me. The beans were good. A major issue I had though is that they do not have barbecue sauce at the tables or self serve barbecue sauce stations. They brought me about a half ounce of barbecue sauce in a very small container. I had to ask for more. For me, the sauce makes my barbecue pop. I like to control my sauces and even try different ones while I am eating. This restaurant is ok. Good service and hit or miss food. I am not saying that I would not give it another shot. It just wont be my first choice. I though my review was an anomaly, but looking at a lot of the recent reviews, there is a common theme developing. read more

Portions do not make sense for the price (carry-out). I placed an order through a third party and specified no bacon (dietary restriction) and they still put bacon on it and said it's the third party app's fault. That was an interesting response as it said "NO BACON" on both tickets. The individual on the phone said she was getting her manager and then ended up just telling me to go talk to the third party because it's not their fault. I truly am not one to complain, let alone make a whole yelp review for it but the combination of the horrible portions and the way the situation was dealt was enough to have me make a post. IMAGINE you spend $27 and you get THAT (pictured below) read more

SmokeWorks - Chicken Sandwich plain (I asked for sauce) Side of SIDE Green Beans (in a sauce cup) - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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If you've ever had a buddy that worked in a bar and let you hang out after closing, that's what it felt like walking into SmokeWorks on a rainy, fall Sunday afternoon for lunch. It was dead in a way that made me wonder if there'd been a National emergency that I'd not heard about... a weird kinda dead ever more amplified by the loud music, glossy decor, and the massive "WHISKEY BAR" sign over the bar area, ablaze with lights. So dead that there was only one person on staff serving as bartender, waiter, and bus person all in one. The menu is single page and straight forward: this is a no-frills BBQ joint that stands on its house rub and signature house sauces and offers all the standard trimmings such as mac 'n' cheese and potato salad. I opted for the app sampler, which came out fast and hot and with an even mixture of hits and misses. If you're looking for something to snack on while waiting for your food, the fried pickles hold their own. Though just a little heavy on the breading, they had good flavor, a healthy crunch, and were the perfect temp to enjoy fresh out of the kitchen (if you've ever had a molten pickle chip seared to the roof of your mouth, you know what I'm talking about). Unfortunately, the nachos achieved the dreaded hat trick: a waste of time, money, and calories. The kettle chips were okay, though likely a Sysco product and were topped with a paltry drizzle of sour cream, chives, and "queso" (that god-awful, plastic-y, orange, liquid, cheese-food $hit that restaurants love to throw on chips and declare them nachos. Sadly, for all of us, it does not a nacho make - especially when it's included as more of a garnish than ingredient as was the case here. In summation: skip it). The star attraction of the platter was the smoked wings. Plump, juicy, and flavorful - if you enjoy the flavor of smoked chicken, these are solid. The only shortcoming was the array of house-made BBQ sauces - they were entirely too sweet for me, but my lunch buddy enjoyed them immensely. I topped it all off with a Blackberry Bramble from their house cocktail menu. Overloaded with blackberry syrup, it tasted more like a Yankee Candle than a well-crafted cocktail, but if they dial that syrup back enough that you can actually taste the gin, it would be a lovely refresher. All in all, it was a solid intro to a BBQ joint with promise. It wasn't a perfect experience (maybe try it on a Friday or Saturday night for less of a "Walking Dead" feel), but there were enough pluses that I'd definitely take another crack at this place and I feel pretty confident recommending it as a place to try. I mean, you're In Bloomington - what else are you gonna do? Enjoy! read more

SmokeWorks - Appetizer Sampler - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Leaving 4 because I think it was an off day. Service was amazing. The wings were amazing. The sauces are amazing. Now to the sad part. The turkey was sliced like thick lunch meat and thick, the pork belly was sliced like bacon and had nice flavor but pork belly should be little golden nuggets of goodness. The Mac and cheese was lacking salt? Maybe heavy cream or something. Just kind of bland. The potato salad was the same. Needed salt, potatoes where Al denta'. Something was a miss. read more

First time here! We came down for the Farmers Market and wanted a quick snack and cocktail, so we walked to the square and found this gem. We sat at the bar and marveled at all the beautiful bottles of bourbon. My husband ordered the Maple Bacon Old Fashioned and he loved it! With bacon infused Buffalo Trace, you can't go wrong! I ordered a draft beer (yes...I'm boring... lol), but did have a huge selection to choose from. We shared the brisket tray with green beans and fries. It was really good, but the highlight was the green beans!!! WOW!!! Afua was our server and was knowledgeable and answered all of our question openly. Great experience today!!! read more

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Food was sub-par at best. Room temperature tasteless food that should have been hot and flavorful. Rude service. Very hot and humid in restaurant. Food took a long time to come out. Had to ask twice for utensils. Do NOT recommend. read more

They weren't hiding the fact they're understaffed. Our waitress, Harper, introduced herself as a bartender in training plus was she was serving another half dozen tables but would attempt her best at not ignoring us. Setting the bar low, eh? We decided to stay, mostly because I'd checked their website prior to selecting SmokeWorks and saw they carried Colonel EH Taylor Bourbon. It's not often I can find it...and it was advertised at a fair price. Ordered up some grub and a shot of Taylor. I got the chopped brisket sandwich with a side of mac & cheese. The sandwich was tasty. The combination of textures and flavors between the nacho cheese, crispy fried onions and jalapenos was really nice. Sadly the "creamy" mac & cheese was bland and more watery than creamy. The starving grad student selected the pulled pork tray. The protein received high marks, she especially enjoyed the sweet BBQ sauce. Loaded potatoes were also good, but same low review of the mac & cheese. For dessert a second shot of Taylor and a slice of chocolate peanut butter pie to share. Very rich sweet treat, glad we were splitting it. Things took a serious turn for the worse when the bill came. I was charged WELL OVER DOUBLE the advertised price for the Taylor shots. I couldn't get Harper's attention but the experienced bartender did eventually see us trying to flag someone down and came over. She apologized for the significant price increase but said they aren't able to update their website. WHAT? She went on to say that they are increasing prices so frequently that they only keep one master "cheat sheet" price list at the bar for the servers but they are unable to show it to the customers. WHAT? I asked to see a manager. Not sure if they are short on managers, but eventually Jake arrived tableside. I think he manages both this establishment and the Mexican place next door. He gave me the same song and dance about how prices fluctuate like crazy and no one can actually find the time to keep up with it. After some discussion he did agree to refund my credit card for the difference. Oddly, he was not able to provide a receipt with the correct total but I have checked my credit card charges and he did follow through. So you can now make your own decision how to proceed. Yes, the food was good but service was seriously lacking and the knowingly overcharging us left a bad taste in my mouth. read more

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My son and I came in here for a Friday night dinner. The restaurant was not super packed. The waitress was nice, and we got good service. I LOVE pickle chips, and these were pretty good. There was just the right amount of breading, and I liked their spicy dip they came with. We also got a sampling of their homemade bbq sauces. Admittedly, I didn't like any of the bbq sauces (tasted too much like ketchup), but did like the Alabama white sauce. My son got the pulled pork tray...decent amount of meat, with baked beans and Mac and cheese as his side. He loved it all!! I got the Cali Turkey club with their homemade bbq chips. The sandwich was good-chips were ok (wish I would've got the Mac n cheese instead). I did order a draft beer...I informed the waitress that the beer wasn't very cold, so in case other customers were to complain. I drank it and ordered a second, which was also not very cold. Then come to find out that their beer lines weren't working bc their cooling tanks weren't working properly due to the excessive outside temperatures. Overall, good place to and I would return: read more

SmokeWorks - Pickle chips and their homemade sauces - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Everything was Epic. Brisket amazing and I have eaten brisket hundreds of times. This was hands down the best EVER! Just the right combination of lean meat with some fat on the end--- so moist!!! Okra was fresh and fried to a beautiful brown!!! Banana pudding--- oh my!!! I can't even start with how great it was!!! Chad and Abigail were my waiter/waitress. They were kind and attentive to refills and explaining things on menu!!!! Smoke Works is must visit if you are in or around Bloomington! read more

We ate here for my birthday lunch right before the quarantine hit. What a cool place! Not only do they have an extensive menu, but there are some different items you don't normally see like fried okra as well as seasonal items. The BBQ is delicious. Maybe the best I've had in quite some time. There are several sauces to choose from and they're made in house. They are open for takeout during the stay at home order, so if you're in Bloomington, support a local business and get some delicious BBQ while you're at it. Drink menu is also fantastic, so next time I'm in town, I'll be sampling some of those as well. If BBQ isn't your thing, there are other items on the menu that should please the rest of your party. read more

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This place is delicious! They were able to accommodate our group of 20'ish people. Please call ahead or book the room on their website ahead of time. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Will absolutely recommend to anyone in or visiting Bloomington. I hope to get back down there someday. read more

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There is an expansive whiskey selection at SmokeWorks, and unfortunately, I didn't get to taste any this time. But if you're into whiskey, this is your place. What I did get was a local beer. (I don't remember the name of it! It was a dark beer, though.) It was a good way to start the meal. They have local beers on tap, as well as other domestic beer and cocktails. The food is really good, and you get a lot of it. I got the half chicken platter, which had a tasty spice rub on it. I got to choose two sides, and I picked the potato salad and mac & cheese. The potato salad was fresh and tasted of dill (a big plus!), but the mac & cheese didn't impress me. Do they make it with pimento cheese? It tasted like it. In any case, all platter meals come with cornbread and honey butter. They also give you a selection of barbecue sauces, so you can try different ones and see what you like. People with children, take note: They do not have a kids menu here. So you will have to order off the regular menu for your kids, which is what I did, and that looked like me sharing part of my order with my children (because my kids don't eat a lot anyway). The water is served in little cups from a jug on the table. That's a cute touch. read more

SmokeWorks - Great barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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Fancy and barbecue don't mix. Service was fine but the food was mediocre at best. Ordered nachos and they left off half the ingredients that the menu stated the dish came with. No sour mix at the bar? The bar tender had to going next door to get our drink order. There is a full bar right there. I know because we sat there The burnt ends were finished on the grill? They were tough to chew and mush they were served over was a waste. The place isn't going to make it. Should have known when we walked in and nobody was in there. read more

This is a cool BBQ place right on the square downtown. It doesn't subscribe to any one particular style of BBQ so if you're a fan of Alabama, Carolina, Texas, KC, etc., style 'cue then you're likely to find something here. The outdoor seating area is a little makeshift (and right next to the street) so I think inside seating would have been much nicer (except we had a dog with us so we had no choice). They have a nice bourbon selection too. read more

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Google search led us here. We were looking for something different from where we go. We were greeted with a warm friendly welcome. Very prompt service. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. Ordered the fried pickles for appetizer. They were very delicious. Came out with six different dipping sauces. Our orders were very filling. The meat was melt in your mouth. Will definitely stop In again n. read more

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Went here the other day because we had this place cater food at an event and the pulled chicken was amazing. Soft and tender. Came back for a pickup order, and the it was awful. The chicken was drier than something I'd make at home. Disappointed to see the results may vary on this place. Corn bread and max and cheese are great. Soft and tender cornbread. Max and cheese has good amount of sauce. Not dry. Could have more flavor. read more

Kind of has the look of an upscale BBQ spot. Nice and modern. I sat at the bar. Service was great. Food is incredible. I'll definitely be there again. read more

The wings were large which may explain why they were a little rubbery. Still, the flavor was good and overall I am glad I ate there.