Visited in mid March while the students were on spring break. It was a cold blustery day and I think they were conserving energy because there was very little heat in the place. They had a fireplace in the dining area and we got as close to it as we could. The ordering process at the counter was simple and efficient, the food was delivered promptly I got the pulled pork sandwich along with fries and it was delicious and moderately priced. They had a good selection of barbecue sauces. They had an old vintage jukebox that was really cool as well! read more

First off, I love the decorations in here. Has lots of character. Small town bbq joint vibes. We had a brisket sandwhich and a pulled pork sandwhich. The brisket was a little dryer than I would've liked and it has some large fat chucks in it. The pulled pork was good but wish it had more of a peppery flavor. Bbq sauce was just okay. I had the original. My favorite types are normally a sweet heat type sauce. Mac and cheese was pretty good. Not amazing but pretty good. Service was great! Very friendly and helpful. read more

Smokin' Jack's Rib Shack - Beef Brisket Meal - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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Food is always amazing ! Service great ! A true gotta try ! Quaint , clean down home southern Indiana located in central Indiana ! Come get some ! read more

Smokin' Jack's Rib Shack - Full rack for the win ! Literally falls off the bone , - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

The entire building is an old space...but that is not the issue. It is DIRTY with ossified food particle stuck on the edges of the racks where the serving plates were stored. None of food served to us was warm... just room temp. The seven of us went there for the Wednesday special of buck-a-bone rib night...they had no ribs. None. Can you do a rib night with no rib available? Several of us got the smoked chicken...it was not bad, but it was not good enough either. The pork was below average as was the brisket. Unanimously, this was the worst BarBQ ever. We will not return and we should have left without ordering. I recommend that you skip this rib shack. read more

To begin with, this BBQ spot never disappoints. The service is always great, and every time I come in, the place is clean and neat from top to bottom. I've been here a couple of times, and the consistency truly shows. In addition, their brisket is incredibly tasty and delicious tender, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. Their mac and cheese is so good as well, super creamy And let me tell you, the pink lemonade is honestly one of my favorites so refreshing and delicious every single time. Furthermore, their cornbread is moist, delicious, and the perfect side to complete the meal. I really recommend coming and trying this place you won't be disappointed. read more

One of my favorite BBQ places around. The mac n cheese is bomb dot com And the sweet tea is southern sweet tea. Would recommend to all my friends and family. read more

John Mellancamp must have been here because this BBQ joint literally has a pink house. I stopped by after I called to see if they have fresh-brewed sweet tea. They had some of the sweetest tea I've ever tasted in Indiana. Huge points from this Roll Tide Alabama fan! I walked up to the counter to order and looked for a combo plate with pork and ribs. The friendly man behind the counter said they only did a rib and chicken combo. Boo! I was disappointed about not having another kind of combo but I went ahead and ordered the rib and chicken combo. Also, you only get one side and each side is $2. The ribs were pretty good. They weren't massive but not small. The chicken was better in my opinion with its juciness and flavor. I picked potato salad and Mac and cheese. The mac and cheese was all right, not great, not bad. The potato salad was so much better with its red skin potatoes mashed with a mustard conglomeration. I would order the potato salad again. There are four sauces - original, sweet, hot, and jerk. The Jerk had the most flavor and had some heat to it. I would say like a 3 or 4 out if 10 with 10 being super hot. Hot had about the same level of heat. I thought the original and sweet was almost interchangeable. Thank goodness I was not charged for sauces as I was asked for one choice. The sweet tea was the best part for me as it is hard to find true sweet tea in Indiana. The sweet tea was perfect for a Southerner like me but most Midwesterners might think it is too sweet. The chicken, ribs, potato salad and sauces were good. I wish there was a combo that included pork and brisket and entrees came with 2 sides instead of 1. read more

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Was totally looking forward to catfish on Friday. Sadly, I think this is the saltiest catfish I've ever had in my life!! Bummer. read more

This has been one of my favorite places to eat since 2021 when I moved to Bloomington but the last couple of times the food has been awful. I ordered the rib tips for my nephew and he couldn't eat them since they were half burned to a hard crisp and half soggy fat. I tried to feed them to my dog who sniffed them and promptly walked away with his head up. A couple of our $2 sides were actually served in a small plastic condiment cups and our half lb burgers were dry and cold. The staff is friendly and prompt while you are there but we were supposed to be notified when to pick it up and a hour later I just ran over and it was ready but who knows for how long ....Whoever works there now should call whoever worked there a year ago and get some training. read more

Mold on the bottom of the bun... employees walking around in pajama bottoms... frozen burger patties. Used to be good, no longer.

Has not been here in a while so we decided to stop in for an early dinner. The smell was amazing, the decor was not my style but super fun for a bbq place! I got the brisket sandwich. The food came out fast and hot. The brisket was sliced and a large stack on an open faced sandwich. The top of the brisket had the sauce, once I flipped that over, it was not as dry. Definitely had to add a lot of sauce as it was a bit dry. Great flavor, just which it wasn't so dry. The sides were great! read more

Smokin' Jack's Rib Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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Wow! Came here after a rainy football victory and we LOVED the food. The sides (especially the green beans) and cobbler is absolute fire and the ribs were so good (and I am not a bbq lover). Amazing service too!! Will absolutely be back! read more

I loved this place! I got beef brisket and baked beans (my favorite) and sat by the fire while watching March Madness. What else could be better? This is an unassuming spot - but don't be deceived by its humble atmosphere. The food is top notch! Pro tip: ask for extra sauce on the side. I'm impressed and will definitely add this to my Bloomington restaurant rotation. read more

Great food great service!! 6/5 stars Def coming back here again. This is the best BBQ in bloom. read more

Great service great people here I had a great experience. Felt very at home here and great hospitality. I'd recommend this place to everyone ever! read more

just came home with an order of pulled chicken and beans. Have you ever had projectile vomiting. Hope not. This $8 caused just that - within 5 minutes I was spewing it all out! Lost a good shirt on that one. Stay away! read more

We were informed of anything we asked about on the menu, all of the staff in the front of the house were helpful and very nice. We were so surprised by the tenderness of the ribs, the jerk chicken wings were awesome; good flavor. The greens tasted canned, not a bad thing, I grew up on the "glory greens", they were hot! The macaroni was creamy and satisfying. No complaints whatsoever, my husband and I hadn't been out alone in a while and this made our date night even better. Before we finished our first rib, we both said we would definitely be back again. So good!!! Prices are very reasonable as well. I wish I lived closer to use their catering services! Thank you Smokin Jacks! read more

Smokin' Jack's Rib Shack - Full Rack Ribs, Jerk chicken wings, Mixed Greens, Macaroni & Cheese. - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

10/10 food was delicious and came out fast. Ask for recommendations and was not lead astray. Was recommended the brisket and got as a 1/4 lbs sandwich w/ Jamaican jerk bbq sauce. Mac n cheese was good, definitely tasted homemade. read more

Excellent service, huge portions, and delicious food! Love it. Will be back... A++++++++++

Great food, and dining atmosphere. The ribs were to die for. Service was fantastic, very helpful and knowledgeable. Would recommend highly.

I got a cheeseburger, Mac & Cheese, and baked beans. None of it was bad, but it was all average. That's not saying I wouldn't try it again. I would just get different items. I tried my girlfriend's ribs and they were just okay also. The service was good. No problems there. The restaurant itself is interesting. It definitely gives a rib restaurant vibe. read more

Their cornbread is sweet!! I liked it. Pulled chicken sandwich was almost dry but the jerk bbq was really good and made it non dry. Wasn't too spicy nor sweet, just in middle (little spicy side). Greens were amazing. read more

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Their barbecue is the best. Specials every day during the week make it a repeat place for us. People are always nice there. Smoked chicken is really great, barbecue ribs and pulled pork and chicken and smoked turkey and brisket too! Reasonable prices and good-sized portions. Catfish Fridays are my favorite, and specials for seniors on Mondays are great. Go get ribs on Wednesdays-you won't believe the prices. read more

I threw away 20 dollars eating here. My chicken was actually terrible. The food was not made with love. Smokin' Jack's Rib Shack has lost its whimsical soul. Very unfortunate .5/10 read more

Smokin' Jack's Rib Shack - Bbq and the shitty chicken by the fork which happened to be 10 dollars - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Wasn't good. World's smallest portions, and zero sauce or seasoning. The BBQ was fine, but really, really bland. I had low expectations regardless, but I was just disappointed how tasteless the food was. And the $2.50 peach cobbler was deconstructed and looked like it sat out in the sun melting...for only 2 bites you'd think they could do better. read more

Great food! Ordered delivery. Pork, Cole slaw, baked beans and Mac & cheese all really good!

There is a giant pig out front. This is how you know it's gonna be good. It's kind of like a steakhouse with a giant cow. . . it's a beacon for good food. I'm not sure why I don't eat here more, other than it being on the other side of town and often 'forgotten' in my ongoing restaurant roster. Smokin' Jacks is known for smoked bbq, a diner-like atmosphere (if your diner was in the mountains somewhere) and low prices. Specials like kids-eat-free night, $1.25 rib bones (think that's right, $1, $1.25, $1.50 what's the difference, it's cheap) and many other options The menu includes pork, brisket, ribs, chicken - all the usual offerings plus sides like fries, green beans, bbq beans, mac & cheese, greens, and a great cornbread. I'm personally taken with their wings - amazing. Might be the best in town, smoked and just enough spicy flavor to make them great. For lunch, get there early for a good seat. The food is good, the price is good, and I definitely recommend! read more

Smokin' Jack's Rib Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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We've been customers for years. Our last 2 carryout orders have been remarkedly subpar than previous orders. The first order a month ago was dry; both the wings & ribs. It wasn't edible and ended up in the garbage. I sent a message but never got a response. There was no cornbread in tonight's carry out order. Additionally, I ordered mixed gteens. When I picked up I was asked why no mixed greens in the bag and was told they were out of mixed greens. 4:20 on a Friday night! Maybe they're under different management or new counter crew but it's clear our negative experiences weren't a one-off. read more

Amazing restaurant. Great vibe, amazing food. Fireplace is a great touch, food is amazing, was served fast. Would recommend!! Try the pink lemonade and the fish on Friday. read more

Fantastic wings! Love the Jamaican jerk and buffalo! Great service! Love their other food too but the wings are the best. Great take out menu! read more

Good que, reasonably priced, GREAT service. Taking 1 star off because the sandwich neended more jerke sauce. Will definitely be going back. read more

Smokin' Jack's Rib Shack - Chicken Tenders with Potato Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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This is our second time ordering from here. This time we catered for 50 and Liza and her team did a great job getting our order together. Food was delicious and well made. Everyone loved it! Would definitely use them again. read more

Online ordering was very simple. Food is always good! Especially the corn cake. Just like Thanksgiving at home.

Best place to get ribs, wings, pulled pork sandwiches, tenderloin, the sides are good! Great environment with great people working every time. read more

Smokin' Jack's Rib Shack - view of the mountains - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Doesn't even deserve one star. I'm very irritated. My husband stopped here for lunch on his lunch hour and ate the ribs on Friday Sept 6th. Was perfectly fine walking in. An hour goes by and immediately coming out the back end and fell I'll still today come Tuesday he is still sick with the chronic and had to go to ER because he's dehydrated at this point. Testing had to be taken to test for ecoli and salmonella. This is ridiculous and people need to do better. You want customers to pay then serve them safe good food that doesn't taste like crap and make them sick and poop their brains out for 5 days. Apparently my husband isn't the only one either by looking at the reviews. I pray the health department steps up. And will be notified once my husband gets his results back. I shouldn't have to watch my husband suffer this long from food poisoning. read more

After a hard days work we took a break for some grub!! Plenty of food for the $$$ spent. We got 1lb brisket, and wings and it was great and the perfect amount to refuel! read more

i'm from Nashville Tennessee area and I will tell you I just had the most delicious pulled pork sandwich! The macaroni and cheese was delicious and the green beans were extremely great! The sweet sauce for my pork was amazing! The staff was amazing! This will definitely be a stop whenever I'm in Bloomington! read more

I hate giving one-star reviews, but this place really deserves it. Most of the food was outright inedible. The ribs were mostly fat and my husband swears they were boiled. They had a weird wet quality (not moist - wet). The interior was dirty, you could see dust and grime everywhere. The macaroni and cheese was served so hot, I had to wait until I was mostly finished with my meal before I could consume it. It was not worth the wait. Tasteless, bland, and overcooked. Same with the green beans. You're a rib joint, I want to see onions and ham in my beans; these bean were naked and I don't think they were even seasoned. We made a poor choice in taking the table closest to the serving counter, but a television was blasting in the main dining room so loud that this was the only place we could sit without it killing my ears. I know a rib joint is casual and again, we did sit at the table closest to the kitchen, but the staff was screaming to each other across the counter and across the room with personal conversations and jokes. It made a bad meal even worse. The only plus I can say is the food is cheap. This is definitely a case of you get what you pay for. read more

Smokin' Jack's Rib Shack - $9.95 1/4 rack - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

This place is THE BEST. They have such good ribs, and if you catch them on a $2 rib day you can get days worth of delicious food without hurting your wallet. The ribs are fall off the bone, huge and perfectly smoked. They also have great sauces - I like the spicy bbq best. Smokin' Jack's also brings it with the sides. I recommend the greens and Cole slaw, but you really can't go wrong with any of the options. If you haven't been, change that ASAP. read more

DO NOT order from this restaurant. I had the order delivered via their website and they prepared my food wrong. Once I let them know, they would not redeliver or even partially refund for the wrongly prepared order. Said that they do not take responsibility (seriously?) and hung up on me. read more