My wife and I ate at Top Notch while staying in Childress on our way home to Tyler, Texas. We went there because I was in the mood for Texas barbecue, and this place had great ratings. I had the brisket and ribs, and my wife had a rib plate. It was very good. The only reason I can't give this place five stars is because we have Country Tavern near Tyler, which has the best barbecue (especially their ribs) that I have ever had. Every other barbecue restaurant I have ever eaten at is second rate, at best, compared to Country Tavern. But Top Notch is quite good. I would definitely eat there again if in the area. read more

Stopped in for a late lunch - noticed a bunch of cars outside and thought it was a great sign. We were promptly seated and got our drinks right away. Unfortunately it took about 10 minutes for our server to return to take our order. We both ordered the daily special - Chicken Fried Chicken with sides of mashed potatoes and potato salad. It took at least 20 minutes for our food to come out. The chicken fried chicken was decent - a little bland but decent. The mashed potatoes tasted like they came from a box and the potato salad tasted like it came from Costco - which is cool because they make good potato salad. Overall - just ok food and lackluster service. Not sure we'll stop in again. read more

I typically eat in Amarillo on the way to and from Colorado. I went home via Childress on this occasion based on a recommendation I had received in Denver. Sadly, the recommendation proved to be a dud. I had high hopes. When I entered, I noticed the restaurant was cavernous, with far more seating than spaces to park. I was quickly seated. When I scanned the menu, I noticed there was precious little barbecue on it. I looked around the restaurant and saw generous portions on other dishes and was hoping for the same on mine. Not to be: I ordered the rib special with moist brisket. Apparently, the cook did not know what moist meant as mine proved dry and stringy. The ribs were scrawny as if from an emaciated pig. It definitely was not what one expects from Texas barbecue. The side of beans was just a thimbleful. The best part of the meal was the banana pudding for dessert. Service was fine and it seemed like mostly a local crowd. If I returned, I would order something other than barbecue like most other patrons did. read more

Stopped in today for the first time. We pass through Childress regularly when going to Amarillo to see family. Our server was Kaitlyn and she was very friendly and efficient. Our meals were excellent - brisket, smoked sausage and ribs. The baked potato salad and pintos were very good. We'll be back. read more

The Food was Amazing and was very delicious, The Server was very nice and greeted us when we came in, we talked to some local folk that also said the food is very great. Will be coming again! read more

Top Notch Texas BBQ - House Salad with Ranch - Barbeque Near Me - Childress, Texas

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Gotta try the bbq in every town I go. The place wasn't busy during the week. I was promptly greeted. I ordered the ribs combo. Ratings Ribs - 4 Brisket- 3 seasoning was bland, and was a lean cut of meat. Service - 4 Desert - not made in house. read more

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Excellent barbecue joint in the beautiful panhandle of Texas. I had a BBQ sampler, and enjoyed everything on the plate. The staff here is friendly and the food is delicious. 10/10, will come back again next time I'm in the area. read more

We ordered the Chicken Fried steak and the fish and split. The mashed taters were good, the fish excellent, the chicken fried steak was outstanding. The peppered Texas gravy luscious. The fried okra yummy. The Texas sweet tea...yum. I would come back here in a heartbeat. If you get the chance...comonby. read more

Top Notch Texas BBQ - Chicken Fried Steak, mashed taters, fish, and okra. - Barbeque Near Me - Childress, Texas

Service is great, food not so much. Meat was super dry, choked on the brisket trying to get it down. Beans and potato salad had zero flavor.

Fried mushrooms, a kabob plate, brisket plate, light eater pulled pork sandwich and a stuffed potato filled our table. This place came with high recommendations. So glad to finally try it. The server was quick and extremely attentive and helpful. The place was clean and ran like a fine tuned motor. We will be back on our next trip through Childress. We really want to try those cowboy fries. read more

Top Notch Texas BBQ - Stuffed potato, brisket plate, kabob plate, pulled pork sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Childress, Texas

We had pork ribs. They were amazing. Good portions. We had a to go box for the fried pickles. Heaping plate. No way two people could eat them good. Great wait staff! We done!! read more

Stopped her for dinner with my family, I got the baked potato with brisket and it was tasty and I liked the BBQ sauce alot. Our service was good aswell :) read more

Top Notch Texas BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Childress, Texas

Wow. Packed parking lot and I don't know why. Service was great and friendly but i was a little shocked by my plate. 2 rib and brisket with okra and coleslaw. One rib although big needed about another hour on the smoker as connecting tissue still hadn't broken down yet so chewy and the other should've been taken off 2 hours earlier as it was dry n crispy and hard to eat. They put their sides in 4 oz containers so for reference thats 1/4th a drink can or about 10 pieces of okra which was not hot n crispy but warm n soft. The slaw and tea were really good. I ate at around 13:00 so may have been coming to the end of their burn for the day but it wasnt good enough for me to show early in the day. Id they are several notches from the top but eat it anyway. read more

Great BBQ and other items on large menu. Friendly, helpful service. Cute and clean dining room. Highly recommend.

We had been coming here for years and just this last couple of times we've noticed the food quality going down. Today was rock bottom. BOILED meats and cold days old sides . Sorry to say this is my last visit. read more

Dropped in for a quick lunch. Seems to be a local favorite. The service was friendly and quick. I ordered a sliced brisket sandwich with fried okra. The quality of the sandwich was fine, but not very much smoke. I heard someone say that the chicken fried steak is really good. The menu didn't seem to focus on bbq even though the name implies it. So, you can find a variety of dining options. The ambiance is lacking the small-town charm I was expecting. It's actually fairly minimalist. The one thing that stood out to me was the lack of smoke, which I hope to smell at a barbecue joint. Oh well. Overall, the lunch was fine. It certainly wasn't memorable. I wouldn't discouraged you from eating here, but keep your expectations in the middle of the road. read more

Top Notch Texas BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Childress, Texas

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Had BBQ brisket, onion strings and cole slaw. Food was delivered quickly waitress filled the tea glass promptly and all tasted well. Was on a trip to Amarillo and would definitely stop there again. read more

The bbq baked potato was good. The burger was good. The fried pickles were not so good! The pickles were too thin and the batter was so salty we couldn't eat them. read more

Driving through on our way east and picked this place because we reached a point of hangry where one of us was going to be killed by the other. I am so glad we stopped. I never had Frito Pie and now I know what I have been missing all my life. Also highly recommend the jalapeño and cheese sausage. The staff is friendly as heck. Worth the stop! read more

Top Notch Texas BBQ - BBQ Combo - Barbeque Near Me - Childress, Texas

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First I want to say that the staff is very accommodating. We had a party of 10 and were all on separate checks, and we called ahead to make sure they could take us. They were happy to serve us and we walked in to a ready table. Unfortunately, that's probably where the niceties end. We ordered drinks and everything was fine, however, it took about 30 minutes for them to take our food order after setting down drinks. At this point it's already 8pm and we still haven't ordered food (they closed at 8:30). We finally ordered, I ordered the Top Sirloin (medium) along with two other people (one medium-rare, one well done). It took about 45 mins to get our food. When we got our food, all of our steaks were past well done. Medium rare and medium steaks are supposed to at least have some pink in them, but there was none. The steaks were also dry and tough, but that's just from it being overcooked. read more

The BBQ was amazing and very reasonably priced, the service was great as well! Best BBQ we have had in a long time 10/10

Worth going to Childress just for the pulled pork here! I'm serious! I am already planning an overnight drive of 400 miles just to come back here! Pulled pork is a must! The ribs were fantastic, and I am now a diehard friend pickle fan. If you are debating where to eat in Childress- stop here!!!! read more

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Love this place. In our way to Fort Worth from Colorado we always stop to eat and get brisket to go.

Spent the night in Childress and woke up hungry for BBQ. Did a yelp search that turned up this place. It did not disappoint. I ordered the brisket and sausage combo with pinto beans and baked potato salad and chased it down with sweet I've tea. The beans were flavored with jalapeño and the potato salad was unique. A slice of bread and some onions and pickles editor have topped it off but did not come with the plate. The staff was friendly and the place has a welcoming atmosphere. Needless to say, I was stuffed when i left. The food was delicious! read more

Top Notch Texas BBQ - Sausage, Brisket, baked potato salad, pinto beans, iced tea. - Barbeque Near Me - Childress, Texas

I was in town for a funeral. Decided to try the BBQ. It was amazing and the prices were good too.

Stopped in for an early dinner around 5 pm. Waitress was great. Turkey was moist and good. But Brisket , ribs and pulled pork were dry and not much flavor. We really wanted to like this place but We won't be back. read more

Worst BBQ ever. Slow service. Food cold. Dreary atmosphere. Had to request BBQ sauce because none came with the meal nor was there any on the meats when plated. When we were finally brought BBQ sauce, it tasted like catsup -- no heat, little flavor. $50 for nothing. Shoulda just gotten a gas station burrito. If this is Texas barbecue, I'm not the least bit impressed. I've had New York City barbecue that was better. read more

My kids loved the ribs, I think they're brisket is top-notch. They have a really large menu nachos all sorts of stuff full bar. Can't really tell if it's expensive or not. Heck barbecue just is pricey, but this place is nice very clean. Little bit noisy And absolutely no Internet or cell service inside the metal building. Food is great service tends to be spot on as well. Been there multiple times we enjoy it. read more

We ordered a sliced brisket plate and a half rack of ribs. The ribs were very tender and juicy with a slight smoky flavor, just perfect. The brisket was tender but a little lean in my opinion. Some Bar-B-Q sauce and onions made it so very delicious, too. The service was excellent. The prices were wonderful. It will be a go-to place for us in Childress. TX. read more

Great customer service and fantastic food. I called them in advance so I can pick up my order on my way to Fort Worth. The lady that answered the phone was very helpful and the food amazing. read more

Great barbecue. So good we bought some to take with us. Service was fast and waitress was friendly.

Driving through and so glad that we stopped! Great service, amazing food, and perfect place to cool off. read more

Top Notch Texas BBQ - BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Childress, Texas

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Stopped in on the way to dallas based on the reviews. I had the two meat plate with the jalapeño And cheese sausage and brisket. Sides were potato salad and mac n cheese. You sit and are served here vs the traditional walk through lines I like in a barbecue joint (so that you can see and choose what you are getting). I thought both sides were just ok...nothing special. The sausage was at first under-spicy, but then there was a nice heat in the aftertaste that was nice. It was just a bit cold (temp wise). I asked for moist brisket, and it was definitely juicy. The flavor was good, but nothing special in my opinion that you wouldn't get at any Texas BBQ joint. I typically don't use sauce, but did here and it was pretty good. All in all, I was satisfied and would stop in again...just not the wow that I was looking for. read more

Top Notch Texas BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Childress, Texas

BBQ Ribs were a few notches below top notch. My expectation was a smoked flavor on the BBQ ribs, but these ribs tasted as if they were prepared in on oven. Wait staff was friendly, but the wait too long. Potato salad was good, the fried okra was great! read more

Very good BBQ. Was crowded on a Saturday evening as we stopped on our drive to Amarillo. Had the brisket and jalapeño sausage plate with green beans and coleslaw. Sausage was the better of the 2 and would order it again. Others had pulled pork sandwich with fried okra and sliced turkey sandwich with fries. Quantity of okra was low while the fries were generous. Would eat here again if in the area. read more

Great BBQ. Good service and Very handy to the highway # 287 . The best BBQ on 287! We always stop here when we drive through Childress.

Food was cold, service was slow, restaurant was cramped, and the way the tables are placed is very awkward, and when i say the food was cold it was COLD and my nachos were soggy by the time i got them. read more

We were driving though in our RV and saw the sign for BBQ. The parking lot was full, a sure sign of good food. We love around the block and I went in and order two pulled pork sandwiches. OMG, it was the best I've had by far. Whether you live locally or are driving though, stop in and enjoy some totally awesome BBQ. read more

Top Notch Texas BBQ - Greatest BBQ ever. - Barbeque Near Me - Childress, Texas

I've been here in the past and is was solid bbq. This time was different though. The vibe, feel, and operation of the restaurant has changed. It's no longer a solid bbq joint, it's a mediocre restaurant with no specific cuisine that they are really good at. It seems like new management tried to expand the menu but just made it almost all rubbish in the process. Brisket and sausage were disappointing, Frito pie was pretty weak, got a sandwich and it was meh. Beans tasted like they had been cooked dry, burned, and the pot filled back up with water like that would make them ok to serve, pretty gross. There lacks a passion and a drive for excellence and the results show it. read more

They sure named it correctly, and it deserves a gazillion stars... Top Notch is, without doubt, the best barbeque I've ever had! We've traveled a ~lot~. I do mean a lot, to many states, and sampled a vast quantity of barbeque. Do I dare say that we eat our way across a state? You get my drift. In our opinion, Top Notch has surpassed any that you've ever heard of, plus all the chains combined. Like these - Moe's, Dickey's, Mission, Corkey's, Joe's Sugarfire, Famous Dave's, Rolling Smoke, Moon, Smokey Bones, Pig-Out-Let, Calhoun's - I could go on and on. The chefs' secrets are theirs to keep, for sure. I bet they use mesquite wood... The smoke ring is sooooooooo incredibly thick. No need to dunk in sauce, the flavor is that prevalent and surely to-die-for. The brisket is melt-in-your-mouth tender and dripping with juice. It's cut in large slabs, not teensy-thin slices like other places. The rib meat falls off the bone, it's so tender. Don't bother with a knife. The pinto beans are scrumptious and have jalapenos in it - just perfectly spicy, but not too much - perfectly salty, not too much, and just-right sweet. Sound like Goldilocks? "...Not too hot or too cold, but just right...? Because it's very perfect! They even have fried okra and peach cobbler, to make you feel like you're dining at the Whistle Stop Café. Their sauce is quite tasty though, with that certain *smack to it! Definitely the stuff you crave, even with a belly full. Terrific customer service too - course Childress is chock-full of that "Southern hospitality" that we all love, but can't get enough of. I'll tell you, it's fantastic - even cold, if you have a late-evening desire for a snack. If you have to drive out of your way to get here, your taste buds will be eternally grateful. Give a big HI to Frank when you stop in! My mouth is watering, just typing... read more