How's always a wonderful Saturday lunch with great service, yummy food and drinks great vibes. If you haven't, you must if you have continue. read more

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TLDR; worthy of a Michelin star for ambience, but only the ribs are edible. Below-average sweet BBQ sauces, even the "spicy" sauce is bland. No liquor license. Investors: buy this distressed business and fix it. Serve beer and make a decent spicy BBQ sauce. Simplify the menu. Keep the servers. It was the day before Thanksgiving and it was a sunny day, so a short road trip was in order and this was the destination. I hadn't been to dear old Excelsior Springs in quite some time, so I was game. Although the tiny former train station is just another nondescript red brick building on the outside, the spacious inside has wonderful old-timey vibes, right down to the waitress in perfect 1950s drag makeup. We arrived around 2pm. It wasn't empty, so that was something. The first sign of trouble was the long menu with a lot of non-barbecue items for such a small place, including fried catfish and a fried chicken sandwich. I discounted this because my mother had been excited about the fried mushrooms. The second sign was that my parents only ordered the long ribs, even though they like brisket. Note: order what the experienced order. The ribs were fine--not too dry and falling off the bone, with a mellow smoke flavor. But it's hard to mess up ribs. My burnt ends were overcooked except for a few pieces, and a couple pieces were actually carbonized rather than caramelized. A travesty in the region responsible for the delicacy! The brisket was as others have described: dry, thinly-sliced. Decent but not exceptional flavor. Certainly not the tender, moist, barbecue brisket I was hoping for. I regretted eating any of what I ordered--it gave me a terrible stomach ache into the next day, despite skipping dinner and drinking a lot of hot mint tea. Rancid oil used for frying? Or just tough meat? Whatever, I learned my lesson! As for the rest: Fried (sliced) mushrooms -- fine, not over-salted, served with a light ranch sauce in a squeeze bottle. Easily enough for four people. Beans were sweet with some bits of pork in them. Possibly out of can. Cole slaw was extremely sweet and finely chopped, almost like a while salsa. Potato salad was good but nothing special. read more

Wabash BBQ - Clockwise from bottom: potato salad, cole slaw, burnt ends, brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

Wife and I came in for lunch. Wife had been in before and was excited to take me here as the food was good on her prior visit. The location was it busy and has ample seating and parking. The staff was very attentive and gave great service. The food however, was not what we were expecting... We ordered the fried mushrooms which were fine. I orders the burnt ends, ribs, and turkey and my wife also got burnt ends. The burnt ends were extremely overcooked and borderline inedible. The ribs also were overcooked- both tasted like dry pot roast. It seemed like they reheated yesterday's BBQ for service. The turkey was moist, however you could tell it was processed turkey breast . The food had very little smoke flavor. Coleslaw was not homemade. The regular fries were good, however the sweet potato fries were overcooked. Really had high expectations and walked away disappointed.... read more

Wabash BBQ - Burnt Ends - Barbeque Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

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Stopped in for lunch, I was order right away. Food came out quickly and was large size sandwich with a lot of meat. I was able to get two full meals out of it with no issues. read more

Wabash BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

Wabash BBQ is a local favorite in Excelsior Springs, but despite some tasty options and great service, this does not make my list of favorite barbecue places. The service was great - the servers were all super helpful and kind. There are two sides to the restaurant - the bar/carryout area and the dine-in area. Both are entered through doors on the back of the restaurant from the parking lot (not the door in the front). If you're doing carry out, that order needs to be placed on the bar side. This place can get super busy. I went for an early dinner at 5 pm on a Friday, and the place was already full! Expect to have to wait a little bit at peak times. The shining star of the meal was honestly the fried zucchini that I got as my side. The brisket was flavorless and so tough that it was almost inedible. It was difficult to bite through on my sandwich. The pulled pork, on the other hand, was absolutely delicious. I wish I had gotten only pulled pork on my sandwich. Overall, not my favorite barbecue. You're only 40 minutes from exceptional barbecue in KC, but food options in Excelsior Springs are pretty limited. read more

Wabash BBQ - The Roundhouse - Barbeque Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

Fantastic BBQ here in Excelsior Springs. We stayed at the Elms hotel and spa and were recommended this BBQ place. I am glad that we took their suggestion. They had a Tuesday special we ordered and it was treat to chew into the most tender ribs imaginable. The service was good, and the place is ideal for a hot summer day, or nice spring afternoon for ribs. We will definitely be back for the Tuesday special, or when craving ribs. read more

Wabash BBQ - Ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

We stopped in a couple of times and ordered various things. The burnt ends are more like roast beef, but dry and tough. The sides are pretty generic and pre-packaged; I asked if I could get a tiny sample of cole slaw before ordering and was told they can't do that - I like sweet slaw so it's hit or miss whether I'll like it at any given restaurant, especially when the wait staff can't tell you if it's sweet or vinegary. Service was decent otherwise, and there are definitely better 'que spots around KC, but not a lot of options in Excelsior Springs. read more

been here a few times over the years not bad barbecue you know to each their own on barbecue there's so many and so many different styles. our group definitely preferred the spicy or sauce over the sweet sauce that brisket burns and ribs. They were all pretty good not dry. Don't really get a whole lot for the money but that's pretty common anymore. Our waitress was very attentive and nice and get a decent drink menu and a full bar. read more

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The brisket is dry but, tastes good. The ribs tasted good but, burping liquid smoke is unpleasant! We purchased all of the fried appetizers lots of breading there. The beans are good on the spicy side. The coleslaw is kinda dry and a little bland. The salads were very fresh! The breaded chicken was 95% breading. The turkey on a hoagie is lunch meat quality. The grilled chicken breast tasted good just a little dry. The catfish was really good. Over all a fair experience. They usually have decent bands in the summer. Some of the locals find them a nuisance when they are trying to sleep for work. There are lots of mosquitoes and flies so go prepared! The service is excellent! read more

Went in on a Sunday afternoon and the restaurant and bar was pretty busy. Had the mushrooms for appetizer and The Depot with pulled pork for main course. Friendly staff, clean environment, great people in the restaurant. Reasonable prices. read more

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We were visiting from out of town & had heard this was a great place for BBQ. Friends recommend the ribs & we're sorry we didn't order them. Instead we got the burnt ends which weren't like any burnt ends I've ever had. I fact they were the worst - just chunks of dry tough beef that they had no business calling "burnt ends." Won't be back. That said, the service was good, ambiance was cool as it's an old train station. read more

Been eating here for years. The fried mushrooms and home made ranch are an absolute must. The serving size is good and you need leave hungry. BBQ is pretty decent as well. read more

I was staying at the Elms and looking for food. There really isn't much in Excelsior to choose from. Using Yelp I was torn on whether to give Wabash BBQ a try. The reviews were pretty mixed. I feel like this a danger of Yelp. Reviews can offer very different perspectives. I decided to give it a shot. Unfortunately the low star reviews were more in line with my experience. The food was less than mediocre. I tried the burnt end, potato salad and coleslaw. The burnt ends were probably the weakest I've ever eaten. A few were very dry and hard to eat. The others just seemed like roasted beef. I used more bbq sauce than I've ever used to eat these. The sides were that of a low quality grocery store. The service was good. My waitress was friendly and attentive. The ambience was pretty bad. Dirty and outdated is kind in description. I would not return or recommend this restaurant. I think folks leaving high rating of this restaurant may not be used to high quality bbq. In my local area we have a lot of really good bbq options that check all of the boxes, so this place was a big disappointment. read more

Wabash BBQ - Burnt ends...kind of. - Barbeque Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

The waitress with the jack skellington tattoo was the best we had in years wow she needs to be the owner treated us great had the spare ribs she hand picked the best ribs for us ! Seriously and fall off the bone perfect like it because you don't taste over powering smoke read more

Rock solid barbecue. I ordered the Fireman's Favorite, which is a half pound of burnt ends served with two sides (potato salad and beans) and a giant pickle. The meat was tender with a nice hint of smoke. The beans were thick and the potato salad hit the spot. It's a locally famous small space, so be prepared to wait during peak times if you decide to make the drive. read more

Wabash BBQ - This is the Fireman's Favorite. It's a half pound of burnt ends with two sides (beans + potato salad) and a large pickle. - Barbeque Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

The burnt ends and ribs are great. The corn nuggets too. And fries, fried mushrooms as well. We've loved just about everything we've tried. The one negative is the space itself could use a good scrub. Order to go! read more

When we pulled up I just knew. We could smell the BBQ from outside. The inside is nothing to write home about, but it definitely has character. The outside looks like it is a great time when they have live music and events. This BBQ joint is basic and you go for the meats. The menu is simple, not a ton of sides. I had the pulled pork 1/2 lbs sandwich, the depot. It was very good and I could only eat half. The potato salad wasn't anything special but good. The service was friendly. Lots of business from the guests stay at the Elms (right across the street). I wish they had sausage, that kind of surprised me. Overall great little KC bbq joint read more

Wabash BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

Walked in and the waitress did everything she could to pretend she didn't see us so I finally asked about table. She rudely told me it would be 30 minutes even though there were clearly empty tables. Walked to the other side where the hostess told us we could sit at the bar( with a direct view of the dish room, which was absolutely disgusting!). Set down and the bartender took out drink order. Then proceeded to tech at with everyone around us before taking our order. Then he must have went on "break" because another waitress come up to fill-in for him and made sure that she effectively ignored us sat for 45 minutes before our original server came back and told me that they did not have the shrimp that I ordered! I I ordered chicken strips and when they came out, they were dry and tasted like the oil had been there for months! I'm not sure why this place is hyped up so much but I won't be going back! read more

The wait staff was wonderful, the restaurant was quaint and welcoming, but what really deserves the five stars is the food. This is hands-down the best place you are going to eat in Excelsior Springs read more

Cool place. I liked that it was located in the old building. Had some folks really talk it up so decided to give it a try. They said we had to get the fried mushroom appetizers. I thought they were fantastic! Big sliced mushrooms lightly fried. They were some of the best I have had. This got me really excited for the bbq. They had a tenderloin sandwich on the menu. I am a sucker for tenderloins, but I was at a bbq joint so had to get bbq. I asked the waitress what the specialty was and she said it was all award winning, but she recommended the burnt ends because they get a lot of orders for that. So, thats what I ordered, burnt ends, fries and cole slaw. The food came out and I was instantly disappointed. The burnt ends just looked like chopped up pieces of a pork roast. There was no seasonings, smoke ring, smoke flavor, nothing. It seriously tasted like it came out of a crock pot. The pieces were very hard to chew and I had to keep chugging water to get them down until I finally just gave up. I thought the cole slaw looked and tasted like either Sam's Club or Costco. The bbq sauce was in a squeeze bottle, but honestly, it tasted store bought too. Someone else in our group had the ribs and they had the same look and taste as crockpot as well. Sorry, but this place just didn't do it for me. I don't know what was award winning, but I apparently missed it. I wish I would have ordered the tenderloin :/ read more

There's not many food options in Excelsior Springs but Wabash BBQ is a great option. I walked over from my hotel for a late lunch. I sat in the bar area and was quickly waited on by the bar tender and waitress. I had the burnt ends, beans and coleslaw with a beer. The food was good and so was the service. The place isn't that big but I couldn't definitely spend an afternoon in the bar watching football and drinking/eating. If you're nearby, this is definitely a spot to checkout. read more

Wabash BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

Awesome staff, amazing breaded mushrooms and the BBQ never disappoints. Music during the summer on Saturday is so much fun read more

Located in an old Train Depot the wabash is good on its promise of good meat. Tables are clean. floor isnt sticky. Staff is friendly and professional. Our server was fantastic. She was going above and beyond to serve every table and check on your experience. Burnt ends are good. The meat is flavored well and tender and moist. BBQ sauce is good. Bread for sandwich a bit dry even with the sauce. Catfish special was perfect. Maybe a few more corn nuggets so i feel im getting my moneys worth. Corn nuggets are frozen kind that are heated. but they are still delicious. Fries were good. Catfish was excellent. size of catfish is good. amount of pieces was just right. Appreciated the lemon and tartar sauce. pay at register. read more

Wabash BBQ - Burnt end sandwich (requested meat chopped) and side of bbq beans - Barbeque Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

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We were welcomed by XXX, our server, as soon as we found our table and sat down. After reviewing the menu, we ordered the corn nuggets for our starter, Tea, and Lemonade. It was hard to determine what to order for lunch, but we decided on the Long End Ribs with fries and baked beans, Burnt Ends with baked beans, and Cole Slaw. The meat came out steaming, tender, and well-seasoned. The flavor was good. read more

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In 2016, Wabash was ranked 1/10 by Only in Your State. We wouldn't go that far, but with its historic setting inside an old train depot and a menu that delivers, it is certainly worth a visit. This was our 28th 'cue stop in Missouri, and the 378th in a BBQ journey now spanning 35 states. $51.73 plus tip purchased large plates all around. We started with a tasty appetizer of lightly breaded, deep fried zucchini. Recommended. For the mains, we opted for a half slab of baby backs with fries, and the Wednesday special (St. Louis style ribs and 2 pieces of chicken, namely a breast and wing), also with fries. All the meats were well smoked, moist and tender, the baby backs a little too much so. They were indeed "fall off the bone"; we prefer ribs that adhere to the bone when picked up, but separating cleanly at the bite. Two sauces, one a traditional KC style leaning to the sweet side, and a more peppery version, worked well on both sets of ribs. We walked out with leftovers sufficient for a second meal the next day, which increases the value here considerably. read more

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Wabash is a great little place with wonderful ambiance, good table service and great food. I think if I had to describe the BBQ that defines what all others are based off of, it'd be Wabash. Great ribs, brisket and beans. read more

Their ribs are the absolute BEST. I have tried bbq all over KC and beyond. Wabash is the only one I go to anymore. Their sauce is also amazing. I buy it by the gallon. I LOVE Wabash!! read more

I stopped here recently while out on a motorcycle ride. I was in a nearby small town, looked on the map for a food place that was open on a Sunday afternoon, and my choices were limited. I was pleasantly surprised to find a BBQ joint open nearby that had such good reviews. I pulled up and saw the parking lot was busy and full of other motorcycles. It seemed very promising. There are two entrances, which is a little odd. One is a bar and the other is just a dining room that serves no alcohol. I happened to pick the dining room area, which was fine by me. The server was friendly, and after I asked some questions I went with the two meat platter. I got the brisket, pulled pork, baked beans, and fries. I should have known by how hard the menu leaned into the train theme the BBQ wasn't going to be very good. They also list chicken strips as the first of their "Engineer's Entrees". My two meat platter was cleverly named the "Smokey Stacks". The pulled pork was okay. There was very little smoke, and was pretty mediocre at best. Slathered in some of the spicy BBQ sauce, it was fine. It would have been okay had I been in a sports bar or small diner or some other non-BBQ joint, but by BBQ joint standards, it falls pretty short. The brisket was borderline inedible, and I ended up leaving most of it. It was cold, flavorless, and tough as shoe leather. That isn't going to cut it in KC. It tasted like they cooked it ahead of time and froze it. Then when they needed it, they sliced it up and microwaved it for a couple minutes. I hate to be so harsh, but this was seriously bad - probably the worst I've ever paid for. The beans were fine, as were the fries, but I couldn't get past just how bad that brisket was. The brisket was so offensive, I'd give them 0 stars if I could. I'm shocked they are serving it to paying customers, and proud enough of it that when purchased by the pound it is $22.99. The only thing redeeming about the entire experience was the clean dining area and friendly staff. I'm pretty shocked at the reviews. It doesn't even seem like other reviewers ate at the same restaurant as I did. read more

Tucked behind the historic Elms Hotel, is a sleeping giant of a BBQ spot in Wabash BBQ. My wife and I have been exploring the area and heard about this spot from some friends. I'm pretty stuck up about BBQ and I am always nervous trying new when I know KS has so many amazing spots near home. Regardless, we ventured here for lunch and it totally hit the spot for everything I wanted in a small town BBQ spot. Is it competition level, no but it honestly doesn't need to be. I am looking for good smoked meat with bomb BBQ sauce and properly made side dishes. WE Started with the fried pickles, which we pickle spears that were friend in a batter typically used for onion rings. The size was a bit much and I would prefer the pickles in a coin shape. I ordered the combo plate with brisket and pulled pork. The bbq sauce used here is runny and has a California bbq sauce which I miss. The pulled pork was the star because of the texture. The shredded meat has crispy ends with soft middle pieces that held all the flavor. The brisket was a tad over cooked for my preference but slap some bbq on there and it was BOMB. Overall, the bbq spot will be in my thoughts for the next couple days and if your your within 20 miles, you got to make the journey here! 5 out of 5 stars! read more

Wabash BBQ - Combo plate-pulled pork & Sliced Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

I've known about great BBQ for half a century, and the name of this place intrigued me, looking to hold great promise for a BBQ lunch. But sadly, it failed in multiple ways. I'd seen so many glowing reviews and a high average rating for Wabash BBQ in Excelsior Springs that I arrived there with rather high expectations. I was VERY disappointed by the time I left. Arriving in the early afternoon on a Saturday with a healthy appetite for a semi-late lunch, seeing the main dining room just packed, I was invited to the "bar side". Soon after being seated, I witnessed the woman I later learned was the boss on that side of the place taking staff people aside for a stern talking-to (right in front of guests, myself being one), which was oddly discomforting. Maybe it's a sign that issues exist, but are known and still a work in progress. (I've never felt more like Gordon Ramsay as a guest!) Lighting was very dim for midday/lunch I thought, but a tennis match on the bar's large TV explains the dimness. Nothing explains why the boss would have such exchanges with her staff in front of her customers like me. It got worse... my 8 oz. choose-your-meat sandwich with French fries looked good, even though I forgot to ask for sauce on the side. A thick smoke ring gave me the idea I'd be able to quickly devour a tender combo of lean brisket and turkey that I ordered. I was so wrong about that! In fact, a few bites into the sandwich I was having real issues chewing and swallowing. So much so, the server asked me if I was okay. I said, "I'll be okay; I just plowed into that way too fast." Soon I realized that the meat was quite tough and rubbery that I ended up discreetly spitting it into my napkin (taken from the large paper towel roll on the table--bar style, I supposed). I had such a struggle that I gave up trying to finish it. Right after that (maybe the TV game ended?), I noticed that all of the other bar patrons got up and left. I next told the server to ease her mind after seeing me struggle to eat, "It's not what I expected for barbecue. I'm struggling to eat this! It's really tough, but it tastes good." In retrospect, I should've been clearer to her that I couldn't eat it, and simply sent it back. But I was hungry and it tasted good, so I didn't want to be unduly difficult. Then I realized the fries were room temperature and that there in the bar the standards were likely much lower than in the well-lit dining room. So that's a tip to the wiser among us: Unless my visit was an anomaly, I'd never go to that bar area with high expectations for lunch. After I paid and tipped the server well, I asked to speak with the boss about the food issues. I was told she'd be right out to see me. 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes later, no boss in sight, I left, giving the rest of the unpleasant food to one of the cooks noting it's obviously not right; his "rock on" hand signals turned to disinterested expression as I conveyed my concern to him... I showed both the cooks and my server how tough and rubbery the brisket was. The turkey was also a bit tough due to being dry; both meats were thickly covered in tasty sweet BBQ sauce. They picked the absolutely-wrong customer for that leftover meal! Honestly, the entire meal looked and felt like it had been sitting out getting cold for quite a while before it reached me. Admittedly, the server had tried to get me to order the 12 oz. meat sandwich for only a dollar more, but as I told her, I didn't want a very large portion. If I'd remembered to ask for the sauce on the side or the more-meat option, maybe my experience (or at least my being able to show them how bad it was) would have been better. However... In the context of my own hundreds of experiences with highly touted restaurant food, that meal was definitely between poor and mediocre in quality, almost as bad as my visit to Depot Tavern in Richmond, MO (where I currently live, but was studiously ignored and therefore denied service altogether by the staff)! (Going in, I had honestly hoped to write them each another glowing review! Instead, they got and deserved two of my harshest-ever ratings.) Food: 1.5, Service: 3.5, Ambiance: 1.0. I left vowing to never return. Easy decision. Note: After 2 such bad visits in one month, my NEXT trip to eat in a place that is more about ALCOHOL than FOOD service will definitely be: NEVER AGAIN. Anyway, other than ordering a sandwich not drenched in sauce, the takeout option would've been smarter; for a better ambience I could've eaten in my car. So, lessons learned going forward: Noting what now look like some phony other reviews, I could've found my own food/service issues sooner (and not almost choked on the sandwich), and not be troubled to drive where I'm not welcome. Instead, I'll return to other places... ones that meet my moderately-high expectations--where at least the food quality is consistently above average! read more

Ordered a full slab of baby back ribs. For being "the star of the show", they were so dry and charred that they were nearly inedible. I ate less than half of the slab and left the rest. My wife had the Burnt Ends and they weren't good either. This was some of the worst BBQ we've had in a long time. Sides were ok, but portion sizes were tiny. Service was good. We don't plan to return. read more

This is some damn good bbq, probably the best one you'll find for a few miles and service staff is good too

We stayed at the Elms Hotel in Excelsior Springs, MO & this BBQ restaurant is right around the corner. Walking outside we could smell the BBQ & just inside the door I seen a rack of simmering mounds of smoked beef in large tin pans, coated with a dry rub that made my eyes Big & mouth water! I could hardly wait to order my lunch! My go to is pulled pork & baked beans. Both are flavored well & if you add the Hot sauce it's definitely spicy!! The food temp could've been hotter & our waitress seemed mad from the get go, but she took our order quickly & our food came out in about 15 minutes. Prices are decent & portions are good. Overall, I'd go back if I were in town again! read more

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Unique place. It is an older place. Pretty small. The fried sweet corn nuggets were hot and delicious. Tasted like corn on the cob. Had the pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw. It was okay. I thought being here in Missouri it would be better. It was good but not great. The food came out fast. Friendly wait staff. read more

Wabash BBQ - Pulled Pork - Barbeque Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

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Been there 3 or 4 times . Will probably go again annually. They seem kinda grumpy but, that's part of the atmosphere. As long as you're not thin skinned go enjoy the meat! read more

This location has plenty of parking behind and to the side of its location. You will see the smoke and smell it a bit before you see the building. The building used to be a train depot. There is a bar side and the restaurant side and if you want to eat at the tables outside you will need to order to go. They were busy when we arrived but a table opened up right away. It took a while to get our food but it was worth the wait. I will see the sides were okay but the meat was excellent. I typically order the ribs and brisket and the ribs were hands down the winner. The ribs fell off the bone, were a little fatty and didn't even need bbq sauce, yum. The brisket took a back seat but was still good. My husband said his 1/2 chicken was excellent. The waitress was pretty efficient which was impressive given the number of tables she was handling. This place is worth a stop especially if you are staying at the Elms. read more

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A friend recommended the place, so made the drive up here to give it a try. It was bit out of my way, but since it was recommended, had to give it a try. I got the short end with two sides - slaw and potato salad and order of fried pickles. First and foremost - order the pickle, this was the best friend pickle I had thus far, that buttermilk ranch, I just wanted to take shots of that dressing!! Second, their bbq sauce is to die for! it's one of the best bbq sauces I had in a long time. As for the ribs, yes the bones just came off the meat, which was nice. However there were some areas of the ribs that were over smoked as it was hard to eat (burnt), while others were easy to eat. The slaw was ok, could have used more sugar and vinegar. The potato salad was ok. Definitely come with friends or family, try the long, short and the baby back ribs!! read more

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Ok some great barbecue, had a cocktail and enjoyed great conversation. Ribs were amazing, but the sauce was over the top.

The brisket was tough and didn't taste like it was smoked. The fries were soggy. The only thing that tasted good enough was the sauce. I wasted my money. I will not be going again. They lost my business. read more

I'm so pleased Wabash BBQ is staying busy. Excelsior is one of my favorite towns, and I want them to be successful. In my experience, they need to plan better for the evening rush. Appetizers don't need to take 30+ minutes. Food is fantastic. BBQ is sweet and smokey and spicy. Meat servings are big too. We had so much I took home a box, and it was just as good cold the next day. read more