Whole Hog Cafe

I have to drive here for work a few times for work and this is the only thing I look forward to…read more This is the best bbq I have ever tasted in my life and I cannot help but to tell everyone about it!

My expectations were very high since the BBQ was amazing a few year ago…read more The brisket and smoked turkey were very good while the Texas hot links and andouille sausage links were far below average. The texture didn't seem right as I chewed it. Seemed like it had a filler and very little fat. I asked for 3 BBQ sauces in my to go order. When I got home, there weren't any. I had their BBq with an old bottle of store bought sauce that's been sitting in my refrigerator for months. Overall, great brisket and turkey offset by bad pseudo sausage. And a BBQ joint that doesn't give you the sauce is pretty unforgivable.

Viewing area

Half slab ribs, burnt ends, smoke house bbq beans, cheesy jalapeño corn and potato salad. Everything was delicious.

See all

Burnt End Sandwich with a side of jalapeno corn

Buckingham Smokehouse Bar B Q

3.7(137 reviews)

0.2 mi

Food and service is always good. Has tables inside and out in the summer. Also has a drive thru for…read moretakeout.

Was in town for a short visit and glad I was recommended this spot by some locals. I went with the…read moreEd and it was fantastic. I couldn't finish it all it was a good size sandwich. The seasoned fries will make your blood pressure rise and cause water retention with the amount of salt. Service was prompt, despite a lime...it moved quickly. There isn't much seating indoors and we quickly moved to a table that someone had just left. Just as we sat down someone had come immediately to clean up and was genuinely concerned that we sat at a "dirty" table. It wasn't dirty, but that level of detail for the tables, made me feel good about cleanliness behind the counter. Would definitely visit again.

Bite size, skimming on portions on burnt ends

See all

I give it a 5/10 there pulled pork sandwich was really dry and there was no bbq sauce on the pulled pork

Bubba's BBQ

3.8(222 reviews)

3.7 mi

Great food good people always a good time. I feel like it's…read morethe best place to have barbecue in Springfield Missouri. Wish there were more locations.

The biggest issue we had here was the fact that a cockroach was crawling on our table and made it…read moreto our food before we noticed. It was a baby one during lunch time which typically means there is a large population near by and not the cleanest environment. We stopped eating immediately and let the staff know. The cashier just told me she'll let the manager know and that was it. Pretty disappointing considering we were not even half way through our $50 meal for two people. Cockroach aside the food was not great. We had burnt ends, brisket, and ribs. Everything was extremely bland, I couldn't even see seasoning on the ribs. The photo they used to promote their ribs was titled "best ribs in the Ozarks" and had very nice color and obviously seasoning on it. What came out looked like they were boiled and a pinch of salt and pepper were sprinkled on top. The brisket was paper thin and flavorless. Burnt ends were not much better, barely any char or coloring on them. Everything just tasted like it was boiled or cooked with no sauce or seasoning on anything. The do supply a spicy and regular bbq sauce at the table and those tasted good but I suspect those were some generic sauce from a food supplier. The sides were ok. We had coleslaw, beans, potato salad, and the fried corn. The potato salad is the pretty common white potato salad you get from the food supplier. It's good but don't come here expecting home made potato salad. I've been to BBQ places all across the country and this was probably the worst I've been too by far. Cockroach aside I wouldn't be back, would've rated it two stars if it weren't for that. Very disappointed and absolutely disgusted to say the least.

Gift shop

2 meat plate with brisket and burnt ends, cole slaw and fried okra on the side

See all

Good little bbq joint off the beaten path set on the end of a commercial building

Smokin' Bob's BBQ

4.5(116 reviews)

3.7 mi

While in Springfield, recommend trying this small fast food joint out…read more Had the burnt ends sandwich and it was next level good.

EXCELLENT FOOD! The loaded nachos are the best I have ever…read morehad. Get there early they do run out of meat!

Dry flavorless brisket 2/10

See all

Smokin Bobs

Black Sheep

4.4(1.2k reviews)

1.8 mi

Great burger and fries! Everything was fresh, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. The service was…read moreexcellent as well--friendly, attentive, and made the whole experience even better. Definitely a great burger spot in Springfield. We'll be back!

This was recommended to us by a hotel employee. We're out of…read moretowners. We tried it and were very happy. The food was wonderful. Best burger I've had in a long time. Can't wait to go back again.

The "doggie" with cheese, mustard, and ketchup

See all

Foodie Burger

Whole Hog Cafe

3.8(283 reviews)

4.8 mi

Good food Friendly cashier…read moreWill be back! Had some amazing BBQ sauces! This place was very good

The brisket sucked. Straight up grey meat. Disgusting. No flavor. I'm comparing it to two local…read morewell known and highly rated places for example; I'm just so disappointed Whole Hog Cafe supposedly won awards and they're slightly higher in price but completely nasty. My partner got the pulled pork sandwich which he said was good but pretty stringy. He said beans were good. Coleslaw was chunky but good. They don't have normal fries. They have little tiny square nuggets like you would get with breakfast, which was strange and I don't like it. Never going back. Edit: I was in the bathroom all night from the small amount I ate. It was not pretty. I hate that place.

Cute interior #yum #ReviewsByRL

Half slab of ribs and double order of fries.

See all

Curly Que Barbeque and Catering

4.1(24 reviews)

1.4 mi

3-meat with baked beans: pulled pork esp juicy...big props. Burnt ends were excellent, soft, and…read morebalanced meat/fat. Brisket had a particularly thick bark that was very tasty. Smoked chicken wings were a decent size and average tenderness. Good flavor tho. Baked beans side was good flavor, if not too sweet. At least two kinds of beans. Seemed clean, welcoming service, they offered to clean my plates, etc, for me. This is a good option for Springfield. Better than Whole Hog IMO

Stopped in for 1/2 lb of brisket and boy am I glad I did…read more It had a great crust, a little spice and a lot of flavor. Thick slices and almost fall apart tender. Moist and incredible flavor so pumped they have moved to Spfd.

Okra and cucumber onion salad

See all

St. George's BBQ

4.4(23 reviews)

2.0 mi

Amazing place to eat ! At first we were nervous being spoiled with our usual rib places in Chicago…read more! But when we walked in we were treated like family ! Walked in for our carry out order and they said great we will drop the fries for they are fresh ! They gave us plenty of sauce to take home and they make everything perfect ! Ribs were thick juicy and perfectly cooked ! can't wait to travel back to Springfield !

Wow yes we recommend! We actually went a little out of the way based on their five stars rating…read more So worth it! We both got the same combo platter, with brisket, turkey and pulled pork. Same sides as well, okra and beans. The owners are friendly and talkative and so hospitable! It's a total hole in the wall with family recipes for the sauce. He was very proud of the mustard based sauce but they were all good! The reaper sauce is good and hot, but not overly so. Stray from interstate and check this place out!

Small dining room

Apple fritter

See all

RibCrib BBQ

3.0(52 reviews)

0.2 mi

Definitely worth the stop just for the nachos. The apps and the sides are the stars here. Don't let…read moreyour Mac and cheese get cold cuz I found out from a door dash order it's not good when it's cold but here for dine in it was good. Potato salad was awesome! My husband really liked his brisket though. He said it was almost like in Texas. Edit: I forgot to mention the table next to us for a salad and it was bigger than my head so definitely good if you want leftovers.

Cold and hard ribs and cold beans made for a meal below average…read more The last 2 times there we have been served a meal exactly like tonight's, probably will at long last take this off our list of go to places to eat.

Peach Cobbler and Ice Cream

See all

Buc-ee’s

4.2(246 reviews)

7.9 mi

Wow is all I can say on this huge store. It's like Disneyland of all convience stores. Oh my I've…read morenever seen so much stuff in one store. The place was as clean as it gets. Lots of snacks and other stuff to buy. Can't wait to come back to try the bbq from here. It sure smells delicious when you walk in here. Lots n lots of gas pumps here as well. People are very friendly here

Bathrooms 5 stars Customer service 3 stars…read moreFudge 0 stars Bbq sandwiches 2 stars The first employee scowled as I smiled at him. A lady yelled aggressively at people coming through the front door (there is a difference between friendly and loud, and aggressive and maliciously compliant. She hates her job). Bathrooms were nice. Fudge chick was deliberately ignoring the huge line at the fudge counter. After 16 minutes (waiting in my car to charge) I kindly called to her and made sure to smile and she was not having it. She left the zone, complained at the sand which counter, came back and left. Older guy came up and was a complete angel! Love him. He is the type of hype I'm used to hearing about. Tried the fudge. It's so dry!!! It's some of the worst fudge and it's because it is dried out. I think the flavor could be good but the crumbly mess is just inexcusable for the hype. Check out the lady was bare minimum until I asked for a bag. Then she rolled her eyes and made a snarky comment. Like lady, I have sandwiches and waters and bbq sauce, I need a bag. I didn't say it outloud but really?? That guy was amazing and she was a trash can. Honestly do not get the hype. This is a convenience store people, not Disney land Shoutout to the sweetheart man and clean bathrooms that were the only pleasant part of this stop. Actually, the superchargers and trash cans next to them were nice too.

April 2024

Gas pumps

See all

Firewood rack.

Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

11 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Vincent M.

13 years ago

I wasted $46 feeding my family. This is the worst BBQ we ever had. From the order taker who could not answer the most basic questions to the person who handed us the order without a full rack of ribs we ordered. We opened up our bag to see what else they may have forgot and yes they forgot all the sauces we wanted to try. The fries are not fries they are hash browns. They were cold and old and inedible. The cheesey corn was cold uncooked and tasteless. The rolls were uncooked nothing but a wad of dough. Could not eat those either. The ribs were old cold and dry as a cowboys boot. The smoked chicken and brisket was the same. We were so hungry we ate some but threw away over half the food. I work 60 hours a week to feed my family but not this kind of food. What a complete disappointment. We will never be back to whole hog. Award winning? I think not. In fact they should take the whole hog and shoot it and bury it because it was not fit for human consumption. Save your hard earned money. Places like this must know we will not spend our money with them if this is what they serve. read more

Kenny B.

15 years ago

I am a big fan of barbecue and when I found this place I eat here all of the time. I wanted to take the time to give them a rating after eating at the new Famous Daves the other day. Dont get me wrong, they have good food but If someone asked me where to get the best sliced brisket, I would tell them about this place read more

Elyse G.

12 years ago

Worst meal ever. Chicken dry, pork dry, pulled pork nachos nothing more than bagged chips, canned cheese with a bit of meat thrown on top. All staff unfriendly, never saw one that looked remotely interested in their job. Will not recommend and will never go back. read more

David A.

13 years ago

This place is my go-to for BBQ in Springfield. I love all the sauces and the fact that there are 6 to choose from. All 6 are on your table. Love it! read more

Sharon C.

12 years ago

Whole Hog BBQ is the only place we think of when we are hungry for BBQ..We have tried several menu items and LOVE them all.

Jocelyn L.

11 years ago

Great food always fast service. Clean every time we go in and the staff is very friendly.

Aron C.

17 years ago

I've only had the ribs there, but they were some of the best I have ever had.

R H.

5 years ago

Great bbq! I haven't had anything that I haven't enjoyed

Rob H.

5 years ago

I think the food is great and great decor.

Will P.

11 years ago

outstanding. tender meat. always good.

Witchy M.

204

13 years ago

Excellent food!

Whole Hog Cafe - bbq - Updated November 2026

Browse Nearby

BEST of Springfield, Missouri Restaurants near Whole Hog Cafe

BEST of Springfield, Missouri Coffee near Whole Hog Cafe

BEST of Springfield, Missouri Desserts near Whole Hog Cafe

BEST of Springfield, Missouri Sushi near Whole Hog Cafe

BEST of Springfield, Missouri Things to Do near Whole Hog Cafe

BEST of Springfield, Missouri Parking near Whole Hog Cafe

BEST of Springfield, Missouri KBBQ near Whole Hog Cafe

BEST of Springfield, Missouri Hot Pot near Whole Hog Cafe

BEST of Springfield, Missouri Mall near Whole Hog Cafe

BEST of Springfield, Missouri Shopping near Whole Hog Cafe

Best of Springfield

Things to do in Springfield

Browse Brands

Brands by name

Browse Articles

Articles by date

People who viewed Whole Hog Cafe also viewed

St. George's BBQ

4.4

(23 reviews)

Heady Bar-B-Que

4.1

(65 reviews)

Some of the best barbecue in Southwest Missouri this has been my go to for a very long time and I…read moretraveled all over the south. Easily matches anything that you would get at Lockhart or Dukes in Texas. The consistency of the food is phenomenal. They don't get enough praise for what they do. Great food all the way from appetizers to desserts. Also was able to feed a family of four for a birthday party for $100 and everybody was full and we have plenty of leftovers so it's a good value as well. Great gem in Republic.

Very nice folks! Great 3 meat platter. We chose ribs,…read morebrisket and burnt ends. Great smoke flavor which was not too harsh. The must use fruit wood or pecan. All of the meats were good but the brisket was incredible! Great share plate for 2 at a reasonable price!

Pitt's BBQ

4.5

(38 reviews)

Great food and service. I love the tri tip and the burnt ends. My wife loved the pulled chicken…read moresandwich.

Wonderful burnt ends. Mine were cooked perfect to my liking. Would definitely recommend and will be…read morereturning back.

Curly Que Barbeque and Catering

4.1

(24 reviews)

Zaxbys

3.1

(63 reviews)

I placed my order in the drive thru. The lady at the window was professional and pleasant. I had to…read morepull over and wait for the loaded fries I ordered, but they were hot and fresh. Reasonable prices and good food.

Wouldn't reccomended making large online orders here. Made a large online order and they lost it…read moreafter checking me in, waited 20 mins outside and 25 additional minutes inside for two party boxes of tenders. Staff were kind and apologetic, however it was an unreasonable amount of time for a scheduled online order. I reckon employees/managers are pushed too hard for efficiency and are prematurely clearing orders. EDIT: Then I saw the food come up in the window and they let it sit while serving other customers.

City Butcher and Barbecue

4.5

(574 reviews)

Skinner's Ribs & Bar-B-Que

4.6

(18 reviews)

If you are looking for true BBQ this is it. My son-in-law and I tried many of the BBQ restaurants…read morein the area and we agree Skinner's is the best. I think it is the best, only next to mine, that I have ever eaten. Real smoke flavor. Seating is only outdoor picnic tables, but I rate the restaurant on the menu and the food. There is no doubt in my mind this is the best BBQ in Springfield area. Skinner's is only open in the summer and not every day.

Great option to call ahead…read more Cole slaw was delish. The right creaminess and flavors for my taste. The burnt ends was tender, juicy, so good. The ribs were fall off the bone but slightly heavy of the salt for my taste. A great truck. People are so friendly.

Whatever You Want

4.7

(11 reviews)

Great food truck! Lots of tasty options. I like how they flavor the rice and chicken, and they're…read morealways generous with the portions. Don't miss the egg rolls.

If you are in the mood for Asian food, get this food truck. Don't question it, just do it…read more I will say, our group's consensus is that the hibachi is better than the Chinese - it's more expensive but you get more food and it's slightly better than the Chinese. But both are great! I got the teriyaki chicken hibachi and it was GAS. So good. It comes with ginger and yum yum sauce which I poured on top of everything as you can see in the picture. It comes with so much food, so I had plenty to eat leftover for a late night post-wedding meal. The food truck workers were awesome and great to work with! 10/10 experience.

KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot

4.1

(20 reviews)

This place is so amazing! We ate there 2 nights in a row. We did the BBQ both nights. It was so…read moregood. 20 out of 10 . Plus there's a cup of ice cream for dessert. The employees were all so kind and friendly and so happy to work there.

Another great experience! Our server was great. We actually had a better experience this time than…read morelast! The only downside was the ingredients did take a while towards the end.

Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen

3.6

(264 reviews)