WORST BBQ PLACE IN SPRINGFIELD!! Sorry I didn't get a pic. Not enough food to capture on film. Ordered a brisket sandwich with cole slaw on the side, burnt end cheesy corn, and water. ELEVEN BUCKS! Sandwiches had 4 half strips of brisket. The cheesy corn was a skim layer in one of their little compartments on their cafeteria plates. NO MEAT IN THE CORN AT ALL!! Please be advised, 3 of us ordered the cheesy corn and none of us had a chunk of meat that you would expect in BURNT END CHEESY CORN. There are BBQ places in Springfield that are not my favorite but this place is a JOKE! Unless you eat just their potato salad, I'd go somewhere else. I meant to ask them on the way out who they had make all their trophies for them. That food certainly never won any awards. read more

If the food here were even half as good as this pretentious place would have you believe, I'd be here every week. As it is, I was so very, very disappointed. I have long held the best BBQ comes from the most hole-in-the-wall places. This place proves that the opposite also holds true. Here is a tip: If you can't see a smoker, a pile of wood, or smoke coming out from the back of a BBQ establishment, you can be pretty sure that it was cooked somewhere else, frozen, loaded up on a truck, delivered to the building you are in, and warmed back up. I should have taken my own advice when I saw this place was in a strip mall, but I was so desperate to believe there is decent BBQ in this town, I tried it anyway. My bad. read more

I love Whole Hog Cafe. I'm from Arkansas and it is my go to place when at home. I've visited this location in the past and I've loved it, but tonight was a disappointment. First off, we had Ali in and the place is empty on a Friday night. Once we ordered ($23 for two people) we had trouble finding a seat without torn upholstery. The brisket was soggy and the bun was mush. The cole slaw was room temperature which concerned me a little. The chicken was dry according to the hubby. The baked beans were too spicy for me to eat. The only thing that was still good was the potato salad. Now we know why the place was a ghost town. read more

Well the sandwich was very good the coleslaw was limp and not crisp at all the green beans were either overcooked or very old no flavor same with the coleslaw other than pepper no flavor the potatoes were OK my husband hated the potato salad so the only thing the past with us where the sandwiches the sweet tea it was like drinking Sweetwater there is no tea flavor in it on a scale of 1 to 10 I give it a one or two not recommended for this restaurant two thumbs down read more

I have ate here over 10 times and I have always had GREAT FOOD! I read that some people thought it was overpriced, and I question what they are comparing it to. The prices are low for the portions you get, go to Billy Sims or Rib Crib then tell me you are not getting a good deal. The Ribs are always top quality, not the smaller fatty ones. Your portion size is on the large side. Also they have a good selection of Sides, something that other BBQ joints in Springfield seem to lack. The quality of the sides is also something to be talked about. And did I mention they have 6 sauces to chose from? Anytime I go somewhere else I am always searching for a selection of sauce only to find one or two. If you try this place and are not satisfied, I would encourage you to try it a second time. I have never had a bad experience. read more

This place was told to be Springfield's 2nd best bbq in town behind City Butcher who usually sells out right after lunch. The place was full of trophies but not with customers, not a good sign. We kept it simple and went with two pulled pork sandwiches. The order came up fast and we sat down for the first bite. I sampled the meat and soon realized why they needed 6 different sauces at each table. Dried out mildly warm meat piled on a value hamburger bun. Disappointing to say the least. Sad to see quality go down as the evening rolls around, zero pride for these owners it seems. I'll stick to City Butcher or head out to St. Louis or KC. read more

Honestly, This is the best barbeque in Springfield, in my opinion. Everything I've had there is amazing. They have a nice room that can be used for large groups/parties/extra seating. The prices are really good for what you get. One thing we commented on are the perfect portions. They don't give you too much food or too little. Just the perfect amount. I would say the only thing lacking is a good eating atmosphere. The whole building feels sterile and unwelcoming to me. They attempt to decorate strictly with trophies, cute and good for them, but it's not the gritty, down home, smoky, blues blaring barbeque joint type of atmosphere you usually expect. . It almost feels like a chain because of the lack of personality in the space. But seriously, once you taste the food, you won't care. It's awesome. Eat there. You won't be sorry. read more

Ah, I just found out that this place is a chain. What did I expect in Springfield? Oh well, it was delicious! They even have 6 types of BBQ sauce! The space is large and comfortable with fast and friendly service. I was most impressed with the brisket (juicy and flavorful), the chicken (brined to perfection), and the potato salad (I'm almost certain it contains bacon). The pulled pork was rather dry and bland. Luckily, I had 6 types of sauce to test on it. Minus the pulled pork, I had an excellent lunch here. Then I decided to stop by the bathroom on the way out. 1 single person bathroom per gender with a line 3 deep. Not the greatest design for a space that likely seats 200+. I guess I'll just hold it next time. read more

Whole Hog Cafe - Brisket Sandwich. - Barbeque Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

Taste like BBQ from a tub. Got a special there that I believe was the various left over meats from the previous day chopped up and mixed together with BBQ sauce. Couldn't finish the meal. read more

We went in there out of convenience and had a great experience. The food was good and the price was fair. We got great customer service. We had never been there before so we were not sure what to expect. We got the special pork plates. We will go back. read more

I think this is one of the best BBQ restaurants in Springfield. I actually asked about restaurant and it is really Mephis style BBQ straight from our neighbors in little rock not Kansas city that would be hog wild. If you like spicy try the volcano sauce. Whooooo, it's got kick everyone should try at least once but you'll be back! Don't be decieved it might look like no one is in there but the place is huge! Great place, design of restuarant and BBQ. Give it a try and yelp what you think. I love it! read more

This is the best BBQ in town! Directly across the street from Bass Pro. The potato salad is to die for! Their burnt ends literally melt in your mouth! read more

The brisket was ok a little dry for my taste. I don't like to rely on sauce to provide taste for my bbq.

I'm no expert on BBQ so I can't say much about the flavoring but I can say that it is way over priced! I ordered on a Tuesday where they offer half price for the second plate. So glad I went for the special because I saved $5.50 to take my hungry BF somewhere else to get a second meal! I ordered the brisket plate with fries and a salad. I probably had about 25 little home fries on my plate! The salad was good but I forgot to tell them not to include cheese in their pre-made salads so I gave most of it to my bf. My BF ordered the half slab of ribs plate. The ribs were really good and fell off the bone so no complaint about that. He had the potatoe salad and baked beans as his sides. Again, 3rd grade cafeteria servings served also in 3rd cafeteria plates. Dining area was clean and spacious so I can appreciate that. Best part about this visit is that it was the 4th of July so it was good to find something open. I would only return if someone other than my bf payed for my meal. read more

The meat was some of the best in Springfield. Between those in my party we had the chicken, pulled pork, and the sausage. All were cooked to perfection. They have a burnt ends cheesy corn which is very good in comparison to Springfield competitors. The coleslaw was ok. The only negative thing really is their ordering process. It is disorganized and the cashier doesn't really help you. For instance, "Glasses are left of the coke machine." There were actually no glasses there. Eventually a dishwasher brought some out and put them there. It just seemed like mass confusion for several patrons. If they could work on their customer service they could be 5 stars as they are one of the best in Springfield. Its not as good as the places in Kansas City or Memphis but it is a good substitute. read more

Good meats, really good sides. I always get the Whole Hog Platter: ribs, pulled pork, brisket, three sides, and a roll. It's basically two meals. Ribs fall off the bone; pork is tender and tasty; brisket is moist and sports the tell-tail red line along the edges. The baked beans with hunks of meat are awesome. The new green beans, also with hunks of meat, are awesome too. The potato salad is freakishly delicious, seriously the best I've ever had. Oh and everyone will love at least one of the six sauces at each big private booth. All things considered, this is my favorite BBQ place in town. read more

Nice place but you have to stand in line to order and pick up your food. I am not eating at a restaurant that wont wait on you. This hurts their business badly. Is that better? read more

The loaded potato was small and very cold. I did not enjoy it at all. It was not crowded either.

The cheesy corn with burnt ends side is 100% genius. The potato salad is TO. DIE. FOR. The only BBQ you need in Springfield.

Traveling from Texas to MI and stopped for what I hoped was good barbecue ribs. Disappointed to find only Baby Backs in MO. Quality of seven bone half slab was terrible. Very little meat with lots of bone showing. Overdone and dry. Wife's pulled pork sandwich although plentiful was also dry. We should have refused the order and requested a proper serving or a refund. Very disappointed read more

This place has the best beans I've ever had! The ribs are good, but the pulled pork and brisket were average. But for the price, I would say this place is great! I would come back just for the beans. No regrets about stopping her, that's for sure! read more

Whole Hog Cafe - The Whole Hog platter - Barbeque Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

I am very familiar with Whole Hog Cafe in other cities and thoroughly enjoy their food. This was the first time at the Springfield, MO cafe, and I found that the food just wasn't up to par. The pulled pork was dry, chewy, and very stringy, with long strings that made it difficult to eat on a sandwich. I had to resort to a knife and fork to eat my sandwich. The meat didn't have its usual smoked flavor and required me to drench it in sauce to get some flavor onto the meat. Not the Whole Hog experience I was expecting. read more

Excellent best bbq on the road quick service. This is a little gem. Six bbq sauces. Definitely will be coming back if in the area again.

It takes going to KC for me to find better barbecue. The brisket and pulled pork are almost impossible to choose between and the baked beans and smoked green beans are definitely my favorite sides. And for sauce you're all set no matter what you like since there's six options at the table and one more at the counter. I also really like the layout, it's spacious and has separate areas if you want to have a quiet lunch or dinner. It's great for eating in, and for buying in bulk for parties. There's never any left if you let people stay over long enough! read more

My family and I ate here a couple weeks a go. Not impressed. All food was slightly warmer than room temp. Cheese corn was like it came from the bottom of the pot. Cost of food was a bit high to boot. Might try again in the future to see if this all was a fluke, but will be a while. read more

This is the best barbecue place in Springfield, by far. I don't get some of the extremely negative reviews on here, because we've been here a hundred times and always had great food. The sides are EXCELLENT and add to the overall appeal of this place. Also, they have some unusual sauces, my favorite is the mustard-y one. (#6?) We are very selective with where we go out to eat and this place definitely makes the cut. read more

We went around 5 on a Friday night. I got the burnt ends and the cheesy corn; they were delicious! The place wasn't packed, which I appreciate. The booths were private. The price was reasonable also. We will be going back. read more

Was not impressed with the BBQ at all! Meat was dry needing a lot of sauce. Potato salad was ok and also ordered the cheeses corn with burnt ends (nothing too spectacular) their baked beans was probably the best thing we ordered but even that was ok. read more

First time here - ribs are excellent and have a great smoky flavor and they are the kind that snap off the bone instead of fall off (so if you're a fall off the bone kinda rib person, these may not be your fave - but if you're about the FLAVE - then you'll be quite happy). Try the cheesy brisket corn and tater salad to go with! read more

Another surprisingly good BBQ joint in MO for a jaded BBQ snob. The ribs are the reason to come here. I tried the whole hog platter to hedge my bets in case the ribs were bad. Every other meat was good but not great. The ribs, however, had excellent texture with a solid, smokey flavor and were cooked just right. With 6 different sauces everyone should be able to find at least one they like. I especially enjoyed the burnt ends cheesy corn, which sounded bad but tasted delicious. My friend really liked the potato salad but I thought it was just OK. Bottom line: when you're feelin' for ribs, The Whole Hog does the business. read more

Stopped in on our way through Missouri. What an amazing meal! We had so much meat leftover from a sample platter and 2 meat dinner that we bought extra sides and we can't wait for left-overs tomorrow! read more

We try barbecue places all over the country and this place is hands down the best ever!! Absolutely love the burnt end cheesy corn

If you have read any of my other reviews, you should know that I have three big food loves - vietnamese, brewpubs, and barbecue. I have visited barbecue restaurants all over the country. South Carolina, Georgia, Memphis, Kentucky, Houston, Dallas, St Louis and KC. I have given this place a couple tries now, and have to say, I am not impressed. First off, there was a pretty long line when I got here. Now normally, this would be a good thing with a barbecue place. However, in this case, it was because most of the customers had apparently never seen the 100+ flavor Coke dispensing fountain before, and could not get the drinks they were trying to get out of it, resulting in a major backup in front of the ordering area. Normally, I wouldn't hold that against the restaurant, but the staff made absolutely no attempt to help out and show people how to get their drinks. There were literally more than a dozen people standing there, watching one person after another failing to comprehend how to pick out a drink, and all ending up with the same grape Dasani water the last guy had got. Pretty sad. It was rib night, so I went with the half rack of ribs dinner which comes with two sides and toast. The ribs were overcooked, really dry. So much so that if you tried to cut one rib off the rack, the meat from 2 - 3 ribs came off with it. The potato salad was a sour cream based type I haven't really seen elsewhere. It was decent, but not really my cup of tea. The beans seemed to be just a can of Van de Camps with a couple strands of pork or brisket - not even big enough to determine which they were. Maybe the one on the north side of town is better, but I will not be returning to this establishment. read more

Hands down the best BBQ place in Springfield, MO. I love everything I've tried here. The brisket practically melts in your mouth. All the sides are delicious. The portions are generous, and the service is great! Nice and fast, and they leave you in peace to devour your meal. 6 sauces at the table, all of which are great. Just TRY to pick a favorite! Lots of seating, and lots of good blues playing on the speakers. They have that sweet Freestyle Coke machine which is so fun to play around with. Pop is great, but their sweet tea is the best I've ever had. I really can't say enough about how great this place is. Give it a try, you won't regret it! PS: BBQ Nachos FTW. That is all. read more

Middle of the road bbq, make better at home, only tried on recommendation from coworker. Tried full rack ribs, price okay, flavor middle, sauce from table helped. Coleslaw and beans good. WNR and no return in future. read more

Stopped here on a business trip, was easy, good and nice environment. Would recommend it to any one that likes bbq.

This place uses pecan wood for their smoking, and it makes such a difference. I got a whole hog platter that consisted of brisket, ribs, and pulled pork..... I wanted to eat 3 more of them, but that wasn't a good idea. They accommodated our large party rather well (They have a room you can reserve that will seat a literal boat load, like warship size). The prices were great, and they have one of those fancy soda machines with a jazillion different flavor options. Go here. read more

Not just another barbecue joint. I had the pulled pork with slaw sandwich and a side of potato salad. The sandwich was large and tasty. The potato salad was the best that I have found. Far better than the potato salad from WalMart that people try to bring to parties. read more

The brisket was moist and flavorful. The sauces are varied and tasty. The side dishes, however, are lack luster; ours were served lukewarm. By in large this place was a disappointment. Perhaps I'm spoiled by really good KC barbecue, but this missed the mark in many, many ways. read more

Out of all the barbeque places we have tried, this is by far the best one. The service was fast and friendly.The pricing was just like any other good barbeque joint. The food was delicious, not a single complaint. Although the food could have been a little bit hotter once we got it, still not that bad at all! Whenever im in the mood for the some yummy barbeque im going here!! They have plenty of different sauces to choose from as well!! read more