Reviews of Blue Ribbon Barbecue (Restaurant)

Christopher Carfagna

I've been here over 100 times and never had a bad meal!!

nessie ruiz

Yummy and friendly. Good value for what you get.

Black Rabbit

It is a day like all my days. The food is fine. I make my own lemonade/ice tea mixture... I eat the sides and the generous portions. I wait for something that does not come. I leave full with clean hands, a slight scent under my nails, and no satisfaction.

Jim McComas

Can't say enough to convey the great BBQ, sides, dessert, and lemonade. Friendly staff and quick service. Always a pleasurable stop on a long bike ride.

Jason K

Best bbq in the Boston area, hands down. Kinda pricey but definitely worth it.

Elaine Shirron

Delicious food, kind staff!

marc bouchard

Haven't been here in years. Still pleasant atmosphere, interesting choices, good sides and above average barbecue. Consistency is a big deal.

Steven Smith

I got home with missing parts of my order. After calling back person on the phone acted like they could care less. I bet they don’t own the store. Really unprofessional service.

Pamela Hallett

Just yum if you are into good St Louis ribs with good sides.

Courtney Ackerman

I really like this place. The mashed potatoes are the best around, the "burnt ends" are delicious, and all of the homemade sauces are definitely worth a try! I like the vinegar based one. I'm not that adventurous of an eater when it comes to spicy food, but those who are might enjoy all of the other sauces! Very laid-back atmosphere, ordering is easy, as is to-go. There's also always parking, which is a huge plus.

Ben Hernandez

Nice friendly spot.. Good BBQ.

Jim Salvas

Consistently good food. I noticed they've added a few interesting new items and can't wait to try them out. Very satisfying BBQ creations.

Daniel Rinehart

While the food is great, their catering service is not managed well. They promoted a special package for Super Bowl that required a 2 day advance notice and scheduled pickup time. Game day arrives I show up at the store 5 minutes before my pickup time and I can barely get in the door. The pickup line wraps around most of the tiny store and isn't moving at all. It takes 35 minutes to get to the register, at this point it's 30 minutes past my pickup and only an hour to kick-off. They say it will be 10 minutes before my order is ready while in fact it takes another 30 minutes. So I finally get my order 1 hour after my scheduled pickup time and I was one of the lucky ones. A few people in line before me where still waiting by the time I left. I expect better if I'm ordering this far in advance.

Paul Tkaczuk

Awesome bbq. Great special on bbq dinners

Marion Campbell

Got a pulled pork sandwiche with two sides... potato salad has gotten better the more Mac and cheese had a nice kick to it...over all I enjoyed my food... Got it to go...

Christian Klein

Been coming here for 20 years. Same great quality and authenticity.

Richard Crompton

The food was great had the ribs

Christopher Toole

The best BBQ. Love those burnt ends!

yash sathe

inexpensive delicious large portions quick service all you can drink and no nonsense. loved it

Filipe Vieira

I was looking forward to this from the rave reviews and a recommendation that said this was the best place for BBQ. My taste buds and stomach say otherwise. I do however give them 5 stars on the baked beans - best in the Boston area - and the dirty rice (could have done away with the gravy. I got the pulled pork sandwich and was expecting it have a slathering of delicious BBQ sauce on it, but that wasn’t the case. I know before I even opened the paper wrapping off I was in trouble, as I could feel the grease saturate the bottom of it. The bread ending up being soggy, and falling apart. That didn’t detract from the mission of eating the sandwich, it only made it harder. I tried a bit, and while moist and fatty and tender, something tasted a bit off. I tried several their BBQ sauces but nothing did the job to the satisfaction I was expecting. I ended up having to toss away half of it as it wasn’t tasting right and sure enough after my stomach started feeling sick. I even got the lone bone St. Louis rib - which I commend them on being able to try a single one as opposed to a whole or half a rack, but even with that, it wasn’t impressive. Normally, I’d try a place again but with trying two different meats and not digging any of the sauces, I doubt I’ll be going back. Redbones isn’t the best but their sauces are good and if you get them on the right night, their BBQ can be good. I’ll save the real BBQ to those from the south.

Jane Youngren

The food is great but today at 5:30pm they were already out of the specials, salmon, and both vegetables. This is the third time in a row when i have called and they have "run" out of specials, what gives?

Mark Colan

Should be better at this price

Elizabeth Hill

Delisious take out! Great service#

Tardeli Fabre

One of the best spots to eat at.

Reginald Blackwell

It's not Texas but pretty good Good bbq from the area. It's not Texas good but one of the better places I've had in the northeast. They do have brisket can be hard to find. Portions are pretty large especially if you get the plates.

SOLO GOOGLE

Great bbq and so glad for the portions. Very fair. Pork was juicy! Sauces were pretty good although “hot” was just tangy. Love this place. It’s a little treat.

Nicholas Mulcahy

I recently moved here from the South and have been trying bbq places and this one by far is the best I have had. The trio meat platter with burnt ends, brisket and pulled pork is amazing. The quality really shows. Sides so far are excellent as well. They have a myriad of sauce options as well from different bbq regions so matching your style is easy. Price and portion size are very good and reasonable, you won't be disappointed.

Lisa I. Liu

Best ribs I’ve ever had ❤️

Brian Botto

I love the food amd still eat there but my friend got food poisoning one time from the pulled pork...

Donna Unger

Very good BBQ. My husband was a tad disappointed with the sauggage. Was tough. Had it last time as it was tasty and just cooked perfectly.

Richard Ottana

Ribs were tough to chew, pulled pork was dry and stringy. The sauce on the ribs was greasy and tasteless. If your looking for good barbecue, go somewhere else!!!

Ben Matase

Great barbecue for being in the Boston area. Best I've had in this area. They give you a lot of food if you get a platter. I love the sweet bbq sauce.

Gerard Muniz

Hands down best BBQ. Truth be told from a seasoned 30 year chef that knows his food this place is numero UNO!

Matt V

The barbecue here is good. If you want better you need to go to Kendall Square or BTs which is all the way in Sturbridge. Make sure you check the brisket before you get it it's not always consistently awesome. When it is though it is very good.

Chris Chang

Having lived in Texas, the BBQ is okay - but probably one of the better places in Cambridge. This is more like fast food BBQ.

Walter van Dusen

Another amazing find via google search. Great service and atmosphere plus great smoked bbq. I had the three meat platter with two sides. Brisket was moist, pulled pork texture was perfect and chicken on the bone had a little kick. My wife had the potato salad, mashed potatoes, and macaroni salad. The tea was good. Lots of visual appeal in the restaurant. I can highly suggest Blue Ribbon BBQ.

Robert B

Brisket very good, Mac and Cheese excellent and Beans good not great. Excellent sauce selection and big portions.

Sam Levi

They have a great selection and ordering is fast. Ordering ahead of time is also available online. When I get there before it gets busy, the wait is very short. They have a bazillion. There are a lot of seats and it is close to where I live. It's a great place to dine out.

Tom McLoughlin

Best BBQ in New England. Only problem ordering to-go is getting too much food, but makes for delicious leftovers! Can never go wrong with ribs, pulled pork or brisket and don't forget the mashed potatoes, beans and cornbread

Demetrius Summerville

I got the trio meal Ribs, pulled pork and burnt ends and honey carrots and collard greens with cornbread. I ate the entire box. Delicious

Mike Baldwin

Excellent! First time there and it was delicious! Can't wait to go back.

Jerome Powers

BLAND!! Very disappointed. Green beans tasted like they were cooked in nothing but vinegar.

David Sun

Gold BBQ sauce is my favorite

John DiTomaso

Always fresh, slow cooked barbeque. Delicious sides, and very quick prep for lunch.

Sean Laurence

The aroma of slow cooked BBQ hits you when you walk in. The owner definitely knows what he's doing. I ordered the 1/2 Slab Platter (Memphis style dry-rubbed) with the chili cheese grits and potato salad. I got the sweet sauce and it rocked! They had a jug you could go get more if you wanted. I haven't had many grits before. These were full of flavor and not too spicy. I'm a wimp when it comes to spicy stuff. The meat meat was nice and tender. The potato salad tasted like Grandma's. The staff was friendly too and the owner took some time to talk to us. I'd definitely go back!

Alex Siavelis

Always quick and amazing food, and friendly staff

Joseph Maisano

If you like barbecue then you must go here!

Rob Call

Love this place. My wife and I frequent this store regularly and really enjoy the BBQ food. It is always fantastic and never had a bad experience there. If you love BBQ, you will love Blue Ribbon BBQ. I recommend this place to all.

Nathan Chin

Brisket was good. Moist and tender.

John Sheehan

Exceptional

Da-Jin Chu

Perfect comfort food. Brought it to picnic at Robbins Farm Park

Dor Amram

Somewhat disappointed by the dryness of the brisket. The flavor was good, and sides too. Portions were quite generous for the price, but there is much better BBQ in the Boston metro area.

Steven Key

I have driven by this place a number of times and never noticed it was there. It was not until someone who lives in Boston told me about that the place was on my radar. I was immensely impressed with my meal. Because so many people were there to eat, the wait to get my meal was long. However, it definately was worth it. I got the St. Louis rib half platter. This meal included six ribs on the bone, two sides of my choosing and corn bread. I chose the beans and rice and collard greens. They put a sweet sauce on the ribs for me but I also was able to select from a variety of sauces they had in the waiting area to put on my ribs. I chose the sweet sauce and the hot sauce but I never used the hot sauce. The sweet sauce was sooooooo tasty. Some places cannot cook beans and rice well. I vannit say the same for Blue Ribbon. The beans and rice was very tasty. Not too salty and not too bland. I was wishing that I had more. The collards had the right amount of kick to them. The corn bread was soft and fluffy. I did not have to add butter to make it any better. This is a must go to place.

B L

Mains are good sides are lacking

melmsboston 75

This place is just ok, they get my order wrong 99% of the time so I have to check my order before I leave. Its not REAL barbeque its just cooked meat and they pour sauce over it after. If you want authentic DO NOT go to Blue Ribbon!!

Micah Rei

This BBQ really hit the spot

Alisha G

Great prices, and great food. The place gives of a good vibe and the service is fast, the staff are friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend going and the mashed potatoes are a must try.

Siobhan Keplin

The BEST barbecue around!

Chris Naughton

A shadow of it's former self.

Bert Bert

Everything is delicious there, Brisket sandwiches, mashed potatoes, ribs. All the good stuff.

Mitchell Cook

Excellent selection of any kind of barbecue foods that you could ever want, which is a nice change for the area and something that tends to be few and far between. Great meats, sides, and sauces!

Jim Hughes

My favorite bbq in the Boston area.

s. a. spinks

Excellent service & consistently delicious BBQ in Greater Boston. My partner & I love coming here after our fishing trips, he's picky about his BBQ but he loves this place.

rick adams

Tremendous food!! As good as it gets for a bbq brisket

Peter G.

One of the best BBQ places in the Boston area. Mostly a to-go spot. Quick to serve and always fresh!

Thomas Youmans

I wish this place would stay under the radar, it is my favorite bar b q place. It is amazing. Probably get two sweet sauces and one hot sauce, and everything here is absolutely great.

Thomas Cohen

What can I say that hasn’t already be said about this place. Incredible BBQ food!

Brandon Casperson

Awesome prices for killer fresh made BBQ, house made, oven smoked sauces and great combo options every day. Always check the specials list! A+

James Lantry

Always tempted to get the trio platter(and do on occasion). The sides are awesome, the free pickles, and great specials.

Elaine Meehan

It was not as good as I remembered. Brisket was not seasoned well, burnt ends were mushy, and Mac n Cheese was flavorless. I used to love Blue Ribbon BBQ in Newton. I was just dissappointed.

J Ellis

Best 4th of July tradition

Don Pearson

A favorite -- generous portions, perfectly cooked meats, great BBQ flavors, solid sides and as much sauce(s) as you want. Take out -- don't bother cooking on hot summer nights!

Benjamin Corduck

Blue ribbon is great. Try the burnt ends sandwich.

T C

Just awesome. We stumbled into this place and ended up coming back to buy bar b q sauce to take back home.

jrego21

Please have the ribs! If your into ribs. Collard greens are some of the best I've had with the exception to Black Strap BBQ in Winthrop. Not a big fan of Jamaican jerk chicken sandwich. Tried it twice and both times they where dry. How you dry out a piece of thigh, I'll never know. Stick to the meats and sides and you'll be returning for sure!

Righteous Hat

Hole in the wall that serves tasty BBQ. Orders are filled fairly fast (under 15 min) and hearty food. Only three tables inside and a half row of 5 or so stools for lone patrons.

sKy_jdawgmini_ll

Found a bead in my food and it broke one of my teeth.

Brian Ristuccia

Amazing burnt ends, ribs, decent pulled pork, chicken, and desserts.

Mike Dargie

I get the chicken burrito everytime I go and it's always good. The hot sauce they offer is good aswell

Jose M. Maldonado

Great place for a ribs rack to take away

LDS areyouldsalso

Very good food. Very casual dining. Large portions. A bit pricey

S K

Nice barbecue, sides. Nothing dramatic, but competent and consistent.

Gordon Senzer

Usually great but, last visit chicken was dry and not fresh. Will try again for sure.

Amy Santiago

Always the best barbecue around! The brisket is perfect every time. The sides depend on what you get, but almost all are done perfectly! You will certainly leave satisfied!

Claire Russell

Fantastic food and a lovely little place

Mrs G

The food is amazingly good. The portions are large so it's great for sharing. The sides are just as good ie cornbread, collard greens, coleslaw etc. The food is packaged quickly so the wait isn't too long. .

Dale W

The cornbread was good. That's about it. Baked beans were tart. The Kansas City Burned ends weren't great at all.

Michael Powers

Great barbeque. Not inexpensive.

Tj M

Authentic southern style in a Northeast Joint! Thought it wasn't possible but, it is. Sooooo good!

david simko

The best. If you can grab one of the few seats, stay and soak in the whimsical Atmosphere, but likely take out is your best bet.

Stephan Gilly

Though their pork is great and tender it was flooded with flavor of liquid smoke. How can you present yourself as a bbq place with liquid smoke. That’s terrible. I felt no love in their process which is what bbq is about. I’m sorry but I cook a better pork shoulder at home. You shou be ashamed presenting this to the masses. Maybe YouTube videos and sponsors are your better model

Elizor Preditor

The food here is some of the best you'll find. They have the best ribs and some amazing sandwiches. There is both indoor and outdoor seating as well as a window bar. Also if you get mashed potatoes you better be ready to eat because they give you a ton!

Charles Lambert

Good bbq for the NE. Chicken and pork is great. Brisket is decent, they shred instead if slice but good flavor. Staff is friendly and they have nice outside seating for the summer.

Steffan DeLong

Good bbq, second to making it myself.

Daniel Musto

One of the best BBQ restaurants in the Boston area. You get well worth your money here, unlike a lot of other places. The green beans weren't anything to write home about, but the mashed potatoes and cornbread were delicious. The pulled chicken was juicy and flavorful and they offer a multitude of sauces to accompany them.

Annabelle Carpenter

bbq and the feeling here is very good. I love visiting here. Had a sister come into town and asked me to take her here again. Prices that are reasonable.

Badr Tejado

Fast service, delicious food, convenient location. What else is there to say...

Diana F.

Pulled pork burrito was great!

David Markun

Tasty food, warm casual atmosphere, pretty efficient at dealing with surges of customers at peak times. Counter service -- people come here for the food, not to be waited on. The place is designed to be easy to keep clean, and it works.

Jenny Su

The BBQ is good and the service here is great. Sides are actually good. But if you don't like saucy BBQ and mayo coleslaw, you may not like this place. I love their sauces though. My favorite side is the dirty rice.

Sherwin Chen

Sooooooo damn good. Ribs and brisket are amazing. Some of the best bbq in the greater Boston area. The mashed potatoes too.

David Gale Jr.

They have been serving up the best barbecue this side of the Charles since I was a kid. That said if you want some dang good BBQ any day if the week you need to stop by Blue Ribbon

Andrew Solis

This place was OK. False advertising big time! I am from Texas so decided to find a place that served "Texas" BBQ. I ordered the supposed Texas brisket and oh...my...goodness, it was a form of BBQ I have never seen before! It was soupy and tasted like straight vinegar. From the shows I watched over the years, this is 100% Carolina style BBQ. In Texas we use dry rubs and slow smoke, which is why Texas que is so popular, the meat is not overwhelmed by sauce or vinegar. This was the polar opposite! Seriously, nobody would eat here in Texas, sorry but it is the truth.

John Mahoney

LOVE this food! Worth the drive.

Eric Weaver

Incredibly good BBQ joint! Even the sides are fantastic!

Brenda Chaimowitz

Loved the pulled pork sandwich! Lots of food for the price and fun space!

Peter O.

Fantastic food, not exactly 'low fat'

Scott S

This place is amazing. Best BBQ North of Boston hands down. The pulled pork sandwich is my favorite thing in the menu, but it is all good.

Kevin Brazile

The beans taste so good. I'm not big on meat but it was good. Would recommend for anyone that likes meat. As part Texan I also appreciated the Barbecue sauce.

Terrie Hayden

You can't go wrong at Blue Ribbon BBQ. We tried the pulled chicken for the first time and wow was that amazing. Even just a pint of it is plenty for two people and so tasty.

Jerrod Henry

You will enjoy the aroma of smoked meat upon entering the building. The food portions are amazing. That caught my attention as soon as the food made it's way to the table. We decided on the Feed Bag Meal. We had plenty to eat, and there were ample leftovers as well.

Ynes Minllety

I decided to go to the Arlington location based on the reviews from other people on Google. I ordered the Duo Combo with Ribs and Sausage. The Sausage was good and had the right amount of spice in it. The ribs were hard and cold. The cornbread was very dry and burnt. The collar greens were edible. The sweet tea was water-down and not sweet at all. The worse part is that my party and I saw mice in the establishment near the soda station. Another customer saw it too. When I went to discard my trash the mice came from under the trash running towards me. I notified the employees working there, and they looked a me and kept working. I guess they are used to seeing it. Avoid eating here at all possible cause. GROSS!!

Jennifer Kelly

Meh, go to red bones. No beer, the servers couldn't be bothered to clean the tables or empty the over flowing trash. Ok food, not great, very saucy.

Carlotta Fagan

Awesome barbecue place! The place was packed on a Monday night and so I called in an order to go. The food is the star here. Not much ambiance. Pork Ribs and brisket were awesome. The greens were as good as any served in the south. Friendly service. A little slow in service but worth the wait. Will be back when in the area to try some other dishes.

Mary Sue Ankner

Excellent bbq in styles from throughout the us. Pulled pork is east Carolina style with vinegar, burnt ends from Kansas city, pulled chicken, ribd, excellent options for sides including baked beans, slaw, potato salad and specials.. Great for meat eaters! You won't leave hungry.

Robert G. Buehler

Cannot get enough of dis yummy stuff

Jeffrey Plikunas

Best BBQ in Massachusetts you definitely won't be disappointed and bring an empty stomach you'll leave stuffed

Marcos Caro

Great take out for my party of 12!

Jennifer Firneno

I love the brisket and get the platter so I can have it with mashed potatoes and gravy. You can order from a selection of side dishes, which I like, but the quality of these is not high, particularly of the veggies. If they upped their game on this front I'd give it another star. If you're craving bbq it's excellent.

heather dejesus

Very good bbq. My daughter likes the ribs and I like the pulled pork

Justin Zonay

Great selection and excellent tasting barbeque and sides. Seating is tight and limited, but not uncomfortable.

Nick Y

Very good pulled pork and chicken. I go here often for a nice BBQ dinner.

Kenneth Abbott

A good place for barbacue.Good food bbq for newengland.Very small place mostly for take out. Prices are ok. Good but not southern bbq.

C Mez

Use to love it here got the open faced brisket sandwich very fatty green beans were gross baked beans tasted burnt best part of the meal was the mashed potatoes cornbread was weak too I agree it's like they changed hands Ended up throwing my meal away Too bad

Russell Sabbag

Best N. Carolina dry rubbed ribs b this side of NC.

Luis Matos

It was awesome the meat melted in your mouth

Vijay Abilash

The food was pretty good. Decent BBQ sauce.

Patricia Deloge

Best place to get BBQ

Shannon Spofford

The food was delicious, the only down fall was it was kind of small but I would definitely go again

Vinnie West

Tasty food. Nice people.

Jerry Yang

Awesome BBQ

Amanda Bowers

Phenomenal pulled pork and mashed potatoes, can't wait to try pulled chicken (prepared the same way as the pulled pork). Husband really liked the ribs but found burnt ends underwhelming (recommended over the brisket). Corn bread dry but good flavor.

Josh Smift

Great authentic southern bbq. Not an elegant place to sit and eat, but that's ok, or get takeout if you like.

Julia Sanchez

Real good bbq!!

Tom Pinckney

Pretty much my favorite BBQ in the world. I've tried a fair number of places in my native SC and now VA where I live and this is consistently great pulled pork and ribs. Sides are good though beans have a bit of red pepper that some may not want. Whenever I'm back in the Boston area I make sure to go here.

faustgirl

Used to be the best place to go, for years it was our favorite, but I think it changed hands and over the past year the food just isnt what it used to be. We still go here but not as frequently as we once did.

Ms. Beauchamp

Went on a little road trip for a day out to Boston with the husband and we happen to check this bbq spot out. We don’t have BBQ like this in North Jersey it was phenomenal. I ordered the brisket platter with cheesy grits, collard greens and corn bread. It was delicious. My husband had the pulled pork sandwich, black eyed pea and corn and mash potatoes. He did not like the beans and corn but he absolutely loved the rest. The corn bread was homemade but a little on the dry side. But regardless the food was memorable.

Daisy Hernandez

Take mac and cheese off the menu if you dont serve it anymore

Hakan Can

The pulled pork sandwich with the slaw and Fritos in the middle was delicious. It hit its mark.

Yayo F

Very close to Texas BBQ that I ate at Austin. Impressively good and I love it. Great price. As a girl, one plate (to go) serves as more than a few days of meat :)

Joe Crinkley

Really good barbeque all around. Good selection of meats and all the sides are tasty. All the meal options are fairly priced and the portions are big enough to get a second meal for most. I'd say the brisket and ribs are better than the pulled pork. I haven't had the chicken. I can't say it's the best bbq I've ever had, but it's certainly the best in the area and satisfies the itch for slow cooked meat and southern fare. Service is also top notch. They do get very busy, but they handle rushes well and are all very polite and efficient.

Taylor Mitchell

I gave this place 5 stars because it really deserves it. The food there is nothing short of D E L I C I O U S! Better than that other place in Davis square - what's it's called? Whether it's the jerk chicken, the pulled pork or the brisket I'm always leaving their completely sated w/ a smile in my tummy. The sides are very good and they offer a nice variety- my favorite being the potato salad - good old fashioned potato salad with mayo, onions, celery & a little bit of mustard in it. I frequently buy a tub to bring home. There is limited seating indoors however in the summer they have large tables outside. Excellent for take out too. Staff works very hard to get the orders out quickly always with a cheerful attitude.

Micah Korson

11 years of being a loyal customer. This BBQ is literally perfect. It doesn't even need a long review. I would run out of descriptive words and expressions. Simple is best, just like Blue Ribbon. I am a HUGE supporter of this small franchise and they deserve the best of the best success for having the most perfect BBQ and food options. They are so wonderful...

Raquel A

Very tasty foods and nice people working there. The mashed potatoes are insanely good, and so are the rice and beans. I love the pulled pork (really a very tasty pulled ham in a nice vinegar based marinade), but everything is tasty!

Bobbie Levis

Love this place. Delicious food, kind staff!

Anthony Duck

Best barbecue in New England that I've had. Great portion sizes, friendly staff and nice prices!

Leo Vil

Amazing food 100% recommended

Robert Jean

The best BBQ we have ever had. Family ran, family love in their restaurant. Looking forward to a return trip.

Bill Suarez

Authentic and diverse selection. Love th brisket and collards.

Anderson Carvalho

Is there a way to leave 10 starts??? Food amazing. Staff very friendly. The environment is awesome! Love the ribs but the brisket is my favorite by far!

baltohendrick

Excellent barbecue. Authentic and plentiful.

Conrado Cardenas

The best barbecue in the city of Boston however there in the outskirts of the city of Boston. One in Arlington and one in West Newton that I know of the potato salad is great!

Steve Phillips

Great BBQ. I go to the Arlington restaurant. Great food, great price. The trio sliders are a fantastic feed.

Barbara Miranda

The best

Saranyoo Kelleher

Nice and yummy BBQ !! Love their pull pork BBQ!!!

Kathleen Moscillo

Great bbq and excellent service!

jennifer renee

Great bbq!

Oblivion

Great BBQ!! If you are from the south and looking for good BBQ this is the place to go!