J's Var-B-Q

The service was great The ambiance of the restaurant was very unique to meThe was excellentAlso I hope I got that menu item correct for the ribs.

I enjoyed the smoke turkey and the bbq sauce . The brisket sandwich was underwhelming. The potato salad is ok. I appreciate how clean the place is. It's not a busy restaurant. The staff is friendly.

I'm disappointed when I see an opportunity, going unmatched in skill let alone an attempt to try. We ordered online, upon being binged 30min later with a notification our order was ready, I walked into a very clean "var-b-q" restaurant. Tables spotless, floor clean, open view to the kitchen... spotless. Not a hint of bbq in the air. Should have been my first clue. I was told my receipt didn't go through and my order was in fact not ready. I waited outside, I did not want to disrupt the cleanliness of the tables by sitting there. So I come back in, to a small line of people, obviously the five minutes that passed they forgot what I was there for, so I waited in line for my already paid,prepared and bagged food. (45$ 2 plates & 2 drinks plus 15%tip). We park in a romantic spot to enjoy our Var-b-q... Whom ever cooked the brisket, it was good. To whom ever cuts the brisket to plate it, a small yet helpful tip for meat, CUT AGAINST THE GRAIN. I choked down spaghetti brisket over a decent Mac-n-cheese. My hubby, the same upon a bed of crisp fries. We didn't think brisket could be so hard to chew or swallow. The sides were sad, I added a jalapeño and pickle thinking roasted and house made. It was a raw jalapeño and a basic soggy store bought pickle. I would put money on these dishes being pre-packaged from Costco. The Mac and cheese was the best part of both our plates. $45, I could have made a family meal better than this. I anticipate when I go out to eat, the food would be of higher quality than I'd get at the neighborhood bbq or even my own kitchen. This was such a disappointment. Start to finish. Where I think this could improve, first the customer service, having someone behind the counter that portrays confidence in their business helps me as the customer feel better, remembering faces especially when your not busy. Learning to not only season the meat well, cook it well, but know how to cut and plate the food as well. Half the enjoyment of a plate of food is the presentation. If it doesn't look good, my brain already thinks it's going to taste bad.

Overall good experience, the place is super clean which is important. It made for a nice first impression. The food was good and the owner, Mr. Vargas asked us how our meal was and explained that the restaurant was ran by him and his daughter. We love supporting local, family owned businesses and it was nice to be able to that for our visit to J's Var B-Q. Give it a try!

I'm cheering for this place, but they could do somethings better. I wanted to try all the meats, but certain meats are only sold as a whole or half like the chicken. The brisket wasn't sold as slices so they overcook their brisket so it falls apart. The turkey appeared to be sliced with the grain. The rib tips they cut off. I don't see why they don't St. Louis rib cut the tips off to make rib tips to sell as a dish. The service was fast and friendly. The food was good, but I'm not making a trip just for this food. The green chile mac & cheese was good, but was not able to get as much green chile flavor as I had hoped for. It was good to see they rewrap their meat in foil after cutting to helps save the juices. Overall, OK BBQ joint.

***New Business"**SIDE NOTE: I'm from Texas, so Bar-B-Q is differentJ 's Var-B-Q is located in the Louisiana Plaza on Montgomery and Louisiana.  If you're driving too fast, you just might miss the eatery. Slow down and stop by. Business hours are 11a to 7p everyday.Met Julian Vargas., the owner and his wife, while I was enjoying a relaxed Sunday afternoon.  The wonderful staff greeted me with warmth and a smile.   (David L.) took my order. and Alex, the restaurant manager, also assisted with my order.  She and David were cordial and professional.Good food, nice folks, great atmosphere.  I ordered 1/2 brisket, ribs, beans and mac and cheese.  Alex provided me with a sampling of smoked chicken wings Brisket: high quality, tender meat and mildly seasoned.  When you add the barbecue sauce, it adds more flavor Ribs: smoky, tender and fell off the boneSmoked chicken wings:  definitely smoky, a little spicy and a little sweet.  Wings did not have a crispy, outer skin but weren't overdone either.  Beans tasted smoky but sweet, syrupy-like, but in a good way.  Could be because I hadn't had sugar in a while.  They were yummy!The mac and cheese was velvety, cheesy, thick and delicious.I did not sample the baked potatoes but did find out that those spuds are named after the owners' grandkids.  How cute!.Available dessert is a brownie.  I did not sample it because I'm not really a fan of chocolate desserts.  However, I will try it should I return to J's Var-B-Q.Give this new establishment a try.

The ribs had a good taste and very tender. The turkey was very dry. Both meats were barely warm. They have a good variety specialties. The service was the most challenging. After watching a hand full of employees do nothing, a lead person finally informed us we had to wait at the unlabeled order window. Apparently, you place your order with the one cutter that asks you 4 times what you ordered, instead of writing it down. Then you go down the line where you are asked over and over again if you want sides. Then you are asked a few times if you want any other add ons. There was a lead person, who would actually slow the process with his intervention. I believe they were challenged keeping up regular orders while putting a large party order together. The space is clean and welcoming but not very much decor. Service training is definitely needed. The owner is very friendly!

This weeks date was J. I was not feeling well again due to my diseases so we had it delivered and we were not disappointed. J Vars BBQ was amazing. We had the brisket and the turkey. The sides were the okra, potatoe salad, and Mac and cheese. We got the cobbler for dessert. It was all seasoned well, the meats tender and had a delicious smoked flavor. The sides were amazing. The Mac and cheese was super creamy. The cobbler had just the right sweetness and the crust was crispy. The whole meal was amazing, next time we will visit in person.

Good morning from a gorgeous Spring Day in central New Mexico. Tom Neiman and Jim Tritten visited a new restaurant on the east side of Albuquerque along with a few of the boys from the VA creative writing group. Join us as well regale you with tales of great food, fast service, and a relaxed atmosphere in J's Var-B-Q. Oklahoma barbeque in New Mexico. Meet Julian Vargas, the owner, explain what makes his food different and how he named his specials. Not only will we be back, but two of us have already been back. Just click on the following YouTube video link and enjoy our broadcast. https://youtu.be/mF1-BF3x9aY?si=WWhEBxDe0ciZ3eag

Service was great. Food was not. I ordered brisket, pulled pork, and baked potatoes. Flavor was ok but the pulled pork was dry and the brisket was a show stopper for me. Somebody shredded the brisket and what i was left with was dry stringy brisket. There's another review here that shows a picture and that's exactly how mine looked also. I almost choked a few times trying to get it down. There are many videos explaining how brisket is supposed to be cut, and I think that J's needs to get back to the basics if they are going to survive. Albuquerque needs good bbq options so I'm hoping that J will go back to the kitchen and give it another try.