Time for an update. Full disclosure: I haven't been to the brick and mortar Redbones location since before the pandemic, but my husband went a couple of months ago for lunch with a friend of his. However, just a couple of weeks ago Tom and I were at a party where the hosts had food trucks supplying the dinner.One of the food trucks at this party was from Redbones BBQ so this review is based on my most recent experience with the food from their food truck as well as Tom's report of his recent lunch at the restaurant.Let me start by saying my husband and I love barbecue and years ago, we were regulars at Redbones. Once upon a time one could expect excellent, delicious BBQ, and fabulous side dishes. One would also be assured of a lively and fun time with good service. It was a great hit of Southern fare here in New England. On my husband's recent visit he said the service was unfriendly and abrupt, the portions he said, were shockingly small and the food mediocre at best. Quite surprisingly he said, everything was served in takeout boxes even though he and his friend were dining inside the restaurant. Instead of silverware, Tom told me they are now using plastic utensils. It looks like they are trying to save money by not using dishes or utensils that need washing. But honestly, can you imagine eating BBQ (or anything for that matter) with flimsy plastic utensils? Let's not even get into all the waste of plastic and paper this also engenders.I don't know anyone who likes eating out of a takeout box inside of a restaurant versus off of a china plate, casual BBQ fare included.Tom and his friend said they were also surprised at how few people were in the restaurant. This is a place that was always busy.My husband noted that the prices have increased substantially despite the drastic decrease in quantity and quality and the decline in good service.Tom and his friend were disappointed with every aspect of their lunch experience.Fast forward several weeks and friends of ours had a casual outdoor anniversary party using among other vendors, a Redbones food truck. I opted to try what the Redbones food truck was offering and had the brisket. Unfortunately, the brisket was absolutely drenched in barbecue sauce. The meat seemed a bit dry and perhaps this is why they covered it with so much sauce. But you couldn't really even taste the meat given all the BBQ sauce heaped upon it. Over saucing something does not forgive poor cooking.They were also serving BBQ chicken which I did not try. The cornbread was dry. One of the sides was mac and cheese which was also dry. I tried the collard greens which is normally a vegetable I Iove. The collard greens were too watery and so lacked any depth of flavor. The serving size was about two forkfuls of the watery greens. While it may not be fair to be such a harsh judge of Redbones based on a food truck experience it does seem to go along with Tom and his friend's recent experience and those of other Yelpers who have recently dined there and shared their reviews. This decline is stunning to me given how popular and great this place once was. Redbones used to be a place where you had to wait to get a table on any given night and you didn't mind doing so because it was fun to hang out at the bar while you waited and you knew the end result would be excellent barbecue. It was an incredibly popular and busy place because the food was just that good, the vibe was fun and the service was friendly. This was a go-to place for us on many a Saturday night with friends. We would often bring friends who were visiting from out of town.Fortunately Tom has become an excellent BBQ "pitmaster" in his own right. With his own trusty smoker at home he has become adept at making truly delicious ribs as well as brisket. What is perhaps ironic is that years ago Tom had a long conversation one late night after dinner at Redbones with the chef who generously shared some of his cooking tips with Tom. We have a dearth of great BBQ places in this part of Massachusetts...Blue Ribbon in Arlington comes to mind as a good place to go but it's a bit of a haul for us to get to.Maybe Redbones can turn this around, but I don't think we will bother to go back until we hear otherwise via Yelp reviews. We still have our memories of once upon a time.
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"When you live in RI, are binge watching Tournament of Champions and are heading to Boston... you head to Sweet Cheeks Q!Tiffani Faison's BBQ joint is the real deal. First off, sheik country vibe. LARGE mason jars of sweet tea (which were pretty tasty) and the Dolly Parton themed bathroom with a sticker machine?! Yes! Tiffani has won me over. Also- super cool that the TOC season 3 belt is here and on display.Then the food- The biscuits are large and in charge! Well worth getting and trying that honey butter. The pork belly was tasty but the real winner was the fried chicken! Super crispy but moist! Delicious! The pickles- what do they do to them? LOVED THEM! (We guess that there was mustard seed on them?) The mac and cheese was ok and the broccolini cheese casserole was tasty!Bottomline- I want to go back and try more on the menu. True score: 4.5SHOUT OUT to our waiter Stevie- Super funny and informative! Thanks for a great visit!"
"This is hands down one of the best places for Korean BBQ in the Boston area. The service, food, and atmosphere are all exceptional.We visited on a weekday evening, and although it was pretty crowded, we were seated within a reasonable time. Our waiter was very helpful, explaining the menu options and even recommending some dishes to try.The Korean BBQ was fantastic. The staff started cooking the meat for us, but we took over since we're used to doing it ourselves. They still kept an eye on the grill to ensure nothing was overcooked. The meat was tender, juicy, and paired perfectly with the dipping sauces. We also tried the seafood pancake, kimchi stew, and cold noodles. I don't usually enjoy cold noodle broth, but this one was particularly good.The service was top-notch. We were celebrating a birthday, and the staff surprised us with a complimentary Soju. Our waiter even helped us make Somaek.Overall, it was a wonderful experience. The dishes can get a bit pricey if you're a big eater, but it's definitely worth it."
