Ben's BBQ Shack

Pre ordered the brisket, ribs, and pulled pork on a Friday and they were ready five minutes before the promised time (gotta love punctuality). There was a line even before they opened. My boyfriend who picked them up was pretty sure Ben was the one in the shack and mentioned how he was outgoing and welcoming. For the food. We got 2lbs of brisket which I'm glad we did! My son loved the ribs and almost ate a whole pound to himself (he's 8 and weights 75lbs so that's saying something) and I loved the pulled pork as well. Also the baked beans and coleslaw. I never care for either but wish I got more

Went in on a Sunday afternoon just before closing time.I was very fortunate to get there when I did. The eatery is nestled between other homes in the neighborhood. There are a handful of parking spots available just next to the business otherwise there is additional street parking nearby. No dine in here but they offer some tables just adjacent to the shack. I didn't see any umbrellas that day, and it was a very hot day. It didn't matter, the food was so good and the ice cold Coke helped cool me off.Since I had not preordered, the last items available for the day were pulled pork and baked beans. The staff served up a very generous amount of pulled pork. It was so delicious I had to give my dog a little taste.Also had a side order other the baked beans and they were perfect. Not since traveling through Texas, I had not tasted something so simple yet so delicious. The price was very reasonable for the quality and taste. Give this place a try and make sure to call ahead.

Made another trip to Ben's BBQ Shack yesterday and it did not disappoint. Great food, great service and always a great energetic conversation with Ben. I don't think Ben has ever met a stranger.Wife and I both had pulled pork sandwiches and baked beans, which were great. Outside dining in beautiful weather. Every other customer we spoke to was happy to be there and it showed.Definitely recommend making the drive and even dealing with the current construction in the area is well worth it.

Ben Hoffman is probably the happiest guy you'll ever meet. He must love his job. He makes the most amazing slow-cooked barbecue using only wood heat. He will proudly tell you that he doesn't use any electronics or technologies to prepare his barbecue. The first time, I met Ben, I had driven across town to try one of his pork sammiches. As we rolled in, we saw the cardboard sign saying, "Sorry, Sold Out". And there was Ben, sitting behind his little window in his tiny shack with a huge smile on his face. He belts out a laugh and tells us that we should preorder online. That's the best way to be ensured some of his coveted barbecue. Two weeks later we show up early and get in the line outside his little shack before he opens. Ben banters with the folks standing in the cold, telling them the food will be worth the wait. It was. I ordered the special grilled shrimp tacos (a Lenten special). We also ordered a Pork Belly Sammich. Food comes out in about 15 minutes. The tacos are good with big shrimp and Ben's cole slaw. The Pork Belly Sammich contains two strips of bbq pork that is topped with fresh sliced jalapeños and onions on a soft fresh roll. The meat is smoky, tender and juicy. The sandwich leaves me wanting to go back again the next day. The next time I will preorder. The parking lot is tiny with maybe 6 slots. People park across the street and walk. There are a couple picnic tables to eat at, weather permitting. Most people grab and go. As we leave the parking lot, the "Sorry, Sold Out" sign goes up and we hear Ben's gregarious laugh.

I was researching restaurants to try while staying in Indy for a couple of days and came upon Ben's BBQ Shack. To be honest, I find the overall bbq quality in most places north of Kansas City or St. Louis is rather poor, but I was intrigued by the statement on Ben's website that they smoke their meats in an actual pit. That's a real rarity in this area and even in more BBQ-centric states, it's a tradition that's dying out. Adding to the authenticity is that Ben's is only open until they sell out of meat each day (which I understand can sometimes only take an hour).We were so intrigued that we decided to pre-order meat a couple of days in advance so we could try a bit of everything. As we arrived to pickup our meal right when they opened, we found a long line customers waiting to order. Seemed promising already!As we took a look around the exterior, I didn't notice any billowing smoke columns, couldn't detect any smoke aroma perfuming the air, nor did I see any space that could be used as a smoke pit. I was also surprised that the storefront was in the middle of a commerce area rather than in the middle of nowhere. I guess they don't smoke the meats on site and instead bring it in every morning from an offsite location. Pickup was pretty easy and quick. We were told by one of the customers in line to knock on the door and someone would arrive to help us quickly, and they were right. The door is right next to where Ben works, chopping up meats and prepping the food. Super friendly guy! I can see why people love him.In total, we got:Pork Belly Sammich ($9) - This included two super generously cut, 1 inch tall, tender slabs of pork belly. It's a great cut with both lean and fatty portions, creating a delectable bite. The interior is moist and the fat is well rendered and soft, not stringy or tough at all. The meat is dusted with seasoning salt and there's a good, noticeable smoke ring with a taste that permeates well into the meat. Some of the exterior portions show quite a bit of bark but it's all soft. I wonder if they transport the meat covered or in hot boxes from the smoke pits to the stand to sell, so it steams a bit and softens the crust. That's the one thing that needs improvement. On top of the meat is a pile of pickled jalapenos and sliced white onions that adds some acidity. Everything sits on a fluffy bun. There's bbq sauce on the side, but everything is moist and flavorful so it's not really needed. (5/5)1/2 lb Brisket ($11.5) - The brisket is tender and easily comes apart even with a spoon. One piece is fattier brisket and the other is lean. The fatty piece is moist and delicious. The lean is obviously a bit drier, but still plenty juicy. Again, there's a pretty distinctive smoke ring and there is bark but it's not crusty. (5/5)1/2 lb Pulled Pork ($9) - The pork is shredded well but not super chopped. The smoke flavor is quite apparent. It's overall a bit of a leaner cut, probably just pork shoulder and definitely not whole hog bbq. It's very meaty in general with no fat, gristle, or skin. It's overall quite uniform in texture and moistness. (4/5)Each meat order is accompanied by a single 2oz cup of bbq sauce. I do like how the sauce is all on the side so you can try the everything sauce-free to really enjoy the flavor of the smoked meat. The bbq sauce itself consists of a spiced sweet vinegar ketchup base that complements the meat well. Cole Slaw ($2) - This is a pretty small 6 oz cup of cole slaw veggies in a very thin and watery mayo dressing. Some of the seasoning salt used on the meat is also added in the slaw. There's a bit of acidity and sweetness and just a small bit of mayo creaminess. (4/5)BBQ Baked Beans ($2) - Another 6 oz styrofoam cup filled with beans cooked until tender. I found these to be too sweet for my tastes. Ben's doesn't really do anything interesting with their beans - it's literally just beans without any other vegetables or meat mixed in. (3/5)Bourbon Buttermilk Pie ($5) - The crust seems to be homemade with a nice butter/shortening base that's flaky and somewhat crisp. The smell of the pie as you unwrap it is of caramelized sugar and butter. The top layer of the pie is caramelized similar to a chess pie, but more of a lacy texture, and the center custard is eggy and set firmly. It's not dense and instead has air pockets, giving a smooth finish. Interestingly enough, there seems to be layers in the custard. The top is a bit more pale while the bottom is an egg yolky-like yellow. The entire dessert is sweet but not overwhelmingly so. I don't think there's much bourbon added because I couldn't taste any (not that I mind). To be honest, we were a little apprehensive getting this pie since we don't like sugar cream pie, but found this to be pleasant in the end. (4/5)Ben's BBQ certainly serves up some good barbecue for the area. I wouldn't say it matches up to the best in the South, but it's perfect for any meat craving around Indy.

Pre-order is definitely the way to go, I got there 45 minutes after he opened on Saturday and he was sold out. Ben is a great guy that loves what he does and it shows. The next day I went over about 45 minutes before he opened and some other folks had the same idea, by noon there was probably 20 people. We had the Brisket, turkey and a pork belly sandwich. I smoke my own meats so I will say stand alone the brisket and turkey were just that. The pork belly sandwich though. The pork was cooked perfectly and I really would not have thought just onion and jalapeño would make this sandwich the star of our sampling. The beans were great and the Cole slaw was just creamy enough with a little crunch. The BBQ sauce is amazing and went well with everything we had. Ben wants to expand and I hope he does. He loves serving people and has fun doing it.

This is the best BBQ I've had since I was living and working in North Carolina and South Carolina in 2012. I hadn't found any truly good and satisfying BBQ here in Indiana, 'til today.I was extremely impressed and smiling as I was greeted before I even reached the order/pickup window/door of Ben's BBQ Shack - Westfield (north suburb of Indy) on my first-ever visit today, for the online pre-order I placed Wednesday (they sell out every day they're open - Fri-Sat-Sun - carry-out only, although there are several picnic tables for fair-weather dining).As I walked up, a team member stepped out of the doorway, with a big smile, a genuinely welcoming attitude, and asked if I was picking up.I gave him my name. HIs face lit up as he seemed to know my order. I had included a message, in the special notes section of my online order, mentioning that this was my first time and that I didn't see an option to specify sauces, if there were any available. I wrote, "First time ordering. If there are side BBQ sauce options I missed, a sweet / medium-heat variety would be the best fit for us. Otherwise, smokey-and-delish-as-they're-served is what we're looking forward to trying. See y'all Friday! Cheers!" (the sauce I described IS available and, Oh My! ... so, so good.)He said, "So this is your first time here!""Yeah!" I smiled back ...He ducked inside and soon returned with my bagged order and added, "Ben threw in a sample of pulled pork for you to try."Then, "Ben" looked out the window and offered an enthusiastic, "Hey! Thanks, bud! Thanks a lot!" ... Although obviously busy in the midst of rush work as folks were lining up for walkup orders, they had time to express appreciation and inspire smiles with their guests.Ben and his team get it. They are sincerely welcoming as they actively engage with and serve their customers. My spouse, sister-in-law, and I opened a restaurant just over a year ago. We also know how rewarding it is to engage with guests and deliver a truly enjoyable experience; and we do our best to inspire our team to "get it" too.It was still warm when I got home to stash it for reheating, later, when my spouse arrives home from work ... but there was that unexpected sample of pulled pork calling out to me. I opened up the trays and was very happy to find that the brisket was a very GENEROUS 2 lbs ... and the sample of pulled pork that I expected to be bite-size or, perhaps, a slider-size serving ... was also very generous - enough for a couple full-size sandwiches, or four or five sliders, at least!Anyway, since there was such an abundance and no one else home to see ... I sampled a serving of the beef brisket ... and made myself two pulled pork sliders ... and suddenly found myself in smokey BBQ bliss! Just-right smokiness, perfectly juicy, beautiful to behold, and oh-so-savory to taste!Ben's BBQ Shack is likely to become a monthly ritual ... or at least my go-to when the smokey BBQ cravings hit hard.

5 stars! If you pre-order, you skip the line. Ben is the friendliest out there in the BBQ game and the food is so good.If you don't pre-order, get there early and get in line. And don't skip on the bourbon buttermilk pie. It is mouth watering, but take it home and make yourself a good coffee with it.

This is the most delicious BBQ in Indiana and may just be the best BBQ I've ever had. Flavorful. Delectable. Every bite is so well spiced and the meat is so succulent, and juicy. The service is great. Ben and Blake are wonderful. These are the type of establishments that should attract people near and far to Westfield.

Great place food and owner. If you have never tried Ben's you are really missing out. Make sure to check the hours and go try this bbq. You will not regret it. Best secret in Westfield.