Southwest Barbecue — Restaurant in Appin

After having South West Barbecue on my list for quite some time, I finally had the chance to stop by and sample their brisket. As someone who considers themselves a connoisseur of smoked meats, I was eager to see how their offering stacked up.

I opted for the 100g brisket deal, as I was coming from a lunch and just wanted to get a taste. Unfortunately, the brisket itself was somewhat underwhelming. It wasn’t terrible, but it lacked the bold seasoning of salt and pepper that gives a great brisket its signature punch. The texture leaned towards the dry side, which was surprising for a place that specialises in smoked meats daily—you’d expect them to have nailed the balance of flavor, moisture, and tenderness by now.

The sides were a mixed bag. The chips were perfectly seasoned, adding a satisfying crunch to the meal. The coleslaw, however, was forgettable, offering nothing special in terms of flavor or texture. But the pickles were an absolute standout—unlike the usual sour variety, these had a subtle sweetness that was unexpectedly delicious. I’d consider returning just for those.

Halfway through, the dryness of the brisket became more apparent, so I decided to purchase a side of their smoky BBQ sauce for an extra $1. While it did enhance the flavor and make the meat more enjoyable, I couldn’t help but think the sauce should come included in the brisket box by default—even if they had to roll the cost into the meal price.

Overall, South West Barbecue has potential but needs some refinement. The brisket didn’t quite hit the mark for me, but perhaps it was just an off day. With a bit more attention to seasoning and moisture, they could really elevate their barbecue game. Would I rush back? Maybe not. But those pickles… I might just make the trip for...

Let's start with the food; The corn bread was dense, struggled to even cut it with a knife. The Mac and cheese, was soupy and when I say soupy I mean soupy. The sauce consistency was runnier than a normal pasta sauce. The chicken wings were pretty good but the ribs, the brisket lacked decent seasoning. The pickles were amazing. The service is actually what ruined the whole thing for me, I had to have my order fixed 3 times and the service was not so good. I felt like I was annoying the service lady because we ordered a lot of food, she repeated the order to us correctly and even one of my guests was there to witness but yet they missed the Mac and cheese and missed a meat plate (however I was not charged the meat plate). I went back and reordered it, the chef asked what I wanted and I specifically said one of each meat, the order came to the table wrong and they made me feel like an asshat for asking for it to be fixed. The stand offish attitude made the atmosphere really unwelcoming, I felt pretty uncomfortable. If you're willing to travel Black Bear in Wetherill Park they do a much better job at making authentic American BBQ and are super welcoming in...

Was looking forward to some food old slow cooked BBQ, made the trip out to Appin especially for a treat. Unfortunately they didn't have beef or pork ribs available even though they are on the menu. The person that took my order mumbled something about beef being expensive and pork ribs just put in the smoker....so I ordered a mixed plate, pulled pork, brisket and spice sausage....it came with fries and a side of coleslaw and pickles. The food was served in a cardboard container with wooden cutlery (unless I might add) so to the food, the sausage was so tough I couldn't cut it with the wooden utensils and a chewers delight, the brisket was dry and the pulled pork was super average, the fries were good, best.part of the whole meal. The slaw and pickles were served in small plastic take away containers. I did mention to the person who took my order I intended to eat in. I felt like they were confused as to whether they were an eat in place or a take away place. For the quality of food and the atmosphere a 2 star rating is generous, yes I am...