BBQ Bandits — Restaurant in Hamilton

customer service and review date, photos: april 7, 2022

BBQ bandits (BB) is southern-style food restaurant located on parkdale north, near roxborough avenue. BB has been live on location since august 2021.

parking is available along parkdale ave., and at neighboring businesses (after they are closed). the restaurant is strictly a take-out facility.

BB is run by a man named ben and his wife. ben by his accounts, has been involved with southern food/cooking for over 25 years.

ben is a very gregarious individual; warm and welcoming with the customers. he is def not shy about letting you know about his food offerings, and why he believes his southern food offerings are at the top of the charts in the city of hamilton, and the surrounding areas.

as i was getting my phone-in order serviced at the store, and in talking with ben, i kept an open mind. i ended up getting the "hog heaven" deal. HH entails a serving of beans and coleslaw, 1lb pulled pork, 3 texan sausages, 2 full racks of ribs, medium rodeo fries. i added a side of large onion rings ($9.50 plus tax) with HH. all-in my order came out to $78.50

the HH menu item imo is bandits' best bang for the buck. 🔥🔥🔥

why? it's $60 plus tax ($67.80 all-in). if you ordered each of its item contents as individual pieces a la carte, it would run you $95.50 plus tax, and that's not including the small beans and coleslaw. so, after tax you're saving $40 in your pocket. 💰

prices at the "bandits" are competitive and commensurate with the southern food market in the area. the food is not cheap, as there is a lot of labor and time involved with marinating and smoking the food, which is understandable. ben advised me that depending on the item, meat and chicken items are marinated 24-36 hrs before getting cooked.

driving the 15 mins back home and NOT stopping to eat the food was a painful temptation lol 😉. i even had the windows down and the smell of the food was still strong and super hard to resist.

once i got home, i sampled all the items, and all items were fantastic for the HH. EVERYTHING from the coleslaw, beans, fries, sausage, pulled pork and ribs was on point.

the highlight was the ribs. literally fall-off-the-bone with a great tasting personality. the onion rings as an add-on to the HH were ok, but i would stick with the rodeo fries for the future. realistically HH can feed 3-4 adults comfortably, as-is. if you add sausage and burger buns from the grocery store, you could feed 6-8 adults, or even more.

also for the future, i will try bandits' chicken and burger offerings. BB is looking to put a jerk chicken wings offering in motion soon, at the time of this review. ask for it, the next time you are getting involved with bandits' food.

other: -phone-in is imo the best way to go, for the old-school folks like myself lol. you'll save time and can get a pulse for where the store's inventory is at. BB has a web ordering and phone app service also. the website overall is fantastic with good attention to detail, and is relatively easy to follow and use.

-BB has a diverse southern food menu. there really is no wrong answer as to what you pick, be it burgers, brisket, chicken, ribs, wings.

-just a suggestion, BB should look at getting logos printed for its food packaging. it would add a lot to the presentation of the food.

bottom line: believe the hype about BB 👀. they back up what they say, and have good, legit reviews to corroborate their food quality.

i would certainly return to the BB the next time i've got a hankering for southern bbq. there are quite a few other items i want to look into. i would also recommend BB to others if they are sitting on...

LOW QUALITY NOT FRESH FOOD :(

Try to support small business but places like this makes it very hard. Called from work and only had limited time on my lunch break so placed order over the phone so I can just grab and go. Sounds like the owner answered the phone. I told him I wanted brisket and wings for pickup . First time customer so I wanted to try a couple items. He replies we sold out of brisket, I said okay that's fine could I get a burger and wings instead. Sold out of burgers what kind of place sells out of hamburgers. I feel like they don't make certain items on certain days which is fine but just be honest about it so I can order when you'll have stock. So I say okay what can I order?. He told me they have ribs and wings special with fries for 10 bucks. I said okay I'll order that he then said well your number came up blocked and I said okay I can give you my number and I'm calling from my work phone. He said no no it's fine ,not sure why it matters. I'm placing a food order and not an expensive one so not sure what's the issue. Why is a business worried about blocked calls ? Seem fishy so I said okay I'll take that, he didn't ask for my name or number or anything so I figure okay they're probably slow so my order won't be hard to find once I arrive.

I thought he not taking this order seriously cause he didn't even try and get any customer information. So I drive 15 mins on my lunch break and I walk in the door and the lady said hey how can I help you ? I said I'm picking up my phone in order. Surprised to no one , she had no idea what I was talking about and I said this is annoying cause I placed a order so I wouldn't have to wait. Place was empty and now I see why. She said sorry I'll put your fries in now and it will take 5 mins. I'm thinking to myself well I ordered wings and ribs so I guess they are just sitting there already cooked since she didn't know I was coming. Old food just waiting to be warmed up and served to the customers at high end prices. Terrible business and shame on them for operating like this. As I'm waiting for my food , I hear her pick up the phone and tell the man he is here now and waiting for his food. So I guess he finally decided to call her and let her know I placed a phone order which is now 20 mins later LOL. She said he took the work phone with him when he left and I have no idea why but she answered a phone while I was waiting so again just alot of fishy stuff going on and not how you run a business. I finally get my food and just knew it wasn't going to be fresh or good but I had nothing else and no time to go anywhere else. Get back to work open container and take a couple fries to start and they are rock hard and burnt. She cooked them fairly quickly so not sure how she managed to burn them. Tossed them out so I was left with ribs and wings.

The wings so covered in so much sauce you could hardly tell if it was wings also looked burnt and the rib was okay but nothing special. Both items were warmed up and served and you're paying a price premium for the old food. This was a special so the price was fine but regular items are starting at 15+ and up for single item. I don't mind paying higher price but I would expect better quality. The food was sloppy and thrown in a container and definitely won't return when the customer service was just as bad as the food. The lady was friendly but the owner seem really all over the place and not professional at all. This is just an honest review so people can think twice before spending your money on terrible food and terrible service.

You can tell most of the reviews on this place are fake...

On Father's Day, I embarked on a culinary journey to BBQ Bandits, and let me tell you, it was an absolute treat for the taste buds! As a passionate BBQ enthusiast myself, I've been on the hunt for a BBQ joint that can match or even surpass my own grilling skills. And lo and behold, I found it in BBQ Bandits!

From the very first bite, it was evident that this place is something special. The flavors, the tenderness, the smoky goodness – every aspect of their BBQ exudes a passion that can only come from a true BBQ connoisseur. I couldn't help but be thoroughly impressed by the craftsmanship that went into every dish.

BBQ Bandits takes BBQ to a whole new level, setting it apart from any other BBQ place I've tried before. The moment you sink your teeth into their perfectly cooked meats, you'll understand what I mean. The rich flavors and mouthwatering tenderness are nothing short of divine, leaving you craving more with every bite.

In addition to the extraordinary taste, the attention to detail in their BBQ is impeccable. From the choice of meats to the carefully curated blend of spices and sauces, each element plays a crucial role in creating the symphony of flavors that dance on your palate. It's evident that the person behind this culinary masterpiece pours their heart and soul into their craft.

BBQ Bandits has truly won me over, and I can confidently say that it will knock the sauce off your other BBQ favorites. Whether you're a seasoned BBQ aficionado or simply someone who enjoys good food, this place is a must-try. Once you've tasted their BBQ, you'll find yourself falling in love with the food and craving it time and time again.

For those looking to experience the mouthwatering delights of BBQ Bandits, I highly recommend following them on Instagram. Their page offers fun videos and tantalizing glimpses of the BBQ greatness that awaits you. It's the perfect way to stay updated on their offerings and build up your excitement for your next visit.

In conclusion, BBQ Bandits is a true haven for BBQ enthusiasts. Their passion for BBQ shines through in every dish they serve, creating an experience that will leave you in awe. Whether you're visiting on a special occasion like Father's Day or just looking for a memorable meal, BBQ Bandits will undoubtedly exceed your expectations. So, if you're searching for BBQ perfection, look no further than BBQ Bandits – a BBQ lover's paradise that promises to delight and satisfy with...