Homeschool BBQ — Restaurant in Bellingham

Pros : I enjoyed the majority of the staff as they greeted us as soon as we came in and were super friendly. Funky place as you would know if you’ve been to Homeskillet (Which I absolutely miss). I enjoyed that they didn’t change how it looked. Really appreciated that. The food that we enjoyed were the Kimchi Stew and the Buttermilk Biscuit. Stew was different, but it worked.

Con : Everything else. We had Pulled Pork, Brisket, Ribs, Mac & Cheese, Kimchi Stew and Buttermilk Biscuits. The drinks that we ordered were Manhattan's and Old Fashions. All food and drinks were consistently bad. There was not one empty plate at the table. Let’s start from the beginning. With BBQ the first thing I look for is smell. Can I smell the cooking from outside the building? We did not. But still I held expectations. Walked in and loved the atmosphere as was stated above. We sat and ordered the first round of drinks and they were not good at all. Didn’t think too much about that because we came for the BBQ. I don’t expect good drinks at a BBQ spot. Our food came to the table. The meat did not pass the eye test at all. Honestly, all the meat (Pulled Pork, Ribs, Brisket) looked like they were boiled. We soon found out that they don’t smoke anything here, actually, the owner is against smoking meat here. I’m curious if the meat actually touches fire. My meal had two pieces of brisket and one piece looked like it was undercooked and the other was overcooked. Borderline inedible. The owner raved about their barbecue sauces but the variety of the sauces which was good could not save the meat. We ordered a second round of drinks which were all old fashioneds. Now, I have a habit of trying every establishment’s old fashioned. This had to be the worst tasting old fashioned I’ve ever had. The owner came up to the table and asked how we liked the drinks. I normally would pass on being honest and say “good” but I said it wasn’t the best. The muddled orange and cherry threw me off. I’m not used to my old fashioned that way. He then proceeded to give us a history lesson on how “that’s the actual way to make an old fashioned because during prohibition they had to muddle the fruit to mask the bad taste of the whiskey”. Makes me curious how bad their whiskey was that they have to muddle their old fashioned a hundred years later. The owner talks a lot about doing a different type of BBQ, bringing in the community, and it failed incredibly. I’m confused on what their identity is and what they’re trying to accomplish. Owner made it clear they’re not Texas style BBQ (we know) and had strong comments about Texas BBQ meat being smoked until it’s a tire. Which is a wild comment to make. But I haven’t had anything dryer than what was served to us. He seemed nice and probably meant well but came off very pretentious. It makes me wonder what exactly his community looks like. But anywho, Homeschool probably takes the cake for worst BBQ I’ve had. Just like the drinks and the BBQ, the owner left a bad taste...

I came back this Saturday for ribs to go. Was told ribs are not available to go. The irony of their motto is “you want ribs and we want friends” Reluctantly I seated myself in the fully EMPTY dining area where I could minimize my back pain as a large frame military veteran with injuries. I was promptly told I would need to move if 5 customers arrived. Then I was asked on the very next interaction where I would like to sit instead suggesting I move right away. I obliged while considering leaving without placing any order. I went on to order and while waiting for my order, I received a call offering day off overtime. Within minutes of answering the call from work and while learning what was available and writing down the options, I was interrupted and asked to turn off the phone if customers arrived because of the music playing in the background that required me to use the speakerphone in addition to taking notes. The rigid attitude towards me on my second visit soured my relationship with the establishment and I packed up my things and left the still EMTY establishment. (Other patrons were present yet dining in the outdoor area) despite several tasty options on the menu. Working in public service, I understand rules and balancing everyone’s comfort but that was a bit much considering I wouldn’t even have answered my phone unless it was work related and considering the dining area was EMPTY when I removed myself. This despite several tasty options on the menu that would get the highest marks, the hospitality and flexibility needs much work in order to keep repeat visiting customers. Despite the fact I wanted to order to go from the start not knowing I would get a call from Dispatch while waiting for the food which arrived while I was interrupted in mid conversation. The entire tone was a bit condescending considering I’m almost 50 years old to be honest… For the record, the other server that stayed mostly in the kitchen but rang up my check on my way out the door was much more reasonable and...

This place is top notch BBQ and some of the best I’ve had in Washington. We stopped in tonight for the first time with our two boys after biking by their spot a couple days ago. The funky and colorful decor and cool outdoor space caught our eye so we decided to stop by for dinner tonight. Wow - so glad we did. The pulled pork was out of this world, crispy and perfectly spiced. Also a lot of BBQ places can get a little soggy with their pork but this was flavorful and crispy which I really loved. Pulled pork isn’t usually my first choice at a BBQ joint but so glad we opted for this. We also got the smoked chicken wings and honestly, I didn’t even use their homemade sauces because the chicken skin was so crispy and flavorful. My husband tried their Ziggy sauce and said it was delicious. Guava sweet with a habanero kick. They were out of brisket (which they said is rare!) and ribs are only on Saturdays and Sundays so we will definitely be making it back here soon. Also, most BBQ joints feel like sides are an afterthought. Not here. Every single side was amazing. We had the chili, mac & cheese, coleslaw, and buttermilk biscuit. The kids devoured the biscuit so we didn’t even get a taste of that, but our six and nine-year-old said it was awesome and they wanted more.

We also got to chat with co-owners and couple, Chris and Aaron. These guys have a passion for what they are doing, are so kind, and fun to talk to! It’s nice to support these great local spots like these that are owner operated. Thanks for sharing your cooking with us!!

A few more tips: great outdoor spaces and can hold a decent size group out there! Margaritas were the best I’ve had in Bellingham with homemade margarita mix that you could taste the fresh citrus and not overly sweet at all. Mexican Orange Fanta for the...