BBQ4LIFE — Restaurant in Boise

The food is not always good. About 90 percent of the times that I go here the food is garbage. Today I paid 16 dollars for an awful sandwich that was on really really old bread. The bread just fell apart, even though there was a ton of greasy meat on it. I ended up just eating the meat on tiny pieces of bread because it was so bad. I had to pay EXTRA for this bread too because it is gluten free. Not to mention, if you order gluten free it now comes on much smaller bread so you're paying MORE money but getting less. I just feel like if you pay that much for a sandwich it should be of higher quality. The prices match the restaurants downtown but without the quality of ingredients or care making the food. Sure their meat is good, and it's great that they have vegan options, but honestly, I've been going to this place for well over a year, on a regular basis, and I am constantly FLOORED by how bad the food is on a consistent basis.

Other complaints: Picked up a to-go order one time and got home to eat it and the food was COVERED in mold. Like I don't even know how that happens -- how did anyone pack up moldy food and sell it to a customer? Another time I was waiting for my food and saw someone in the kitchen VAPING. I honestly should have stopped going there a long time ago but because of the gluten free options, I keep going and hoping to have better experiences.

I won't be giving this business any more of my money, it really isn't worth the convenience or novelty of having vegan bbq.

I'm also really disappointed reading responses from the owner -- they seem to blame everything on their staff, which might explain the high turn-over rates. Like maybe you need to be in there on a daily basis to get your food up to quality? It certainly isn't the fault of your servers! That said, the service is very strange and not super friendly. When I ordered today they asked me what side I wanted and I said "fries" and they repeated with a raised voice "SIDE" and I replied "fries" and they said "oh" -- they really got worked up for something so small. Maybe they are really unhappy there? Idk but I feel like management really needs to step-up. I've complained before about the food there and received a phone call from a manager and when I returned their call they never followed up (on serving me moldy food). I shouldn't have to say it but that is just really bad practice.

Again, this place wouldn't survive it if weren't for the vegan food options, that's pretty great in a town like this. Please just make sure that the food is of a higher standard. Train your staff, treat them well, make sure they know what quality...

My recent visit to BBQ 4 Life, my third over the past decade, was unfortunately disappointing, particularly regarding the vegan offerings. While I appreciate the restaurant's effort to provide plant-based options, the execution falls short of current culinary standards for vegan cuisine. My initial visit years ago left me excited by the mere availability of vegan dishes, a rarity at the time, despite finding them somewhat dry. A subsequent visit approximately eight years ago reinforced this concern, leading me to decide against returning. Hoping for improvements given the significant advancements in vegan food over the past decade, I decided to give BBQ 4 Life another chance. Regrettably, my expectations were not met. The vegan mac and cheese had a perplexing texture, simultaneously mushy and extremely dry, and lacked any discernible flavor. Similarly, the vegan coleslaw suffered from a dry, chalk-like consistency. The vegan sandwich was subpar; the potato salad within it contained excessively large potato chunks, which amplified the dryness and detracted from the overall flavor. After removing these large chunks, I was left with bread and a small amount of tempeh. For fellow vegans seeking flavorful and well-prepared plant-based options, I would advise exploring other establishments. Being vegan does not necessitate settling for dry, flavorless food. It's worth noting that the majority of my family members who ordered meat dishes on our visits have consistently enjoyed their meals. My criticisms are directed specifically at the vegan recipes and are not a reflection on the cooks, who are limited by the recipes provided. My decision to leave this review, rather than contacting the store directly, was influenced by observing the owner's responses to other negative feedback. The perceived dismissive and passive-aggressive tone in their comments to unhappy customers is concerning. I believe that a business thrives on constructive feedback, and a more receptive approach to reviews could lead to significant improvements and fewer negative experiences. As my residence is 40 minutes away, picking up food for takeout means a return visit for a replacement of the same dry food is impractical and undesirable. My past experiences dining in the restaurant also yielded similar results regarding the dryness of the vegan options, indicating that the issue is not due to travel time or food sitting. Ultimately, I cannot support businesses that appear to treat customers who provide honest feedback with disrespect. Consequently, I am leaving a 1-star rating and anticipate a defensive response...

I love that they still have vegan and gf options. I hear their desserts are fantastic, I didn't see any that were gluten free so I didn't try them, but everyone else raved about the vegan chocolate cake. The Meat eaters in our group enjoyed their meal. So I'm glad they felt satisfied since I recommended we eat here so all of our diet needs could be met. And since I enjoyed eating here since 2019... But I realize things have changed. Really bummed that the vegan nachos I loved so much have changed in portion and flavor. I'd be somewhat ok with the price jump if the portion was full size nachos portion I used to get. They came on a small plate and were Not stacked high like in their Facebook photos. I used to be able to to have them as a meal or share them, but they've shrunk to barely kids size item... 2 chips layers at most. I was confused that I was charged $16 for what I assumed were full size nachos like I'd had before when they were $11. I even double checked to see if half size was an option, but heads up it's the size of a half nacho now for price of dinner entree. I dismissed the price increase knowing it's the cool thing to do now like everything else 🙄 was just a bit more exaggerated. Flavor: I appreciate their efforts in making a vegan cheese sauce. I understand their previous supply was either too expensive or not available. The new vegan cheese really doesn't have much flavor like you'd expect a cheese to have. Maybe it just needs salt or something else. I found myself adding gobs of BBQ just to get some sort of taste to it. I used to drive a long ways out of my way to eat here specifically for the vegan nachos. Even my husband loved them before, but he said they tasted like blank goop. I understand needing to raise prices a little but don't understand also cutting the portion in half as well. Tortilla chips aren't an expensive item. It's not like there's meat on them. Toppings were olives, pickled jalapenos, cheese sauce I suppose I'll try the vegan sandwiches to see if I like them or get better meal experience. Sadly I left feeling unsatisfied. My mistake for thinking I could have feeling of eating more than a snack for $16. The famous vegan nachos are no longer. I'd suggest finding a different menu item to...