Blue Oak BBQ — Restaurant in Huntsville

I chose Blue Oak as my new dining experience out this week. I've been curious to try it since it opened as it came pretty hyped up and I love bbq.

This restaurant is located in the trendy and flashy MidCity development. I imagine it's a popular place to go before a visit to the Orion Amphitheater. It has a sort of sports bar / juke joint type of feel. As with many other businesses in MidCity, there's street parking nearby, with the caveat that you MUST back into a spot or risk a ticket. I chose instead to park in the larger lot in front of the development and walk over since spaces are limited and I didn't feel like maneuvering my car that carefully.

There was no wait when I arrived for a later lunch. One sign directed me to counter service and another option for full service was also on display. I chose counter to be lower maintenance; that seems to be the choice of most. There's a nice large bar near the entrance and an open-air patio.

The menu is on a few screens on the wall. I had a bit of a hard time seeing without my glasses but I managed. The young women working at the counter were very pleasant and made nice small talk. They have a few daily specials and then a bunch of consistent bbq staples.

I ordered the pulled pork plate with fries and garlic macaroni and cheese. I was somewhat disappointed to find they do not offer Coke Zero here, only Diet Coke. I got my number and found a spot. Not too many spots for parties less than four, but I didn't feel bad at a 4-top since it wasn't busy. I used the restroom while I waited and found it very clean with nice, private stalls.

Three bbq sauces awaited me on the table. One was a sort of spicy Carolina sauce, another was their standard sauce, and the last was a jerk bbq sauce. The Carolina sauce wasn't particularly spicy and was so incredibly watery it was hard to use without dousing your entire plate with it. The standard sauce was just okay; again, too thin and watery for my preference, and also a little too vinegary. I like a sweet Memphis style sauce. The closest to that was the jerk bbq sauce but it had a strong nutmeg/cinnamon flavor to it that was a little off-putting. I didn't particularly care for any of the sauces.

The side items, especially the beef fat fries, were pretty good. The fries were hot and crispy and had discernible seasoning (though I wouldn't have been mad at a bit more). The garlic mac and cheese was HEAVY on the garlic and I couldn't eat all of it, but I did enjoy a few bites before it got overpowering. The crumbly breadcrumbs were a nice touch.

The pork was...not for me. It featured a lot of burnt ends; I tend to like the interior cuts of meat better. It was decently smoky and tender, but the main problem was it was overwhelmingly greasy and fatty. It bled through the container it was served in and left a gigantic puddle on the paper before it was even placed in front of me. It was practically swimming in it. Greasier than even the fresh fries. Not awesome, especially when you can't find a sauce you like to try to drown it out.

I can't say I'd never return, but it definitely won't be on the top of my list. I do appreciate the nice service, clean bathrooms, and tasty French fries. Maybe if there's a next time I'll come on a day when their bbq potato is on special. That's a reliable...

I wanted to try Blue Oak because my wife had eaten here twice before and said it was great. First experience (not restaurant related) was the ridiculous "mandatory back in" parking arrangement. Typical multi use development with lots of shops and restaurants and very little parking. OK, so we go in and walk up to the counter where you order your food. I had to swat away flies buzzing my face several times. We ordered our food and they hit you up for a tip before you even get your food. I politely added a 20% tip and paid the bill. We sat down and the food came out in a timely manner. My wife ordered the brisket burger with tots which she had before and really liked it. I ordered the 1/2 chicken plate with tots and beans. As I'm eating, I realize that it's not actually a full 1/2 chicken. I got a wing (flat and drum), a piece of breast meat that was cut in half and I'm not sure where the other half went, and then another piece which I think was the thigh. Where did the leg go? There was no leg!!!! The chicken had a good taste but wasn't "fall off the bone" good. I had a hard time getting the meat off the bones for most of it. Meanwhile I'm swatting more flies away from my food. When we finished our food and got up to leave, my wife reminded me we need to clean up our table. So I tipped $7.60 for them to take my order and bring the food to our table. A manager did come by the table once and asked if everything was OK. While the food was OK, it's not likely I'll go back to this place. I predict it will die a slow death when the "trendy"...

July 25 2025. Got into town after a long drive. My wife and I were looking for some good BBQ, with a relaxing atmosphere. She found this place, and it looked like a nice place with a pretty good selection on their menu. We show up and cked out their little merchandise area, which is pretty nice. The inside has very nice decor, and set up, We ordered a 3 meat combo, ribs, smoke turkey, and sausage, with potato salad and chili on the side, plus our drinks. Found our seat. Food was out pretty fast. You have to be kidding. The portions are so small, and it cost $40.00. That's a ridiculous price for the portions you get. I'm totally disappointed. 2 small rib bones with a little meat, thin slices of smoke turkey, and sausage, I'm not sure what kind it was, but when you cut it, it just falls apart, looks more like chorizo, per my wife, I on the other hand think it looks more like dog food. The taste is not at all good. The smoke sausage tastes like it had been boiled. The chill was cold. I had to take it back and ask for a new one, one that was actually hot. Overall, the food is over price, small portions, and actually has no taste to it. The best part of the meal was the pickels and onions. Drinks, coke was flat, and the blue, whatever it was, was totally water down. Oh, and the flies, we are eating in doors, and I've got flies landing on my food. We were extremely disappointed. Don't waste your time or $$$$$ the portions of food is not...