Taste Budz — Restaurant in Johnson City

Talk about a "hole in the wall" - they have a walk-up window with a covered front area. No menu posted. Just three people in a closet-sized area (with what looks like a store room behind and probably a kitchen beside it, but you can't see them well) serving food from a bar behind the window and a register beside it. A meat and two veggies, with a corn muffin came to $9.86 with tax - but don't let that dissuade you - keep reading.

The food is amazing. I got mine to go, in a sectioned foam container. There was a pile of each of the sides (each section was filled and overflowing slighty), a half a chicken, smoked and smothered in a BBQ sauce with a decent kick to it (starts sweet, then the kick hits you, then the wood smoke). I thought I didn't like green beans with potatoes, but I just never had them fixed right - these are great. And the baked beans are actually BBQ beans, not so sweet, and with meat and great flavor. They also had a mixed veggie dish (squash, etc) and macaroni and cheese. And they also had ribs, at the same price as chicken.

They do have a covered seating area with music, but it was an afterthought - decent, but not fancy. Some street parking, no parking lot - but this is a downtown area, so that's normal. I walked from work, a few blocks away. If you eat there, they give you a regular plate rather than foam. And I understand from others that they aren't always open. But it is worth stopping by if you're in the area.

This is a perfect example of how hole-in-the-wall places get a reputation...

Pros: Nice couple, owner operated.

Cons:

1. The food was mediocre at best. Nothing special. Fairly bland. The meatloaf tasted like tomato soup. The fried potatoes and onions weren’t even fried and they also had hardly any flavor. The cinnamon role tasted store bought. And the cornbread was disgusting.
2. This was my first time so I have nothing to compare it to. All of my coworkers said they’ve gone before and and the food today was nothing like it used to be so it’s not just me complaining.
3. They never said anything about price on the phone and my coworkers all remembered it being around $8 but it was $13.14 PER PLATE! What in the world?! You only have two people working there!
4. And the worst thing... I’m gonna be sick just typing this... the lady had a weave that came to the middle of her upper arm and I saw it DRAG through one of my coworker’s food!!! AND neither of them had gloves on and the woman PICKED with her own fingernail a burnt piece of something out of that same plate! Get your fingers out of other people’s food! Use utensils! My goodness! We are PAYING CUSTOMERS, not your children that come home for dinner.

To the owners: lower your prices to something reasonable, tie your hair back, wear gloves, and make food that’s actually...

The food here is absolutely delicious. Everything I tried here was bursting with flavor and cooked to perfection. On my first visit, I had the ribs, which were a 10 out of 10. I chose the macaroni and cheese and the homemade green beans as the sides. Both were great! You could taste the love that was poured into preparing this meal. My son enjoyed the fried catfish with potato salad and coleslaw. So good! Today's visit we got the fried chicken. Best we have ever had. Don't forget dessert. The homemade pound cake was so fresh and delicious. Pairing excellent food with the exceptional service has left us with an unforgettable experience. We are already planning the next time we visit Taste Budz. Highly...