Smokey Bear's BBQ & Grill — Restaurant in Kentucky

I arrived at about 4 pm on a Saturday. I got the 3 meat sampler with half rack of baby backs, brisket and pulled pork with baked beans and added a side of potato salad. See pictures. The brisket portion was small (a few small, thin strips of the flat side) which looked like shoe leather and tasted very bland and old. The pulled pork was also very bland. The ribs were no more than ok but needed help from the sauce but also looked pretty dead. The beans were like Bush's with a little sauce added and the potato salad was underwhelming. For just under $30, it's not somewhere i would visit again. I threw away most of it. Edit to the owner's response: 12/3/24 - As one can tell by the pics i posted, it was a to go order. I was not about to waste my time and more of my money going back to your restaurant to tell them how horrible i thought it was. You should stop getting so defensive and petty when someone leaves you a review and trying to deflect something negative back on to your customers. If you can't handle some honest feedback on the product you put out, then you shouldn't be in business. What you should be doing is using any feedback you get to improve your product. What would you say to Chef Robert Irvine if he said your food was garbage? Would you call him names like a little kid throwing a tantrum or would you take the constructive critizism and improve? I have my own ideas as to which it would be. I don't like restaurants that put out horrible food, horrible service or a bad customer experience all together because we customers work really hard for the little money the goverment doesn't take from us and when we go out somewhere and spend it, we want it to be worth it. It doesn't matter where in the world it is. Yours, in my specific experience, was not. Period. The fact that you took time to research how to say something negative and nasty to me just because i didn't like your food speaks volumes about the type of person you...

I'm a firm believer in taking good care of your customers... That being said, I was a good customer to Smokey Bear's BBQ... However, my last two orders were wrong- and not just "a little wrong." I understand that things can happen so when the first of my last two orders was wrong, I let it go and literally chalked it up to. They were busy and it was a harmless mistake. Things happen. However, I generally wouldn't even do this but when the last of my two orders was TERRIBLY wrong- with several missing items and orders prepared incorrectly- I decided to call. We placed a 7 person order, only 2 orders were completely right. Anyhow, I called to talk to someone about everything that was wrong. They were very apologetic and told me that they would make a note of it and the next time we placed an order they would replace everything for free. When the next time came, I called and spoke with a man claiming he was the owner. He laughed when I told him my name and the situation, he said he had no record of what I was claiming, that was the first time he was hearing anything about this and the person that "allegedly" authorized the replacement order was visiting with his mother and did not even have the authority to do that. I'm not sure why he mentioned that the guy was with his mother?? Maybe he thought I had placed the order that same week. I don't know, but he was extremely rude. He refused to do anything... He did tell me he would talk with the guy and call me back- still waiting on that phone call. So... we've not been back for last two years. I guess cheating a good customer out of one meal worked out for them. We used to go a couple times a month- not a huge amount, but, when you're always buying for between six and eleven people, at a time it's not a Cheap ticket... They've lost way more than they cheated me out of with that one order. They're not that great anyhow... Just was "something different" on occasion. I've not...

This is a review largely for gluten free, so if that doesn't interest you feel free to scroll on by. Yesterday I emerged from Satan's bowels after surviving what must be his favorite stomach virus. My husband planned to bring me my first real meal as he came back into town from a work trip that evening. I needed some serious sustenance and was ravenous but there was one little problem...I have to eat gluten free. Wohwohhhhh. In a small town that makes eating out very challenging. Instead of weeping which is what I felt like doing, I hopelessly jumped on Google for what I thought would be another futile search effort. Lo and behold the universe said "here you go little buddy" and this time Smoky Bears BBQ came up in my results. What!?! That can't be right I thought!?!? I had heard this place had good food but had never given it a try because BBQ places, in my experience are the least likely to have gluten free options. It was on find me gluten free too though and I also called to confirm. The teen on the other end couldn't quite process my excitement but did confirm with an "uh yeahhh, we have that" when I asked about at least gluten free bread. I was floored. Skip ahead and my husband arrives after quick service. My cheeseburger and fries were exceptional! 😭😭😭 I'm so excited to have a truly gluten free informed option in the town that I live in and with a menu that has good variety and what seems to be delicious quality. The gluten free app says their catfish breading and many other things like some desserts are gluten free there too, which I haven't confirmed yet but will be doing. I'm excited to try it all and plan on making this my new weekend cheat spot.

Thank you Smoky Bear's!!! You have a true fan here and your consideration for this dietary restriction means so much to people like me.

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