Ore Nell's Barbecue — Restaurant in Kittery

Decided to come here after we had decided to go to another place close by that had mixed reviews. When the wife saw pinto beans and I saw white bread (anyone who knows Real Texas BBQ knows why this caught my attention) we made the decision to come here. And it was the RIGHT decision. This is the real deal. Brisket was on point and had the right chew while the meat just melted in your mouth. The pulled pork was so good my wife(who isn't a fan) made the comment she would eat a sandwich of this. But to me the Stars of the meal were the ribs. Fall of the bone with a perfect crust I added just enough of the spicy sauce to eat 4 of them. Now to the part of why I am not a fan of many BBQ places here in the north... The sides. Sides are supposed to compliment the meat not be goofy dishes that take over the meal. These sides are just like we make... Potato salad with a hint of mustard, pinto beans (placed on top of the"Texas napkins"" are the real deal, the pickles and onions round it out. Stuffed as we were we also ordered the banana pudding. Hot damn tamale Charlie... Caramelized banana in a pudding with"nilla" wafers and a creme brulee topping made the perfect ending to a great meal. If I didn't want to spend 14 hours smoking my own meats this is a definite stop anytime we are on the area. My only ding (and it's because I am a tea snob) is my ice tea was cloudy and had an off taste... the waitress was nice and brought me another glass which has the same problem. Tea is cheap make it fresh daily don't try and save it over night. Next time I'll have to have Shiner...

I tried the brisket since it's supposed to be "Texas" style. Having had a ton of brisket from Lockhart, Texas, and surrounding areas, I was excited to try it.

Brisket from Texas has a few distinct characteristics, such as: definitive smoke ring, smoky taste, and easily pulled apart - no need for utensils.

This brisket did NOT have a smoke ring, did not have a smoke flavor to it, and while it did pull apart easily it was more of a falling apart, near overcooked state. My only guess was that it was not cooked on a smoker but more likely in an oven, or slow cooker - as it did not hold any shape whatsoever. It was also not seasoned.

If you've NEVER had authentic Texas style brisket, then this might be acceptable. However, if you are going to claim it as "Texas", then you better hold yourself to those standards.

The pickles were straight out of the Sysco bucket, or jar, and the white onions were simply sliced - not pickled.

The STAR of all our meals (we all ordered brisket - since we haven't been to Texas in about a year and were excited to try it), was the French Fries - crisp, well-seasoned, and DELICIOUS - great job!!!!! The fries were the ONLY things that were completely eaten by my family - we left the Mac & Cheese and (God forbid), we even left a good portion of the brisket for the trash.

I honestly HOPE it was just an off day - because if this is truly the normal, then it is definitely NOT "Texas" style, and shame on this company for the...

Best BBQ in New England! You owe it to yourself to stop at Ore Nell for authentic Texas-style BBQ with a great atmosphere and friendly staff. Shout out to Sarah and Tom. When I walked through the door I was greeted like a family friend from the man in the kitchen. The whole place is cozy and warm; it was like I was transported to Houston or Austin and treated like one of their own. Food: I got a half pound of brisket with Mac, potato salad, and collard greens (with a Texas Napkin). First and foremost, You can see from the pics how perfect this flat of brisket was, smoked to perfection with a slightly spicy bark and a beautiful smoke ring. It pulled apart with the lightest tug and melted in the mouth like a piece of meat candy. I can safely say as of writing this post that this is the best brisket I've ever had. Next let's talk about the VT cheddar mac and cheese which was delectable, creamy and a perfect compliment to the meat as any great Mac should be. The potato salad had some serious flavor and it'd be the show-stopper side at the next family cook out. And the collard greens were tart, spicy, fresh, and salty as all get out. Another perfect compliment to the flavors on display. I can't wait to come back and try what I missed out on. There should be a line down the Memorial Bridge and wrapped around Badgers island for this food!

Also Ore Nell low key have the best sauce applicators...