Buddy Boy Fine Barbeque — Restaurant in Minnetrista

I was really excited to go to Buddy Boy for some local Barbeque! They barbeque all their own meats and the kitchen is open and awesome to watch. They were busy but we got right in and seated. There were 3 of us and we were seated at a round table for 6. Kinda strange as we all had to sit on one side but there were open tables for 4 people which would have been better. I really really (yes twice) wanted to love this place but there are some things that just were odd or not just top notch for my liking. I'll address them one at a time and hopefully the owners can address theses minor issues which will make this restaurant top notch!

First the atmosphere: For a restaurant like this, I'd expect the atmosphere to be a bit different. It was EXTREMELY loud in the restaurant. The ceiling was open to the roof (exposed trusses) and because there is no sound management, it was unbearably loud. We had a hard time hearing eachother. An easy way to fix this would be to simply install some sound panels up in the black painted ceiling to stop the echoing and add some decor that absorbs sound. Also, this type of restaurant should be painted a different color. It was really bright gray with lots of lighting. With the lighting and sound, it wasn't as cozy of a barbecue restaurant as I was expecting. We also had to walk around a dangerous rock garden to get to the front door. That was strange and shouldn't be there. The exterior was beautiful and inviting! Fun games and the BBQ pits are outside to watch. Parking lot was not full and was easy to find a good spot.

The food: The BBQ was ok/good but not great or excellent as I would expect for a BBQ that has been cooking for as many years as this establishment has. Everything was just a bit off. The BBQ sauce tasted like flavored ketchup. This is kind of a miss for a BBQ restaurant. This is their own recipe and it wasn't anything like I was expecting. Kinda runny and off flavor. I tried all 3 flavors. The spicy wasn't that spicy. Maybe a 5/10. Give me some Sweet Baby Rays as an option!! I had the Pork Spareribs 1/2 rack (waiter recommended as his favorite thing on the menu). They were not dry rubbed (that I could tell) and were just average and kinda tuff. I've cooked better at my house. My wife had the Pulled Pork Sandwich. She said it was dry and bland. The beans were interesting... Mostly other smoked meat and not many beans. The cornbread was served cold. Hmm.. Was thinking it would have been warm. The coleslaw was not like regular coleslaw. It was homemade and didn't taste like coleslaw. Lots of ginger. My son had the Buddy Boy Sandwich. It was huge but like the other meat, it wasn't great. Improvements across the board here please.

The liquor/beer: They had Left Hand Milk Stout which I like and had. They also have a large Bourbon/Whisky showcase which will attract the Bourbon lovers. I didn't have any but this is very nice! Bar was really inviting but again, too bright.

Service: The waiter was excellent! Fast service and our drinks were always full. I asked for additional napkins and they were there before I knew it! 5 stars here! Service was excellent!

Overview: I may have been there on a off night. It was good and busy which makes me happy that they will survive and if there were a few tweaks, I know the restaurant will pull 5 stars from many people. I hope I go back after some improvements and I'll update this review. For now, we had leftovers and we were not drawn to them like I was hoping. They were not eaten :(

Please invite me back and I'll give it another try but all 3 of us were not blown away like we were thinking...

I've driven past this joint 100's of times and never stopped. Three weeks ago my girlfriend and I decided to give it a shot. Our first impressions were the décor was very posh and high end feel. We were told that there was a 30 min wait so we got our pager and waited. After only 20 mins our pager went off and we were seated. The tables were uncomfortably close together and I felt like we were way to close to people at the tables around us. We couldn't carry a conversation without hearing everyone else around us talking loudly, which forced us to talk louder so we could hear each other. When our very busy server took our order, we ordered two appetizers, two entrees, and two side dishes. Our apps came out very fast, and they were ok. The Burnt ends were not hot and tasted and had the mouth feel of old or mishandled meat. The jalapeno hush puppies really had no flavor. After we had the appetizers we were pretty much unimpressed with the food, so we decided that we be open minded about the entrees. Our server came by and cleared out appetizer dishes and said our entrees will be up in a second. 10 mins later our server said, you are the next order. 20 mins later the server came by and said they are just finishing up your plates. 28 mins later our food was dropped off without a simple apology for the long wait time. TBH honest, this felt like our server was so busy/unorganized that she forgot to input or fire our order. This was frustrating since the couple sitting at the table uncomfortably close to my left get seated after our appetizers were finished get their food and eat it all before ours even hit the table. The Man had ordered the same sandwich as me and they didn't look like the same thing at all. My girlfriend ordered the Brisket Mac and Cheese and it was soupy, like the cheese sauce had be reconstituted too many times or they didn't properly drain off the cavatappi before plating. At this point we had been seated at the restaurant for almost and hour and a half, so we decided to box everything and leave. The food ended up going in the trash when we got home.

My opinion is if you want to call your self FINE, then be FINE. This is the epitome of someone trying to put lipstick on a pig. The décor and prices definitely lean towards fine. Our server gets a 4. out of 10. Not sure if she was over-sat, busier then her skill set or didn't care. Food quality is hard to be fair about. But the burnt ends were old or mishandled. The hushpuppies were dry and needed to be dipped in the flavorless BBQ to make them edible. Entrees I am blaming on a re-fire or a FLY order. Either way there were mistakes made along the way, but no one cared enough to take accountability for poor service, long wait times, or even asking why we needed boxes for our food after taking two bites.

Even if offered for free I will probably not return to this restaurant, since there is far better BBQ in the area for...

BBQ and bowel drama in Minnetrista

We’re not locals—we drove 580 miles to get back to Buddy Boy Fine Barbeque in Minnetrista, MN because a year ago, the place served up smoked meat so good we talked about it all year. So we came back for lunch with the whole family, ready to get messy and make some memories.

And oh boy... we did.

We ordered like people who fear no consequences:

Burnt brisket ends – outrageously good. Like meat candy, if meat candy punched you in the face with flavor.

Big Buddy with fries and a cup of chili – the sandwich? Excellent. The chili? We’ll get to that gastrointestinal crime scene in a moment.

Brisket sandwich with fries – can’t go wrong.

BBQ pork sandwich with pork chowder – the chowder was rich, creamy, and full of porky goodness.

BBQ pork salad – someone was trying to be good. Bless their heart.

The BBQ sauces?

House Blend – smooth and smoky.

Southern – tangy and bold.

Holy Ghost – hot enough to baptize your insides. One dab too much and you’re calling for a priest.

Service was top-notch—our server was quick, friendly, and kept drinks flowing like a Midwestern aunt at Thanksgiving. Honestly, the whole meal was on point... except for the chili.

Now let’s be clear: I’ve had bad chili before. But this one? This was a soggy cup of sadness. Three bites and I felt like I was chewing on confusion and powdered beef. Bland, weird texture, and somehow managed to taste like it had been slow-cooked in a broken microwave. Do not recommend. It was the only thing we didn’t finish.

Then came the mood killer: We were sitting around, laughing and catching up, when the table busser started lurking behind my wife like she was about to yank the chair out from under her. "Come visit us again soon!" she chirped... over and over, while grabbing plates that still had food on them. There were six open tables and no line. It felt like we were being politely—but aggressively—shoved out. Not exactly the warm send-off you want after driving nine hours for pulled pork.

But here’s the kicker…

We made the mistake of going to an antique mall afterward. And that's when the real fireworks began.

It started with a gurgle. Then a churn. Then a full-blown internal riot. I wasn’t just digesting—I was being exorcised.

I crop-dusted that antique mall like I was spraying for pests. Entire aisles were cleared. My wife looked at me like she was reconsidering her vows. My family scattered like they didn’t know me. A woman clutching a vintage butter churn made the sign of the cross.

One of my farts echoed. In a building full of antique wood furniture. Echoed.

Bottom line:

The food (minus the chili) is still fantastic. Service was great—until we were shooed out like loitering teenagers. The aftereffects? Apocalyptic. But memorable.

Would we return? Yep. Would we change a thing? Just one: I’d skip the chili and bring...