Webb's BBQ — Restaurant in Newport

My windows were half down, and Tyler Childers was making a ruckus through my speakers, when the smell of BBQ washed through my car and across my face.

I had just finished a round of crisp, evening, fall golf in Kenton County. The traffic home to Bellevue took longer than usual because 471 North was shut down from the fire under the bridge over Halloween night. I detoured to Route 9 off of I275, heading into the south end of Newport. By the time I was turning onto Monmouth street, the last bit of daylight was slipping away. Street lights were just being triggered from the evening shadows to light up the streets for traffic and pedestrians.

As I passed Webb’s, that aroma of fresh BBQ resonated with me more than the radio waves transmitting Tyler. I immediately pulled over, parking on 9th, right out front of the old Newport establishment. I have wanted to visit Webbs for a long time, but they are opened limited days/hours. So i always forget that they are an option. Luckily the traffic patterns brought me by while they were open! I was going to get some carryout. And a lot of it.

Webbs is in a space at 115 E. 9th Street that used to house another iconic Newport restaurant called Detroit Joes. I used to go there decades ago with my father for wings and ribs. But I hadn’t been into the building since Webbs took over. It brought back warm memories stepping into a familiar space.

Walking in the door I was greeted with friendly, smiling faces. There were a handful of regulars sitting at the bar enjoying cold beers and hot supper while making small talk with each other and with the owners. The walls were covered in old signs and handwritten signatures of hundreds of previous patrons. My order was taken and delivered promptly. It was 6 Smoked Wings, a Half Rack of Ribs, a Pulled Pork Sandwich, Mac n Chz, and Baked Beans. The prices were more than reasonable. And the serving sizes were more than generous.

Im usually not a “Baked Beans guy”. But I do remember having Webbs Beans at a catered event some years ago and really liking them. My memory didn’t let me down this time. Their Baked Beans are sweet, spicy, and delicious. They have chunks of peaches and peppers just like I remembered them. There is almost a hint of Stuffed Bell Pepper taste that makes them unique and memorable. The Mac n Chz gave me all of the fall comfort that I was looking for. It was made with real cheese and real flavor. The cheese was thick and stuck stubbornly to the elbow macaroni when prying out each bite with my fork. The Smoked Wings were perfectly smokey with a wonderful texture. They were full of flavor and did not need a sauce. The Ribs were falling off the bone and fantastic. They really were some of the best Ribs that I’ve had in the NKY/Cincy area. I loved dipping them into the zesty vinegar sauce. If you like vinegar sauces, this one will deliver!! It’s really hard to find a good sauce like this in the area. I also enjoyed this sauce on the Pulled Pork Sandwich. The pulled pork soaked up that sauce and complimented the smoky flavor extremely well. The Hickory BBQ sauce was a winner too. It had a lot of sweet & tangy flavor. Too many BBQ joints accompany their dishes with tired and flavorless sauce options. I was excited to see that Webbs puts the same effort into their sauces as they do their smoked meats. I want to emphasize that none of their dishes actually need a sauce. Everything is already packed full of flavor. But if you are a sauce person, like me, then your taste buds will be rewarded. I tried both sauces on all the dishes. They both complimented all the dishes perfectly. That vinegar sauce was the real winner for me though! There is a lot more I want to try from Webbs. But I would highly recommend anything from the order that I have just highlighted in this review. My favorite dish would probably be the Smoked Ribs with the vinegar...

I cannot begin to tell you how amazing the barbecue is here! The staff is super friendly! The owner is right there working on the floor of the restaurant. I got a loaded potato. It was covered with cheese, and I ordered it with their barbecue brisket. Brisket was absolutely the most tender juicy flavorful biscuit I have had anywhere in the country. Trust me I consider myself to be a bit of a barbecue connoisseur. I've gone to barbecue contests in Missouri, Texas, and Tennessee. This is by far the best barbecue in the world! Now let's talk about the giant potato. This potato was massive. When I say massive I mean I put my two hands, fingers spread out on top of it and still did not cover it all. This potato was almost as big as my head. You could easily share this potato with two or three people and everyone get enough food. Not that that isn't advisable thing to do with the current covid-19 crisis. Definitely more than enough to have leftovers the next day, so come hungry. Everything was very reasonably priced. One thing I would definitely say is to come early on Saturday because they run out of signature menu items fast. I got a beer there that was called garage beer lager, it was very delicious. My wife got pulled pork and she loves...

I guess I didn't look like their type of middle-class, trendy customer. Order-taker was all smiles and laughs until she got to me. Wouldn't even look at me. Some guy went to all the tables to ask how people were doing except mine. It was very obvious my money is different in their eyes. Brisket wasn't half bad, a little dull but I don't expect perfection from places that exist for the trend. The cole-slaw was pretty much mayo and cabbage salad. Interesting acidic taste that wasn't unpleasant, but absolutely drowning in the thick, completely opaque dressing. The establishment itself looked nice, Newport buildings have a certain old-school vibe to it that they (thankfully) didn't try to cover up.The Webb's sauce was a pretty good vinegar concoction, complemented the brisket well. Would I go again? Maybe once I begin looking like every other overpaid hipster they seem to adore. I might get some inkling...