Great Northern BBQ Co — Restaurant in Providence

I was looking for a place that served great barbecue, so after checking out some reviews, I landed on Great Northern. What sealed the deal is when a customer who hailed originally from Texas said that their barbecue was the closest thing to back home. The reviews also said that the owners prided themselves on their customer service.

So my husband called last night to place a takeout order. Unfortunately, his conversation with the person who took the call was far from great. (My husband had his phone on speaker, so my son and I heard the entire conversation.) Kitty was impatient, curt, and abrupt when my husband asked some questions before ordering. It was clear that she did not want to be on the phone taking an order.

When my husband finally informed Kitty that she was being impatient and rude, Kitty responded, "Sir, we have a full restaurant here." I understand, but that didn't give her the right to be rude to a brand-new customer, or to anyone, for that matter. At some point during the call, I whispered to my husband to just cancel the order, but he went ahead anyway.

After our order was placed, my son said, "After hearing how rude that woman was on the phone, the food is probably fantastic." When I asked him why he drew that conclusion, he said, "Because usually when the food is really good, then they don't care how they treat people." My thought was perhaps, God forbid, she might be the owner.

My son went to the restaurant 20 minutes later to pick up the order. The woman who handled it was rude to him too, which he concluded was Kitty. She didn't say a word to my son but just handed him a bag filled with $70 worth of barbecued ribs, chicken wings, and sides. No greeting or smile or even a "thank you," most likely because she mistakenly assumed that the person picking up the order was the same one that she'd spoken with on the phone. My son said that there were about seven people in the small restaurant.

After finishing our dinner, which included a full rack of ribs, chicken wing plate, potato salad, mac ‘n cheese, cornbread, and flight of sauces, the consensus was that my son was wrong. The food, while good, didn’t justify Kitty’s rudeness. Ribs were smoky but dry. None of the sauces were sweet and sticky, which is our preference. And the mac ‘n cheese and potato salad were fine but not outstanding. In addition, the sides are way overpriced. We were charged $5.00 each for the potato salad and mac ‘n cheese, which were served in a container that’s 3 ¾” wide by 2 ½” tall. The cornbread, which was ridiculously small — the tiniest muffin I’d ever seen! — was $4.00 and definitely not worth it. And the coleslaw was overly acidic and needed more sweetness.

After dinner, my husband, a senior citizen/veteran with a calm demeanor who was still rattled by his interaction with Kitty, called the restaurant to speak with her before closing. In a nutshell, he informed her that the treatment he’d received was inappropriate and uncalled for. However, despite the fact that he was extraordinarily reasonable and kind while sharing his feedback, she continued to defend her behavior. In fact, when my husband shared that he'd rather not have to call the owner or manager to complain, she basically responded that it wouldn't matter anyway since they know her well and would support her. She also falsely accused my husband of "screaming" at her during the initial call, which couldn't have been farther from the truth as he isn't a yeller.

In conclusion, while Great Northern's food is good overall, the customer service, based on Kitty's treatment of a first-time customer, is definitely not. Thus I doubt that we'll patronize this establishment again. It's my hope that Kitty learns that no matter how busy they are, it's no excuse to be rude to a customer. (Apologies for the long backstory.)

6/6/24: Hubby picked up baby backs, spare ribs, brisket, sausage, and wings for the game. Food was terrible. Brisket was fatty, and wings and ribs were tough. All agreed that my oven-baked barbecue is far better. ...

We were watching Phantom Gourmet on Saturday morning and there was mention of BBQ, but nothing near our location. So, we searched very little and found this restaurant only 25 minutes away, not far off of Atwell's. As the homepage came up, along too was a pop-up announcing they are looking for help. So, right there we make a judgement call and opt for takeout, rather than risk a slow or problematic table seating. The menu was extensive; easy to find a good sampler of their offerings. We ordered the medium platter along with sides of brussel sprouts, pickles, extra coleslaw and double cornbread. After first entering this order online, selecting no specific time - just ready as soon as... it would not accept the order, demanding that we try again by restarting and selecting a different date/time. We then selected an hour in the future, selected all the menu items once more and the order was accepted. We drove down during a flash snowstorm that left the roads in bad condition. But still, we arrived at the selected time - 6pm - and went in to pick up the order. Not ready. They had a very large order that came in at the counter and were just finishing it up. So, we waited about 20 minutes to get the bag of goodies and head home to chow down. It was all packed up and stapled shut, so I did take a moment to open the bag for a peak, just to count items. Each of the meats and poultry were cooked perfectly and thankfully, none were "over-sauced". This allowed us to really taste it and then add something if desired. The regular pork ribs were decent but we'll try the baby-backs next time. The wings were great, if a tad dry, but again, could add sauce. The sausage was just right, as was the pulled pork - delicious. The brussel sprouts were outstanding in that they tasted more like a dessert. Coleslaw was spot-on and a great way to set expectations for any bbq restaurant. Cornbread was good, with a little drizzle of sweet on each piece. The highest rated item was... pickles! Very yummy, tangy, spicy and juicy. There was plenty for two meals so we expect to enjoy it again, likely tomorrow night. The interior is tiny with not many tables and about 6 stools at the bar. But it looks like they have an outdoor seating area for the warmer months. It was cold inside (very cold outside at 15F), so we were happy to not have chosen to eat-in. Several diners opted to keep coats and even hats on during their meals. If you have not yet been, its definitely worth a visit. If they are still looking for help, give them plenty...

Alright, buckle up, BBQ aficionados, because Great Northern BBQ Co. isn't just good, it's a full-blown smoker-coaster of flavor! We initially placed a DoorDash order, all excited for a feast, but alas, some culinary bandit decided our pulled pork and ribs were too tempting to resist. Yes, our food was hijacked! A true tragedy! We were ribbed of our dinner! But like a phoenix rising from the ashes, or rather, like a brisket rising from the smoker, we decided to take matters into our own hands. We wheeled ourselves down to the source, and let me tell you, it was a pilgrimage worthy of the BBQ gods. The moment we walked in, the aroma alone was a smoke-show. You could practically taste the dedication wafting through the air. Their custom-built wood-fired grill? It's a masterpiece, a veritable grill-iant work of art, coaxing out flavors from meats, fish, and vegetables that would make a vegetarian reconsider their life choices. And the meats? Oh, the meats! Tender, juicy, and infused with that smoky goodness that only comes from low and slow cooking. Each bite was a flavor-bomb, exploding with deliciousness. And let's not forget the sides! From the creamy mac and cheese to the tangy coleslaw, every accompaniment was a perfect pairing for the main event. And the full bar and seasonal cocktail menu? A liquid delight! My 1 cocktail while I waited was a carefully crafted symphony of flavors, a perfect complement to the savory BBQ. Despite the initial theft, the staff at Great Northern BBQ Co. were absolute heroes. They quickly remade our stolen order with a smile, showing us that true hospitality is as important as great BBQ. They turned a potential disaster into a delicious triumph. They didn't just meat our expectations, they exceeded them. You could say, they smoked the competition. 5 stars, and a standing ovation! If you're looking for BBQ that's a cut above the rest, Great Northern BBQ Co. is the place to be. You won't be disappointed, unless of course, a food thief...