Lil' Mike's Bar-B-Que — Restaurant in Rigby

Best BBQ in the USA!! Even better after a day of skiing. I've been to Texas & eaten wonderful BBQ. I'm a BBQ Pit Master myself. I know the challenges & appreciate the time & effort that goes into world class Texas BBQ, especially Brisket. These folks at Lil Mikes know Texas BBQ! Who knew world class BBQ is right here in Rigby, ID. My wife and I are going to stop by there on our way back from Skiing Grand Targhee from now on! It's on our way home to Pocatello. Can you imagine World Class Skiing, Good Beer and the Best BBQ in the USA all in one afternoon? Rinse & Repeat. That's my kind of weekend. Every Powder Hound needs to head to Lil' Mikes after hitting the slopes. Its worth the drive. But I shouldn't tell you any of this because I don't want to have to start lining up for this BBQ at 6 AM like they do in Texas. After waiting all day, they still pay $400+ for that meal for 2-4 people. Now for those who don't know, what makes good BBQ? Look for moist meat, salt and plenty of pepper, (signature Texas BBQ), good smoke flavor, a nice pink smoke ring, good sauce, tasty bark, tender meat, which means they tackled the collagen problem and broke it down with proper low and slow cooking. There's no shortcuts here. It can only be achieved by hours of hard work these folks are putting in. I guarantee you, they have been cooking all night so your food is ready today. That's a 14-18 hour cook on that Brisket. Please keep that in mind when you are asked to pay their inexpensive prices. Frankly their prices are extremely low for the nationally competitive, high quality of BBQ they serve. They have worked their butts off to bring you this very special meal that is presented in family picnic style. Don't expect fine dining with fancy table cloths, waiters, candles and glasses of wine. That's not what BBQ is about. It's about family. They deserve your respect. The origins of BBQ are the exact opposite of "fine dining." BBQ originated from humble origins, times of slavery in this country, and a skillset developed by poor people, like my family was, out of necessity, who couldn't afford expensive cuts of meat like Prime Rib & New York steaks. Instead, through sheer skill & determination, this country's forefathers of BBQ turned the toughest, cheapest, cuts of meat, like Brisket, into "fine dining" for their friends & family. Finally, now the poor man could eat well too. And the 'Elite class' couldn't figure out how they did it. And so the BBQ secrets began. Compare that today to the 9 minutes the guy puts in at the steakhouse whos pink chewy steak still flosses your teeth with the collagen that never saw high enough internal temps or long enough cooking times for it to breakdown (still raw) and get tender like Lil Mike's Brisket that falls apart. Some of the best, most tender meat is grey in the middle & would be considered "well done" by steakhouse temps who use too high of heat and too short of time and so the results aren't the same. It takes a normal steak a minimum full hour to cook to that level of tenderness & a 20 lb Brisket almost a full day. The folks at Lil Mikes are true Professional BBQ Artisans who are masters of their trade... and each piece of meat is hand crafted and unique. Honestly the results are tremendously hard to duplicate over and over consistently. So expect some variability. They've mastered their methods, incredibly at 5,000 ft. elevation!! My hat is off to these Amazing People at Lil Mikes. I don't know their names, but I know they are the hardest working people in the food industry putting hours into every dish. There are no shortcuts here. There is no way to achieve the results they deliver by industrial food processing methods of national restaurant chains that claim to serve "BBQ," yet don't have a single smoke stack coming out of their building; A hint for you next time you are looking for real BBQ. We are all lucky to have found these BBQ RockStars at Lil Mike's. Enjoy the food and we'll see you...

Lil Mike's Barbecue is definitely worth a visit for its standout barbecue offerings, surpassing anything currently available in Rexburg. My husband and I opted for the meat platter with three sides: mac and cheese, coleslaw, and cornbread. The meats were impressively juicy and seasoned to perfection. Each table was equipped with both regular and hot barbecue sauces, with the spicier option being my personal favorite.

However, I must caution that arriving early is advisable if you wish to sample all the meats, as they tend to run out quickly. Despite our excitement, we were disappointed to find that some of the meats we wanted to try were already sold out.

On the downside, the sides left something to be desired. The cornbread was unfortunately dry, and the mac and cheese was underwhelming, which was a bit surprising given the price point. It's worth noting that charging extra for cornbread seems unnecessary, as it's typically included with platters at other barbecue joints.

While the staff was friendly, the overall ambiance didn't quite hit the mark for me. As someone who values the atmosphere of a dining establishment, I found myself a bit underwhelmed.

Despite these minor drawbacks, I would still consider returning to Lil Mike's for their exceptional barbecue offerings. With a few tweaks, it could become a top-tier dining destination...

We decided to try out this restaurant because of the great reviews. We were very disappointed and not sure what apparently so many other people see. The smell of the place is off-putting. All of the food items are accompanied by an asinine price tag that is not at all characteristic of food this low in quality. Of the 4 items we purchased 3 were pretty lackluster. The mac' n cheese and coleslaw were extremely bland, the mac overcooked beyond belief. The chicken was incredibly dry and the smokey flavor seemed odd, not at all pleasant. This coming from someone who loves smoked stuff. The BBQ sauces were pretty good but what does that matter when what it goes on is kinda gross. The brisket was actually pretty good also, especially with the BBQ sauce. The customer service is also lacking, everyone there seemed like the only thing they cared about was the fact they're getting a paycheck, totally indifferent to the customer experience they're providing. All in all, I can confidently say we will never come back. We can go to places that serve better quality food with a smile on their face for a...