Bodacious Bar and Q — Restaurant in Shreveport

Bodacious Bar & Q has all the makings of a great dining spot. The atmosphere is lively and welcoming, with a warm, rustic design that invites you to kick back and enjoy. Live music as you walk in, fills you with excitement for a great evening. The service was a highlight of the experience—every server I encountered was friendly, attentive, and eager to help. As a unique touch, the restaurant features two adjacent pickleball courts, adding a fun, community-centered vibe that sets it apart from your average barbecue joint.

Unfortunately, while the setting and service were impressive, the food fell far short of expectations. I ordered the 3-meat sampler, and an add on of a meat with 2 extra sides. It included pulled pork, turkey, hot sausage, and brisket. The brisket was overcooked, tough, and lacked flavor—there was no hint of the smoky, tender qualities that define good brisket. The pulled pork, while flavorful, arrived cold and could have benefited from more time in the smoker and better seasoning. The turkey was tender and juicy, but lukewarm, which took away from the experience. The hot sausage was disappointing, lacking any spice or boldness—it felt bland and uninspired but good for anyone who has a hard time with spice.

The barbecue sauce, which was advertised as homemade, was disappointing. It tasted stale and lacked depth, with only faint hints of hickory flavor.

The sides,unfortunately, were no better. The corn on the cob was soggy and cold as if it came from a frozen bag, the mashed potatoes had an odd texture (like a mix of instant potatoes and under-mashed chunks) and came with a canned-tasting gravy. The mac and cheese was equally lackluster, tasting processed and topped with stale breadcrumbs that added nothing to the dish. Even the pickles and onions, usually a bright spot in barbecue meals, were overly vinegary and harsh.

It’s a shame that the food didn’t match the quality of the atmosphere and service. Bodacious Bar & Q has a lot of potential, with a great space and friendly staff, but the barbecue needs serious improvement to make it worth recommending. For now, the pickleball courts might be the best part...

Constant advertising on radio so we had to go try it. The place looked modern and super clean. Staff was so friendly and service was exceptional. My tea tasted old and sour but no one else in whole place complained so I said ok it’s just me. We ordered egg rolls, fried green tomatoes, and the fried onions all for appetizers. All that was delicious so I just knew the rest was going to be great. Well, I was wrong. My chopped brisket sandwich was so dry and stuck together it looked like 3 day old food heated up out the fridge. My potato salad was so bland it didn’t even have salt I felt. The bbq beans tasted like chili beans not bbq. I said man, I need to let them try my own and I bet they would make the switch to my recipes. My mother in law’s beef tips and rice, the meat was flavorful and tender but the gravy was so dark and bad. The toast she was served was bland too. The only thing I can say looked delicious was my husband’s ribs. Those were the biggest meaty ribs I have ever seen. The bbq sauce was really good too. So we spent 85 and left a 28 tip (server was amazing) but probably won’t be back. I am going to assume they know how to do meats and fried items just need to work on all the sides and not...

Overall, I would highly recommend Bodacious Bar & Q for a great meal and a pleasant dining experience.

However, we recently had an appalling experience with the bartender named Nadia! Not only was she completely uninterested in serving us, she was also incredibly rude and condescending. When my husband asked her about the beers on tap, she rolled her eyes at him. When I politely asked for a for another beer, she disappeared for a long period of time, talked to several other guests and then eventually got it for me. Needless to say, we will never go back to the bar.

I don’t usually write negative reviews like this but she seemed to take pleasure in making us feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. She was acting like a teenager that needs to be supervised. We laughed when we got home because we couldn’t believe how rude she was. This is not the first awful experience we’ve had with her and we know others who have had almost identical interactions. We love this place and we hope management hears...