Theodore's Blues, Booze, and BBQ — Restaurant in Springfield

What can I say, I've been going here for over a decade and I love this place! The staff are very friendly. The eating area is clean, tables, floors, and walls are natural wood which gives it a really nice feeling. A lot of antiques hang from the ceiling and there are beautiful murals on the walls. Bathrooms are clean. My only pet peeve, I wish they would clean that beautiful big mirror behind the bar. Years ago I watched the staff removing the liquor bottles, wiping them off and cleaning the mirror. It has a nice sparkle when it's clean. It's usually one of the first things I notice when I come in and lately it looks like it hasn't been cleaned since. Lol It has a grimy look to it. But I'm not eating off the mirrors so I can live with it.

It's located downtown. The theme of the restaurant is of course New Orleans, Southern, and jazzy. The only issue can sometimes be parking. Especially after the pandemic when they removed some of the parking spaces for outdoor dining. You have to find metered parking on the streets. There is a parking lot next door but it's too expensive. I normally find parking because I avoid rush hour and busy weekends. Prices are very reasonable and portions are generous and priced well.

Normally, you are greeted at the door. After they seat you, they offer a bowl of fresh popcorn. The food is excellent! Very very rarely have I had an issue with my food but if you do have an issue, let them know right away. They will quickly rectify the issue and replace the item. I've tried almost everything on the menu. Lol My favorite, in a nutshell, are the slow-cooked ribs and the brisket. The brisket I usually need to smother in barbecue sauce though because sometimes it's a little too dry. Their barbecue sauces are amazing and homemade. My favorite is their bourbon sauce. Their BBQ smoked burger is amazing! The cheese is real cheese, leafy green lettuce, crispy fried onions, and BBQ sauce. I don't eat it with mayo or ketchup because I don't think it needs it. It comes with waffle fries but I substitute it for another side. My favorite sides are their collard greens, mashed potatoes, and their cornbread with honey butter. I like their baked beans as well but you can tell the cooks that make them season and cook them differently and don't always follow the same recipes. Sometimes it's amazing and sometimes it's just okay. This is not a big deal. Their desserts are amazing as well. I love their bread pudding. Their alcoholic beverages are great. They have a nice menu selection.

They have a stage for live bands, usually for weekends after 9:00 p.m. You can check out their calendar of events on their website and it will list the bands that are performing that weekend. If you can't make it often, try not to miss their Mardi Gras every year in February! I went for my birthday once and tried not to miss it every year since. They have a special New Orleans food and drink menu during Mardi Gras and an excellent band playing. Staff are super prompt with your food and very friendly. I have been to New Orleans and it gives me the exact same vibe as the big easy. Some of the underground bars there very are similar and really laid back. This is and will probably always be one of my favorite places to go in the city. It is...

Very tasty BBQ cuisine complimented by a personable, friendly & efficient staff. Beer selection was very nice. Visited on a Friday evening, January 26, 2024, and it was VERY crowded. First arrivals w/our group got our name placed on the wait list and we understood since it was Friday and Amherst Rwy Society Train Show Weekend, many establishments in Springfield would be crowded. Our grp was in town for the Amherst Show and Theodore's has been our Friday night "GO to" location for many years!!!! For some reason(s) our group of 10 got the runaround and groups arriving after our grp were seated ahead of us. We even suggested to the Hostess we were cool w/splitting up our grp to assist the staff. She seemed disinterested in pursuing that. However, once we were finally seated, we were split 6 & 4. Hmmmm! The newly promoted Mgr on duty that night stopped at our table of 4 and couldn't apologize enough about our wait. She offered us complimentary appetizers that we gladly accepted. We definitely appreciated her efforts. Our server was Spectacular!!! We even stayed for a bit to enjoy the excellent blues band!!! Strongly suggest the Mgmt & Serving Teams meet to talk through ways to consistently improve receiving and seating of guests. I know from prior visits, there's additional seating on the second floor. Not sure if there was a private party on the second floor that night that limited seating for everyone else. Theodore's is too good of an establishment to let guests keep standing and standing and standing while watching later arrivals get seated. Might want to investigate reservations especially on weekends w/large events such as Amherst Show weekend that's usually last weekend in January!!! By the way January 2024 attendance that Sat & Sun at Amherst was 22,000+++... Granted, a number of those attendees didn't go to Theodore's, but, when an event draws that kind of attendance overall and a number of folks stay overnight, it's quite a boost for the local economy and all steps should be taken to accommodate guests especially since many will...

My partner and I dined here on Saturday Sept 28th, 2024. We were staying at the MGM hotel nearby so this was an easy walk to get to, about 10 min walk. I looked online prior to coming for great eats in town and Theodore's stood out with many favorable reviews. We are big BBQ fans and always like to try local joints wherever we go.

This looks more like a pub/bar from the outside, old school, kind of dingy interior with a lot of character, an old historical builing. The restaurant is more spacious than it looks. Despite being a Saturday evening, there was no wait and we were seated promptly. We opted for the brisket burnt ends as an appetizer and got ribs and pulled pork as main meals. Our sides were a mix of the mac and cheese, corn bread and mashed potatoes with gravy.

Everything we tasted was delicious, the pulled pork was the best I've ever had. So tender and flavorful, I liked that it wasn't all drenched in sauce. There were parts that were untouched so you could taste it plain and add sauce if you needed to. On each table, there are 3 types of sauce, regular bbq, hot and a honey mustard type base.

The mac and cheese was delicious, cheesy, not dry, the cornbread and butter were warm and so moist. The mashed potatoes were more boring, no flavor on their own but the gravy helped.

Portions are very generous and pricing is fair. We really enjoyed and left with full bellies.

Only downside is the location, convenient if you are nearby on foot, but the downtown area doesn't have a lot of parking, there was a even a sign posted on the door warning people not to use the paid parking lot, it seemed unsafe. As out of towners, we found this part of the city a bit depressing, many closed businesses and for a weekend, pretty dead and not lively. I hope this business can continue thriving in...