Maple Tree BBQ — Restaurant in Town of Riverhead

Some good point and bad points, I will try to be concise as I review my visit to this place. I come from a place with a Dinosaur BBQ around the corner so I am spoiled. We arrived on a Friday around lunchtime, it was completely empty. Not necessarily bad but not a great sign. We placed our orders and I ordered the Texas Brisket platter with mac n cheese and "kallards". I also ordered a jalapeno margarita and an ice water. My friend ordered brisket with burnt ends, mac n cheese and beans, and a beer. Our food came out very promptly. However as the food was set down I was told there were "no more "kallards" and I could choose something else. Usually when something is 86'd you are told at the point of order, not delivery. I chose the coleslaw. Upon viewing, everything looked wonderful. Brisket was perfectly cooked, if under seasoned, with a very small ring of smoke. Could probably have gone longer on the smoker but it's up to the pitmaster. Mac n cheese was basic, creamy, and nicely done. A pop of mustard powder and some black pepper would have done wonders for it. The coleslaw was very mediocre. It was shredded cabbage, with a creamy dressing, it had little zing or flavor profile. My friend could not finish his beans. I tried them, and found out why. The beans were undercooked and the sauce had little flavor. The smoky flavor of pork butt or bacon was absent. No sausage, and hard beans. Even the two sauces couldn't save them. Speaking of which, both sauces are not that great. Not bad but I've had better.

My ice water never came. I went up to the counter to re-order, and was ignored by staff. So I took a bottle from the cooler.

The margarita was perfect, the decor is charming, and the meat and other ingredients are of excellent quality. There needs to be more flavor in my opinion. In the food and demeanor of the staff. I got the impression that the employees were very new. This is fine but they do make an impression of inexperience front of house. Next time I go I will take pictures and hopefully get some of...

This review is for a takeout order on 6/6/20

Overall, this whole experience left much to be desired. The food was incredibly bland; the order took over 35 minutes to receive (after being told it would take 15 minutes), and the owner(?) was yelling at employees in front of all of the customers for accidentally sending out the wrong DoorDash order.

As for specifics, here we go...

FOOD: We ordered the Tar Heel Sandwich, Pulled Pork Platter with baked beans and corn bread, and Brisket platter with mac & cheese and potato salad. Like I said before, all of the food was incredibly bland. Both the brisket and the pork lacked any sort of smokey flavor - in fact, they tasted like they were made in a crockpot. We thought maybe adding some sweet or “Alabama” sauce would help, but those were both very runny and lacking any sort of distinguished flavor. The sides were all basic - not bad, but nothing stood out.

SERVICE: We ordered at 6:25pm and didn’t walk out with our food until after 7pm...and that was after I asked for them to check in on my order to figure out what was taking so long. Add to it that several of the employees were arguing and bickering with each other about who was at fault. And to top it off, the owner was chewing out his staff with no regard for who was around.

To be honest, I cannot believe this place is rated as highly as it is. I would never go back nor would I...

We had the pleasure of using Maple Tree BBQ to cater our 4th of July BBQ, and I must say, they truly exceeded our expectations. From the moment I reached out to Dennis, his professionalism and dedication to providing top-notch service was evident. The team at Maple Tree BBQ was incredibly helpful in planning our menu and ensuring that every detail was taken care of. On the day of the event, Andrea and Declan arrived promptly and set up everything. They were friendly, proactive, and attentive, making sure that everyone had what they needed. The quality and flavor of the food was outstanding, and our guests couldn't stop raving about it. The BBQ itself was a hit and we couldn’t have done it without them. The team also packed leftovers for us and went out of their way to efficiently rearrange the fridge! Legit superstars. Overall, I highly recommend Maple Tree BBQ for any catering needs. They made our 4th of July BBQ a memorable and enjoyable experience, and we look forward to working with them again for future events. If you're looking for delicious food, exceptional service, and a hassle-free catering experience, look no further than...