Extra Billys Smokehouse and Brewery — Restaurant in Virginia

My daughter decided she wanted to offer Barbecue for her Rehearsal Dinner in Williamsburg. We naturally began trying out the popular local barbecue choices, but each time, although quite good, they just weren't exactly what she had been looking for. Having grown up spending a good amount of time in the Richmond area, she has always held every other restaurant up in comparison to Extra Billy's - its quite simply her favorite - anywhere. Yet - they were an hour away. Refusing to settle for less, she decided to have me chat with them and see if they would even be interested in catering an event at that distance - and to our joy, they accepted! And we simply could not have been happier with the amazing, excellent job they did! The food was hot, plentiful and just as delicious as always ... the barbecue was full of flavor, not at all dry, the cornbread and macaroni and cheese were the big winners for our side choices (all were delicious, but these two were hands down the favorites as I watched guest after guest go back for seconds and thirds) ... Much of our bridal party was from the west coast, and not familiar with southern foods - and wow, were they ever impressed! The Father of the Groom even took a minute to give a nod to the delicious barbecue in his toast that evening, and another bridesmaid - who rarely ever even finishes an entire plate of food - went back for a second entire full plate! The staff was personable, attentive - and completely saved the day when we realized we had forgotten a knife and the plates for cutting and serving the cake. If you want a restaurant that is going to go over and above to ensure you have the most memorable event ever, with food that will everyone will be raving about (so many people asked who they were and how to find them, they even had to give out several business cards) Extra Billy's is the place to contact. A huge thanks to them for making this momentous occasion...

Longtime BBQ lover, but first time at Extra Billy's. My wife and I have been meaning to try them for years, but never found ourselves near them when we were in the mood for BBQ (which is often). We went around 1pm on a Saturday and, other than people at the bar, the place was empty. We ordered the 3 meat platter to share, sides, and a limeade and Diet Coke. Diet Coke was mostly flat, but my wife said the limeade was good. They brought out our hushpuppies first and my wife's eyes lit up as she LOVES hushpuppies. Unfortunately, the insides were not cooked at all and still wet. We mentioned it to the server and she took them with no offer of a replacement. Ok, not a great start, but the meat should be the star. Our platter was brought out and looked promising. We order pulled pork, brisket, and smoked white meat chicken with baked beans and coleslaw. Baked beans were almost definitely from a can. Wife liked the slaw, though. Now to the meats. Pulled pork was fine...not great and not much flavor at all. There was only one BBQ sauce on the table and it pretty much tasted like ketchup. Brisket tasted like an unseasoned pot roast. No smoke flavor or really any pronounced flavor to mention. Chicken was ok, but a little dry and (again) not much flavor. I'm a person who enjoy eating meat with no sauce or very, very little. After all was said and done, we spent around $35 with tip and really only ate about 30-40% of what we ordered. We were still charged for the hushpuppies. This is probably only one of maybe 3 poor reviews I have ever left. It was just such a let down after looking forward to giving them a try for so many years, that I wanted to share my experience. For the record, we love ZZQ, Q, Deep Run Roadhouse, Buz and Ned's and we liked Dickies when it was here. Everyone has different tastes and maybe it was off day for the location, but I doubt...

It was all around okay. The good / average: The craft beer is not bad. There were 7 different brews, each a different style, so we got a flight of 4 each and sampled them all. They were pretty good, an IPA, Amber / Irish Ale, Oatmeal Stout, Imperial Stout, and a Marzen. Focused, not experimental, and not bad. The food was average. Burnt Ends platter, the meat could have been warmer, it appeared to be heated up first, and then waited for the rest of the order. Baby Back Ribs (dry rub) were hot (temp), but slightly dried out, and could have used more rub flavouring. The sides (baked beans, potatoe salad, and coleslaw) were all really good. What could be improved: the service was slow, even for a Wednesday night. Not many people dining, but only 2 wait staff. Waited to be seated, waited to get our beers, but the food arrived quickly. Could use more attention, one waitress was on top of her tables, the other was not as much. The atmosphere as a whole is a little odd, left some to be desired. It is not "dirty," but not exactly clean. There is a weird smell that I can only describe as being from an older building that has not been cleaned well or often. You would expect a BBQ joint to smell like smoked meat, fire... like a BBQ joint, but the smell inside was not pleasant. Would suggest a top to bottom cleaning of everything, and possibly new flooring, because that carpet is probably the source of odor. Tables and benches / chairs need a thorough cleaning with detergent. This could be an excellent place with a remodel, updates, and training... like a 'Bar Rescue' episode. Might go back and give it another...