Cockeye BBQ — Restaurant in Warren

I'm a big fan of barbeque and have hit some of the best places in Missouri, Texas and the Carolinas. We're lucky to have this place in NE Ohio. Really lucky. It's the best BBQ I've found in NE Ohio.

First and foremost the food is excellent. Everything we've gotten here has exceeded our expectations. The turkey was surprisingly good. There's no real smoke ring to speak of, but it was smoky and juicy.

The catfish is dynamite. People that don't like catfish will love this catfish. I pride myself on my catfish, but this catfish is better. I need to do better. The breading is great, not overly seasoned. It's just right.

The pulled pork comes in bigger chunks, which I love. A lot of joints pull it too much and soak it in some grease and sometimes a splash of vinegar. Here you get nice chunks with a good smoke ring and nothing else unless you have sauce added. It pairs really, really well with their pucker sauce.

If you're going to get an appetizer, get the nachos. Holy cow, get the nachos. It's not a huge order, but is big enough for a family of four. It comes loaded with pulled pork, jalapenos, olives, cheese sauce and BBQ sauce. They're so good and they'd probably make a great lunch or snack.

The sides I've had include baked beans, Mac & Cheese, coleslaw, and cheesey potatoes. All are choice. Every smokehouse has their own signature baked beans and theirs are among the best I've had. The variety of beans used makes these great. The various sizes and textures give these the depth you want in beans. I'd prefer a bit of heat be added, but that's really my only complaint.

The drink selection is what you'd expect of any smokehouse. Good beers, lots of pop and the obligatory drinks, sweet tea and lemonade. Surprisingly, Cockeye carries bottles of Cheerwine, a pop commonly found throughout the Carolinas including in their smokehouses. I love a bottle of Cheerwine with my BBQ.

The food here is clearly great, but the owners are too. You'll notice several purple banners thought Cockeyes that are awarded to Trumbull County Junior Fair Grand Champion animals. That's because Cockeyes purchases a number of animals at the Junior Fair Auction every year, including animals being sold for charity. The money spent on these animals often goes into college funds for the kid that raised the animals. The Charity auctions this year supported a local family struggling with the loss of a family member and the St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Cockeyes supports our community and deserves our support as well.

Eating here will fill you up with great BBQ and will give them the fuel to support 4H. I...

I truly don’t understand why everyone raves about Cockeye BBQ. Because this is truly the worst BBQ we’ve ever had. The pulled pork literally smelled & tasted the way a barn smells. The brisket had the fat layer taken off of it completely. The ribs were dry and very bland as well. All the meat and most of the sides were either extremely underseasoned or not at all. The sauces we tried were good, which probably explains why people speak so highly of the meats. When I called to discuss my issues with the food I spent good money on, both the manager and owner were pretty quick to dismiss me and didn’t want to talk about it. I mentioned that I've been barbecuing as a hobby for many years and the manager said “If you’ve been barbecuing for years like you say, then you’d know there’s lean brisket and moist brisket and you must’ve ordered the lean.” (Which isn’t an option when ordering online by the pound) and again, the fat layer that was there was absolutely taken off after it was cooked. It tasted and fell apart like dry pot roast. I tried explaining about the tip vs the flat and the amount of fat that naturally comes on it, that it shouldn’t be taken off regardless and she stopped me and gave the phone to the owner. The owner interrupted me after asking me to discuss what I didn't like and she said “Well it sounds like you didn’t like any of our meats, so I’ll just refund you for those” and I was just kind of dumbfounded - because while that’s great to be willing to refund us, interrupting what we’re trying to tell you our disappointment with your food isn’t okay. I’m not sure if I’m more irritated about the food or the customer service honestly. I’m blown away right now. Along with the barbecue I also ordered 4 different flavors of ice cream from Cockeye Creamery. While the flavors and texture is pretty good, there is one thing I don't quite understand. This LOCALLY OWNED AND MADE IN HOUSE product contains the dyes called red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, and blue 1. Why do you have to put those chemicals in your product that you serve to your community? I expect this from big corporations unfortunately but a small independent company has no excuse. There is no way that these chemicals that are directly linked to all kinds of mental and physical health problems, are a necessary ingredient in anything they serve. I feel like they need to omit these chemicals from their recipes, or otherwise stop...

What an experience!

A LITTLE PREFACING

My partner and I had never been to Warren, Ohio. We were there for an event and needed a place to eat. We didn’t have much time, but stumbled upon Cockeye BBQ. I need to also say that since the divisiveness of politics in recent years, being in a rural place can be more worrisome than inviting.* While we try not to be too presumptuous and lead with an open mind, safety is a concern. I bring this up because, for many, just having good food isn’t enough.

THE VIBE

We walked in with our masks, nervously. But to our surprise, we were greeted by the owner almost immediately. He gave us the scoop on all of his creations and cracked a few jokes. You can tell he loves what he does and is passionate about it. We love that. While this interaction might seem commonplace to him, it really meant a lot to us. We felt welcomed instantly.

Inside, the vibe is cozy and clean. You order up front and can takeout from there or have a seat in the dining area off to the side. There was an extensive menu and some specials available. The beverages are by the bottle up front or you could get water. While it seemed pretty packed when we got there, people got in and out quickly and we had a table before we knew it.

THE FOOD

I got the special, a Thanksgiving-style sandwich—one of my favorites. My partner got the brisket. She was excited to see it was shaved, not sliced. I don’t know a ton about brisket, but she loved it. I was equally impressed with the food. The cornbread stuffing (handmade) was so delicious. Hell, every part of my Thanksgiving sandwich was delicious. We both got fries with our sandwiches and they were so good.

Don’t forget the sauces! Up front, there were many sauces. The owner suggested ordering the meats without sauce so that can try some and choose your favorites. They were all tasty, really, but they had an apple one (can’t remember the name!) that was off the charts! I wish we had more time to truly investigate but our event was soon after.

Overall, the vibe checked and the food was great. We would definitely recommend this spot.

*To note: we are two queer women with a BLM bumper sticker. We are also still masking in public for a number of reasons. We kind of stick out in most...