Commonwealth Barbecue — Restaurant in Wrentham

So for this region, it's pretty good bbq. The sauces were decent, they had a nice variety, a vinegar base, a mustard base, a more traditional sauce, and a cranberry habanero sauce (and I think maybe one other one..I forget). So I tried the double and added beef ribs. I got brisket, sausage and of course the beef ribs. For sides I did potato salad and I THINK cowboy beans (or chili, I forget, pretty sure it was just beans). So the brisket was not well cooked, it was closer to shaved steak than fall apart brisket. It tasted fine, particularly with their sauces, but it was definitely not what you think of as brisket. I tried some without sauce (always love a good bark, so I usually sample without sauce initially), and it was pretty terrible, there was no good bark/spice rub to it, and minimal smoke. Honestly though I didn't hate it, it was good in it's own way, just not really what you think of as brisket. The sausage was somewhat disappointing, tasted more along the lines of a typical italian sausage as opposed to something unique. It was good, just not unique. The beef ribs, now they were cooked nearly perfectly. The meat just fell off the bone, which is no small feat for beef ribs. They only complaints I had with them was the lack of bark/spice rub (there are some spices rubbed on it, it just isn't very flavorful), and the fact the beef ribs were weirdly fatty. Normally there is fat around them to some extent, these just had the fat distributed more and so it was harder to pick thru for the meat vs fat, so there ended up being a lot of bites that were a little too fatty (fat is delicious, just not a huge amount of it...) But since they clearly bbq'd the ribs to the point of melting all the usually tough connective tissue, the ribs were still pretty darn amazing. I'll definitely be back just for the ribs. The beans were pretty flavorless, so I won't do them again. The cornbread was nothing special. The potato salad is fantastic, and they put cracklins on top that makes it even better. They only have cans of soda and all the seating is outside, but neither of those are too big of a deal. I give this place 4 stars based on the beef ribs, sauces, and potato salad. Definitely worth a stop...

Thirsty and in need of smoked meats, I and 5 others happened to have been in the Wrentham area...one a BBQ fanatic insisted we try Commonwealth BBQ. First there was a fair amount of parking, but it was 2ish in the afternoon, the lot was pretty full but able to accommodate 4 cars. This is an outdoors dining experience. We lined up at the windows to order. We all were very thirsty. I had 2 Peach Peace Teas. The fellows had: 2 Frescas, two diet cakes, a water, and a grape Fanta. I waited about 10ish minutes for my food. Everything came nicely packaged. Oh the order...right. I ordered fried pickles (regular or large). I ordered a regular, it was massive. The pickles are lightly battered. The pickles are really great pickles. I also ordered for sharing: pork belly. It came with black beans and rice. Commonwealth offers a mixture of BBQ sauce...They smack to use a hep term...It is outrageously good. I also ordered a 2 meat platter with 2 sides and the meal came with corn bread. I had brisket, sausage, mac n cheese, and cowboy beans. The cowboys were spicy but really good!!! (A). The mac n cheese consisted of a light cheese sauce (A). The sausage was really nicely Spiced and amazing in the BBQ dipping sauces, I recommend the Lee's sauce. The only thing that was a little disappointing was the brisket. It had a nice smoked taste, but it was dry and a little hard. The sauce fixed it, but it was a solid B. I am tempted to go back another day to see if it was just that piece...however as I am writing this piece, my friend the Dr. of Taco, the fanatic called to discuss our late lunch. He asked me if I had a dried up experience...alas so had he. Again we both agreed maybe it was that cut...because everything else was very very good. My overall is A-. The servers and I hardly interacted just do it being a busy place and the ordering style. The picnic tables were okay but few. The get your own sauce was amazing. I am about to pig out on a few left overs...Til next time ...

Those giving this place more than a single star have got to be friends of the owner or simply don't know decent BBQ. By far the worst BBQ I've ever had, in fact you would probably get better BBQ ribs from a McRib sandwich at McDonalds! I have given them 3 tries over this year and have tried a few different options between myself and family members, each time it has been utter disappointment. The ribs were overcooked and dried out. The Cowboy Beans are mostly chopped and stewed tomatoes with a few beans thrown in. They are very watery and nothing like a BBQ joint, more like a weird bean and tomato soup. The brisket has been tough and chewy all three visits. They just don't cook it long enough to render the fat properly or just don't care to take the time it requires to cook the brisket properly. The brisket is flavorless, as if no rub or spices are added before smoking the meat. The sandwiches, especially the burrito, have almost no meat in them and are mostly filling; coleslaw, rice and beans.

This is too bad and the place has a great location. The owner really needs to think if he/she is truly committed to learning and serving good BBQ or just looking for a paycheck from this place. A little rework and heart put into the food could change this place very easily. The truth can hurt, but the owner needs to hear this and hopefully takes a close look at the quality...