Big Joe's Bar-B-Que Rib Shack

We love bbq. We've done bbq everywhere. This hands down is the best ribs and sauce around. Maybe even the best ribs I've ever had. The smoked mac and cheese is home made amazing. Rest of the sides are great as well. My husband loves their smoked chicken. Service is fast and friendly. Prices are fair. Portions are big. Hope this place stays around for a long time because it's become one of our favorites!!!

Watching Joe get to work on my order, I relaxed and took in the chilled vibe of the joint. Expecting Opie to saunter in whistling a tune, I was thoroughly enjoying my downtime when I was notified our order was ready. Placing my daydream aside, I hurriedly grabbed the grub and commenced to performing one of the finer aspects of life...stuffing my face with freshly prepared barbeque! After one bite of the pulled pork sandwich, I knew I was in the presence of a real, honest to goodness Pit Master. Starting with obviously USDA Prime cuts of meat, Joe slowly smokes it with patience and love. No malarkey, this is the best slow roasted barbeque pork I have ever tasted. Ever. The sauce!!! Joe's sauce is made on site from what has to be his own recipe and I must say it is the best I have ever had. Tangy, sweet and with an ever so slight kick, it's just what the Doctor ordered. The smoked sausage was next to fall victim to my insatiable lust for an excellent barbeque. Being on par with the pulled pork, it too was delicious beyond compare. Smoked to perfection and draped in more of that out of this world sauce, it was to die for. Turning my gluttony toward the final item ordered, the barbeque half chicken I had to wipe away a small tear escaping from my right eye. Yes, the grub is that good it brought a tear to my eye. Taking a minute to allow all the beauty that is Big Joe's eats to sink in, I allowed a satiated sigh to escape. The chicken was just as tasty as everything else. Smoked to perfection the meat practically fell off the bone with so much nummy tenderness I felt another tear about to trickle down my cheek. Dude! It's just food, I told myself as I scarfed down more of that sauce! What is in that sauce, Big Joe?

I would be remiss if I didn't take some time to mention the delectable sides that accompanied all of the gloriously smoked meat, and perhaps the one place with room for improvement...the bread. The side of Sauteed Collard Greens was fresh, well seasoned and good enough to belong on the same plate as the aforementioned meat items. Fresh Collard Greens have a subtle bite that one does not find in pre-packaged or beyond its prime greens. If Big Joe had a garden out back where he grew his own, I wouldn't be surprised. As Southern as Collard Greens are, Cole Slaw is more of a Southern staple that just about anything and is a must with barbeque Big Joe obviously puts as much care to quality and love in the making of his slaw as he does the smoking of his meats and the blending of his sauce. This was, hands down, the best slaw I have had (I know I am beginning to sound like a broken record). It was fresh, crisp, obviously hand cut and had the most deliciously tangy sauce to be found in a slaw. Now, perhaps the one place with room for improvement is the bun on which the sausage sat. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't close to the standard set by the aforementioned meats, sauce and sides. With sausage this good, the bread needs to be a step beyond the store bought buns from our childhood.

The Big Boy says, "Someone once told me if you are out of town and need to find a great place to eat, ask a fat guy. Well, this fat guy says this is the best BBQ I have had to date." P.S. Everyone needs to eat here. Everyone. #iamthebigboy #bigboydiningout

Hot and fresh! I had the rib sandwich Twas amazing! Good job Big Joe!

In my many years of travel I have had ribs from east to west and from north to south and a lot of places in between since I use to travel for a living. Joe's ribs are amongst the best I ever had tender and flavorful the sauce is great blend of sweet and savory. When I'm back down I need to try the chicken. The baked beans and mac and cheese remind me of my moms recipe. The location is very convenient to rt 1 and to 95 and is a jewel of mom and pop dining. I look forward to when he grows and expand his offerings and recipe.

Wow! Delicious! The shop is charming and the food was as good as it gets! It’s a destination place for us now