Code 1 BBQ

Hands down best BBQ in the area. Homemade sauces and amazing quality smoked meats. The only thing better than this food is the incredible staff and owners of this hidden gem. Sean is personable and you can tell he not only clearly knows his BBQ - you can see the staff preparing the fresh made sauces they use in the back- but he is Incredible with customers and staff alike. I will be back again and have already been nearly a dozen times from opening. A truly great hidden gem in Mass that deserves recognition!!!

Code 1 BBQ in Wilmington, MA.

TLDR - Food is 4/5 stars,
Erica’s (Owner) customer service 2/5 stars, Sean’s (Owner) customer service 4/5 stars 🥴

Be careful of rude responses from Erica. The food was good but unfortunately not great. The more BBQ places you try the pickier you become; especially when comparing the limited options around MA…but Code 1 manages to fit in just fine.

They aren’t the best but there’s plenty to like from this establishment. The location isn’t the most convenient for me and there are other good bbq places near my home so I wouldn’t go back unless I’m in the area or seriously craving it.

We ordered the Sampler Dinner (Brussels and Collard sides), a 2-meat combo dinner (Corn salad and Coleslaw side), PB and Mac attack 16oz, Baked Beans 8oz and a Pork Belly Sandwich. Overall with tax and tip about $125.

Pros:
-Beef Brisket was juicy and they ask if you prefer fatty or lean.
-Pork belly has great flavoring, off the menu item
-Lots of variety for the sides
-Red sauce is on point, not too sweet and has a nice sticky texture

Cons:
-Prices are a bit steep, for the portion sizes that they give I wouldn’t call it the best value.
-We were third in line but they messed up prioritizing which orders to make first so people that came after us got potato salad and by the time they got to our order they ran out.
-They’re new and still working out small business woes, they weren’t open at 12:00 so we had to come back at 2:00. They also ran out of many items on the menu including beef ribs, corn bread, potato salad, Roasted potatoes, roasted carrots, and brisket chili.
-Some of the meats needed more seasoning and smoking. The ribs in particular lacked a nice bark or coating of dry rub. There was some but overall it could’ve been more flavorful.
-A 2-meat combo dinner for brisket and pork ribs came with the same amount of beef and pork ribs as the sampler. The 2-meat dinner is 27.99 but for 29.99 in the sampler you also get a quarter of chicken and a good amount of pulled pork too so the 2-meat combo was not worth the price.
-It was a little disappointing that we were one of the first customers for the day and ordered the pork belly sandwich when no one else did then after we ordered they proceeded to offer people free samples of it. This was offered free to everyone there except us…
-Mainly takeout, inside is quite small
-Rude responses received from one of the owners, Erica. Very bad customer service.

At first I said despite the gripes I would give it a try again at a much later date but then Erica went in on a rude tirade over social media. Again it’s good but just wasn’t amazing and for the price, I expected more.

This evening was our first time here. The place was super clean. And the staff was super nice. The food was excellent! Can't wait to try more! The Brisket was PERFECT!

Stopped in recently. Got the brisket with mac and cheese and potato salad for the sides in a dinner order. Could have used more BBQ sauce but that's ok because the brisket was fantastic straight up. Sides were good. Mac and cheese is such a great base ... going to have to try the bowl next time.

Learned about Code 1 BBQ at summer farmers markets, and I was hooked from the first bowl of brisket chili. Most recently I had them do a catering order for a family party. HUGE portions and the family raved about everything, especially the smoked chicken.