Buddy’s Bar-B Q

I picked up an order of ribs last night. Unfortunately, they were just OK. The ribs were missing that distinct smokey flavor. I guess experiences vary from time to time. I would never want to be in the restaurant business managing all of the variables. I will give them another try.

I told my wife I wanted to go to Buddy’s tonight. We moved back to Knoxville two weeks ago and I really wanted the good food I remembered.
Sadly, We were disappointed. She asked for a BBQ turkey sandwich and I got a pork plate with corn and slaw. Her turkey was cold, sliced thin like a deli sandwich, and it came with mayo, not BBQ sauce. That was not what she (or I) expected. As she said «I could have gotten this out of the refrigerator of a convenience store!» My pork plate was only marginally better. The corn was excellent! But it was downhill from there. The pork was pretty dry and tasteless. It needed copious quantities of sauce to make it worthwhile. The slaw was bland and had too much liquid sloshing about. I like slaw to have just a bit of ‘bite’ with some vinegar and a dash of pepper but this slaw just laid there. And to add insult to injury, the hush puppies were undercooked in the middle. Raw dough is not a pleasant eating experience.
So many folks love this place, and I wanted to add to my memories, but this want not the place and not the night.
We felt the staff was just going through the motions and waiting for closing time. If just a little more attention was given to the food You could have gotten a rave review. Heat your sandwich meat and buns. Use real BBQ sauce on a BBQ Turkey sandwich (mayo is heresy!). Cook the damn hush puppies! Give the slaw some flavor. And most importantly, make sure your pork is cooked with enough smoke to be good even before being drowned in sauce.

This place is amazing. It’s like $ 20 barbecue but for eight dollars in a really nice setting actually. You even get to side so you don’t have to choose just one. And you can even upgrade an ounce of me for $.60 which is just crazy. If you like barbecue, this place is actually really good

Yes it’s a chain, albeit a local one. Even still it’s bbq is as good or better than a lot of «local» joints I’ve eaten at over the years. It’s a quick easy way to get your bbq fix and not be disappointed. The smoke flavor they get on their pulled pork is perfect in my opinion.
I don’t understand people complaining about the price. It’s just as cheap as any fast food place considering what you get. So there’s no $ 1 menu. You’re getting bbq not some tiny, frozen, possibly beef, patty on a bun.

This is a chain barbecue restaurant, so by nature, it’s just not as delicious as a great local joint with a ton of soul. They produce a solid product and have a good family pack. Also, I appreciate the fact that they have a drive through window. However, the food is fairly unimaginative and very basic.
To sum up, don’t pass Buddy’s up if you’re in a hurry or there aren’t many dining options. But NEVER choose it over something that’s delicious and locally owned!

I love smoked food and this place delivered on that aspect. I thought it was a little pricey for it pretty much being a fast food joint. Sides weren’t anything special. Service was decent but felt like I was in an Arby’s. Not totally disappointed but not awed either.

$ 5.33 for a «regular» (small) pork sandwich and a tea!!! Seriously? C’mon Buddy’s, your BBQ is good but that’s ridiculous. Rude girl at the window to boot. Three bites and it’s gone. Smh sorry but you need to step up your game.

Always good and home made and dirt cheap. A very good place to take your family or date if you want a good meal and don’t have much money. And get the hot fudge cake with homemade cake. And they now have a junior size. Sandwich or dinner or hotdog or diet turkey sandwich on wheat. They have it all to please everyone.

Buddy’s has very good smoked pork and chicken, but the sauce could be better and I have never cared for the ribs. The sides are really good with fantastic baked beans and fries. If you are feeling a little off the cuff try the hawg back potato or one of their all beef hot dogs. Both are very good. The one thing they do really well is speed. This is fast food BBQ. It is a great place for lunch.