Depot Barbecue

Decided to grab half a slab and some mac and cheese for a nice Sunday lunch after Krogering. I was excited to see that they had secured the mac and cheese recipe from BBQ Revue, but it’s unfortunately not even close. I’m not sure there’s actually any real cheese in it at all.
The ribs are 2.50 per bone, $ 15 for a half slab (6 bones) and $ 30 for a full slab (12 bones.) That’s a little on the pricey side for me, but decided to go with half a slab anyway. The ribs are nice and thick, but $ 15 still feels a little steep.
It’s such a special building in a prime location — hopefully the food can grow up a little and make this as popular a place as it should be.

My hubby and I stopped by because we happened to be in the neighborhood and eer hungry for casual lunch.
My husband got the turkey sandwich and Mac & cheese. He said the turkey was not dry but was chewy, indicating that it needed a little more time in the smoker.
My brisket was really good. They only have KC or Texas sauces, no Memphis sauce, so I ate my brisket plain. We both thought the Mac & cheese was okay but not amazing.
Proprietors were nice and décor was cute. Its worth the trip if you live out that way.

I stopped in for lunch at Depot today and talked to the owner for a while, and have some updates to share with you all
First and foremost, all the bbq’ed meats now come from Smoq. Previously, the pulled pork and pulled chicken had come from Pit to Plate, but now its all being sourced from Smoq.
also…
–some of you have been clamoring for a hot green vegetable side dish. They listened, and they’ve now added green beans. I tried these today, and they are excellent. Fresh beans are cooked just to slightly firm, nowhere near mushy, and are then spiked with bits of onion, garlic, red bell pepper, and bacon.
–beer prices have been adjusted, with many/​most reduced. To a select few of you: yes, beer is still cheaper at Kroger *laff*
–cornbread is now regularly available, in muffin form. I’ve had it, and it is solidly good.
–ribs were initially only available on the weekends, but are now available all week long.
–one doesn’t go to a BBQ joint expecting quiche on the menu, but it is now a regular special on Sun, Mon, and Tue. A very generously-​sized wedge paired with some sliced melon is just 4 bucks. I had it today, and it was absolutely delicious.
–the much-​maligned mac and cheese is a work-​in-​progress. The owner concedes that this hasn’t been received as well as he had hoped, and he continues to tinker with the recipe to make it better. I tried the latest incarnation today and it is much improved from when I first tried it a couple of months back, particularly in terms of texture, with nice firm pasta. I should note here that the base recipe (from the old BBQ Revue in Oakley) is a bit unusual in that it includes chopped onion.
–the cinnamon bread for the Depot Signature Sandwich has been changed a bit to give it a bit more structural integrity. Just as tasty as ever, but less likely to fall apart as you eat it
And here are some developments to look forward to
–ever heard of a bbq joint that did delivery? nope, me neither. But Depot expects to be offering delivery soon. Date TBD.
–along with the above, online ordering will be made available. Date TBD.
–I had mentioned in my original review that the owner would at some point begin smoking some meats onsite to supplement the regular offerings. This has started, but only as occasional specials so far, like chicken on the bone. The owner still expects to be smoking salmon at some point.

As a Madeira resident, I was really hoping this would be a go to place for us. Great little location we’ve been waiting for a restaurant to stick and be a winner. The BBQ wasn’t bad if not a bit pricey for the quantity. Hoping it get better as they figure out their system. Lots of potential with Pit to Plate and Smog. Sauces were acceptable, but was hoping for a little more variety. Where Depot is really lacking is the sides… This makes or breaks good BBQ joints in my opinion and this is where Depot unfortunately fails. We tried them all and they were all mediocre to bad. Bland and tasteless and not quite thought through for BBQ sides… And with no collard greens, fresh corn bread, and kick butt beans and mac & cheese, it has been a disappointment both times we’ve went. Hopefully this is just growing pains as they’ve just opened and they figure out a better selection. Otherwise, we’ll give them another shot before giving up. Which saddens me as it would be a weekly lock in as Spring and Summer comes around for us.

The barbecue is passable and we enjoyed the broccoli salad side and jalapeño cornbread. But the mac-​n-​cheese was easily among the worst we’d ever tried: bland and overcooked to a mushy consistency, lacking both cheesiness and creaminess. We couldn’t stomach more than a couple bites.
Prices seemed steep for the portion size: about $ 25 for two sandwiches with 2 sides and drink (although technically it was one side each and a $ 3 donation to the «revamp your mac-​n-​cheese recipe» fund).
We liked the ambiance and the fetching restaurant logo. The toy trains are still in the depot.
I’d have given Depot 2.5 stars but of course Unilocal doesn’t allow it. As of now, Depot Barbecue doesn’t quite deserve an «A-​OK» until they’ve improved their mac and cheese recipe, which I understand they’ve been tweaking in response to the feedback.

Tried this place again hoping it would be better after being open for a couple more weeks and again I was let down…
Got the special sandwich with pulled pork baked beans and Mac and cheese.
For the pulled pork the bread was very good and I nice compliment to the pork unfortunately the pork was very greasy almost made the bread soggy. Also had some pieces of fat that I could not eat. I ate the bead and left some of the pork…
The mac and cheese was actually worse than the first time I got it. The best way to describe the texture was like… cooking homemade baked mac and cheese and microwaving it the next day, the whole dish had a slick of oil and the mac was very overcooked, didn’t finish this as well.
The baked beans were sub par for a bbq place, no pieces of brisket (like city bbq) or even bacon. Seasoned well but the vinegar taste was somewhat strong and a little overwhelming by the last bite…
I have not been a fan of the smoked meats here which is shocking because I love smoq (one of my favorites around). Maybe it’s how they re heat /​keep warm but it’s not working… i also do not like any of the bbq sauces and I have tried them all. At a good bbq place I don’t usually like sauces but if the meat is not great but there’s a good sauce I can make due… but here I am left without either choice.
As mentioned in my first review, i love the location and love that it’s in the heart of Madeira. I want them to do well, but it would take some MAJOR changes for me to become a regular or simply go back…
Good luck…

So we really wanted to like this place but the food is just not good here. Chicken was mushy, turkey was not tasty, macaroni was just not good. Baked beans were great. Expensive here too. So many better BBQ places in cincinnati to spend your money.

Tried to go here last night. Even though they are open until 11 they wouldn’t serve us food at 10:02 pm. They only serve beer starting exactly at 10. It’s not like they have a kitchen to breakdown and clean if they are just reheating food. I was hopping I would be able to write a good review for this place with all the bad ones but maybe other people are right. For a place that uses 11 to 11 in their advertising as a selling point they should serve food until 11. No one is going to go there to get a $ 5 can of beer when there are better options less than a block away.

My family and I have eaten here three times now. They have improved a lot since their first day. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The sides and sliders are a good deal. I feel like the regular sandwiches are a bit high for what you get. I would probably be happier if they charged a dollar more and included a side.
Beef Brisket — Among the best I have had in the area.
Pulled Pork — Good but a bit on the soggy side for my preference.
Turkey — Excellent
Potato Salad — Severely lacking flavor. I don’t go to a BBQ joint for «lower in calories.»
Broccoli Salad — Even my 3 year old loves this side.
Baked Beans — They really nailed these; great balance between spice, sugar and acid.
Macaroni and Cheese — This has been okay to really good, hopefully they have their consistency figured out now.
Sauces — We really enjoyed all of the sauces. It might be nice to see a vinegar-​based sauce.
Desserts — We have tried a few and they have all been great.
Where’s the cornbread???
I have seen some complaints about the price of beer. You are not going to find beer served at a restaurant for less. They have a really good selection and offer deals, for various events, aside from their happy hour special.
My family and I will definitely be returning.

tl;dr 3 stars for food, +1 for service and location/​patio
I bookmarked Depot Barbeque when it was «Hot & New» and filling with poor reviews, because I love barbeque and wanted to judge it for myself. *lowers sunglasses* Unilocal didn’t give me the Maverick badge for nothing!
I came to a building with cute décor and an incredible wraparound patio. Seriously, this place will be perfect for relaxing on a summer Sunday afternoon. I was met with kindness and direction from the staff, who had my order ready by the time I turned the corner to the pop dispenser and sauce wall. I tried 3 sliders and one side:
Pulled pork: Good. Unlike other reviewers, mine was not at all greasy and was perfectly juicy.
Chicken: Not impressed. My bun ended up a bit soggy as the chicken was so wet, as if it was sitting in a pan of water. It didn’t have any smoke flavor or seasoning, and all around was just very blah.
Brisket: Good. I haven’t had much brisket in my life to compare, but I would eat this again.
Broccoli salad: onion/​red pepper/​raisins/​grapes/​dressing. This was okay. Next time I will pass in favor of something more starchy. I will say I’ve been completely spoiled on a family recipe, so you might like it more if you’re only a casual broccoli salad consumer.
Overall, I was pleased with the sliders. They all came with (sometimes more than) enough meat to satisfy for a lunch. Next time I will definitely order the burnt ends instead of chicken. There are 3 sauces available, but my recommendation would be to add a 4^th sauce that is sweet. All of them were more tangy or spicy, which for me is fine, but wouldn’t be for say, my mother. Depot’s owner is very present, and with that sort of care and commitment, I expect them to work through the initial kinks and thrive. They’ve certainly got the place for it.

Firstly, this place just opened a month ago. I think it’s only fair to cut it a bit of slack for being such a new business and still getting in the groove of things.
That beings said, my family and I came for dinner and it was an okay experience. The food we got was pretty satisfactory for the price. Most of us got the pulled pork, but my dad (who is a barbecue fanatic) got the burnt ends sandwich and he said it was pretty good. We all loved our sides. Could it be better? Sure. Was it as horrible as everyone else’s reviews? No. Our pulled pork wasn’t greasy and the mac and cheese was great. I like knowing there’s a barbecue place nearby where I can swing by and get dinner on my way home from work (they have to-​go options). The décor and facility was cute and it was a great place to watch the OSU game that night.
Our biggest complaint/​confusion came from the customer service. There were at least four guys behind the counter and they couldn’t get the orders straight to save their lives. These poor boys were clueless. I think the owner even had to come over and straighten everything out. If their staff had been more organized I think it would’ve been a great experience. I’ll probably go back in the hopes that they’re doing a little better in the future.

This isn’t going to make it:
1) brisket was tough and with a ring of fat indicating that it’s way undercooked — not raw but not proper bbq that should melt in your mouth.
2) pulled pork greasy
3) side orders are microscopic
4) no greens
5) meat is shipped in from «smoq»
6) $ 5 cans of beer that are $ 10/​six pack next door at Kroger
7) what? You want to charge me for the sauce?
Go to city barbecue and come back — fix the above
If they don’t make the meat themselves they can’t fix these problems. Too bad ’cause it’s in a great location

Honestly, i never review anything poorly because I am just not picky and can usually find something good. However… that is not the case here. Went with my husband over the weekend, and I can honestly say this is one of the worst. They did just open recently, but I just don’t think there’s much hope here. Husband got the burnt ends — terrible. Greasy, mushy, and room temperature. I got the mac & cheese — no flavor, overcooked. We also got a beer each (we only went for a snack and a drink just to try the place out) and they charged him $ 4 for a Hudy Delite! I will give them this though, they do have a good selection of local craft beers. But my Rhinegeist was $ 5!
Also, on their menu is potato salad and broccoli salad — both of which have «low calorie» in their description. Maybe it’s just me, but if I am going to go to a BBQ joint I’m not in it for the nutritional benefits. I just thought that was very strange.
Overall impression: itty bitty portions of what I would call just plain bad food. Grossly overpriced. However, if you don’t mind paying $ 4 for a domestic beer they do have a cute patio! Sorry guys — with A Tavola right around the corner, we’ll be going elsewhere for now.

Oh, Oh! Not Good. Nope. No sireeeee! Overpriced, ho-​hum. Clueless staff. Food was barely warm. Pulled pork Sammy was okay but how bout we dress things up a bit here, folks? Slaw? Where do you guys hide the bbq sauce anyhow? Mac n cheese dry and cold. Yummy. Aren’t there some real and btw real good BBQ joints close by? Where’s my Mapquest? Oh look, just as I thought, there are some REAL barbecue emporiums purty close enough! Eli’s and Montgomery Inn will be lighter on your wallet and will make your tummy a lot happier. It’s not growing pains here… Unrealistic price point and food that does not deliver. Sorry folks, you can’t fix that!