Bodean’s

Once my staple for American food in London I am afraid this chain has steadily declined over the years with the prices going the other way.
Where once I would visit almost weekly for a number of years I have decided to visit no more. Service slow and unfriendly, and the food (on my last visit) inedible.
A real shame.

If you want meat, Bodeans usually hits the mark with its busy Americana atmosphere. Pulled pork, ribs and chicken are all good and there’s a good range of American beers to go with it too. What I appreciate the most about this place is, no matter how busy they are, they will try to find you a table and service is quick and with a smile.

BBQ is my jam. Anything with meat really, so I was super excited when my friends suggested Bodean’s for dinner as I had never gone. We ordered the cornbread muffins and onion rings, Bodean’s sharing platter which comes with spare ribs and baby back ribs, burnt ends, pulled pork and chicken thighs, and fries.
Service was quick and the casual vibe was great, but the food was a letdown. The pulled pork was dry and cold, the cornbread was too heavy, the fries were a bit soggy, and the ribs lacked in flavor. The chicken and burnt ends were probably the best selection of the platter.
Maybe other Bodean’s are better but I’m not entirely convinced by this one.

The other half insisted we travel all the way here for barbecue food, and I’m honestly thrilled we did. We ordered the buffalo wings (diablo sauce of course, what’s the point of buffalo wings if they don’t wake your sinuses up?) to start, and a platter to continue — everything was fabulous, and I’m LIVING for the burnt ends. Absolutely beautiful food, almost as good as Texas ;)

I’ve been to Bodean’s twice now. I think they try to cater to US visitors as they show a lot of US sports on the tvs. I ordered a bottle of Woodchuck cider (from VT) and this is the only time I’ve seen an American cider in London.
The first time I went, I ordered ribs and mac and cheese for takeaway (take out/​to go in American speak) and I didn’t like either. The ribs were tough and chewy and the mac and cheese was quite dry and not very cheesy. I didn’t really plan to go back, but on my most recent trip, my co-​workers wanted to go back as it was open later than any of the other restaurants in the vicinity of our hotel. I ordered burnt ends, which came with fries and coleslaw. The burnt ends were better than the ribs were, but were not comparable with good burnt ends in the states.
When we had finished, our server didn’t come back for quite a while and the restaurant was shutting down. Finally she came over and asked if we wanted the bill and we said yes. She said it was typical for them not to bring the check until we asked for it. But I’m not sure how we are supposed to ask for it when she was nowhere to be seen!

I’ve loved Bodeans every since I first visited a few years ago and I love it no less after this visit.
6 of us including 2 out of town-​ers who love Bodeans too went out for dinner and Bodeans was an obvious choice for a Bank Holiday weekend.
Great drinks and fantastic food as always. The service is friendly but never overly so and that’s appreciated by my party.
The only thing I was a bit disappointed with were the Diablo wings. I’ve had them once before and I swear they were much more spicy the last time. You think Diablo and you want something that will melt your face. There was definitely no face melting occurring.
Other than that, it was a fantastic evening. Game Dag special for £15 is a great deal. And I highly recommend it if you’re there Sunday to Thursday.

Absolutely loved the ambience, great customer service & food! Will be going back for more!
Recommend the bbq chicken & corn!

Great Barbecue in LONDON! This place was a short stroll from our hotel and we were drawn in by the smell which doesn’t happen too often for me in London. My husband really wanted to try this place at the suggestion of his colleagues so in we went. I ordered a half slab of the baby back ribs which came with fries and coleslaw and my husband ordered the pulled pork which was also accompanied by coleslaw and fries. I also ordered a Stella Artois, and too late discovered that they had Dogfish on the menu — an American beer dubbed «The New World IPA». That cracked me up!

**This review is based on a catered lunch from Bodean’s, but I am not sure where this catered service came from so I am selecting the closest one to my office.**
In all honesty, they can do a lot better with their BBQ. Although this is Kansas City-​style and my palate comes from Texas (not to mention being around a BBQ pit all my life), they miss on the following 3 things which made for a disappointing experience:
1. Their ribs were lightly smoked as it didn’t have the bark (color) that is indicative of proper smoking. Plus, ribs should leave a bite mark, but were a bit tough to bite through.
2. Proper salsa should be thick and full of veg, peppers, spice, etc., not liquid and full of water. And don’t get me started on the guacamole — it was rubbish and probably came from a bag or can. FYI go to Texas or Mexico for proper salsa.
3. Their «burnt ends» did not look or taste like real burnt ends — they are just large cuts of fatty brisket (not appetizing). KC BBQ is mostly pork-​based so if you’re going to try a brisket and offer burnt ends, learn from a Texan.
The only positives were the chicken breast, coleslaw and pulled pork. By the looks of the London BBQ scene, your best bet is to do it yourselves and enjoy the self-​satisfaction I experience every time I BBQ.

I’d heard a lot about Bodeans, so expectations were high when I finally got to try it out! We were hung over and hungry, and it was a very hot day! Thankfully they have ace air con, and we were soon cooled down and ready for food.
I opted for the chicken, pulled pork and sausage combination to share with my other half, and a few sides (maximising my food options!). The food arrived fairly quickly, and looked amazing! The meat was ALL delicious, and was accompanied by some coleslaw and sweet potato fries (I paid extra to upgrade from regular). The chicken was my absolute favourite, it was so juicy and tasty, I was a bit gutted that I had to share!
The sides were a bit of a let down… We ordered the poutine, and I was somewhat disappointed with the huge amounts of chewy melted cheese — a far cry from the traditional cheese curds. The poutine was also cold, so it was returned and replaced with a less cheesy and hotter portion, and was also taken off the bill which was a nice touch. We also opted for a side of mac and cheese. This came with a pleasant breadcrumb topping, and was surprisingly light! The sauce wasn’t super thick and cheesy like most versions of the dish I’ve had, and I was a little disappointed — my hangover definitely wanted the heavier and more comforting kind!
Next came dessert. I went for the key lime pie and a coffee — a good combo deal at just £5. The pie topping was light and almost moussey, with a lovely sharp tang. It went down very easily!
All in all not bad, but not as good as the hype — but not as good as the closer to home Reds…

American style sports bar/​BBQ smoke house!
There was a great atmosphere when I went on a Thursday evening, fun and lively!
The food was nice, I had the baby back ribs (which have had great reviews) served with chips and slaw, overall the food was good but I was a little disappointed with the ribs, not as nice as ribs that I have had elsewhere, next time would have a burger or hot dog! The BBQ sauce they provide is very good!

I hadn’t been to Bodeans in a couple of years having found that the quality of the fare had gone down over subsequent visits. So with trepidation I joked to the missus that we should visit at lunch on a Saturday while nearby. She didn’t realise I was kinda kidding and we ended there.
To be fair, it’s improved. It still has that silly hour and a half seating thing and the tables are still too small to take the horde of bottles on them when you arrive, but it was a solid meal.
I had the pulled pork bun, while she had the trip tip sandwich. My pork was dry, but that was fixed using a bottle of BBQ sauce. The fries were good, as was the creamed corn. Even her tri tip was ok. It’s redeemed itself in my eyes — I’m not at the stage where this is once again a destination restaurant, but if I’m in the area again I won’t be cracking jokes about it.

This needs to be reclassified as a BBQ restaurant not simply American! we skipped over this place for dinner thinking it was traditional burgers and beers but stopped in after seeing the BBQ neon sign.
amazing beer and liquor selection and the food is amazing!

Desperately searching for somewhere to have a meal even mildly reminiscent of a home-​cooked Thanksgiving meal, a few my friends and I booked Bodeans in Tower Hill. Full disclosure: we looked everywhere else in the hope that there were spaces, but in the end we had to take the last remaining table and rely on hope alone that they might have an inkling of how to replicate a decent meal for us poor, lonely, family-​less saps on arguably the most pleasant holiday of the year.
Holy shit did we get that wrong…
Firstly, my cheery «Happy Thanksgiving» directed at the hurried waiter was returned with total puzzlement at what I was saying. It took 3 repeats to get him to fumble some sort of response that was more of a gurgle than anything else. We then realized (because he said it) that it was because he was Greek and they don’t have Thanksgiving in Greece… fair enough, it’s not your thing, I understand…
And then there was the food… a massive (granted) undercooked turkey leg with soggy skin and less flavor than clean air, freshly boiled and rubbery ham slices that I can only presume had been candied, slices of turkey breast that crumbled at the merest vibration, stuffing which can only have been a corn muffin broken up in chunks, and topped off (literally) with a fishbowl of brown sugar water with a few slivers of onion and other species happily swimming about.
The pumpkin pie looked to be the only thing that was home made, and that’s only because the crust had that gnarled and crumbled look that can only come out of an amateur kitchen. That and the filling came out of a can, which I grant you is how most people make their pumpkin pie but we chose to poo poo it regardless.
I’ve been to the Bodeans in Fulham and had a hugely disappointing pulled pork sandwich, so I will be avoiding this chain like a Turkey with big plans to make it past the last Thursday in November…
Alternatives: Pitt Cue, Blues Kitchen, Big Easy, ANYWHERE ELSE!!!

Ever the BBQ lover, I equally love introducing other people to it, making suggestions and trying to impart the little bit of knowledge I have. Situated right next to the WW1 poppy display, close to the tube and a short walk from the brother’s flat, Bodean’s became the logical choice.
Our only worry was the number in our party — 7 — and the potential wait. However, they were surprisingly accommodating and, after a ¹⁵⁄₂₀ minute wait, we received our text alert to let us know our table was ready.
Seated downstairs, the atmosphere was loud and exciting, and I couldn’t wait to get stuck in to the menu. They have all the goodies here; wings, nachos, numerous ribs, hot dogs, burgers, chicken, pulled pork, and even the rarely-​seen-​in-​the-​UK burnt ends. We ordered a round of drinks and, after some conversation about what we could share and how many sides we could potentially eat between us, the food.
There were plenty of different meals around the table, but I went for the tri-​trip sandwich, which involved melt-​y soft beef on a sesame bun, served with fries and coleslaw. The meat was delicious, but the bun fell apart very quickly (even when flipping upside down in the usual fashion) and the fries didn’t blow me away. I tried to liven them up with some of the hot sauce, but again, it was slightly lacklustre.
The sweet potato fries were a tastier side, and seemed to have a better crisp to them. The onion rings, although tasty, were slightly anemic — papa wasn’t impressed, and he knows what he’s talking about! The chicken wings with bourbon sauce were a lovely, sticky, saucey mess, though I was slightly taken a-​back when we tried to order mild and were told that mild just meant plain.
Everyone around the table was full and content, though I think it was perhaps missing a bit of the ‘edge’ we have become accustomed to, and service was slightly unfocused due to the masses of people.
I’d try again — but perhaps a different branch? Oh, and I’d totally decorate my house in the Bodean’s way. Golden pig head = win.

Despite hearing mixed reviews about this place, I braved the wind and rain out of hope for some delicious bbq.
The visit didn’t get off to a great start as, despite there being plenty of free tables, we couldn’t be seated as the staff member front of house was tied up with a difficult customer on the phone. We were soon at the front of a long queue leading out of the restaurant. We were eventually seated by a different staff member who just came in to start her shift. If she hadn’t come in who knows how long we’d have been waiting for! They either need to move the phone somewhere else or have another member of staff who can step in in this scenario
Anyway, enough of the whinging. Onto the good stuff. Lots of American beers that you don’t really see were present (lookin’ at you, Lone Star) with wine, cocktails and milkshakes all making appearances. Some of these beers are pretty expensive for the size of the bottle but I can only assume that’s due to the difficulty of sourcing them.
We started with buffalo wings and elected to go all out with the dreaded Diablo sauce. The wings were pretty big, with a good amount of meat on them. The exterior was crispy and the inside juicy. Perfectly cooked chicken. And the sauce. Oh my god the sauce. The sauce was amazing. The interplay with the spice and the tomato and the blue cheese was beautiful. BEAUTIFUL I TELLS YA!
I’ve had some pretty amazing pork ribs in my time and I have to say these were pretty good. They weren’t quite up to the standard of the St Louis dry rub you can get in The Big Easy in Covent Garden but they weren’t too far off. The baby back ribs here were even closer to that rib nirvana.
Now let’s talk about sides. Any menu that has creamed corn on is a winner in my book. Plus you gotta try the burnt ends. They’re so tender and the sauce they come in just brings out so much flavour. Probably not great enough to have on its own for a main course but as a side it works wonders but at £9.95 you kinda expect it to.
That is the one real downside of the place: the price. While not everything is massively overpriced, there are a few items that are and I don’t remember seeing anything particularly cheap. But hey, at least you’re getting decent food
tl;dr bbq food is pretty good but not the best, apart from the chicken wings cos they’re perfect. Minus point: tad on the expensive side

Ordered the 16oz burger, first time I’ve ever been asked if I wanted it well done or medium. One of the best bugers i’ve ever had.
Not many chips, not as filling as i’d been preparing myself for but the taste made up for it.
The combo of ¼ chicken, pulled pork and ribs was in my opinion a small portion but very tasty.
The service is best yet, they will literally go out of there way to do anything for you. Including free ice cream.
Overall 4 stars due to portion sizes and table sizes.

I’m just going to say it… I’m kinda surprised about some of the glowing reviews of this place! That said, upon first finding it a few years ago I probably would have glowed just as much.
I’m from the south of the US originally, so I like my BBQ, and having been in the UK for a while was shocked to hear that there was a BBQ place in London. (I know, I know, London has everything… it still took me by surprise for some reason!)
Upon first inspection the place seemed fine… exciting even, mirroring that BBQ joint vibe, but on a larger scale than what I would normally see. I’ve been several times now, and tried many of the dishes (sharing platters, chicken, ribs, burnt ends, etc.), and while never that bad they aren’t normally that great either to be honest… they just seem to be lacking that certain something that sets a great BBQ joint apart.
The food prices aren’t terrible for London, although £7 for a Blue Moon does sting a bit!
The place is clean, the staff normally friendly, and it is certainly jumping (extra points for showing some NHL games!)… it helps to have a reservation if you’re going at peak times, but I normally prefer to make the trek to Dukes Brew & Queue (near the Haggerston Overground stop) over this place these days… the ribs between the two are simply night and day!
So I think this place is about expectations… if you need a BBQ fix or something a bit novel then by all means give it a go, but now that I’m over the novelty of it I personally find myself going elsewhere when it comes to the food alone.

I had to write a little review about Bodean’s BBQ Restaurants, but I have to admit this is also acting as a form of protest that there ARE NO BRANCHES OUTSIDE LONDON and this is completely unacceptable to us northern carnivores! :)
Anyway, ranting aside, if you’re a fan of barbeque cuisine then Bodean’s is definitely for you. They have ‘baconnaise’ for heaven’s sake — how hadn’t I heard of that before?! Not a fan of mayonnaise but very much a fan of anything with the essence of bacon added…
As long as you don’t mind brimmingly busy dining experiences (and stairs) then their Tower Hill branch is well worth popping in for a Soho Special (go large, or go home). Pretty much everything is served with coleslaw and fries. God bless the Americans.
Tower Hill is the nearest underground station on the Circle & District lines. They also have restaurants in Soho, Clapham and Fulham. I’m hopeful that you get a jar of baconnaise to take home if you visit them all…

All American and All Amazing!
TV screens everywhere for watching sport, including baseball. Bar located on the left as you enter with nice selection of beers on draught, including American favourite’s like Brooklyn and Budweiser. Ambience and décor is very cool. Seating area on main floor and in basement. Very ‘Hog’ themed smokehouse, with the meat smoked slowly in a pit. Steaks, ribs, burgers, chicken, pulled pork… I kept looking over my shoulder expecting to see Adam Richmond from Man vs Food eating here.
Food is delicious with large portions. I ordered their special offer — Whole rack of baby back ribs, famous buffalo wings, chips, coleslaw and a beer for £15 — Bargain.
This smokehouse is a must to visit whilst in London.
Please note — This restaurant gets very busy, especially in the evening, so you may not get a table. Bookings can be made for a minimum party of 8 people.