Mr. Powdrell’s Barbeque House

Dont eat here if u like BBQ. We ate here tonight and the food was bad, over cooked ribs, dried out chicken, and hot dogs used as hot links! The wait staff was spotty at best! Bbq beans had no bbq flavor, the potato salad was bland and the cloth napkins were sticky unclean and stunk like unwashed underwear!
If u think u need to have powdrells stick to the central location. Or better yet go to «County Line» for BBQ and enjoy the views!

So this place is supposed to be one of if not the best BBQ joint in ABQ. The fact it was pretty empty on a Friday at lunch did not bode well. Based on friends’ recommendations I ordered Tips and Ends (rib parts, I think) with BBQ beans and potato salad as sides. The meat was way over sauced. I prefer sauce on the side anyway and this was awash in a too sweet concoction. The sides were utterly unremarkable. This place has it’s fans, I am not one.
I do need to add the service was above average.

I am so disappointed. I had never been to Mr. Powdrell’s but I heard some great things about it. Unfortunately my visit was not great. I had to walk out. After waiting for close to 40 minutes my food still hadn’t arrived. Even worse, my server never checked in with me, apologized for my wait, or knew how long it had been. When I got up and checked on the status of my food I was given the option of rushing the kitchen or cancelling my order. I guess I was looking for more acknowledgement, empathy, or even expectations that they were busy. I simply turned around and walked out. Not sure if I will return. On the plus side the food at the table next to me looked really good and the way they turned the house into a restaurant was nice. It was clean and because of its décor had a homely feel.

In town from California on business. I got lucky and found this Incredible place. Best BBQ that I’ve ever had by far, and I love my bbq. Had the pork dinner with fried mac & cheese and potato salad. It was all so amazingly good that I had to try their peach cobbler, was Not disappointed!!!
Highly recommend this place!!!

Great atmosphere and delicious food. I took one star off ONLY because they ran out of steak and one of my guests was really looking forward to it. :(

Summary: If the flavor of meat is your priority, pass on this place.
I’ve eaten BBQ coast to coast and consider myself to have a solid grasp to different styles. I enjoy bbq that does not require sauce because the rub & smoke do that job. The sauce is an adjunct, and is to add flavor, but not be the entire flavor. That’s more a Texas/​St Louis/​KC style of BBQ. Southern style bbq tends to turn out tender meat, but the emphasis is on a thicker sauce, in which the meat gets drown. Mr Powdrell’s is of the southern style.
I had the combo plate. I enjoyed the sausage, but found the beef to be lacking in flavor. Shredded, I couldn’t identify the smoke ring, which isn’t a bad thing if you can taste the smoke, but nigh impossible here. It’s not bad, mind you, but take away the sauce, and you may as well pulled the meat from a crock pot. Ribs were tender, but suffered from the same lack of respect as the beef. The sausage did stand out, however, as did the chicken. The sides were pretty good and the sweet potato pie was ok.
There are much better offerings in Albuquerque than this.

3 words. BLACK-​EYED-​PEAS! Okay 2 more. COLLARD-​GREENS! Eh can’t stop there. BBQ-​BRISKET-​SANDWICH! Alright let’s be real, I’d have to write down the entire menu including their pancake like cornbread and mac n cheese. Phenomenal. To dine in a place where Nelson Mandela and Malcom X himself dined, historical food and figures. Just a great, great down home comfort good spot.

Best BBQ since I moved from the South! The fried okra, fried mac ‘n cheese, and greens are just like what I grew up with! If your in New Mexico you should definitely make a trip here! It is SO worth it!

This is the BEST barbecue in Albuquerque. It is true, southern BBQ that tastes way better than anything you’ve ever had in New Mexico.
I typically order to go, and they always have it ready within 10 – 15 minutes. My favorite entrees are the polish sausage and brisket. The sauce is something so delectable, I wish they bottled it for me to take home and put on everything I eat. Also, I love the fried pickes and the ribs are out of this world.
Okay, so the last most important thing to try if you don’t try anything else… SWEET POTATO PIE. Omg your taste buds will thank you for this amazing delicious dessert. I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, and this is so much better. It’s not too sweet, but just sweet enough. I ordered 3 of these for thanksgiving and they were gone in 5 minutes.
You have to try this place, but be warned you will never find BBQ as good anywhere else!

WOW! Never thought a real southern BBQ restaurant would exist in Albuquerque but it does! The service is top notch super friendly and willing to answer questions. The food is cooked to perfection and plated well. The one fall back is you can hear kitchen chatter but I enjoyed the laughs along with them! Definitely a gem of Albuquerque we will be back!

If lovin’ you is wrong baby, I don’t wanna be right!
Fried mac and cheese, where have you BEEN all my freakin’ life?! Seriously people if you haven’t eaten here, you’re missing out on what may be the best kept BBQ secret in the whole 505. I’ve lived here all my life and this is my very first time… And I’m kind of mad at myself because I could have been eating this fantastic stuff for YEARS!
I had the pork rib platter with fried okra and fried mac and cheese. Go big or go home, baby. The sauce here is perfectly tangy, sweet, and thick. None of that runny vinegar based nonsense other people try to call sauce. The fried okra was lightly breaded and perfectly cooked– and it came with a side of ranch that I didn’t even have to ask for. The mac and cheese is so amazing I can’t even find the words to describe it. Nirvana, in my mouth. I’m in love, and I want to eat it every day.
The staff was so friendly I felt like family, and our every need was taken care of almost before it was thought of. Eat here. Now.

I have been loving Mr. Powdrell’s since I was a little tyke — we used to go to the original store wayyyy up on Central. Now I go to the 4^th St location, which is in a lovely old restored home.
Get the ribs. Get the brisket. Splurge on the fried okra and feel angelic with the black-​eyed-​peas.
The only question is, why did they write all over their beautiful wood tables? ;)
Eat in, or take out so you can lick every last drop of the yummy sauce off your fingers.

The Rockin Poboy is wicked good! Only available at the 4^th St location. It’s not on the menu either. I hit this place for lunch only when I’m REALLY hungry. It’ll cost you $ 17 but its worth every penny. Get the large size. You won’t need to eat dinner after one of these babies. So actually you’re getting two meals for one. The bun is made up the street and is always fresh. A nice crispy exterior and soft interior. Don’t forget the deep fried mac n cheese. Scrumptious little morsels of love! Great friendly service here too. Enjoy!

Why would you want to pour cold BBQ sauce on a nice hot sliced beef sandwich?
It’s so much better when you have hickory smoked, the sauce heated, the bun heated, and the meat hot. That’s the way Powdrell’s does it, and has done it for many years. We’ve been eating their BBQ since they started in business on San Pedro SE, and to my knowledge, we have never had a bad experience. The beef is hot and tender, cooked just right with a great smoky flavor; the bun is sturdy and tasty, and that sauce, oh boy, it’s to die for. And, if you ask nicely, they were bring you extra sauce, which I put on my beans. Oh yes, their sides are good also. Quirky old home on the Historic Register. Friendly family working the entire staff. We’ve had BBQ in plenty of places, including joints in Kansas City, and this is just as good. Prices are reasonable, so give it a try. Don’t look for ambience, it ain’t there. Just good food.

We use to really like this place but the food has become very greasy lately. Fried sides are somewhat expected but the meat seems to have changed. They have the flavors right but the amount of fat than has to be discarded makes me frustrated as it is pushed around the plate during dinner.

I’ve lived a few blocks from Powdrell’s for over a year and finally I says to myself, «Self, what is wrong with me?!» Sadly, I’ve been spending my money amid the fast food row that surrounds this outstanding restaurant. Not any more! Bring on the BBQ! I just went into the round room where they have their take-​out counter. I decided to supplement my homemade steamed veggies & roasted beets with their 1# of BBQ chicken, small side of Greens, and a medium side of Mac n Cheese for the little people. And it wasn’t any more expensive than the drive-​thru windows. Yum! Can’t wait to go back now. Forget Churches & KFC, and Arby’s, and McDs, and… Let’s get a line going out the door of Powdrell’s! BTW, the kids loved the Mac and the Chicken. (Mama and Daddy savored the Greens).

Good BBQ places are hard to find in NM. Great BBQ places are even harder to find. Powdrells BBQ is one of those great place’s. Every single time I go there AND I go often, the food is outstanding and consistently good. I’ve eaten Pit BBQ all over the US and Powdrells is right up there with the best of them. The staff is welcoming and you can tell they really care about the service, food and the experience you have. Having family from the south and being raised on southern food and traditions. I feel very happy knowing Powdrells BBQ is in Albuquerque and the food I grew up on is within reach. You should definitely go and enjoy the food, theres nothing like it anywhere in NM!

This place is the best and they have the best service and food is delicious to enjoy at Mr. Powdrells :) I give it 5 stars with lots of smiles

This place surprised me. When I arrived, the parking lot had maybe 3 cars in it and one of which had my friend in it. The outside had me skeptical. But, yet again, you cannot judge a book by its cover. The inside was very nice, high ceilings, good vibe. Then I ordered the po boy. This thing was huge. I had to split it with my wife. Very delicious and the service was very good. I would definitely eat there again.

This place doesn’t have space to sit down. And the staff was really confused when I asked for ¹⁄₃ of a pound of beef. It’s chopped brisket that comes with sauce. But it wasn’t bad.

Big barbecue fan. Enjoyed varieties from coast to coast. Powdrell’s is the best flavored sauce in ABQ. Pork is really moist, always satisfying. Thing that makes powdrells truly special is the sides: must eat the greens! Black eyed peas are also just about perfect.