Blue Ribbon Barbecue

I would rather give it a 3.5 stars but can’t and it’s not quite 4 stars so keep that in mind. Not bad. Not what I was expecting for Texas bbq though. Nice flavor but prefer more seasoning and spice on by smoked bbq. I had the pulled pork plate. Bbq sauce was not very good, very vinegar based. Would eat again.

Awesome bbq. Had the pulled pork, green beans and potatoes. Everything was perfect. They keep their bbq sauce warm, which is kind of neat. I should have ordered the pinto beans — someone else had them, and they looked epic. Staff was super friendly; clean place; Johnny Cash on the radio. Good stuff.
Would be 5 stars, but I’m still getting acclimated to the vinegar-​based bbq sauce in Texas; if bbq joints in TX started offering molasses-​based, Kansas City style bbq sauce (aka The Way BBQ Sauce SHOULD Be Made™), I’d give more 5-​star reviews :-)

I was with an out of town group and ordered from here because this was the only place I could find gluten-​free and vegetarian sauce and sides (don’t judge we’re from California). The food was good, nothing wildly amazing but to be honest I’m not a huge BBQ fan (don’t attack me Texas!). I will say though their service and helpfulness is really what got to me, never disappointed and when dealing with an out of town group helpful is ALWAYS really important! Thanks Blue Ribbon!

Quite on of the best hidden gems in Texas what ever u do go to this place it may look like a honkey tonk diner but it is some of the best barbecue in Texas. I had the brisket which melted in my mouth and was so well cooked I could eat the fat. Definitely a go to place for anyone!

I’m not sure about this place at all! We were hungry and wanted BBQ ASAP. As we walked in, I could tell this really had no atmosphere whatsoever. The new mcdonalds have more in the way of themes and atmosphere! I was with 2 other hungry guys, so we stayed. I ordered a sliced pork sandwich that got served on a fast food plastic plate and a beer for $ 14. Not worth it for me…

I’ll make it simple… DO NOT EAT HERE!!! Service was awful and food was BAD. Was in Austin desperate for BBQ and came across this place. Even though Unilocal ratings weren’t great I decided to try it out because I was tired and hot. Went in and the server was not interested in helping take my order. He had some friends eating at the counter who were more important. Finally ordered and went to sit down (was way pricier then expected as well… an upcharge of $ 3 if you choose ribs as one of your meats). Eventually one of the drunk people at the bar came and told me, «hey your food Has been sitting ready for 5 minutes or so». Really! The server could not be bothered to bring it out to my table? He couldn’t pull himself away from his ‘peeps’ long enough to at least tell me my food was ready???
I opened my box of $ 18 food and it was just a measly amount of meat and two small amount of sides. No pickles, onion, peppers, bread as promised. I went to inquire about them and he pointed at a half loaf of bread sitting on the counter and said ‘there’s the bread’. Seriously? Went to try the BBQ and the meats were so dry I couldn’t even finish eating them. What an incredible waste of $ 18 and perhaps the worst service I’ve ever received in Austin. Literally had to go out to dinner at a different restaurant after spending $ 18 here because I couldn’t finish the food.
It is simple Unilocal users… even if it is hot and you are starving… don’t stop here!

For a city built on great BBQ, this place misses the mark… and I am not quite sure how.
I have had good brisket and bad brisket here — the staff is pretty friendly but they are always in the back doing something but the meat doesn’t seem like it has been made there. I think the food is pretty pricey for what you get…$ 12 for a small baked potato with a little meat should be $ 6…or just make em huge and loaded the Texas way and I am happy to fork over $$$
One thing they do big though is the breakfast tacos… ordered two thinking I could easily put that away. trust me, order 1! Filled with brisket and eggs and warm and yum in the morning. The banana pudding is good but I think if it wasn’t for the convenience of being right downtown, this place would suffer. For some reason, the BBQ sauce is just peppery and runny and warm and weird.
Go here if you have an urgent need for any BBQ and anything will suffice but definitely do not come out of your way to get it.
All summed up, this place is decent.

The unfortunate thing about Blue Ribbon BBQ is the inconsistency. The first time I stopped in, the brisket was cooked perfectly, juicy, fat rendered properly and a nice dark smokey crust. The second time I went there (I few weeks later) the brisket was undercooked and the fat was hard. I tried it again a week later… the brisket was inedible. Trying to be polite about it, I asked for a replacement to sausage. That was OK, but store bought. I don’t think they smoke their meat on-​site, so that may be an issue as they can only sell what they have and not throw undercooked meats back in a smoker.
It is a great location downtown and right by my office… too bad I won’t go back or recommend to anyone.

I have had this place a couple of times, it’s really not that great. I think it’s funny that they try to sell breakfast tacos next to Taco Shack. Everytime I walk by whether it be in the morning or at lunch time, there is no one in this place. I dont see how it can be named blue ribbon. But every now and then i get a hankerin for some chopped bbq sammich, so this is the only place close at work.

Good barbecue at a goos price. Banana pudding was so delicious. I thought I could only eat half of it, but I couldn’t resist it.

Good food, staff was great, no complaints.
We ate early, so we were the only ones there. The gentleman behind the bar was helpful, and the food was quick and tasty.

Awesome Low Cost Barbeque in Austin … Get the Loaded Baked Potato with Pulled Pork — Yum & the Barbeque Sauce is smokey & sweet …

Brisket plate was delicious. Meat melted in your mouth along with a piece of fat to moisten it. Great potato salad. Quiet bbq joint. Don’t forget to check into this place to receive your Unilocal special and get a free homemade banana pudding. Staff was nice.

Good bbq for a low price. I enjoyed the pulled bbq and brisket with green beans and pinto beans. I capped the meal off with banana pudding. Friendly service too!

Really unimpressive. 1.5 stars if I could. Wasn’t expecting all that much to be honest, but room temperature bbq that has no taste and sides that taste like they came out of a plastic bin aren’t really that appealing.
Got a sausage sandwich with potato salad — potato salad tastes like something I could get from HEB. Sausage sandwich looked and tasted like one of those kielbasa links split into 4 on a bun — no taste whatsoever.
My friend got pulled pork and the other brisket. We all universally agreed that if this was my first attempt at bbq at home without a smoker and all done in the oven as an amateur cook, this might be pretty decent. But paying $ 10+ for this? no thanks…

What a cool place. I wasn’t sure what to order, so I just asked the young man behind the counter to pick whatever he thought was good. He was SO nice, and I ended up with a brisket plate, potato salad and beans on the side. The brisket and potato salad were excellent. The brisket was lean, smoky, and flavorful. I grabbed some BBQ sauce but didn’t even want it– the meat was wonderful on its own. The potato salad was delicious, and since my family’s recipe is the best that ever existed, it takes a lot to impress me on the potato salad front. The beans I really didn’t care for. No biggie. I did greatly enjoy the banana pudding he threw in as insurance in case I didn’t like one of the sides :)
This place was so great I returned another day, and if I lived in Austin I’m sure it’d be a regular stop for me come lunchtime.

Holy cow this was awful! Dry way too fatty meat, sides were gross, «fixins» were disgusting. Avoid.

Just the right spice for a quick BBQ experience. Homemade banana pudding was a nice extra for dessert. Sweeter sauce to top off brisket. Ribs were fair. No dark meat chicken but the breast was meaty and juicy

Why are the ratings for Blue Ribbon Barbecue so low? This was personally recommended by a friend, otherwise I would have never found this place! I saw that they deliver also which is amazing
I ordered the brisket and sausage plate + coleslaw, potato salad, sweet corn + free dessert with check in = banana pudding
My friend ordered the pork ribs and barbecued chicken plate + greens beans and red potatoes
Sausage = A+ perfectly done, juicy and with the right amount of bite
Brisket = C+, I didnt actually enjoy the brisket, for me it wasn’t fatty enough and was a little bit tough and overcooked
Coleslaw = A, creamy, tangy and crunchy and refreshing
Potato Salad = A
Sweet Corn = A+, Piping hot, not drenched in butter
Green Beans = A, so flavorful!
Red Potatoes = A, wow, fork tender and topped with cheese
Banana Pudding = B, a little too thick and rich for me
I wish we had one in Los Angeles!

Something is a little off when a BBQ joint is located in one of the nicest sky rises in downtown Austin, such as… where oh where is the smoker!!! Well I am just speculating here, but I am not sure that one exists, and if it does, I am not sure it is anywhere near this location. Hmmm…
This is not the authentic Texas BBQ that will win any big medals or get you standing in line at 8:00 am to go try. But it is BBQ that you can rely on it being there when you’re jonesing for some smokey meat and sauce, no need to plan ahead or set your alarm, this is not the type of place to sell out. We got a beef sandwich and banana pudding, and an extra pudding for checking in on Unilocal (Yayyy thanks Unilocal!). The beef was definitely not on the top of my list for best BBQ I’ve ever tried, but the sauce was quite tasty regardless. The banana pudding lived up to the hype as well with real banana slices and creamy texture, delish.
Overall, if you get that BBQ craving and you’re in the area, this will fulfill that craving. If you are looking for the type of place that will show up on national lists for best BBQ in the nation… set your alarm and head elsewhere.