Clem’s Cafe

It’s OK BBQ.
The good:
Potato salad
Sub buns
The bad:
Overcooked chicken
Pasta salad
BBQ sauce — bland (tasted like it came from Sysco — not homemade)
The Ugly:
Macaroni & cheese (tasted like it came out of a box)
Essentially, this is an excellent example of a subset of American cuisine I have labeled «Man Food». It’s defining characteristics are as follows:
Huge portions
Inexpensive
Extremely high calorie
Rapid food service
Convenient location
Protein:Carbohydrate:Vegetable ratio at or near 80:20:1
«Man Food» definition:
Excessive use of salt, fake cheese, and powdered versions of real food (such as garlic, onion, and herbs) to mask the severe lack of quality of the real food accompanied with the ignorance of proper cooking techniques (examples include but are not limited to: microwaving in lieu of grilling, baking in lieu of smoking, over seasoning and cooking at length in lieu of searing, and a look of bewilderment upon any mention of the word roux).

Had the pulled pork and ribs. Ribs were cooked perfectly and pretty tasty. I found the sauce just average and bland. Neither sour vinegar nor sweet southern, just in between and neither sweet nor tangy.
Mashed potatoes were awesome, Cole slaw had a funk I did not like.
Super fast and friendly service. They did not have unsweetened tea!!!
Overall a real 3 star meal, I wish they had some sauce choices in the side.

We started going to Clem’s at their old location when our daughters were shuttling back and forth to State College in the late 90’s. If you are in the area, this is the place you want to eat. Nothing fancy about the décor, but the ribs, chicken, slaw and potatoes are fantastic!! I would eat there every day if I lived closer.

Excellent service in person and by phone. I’ve waited in lines out the door only to be greeted by a pleasant smile and a quick question of how can I help you. The owners are frequently there to assist and interact with the clientele. The customer service is well worth the wait.
Phenomenal food every single time I’ve been there. Bbq sauce is tangy. Pulled pork, boneless ribs, racks of ribs, chicken breasts, and various portions. Sides of baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, and the only place in town to buy a delicious sweet potato pie!!! I know there are some I’ve missed.
They cater. The grills are on site. You can smell the food as you pass by on a sunny summer day. It calls to me to drop in and grab a bite no matter the time. I mourn the Monday that I get the craving and know they’re closed!
Clem’s is 5 and if I could rate higher I would!!!

Finally I was able to make it here before they closed. I had to check out what all the rage is about. Welllll…, I don’t get it. The service was fast and friendly but the baby back ribs and Mac & Cheese that I had were just average. I like a stronger smoke flavor and it was barely noticeable.
The best part of the meal was the sauce which had a great vinegary twang.

I guess I’m in the minority but not sure what all the fuss is about. Came here expecting and excellent meal and found that the only positive was the ribs were cooked correctly and very tender. Negatives: I assume they only had one sauce and it wasn’t anything special. Furthermore, I had the ribs with pulled pork, and they poured BBQ sauce over the top literally drowning everything in sauce like it was thanksgiving day Turkey. The sides were simple and bland… could have gotten the same type of sides at Wal-​Mart for the flavor.
If you want well smoked ribs with little else to boast about in a taco bell like restaurant where you order at the front and then get sides and drinks for yourself then Clem’s is it! Not impressed…

Meat was VERY dry. The sauce was good, though. The mac n cheese was ok, the baked beans were edible and the slaw was bland. Very disappointed based on its reviews. Way too expensive for what it is.

My family and I love Clem’s! Super friendly staff, extremely reasonable prices for the amount of food you get and the BBQ is delicious. The sides are great too! There’s a lot (seriously, a lot) of sauce on the meat so heads up. But I’m a fan of the sauce so I don’t mind. :)

Good mac and cheese but the ribs were WAY over cooked and too saucy. Despite what people think, proper ribs should not fall off the bone. These were just a sloppy pile of meat the fell apart when picking them up. I guess if you’re into the «fall off the bone» theory, this place is for you. I won’t be coming back.

Pure protein utopia. If this feeling doesn’t go away in 4 – 6 hours, I may need to consult a physician.
I’ve travelled all over the US, and this ranks up with the best ribs, and the best chicken I have ever had.

Easily some of the best barbecue Ive ever had! Very tender and flavorful. The sauce is perfectly sweet and savory. Im very impressed by this cute little place!

Clems BBQ is the best, wonderful sauce, bit what really sets it apart is the quality of the meat!!! It falls off the bone and melts in your mouth. Highly recommended if you’re ever in the area!

Badd Ta The Bone. Nice! Barbecue cooked over hardwood fire. The ribs were tasty, tender, came of the bone easily and nicely cooked. Had that bbq flavor but not overly smoked like so many places that over smoke the meat. Enjoyed the sauce, that is a little sweet with a hint of vinegar. You can get the sauce on the side, if you chose. Tried the Mac & Cheese, it was OK, better than some but nothing special.
Be sure to read the little white board before you order or ask any FAQ’s! Funny!
Also, found out the place in State College with a same or similar name is not associated. Rumors, Rumors were wrong.

The best in Blairsville! I live nearby and love how whenever I drive by I can smell them smoking the meats.
This barbecue is the most tender and tastiest pork you’ll ever have. We’ve had friends come up from the south and they said this is just as good or better than the bbq in Virginia or Tennessee.

If you like ribs with meat that falls off the bone, home cooked side dishes and an owner that looks like Tim McGraw, Clem’s is the joint for you. Amazing food, excellent service. We wish we lived closer!

4 years living in the south and never had BBQ this good! We had the most amazing lunch here today en route to the East Coast-​off the beaten path and WELL worth it! We had fall-​off-​the-​bone ribs, chicken, pulled pork, rolls, mac n cheese, cole slaw and to top it all off the tastiest sweet potato pie-​it all was true to its slogan-«Bad to the Bone» without question. We left equipped with another meal to share with family when we reach our final destination. Thank you to ‘the very special man’ who introduced us to this place!

Love, Love, Love this place! We’ve been stopping here since it was located on the other side of the road. I don’t eat pork so I can’t judge the ribs, but I love bbq beef (typically brisket) and even the occasional chicken. Though really, if there is bbq brisket available are you really going to order chicken? I did have the chicken at Clem’s once (when they were out of brisket) and while it was good, it wasn’t anything special. The brisket on the other hand, wow! Absolutely the best bbq brisket within 100 miles of Pittsburgh. I’ve been to some places in the Carolinas that are every bit as good, but that’s a long way to drive for a meal.
The sides are good, but frankly not better than available elsewhere. You are going for the bbq. If you are in a hurry, you can even get a bbq sandwich for the road. Though I would warn you, if you are eating it and driving, you are going to end up with bbq sauce on you. A small price to pay for the delicious meal.
This has been a stop we’ve made whenever we are traveling on Route 22. Fortunately, I now have a kid at Penn State so that trip is made more frequently. I try to time the trips so I can make a stop at Clem’s either on the way there or the way back. My only complaint is they close at 7:00 PM which means that if I’m on the way back, say after a football game, I’m going to pass by Clem’s at 8:00 or 9:00 PM, I’ll be jonesing for some bbq brisket, and I’ll be out of luck.

Clem’s has THE BEST ribs, they literally fall off the bone. Also, the garlic mashed potatoes are delicious! They’re quick and not stingy at all with the portions.

Excellent ribs! They seem to be the best seller. This was my first time here. I got the ribs and chicken combo. Would definitely recommend and will be returning!

I have a confession to make about this place. For years I have sped past here while criss-​crossing the highway commuting from here to there without giving this spot a second thought. I even remember the old location before the widening of the road.
Now I can say, without a doubt, that I should kick myself in the behind. Why did I shun this place? Sticking my nose up in the air thinking that this food wouldn’t satiate my need for some beefy barbecue.
When I finally did come here and order some heaven I think I may have literally gone to heaven. I ordered myself a pulled beef sub with a side of their mac n cheese and garlic mashed potatoes. To say I was blown away is by far the biggest understatement I could have ever said. This was the most mouth watering pulled beef I have ever had. Placing it on that homemade roll was so good. The sauce they make in house has the right mix of sweet and spicy that I should have just got some of that to bring home and put on top of literally everything I would eat. The mac n cheese was the right amount of cheesiness and the portion could have been bigger for me, only because I wanted more, not because it wasn’t enough. The garlic mashed potatoes were the perfect consistency with a bit of lumps in it. Truly making it a homemade delicacy.
The staff here are super to deal with. They were so fast and efficient that my wait time was near zero. So polite as well, made for a pleasant experience. I will definitely have to stop here more often, especially in the warmer months, if not for anything else but to smell the amazing meat cooking.