BBQ4LIFE

I had the ½ Tri-​tip, ½ pulled pork, no BBQ sauce. I’m a believer the flavor should come from the meat, not the sauce. Putting BBQ sauce on meat doesn’t make it BBQ meat.
The sandwich consisted of meat on a bun. The meat was perfectly cooked and tender. Just lacked the flavor I was hoping for (both the tri-​tip and pork).
I also tried one spare rib. Again, perfectly cooked and tender. Just lacked that savory kick I wanted.
The lady owner was extremely nice and helpful. Great, friendly service.
This is obviously a place that wants to earn your business — Just look at their immediate response! Give them a try. Family run business passionate about their product. Meat on bread maybe wasn’t the best menu choice.

BBQ4LIFE serves up some mighty fine BBQ. The first time I visit any BBQ joint I order the combo plate. We ordered the Half Meat sampler. It was ample in portion with good helpings of pulled pork, three ribs, and sliced tri-​tip. Each was really moist and tender with just enough smoke. It comes with one side dish and we added another. We tried the mac n cheese which was mild and creamy, and the potato salad which was not remarkable.
The only thing that was a little disappointing was that all the dishes arrived lukewarm or cold and the ice water we were served had a nasty taste.
Overall, we enjoyed our dinner and will certainly be back.

I’ve eaten take-​out from here several times now and the meat is really good. I always have to ask for more sauce and the bottom bun on the sandwich is usually soaked through with grease by the time I eat it (drawback of takeout) but it’s still good. My only complaints are the prices and the selection. I understand that quality smoked meat costs more but $ 9+ for a normal sized sandwich and a small side is a little high in my opinion. Half of their menu is Vegan which really seems strange and out of place for a BBQ joint but they definitely have the niche cornered and there aren’t many Vegan friendly restaurants that I know of in Boise. The other half is mostly the same 3 – 5 styles of BBQ with different fixings on sandwiches. I’ve tried several of their sides and the potato salad is my favorite but they all seem somewhat bland to me. Overall not a bad place but I wouldn’t go out of my way to come here.
EDIT: I’ve been informed by the business owner that their lowest cost sandwich is actually $ 8 + tax, not the $ 9 I stated in my original review. Apologies for $ 1 exaggeration.

If you cant get into 1 of the 3 booths prepare for uncomfortable bench seating. This is the only flaw!
Fortunately, a booth we got & enjoyed some fabulous pulled pork sandwiches! The sauce is take home a bottle incredible! The meat is lean with little to no chewy surprises! Something I highly appreciate. Service is very friendly & was quick, however it was not busy when I was there. I could see there would be a wait if busy & the potential for table sharing at their picnic bench style seating area. I am not thinking anyone would mind as the usual clientele is geared toward college age.
This restaurant is kind of a trip as there is bbq pulled pork among a mostly meatless vegan menu. No matter, it was delicious & we have gone back several times! Enjoy

I can’t believe I have not written a review of BBQ4Life before now! I LOVE this place! Brad and Bre are amazing people and offer the best BBQ experience I’ve come across in the Boise area. They also make a sincere effort to make sure they have the best staff working for them. The whole BBQ4Life team shines!
Okay, so on to the food. The tri tip is my all time favorite here. However, the meatballs and the chili are also staples of mine when I come in for my meat fix. If you like spicy dipping sauces, ask them for a bit of the spicy slaw dressing in which to dip your tri tip. It’s a highly addictive combo for those who like the spicy side of life.
The ribs are also phenomenal – however, I do ask for mine to be cooked «Jerry style» which means to be cooked a bit longer than competition style. I like my ribs to be super tender and falling off the bone. Brad traditionally cooks them competition style – which makes sense because he does compete in BBQ cookoffs a good bit. So, if you’re like me and enjoy fall-​off-​the-​bone tender ribs, be sure to give them a call and ask if they have any that are cooked that way. If they don’t have any, they will be glad to cook some up for you – you just may have to give them a few hours.
If you’re in the mood for a sandwich, I highly recommend the BBQ Philly. It’s delicious! I admit that I rarely get a sandwich when I come here. However, when I do get one, it is the BBQ Philly.
The BBQ nachos are also amazing! I like to get the tri tip and pulled pork both on there at the same time. I also tend to be a thorn in their sides and ask for the nachos to be layered instead of having all the meat on top. Of course, if they are super busy, then I may yield to the traditional method of nacho stacking. :-)
Regarding desserts, they have some of the best bread pudding I’ve ever had. They have a few variations of their bread pudding, but the original is my favorite. Love to get it with the salted caramel ice cream when they have that in stock – or vanilla if they don’t have the salted caramel – and get a generous helping of caramel drizzled all over the top with a bit of whipped cream to top it off. ;-)
The menu has been expanded a good bit since I first started going to Q4Life, but I’m such a creature of habit and know the things I like that I have not tried everything they have to offer. However, knowing Brad and Bre, I’m sure the rest of the menu is just as good as my usuals.
If you like BBQ and live in the Boise area, you really should try BBQ4Life!

Awesome service and great food. The sandwiches are money, and the mac-​n-​cheese was thick and cheesy. If I’m ever back in Boise, I will definitely eat there again.

Great BBQ. mom/​pa kitchen. I had the pork sandwich and a homemade milkshake. awesome food. great place. clean and quick

Traveling through town. Wanted to hit a none chain place and this peaked our interest. Me the wife and her dad stopped for lunch. I ordered the chicken sausage special side of Mac n cheese wife ordered the half pulls pork half tri tip sandwich with side of squash. Dad got the pulled pork sandwich with spicy slaw as the side.
I feel like my chicken sausage was the week meal in the group, it was still good just not like a wow thing.
I can be a picky person and really pick the visit apart, but her is what you need to know.
Service was great
Food was good
Environment was comfortable
Homemade rootbeer rocked.
The place was clean
Food could have been hotter coming to the table.
3 – 4 star visit and I can definitely see a 5 star easily possible!
Thanks for the meal!

Great place for lunch, especially when you are hungry. Good for meat lovers and also vegetarians. I had their tri-​tips, pulled pork, and also tempeh sandwiches. All side dishes are delicious! My boys would love all the food here. A bit far to drive from home… I have to make it one of these days for them. Great service also!

What an awesome find! I moved to Boise a year ago, but prior to living here, I lived in Dallas TX, so I fancy myself somewhat of a BBQ snob. We decided to take a chance on this place, and were so glad we did. After agonizing over what to order, we decided on a number of items in order to get a true sense of the taste. We ordered the half and half sandwich (half brisket half pulled pork), a rib, the beanless chili, corn bread, and mac n cheese. Every item was delicious and I would gladly order again! We topped the meal off with some bread pudding a la mode and left feeling satisfied and content. What more could you ask for out of a BBQ joint? A must try in Boise!

First time impressions; I went in about 5pm and had excellent service. Granted there was 1 other table. Seriously, real nice gals who were very attentive. Nice, simple, clean establishment. I got the ½ size meat sampler. Very good tri-​tip, pulled pork, and ribs. I had the spicy cole slaw and liked it so much I got another serving of it. Sauces? Of course! They understandingly don’t put them all on the table. But you can get and try any ones you want. I liked the apple spice and the chocolate raspberry. Both were excellent with the pork. I appreciate that they chose not to put the sauces in a squeeze bottle and have them sit out on the tables for weeks or months. A very good meal for under $ 20 inc tip. I will return and try a couple of their sandwiches. They sound very tasty.

I really want to like this local BBQ. BUT NO SAUCE ON THE TABLE.
I liked his first sauces a lot when they were at the farmers market years ago. The lack of sauce on the table was disturbing. Every other BBQ place everywhere has sauce. You make sauce You sell sauce you had ONE tiny little plastic sauce container for a four meat ½ pound sampler ribs dry brisket dry pulled pork dry chicken dry. Four adults one tiny sauce and hassles and surprise. We got three tiny sauce portions. No squeeze bottles. No sauces on tables. Sorry
I was contacted about the review from the owner. Who thinks I have confused his place with another .hard to confuse the vegan/​back place with any other place. I might not have perfect recollection about exactly what I ordered but the no sauce thing is a bummer. Regardless of what’s on my plate at a bbq restaurant. — sorry

We first encountered BBQ4LIFE at the Unilocal event held a couple months ago at the Harley Davidson. The dishes we were able to sample were all very good. I am not a huge meat person, so the dish that really stood out to me is their potato salad. YUM!
We went to the restaurant again this week and were not disappointed. My husband and I split the half meat sampler with the vegan spicy cole slaw, and bought an extra side of traditional potato salad. We also got the cornbread. The half meat sampler with an extra side was more than enough for us two. The meats and BBQ sauces were great! It came with pulled pork, brisket, and 3 ribs. My husband really liked the spicy cole slaw and again, I really liked the potato salad. The cornbread was kinda dry and not as tasty as the rest of the meal.
The table next to us ordered their nachos with pulled pork. This thing was HUGE! The nachos were mounded high on a platter and looked DELICIOUS! Next time, I am coming with a group and ordering their nachos as an appetizer! No chip was left dry!
The thing that sets this place aside from the rest of BBQ restaurants is that they have a rather big vegan options! This is awesome for your friends who like BBQ but prefer not to eat meat!

Absolutely outstanding food, great service and just a good all-​around vibe. The half meat sampler is delicious (I had to traditional potato salad as a side)
The original Braden putting is amazing, and in fact is one of the manages recipes!
They have gluten-​free and vegan choices! The gluten free bread is made locally… so is the ice cream.
A++ for BBQ 4 Life!

Damn.
Practically perfect BBQ in the middle of nowhere.
I ordered the Meat Sampler ($ 28) so I could get in on all the goodness.
Let me just say that the tri tip steak was p.e.r.f.e.c.t. Soft and succulent. Amazing.
I also really liked the rub they had on their ribs. Tasted like brown sugar. A nice touch.
The pulled pork was decent, but I preferred the other two meats.
In addition to their regular sauce, I asked for two of their hotter sauces. The hottest one has ghost pepper in it, so a little goes a long way. I loved experimenting with the different sauces on the different meats.
My server was really sweet and helpful.
If you’re in Boise, this is a must-​dine destination.
Bravo. Bravo.

Had the Bigfoot Sandwich with Pulled Pork and House made Mac and Cheese grilled on thick cut sliced Hawaiian bread. Delicious!
I split the Bigfoot and a tri-​tip sandwich «Philly Style» with a buddy, and while the tri-​tip beef was excellent, cooked perfect and had great flavor, we both agreed we would order the Bigfoot next time. It’s just an awesome sandwich you can’t get most anywhere and definitely worth a try when you make it in. Our only knock was they didn’t offer French fries, which was disappointing being in Boise after all.

BBQ4LIFE is still serving up some of the best eats in town.
My new favorite thing to order is their Spicy Smoked Spaghetti Squash sandwich. The smoky flavor is just absolutely amazing. Still loving their mac and cheese side – peppery, cheesy goodness! This last time we also ordered their nachos with chicken, which were ample and delicious and have a lovely light drizzle of bbq sauce on it which adds a great flavor dimension (sounds weird – but so good!).
BBQ4LIFE keeps doing what they’re doing and I’ll keep showing up to enjoy it!
Get to it!

I’m torn between 3 ½ stars and 4, but I’m going to go a half star up because our server was super sweet and helpful.
We are not from around these parts and like to try new places whenever we are in town. Unbeknown to us, we had Indeed been here before, when it was at its original location.
We ordered the ½ sampler which included Ribs, Pulled Pork, Tri tip, and a side, we chose the Brussels sprouts and added a side of the butternut squash.
Let’s start with the meat…
The Tri Tip: Awesome. Perfectly cooked to a medium rare.
The pulled pork: Also awesome. Super juicy and fatty, lots of flavor
The Ribs: Good, but the weakest of the three. I appreciate that they are served dry rub style.
The sides: A little disappointing.
It pains me to say because I love their business model. Gentle cooking methods to retain the integrity of the veggies, that being said, it still has to be something you want to eat. The Brussels sprouts were lacking in flavor and Luke warm at service. To my surprise, the butternut squash is served cold. Talk about a mouth shock.
Our cute server told us that if we want to, we can ask for the squash to be served hot. I would recommend it.
The house sauces were good, I liked the garlic one best, though it did seem a little bit like ketchup and garlic.
Overall a decent bbq place, though I think that the sides could still use a little tweaking. Don’t change the model though!

So, BBQ4LIFE is just like MFT was… only better! What? How’s this possible? Same awesome owners, same amazing food… so what’s different?
Some of the reviews for MFT mentioned the outdated dank, dark, almost scary décor of the old location on Curtis. Fear not my BBQ loving friends, you can now enjoy the magic in their much more modern and brighter location on Vista.
If MFT was worth risking life and limb to go to, then BBQ4LIFE is a no brainer.

I went with a group of Unilocal friends for our monthly night out at a different restaurant.
BBQ4LIFE recently moved from Curtis Street to a spot in the Vista Village. The new location looks a lot better for them.
I had a half-​rack of pork ribs and was surprised by the amount of meat. A full rack would have lasted for days. The ribs had a deep smoke flavor and tasted great.
The potato salad was also good, but some of the pieces of potato were rather large and were a bit undercooked.
The nachos appetizer was good but the chips didn’t seem to be warmed before serving and I didn’t care for the small amount of barbecue sauce added to them.
The staff was friendly and attentive.
All in all, a very pleasant experience. I’ll be back soon.