Bobby Q’s

The food here has always been excellent, and the service supreme. A very friendly place for a quick bite or a family meal, and also easy on the wallet! Definitely worth trying if you haven’t!

The food is awesome here. The service can be a bit slow but it’s worth it. I have eaten great bbq from all over the USA and this ranks as on of my favorites.

Is Bobby Q’s the best BBQ in Cookeville? Probably. Meanwhile, that’s not a huge feat. Cookeville has poor food choices. On the other hand, the food at Bobby Qs comes in at a strong average. We sat and talked with Bobby (who can often be seen in the restaurant) and learned about his passion for BBQ. The good news is his meats are smoked out back on site. He mentioned to us that his restaurant was ranked top 40 in the nation. That’s unrealistic.
What you can count on is friendly service, lots of locals, fair prices and large portions. While Bobby Qs does make most sides on site, many of them lack flavor. Fortunately, the pulled pork, one of Bobby’s signature items, is worthy of a mouthful. There’s two sauces, a mild and hot and spicy that can be applied to increase the flavor, and you’ll likely need to do so.
Bobby also pushes his catfish, which fortunately is raised in the South, rather than purchased from oversees. He offers a few types of catfish: blackened, fried and mustard. I ordered the mustard, a recipe he said he was given from a guy in New Orleans, and it tasted no different than regular fried catfish. The catfish is average. I can’t see anyone complaining about it, but raving reviews won’t flood the market either. It’s satisfying.
We were exited to try the sides after Bobby mentioned they were homemade. Unfortunately, they didn’t bring the buzz we anticipated. The fried okra and potato salad was bland. The mac and cheese, average and the corn on the cob tasted like it was previously frozen.
Two things that will impress you: the fruit tea (similar to what they serve at Blue Coast Burrito) is good and the lemonade is mixed in house, rather than served out of the Coke machine.
It’s simple, when in Cookeville, whether to visit Tennessee Tech or just driving through (I’m not sure why else you’d end up here) there’s few restaurants better than Bobbys. It’s a consistent place to eat BBQ, where you’ll surely leave with a full stomach and be content, but not begging to return.

Their BBQ sauce is so not good and frankly is their coleslaw and baked beans. The only good thing I’ve ever eat here is the french fries, seriously.

Visiting a buddy in Cookeville, and had dinner here!
Very excellent service. Our waitress (Tasia?) was particularly attentive and friendly.
The meat was very tasty, with a rich smoky flavor. A little on the dry side for my tastes, but I like a lot of sauce, so it wasn’t a problem for me.
A weirdly excessive amount of dressing served with my salad.
Great fried okra!
Have to revisit and try other things on the menu!

We stopped in on our way from Atlanta to Louisville. Traffic on 65 forced us into this area, but we made the best of it. I may go this way from now on so I can stop in for more great BBQ! I went with the sampler and it didn’t disappoint! My buddies had the catfish and they said it was also good. It’s worth a visit if your in the area!
They are open Sundays and closer Mondays