Billy Bob’s Burgers & BBQ

With a name like «Burgers & BBQ» one would fairly safely assume the establishment specializes in burgers and bbq, however this is not the case at Billy Bob’s. The majority of the menu read something like an Azteca or Mazatlan menu (read: mostly Mexican food) highlighting their tacos at $ 1.75 a piece, etc. The only BBQ meat, at least on the day we went, was pork brisket of some kind.
And the burger, was… on the menu as «Burger» and no where did it encourage or offer cheese, bacon, etc. And at $ 9.99 for a burger and fries… it was overpriced for the quality/​quantity. I asked for some of the pulled pork brisket on top my burger — something they offer on the menu for a chicken breast — and it had some decent flavor, but not worth additional $ 3. I asked for «Billy Sauce» on the side, never showed up.
The flavor was over all decent, but things were off, such as the only sauce on my husband’s «Dirty Bird» (chicken breast, bacon, pork brisket) was a small amount of peanut sauce. WTF is peanut sauce doing there? No bbq sauce? No ketchup even?
For three of us for lunch (one having the pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw, me with the burger/​fries, my husband with the dirty bird and beans, a side of cornbread and 4 beers, it came out to $ 60. The food itself is pretty tasty, I would give the food a solid 3.5 stars — what brings it down to 2 stars — there was an ant crawling on the plate of butter for the cornbread, no variety of «bbq» items, slow service — slow for drink refreshes when the place was empty, slow to remove dirty plates.

Good BBQ, good hamburgers, good beer, nice atmosphere. My hubby is from the South and this place is the closest we have found to southern BBQ. Not sure why all the negative reviews? We have been eating here for over a year, and always happy! Give it a try!

My disclaimer — I am a BBQ snob. Being someone that grew up in Texas and the envy of the neighborhood every time I fire up my smoker I think I know a thing or two about BBQ.
I’ve struggled and struggled to find a decent BBQ place in the NW. Not the easiest task in the world.
My Dad rolled into town the other day and insisted on getting some BBQ. Off to Billy Bob’s we went. Now I’ve not been here before, because again, I am a total BBQ snob and have almost given up on finding BBQ in the NW.
We sat in the bar and had a couple of beers while perusing the menu. Note, they don’t have an extensive menu pretty much just the basics and a couple of extras. We wound up ordering the Bob’s combo shared platter with wings, ribs, and pulled pork. We traded one of the sides for fries. From a sides perspective, my Dad’s opinion was the potato salad was «horrid». Fries are generally fries, however they charged extra to trade for fries which I found odd, but whatever. Then they came and I was disappointed. They aren’t special in the least. I legitimately think they came from their food service company precut and then over fried. Cheap, but somehow I got the privilege of paying more.
The BBQ — it wasn’t «bad». I mean if you’re not the world’s most snobby BBQ eater like myself, it will pass for sure. I don’t think it’s long smoked as I wasn’t getting a lot of smoke flavor and it came with a heavy heaping of BBQ sauce on it. Their sauce I actually liked but I’m not a fan of BBQ sauce in heavy doses on BBQ. My general opinion is a lot of «BBQ» places drown their meat in «BBQ» sauce to cover for the fact that they don’t long smoke their meats. Pretty much what I think happens here.
The service was good, the food wasn’t «bad», the place is kind of cool and man if the BBQ was good I could see myself spending multiple hours on that outside patio inhaling BBQ and beers. Too bad…

I wish I would have read the reviews before dining at this establishment. We ate there for lunch and was very disappointed. It’s supposed to be a BBQ restaurant but there aren’t any lunch BBQ items outside of sandwiches or salad! My portion of very dry chicken was extremely small. I ordered the chicken salad because the waiter said that it had a lot of chicken. There wasn’t enough chicken to complete a ½ slice of bread. The menu clearly stated that there would be red onions (I got white).
The waiter was about High School age with no training whatsoever. He never smiled but filled my drink twice. I could have used a lot more soda because he topped off the glass with ice. After 3 sips the drink was finished. The staff hangs out at the cook’s window while they chat. They don’t seem to care about the customers.
This is the best part. I sat in the bar area because the staff’s children were watching cartoons on the large TV in the restaurant. It looked like their living room. We had to move back to the restaurant area because the manager closed the large garage door that allowed air to flow into the bar. It was very hot in the bar because none of the windows opened so I started sweating immediately. I asked the waiter what was going on and he said that the a/​c was turned on. I was confused because they left the large garage doors open that surround the restaurant so all of the a/​c just went right out of the doors! I walked into the bathroom and it felt like a freezer so the waiter was right, the a/​c was on.
I had to eat as soon as I got home because I was starving after leaving the restaurant. I talked to the manager who didn’t seem to be sure if he was the owner or not. The manager said that I should have told him about the issues while I was dining. HELLO! I didn’t ask for my money back. I was telling you before I left so you knew about the issues. I’m sure that the compressor on the a/​c unit will last too much longer. I don’t want to see a restaurant fail but guess what? I WON’T BE BACK!
The next day I went to Stan’s BBQ down the street. It was awesome!

I wish I’d read the reviews before coming here today. This restaurant prompted me to start writing reviews. and definitely do research before going to any more restaurants with which I’m not personally familiar.
My husband and I ate here today (Saturday) at 3pm during their lunch menu.
The actual layout of the restaurant is pretty neat at first glance– there are garage-​style doors which were open, causing a nice cross-​breeze on a hot day. However, they seem to also have the AC on full blast– the bathroom was FREEZING!
We ordered 2 BBQ chicken salads, an appetizer of stuffed bacon-​wrapped jalapeño peppers, a diet coke and 2 waters. Our check was $ 32 (again, this is the lunch menu!!)
The description for the salad was BBQ chicken with corn, cilantro, red onions and feta cheese on a crisp romaine lettuce wedge with a creamy ranch sauce. What I got was: 5 leaves of romaine lettuce with a runny, unappetizing-​looking white sauce, some chopped white onions with a sprinkle of feta cheese and a small bit of disappointingly-​dry pulled chicken on top. There was a small container of BBQ sauce on the side. It all tasted just about as good as it looked, i.e. NOT good at all.
The server was very short with us and unhelpful. I got the feeling he was trying to get away from the table as quickly as possible, and I know we didn’t smell bad.
I tried to talk to the manager/​part owner but couldn’t get anywhere because he didn’t understand what I was trying to tell him… and unfortunately I don’t speak Spanish.
I will definitely not be eating here again. How disappointing.

I liked this place pretty well when it first opened, but less so over time, and now I choose other options. The meats are pretty good, but the sides are poor, and the waitstaff seems to be high school kids that haven’t been given enough training to be successful.

The food was mediocre at best. The pulled pork was a mass of fat and chared reheated mess. The red beans and rice was overpowered by cilantro of all things. And the fries had a taste of microwaved potato.
Best to find another source of BBQ.

Been coming here for a couple of years now and everytime it has been great.
This is the first BBQ restaurant in the Seattle Area I have had that the ribs were so tender the meat peeled off the ribs, and has been consistantly that good.
The Appetizers are great, and I really like the Empanadas and stuffed Jalapenos.
The Chicken always has nice crispy skin but moist and juicy inside. The burgers are awesome, especially the blue cheese burger and chipotle burger.
For dessert they regularly have coconut flan, which is delicious but the chocolate cake is always a healthy portion and is mouthwatering.
The staff are awesome, very friendly and helpful and out of the probably 20+ times I have been here, I have always been satisfied.

Worst BBQ ever. I couldn’t eat more than a bite and gave it back. Ugh. I don’t think they have any idea how to cook BBQ — at least watch a Food Network show — that’s got to make you better than you are.
Awful — Awful — Awful

I have been searching for a good veggie burger. Their menu specifically said they have «Garden» brand patties. It was NOT. The waiter had no idea what a Garden Burger was. He came back and said it was their «soy» version. Garden doesn’t make a «soy» version. The burger wasn’t good and I ate only a few bites. We still had to pay for it!
Won’t be going there again…

Unremarkable food. Awesome view of the gross back room. Very appetizing. :(

We recently dined here for the first time. We knew of the mixed review on Unilocal.
Food: We ordered the Bob’s combo and onion rings. Rings were great. Combo OK, though, nothing to rave about — slightly below average. Portion size for the sides were very small. Most objectionable was one underdone wing. When we told the wait staff, we got some «sorry» explanation about dark/​white meat looking like that. He did replace the wing, but …
Service: Quiet and attentive, Seems to be doing their best.
Ambience: Er, concrete floor, garage doors. Maybe great in the warmer months, but it was very cold in there. Decoration, typical bar stuff. There was a party (two women with five kids), who were screechy and uncontrolled. Not the restaurant’s fault, but it did not add to the dining experience.
We probably will not return. Better BBQ joint existsi n Issaquah.

There are two BBQ joints in Issaquah. This one offers cornbread which I feel is a BBQ staple and the other place does not. Because of that I tend to visit Billy Bob’s more.
I also like that they let you have as much BBQ sauce as you want. That said this is not the best BBQ in the Seattle region. It is tasty and if you like loads of BBQ sauce on your BBQ then come here. But if you are looking for the best BBQ I would avoid Issaquah.
The service needs some help. They tend to be slow and sometimes you need to track them down after the food is served for your check or if you need a water refill.

I like the outdoor patio when the weather is cooperating.
The BBQ itself was fine and has actually pretty generous portions. I had a very simple order, the «Pulled pork link» sandwich with coleslaw instead of fries. The kitchen had a fiery habanero barbecue sauce I employed to increase the octane rating on my food.
English is not the servers first language and we had some problems with the order and the sides and extras when the bill came. Even the receipt was in Spanglish, «Billy Bob’s Bergers». I thought that was kinda funny.
You could do better in Issaquah for BBQ.

My lovely wife and I haven’t been to Issaquah for at least 10 years and so we went to one of our old antique haunts on Gilman Blvd. While we were there, this familiar waft of BBQ went from Billy Bob’s into my nostrils, directly to the BBQ sensor in my brain and then to my stomach’s «food goes here» receiver.
I had a half chicken with corn on the cob and my beloved had a salad and we split some sweet potato fries. Here’s the score:
Half BBQ Chicken — Damn, that’s good!!!
Sweet potato fries — Have mercy!
Beloved’s salad — Unremarkable
Corn on the cob. — Steamed or boiled and not grilled. Wouldn’t have that again.
But that chicken was well worth going back there again and doing this 4 star review. If their other meats are as good as that chicken, and I suspect they are, they are well worth a try. In fact, we shall return to Issaquah someday and indeed partake of the wonderfulness of their BBQ.

I’m not sure why this place doesn’t get rave reviews. The hub and I went here and grabbed ribs to go… They were EXCELLENT!
The sauce was perfectly tangy but sweet — and the ribs were just the right amount of tender. To me, when you go BBQ you get ribs, so maybe the reviews are about the other menu items or service. But on a sunny saturday around 3 pm, the place wasn’t packed — and we got our to-​go order in about 15 minutes and we were on our way home to sit on the deck and nosh on yummy BBQ.
I honestly can’t remember the sides — I think we got beans and coleslaw? maybe fries? I don’t remember them being bad — so I can only imagine that they were delicious… But really? When you have ribs sitting in front of you why are you even looking at french fries?
(Right here would be a good time to mention that my favorite food is ribs…)
SO, in short if you don’t like ribs I don’t know what to tell you. If you do, this place is definitely the best place on the Eastside for the price.

Their fries were definitely way too salty for my taste, but I know lots of people like to go heavy on the salt… so, I guess that would have been the perfect amount for many!
I was extremely hungry when I came here. I was bummed that happy hour was still 30 minutes away, but there was plenty of seating and plenty of options on the regular menu.
My phone battery was almost drained, so I asked one of the waiters for a table next to a wall socket. He gave me that and was really nice the whole time. The other waitresses were nice too, but the only interactions I had with them was to let them know somebody else had already taken my order.
Sadly there was only one veggie burger option, though I guess they could have had any burger come with a veggie patty instead of the regular beef. In any case the burger was pretty tasty and the fries were plentiful. They also had no problem leaving off the cheese. (Sometimes I wish more spots would have the cheese be an «addition» instead of part of the burger, but can’t really complain about this. Most people LOVE their cheese.)
Only true bummer? The women’s restroom was apparently flooding while I was there. Good thing I didn’t need to use it that badly…

Over priced, weak cocktails, the servers /​hostess are worried about looking good and not so much on checking on their patrons.
Now that’s out of the way… I can tell you the food is decent (yet as already mentioned — over –priced), the yam fries are pretty scrumptious, and the BBQ sauce on the tables is pretty good.
Will I go back? No Way! Stan’s all the way for this gal.

It’s only been a few months since we moved to Washington. I’ve been looking for some good BBQ, but nothing came close to some of my favorite restaurants back home. We didn’t try Billy Bob’s at first because of the negative reviews we found here on Unilocal.However, every time I drove buy my eyes would always wonder what it would be like. So, on Friday we finally went it.
It was empty when we went in except for one guy sitting at the bar. I don’t think that it was an indication of the food or service because we went at an odd time — 2:30pm.
We were greeted very fast by the bartender who was also going to be our waiter. He was very friendly and attentive the entire time we were there. He took our order quick, refilled our drinks any time they looked low and got us our check quickly. I love quick and friendly service.
Billy Bob’s Burgers & BBQ has everything that the name says — burgers and bbq. We decided to get Billy Bob’s Combo #1. It’s a meal that is made for two people and includes spare ribs, pulled pork, brisket, links, chicken, beans, cole slaw and bread. It cost $ 22 and was well worth the price. Since this meal is for two, it’s a great price. Plus, the portion was huge. With both of us eating from the plate, we still had left overs to take home with us. All of the food was amazing and tasted so great. Billy Bob’s offers two types of BBQ — original and spicy. Both were great as well.
The restaurant was also really nice. Everything was very clean, something that is very different than many BBQ restaurants that we have visited. I loved that the place was clean. It also is a great place to visit for happy hour as they have good deals and great televisions throughout the bar.
Overall, this place is great! The staff was fast and friendly, the restaurant was clean and a fun place to hangout, and the food tasted great! We’re actually going to be visiting again real soon!

I drove to Issaquah for lunch today without a particular destination in mind, sort of craving chicken. I went by KFC on Gilman and knew that just wouldn’t do.
At the edge of Gilman Village I saw a new restaurant, Billy Bob’s. Their sign advertised burgers and BBQ. So I stopped. I kept my fingers crossed that BBQ included chicken (it did). The other Unilocal reviews for this new restaurant, which just opened on October 1^st, are unduly harsh. The female wait staff was very friendly and it was clearly evident that they are trying hard to create a great dining experience. I had two separate gals ask me how my meal was. I would give an «A» for effort here. In fact, I came very close to giving four stars.
I was given the option to sit in either the bar or the restaurant. I chose the restaurant and was rewarded by being seated next to the floor-​to-​ceiling rollup windows with a view of Cougar Mountain and the fall colors. Very nice.
I ordered a half chicken, with corn bread and coleslaw as my sides. I also ordered the 7 piece breaded mushroom appetizer. For future reference, I asked how they prepared their burgers. She proudly said «flame-​broiled» and I thought «too bad.»
The breaded mushrooms arrived on a bed of lettuce (not iceberg!) and a big dish of ranch dressing. The mushrooms were decent but the ranch dressing was unpleasantly sour.
Interestingly, my chicken came on china and the coleslaw and corn bread came separately in a Burgerville-​ish red basket.
I gotta tell you, and this is a big deal to me, the chicken was superb. Upon first slice, a little rivulet of juice flowed out, telling me that I was about to enjoy a moist and tender piece of meat. And I certainly did. The barbecue sauce was decent. I think it could have stood to be more smoky and less sweet, but it was still good.
The coleslaw which was your usual green and red cabbage and carrot was creamy, but it had way too much sugar. Way too much. The cornbread was good.
They have Happy Hour from 3 to 6. During HH, well drinks, beer and wine are $ 3.50, Burgers and pulled pork sandwiches are $ 5.
I’ll take the high road and call Billy Bob’s design «ecletic.» Though it is curious that while on one wall there is a big picture of a double-​decker bus (presumably in London) there is on another wall two bas-​relief art pieces — one of a bull moose and another of a flock of Canadian geese.
To improve the dining experience, besides 86ing the sour ranch dressing, Billy Bob’s should also use a different cleaning solution other than Pine-​Sol. It unpleasantly hits you in the nose upon entry.
And, lower the music a notch. It doesn’t overwhelm conversation, but while most of the CD selections were pleasant pop songs, the volume was too much too handle when Phil Collins came on. And su su sudio to you too!