$24.80 for ONE beef rib, about 8 bites, inedible catfish, owner was playing poker and drinking beer with loud friends, tiny menu, I feel bad for the waitress who did a good job. Good location, has potential, I owner needs to sell it to someone who's serious. read more

First time and last time. Bad food and service matched. I don't know how they are still in business. Must be the full bar.

This is definitely a dive. The alcohol is overpriced. We didn't get food, but drinks and it was strangely expensive. The bathroom was clean though? read more

AJ's on main is a fantastic place to take a break while you are hanging out in downtown Grapevine Tx. The service here is very friendly and accommodating. But I didn't come here for just the service I came here for the food. The BBQ here is great, between the ribs of pork and beef ribs, I have to say go for the beef. It seemed to have a better flavor of meat. The brisket is also very good and has a yummy smoky flavor. Put some sauce on it and you are in for a treat. Sausage is good and so is the catfish fillet. For the side items go with the fried okra, it tasted good even when you have it as a leftover. For the apps the fried chicken wings are awesome and really you don't need sauce. Drinks are priced along the lines in the area. Bonus if you get a soda you can come back later and get it refilled for half price. Overall AJ's on Main is a great place to relax and get a bite to eat when you are exploring the great city of Grapevine. read more

See all

As a local who has been to this location every time it has changed I was so disappointed in the food. My catfish tasted "dirty" and the consistency was waaay off. My husband's bbq rib sauce flavor was ok, suspiciously sweet like Kraft. The meat was dry on the outside and a funny-kind-of-chewy on the inside. The side of beans was your average canned beans. My The ambiance....The bar was very empty for a Saturday evening. We went there because the place across the street was packed. It seemed like AJ's is just there for the owner and his drunk friends/employees and they couldn't have cared less if we were present. Someone played random you tube videos of old country songs on one of the TVs. Too much Conway Twitty in one meal for us. Another patron had to watch the rangers game on his cell phone. The over all vibe was like being at someone's basement party you don't really know who has swinger friends. We own three Taverns. This place needs John Taffer QUICK. Will continue to support local. read more

Awesome bar bbq spot. So glad I went in and got to hang for a bit... will be coming back

Won't be back. Rude waitresses who slam the door in your face. Frito pie is ok but all other food is only decent. Take your money elsewhere. Mind you i've been a regular for years and will not ne back read more

We were shocked at how awful this place was. The WORST restaurant experience I've ever had. I orders the 2 meat plate with brisket and sausage... 1. The food was clearly old, MICROWAVED, and super greasy brisket and rubbery sausage. I literally THREW UP an hour after eating. There goes $40 into the toilet. 2. The table condiments were filthy, covered in dirt from clearly being left outside at all times. 3. The BBQ sauce was rotted, and looked like chunky salsa. So disgusting. 4. The service was horrible. It was more like a bar than a restaurant. NOT FAMILY FRIENDLY 5. WAY too expensive... $14 for gross meat and only one side, and no bread. This place should get shut down with this lack of cleanliness. read more

See all

Becca our server was fantastic Pulled pork Sandwich very good. Can't wait to come back. had a very enjoyable time dining while Main Street car and people watching read more

The bbq is really bad! As a Texan and a bbq enthusiast these people should be embarrassed.

This is a great bar! The food is fantastic and the drinks the best. However the staff beginning with AJ are true Patriots and great Americans. I hope someday we pass this way again. read more

Dry. Everything was dry besides the sausage. Ribs were burnt very burnt. Brisket was dry but good if you smother it with sauce. fries were delicious. read more

This place was amazing! A small home town family own, feel. Not to mention the food was amazing! I ordered the two meat and beans for a side. My food came out quickly and they were tentative to anything else I needed. Highly recommend. Love AJ's read more

The food is terrible! I ordered a pull pork sandwich and baked beans. I didn't feel welcomed when I came in with at least two people that worked there staring at me as if I didn't belong. Then, the food was like microwaved frozen pork on toast. The baked beans were definitely old and overcooked. I spent nearly $25 bucks for nasty food I should have stopped at McDonald's instead of this place. I won't be back nor recommend it to anyone. read more

It's a dive joint with good BBQ. Like all dive joints, the menu is small and they don't always have everything on the menu. But what they do have is carefully prepared, fresh and tasty. I love to sit on the patio and watch the people go walking by. I've also hung-out inside and talked with the regulars. The place is small and on a weekend you may have to wait 30-60 minutes to be served. But it is a fun experience with nice people,and the add-on of good food. If you go, I believe you'll have a good time. read more

Waited 15 minutes for someone to take our drink order...20 minutes later went in to ask where the drinks were. 5 minutes later we finally had drinks. Asked for check and never received it....had to go in to pay. In total we were there for an HOUR for two beers and one old fashioned. HORRIBLE SERVICE! read more

Pulled pork has a good smoke flavor but was dry. Potato salad is creamy and heavy on the mayo but not made in house. The BBQ sauce is bottle as well. We had the BBQ beans and I think they forgot to add brown sugar, very tart and tangy. Won't be back. read more

AJ's On Main - Barbeque Near Me - Grapevine, Texas

Great little place to stop in nice staff, good music and best of all is the food ! Ribs were just how I like them easy to get meat off but not falling off, brisket had good smoked flavors. If I get back to the area will definitely stop in again. read more

We are BBQ enthusiasts and one of our favorite destinations is Grapevine Main Street. So when my husband read about a great new joint, I checked out Yelp reviews and expected it to be outstanding. I'm offering an honest and sincere review in hopes to help this business owner. We went on an unseasonably pleasant winter Saturday lunch. I've visited this location in it's previous life as an oyster house. I like the new layout , it seemed like a better use of the space. It's decorated like you'd expect. First choice, where to sit? You sit wherever you like. We ended up at the table closest to the kitchen. Second choice, what to drink? For such a small place, they had a huge amount of different beer choices as well as liquor. They also have a $2 canned beer happy hour special that you can go and pick up yourself from a cooler in the corner. I kinda liked that idea. I think it was a way for the owner to have his kids waiting tables without having to handle the booze. Third Choice, what to eat? Small menu with various BBQ meat sandwiches. But, no meat plates or combos. We asked if we could just order different meats and not sandwiches and were told they could do that. My husband is a brisket and sausage guy and I'm a rib and pulled pork lover. I attached photos. I could see in the kitchen and noticed the cook pulling the foil wrapped rack of ribs out of a roaster. He opened the packet to awkwardly cut off a few ribs on the foil while juice dripped all over the floor and then he just left the remaining ribs sitting there at least as long as we stayed. It seemed a long while before our plates came out. This is because all the meat was warmed up in the microwave. The fries where the only thing freshly cooked before service. The microwave turns BBQ into a rubbery texture with telltale hot spots. The rib rub was not flavorful, and seemed to be mostly paprika. The pulled pork was also microwaved and not noteworthy. My husband enjoyed the sausage, but was not a fan of the brisket texture, smoke, seasoning or flavor. Overall, it was not as remarkable as previous reviewers made it out to be. What happened? How could our experience be so vastly different from the 5 star reviews? Did we come on a bad day? The owner must have a substantial investment in the location to recoup. It is one thing to BBQ in your backyard, but another to run a business. He obviously has never run a restaurant before. I applaud his courage and passion and the fact that he is probably working 14 hour days. It appears he has his kids in there working with him and that is adorable. I think with a few corrections, he could not only make it easier on himself but be more successful. 1. Stop nuking your BBQ. Pull it, wrap it, sell it when it's hot. Sell it fresh or not at all. 2. Simplify your bar. There is no way to accommodate the room by yourself and mix drinks. People don't want cocktails with BBQ. They want beer, soda or tea. There are too many beer choices and that takes up space and complicates the ordering, serving and stocking process. Pick 5. You don't have the size of a dining room for people to linger with cocktails. Get them in and out and turn your tables. 3. Train your staff. Hire a consultant or bring in a pro to train wait staff on how to wait a table in your type of establishment. I'm not talking fine dining, but courteous and efficient. Hire a pro to train your kitchen staff with technique and tips for safe and efficient food prep. If you spend more time preparing fries than BBQ, re-do the menu. Good luck. I really hope you work it out. I'll come back and try it again. read more

AJ's On Main - Sausage and brisket combo - Barbeque Near Me - Grapevine, Texas

See all

Aj's on Main is certainly worth checking out. It's a small, intimate place that is family owned and run. Aj and the staff are always very welcoming and friendly. If you like craft beers, they have a great selection to chose from. I'm not going to lie, there have been a few times I came up here just to enjoy the atmosphere and a beer. And the food - no complaints there either! I will continue to be a regular here. read more

My favorite place in Grapevine - and Grapevine has some great restaurants! Awesome food and recently upgraded Texas decor. The bar is just plain cool. Great selection of drinks, including many local, Texas options. Best barbecue in Grapevine! Locally owned by an Armed Services and local Police veteran, to boot! read more

AJ's On Main - Barbeque Near Me - Grapevine, Texas

I very much enjoyed our experience at AJ's. It's a small establishment that I could see becoming very crowded during peak times (weekends and lunch hours). The staff was hospitable. The owner/manager came over to greet us. The waiter also made pleasant conversation with us as well. He was efficient and very helpful with placing an order. The menu is concise giving you just enough options. I ordered the 2 meat special. I was allowed to order catfish and chopped brisket - my 2 favorites. I loved the catfish. The brisket was tender but not very flavorful. I also ordered the okra which was seasoned perfectly! My food was served hot and fresh and DELICIOUS! My only complaint is that my husband and I both had heartburn that evening. He ordered a catfish platter also. We'll be back! read more

AJ's On Main - Fried catfish and chopped brisket! $11.99 - Barbeque Near Me - Grapevine, Texas

I really enjoyed the feel of this place, small little dive bar with a decor that matched the feel. Wasn't to crazy about the food, okra was okra, all the meat was a bit dry and the brisket whether chopped or sliced should always come with bread, onions and pickles! The jalapeño poppers were excellent, and my wifes fish and fries were delicious. read more

AJ's On Main - Fried Okra, Chicken, Pork Ribs, Chopped Brisket. - Barbeque Near Me - Grapevine, Texas

I wish I'd seen the reviews before sitting down to eat with my family. I could go on and on, but I'll try and keep it brief: the bbq here is awful, if not just plain gross. The beef rib was tolerable, but a far cry from a legit smoked beef rib, which I've had twice in the past two weeks from Coopers and Blacks in New Braunfels. The beef rib at AJ's was way too tender and felt / tasted more like roasted meat. Whoever runs their smoker would be wise to sample some highly-rated beef ribs and emulate whatever method is used to cook and serve them. My wife got chopped brisket and smoked chicken. The brisket was outrageously dry, and the chicken was gray... No pink from the smoke. She mentioned that it had an odd smell to it, and to be honest, while I can't guarantee this, I've cooked and eaten enough smoked chicken to think that what they served was at least a few days old. This is a tiny restaurant; I'd guess they overcook stuff and reuse it the next day. When the most appetizing thing is fried okra (because how could anyone screw THAT up) it's obvious you either need to retool your menu, or learn how to actually smoke meat, because this was quite seriously the worst smoked bbq I've ever had in my life. read more

service was awesome. ambiance was pretty good after they turned off the news. sausage was good... but the ribs? no. tasted like lighter fluid and somehow were served cold. at least the staff is nice. read more

Was in town for a few days and had a chance to enjoy AJs BBQ. Atmosphere of the restaurant was relaxed and dining was casual. Enjoyed the food with friends. Would return... read more

See all

Man, lots of haters here. Especially some dude that post the owners personal info. Shame. Simple menu. I went with the chopped brisket. Great smoke flavor. Beans on the side, paired with a Shiner - 13 bucks. Serious value. read more

Went there for lunch today for the first time with two Buddies. Nice place in the heart of Grapevine with a very cool vibe. We were seated immediately and the order for drinks taken. Found out that Guy who took our order hurt his back the night before but you would not know it as he did a great job the whole time we were there. I ordered the Beef Rib with fries. Wanted BBQ Beans but they were out. It was cool, turns out the fried were seasoned fries, (Bonus). The Beef Rib was huge and fell right off the bone. The smoke flavor was there and very tender. It could have used more seasoning but I'm not complaining because it was still delicious. Chances are that's what I'll order again the next time I return. Brisket according to one buddy was very good. He had the chopped Brisket sandwich with slaw. It's my understanding that Brisket is only served chopped. I'm not completely sure and could be wrong. My other Buddy had the Smoked Chicken plate which he said had great flavor but was a bit dry. All in all, I like this place and I'll definitely be back. read more

I've been to AJ's a few times and have found it to be pretty hit or miss. Last week was a definite miss. Actually, I was headed to Weinbergers, but the line was already out the door...I headed down to AJ's...the parking lot was empty, except for AJ, who pacing all around the property on his cell phone. So, I headed inside to find myself with a young lady, asleep, on her backpack on the bench and young lad watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives at the bar...ironically, Guy was making BBQ sauce. AJ was still pacing around the premises...beard blowing in the wind. The young lady seemed perturbed that I had made such an intrusion, (why would somebody bother her during lunch time) and gathered herself up to retreat somewhere in the back, meanwhile, I cleaned up my table and wiped the "goo" off of the sauce bottles and crumbs from my seat. Once I'd tidied up, the young man left the TV to take my order. I was in need of some "brisket therapy" so I knew what I wanted: a brisket sandwich, beans and some ice tea. The meat was stringy and dry and obviously re-heated. The beans lacked any of the barbecue arts and tasted straight out of the can...no smoke, meat or extras. I doctored them a little with sauce and brisket. Anyway, it was a quick lunch...I paid my bill and dodged AJ on the way out...still pacing about on the phone. ...good to see ya' again, Bro! read more

Clean nice place. Not used to getting shredded brisket when I get brisket maybe that is a grapevine thing. Typically brisket is sliced. My roll was stale. Looks like this place needs to have a little more passion about the food they serve. Cole slaw was the stand out , really good and tangy home made. read more

We were walking down Main Street looking for someplace to sit out in the sun and have a cold drink. This place fit the bill, with plenty of seating out on the patio and a variety of beers on tap. I opted for a grapefruit sculpin ipa and my bf chose a local community mosaic ipa. Both were served in ice cold glasses and tasted yummy fresh. The inside of the place has a lot of personality, dollar bills pinned to the ceiling, a javelina mounted on the wall, Pink Floyd and the Beatles playing in the background, etc. We wound up ordering a couple plates of chopped brisket with coleslaw & potato salad. The food was good, not the best or fanciest bbq we've seen or tried but pretty delicious! The bbq sauce was really tasty too, just the right thickness and tang. AJ, the owner, is absolutely friendly, courteous, and polite. We really enjoyed our visit here. read more

This place is a hidden gem at the end of Main Street in Grapevine. It's dog-friendly on the patio and if you have a dog, they have frozen bones that they'll kindly offer to you for your dogs enjoyment. I'd go back just because of their friendliness. The owners are very involved and quickly come out and greet you...AJ and Megan greet you with a friendly face and a warm hello...letting you know they genuinely appreciate your business. I'd go back again!!! 5 stars! read more

Amazing barbecue and service!! Some of the best barbecue we've ever had. Beef rib was very tender and cooked well, with great smoky flavor and nice pink coloring. Didn't need any sauce and could just appreciate the meat. Wanted to keep the bone as a souvenir. We're from our of town but would definitely come back. Whole staff is very friendly. Make sure to take a dollar to tack to the ceiling! read more

AJ's On Main - Barbeque Near Me - Grapevine, Texas

Great service, food, and a true Texas vibe. Lots of draft beer available and locals hanging out at the bar. I had a frito pie that was awesome. If you like a small town BBQ joint feel this is the place to go! read more

Food was got. The menu was small on the table, but we asked about other options and they can do about anything you ask. AJ was a great host and we swapped some good stories. Stay true A.J. We really enjoyed our lunch! read more

Ajs was a good choice for dinner and drinks before our dance lesson in grapevine. The place was empty when we got there but filled up quickly. The brisket sandwich was good and the bbq sauce was really good but the fries were amazing!! Their drinks were a little high priced but the bartender was good about giving you your money's worth. The best part was our waiter-he was younger but so friendly and sweet. He is a great asset to Ajs. read more

This place is small Started with the poppers. No batter on them and they were great. Bake potato loaded was as good as it could be with what looked like store bought chopped BBQ. THE PLACE DID NOT EVEN SMELL LIKE A BBQ JOINT POPPERS WERE GREAT read more

The smell from the smoker drew us in. The food and drinks kept us there. Friendly place where locals and tourists can congregate and have a good time. Saturday's special is a smoked prime rib. The homemade au gratin potatoes and cole sale were amazing sides. Great selection of regional beers. Hubby and Canadians in for a conference liked the Manhattan's. Will be going back for karaoke night on a Friday. read more

Cozy little place inside or a great porch to dine outside, with great food and a full service bar. Great place to meet friends.

YOU HAVE TO VISIT THIS PLACE. I wandered into AJ's on Main in Grapevine, Texas, expecting a cool, rustic BBQ joint that embodies Texas. I was expecting a good and hardy meal, some small talk, and a refreshing cool beer. What I received was FAR beyond my basic expectations. I enjoyed some of the tastiest BBQ I've ever eaten; had some delicious local craft brews --not to mention the informative education on the local Texas brew culture that accompanied my pints; and I partook in two of the very smoothest Texas bourbons I've ever had that had be begging for another sip. Plus, if this wasn't enough, I had a hell of an in-depth and rousing conversation with the owner/operator/chef, AJ AJ is a gregarious, energetic, and passionate man that pours his heart and soul into what he does. And what he does is provide a dining experience that is down-home, entertaining, and by God, some good food. All of the barbecue is prepared at the establishment in a very large and impressive locomotive shaped cooker. I was lucky enough to get a tour and education of the cooker. It was a very interesting and humbling experience. I recommend anyone who visits to inquire. Anyway, back to the food. It was great, plain and simple. I had the beef tips that were meaty and full of flavor, a generous helping of pulled pork, which I loved, and the sausage that had a nice spice to it and melted in my mouth. I appreciate all forms of bbq, and the multiple ways it's approached. AJ has his own unique way of preparation and delivery that is original and belly pleasing. I especially liked the homemade, secret-recipe, bbq sauce. I was going to swipe a bottle when AJ wasn't looking actually. Just joking, I did try to pry the recipe out of him, but no dice! If you are ever in Grapevine and you want an enjoying BBQ experience and a good time, I recommend AJ's. Ask AJ about the bar, the cooker, the side walk even, you will get a hell of good story that connects his passion to his food, his business and his family. read more

See all