Some of the worst customer service I've ever experienced in my life (I've worked in the restaurant industry (for over 30 years) The owner is rude and bullish-I don't think he likes people. The staff follows suit. Food should be made from the heart-otherwise it poisons you. This will poison you. I watched them ridicule (like a game for them) snidely any person who had questions or was confused by how to place OR pick up-If you don't like customers-maybe choose a business where you don't deal with them on a regular basis? AVOID-Smokin J's in Crandon OR Sweet Butt in Rhinelander run circles around these A-holes! read more

First, the good. The staff were friendly and efficient. Kitchen staff were working well together and hustling to get food out on a busy holiday weekend. It was a nice touch to have a musician on the outdoor patio. Nice selection of sauces and a menu with many options. The ribs were tender and not dried out. They didn't separate from the bone however. They were not fatty. Chicken was a bit under done and under smoked Brisket fell short (sliced) as it was tough and dry. I can see why one would want it chopped because it was difficult to cut with plastic tableware. The vibe of the place was a teenage hangout place. Many large groups of teens coming in and hanging out outside seating areas and also filling up the small inside dining area. Beer selection left much to be desired. There were brewery signs decorating the inside yet those breweries and beers were not available. read more

Early in the season you don't expect much restaurant food quality or service in Minocqua. Takes time to dial it in right? I carried out in 15 minutes tonight. 5/7/26. Bad Bones apparently doesn't have this problem. I don't know who does their bbq, but I say right on! Get the potato salad! Get the gravy! read more

Visiting my son's family in Rhinelander and he had heard about Bad Bones. I've been to a lot of BBQ places around the country, this is as good as I've had. We shared the brisket, Chicken, ribs, pork, sausage and had the potato salad and beans. All excellent. We decided the Kansas City and Pitmaater sauces were the best. read more

rudest most miserable people working at the front when you order. made me not want to be there.

The brisket is okay - not the best I've ever had. The sauces are solid - a wide variety to choose from. There's a lot of sodas to choose from. There's ample indoor and outdoor seating BUT the whole place isn't all that well maintained. As you can see from the picture, they've got a huge mess in their front lawn. It's not pleasant to look at. There's not a lot to space to move around indoors, they tell you to take a seat somewhere and wait for your order to be called. They have a speaker that goes outside so if you choose to sit outside and wait you'll hear your order called from the speaker. No table service here of course. A decent establishment overall. read more

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This place has some awesome BBQ. Stopped by for dinner. The place was busy, but the food comes out fast. I had the pulled pork sandwich, my wife and daughter split the Carolina fry basket, and my son had a half slab of ribs. I loved my pulled pork. My son's ribs were perfect. Still a little chew, and just the right amount of smoke. The fry basket was huge. It could have fed three people. Fries are fresh cut and perfectly seasoned. We had a side of beans, which I loved, but everyone else thought they were just ok. They have a variety of sauces. My favorite was the Kansas City heat. The only reason it's not a 5 is the staff there were really chippy with each other giving the atmosphere an odd vibe. read more

Bad Bones BBQ - Half order of ribs. - Barbeque Near Me - Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin

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I had the pulled pork nachos and my husband had the pulled pork sandwich. The coleslaw, I would never order again, but the pulled pork is the best I've had in recent memory, and I'd go back just for that. read more

The food was so good! I had the Carolina sandwich. It was pilled high with pork and slaw. It could be shared, we took a lot home for leftovers. So many sauce choices too. Fries were the best I've had in a long time. Service was order at the cashier and wait for your number to be called. They have draft and canned beer selections. We sat outside over looking the lake and listened to live music which was fantastic. read more

If you are looking for really good bbq in the Northwoods, this is the place. You order at the counter when you walk in. Prices seemed a little high but definitely not unreasonable. We ordered a combo platter (4 meats with two side) to share. It was really good. The ribs and the pulled pork were our favorite, but the other two meats were good two. We ordered the beans as a side which were tastey, just wish the portion was bigger. Service was really good. The place seemed really clean. Inside dining is a little tight, but they have a lot of outside dining for when the weather is good. The restaurant is right on the lake, so great view. Definitely will be back. read more

Bad Bones BBQ - Outside - Barbeque Near Me - Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin

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They're stunning here and join it very much.Fast service, comfortable dining. And good cold beer read more

Bad Bones BBQ - Great taste in tender brisket sandnice.Crispy fries excellent dinner - Barbeque Near Me - Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin

Decent food that was made worse by a poor attitude from the staff. Don't move the tables there or they'll be obnoxiously loud about it until you leave. It felt like prison, but the food was pretty good for prison food. I've been coming here for years and this was a major let down. Not coming back until there's been a shift in attitude. read more

Came across this restaurant traveling through town today--I give it a 10! The lady taking the order was kind and the guys behind the line were working hard to get the food out quickly. We had a chicken sandwich and a sliced brisket sandwich, both were well prepared and generous. I loved the variety of bbq sauces from which to choose. Great job, Bad Bones! read more

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Seating is so so inside . But this is how you make new friends. The food is OMG amazing. From the smoked prime rib (some of the best we have had) only recommendation if they had plain horseradish and not just creamy. The pulled pork is amazing. I didn't need any sauce. It was that juicy. Add a plop of delicious coleslaw and a side of amazing homemade fries and you have something epic. The smoked wings are delicious and we had to bring them home. You get that much food with your dinner. However the kid were not disappointed at all and have snarfed then all down. You have to try this place. Take it home even if you are close by. You will not be disappointed. And kudos to the guy working the smoker that advised us how to park and not get blocked in. He was awesome to talk to and does an amazing job. We will definitely be back!! read more

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If you like bbq and are in the north woods this is a good choice. Order at the counter - think brisket, or chicken sandwiches or platters or a rack of ribs. Sides include choice or beans, coleslaw or fries. Grab a seat outside at a picnic bench and grab your choice of bbq sauce ( lots of different spice levels available ) and utensils. My teenage boys think this place is the best ( if they had a salad option I would have given this place 5 stars). Not the healthiest option but good for an occasional splurge read more

Bad Bones BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin

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This place is absolutely filthy with grease and grime, the ceiling isn't even white anymore. The A/C is coated in grease and grime. It has to be a health and fire code violation. Outside of that, the front clerk is rude. We tried to order two pork entrees and she informed us that they do not do that and it must be different meats. I'm paying for it but ok.... The food is mediocre, definitely not the best BBQ but adequate for up north. The ribs are the best choice out of any of their meats. The coleslaw is wilted and wacky very fresh. The baked beans are very sweet and pasty. The pickles were dill and a refreshing way to cut the pastiness of the beans. We tried it and we won't return. read more

We have been there at least a dozen times over the last few years. Loved the food, however when we went in Sat May 3rd mid afternoon and ordered a pulled pork and brisket combo we were deeply disappointed. Many of the chunks of meat were completely dried out, and not edible much less chewable. The meat was obviously days old, and reheated. I am not a complainer, but we should have. I only saw kids working, otherwise I would have. read more

A genuine BBQ SHACK, for real. It's worn down. It's grungy. And the food is perfectly awesome about 80% of the time and wildly misses the mark for the rest. Take your chances. It's brisket, pork, chicken. There are a variety of solid sauces. The prices are high for a BBQ shack but not outlandish. The deck is appropriately rustic and rickety. The lake view is northwoods typical. It is what it is, and there's nothing wrong with that. read more

My wife and I shared a full slab of ribs , fries, baked beans and potato salad. Ribs were tender and so so good. The beans were perfect and flavorful, fries were pretty darn good but the potato salad needed a little help. Maybe some salt or full fat mayo. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great. The sauce selection was perfect and all were really good. Outdoor seating had a great view and the staff was kind and attentive. The parking was easy too. I'll tell you people love this place they open at 4pm and by 3:50pm the lot at cars waiting to get in. read more

this was the most fat we have ever seen in pulled pork- not even edible. i did not find ANY chunk of meat without fat, nor did my husband. the cole slaw was good. in retrospect, we should have spoken with them and showed them the problem, but we just wanted to get back on the road. if you just want to eat fat, this is the place read more

For the area this food is ridiculous. Chicken was slightly dry, but all the other meats were perfect. Lots of really good sauces to try, and the sides were great. read more

Bad Bones BBQ - Brisket sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin

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Well holy cow have we got a great spot here!!! As opposed to most places in the Upper Midwest when they call their wing sauce "Crazy Stupid" they're serious. A little sweet at first taste and then BAM! The wings are huge by the way. Their brisket is perfectly smoked, moist and tender. Their fries are some of the best in the north and their pit beans leave many southern bbq joints to shame. Honestly. Theres nothing bad about the place. Friendly service on the ordering and kitchen side. Amazing. Add to the fun they had a band playing outside on a Friday afternoon (bigroadband.com) that made it the cherry on top for lunch. Seriously excellent bbq all the way around. Well worth the trip! read more

Bad Bones BBQ - Outside view. - Barbeque Near Me - Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin

Delicious! Quick lunch stop on a long road trip. Got the nachos with brisket and was very impressed by how fresh and crunchy the chips were with just the right amount of toppings. The pit beans were nice- not too sweet. Enjoyed the lobster Mac as well- very good quality cheese and lobster chunks in most bites. Good quick counter service and nice beer selection. Even saw a bald eagle fly by while eating on their patio. Would absolutely come back when back in the area. read more

Visiting the area and glad we stopped in. The four of us all ordered something different and everyone was happy with our food--in fact, we were stuffed. It felt pricey when ordering ($10-20), but on the back end, we couldn't have been happier. There was an incredible selection of sauces (and the dinners had so much meat, you could try three or four sauces with your meal). Everyone liked the fries, and the member of our party who ordered nachos was happy with those. There was a good selection of Wisconsin-made drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). read more

Food is amazing!! Tender, seasoned well, and the cooks know what they are doing when cooking the meat. Worth the stop to try this place out!

Woefully unwelcoming staff. By dinner, they were sold out of most food items so the menu was very small. After looking at the caliber of persons taking orders and preparing the food, I opted not to eat here for fear of succumbing to food-borne illness. The venue looked and felt dirty, too. Steer clear of this joint. read more

Just had a terrible experience there because of the weirdo owner. The dude cussed out his staff for letting us sit down at a table after ordering our food to go. When we tried to ask what the issue was he just avoided eye contact and made the girl working the front counter explain that she wasn't sure either. read more

Amazing brisket sandwich. Easily the best barbecue in the Northwoods. You can sit outside overlooking the nearby lake. Highly recommend

I've been going here for 3 years and the last couple of times I've been it has gone downhill. Today we ordered Ribs and thought I would give them another chance. Unfortunately it was SO DRY it was like chewing leather. I have ordered ribs from Texas and it was so juicy the meat would just fall off!!' I'm very disappointed and will never go back again nor do I recommend it to anyone!! read more

The Food was fantastic, the service was excellent. The Ambiance was great. Right of Hwy 51. Other than small parking lot. Great place. Highly recommend read more

So In 2021, I came here with my family for my birthday and I got the brisket pretty mediocre. But I didn't think too much of it but 2 days go bye and I got food poisoning. Throwing 5 times that night because of it. After that I made the decision I would never come back. But my older brother went this place a year later in 2022 and also got food poisoning. Idk what has changed for the past few years. But i wouldn't recommend eating unless you food poisoning. read more

Barbecue is excellent, the bbq cheese curds are one of our favorite curds anywhere! Brisket, pork, and chicken are all very tasty.

Self serve which was okay with he. The pork and brisket sandwiches were great!!! I had lunch there and I would have gone back for dinner. Sides of potato salad was really good and they have root beer in a bottle and beer and both were good. Everything about this place made me feel like the Wisconsin I grew up with. read more

Bad Bones BBQ - Small seating inside and out - Barbeque Near Me - Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin

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Man is this good food. I had the ribs, no sauce needed. They have plenty of sauces, great sauces but the rub on the ribs was great all on its own. Others in our party had the brisket and the pulled pork and thought is was excellent as well. One of the best meals I have ever had in the area. Amazing read more

Wow, I am so glad we made this stop coming back from camping! We've tried BBQ from coast to coast, and this place definitely ranks in the top 3! The ribs & brisket were perfectly queued and the variety of sauces were more broad than I've ever seen, each one unique & delicious. If you do not love potato salad, give this one a try! The yummiest I've ever tasted. read more

These folks know what they are doing. The brisket is outstanding. The sides are also so good, including smoked baked beans with pulled pork, coleslaw. If you need a fantastic sandwich with enough for later at night, get the Bomber ( the best). Beautiful lake view from outdoor picnic tables. read more

Real good barbecue. Order at the counter and sit down at your choice of tables. There are tables available inside and outside. We sat down outside by the lake, and it was wonderful. Pretty fast service and plenty of portions to fill you up and some. I love poutine and they had it right. So tasty . read more

Bad Bones BBQ - Poutine and cheese curds - Barbeque Near Me - Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin

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The food is outstanding and generous portions for a fair price. Order at the inside counter and then find a seat outside or inside as you wait to hear your number called. Dogs are allowed on their patio and backyard looking out over the lake. They're closed Mondays and Tuesdays so plan accordingly. read more

Bad Bones BBQ - Menu as of Memorial Day Weekend 2023. - Barbeque Near Me - Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin

Absolutely the best BBQ we have ever had!! Price is good. Very popular and a bit hard on parking but highly recommend!!

After reading through reviews, I guess I'm "glad" it wasn't personal that the woman running the register was so incredibly rude as though we were inconveniencing her to stopping to eat there. We didn't exactly know the process to ordering when we first came in and to say she was unfriendly to my daughter is an understatement. No establishment, no matter what food it is, is worth going to if you're going to be treated so poorly. The other staff seemed very kind but it would be to your benefit to move her elsewhere where she isn't working with the customers directly. read more