I eat here a couple times a month. The Budget Buster meal is a great price for the amount of food and I have never had anything bad here. The service is sometimes a little slow sometimes but that seems to be due to short staffing. But they are always pleasant!!!!! read more

Food/Taste/Flavor: 4/5 - ordered a rack of ribs to go. Well cooked with tender meat and a sweeter glaze/rub. The ribs were separated per bone already so it was easy to eat. We tried the different sauces and they all felt like they tend towards the sweeter end. Service: 5/5 - super friendly service at the bar taking our to-go order! Ambiance: n/a - ordered food to go. Spacious location with city themed decorations. Clean overall Value for price: 5/5 - good food, friendly and quick service! read more

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Ate lunch there on March 3rd and ordered Brisket. I ate maybe two bites of actual meat and the rest (90%) was nothing but fat. I do not plan on eating there ever again. It was terrible! read more

They have great BBQ! The BBQ with coleslaw on it is perfect. I think they have removed the booths and put in regular tables instead. They are currently hiring. read more

I forgot to take a picture I started eating but I knew as soon as I went into the building to get my togo order it smelled amazing! Everything tasted great and the portion sizes were awesome. The service was awesome as it was ready quickly! Highly recommend! read more

Bandana's Bar-B-Q - Mac And Cheese Smoked Pork (Dinner) Garlic Bread (1) Side Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

A good local barbecue restaurant. Comfortable and affordable. Friendly service in a cool community. Has a family friendly feel and the budgets buster is a pretty good deal. The place has a down home feel. I enjoyed the place and my meal. Thanks Bandana. read more

Well let's start with the good. The food was good but I've had better. The best thing I eat was the turkey. The portions were nice. The place was clean. The bad and it's bad I always leave a tip no matter if the service was good or bad. The service wasn't bad but it wasn't that good either so I left a tip on my debit card and I wrote in a 7 dollar tip. To round out my bill to $90. I check my bank statement this morning and the bill was $100 now I don't have proof so I can't do much about it but, for now on I will be taking pictures of the bill with my written in tip. Update: Very glad that I was contacted and the issue has been resolved. read more

I'll begin this buy saying the service we had was 5 star... But when it come for the food...BBQ.. The rating...I would have never thought that at 5pm on a Friday that ribs would have been sold out... The burnt end really were burnt... However they do have great service... Best thing we had to eat was the okra... read more

We ordered a catering package for a party. Food was even better than the description. Appreciate that the package came with all the little things such as serving spoons. Everything tasted great; highly recommend the smoked wings and BBQ baked beans. read more

Bandana's BBQ is great spot for a filling BBQ dinner. Seemed like every dinner option was served with garlic bread and a choice of two sides. The ribs - They we're pretty good! A decent amount of meat on the bone. Each bone was separate so it made eating them a whole lot easier and less messy. The brisket - Very dry! Not too much flavor. Chicken - Incredible! Cooked perfectly, very moist and flavorful! read more

Bandana's Bar-B-Q - ows a plate of fried chicken, fries, and a bowl of ranch dressing - Barbeque Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

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Love this place. Stop in every time I'm in Carbondale. Staff are friendly and food is always exactly what I order.

I got from them off GrubHub a bit spot BBQ meal. WasPulledPork or brisquit sandwich with Fry's.

Ordered carry out. Was visiting from out of town. Everything was very good! Large amounts and well done. read more

I ordered the smoke turkey, unknown to me it already came with three pieces of bread. I ordered the garlic bread and had 2 more pieces of bread. The waitress should have advised that. If so I would had ordered a different side. Food was good. read more

Love their ribs and fries! We also love their budget busters deals. The restaurant is always clean and we have always had great service.

Bandana's is my kind of BBQ that comes with lots of options and spectacular service. They have a value section that includes your choice of meat (pulled chicken, pulled turkey, sausage, etc), two sides and garlic bread. The calorie count for each individual item is on the menu so you can go as healthy or indulgent as you want. The baked potato with sour cream and butter is ~250 calories while green beans are ~30 calories. They also offer baked beans, fried okra, corn on the cob, and a handful of other items including premium options that you add on for an extra $1. At the table is about six different options of BBQ sauce, ranging from Spicy to Chicago Sweet, and all of them are delicious. My pulled chicken with a baked potato and green beans came out to $6, which is a steal. They also have a rewards program if you live in the area, and they give you a dozen donut holes that taste like funnel cake on your birthday. If only I lived closer.... :) Service is sweet, and head of house checks in on how you like your server as well as the food. Great team approach. Bandana's is a must every time I visit Carbondale! read more

Bandana's Bar-B-Q - $6 meal- pulled white meat chicken, baked potato with butter, green beans and garlic bread. - Barbeque Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

The restaurant was very clean and we were seated quickly. The server was polite and helped us make our decisions quickly. The manager made his rounds, was incredibly friendly, made conversation connections easily, and managed up his staff, a trait in successful leaders. The pulled pork dinner was really delicious, meat was tender, moist, and flavorful. I HIGHLY recommend Bandana's BBQ. ​ read more

This restaurant is very casual. Think Buffalo Wild Wings, but without all the chaos and noise. A pretty chill bar to relax, enjoy a beer, and actually have a conversation with friends. Their prices are a lot better than 17th Street though. Very affordable. You can get a meal for about 8 dollars, and the portion are pretty big. There are many options to choose from. You will have trouble picking with all that they have on the menu. 17th Street BBQ is better than this place, but they have a wide variety of sauces that you can drench your bbq in. read more

Bandana's Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

Most of the restaurants in the area are stilled closed due to covid. So we stopped by on 4th of July to grab a bbq for dinner. The place was very empty, only few people were dining there. I ordered smoked chicken lunch portion. It came with 2 pc of garlic bread and 2 sides per my choice. Corn was good, green beans - could not eat them, way too salty and very overcooked. Chicken tasted good, I brought leftovers home - no way I can eat that much. read more

Bandana's Bar-B-Q - Smoked chicken- lunch portion - Barbeque Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

Last visit in September was for a to go order. I ordered dark meat chicken. When I got home and opened the box, I had received white meat which was extremely tough. I had to throw most of the white meat away. There was more barbeque seasoning on the chicken was more than I remember ever receiving on the chicken there. I ordered and paid for the dinner meal but received a lunch size meal with two pieces of garlic bread. This is not the first time this has happened to me and should've remembered to look inside the bag before leaving the restaurant. The waitress didn't ask me about my rewards card and I forgot to give it to her. Normally the waiters in the past always asked as a reminder. I had been going to this Bandanas since they opened. During the past few years, the service is nothing like the great service they had in the beginning. I have had more than one problem when dining there in the recent years. I am sorry to see that they are closing, but, it is understandable considering how they are operating now. I probably won't have an opportunity to visit them in their other locations. I will miss the Bandanas the way it was when it first opened. read more

The food was very good and the waitress was very nice and made sure that we were satisfied. I am ready to go there ag

Had the brisket lunch plate with fries and Mac n cheese. Some of the best restaurant brisket I've ever had, the sweet house sauce was good, garlic bread was buttered and crisped to perfection. The waitress was very attentive and sweet as well. read more

Healthy options and great food!! Think I will eat there today actually lol They are a chain but I would not put them in that category! meat, sides and Garlic bread are all to die for! The smell in the air is enough to get you there! Also offer Budget Busters if your trying to eat smaller portions and want to spend less. They have a program with rewards where you get $5 on your birthday and for every $100 you spend :) read more

It happens over and over again. If you get takeout from Bandana's, you're always missing something when you get home. It's like they do it on purpose. Just ordered a ton of takeout for family and when I got it home, (yes, you guessed it....), I was missing two sides. As additional salt in the wound, my brisket was very little brisket and a lot of fat and scraps. At first, I thought it was crappy chopped brisket. Bottom line, they can serve pretty good food but dine in only. Takeout is a DISASTER. read more

Thank you all so much!! We did a team meal for our basketball team and they were great! Everyone loved the food!

Visited this establishment for the first time and thought it was excellent! The food was fresh, the barbecue sauces were tasty, and since I had a tough time deciding between the burnt ends and chicken, they gave me a small sample of what I didn't choose. Both were fantastic! I will return for another meal at Bandana's BBQ, soon. read more

Wow! Just wow! I've had some BBQ in my life from all over the country and this place is now one of my top 3. Amazing pulled pork and ribs. Well done to the Pit Master. The green beans are awesome as well. I ordered online and picked it up. They were on time with the order. Very friendly staff. read more

So we've been there twice, the first time we weren't too impressed by our waitress plus they sat us in the Bar area, not the restaurant. But the food was excellent. The second time, there wasn't a lot of people there which concerned us a bit. Waitress was wayyy better than the first waitress from our first visit. Once again, the food was excellent. I know that this place is part of a chain out of St. Louis, but we all really enjoyed the food!!! read more

Very good selection of BarBqued meats, brewed iced tea, ice cold beer. Server was very attentive, 6 BarBque sauces to choose from all on your table. Overall a great experience read more

Walked into restaurant at 353pm. Never once saw a person or even heard anyone. Waited until 422pm finally as my daughter and I was walking out the door I seen a girl walk from out back . Now I see why it's never busy or only has 1 or 2 customers. Someone should be paying attention to the entrance....at least to greet customers. I understand if your short staffed you still need someone to acknowledge people coming in. There wasn't even anyone on the bar side. read more

Holy Sh*t! Hands down the best d*mn Q I've had since leaving TX. The wood smoke aroma when you walk through the door just screams "you're gonna need to loosen your belt before this is over". The staff was friendly and attentive. The food... Ohh my d*mn! At $90 (including tip) for 4 people, it's a bit pricier than other BBQ joints, but soooo f*cking worth it. If you love smoked animal corpse as much as I do, you owe it to yourself to give bandana's a go. read more

The service was nice but the food was equivalent to Carbondale....aka mediocre. The "brisket" I had was dry. It had a smoky flavor but lacked flavor....like seasoning. The fries were okay. Honestly.....this is not real bbq. Well the bbq I'm used to, where you get savory and succulent meats. But it's Carbondale so my expectations are close to the ground. read more

We were visiting Carbondale and were very happy to find this wonderful restaurant open with great outdoor seating in the back. As we walked up - we could smell delicious food being cooked. Our server was amazing! So helpful and friendly - couldn't ask for more. The food was indeed delicious and served quickly. Totally recommend this restaurant! read more

I was looking forward to this place opening. A friend and I went there for lunch. For ~$9.99 I ordered a pork sandwich, fries, and a soda. I asked, and the waitress said, it was pulled pork. The sandwich was actually chopped pork, very chewy, and dry. There is no seasoning in the meat at all. Instead you have 5-6 sauces to choose from at the table to put on the meat yourself. The fries were plain, simple, and unseasoned. The service was friendly. Both the waitress and the hostess were very nice and welcoming. The sandwich and fries were overpriced and under-satisfying. read more

Bandana's Bar-B-Q - ows the front of the restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

I am being generous here. We came in on a Saturday evening and after we were seated we were told they were out of pork, beef and ribs! How can you be out of everything on a Saturday night and the weekend of st Patrick's day. They would have gotten a 1 if it wouldn't have been for the great waitress we had and that the only food that was available was pretty decent. read more

It had been quite a few years since my last visit to Carbondale, so I was pleasantly surprised when scouting Yelp to find that Bandana's has opened a store in town. I was familiar with the chain through visits to a couple of their stores near St. Louis, and I am here to say that this store knocks it out of the park. Tonight's selection was the beef platter, and it was served by a quick and very friendly staff. Tender and moist, with smoke and beef taste delicately balanced. They have 5 sauces; try them all! There's a nice sports bar section here, and the decor and atmosphere were modern yet friendly. Call it "Upscale Cue", perhaps? Well done, Bandana's, well done. read more

This is my new favorite barbecue place. All the meats are soooo tender and fall of the bone. Sauces are all great. Delicious

I've been here multiple times now and have waited to write my review, hoping my first few visits were flukes, but they're not. So I'm writing based on my most recent experience. The service was fine - the food was not. Every time I've been here, I've been horribly disappointed by the food. Last night I got the beef plate with a baked potato and their bbq beans. You can't go wrong with a baked potato, and it was completely fine last night. It was actually the only part of my dinner I enjoyed. The beans had no flavor and they tasted like they came straight out of a can. They were mushy and had no discernible flavor. The beef does not come in slices of brisket, but instead little sliced chunks that are just piled on your plate. It was very well done and had a grey tint to it... and again, no flavor. It was also fairly chewy and taste like it had sat for a while. I tried a little of the sauces, since there are 6 on your table, and none of them were anything special. They tasted just like very generic bbq sauce you get in the grocery store. The least offensive was the spicy bbq sauce, but even that couldn't quite help the beef. With all the meals, you receive some garlic bread. I love garlic bread - and this just isn't good. It's a bun that's been smushed on the flat top with an artificial tasting garlic butter cooked on it. It's greasy, crunchy, and again - lacks any certain flavor. Overall - everything is just lacking in flavor and quality. For the price you're paying for the food and drinks (it was $5 for a Blue Moon pint... that's a bit pricy for Carbondale...), I just recommend skipping here and going to a legitimate bbq place. I won't name specifics, but we have plenty of other places in Southern Illinois that are a short drive from Carbondale and far better. read more

17th street has competition!!! These guys are serious players in the BBQ realm. Their variety of sauces on the table and the base smoky flavor of the food make for a wonderful dining experience you can customize to your own tastes. Very affordable and the three seating areas (dining room,bar,patio) means you can have either a casual dining experience or more upscale. The staff is extremely friendly as well. read more

Bandana's Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

Bandana's is a regional chain barbecue, this location is about a year old. Restaurant is very large and open. Wrap-around bar with ample seating and plenty of tables. Staff and bartenders are friendly and eager to please. I've been here twice; the bar and restaurant did not have many covers. Cocktails are unreasonably expensive for the area, and not terribly great either. Ordered an old-fashioned, which had a two-dollar up-charge on top of the premium bourbon. The barbecue is average, neither great nor terrible, but it's consistent. The sauces offer an interesting variety of flavors for barbecue. As far as a particular style of barbecue, Bandana's is pretty cut-and-paste. Overall, I'm not going to go out of my way to visit or bring visitors here when they want barbecue. But if looking for a little variety without taking much risk, this is a safe bet. Barbecue for the uninitiated or indifferent. read more