Great food at this local family run restaurant! Service is good and the prices are reasonable. My son can't get enough of their fries! read more

You'd have to be a heartless pig-hater to not fall in love with this place. I've stopped there once for take-out, once for eat-in. Both experiences were very positive. The sauce on the BBQ was my version of perfection: heavy on pepper, balanced with sweet and not too much vinegar. The fryer was fairly consistent, churning out respectable onion rings. The slaw was fresh and crunchy, on the sweet side with only a dash of mayonnaise. The fried chicken lacked much spice, but made up for that with a precisely uniform and crisp exterior. (They give you honey, salt, and pepper-- you can spice your own d*mn chicken. Its the fry that counts.) Don't get me started on the pigs. Getting to see that many porcelain pigs in one place is worth the trip. And the service was warm and courteous. The meat they use is not the highest quality, and I wouldn't put this place in my top five bbq spots. However it is very convenient to the I-81, has superb sauce and a good fryer, and a boasts a world-class porcine art collection. That makes it worthy of a fifth star in my book. read more

For it's barbecue I would give it no stars if I could. The pork was a n almost tasteless mush with no hint of smoke. We ordered the spicy fries. There wasn't even a hint of spice. The sandwiches were cheap but you also get what you pay for. I probably wouldn't eat here again except for the ambience was quaint and nice, and the service we received was quick and friendly. read more

Nice enough staff, but our pork BBQ sandwich reminded my husband of mushy, flavorless elementary school cafeteria pulled pork and my chili dog was kind of like a gas station chili dog in a bag. Our toddler's grilled cheese was good (about what you'd make at home) and a vanilla shake was good. We sat at the outside tables in the parking lot and were swarmed with flies. Kitschy vintage deco. read more

Bar-B-Q Ranch - The exterior... - Barbeque Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

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The food here is AMAZINGGGG!!! OMG.... the BEST pulled pork I have ever had... I also had a foot long chili dog which was delicious as well. These low key old school restaurants are the absolute best. Love the rustic decor and the local customers enjoying their meals. Service was friendly and I even purchased a t shirt to take back home! read more

Ok so we've been here like 4 times on our way up and down 81 and we've unraveled the mystery! The 1/2 chicken, pulled pork bbq and ribs on the rack are all homemade and awesome (I always get the bbq chicken). After being very disapointed by the rib sandwich we inquired and learned that the items mentioned above are their homemade ones and hence the best. The bbq sauce is great- we always get an extra jar to take home too. read more

Pretty good, greasy food. Food came out fast and the service was good. The fried green beans were my favorite part. The decor is cute - red checkers and pigs everywhere. read more

The bar-b-que ribs were cooked in a crock pot, not grilled or smoked. They tasted like soggy pot roast with sauce. They looked as awe full as they tasted. Fruit cup was canned pineapple. $50.00 for lunch for the two of us and it was inedible. read more

Their barbecue was not tasty. Everything tasted kind of bland and maybe frozen/reheated except the onion rings. Those were very good. Service was good and the decor is cute. But wouldn't come back for the food. read more

I don't remember how I first found out about the Bar-B-Q Ranch. It certainly wasn't from driving past it. It's not on the way to anything except an unpopulated exit of I-81. Once you've been, there's an unstoppable urge to take somebody - anybody - back with you, just so they can confirm that the place exists. The outside looks like a run-of-the-mill drive-in restaurant. You can pull up and order and eat in your car. Like a Sonic but with edible food. If you're feeling adventurous, go inside. It's like the Southern Twilight Zone. Nascar, pigs, pictures from classic car shows, more pigs of every shape, size, and artistic medium. Pulled pork BBQ and a chocolate shake is more than a meal. Food is fast, cheap, and delicious. If this were any closer to town, it could be dangerous. As is, I usually rely on the Smokin' Pig for my BBQ fix, but sometimes you just have to venture out beyond civilization if you want to see that many ceramic pigs under one roof. One helpful hint: Tell people where you're going before you leave. Randomly driving north on Route 11 might lead some people to believe that they're being abducted. read more

Good BBQ, good fried sides, good service, and cheap. Yes fix the place up and it might be a dive. Don't get me wrong this is one of those dying, true country gems. This is an old drive-in but only sit down and take out now. The tables are covered with checkered tablecloths and pigs are everywhere. Not really pigs but pictures and ceramic pigs cover every inch that isn't NASCAR. Ok enough of the visual. The waitresses are darlings. Ours could have been my grandmother, so friendly and helpful. The food was good for a BBQ joint. The fried pickles were a hit. My favorite was the hush puppies - they were super tasty even if they were slightly on the small size. They milk shake was so good my brother had two - split them with his wife. They only down side was the fried chicken would take 25 minutes - which we skipped. So if you are ever traveling through Harrisonburg get off at US 11 and head over to the BBQ Ranch. read more

Great pulled pork sandwich. String fries like the way McDonalds use to make. Awesome little dive to go out of the way!! This place has been around for years. GREAT MOM AMD POP restaurant. read more

Business been there for years good food price a bit high lots of food on menu don't serve alcohol have some old car cruise in good time to go read more

Cool kitschy place as an alternative to fast food. Fries are awesome, coleslaw is very good. This is slow cooked pork not BBQ but good nonetheless. Love stoping here occasionally as a change of pace. Always fast service and clean. Bathrooms are outside, deal with it they are clean. read more

We drove by then turned around to get some take-out. Unfortunately we spent 50.00 on what turned out to be the worst bbq we've ever had. The ribs were 95% fat and soaking wet from the watered down sauce they use which is also terrible. And the coleslaw had so much sugar in it , it was more like dessert. We ended up throwing most of the food away. We got nauseous shorty after. Now we know why the place was empty. read more

Great service, the bbq baby ribs are great! And the bbq sauce is something else. If you are around you have to visit this place. read more

Overall, I give this spot 3 stars b/c of the cute decor and sweet waitresses. If it weren't for that, it'd be 2 stars all the way. What was good: the sweet tea What was fair: bbq, coleslaw, onion rings (frozen) What was poor: hush puppies, french fries (frozen) If you are from the south and really know your bbq, you'll be disappointed. If you aren't a bbq connoisseur, it's okay. If you are STARVING and can't drive another mile, it's pretty good! read more

I am not a BBQ expert as I am from Maryland. Nevertheless I thought this place was great. I did a solo 8.5 mile hike in the nearby George Washington National Forest and I was in a hurry to get home, a two hour drive away, but I was also very hungry. Got a quick BBQ sandwich with coleslaw on it and a Diet Coke for $7.75. Great value, super friendly service. Will definitely be back when I am in that neck of the woods again. read more

While visiting home for the weekend, I stopped into good 'ole Bar-B-Q Ranch for a small bite. While I've had various things from here over the years (chicken sandwich and the amazing BBQ), I ordered the zucchini sticks (friend zucchini) with ranch, and a chocolate milkshake. Both REALLY hit the spot. The milkshake was very clearly made with real ice cream and was served in the traditional tall metal cup. Always a joy to stop in when I'm in town. read more

Ate here recently and I was so disappointed. Not only was the food terrible. Frozen popcorn shrimp and frozen fries, way over cooked beef on open face sandwich (it's a trick to over cook meat so much that it's dry even when smothered in gravy!) Then there is the service. It seemed that of the 2 wait staff that one was nice by her customers responses. Unfortunately we didn't have her. We had someone who was upset that we were interrupting her day from the moment we walked in. While everyone else was complimenting us on our 2 well behaved girls she clearly disliked children. Furthermore I was finally able to flag her down for the one and only time she came to our table after bringing the food. I finally got up and asked for dessert then took it to our table myself. Got up to get check... She was not only unhelpful but in a town of nice people one of the most unpleasant. Finally adding insult to injury this place was EXPENSIVE. It is billed as this little bque place but the prices for small servings of FROZEN food and cheap cut of meat was ridiculous. For 2 lunch entrees,1 iced tea,1 coke and 2 kids milks and (3 fried pickle spears @ $4 more than $1 a spear) it was $53! $25/adult! Do not go here. For the money you can go somewhere much much better. And have good service. read more

This is just Supermarket BBQ...edible and fresh enough...but NOT GOOD BBQ! Hush puppies are dry and tasteless. Very nice (european) waitress. Place needs up-keep...it's sad...and dingy. We love old qwerky places but this place is ONLY good if you are starving and can't get anywhere else...even then DON'T get the BBQ. read more

I guess I'm a heartless pig-hater since I don't love this place. Really, what is so great about it other than has been around a long time? The BBQ isn't all that, certainly NOT the best locally and doesn't even compare to NC or Memphis BBQ. When we went the service wasn't friendly and it wasn't all that clean inside. I will admit that the slaw was unique with lot's of flavor thanks to the serious sugar mixed in, but I'm not a fan of the texture. The hushpuppies were OK, but really how hard is it too not screw up hushpuppies? The house specialty BBQ sandwich had average, at best, flavor and wasn't very tender. IMHO quality BBQ must have both of those..... I love me some Vitamin P, but not from the Bar-B-Q Ranch. read more

Ordered ribs here and fried chicken to take out. I asked if the ribs were full size and they said yes. when I opened the carry out box when I got in the car , I was shocked to see they were not! They were small and for 1/2 rack I ordered they seemed like a 1/4 of a rack. The ribs are not worth the price they charge either. I normally like my bbq sauce on the side, but they said it comes with it on it. The sauce had no flavor to it and to me it tasted like ketchup Fries came with it and it had to be the worst fries I have had, I literally had to throw them out! The chicken was fairly decent though, but nothing out of the ordinary. Sorry I will not be back. read more

Disappointed. Looks like a cute place and wanted to try something that wasn't a chain. Bathrooms were not appealing (dirty)...old style revolving cloth towel aka germ city to dry hands on. Cute inside and out...kitschy and full of pigs. Nice waitress. Fast service. Almost too fast. Pork BBQ sandwich was ok. Coleslaw ok. Ribs not the best. Chicken nuggets were the cheap frozen kind that are mealy inside. Sweet tea tasted like bottled tea. Cannot recommend unless you like frozen food or are going just for the kitsch. read more

Bar-B-Q Ranch - Vintage feel...food is just mediocre. - Barbeque Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

I discovered this place when I was a student at JMU.... 20 years ago.. And it's still my favorite. I've moved to California and Arizona and anytime I am anywhere nearby, I make it a point to eat here. I've driven cross country 3 times and stopped every time for pulled pork sandwiches with cole slaw and hush puppies. LOVE! read more

This place has decent BBQ. The sweet potato fries. Ahhhh. STAY AWAY!! Food is somewhat expensive. There is better BBQ to be found on 81.

Pig-a-rific decor! But just 3 stars for the bbq and sides. If you've had genuine Q from NC or further south, you might be a little disappointed. But it gets the job done if you need a Q fix. read more

Great pork barbecue - slightly spicy and moist. Great coleslaw, and a great bargain.

Don't waste your time. I stopped here on a road trip after craving some BBQ and finding the above review. Pulled pork sandwich tasted like sloppy joes. When we asked for BBQ sauce, they gave us prepackaged packets like you get at micky d's. Fries and onion rings are frozen store bought. If you want good BBQ hold off until you're further south. This was dissapointing. read more

I dont get the allure of this place. When I went, I had to fend the flies off my bbq sandwhich which tasted freezer burn and was mushy. Maybe I'll give it another try one day... read more

Stopped here on my way to NC. Saw a sign at the gas station, and thought I would try it, got a BBQ sandwich w cold slaw, it was tasty & just the right amount of spice, so glad I stopped... Will def book mark this place to come again in my travels... read more

This is the quintessential small town Bbq joint. Little booths with red and white checkered table cloths, and more pig knicknacks than you have ever seen in your life. It's like an adorable little country kitchen. The food is nice and cheap. Not large portions, so you won't have leftovers. The fries weren't soggy, but they weren't the best either. Seemed like they got them frozen and fried them. Pie is store bought, too, but there's good funnel cake! And the coleslaw is quite good - if you like sweeter coleslaw. They do use all cheap plastic silverware and styrofoam dishes though, which made me sad. Over all, quaint, tasty, and definitely small town. I'd go again :) read more

At the Bar-B-Que Ranch all barbeque and sauce is made fresh each week, as both the hot slaw and cole slaw - not store bought. It is NOT Eastern Carolina style. The chicken is fried fresh when you order which takes 20 min. Been eating there for years and have several favorites including chicken, hot slaw and vegetable beef soup...Malted shakes are good too in several flavors...there is sauce and hot sauce for those who want spicier bbq...little children prefer it mild and this is a family restaurant. read more

This is a hidden gem right off Interstate 81. The previous reviewer got this placed nailed. As I travel up and down I-81 in the Batmobile I often stop here for a BBQ sandwich. This is the type of place that is frequently missed because of the Interstate. I am glad I found this little gem. read more

Love this place, stop by for BBQ sandwiches every time I pass by.

Stopped here on a whim on our way to Roanoke. Service left something to be desired, but the food was great. I spend most of the year in the northeast where it's nearly impossible to find decent sweet tea--BBQ Ranch won my heart with theirs. BBQ sandwich was perfect, served on a plain-jane white hamburger bun, just like it should be. Fried pickles are a MUST! read more

Bar-B-Q ranch is a worth visiting. It should be on Food Network. Its cozy, the food is great and the atmosphere is pure americana. They have drive in service with the tray on your window, pictures of Elvis on the ceiling and a friendly crowd. They have been doing this for 68 years and counting. Noel is the best waitress in the world. Tell her and you'll get a treat! read more

It's been years since I've eaten at Bar B-Q Ranch in Harrisonburg and I miss it dearly. The food is authentic and delicious. No frills, no nonsense, just great country cookin at an unbelievable price! Last time I ordered a bbq pork sandwich with slaw in Los Angeles I paid nearly 9 bucks! At BBQ Ranch you can get 4 bbq pork sandwiches for 9 bucks! If I could give this place more than 5 stars I certainly would. read more

I have loved this place ever since I lived in Harrisonburg about 10 years ago. So much in fact that I created a Facebook page for the place. Everytime I go back, It's still exactly as I remember it and I hope it never changes! The ladys that run the place are some of the sweetest women you could ever imagine. The food is nothing fancy but is good and I enjoy the simpleness of the place. read more

This is a little hole in the wall place that you'd never find if you weren't looking for it. It is not in the town of Harrisonburg really, but out of town a little way. The old, country, gaudy decor is a combination of pigs (lots of them) and famous old-school actor / musician posters and it makes this place worth a visit as much as the food. I would not pretend to know what "good BBQ" is and I think other reviewers here arrogant enough to tell us what good BBQ is don't know the bounds of the relevance of their own opinions. Bottom line was the food was worth it. The desserts were great. The staff was very nice and accommodating. It was worth the 20 minute drive. read more