After many failed attempts at walking into The Big Easy's Covent Garden location, I had the foresight to make a reservation in advance to take the carnivore in my life to indulge in a protein-fueled feast for his Birthday. We were time constrained because we were eating before a show on the West End and this caused some confusion- I made the reservation for 18:15 after seeing that they had a pre-theatre menu available on their website; however, when they rang to confirm the booking that afternoon, I was advised that items from the pre-theatre menu must be ordered before 17:45. As it seemed too risky to reconfigure our plans, I explained that we had exactly one hour to order, eat and settle our bill. The woman who sat us enthusiastically noted this would be possible- I also advised her that it was my boyfriend's Birthday and she indicated that a cupcake would be arranged and sent over to us- sadly, this surprise never came into fruition in the haste of us paying and leaving! The Big Easy boasts a lively, moody atmosphere and typifies everything you expect from an American barbeque joint- it's a guaranteed good night out and will satisfy any meat eater or seafood lover's cravings. The food is bombastic and messy, slathered in the house barbecue sauce or swimming in creamy or spicy stock. The meats come delivered on wooden blocks or, in my case, the seafood arrived in a bulky cast-iron skillet. The portion sizes also exemplify what you would expect from America: bordering on greedy, but you definitely feel like you are getting good value. The food isn't exactly cheap, especially for some of the steak options and the Nova Scotian lobster, but that is typical for London. I can't neglect to mention the bottomless specials on offer throughout the week, as I imagine that these are extremely popular. We were there on a Tuesday, which was deemed unlimited jumbo shrimp night (or unlimited portions of a Southern shrimp broil) for a seemingly reasonable price of £19 per person. This included a selection of sides and a slushie cocktail or beer. They offer an unlimited hog roast on Wednesdays and other specials throughout the week. My boyfriend ordered a Taste-O-Rama platter, a professed cornucopia of meats consisting of pit-smoked barbecued chicken, dry-rubbed St Louis pork ribs, Carolina pulled pork and smoked beans and coleslaw on the side. He opted to add the Texas brisket as well because- damn it- it was his Birthday. Everything arrived smothered and glazed and he happily tucked in, affirming that each item in turn was smoked to perfection. He even thoroughly enjoyed the barbecue beans on the side even if they were humble compared to his primary concerns. There were no carbs here to act as filler, so he managed to put away every last morsel without complaining of the type of sweats that often accompany such rich foods. As a seafood eater, I opted for the Crabshack Combo in a spicy soup, which arrived as a sample of giant shrimp (singular), several crab claws, mussels, calms and a handful of new potatoes bobbing in a spicy broth. This was a monster of a dish, requiring untold effort to tuck into- as a warning, do not order this if you are: A) In a rush; or B) Going to the theatre. I was left frantically cracking away at my crab claws and fishing out the meat with various instruments right up to the wire- it was both ugly and messy. The food was delicious, but I had lingering remnants of the meal underneath my fingernails for at least a day afterwards. It was naïve on my part to be allured by this selection, but everything emerged from a wood burning oven in perfect condition; the mussels were plump, the crab was succulent and the shrimp was rich and meaty. I was not offered any wet wipes, however, which would have been appreciated. The atmosphere is relaxed, the waiters were helpful and there was notes of the blues wafting across the restaurant. I hear that the live jazz band plays every evening and they are worth the trip alone. The cocktails are also supposed to be out of this world. Our service was a bit staggered, but this is a very busy and buzzy restaurant that makes attentive service an impossibility- we could have used a bit more attention to clear the plates provided for discarded crab shells and the promise of a Birthday cupcake was never fulfilled (and that would have been a nice touch). We will certainly return to this location of The Big Easy again, but I will order more prudently and we will pace ourselves and make sure to catch the live music. This is a great spot in central London for a boisterous night out in a group. Beware that you will be offered a plastic bib- it's just that kind of joint. read more

Big Easy - Crabshack Combo. - Barbeque Near Me - London, XGL

Poor service. Food was average but a bit sickening. My roll was just full of mayo. Rowdy and cramped place. read more

Big Easy - Barbeque Near Me - London, XGL

So lobster is the new fried chicken it seems. The walk-up queues and the inability to book has always been a big turn-off, but as my date and I were skulking around Soho, cruising for some crustacean we happened upon the Big E on a blatantly busy night and thought, heck why not? Every other joint around here's usually booked, let's take a chance! Then happenstance happened and we made it in (as they happened to have had a cancellation). An optimistic waitress offered us to be seated for drink at the bar whilst we waited a surprisingly short time of 20 minutes for our table, but as I sidled up; before I'd chance to grow barnacles, the seat was brusquely whipped from under me; taken for another table. Usually, I can't stand standing, but was happy to standby back in the line for a chance to get a table here as I'd never come this close: practically within lobster licking distance! Again, booking isn't the finest thing about The Big Easy. If anything, for one irate punter in front of us, it was more of a big deal and not very easy. Whilst he was flapping like cock at a chicken ranch, cussing and spitting feathers at the long wait: (Tip!) I cooly suggested my date and I sit downstairs at the empty bar I spotted below. This trick worked a treat and we ordered ourselves a slap up supper and drinks at the bar. It was from this point though, that The Big Easy felt more like the big freeze when the bar tender who'd taken our order, gave us a very frosty reception. About to tuck into our tipples, a cheery waitress appeared and suggested our table was ready upstairs. Despite the salty service, we said we were happy to stay seated, now that we were finally anchored we reassured her, but she was having none of it and ushered us upstairs telling us we could no longer eat or drink at the bar below. Never-the-less we were "upgraded" to a cramped corner with an artic sea breeze blowing a gale from the air-con above me like the wind on a high sea. My chilly position in the dining room and the less than ship-shape operation of the service, wasn't cool. Being shown to our table was like navigating through a squall, waiters crashed around us, knocking our drinks into us and we had to sit as wet as sea dogs. Despite the seafood focus The Big Easy is strangely themed with servers sporting lumberjack shirts like Urban Outfitter's changing room assistants circa 2006. This was a high price to pay for a trip down memory lane. I simply had simple 'Dollar Wings' with tangy hot sauce to start: American Pub food. This is essentially what the Big Easy does, terrible southern comfort pub food. WHICH I LOVE! (Usually). Especially when it's a dollar. But there's noting on the menu for anywhere near a dollar, in fact it's a just a very overpriced Disnification of someones translation of a Texan roadside pub on the border of a college town. But worse. Also, you know how awkward it is when our Americans friends do impressions of us British people? Well it was really awkward seeing these hapless waiters running this joint [in England], trying to attempt an impersonation of an American style establishment, without the flair and cool casual charisma that most American servers and bartenders have. Truly there was something rather Pythonesque about the buffoonery of The Big Easy's staff 'computer says no' style of care in looking after us and our orders. What was worse, was having to go back downstairs into the bowels of this ship to visit the bathrooms. One thing that was spot-on about this place was the seaside theme of the toilets; stinky Southend-like public toilets. Anyway I enjoyed the likes of Belle & Sebastian lilting over the line up of over cooked lobster, clipped chicken-wings all sadly with very broken bones and also whilst on my date at the table; deveining some of my own prawns, veiny-er than my muscly mates arms. read more

I have to say eating at Big Easy is probably one of the weirdest dining experiences I've had. After ruminating for a week about what I might order (do I go for the fried shrimp special? do I go for something else? What about the shrimp boil? Well the reviews say the shrimp boil has no seasoning. Well my friend said the fried shrimp wasn't that good...), I showed up without a clue. The server (while adorable and Spanish) warned us in advance that it was his second day. It definitely showed as the number of mistakes he made were insane. To be fair it wasn't just him, it was everyone. It seemed that they had recently replaced the entire waitstaff with new people. We were told our fried pickles were calamari (they were definitely fried pickles). Drinks were forgotten. Drinks were delivered to the wrong people. I ended up ordering the shrimp boil, and we got brought the fried shrimp. Not just the once. And not twice. But three times they tried to tell us someone at our table had ordered fried shrimp. They hadn't. Foodwise, it seems like things can be hit or miss. The hot wings were fairly mild for me. But they were okay. The fried pickles actually were pretty good. The person who ordered the burger thought it was pretty terrible. The lobster was apparently nice, but not as good as other places you get lobster for a similar price. The steak and prawn combo was underseasoned. Turns out those of us who ordered the shrimp boil won the dinner lottery for the night. The shrimp boil was delicious. Really thick, spicy sauce with prawns, sausage, corn and potatoes. And it was all REALLY GOOD. Everything was cooked well and tasty. Because it was unlimited, I did order another plate, but I was already full. I didn't care. I was putting more of that deliciousness in my face if it killed me. I may have only eaten the shrimp and sausage out of the second one. But I was going to have more. I left feeling euphoric. I was ready to go nuts and give them the extra star that I thought they deserved for the shrimp boil. This morning, the euphoria is gone. They definitely need to up the service game if it's going to be anything better than average for me. To be fair, I'd definitely come back. But probably only on a Tuesday for the shrimp boil. read more

Excellent service and food was delivered quickly and accurrately. We called up first and was told that the next available table was at 22:30. Since it was only 16:00 when I called I thought the same as you WTF! Anyway, we went over there at 6:30 and I charmed/ flattered Nina a gorgeous lady who turned out to be the manager on the day. We got a table for 3 and were told that we had to be done by 8pm. No problem as me and the boys were Hank Marvin. The setting is pretty cool industrial like someone else mentioned and its dark but lively. The bar had a huge selection of booze and they had their own beers on tap which were ok. The walk to the toilet is loooong, long ting! Did I say it was long? There's a basin upstairs to wash up before dinner so it was cool. I had made the walk before in a failed attempt to eat there a few weeks before. We ordered the voodoo chicken wings and popcorn shrimps to start and they came in about 20 mins. The starters were good and the wings were spicy. Not too spicy. The shrimps weren't as good as I had in the past but were fine. Mains came soon after we had finished and luckily we opted not to sneak in another starter. The portions are big. I had the dry rubbed ribs with beans and slaw which were perfect. Plus real potato fries which were spot on. My mates had a platter each which consisted of qtr ribs, half a chicken and pulled pork. I tried a bit of the chicken which was delicious. The ribs were great I have had better in the USA but for London they were real good. All in all, a solid munch and a great experience. It has my seal of approval! Nina, you're a star x read more

This review's been in a draft state for a while so I'm finally posting it, we went to the Big Easy for my birthday with family, left it a bit late to book, but managed to get a table at half five. The only hiccup we had was that around that time it was a changeover for servers but once it was sorted out everything went well. We ordered shrimp and the thick cut bacon as appetizers, but unfortunately our server came back to say that they had run out of bacon, as an alternative, because we weren't sure about any of the other apps, he got us a small portion of ribs, which we all then regretted not ordering as a main course! Honestly some of the best in London and the sauce is to die for. The seafood combo was given a good review if slightly overcooked, the burger was a thumbs up and the hog roast was fantastic! It's built in what appears to be an old factory or power station, and just a warning to the guys, the toilets are quite far, I think it's three different sets of staircases. Okay if you're sober but once you've had a few and full of BBQ, I could see this becoming a problem! A massive whiskey bar (although service if you're there can be a little slow...) I think they have a bar menu but didn't look at it. Booking is definitely necessary for this place, the number of times I've been looking for something at half six and get offered a 10pm slot... read more

The pre theatre menu was great value and the speed of service meant we didn't miss the beginning of our show. One thing to note, we ordered the same drinks order again (the first round was included in the deal) and this almost doubled our bill. The food and cocktails were delicious though so I'd definitely go back. read more

I don't gamble, I don't drink and I don't smoke. I am saving all my hard earned money for foods. This is a place that I have been dream on. I started to notice this restaurant on social media and it is perfect place for a seafood lover. Here you go, I came to experience it all. I ordered the seafoods combination meal with lobster, crab claws, mussels. It taste so great and it took a while to down it. My friends had ordered pork ribs and pork meat feast..it was huge portion and saw them eat like a hungry ghost...i cannot believe it that they managed to finish it at last. Good attempt. I will definitely come soon to try it Atlantic crab. read more

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We did this for a Friday after-work thing and had booked. The place was already packed so I recommend booking. Started off at the bar for drinks. They do a huge range of cocktails including slushies and alcoholic shakes. The spirit range is even bigger. It's a whiskey lovers delight! They know their stuff too, which is always good. Be expected to pay £10 a cocktail and £7 for a gin & tonic though. We were seated downstairs and opted for the BBQ meat feast plus brisket and sides for £19.90 each. Wasn't a fan of the ribs... They were fatty and tasteless but the rest of the meat was beautiful. The coleslaw could also do with a bit of a make over. Service was average. For the amount of people in there, they needed more staff. Although they pack the tables so tightly, it'd be hard to get more in. We had to wait a good 10/15 minutes just to ask for the bill. The decor is exactly how you'd expect a Southern BBQ joint in the States to look but with added cool light fittings. The toilets needed a bit of attending as by 7pm they already smelt of urine and had toilet paper and water everywhere. All in all, I enjoyed it but it wasn't anything I'd rave about. read more

Right now they are running a reduced menu as their kitchen is under construction. This means no steaks or fried foods. Still it's expensive for what it is. As a southern american im not into making bbq and other things into a dining experience that is so expensive you kind of cringe. I got the seafood caddyshack plate but it was essentially one shrimp, lots of oysters and some crab claws in sauce for nearly 20£. I don't think you should lump all this seafood together as only really mussels would be steamed in sauce. I had to order the side of Mac and cheese to feel full which was rich but at least not offensive. I also ordered the big easy beer and honestly I think it's Miller High Life. read more

50% off a seafood and meat fear, count me in! Myself, Andrew M, Teresa C and Rob H were here last night with a 50% off promo, which is a pretty sweet deal. We started off with the 2-person appie platter, with 2 types of wings, and other deep fried seafood goodies. The calamari was thin, dry and chewy, and I personally wasn't a fan of the deep fried fish/potato balls. The prawns and wings were good but overall, everything was just warm when we got it. For our mains, we shared the 1kg T-bone steak, BBQ taste-o-Rama platter, and a lobster (along with a few other sides and sauces). The ribs were a bit dry, but I thought everything else was pretty good (considering the balance of price-portion-quality). One if the things I really didn't like were the wild mushrooms - if I were to gnaw on a piece of bark, this is what I think it would taste like. Big disappointment, considering I love mushrooms! This visit was about a month after their grand opening, but I felt there were still a few things left to be ironed out. The food didn't take too long but it definitely could have been more fresh / hot (this was 10pm on a Sunday night). I wouldn't say the food is the best, but it's fair value for what you get, and the bar looks pretty impressive. Another thing to note - I tried looking for the daily deal menu but couldn't find it for this location (unlimited rib nights, shrimp nights etc). Worth looking into, but I had the unlimited fried shrimp at the Chelsea location and it was great! read more

Lunch special was a good price for what they offered. Service was a bit slow that might have been more cultural than anything else so I don't quite hold that against them. The food was nice & hot coming out. read more

The food - good. The best BBQ we have since moving abroad from Dallas, Texas nearly three years ago. For those of you who want a bit more detail, the mac-n-cheese was too sharp/strong. They need to tone down the strength of the cheddar used. The baked beans were too sweet. I recon they were made from Heinz baked beans because my husband has tried to make baked beans from Heinz beans and they turned out similar although not as sweet and more of a consistency of refried beans. The St. Louis ribs were good - a huge portion that can easily be split between two people. The beef brisket was also a huge portion and was good but was a little dry. Really, I can not complain about the meats. Each "meat" came with a side of coleslaw (very good) and potato salad which is more of a mayonnaise base rather than a mustard base. Value for money - this place is spot on. As stated before, the portion size is good. Service, as with most restaurants in the UK, is lacking. Staff were assigned too many tables which made service slow and scarce. We ordered a starter of voodoo wings and were delivered BBQ wings and were not able to snag our server to return them. We also ordered a round of beers and they never arrived. Space and location is good. We inadvertently made our reservation for the Chelsea location and when we arrived at the Covent Garden location (and realized the error of our ways), they offered to put us to the top of the wait list and told us to hang out in the bar and they'd find us in approximately 30 minutes. One hour and 20 minutes later (and after checking in with the hostess), we were seated downstairs. Downstairs is not where you want to be, even though there is live music down there because live music is loud and the kitchen is also downstairs which makes it HOT! A couple things to note: -Toilets are downstairs -There is another bar with about 6 barstools downstairs -Live music is downstairs -There is a sink where you can wash your hands upstairs in the bar area read more

It was okay. The decor was cool. Full of American-ness. I specially like the bip you got to wear when you ordered the lobster cake. If you are there with friends, it is best to order and share. The small dishes are a bit ordinary to my understanding. But the Big lobster looks good. read more

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I have to admit ... I dug my own grave here. I wanted to avoid the costly Burger & Lobster and instead had a not very nice, but still costly burger in this place. We met here for Book Club, which was not my best idea. Its just a bit too loud to talk nicely and its also very densely packed with furniture, as they try to get as much seating as possible out of this location. Our waiter was very new and very cute, but that didn't help him much when he brought breaded instead of boiled shrimps, not just once, but twice to our table. The starters were ok, but nearly swimming in fat. I had a burger, which was also very fatty ( battered onion rings and oily brioche bread) and the meat was kind of crumbly. I was not impressed. Especially when they brought me my beer (£5.50) and it was still in its can. Canned beer? really? for that price? really? read more

As an American who's eaten BBQ everywhere, I had low expectations. I will say Big Easy is good, not great. The Brisket was dry, like shoe leather. The pulled pork was not pulled. The only way that happens is the heat being too high when cooking. The creamy mashed potatoes were not creamy. But, the ribs were fantastic. Maybe, some of the best we've had. The chicken was more than solid. And, the chips / fries and baked beans were very good. read more

Very disappointed! For a restaurant that is so popular I was expecting much more! Firstly, the food was lovely but there was no cutlery on our table. I had to ask for someone to get us cutlery, the first waiter did not do this so I had to ask again. Secondly, when our food arrived we were not asked if we wanted any sauces or if everything was okay with our meals and we ended up sitting on a dirty table without our empty drinks being taken. Service was not good. read more

Proper BBQ. Ribs are great, chicken and brisket as well. Pulled pork could be better. Ambience is a bit forced, too dark for a restaurant, too overdone for a jazz bar. read more

We wanted to go to one of our favourites for ribs (Joe's Southern Kitchen), but ended up here as there was no table available there. Even here, we had to lounge at the bar to grab one of the counter seats, which were available as first come first served -- all the other tables were fully booked. Hence, first tip: if you plan to be here on a Saturday night, make sure to have a booking. I ordered the lobster roll, which was average. The meat was fresh, but I felt like it was unimpressive compared to Lobster & Burger (my all-time favourite) and the portion was small. My bf ordered one of the rib combos, which came with all of ribs, chicken and pulled pork with sides (chips, coleslaw, difference sauces). We felt that his dish was definitely a great deal for value (only £19ish) and that the quality was passable too. I quite liked the ambience -- very hipster and reminiscent of an American shack type of place. Overall, a good place but not the best. read more

This place is awesome. Much more awesomerer than the original Fulham branch! Really!? You ask me? Of course not! I reply. It's not very good here. Lame service, far too busy, impossible to get a table. Take all the worst things about the original branch, multiply them by corporate industrial size and stick them in Covent Garden, and that's what you have here. It's impossible for the staff to treat you nicely because it's so busy they are run off their feet, and they won't remember your face in the sea of people. This place is big, but it's not easy. I don't think the food is as good as the original branch either. read more

Neeeeeeeewp. Can't justify it for the price. 5 smallish chicken wings for £9? Completely unseasoned steak and two unseasoned prawns for £33.50? Overcooked and unseasoned green beans for £4.50? Sorry, but if you're trying to be a southern inspired joint, those green beans should have bacon in them. I tried a bit of the shrimp boil that was on special for the night and the broth was pretty tasty, although a smidge on the sweet side. And the sausage included in the shrimp boil was really good and had a nice "snap" which is what you want in a sausage. I'm from Texas. We eat BBQ. I know these things. But alas, I didn't order the shrimp. Not to mention, literally everyone working there was new and our orders were messed up several times as pointed out by Jules and Grant. Went to the loos and there was a congregation of waitstaff all giggling and commiserating about how many times they'd messed up for the evening. Not impressed. read more

A big BBQ fan, I was eagerly anticipating our visit to The Big Easy. From the food, I wasn't let down. My boyfriend's St Louis ribs were fantastic - easily the best we've had in the last year - and I enjoyed my 250g sirloin steak and half lobster, which is the Thursday special, as ridiculous as it sounds. The voodoo shrimp to start were also scrummy, with delicious sauces complementing the crunchy, large prawns. So although I was happy food-wise, there were a few flies in the ointment that lead me to downgrade it from fully recommended to just a decent option. Firstly, I think it's too expensive for the sort of restaurant it is. In some ways, they make up for this with the specials and the early/late menus (which seem like particularly great value at £10 for two courses, though you do have to be eating at a weird time to take advantage). But everything on the standard menu just seems like a bit of a stretch for quite a casual meal, particularly if they don't include sides, with many coming in at around £20. And starters are also a bit of a pisstake - we really wanted the voodoo shrimp, and they were good, but it was £9.90 for six, which wasn't completely out of sync with the other starters. What irritates me (this might sound weird) is that there's SO much food. Neither my boyfriend nor I could comfortably finish our meals. We'd have been happy with more normal portions but spending 2/3 of what we did - it just makes it feel unnecessary. However, knowing this now if we went back, we would probably share the ribs and maybe a starter (which would still mean spending about £18-£20 each depending on if you get a drink and/or a side, which again feels a lot considering you are sharing something that is supposedly for one person). We also had varied service. Our waiter was lovely and very helpful for making menu selections. Food came VERY quickly - i.e. before our drinks, which felt kind of weird and not what we wanted, and also made it seem like we were just in a factory line and they were pushing us through. But on the other hand, when we asked for the bill, we had to wait 20 minutes to actually pay, which was probably about a quarter of the time we spent there in total. I would go again - but I would either try to go for the pre/post theatre menu, or split a meal with someone to make it reasonable value. read more

I'll have to visit The Big Easy again, as I'm not sure it would be fair to judge them on the meal I had, which was on Thanksgiving Day. Granted, we went for lunch so it wasn't as hectic as it could have been at dinner, but despite my booking being for 2, I was asked literally 3 times after I had been seated whether I was ready to order my main (from a set Thanksgiving menu) even though I was clearly waiting for another party. Undeterred, I scanned the drinks menu and after perusing for a bit, settled on sweet tea. "I'll have the sweet tea," I told the waitress when prompted. She looked at me blankly. "Um, I don't know what that is," she replied, pen poised over pad. "No worries, I'll show you!" I said, pointing at the menu. "Here you go. Sweet tea. A glass of that, please." Later, my husband seemed to have the same issue when ordering root beer ... "What kind of beer would you like?" she asked after he ordered. "Um, root beer," he said. She went on to list the different types of beers in house. Again, we opted for pointing to the menu. The caeser salad was pretty good to start, although I wish it had come with a warning of the heaps of blue cheese it came accompanied with. I left about a third of it on the plate. Our Thanksgiving mains of smoked turkey, cornbread stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole and sweet potato was delicious enough ... but it arrived lukewarm and became cold within 10 minutes of us digging in. I couldn't be bothered to ask for it to be reheated as I was on my lunch break after all. After being whacked the £75 bill (for food and drinks), I left feeling a little ... meh. Just as my rating says. I hope their lobster's better ... read more

We went during their soft opening period so many of the issues we experienced will hopefully have been ironed out. Firstly the positves, the bar staff are just lovely (the staff in general are a lovely bunch despite the hectic pace they're under). We were a greedy group of 4 and ordered the barbeque ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, lobster bake (x2), lobster, crab shack, chips and sticky toffee pudding (x2). All up 7 mains and 2 desserts. Mains were a very generous size. The sticky toffee pudding is easily the best I've had in a restaurant. Decadent with just the right amount of sweetness. The seafood dishes were definitely better than the bbq dishes. The taste of the garlicky butter sauce of my crab shack was just devine. There were issue with the cooking overall, while the mussells and prawns were perfectly cooked in the Crab Shack, the crab itself was too dry. My friend who had the lobster bake, had to return his because the prawns were uncooked while the lobster and mussels had were cooked. Unfortunately, by the time we all finished our meals his replacement lobster bake was still nowhere to be seen and we had to cancel his order. To be fair, by this stage we were all full from sharing everything anyway. The barbeque meats were okay. All the meats could have used with a good amount of extra sauce for flavouring. Both the ribs and brisket were fantasticly cooked with the meat moist and succulent. The pulled pork disappointingly dry. Chips were fantastic. We were all happily in a carb coma with all the chips and potatoes that come with the mains. Cocktails were coyingly sweet and I don't rate them. The house wines were surprisingly good and good value for money. read more

Definitely a place I'd recommend you book before you go. Have been here twice now and both times the place was completely packed. You can see why when your food arrives. Very large portions and great BBQ sauce! The service was been friendly but quite slow, however you can't expect miracles in a place that is this big, this easy and always busy. They also have a great pre-theatre deal of two courses and a drink for £9.95 on weekdays before 6pm which is excellent value for money and enough that you leave feeling satisfied. Next time I go here I'm going to ask for the BBQ sauce recipe! read more

First of all, stop what you're doing and go to the Big Easy!!!! Seriously, you don't need my review for your first time, but it may be helpful when you inevitably return. The ambiance of this place is really enjoyable; a very Southern rockabilly sensibility. Service was quick (we were there on a weeknight) though our waiter forget several essentials, such as utensils and wet napkins, though we requested them multiple times. Despite that, the food was amazing. We all had the £20 Lobsterfest; I had the mojito slushie, which my friends agreed was stronger than their margarita and gin fuzz slushies. I will be back for the Pre/Post-Theater menu which features an appetizer, entree and drink for £10! read more

Vibrant atmosphere, lightning fast service and last but not least what great food! I was initially hesitant to don the bib but it's all part of the experience :) We came here on a Thursday and got the steak/lobster deal with a slushie margarita cocktail for 22pp. Would definitely like to come back, even if it's just for drinks as their bar looked fab too! read more

3.5 stars. It was okay, but I don't think I would be really up for another visit. I ordered the lobster & steak, but imo the lobster wasn't as good as the ones from B&L, white the steak wasn't as good as the ones from steakhouses. Maybe it just wasn't the best thing to order. It wasn't bad though, I mean the portion was quite big so it was still good value for money I guess. read more

Big Easy - Barbeque Near Me - London, XGL

Love the decor on the place inside. You can tell it's much newer and more roomy than the one I had previously been to in Chelsea and I immediately liked it. I had taken my dad for his birthday here and we loved the service which from the start was excellent. We got a pre theatre dinner is sirloin steak, fries and cocktail. Very very good. My dad loves his steak. I got the two courses of Mac n cheese and BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich and fries. Another good 'un. I would definitely come back and take friends here as it has a great vibe but most important my great food for the value it gives. read more

They have strict door policy waiting time, which is good in a way. Anyway the food is very good. Especially when you try their daily specials!(recommend the Thursday) Burger and Lobster-who???!! Service is always very friendly and personal. I keep coming back again and again. read more

Simply put...."BE" (Big Easy) Convent Gardens is not as good as their brother crab shack in Chelsea, but still worth a visit. First impressions were good, the service staff were very friendly and helpful. We went in the evening on a Tuesday night for my girlfriends birthday. We asked to move downstairs and were relocated quickly and politely. We felt like we had our own host in a bustling busy restaurant..A good start... Unfortunately their efforts were spoilt with the food and beverage. I ordered a mixed BBQ plate and found it to be lacking the flavour I had become accustomed to at the Big Easy in Chelsea. The BBQ plate was laden with meat, and with beans, coleslaw and chips...its a good feed. Sadly the piles of meat are barely warm and lacking flavour their brother offers in abundance. Also their Pina Colada cocktail I love love love was nothing like BE Chelsea....it was awful... My girlfriend loved her Lobster though, and I loved my lobster cocktail entree. So I guess if you appreciate good food steer clear of the BBQ smoked meats, I found them cold, lacking taste and unappetizing...I felt like I was eating yesterdays BBQ off cuts..not todays....maybe focus more on freshly grilled meats or seafood when you order. Overall when I ask myself the question....YES I would take friends there again, but as a fun place for a munch and a drink, not a food destination... its a lovely space, really well done, the service staff are great. Sadly the kitchen hasn't got it together yet...But BE Covent Gardens is still newly opened so maybe they will improve with time. One more tip, if you over order you can get doggy bags, being they serve you half a farm on with the popular Meat O rama....this is a good thing... read more

There are a lot of things I liked about the Big Easy in Covent Garden. Having gone for a late dinner, we were surprised to find that the sheer volume of food offered (in both menu and more so in size of portion) was immense. It was big enough to make me feel back home in the American South, or at least like I was at a Red Lobster. An American Chain is probably an apt metaphor for Big Easy as while the food was good and quite copious, the pace at which it was brought to us was reminiscent of the slow pace of life on the Louisiana bayou. Admittedly we showed up 30 minutes early for our reservation and had a drink in the bar, but we weren't seated until 30 minutes after our reservation time. Once sat, it took another 45 minutes for the food to arrive, bringing the entire dinner experience (from arrival to paying and departing) to around 2 hours and 30 minutes. Given we arrived at 9:45 pm, leaving for home a shade after midnight really reminded me of a wild (or atleast long night) out on bourbon street. The food itself is quite good, as we tried the lobster and steak (both amazing) as well as the mac & cheese and hushpuppies. While the hushpuppies were closer to churro than what I might get back home, everything was delicious. The bar area has an amazing selection of drinks as well and would be worth just dipping in for a drink. Overall, I'll probably go again (if only because all you can eat is equal parts an invitation and challenge to someone from the American South) but given the pace at which a meal happens, I'll probably just come in the afternoon and make a day of it. read more

Came here in February and made a reservation, very very glad we did! The place was packed and it was around 8:30. I wanted the Lobster Roll after looking at the menu online and was promptly told they didn't have any, after speaking with my server, I came to find out they did have lobster, just not the whole lobsters. I ordered hush puppies for my starter which were nothing like what I would call hush puppies so that was a disappointment. My boyfriend ordered a massive amount of food with lots of meat and I tried it all and the best thing was the pork. Chicken was kind of dry, and everything else on the plate paled in comparison to the pulled pork. My lobster roll was awful and I wish I would've stuck with the pulled pork sandwich. The service was extremely slow, and we almost ending up walking up to the waitress with our card to get out. We asked for our bill and waited at least 30 minutes for it to be delivered to us. Beer is good, but a little pricey for London. I am an American and my boyfriend British so maybe I have higher expectations for BBQ, but I suppose overall it was good. Next time I would just stick to the pulled pork. Best to go with the classic! read more

Do not do the bottomless brunch, honestly it is an absolute joke! The waiters did not have a clue, waited 25 mins before we got to order a drink, even then we had to usher the waiter to come over. Told don't get chips with the meal (menu states otherwise) drinks all came at different times. My food was cold. All the tables surrounding us were complaining, people were getting wrong dishes, table next to us waiter over 49 mins just to order a drink. Had to get the manager down. Got asked to leave our table (said our time was up, man was so rude) we explained we didn't get served till 12:40 we sat down at 12:10. We still had time left. He was not having any of it and sent us upstairs to sit at the bar. The mojito was very very weak, and more ice then anything else. My friend ordered the bottomless bbq but literally only got what was on her plate. She was unable to order anything else. Honestly it was like a sketch show. The staff could see how unhappy we were like pretty much everyone else but didn't see to care less. I gave feedback after but the manager just said he had spoke with staff and they have said otherwise. I said to check the cameras and I mentioned letting the CEO know because they are going to keep losing customers, he said go ahead and let him know. Poor customer service. read more

Portions are large and the food is pretty average. I like the decor but the place is very very noisy and u can barely hear urself speak. It's fine for large groups if you want some hearty food. read more

The menu at Big Easy Covent Garden is a mix of pit cooked BBQ and seafood, focused on lobster and crab with daily specials including Limitless Jumbo Shrimp with a drink for £18 on Tuesdays and Steak & Lobster with a drink for £21.50 on Thursdays. The best value dish on the menu is probably the Lobster Fest - available every day, you can have a whole 1 1/2 lb lobster served with fries, house salad & a slushie cocktail or schooner of ice cold craft lager or ale for just £20. There's also a great value lunch / pre-theatre menu where you can have two courses and a drink for just £10. Sounds a bit too good to be true. We both ordered a tasty slushie cocktail and the Bar-B-Q Blowout (£19.90) which frankly, was far too much food for a lunch time! The blowout is a platter of pit-smoked Bar.B.Q chicken, dry-rubbed St Louis pork ribs, Carolina pulled pork with house made cornbread, pit-smoked beans, slaw and fries. Everything in the blowout was well cooked and full of delicious BBQ flavour. It's a great way to sample a wide range of dishes from the menu but make sure you're hungry. Really, really hungry. read more

First time here, had the 2 courses for £9.95 lunch meal. It's very good value. Food are very tasty, service was good read more

Big Easy - Mussels in Gaelic sauce - Barbeque Near Me - London, XGL

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Disappointing experience. Went with a group of 6 on a Monday evening just after the new year. We had made reservations and were sat promptly at a booth down stairs. Should have been tipped off by the space heaters they had at the reception but we absolutely froze. They had space heaters throughout the restaurant which made the 2 foot radius around them stifling hot, but it remained frigid everywhere else. If you've been to this restaurant before then you'd know that they don't have a front door per se, just a long hallway, which acted like a wind tunnel. When we were sat by the hostess, she forgot to leave the menus she had brought along with her. As we were sat there, waiter upon waiter passed us by for 20 mins. One even briefly stopped long enough to say "oh, you've already ordered" before running off before we could stop her to say that we indeed hadn't even been given a menu. We flagged her down and she apologised. There was a musician playing guitar and singing Southern music. It was far too loud to enjoy and we literally could not have a conversation with others at the table despite being on the other side of the room from the musician. The food and drinks came quickly after we had ordered but I must say I feel the quality has gone down hill a bit. Chips were soggy and some of the barbecue ribs looks gristly and unappetising. They seriously need to down size their portions and prices and get their food back to the quality that it was a few years ago. The service was very poor throughout our dinner, did not ask to see if our food was alright or if we needed drinks refilled. Very disappointed and probably won't return. read more

I guess if you were 20 years old, had just been on a gap year to America and wanted to show your mates what American food tasted like, you could take them here. Otherwise this is just another example of the Bogan-ification of the West End and nothing special. There's nothing particularly bad about it. Just made little impact on me, either way. Three stars for the nice waiter, and the meat was well cooked. read more

Been to this place twice in recent months, both times were very pleasing although the air conditioning wasn't working, so it was quite hot and stuffy. However the food was great, I got the ribs both times, I was stuffed. My girlfriend had the lobster both times, she enjoyed it very much. Will definately go back when I'm in the area. Brian. read more