I've always been by this place, so today we tried the place out. Usually a good sign, when a place has to have supplemental parking across the street. But in this case, the place was an overall disappointment. - Best item of the night: the homemade rolls and apple butter. Rolls were absolutely great. - smoked meats: first off, it appears they use some sort of electric smoker. So, the char and flavoring isn't there. Then, everything I had, was well overcooked. Any kind of spice forming a good bark is really missing. - pit beans: these appear to be something like Bush's beans doctored up a tad. - potato salad: This side actually tasted pretty good. However, they have a fine cubed cut to the potatoes etc....so the texture of the potato salad, could throw some people off. White gravy: never seen gravy like this....that was super water-like thin. It didn't taste the worst by any means. But getting a chicken fried steak.....it would be odd....as the gravy lays in the bottom of the plate.....doesn't have that cling or scoop up the gravy, as you eat a bite of chicken fried steak. I wish I had better news to report on this place; but I don't. read more

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Went down to Joplin for a colleagues birthday and she mentioned Big Rs had good pie. At that point I didn't even care what kind of food they offered. When I pulled up the restaurant looked very small. It's not huge by any means, but it's bigger than it seems from outside. When you walk in you're greeted at the hostess stand. And front and center is their cooler full of pies. We were there slightly before noon, and we're seated immediately. The menu has a nice selection without being overwhelming. I decided to try the pulled pork plate with Suzie Qs and Baked beans. The pulled pork was delicious and dipping it in their house bbq sauce made it even better. I wasn't a huge fan of the baked beans, but I can be pretty picky in that regard. The Suzie Qs were seasoned well and fried nicely, but man if that's a half order I'm scared to see a full order. It was already too much for me to finish. I did make sure to leave room for the pie though. They had quite a few varieties to choose from, but I'm a sucker for a key lime and knew I was getting that from the start. It was creamy and tart and I ate the whole thing. Since key lime pie traditionally come with a graham cracker crust, I did steal a bite of my colleagues pastry pie crust and it was SO good. Flaky and light, it melts in your mouth. I would come back for the pie alone, but it doesn't hurt that their BBQ is good too! read more

Big R's BBQ - Key Lime Pie - Barbeque Near Me - Joplin, Missouri

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Ordered takeout and we did not like our food. The pulled pork was dry and covered in sauce to hide it. The burnt ends were dry and flavorless, more like jerky. Green beans bland. Onion rings were huge, burnt, and all stuck together with so much breading, threw them in the trash. Do not recommend. read more

Big R's BBQ - Onion rings - Barbeque Near Me - Joplin, Missouri

The waiter wore way too much cologne. People dont want to smell that while they try to.eat . The chicken was dry and oilly. the cole slaw was unable to eat no flavor it was like it was made with water answer soked in water . The side saladwas also water logged no flavor . Pulled pork was just crusty and unable to eat . The baked potato was not cook , hard as if I just took it out of the bag . I could even eat that And for the price it was not that good . We won't be back . We were there at 5:20pm on Saturday Dec 6th . Dark curly hair young man waited on us . read more

Food is always great and the pies are so worth the calories! I live in Oklahoma and always try to stop by when in the Joplin area.

We had the Big and Little R's salad with the fried chicken. Everything was fresh and delicious... It always is! read more

Not the best BBQ. Brisket has zero flavor or smoke line. It was a greasy reheated mess. Pulled pork was good. Ribs were dry and not fall off the bone however had a smoke line. I gave it 3 stars because the one was good and the waitress was a delightful. read more

if I could give this 0 stars I would choose that. yes. I said it. this was "HORRIBLE." MY RIBS HAD NO SEASONING. boiled. they tasted boiled. tasted spoiled but they were boiled. mac and cheese was at minimum 6 days old. bagged frozen veggies tasted like freezer burnt water. out of fries. WHO RUNS OUT OF FRIES??!?! my stomach hurts going to get it pumped/ drink a strong cup of coffee to clean this mess out. bye. love you, say it back. Ps. There's more but I don't have the time. read more

The building was Tight so getting around the other diners was kind of Like an obstacle course. Our waitress was Delightful best service I have had in a longtime. My food Was Great and served well. There pies were heaven. Check it out read more

Went to Big R's with some friends for the first time on Friday. The food was mediocre, the rack of ribs I ordered had very little smoke flavor, and the sauce was sweet and bland. The side of coleslaw came to the table WARM. The rack I ordered came out uncut, I had a butter knife so asked the waiter if he could have them cut by the kitchen. He took my ribs. The rest of my party had their food and I sat and waited patiently for mine to return. Finally, I inquired about them and they were brought back UNCUT with more WARM coleslaw. I gave up and requested a steak knife as the ribs were not tender. I requested a manager so I could let her know. She came over with an extremely disinterested look and attitude and told me they don't serve their ribs cut. I will not even start on the six dollar slice of pie that tasted like pudding on pie crust. Oops I did. Long story short, I will not go back. read more

Place looked decent. Smelled decent but unfortunately was not very good. I have attached a few photos of just the curly fries alone. They were cooked so terribly. Not only were they just dripping in grease, but they were packed into the fry basket so tightly that they came in the shape of the basket ... never seen that before. Soggy middle undercooked with burnt outer edges.... And the sirloin steak was cooked so fast it was burnt on the bottom so badly that even A1 didn't help. Not only that but a steak knife had a hard time cutting through it. Ugh ... Very disappointed.. the "burnt ends" were mainly just fat and the pulled pork was such little flavor and so much fat my mom gave it to the dog.... My dog had a great experience though ... Needless to say we will not be returning customers read more

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Wow! What a find! We were driving through Joplin and wanted some BBQ so searched Yelp and decided on coming to Big R's! The entire experience from the minute we walked in the door until we left was AMAZING. Service is exceptional! We had never been here so we were given a sample of their menu to try, and it was hard deciding on what we wanted to get because it was all so good! Wife had burnt ends, and they were probably the best ones I have ever tasted. I had pork chops, beans and potato salad and I was more than satisfied. If I could have eaten more I would have ordered more. They make everything in house, and they have their recipes down to a delicious science! The fried mushrooms were the best I ever had. Parking was easy, place was clean as a whistle. Service was hands down the best and most friendly I've ever experienced in the area. read more

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We saw this featured on "Best Bite in Town". They started off with fresh homemade rolls with butter and apple butter. So yummy. We knew they would be sold out of the Burnt Ends - they were. We ordered the Cattleman's Burger and The Wilbur. As a side, we got the Suzie Q's half order of brick of fries. Huge portion. I would suggest one person getting the fries and another getting something else to share. We will do this next time, along with saving room for pie. Soooo many choices. Great service. glad we went out of our way on 14 hour journey to stop here. Good food, good service, and reasonably priced. read more

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We got caught in the non-reservation group for Valentine's Day while on the road. I was grateful for Big R's BBQ for putting us on the wait list. We found a spot at the bar and had a drink while we waited. We ended up getting seated after about 50 minutes at a nice booth. We chose the rack of ribs for two which also came with 4 sides. To the ribs we added steamed veggies (CA blend), baked potato, suzie Q's, and side salad. The ribs were ok. Not the juicy, fall from the bone I was expecting as we've had in Kansas City. Baked potato was great. Steamed veggies ok. The suzie Q's were recommended by the staff and they were not good. They were curly fries but they came to our table like a big clump of greasy potatoes. Not a fan. Service was good both at the bar and our table. Very friendly people. Parking was a bit tight in the rear of the restaurant. read more

Big R's BBQ - Our seat at the bar - Barbeque Near Me - Joplin, Missouri

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Very good waitress named Jodi. They give a veterans discount .The sides are amazing! The burnt ends are working invading Russia for! The atmosphere is rustic. The service that food made it 5 read more

Big R's BBQ - Inside - Barbeque Near Me - Joplin, Missouri

We went in for a lunch and was sat in the west side dining area. We waited and waited. Others came in and were seated and waited on. When the young girl who sat us came to take our drink order, I asked where was our waitress. I was informed that she was on the other side taking care of the people who were sat right before us. I asked then why were we given the same waitress and that others who had just came in after us and was already waited on and received their drinks. I was informed that the way it works. We decided to leave. She asked if we wanted our drinks. I told her no and that we were leaving. She made a surprised face so I told her that's the way it works and left. She was mumbling at us as we left. This is not the first or second time we have had issues getting waited on at this place. read more

I love the portion sizes, and love all the options. The little bar area is nice also. I just wish their hours weren't so off the wall. I would like to go any day of the week read more

Ask for guidance and Yelp provides! While traveling back from my daughters wedding we were going through Joplin Mo and suddenly became all peckish... heck we were down right hungry! So while I gassed up the royal chariot my wife took to the Bible of places to go... Yelp... and looked for something to eat. Big Rs was what she cane up with... it was reviewed well, we like bbq and was only about 10 mins away... we went to seek it out. When you pull up it doesn't look like much... but again the reviews were good so we carried on. It is a small place... only about 12 tables or so... the decor is eclectic junk... and the over all feel is junkyard rustic chic... it works! It was pretty cool. From the wall of big Rs to the wall of old rotary phones I really found it interesting/fun! The menu is loaded with selection... and it was hard to make up our mind. (They actually allow you to do a baked potato as a side too! Score one for my wife and son!) We ordered several things to eat and try... see pics... and I have to say: "I am glad this place is not close to where I live or I might eat here 3 to 4 times a week! It was AWESOME! Oh my Goddie so freaking Hottie! The meat was smoked to perfection, it just easily came apart, ribs falling off the bone, the wedges of Susie Qs (their name for fries) huge and wonderful, and their sauce... sweet with a slight spice... just FANTASTIC! (Normally I'm not a sweet sauce fan but oooooh my... I'll make this exception!) Now our waitress was curt, almost rude, and just not very "sweetie", but we got our food with no issue and she came by enough... she just seemed to have a... "get out of here" vibe. However even that could now ruin our delectable meal. Seriously... I might just have a new favorite BBQ place! read more

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I was puzzled by the lack of cars in the parking lot when we pulled up, as i had never seen a lack of custoners here.I used to come her quite often. I am not one to write negative reviews, but I highly recommend that the owners/managers shop their competitors and learn from them. The food was definitely not what it used to be, quite bland actually, and when we go to a barbecue restaurant, don't you think that BBQ sauce would be on the table? We had to ask twice to finally get some. Wrong beer served, but that's ok.I hope that the owners can change course in the direction this restaurant is headed. Big Rs was always one of my favorites. read more

Great place! Super attentive and friendly service. Excellent food - large portions.

Excellent! Service alone was 5 star! What an adorably cozy place. And the bathroom was adorable too. The fried pork sandwich was by far the star! Onion rings were really good. The ribs were very good. Curly fries and beans were good too. But the pork sandwich.....damn! That was excellent. read more

Service was very attentive and friendly. SUZY Q fries were amazing and loaded high. Other food was very tasty and filled me up. Highly recommend!! But be aware that they close at 3 from Monday through Wednesday. read more

The first thing that attracted me to this place was their pies. They have a wide variety of cream pies. I LOVE CREAM PIES. I've only tried two flavors but I will definitely be back for more! Sometimes dessert lovers, like myself, will stop at the attractive dessert display case that is usually located near the entrance of a restaurant, buy some desserts and then leave. DON'T do that at this place because their food is good too! We got the three meat plate with ribs, brisket, and sausage. I was satisfied :) One of the sides we got was a baked potato that was stuffed with some yummy stuff. We also got a side of cooked veggies that were seasoned properly. The waitress only gave us attitude for 3 seconds of our 1.5 hour stay so I'd say the customer service is good but not great but honestly, who cares? I will still be back for some pie. read more

Big R's BBQ - Three meat plate with baked potato and veggies. - Barbeque Near Me - Joplin, Missouri

I really wanted this to be better but it was a really odd experience. 4 of us visited, a bit after lunch, around 1 to 130 on a week day. There were a few people in there, but not many. From walking inside it seemed like it would be a good spot. There's the typical fun and kitschy bbq décor vibe happening in the entrance. The pies looked amazing in the case, but that isn't what we got. The waitress was no nonsense. She wasn't overly mean or kind.. Just took your order.. and set down the food..not much in between. 2 of us had the lunch special, a bbq sandwich, side, drink, and dessert of the day (watch out for that one!). It said there is an upcharge for the regular pie, which I now know why (keep reading). Other 2 had burgers, those seemed pretty good. The BBQ sandwich was okay. There was VERY little meat on it, served dry. The meat that was actually on it was good, but not nearly enough. I chose the suzie q's. They were ok. Tasted like they were a bit burnt/too much skin on them or something. You may know what I'm talking about, just this dark taste to them. Not salted. Again, the burgers seemed pretty good, but then they also picked steamed veggies. See my photo.. it was cauliflower and onions!? As their steamed veggies? Wow.. That's a new one. They tasted ok, but.. it sure wasn't overly appetizing. And yes, steamed vegetables can be appetizing. Now.. The most offensive part.. the dessert of the day.. I've never been here before. I asked what it was, the server said, "It WAS the mixed berry pie." I said, "Like, it isn't that any longer?" She said, "It was the mixed berry pie.".. Um...Ok?! I said, "I guess I'll take that." I wanted pie, and if it was still being served, why would I not want to try it? Here is why the mixed berry pie was on the dessert of the day, IT WAS OLD! The crust was a mushy horrible texture, and the pie itself was this homogenized mixture of red, white and blue with no clear flavor distinction. I felt a bit slapped in the face by this. If you aren't going to have your best food out there, don't serve it. The other pies looked quite amazing, but this was a soggy sad mess. Don't give your throw a ways as a "special of the day." And that's that.. My one and only experience.. Not sure if I'd ever go back after that. read more

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We came hungry & as always Big R's to the rescue. Burgers onion rings beer & pie. We're stuffed to the gills. We so recommend. The only thing is is my friend was in a wheelchair. It was very difficult to maneuver through the restaurant because it's very tight spaced. We probably won't be back but overall the food was good. read more

Service was great, all the food was excellent including pulled pork, toasted bun, Suzie-Q's, slaw, hot turkey club, and key lime pie. Igave them four stars. But if they want to be a first rate BBQ joint, they need to offer three or more BBQ sauces including a mustard sauce, and a spicy or hot sauce in addition to the sweet sauce they currently offer. read more

The food is good and the pies are amazing! If you have a few people, their tower of onion rings will not disappoint!

We've been customers of Big R's since it was down south on the old highway. We have remained loyal through all the covid and related ups and downs, and were happy to do so. However; Tonight my wife and I had a $50 dinner, she had 1/2 rack and sides, and I had a brisket sandwich and beans (mine was ok). Her rack was so overcooked and hard that it was inedible. I'm pretty sure it was not prepared today; maybe yesterday and reheated. We showed our server, and she went to discuss it with her manager. We also had an appetizer sample tray. 1) The offer to resolve the food was to offer us one free piece of .... pie 2) The appetizers were being advertised on the sign outside as "1/2 price Thursday appetizers". We were charged full price. 3) Our server wasn't at fault, but she did seem very preoccupied and wasn't back to see us very often. We were so ready to leave by that time, I didn't even notice the appetizer price error. I was astounded that they didn't offer to take THAT 1/2 rack off the bill. I simply didn't feel like they valued our business or their patrons at all tonight, probably won't be back, and will stop recommending them. There are good BBQ places in our area, but Big R's is no longer one of them. read more

We were seated and never waited on. My wife went and talked to the host and still no one came to get our drink orders. sad service!

My husband and I stopped in for lunch, thinking BBQ sounded good. I was disappointed there was no smoked chicken but ordered the Big R Little Salad with smoked turkey. The turkey was ok but it was just sandwich meat turkey. Overall the salad was kind of wet-the lettuce was not crisp and it just wasn't very good. Husband had burnt ends. He said they were ok. He ordered onion rings as one side and when he finally got them they were nearly burned. We ate here once before and it was better so maybe an off day? read more

Went in there today, baked beans were good but the meat was dry. The ribs tasted like they came straight out the microwave. My 2 coworkers got sick and we think it was the potato salad or coleslaw because I didn't have any of those. The waitress was great! She was friendly and suggested food for us to try. read more

This is such a shame because Big Rs used to be so good....not now. The rolls were dry, the food came out cold (and took forever), the meat was dry, Suzy Qi's were burnt. And our to-go order was tiny. So disappointing. read more

I had a wonderful eating experience here at Big R's BBQ. I was on trip with some colleagues. This place was recommended to us by a local. Needless to say, we all loved Big R's. We started with the appetizer sampler. All of the items on it were good especially the fried mushrooms. For dinner, I had the 2 way combo with the brisket and ribs. Excellent. Ribs were perfectly prepared. The brisket was tender. Be prepared to eat a lot. The side dishes come in big portions. I had the bacon baked potato soup. It was good. The baked beans were great too. Finally, it was desert time. Pies are the desert of choice. They are made fresh daily. I was full to begin with, but ate an entire piece of snickers pie. By the way, one piece of pie here is about 1/5th of a full pie. I rolled out of there full, but happy. read more

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The food is all home cooked and tastes amazing. The staff is awesome and the pies are to die for.

Food was OK. The reason for the 1star was the service. I can honestly say it was the worst service I have had in quite sometime. Honestly, McDonalds was better than this, and McDonalds is at the bottom of the barrel. Our server was so slow and forgetful. We sat at 5:35 pm, we walked out at 7:25pm. In our area there were 2 servers for 7 to 8 tables. Most tables had 2-4 people. We place our order.... 25 minutes later she brings out the salad and the meals at the same time and her comment was I know the salad should come out first, but I am busy, so you will have to deal with it? There was a couple who came in 10 minutes after us and their salads we brought out before their meal?.... No drink refills.... Then another 25 minutes waiting on to go boxes, bag and ticket... Once I hot the ticket, it was another 10 minutes before took it to cash it out, then another 10 minutes wherever she took my card to run it? read more

Wow! Food was amazing! The best BBQ I've had, and the pies are delicious. Great service and very friendly staff.

Food old over cooked dried out tasteless. Won't go back or recommend over priced also.

BBQ tasted microwaved. Fries are good. Ribs come uncut and not fall off the bone. No smoke ring on the meat, may have been oven baked than smoked. Service was good. read more

So this place reminds me of home. My wife can cook so it's hard to find somewhere that can compare to her cooking. This is the place, you want bbq and your hungry come here you will be happy and full when you leave. I have a hard time eating some meat but here it's cooked correctly to where I get to enjoy my lunch. read more

Disappointing. Ordered burnt ends and got 5 small pieces, one of which was pure fat. Tasty, but really?!? Potato salad was very good. Huge mound of soggy curly fries. Decent barbecue sauce. Waitress didn't have information on local beers. Pies sounded good, but wasn't hungry enough to try. read more

Big R's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Joplin, Missouri