This is a fun local bbq joint with busy and interesting atmosphere. I've only ever ordered the pulled pork sandwich but it's great every time and everyone else has always been pleased with their food as well. They also have fantastic pies, flavors vary by day so you just have to ask which ones they have that day. Parking is kind of tricky if they are busy, and there isn't much waiting room. But it's worth it! read more

I'm a stickler for good BBQ! I search everywhere so called great BBQ joints and this one is it! Their Brisket was perfect! Service was wonderful and I was impressed with the desert selection they had! read more

Pies not bad but Big R 's is not a BBQ resturant...... They have bbq on menu but not the main fare the 1/2 order of suzie Qs were fabulous the BBq was warmed up in a Microwave so not a bbq resturant. I will still go back looks like maybe they know how to fry food so ill have to try out something besides the bbq the country fried steak looked like the ticket?? SORRY Joplin Big R's not BBQ read more

Great hole in wall restaurant in north Joplin. I had the 1/2 rack of ribs with a dry rub. Big? Tender, and flavorful. I will be back!

I don't know where to begin. On the one hand the food was pretty good, but on the other hand the service was horrendous. My wife and I were driving all day on a cross-country trip. Literally in the car for 9 hours. We were looking forward to a real barbecue place and she found this place on Yelp so we figured we'd give it a try as we would be in Joplin for the night. We got seated pretty quickly but our server seem to have taken forever. After we were seated it took him a few minutes to offer us water. After a few minutes he came back with the water and a basket with two rolls in it. With the roles was margarine and another little container of apple butter. I wish we had more than one role for each of us. They were very good but we saw other tables with baskets full of rolls. It took another 10 minutes for him to even take our order. The food came out pretty quickly and it was good but the bad service is leaving a sour taste in my mouth. We had to ask another server for barbecue sauce and I felt kind of embarrassed like maybe we shouldn't have asked for any, but my wife's on another table with a bottle of it. After we were finished eating it took another 10 minutes for him to come to our table to offer desert. My wife ordered key lime pie to go and I asked what pies are available. Another 10 minutes went by and he finally came back to tell me what other pies were in the case and he had brought my wife her slice of pie. Then after a few minutes he came with our check and then I gave him my card, and another 10 minutes went by before he came back to tell me that the credit card machine was down. 10 minutes later I asked another server to try to find our server so I can pay cash. The service was lousy. I'm giving the place three stars just for the good food. One more thing, they were at least 10 servers that I saw in the restaurant. The place wasn't very busy so in my opinion there is no excuse for the super slow service. read more

I think honestly, this is my most favorite place for ribs and steak, you never go away hungry!! Huge portions and the vegetable medley is phenomenal, as for pies they have a great selection and the staff is always friendly, just a real friendly place with dang good food and affordable prices read more

Turkey is my favorite BBQ meat, and theirs is great. The "suzy q" fries are worth an order for the experience. Pretty much an entire potato is delivered to your table. Lots of pies. 1 pc. can serve 3 people. Didn't like pasta salad as much - too much dressing for my taste. Side salad lettuce was a bit limp. read more

The food wasn't the best and the service from our waitress was terrible. She only checked on us one time the while visit and when she did she seemed rushed, but took the time to be more friendly with other patrons. read more

This excellent bar-b-que was a gem found on Google maps as we drove through Joplin. The lunch servings were generous and beyond delicious. You also have to eat some pie! We had the snicker chocolate pie, oh my! read more

Been to lots of BBQ places all over this area and many are at least good. We cook BBQ a lot ourselves and are really into smoking, so we were excited to try a new BBQ place. We were just passing through for a long trip though, so we ordered our food to go, two the burnt ends brisket meals, one for each of us. Firstly, both my finances meals and mine were tiny. It was a small pile of meat about the size of a medium sized burger patty. Secondly, they weren't brisket at all, it was definitely beef roast. We've cooked beef roast many times, and also brisket, and eaten both, and by the texture and taste it was obviously beef roast, a far inferior cut of meat for 12 dollars each, and only a tiny bit of it at that. It doesn't end there though. The supposedly burnt and "very smoky" beef roast ends weren't smoky at all, they tasted like roast that had been baked to make it tender and then covered in smoky flavored bbq sauce. It didn't taste like any real wood smoke had touched the meat. In the end, I gave half of my beef roast to my fiancé just so he could get full because the portion sizes were so small. Not sure if they got the order wrong, or knew we were leaving so purposely gave us sub par meat, because based on other reviews the portion sizes are supposed to be great, but only a child would consider the portion size we received adequate. Will not be returning or recommending. read more

We stopped by while passing through Joplin. Thank you Yelp users for the recommendations. We loved it...SAVE ROOM FOR PIE!!

The staff was great and very accommodating there were 12 of us on a very busy night. The barbecue was a four out of five like stated above. The sides all looked amazing and the pie looked. spectacular. They are very busy and known for the pie; if you want pie order it before your meal to make sure that you get what you want. read more

Had a great time here. Good food and great atmosphere. The chicken wings were excellent, and the BBQ is fantastic. Love the salad, rolls, and homemade apple butter. And the pies!!! Oh the pies! Order it when you arrive or they may be sold out! read more

Awesome atmosphere. Pulled pork is great. Ribs were tender but not a lot of flavor. Suzie Q fries are unreal. It's like a loaf of bread.

They do deep fried stuff really well. Slow cooked barbecue is not the greatest I've had, not even sure it's the best in Joplin, but it's not bad. Service has always been great. read more

People come to eat a little BBQ but they really come for the fresh home made pies that are piled as high as the sky. If you don't get a piece of pie for dessert you are missing out. The food is good, portions are nice sized the appetizers are always fresh and the pies are worth buying a whole one and taking it home. read more

Solid 3.5 star. We were passing through Joplin (I-49) at lunchtime. I saw all the many corporate chain restaurants at the exit. When traveling I try to avoid any place I can access at home. I hopped on Yelp to find a sweet local spot. Hubby loves BBQ so we drove 4.7 miles out of the way to try Big R's. WORTH IT! Many reviews said to save room for pie. I tried but they brought me a piece of peanut butter pound cake with cream cheese frosting with my beef brisket sandwich. My hubby got the combo plate and ate the whole thing. Their pies looked amazing. We will have to trip through again for a pie mission. The tea is fresh brewed and plentiful as well as their "we've got the meats you just can't beat." read more

Best BBQ in town. Great service, killer fries. I do my laundry next door while I eat

Pretty good quality and flavor! We had the lunch special, which is an entree, drink and dessert. Pretty good for the money since their regular meals are about the same price and don't include dessert or drinks. read more

really good smoky BBQ with a nice rustic feel inside! and they say the pies are great. but we just get the BBQ!

I realize ordering a steak well done is to some a sin... however people do it everyday. I like most items on the menu but will not be ordering the steak anymore. It was very fatty, and I had to send it back 3 times, because it was not even close to being anything that would resemble well done. When cooking a steak well you need lower heat and more time otherwise it gets over done on the outside and rare on the inside. They never did get it done so I just gave up and didn't eat it. The waitress this time must have been new because she was slow and every table she had, was asking other waiters for help getting bbq sauce and their tickets. read more

Hands down the best BBQ I have ever had. And the service was even better! Ate my heart out then took home an amazing homemade, fresh strawberry pie where all my dreams came true. This is my new favorite spot. Damn, so good!!!! read more

Local mid-west dining at it's finest. Amazing food. King sized portions friendly staff and authentic decor make it Joplin's most enjoyable dining experience. Go to big R's for a true ozark meal. read more

Leslie T... After my experience at Big R's, I can see why Triple D hasn't accepted their recommendation... our experience was one of the worst restaurant experiences we've encountered (we eat out at least 10 - 20 times a month). Last night (August 10th) I brought my fiance to Big R's. She had been there before and her brother really likes the food there. I have to say first of all that I doubt that I would come back...our experience was one of the worse that we've encountered. Here's why: First of all it took our waiter a long time to wait on us...people that were seated after we were had already had their drinks and the bread before our waiter wandered out of where ever he seemed to be most of the time we were there. I don't know his name,...we don't remember him ever telling us. I ordered the Prime Rib... I love a good prime rib....but I have to say that the prime rib I got last night was the worst I've had. The price for the 8oz also is much higher than most I've seen. When my meal was brought out, the potato was old (very brown inside).... It was replaced, and that ended up being the only thing that I experienced that was good. Each time we interacted with the waiter, we had to wait for some time for him to appear and then get his attention. Oh yeah, and although my water glass (jar) was empty, I never got a refill. The prime rib was VERY dry and tasteless. My fiance had never eaten prime rib so, I was going to give her a sample to know what it was like...I did give her a sample, and she said the same thing...It didn't have any taste. I prefer medium-rare and she prefers medium well...so, I ordered medium as a compromise...but that shouldn't be why it was so dry. Prime rib must be "roasted" slow and at a low temperature...I have had end cuts and other cuts that were even well done that were still very tender, juicy and flavorable...this was none of the above. When I got the waiter's attention and asked if the prime rib was smoked...he said it was...and to me, that seemed like the reason it tasted (or lack of taste) the way it did... I said that I wished that I knew it had been smoked, in that I would never have ordered it. I told the waiter that I didn't like it... His only response (which he said several times)...he likes it cooked that way...It seemed that no matter what he said in defense of the dried up piece of meat, he didn't care that I wasn't happy, only that HE likes it. In fact at one point he "Thought" that my fiance said that she liked it...and he said "two against one!"... I corrected him (and she did too) that she said she DIDN'T like it. I never displayed any anger or any un-caring emotion....only talked matter of fact to him...there was NEVER any attempt to make it right. Even when I paid at the door, I was asked if everything was fine...and I said it wasn't and told her my experience...she showed sympathy, but, nothing was done except the feeling that the restaurant's desire seemed only to get my money for that ticket, not caring if I came back... Customer Service was "Zero" Oh yeah, on our ticket he tried to charge us for two pepsis ($1.99 each), when we had water... He did take that off the ticket. The experience was a comedy of errors leaving me with NO desire to return to this restaurant. NOTE: It has been almost a month since visiting and posting on this restaurant.... I sent the owners an email of my problem at the restaurant...and to date, they have not answered my email...again just seems that they are not concerned with a bad experience at their restaurant. Was really hoping that they would respond, but they didn't. read more

the kind of place I WANT to like...local, casual - and Yelp reviews got me in there...unfortunately. I prefer to go by Roadfood or Triple D tips, but they are few and far-between. And I avoid franchise places (even the good ones) like the plague. I want local color as I roadtrip around the country. Would have to agree with reviewer who said "not really a BBQ place" - mediocre, heated-up and dry brisket - sides OK - gussied up ambience - This place will never be on Diners, Drive-Ins and dives - nothing at all interesting about it. read more

We have eaten here ALOT! I have had the BLT and the Chicken Fried Chicken more than anything else. Awesome! You get a ton of food so come hungry. The curly fries come out in a loaf so there's enough to share. We never leave room for the pie but I've heard that it's amazing. read more

I only recommend Big R's when it comes to BBQ. A great local establishment that puts all bbq chains to shame. The bbq burger is good and very filling as it takes up the entire plate. Also the fries are come as a very generous serving. Also try any of their home made pies. read more

Was here for lunch ice tea was fresh and food was awesome severed fast with great friendly service

4 star average may be too high for their bbq... must be for their homemade pies. Their bbq isn't the worst in town, but definitely not worth what they charge for it. read more

One of the better, if not best, places to get barbecue in Joplin. I'm not much for ribs or things of the such but everything else on their menu that I've tried has been great. I love the atmosphere, the wait staff is always quick, accurate, and polite. I like the big mason jars they serve their drinks in. I'm not a fan of the basket of fries though. Every time I've gotten it it's literally a fry basket shaped pile of curly fries--but I'm picky like that. Otherwise, an outstanding BBQ joint. read more

They have really delicious pie and pulled pork! The only thing I don't like is their actual building. It's so small and parking sucks! The food is great though! read more

We stopped here yesterday, while driving across the country from Los Angeles to NYC. As lovers of good BBQ, this place certainly exceeded our expectations. My husband I agreed that this was the best BBQ we've ever tasted! The only thing close was The Bounty Hunter in Napa, which just lost their Chef who was also from MO. From the moment we walked in, the staff was so helpful and friendly! Our server, Lisa, was the best. She made wonderful recommendations, assisting us in choices such as which pies we should try since they offer homemade cream and regular pies. We took her recommendations, savoring each bite. The pulled pork had the right amount of sweetness, and wasn't oily. The steamed vegetables were excellent, and we had some special smoked potato salad that was incredible. As full as we were, nothing was going to stop us from ordering pies. They are on display when you enter the restaurant. A Mother/Daughter team bakes them fresh every day. The coconut cream, their best seller, didn't disappoint either. The flavors were perfectly balanced, with some sprinkled toasted coconut on top. My son loved their cherry pie, and said it was his favorite ever! Here's where they literally went out of their way to help us out. My 9 y/o, son, just got his braces off before leaving Los Angeles. Unfortunately, he left his expensive dental retainer on the table as he was enjoying his pie so much and forgot it. We drove into St. Louis before we realized it was gone. He thought he may have left it on the table at lunch. We thought it was probably gone, but called the restaurant to check. Not only did Lisa find it, she offered to mail it to us at our new place in NYC, as she has a 13 y/o in the same situation and understood how costly these devices are to replace. We offered to cover her mailing costs, but she wouldn't have it. We are so incredibly grateful to Lisa, and for our experience at this lovely establishment. If you want incredible BBQ, with equally matched service, please visit this restaurant! The owners should be proud of their food and their staff. Hands down, class act! read more

The BBQ is really good, plus overly healthy portions of EVERYTHING! Plan on leaving a lot of food behind, or a take home box, unless you are very very hungry. I've eaten here several times and I've never been let down. All meats I've tried on my plate and my husband's plate are great. Side orders are also good and ample. I have never had room for pie, which is homemade and I hear awesome. The wait staff is great, never ran low on drinks and received what we ordered. The cook staff does an awesome job too. Give it a try, prices are really reasonable for what you get. When it's busy there are some issues but they are well worth dealing with, just be patient. It gets loud in the restaurant, wait time for orders can get long, and parking can become a pain. Deal with those and it's as close to BBQ heaven as you can get! Enjoy!! read more

We came here two weeks ago due to the yelp reviews. We were so excited. But the food wasn't what we expected. It was just ok. Wasn't seasoned at all. The staff were perfect the place was neat but the food didn't impress us read more

This place is awesome. The ribs were super tasty, and while there's only one sauce, it's darn good. The potato salad side was fantastic and the fries...the 1/2 Susie Q fries are literally a loaf pan stuffed with fries. The pies are as good as they look in the case. The server was amazingly helpful, sweet, and attentive. It was a delightful dining experience and if I ever do get back to Joplin, there is 100% probability that I will be back. Eat. Here. read more

Omg.. the best thing on my plate was my pickles on the side. The brisket tasted like it was three days old.. Ugh ugh the food was not good

Not really a fan of the old-timey atmosphere, but the food is great, the portions are huge, the service is good, and the pie is delicious.

Awsome place to eat great price great food great service !!!!!! Will be going back soon

The wife and I used to be regulars here but after get less then satisfactory food or service we hadn't been here for a few years. Well we decided to give em another try. MISTAKE. Got there half hour before closing and place was almost empty. Waitress brought out dinner rolls that was almost warm . We told waitress we needed silverware since there was none on table. She apologized and said the hostess should have got it for us but that she would be more than happy to get it. 20 minutes later my soup and the wife's salad showed up at the same time the entrees arrived. And low and behold still no silverware and now stone cold dinner rooms. Ask again for silverware and waitress now informs us the reason we didn't have any was they ran out. Another 5 minutes waiting in silverware while hot food is getting cold and cold food is warming up. I ordered burnt ends which tasted just like pot roast, no smoke flavor, no bark, no smoke ring. The wife ordered grilled chicken which she loved. Half way through meal waitress shows up with bill and says she can ring us up when we are ready. 5 minutes later she's back asking if we're ready again. As we are finishing the meal she comes back again asking if we are done, my wife informs her we might like dessert. I inform waitress since she is pushing us out the door we would get dessert elsewhere. She insists that's not the case . So we order dessert which she promptly ask if it was to go. Giving up we toke it to go. My advice would be to go somewhere else for better quality food and even McDonald's has better service. read more

I ordered two slabs of ribs to be picked up and was told my order would be ready in 15-20 min. When I arrived 20 min later I was told by the cashier that she was fixin' to call me and tell me that they were out of ribs. Luckily the manager was there and she went into the back to check if they could spare the two slabs that I had ordered. When she returned she said that they would be able to fill my order. I waited another ten min for them to put it together. When I got home and started unpacking my order from the bag I had a slab fall onto the floor because they packed it into the bag with the opening to the rib bag facing down. The other rib bag was placed correctly, but when I started taking the lids off of the side items that is when my disappointment really set in. All of my side items were less than half full with the exception of the baked beans. The food that we did receive was very tasty, but I have had better experiences. read more