This place is absolutely AMAZING! The pulled pork, the smoked chicken, the Mac and Cheese, and last but not least the Buffalo Brussel Sprouts!! Thanks so much! Sooo good! We highly recommend this place and will definitely be back. read more

These people know what they're doing when it comes to BBQ-everything on the menu is amazing from the infused drinks to the dry rub ribs to the burnt brisket ends-Really this hidden gem is the best BBQ in and around Boston. Blackstrap also does an amazing job catering and the people that work here are all super nice!!! read more

First I would like to say this place is phenomenal from the amazing pulled pork to there pulled chicken; to Pretty much anything on the menu. The Mac and Cheese is divine and the onion rings are out of this world. They also have AMAZING specials! and all there dipping sauces or sauces in general are out of this world. Was a little pricey but can I tell you it is worth it. I am so glad Winthrop has a place like this read more

THE BEST WINGS ANYWHERE! These wings are made with love over many hours. The specials are also great. The homemade pastrami was delicious. This place is also cool because the bar area is separated from the dining room so it has two very different atmospheres. Chef Chris brings his fine-dining experience to casual bar food and it is worth the trip to the cool town of Winthrop. read more

Last night, Sunday January 30, checked out the Chris Thompson's and Jim Economides new BBQ venture! The atmosphere is comfortable, casual. Very nice graphics and blackboards. I love blackboard menus! The staff very friendly and helpful. Decided to try a few things, Memphis dry rubbed ribs...delicious, meaty, and a half rack was a huge portion for me, so brought most of them home. There is also an assortment of BBQ sauces, I really enjoyed the sauce that came on the side and did not venture into anything more exotic or spicy. I found the sauce to be just tangy enough to compliment the delicious dry rub on the pork. So having tried the dry rub, I also tried the Kansas City Style Baby Back Ribs, they were tender and meaty, with a nice thin coating of BBQ sauce right on them. There were many delicious looking items on the menu and I was sorry I couldn't try more, like the bacon wrapped sausage sandwich! Wow, did that look good. But I digress, I had the batter fried onion rings and I must admit, not a crumb was left on those!! Nuf said!! So as to be a little diverse we also tried the buttermilk fried catfish and chips! Tender, moist sweet catfish in a crunchy coating of buttermilk batter with outrageous french fries!! Oh and how can I forget? Cornbread, delicious moist, big fat squares of cornbread!! There were a few tables for sitting, a little bar facing out onto the cute little square in Winthrop, which is nicely decorated with little white lights. There is self serve lemonade and iced tea. This place would be great for take out, if your lucky enough to live in the area, a casual lunch or dinner spot when you want great food but don't want to spend a bundle, a fun place to take your kids, a good place to dine with a friend or all alone. I look forward to trying the rest of the menu. Thanks for this little gem!- Oh, and p.s. I almost forgot, I didn't get to try it but a friend back in Somerville requested I bring them back an order of the chili mac, he's a chef, so I'm guessing there's something good there!! read more

Always a fan of Winthrop, stopped at this place on Sunday afternoon. Had just about everything on the menu! The folks that run this place have put together a small, but wonderful restaurant. Wonderful experience sitting at the counter on the window, watching the afternoon in Winthrop go by. They really try hard here and have an outstanding menu. Some of the items were misses, but overall a very good experience. Fried pickles were delish. The fried green tomatoes were a bit overdone, but still good. The andouille and corn fritters came with a wonderful sweet sauce and were cooked perfectly. The wife's' chile was flavorful and her bbq chicken was really really flavorful and cooked perfectly. The brisket burnt ends were unbelievable. Nice stuff. The smoked sausages disappeared quickly into my brother's appetite. Only a couple of misses: The dry rub ribs were overly salty, as was the corned beef which came with the celtic sandwich. As others have mentioned, the cole slaw let down the sandwich in taste, as well as amount. Sort of wilty, needs to be fresher, cut larger and have a bit more onion. This sandwich would benefit from a poached egg, rather than the sunny side version served. Any vinegar based sauce was really, really good. So, overall ? A hit. Well worth going to. Its not often you run into a really cool kitchy place that is connected to folks looking to make their stuff the best. Arnold (meaning: I'll be back!) Be kind, tim read more

I have enjoyed Blackstrap in person, but they did an excellent job catering my birthday party. They were great to work with, everything came well packaged and hot (the cold things cold), and super in time! Everyone at the party loved the food and selection! The collard greens are unique and super tasty, and people raved about the sweet potato salad! I highly recommend them for both eat in and catering!!! read more

We are so happy we went with Blackstrap BBQ catering for our 50-person party. The pulled pork and sausage were amazing, and those two choices were super-easy to heat up and for guests to eat easily, even if they were standing up. The Corn and Bacon Salad and Asian Slaw were flavorful, and great counterpoints to the meat. We live 30 min away, and I was worried about picking up the food, having the fridge space to store it, and heating the pulled pork up without drying it out, but Kate, the super-professional catering manager, patiently walked me through everything on the phone and by email. It was so fun to put out such special food for our guests, and everyone wanted to know where it came from-they loved it! read more

enjoyed this place and their food. inside decor was cool and their food was delicious and moderately priced. the side of mac and cheese was the best ive had (if not in a while) pulled pork was moist and tasty. ribs were dry rubbed but not as good as the pulled pork. there was more than enough food left over to bring home and reheating it did not lose its flavor the next day. if i haddnt moved out of winthrop the week after we tried this place, itd be a place id go to at least once every 2 weeks. read more

My fiance and I stumbled upon Blackstrap BBQ because I had purchased a Groupon. We love barbecue and have traveled around to Kansas City, Memphis and other places in search of fabulous barbecue. Well, our big trek to Winthrop from Somerville did not disappoint us! Blackstrap was really terrific and we will surely make a trek back. We each decided to have a 3 meat combo plate because we wanted to try as much variety as possible - except we are both suckers for ribs, so we each had an order of those. The ribs were tender and juicy with dry rub - not requiring sauce to moisten it up, though adding sauce did add some flavor. The burnt ends of brisket were the big surprising yummy-delight for us. We were really very pleasantly surprised at how moist and flavorful they were. The Carolina pulled pork was good and the sausage was superb. The only thing we didn't care for was the smoked chicken - it was too dry. The sweet potato salad was delicious and unique - a bit heavy, but only because it was so rich. The green beans were fresh and crisp. The collard greens were soft and flavorful. All in all the food was a winner! The service was also great. Although you order at the counter rather than have traditional restaurant sit-down waitstaff service, the guys at the counter were terrific and friendly. I asked about one the sweet potato salad and was given a sample to try - that was a good move on their part. The atmosphere is bright and cheerful and everything is clean - even the bathroom. I think they're doing a great job of trying hard to be very customer-oriented and make great food. Keep up the good work, Blackstrap! read more

went there last night with a couple friends, the service was decent, the food was okay, the pork that i ordered was really red on the inside. the sides that i ordered wernt tooo good either. asian coleslaw and bbq potato salad. read more

I love the pulled pork sandwich, and they often have seasonal/changing menu that features delicious new dishes. They have a wide variety of cocktails and beers. The staff is always very friendly and will make suggestions on food or drinks. read more

Really great BBQ. I recommend the burnt ends or pulled pork in their signature sauce. There's a lot of more creative options as well for people that aren't BBQ purists - anyone will be happy here. Great beer selection as well. read more

My husband and I have been on the hunt for good BBQ since we left Texas four years ago, and this place is the best we've had in the area. Unlike so many places that claim to serve authentic BBQ, it is obvious that they actually slow smoke their meat here, as is required to get true BBQ flavor. Though neither of us cared for the mac n cheese, we both loved the sausage and the brisket. The cornbread is of the sweet variety, which I love but my husband is less enthusiastic about. Tip: mix some of the sweet and some of the spicy sauce together. read more

We had heard great things about Blackstrap and finally got the chance to try their bar-b-que. Boy were we disappointed. I stopped on the way home from dropping friends at the airport and brought home a 3 meat plate with burnt ends, brisket and memphis ribs. For sides I chose the collards and the corn & bacon salad. Also got some corn & sausage fritters. My husband and I were both surprised by how bad everything was. The first issue was the size of the portions, which were well below what we expected. There were 6 small balls in the order of fritters and the plate wasn't any better. As it turns out, that may have been a good thing. The burnt ends were nothing like those I get at every other bar-b-que joint. They were just small cubes of brisket in a nasty burnt sauce. The brisket itself was just OK as were the ribs. The corn & bacon salad had some spice in it that was pretty awful and we couldn't even choke it down. Collards were meh. read more

Not a lot of value for your money. Ordered a two meat combo for 16.99 and got 4 thin slices of brisket, 7 small slices of sausage that was the size of a small Italian sausage link at the store, and two very small sides. Barely enough for one person. The brisket was dry and while sausage was good and smokey, it was a bit mushy and not crispy. Doubt I will return. read more

Another great BBQ experience but not-so-happy about the recent change in policy. I've always ordered the duo with double ribs... For the first time, I was told that they couldn't accommodate that request. I was told that I have to order two different meats. Huh? What is the difference!?!? Makes no sense to me. This definitely brought it down a notch or two on my 'love scale'. read more

Found. The place today and All I can say is wow. Great staff and best brisket I've had in long long time lived it all. Might be going back tomorrow. read more

Went in with my boyfriend and roommate after the beach, wearing flip flops, bathing suits and white tees and we didn't feel too under dressed. When we first walked in, we got hit with a wave of BBQ and it smelled good. They have a bunch of tables in the back and they have a decent bar in the front with a bar lining the window. It's a really cool set up and the place was clean and well decorated. We sat at the bar, a few seats down from some regulars (all really polite and friendly). The waitress was really nice, but still gave us our space, which we loved. She was on point the whole time. We ordered some drinks, and she gave us a minute to order food. The boys ordered the bbq pulled pork sandwich Carolina style with 2 sides and they loved every minute of it. I took on the hog (a kielbasa wrapped in bacon with onions and peppers and mustard sauce) it was a monster, but it was amazing. I told myself I was only going to eat half of it, but I quickly changed my mind and gobbled it all down with some mash and the best chili Mac ever. No regrets. It was the best meal I've gotten for $10 in a while. I would recommend to anyone. In fact, we were planning our next trip back as we were walking out the door. Our new favorite bbq joint. We'll be back. read more

Oh. My. God. I cannot believe I've not yet posted a review of the most recommended place in town. Blackstrap (named for the molasses) is simply perfect. Thoughtful people preparing thoughtful food. Its also a cute location with super friendly and cute staff. Kate, the owner, is an amazing person and business woman. Chris, the executive chef and GM (I think thats what he does there) is funny, talented and hard working. Everyone in my family loves the fried chicken - but pretty much everything is great. Even family from Kansas City approve of the ribs, the sauces, the wings, and the bar is also pretty tight with some choice brews and bevies. Go. The food and atmosphere are great...the intimacy leads to some fun conversations and a feeling that you've had a hand in making it a perfect night. read more

This place was great - also they don't have it posted but the BBQ sauce is gluten free - I had a great dinner there and it was all gluten free. The waiter was very knowledgeable and helpful. I would absolutely go back! read more

Great bbq! Great prices and great staff! If you want cheap beer buy a cheaper beer. Burnt ends is my favorite with the Asian coleslaw and the chilli Mac is truly inspired. The chef always comes out to greet everyone and they're very welcoming read more

Hard to describe how awesome our meal was. Burnt ends, amazing. Corn bread, yum. Baked beans, smokey delicious. And the service was equally as great. It's way out of the way for us but I'm sure we'll be back. read more

This was a decent place. We enjoyed our meal there. There were a few things that weren't as good as the other places we've been. The good: garlic herb smoked wings, Kansas baby back ribs, the dry rubbed ribs, & brisket. All smoked & sauced to perfection. Service was awesome. The meh: burnt ends. We are big fan of burnt ends at other places. Their's was a disappointment. They cut them up into small pieces and smother it in sauce. Not what we were expecting. The sides we ordered were not great. Was not a fan of their cole slaw or their baked beans. Maybe other sides would have better? It is for these that it's only 3 stars.. which is still decent because it was. It's a strange set up... enter through the bar area - then walk around the back to the other side where the dining room is. . After dinner we saw that there was a different business in between the bar area and dining area .. so it must have been an add on. The dining area is small. Just 1 large picnic table for a group of 6 max. and a few tables for 2's. read more

This place is magnificent. Bostonians, Blackstrap is completely worth a drive through the tunnel. The food was excellent and the service was the friendliest service that I have ever had in Boston. These people love what they are doing. read more

Atmosphere very cool, great beer selection, attentive friendly service, amazing food. Highly recommend and will definitely be back!

Best bar scene in Winthrop! !! Jess is kinda weird but Brian definitely makes up for it!!! Jk, Jessica is the best

Had a small Kate's bowl because I thought it would serve as a nice sampler as I only had the Catfish sandwich with no sides a week ago. Being in a bowl, each item was layered (squashed) together. Consequently, it was hard to get the appreciation of each item. I got a dish and separated them. The chili was just chili flavored beef with no chili sauce. It was tender but dry. The baked beans were also drained of the sauce they were baked in. They were spicy but without the sauce, they were blah. The collard greens were juicy but not tasty. I expected a smokey, pork fat taste. Another blah. The Mac and cheese was a heep of mush. No crunchy, cheesy topping. Probably because it was squashed at the bottom. The corn bread was crumbled throughout and each little piece was dry. I'm sure if I bought each item separately, they would resemble the enticing photos reviewers had posted. Lesson learned. I won't get any bowled mixtures again. read more

I had a Groupon for this place a while ago, which admittedly I allowed to expire. However as I'm sure most Mass Yelpers know, the purchase price of a Groupon, or any gift certificate for that matter, never expires. When I arrived to pick up my order I was informed they were "hacked," and they subsequently refused to honor my voucher. I paid full price, even though I'm sure the guy was full of it...the deal I'd purchased allotted for something like 5 pickup orders and I'd only used three, all honored, at the very same place. Anyway, I wouldn't publicly complain if the food was decent, but it was dry and largely flavorless. Bottom line: If this is what passes for good service and bbq in New England, stick to the seafood, there's plenty of it! read more

This past Saturday (8/20/2016) I had went in with a party of 14 people. I had called ahead Friday for a reservation and was well accommodated. All of the food was great, best BBQ I have had in the Boston area. The 14 people in my party where all satisfied, and I think Blackstrap gained 14 more valued customers as we are planning to come back for Sunday Brunch for another birthday. I would highly recommend this place for anyone who enjoys BBQ food. read more

So glad we made it to Blackstrap BBQ tonight! Enjoyed their incredibly good smoked wings, fried chicken (Wednesday's special), spare ribs and brisket! Amazing sauces. Fun bar scene with friendly, excellent service. read more

I know it has been few years since I ordered the Wednesday night fried chicken special which was very delicious. My disappointment is with the amount of chicken you get for $18.99, three small pieces, two small sides, and one very delicious biscuit. Before when you had this special you got 8 pieces for that price enough food for a family. I will stick to Popeye's for my fried chicken cravings in the future. read more

What a fun place to eat! Try the smoked chicken with the smashed potatoes. French fries are crazy good. We will be back to eat next week!!!

Fantastic BBQ by Boston area standards. Ribs, burnt ends brisket, and carolina pork were our favorites. Texas brisket was a bit dry. Sides were excellent, especially collard greens and sweet potato salad. Cornbread was delicious. The cornbread pudding was a bit heavy for our taste. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Will be back. read more

AMAZING BBQ. I know there are many styles and many different preferences amongst BBQ lovers so not everyone agrees but damn, this place rocks. Everything is done with love and to perfection. I'm recently married and Tasty Plates catered our Rehearsal dinner (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). Much to my excitement, Chris immediately recognized us when we came in for lunch. He generously prepared a sampler so large that I didn't think I stood a chance at finishing it. The foot was so good I left comatosed in the best way possible. EVERYTHING we had was delicious. Crispy but not overcooked onion rings, stunning potato thing, good beams, greens, ribs, just writing this review is making my mouth water. Their home made sauces are also amazing. Do not leave without trying the pickles dipped in their ranch dipping sauce, even if you don't like ranch dressing, which I didn't, until i tried this. read more

I have tried every BBQ joint around Boston.Blackstrap is hands down the best.Big portions.Everything tastes great and is cooked perfect.The staff is awesome..Found this place on Yelp about 4 months ago,I live in Quincy and have been 5 times already.Worth the drive, if you like your BBQ,give it a try.Great selection of sauces and condiments.Love the brisket and chili mac,with big slab of cornbread.Fried pickles are nice appetizer,you might need a friend to help finish them though. read more

I've never been to Winthrop before, but I read good things about this place and decided to try it. I will be going back to Winthrop a lot in future! Wonderful ribs, and the sides - I tried mac and cheese and the maple mashed sweet potatoes - were outstanding. The corn bread was the only weak spot, but I was too full to eat more than one bite anyhow so I won't ding them for that. The guys working there were also genuinely nice. read more

I had blackstrap tonight for dinner. It was absolutely delicious! I got the smoked chicken and ribs. The rub on the meat was perfect. The smoky taste was just right. I wish I lived closer, as this would be my go-to spot for the out! The cornbread was also tasty. I warmed it with some butter. On top of amazing food, the staff is vey friendly, courteous on the phone, and they get your order correct (unfortunately many places have trouble with that)! read more

It's about time a BBQ joint opened up near me. I love this spot. The BBQ is amazing and always leaves me craving for more. They do BBQ right, and the prices are pretty reasonable for the amount of food you get. The pulled chicken is awesome, the mac and cheese has that homemade taste that melts in your mouth, the corn bread is great (I always need a piece of cornbread with my bbq), the maple sweet mashed is addictively good. I mixed it together with the mac and cheese & a bit of cornbread. What a combination! The staff is cool and helpful and will answer any questions you might have.To sum it all up, THIS PLACE ROCKS! read more

Stopped in last night with the GF. I was happy to find the place lived up to my expectations after reading all the rave reviews here on Yelp. I had the blackened catfish Po Boy with mac n cheese and Asian slaw meal. The fish was cooked perfectly. Nicely charred while still very moist. The mac n cheese was very good. Not too cheesy and it had that nice crust on top which I like. The Asian slaw was very good as well, Nice bite and good moisture content as I do not enjoy slaws that are dripping wet. I think it would be awesome on a pulled pork sammich. My GF had the smoked chicken with collard greens and sweet mashed potatoes meal. The chicken had great flavor. It was a tad dry but I think that was because we got there so late. I try never to order chicken toward closing time at a BBQ joint. This is not a shot at the chicken, just my theory. The sweet mashed potato side was fantastic. Seemed to have maple syrup involvement. Glad I tried them. She liked the collard greens as well. The staff was great. Got to talk with them for a little bit as the night was winding down and it wasn't very crowded. They seem to enjoy what they do and enjoy working with each other which is very important. They want their customers to enjoy their creations and I felt they went the extra mile to make sure we were content. Case in point....we ordered fried pickles but they forgot to enter the order. When they brought our food, I asked for the pickles and while they were not on the bill, Matt brought me an order on the house. I offered to pay but he insisted we take them. He also let me try a dry rubbed pork rib which was tender, meaty and smoky. If you want to sauce it up they would probably slather some on for you but I think they are more of a dry rub kinda place so you can really appreciate the flavor of the meat.They do have a nice selection of sauces on the counter you can dabble with on your own. In summation: Food - What we ordered was entirely delicious. I'm looking forward to returning so I can try other items. I was impressed at the size of the side dishes that came with the meal. Most places only give you a spoonful of each side when the sides come with the meal. Not the case here. Staff - Very friendly and seem to truly enjoy what they do. You can feel it. They are happy to see you walk in the door and even happier to hear what you think about their food. They welcome constructive criticism as much as compliments which tells me they all about customer satisfaction. Atmosphere - Very small place but definitely a funky little rib joint feel. Looks very clean and inviting. The 80's music flowing from the speakers brought me back to my high school days. A little Motown, a little disco......it was a good time. I will be back and will recommend to my friends. After I try more items from their menu I can feel an upgrade to 5 stars is definitely in the realm of possibility read more