Pros: -The inside and exterior are both very well maintained, clean, and modern. It looks and feels newly built. The location is convenient with free parking on site. -Ordering is similar to subway. You place your meat order at the beginning of the counter, and along the counter are sides ranging from corn, macaroni, green beans, and other classics vegetables. The menu had a lot of variety. They pulled the meats off the bone right in front of you! -The food was amazing. The barbecue had a great smokehouse taste and great flavor cooked onto the outside. The macaroni was warm, gooey, and delicious. The corn had a nice buttery taste! -If you get a fountain drink, it comes with a souvenir reusable cup you can take home! -We came after the lunch rush and there was no wait for food. Service was fast and delicious. Cons: -Since it was our first time, we had to look at the menu. While we were clearly looking the worker asked to take our order. We asked for just a minute and she huffed loudly and walked away. A different server helped explain how to order and pulled our meats instead. -It is a little pricey for a fast-food style down restaurant; however, the amount of meat and sides given makes it worth it. The quality of food is very good, too! -When we sat to eat, nobody was around us at all. Once our food came, the manager came out to conduct an interview and they sat right in front of us. It didn't seem to be going well for the prospective candidate, so it felt a little awkward since there was nobody else in the dining area. There was a whole other room/side to the dining room away from their only two customers... -The meat was a little cold. The sides were warm, but the meat was not extremely warm. read more

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The smell of the smoke hits you as you walk into the front door. The staff is absolutely incredible. The cafeteria style food service is honestly fantastic in my opinion. I had the Smoked bologna sandwich and it was so good. I also loved the take home cups which is a great touch. I will for sure return and eat here again when I am back in town read more

The atmosphere was neat. The service was nice. We thought it was going to be a fancier type of restaurant by the look of the outside. The bologna was not that great. The chicken seemed more broiled than smoked. The potato was dry. The nachos were ok. The brisket was ok when bbq sauce was added to it. read more

I'm prob not the guy to talk to when it comes to this big chain style of bbq where there is not a true Pitmaster or really any rhyme or reason for how they plate. Service has never been disappointing at any of their locations. They def dump a whole lot of money into their locations, so it draws folks in just to see the place. Warm colors and relaxing vibe make it a comfortable place to hang out w/friends. Since I am not a chain restaurant guy I have only been when friends have picked or invited us. read more

Food was spot on!!!! Really good bbq chicken . Really liked that there were sides that wasn't fried. Employees were friendly and very helpful. read more

Food was ok. Had a pickup order. Was ready pretty quickly. Staff was pretty rude and didn't even thank us for our business.

Let me just tell you, the food, the people, and the atmosphere are all top notch! I had the brisket sandwich. Between the buttery bun, the Smokey brisket and the three bbq sauces I tried. This sandwich was off the charts good. The sweet potato was done to perfection. Highly recommended!!!! You can stop reading here if all you care about is the food....but my experience went beyond the food. I stopped in Jonesboro for a nights stay and some food on a long road trip. Rolled in on a Saturday evening around 7:00. The staff greeted me as I walked in and they were very friendly! From the cooks to the cashier, to the folks waiting tables...everyone had a very serving attitude and was working to give me a good experience. When I walked up to the building I thought I was going into a high end,sit down for an hour, restaurant. I was presently surprised that it was more of a brewery type atmosphere. The food was high quality without the high price. BRAVO Blue Ember! I will definitely be visiting Blue Ember again on my next road trip. read more

Blue Ember Smokehouse - Brisket Sandwich and Sweet Potato - Barbeque Near Me - Jonesboro, Arkansas

Amazing ribs, pulled pork, and sausage. The Mac and cheese was great too. Pretty pricey though.

Stopped here after Eclipse-watching for a meal before tackling the traffic snarl back to Memphis. Beautiful facility, clean, & smelled like smoking meats! I had turkey sandwich which came on a white roll & was a solid 5 of 5 for me. Baked beans were delicious & potato salad had a sour cream base, which is my personal fav. One friend with me got a loaded potato with brisket & pronounced it delish. Another friend got brisket sandwich & gave it a . Several sauces to choose from; I lived the hot & spicy one! We all tried the Brisket Twister, a jalapeño popper stuffed with brisket & cream cheese, wrapped in smoky bacon! Yummy. read more

This que is on point!!! Always Smokey and delicious!! Service is friendly and attentive. Definitely a win.

The food was good, the service was nice, and the ambiance is among my favorite in town. I've been there many times since they opened. During very social seasons and budgets need to be minded they still have options for me that are satisfying and fulfilling. read more

Blue Ember Smokehouse - Special Ops platter my husband and could have probably shared. - Barbeque Near Me - Jonesboro, Arkansas

Meat was VERY good! Owner and husband had a chance to chat about grilling/smoking meat! Owner generously gave some helpful secrets away! Interior is super clean! Server behind the counter was very welcoming! Thanks Arkansas for sharing some of the best BBQ! read more

Blue Ember Smokehouse - Hard work and diligence stacked high! - Barbeque Near Me - Jonesboro, Arkansas

I think I had the best every bbq in my life! Blows Central BBQ from Memphis off the table! Get here early because they ran out of chicken and ribs. It is a game day so I expected that. Apple bbq is sweet. Perfect balance. Sweet potato is enough for two. Get the Special OPS to try almost everything. I'm stuffed. It's so good. Definitely will be back. read more

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Great food, service, and atmosphere A++++ The staff seemed happy to work there, and the food reflected it read more

Wow!!!! Super happy I searched BBQ and didn't just try Que 49 BBQ. Showed up after work around 5pm and there were several cars in parking lot but the place wasn't crowded inside at all. It's got a great look both inside and out. I rolled into line and watch as the gentleman ahead of me ordered 1/2Lb of brisket and to my surprise there was an employee there knife in one hand and a beautiful black round of brisket in the other cut fat slices and then weighing them on a scale before plating...Never seen a BBQ place do it that way. I stepped up order my pound of brisket, ribs and chick quarters and watched to whole process play out again with speedy efficiency while at the same time being asked by another employee if I wanted any sides. Now to the food. The brisket was fall apart tender as were the ribs and they were both delicious with lots of thick meat and a nice crust and very little excess fat. The chicken quarters were also good and had a nice smoky taste. I am so happy that Jonesboro has another BBQ place and it's the best in Jonesboro for Brisket and Ribs in my opinion. I tried their 3 BBQ sauces and preferred the spicy one but they were all good. Thank you Blue Ember for coming to town!!! read more

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I'm here for a work trip. I checked out the reviews and decided to give Blue Ember Smokehouse a try. It's awesome. My boss is going to give me a hard time because I'm going to have so many recipes from this place on my travel expense report--I'll be back every day I'm in town. read more

This was such a surprise to see Blue Ember Smokehouse in Jonesboro! Best ribs in Arkansas hands down. They are served dry and are so good they don't even need sauce! The brisket is top-notch as well. I recommend this place too anybody coming to Jonesboro! read more

Blue Ember Smokehouse - Ribs and brisket plate! - Barbeque Near Me - Jonesboro, Arkansas

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Restaurant is super clean. Foods a little pricey but is good for something different. Service is normally really good. But last time I went one of the people who cut the meat on the line was rude with my wife and I. read more

Took some local customers to lunch here today. Found it a very good place to eat and entertain guests if they like good bbq. I had the beef brisket sandwich with green beans and baked beans. Could not eat it all. read more

Go early because they ran out of food. Overall wonderful service Easy parking Fast service read more

Well, I was going to give them a 4 because I only had the brisket sandwich and was going to wait till I tried the ribs but decided against it. I picked this one to try, because someone from Texas said it was good. They were right. Wasnt sure about the lightly toasted, over buttered bun, but it was really good. I also thought it looked a little foofoo, but I overlooked it and I am glad I did. The meat was tender and juicy and well smoked. Will definitely be adding it to the rotation. The sides of fries and corn was also good. read more

I work for a local company and I called to get some help with a receipt--I just needed a duplicate receipt since the one I had faded. I called them today, 4/22/24. As soon as I said who I was, the girl hung up on me. I called back thinking it was an accident. Nope. Phone answered and then immediately I was hung up on again. No, "Please hold", "Can you please call back" nothing. So, I kept calling out of principle and every call was answered and then hung up. I was hung up on a total six times with no apologies or anything. My first call mentioned above was the first call I made to them today. A man finally answered and gave the phone to the asst manager. She said she'd have to track down who has that phone. Very rude. Didn't apologize. The business I work out frequently goes to Blue Ember. I'll be sure to spread the word about not going back there. Plenty of other BBQ restaurants that have politer staff and better BBQ. read more

Bar b Que pork was bland. Chicken quarters were just ok. Neither had any smoke flavor. Prices about average. The staff was friendly and polite. read more

Food was cold !!! Brisket was nothing but Fat and potato salad was awful !!! I will not recommend this Restaurant to anyone !! I didn't want to leave No stars but it made me !! read more

Blue Ember Smokehouse - Brisket & Potatoe Salad !! - Barbeque Near Me - Jonesboro, Arkansas

First time here. Food and service were good. Had the Special Ops. Ribs were awesome, brisket and pulled pork were ok.

Excellent!!!!! G.O.A.T!!!!!! Definitely will be coming back soon! The absolutely best BRISKET in Jonesboro, AR! read more

I was amazed that they were open on a Sunday, since most bar b que places around us are open only Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, so this was a plus. My mouth was watering for bar b que and since they have a location in Fort Smith, which is closer to our house, I thought that I would give it a try. I drove to the Jonesboro location on Sunday, August 13, 2023 around 1235pm went inside and asked the man cutting the meat if they had dinners, since most places that we go offer 2, 3 meat dinners if they sold dinners that way. He was a little rude with his answer of no, but I was there already so I ordered brisket, pulled pork, burnt ends and ribs. Toast did come with the meat. I ordered 2 sides of baked beans, 1 corn on the cobb, 1 cole slaw, and on Mac & cheese. Totaling over $70. The cashier was nice. Granddaughter loved the mac & cheese, but the beans and meats all tasted like lighter fluid. I don't believe that we will be going back anytime soon. read more

Service was great. Food was amazing. Great bbq. Warning, meat is in a lot of the sides but it's really good. Nice place. I would go back a lot. read more

Best bbq in Jonesboro we visit here have a shop and come at least 2x a week when here and have them cater our team

The staff was very friendly. The restaurant was very clean and had a nice atmosphere. The only thing I would comment on is the amount of food I got for the price. I got two ribs, two sides and a drink. $20. The food was good though. read more

I have it two stars only because It had one of the best briskets I ever had. In addition the place was clean and the atmosphere was great but the meat portion size was ridicules. Before going there I looked on the online menu and it showed a brisket and sweet potato bowl. Showed three large slices of brisket. I expected at least half of what was shown. I was sooo disappointed. Not even half of one slice shown, maybe about a third of a cup of meat. Now the sweet potato was huge. I said something about it not looking like the online menu and the person said I could have purchased more. I told him I was not coming back. As I was eating, he did come by my table and give me a refund but still...I do not recommend the place if you expect anything close to what you see on their online menu. read more

What I would call a comfortably upscale barbecue experience. The food is deliciously smoked, providing great flavor and tenderness. Sides are very good, the mac and cheese in particular is homemade good, and the baked potatoes are nicely sized and fluffy and tender inside! The gentlemen at the slicing station are fast and efficient, while folks serving up the sides are equally adept. To top it all off, it is competitively priced with other local barbecue restaurants. Highly recommend, we definitely waited too long to give it a try. read more

Great! Definitely looking forward to going back soon! Great staff and really good food!

I don't normally like BBQ, but the burnt ends were incredible. Mac and cheese was creamy but not runny. Excellent service. Appreciate the Christian gospel music playing. Will be back. read more

Food sucks cause the pulled pork sandwich threw together just now right at the price

Blue Ember Smokehouse had a lot of 5 star reviews and was the big reason why my wife and I went to go try it out. I love BBQ it is my favorite thing to eat and I have had phenomenal BBQ like wrights BBQ in northwest Arkansas and Terry blacks BBQ in Dallas Texas. I was disappointed with the taste of the food after reading so many high reviews. The Mac and cheese was flavorless and you shouldn't have to add dry rub seasoning to make Mac & cheese taste good. The pork belly burnt ends were the most disappointing item on the menu. A burnt end should have a soft and moist consistency all the way through. The only soft part was the fat and it was also flavorless and there was no bark on the burnt ends. The brisket was ok but again not much flavor and I couldn't taste any smoke. You could see a bark on the brisket but there was no bite. It was weird, but overall the brisket was alright. The best item on the menu by far was the brisket twister it is a jalapeño popper with brisket in it. The flavor was great and cooked really well! The service was really great and the ambiance is really nice. The restaurant was extremely welcoming and had a warm feel to it. They didn't cook the brisket twister to their standard and gave my wife and I another order for free. That is taking great care of your customers. I hate to give this place 2 stars with such great service and nice atmosphere but to me the most important part of the restaurant is the taste of the food. The food lacked a lot of flavor and smoke. There is much better BBQ than blue ember. I am not from Jonesboro but that does not meet my standards for great BBQ. read more

I hate this place. They purposely angle the blade & cut brisket so there's barely any bark--they do it every time. It doesn't matter who is cutting, it's 50/50 whether or not they'll ask you if you want lean or moist but regardless if you ask for lean or moist, they WILL NOT give you much bark. It's actually comical, they'll angle the blade so you get more of the bottom and not the top. 100% of the time, you can watch them, they'll angle the blade. Everyone knows we want the top bark when we get brisket but they aren't gonna give it to you. This place is nothing like Wrights bbq and it shows because they're never as busy as Wrights in Fayetteville. Want a platter of 2 or 3 or 4 meats? They don't offer it. You gotta order everything by itself so they maximize profits. One time I walked in on a Thursday, 50 min before close and I said I need 1/2lb brisket to go, I wasn't going to eat it there and then the guy cutting proceeds to make comments under his breath to another worker about trying to clean up but he can't yet and rolls his eyes, obviously annoyed I asked for 1/2lb brisket to go 50 min before closing. I was inside for about 4 minutes total. If you wanna clean up earlier, then close earlier. Place is the worst. Watch them cut your brisket next time, you'll barely get any bark. read more

Nice atmosphere. Brisket is a 6/10. Friendly staff. Clean and new. Enjoyed the pineapple sausage.

Our party of seven are there after the 2023 graduation and we couldn't have been more pleased. The place and help were clean, the food was the best BBQ I've had in a long time, it was well ran, the helpings were plenty and the prices were fair. Five star for sure, and I'm from Kansas City where there's Arthur Bryant's and Gates BBQ. read more

Food is good, it's pricey for BBQ and serving size but good. Do not expect the inside to be as cool and upscale as it appears on the outside. It's more of a cafeteria style vibe. read more