Yelp Elite ReviewBobby D's BBQ is exactly the kind of place you hope to find when you're craving solid, no‑nonsense barbecue done right. From the first bite, it was clear this spot takes pride in quality. The ribs were the standout--perfectly tender, well‑seasoned, and paired with a sauce that enhances the meat rather than masking it.Pricing is refreshingly reasonable, with most plates starting around $11+, which feels like a steal given the generous portions and overall quality. The atmosphere is comfortable and inviting, making it an easy choice for families or a relaxed meal out.Service was attentive, friendly, and efficient without ever feeling rushed. Our group of four adults and three kids came out to $116 total, and every dollar felt well spent.Bobby D's checks all the boxes: great food, fair prices, welcoming ambiance, and genuinely good service. If you're in Emporia and appreciate well‑executed BBQ, this place deserves a spot on your list. read more

See all

Stopped in while at ESU family day. Good service and the ribs were great! Will definitely stop in again. read more

Went to Grad school at ESU in the early 2000's and this was our favorite place to eat when we had the chance to get out. They had the best ribs I'd ever had back then. And I can say that ALL these years later, they still have the best ribs. We've eaten ribs all over Texas, Kansas, and other locales that claim to know BBQ, and none of them can hold a candle to Bobby D's. Happy to make a pit stop here every time we trek from Texas to Iowa. I even make sure to grab a slab to go for my dad in Iowa, as he loves them as much as we do. read more

Bobby D's is great. The ribs fall off the bone. Fun vibe and great staff too. Definitely on my go-to list of restaurants in E-town!

Nothing beats the Big Buddy double Brisket sandwich for $13. It comes with fries and.a drink and is large enough to share. Great place to eat best BBQ. read more

A great stop for lunch and Kansas BBQ. Food servers, ambiance, Brisket and sides were top notch... You will not be disappointed.

Good food here. I like their style of ribs better than the kind that are coated in sauce. The ribs are slow cooked with a seasoning rub on them. You taste the meat and not the sauce that way. read more

The brisket I had was AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! Jan had the potato skins appetizer - which she went on and on about. She had the chocolate cheesecake for dessert, I had a few bites. So good. Go there if you're in Emporia, KS, you won't be disappointed!!!!!! read more

I've come here twice within a week span with my crew and twice now there's nothing available except Turkey, Ham, Pulled pork and sausage. It's rough to be a bbq joint with no bbq. read more

This unassuming place has big eats despite looking to be a small town place. The food within is VERY GOOD and worthy of that Kansas BBQ reputation. We started off with some onion rings and fried mushrooms which hit the spot after being outside all morning playing disc golf. Pairs well with a cold beer too. :) Then the mains themselves were amazing. I had a half slab of ribs and they were HUGE with the meat just falling off the bone. Their flavor and tenderness were so yummy that my mouth just waters writing about it. My fellow eaters got the burnt ends, which I felt were okay. They seemed a bit fatty and the meaty pieces were a bit overcooked - because of that, it's the reason it wasn't a perfect 5 stars. read more

See all

Great Bar b Q. It's all about the meats! Great service and beverages. I haven't eaten anything that wasn't really good. I especially liked the smoked sausage. It's the go to for Bar B Q in Emporia read more

Ordered a single pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw. The price for both plus a drink was under $10 and filling. Clean place, busy for lunch. Parking is across the street. Not a lot of booths, so get there early or you will be sitting at a table! read more

Bobbyd's Merchant St Bbq - Barbeque Near Me - Emporia, Kansas

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!!! Did I mention Excellent? The service was outstanding. The food was beyond words!! Was hoping it was closer to the highway but WORTH the little drive. We would definitely come back. We had the trio +1 (2) orders and wings. Tastebuds are worn out. read more

I was visiting Emporia and of course I had to scout out the good local eateries. This place had good reviews and Yelp but I found it to be pretty average bbq. I'm from NC so I've had my share of good bbq but I suppose for a small town, it's not a great comparison. Reasonable prices and worth a shot if you're in town visiting but did not leave me with a wow factor read more

Bobbyd's Merchant St Bbq - a plate of food - Barbeque Near Me - Emporia, Kansas

We found it on Yelp right in time for our lunch. My husband had the 4 bone plate, and the ribs were very meaty and tender! I had the burnt ends plate. They were great. We hope to be back in this area. Service was great, and our food came out in a timely manner! read more

Doesn't look like much from the outside but we decided to try it based on positive reviews. Service was excellent and very friendly even though they were very busy, prices were decent. Our party had burnt ends, jalapeño sausage, pulled pork sandwiches, mac and cheese, okra, cheesy potatoes and everything was really good. Definitely recommend and this will be a go to when we are in Emporia. read more

You can order any of the meat and be satisfied but order the ribs and be awed. I had the 3 Meat + 1 combo, which included 3 choices from their smoked meats plus 1 rib. I wish I'd ordered just the ribs. The burnt ends were so-so but made better by adding sweet BBQ sauce. The pulled pork had a nice smoky taste. The brisket was tender but not all that remarkable. But the rib...tender and smoky with a slight crispy dry rub bark. No sauce--didn't need it. Juicy and just incredible taste. A side came with the combo and from the dozen choices I had baked beans with meat bits mixed in. Satisfying. A companion enjoyed their grilled salmon. Fried okra retained its crispy batter throughout the meal. Wednesday evening the casual, downtown Emporia place was packed and stayed busy between 7 and 9. That led to a longer wait than we wanted but the meals were worth the additional wait. read more

Food is always great! We eat there every time we are in Emporia. Atmosphere is cozy, service is quick and friendly and prices are tough to beat for the quality and the quantity! Don't miss it if you get the chance! read more

Had the Prime Rib weekend special, $30. Was not impressed. Ordered medium rear, they reheated the rib on the grill so each side is well done and the middle was medium rear. Thought the rib did not have flavor also. Will not be back read more

The service was great however the food was terrible. We went on a Thursday afternoon. My wife ordered the pulled pork sandwich with fried okra. I had the 3 meat plate consisting of pulled pork, brisket and sausage. The pork was very dry and bland. The okra was slime on the inside. The sausage was decent, but the brisket was the grossest thing I have ever tried. It was sliced paper thin but still managed to be tough and chewy. It had no smoke ring! It also had an off taste like it had been sitting around too long. It definitely wasn't fresh. We ended up not eating what they served besides the sausage. It was a very bad experience. 2 stars for the service. read more

Bobbyd's Merchant St Bbq - Nasty, cold, paper thin brisket. No smoke, no flavor. The absolute worst brisket I have ever had. Everything else was mediocre at best. - Barbeque Near Me - Emporia, Kansas

I had the Cuban. Mostly bread and lettuce. My husband had the ribs. They weren't done and mostly fat.

Wow. After some really bad bbq last night in kc this was a great find. Only had the burnt ends and fried okra, but wow. Really great stuff.

My partner and I were here for dirty Kanza bike race. We were looking for a place to eat and radius brewing company had an hour wait. We stumbled across the street and were pleasantly surprised. We sat at the bar to expedite things, although we could have waited a little longer for a table. The man who took care of us at the bar was great. Amazing customer service. I had the burnt ends and my partner had some type of sandwich. We cannot wait to go back! We went to St. Louis on the way home and none of the BBQ joints compare! Bobby Ds is where it's at. read more

See all

Food was cold after waiting forever to get. Cheesy potatoes were half cooked and almost no cheese in them. Broccoli salad is broccoli and a few shreds of carrot. Not tasty at all. Steer clear of this establishment. Meat had no taste, no seasoning. Not sure what's going on there but don't waste your money. read more

I no longer live in Emporia, but Bobby D's is such a nice hometown treat! The atmosphere is great - nice mom and pop feel with friendly staff. Service is always speedy here and the food is always served hot. My favorite thing to get here is the pulled pork sandwich. It's simple but never disappoints. I usually add a fair amount of Bobby D's barbecue sauce because it's delicious. One of the best parts of Bobby D's is the large selection of sides. I always have a difficult time choosing a side because they're all so good. The French fries are nice and crispy and are seasoned with Bobby D's special seasoning. The baked beans are delicious and have bits of meat included. My favorite side by far are the cheesy potatoes. They are wonderful! A trip to Bobby D's isn't complete without some cheesy potatoes. I highly recommend Bobby D's for some solid barbecue. read more

This is my go to for prime rib! Everything was delicious! Service was great! Price is reasonable $$ read more

Bobbyd's Merchant St Bbq - My Prime Rib Dinner was amazing!! - Barbeque Near Me - Emporia, Kansas

Passing through town we stopped here based on previous reviews. Quite good barbecue. Prime rib was amazing. They ran out of burnt ends before arrived but alternatives great Only complaint: portions Way too big. Must be a midwestern thing. Dated decor adds to the fun! read more

I was ready to drop three stars on this joint for a nice effort and then I met...the sauce. The mustard-based vinegar BBQ sauce is worth the trip on its own and gets this place over the top. Go there and get knee-deep in the stuff. What's good (in order of goodness): ribs, beef, turkey - the ham and the pulled pork were unexceptional. Also, the french fries and the cole slaw were decidedly above-average. Busy on a saturday, but the staff were super-friendly. Interesting take on the cuban sandwich. Not my thing but you might like it. read more

Bobbyd's Merchant St Bbq - The mustard-vinegar BBQ sauce. The shizzle. - Barbeque Near Me - Emporia, Kansas

Crazy good BBQ. Chicken special on Saturday! The smokey flavor is just right. No sauce is required...the sauce is quite good, but the meat is just excellent on its own, too. Great beans. Great fried pickles. Great broccoli salad. I loved everything I tried. If you are passing through Emporia, this is your BBQ joint. There's a brewery across the street. Grand slam. The service is super friendly and helpful. This place gets busy, but service is quick so the wait is brief if there is one. The prices are very reasonable. read more

See all

My review is bias being from Texas and we do bbq differently. I had the meat trio + 1 but did not get the rib that was suppose to come with it as listed on the menu. I did not bring it up to the server so no fault on his. For the meats I had sausage, brisket and burnt ends. Starting off the fried pickles were very good! The sausage was good and had a nice spice. The brisket was bland and needing a sauce to add any flavor. There was no smoke ring present on the cuts. The burnt ends were just that burnt and fatty. They were very dry and tough, which was sad because they looked super moist. The service was very tentative and quick. My only complaint was when I was seated it was by the hostess/bartender telling me there is a table over there pointing towards the dinning room area in a very non informative way. All in all not bad bbq, but not as good as Texas bbq. read more

This quickly became our date night spot after a friend recommended it to me. We soon had our regular orders down and hardly have strayed from them. The double with burnt ends (so a burnt ends sandwich), cheesy potatoes, and fries are definitely a good bet! The barbecue is flavorful and delicious every time! Not to mention the speediness of service! It seems like we can go in there right at dinnertime and every table can be full, but we're soon seated, orders taken, and food is served before you can even think "When will our food be here?" We've since graduated and moved away, but if we find ourselves back in the area, there's no question as to where we'll eat! read more

In fairness, my wife's nachos were quite good. Should've mentioned that the first time. My apologies. Overall, this place was only okay. Dining there again would require ordering something else. read more

Overall the meal was good. Had the burnt ends with cheesy potatoes and fries. Potatoes were 5/5 excellent flavor and taste. Fries were a 3/5. Just your standard fries. Nothing to make them stand out from everyone else. Burnt ends were a 3/5. Not like traditional burnt ends. They were shredded to the consistency of brisket, and saturated with sauce. The sauce was overwhelming and took away from the flavor of the meat. Was hoping to not have the meat over saturated with sauce, as that's a key to ruining excellent BBQ. read more

I ordered the trio meat plate +1 with double order of burnt ends, brisket, 1 rib, and cheesy Potatoes on the side. The positive: the service was fast and friendly, the cheesy potatoes were really tasty. I didn't expect to like them. The burnt end tasted good and tasted fresh. The Spicey Bbq sauce was very good! The negative: the brisket (as was shared by another review was tough and rubbery. It tasted like it was refrigerated leftovers that were heated up on the grill. I was also expecting more from the Rib. It too tasted reheated and was a bit dry. The flavor wasn't bad though. read more

My dad and I ate here while we were in town. The pulled pork sandwich was wonderful especially with their homemade sauce smothered all over it! Our server, Carly, did a great job making sure we had everything we needed. I would have given five stars but the coleslaw needed more flavor. read more

2nd horrible experience. Thought first time was a fluke, but no. Ordered curbside. Paid and tipped the girl then she comes out and says oh sorry we're out of baked potatoes. And oh yeah we're out of the cobblers you ordered and paid for. Settled on different potato and desert, got home, NO POTATOES on either order, no side salad I ordered and paid for and the medium rare prime rib I ordered was a well done paper thin cut of something but it wasn't prime rib. I returned it all, unbelievable. used to love this place but it's gone to crap. Food sucks, service sucks and attitude sucks on employees. So disappointed. read more

Been there numerous times. Never a bad experience. Excellent food and pleasant staff. The meatloaf (Wednesday special) is terrific and well worth a try. read more

We've eaten there several times. Large selection of food on the menu. Friendly staff and clean place. Never been disappointed.

Took almost an hour to get my food and the brisket was basically seasoned sand paper. Cheesy potatoes were pretty solid but not good enough to save the experience. This town doesn't have much for good food and this place definitely fits the theme. Hard pass read more

It took over an hour to get a Brisket Sandwich! Rediculous! Thissssssss issssss sooo crazy