Went to Dodgeville (aka smallville with absolutely no signal thanks ATT) literally JUST for this place. Coming from the south and having lived in north carolina (one of the hot spots for bbq), I had thought that I had a pretty good idea of what good bbq was. We got the sample meat platter with two sides of mac and cheese and sweet potato fries, and it was, for the most part, pretty good. Brisket imo was actually slightly dry and chewy, but the ribs were extremely flavorful and delicious, especially with the 6 or so sauces they had lined up to sample. Pork chop was also surprisingly, super tender and smoked, far from the dry piece of meat I'd been expecting. Sweet potato fries were pretty standard, but unless you love liquid cheese, I'd steer clear of the mac and cheese (which was like a yellow cheese soup...eep). Yes to the ribs and smoked pork, would probably skip the brisket and go with different sides if I were to ever come again. The sampler platter does, however, have a nice selection of their meats (minus any chicken) and can easily feed 2 people. read more

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Wow! That is the best word for this experience. Carefully selected craft beers on tap. Sensational sauces, two of which you have to make sure to ask to see, and solid barbecue. Stopped for snacks but will be back for the real deal. Ownership is so friendly, accommodating and ready to give you their story. read more

For the "too long, didn't read" crowd... Service was perfect, but don't believe the hype. This is not BBQ. Full review: The service was excellent. I really mean that. Everyone was on point and working hard to be the best damn BBQ restaurant in town. We were there for dinner during a rush and our server was golden on everything. Predicting refill needs, checking back, etc. Great job!!! The food however.... I get that this is Wisconsin, but using an undetectable amount of smoke during the cooking process and calling this food BBQ is about as ridiculous as someone in St. Louis making poutine and not using French fries. I'm not going to claim false advertising, but be warned: The brisket consists of chunks and tiny flakes of what is essentially pot roast. Not sure it was actually brisket. Not sliced, no smoke ring. The ribs were St. Louis style (but not really), the pork was basically crock pot pork. Ribs were coated with a blackened rub, obviously reheats. Pork and brisket seemed like they probably sat in water in a steam table all day. I don't want to hear the excuse (but I did hear it) about electric smokers being what they use so there's not as much smoke and no ring. I use an electric smoker at home and get a smoke ring and 10 times the amount of smoke flavor. As the saying goes "It's a poor musician who blames his instruments". Perhaps if served with the sauce (which of the six varieties tried were all prey good) on the meat, the lack of smoke and flavor would have been less of a shock, but to anyone worth their weight in smoked meats, relying on the sauce to give the meat flavor is a big crutch. I have a feeling that maybe this is a case of folks in town not knowing what they're missing, (the place came highly recommended by several locals) or maybe there is zero competition for bbq restaurants up here, but in a way it feels like a sneaky bait and switch to someone who really enjoys a good, honest bbq. Anyone from Oklahoma, Texas, KC, Chicago, anywhere in the Carolinas, basically anywhere in the South, that passionately cooks BBQ will find this place ridiculous at best, insulting at worst. I literally laughed out loud when I tried their corn bread. It was such a weird meal. Try it, maybe you'll like it. My family, however, was woefully underwhelmed. Not BBQ. Nope. Don't believe the hype. read more

we had an incredible experience at Bob's Bitchin barbecue. We are on our way to vacation with the family. Our car stalled on 151.... The closest city was Dodgeville. And no idea where to go. Our family stopped to pick up our kids and we were waiting for car repair. Tow truck driver recommended your restaurant. My wife and I sat at the bar. Little did we know Bob sat next to us. Just randomly talk to us. We did not know who Bob was. Our food was delicious, or service was wonderful, and Bob was an angel and bought our meal. Highly recommend everything about Bob's bitch and barbecue. read more

Great BBQ and huge portions! Love that they have beer flights, not just served by the glass.

Everything here is good. Anything smoked is delicious. Cheese curds and fried pickles...yummo!! Friendly staff and cold beer!! A+ in my book

the food was good and see it was excellent , best sea food in town and i always recommended to people

Stopped here on advice from a clerk at Land's End!! WOW! Cheese Curds the Very Best we've EVER had! Nice selection of food, and tho we are from Illinois , WE WILL BE BACK FOR SURE! All 4 of us LOVE THIS RESTAURANT........Period. Arnie & Sue TICE Freeport, Illinois read more

The food was fabulous! We loved it. Best Rueben I e had. My so. Said his burger was amazing and my other son loved his chicken Wings and ribs. Cole slaw and fries were mediocre, service was good and it was a very clean environment. We will be back despite its 2 1/2 hrs from our home. read more

Bob's Bitchin' BBQ - Rueben and sweet potato fries - Barbeque Near Me - Dodgeville, Wisconsin

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So....if you want to buy a meal to eat...Bobs is fine. Thats it....But if you like BBQ, if you know BBQ.... if you understand smoke..rubs, and sauce.. move on. A Q joint this aint. Great staff. Friendly. Professional. But... just not a great Q place. So- I ordered take out. A rack of ribs- Thats a whole rib section, right? No sides. Brisket. No sides. I tried to pin down what that order would be for a portion of Brisket and got no straight answer... But was told its an AMPLE amount... OK I get it home... The brisket was maybe enough for sandwich. But it was piled on top of SOMETHING under some paper to make it look like a mound. That something was a chunk of cornbread MUSH cake used as filler under the brisket. So the brisket had no smoke.....no rub... Im convinced it came off a food supply truck.. microwaved. ....And placed in my box. I love brisket....any brisket. THIS was grey meat slabs.. and my palate says......NOT brisket, but roast beef. JUST SAD. Almost angry about the brisket... Like people that never had brisket..ate THAT brisket and thought...OHHHH. Thats what brisket tastes like. My condolences to them. heaven awaits you...just not at BOBS The ribs actually had some solid flavor. Now I appreciate a lil tug off the bone ...but I understand that a restuarant needs to keep stuff warm and that perfect "done" is hard to do en masse. So I kinda expect fall off the bone. But these ribs.... LOOK at em wrong... and they slipped off the bone in a pile of "pulled rib meat. " You take that off the line. mix it with pulled pork and serve it as a sammich. Not as ribs in a Q joint. That whole rack of ribs??? It fit in a take-out box.... like u get at Olive Garden. Is that a whole rack? That what I paid for??? Maybe my terminology is off. But that was not a full rack of ribs. Not bad food, Edible. But not cheap! And NOT what you want from a Q joint! Sauce. I bought two bottles. One was so thin... i thought I mighta bought bottled water. The other was slightly thicker.. but had no illusions of stickin to ANYTHING,. TWO vastly different flavor profiles based on label...... TASTE??????? if I didn't notice the viscosity.. Id say they came out of the SAME BOTTLE. no difference. Wanna eat something in Dodgeville... You can do that at Bobs for sure. Just dont expect real quality Q. So I looked at my review.. Too Harsh? So I go try the meager left over brisket in my fridge....This is not brisket. i knowwwwww brisket. The texture ..that fat marbling.. the rich flavor. This is roast beef with NO attempt to camo it, Its not brisket. Not a chance in He..... It tells me the whole place is a fraud. No smoke on this. Food truck plate slap. They turned a sauce into restaurant.. but dont know how to Q. Im literally angry I bought food there. Its like expecting CATS on Broadway..and getting a PBS special on house cats instead. read more

We stopped in on Saturday. The food and service were excellent. I had the smoked chicken and my husband had the brisket sandwich. We were amazed! I wish I got our waitresses name because she was fantastic! read more

We visit Bob's once a year when we visit Dodgeville WI. The service is always first rate but I've had mixed outcomes with the food. It's quality meat but I would agree with other readers that the meat is not smoked. It seems to have been grilled to heat it up from a frozen state. I recently ordered smoked sausages. The meat was grilled and yet still cold in the middle and I bit into ice. I advised the server who immediately took the food back and brought me another plate a few minutes later. The food was warm but not hot. I was starving so I said it was good enough. My wife had pulled pork western sandwich and was completely pleased. I've had better smoked barbecue in other states, but for Dodgeville it wasn't bad. I won't order sausages again. Disappointing. Sauces at table are tasty. We'll probably be back. read more

I experienced one MAJOR problem while trying Bobs! I ordered the dry brisket dinner. I ordered it dry so I could try all of the sauces; I believe there were 8 to try. The problem I had was that I thought for 5 minutes on which sauce I wanted to put on my last bite. The food was amazing; the space was cozy; the atmosphere was inviting! And the sauce; THE SAUCE WAS BITCHIN' read more

Stopped in for lunch, pulled pork sandwiches. Both my wife and I are Certified BBQ judges. We only had the pulled pork, but we can say that it was the best we've had outside of BBQ competitions . The pork was done just right, made to stand up to the bun. Not at all over cooked. We ordered the pork dry, to taste the rub and to try the eight different sauces. The pork was mild flavored. I usually like a little more spice but it was fun to try the sauces. I understand why the original sauce is an award winner. Very good with a traditional hickory flavor. I really liked the Brewbq sauce made with local Spotted Cow beer. It had a great fresh taste. They also have a lot of local brews on tap. You can't go wrong. The wait staff was very friendly and helpful. If you like BBQ and you're in Dodgeville, WI, stop in, you won't be disappointed. read more

Bob's Bitchin' BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Dodgeville, Wisconsin

I am in Dodgeville every other week for business, and drove past this place on my way into town this morning so I checked it out for lunch. There aren't many non fast food choices in Dodgeville so any new place is welcome. At this point they have been open for a little more than one week. From the inside, it warm and inviting. It definitely does not have the appearance of a small town restaurant. The menu is BBQ, with a few salads, and I believe soup. It was a tough decision, but I chose the pulled pork sandwich with macaroni and cheese and cilantro lime cole slaw. You can get your BBQ "dry" and apply one of their 7 BBQ sauces yourself. I tried all the sauces and they were all unique and very good. The food was fresh, hot and extremely good. The quality of the food, and the atmosphere would be successful anywhere, not just a small town. I wish them luck, but if the entire menu is as good as the lunch I had they don't really need it. I'll definitely be back! read more

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Meat was so dry it was inedible even the burnt ends were flavorless which is absolutely insane. This place definitely banks on people drenching their meal in their sauces (all of which are adequate but match what can be found at a store). Luckily the side dishes were decent so we could eat some of the meal. All of the servers seemed like they wanted to be somewhere else and where super unfriendly. Ordered an appetizer and never got it. Don't recommend to anyone who has actually had good bbq the food here is worse than a bland chain restaurant. read more

Bob's Bitchin' BBQ - Dry burnt ends - Barbeque Near Me - Dodgeville, Wisconsin

This is a nice, clean restaurant with good solid BBQ. Pros Pork carnitas salad. If you like a good southwest salad with some smoky meat, this is one of the best I've ever had. Crisp fresh veggies, avocado and pulled pork. The great dressing didn't stop me from adding some Carolina mustard. Mmmn! Sauces. No fewer than 8 bottles of wildly varied sauces to taste, pour and dip. All good! Cons The wait. Food service is complicated, I know. But this is dodgeville. We shouldn't have to wait an hour for lunch. Please figure it out. Takeout troubles. Once I asked if I could get a pound of brisket to go. The hostess told me that was a catering order, which required 24 hours advance. Come on. Do the pros outweigh the cons? I'm hoping bob's bitchin BBQ can figure out how to tip the balance. read more

Bob's Bitchin' BBQ - Pork carnitas salad at bob's bitchin BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Dodgeville, Wisconsin

My wife, dog, and I stopped here on a road trip across the US. Unfortunately they did not have outdoor seating for our dog to join us for dinner (-1/2 star) so we ordered to-go and ate at the tiny little park across the street. While we waited for our order to be made, we had a drink from the bar while sitting on their porch bench with our pup, and the bartender was friendly. We were routed through here after googling "best cheese curds Wisconsin," and Bobs did not disappoint. The cheese curd app was more than enough curds for the 3 of us! We also got the pretzel appetizer: while the pretzels were quite good, we were disappointed that they did not come with a cheese dip of any kind (-1/2 star). My wife had the black bean burger, which appeared to be made in-house, which was a pleasant surprise from the usual frozen burger she has gotten at other places. She got the grilled veggies as a side, and loved them! I didn't know what to order and let the front counter staff order for me. They ordered me a bitchwich, which was delicious, and showed off the place's ability to make several kinds of meat very well. The 2 girls up front, Karlee and Cara were amazingly friendly and helpful, and even gave us a sampler cup of each of their sauces to try with our dinner. I will fight whoever I have to, to say that their mango red pepper is their best sauce. But seriously, this place was great, and Karlee and Cara deserve a raise for being so awesome to us on our travels. If I was ever through this part of the country again, I would return here both for the good food and amazing people! read more

When you're in a small town 60 miles from the closest big city, you don't really expect much from the local restaurants. You don't expect anything fancy, because you don't want to go in there and be disappointed, right? But, that's exactly why we love small towns and random restaurants! You never know what to expect. Luckily, Bob's was a gem and was delicious! Quick summary: nice staff, great food, local beer taps, and low prices make for a wonderful experience! We went for the half rack of ribs and the pulled pork sandwich special topped with cilantro cole slaw. The ribs were tasty and fell off the bone. Lots of meat with just the right amount of sauce. The sandwich was nice in that the slaw was not lathered with mayo. The sandwich taste light and refreshing even though there was a pile of pulled pork. The only complaint with the food is that the mac & cheese side was bland while the cornbread was dry. Food aside, the service was impeccable. The staff was so nice and welcoming and super attentive. They were always there when you need with a fresh glass of water or extra napkins. The beers were all local and cheap when you order via sampler or pint. Definitely one of those spots you need to check out if you're in the area. read more

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We visited on a Saturday around 3p. We like to eat at the bar, especially when there's a football game on. It was a little annoying that they don't offer the same menu at the bar that they do at the table. Doesn't it all come out of the same kitchen? I understand that philosophy when it's during peak times but when there's only 10 other patrons in the establishment? We ordered wings and the Q fries, with brisket - both were fantastic! The wings were perfectly crispy and seasoned. The fries, despite being under all of the awesome toppings, didn't get soggy. The bill was a bit more than expected due to our drinks. We didn't specify liquor type so the bartender just gave us premium (at a premium price). Overall, great service and excellent food. read more

Bob's Bitchin' BBQ - Be sure to specify your liquor preference or they'll gladly give/charge you premium. - Barbeque Near Me - Dodgeville, Wisconsin

It was my birthday today and when trying to decide where to go for lunch, Bob's immediately came to mind. I'd been here twice previously but my husband had not. No time like the present to remedy that. We arrived around 12:30 on a Wednesday to find a very busy restaurant. We decided to sit at the bar which was almost wide open. They have a very nice beer menu plus a full bar. We started with "Q" Fries which are waffle fries smothered in sliced beef brisket, sauce, shredded cheese and onions. Simply amazing. The tender beef broke apart with a gentle pull and there was a generous amount of the brisket. I'm going to struggle to order anything else for an appetizer. My husband ordered the special of the day which was a Bacon White Cheddar Pork Sandwich and French fries. He enjoyed it. All 8 sauces are brought to try and it's hard to pick a favorite but nice to be able to try them all. I had the 50/50 sandwich which is half pulled pork and half beef brisket for those that can't decide or want to try both. I had it "Carolina Style" which is topped with cole slaw. I picked the cilantro lime slaw. Next time I think I'd pick the traditional creamy slaw as the cilantro was sometimes interfering with the flavor of the sauces I tried. I can't wait to go again. The staff is always very friendly and efficient. Food is top notch and you are able to try 8 different delicious sauces. They sell the sauces at the restaurant. Good luck not going home with all eight! read more

Absolutely amazing. Their pulled pork is incredible. They have all of their sauces right at the table so you can try all of them.

We drove up from Chicago on a Sunday that unfortunately, happened to be Father's day. Bob's Bitchin' was packed! There was a wait of 30 to 45 minutes. The bar had a limited menu (mostly sandwiches) and open seating. We bellied up to the bar for a brunch of brisket smothered in cheese and chili, over waffle fries. It was the smoky cheesy fuel I needed to fire up for our visit to Governor Dodge state park! read more

Bob's Bitchin' BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Dodgeville, Wisconsin

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We stopped here on a Sunday during football season and got there around Noon. We were seated immediately and it was nice to see how spread out everything was and everyone in masks (thanks to COVID). Our server was so friendly and helpful. We ordered the slider trios, with Mac and cheese and sweet potato fries as our sides, and a couple of beers. Everything was delicious. The Habenero sauce was 100% the way to go, so good. Additionally, I should mention, we were a table of Chicago Bears fans and they were nice enough to put that game on for us, even though everyone was decked out in Packers gear . Would definitely go back. read more

The only thing bitchin' about this place is me bitchin' about how mediocre my meal was. I got the pulled pork. Exactly zero flavor. My husband got the chicken. Exactly zero flavor. There is no way that any bbq enthusiast would rate this place any higher than a one star. With a name like bob's bitchin' bbq, I expected much more than what I got. Super disappointing. read more

I went here with friends on the way to a daytrip in Wisconsin and as a vegetarian I was worried I'd have only sides to choose from. I was pleasantly surprised to see a veggie burger on the menu which came with a side of my choice. The veggie burger was black bean with a mix of a lot of other vegetables. The patty was really flavorful and stayed together for the most part which is not always the case with black bean burgers. I got Mac and cheese as my side and it was pretty good also. Each table offers like 6 different housemade sauces which I had with some of my friend's fries. The diablo was my favorite, it wasn't nearly as spicy as I thought it would be but still had a good bbq flavor. Overall really nice place with good food even if you're a vegetarian! read more

Bob's Bitchin' BBQ - Vegetarian burger with Mac and cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Dodgeville, Wisconsin

If I could rate the bbq at this place no stars, I would. We just had lunch here, I got the ribs/brisket/chicken sampler. It appears that their meat is roasted in the oven and they are attempting to call it bbq by putting sauce on it. It was honestly the worst bbq I've ever had. I've had better chicken at my church's summer picnic. The brisket was dry and flavorless. I've heard so many good things about this place... but none of the reviews seem to know anything about proper bbq. Cornbread was good though. read more

Bob's Bitchin' BBQ - Terrible brisket.. - Barbeque Near Me - Dodgeville, Wisconsin

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Great bbq for after a hike at the state park. Bought plenty of bbq sauce to go home. The burnt ends and coleslaw were amazing. Downfall is they couldn't make a Virgin bloody Mary. read more

Great place, great location, superb food and service. Took a friend there for lunch. We both had the 50/50 half brisket half pulled pork. I'm doing keto these days so held the bun, added tomatoes, onions and pickles. Got Cole slaw for a side - outstanding. Huge serving at a reasonable price. Place was busy. Star of the day ?? The waitress. She was gracious, attentive and fast. Go figure, a college student working towards becoming a PT hustling food at noon in a small town. That's dedication. read more

In town for House on the Rock. Dinner here was great. Nice staff. The best chicken strips I have ever tasted in my life. Unbelievable. So much juicy white meat. The flavor was unlike anything I've ever had in chicken strips. I had the riblets, and it was plenty - 5 pcs., and the sauces we're great. Make sure to ask for the Chipotle Honey, as I believe it probably has to stay on ice. The FF were passable I guess. Good cole slaw. Good mac and cheese - not my favorite (pretty bland / plain Jane), but I hear it's a favorite with others. Lots of good beer on tap. Oktoberfest at the time, was Dinomite. read more

My wife and I spent a few nights in Dodgeville while exploring the driftless area of Wisconsin. Our second night here we decided to try Bob's Bitchin' Barbecue. We enjoyed the experience enough that we returned the next evening as well. The service was great both times. Having read about the place ahead of time, we knew that the name came from the barbecue sauce. Unfortunately, the "barbecue" was not as good as the sauce. On our first visit we both had the brisket. It was good, but just didn't feel like brisket. I'm not sure if they remove all of the fat cap before it goes on the smoker, but the meat was dry; not the unctuous, moist meat that I expect from brisket. I also could not detect any bark or rub on the meat. There was a very slight smoke flavor. On our second visit, I ordered the burnt ends, hoping that the re-smoked brisket would pick up more flavor from the rub and the second smoking. I didn't get that. It seemed more like the pieces of meat were tossed in a frying pan until they blackened, but again, I didn't get any flavor of a spice rub. My wife ordered the 50/50 sandwich. Visually, we couldn't tell the difference between the pork and the beef. I really struggled with giving this restaurant 3 stars or 4. I settled on 4 because of the service, the atmosphere, and the sauce. We even bought a dozen bottles of different sauces for home and to give as Christmas gifts. I'd come back here, but not because of the barbecue. read more

We were hiking in the area and stopped for a bite to eat. Phenomenal service and food!!! Our waitress was so helpful and knew everything about the specials to main meals to drinks. The atmosphere was awesome with an industrial vibe. I had a wet brisket sandwich Carolina style( with creamy slaw) with razzberry bbq sauce. Ohh so good. Jim had the special which was 50/50 with cheese on with regular bbq sauce. We both really enjoyed our food. I always end up with leftovers but not this time. Can't wait to go back!! read more

The food was good, but the wait was nuts. We waited for nearly an hour to get served, during early afternoon on a weekday with minimal guests. Immediate seating though. I liked the food but I doubt I'll ever bother to stop in again when I am close by. Also, I'll never be a fan of paper straws. read more

Love this place! Worth the wait and food is superb. My fave is beef brisket. Note to self: pass on the Mac and cheese. read more

Bob's Bitchin' BBQ - Love the larger restaurant with huge bar and waiting area - Barbeque Near Me - Dodgeville, Wisconsin

In town for business and need a quick luck spot before heading back. I saw Bob's and decided to give it a try! Let me tell you, it was an awesome experience. From my server, Carissa, to the food she recommended which was very flavorful and delicious! Definitely made my lunch hour very eventful. They have different sauces that meets any taste buds and the environment is relaxing as well. I would highly recommend Bob's if you are in the are and hopefully you get a knowledge and friendly server like Carissa! read more

We stopped on our way to Iowa from Michigan. Started out with the best cheese curds we've ever had. The special was a chopped brisket sandwich with original sauce, fried onion and cheese. Delicious!! All their specialty sauces are on the table just waiting for you to taste. We'll be back as the menu made us curios about the other items. read more

Bob's Bitchin' BBQ - Chopped brisket sandwich with sweet potato fries. - Barbeque Near Me - Dodgeville, Wisconsin

Pretty random place while driving to House on the Rock! The name caught my attention and I knew I had to stop by to try! They have 9 sauce flavors to try and they're all pretty good! I ordered the sampler and was able to choose from a variety of meats: ribs, sausage, chicken, beef brisket, etc. and with that you can choose 2 sides. I chose to have them without sauce so I can try the variety of sauces that they provided! This sampler was definitely filling for 2 people. Overall, nice and clean place. read more

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Great food, good prices and great wait staff. It was so good we went back two nights of our three night visit to Dodgeville

Great experience at Bob's Bitchin' BBQ. Stopped in for lunch while camping Governor Dodge with hubby and son. We all loved our food. To start off, the service was outstanding! Possibly best service I've had anywhere ever. We were seated with food and drink menus and were almost immediately asked for our drink order. I had a bloody and it was damn tasty. They had other cocktails that sounded good and a pretty good craft beer tap menu. Food menu all looked great. I went with the pulled pork sandwich with mac and cheese for a side. I ordered my sammie dry so I could try out all of their sauces. They had 6 at the table and another 2 that you could ask for. My favorite was the RBQ, a root beer based BBQ sauce. They were all good though. The pork was great. The bun was a lightly toasted sourdough bun that really made the sandwich great. Hubby had brisket sandwich and 16yo son had the Piglet sandwich: pulled pork, ham, and bacon. They both really liked their food. My son went for a piece of strawberry rhubarb pie that looked so good. I will definitely be back here next time we're in the area. Atmosphere, service, food, and drinks were all A+! read more

Amazing! Stopped in while camping nearby and the food was great, the restaurant was clean, tables were spaced out and the staff wore masks. In this crazy world we now have to navigate it was refreshing to be able to dine out and not be nervous. Very well done! read more