they are closed for good. We went there years ago and it was amazing so I wanted to venture back and eat again only to find that the place is locked and filled with junk. So sad - it was good. read more

I had the extreme pleasure to enjoy Casual Joes BBQ from their mobile food truck at Bootleggers Bar in Beloit WI. The Brisket was the best I'd ever had. Collard Greens were fantastic. Mac & cheese was great. The brisket was very tender and the smokey flavor was great. I got a vegetarian sandwich to go and took it home for my wife to enjoy. She loved it. Said it was one of the best vegetarian BBQ sandwiches she had ever had. I hightly recommend Casual Joes. You won't be disappointed. read more

Casual Joe's - a man looking out of a window - Barbeque Near Me - Whitewater, Wisconsin

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Outstanding BBQ in a very unique building on the outskirts of town. Unless you live in the area, you'll need GPS to find this place. The interior of the restaurant is larger than it looks and there is plenty of seating. I love it when old buildings are re-purposed and this one was once an auto repair shop. It's a cool, funky, laidback atmosphere. It was exactly what we were looking for on our visit to Whitewater. The employee who took my order was cool and friendly too and was very knowledgable about the food. My family and I had the brisket, pulled pork, chicken, and mac-n-cheese. Everything was delicious and we'll be back again. They have a full bar and there was live music on the day we were there. read more

Casual Joe's - a red building with white trim - Barbeque Near Me - Whitewater, Wisconsin

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Not being a huge BBQ fan, I've only eaten at Casual Joe's a couple of times. It always struck me a more of a BBQ purist type of place. When I heard that they had changed the concept, I decided to give it another try. I didn't fully explore, but they have reworked the space, so it does not feel as industrial as before. I'd say the best way to describe the new design as kind of a BBQ Chipotle theme, where you chose your meat and then build from there. They still have the smoked meats and sandwiches, but have added an interesting mix of bowls, salads and other items to the menu. I went with chicken bowl that was served on a bed of mac and cheese that had sriracha and I think a Korean sauce on it, along with some other toppings that I can't recall. It was quite good and unique (at least for Whitewater). I'm surely going to work Casual Joe's into my lunch rotation. read more

Casual Joe's - The ordering bar - Barbeque Near Me - Whitewater, Wisconsin

Yes! If you find yourself in Whitewater Wisconsin.. [if you were born here.. if you are enrolled in UW-Whitewater.. if you have family within fifteen minutes.. or if you're bored out of your gord because you haven't been home in three weeks and needed a change of scenery from a different Wisconsin town that you exhausted all food and beverage options in... Otherwise, you would not be in Whitewater] You must eat at Casual Joe's. Granted I had solely the brisket and sausage sandwich with bacon mac n cheese and smoked beans as my sides... But, Jesus, Mary & Ralph. Based off that dopealicious dine, if you like BBQ, this place IS for you! Seeing as it's only 20 minutes away from where I'm staying, I'm coming back. And every time I am in the area I WILL return. Good job! read more

I had high expectations reading the reviews before heading over for some lunch. The atmosphere and smells walking in the door reminded me of some great places I have eaten at over the years. I ordered the sampler plate with Brisket, chicken and sausage( was out of pork), with coleslaw and mac-n-cheese. The seasoning and the smoke were good. The chicken was overly dry, the brisket was cold, very fatty and tough, the sausage was good. The mac-n-cheese had a very grainy cheese sauce with no flavor. The coleslaw in fact was the only shining star, loved it. Hope I just was there on an off day. read more

Bomb dot com Barbecue! What an authentic Midwest experience. The smoker where All the meats are smoked sits right in front of the restaurant. The vibe is super casual but very fascinating. The brisket is off the hook and I'm still craving more of it! THe Mac and cheese is a fan favorite so much that they were actually out of it by the time we ordered. Corn bake and corn bread are also AWESOME! read more

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Great BBQ in WI? Whitewater? We came up for parents weekend and so glad we stopped in. I had the sampler, brisket, pulled pork, and sausage. The brisket was spot on. Great beef flavor, moist. The pork had great smoke, and was also very juicy. The sausage was like a brat, but delicious. For the price, it was a lot of food. For the sides I had the slaw (nailed it, creamy) and the mashed taters and gravy. Wow! The seasonal sauce was a cranberry ghost pepper. Not a huge cranberry fan, but as a sauce it went fantastic with the sausage. We'll be back! Great place!! read more

Have really enjoyed Casual Joe's on several previous visits. Last night, I went as part of a large family group. Very dismayed at the format change--some of our group were nearly finished eating before the last ones made it through the ordering line. Orders are now assembled on a line, rather than in the kitchen. A container of mac and cheese sat on the counter, as did several large pieces of meat, from which orders were being filled. It's no surprise that my order was served cold, both meat and sides. My pork was fatty and gristly. Pretty unappetizing. Doubtful if I'll be back. read more

Stopped by spur of the moment when i saw the smoke truck right out front and a renovated garage. NOT disappointed. Delicious pulled pork brisket slaw and the bacon mac is 'da bom' . Cool place and you get a cold brew to wash it down. You have look for it as its outside the downtown main drag but not by much. Find it. read more

Casual Joe's - Smokin' ! - Barbeque Near Me - Whitewater, Wisconsin

The owner makes this place enjoyable! When I was in college, he would always volunteer to host our fraternity events and loved the energy we brought to Casual Joe's. The food here is awesome, we always got catered the barbecue brisket and sides. They have a front area to sit and then a huge back area for events. This is exactly how you would want your small town local business to be run! read more

I was here a few times last year and it was great, good price also, we went last night and it seems like things have changed a little, we got the sampler platter and it was such a small serving of food, for $20 I thought we would be getting more, it was still good, but I remember we got more food before read more

Best place to eat in whitewater hands down. This place is like chipotle but with brisket and Mac and cheese. Highly recommend the Mac smash bowls. Insanely good. read more

Casual Joe's - a plate of food and a glass of water - Barbeque Near Me - Whitewater, Wisconsin

I doubt Whitewater, Wisconsin has ever been considered a great barbecue destination, but Casual Joe's very well may change that. Despite a small, cramped interior, this is a must-visit if you're in the area. The service is fantastic. I was sitting at the bar, but between my conversations with the bartender and others, there's no possible way to rate this category any higher. It wasn't busy, so I can't speak to how service may be with a packed house, but with a smaller crowd, they went above and beyond at every turn. Unlike my usual vast sampler, I decided to scale it back and just order the pulled pork sandwich, with the apple fennel slaw. At first it sounded a bit too complex to interest me, but the slaw is actually a fantastic counter-balance and a great addition. The bread is barely noteworthy, which is great, because if the bread is the highlight, the meal was probably garbage. The beer selection is great, and the employees are great to try to help you select what's best for your meal. They have some great craft beers, which are great additions to your meal. However, the pork was fantastic, with a dry rub and a great wood blend for smoking, it turned out to be a truly amazing sandwich. The smokiness isn't overwhelming, or fake, while being the central focus of the meal. Both flavored and perfectly cooked, the pork alone stood out. The sauces were pretty good. Unlike most places, who offer a lot of goofy, schticky sauces to compromise for poor meats, the few offered were dandy. I tried all of them. The spicy, with sriracha, was pretty good, but would be really good on chicken, not so great on pork. The regular was a bit sweet for my tastes, but the stout was bold and very well balanced. The Carolina vinegar sauce was, by far, the best. With a emphasis on the meat, but a slight flavor of red pepper and sweet vinegar, drizzling the sauce on the meat and fennel slaw made for a truly delightful sandwich. For a side, I opted for the maple baked beans. This was perhaps the only downside of the entire meal. The first couple bites were interesting, flavorful, and well-designed, but, for me, was far too sweet to be enjoyable. They were really delicious, but not really a great side for a meal, as they made you want to doze off and conclude the meal with a legume-based finale. read more

Ordered the family platter and the pulled pork w/ kimchi sandwich. The brisket was good. The pork was mediocre and same goes for the chicken. The mac n' cheese was, hands down, the worst I've ever had. Worse than the generic boxed stuff. It was watery and had no cheese flavor whatsoever. The BBQ sauces were OK. I'd call this place a disappointment. It's a nice atmosphere and the beer selection was great, but overall, the meats were disappointing and the sides were terrible. The service was poor as well, though they were very friendly. I probably won't go back. read more

Had a fantastic meal. Pesto pizza was to die for. Also ordered the Family Sampler. Awesome ribs, brisket and chopped chicken. Absolutely the best! Quality food. Can't say enough! We will be back! read more

Good food. Got the sausage and brisket sandwich. Lots of meat and two side can't go wrong with this one . Wife got the smash bowl and again you won't leave hungry. Good smoke flavor. read more

Casual Joe's - a bowl of food on a table - Barbeque Near Me - Whitewater, Wisconsin

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Stopped in randomly in a Saturday afternoon. Only complaint was brisket was a little dry, but everything else was lights out. Great service and lots to choose from. Love the focus on local ingredients. read more

This place is amazing! Great food, great staff, clean and lots of food for reasonable prices. I really like that the smoker is right in front as well. I'll definitely be going back. I'll also recommend this place to anyone who asks "where's a good place to eat around here?" read more

You will be at home from the second you walk in the door. Rest assured you have found the best place for BBQ! I shared nachos and burnt ends chili with a friend had an 8oz pulled pork sandwich. Everything was perfect! Awesome job Chef Tyler! read more

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Awesome Mac and cheese, very good pulled pork sandwich (they put the sauerkraut on the sandwich!), good beer selection, and very friendly and helpful staff ... a little plain looking, but hey, worth the visit. read more

Tried a second time because ran out of options. Totally different from the first time. As I ordered the chicken pesto smash bowl I was already mentally preparing myself for the awful fried chicken like I had last time. I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted it. Chicken was moist, pesto was delicious, and corn bake was good as well, I failed to read the part where it said sweet bbq was on top so imo it could have been better without, but still good! Potato salad was really good the first time but this time it was very bland. This place has its eh's but is not terrible! read more

Smash bowl are very good. I had the mac n meat. Wish the spicy BBQ sauce was spicier, but I'm not normal I like a lot of heat. Anyway if your in Whitewater WI give them a try you won't be disappointed. I think #DDD should check them out its in their wheelhouse. @GuyFieri read more

What a disappointment. We've been to Casual Joe's about 4 times since it opened, which is saying a lot as I like BBQ but it's not usually the first cuisine I'll suggest. While we've had gripes (mostly about them being out of brisket), the food was superb - the brisket smokey and chewy, the pulled pork beautifully smoked and sleek with fat, the apple fennel slaw crunchy and fresh, the sauces thick, distinctly flavored, and interesting. No more. This evening at 5:50 pm we were told they were out not only of brisket but of ribs. When your menu consists of only pork, brisket, ribs, chicken and sausage, this is a catastrophe. Having spoken to an employee of a neighboring business who had gone there the previous week for lunch, we found out that this seems to be happening regularly now. So we ordered pulled pork, pulled chicken, and sausage. We knew something was wrong right away. The apple fennel slaw had no discernible fennel, only cabbage, and the normally crisp apple slices were so wobbly and discolored I thought I had gotten cooked pears. Now I don't usually get slaw because I don't like cabbage, so throwing cabbage in a slaw that's supposed to be fennel won't win you my thanks. The usually strongly maple baked beans had only a vague maple taste. The best side was the salad, as the tomato ranch dressing was freshly made and delicious. But that doesn't say much for your restaurant if the one thing that only requires washing to prepare is the best thing on the menu. But the greatest disappointment was by far the meat. I had preferred brisket over pulled pork at most BBQ restaurants but had been forever changed by the pulled pork here. So I was surprised and dismayed to find that the pulled pork I got had no visible fat anywhere on my 16 oz. portion nor could I taste that delectable pork fat. It was just dry. Dry dry dry. Not even the least bit smokey. I had hoped their sweet sauce (all their sauces house made) might help, but it was (also uncharacteristically) thin and with little flavor. My husband's chicken was smokey but the sausage was nothing to write home about. None of the sauces tasted the same (or were interesting), and the "seasonal" sauce - cranberry - was sweet but had no depth of flavor. This was also unusual as we had always found the sauces extremely interesting, and the seasonal sauce was usually the best one of the bunch. We were mystified. When we brought up our concerns to our waitress, she said that there was a new executive chef as the last had "creative differences" with the owner, Tyler. That explains it. The new executive chef just does not have the talent of the one who started this place for the owner. If he is trying to make his own mark on the place, he is. He has turned a spectacular menu into a mediocre one. Tyler Sailsbery, you need to make up with your former executive chef, Cara Stradinger. She had the talent to bring your menu to life, and it certainly needs it considering how uncomfortable the restaurant is, with unbalanced high chairs in the front and school tables and more concrete in the back. The space had nothing going for it but the food had. Now it doesn't even have that. Cara, do tell us where you've gone because we'll follow you. You have proven that recipes mean nothing if the person making the food doesn't have talent. read more

Maybe it's not the place to go for lunch when it's cold outside. The room was cold, the silverware felt like it came out of the refrigerator and the tray the food was served on (they don't use plates they cover a tray with paper and serve it up on that) was also cold; soooo needless to say the pulled pork sandwich was also cold. On the plus side, the cranberry slaw was very tasty. The prices may have gone over in Chicago or New York but way over priced for Whitewater. First and last time we will ever go. read more

Ugh I love BBQ and I was sooo disappointed. The meat was dry and super smokey. I like the sauce, plum and sweet. The berry pie crust was under cooked and actually soft. The filling could have been canned. The beans: what is that? canned kidney beans and pancake syrup? The bacon mac and cheese wasn't cheesy and not worth an extra buck. read more

Mediocre at best. The corn pudding was bland. The pulled pork was tough and dry. And the baked beans were basically a can of kidney beans dumped in a pot with some maple syrup and a little bacon. Everybody's been telling me for MONTHS to go and try it...so I ordered lunch delivery--I'm so disappointed. I love the Black Sheep by Tyler...but this is just...meh. read more

Fantastic BBQ. Try the brisket, cole slaw, mac and cheese. Really enjoyed the stout sauce

I stopped here for lunch for my love of smoked meat and was not disappointed. I ordered the family platter to try as much as possible since it was my first visit. The platter offered three choices of meat and three sides. Pulled pork, sausage and brisket were complimented by apple fennel slaw, maple baked beans and coleslaw. The pulled pork was delicious. The sausage was spicy but that brisket..... Best I've ever had! It was smoked to perfection, soft and tender. I throughly enjoyed all meats with the sauces on the table. My favorite was the spicy. The sides were fresh but I barely remember them because I found a place that I would visit everyday for their brisket. Thanks Taylor for a lunch that I thought about all the way home. read more

Visited Casual Joes this past Sunday. The restaurant is really nice and has a very comfortable vibe. Good beer selection. I ordered the Brisket and BLT Mac-N-Cheese. The brisket was excellent. Very tender and had a good taste. The mac-n-cheese was good as well. Staff were very nice and helpful. Looking forward to trying the ribs the next time I go. read more

Everything is beyond dry. They somehow even managed to make the salad dry. The only thing that wasn't dry was the mac n cheese, and thats only because it was soupy. read more

Had dinner with a friend on Friday night and found casual Joe's on main st. in Janesville. We arrived around 5:30, 6:00pm half the menu was gone. Friend and I both got the sample platter with what meat they had left. BBQ was good, the cornbread was amazing. But the sides were bland and tasteless, no flavor. I got the cole slaw and mac&cheese, my friend had the potato salad and mac&cheese. With some flavor added and tweaks to the sides, this place could be a gold mine. They were also out of printed menus, I work with truck drivers who are looking for a place to order food from while on their 10 hour break. They would order BBQ instead of the same pizza or the Chinese places that deliver food, in a heartbeat. Missed opportunity for casual Joe's to bring in more business. I know this place is new in Janesville, I hope they can make it work. Janesville needs more than famous Dave's in town. My friend and I will try this place again. I hope they improve. read more

We ate at the restaurant last night. Ordered the 16oz. Brisket: the first red flag was when the guy behind the counter couldn't cut the meat - it was like he was chopping through a log. Sides were tiny, soda was flat from the soda fountain. Maybe half of the 16 ounces ($20) was edible, but at least half was burnt beef-jerky, not the tender juicy stuff I have come to expect from bbq restaurants. I have eaten a lot of bbq in bbq joints from NY to Texas, this might have been the worst I have ever been served. read more

Had the Korean Smash bowl. Loved it! Thought the seasoning on the meat had a great flavor. Will definitely be back for this again!!

While the food was good I had a disappointing enough service experience that I probably will not be going there again.

A friend recommended Chef Tyler's restaurants!! My daughter is going to school for culinary, and recommended we go try the amazing food and talk to Chef Tyler. The food was off the charts!!! I'm not a big bbq fan but we had brisket, pulled pork, and sausage and I cannot wait to go back and have more!! The apple fennel slaw was great also! My family and I could not stop raving about the food the whole time we were eating! "I love this sauce and this one is good too, I'm so full but can't stop eating, I want to come back and try the chicken, I'm so full but they have pie", We had pie!!! Kelsey was awesome, so young but so friendly, personable, and knowledgable!! My daughter was able to talk to Tyler and left so excited and expired!! Tyler you have a great thing going!! Great job!! See you all again soon! read more

Legit BBQ in downtown Whitewater! I had excellent take out service here. Very friendly staff, delicious food. Thanks for a great meal Casual Joe's! read more

This is my favorite BBQ place ever! We've been twice in the past two weeks. My husband asked if there was a rule about how many times in one week we could go, it's that good! The staff is very friendly and helpful. The food is amazing! It is still new and they are ironing out the wrinkles, but all in all it is another successful restaurant for Chef Tyler! read more

Last night, we hosted a large event in Casual Joe's new banquet space. From the moment we began planning it, manager Eli and his team were exceptionally accommodating and helpful. They allowed us to bring in our own wine and cake free of charge and even helped us serve it. When the house amp wasn't working when we were setting up, Eli ran home to get his personal speaker for us to use. Eli was an excellent communicator leading up to the event, making the planning process low stress for me. I arrived to set up and perhaps to a little decorating, but the space was already perfectly laid out, including centerpieces and a handwritten "happy birthday!" message on their giant chalkboard. Eli anticipated every detail as the event went on; often, before I even asked him he had already taken care of various tasks. And of course the food was excellent. I can't recommend Casual Joe's enough for your next event! read more

Went on this snowy evening for dinner. Casual, retro, good food, great service... Would go again in a nano second. They offer you a variety of homemade sauces for your bbq pallet. The sides are traditional BBQ sides but very yummy. We had the bacon mac & cheese and the apple fennel slaw. They were both tasty. The atmosphere is casual garage, orange retro bar chairs .....come casual. The staff was welcoming and we were much older than anyone in there. Check out their beer list and enjoy casual BBQ. read more