Classic place I use to visit frequently. Great selection on their menu. Not as good as it use to be and very expensive

I came by today around 1130 and there was no line, which was great. The staff was very friendly and gave me a free sample of their soup/stew, and a free small side of their potato salad, which was delicious and so glad I got! I got their salmon dip sandwich on gluten free bed. This is just a spin on the traditional roast beef/Au Jus combo. The sandwich is delicious as is the lemony Au Jus sauce that comes with it, I just wish the gluten free bread was a bit bigger. $10 is a lot for such a little sandwich but I will be back because it's so good! read more

CaveMan Kitchen - This is half of the whole sandwich. - Barbeque Near Me - Kent, Washington

Bbq fast food is what this place feels like. Walk to the register, order and pay, and they'll call out your name when it's ready. The cashier is always nice and friendly here, and they never attempt to get you to order drinks or additional side with your meals. Seating are outdoor picnic tables and benches only. Be careful when it rains and watch out for the yellow jackets. The location seems rundown. The foods was bland. I don't know what to make of their sauce. It's not a very good sauce, almost like it's just cook ketchup at times. The pull pork sandwich has an burnt taste to it. The meat duo of ribs and sausage link was flavorless. The spare rib was split in half so it looks like you got more ribs than what you actually got. When I first saw it, I thought I got rib tips instead of the ribs. The rib was tough to get off the bone. The link was slice into bite size pieces, so it was a little dry.The potatoes salad was okay, nothing to write home about. The best part of the food are there bread and bbq bean. read more

CaveMan Kitchen - Rib and link duo. More like rib tips and link - Barbeque Near Me - Kent, Washington

It's OK. I ordered the chicken sandwich and the bread was excellent... But I wasn't a fan of the BBQ sauce or chicken. The sauce is thick, but tastes like a smoky ketchup that didn't really work slathered all over the sandwich. Comments from others in my party were that the French Dip was pretty good, but the potato salad was far too eggy to be enjoyable. Jones Soda on tap was certainly a nice plus. Overall it's hit or miss to our palates; Glad we stopped by to check it out, but probably won't make a point of a second visit. Totally worth at least checking out to see if it's your thing. read more

The smell of the smoker was like a siren song invitation after a long Harley ride. The place is small and cramped at the entrance and it was extremely hot inside. All the seating is outside, which is really nice. Only 4 picnic style tables out of about 20 are shaded though. I ordered the meal of ribs with a side of beans, potato salad and a french roll.. He ordered the Omnivore sampler with beans, coleslaw and a french roll. Unfortunately, opening the styropfoam box, I saw the meat was covered in sauce. When going to a BBQ joint that brags about their smoke, I want to taste the smoke on the meat without it being masked by sauce. Finding a small rib that did not have much sauce on it, I proceeded to take my first bite. The rib was quite dry and over cooked. It was then I understood the need for sauce. After attempting a second rib, my jaws got tired from chewing on what seemed like tough, leathery meat. At that point I quit the ribs! The beans were tasty, just a tinge sweet and savory and the potato salad was okay. I was a bit surprised by the small portions, considering the price of the plate. Out of the three meats on his plate, he liked the links the best. Said the ribs were tough and the other beef, which when we asked if it was brisket our server said it was not, just thinly sliced beef, was dry and had no hint of a smoke ring on it. The people who worked there were really nice and very helpful and the place was clean. I'm sure this was voted the best BBQ in Kent for a reason, and we will give it another try. However, it is going to take a bit due to the extravagant hit on my pocketbook! read more

CaveMan Kitchen - Sitting in the shade! - Barbeque Near Me - Kent, Washington

See all

We were at cave man Kitchen 15 years ago and they were terrible . We ordered BBQ ribs and they were horrible . basically bones slathered in BBQ sauce the potato salad was pretty good and the beans ' I hear they're still not very good . read more

I have been coming to Cave Man 2-6 times per month since 1976 and love it. I like the ketchupy sauce but some people do not. Back in the day I used to get a dragon wheel, beetsa pizza and either small chicken sandwich or BBQ ham and now that I am old it is typically just one of those items at a time. Yesterday I ordered a BBQ ham extra meat plus cheese. $17 for this sandwich and normally I do not complain because it takes me 2 meals to eat it. However yesterday must have been a rookie cooking because they did not do the extra meat, forgot to put the cheese on and did not put any BBQ sauce on it. Of course I am home when I find out. Very disappointed. read more

I hold my rating for any bbq by the ribs and brisket. The ribs had a nice smoke flavor however very chewy, lots of work to get the meat off the bone. :( The brisket reminded me of store bought roast beef. Bland, chewy and tough. BYOB (bring your own breans!) The side dish of beans was more like a shot of beans. Way too small! The sauce was not the traditional bbq like you'd think. Tomatoe paste and ketchup are flavors that come to mind. The dragon wheels were just oil saturated potatoes and carrots. Not impressed. read more

CaveMan Kitchen - Dragon wheels ... just taste like potatoes and carrots roasted in oil. Not worth $4. - Barbeque Near Me - Kent, Washington

See all

Truly Exceptional I've been going to this restaurant since 1997. It's worth the drive! read more

CaveMan Kitchen - Barbeque Near Me - Kent, Washington

Not worth the price. Portions small. Person taking order seemed unhappy. Wanted to support local but will take my carnivorous urges elsewhere. We ordered the rib dinner (didn't get bread) and large beef dipped sandwich. Total was over 34 dollars, not enough to make small lunch. Green onions in potato salad seems wrong to me. read more

Very friendly staff. I got a half chicken it was good but not something I'd get again. The ribs were bland they probably used bbq sauce from a bottle. My friend got some some sandwich with jelly on it. He took a few bites and threw it away. Beans were okay but it tasted out of a can. Over all the staff very friendly. But will definitely go somewhere else. You win some and you loose some. Wasted 35 bucks here. I should of went to a McDonald's instead. Yuck! read more

As has been for Ever.... Worth every cent! Have the dragon wheels for something unique. Sandwiches and sides are great!

I had a sandwich and dragon wheels. Not a bad price, but my meet was over salty and not very Smokey. The whole experience was meh. Service was impersonal without being rude. I'll go back and try again, but I'm going to research more to see what their specialty is. I'm hoping it wasn't the sandwich I bought. Won't get the dragon wheels again, they were more potatoes than anything. So, I went back for a beef sandwich. It was soggy, not smokey. The soggy came from a ridiculous amount of bbq sauce. The texture of the beef wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. I managed to find beef without sauce, hoping it would at least have a Smokey flavor. It didn't. I don't know how this place could be named best bbq in Western Washington. I have found far better places... including my backyard. The bbq sauce was pretty good, though. read more

The staff is so rude and unwelcoming that it entirely negates the quality of the food. I used to go here regularly but won't be coming ever again. Stopped by yesterday around 11 AM to order a couple of sandwiches-- apparently ordering a side of barbecue sauce was reason enough for the older woman working the counter to yell at and berate us because the sandwich I ordered "didn't come with barbecue sauce." Which, y'know, is why I ordered a separate side of it. A side of sauce is an actual menu item, I wasn't even asking for anything out of the ordinary-- I've ordered this exact thing before and never had an issue. The lady offered to put the sauce on my sandwich for me and I said "sure," mostly just to get this horrible interaction over with, and she literally yanked her mask down to glare at me with her whole face-- why even offer then? Why offer to do a thing that I didn't even ask for just so you can get mad about it? She then called another employee from the back to ring it up for us because our order was just so complicated now, which I suspect was just a ploy to have someone to complain to about us in front of us, because that's exactly what she proceeded to loudly do. We left before they even finished ringing us up and will never be coming back. read more

Getting lunch for all our guys at Northwest Motorsport to reward them for their hard work and this place met all our needs with their delicious food read more

CaveMan Kitchen - Barbeque Near Me - Kent, Washington

Talk about a family owned local business making excellent barbecue since the 70's ! ... this place is amazing as far as the chicken goes (at least, I don't eat pork) but we got a FULL PAN SMOKED CHK CUT UP for the crew, about 2 pieces/ person for 30, UNBEATABLE 93 bucks ... excellent taste ! read more

Have such good memories of this place. As a kid I loved coming here. It was the best barbecue I had growing up that was before I tried barbecue at other places and in my travels around the US. My friend was having a party so we were looking to get catering for 100 we bought a few samplers so we could try everything on the menu all 4 of us sampling the food had the same conclusion. Awful what happened to the ribs? There was very little smoke ring and they had been overcooked so there was no juicy fat left on them at all. The beans were not as good as Bush beans out of a can and that's being generous way over cooked beans basically we're almost falling apart and the minced onions lacked any flavor. No spice no kick just blaaa. Let's get to the coleslaw unfortunately Safeway Albertsons and QFC have vastly superior coleslaw for some ungodly reason. It was soggy runny tasteless once again with no seasoning whatsoever the smoke salmon once again not good, dried out and hard. Better to just buy at Costco. The only saving grace was the smoked chicken it was at least average to good I really hate to give such a bad review but it was just plain awful I wish his place was like I remembered but it doesn't. Poor BBQ barbecue compared to what I have had over the last 15 years. If you want decent barbecue in the area go to Pete's barbecue North of this spot and Tukwilla I would rate that is excellent BBQ. read more

SO GOOD! Especially with this huge movement towards Keto diets, this is the place to go. I usually get their smoked half chicken and it's so delicious and moist throughout. Their smoked salmon is also really good. I try to stop by whenever I'm in the area. Keep it up! read more

Very...extremely disappointed in the food quality of this place. I ordered ribs, 1lb since they don't do the full rack or half rack and when I got them they look like it's got plenty of meat but it was majority bone. As I bite into the 3 pieces of rib, it was like chewing on a rubber toy.....OMG that thing is chewy and then all of a suddenly I noticed that the ribs were a bit red....thought it was from the BBQ sauce. Did not think much of it and I left the rib alone for a minute and the I looked down at it to realize it wasn't the BBQ sauce, it was undercooked ribs...... Serving chewy ribs is one thing but serving undercook ribs take this to another category, this is unacceptable so this place gets 1-star. I have not gotten sick yet but if I do this place will hear from me. read more

CaveMan Kitchen - Undercook ribs, disgusting. - Barbeque Near Me - Kent, Washington

See all

Love the smoked meat variety and dragon wheel side dish. Great as a lunch option or for family meals.

Today, I ordered 12 oz of smoked pulled chicken for $17.00 - 3/4 of a pound entrée. Per Caveman website, and Caveman themselves, the order comes with BBQ sauce. I elected to get the sauce on the side. I have ordered this specific item many times before without issue. Albeit, today I was charged an extra $6 on top of a $17.00 order - for a side of BBQ sauce. I am a former employee of Rose's and frequenter for the last 15 years. Call me "Karen." It was dumbfounding that management at that time - after some discussion - would consciously charge $6 extra dollars for an ingredient that we want less of, so we request "on the side." Cmon guys. I'll just give you a few bucks for the inconvenience to hold the BBQ next time. read more

I do not know how they got the "Best of BBQ in Kent"!!! I probably will NOT return! We got the worst service from the dark haired girl with her hair up in a bun. She acted like we were bothering her to answer questions since we've never been to this restaurant before. She was very rude when I asked her how big the medium potato salad and coleslaw was that weren't in the cold case to be purchased, she just stuck her finger in the air pointing at the cups on the ceiling, when that wasn't what I was asking her about. I never got to ask what potato bugs are, she didn't have time. She very rudely turned her back and walked back towards her station. There was no one else there! I can't imagine this how the founder, Richard Donely, built his business. read more

I have been a Caveman fan since 1981. Seen many changes over the years. The fire years ago changed the complexion of the place since The Original Owner ran it. Plain and simple, I quit going. Over 35 year fan and I could not be more dissatisfied. The whole chicken now is a bit under $20...da-wa. And price point for other items has hit an unbelievable new high. Dragon wheels are waaaay too much now. What used to be regular family type pricing turned into high dollar -east-side- pricing. People, this is Kent. Your demographics are skewed. Sandwich sizing has been minimized and the ones I have ordered since the "change" have way less meat. True, disheartening. I get home and invariably some of my food is missing. Yes, call and you're in a list for next time... Well..no more next time for my family and friends. Too many mistakes and high pricing negate any consideration. I am a 35+ year fan remember. Yes, it's painful to write this but it is true, my first negative Yelp post. I think old man Donley would not be too happy at how his OG Caveman is represented today. read more

Got sick from the food I saw ants all over the soda machine and it while it was raining outside I saw water leak from the ceiling into food

I had eaten here MANY years ago, before the original kitchen burned down, and remembered it being very good, so when I found myself in the area, I decided to eat here again. I was prepared to be wowed, but wow, I was instead COMPLETELY unwhelmed. I had the chicken-bacon-ranch sandwich and potato salad, and bread pudding. The chicken was dried out, the bacon flavor lost in the other flavors, and the barbecue sauce was bland, no kick or tang at all. Other than an initial jolt of onion, the potato salad was bland too. All I can guess is the people writing the glorious reviews on their bulletin board about how this is the best barbecue they've ever tasted, have never tasted much barbecue! I only ate one bite of the pudding, which seemed to be the best part if the meal, but after the sandwich I was full and so I gave the remainder to a friend. Had I not been so hungry when I got there, I probably would have left half the sandwich uneaten, instead of just half the potato salad. read more

I have been coming to Caveman Kitchen for 30 plus years but lately the quality has not been quite the same. It has been inconsistent. Additionally, in oder to use a debit card, they now charge you 4%. But I stopped using cash when Covid became an issue. I have pre-existing conditions and prefer not to use cash. I just won't go as often anymore and if I do go, I'll still use a debit card but will no longer leave a tip. read more

Since the dawn of time...Hands down the best! Don't let them tell you stories. Go and get you a half chicken combo with the beans and try some of the sausage. Delicious and very helpful staff! Give em a try you will not regret it! read more

Skip this place. They messed up a simple order of a sandwich and it tasted terrible. I also ordered ribs and they weren't great. The barbecue sauce tastes bad, and, it's not cheap. I wish hadn't eaten here. read more

It's been quite a while since I've been to Caveman Kitchen. I ordered a Poorboy and the pork cubes. The Poorboy had a few thin slices of meat. The pork was cold, hard and had no flavor. If I didn't know I ordered pork I wouldn't know what it was. I had the potato salad and it tasted really sour. I was really disappointed. I remember this place being the best BBQ in Kent. I chose it over Dickies today and I wish I would of went to Dickies. I was also hoping to get Mac n cheese but they didn't have that either. Sad that I can't recommend this place anymore for good barbecue. read more

I wanted to like this place, but man...I should've walked out when I saw how dirty it was. Food was cold and untrimmed to the point where it was mostly fat without meat. Pricey too for what it is. Only thing I think was decent was the chili. read more

Equal value for quality smoked meat! Conveniently located and easy to get to. First time here and I got the BBQ chicken sandwich. Full of flavor and perfectly made. The cashier and cook were both friendly and made the experience worth the small wait time. (Because the food is made to order I don't mind waiting). read more

Drove by this place several times and finally decided to stop in for dinner. Ummmm NO Ordered Stoup - I think this is all of the leftovers blended into a smoothie and served hot. Just say NO Husband ordered Rib Dinner Combo $20. Ribs were smothered in sauce, hard and dry. Sides were Chili - I thought this was ok, he didn't like it. Beans nothing to write home about. Potato salad tasted like it came out of a food service tub. I would be happy to stop in and show them how to make rockin baked beans and potato salad that will knock your socks off. This place was voted best BBQ in 2017. Why not 2018 and 2019? I think we know why read more

Hot polish sandwich....delish.....beans....great....pork cubes....yummy.... price.....ouch. but no restroom?????? I just drove from Lacey and spent $70 and had to relieve myself in a bush???? Dick Donally would be sad... Roseanne cant this be addressed??? read more

Servers were actually rude and seemed very put out not helpful in talking menu. Got our order food was actually cold baked potato bug was so cold butter would not melt on it. Beans came off stove but were not even hot it's like they just started cooking them and served them. Used to love this place but looks to be they are on the steady decline. So Sad!!!! read more

If I could I would give this place a -5 star because the food was terrible. My wife and I stopped by a week and half ago and we were not impressed with the food at all. I don't recommend this place to anyone. The chicken did not taste smoked at all and the pulled pork just had sauce on it. read more

The food was pretty good! It wasn't cheap nor high priced. Would come again. The BBQ is great.

Cave Man, what has happened? Whenever we're anywhere near Kent we always stop at Cave Man - that's what we did today. Spent $60 for 2 chicken sandwiches, 1/2lb of pork cubes, beans, roasted corn cobs and a drink. The gal at the counter was super nice (Which is why I hate to only give 2 stars). At home we dug into our Cave Man - so disappointing - the pork cubes were tough & grisly - so unlike what I've always ordered before - sadly I had to toss them out. And who decided to switch from the delicious crusty French bread to an overly buttered soft bun? Doing so really changes your awesome sandwich! I've just read other reviews here and people have mentioned the overly buttered bun. We both said - don't change what Cave Man's always been known for - consistently good food - I don't mind paying the prices charged - I just want my old Cave Man chicken sandwich and pork cubes I so love! We'll be back - I just hope the Cave Man I'm used to is back. read more

Way over priced for what you get. Chicken sandwich for around $14 with a little bit of chicken. Pork and beans were straight out of the can and potato salad mediocre at best. Eating area hadn't been cleaned or tables wiped in a while. Pretty scruffy environment. Disappointed the food handlers were not gloved up or masked. Hygiene questionable. read more

This place was featured on Evening Magazine Best of Western Washington so I was exited to try it. I am a big fan of ribs so I splurged for the $19.99 meal of ribs, potato salad, beans, toast and a drink. I was very disappointed when the potato salad was the best part of the meal. The ribs were underdone and the sauce was this weird spaghetti-sauce-like sauce with a little bit of BBQ flavor. Did not care for the sauce at all. The beans were tasty but pretty watery. The toast was buttered French bread. Would rather have had Texas toast or something similar. Overall, a poor experience and a waste of $22. I won't be back. read more

CaveMan Kitchen - $19.99 rib meal. - Barbeque Near Me - Kent, Washington

I hadn't been to Caveman in over 15 years. It was nice to see the old place still standing. It wasn't as scrumptious as I remebered......but good. read more