First of all, I am from Washington and was just visiting the place, but I've always seen and heard of those speculations on how Texas Bbq is always the best. I came to this place with high expectations and it definitely did not dissapoint. The food was bussin' and the brisket was one of the best I've ever had. It was very juicy and flavorful and did not really have the need to put sauce in it. Their creamed corn is also one of my favorite for sides and I still dream of it up until this night. The prices were a little bit on the higher side considering that Ruidoso average salary is on the lower side, but it's still kind of affordable. Parking was also easy. However, the 2nd time I went here which was just a week ago, I ordered pretty much the same thing that I got the last time, but a lot of things has changed. The menu has increased 2 dollars per item, considering I visited just last 6 months ago, that is a heft increase. The meat also was not as juicy or seasoned anymore. The service was still great but the food has changed and I think that quality control is something that needs to be prioritized. Other than that, would still recommend this place, maybe just go on an early morning or late evening when they are not in a rush. read more

Circle J Barbecue - Brisket and Spicy Sausage Order - Barbeque Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

I'm not sure why all the bad reviews. Usually yelp ratings are pretty spot on. This is definitely the exception to the rule. Let me start out by saying I consider myself a barbecue snob. Born and raised in the Carolinas, Barbecue is Part of my DNA. My wife got sausage and pulled pork along with a nice side of beans and potato salad. I ordered pulled pork ribs along with potato salad and macaroni and cheese. Everything was absolutely fantastic. The macaroni and potato salad were made from scratch and absolutely delicious. The meat was very moist and had an awesome flavor they really didn't require sauce unless that's your thing. The portions were plentiful and the service excellent. My only needs improvement area would be the sweet tea. It definitely wasn't made in house but the food more than made up for that part. Try it out you won't be disappointed! read more

It was good. Small serving but the price was right. Brisket was moist and hubby says ribs were good. I didn't care fir the coleslaw or potato salad. The potatoes needed to be cooked longer because they were hard chunks. The wait staff is nice and it was clean. read more

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This place deserves a way better rating, it's great. Nice staff and incredible food. As a Texas I can say this is some damn good bbq. You gotta stop here! read more

Circle J Barbecue - Rib Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

Nice little spot in Ruidoso. Friendly and quick service, our host was pretty cool and the food was good. Off a main road so you can't miss it. Will definitely come back. read more

Circle J Barbecue - Turkey, Brisket, Mac n Cheese, Bread Roll - Barbeque Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

The brisket, and the the rest of the offerings are made in house as are the sides No deserts were available, waiter said they were made elsewhere and they didn't have any for awhile. The brisket was very wet, and we were not offered lean. We used to enjoy coming here, but I I isn't what it used to be. Ruidoso needs a good Texas baroque place and Circle j read more

Ordered the turkey . I mean furky , spam , turkey loaf or what ever you want to call it. It's processed something! But is not turkey BBQ . Not by a long shot . I just say no people, just no!! read more

Circle J Barbecue - Texture of spam! - Barbeque Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

Made a quick stop for some BBQ, it was very delicious. The service was excellent. We got the Feed 6 and it was way more than enough for 4, plus a baby. Definitely recommend the brisket chopped & the mac & cheese! Everything was good! read more

Great food! Slow service. Recommend you come with ample time to wait to be served. Excellent Barbecue!

Had chopped beef sandwiches, beans, and mac n cheese. Everything tasted great! It all hit the spot. The host was super friendly as well.

While driving through Ruidoso we were enticed by the smell of smoked meat coming from this restaurant. It is cafeteria style so you can expect much service. I had the rib plate which was just average. The ribs smelled good, but we're not fall off the bone tender and the BBQ sauce was pretty standard. Nothing spectacular about the sides either. The day we went was somewhat windy, so ashes from the fireplace were flying everywhere. We had to move tables several times to keep the ash off our food. Next time we will just take it to go. read more

Circle J Barbecue - Rib plate. - Barbeque Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

Would give a 0 star if it was possible. Service was terrible. Brisket tasted well but too bad it was cold and took over an hour for us to get it. Then the bread I got was rock hard and our server never came back. Basically we paid almost $100 for a party a 5 for shitty service and cold food. There was no soap in the bathrooms and saw the waitress get out of the bathroom without washing her hands. I'm reporting them to the health department of Ruidoso. Never coming back. Do yourself a favor and don't eat here sea food at a buffet is safer than this. read more

Nice little BBQ spot with quick service (during COVID) and friendly staff! Ordered to go and everything was packaged nicely. Macaroni and cheese was very good, not overly creamy (my preference made this way). Beans were flavorful. Brisket was tender, chicken nicely smoked, and sausage was great! read more

Have only been once, but the meats were FANTASTIC. The chopped brisket was so tasty!! Wish I had bought brisket to take home. The sides are a bit small. We did not enjoy the beans -- more like pinto beans than baked beans. read more

We got take out from here because it was the only place open on Saturday night before tourist season that was open after calling around everywhere. We didn't have high hopes since the previous reviews aren't great, but everyone in my family was impressed with the ribs! They were delicious--smokey and lots of meat. The sides weren't bad either! Not sure why all the negative reviews... read more

Why Circle J, why?!?! Why have you done me wrong! I absolutely love this BBQ joint when I head up into Ruidoso but this last trip makes me think I should try the other local BBQ joints that have popped up. First off, the food is always delicious and I usually order by the pound and it's totally worth it because we always have plenty left over. The meat is always smokey and juicy, the sausages are spicy, and the rolls...well that's where I hit the bump in the road on this last visit. For some reason, they don't really have a price or policy on giving out rolls other than one comes with a meal. But as I've mentioned I order by the pound, which usually has just resulted in the employees giving me several as part of the meal. Every time we go, we always order up a dozen expecting to pay and they usually just toss us some for free. No problem and I'm satisfied. This last visit was drastically different. Usually when the owner is at the business the trip turns out better but this last visit wasn't so. The owner was working the register and updating their CC machine. When the wifey asked about paying for some rolls, the owner was almost irate that we wanted some rolls. After a little back and forth, turns out the owner makes up a price of $12 for a dozen rolls, which doesn't make much sense since that's basically the price for a pound of the brisket. Suffice it to say, I was severely disappointed in this visit. Overall, you've lost my business Circle J and I think I'll be trying on of the other awesome looking spots in town. read more

Circle J Barbecue - Look 4 me!!! - Barbeque Near Me - Ruidoso, New Mexico

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Circle J may have just recently started catering but at our wedding they came off as seasoned vets!! The food was fantastic (my favorite was the brisket) and the service great!! I've eaten at the restaurant a few times and always devoured the food and having it at our wedding totally held up! Seriously awesome food and staff. Would (and do) recommend to everyone!! read more

We're from Dallas where there are several great barbecue restaurants. We ordered a three meat, three sides take-out order while visiting my mother-in law. The brisket was moist and delicious, the ribs fell off of the bone and the sausage was outstanding. The creamed corn was excellent and the beans and potato salad were very flavorful. The staff was very friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend this sleeper. read more

Food was amazing. Best Barbecue I've ever had and the sounds were very flavorful. Highly recommend

Brisket was awesome!! Bbq sauce was delicious Sausage was good Apple pie rocked!!! Lots of cinnamon & brown sugar!! If you're from Texas & like Rudy's.., you won't be disappointed!! read more

Service was bad! The new management is doing the past owners a dis-service! Although Meat was good they were out of pulled pork and turkey meat.. nobody let us know until the food was bought to the table 30-40 mins after placing the order. We asked for more ribs in exchange for not having turkey, order 1/2 a pound.. waited another 1/2 hour for 2 ribs... Multiple tables with complaints in the restaurant and workers weren't giving apologies. The ordering process just doesn't work with those paper orders, just let costumers get in line and get served, cafeteria style. read more

If you come to Ruidoso you definitely have to stop at Circle J BBQ. I've come here since my childhood and they still have the same great taste. read more

Excellent BBQ!! The brisket has a nice pepper crust and was very lean. Friendly staff and clean restaurant. Definitely stop in here!!

Stopped by here for some dessert and sides at our own cookout, and decided to come back the next day for lunch since the cobblers were so amazing. Tried three different meats. The ribs were okay. Not flavorful enough other than smokiness. The brisket and sausage were excellent though. Full flavor and juiciness in the brisket, but very little fat. Perfect cuts of meat. We'll come back here again. read more

Omg this right here is by far the best chopped bbq brisket sandwich I've ever had. Shout out to Circle J BBQ and crew. That's what I'm talking about!!! Y'all gotta get ya some. ... now back to that sandwich. read more

Circle J has grown leaps and bounds in their quality of product. Fed 20 texans this past weekend and the reviews were unanimous that the brisket, pulled pork, beans, Mac and cheese and peach cobbler were all excellent. Jalapeño cheddar sausage was a nice addition as well! New manager, new recipes, new Bbq for this long time establishment! read more

My wife and I have been traveling from Las Cruces to Ruidoso for since 1997 twice a year. It's a 200mike round trip which we always enjoyed, but not today. Every 6 months we'd go drive there to eat at the Circle Js BBQ. Always ordered a lb of the Brisket, half rack of the pork ribs, Coleslaw, Potato salad, Beans, a Roll and the Apple Cobbler. We haven't been able to go for almost a full year to bisit/eat there. Wish I would have taken pics of the food. This was not the same food we used to eat there. The cook overcooked the Brisket to where it was hard and dried, not the usual way it used to be. Soft, moist and fell apart to the touch of the fork. Then the half rack of pork ribs were so charred on top it was to hard to eat. Making the the rest, a mere morsel of a half rack. Then to top the rest of the meal off, the sides were just as bad. The Coleslaw was dry and not sweet at all. The Potato salad look rancid. It was a dark almost grey hue to it. It looked disgusting. But this was due to them changing the recipe and were trying out some sort of herb and spice recipe, but was not good what so ever. It taste like none of the herbs and spices meld in to the salad and had no flavor. The beans were replaced with Chile. The Cobbler was peach, not apple and was also dry. Which seemed to be the theme of the day and the food. We realise we're in the middle of the pandemic and could give slack to one mistake or maybe even two. But we spent 45$ and gave a 10$ tip to the lady who took the order in the parking lot (pandemic rules) and was coming and going with other orders. We went back and merely pointed out our dismay of the difference in the food from last year, but server act like any would, disdain for the questioning. We explained we weren't looking for a refund just thought it was wrong that there were so many problems. She didn't want to here it. So we just left. Sad. Just sad. Hope no one else experienced what we did from their food. read more

Turkey was excellent, best my girlfriend says she's ever had (bbq turkey, of course). Brisket was also good, although the gf says it could have been better. I beg to differ! Cobbler was great, rolls were yummy. All in all, we were super happy to have discovered circle j on our trip to Ruidoso. read more

RUN AWAY - Revolting - Green Chili stew tasted like dishwater and used hot dog meat. Turkey breast - is Turkey Loaf. Tried brisket, gray just smothered with bad sauce. It is the worst tasting stuff (can't call it food) I have ever eaten. Spoke to several other locals right after and they said they wouldn't recommend it to anyone. read more

Pit master let me sample the sausage before I ordered. It was good. I had that and brisket. He trimmed my brisket so there was no fat. Love it! Nice decor, menu was very individualistic. Prices reasonable for location. Would have given 5 stars but they ran out of rolls. Not that I should be eating them but hey it's vacation. Closes at 7:00 so go early. read more

I love BBQ and know that this commercial BBQ is very hard to do. I was traveling through Ruidoso NM and thought that I would stop in and eat at the Circle J BBQ joint. Their sign say's " Best BBQ in New Mexico". I guess that it may be a slogan and not an award because I did not find that it was true. The outside of the place is nice and the smoke coming from the pit area told me that they use real wood and not liquid smoke. I ordered all the meats so I could make a comment on each and found one underlying problem with all. I assume that the meat was cooked the day before because it had a "just reheated and overcooked" quality that fresh BBQ does not have. The Smoked Turkey was pulled from a warming drawer and the block was unwrapped and sliced before me. If you have ever sliced dry overcooked turkey then you know how a knife will make it fall apart and crumble when it goes through it. The line server had a problem getting the knife to cut it, but I thought it was just a dull knife until I got it to my table. The brisket had a nice smokering indicating that it had been truly smoked with wood. It however was somewhat shredded (which normally indicates overcooking) and really needed the sauce (which I had ordered on the side). The smoked sausage was the best tasting of all the meats. I really like a good sausage but this tasted like a cheap store bought sausage that had soaked up the dripping from the bottom of the pan. The reason I compare it to store bought is that the grind was micro fine and the casing tough. Finally, I tried the ribs that was fall off the bone overdone. Ribs normally are not dry but these were to the point that I did not finish them. To top off the meal I tried some of their famous beans which were pintos boiled in water and little if any seasoning and boiled corn. I am more critical of BBQ than any other type of restaurant because I really want to find a great place. I just keep getting disappointed time and time again. There is a reason that BBQ joints go out of business more than any other type of restaurant. I guess I will just have to keep trying because this was not the one I was looking for. read more

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Meat quality is good but is over seasoned either salt and pepper. The service was was worse. We even had to ask for plates. Worse yet..they don't have spicy barbecue sauce read more

It was a decent BBQ joint. I settled on the two meat platter and I chose the ribs and turkey. Added macaroni & cheese and potato salad. Ribs were good but a bit dry. The turkey was perfect. Potato salad tasted great and the macaroni was a bit bland. The sauce really brought the meal together and the rolls were tasty as well. I gave it three stars because there wasn't anything special about it. It was your regular, run of the mill BBQ without any flare for the region. When I go to local restaurants, I always ask what makes this place special and worth visiting when I come to town. Some places can answer it and some can't...Circle J's offered a good meal but it can be found elsewhere. read more

Really looking for good BBQ so when we pulled into the parking lot and smelled the wonder smell of smoking meat we thought we hit it big. Ya walk in and its cafateria style and pretty much all the sides come from a can. The cans are displayed under the counter as part of the decorations. I ordered, asked for, the brisket and sausage while my husband got the brisket and ribs. They ask if you want BBQ sauce added then what sides you want. String Beans and Cole Slaw for me and Mashed Potatoes, Gravy and Potato Salad for Hubby. You get a nice warm biscut with it. They don't have milk so you have to have a soda or tea. The briscut was kind of bland unless you had the BBQ sauce on it then it was ok. The sausage was your basic kilbasa warmed up, not even on the BBQ to give it a grilled flavor. String beans were canned and the cole slaw was totally tastless, even the cabbage was washed out of flavor. BUT the ribs did have a nice flavor to them since Hubby let me try his. I wasn't impressed and wouldn't go back unless I read that they have improved then I would give them a second chance. It wouldn't take much to make this place a rockin BBQ joint they just need to use some imagination in the cooking. read more

Eeew, yuck, blech... "bbq turkey" jiggles like jello... That's just WRONG. Couldn't even eat it. Just had my canned vegetables instead.

This place is my favorite.. the bbq sauce... yummmm. Just need to cook the pinto bean a bit longer.

If I could give 0 stars I would. Employees that served food were not wearing hair nets or gloves (the guy cutting the meat wore gloves). The green beans are canned you can tell by the saltiness. The meat was super dry and just terrible flavor. I personally didn't like the sauce as well. The rolls were over baked. They don't have high chairs for kids. Two single plates and a child plate was almost $40. Way over priced for the quality of food. It's just a place you should avoid at all costs. read more

Canned vegetables, bland potato salad and coleslaw, and barbecue that tastes like lighter fluid. Move on.

Yuck. Ordered the sliced brisket plate, it looked like fake meat and tasted like burned plastic...totally inedible. I was able to eat the potato salad after adding salt, the rolls look good, but sadly are not. The watermelon is the only thing I can recommend. read more

This place is terrible. I ordered the single plate turkey for takeout. The reviewer who said it was some sort of processed spammy type food is right. I remembered that too late. Owners, if you read these reviews, please lose that turkey. It is inedible. The green beans were too salty to eat. The only good thing was the mac and cheese. That's the one star. They didn't give us any bread with the takeout. We noticed that when we got back to our room. What a waste of an evening meal. Ugh. read more