Been going there since I was 13 years old and the best ribs in Texas. Visited by movie stars and Presidents

Yes, it's a tavern, with a pool table, neon lights, a juke box and dark corners, however...there may be tastier pork ribs somewhere, but they have eluded me. Why did I not know about these? Just give me a moment, okay? I'll be fine; let's move on. the sides were good but, on a previous visit, the mac and cheese tasted freshly made. Today's may have been (shudder) left over. The brown butter cake was truly decadent. A rich cakelet, ice cream, whipped cream and caramel sauce--dare I say it--just too much. However, if you haven't had this week's fill of everything you shouldn't eat, go for it. The hot towels afterward were much appreciated. A bit pricey, but does it really matter if it is the best? I don't think so. read more

We waited two hours in total to get seated and then to get our food. The food was excellent, but I can't say that the food was worth that long of a wait. They only do reservations for groups of 10 or more, and it was a Thursday evening during peak dinner hours. We got there before 7pm and ate close to 9pm. The tavern was crowded and overstimulating. The pork ribs were a standout, and we really enjoyed them. The spicy mac and cheese was also phenomenal. The potato salad was alright. The bar, however, was out of a lot of drinks. They also did not have or at least did not give us any menus. The server listed the options after we asked, but it's not very accommodating to just hear the options instead of seeing a menu, especially for people who have hearing issues or don't understand English super well. Not knowing the prices beforehand was also disappointing. read more

Country Tavern - Pork ribs, spicy mac and cheese, and potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - Kilgore, Texas

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First of all, it was dark inside and it was o my 4 pm. Then the server comes and asked to take our order. I tell her we hadn't seen a menu. She tells us they don't have menus. I've never heard of that. And no internet service to see if we could find one online. The server went to get her phone and showed me a note she made with some listed items. But no prices. The servers have to waste time verbally explaining the menu choices to everyone. We started hearing other servers tell their customers there was a wait on ribs. Our server didn't tell us this. We saw multiple tables seated and then leave because of the wait. After we had been there over an hour she finally came to tell us they were waiting on ribs and asked if we would rather order something else. Seriously? Why did she wait over an hour to tell us this? By this point we had already invested too much time. And this was the first water refill she had brought. Then they pushed a bunch of tables together next to us. 22 seats. But only a couple of people were sitting there taking up multiple tables waiting on people. Meanwhile people are crowding the door waiting for an empty table. You don't do that during a busy time. We also witnessed multiple large to go orders leave the kitchen. But seated customers were having to wait on food. Now this is a Friday afternoon (that turned into night) on a holiday weekend. They have been open for decades. They should have planned ahead better than that. After we have been here over two hours, most of which was spent waiting on food, she seemed in a hurry to get us our ticket. Remember there are no menus? They upcharge for brisket and for ribs (which we did figure that) and also for certain sides. They had empty tables and lots of people waiting up front. We are sure they were waiting on us to leave so they can push more tables together. The server kept looking over at us from a distance to see if we were ready to pay. Then came running when we got the card out. She didn't offer any more refills even though my husband's glass was empty and he was still eating. But we didn't want to be rushed after they made us wait so long. Just overall not a good experience. The food did taste ok but we can get bbq at other places. read more

The service is excellent in this restaurant. The ribs are so amazing and the barbecue sauce is served warm at your table and it is the best I have ever eaten. Finish off with hot towels to clean your mouth and hands. They offer many side dishes. All delicious! read more

Pretty good barbecue BBQ in east Texas and some of the best ribs around. I also found the smoked turkey to be excellent as well and it's a great place to dine at. Nice friendly staff and a clean and comfortable restaurant area and bar. read more

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EXACTLY what I expected and wanted from a TX BBQ joint!!! I am from the West Coast and have had BBQ is cities known for BBQ!!! I heard GREAT things about Country Tavern and when we drove up, I knew it was going to be great!!! Just a country bar/restaurant w no frills! Just a friendly local place w a bar and GREAT BBQ! Friendly staff seated us and we knew they had no menus. DONT ask for a menu. Check the menu online if you need. We ordered 3 meat plate with sides. The ribs were fall off the bone moist and tender. The brisket was pull apart tender and juicy w a simple rub!!! The jalepeno cheese sausage was filled w cheese and delicious. Not spicy at all. Hands down the best beans I had in TX!!!! Not sweet with a nice smoke flavor. A hint of pork flavor and brisket chunks!!! We were so full but ordered their newest dessert. Brown Butter Cake! OMG it was great!!!!! The cake was so moist and dense topped w a large scoop of ice-cream along with caramel drizzle! I would come back just to have the cake it was so good!!! Highly recommend the drive to Country Tavern! The drive is nice and easy from Tyler TX and scenery is beautiful!! The most memorable BBQ I have had in recent years traveling!!! read more

Country Tavern - 3 meat plate w beans - Barbeque Near Me - Kilgore, Texas

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Good to know excellence is still in place at the Country Tavern. Four of us had dinner tonight and the ribs were perfect as always. Not overdone but tender and tasty. You need to save a little room for the blackberry cobbler and banana pudding. Well worth an out of the way trip for ribs at the Country Tavern. read more

!!!!!!!!!RIBS!!!!! And their spicy mac n cheese and the ICE COLD beer. Thats all you need to know!!!

The ribs and barb-q are amazing. Ribs are fall off the bone tender. I love their beans and potato salad. Sometimes it can be very loud and hard to visit. They do serve large parties quite often. The service is good for the size of the place. Highly recommend! read more

Found this restaurant on Yelp! It was a rainy Wednesday afternoon while on a work trip. As soon as we walked in we were greeted by staff and were able to pick our own table. There are about 10 menu options and the waitress was able to recall it by memory. Not sure if they have an actual menu or not. Doesn't really matter because I ordered ribs, baked potato casserole, and baked beans. The food took almost no time to come out and was paired with warm bbq sauce. The baked beans had an unexpected sweet chili bean flavor that was amazing. The baked potato casserole was good but was missing a touch of salt. The ribs were tender and had good flavor. Still needed to dip them in the bbq sauce for the full effect but everything was overall good. Will definitely return next time I'm around Kilgore. read more

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The best ribs in Texas. As a 6th generation Texan that is a big compliment because I have eaten a lot of barbecue in 73 years.

We absolutely loved this place, great food no fat on the brisket and the customer service was fantastic read more

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Service was good, I got the chopped barbecue with smoked turkey. I'm from the Carolinas so barbecue is picky for us, I rate here a 6, turkey 9. Slaw 6 beans 5 they bragged on their banana pudding but no vanilla wafers some other type meh...lacked bananas and to creamy for my liking. Cost extreme $$$ for one walked out with over $40 spent, would I go back..nah. read more

Country Tavern - Barbecue, smoked turkey, slaw and beans. - Barbeque Near Me - Kilgore, Texas

Great food great service super busy. No menus. The ribs are the best around. Anything you try on the menu is good. And the desert is to die for. Hot towels after the meal puts the topping on the cake. read more

The best keep secret in East Texas. Great bbq the ribs, sausage and turkey are my favorite sides are all great and fantastic. Sweet tea as it should be and lots of sweet friendly people. Definitely a must when you are in the area. read more

Country Tavern - You must get the turkey! - Barbeque Near Me - Kilgore, Texas

Food is AMAZING! Staff is very friendly and helpful! Cool, chill place with good vibes!

This place is INSANE. In my 32 years of living in Texas and eating BBQ often this is by far, hands down, the best BBQ I've ever had. EVER. I consider myself a bit of a ribs/brisket snob, typically grading harder than most. However, even with the strict tastebud standards I was blown away by how good everything was. Brisket is unimaginably tender and tasteful. The glaze on the ribs paired with its fall off the bone texture almost made me faint. I'm telling you, Gordon Ramsey wouldn't be able to find anything wrong with this place. 10/10, would drive 3 hours one way just to eat here again. read more

Food is very good , no menu to look at , the waitress tells you what there is .. be prepared for a wait .... They don't get in a hurry there . read more

I do not leave reviews. Ever. This has always been one of our favorite places to eat ribs for over 20 years. The food was fine. The service, not so much. We would ask the server for something and she would go away so quickly, we could not finish asking for what we needed. She acted put out by everything. They were not busy, we got there early before they got busy so no excuse for this behavior. The beans have changed here and now taste exactly like ranch style beans in the can with some added sugar. The rest of the food was close to what it has been before. We asked for the warm towels (ribs are messy, and this is something they have always done). We were told the owner does not want them bringing out the towels until they have taken away all the plates because it looks "messy". Well, I'll tell you there is nothing messier than packing to-go boxes with messy fingers. We had to beg for the towels three times before she brought them. And then she was very annoyed. Even more annoyed than she was by every single other thing we asked for. We drove over 30 mins to get there and the meal was $100. Won't be back. Sad story because someone has ruined this place. Sounds like possibly due to a new owner. Shame on you. read more

Best ribs in the US and I love the old honky tonk atmosphere. Really impressive food and southern hospitality

This was totally by chance but amazing. The service and food was amazing. You will not be disappointed.

Service was great and the food was indescribably good. Would give the ribs and the potato salad 10 stars if that were possible! Considering the quality of the food and the size of the servings, it was very reasonably priced. Will definitely return sooner rather than later! read more

Brought some business associates for lunch. We all had the ribs & they were pretty darn good.

The food is always phenomenal & the service is so great!! We usually get it to go, but the inside is very nice .

Hidden gem! They don't advertise but stay pretty busy. The service was excellent, the dining area was nicely decorated, and the food was incredible! Ribs are a must! read more

Nice,Food is great,kinda light on the Plate Portions & very expensive !! But very good !! read more

This East Texas legend has been serving juicy ribs, brisket and sausage for nearly 100 years! I ordered lean brisket with a side of Texas toast, spicy macaroni and pinto beans. Quickly proceeded to pour their homemade barbecue sauce all over the top. Can't recommend this place enough. read more

Country Tavern - Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Kilgore, Texas

FALSE ADVERTISING!! They do NOT have outdoor seating and they are NOT pet friendly!!! Terrible experience after driving 17 miles out of our way to get here because of there deceptive ad!! read more

I had the best barbecue ribs and the side dishes were delicious. The ambiance was very country.

Simply the best in the world of the living...RIBS!!! I've traveled the south and I've ranked bar b que locales and Country Tavern beats out Memphis, Kansas City, Austin, and the Carolinas. Yeah, it's loud, busy, and understaffed. If you want quiet and romantic... go to an Italian bistro. Those who complain about that do not get it. read more

Make the food better, like when the parents owned the place. Train the waitress to clean the dirty table that people have to sit at. Maybe train them to smile and understand without us, the customer, they have no job. read more

All I can say is there is a reason LBJ used to drive from Austin to eat at the Country Tavern!!! By far the best ribs I have ever had!!! Excellent with or without sauce. The cheese and sausage platter is a must. Sides? On the same scale as their ribs. The Country Tavern is a must stop when you are in the Piney Woods region of Texas. read more

I wish I lived closer... I'd eat here every day. My first time at Country Tavern and I went with a bunch of seasoned pros so they told me what to get and was I treated to a feast!! The pork ribs are by far the best I remember ever eating. I had 5 ribs and they were all 'meaty', no kidding they were tender fall-off-the-bone delicious.There was nothing left but a pile of bones in the middle of our table. That will be a picture I take next time I go. I had potato salad and baked beans for sides and they were very satisfying. I have to say there is something different about the baked beans; a deep smokey, hearty flavor that I have never enjoyed so much! The baked beans are amazing. Not to be outdone by the great ribs and sides, I bet I had my iced tea refilled 4 times without ever saying a word, although I did say thank you every time and with a mouth full of rib meat. Sorry about that. Our service was outstanding. Wish I had asked her name but since I'll be going back at some point, I'll add it to my next review. The whole experience is a really wonderful memory. I liked everything about Country Tavern. I am told I missed out on some of the best tasting cobbler and ice cream, but how in the world is that possible? So many fantastic foods to eat at one place is just crazy. Next time, blackberry cobbler and ice cream will be the first thing I order and then I'll take the rest home! Go as often as possible - in my opinion the experience is worth every penny!! read more

Went with a large family group (14 people) on a Saturday night in October. The place was packed, mainly it seemed with similarly large groups, and the deafening interior noise from their conversation was the loudest I've encountered in a restaurant since doing Oktoberfest at the Hofbrauhaus in Cleveland in 2019. The clientele is Texas Bubba Central: lots of fat, bearded guys in denim bib overalls, trucker caps and the occasional cowboy hat, and their wives, daughters and girlfriends. I suspect they're not Beto voters. Service was agonizingly slow; the kitchen must have been slammed and it took a good hour for the grub to arrive (not the waitresses' fault, but maybe hire more staff). Do get the ribs, they're expertly smoked and the house sauce is good (more necessary for the brisket, which is adequate but dry). I was a fan of the 'spicy' mac & cheese, which was only pleasantly spicy. The reports of 'no menus available' are accurate (you have to look it up online), and the food is no bargain -- if you're drinking more than water, figure on $40 to $50 per person. The place is as authentic as it gets, down to the autographed photos of Larry Hagman, Robert Duvall and various Miss Texas winners on the wall near the bar. All in all, if you're looking for a real Lone Star dining experience, rehearse your yee-has and make the trip to East Texas. read more

Great food and cold beer Great banana pudding as well service was very good atmosphere was very cool read more

Sad to say my wife, myself and my best friend were all disappointed. My friend had the ribs and they were nothing to write home about. My wife had the brisket and it was dry and pretty flavorless... I had the sausage and I must say the sausage was good. The sides were adequate but not outstanding. We also had water to drink and it tasted horrible and was undrinkable so we reorder soft drinks wick the brixing (the ratio of carbonated water to syrup was off) I rarely rate a restaurant "meh" but this experience was... possibly it was an off day... read more

We have been driving past this BBQ joint for a while and decided to check it out. Unbelievably fantastic. We had ribs and brisket. Both were delicious. Ribs were tender but had just the right pull from the bone texture. Brisket was smoky and tender. The Mac n cheese was a great side choice. White cheese with a hint of spice and pepper. We had a nice cold draft too. Good selection of draft beer to pick from. Great Service.Don't pass this up if you are in the area. read more

Country Tavern - Barbeque Near Me - Kilgore, Texas

This restaurant is appropriately named. It's set up like a restaurant with plenty of booths and tables. It feels like you're in a bar because of how dark it is and all the neon beer signs. They don't have menus so if you want to know how much the entrees are you'll have to ask. The small rib plate was $17. The medium brisket plate was $26 except she didn't ask what size we wanted so again ask. You get two sides. We ordered the Mac and cheese which has a lil kick to it , coleslaw, cheese potato casserole,beans and potato salad. All the sides were delicious. My wife said it was the brisket melted in her mouth. The ribs were good but I think Boxcar in Longview is better. Also it took a good 25 minutes to get our food which seemed too long. The wait and the price was the reason I had to only give it 4 stars. Waitress was nice though. read more

Everything tasted great, great service. This was only my fifteenth or fortieth or maybe hundredth time to eat there over the last 50 years.