We recently went to Fat Jacks on a Saturday night to try it out. We were quite surprised to see that we were the only people in there besides one other man. The staff were nice however and walked us through the menu. We ended up ordering a 1/3 rack of baby back ribs with fries and a salad as well as a sliced beef sandwich with mac and cheese and corn chowder soup. My favorite thing was the corn chowder soup, it was a great creamy soup. The Mac and cheese was not good at all unfortunately and fries felt super plain. The meats were decent but relatively dry, the beef especially. The ribs were good and had a nice bbq sauce on them but not super special. The interior was really cool inside but we almost wished there had been a tv to watch. We probably won't be back but it was cool to check out once read more

Classic barbecue joint! Plenty of indoor seating with a mom and pop vibe. One of my chicken breasts was a little dry but the other was juicy smoky & delicious! The chicken dinner was excellent. Sides were good, nothing crazy. We did takeout and the to go window was nice and easy to find. Would try this place again! read more

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The fish fry here is amazing! Great food yet, laid back, great food, real local vibe. Real bang for your buck.

First, the good: The garlic bread is outstanding. Some of the best. The cajun cheese curds made my top ten all-time favorite cheese curd list. Highly recommend. The cajun fish fry was also very good. The baked beans were on point. Second, the mediocre: The chicken and the brisket were very dry, but flavorful. The coleslaw had the strangest flavor; my wife liked it, I just thought it was okay. It was sort of this weird combination of apple cider vinegar and barbeque sauce. It was very different from the normal, mayo-based coleslaw I'm used to. The wedge fries are really good, but nothing special. They'd benefit from an interesting spice combo or dry rub or something. Third, the less-than-mediocre: Only two choices for BBQ sauces. One tasted like slightly spicy ketchup and the other was a little hotter. Neither is winning any sauce awards. Still, this place is kind of iconic now, isn't it? Been around a long time. The decor is kitschy and fun. The service is friendly and helpful. I don't have major complaints. I'll be back. read more

This sleeper is decorated with Madison history and the walls were fun to look at while we visited. The staff were helpful and friendly providing good advice on how to best order for a family of four. The wings were a little small, but the order was still too big for us to finish. Still great buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing. Solid appetizer of traditional buffalo wings. The main event was a platter of all the meats available- two types of ribs, chicken, beef and pork sliced bbq. Each was good with sauces. We all had different favorites! read more

The Cajun cheese curds didn't have a "Cajun" flavor. Also, I know cheese curds are deep fried, but these were beyond greasy. So greasy, the breading was falling off, and some of the cheese had disappeared. Disappointing there were only two bbq sauce options. I've been to many BBQ places in the South, and they always have more than two options. I ordered the "all you can eat" ribs. The first order was phenomenal. Lots of meat on the bone, and tender. The reorders were pitiful. They had to of been a different batch of ribs or leftovers from the day prior. They barely had any meat on the bone, and they were crisp and very tough to eat. Also, the sever progressively got slower and slower with each reorder. The place wasn't even busy. The coleslaw was some of the worst I've ever had. Usually coleslaw has a sweet flavor or a vinegar flavor. It just tasted like pepper. read more

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Fat Jack's is a locally owned restaurant who believes in home cooking. Their chicken is slowly smoked, roasted ribs, and the marinated chicken breast is aw so good. Their barbecue sauces are made on the premises and is their special secret. The portion size is good and the atmosphere is comfortable. The service is fairly quick and a good pace. Don't miss a good restaurant with their own distinctive flavors. read more

The last time I went to Fat Jack's had to be in the 90's, because I was kid. After an event in Monona on Friday night, I pointed it out to my husband and mentioned how I frequented it with my family as a child. Being the barbeque enthusiast that he is, he begged us to stop. It didn't take much convincing, because my memories were fond! The moment we stepped inside, I immediately remembered the delicious smell. The very friendly waitress that was walking by asked if we've been before, and I said yes but a very long time ago. She mentioned that now you seat yourself wherever you'd like, and then order at the counter. We made our way over to a booth and looked over the menus she had handed us. By the time we walked up to the counter, there was a large group there. The friendly waitress noticed, and came over to take our order, which was much appreciated! My husband ordered ribs with baked beans and an extra slice of garlic bread. I opted for the fish fry, mac and cheese, and coleslaw. I wasn't the biggest fan of the coleslaw, but it had a nice vinaigrette flavor. The fish was incredible! The crispy breading was nice and airy and the fish had a great flavor. The mac and cheese was pretty standard, but good. I wish I had gone the route of my husband and ordered an extra piece of the garlic bread, because it was delicious! My husband mentioned he loved his ribs and that he was a happy man! I can't believe I had forgotten about this treasure, and we will definitely be back. read more

The food was delicious, portions were generous, and good prices. We had the Sunday night chicken dinner special, and the pork dinner. Both were amazing and just what we wanted. read more

Visiting Madison area for our Anniversary We read all the reviews and decided it sounded like it would be a good place to try! The waitress was very nice! I ordered Catfish, which came with beans, coleslaw, bread and hush- puppies. (YUM, I THOUGHT!) The coleslaw was large chunky cabbage with a vinegar flavor....not creamy coleslaw. The beans tasted like they came from a can, no flavor. The bread was super greasy. Then, after only one bite of the fish, I realised it was coated in cayenne pepper (spicey HOT) which ruined everything for me....my whole mouth was on fire!!!! Remember, "my experience" "my taste" The waitress brought me cod in place of the catfish which was very nice but I couldn't eat anything else after that. (I really wanted catfish) By this time, I had to order a glass of milk to cool down my whole mouth, my lips and my gums from burning a lot! I actually felt sick. The decor was different it showed "family pride" and history which I could take it or leave it so no negative reaction to the decor but... the lighting was a bit too dark. I gave the waitress a decent tip...she was the only positive experience at "Fat Jacks" read more

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Outstanding staff and food. Most BBQ restaurants serve a portion of 4 ribs but Fat Jack's still serves full and half racks at a fair price. Best ribs in Madison by far. read more

The food is amazing, it's also very fast serving. It is decorated with lots of Madison history, the service is phenomenal, you can really tell they care about the place read more

I love this place! My son and I were driving back from the Wisconsin Dells and decided to pull off for lunch and we found Fat Jacks on my GPS. The outside of the place isn't very impressive, but some of the best bbq places I've ever been to have been dumps. The inside is much nicer, decorated with local Wisconsin artifacts and pictures. My favorite was the old beer bottle collection by the entrance. Anyway, we got sat and our waitress came over right away....super friendly and super nice lady. We asked for a recommendation and she basically went over the whole menu and said everything was great, and after eating there, I believe her. I ordered the pulled pork lunch and my son got the fish fry. When she brought over the plates, I knew we were in trouble...there was sooo much food! My son's fish was very good, not greasy but light and flaky. My pork was excellent. The waitress asked if we wanted a hotter bbq sauce, I love spicy, so she brought it. Excellent! Smokey, spicy flavor. The sauces on the table were really good too. If you are looking for some good, casual, non-pretentious BBQ, Fat Jack's is the place for you! Don't let the outside fool you, the inside is clean and the food is excellent and they give you a ton of it! read more

Fat Jacks Barbecue - Fat Jack's from Parking Lot - Barbeque Near Me - Monona, Wisconsin

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Loved it. We found it from my Yelp app on my iPhone while we were in Madison. Awesome ribs and my wife had the pulled pork sandwich and it was also really good. Ask the server for the hot BBQ sauce if you're a fan of spicy since they don't put it on the table. read more

It's been a long time since I've been to Fat Jack's, so long in fact that I wasn't aware that they had eliminated table service and had set up an ordering counter/window! It's a good idea, since other BBQ joints in town do the same style of service. After ordering from the regular and kids menus, we settled upon the smoked 1/2 chicken dinner, the fish fry dinner, and the kid's grilled cheese. First, the fish fry was damn good! A classic battered cod, with a nice light crunch to the crust, and with a flaky piece of cod inside! Only one piece of fish was a little dry, but overall, it was delectable! Next, with the 1/2 chicken dinner, it looked a little small in the basket it was served in, but it was actually a filling portion! The chicken had a nice deep smoke flavor that permeated throughout the meat. The one flaw was that the white meat was a little dry, but the dark meat was spot on! The sides overall were satisfying. The baked beans almost stole the show with how good they are! The Mac n cheese was flavorful, but could be a tad creamier. The coleslaw is of the vinegar variety, not the mayo type. It wasn't too acidic, which often is the case with this style of coleslaw. The garlic bread is a nice touch with the meals! The only disappointment was the small grilled cheese in the kids meal. It was good, but it looked like only half a sandwich! We'll be back! read more

Best of Madison 2015? Not so much. I order the Pork Dinner which came with the salad bar, a choice of side and garlic bread. It was a great value for the price. The pork portion was huge. I chose the fries, which were supposed to be ranch fries. I am not sure if that meant the cut or the seasoning but they were just normal fries. The salad bar was simple, tasty, but nothing outstanding. Now the garlic bread, that was amazing. I kind of wish I had the option for all you can eat bread. The pork was tender and delicious. I paired it with the hot barbecue sauce on the table. This place is good, but it is not amazing. The service was awesome. Very attentive and the interior is comfortable. It is simple and welcoming. read more

Fat Jacks Barbecue - Pork platter - Barbeque Near Me - Monona, Wisconsin

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Not a very exciting place on a Friday night, but we didn't have much of a choice since downtown was packed. We were too hungry to wait 1+ hours for any seats. So Fat Jacks it is! Service wasn't the best, but not the worst. It took a while for someone to acknowledge me standing by myself in front of the hostess booth. When we were seated, our server introduced herself but didn't come back for a while to take our order. We even contemplated leaving, but alas, she arrived. She was very nice though, so there's that. Food was mediocre. The cod special was lackluster--even the tartar sauce I had to dip it in didn't give it much flavor. So I settled for smothering it in ranch. When in doubt, right? The fries lacked seasoning also. Into the ranch it went swimming. My husband kind of liked his bacon burger he made. It was well done instead of the medium he requested. Same thing for our friend who ordered a steak. But I guess there was some flavor that made up for it. We might consider coming back here since our friends talked about the BBQ ribs. Maybe. read more

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The food is decent and they are quick with their service but the early closing hours loses two stars from me. Not everyone eats dinner at 6:00. Bummer read more

There was a time that this was the place I told people about. I lived in the vicinity, and since they also served liquor, it served two purposes. The sauce was what I loved about Fat Jacks over pretty much every other BBQ place. The black pepper is both hot and has a flavor that stands out. Most sauces seem to be just a variation of every store bought sauce that followed the Kraft formula, and tweeted it just enough to make it palatable. But Fat Jack seemed to have recognized that since Oscar Meyer/Kraft had a factory a couple miles away, and many of their employees probably knew the crappy sauce in their dreams, it might be advisable to create something not only different, but better! However as the years have passed the attention to detail appears to be waning as well. The decors outdated, that matters not a bit to me, but the menu is itself outdated. Keeping up with the newer innovative methods is something to consider. But more importantly I think the QC needs to be awakened. The salad bar was actually pathetic last time I ate there, and thinking back, it wasn't just because the items were not fresh, but they were things that were blah. The meats generally been very good, as are the portions. But my last visit was decidedly going to be my last visit, even if I was to find myself in Monona at feeding time! read more

Came here for dinner on Thursday with my family of 4. I was a little torn between rating a 4 and a 5, but the outstounding service made it an easy call. Our waitress, Nina, was the nicest server I have ever had, and she was also extremely attentive/helpful. We all decided to get the special because it was such a deal, and it did not let us down. The ribs were tender and flavorful (they come glazed with sauce on the table), the chicken was juicy, the coleslaw was a tangy,homemade type, and the garlic bread was of artisan quality. If you are looking to go out for dinner on Tuesday or Thursday, the all you can eat ribs and chicken is way too good to pass up. 13.95 for the meal, and the staff is very attentive on reorders + the food was great quality. read more

Fat Jacks Barbecue - Initial order for the Tuesday/Thursday Special. Both meats come "dry" meaning that they are not slathered in sauce, but just rubbed. - Barbeque Near Me - Monona, Wisconsin

BEST REAL SMOKED BBQ IVE EVER HAD!!! None of that sauce soaked meat. Only the best smokey dry rub flavor. read more

Fat Jack's is a barbecue place. It is known for its barbecue. Last Friday night, I did not go for the barbecue. I went for a fish fry. No, that is not really true. I went for the Cajun Potato soup, but more on that later. Do not get me wrong about why I was at Fat Jack's. I love all types of barbecue. But this is Wisconsin and it was Friday night. Most of the Wisconsin population will go out for fish on Friday night, not all, but most do. We were with friends and the vote was for fish. Fat Jack's was close and we had not been there for some time. And our friends were never there, so we pulled into Fat Jack's. We all ordered the Friday Night Fish Fry. One thing I like about their Fish Fry is you can get their steak fries or their beans or Red Rice and Beans as a side. The four of us tried them all and all the sides were all good. The fish was done well with not too much batter, a trait I like in a Fish Fry. Their coleslaw is very good, but I would like more with my fish. Overall, Fat Jack's has a very good Wisconsin Friday Night Fish Fry. Now really why I was at Fat Jack's and that was for their Cajun Potato soup. It is just marvelous. I could just stop for the soup. It is spicy, but not overbearing. There are chunks of potato and the soup is thick, but not too thick. It has the color of toast that is not too dark. The taste is just great. Order a bowl and you will want more. The Cajun Potato soup is definitely five star. read more

Just had take out. My baby backs were undercooked, and the beans looked and tasted like they came out of a can, without tweaking them at all. Meh. Won't be doing that again. read more

How I love Fat Jacks! I would give it 5 stars, but it really isn't in that upper echelon of BBQ restaurants (like Smoky Jons). ANYWAY, the food here is really good, and they have 2 house sauces. A sweet and tangy milder sauce, and a spicier sauce that tastes kind of like old bay seasoning, or bay leaves or something. I really like the spicier sauce, and I wish they sold it by the bottle. They have a good fish fry, their steaks and chicken are also good. The ribs can sometimes be slightly tough, but that's not normally the case. I love the decor and the true air of "Wisconsin" from the staff to the usual patrons. When I am there sitting in all that wood paneling, it's a nice cozy feeling. Go on sunday nights for the all you can eat BBQ chicken dinner for $7.50. It's a total deal, and the people watching is awesome. read more

don't listen to all the clueless northerners commenting here about lack of sauce or not fall off the bone tender etc. Fat Jacks cooks AUTHENTIC SOUTHERN STYLE SMOKED FOOD! Their pork spare ribs come with a dry rub. so NO SAUCE. The wonderful sauces are on the table for the customer to put on themselves. Plus, any respectable southerner knows that ribs are NOT SUPPOSED TO BE SLOPPY FALL OFF THE BONE TENDER! There's supposed to be a little bite to them. LOVE Fat Jacks. Always have! read more

We would highly recommend Fat Jacks for catering your party. We used Fat Jacks in 2012 for a party and were so happy with everything that we decided to use them again this year. Everyone raved about how good everything was and the price was very fair. read more

Grade: C Average food. Average prices. Average service. Average place. read more

The BBQ sauce was excellent and the lunchtime portions were a good size. They serve just the meat and I had to add the sauce at the table which is fine for me. Service was quick and polite and we were in and out within 30 minutes of being seated. I am not crazy about the hickory smokiness of the neat but with the sauce it was a great meal. read more

Fat Jack's is a good, but not great BBQ joint. I always enjoy BBQ and Fat Jack's is just fine. The portions were good, the service was pleasant, and we all left full and satisfied. The tacky, redneck decor is a lot of fun and seems more like a collection over time than a place trying real hard to look like an old BBQ joint. I ordered the rib basket lunch special. This included about 5 St. Louis style ribs, coleslaw, garlic bread and the waitress let me have fries and bbq beans lowering the quantity of each so that I could try them both. The sides were average - nothing stands out here. But who cares, right it's all about the meat! Ribs were very flavorful, had a good crust and the smoke was prominent without being over-powering. They weren't the meatiest and a bit dry, but I cleaned the bones well enough. They leave the membrane on the bottom of the ribs which is sort of a BBQ rookie mistake, but some people like it (and I ate it anyway). They have two BBQ sauces - one sweet and one spicy. The spicy was superior - a kind of one-note Kansas City style with a distinct black pepper flavor. It wasn't terribly complex, but we sure did enjoy it. I would give Fat Jack's a solid 4 stars, however... Their beef is a disappointment and why I'd consider a different BBQ joint rather than returning here. Instead of offering brisket their sliced beef is eye of round. In my mind a BBQ restaurant that doesn't serve brisket is like a steakhouse that doesn't serve ribeye. Typically, I judge a BBQ joint on how well they serve up brisket. Not even possible here. Everyone in my party was happy with what they ordered and we got our fill, but if I'm in the area again I'll be looking to try a different place. read more

In town for business, searching yelp and came across Fat Jacks. Gave me a hankering for some BBQ so decided to swing by. The inside has a cozy, down-home kind of feel that I really liked. My waitress was friendly and attentive. I had the sampler which included smoked beef, pulled pork, and spareribs (you can devise your own sampler) - and it was delicious. The food tastes like it was pulled fresh off a smoky campfire, just very 'authentic' for lack of a better word.... many BBQ places either have too little smoke or it tastes like it is doctored up with liquid smoke flavoring, but not Fat Jacks. They don't do much to the meat besides the smoking, it was very tender and they house BBQ sauce was a nice addition, but they leave that up to you. When it is served, the meat speaks for itself. The ribs do have some kind of seasoning applied, but they were very good as well. I would recommend to anyone in the area who is looking for some good BBQ. read more

Went here on a whim with a group. When you walk in it smells amazing! The staff is super friendly and the service is ok. However... If you are a barbeque restaurant then the barbeque should be great, right? Well... It wasn't. I ordered the beef plate and the meat was dry, over cooked, and the smoke ring was so bitter it tasted like a burnt cigarette. This is a dry-rub only place, no sauce on the meat here unless you squirt on one of their house sauces. The house sauces aren't very good, unless you really like raw vinegary barbeque sauce. If you're dreaming of smoky-sweet finger-licking barbeque then this IS NOT the pace for you. If you're in the market for mediocre smoked meat then it may be ok as long as your meat isn't over-smoked like mine was. The sides were passable, but fur the price I paid for almost inedible meat I was very displeased by the quality of the experience. read more

This is by far the WORST BBQ restaurant I have ever been to! I tried Fat Jacks for the first time after living in Monona for over a year. I ordered the buffalo wings and a half rack of pork back ribs. The wings were very dry and bland. They were fried but had no seasoning and were very greasy. They also were extremely small yet still cost $8 for 8 wings. The ribs were a good portion and had a good amount of BBQ sauce lathered on. I was excited until I tried them. The meat was tough and dry. I was only able to finish half of the ribs before I had enough. They tasted like they were previously frozen, microwaved, and then lathered in sauce. They were by far the worst ribs I've ever eaten. To the point that I couldn't even finish them. The biggest issue I had was the price. I don't mind having low quality BBQ for a cheap price (even though a lot of great BBQ is reasonably priced). This was very expensive and, again, was the worst I've ever had. I now understand why the parking lot at Fat Jacks is empty at dinner time every single night. I will never eat here again! read more

I don't how anyone could rate this place lower than a five! Really clean place for BBQ place and I've been to a ton of BBQ places. People are really nice and attentive people and the food was awesome. I got the ribs and chicken combo with beans and slaw. Loved it all I don't normally like that style of sauce but it was perfect with the meats. Love, love, love it!!! I've never reviewed a restaurant before but felt compelled to after my visit here. Sorry I didn't have a picture, there wasn't any opportunity after I got started!! read more

I got the all you can eat spare ribs and chicken. I tried a chicken leg first and all I could taste was smoke. The leg and thigh weren't that bad despite the heavy smoke. The breast was dry. Next I tried the ribs. They were tender,but for some reason they tasted like sausage. Maybe they were smoked with sausage. The baked beans were pretty good. They had a hint heat, which is good. The coleslaw is what hurt. I could taste apple and it is vinegar based I believe, which I like, but it looked and tasted old. Bottom line is I've had better BBQ in the Madison area. read more

Fat Jacks Barbecue - All you can eat ribs and chicken. - Barbeque Near Me - Monona, Wisconsin

Anyone familiar with Sonny's BBQ (a southern chain) will immediately notice the similarity. This is not a good thing. Salad bar was ok. Not a lot of great variety. I had the 1/2 rack of ribs with slaw and fries. The slaw and fries were fine. Nothing special but not bad. The garlic bread, soaked in buttery garlic, also was fine. Probably the best part of the meal. The ribs, on the other hand, could use some work. First, they were covered in SO MUCH SAUCE, that I had to hold them up to let some drip off. Sauce should provide an accent to good BBQ, not be the BBQ. Second, the doneness of the meat varied across the ribs. One rib was fall of bone. Further down, it was closer to jerky. All in all, not a great BBQ experience. read more

Interesting menu. I'm a big fan of BBQ and love the stuff I get in Kansas and Texas. Maybe this is good BBQ for Wisconsin. I asked what the beef platter was and was told that it was just a plate of beef. Just a plate of beef. So we had the hamburger. It was good, over cooked but good. Baked beans are the same ones you get out of a can with a little onion for taste. Skip the BBQ sauces. They were more tangy than savory. Has room for improvement. The waitresses were helpful and apologetic when the order came out wrong repeatedly. read more

Fat Jacks was one of my first post-college places that I frequented as it was a big favorite among the people that I worked with. I love BBQ, particularly pulled pork and Fat Jack's delivered for several years as I rarely strayed away from their pork platter, which I usually took with garlic bread and fries. Combine their mild sauce, which they warn you is in the biggest bottle, and a Dr. Pepper, which should be sold at all good BBQ places, and that was a terrific combination of tastes. My friend at the time would complain if they moved from shredded to sliced pork, as they tended to bounce between the two, but I was usually a very satisfied customer. Fast forward 15 years. I come back to Madison about twice a year and usually that includes a trip to Fat Jack's, which has probably become more for nostalgia than for the food. My family and I went this summer and afterwards, I decided that it was time for me to write my first review. Fat Jack's totally has the look and feel of a Wisconsin styled supper club. It's a log cabin interior with booths and tables. They write their specials on a little white board that you see as you walk in, and as you look to the left, you'll see beer bottles from practically every Wisconsin micro brewery that you can think of, even ones that don't exist anymore. The staff is friendly, though usually green with the turnover of kids that look high school and college ages. They have cool Wisconsin paraphernalia all over the walls. Before I write a novel, let me get to the food and drink. They have spotted cow on tap. That's a huge bonus. The only complaint I'd have in that regard is that they serve it in tiny glasses, which I can take down in 3-4 sips. I ordered my pork platter, which starts with a trip to the salad bar. It's nothing to write home about, but a typical salad bar with fairly bland, uninteresting veggies that you can drown in dressing and sun flower seeds. It's a salad bar. The fries are thick and tasty. The garlic bread is not bad, but a little dry. The pork itself was nice and tender in parts, but parts of it were overcooked, so I ended up eating about 80% of it. I didn't have any soup, but typically their soups are very good. That's been my usual experience the last 5 years or so and after this last visit, I began to wonder if I should start thinking about other BBQ options from now on. Famous Dave's may actually be better and I need to try Smoky John's. My rating as a young graduate would probably be 5 stars. Now that I've become a seasoned veteran of eating, I'm sad to do this, but I have to give it 3 stars. If yelp had another half star I could give, I'd probably do that, but 4 stars is too much. read more

Unique combinations and super easy to work with! Made me a meal on request and made a group of guys very happy!

Fat Jack's has set up shop at my workplace for the last two+ weeks as a vendor while our culinary team has been prepping for another major event. Out of those two weeks, I have only eaten with Fat Jack's once, and it's literally because I saw that the special today was GUMBO! Hence, my review is only for their seafood gumbo. But WHAT GUMBO! Yum, yum, yum. It's almost a crawfish etoufee, and is chock full of crawfish, veggies, and general deliciousness. Whenever they have it, I silently (or not so silently) cheer and promptly order two orders. I've stalked them when they are here for the last few years for the specific day they bring the gumbo. Happy sigh! I'm happy. read more

Used to love Fat Jacks, especially the great wait staff and salad bar with every dinner, the dry rub ribs. Unfortunately took some friends there Friday night and things had really changed. Now you order at the counter, no salad bar and the ribs our friend ordered were slathered in BBQ sauce. You are also served your food in a paper tray with plastic cutlery. With no salad bar and no table service, prices remain the same. Very sad and disappointed. read more