We found this place on Yelp for pet friendly restaurant nearby the Natural Bridge. Thank you, Yelp! This place is great. It's semi-self service. You go order at the counter or at the kiosk, then pick up the food at the other window. Even though they have a sign apologizing for short staff, the service is still great. Every single staff who helped us today do represent the "southern hospitality". Everybody went above and beyond to make sure we're taken care of. The food is also great. We got the hog pen, fried pickle (very good. I think they use corn batter), BBQ tray, pulled pork sandwich, the burnt end, and hamburger. Everything was good. The place looks cool. Totally Instagram-able. We will definitely come back next time we visit the Natural Bridge again. read more

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The food is delicious. What else is there to say? This is some REAL GOOD BBQ. We tried the kickin' chicken and the BBQ sandwich. The chicken was juicy, great smoke taste, and the sauce was just just perfect. The BBQ wasn't fatty, was very flavorful with a good smoke flavor. Tge slaw and sauce came on the side giving us the opportunity to put the finishing touches on our lunch. The sides were good, but the main course just blew us away. The woman at the counter was very helpful and kind. Some places the workers will get frustrated at explaining their menu or way of doing things. Not here. She took her time, answered my questions, and made sure I got the best value when putting together my order. Inside and outside are extremely clean, and there's lots of good signs and props outside for family pictures. We were just passing through and I wasn't sure our options for a good meal, but this place is true to the reviews and blew me away. read more

I went to JJ's recently and was hoping to get pizza, but unfortunately they discontinued the pizza options here (not sure how long this would last). I ordered hog pen instead and was not disappointed. People work here are friendly and you can get your order ready pretty quick. There are plenty of rooms for big groups. A good place for causal dining and catching up with friends read more

JJ's Meat Shak - Hog pen - Barbeque Near Me - Buena Vista, Virginia

I lived in New Orleans for 5 years so I know good American BBQ. This is good BBQ! I'd the weather allows it, also recommend eating outside! read more

JJ's Meat Shak - Wings, Chicken Sandwhich, Hog Boat, Pork Platter - Barbeque Near Me - Buena Vista, Virginia

If you like reheated microwaved barbecue this is the place to go. Came at 3 o'clock they were barbecuing eat outside so I thought it would be the place to go have a nice meal.I would not recommend this restaurant for barbecue. read more

Wow! I went to school in this town 33 years ago and the town itself hasn't really changed. But never would I have imagined a little gem like this one here! First it's super cute. The decor is all rustic BBQ joint. We were lucky to eat lunch here on a beautiful day, so the windows were open and a light breeze was blowing through. It made for a great atmosphere! Add to that a friendly staff and we had the makings of a terrific lunch! One kid had a burger which was cooked well and was nice and juicy. He was happy! The other kid had a pulled pork sandwich (slaw on top of course) and Mac and cheese and loved it. The Mac and cheese is baked and tastes homemade, as I am sure it is. Hubby enjoyed his meatball sub (a special today) - lots of ooey gooey cheese and the meatballs were not over cooked. I got the 2 meat platter (pit beef and pulled pork) with slaw and baked beans. We all ate communally since everything looked so good. I wasn't a fan of the pit beef (I like mine wetter), but Hubby loved the flavor. The baked beans were really really good. Not as sweet as expected, they had a bit of tang to them. The real star was the pulled pork! Tender and flavorful, and I LOVE the choices of sauce. This is definitely worth the trip off 81! read more

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I stopped for lunch on a weekday with high expectations. Sadly, no pork was available that day. I got the Kickin Chicken platter, which can with a piece chicken and deboned ribs? Not sure as it looked like deboned ribs but maybe it was a piece of chicken I didn't recognize. I will say I was underwhelmed. Did not have a lot of taste or maybe the sauce is much sweeter than I am used to or like. Good slaw and just puppies. Oh, some nice honey butter for the hush puppies, I did like that! The people were nice and service good. A nice fireplace but not much seating in front of it. read more

JJ's Meat Shak - Kicken chicken platter - Barbeque Near Me - Buena Vista, Virginia

The food and service at JJ's was great. This was our first visit but came after reading the reviews. Got the Hog Pit and was glad we did. Will be back. read more

When I was a kid, my nickname was "JJ." So how could I not stop at a barbecue joint called "JJ's Meat Shak?!?" We came in at 6:30 on a Tuesday night. Their signature wood fired Pizza is only available Wednesday through Saturday. The nice lady at the counter greeted us with "we're out of burgers. And hush puppies." I almost left! Who ever heard of a barbecue place with no hush puppies?!? It ain't natural. But it smelled too good to walk, and then Darling Bride noticed the sign advertising Nightingale Ice Cream sandwiches. That was it- ever since she met the guy who makes them while she was presenting at a food conference, she talks about them whenever ice cream sandwiches come up. Which is more often than you might think. I checked in on Yelp! for the 10% discount, which was news to the cashier. She honoured it, but photographed my phone screen in case the manager asked. My Son and Heir ordered the Famous Hog Pen- a two-pound mass of fries, pulled pork, and cheese. Darling Bride and I each got a Pitt Beef Sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes. Sandwiches come by themselves, so we made combos by adding drinks, and sides of fries. We both got Farm Boy fries- big ole planks of potato, seasoned and fried crisp on the outside, fluffy in the middle. The brisket was cooked well- nicely rare as we requested- and comes unsauced so you can take advantage of the house options. I tried the Boss Sauce- sweet and spicy. The sandwich honestly didn't need the help; I ate half of it without any sauce, then tried it. I thoroughly enjoyed it both ways. If I had a complaint at all, it was only that the sweet tea wasn't very good. My Son and Heir didn't say a word for most of the meal- he just kept shoveling like Casey Jones' fireman. Supper for the three of us was $25! Then we went back for dessert... I got the Coconut Pineapple ice cream sandwich, DB got the Peaches and Cinnamon, and the Kid got the Fat Banana. They each cost $3.75, and if you can think of a more delicious way to spend that money, then we need to talk! So $12.53 for dessert. That's like, 1.35 calories per penny, and a bargain at the price! If I am ever in the neighborhood of Buena Vista (it's pronounced "byoona") again, JJs will be my first choice for food! read more

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The atmosphere is amazing and so is the food. Probably the best bbq place in Glasgow Virginia. Will be going back!!

Great atmosphere and food! The smoked chicken wings are a must try, along with the collard greens and Mac n' cheese!

During our "Wild Hogs" bike trip through the area, we saw 2 BBQ joints and turned around to hit the one with the most bikes. Looks like 2 buildings, but we'd learned the one opens for dinner and serves seafood while the other is for lunch. They have outdoor seating as well as indoor. You order at the counter and they call you back to pick up, but also will bring to your table. With the Yelp check-in, I was able to get 10% off the order. They claim they only have ribs for dinner which is what I was looking for. Instead I had the pulled pork sandwich. It was OK, but not spectacular. read more

JJ's Meat Shak - Pulled pork sandwich small with tater salad - Barbeque Near Me - Buena Vista, Virginia

As my son says, anyplace called a "meat shak" has gotta be down-home good. And JJ's definitely fits the bill. Tender and very flavorful ribs and nice lean beef - sometimes BBQ can be very fatty, and this was not fatty at all. I wasn't a huge fan of the spicy sauce (too sweet and not spicy enough) but my fiance loved his mustard sauce. I was very surprised by how much I liked the baked beans. Usually I can take or leave them, but these were savory and not sweet, which was a nice change. Greens and mac and cheese were solid choices. COVID-19 info: I took off one star because there's room for improvement on the dine-in experience. Most of the staff in the kitchen had on masks (not all), tables were not wiped down between customers and it didn't seem like they were enforcing socially distanced seating inside (so we ate outside). I will probably get takeout next time just to be on the safe side. read more

JJ's Meat Shak - Barbeque Near Me - Buena Vista, Virginia

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This rating is NOT a commentary on the quality of food, service, or ambiance. Unfortunately, as reported in the local newspaper, JJ's Meat Shak closed their doors on July 27th and, regretably, we never got a chance to try it. The good news is that it reopened on August 1st under the name Route 501 Roadhouse. We will definitely give the new venue a try as soon as possible. read more

Stopped on a road trip because of Yelp reviews. Had rib eye and steak dinner special. Food and service was excellent!I loved the open garage doors for fresh air. read more

I want to say that JJ's Meat Shak is awesome their food is incredible and most important their service. We had it catered for a total of 40 people and everyone loved it. I would recommend JJ's Meat Shak to everyone. We are from Ohio. read more

Real deal bbq joint. Plenty of seating, music, order at counter, buzzer rings to get food from pickup window Low key atmosphere, but clean and fun. Metal trays, plastic utensils. We always leave satisfied. read more

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Been wanting to try this place so we finally crossed the mountain an it's definitely worth the trip. Had the pulled pork plater the pork was excellent just by its self with no sauce. An the Mac an cheese was really good. An on top of everything else we lucked out an it was wing Wednesday we tried the smoked wings with garlic barbecue sauce. The wings where really good. Looking forward to going back next week an trying the shuck shack there seafood restaurant next to jj's meat shack read more

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Perfect and lovely. Food so good I googled "JJs Meat Shak yelp" so I could leave a good review. I've never yelped before in my life. A great little find that made my entire week. I want to be buried here. I wish I could give it about 13 more stars. read more

Wow. What a gem of a find just off Rt 81. Eight downtown in the middle of nowhere is this amazing BBQ stop. Pulled pork, smoked turkey and even wood fired pizza is amazing. Fresh iced tea - sweet and unsweetened plus fresh lemonade. Three types of sauces - sweet, mustard and sweet hot all were amazing. Go the extra mile off the highway and stop in. Note: drive slow in town as we observed a few local police cars and they were looking for speeders on the Main Street. A great find. read more

JJ's Meat Shak - Barbeque Near Me - Buena Vista, Virginia

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Please note- this review is NOT about the food or the people, it is just about their messed up carry out system. The food is awesome. Try the margarita wood-fired pizza- it is great! I live with someone who has no immune system and her doctor has told us to take the whole social distancing and mask thing very seriously-- which is why I called ahead to be able to just go there- and pick up and leave. But when I go to the pickup window I'm told that in order to pay I have to go back outside and wait in a long line that works back into the building- and, I'm waiting in line with everyone who hasn't even ordered yet? There is no option to just pick up, pay and leave. What was the point of calling ahead? I was told my food would be ready about 6:30, so that is when I showed up. Since I arrived at what I was told was the pickup time, and then had to wait in line for 25 minutes behind everyone else who hadn't even ordered yet, just to be able to pay, by the time I got my food it was very cold. It was probably hot and ready for me when I got there- but there is no system that allows you to phone in an order and then just pick up, pay, and leave. So...If you're going to do take out be sure to do it online and pre-pay, or maybe ask when you phone in your order if you can pay when placing your order. Then you are allowed to go straight to the pickup window and pick up your food while it is still hot. It would have been nice if the person taking my order over the phone would have maybe given me this little tip! Also, there are signs everywhere telling people to maintain 6 feet distance and wear masks. Out of 15 to 20 people waiting in line while I was there, I was literally the only one I saw with a mask on, and it was very crowded and nobody was even trying to maintain distance. I also didn't see a single employee with a mask on. I get it- this is a restaurant. People don't eat with a mask on, but there was not sufficient distance between people in line or between tables. So why are there signs telling people to maintain distance and wear masks if nobody is even going to pretend to? I get it- they have the right to all crowd in and party if they choose to and if I'm worried about my family member with compromised immunity, then I should just not come- but that was the the whole point of me calling in my order ahead of time- to avoid all of this precisely because of my unique situation. The food is great! Would have been better if it weren't cold, but it was still great. Good people serving great food and trying hard. They just need to re-think the phone-in-carry-out option. read more

This is a "counter" bbq joint. The servings are more than generous and the taste is well worth the money.

We have been thru here so many times, but have never stopped to eat. But tonight the timing was right. The parking lot was full as we pulled in (always a good sign). We quickly got up to the window to order. Meat platters, sandwiches, and burgers all look good. I had the pulled pork meat platter with Granny's Tater salad and hush puppies. YUM! With several sauces at the condiment bar to chose from, your fav style of bbq sauce- sweet or vinegar or mustard- is easy to add. Younger son had the Pitt beef (not a sliver left) and older son had the pulled pork sandwich (it was devoured!). Hubs also had the pork platter but had the delicious mac n cheese on the side. The atmosphere is fun and staff is very friendly. I highly recommended and we will be back ourselves. read more

This is your go to for over priced mediocre food. Went in with high hopes which were dashed as soon as the first taste hit the tongue. Mediocre at BEST. No seasoning in the sides, precooked sliced turkey that may have been heated up in a smoker but definitely wasn't cooked in one. Baked beans straight out the can, mac and cheese with no soul and a "roll" thats mini. The ketchup was good, decor and ambiance was nice. Two stars only due to staff who were super friendly and helpful. If you have any ounce of southern in your blood ... this ain't ya mama's recommendation. read more

JJ's Meat Shak - Barbeque Near Me - Buena Vista, Virginia

Everything that we had here was amazing. From the burgers, chicken tenders (we have younger kids), to the macaroni and cheese was awesome. The best part was the Hog Pen, a meal that has BBQ, fries, and sauces. I loved it. My only suggestion would be to ask for more meat on it. Mine needed just another scoop of pork to make it spot in. read more

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Epic Fail Jjs meat shak!! Ordered online for outside pick up, since I do have a cough and didn't want to freak people out thinking I have covid. Did as instructed, text says to text { here } when I got there and I did. 30 mins after that I finally got my cold food, after I called and asked about it. Do you think they cared? Not one bit. Jacob calls me and said I was rude to his employee. Maybe some but she didn't care when I showed her the text or that my food was cold. Jacob told me that I was supposed to have read the directions when I did the checkout. How many read all that crap? I did what the text told me to. Jacob hung up on me when I told him I was bringing the cold food back for a refund. That's the last $38 they will get from me! Guess they need the money more than a happy customer! This is not my first bad experience with them either, it can be hit or miss with this establishment with their food. No one wears a mask, no social distancing, they briefly spray the center of a table and don't even wipe down the whole table. Not very sanitary. I will never again refer anyone to this restaurant. They cater more to the college drinking crowds. read more

JJ's Meat Shak - Barbeque Near Me - Buena Vista, Virginia

We visit BV regularly and hit JJ's almost every time - been going for 5+ years. We are sad they stopped doing pizza on the weekends- that was fun and a nice touch. Food is still good, but a little slow at times. They seem to be understaffed, but we always enjoy what we get and it's clearly a consistent go to for the locals. read more

Super-friendly service started my experience. And I was hooked when the most delicious, perfectly-cooked steak was served up. I will definitely go back...I hope the pizza oven gets fired back up! read more

The best bbq restaurant in Virginia!! The food is amazing and all the employees are so friendly. It's the coolest place, newly renovated and clean. My whole family went after last weekends basketball game at SVU and everyone loved the food. Such a cool spot! read more

Just passing through on the interstate and tried it based on other Yelp reviews. We were NOT disappointed! The atmosphere was great, staff were welcoming and took good care of us. The pulled pork sandwich was spot on! Have it tagged as a great spot when we're back that way in a couple months. read more

I am very impressed with their food here! We came here starving from hiking all morning. Glad we came here. Hubby and I both ordered the 2 meat combo with sides. We ordered the pulled pork and the pit beef. I ordered mac and cheese with that along with coleslaw. He ordered the baked beans and the collard greens. Our little one ordered the hot dog with mac and cheese. WOW! Amazing! All the meat came with no sauce (just their own wonderful juices). You have your pick between 5 sauces to slather it on. The food comes on small metal trays. Absolutely delicious! read more

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This place was okay but nothing amazing. It took awhile to get our food and it was okay. The pulled pork was better than the pit beef but the beef was okay other than being a bit fatty. The BBQ beans and collard greens were likewise tasty but kinda average as was the Texas toast. Be sure and try the various sauces on the table, the mustard sauce and the spicy sauce were the two best. There were some flies in the dining room so avoid them if you can. This place was okay and they're open Sundays so they're an okay choice if you're in the area, I just wasn't blown away. Oh, and you get 10% off checking in on Yelp. read more

JJ's Meat Shak - Pit beef with BBQ beans, collard greens and Texas Toast - Barbeque Near Me - Buena Vista, Virginia

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I can not say enough about this place. I didn't expect much after a BBQ drought, had hit the Carolinas, Georgia and even Tennessee but was met with disappointment and being in VA I figured it wouldn't be amazing. Boy was I wrong - Pulled pork sandwich AMAZING! Onion rings, coleslaw yum and yum. My friend got the hog pen and I think it was downed in minutes. The pulled pork is perfect not fatty at all, the meat was the star. My only feedback was the Mac and cheese needed a bit more salt but we still tore through it with a bit of sauce. We were able to sit outside with the dog. Counter ordering, very clean and a great atmosphere! read more

JJ's Meat Shak - Barbeque Near Me - Buena Vista, Virginia

...we ate at the smaller establishment next door to the large, rustic place with the screened porch ...(a bit confusing as you pull into the parking lot...the big place is seafood open only on weekends, according to a customer we met in the parking lot).... ....you order at the window, (a very slow process)....and then they bring your food (fairly quickly).... ...the food was good....slaw seemed freshly prepared, nicely chilled and not too sweet (served in a small mason jar)...baked beans were steaming hot and nicely seasoned with onions, green peppers and maybe some brown sugar and a little bacon?.....the pulled pork however was just average....(seemed to also be seasoned in a sort of unconventional way....i personally like to taste the smokiness of the pork more, and i prefer the meat a bit more "chunky").... ...i had read the desserts were very good, but i saw nothing on the menu board about that, and no one offered anything, so i can't comment about that... ...we enjoyed our meal...portions were plenty...(and they did give us the yelp 10% off)....but our ticket still totaled over $24 for 2 pulled pork plates with 2 sides each, bread and drinks.... ...i cant give more than 3 stars mainly because i felt like the dining room could have been cleaner....(they would definitely benefit from some sort of device to control the houseflies that were about to carry us off!).... read more

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Our entire family of 5 was pleased and sometimes that's hard to do! We got the Famous Hog Pen and loved it! Burgers and BBQ sandwiches were a hit too. Ordered a couple of sides of baked beans and mac & cheese to round out the self created family shared buffet and we're not disappointed! read more

JJ's Meat Shak - Wish we'd taken a before but you can clearly see we enjoyed! - Barbeque Near Me - Buena Vista, Virginia

I ordered the 3-meat sampler plate. It came with pulled pork, sliced turkey & sliced beef. The meats were all delicious. So was the mac and cheese & collard greens I got as sides. It was a bit warm in there, but aside from that, it was a good experience. I'd enjoy coming back and looking forward to when they open the Shukin Shack across the parking lot. read more

Delicious! But furthermore, I had forgotten to tell the cashier the meal (for 10) was to go. The bell rings and our "dine in" trays were brought to us. When I told them the issue they quickly and cheerfully gave us to-go boxes, cutlery, napkins, tiny containers for the sauces. I was amazed! What kind and caring people. read more

Traveling through. Yelp shows a full rack of ribs pic posted by the owner. I drove 12 miles from the hotel and no ribs available. So, I ordered a pulled pork sandwich and two sides. The pork had no fat (a big plus), but no taste. The daisies were ok. My silverware was dirty, and I had it exchanged. The sandwich came with slaw, I got it on the side. Slaw 9 out of 10 Potato salad scored a 2 out of 10 The baked beans scored a 10 out of 10 Price with drink $10.22 Nice people, but no return for me. read more

JJ's Meat Shak - Barbeque Near Me - Buena Vista, Virginia

This place called my attention when I drove by during my first visit to town. I Yelped it and based on the reviews had lunch here. You order at the counter. They were having trouble with the computer so it took a few minutes. I got the pulled pork sandwich with mac and cheese. The pulled pork was served without BBQ sauce - the way I like it. It was tasty with a small amount of cole slaw. I tried there sweet BBQ sauce and didn't like it. But the meat was good without sauce! Mac and cheese side was very small and not very cheesy. Tasted good though similar to a box mac and cheese except for a couple of crusty cheese bits. I like the ambiance inside. read more

JJ's Meat Shak - Barbeque Near Me - Buena Vista, Virginia

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The food is amazing, specifically the brisket. The staff--also wonderful. Visiting from out of town and were so happy to interact with such kind people. Great service and awesome atmosphere. read more