Larry J&#x27;s BBQ Cafe

Located in the basement is a skewer Friendship BBQ where they already cook it for you but they…read moreplace a heated candle to keep the skewers warm and they offer a variety of skewers you can choose to eat. Neat concept and helpful staff.

disgusting nauseating food. really weird spices they put on them and its not even that im not open…read moreto trying new things, but this one was really terrible. I got the squid and beef squewers and they tasted filthy made me sick right away

0.5 mi•Waterfront, South Boston

Name Sign

Soft opening 1/16/20

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Lamb Skewers

The Smoke Shop BBQ - Seaport

4.0(524 reviews)

BBQ and Bourbon in one place? What's not to love?!?…read more My buddy and I came in here on my most recent trip to Boston. We ordered some brisket spring rolls to start. These were delicious and came with a great bbq ranch sauce. We then split a 3 meat plate; wings, burnt ends, and pulled pork (they were out of brisket) it came with cornbread, beans, mac and cheese and potato salad. The wings were phenomenal; smokey and crisp. The pulled pork was good and paired well with their sauce. The burnt ends came already sauced and were swimming in it. They weren't my favorite. The sides were just ok to me, but I really liked the cornbread. The whiskey selection was huge! I got a pour of the Heaven's Door Private Selection which was a 127.4 proof and delicious. The prices seemed decent. The service was a little slow, but the place was very nice.

As said by one of the people in our party, its pretty mid. Had a chance to try most of the sides…read moreand the meat because of the size of our party. The good to very good: Pulled chicken - good flavor! Jalapeño cheddar sausage - very good flavor! Cole slaw Mac n cheese Cucumber salad was good Kids meal gluten free bar was very good The medium: Nashville hot chicken sandwich and fries. Fries were seasoned well. Where was the Nashville hot sauce Tried regular wings and hot wings. Both average. The bad: Ribs were dry and lacking flavor Brisket was very fatty. Burnt ends were doused in sauce and didnt have enough meat. Flavor was overpowering and not in a good way with all the sauce/seasoning. Cornbread was dry and a bit hard. Cool that they offer kids meals with BBQ but the ribs chosen were dry and the fries came out under done and room temp. Not as crispy or flavorful as the adult meal fries. All in all, a very "mid experience".

The interior

A pour of Heaven's Door Private select

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Shoyu Boston

3.8(51 reviews)

This small but quaint restaurant in the heart of Boston's Chinatown blends in among the other…read morerestaurants around it but once inside it's bright and colorful and once you choose your meal you will enjoy every bite! Food was Presented hot and super tasty. Take a look what I ordered and see its generous and full of flavors! The shrimp and noodles with bean sprouts and eggs and more was so delicious! I would come back to try other dishes that were recommended to try! Parking can be tricky but you have parking garages near by!

For a weekday work lunch, I stopped by Shoyu to try out their Cantonese BBQ. The establishment had…read moreits seating area blocked off into a Covid-era style makeshift take-out setup. I ordered a 3 item BBQ plate for $16 (the 1 item plate is $12 and 2 item plate is $14) and opted for char siu, roast duck, and soy sauce chicken. I paid at the counter and received my take out box after about 5 minutes. This proved a filling portion size - 4 pieces of duck, 4 pieces of chicken, more than a dozen smaller chair siu pieces, 2 pieces of bok choy, and ample rice. The butcher did not cheap out and give out bony pieces of duck. The duck was was overly soy sauced and the skin not fatty. The chicken and chair siu remained juicy. I don't know if the restaurant has take-out service for dinner, and also don't know why they call themselves Shoyu when they don't serve Japanese food. The paper menu lists the BBQ rice plate, but I can't remember if it enumerates the various protein options. A piece of cardboard next to the cash register has the options written in Mandarin w/o any English translation (on brand for this sort of establishment).

Interior seating

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Very limited street parking outside

Reunion BBQ

3.9(108 reviews)

1.5 mi•South End

Free WiFi

Wheelchair accessible

The $4 tacos were pack full of chicken and very good. The food came out quickly and Veronica our…read moreserver was very attentive!

Came here with family in a cold spring day. We had been having challenges finding a spot to eat…read moresince we have a service animal, and when we came across this spot, we were welcomed with open arms. The service was wonderful- the two children in the group immediately received a children's menu, and the server was super kind and helpful when we had many questions about the menu. We'll certainly come back here when we're in Boston! 11/10 recommend

BBQ Roasted Chicken: BBQ glazed and oven- roasted

Boston Brisket Sandwich

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Smokehouse Old Fshioned

Great Barbecue

3.4(13 reviews)

1.0 mi•Chinatown

One of the juiciest and fattiest chicken soy sauce chicken that I have had in a long time ! It's…read morepricy at 32 dollars but is very delicious ! Also the crispy pork has crispy skin and actually moist and tender meat. Well worth the visit. Bring cash and soak in the back in Asia vibes. Live deliciously !

The crispy skin pork was not good, the meat was dry and the skin was very chewy. It also didn't…read morereally have any flavor. The bbq pork was amazing on the other hand. They put on a smoky sweet glaze on it that was really tasty. The meat was a good balance between fatty and lean. This place will probably be my go to bbq pork place.

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bb.q Chicken Boylston

3.8(43 reviews)

1.3 mi

The chicken is crispy, juicy and SAUCY been working in the area a month and already been there…read moretwice bringing a colleague the second time.

Had Half & Half Wings and Ddeok-Bokki. The Ddeok-Bokki doesn't seem freshly made as the rice cake…read moreis overcooked. For the wings, we got soy garlic and galbi spicy flavors. In general, the coating is too thick. The spicy flavor is not too spicy. In general, everything is kind of salty. So better order something to drink as they don't have free water there. It's good that they have plastic gloves there so it's easy to eat the chicken.

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Hong Kong Eatery

3.4(766 reviews)

I have been dreaming of duck so I had to go here. This did not disappoint. There was so much meat,…read moreand I was so so full. I honestly couldn't even finish everything, AND I was starving. Meats were very juicy and flavored well and honestly no complaints. Very crispy and just what you expect. Service was very fast. You can order in person or at a kiosk. They give you a number and u just wait for that. One of the few places that you can pay with card without any hidden details. There's about 10 seats inside but it's on a first come first serve basis. If you go for an early lunch, there's a good chance you can eat inside. Also has one of the cleanest bathrooms in Chinatown!

Chinese BBQ place in Chinatown Boston. Mainly a takeout place but they have about 4 tables inside…read morefor seating. Ordered some n the kiosk. They have a window where you can see the butcher cutting up all the Chinese BBQ meats. I got the 3 plate combo which was about $15. I got the roast pork, BBQ pork, and roast duck. The roast pork was on the salty side. Had about 6 pieces but only 2 had the crispy skin on it. Told the server and she was able to get us more and apologized that some was missing due to the cut. Skin was crispy. The roast duck and bbq pork was average. Would prefer if it came with more bbq sauce.

1.0 mi•Leather District, Waterfront, South Boston

How many licenses and certificates do you need to have a small barbecue place in Boston?

Pickled cucumber + spicy bamboo

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Some of the window dressings

Best Bar B Q Restaurant

3.6(17 reviews)

I've been going to this place for years; it is the BBQ place next to Hei La Moon. It is true that…read moreit was closed briefly for cleanliness a few years ago, but before that and after that, I've considered it the best place for soy sauce chicken, and overall solid place for the other BBQ items like roast pork, bbq pork, duck, etc. It has been open during the pandemic. Butcher was wearing a mask when we went there recently. Recommend!

Got the crispy skin pork, duck and chicken. The place had rumors about questionable cleanliness…read morebut it never happened to me and they do have the best pork in town. Now if I wasn't a believer back then I am now cause my whole family got food poisoning from the pork. Test at your own risk. 2 stars for tasting good. -3 for food poisoning.

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Fully cooked Thanksgiving Turkey

Peach Farm

3.3(711 reviews)

I've heard rumors around this being the go to Chinese spot and I can believe it. Tasty food with a…read morepretty solid selection. Definitely felt like they were upselling especially on lobster, though we were already going to order it. Food was delicious but felt like the servings were slightly smaller than I'm used to, not sure if it was just me. Have to help maintain the classic Chinese spot rating where it can't be perfect because the best Chinese restaurants are no thrills and sassy but delicious. Girlfriend was craving green beans and luckily, they were willing to do a stir fry green bean with garlic. We typically get a green bean with XO sauce which has the spice and additional flavor, but this hit the spot. Mayo shrimp with broccoli was basically honey walnut shrimp and delicious.

As many have mentioned this is a quite old restaurant. I was greeted by a very pleasant staff…read moremember upon arrival. The food quality should be better for Chinatown. I ordered standard pork fried rice and a crispy orange beef dish. The pork was suspect and clearly not fresh-looking at the gray color when it arrived. The beef was supposed to be crispy beef, however came drowning in sauce hence not crispy or any orange flavor. So this will ultimately be a fail. If it's late night and your taste buds are fried from partying all night-you may not notice the poor quality otherwise I'll pass on this place.

Outside

Beef Teriyaki

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Sizzling Beef*

Dynasty

4.2(275 reviews)

1.0 mi•Chinatown

Food: house special fried rice, chicken Hong Kong style crispy noodle and fish filet with…read morevegetables. The standout was the crispy noodle. Probably the best we've had in a long time. The other dishes were just ok. We will definitely return when back in Boston to try the dim sum and get the crispy noodle again. Highly recommend. Service: efficient. Ambiance: the tables we're extremely close together. So much so that I could barely squeeze by to fit to get to my seat. It also felt like we were dining with the next table. But don't let that hold you back. Parking: Chinatown so very difficult but we managed to score street parking a couple streets down.

I wish we had the time to go before 3pm so I could order their rice rolls. Their soup dumplings…read moretaste really good, but the skin was just a bit thick. The chicken feet are not as good as Ming's or China Star, but still flavorful. I love the pineapple bun, with it's runny custard filling and subtly sweet dough. I would have to try again earlier in the day.

Adonis my son treating me to a late birthday dinner.

Yin yang fried rice

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Fried salt and pepper eel

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12 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Nickie B.

8 years ago

I WILL NEVER SPEND A DIME THERE AGAIN AND NEITHER SHOULD YOU! Just like most of the reviews for this restaurant on yelp says that the customer service in INCREDIBLY RUDE. If you literally keep scrolling down and read other reviews you will see that as a common theme for this place. I am a first hand witness today. At first i thought maybe the owner is just having a rough day but after reading the rest of the reviews, it seems like the manager needs to step back and hire someone who knows how to deal with customers. There's no shame in asking for help, your business thrives off of people walking into your establishment, why not treat them kindly, Like everyone matters and everyone who comes through those doors, and places orders helps you to build your company. For the power of energy and vibes people give off i will not be spending any more money here. Its not worth it. CUSTOMER SERVICE SHOULD BE A PRIORITY AND SADLY IT IS NOT HERE! I truly and with all sincerity hope they get the help they need to change the experience between customer and server/management. read more

Ed W.

11 years ago

I'm going to echo other reviews for this place - overpriced for what you get. A pulled pork sandwich, mac & cheese fixing, and lemonade will run you exactly $13.50. However, the lemonade is watered down and the mac & cheese is absolutely AWFUL! Half of it was burnt and there was no sign of cheese anywhere. All I found at the bottom was a puddle of oil. read more

Daniel B.

130

12 years ago

Larry J's is a great lunch spot whenever you are in the Seaport. Whether you work here or are visiting go to Larry's for a great view of Boston Harbor and some excellent BBQ! Try the pulled pork and brisket! If you are into doing your own BBQ ask Larry for tips and he will be happy to help you improve your own! read more

Lenn Grae K.

10 years ago

When the line's long, the manager takes it out on the customers. While the food nazi is charming on TV, in real life he is just an a------ that is rude to people looking to give him money. Who knows, maybe he doesn't need the business, but I know I don't need be on the receiving end of someone else's bad day. read more

Don C.

11 years ago

Damn I thought i was the only one who thought his customer service sucked but after the second time i had to check yelp I'm a black man that likes to support black businesses but I will not be supporting this one especially when the food is horrible Ps I didn't want to give any star read more

Elizabeth M.

10 years ago

Absolutely love this place! The best barbeque in the area for the most affordable prices! I've been in person, and they also catered an office event- that was a few months ago and my coworkers STILL come up to me to talk about how great it was and ask for directions to go themselves. read more

Raymond B.

12 years ago

Food was delicious and fresh, will be going back ASAP. I had the burnt ends, and pulled pork with fries. Pork was nice and moist and burnet ends were as advertised on Yelp. Great all around and faster than most BBQ joints. read more

Meaghan C.

172

11 years ago

Amazing service. Amazing food. Chef knows what's best! Sitting area is very nice weather permitted. Great lunch spot!

Vlad G.

9 years ago

Great food and great service! Larry the owner is fantastic and always takes pride in his food.

Brayton D.

11 years ago

Amazing cornbread and delicious meats. So good! The service could use a little work though.

J P.

101

13 years ago

Quick for being busy. Good food, good portions. Friendly staff and clean atmosphere.

Carrie M.

12 years ago

Kind of a hard place to find but excellent food and owner was extremely nice.

Larry J's BBQ Cafe - bbq - Updated September 2026

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The $4 tacos were pack full of chicken and very good. The food came out quickly and Veronica our…read moreserver was very attentive!

Pig Beach BBQ

4.4

(36 reviews)

Hands down the best barbecue in Boston…read more Meltiest brisket I've ever had, creamy Mac n Cheese, even the turkey is tasty. Inventive side dishes, seasoned chips excellent. And the sauces, all unique, complementary, and delicious. And holds up well to delivery too. My only minor critique is the desert options could use a peach and/or banana option. And ironically the ribs were not my favorite item here. That's the one dish here that maybe you'd enjoy more somewhere else. I've had it twice and it was a bit on the tough side for my liking. That said, everything else available more than makes up for this.

I picked Pig Beach BBQ because it was ranked #4 for BBQ and had the fastest delivery time. I'm glad…read moreto say they definitely delivered on speed. My food arrived in about 20 minutes or less, which was impressive. I ordered the Meat & 2 (6 bone ribs) with collard greens, mac and cheese, cornbread, chocolate pecan pie, and added the Mustard BBQ, Rob's Righteous Red, and Tangy Vinegar sauces. Starting with the ribs, they had great flavor and were tender, but unfortunately they arrived cold. There was also quite a bit of juice from the onions and pickles pooled in the tray, which may have contributed to the temperature. It's hard to give them a full thumbs up because temperature matters with BBQ. The mac and cheese was very bland and just wasn't for me. The cornbread also missed the mark. Surprisingly, the complimentary white bread with the house whipped butter completely stole the show. It was incredibly soft, fresh, and absolutely delicious. The chocolate pecan pie wasn't what I expected. It was more like a brownie than a pie, especially for an $8 dessert. I took one bite and set it aside. I really wanted to love it, but it was just too sweet for my taste, and I didn't have a glass of milk to help. Now for the star of the meal. The collard greens. WOW! They were absolutely AMAZING. They were piping hot, perfectly seasoned, and packed with little bits of meat. I didn't even feel the need to add vinegar or hot sauce, which almost never happens for me. Honestly, if I could trade everything else in my order for a giant bowl of those greens, plus the complimentary bread and whipped butter, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Those greens alone are worth coming back for. The sauces weren't really my style, but I'm glad I tried them. Overall, I left full but a little disappointed with most of the meal. That said, I can't stop thinking about those collard greens. They were the clear winner, and I'd absolutely return just for them.

The Smoke Shop BBQ - Seaport

4.0

(524 reviews)

Tasty BBQ

3.4

(39 reviews)

First time and very happy with my lunch order. I had the Pulled Pork with Salad and Coleslaw…read more Fast Service as well. Delicious and great portion size. I will be back!!!

Tasty BBQ is one of the residents in The Corner Mall's food court - The Food Experience. By the…read moremall entrance, the hours posted state Monday - Saturday 7am-6:30pm, and Sunday noon-6pm. Tasty BBQ is cafeteria style, where you order up, they scoop pre-made food, and you're out of there. Service was quite friendly. The meat tender enough, and the collard greens wet and overcooked with dry bits of meat, but okay on the whole. I ordered the Double Tasty $11.75 so that I could sample both their brisket and pork belly on one visit. Both had some fat layered in there, but not overly so. The belly was preferred. Their bbq sauce was a good non-spicy option, and their pickles and onions helped to make the meal a tad healthier. Their onions were surprising mild. Generally, the Double Tasty is served with 2 meats, a hot & a cold side, pickles, raw onions, & bbq sauce, but they will allow a double portion of a side. I sampled a few other items on another visit, and found that I preferred the potato salad over the cole slaw for their cold side options. The mac & cheese was pretty good, and their bbq brisket quite tender and tasty. I didn't try the broccoli, but they were a beautiful vibrant green. So in terms of their meat, I recommend the bbq chopped brisket, then pork belly, and last but not least - the brisket. As for their desserts, I had their banana pudding $3 and caramel flan $3.25. The banana pudding is assembled before your eyes, with the pudding squeezed out of one of those plastic bags like frosting, several of those round Nilla Wafer type cookies placed along the edges, and topped off with whipped cream sprayed from those aerosol cans from the supermarket. As such, the whipped cream doesn't last too long, and the cookies will soften over time. There is no real banana sliced in unlike what is traditionally known as banana pudding in the US. The pudding itself is rather dense and could do with a boost of banana flavoring, since it is after all called a banana pudding. In short - tasty, eat it sooner than later, but not quite befitting its name. (Turns out they forgot to add the sliced banana.) The flan was cut from a tray not quite 3/4 of an inch thick. It is quite a dense dessert. Creamy, sweet. I liked it, though it wasn't the best rendition I've had. On another visit I tried out their banana bread french toast $3.50, biscuit with sweet butter $1.30 and french fries $2.50. The banana bread came in three slices, griddled warm (not sure if they did anything else to it to warrant the "french toast" description. But warmed, with a swirl of whipped cream and some sliced banana, it made for a nice comforting (yet not too sweet) sweet. The french fries were nicely salted, and crispy in bits. They were good. Their biscuit reheated well and was quite nice.

Sweet Cheeks Q

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Real deal Texas BBQ and southern staples. The service was outstanding, our server helped us out…read morewith recommendations. We started with the World-Famous buttermilk biscuit with honey butter, being for the south this was right up there with the best of the best biscuits and the honey butter was the kicker. Had to go with the fried chicken and it was a winner winner fried chicken dinner. My grandma from Georgia made iconic chicken this was close. The perfect crispy skin and juicy meat. You get four or eight pieces of perfect southern fried chicken. Being right down the road from Fenway park and having a sandwich called the Big Papi makes it a must try. Great call on this sandwich because it's out of the park goodness. Great smoked tender brisket with a tasty jalapeño cream cheese that took this the next level, add the crispy onions, pickles and pickled jalapeños for the perfect punch of flavor. The Cita's broccoli cheese casserole was lights out goodness with amazing flavor and texture. Very clean and well maintained place that welcomes everyone. I would say if you are close stop and check it out definitely worth it.

Phenomenal food and atmosphere! The staff was super nice. Would for sure come back here again as…read morewell. I got the Chicken Trey and it did not disappoint! Great job!

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Great service and amazing food Drinks were absolutely…read moreamazing and full of flavor Hailey the bartender was the best - welcoming, friendly and a true hustler ! With a local funeral in progress, she dominated the tables and bars with quick service ! Will return before I return back home

Hunters has been on our list to try for a long time, but parking in South Boston is something else…read moreThis fourth we ventured on over and it was one of the best meals we've had in a long time. Our waitress Bonnie was a gem! She had great recommendations and was very knowledgeable about the menu. The cornbread, I can't say enough about how amazing it was and the cheese on the bottom of the skillet, what a treat! The drinks were amazing. Bonnie helped my husband pick his drinks because he was unsure about the offerings and her picks were great! The chicken wings were cooked perfectly. The macaroni and cheese, don't ask questions about it just get it and don't be surprised that as it starts to cool, it tastes even better than when it first hits the table. Hubs had the pulled pork sandwich which was a big hit. Collard greens had a bit too much vinegar for me it, but I think it just needed some sugar and hot sauce. The mashed potatoes and gravy was fire. Whatever they boil those potatoes in is working!. Overall it was a great meal. The only complaint, if I have to have one is that the playlist in the kitchen was a lot better than it was in the restaurant. We definitely will come back again!! Ps: Hubs woke up telling me he wants his own cornbread next time!

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