Best BBQ in Madison. The rib tips are my favorite but all of the meats are fantastic. I've been coming here for a few years now and the food is always on point. read more

PA'PA'S BBQ - Rib tips, fries (with the seasoning) and baked beans - Food Trucks Near Me - Monona, Wisconsin

Food truck at the park, it was Very good BBQ ribs, the sides i had were beans and slaw, the slaw was a bit runny for my liking.

Best hush puppies I have had! Bbq sauce was delicious! We're picky about our bbq because, we all know our own is the best LOL, and would eat there several times a week! read more

They are now closed for the season but PA'PAs is legit. Nothing fancy-a trailer in a parking lot but they turn out some serious bbq. My favorite is the brisket sandwich. Better bring a fork as this gigantic sammy is not only large but also messy. Not only does the smoke shine through but the not too sweet, not too hot sauce compliments it perfectly. Comfort food at it's finest. It are establishments like these in Madison that keeps me on my toes to keep searching for those under the radar type of spots that seriously turn out some good eats. read more

PA'PA'S BBQ - Food Trucks Near Me - Monona, Wisconsin

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Really good bbq! The best in Madison for sure and a really friendly team running the show! I ordered the ribs and hot link (those from the south side of Chicago already know). The ribs were very tender and flavored very well. These were not the meatiest of ribs but all in all very solid and the bbq sauce they have complete their seasoning and meats very well! The hot links were very tasty and had a really good kick to them also! One hot link here is pretty large so keep that in mind if ordering. I am always skeptical of hot links because many places just use some sort of smoked sausage unless you are familiar with old school Chicago/southern bbq then you prob haven't had a sausage like this but it comes out very crispy and smoked nicely. It too pairs very nicely with the sauce. My only regret was not getting more sauce! The only con of this establishment is knowing when they are open and closed. If they updated that more consistently online then I think it would benefit them and their customers a bit more. All in all I'm glad I kept trying to figure out when they would be open (started to stop look as it was seeming they maybe closed the shop) I can confirm they were open as of this review and on their menu board they listed the days they would be closed coming up so that was nice! read more

Haven't seen their food cart in over 2 years, I assume they are closed. Their website also is no longer online. They were great while they existed though. read more

Oh man, what a welcome and unexpected surprise on our way just passing past Madison. What a frickin GEM. My friend asked, "What's on the brisket sandwich?" The reply: "Brisket, why, you need something else?" No, good sir, we needed not one thing else. The meat was smoked well, not overpowering, but flavorful. The sauce was so dang good. I love it with a little tang, and this was perfect. Portions of the brisket were a little tough -- not being a BBQ pro, not sure if that's regular, but that's the reason I didn't give this place a fifth star. And he let me try the banana pudding on the sly. Never had it before, may never have it again, but as far as appetizers go, I nearly ruined my appetite on the stuff. So good. This food truck, upon the grass at the edge of a gas station, is fine eating with good company. Thanks for making one of the fondest memories of our little road trip. read more

PA'PA'S BBQ - That's me there, ordering brisket, about to have my life changed. - Food Trucks Near Me - Monona, Wisconsin

Fantastic!! Saw the great reviews and knew we had to stop. It's a little hidden, so glad we saw it- it's right by a baseball field/parking lot. Prices are fair, portions are huge, and flavor is perfect. I had the brisket sandwich and it was just what I needed after a 5 mile hike! Great hidden gem :) read more

First of all when I cook food for people I taste it, making sure the quality of it​ is good, and I want them to enjoy my food even if they don't come back I want them to say, good things about my food. I went to Papa John's yesterday in Delavan Wisconsin at the mobile gas station my son had rib tips there I tasted them,they weren't great but they were good so, I went there expecting at least some good rib tips however, they were nasty they were greasy fatty they were big,chunks of meat, the bean was mush, the potato salad is just big chunks of potato the cornbread is I don't know what this s*** is.the food was nasty I was so disappointed the first bite into the meat was greasey and it was like it had been in the freezer it was awful the food was awful it was awful and it had no seasoning I don't know what that is but it ended up in the garbage. it was horrible, I wouldn't recommend anybody go there not for the food anyway.The ribs tips I purchased was not good at all, they were greasy,fatty and meat tasted old,I took one bite,to be quiet honest it made me sick. It tasted like old freezer burn meat. I was only able to send this one image read more

PA'PA'S BBQ - Not good - Food Trucks Near Me - Monona, Wisconsin

True, hardwood, smoked BBQ right off an inconspicuous Broadway gas station is where you will find the best brisket in the area. The meal included a sweet/vinegar sauce that perfectly complemented the slow-cooked, smoke-infused offerings. Seriously - this stuff is the real deal. You just can't get this anywhere! For the sides I would recommend getting the coleslaw and the baked beans which have a unique peppery finish. You may have to plan your visit here as the are only open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday around lunchtime...and this by no means is a strict schedule. If you see the smoke billowing - you should be stopping to place an order. read more

PA'PA'S BBQ - Brisket with fries and coleslaw - Food Trucks Near Me - Monona, Wisconsin

Great brisket sandwich. For the price you get a great portion, when she handed me the box I was shocked at how heavy it was! I was able to get two sandwiches out of it. Sauce was good...not to hot and not to spicy. Finding places like this is amazing and a must stop if driving down the belt line. read more

PA'PA'S BBQ - Brisket sandwich - Food Trucks Near Me - Monona, Wisconsin

This has to be some of the best BBQ to move past my lips. Epic portions wonderful smells. The hush puppies and coleslaw were just as awesome as the rib tips. Next time I'm trying the catfish I almost was going to sit there till it was time for dinner read more

PA'PA'S BBQ - a smoker on a trailer - Food Trucks Near Me - Monona, Wisconsin

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The smoked chicken, is the most juicy chicken I have ever had, my husband loves the double hamburger, but fish fry day and those hushpuppie, catfish and slaw, I will go no where else ever!!!!! I don't know what they do to the fried chicken wings, I don't fry chicken any more. read more

PA'PA'S BBQ - Food Trucks Near Me - Monona, Wisconsin

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I never thought I'd get a tip n' link combo north of the Chicago border that rivals, if not stands head to head , with all the Chicago BBQ greats. That is, until I finally hit up Pa'Pa's BBQ. This place is beyond legitimate Barbecue, from the incredibly flavorful bark on their ribs to the cool little shack they serve it out of--this is the real deal. The rib tips I got were insanely meaty. The rub created a pungent, complex flavor profile, but was not over the top. The hot links were incredible; lean and smokey with a nice spicey flavor. The sauce was complimentary of the meats. To top it off, all of the sides were equally delicious and the service was friendly. SO great to have found this true gem. read more

PA'PA'S BBQ catered for one of my work events. They showed up early with everything individually packaged. The service was great and the food... The food was amazing! This was the best brisket I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. Whatever they have going on in their kitchen is nothing short of magic! read more

If you want good BBQ in Madison you sure don't have to look in any brick and mortar restaurant. Delicious, finger licking comfort food, and not breaking the bank is what this is all about. I will strongly recommend to anyone in the city looking to try something incredible, all the while supporting local! read more

Mic drop. Outstanding! I travel alot and just happened to stumble upon this place. I've had alot of BBQ in my 51 yrs and this is a piece of BBQ heaven. Not only is the food outstanding, but the owner is genuinely the epitome of a what BBQ is all about. He's a rock star! Definitely will be back if I ever get back to Wisconsin. read more

We found this place on Yelp. It was excellent! We both had the pulled pork sandwich. Very delicious!! They are located in a food truck in a park. It's unmarked; plain white trailer. My only complaint is, the fries could use salt. And salt put on right when they come out of the fryer. Putting it on after they've cooled doesn't help; it just falls off. And I wish they gave more ketchup. But it was still excellent and I would recommend! read more

Great smoke flavor and BBQ sauce exellent. I have a lunch special chicken sándwich really good. Good service Good BBQ!!

Don't let the Shell gas station fool you, PaPa's BBQ is as good as it gets! The brisket is the best i've ever had. I stopped by with an empty belly, but rode away a bloated smiling human. read more

I really loved their catfish, beans and coleslaw. I wasn't a fan of the rib tips just because I got alot of Bones and not enough meat, flavor was nice though. Next time I'll order more catfish and try a sandwich !!! The hot sauce is fire read more

OMG, I have finally found real brisket in Madison! Absolutely fantastic. It wasn't quite as tender as I've had but the flavor was as good as any I've had anywhere. Can't wait to come back to try the pork and the ribs. Had a great chat with the owner and great to see the pride he has in his work. Edit: They are open again for 2017 and just as good as ever if not even better! read more

Had an outstanding BBQ chicken sandwich, and some decent fries. This place was great.

The BBQ is very delicious and a good value. Recommend the brisket or the ribs. Haven't tried the chicken yet! I had to dock a star though because the first time I went there, they were late to open and didn't open till 11:30am. The second time, their computer broke and they had to take orders by hand. They kept getting the order wrong and re-verifying everything - very disorganized. I can forgive this to a point, as we're all kinda screwed without our computers these days, eh. Still, the order took like 45 minutes to get through and we were only the 2nd or 3rd order in line. When you're going out to lunch from work on top of it, that makes things pretty dicey. Still, the BBQ (sauce and everything) is so good, and the fellas cooking it there are so nice, I plan on going back --- just not getting there till 12pm or after in case there are any kinks when they open. :) read more

Best BBQ in the Madison area, hands down! I've been going to Pa'Pa's since he moved in next to the Shell gas station. Absolutely the best brisket I've ever had in my life. When I order the meal, the brisket is cut thick. He leaves a lot of the fat on, which adds tremendously to the flavor and makes it so juicy. Seems other bbq joints in Madison are afraid of fat. Nothing worse than dry brisket! Besides the brisket, I've had the ribs (obviously!), chicken, and catfish. Wonderful! The first time I tried the hush puppies, I went back and got another order. Today I tried the chopped pork sandwich. The only bad thing about it is now I don't know how I'm going to make up my mind the next time I go there. Brisket or pork, brisket or pork?? read more

I came out to Papa's barbecue food truck for the first time. It was delicious and , large portions of delicious brisket. Cooked to perfection. My first time here but I will definitely be back. I intended to bring back to my office but I ended up eating it in my car, I couldn't wait. read more

Excellent Rib Tips. The flavor of the rub + smoke + sauce was pretty amazing. No less great was the slaw and baked beans. A must stop if you are looking for fantastic bbq. All around very, very good. read more

Me and a coworker split a whole chicken, 2 sides. The bones easily separated from each other. The bbq sauce was just spicy enough. Great smoke flavor. Beans were excellent. Slaw tasted like home. The wait is long around lunch, but well worth it. I try to go every week, at least once. read more

Hands down best bbq in the city AND surrounding areas but only are around during the warmer seasons. MUST TRY!!!

If you like hidden gems this place is for you. I had driven past at least a dozen times and always wondered about this place. It was the amazing smells that finally made me pull over. I had brisket and it was excellent. I only wish they were open longer hours. read more

The brisket is a solid option. You get a large portion for cheap money. The brisket is tender and has the right amount of chew to it. You can taste the smoke but it doesn't over power the meat. The option I order came with 2 sides for under $14. You can't go wrong. read more

Great food! Great value for the money. Owner puts a lot of pride into his work. Definitely will be returning.

I really like this BBQ trailer on Monona Drive, since trying it in 2018. I'm from Texas with lots of experience in BBQ, having judged it for years at HLSR, including the World Championship cook off at the Astrodome (like 500 cookers there). Don't know what happened today. Other than being super busy (as on many days), but the cardinal sin for BBQ is cutting brisket with the grain, and that's what we got! Cutting with the grain makes the great smoked meat stringy. Cutting across the grain leaves it tender and juicy. Also got sauced meat, when I ordered it on the side. A bit bummed for paying 26$ for a plate and a sandwich. I like these folks a lot, but I may have to just order ahead a half brisket and tell 'em not to cut it. read more

Finally, awesome southern style bbq in Madison! I stopped by today after smelling the delicious hardwood as I drove past the Shell station on Broadway. It's all about the food here - big smoker out front, a pick up bed full of hard wood to fuel it, and a food cart to serve it up. I got a half rack of ribs and an order of rib tips, both of which came with two sides. The ribs came straight off the smoker, modestly sauced and packed up to go. The cook on the ribs was prefect - beautiful bark on the outside, almost fall off the bone inside. The deliciously heavy smell of smoke permeates every bite and the sauce is a balanced, peppery flavor, just sweet enough to balanced a little tang in it. I'll be ordering an extra side of sauce next time. I wanted to savor the ribs, but I couldn't help inhaling them instead. The baked beans were tasty, but the potato salad was a little mustardy for me. I was too full to try the coleslaw, but it looks homemade. They had homemade banana pudding today and I couldn't pass that up. I'm not one for desserts, but I love bananas. It was everything I was hoping for - rich, creamy, cakey (that's a word, right?), delicious. Papa's BBQ is going to see a lot of me in the future. read more

Freakin fabulousness . Seriously the best BBQ brisket I have ever eaten. This food truck should be on that TV show on the Food Network. I would drive across town to go to this food truck. If it was near where I worked I would eat there for every single lunch. The portion was huge and the price was low. The meat was seriously pure glorious craftsmanship. Barbecue at its very best by people who know what they are doing. It was delectable. I'm totally serious I was at a blues Festival and they were there. All of the people sitting around me we're just going on and on about how amazing and and just mind-bogglingly good the barbecue was. Don't often post critiques of businesses. But these guys were so good I felt compelled to write a review. read more

Man nothing is more exciting like discovering something amazing like this. PaPa posts up in a assuming spot next to a gas station.. Smokes his meats on site.. And then opens for business out of the side of a food truck. I arrived at 6pm and they were already almost sold out!! I scooped up the last of the brisket along with some potato salad and fried. Everything was spot on and makes chains BBQ like Famous Daves taste like fast food. Get while it's hot people!!!! read more

Would be nice if they were actually open when you order online. Placed my order email said order in progress drove 10 mins to get there and guess what not open still waiting for refund on credit card read more

Oh my. If you want the best BBQ north of anywhere - then check this place out. Don't keep it to yourself. Share the love. Just moved here from Tennessee and it's the best BBQ I've had in more years than I can remember. My wife and I planned to get a snack at the next door gas station and the smell pulled us over. We ended up going nearly comatose from what we thought would be a mere light afternoon treat. We were wrong. Oh were we wrong. We decided on the rib tips with fries and potato salad. Turns out under the massive mountain of meat there was Texas toast. For $10.99 (we only ordered one dish) we ate like kings. I'd recommend that they provide wet naps. Not for the mess, but possibly to MacGyver some flotation devices for swimming out of the delectable moat of sweet and tangy sauce. read more

I've driven past this grill so many times wondering what it was.. YOU should stop!! It's the best BBQ in Madison. Absolutely amazing. The brisket is amazing, I love the sauce!! Also, I'm really picky with coleslaw but loved this!!! Highly recommend, you won't be disappointed!!! read more

Best BBQ in Madison hands down...by far. Indeed, it looks sketchy because you are in fact ordering cooked meat out of a trailer at a gas station. You might even start doubting yourself. Believe you me though, it is worth it. Matter of time before the secret gets out on this place. I get the chopped pork sandwich and potato salad every time. The "bark" on the pork is so delicious. You can taste the wood and the sauce is spicy right. If the devil cooked BBQ, I believe it would taste something like this. read more