Driving through and spotted this. Older place , menu on wall. Service really nice! Young girl taking your order at counter was super nice to everyone! We sat close enough that I watched and listened. We ordered the Philly and Arkey cheese steak sandwich. Both ok, good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Restrooms were old and terrible. In need of update for sure[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. read more

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I ordered the 2 piece meat with sides for pick up. For 19 dollars I received one rib and the shredded beef. The rib was okay. The shredded beef was so dry it had the texture of shredded jerky? Saw dust would be a more appropriate description. My dogs were skeptical about eating the shredded beef, I threw it in the trash. The green beans tasted like they were straight from a can. The mac and cheese had a fishy after taste. Truly disappointed in the Mission location. read more

We LOVE Penguin Ed's!!! Our favorite location is on East Mission... Their food is always cooked well & good portions. I went with my adult children & 1 of my adult grandchildren today & as always such friendly service & accurate order. We have been there often but not altogether like this in awhile. [[HIGHLIGHT]]My granddaughter said, "she loves the jazz music that plays & the local decor, that has always told a story about our city's growth & history"[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. So thankful they, Ed's, is still here allowing us to share & pass this down to the next generation. read more

Good place great food staff excellent. Pull pork great. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Lots of penguins everywhere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Penguin Ed's Barbeque - Color contest. - Barbeque Near Me - Fayetteville, Arkansas

This is a wonderful bbq place. I ordered a bunch of stuff to go. It came out quickly. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant was decorated for Christmas. Very bbq feeling with dark woods[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. The food was stellar. I got the sauce on the side. Would have loved some fattier brisket. The sides, especially the beans, were stellar. all in all, a good place to grab bbq. read more

Very good food and good service and [[HIGHLIGHT]]good atmosphere[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] and I love the variety of food and drinks there

Penguin Ed's is a great option for affordable, consistently good barbecue. I'm not sure that I've ever left disappointed, but I always leave very full. The service is always friendly and incredibly speedy when it comes to getting your food. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The interior is a little dated and could definitely use some remodeling, especially since there's so much potential with the fun penguin theme.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] As for the food, my companion ordered a pulled pork sandwich with a plain baked potato. She likes to put her baked beans on the potato, creating a British-style 'jacket potato.' I, on the other hand, prefer everything on mine. On my plate, you'll see a Memphis-style pulled pork sandwich (topped with coleslaw), and if you haven't tried it this way, I highly recommend it. My uncle introduced me to it, and now I think it's the only way to eat pulled pork--even if you're not a coleslaw fan. My baked potato came loaded with bacon bits, broccoli, mushrooms, and cheese, which was very good. The macaroni is always a solid choice, and for anyone brave enough, I highly recommend trying the Carolina mustard and ghost pepper sauce. read more

Penguin Ed's Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Fayetteville, Arkansas

Penguin Ed's was not our destination but we ended up here by chance. The casual atmosphere and funky penguins everywhere made it a cool place to stop and eat. The husband ordered brisket and polish sausage on a #2 Plate (2 meats, 2 sides and toast). He said everything was good except the toast. I got a #2 Plate but with sliced brisket and chicken. Brisket was good and tender. I was able to cut the brisket with a fork. Everything except the toast was delish! read more

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I have to say I was disappointed... I was told this place was the best BBQ in NE Arkansas so I was expecting a lot. The staff was friendly but it went down hill from there. I ordered the ribs combo with cole slaw and beans. Baby girl ordered a pulled pork sandwich combo with mac and cheese and potato salad. The positives were they make good mac and cheese and beans but they were just good. The pulled pork was average nothing special at all so was the potato salad and the cole slaw ( there was nothing memorable about them - kind of plain) The ribs were the worst ribs I have ever had - I don't know what step they missed but they were tough and stringy - It was like they were trying to make beef jerky... Baby girl even commented that I looked like they were hard to eat and she was right. There are too many other really good BBQ restaurants in Arkansas to waist anytime at Penguin Ed's unless you really like Jerky. read more

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Great BBQ joint near the campus of U of A. Staff was super friendly. Neat atmosphere. We had ribs and they were delicious and enough of a portion for two of us to split. Our onion ring appetizer didn't come out so they gave it to us for free! Will definitely come back again! read more

Penguin Ed's Barbeque - Photo stop outside the entrance - Barbeque Near Me - Fayetteville, Arkansas

The food is wonderful its worth the wait. The staff was kind and was prompt for service

Penguins penguins everywhere! Penguins penguins on everything! The decor is diner-esque with hundreds of penguins. I remember this being the best barbecue EVAH when I lived here. I've obviously changed, because while it's still very good, it's just barbecue. I had a half order of wings and totally enjoyed them but found they weren't as good as 10 years ago (neither were the prices lol!) I got the sauce on the side and I'm glad because they gave me the sauce and it was too caliente for my taste. The rib was good but was greasy and ribby. read more

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Nothing great. We've been in NWA for 4 years, have yet to find great bar-b-q... everything tasted the same. Brisket was dry, ribs were just ok and the pulled pork was so-so. Even the ice tea was weak. read more

The brisket was tough, and the portions were very small not at all what I read on people's reviews. Don't think I will return.

Really good bbq. Also not too expensive and portions are pretty decent. The employees were super nice as well. read more

Penguin Ed's Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Fayetteville, Arkansas

Second visit and can't complain about anything other than wishing I'd ordered the jumbo sandwich instead of a regular. Best tasting bun on a bbq sandwich I've ever had. Meat and sauces were delicious. I prefer the hot sauce. Everyone was very friendly. Quick service too. read more

This is *not* good barbecue. There was lots of fat on everyone's meat and the flavor was meh. The "spicy" BBQ sauce was just the regular sauce with some sort of chili powder in there, no flavor balance at all. The bathroom is small, and let's just say you probably don't want to be unfortunate enough to be placed at a table near it. The people were nice though. Not really sure what the schtick is with the penguins. read more

Decent BBQ with good service. If you're nearby and in the mood for BBQ, I would recommend this place for dinner. They have an extensive breakfast menu which I may have to go back and try. I recommend getting your sandwich "Memphis style" with coleslaw on top. I wish they had more selection for desserts, but they did offer gluten free cookies. read more

Penguin Ed's Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Fayetteville, Arkansas

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I love this place! BBQ is delish, especially the bbq meat salad. And everything else ... try some of the daily specials.

Dropped in with a large group. They were great. The chopped beef sandwich served on Texas toast was fabulous. If you order the cheesy potatoes beware the order is huge. BBQ had great smoky flavor read more

If "Fayetteville's Okayest BBQ" is what they're going for, they've ALMOST done it. Maybe the worst ribs I've ever gotten from a BBQ place. Dry and stringy and tough and bland. Green beans are over cooked and bland. Mac and cheese was blah. Potato salad was yummy, but then, I just really like potato salad, so who knows. I will truly never waste my money here again. Staff was friendly, but that's the nicest thing I can say. Not sure how this place has been around so long with food this bad. read more

Penguin Ed's was the perfect stop for barbecue. It is definitely more of a hole in the wall which made it even more fun! Portions were huge and the sides were super fun! Would definitely go back! read more

Penguin Ed's Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Fayetteville, Arkansas

1st Impression at Penguin Ed's: What started out as a family dinner to celebrate our little compadres birthday turned into a bloodbath in a different domention. I feel it necessary to mention that I am a fireball of energy and graceful is not my game. However, when I have the opportunity to spice things up, I take it as a challenge. So I order my 8 piece chicken wing, as it seems like a safe call at a place I'd never been. I got them hot but not too hot. As it's brought to my table, I ask the waitress how hot the wings are, such as, on what level in the Scoville scale are we talking and she says, and I quote, "they are not that hot, but we do have some ghost pepper sauce." All I thought in that moment was "this is gonna be good" and I requested a side of this sauce. To her unknowing discern, she brought me nearly 4 ounces of this death sauce. The sauce was absolutely delicious, started out super sweet and then a heat that would make your ears whistle. But I just couldn't stop. After just 2 wings submerged in this lava, I was preparing the exit plan, fading in and out of "who am I" and "what is this place" but I braved it and consumed two more while attempting to tell the story of my predicted future, consuming more glasses of tea than the average human could consume in a day trying to find some relief, laughing hysterically at my defeat, because it wasn't until I was stressing the fear of disintegrating my porcelain thrown with an aggressive bowel intrusion that my head started spinning and before I know it... blood.... BLOOD EVERYWHERE like Niagara running down my face from the pressure release valve in my head, cutting off my ability to smell the fear in the air. I jump up like a rocket departing for space with eyes wide, filled with tears from laughter and the "oh no" of what was just taking place. I ask where the bathroom is as shuffle my disoriented self through the dining room trying to be swift and quiet, not to disturb anyone else who was still consuming their food at this point and I'm stopped at the entrance of the bathroom to be given some paper towels that would not tear my nose up like what was offered beyond the door. At this point I'm standing there looking off into the kitchen while I'm being gawked at with concern by the cooks. I spent the next several minutes in the restroom getting my senses back and containing the bleed while my friends are on the outside wondering if I'm okay. I came out of the restroom and provided a quick thumbs up and smile and told the concerned cooks that I survived that one. With their acknowledgment just a slight grin and chuckle. I made my way back to our table as though nothing happened and asked to take the rest of my food to go so that I may try that again later. All in all, 5/5 would highly recommend Penguin Ed's to a friend. Their Ghost Pepper sauce is not for the weak but it is delicious. The wings were also delicious. I will definitely be returning to try this as well as their other menu items again in the future. Bonus: the employees are phenomenal, i enjoyed my entire visit from the moment I walked in until we walked out. Thank you Penguin Ed's staff for being amazing and looking out for your attendees. - Cheyenne Y., Springdale, AR, 27 read more

As good as it gets. Penguin Eds has been my go to for BBQ for over 15 years. Everyone has their favorite BBQ, so this is mine. The ribs are meaty, flavorful and naked. You get your choice of hot, mild or both sauces. The pulled pork is so moist and smokey. Pasta salad is creamy and just enough chew that makes it my favorite side dish. The beans have a smokiness to them that is unmatchable. Try Penguin Eds. It's so worth your time read more

Updating my review of this penguin Ed's location. As far as the salads go, they're refreshing and delicious every single time. Veggies are in good shape and the chicken on top makes the whole thing worth it! Their BBQ on the other hand is very hit or miss, I would say most times they're really dry no matter what meat you get. I was also disappointed in the quality/consistency as far as their meat goes. I took my parents here for BBQ wings and was pleasantly surprised by how large they were. I'm talking the size of the whole chicken wing! And they were to die for. Came in at least 2 other times for those delicious wings. Came in a 3rd time in about a months time, ordered the wings, and they were easily 1/3 the size of the wings we had been getting. I asked the difference and was told they were the same wings, but I assure you they were not. Meh. Haven't been back since but do keep this place in mind for salads. read more

Always fast and good! No complaints, Rib Combo and Half a chicken, and we didn't have left overs...

Regardless of what you read on here there is not a lot of good barbecue in Northwest Arkansas. Other than the Whole Hog Cafe it's a stretch to find better-than-average barbecue. Penguin Ed's maintains the average line. We were excited to try it and find a new go-to spot in the region but unfortunately weren't too impressed. We came in with a great attitude and ordered a pile of different meats to try, but left thinking it was just ok at best. On a positive note, the staff is very friendly and the atmosphere is fair. Let's start with the meat. We are big fans of brisket and I'll let my nephews describe theirs, "Why is it so hard?" they asked me. "I can barely bite through it. And it's so dry. It's not like it was last night at the Hog place." They were correct and I couldn't have agreed more. This brisket was below average. We wouldn't order the brisket again. The pulled pork is their best meat period it's actually better than the one we had at the Whole Hog Cafe. It's still dry but better than the other meats. This is the first time I've ever seen a Polish sausage served shaved rather than whole. That doesn't change the taste of it at all and it tastes just fine. The pulled chicken was just ok to. Keep in mind they don't have turkey which is pretty common in Northwest Arkansas period As for the side dishes we enjoyed the steamed broccoli as it tasted fresh. The green beans were ok too. We tried the pasta salad too and along with everything else it's about average at best. My sister ordered a baked potato and guess what it tasted exactly like a regular baked potato. This is your typical average barbecue place period on a positive note you can get a lot of food without spending too much money period however, if you're expecting top-notch BBQ you're going to need to find another place. read more

Penguin Ed's Barbeque - Polish Sausage, pulled pork and brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Fayetteville, Arkansas

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Friendly staff but Penguin Ed's is hit or miss with their bbq. No consistency. Sometimes the pork is tender & other times, it's dry & well... crunchy. The sliced brisket is a little more tender than beef jerky & I can't believe they would serve it. Other times, it's tender. The regular size sandwich is on a regular size hamburger bun and the meat is piled on top- the kind of portion you would expect on a bbq sandwich. Several choices of side items: mac and cheese, potato salad, pasta salad, beans, green beans and the list goes on. The serve domestics in the bottle. As far as service, only annoying thing is they are constantly calling out people's names to deliver the food and there's 3 different areas where you can sit so the servers are wandering around looking for you. Maybe that's being picky but it's a distraction "Sandy!?" "Miranda?!" "Jo-Jo?!" I like the "put a number on the table" system better. Tip: sit in the back of each room, it's a little less annoying than having someone yell at the back of your head if you're sitting in the front booths. read more

Penguin Ed's Barbeque - Pulled pork (regular) size - Barbeque Near Me - Fayetteville, Arkansas

The salad with pulled pork was absolutely awesome. Would recommend this place if you're in the area. read more

I only go to Ed's for the ribs. When they are good, they are the best in Fayetteville in my opinion. The issue is the huge swings in quality. Yesterday I got the ribs and bread, without the bread(low carving right now). I also paid the extra dollar to make sure I didn't get the ends. With tip I paid almost $20 for 4 ribs and I was severely disappointed. They had that taste like they had sat out for too long. I am afraid I am going to take this place out of my rotation. read more

Woooooo coming from Texas and seeing a BBQ place selling a single rib for $2.68(I may be off on that)I thought these folks are real proud of their ribs, and by god they have a right to be. I bought a half rack. And split them between me, my dad, his wife and uncle and it was plenty. They were delicious. Got a half order of wings and they fell off the bone. *perfect* the only thing that disappointed me was I ordered a side of Mac and I didn't realize how small it was. Other then that it was perfect! read more

Penguin Ed's is a Fayetteville staple, however I do agree with other reviews that the food has gone downhill. It just doesn't compare to newer BBQ in the area. That said, their smoked chicken salad is awesome, and different from other places. Their pork is okay, but agree with others that brisket and ribs are usually dry. All that said, I absolutely commend them on COVID protocols. Some of the best I've seen in the area. Great job there! read more

Favorite breakfast spot when visiting Fayetteville!! Food is always delicious and staff friendly!! Highly recommend read more

Penguin Ed's Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Fayetteville, Arkansas

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Great bbq! We've enjoyed Penguin Ed's for many years and always are pleased with the bbq. The desserts are one of our favorites (Neiman Marcus cookie!!) and we enjoy the atmosphere inside. Restaurant is CleAn, staff is friendly. read more

The service here is amazing very friendly and helpful, the atmosphere here is great as well, to bad the most important part of a restaurant, the food, was not good. The meat was dry and flavorless, their fries were really the only good part of my meal. read more

Probably a little-known fact about Penguin Ed's - they have great wings. The signature sauce is something of a combo between traditional hot wing sauce and BBQ, like buff-a-que. Penguin Ed's also understands details matter. The side items receive as much attention as the main courses. Baked beans are exceptional. Even the salad croutons are well seasoned. And they also have great cookies. read more

Looking to eat on the way out of town headed home, so we stopped. Best decision ever! Great BBQ, good music, to die for cookies. Coleslaw was good. Fries were home fries. Sweet tea didn't make you feel you needed insulin. Lots of seating. Will definitely be back. read more

Penguin Ed's Barbeque - Had to eat on the way back home, so we stopped at Penguin Ed's. Best choice ever! Try the Carolina mustard sauce. Will be back! - Barbeque Near Me - Fayetteville, Arkansas

Good, affordable, with good veggie options (green beans, broccoli, broccoli cheese soup). Thanks!

Note: I have combined the review for their two locations, the one on Mission Blvd and the other location on Wedington. INTERIOR In regards to both of their locations, overall they are both kept clean and are inviting. The feel is very "eclectic" in regards to all of the wall hangings and the penguin memorabilia. A person could literally spend hours upon hours between the two locations, checking out all of the neat stuff. The Mission Blvd location will seat approximately 125 people, with three separate areas. They also have an "enclosed" area, that partitions off with a set of sliding doors, which would be good for a group of say around 45 people. Party? Business get together? It should accommodate either. They also have another area of booth seating, that has an actual chalk board attached to the wall, which gives kids something really fun to do. Or, if you are a big kid, lets you explore your "inner foodie artist". In regards to the seating capacity of the Wedington location, I am not 100% sure. But if I were to guess, I would say that they can seat around 100 or so people. They also have a seating area that is off from the main, which is good for groups or parties. In fact, there is a weekly poker game I go to there, and they use this area to host the tournament. Restrooms at both locations have always been clean. And those of you who follow my reviews, know I ding restaurants hard when the cleanliness level is not what it should be. Both locations are family friendly, and I am also pretty sure that each are wheelchair accessible. FOOD On to the most important part, the food. I have not tried every single offering from them, but what I can tell you is that I have enjoyed all but one of the many that I have tried so far. The one item I did not like were the chicken wings. I ordered them without sauce, and they were bland. No real seasoning at all, which means they were relying on the sauce to give all the flavor. Now I will say, when I told them that I did not like them, they replaced them for me with something else at no charge. I have had their mushroom burgers several times. And I have to say, that it is highly doubtful that I will become a "vegetarian" anytime soon, but this offering from their vegetarian section has won me over. It is made with Shitake mushrooms, that are meaty, meaty and did I happen to mention that they are meaty? Another of my favorites is their steak burger. This burger is just all around great. So if you find you have a need to feed your inner carnivore, this should be one of your top picks. How about their soups you ask? I have had several, and liked each of them. I would have to say my favorite was their smoked chicken corn chowder. Really well executed, the chicken had a great flavor and this soup was nice and creamy. Really hits the spot, especially on a cold day! And I recently tried their smoked chicken. I ordered a whole chicken, and then turned it into a combo for just a couple of bucks more. By the time tax was added on, I paid around $12 for this. I have to say this is one I also enjoyed. The skin was cooked just enough, and had a good seasoning to it. The smoke was infused nicely into the meat of the chicken. I also ordered home fries and coleslaw. And both were spot on as usual. For dessert both locations have freshly made cookies. Alas, I have no photos to share, but will update the review soon with some. My favorites have to be their double chocolate chip and their white chocolate chip apricot. Always moist and yummy! But if you stop in there, in the afternoon, make sure to get your cookies quick, otherwise they may be sold out by the time you get to the counter. And I would be remise if I did not mention their ribs. I really like these, as they are a dry rubbed rib. The dry rub tastes good, the flavoring infusing nicely into the meat. Each time I have ordered these, they have been good. Make sure to try a side of the beans and coleslaw, they are made from scratch. IN SUMMARY I would highly recommend these two locations to my readers, well worth the time of stopping by there and spending a few dollars. Prices are reasonable, and the service has always been good when I have been there. Which is why I continue to spend my hard earned dollars there! read more

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Delicious pulled pork and sides. Staff is friendly and cute (ha). I always like checking out the photos and many penguins figures all over the place. Not fancy just your good ol hometown BBQ spot. Support the locals. read more