Giving this a 4-1/2 but rounded up. Atmosphere was AWESOME, just what you'd expect at a BBQ joint. Plenty of paper towels and the memorabilia was a great conversation piece and I'm sure many many people have past through this place! We went on a Saturday at 1:00pm. Great time for conversation with our group of 10 and not too loud so you could hear everyone. Nick and Ivey took care of us and they were tremendous owner/host/servers, very, very nice staff in general and so welcoming. Our family seeks out BBQ restaurants in the CLE and we try new ones about every other month, so with 10 people I had a big group to gather opinions from. Consensus was that the meat was a 3. Ribs were tough, brisket over cooked, loved the rub on the brisket and the sauce was amazing. Sides were a 5. Great mac and cheese (I combined them with the baked beans and that was amazeballs!!). Maybe we were there on a bad meat day? I don't know, I would absolutely go back because the ambiance is very friendly and the food does hit the spot. read more

Went to RS BBQ, ordered rib platter and ultimate platter, asked for pulled pork, ribs and chicken, but girl behind counter said oh, don't worry you'll get all the meats! Got home, NO chicken! 2 ribs, small container of pork, 4 sausage slices, a spoon of brisket and potato salad that smelled and tasted like fish...really? (Had to throw it out) $27??? Husband's potato salad had the same smell and taste, he had 5 rib bones $47 gone, sad experience even though the counter girl was pleasant and personable taking our order, but things went awry when her shift evidently was over after we'd ordered If you say you get all...honor that! Sad experience...definitely NOT worth the money in this economy!!! read more

I'm in Cleveland from Utah. I'm always on the lookout for great bbq. I love the ambiance of Real Smoq'ed BBQ. The Rock Hall of Fsme atmosphere was clean and inviting. I ordered the bbq brisket sandwich. It didn't disappoint! It was a bit expensive for the portion size but delicious. Meli took good care of us today as well. Very friendly and attentive. If I'm ever in Cleveland again, I'll eat here for sure. read more

Real Smoq'ed BBQ - The bbq brisket sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

The smell of barbecue greets you at the door. Order at the counter and they will bring the food to you. I went on a mission to find the best Polish boy. The menu looks tempting with burnt ends as well as several delicious sides. I'm not sure what their method is for taking orders, several people walked in after me yet were served their food first. The sandwich was worth the wait. The polish boy is served with a creamy Cole slaw and topped with crispy fries, which is then slathered in BBQ sauce. It was huge! Be prepared with lots of napkins. I may order sauce on the side next time. Enough to share. I had to eat some of the toppings before I could get to the sausage. The combo of all the parts just hits that spot. I will go back to sample more for sure. read more

Real Smoq'ed BBQ - Classic Polish Boy - Barbeque Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Ivy was very helpful as this was our first time here. It is a hidden gem around the corner of the westside market. Plenty of flavors and food choices to try. Today we went with the bbq pork and Mac n Chs entree. I had collard greens and cornbread. Wow packs with great flavors. My friend had a po boy and wanted to try the bbq chicken with fries. All so good and she liked the collard greens. The service was amazing. The place was clean and energetic. During early hours not so busy so bring your empty stomach and kids. read more

Real Smoq'ed BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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We were so glad that we tried this place. Getting right to the point -- the food was wonderful! We ordered several items to feed a small group waiting for us to bring lunch. Mel and staff* (correctly) prepared and labeled each order. Our family enjoyed ribs, chicken, brisket (the flat cut), and pulled pork. The baked beans, greens, fries, and cole slaw were equally enjoyed. If we come back to the area, we will want to give this place a visit. They were genuinely welcoming and patient with us "first timers". To top it off, the soundtrack of the South played in the background of the clean and nostalgic setting. Our visit was a truly positive experience. Many thanks Real Smoq'ed BBQ team! read more

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I had an excellent experience at this BBQ spot. From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere was warm, inviting, and full of great energy. As it was my first time visiting, I was genuinely impressed by both the quality of the food and the overall vibe of the place. The dishes were absolutely delicious--well-prepared, flavorful, and clearly made with care. Combined with the welcoming environment, it made for a memorable dining experience. I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for great BBQ and a relaxing, enjoyable setting. read more

Overall, I give Real Smoq'd BBQ three stars (only because I couldn't give it 3 1/2 stars). I'll start out with the facility itself. This is exactly how a BBQ joint should look and smell. The interior is small, but has about six or seven tables of four seats. As we sat and enjoyed our meal, many people came in for pickup orders, but I could imagine it gets difficult to find a seat at busy times. The ambiance is what you'd expect out of a BBQ joint...plenty of photos and memorabilia everywhere. Five stars for the location! Now on to the service. We were greeted immediately and the servers brought our food to our table promptly. Five stars for the service! The food only gets three stars. I've traveled to many states and have tried BBQ from all over. Lately, I've been trying to find the best BBQ in Cleveland. I read a lot about Real Smoq'd BBQ, so I was expecting five-star food. Whenever I eat BBQ, I start out with the sides. Usually, if a BBQ joint has great sides, the meat is going to be excellent. I had collard greens that were very bland. There wasn't much if any seasoning/pepper on the greens. This is the first time I didn't finish a side of collard greens. Onto the meats: I ordered the Ultimate Platter with three meats: Ribs, Brisket, Sausage. Somehow, I ended up with pulled pork as well...so bonus! I started with the sausage because it looked amazing, and it was. This was the best meat on the platter. The exterior was almost crunchy and the interior was as tender as ever with great flavor. After that, I went for the brisket and that's when things really took a turn for the worst. The brisket was slathered in a tasty BBQ sauce, which helped to mask the overdone brisket I was served. I was worried I was going to break a tooth on the hard edges of the brisket, that's how crusty the meat was. Much of the meat I received was inedible, and I didn't finish it. The pulled pork was tender and matched well with the BBQ sauce. Finally, I dug into the ribs. With Real Smoq'd BBQ winning best ribs in Cleveland in the past, my expectations were sky high. I was a bit disappointed. The ribs were fattier than what you'd expect and were a little mushy. Overall, I'd go back to Real Smoq'd BBQ because the flavor is there, they just missed a bit on the meat they served me. That could be completely different on a second visit. read more

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It's hard to give this place a bad mark. I so desperately want to give it a great review because the people who work there are really nice, and I love the kitsch atmosphere. I ordered the brisket sandwich with extra brisket, beans, and cornbread. The cornbread was good. It was served plain without any jalapenos (as many do). They didn't give me any butter, as I was expecting, but I was glad. It tasted okay. The beans were tasty--not exceptional, but basic beans. They were well worth getting. I was disappointed in the brisket sandwich. The quality of the brisket was hard and dry on the outside, making half of it inedible. The internal parts of the meat that was smoked were ok....above average. But that's about it. I tend to like my brisket fatty and super moist served with a lot of barbecue sauce. I asked for lots of fatty pieces, and I believe they tried. but it just wasn't there. I can't say I'd recommend it. I will however go back and give it one more try. I hope it will be better, but I think the menu is partially to blame. I'm used to going to a restaurant that serves smoked cuts of brisket, which this place doesn't do which is a shame. Can anyone recommend a good barbecue place in Cleveland that serves a solid brisket? I just moved here from Chicago. read more

Food fed my soul oh my god. That was fire. Do yall cater weddings??? Love the music the workers all upbeat attitude. Love love love.

Let me start with, this was a last minute late night craving of a friend. Upon arrival the two things they wanted were out. No brisket, no mac and cheese. They settled on wings, ribs, and some sort of combo that looked like pulled pork and fries??? The staff was super friendly. The space was absolutely clean. As the only two dining it was not noisy and the wait was not long. IYKYK. Their feedback about the food in three words, "it was alright." We will return so they can try the brisket and mac combo as I suspect this is why the rating wasn't good. LOL read more

Visiting Cleveland from California and after reading all the good reviews about this place we had to try it for ourselves. It did not disappoint! The food was delicious!!! I had the pulled pork fries. The BBQ sauce was so damn good! My sister and Brother-in-law had loaded Mac n cheese one with brisket and one with pulled chicken, also hella good! My mom raved about the wings and coleslaw. I didn't try the greens but my mom and brother-in-law loved them! My mom even got an extra side of them. The atmosphere of the place is fun. We liked the music they were playing and enjoyed taking in all the pictures on the walls. The day we came, the air conditioning wasn't working. They had fans going, so it was tolerable. The food was great and the service was even better! Despite the lack of air conditioning, the woman who waited on us was super nice and friendly! I'm sure it was hotter in the kitchen than it was in the dining area. She made recommendations when I couldn't decide what to order and had a smile the entire time. I would definitely go back here for some bomb BBQ! read more

Preface this in saying have had bbq all over country with some good and bad. The good. Ribs are good if ordered again would get dry and add sauce. But tender. Pork is very good nice tender. Sausage very good nice smoke flavor. Sides beans were nice little sweet but good The brisket was not good. Very tough more like an overcooked roast beef. Would still go back for pork and sausage and go with no sauce or sauce on the side Service was good and staff is nice. read more

Glow was awesome! Food was excellent and service was great! Will be back for sure next time we make it to Cleveland!

Where do I even start. My friend, my fiance and I all came here because my friend was visiting from out of town and never had a polish boy. We went in ordered a polish boy and the brisket and fry platter and holy moly was the food insanely good. Glo was the most personable pleasant person I've interacted with ever. Her passion for the business and just infectious personality made it such a great experience. I came in not expecting anything and I will absolutely be back because. The decor is everything you'd expect from a BBQ place and there's just a good energy when you walk in. 20/10 check this place out!!!! The bbq sauce is insane!!! read more

Food was great and the service exceptional. That Glo is da bomb I would come back and eat here again.

The food and customer service were great! The young lady was ready giving eye contact and a smile when I was deciding on my meal. The food was great the smells made my stomach wanting it even more! Service was moving slow and she came from behind the counter to make sure I was good! That's A1!!! People don't care like that nowadays so that made me want to visit this place every time I'm here! #detroitgirl #sweetnz IG LOVEMESWEETS read more

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Delicious Mac cheese with brisket. Prices very reasonable. Clean. I love the ambience and all the cool stuff. We will eat here again. We just ordered at the counter and took it to go so no waitress. Didn't see one. read more

A buddy and I walked in and were blown away with the pix and memorabilia and jukebox. And life size Elvis and BB and Marilyn. Then came Meli who guided us through choices ... I went with Mac&cheese and fried chicken. oh. my. goodnessss. Didn't even care that there's no beer chaser! read more

So, so, so good. Ribs, pulled pork, macaroni and cheese. All great. I had family bring take out to me. They said that the service was on point, it was clean, a pleasure. Certainly looking forward to enjoying again. And I was told the bathroom was clean. read more

Had a craving for barbecue so decided to try Real Smoq'ed BBQ and I will definitely return! I ordered the 3 wings/3 bones combo and my husband ordered the Brisket Mac - both were well prepared and tasty. The server was nice and helped us decide what to order; we also received our food pretty quick. The ambiance is casual and although we chose to dine-in, there were several takeout orders throughout our visit - popular spot! read more

Real Smoq'ed BBQ - Brisket Mac - Barbeque Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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If you order online you get 20% local discount. I loved the ribs. Fell right off the bone and the flavor was sweet and smoky. I got the sample plate with ribs and brisket - personally I would get double ribs next time. Very chill and quiet when I stopped in. Slow pace the staff is very kind read more

Great place with delicious food and friendly service!!! Fun place to dine with really cool decor. read more

Real Smoq'ed BBQ - Full slab Brisket sandwich (bun on the side) - Barbeque Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

From the amazing decor and music that always plays at this place inside and out on the speakers I have always thought this place was very good. The staff are always nice and say hello as does the owner or guys making the food or BBQ masters or Pitmasters I think that's the proper name. The food menu has everything a bbq should have and I was told that there will be more specials coming in 2025. Considering what they have overcome with that stupid lawsuit and how they were forced to change their name and still survived is nothing short but amazing! Strong Team! Cleveland Strong I will say for sure. read more

was craving some brisket and this place didn't disappoint. I had their brisket sandwich and it was enormous. So much meat and BBQ sauce. A bit messy but it was totally worth it. Service was great. They were friendly and attentive. I felt like was back in the rock and roll in the 50s and 60s era with Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe pictures. It was pretty cool. read more

Real Smoq'ed BBQ - Brisket sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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Some of the best BBQ I have ever had. Who would of thought I found the best BBQ place in Cleveland! Good food, nice environment in the restaurant with all the celebrity pictures. Friendly service, reasonable prices and the best BBQ around. You need to give it a try! thank you Real Smoq'ed BBQ! read more

Real Smoq'ed BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Provide customer with information about food running out and inquire what substitutions the customer want instead of randomly substituting without notifying the customer. Poor customer service. read more

If you're in the Lorain area be sure to stop in to real smoked barbecue! When I tell you the ribs literally fall off the bone, the atmosphere is interesting with all the pictures of artists on the wall and the customer service is phenomenal! read more

From the Staff to the Ribs this place was A1! Loved the wetness of the brisket and the deliciousness of the Polish Boy! read more

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Service was Great and food was good!!! Our host Glo was very accommodating!! I had the chicken quarter the biscuit was a little fatty but the sides were good. read more

we were downtown while the game was going on at progressive field, and i smelled this place before deciding what i wanted for lunch. when you walk in there are tons on oldies pictures from Elvis, to Marilyn Monroe, the Beatles, to Sam Cooke. its gorgeous in there. you order and pay first, (i was expecting food first, then the bill) from tasty ribs and tips to pulled pork. the owner was inviting and thorough in his explaining the plates and how the place came to be. we got ribs & a pulled pork samdwich combos & beers. i wasnt a huge fan of the coleslaw, but the cornbread and potatoes salad were bomb. i wanna come back and try one of the platters they offer to get a better taste. read more

Real Smoq'ed BBQ - fall off the bone ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Ultimate platter. The ribs are kind of fatty. The pulled pork was really good. The baked beans were good. Potato salad was kind of hard like the potatoes weren't fully cooked and the macaroni and cheese was (tasted) like instant macaroni and cheese, so it didn't taste homemade. It's not that I won't come here again, but next time I will only get the pulled pork. The staff was nice and helpful, but I expected a bit more from the food. The Ambiance was great. Great music was playing. Honest 3.5 stars read more

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5 stars across the board, immediately felt welcomed coming in. It was my first time in Cleveland and wanted my first experience with food to be bar none. I have tell you the Polish Boy and Girl is a must here. I felt love was put into the food that was prepared. Every flavor hit my soul and could not stop. I finished my entire dish . I loved the aesthetic of the restaurant showing me how much they love their music history. Beside the food the service made me feel not only important as a customer but treated me as someone that was invited to a family dinner or cookout. Will definitely spread the word and will be returning every time I visit this city read more

I had a taste for BBQ and used Google/ Yelp to find the best places in Cleveland. Upon entry, I immediately felt like I was in the heart of Tennessee. The restaurant itself was really cute- lots of memorabilia on the walls, driving home that Memphis vibe, and welcoming. The guy at the counter let us know they were out of ribs and mac & Cheese. Ouch. Iordered the Ohio City platter, but bc they were out of ribs, I got extra beef brisket. I was disappointed, especially because the platter is still $26. It came with cornbread and choice of one side. I got potato salad and added slaw. Both sides were very good. I wanted to try the beans and mac & cheese. The food came out and my pulled pork was lukewarm. The brisket was almost hot, was fine to eat. However, both were quite bland. There was hardly any seasoning or BBQ sauce. I asked for a side of BBQ sauce, hoping it would both heat up the meat and add some flavor. They forgot to bring it, so I sat there for about 10 minutes while the mushy, flavorless meat got even colder. We also ordered a Po Boy to share, but we didn't get any knives to cut it, so we said forget it- we'll take this all home to fix it. We heated up the Po Boy in the oven and split it at home. This was pretty good. The fries were hot and crisp, the kielbasa was delicious with a nice snap, bun wasn't soggy, plenty of BBQ sauce, and the perfect amount of slaw. I had to knife and fork it, but a normal person would probably figure out how to eat this without making the mess I would have. It was very tasty By this point, I wasn't hungry so I put the leftover meat in the fridge to fix for another time. I probably won't go back to the leftovers.... Or to Real Smoq'd. The guy working in the back was very nice and attentive, but overall, it was a lot of money for a meal I didn't enjoy read more

Got a $27 sampler plate. Mid-bbq. Beans were funky, all the meat was absolutely soaked in a very sweet bbq sauce. The staff was extremely friendly and the lady at the counter was very nice. read more

Real Smoq'ed BBQ - Ultimate Platter - supposed to be a sampler platter. They drowned the meat in sauce. Maybe on the side? - Barbeque Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Food looked and smelled delicious, service, nice and courteous, ambiance was old skool. Food I gave 3 stars as there was no flavor to the meat or side dishes everything was tender but had sauce on top of it. I have never been to a BBQ establishment and had no flavor to the food. I'm hoping it was a one off so I could try them again. read more

Tried again tonight. Macaroni and cheese again unremarkable orange large elbow noodles with buttery flavor but devoid of cheesy deliciousness. The neon Kraft stuff from the box is worlds better. Cornbread was dry and cold- not crumbly bone dry but not moist except for the top. Beans were fine and sweet. Banana pudding was flavorful with wafers in it. Peach cobbler was cloyingly sweet but had lots of crust in it to soak some of that over the top sugary soup up. Again the meat wasn't dry but wasn't juicy either. The brisket and pork half and half sandwich had some sauce poured on top but wasn't dressed through and through in sauce like true barbecue. This place is done for me- it can't live up to even minimal true bbq standards (coming from a native Kansas Citian). read more

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Most definitely some of the best bbq in Cleveland I recommend the Mac n cheese and the brisket and the ribs are so tender and juicy it's unbelievable read more

The food and service were awesome! Melanie and Eddie were great and accommodated my dairy allergy! Will definitely be coming back :)

We got brisket and the sampler. All the meat was delicious , BBQ sauce was very good, a mix of sweet, tangy, and some smoke but not overpowering at all. Service was perfect and attentive. Very cool atmosphere! Definitely will return. read more