Use to be awesome but the meat sucks now it made me sick it was the beef it was a 5 Star restaurant yuk!!! and it ant cheap my family has been going there for 4 generations what a disappointment I had to throw out a $40 meal and it's been occurring over several visits and has made my parents sick to thier stomachs as well read more

Second time here first time carry out and now seating this place was packed the parking is lacking for the amount of peeps and just about everyone park like an idiot friendly lady at door seats me. the place is well seasoned and the food is cooked right in front you the waitress was friendly also this review is just on bbq only . so got the blue cheese and crackers 3.50 for a nice portion enough for two this stuff is good served with saltines then got the mixed pork n beef platter 17.50 with fries two rolls n coleslaw the fries were good the coleslaw fresh but for me to much sugar the meat is carved n sliced I like my bbq with no sauce this in my opinion is the purest way to eat BBQ also the sauce is to sweet for me this is were it gets to be disappointing the meat is dry And the way they slice and carve is too inconsistent again To dry which is a major no-no taste ok Smokey good portion but for me not what I was expecting for all the hype n good reviews and note this is the only bbq you get no ribs or brisket no sausage no chicken they do have a pretty good menu with other stuff but Isn't Ridgewood supposed to be known for There bbq and like I said disappointing read more

This is my favorite place to eat. Seriously I get to Eastern TN like two or three times a year and I always make a beeline for here. The best blue cheese dip I have eaten. The BBQ is awesome. The fries are very good. This is a truly one of kind place. Beware that on weekends and even on week nights this place crowds early and parking is very limited. read more

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I overheard a conversation..."I'm only here for the barbeque." Barbeque is really good, but I'm ultimately there for the blue cheese!!! Best little place back in the woods!!! read more

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If you don't care about customer service or atmosphere, then you will not be disappointed. The stars are strictly for the food alone. You will put up with whatever to get the pork bbq and blue cheese and crackers. Expect a wait if you are dining in and the line to be busy if you are calling in an order. But it's all worth it. An East Tennessee delicacy. read more

This is not the N.C. BBQ I grew up with but the sliced pork they make here was terrific. Very tinder and flavorful. They also offer a beef sliced BBQ that I will try next time. They the beans for a treat. read more

What a great place! It has the history, the food, and the southern hospitality. A great BBQ establishment in a roadside location. Get the blue cheese dip. It's so good. I love the pork. So tender. Could use some updating with the interior but they have mastered the sauce, mastered the meat, and you can't go wrong here. They also have take out. Grab a bunch of meat and have your friends impressed you made it yourself! read more

It has been ranked one of the top barbecue places in the state however, their barbecue is sliced, not pulled, it's still good and their sauce is amazing. The baked beans are definitely a must. read more

We had lunch here last Tuesday. It's just like I remember. I went here as a teenager with my Mother 50ish years ago. Great food. Awesome service! Good value for the money. Very old school. read more

Food that we ordered was satisfactory and tasty. The waitress was very friendly and helpful with our order. The restaurant was clean and rustic with a homey feel to it. Would like to see ribs added to the menu. Will be back. read more

Great food place not much to look at but can't beat the food the blue cheese and crackers is the best appetizer ever

Does this place pay for reviews?!? We were looking for a BBQ place. Saw the ratings and figured we would try. With BBQ in the name- you would think it was a BBQ joint. This was NOT BBQ! There are two BBQ dishes on the menu- BBQ pork & BBQ beef. Pork was sandwich meat in bbq sauce. Not pulled pork. Couldn't be more disappointed. I do give them some props- Service was great. She warned us there was only two waitresses so it would take longer. She was super sweet. read more

Ridgewood Barbecue - The pork BBQ. And what I could eat on the sandwich. - Barbeque Near Me - Bluff City, Tennessee

A really great place to eat, some of the very best bbq I've ever eaten, been going there for 40+ years.

OMG!!!! Let's just say this is some of the damn best BBQs I ever had. Had the pulled brisket sandwich with h coleslaw and baked beans. We all split French fries which were great. We also had the famous blue cheese bowl. Decadent is the only word. And you can't beat a pink lemonade to wash it all down. Yummy. I'd drive 3 hours to get here. read more

Ridgewood Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Bluff City, Tennessee

The bbq beans are amazing. I've had some of the best beans in Texas. But these are the bee's knees. The beef and the pork sandwich are the best we have had in Tennessee to date. The fries are fresh hand cut not pre made. If I could give 10 stars I would. read more

Ridgewood Barbecue - BBQ Beef sandwich. - Barbeque Near Me - Bluff City, Tennessee

I'll start with the hand cut french fries which were perfect. The pork sandwich was super good. My husband loved the mild blue cheese dip and crackers. The beans were good as well. It was a great stop for lunch. Service was friendly as well. read more

We had the blue cheese dip with crackers, pork sandwich, beef sandwich, fries, cole slaw, beans, and catfish. Everything was so good. Service was quick and friendly. Meat is sliced not pulled then reheated on the flat top. It's a small place in the mountains. read more

Ridgewood Barbecue - Our spread - Barbeque Near Me - Bluff City, Tennessee

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I really enjoy the food here. It's not my favorite bbq place, but they're close. I enjoy the pork the most and the baked beans are really good, and I'm not much of a baked bean eater. I took my boyfriend here for the first time and he really enjoyed his bbq beef. Also, the wait staff is so friendly, even though this place stays busy. I woulda pulled my hair out by now if I worked there. lol read more

Ridgewood Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Bluff City, Tennessee

Best kept secret in the two cities. BBQ is awesome and you can't forget the blue cheese and crackers. Will be back. Service is great too.

How I made it a decade attending Bristol races without finding this place is BEYOND me! SO glad I did. We were literally in line with people who had driven 4 hours for the cue, and NOT the races. Completely worth the wait. This is my kind of barbecue. Tomato and vinegar based and spiced just right. Dad and I got it to go and ate down at the smokehouses. Restaurant is truly off the beaten path and you might miss the street sign if you really arent looking for the road to turn onto. Slaw and beans are absolutely declicious. Might have to get adventurous for our next visit in the spring. Massive portions and grabbed a jar of sauce to take home. Try it! read more

Ridgewood Barbecue - Famous shaved pork and slaw sandwich with a pot of beans - Barbeque Near Me - Bluff City, Tennessee

The servers are super nice and some of the sides are really good - but great barbecue? Yeah, no ... it's good not great.

A trip to Ridgewood is like the movie Back To The Future. Back to the good old days when the waitress knew your name, what you were going to order and how much of your meal you were going to finish. The building looks like it hasn't been remodeled since before I was born, the waitresses have likely been there that long, too, and the same, happy, local customers have been returning for decades. It's a local's hangout and while we aren't from here it was clear most everyone else was. Ringtones played Vols songs, the waitress called many guests by their first time, and if they didn't know you're first name "baby" was the preferred substitute and checks were still written by hand. Fortunately, they do accept credit cards. Ridgewood is an experience for out-of-towners and a icon when it comes to BBQ for locals. While their menu offers more than just BBQ, we only tried the BBQ, which is a tiny portion of what they serve. For starters, this isn't part of the fancy, new wave, contemporary BBQ. In fact, it's not a traditional BBQ shack where several meats are served. Instead they focus on two things: pork and beef and they only come one way: in thin slices, almost the thickness of a roast beef sandwich at Arby's. How good is the pork or beef? While the waitress mentioned they sell the pork 10-1 over beef, both do impress and should come with a side stomach because the portions are so large it'd take a cow to finish the plate (which comes with hand cut fries - and a slab of them). Locals joke of ordering one meal with two forks. As for the quality, there's nothing overly impressive about either meat. I don't believe any would win awards in today's BBQ scene. Meanwhile, for some reason, perhaps how thin it is, or how easy it easy to chew through or how tender it is, keeps you wanting to eat more until you're so full you can't shovel another bite in. The meat is complimented by a easy to take down red based sauce. It isn't spicy, or packed with too much flavor. It's simple and gets the job done, like ketchup. If you're going to make the off the beaten path trip to Ridgewood don't expect a traditional BBQ spot. It's much different. Do order the half-and-half (beef and pork) so you can try both. And, don't expect to finish the meal. If you do - you belong on Man vs Food. read more

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First, the down sides...if one does not live in Bluff City, or have a good GPS, it is a challenge to find this place. Next...it is very close to the road, so parking can be a challenge. Finally...in these Covid days, the booths are WAY too close for comfort. HOWEVER, that is all infrastructure. When you arrive, and get parked, you are in for a great experience. It has been there for decades, and, the reason is the food. Their barbecue is done to perfection. They use a wet rub, which has good, hickory flavor, and keeps the meat from drying out at all. The sides are really tasty too, and harmonize with the meat very well. Service has been excellent every time I have been there, and, the portions of food are very generous. They go out of their way to make the experience positive. yesterday, my wife and I went there for an early dinner, and, much to our surprise, they had the closed sign out. The doors were still open, so I went in to see what was going on. They were their usual friendly group, but, the manager explained that they had misjudged the amount of sauce they would need, and, so had run out early. They would have made more, but, they, as with pretty much every restaurant, have been struggling with supply chain issues. However, they had plenty of pulled pork left, so we bought a couple of pounds for later on. Over all, I would give them an "A-", but only a tiny ding because of the infrastructure issues. Over the years we have eaten there many times, and I would recommend it for a dinner destination without a single hesitation. read more

Food and service definitely isn't what it use to be many years ago. Food is 2/10, staff friendly but waitress looked as if she had not bathed or brushed her teeth in a very long time, not brushed her hair. Quiet a shame, but she was nice. read more

BBQ Beef Awesome baked beans! Big big sandwich loaded with meat. Great coleslaw too! You leave feeling STUFFED! read more

Do NOT trust the hours they post - they will close on a whim and leave you driving out of the way for nothing. We arrived at 7:15pm, wanting to get a couple of sandwiches to go, when their normal closing time was 7:30pm - already closed. No apologies, nothing. If you're a customer, you mean NOTHING to them. This place is greatly out of the way and NOT WORTH IT. PS Oh and the excuse they used - "we were kinda slow today and decided to close early" read more

Even with the restrictions in place because of the pandemic, the staff at Ridgewood did a great job. They are seating people with proper spacing. The staff wears masks and frequently changed gloves. The barbecue beef and the cole slaw are the best anywhere. It is a bucket list dining destination for anyone visiting the Tri-Cities area. read more

Everyone says go to Ridgewood for great Barbecue. Well most of the people around here haven't been out of state or they would know it is only OK. Some of the sides are good. read more

My first visit to Bristol, TN and many of the locals advised that Ridgewood BBQ was an experience I couldn't miss. They were right, it's a really cool overall experience. Established in the late 1940's I wouldn't think much has really changed (aside from adding on to the building to accommodate the masses of folks who enjoy the food)- the decor is eclectic and makes you feel at home. When we arrived around 11:30a the place was already hopping. When you enter you can see the food being prepared right up front. There are several rooms with booths and tables. We had a larger party so we were taking to one of the side rooms. The menu is super simple: pick a platter or sandwich with a side (or 2) and that's it. I went with the classic pork sandwich with the baked beans. The pork was lean and had a great smoked flavor. It's served dry so you can add as much BBQ sauce as you need. The beans were fantastic- sweet and savory. The fries appear to be fresh cut in house. Our table also ordered the blue cheese dip. Now I'm not a big blue cheese guy but holy smokes this dip was amazing. I almost would liken it to a french onion dip with bits of blue cheese inside. It's not overwhelmingly cheesy tasting- and you use saltines to dip in it. Make sure you order a small dish of this, it's addicting! With a sweet tea to wash everything down, this was an excellent lunch. The portions are HUGE so skip breakfast, bring an appetite and prepare for a small dinner. I mean, the amount of pork they added to my sandwich would be 2 or 3 helpings worth anywhere else. read more

As a an aficionado of let's go anywhere anytime BBQ Traveling, Ridgewood Barbecue fits the Road Trip bill. The sauce has a delicious sweet and sour Tennessee Smoky molasses flavor that's perfect on the Pork or Beef. Up a classic backcountry two lane road in eastern Tennessee, stop on by, and don't forget a jar of the Sauce. read more

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If you like beef and barbecue this is the place. Large portions great food. This little hole in the wall and I do mean whole serves a mean barbecue that you will love. read more

Wonderful food always best bbq and blue cheese !!Everything is delicious . Visit often

I'm visiting from out of town and was told this is some of the best BBQ in eastern Tennessee. I told the waitress I wanted to try whatever she recommended and she brought me a pork sandwich with slaw and baked beans. The sandwich was huge, messy, and just right. The beans came in a miniature crock and were excellent. We also ordered a "blue cheese bowl," which seemed like blue cheese and mayo. Basically a homemade dressing with saltine crackers. I enjoyed a few bites, but probably wouldn't get that again. Give this place a try, really great food! read more

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First: some context. I was led on a two hour journey from North Carolina specifically to come to Ridgewood for barbecue. On the one hand, that probably inflated my expectations. On the other hand, I was starving and feel like anything would have tasted acceptable. I looked up "Tennessee barbecue" just to make sure that there wasn't some sort of special version of barbecue that was wholly different from any of the other regional barbecues and I just didn't get it. The closest thing I can compare the pork to is spare ribs you might find at a Chinese take out. Not bad, just not anything I would freely associate with southern barbecue. The beef was... bad. Dry. Shaved and then heated until all moisture was gone. I had to keep scouring through ribbon after ribbon of Arby's style overcooked meat to find the little burnt ends that evoked some kind of traditional flavor of barbecue. It's telling that the primary photo for this restaurant is a bowl of coleslaw. Blue cheese dressing is a *side*, and served inside a circle of saltine packets like a soup. It's like a child went to a diner, saw an adult with a cup of clam chowder, thought it looked cool, played pretend with some dressing, and then grew up and built a menu around it. I've never seen crackers offered up at such suspicious volumes. There's definitely some sort of saltine-based fraud happening in Bluff City and Ridgewood Barbecue is at the very center of it. No hot sauce. No pickles. None of your typical barbecue sides or ephemera. Maybe barbecue is so established in Tennessee that anything that deviates from the norm is considered groundbreaking and prized. That's the only way I can figure that Ridgewood barbecue is so universally acclaimed for such divisive and highly interpretive barbecue in a state with for sure loads of other barbecue joints. The staff is friendly. The restaurant itself is small and your typical greasy spoon type of place. No strikes there, I love a good greasy spoon. Stars for good people and a decent establishment that is clearly loved by the community. But Ridgewood barbecue shatters my notion that a restaurant that only serves a handful of items is more likely to make them really well: An entire half of the menu is just a page devoted to their two different meat platters (pork or beef), and both of them are bad. Rated on food alone, I can't recommend a trip at 20 minutes, let alone 120. Avoid. read more

Excellent food and good service. Go early if you don't want to wait because they are always busy, which is a good sign! Definitely a hidden gem for good barbecue! read more

I have been eating here since 1974. It is hands down the best bbq around. The beans are unbelievable. Well worth the drive since it is out of the way. Usually a line out the door So be prepared to wait. It will be worth it. Get the bbq pork sandwich, fries, and beans. read more

This place will always feel like home sweet home to me. If I'm going, I'm keeping it simple with the pork sandwich (with coleslaw on the sandwich), baked beans, and fries with a sweet tea. Their pork is different and I like it that way. Having lived in Memphis, it's a completely different, sweeter style. But there's nothing I'd rather have in East TN. It's off the beaten trail a bit which only adds to the vibe. read more

This is the place to for barbecue in Northeast Tennessee if you only get one. It is out in the woods a ways, it feels like you've entered another time when you pull up to the place. The blue cheese appetizer is like magic even for people who never thought much about blue cheese. The barbecue platters and sandwiches are really big. The fries and beans are good but who has room to eat all that. If they have dessert I never made it that far. I have taken or recommended this place to many friends over thirty-five years and no one has ever been disappointed. read more

I've been going to Ridgewood twice a month or more for last 40 years. The last few times I've eaten their PORK BBQ it has been dry and chewy and not very tasty. It used to be great but not in last few months. I can go just about anywhere and get a steak dinner for what they charge for a BBQ, beans, and fries. FIX the Pork BBQ or I'm gone for good!! Mike J ... ibmgrunt@gmail.com read more

I'm honestly surprised this place has as many 5 star reviews as it does. The blue cheese dip was good, but I was not impressed with anything else. Our sides came out 10 mins before our meat so they were cold by the time we ate. The BBQ is sliced in the same fashion as lunch meat. It was also very dry and didn't taste fresh. Everyone at our table ordered pork, so maybe the beef is better. read more