We'd come back! What we got: Brisket BBQ Nachos - 5* really liked this. The brisket didn't stand out on its own but was great with the cheese and the sauce. Jalapeno Sausage - 4* I've never found a jalapeno sausage that has blown all expectations. They're just always delicious and this one was no different. Burnt ends - 3.5* my partner liked them more than me. I have a friend who makes the best burnt ends and I've yet to find a place that does it nearly as good. Half rack of ribs - 3* small (but to be fair I had beef ribs in mind) and decent. The dry rub was good and the sauce made it even better. Coleslaw - 5* really good and very fresh! The coconut was an interesting yet delicious addition. Mac & Cheese - 4* I liked it more than my partner. Pretty standard Mac and cheese. read more

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Great food, the brisket was so good! The service was on point; they were so eager to help, bring sauces, give suggestions on food. Our family of 6 (ages 3b, 7g, 14g, 16g) enjoyed the jr sampler with the brisket cheese fries and we had enough food to bring home at least one meal for later. My 7 year old devoured the Mac n cheese so no one else was lucky enough to try it but it looked delicious. read more

Shawn's Craft Barbecue - Ribs, fries, and corn bread - Barbeque Near Me - Culpeper, Virginia

Came back in today a week later and my birthday to give this place another try after my previous 4 out of 5 star review. I was greeted as before and the owner recognized me and even mentioned seeing my review. We decided to dine in this time and she brought me some Mac and cheese to show they had made changes for better improvement and it was amazing. I must say I have been an elite yelper for years and this is the first time I ever returned after any review and had someone mentioned they saw it and mad improvements in person. This shows they may attention to their customers and how they feel and I absolutely love that! FYI get the burnt ends they are to die for! They are also starting smoked prime rib which they were passing around samples of on Friday and hope they permanently placed that on the menu too! read more

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From the moment we walked in we were greeted and made to feel welcome. We placed our order and then, very quickly, a very kind and helpful young man brought out our food. I don't know what his name was but he was so friendly, smiled, came back often to see if we needed anything, he was really wonderful! And the food.... Oh my! So delicious! I ordered the pork Mac bowl and my husband got the brisket sandwich combo with Cole slaw as well as the banana pudding. Everything was so fresh and delicious and the tangy Carolina sauce was excellent. The Mac bowl had a lot of meat in it! It was a great experience. There's a lot of seating inside and some outside as well. Very casual ambiance. I highly recommend. As a note, I think they must put coconut in their cole slaw which was a little strange but good once I figured out what the odd flavor i was tasting was. read more

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What a wonderful diner with lots of room for customers to spread out an enjoy their fare. The people here are so polite and welcoming. Tiffany is a gift to all of us. Her food preparation reaches perfection. We have searched for good bbq and found a great place in Shawn's. We ordered extra so we could have leftovers but had no idea how much food we would get with each order. What a great surprise! Each specialty was more delicious than the next. We started with the ribs with the sweet and spicy sauce and were impressed not only by the taste but how meaty they were. Next we had burnt ends which were exquisite. The best we have ever had. We moved on to the brisket sandwich which was delicious. The sides, which included baked beans, potato salad, and coleslaw were fresh and well-made. We would highly recommend this diner. It is so nice to have a place that feels like down home and has great food. read more

So I have been here several times. I did not post after the first time because I wanted to ensure it was a standard. I have come in with a couple others which included buying the street salad, the tacos, the nachos, the regular salad, the pork sandwich, and several different sides. Overall, every dish has been very good to excellent. Warning: the nachos is a huge serving with plenty of toppings, definitely a 2 or more person dish or full table appetizer. The salad is a lot as well with a lot of varieties and freshness in the vegetables and favorable dressings. The sandwich is fully packed with pork and not a fatty meat. They do not pre-sauce the meat, you have options for the sauces which means they do not hide sub quality meat under over sauced meat. It has good flavor and good texture. The tacos have options on corn or flour soft shells. The filling is plentiful and flavorful as well. Great choice and filling as well. The sides are good, mac&chz a little dry but I came in after lunch so it was probably much better during lunch. The fries were fries, could have been a little more crispy and hot but again, I came in late, so I take that one as well. The other sides were all great, the slaw and all were spot on. The people were all friendly, greeting us, polite with the order, asking how things are with us. They have good inspiration writings and sayings on the wall and the bathrooms are clean and well stocked as well. Most of the time the music has been a good volume and good BBQ eating music....midafternoon, the volume was a little louder and it was a little less meal-ready music but again it was midafternoon, so I figured they were pumped to clean and prep for dinner rush. So, overall, I have been there several times in the past 6 weeks and will definitely be back, after all it is not too far from Culpeper Community Church of God and Shawn's is open on Sundays...seems like a good match for Sundays. Thank you. Dan read more

Shawn's Craft Barbecue - Shawn's Signature BBQ Nachos with pulled chicken and a drink - Barbeque Near Me - Culpeper, Virginia

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We came here on a Saturday afternoon and there was no one so service was quick. I got the slider sampler and I do not know if it was enough of a portion, but I got to try the meats. The pork was ok and the brisket was alright. The chicken was actually the best. The mac and cheese was solid as a side as well. Not a terrible bbq place. read more

Stopped here on a Thursday afternoon. Shawn's has a good selection of barbecue. We had breakfast earlier so we ate lite. The honey spice flavored wings were crispy and awesome! I was very happy with my Pulled Pork Quesadilla. Strawberry Lemonade was delish, tho a lil sweet. We'll be back with an appetite. read more

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I came in with my family of 7 on a Friday afternoon. The food was fresh, hot, and delicious. Everything was flavorful. The facility was clean. Staff was also friendly and helpful. read more

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Excellent food and service. Stopped by in between lunch and dinner and everything was made fresh to order. The place was very clean. Will definitely be back. Come to Northern VA Shawn's! read more

This IS an Experience and "1st hand experience" We had photos of skimpy and fatty "meats" too but we did not share them! Since 2020, The prices are surged too high for portions and quality while the quality and service has plummeted. Portions are skimpy for the Prices. Food is hit or miss but mostly miss and off. We have paid for fat and gristle instead of "Meat" or "BBQ" They often forget sides and sauces! It is too often to be mistake. They do not care! Does Yelp really take down Real Reviews but allow former employees and competitors to post fake Reviews?!?! That is disrespectful and concerning when real Reviews are removed We can no longer support or recommend since they have employee named Muhammad who loves to tell Guests that he "does NOT have a "Green Card" and "Hate US as land of BS" "BS Country" This is disgusting and ANTI American to laugh and brag about how much he hates Our Country and mock it while he says "I am African! NEVER American! Don't forget it!" No one wants to be around someone who HATES OUR Country and US This is disturbing and disrespectful to ALL who eat in or get to go to hear this man on white electric bike with alcohol and drug bags laughing to say he craps on our soil and gets free money and takes crap in National Cemetery EVERY day" Manager and owner MUST know Muhammad has NO green card and allows it along with his anger and rage against Our Country. WE have lost our appetites for BBQ and worry about food tampering from angry man who openly hates. read more

Somebody's mama about to get slap!!! this food is AMAZING! Soft brisket, mac and cheese phenomenal!!! Cole slaw refreshing! Potato salad whipped perfectly! read more

Shawn's Craft Barbecue - Brisket Platter/2 Sides - Barbeque Near Me - Culpeper, Virginia

Passing through, had a craving for barbecue, ended up here. Ambiance is pretty basic. We both had pulled pork sandwiches, a side and a beer. Right around $40 all together. The sandwich was good, and a generous helping of pork. We both really enjoyed our sides. The teenaged boy who took our order needs a dose of customer service training; I literally had to tell him " hold on a minute dude, we've never been here before", as he was impatient and kinda brusque. But, 3 stars, because the food was good. read more

Food quality keeps decreasing and the food price steadily increasing. I ordered ribs on a mid day Friday only to get PORK JERKY ON THE BONE!! Please go back to your 2015-2016 handbook of quality. That's when sides were worth buying and the meat was good quality and taste. Dry, barely seasoned pork and watery flavorless Mac and cheese will get you the same outcome as the old Warrenton location. It'll take more than a working manager sitting at a table greeting customers as they enter and leave to get me to patronize this location again. read more

The food at Shawn's is bangin. We had gone to another bbq place around Culpeper and was let down by flavorless food. We tried Shawn's with bated breath but they CAME THROUGH! The meat was juicy and flavorful, the fries were AMAZING and I'm somewhat of a fry connoisseur, if you will. They have a lovely seasoning on them. I had a bbq salad with brisket and got the ranch and the southwestern sauce and both were awesome. I 10/10 recommend. Even for delivery! We had the food delivered so I can't speak to the service or ambiance but the food was done quickly and was still hot and delicious when it reached us. read more

Food was good. However the place tables were not cleaned before we got there and still were not cleaned by the time we left. It was Mother's Day and not many customers sitting. Would come back in a pinch. read more

We're visiting Culpeper and was looking for something to eat that we've never had before. Daniel was very friendly when we walked in! We ordered our food & he offered to let us sample all the bbq sauces with our food. Not pictures is the banana cream pie we also got. We were almost done with our food and Daniel brought the dessert over , wanted to keep it in the fridge while we ate. Great service, friendly workers, not busy at all at 7:30pm. Good music playing. Very happy we chose Shawn's Smokehouse! read more

Shawn's Craft Barbecue - Jr Sampler (Ribs, Briskett, Pulled Chicken, Pulled Pork, Green beans, baked beans, coleslaw, mac & cheese) - Barbeque Near Me - Culpeper, Virginia

What a treat this was. I was in Culpeper for work and drove past Shawn's smokehouse. I looked it up real quick and saw all the great reviews, so decided to try it out. All I have to say is...I wish I wasn't an hour and 30 mins away from Culpeper. If I wasn't I'd be here at least once a week. First off, the staff there is super friendly and welcoming. I was there Thursday afternoon around 12:30pm. Not a ton of folks in there at the time, but I'm sure it gets packed. As soon as I got up to the counter the cashier pointed me through some of the menu options to help with my decision. I wanted to try as much as possible so I went with their pick 2 which allows you to pick 2 meat options. I went with the ribs (2 per order) and the brisket (4ozs). You get a choice with the brisket of moist and lean. I went with the moist! I was a little confused once I got the check, because I thought it came with a side and a drink, but those are actually extra. I went with the Mac and Cheese as my side. To make this trip worth it, I ordered 6 of their dry rubbed smoked wings (with ranch) as well. The highlight for me believe it or not was the Mac and cheese. Only because I have yet to find a bbq spot that has a great Mac and cheese. I feel like they are always just ok. Not Shawn's!! It was flavorful, perfect cheese sauce, and the pasta was cooked just right. I have to admit I was a little skeptical about it being penne pasta. Proved me wrong. Next highlight for me were the wings. Blew me away. Nice sized wings, beautifully smoked, with just the right amount of dry rub. Dipped in ranch (clearly was homemade) was a match made in heaven. Had I known they were going to be so good, I would have ordered a bunch more for the upcoming super bowl. My least favorite but still yummy was the brisket. It wasn't as moist and tender as I would have liked. However once dipped into one of their sauces I wasn't mad at it. Well done Shawn's Smokehouse!! I was so excited about my experience I told co-workers about it the next day. They mentioned that there was a location in Fredericksburg as well. I'll have to see if the two are the same. That would be a little closer than Culpeper for me. read more

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I was looking for a nice BBQ place on our drive home from Harrisonburg, VA. I stumbled across this little gem in Culpeper. Shawn's served the best BBQ dishes, it was clean and the staff was very friendly and helpful. Thanks to Daniel and Drake, they were very helpful in helping us with our food choices and made us feel welcomed. Go try this place out, you will not be disappointed ! read more

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Yummy! We had the BBQ Nachos with pork. It was excellent, especially with the sweet and sassy BBQ sauce and ranch. It was a bit pricey for the amount of meat, but we'd certainly go back for it again. read more

Shawn's smokehouse bbq is delicious! We came in for dinner on a Saturday. Thankfully, we were ravenous because the portions were large and oh so tasty. We ordered the junior sampler to split. It came with pulled pork, chicken, brisket, and ribs. It also came with 3 sides. We chose beans, coleslaw and Mac n cheese. I also ordered cornbread. The ribs were my favorite. They were tender and falling off the bone. The brisket was my second favorite; very juicy and flavorful. The chicken and pulled pork were also great! We loved trying all of the different bbq sauces. The cornbread and Mac n cheese were to die for. We were stuffed when we left. The lady working at the register was so kind and friendly to us. She welcomed us and insisted that we try the banana pudding since it was our first time there. The banana pudding was amazing! She did not lead us astray. We had a great experience here and would definitely come back the next time we are in town. read more

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The pulled chicken, wings, cole slaw and baked chicken was good. Potato salad was not good and they are very stingy on the BBQ sauce. They offer a very small cup and will charge you for extra. It was pur first time and we were asking questions of the lady server at the register. I guess she got tired of the qualifications and walked away. It was good for us because the guy had more patience and was professional. Make sure you read the.menu well, because not all meats come with a side. read more

amazing service and food very delicious because it was good and scenery was very well decorated type shit would recommend food was made with love and you can tell they care about their restaurant read more

Food was .....ok. I ordered the brisket, there were four pieces. The first piece, the top one, was perfect. Each piece under the next was fat, fattier and fattiest. They were out of green beans. "No substitutions on the cole slaw because it's complimentary." They brought out two of our orders and said the third one would be out in 10 mins. Why not just wait and bring it all at once? Won't be back. read more

Great service, warm and welcoming atmosphere , and the food was so good We will definitely be back read more

So glad my camping group stopped here on the way back from our trip! I got the half rack of ribs with Heart of Texas bbq sauce (described as peppery and sweet with a hint of spice) and the coleslaw. The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and I really loved the sauce. If you like spicier sauces I would go with the Carolina Cussin. The coleslaw has coconut in it which sounds weird but really works! My boyfriend got the fatty brisket-- also pull-apart tender and juicy. The food came out super quick which was a nice surprise and everything was delicious! I would have given this place 5 stars but none of the employees were wearing masks (yikes!! thankfully everyone in my group is vaccinated) and one of them, a young woman, seemed really irritated when asked to help customers. This happened to not only my group but also another table next to us. It was a real turn off that she acted like we were a burden. read more

Shawn's Craft Barbecue - Half rack of ribs with Heart of Texas BBQ sauce, fatty brisket, the little coleslaw that comes with the ribs and a bigger pint to share. - Barbeque Near Me - Culpeper, Virginia

Ribs were tender and with good flavor, but overcooked. Average food and decent service. Strip center restaurant.

Loved this place! Outside of a few vintage restaurants in Kansas City, Missouri,...Shawn's Smokehouse offered some of the best BBQ I've tasted in recent memory. I had just spent 2 full days hiking and exploring Shenandoah National Park and I was making my way back to Washington DC for my flight home to Florida the following day. Spending the evening here in small town, Culpeper, Virginia...I was craving some good old fashioned BBQ! I was surprised to see that Shawn's was located in a strip plaza and although I was expecting a full stand alone restaurant,....the place was pretty big on the inside. There was plenty of space to sit down with tables, booths, chairs and high tops. On the left hand side of the restaurant, you walk down the aisle and wait in line to place your order. While waiting in line, the entire menu is posted on the side of the wall. The menu has 4 - 5 giant, colorful sized billboards with tons of BBQ choices to pick from. Since I was dining alone, what caught my attention was the PICK 2 BBQ menu board. You have a choice of the SMALL portion for $10 or the LARGE sized portion for $16. I selected the SMALL option....which was plenty enough for me (and just about anyone, imo). So...the small portion for $10, you get to pick 2 meats of your choice which come standard with a roll and coleslaw. Your choices of meats include...brisket, pork, chicken, pulled chicken, 4 wings, 2 bones of ribs, and even burnt ends!!! (the burnt ends come in parenthesis "while supplies last") But wow, burnt ends!?!? I've rarely see that option from the BBQ places I've visited in the last few years! Then...you can add up to any 2 side items for only $1 each more. Doing, the math...for $12, you get 2 meats, a roll, coleslaw, and 2 side items. What a great deal!!! And they offer fountain sodas sold ala carte. Side items included....potato salad, dirty rice, baked beans, mac & cheese, green beans, mashed potatoes, French fries, cornbread muffins and pasta salad. Those all sounded good to me! I chose the brisket, burnt ends, mac & cheese and green beans. After ordering, you then pick and choose your own table to sit down at and they eventually call your name when your order is ready to be picked up at the counter. Ordering went smoothly, there wasn't much of a wait ahead of me in line, and I had no issues getting a table for a Monday evening during the summertime. And...I think one of the best parts about Shawn's was the fantastic BBQ sauces they featured! Off to the side...they must have had about 12 different BBQ sauces to add to your meal. So...of course, I had to sample all 12 sauces (hehehe) and then I brought a few containers over to my table to complement my meal. Overall, the BBQ...all the meats, pork, burnt ends, my sides, the roll, coleslaw....everything was DELICIOUS! I somehow managed to finish almost my entire meal. And...absolutely the SMALL portion was plenty enough to feed me...especially after hiking lots of miles of elevated trails at Shenandoah. I was truly happy I chose to come here to Shawn's Smokehouse and grateful I had the opportunity to fill my belly with hearty good BBQ, lol. I highly recommend if you're visiting Culpeper or happen to be passing through town, absolutely stop on by for some authentic, mouth watering BBQ! read more

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Smokehouse the way it's meant to be. We ordered the sampler platter for 2 which comes with 3 sides. The meats were full of flavor and tender: ribs, brisket, chicken. The sides were just 'ok' -- beans were way too sweet for my taste. But you come for the BBQ and this place delivers. We also tried the chocolate chip cheesecake, which earns 3.5 stars. The waitress told us that the most popular item is the banana pie. Ambience is casual. You order at the counter and pick up your plastic cutlery, grab a drink or beer, and find a table. Then wait a few minutes until your plates arrive and your inner carnivore is released. A real Americana experience. Mmmmmm. Mmmmmmm!! read more

Shawn's Craft Barbecue - Smokehouse junior - Barbeque Near Me - Culpeper, Virginia

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I was looking for BBQ in the Culpeper Area. It was great!!!! Yes the restaurant offers sauces to add to the sandwich but it, i would argue has great flavor already. Item tried was the Pulled Pork sandwich. And it was so good i will try the Chicken next visit. Great food! read more

Ah, yes , the saving grace of this boring , old town. Shawn's Smokehouse has been here not too long but the flavors will always remain in my palate. It is truly worth a gem for a barbecue place. My family always goes here for a good American dinner , along with buying our sides for Thanksgiving. The Mac N Cheese is so divine I've been worshipping it for 3 years now. I've never been a fan of pulled pork and ribs but man, pig never tastes so good. The ole' country really is the best place to get barbecue. You would not want to miss this place. read more

Burnt tips excellent; service lovely; bathrooms pristine; price fine; not in love w Smokey Baked Beans ( too much smoke) but loved sauces and sandwiches. read more

Small town barbecue. Always good. Also, if you're going to order those steak fries you probably need a group of 4-6 especially if everyone is getting an entree. Chicken is nice and moist. Ribs are somewhat moist, and that's okay. But their selection of sauces are nice. Has a good clean bathroom. Paper towels at every table for when it gets deliciously messy. read more

Everything was good here. We did a family style platter with brisket, pulled pork and burnt ends along with coleslaw, baked beans and Mac& cheese. The brisket was tender & succulent. The burnt ends has that right mix of moist bites & chewier bites with great caramelization. The coleslaw has a hint of coconut flavor and was super fresh. I am a sauce snob and all of their sauces were good. The right amount of tangy with a kick. And I always appreciate a good Texas barbecue sauce. The counter service was great. She was patient as we navigated the menu as first timers and offered great suggestions. We will definitely go back. read more

I've ordered takeout three times and two out of the three times they forgot to include the bbq sauce. A bbq restaurant that leaves out the bbq sauce this frequently is the reason I give them three stars. It's like getting pasta without marinara or a pizza without cheese. The food would be great otherwise. read more

BEST BBQ EVER! Enough said!! We loved it so much we ordered a pound of brisket and a pound of burnt ends to take home. read more

Shawn's Craft Barbecue - Very dirty rice, burned ends, brisket, rolls, green beans with pulled pork, pulled pork, and been ribs. - Barbeque Near Me - Culpeper, Virginia

Driest pulled pork and ribs I've ever had in my life. Small portions. Mac and cheese tasted like it came from a box. Not worth your money.

We've eaten there twice in the first week they opened. You get plenty of food for the money, definitely well worth it. The first night I ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich (no bun) - coleslaw automatically comes on the side with everything, then you get to choose two additional sides. I chose BBQ Baked Beans and Baked Mac & Cheese - all of that for $8.95! My husband had the half chicken - again with coleslaw - and he chose Baked Mac & Cheese and Dirty Rice as his sides ($9.95). The second visit we both had half chickens with the coleslaw - then I tried the Cilantro and Tomato Pasta Salad as something different this time, along with the Baked Mac & Cheese. First, I'm not even a fan of coleslaw, but this stuff is good! The Cilantro Tomato Pasta Salad was interesting, but not something I'd order regularly. The Baked Mac & Cheese was really good - I'd definitely recommend that. The BBQ Baked Beans were good, but a bit sweet for my liking. The meat itself was good - the half chicken has a lot of flavor and the pork was good. I really wish they had pulled chicken sandwiches or chopped pork sandwiches - those are my favorite styles of BBQ, but overall we really liked it. I'm excited to have a new restaurant in town to order from! read more

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Burnt ends cooked to perfection so the fat is rendered and they are like little cubes of meat candy = 5 stars. Smoked wings were also great, and I would recommend having them plain. read more

Came here on the way home from a day at Lake Anna, on a Wednesday at about 7pm. Not too busy, no line when ordering. We got a banana pudding (which we quickly devoured while waiting for our food to come). Our food seemed to take a while to come out but maybe that's because we were pretty hungry. We both got the steak and cheese sandwiches with onions and peppers. The steak was incredibly flavorful and tender, amazing. But way too much cheese and needed a lot more meat. While it was really yummy we probably wouldn't get that menu item due to the scant meat. But the meat was amazing so I look forward to trying more menu items. We shared a variety of sides; French fries, Mac and cheese, and pasta salad, all of which were good. Each sandwich also came with coleslaw which was a little heavy on the dill for my liking but other then that was good. Good stuff and we definitely look forward to coming back! read more

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