Wanted to try this place yesterday , but sign read that they were closed due to the lack of staff so we tried a place across the street from it which was a seafood place and it was the bomb. If you've been to this place already then you know the place wasn't meant to be . Just giving you an update read more

T&j's Smokehouse - a sign in a window - Smokehouse Near Me - Put-in-Bay, Ohio

For Put-In-Bay it's a decent BBQ restaurant. At least the ribs were. Fries were a bbq smoked style with the skins on and were nice and crispy. Food came out relatively quickly and service was great. There was no spicy BBQ sauce but once you put the crushed red peppers on top it was perfect. The coleslaw smelled off though and even though they brought out a new batch it still didn't smell right. Otherwise my friend got the tenders and liked it. Overall not bad but would like to try the sampler platter next time around. read more

T&j's Smokehouse - Full slab of ribs - Smokehouse Near Me - Put-in-Bay, Ohio

We visited T&J when we visited Put N Bay. We had been roaming the town all day and wanted somewhere we could sit and enjoy the sights. We walked up to T & J and it looked like it could be a really fun place. We happened to visit on a Tuesday and business was quite slow. We were seated and it took the waitress about 15 minutes before getting our drink order. We told her we were ready to order by then and she said she would be back. She returned about 15 minutes later with out drinks and we proceeded to order. I ended up getting the Perch meal (I had never tried it before) I was slightly disappointed. The tartar sauce didn't taste fresh and the perch was soggy. Overall it was a nice place - I liked the atmosphere, but with the price and the quality of the food I dont know that I would be back. read more

T&j's Smokehouse - Smokehouse Near Me - Put-in-Bay, Ohio

Does anyone know the name of the band with two brothers in it? I heard them play the guitar but unfortunately I could not stay to listen. I was trying to research them but unable to find. read more

Stopped here for lunch on a Monday. The place was dead so we were able to get a table for 8 right away. The bar area was neat because it had saddles to sit on instead of stools. We ordered the nachos and the pickle spears for appetizers. Here's where my one star review comes from. The nachos were $12 in my opinion already slightly overpriced but if you get loads of meat and toppings on the nachos it could be worth it. I was highly disappointed. The nachos had barely any toppings some cheese and meat. See the picture. The pickle spears were delicious but small amount for the price. We ordered the bbq sampler to split for $23. For a smokehouse, the meat had no smoke flavor. We also ordered the onion rings instead of fries. I was disappointed in the amount of meat we got as well as the flavors. The meat came off the ribs easily which was nice but it felt like there was something missing. Overall, I was underwhelmed and highly disappointed with the food we got for the price. read more

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This is the worst BBQ I have ever had. When I cut into meatballs the meat was green. My brisket was also green. This was Sunday at 8 pm... maybe they were out of fresh food and served reheated frozen. The taste was bad. Service was slow for a huge restaurant with only a few customers. What a waste!!! I will NEVER return. You should run away too. read more

You'll easily spend $50 per person and regret it. I was there tonight. They were upfront before seating that food will take an hour. The group decided to stay because we figured we'd have drinks and apps too. My burger was soggy, the perch was a little dry. I didn't send it back because i didn't want to wait. The provolone sticks, fried pickles, and meatball apps were good. Service was slow the whole time, to get refills new drinks etc. The bathrooms were in wrecked condition too. The women in my group had to leave to use a different bathroom because they felt it was unsafe there was no locked doors. Also the men's bathroom only had a broken saloon door. Even before we got our food they broke down other tables right in front of us, moving them etc less than 2 feet from us. Music is country and had good variety. Simply put, go somewhere else read more

DO NOT go here unless you have 2 to 3 hours to burn waiting on service/food, at least that's what we experienced. Our group of 6 came in between the lunch and dinner crowds, and was quickly seated, the place wasn't overly busy and there were several tables available. The first thing I noticed was that there were a lot of serving staff moving around, but DON'T let that fool you, other than the 3 or 4 we saw running their butts off, the rest seemed to be huddled in the kitchen area. This is a large place, with the ability to serve many customers, so why is it that a place filled to 60% capacity, was so slow? The inside from what I could tell was appeared empty, and the outside patrons were by-and-large just eating simple bar food like wings or chicken strip types of things or drinking from what I saw. We ordered the brisket, wings, and pulled pork and honestly, the food was mediocre at best. The most confusing thing to me is, it took well over 2 hours to get our food, its not like they had to cook from scratch...wouldn't something like a smokehouse have been cooking the meats for several hours!? Regardless when we first sat and ordered the drinks, it took the server over 20 minutes to get our beverages (waters and beer), then she left and came back 10 to 15 minutes later to take our orders...THAT should have been the indicator of things to come. When the food came there was a lot of confusion around who was getting what, and the wrong thing was brought out and had to go back and other missing or incorrect things with the food. It seemed the server had no system, just would stand and say who ordered this or that and hand people the wrong stuff, take stuff away then bring it back..what a cluster! After all the waiting, I expected something that was worth the wait, but that was not the case at all, the shredded pork was very fatty and the people who ordered it were super disappointed, it was so bad on one plate that more than half was left. The brisket was a little tough, certainly dry and the BBQ sauce tasted like it was store bought, nothing special there. The boneless chicken wings were dry, tough and had more breading than meat. So for me, between the service and the quality, as a place that consumed half of my time on the island, this is a place I would definitely not recommend! read more

Great service and food!! All 6 of us had great meals. The corn bread side was a fave! Eric was our great server! Thank you for a great family time!! read more

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There is something to be said about a one page menu. Do something and do it right and don't get bogged down by spreading yourself too thin. T&J's seems to adhere to this. I was worried at first because of the prices, but when the food came out my fears were put aside. Everything turned out better than expected. I ordered some pulled pork which had very good flavor. I especially liked the BBQ sauce which was rich and delectable. The fries were fresh and so was the coleslaw. We also tried the mac and cheese as well as sweet potato fries, which were exceptional. I was hoping for some draft beer but all they had were bottles. At least they had several varieties of Great Lakes to choose from. The service was ok, and probably could have been better, but since it was the end of the season I am willing to give people a pass for being burned out. It improved during the course of the meal too. We sat outside in an extremely spacious patio which was great for people watching but not too loud. read more

The season is just beginning, but they seemed to be fully staffed. Still we waited 15-20 minutes after getting drinks before we flagged down our server. We swear she forgot us. No apology. Ok. The food: Mrs. ordered brisket. She received a brisket sandwich. She never said sandwich. She kept it and ate the brisket without the bread (she's gluten free). She said it was just ok. Hot sauce helped, but not enough. I had the pulled pork entree. It was just ok and was mushy like it was put through a food processor. Not pulled. Almost ground. The sauce is nothing to write home about. Not even average. Hot sauce was really necessary and didn't really help the bland taste of this masticated pork. The fries looked better than they tasted. Bottom line: don't waste your time. There are much better choices. read more

My wife and I decided to stop here for lunch while exploring the island. We noticed the "For Sale" signs posted on the windows, but because of the delightful "smoke" smell permeating the surrounding area we decided to give it a shot. The restaurant was pretty dead, so we were able to get a seat right away. We each ordered the pulled pork sandwiches. Our bottom buns were soaked through, and the flavor of the pulled pork was tolerable but definitely not great. We each got fries with our sandwiches, which had decent flavor but felt a little soggy - almost as if they had been re-heated. We ordered a side of Mac-and-Cheese to go with our dinner, which in my wife's words was "a step up from Kraft". All of this cost us over $40 dollars... I think this may be the first time in my life I've regretted dining somewhere. With so many other food options in the area, please do you and your wallet a favor by dining somewhere else. read more

we went here yesterday (thursday june 11 2020) it was completely dead except for one or two more tables that had already been there for a while, eaten, etc. we were seated quickly, but we had been sitting for about ten minutes and still hadn't been asked what we'd like to drink. we probably would have waited longer if we didn't leave. there may have only been a few people working but the few other tables that were occupied had already been served and they were just conversing. that being said we were the only ones that needed to be waited on. poor customer service all around. read more

Not sure what happened but we had a party of 11 hungry adults and were treated like "Why are you here?" The problem is we come here every year and have a great time. They must have had a bad year of hiring. Not very welcoming today!!! So we decided to leave. Bye TJ's!!!! read more

We originally went to the boathouse, but we promptly left there because we hadn't been helped on 30 minutes, so we were worried his place would be just as bad. We were seated quickly, and the server was very quick to get our drinks, which was pleasant. We ordered shortly after, and our food came out within 15 minutes. Very good food. Great portions. This place is amazing. read more

T&j's Smokehouse - The beautiful bar - Smokehouse Near Me - Put-in-Bay, Ohio

Lazy staff. Did not want to help our large party when there was barely any customers in there to begin with. Based on other reviews, it appears a lazy staff is the norm. There's so many places to eat on the island don't bother giving this place any money. We ended up going across the street to The Boathouse and received amazing service. Moving forward, none of us will ever bother giving TJs any service again. I'd rather go to local island Subway than to give this place a dime. read more

Don't waste your money if you are looking for good food. The burger was clearly a frozen patty and not fresh Angus beef. The mac and cheese tasted like it was Kraft with a little extra cheese added to the top then microwaved. The crinkle cut, from a bag, sweet potato fries were an additional 3 dollars to get instead of regular and of course they failed to mention that when we ordered. The ribs were similair to those at Applebees. All in all the service was mediocre and the food was sub par. Maybe we needed to be drinking to enjoy read more

This place is not okay lost out on money. Would not seat a table of 18 and split bill when most restaurants can. Pretty sure the manager at time didn't want that many black people on site would not recommended, read more

Food was below average and the service was beyond slow. It was early in the day so not busy. Our waitress treated us like she had something better to do and we were bothering her. We just wanted a cheeseburger. Jeeze. read more

As an industry person I've never been treated so rudely in my life!!!! Our server told us shots were 5.50 yet when the bill comes out they are 9+ it nothing to cover the bill but don't tell me one thing when it's another.... my chicken was not edible they with the grace of their hearts took that off the bill I still tipped over 100% yet after the whole dilemma asked us to leave when they were in the wrong?!!!!!?? I will never step foot in this place again read more

My family was very excited to try this place. Our first time back to Put In Bay in over twenty years. The restaurant wasn't crowded at all and we were seated right away. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive as well. However, the food was VERY disappointingThe sweet potato fries were burnt,the mac and cheese appeared to have sat out for a while, the pulled pork sandwich had very little meat (mostly bun) and when they say "market price" for perch dinner I certainly wasn't expecting $26!!! Not to mention, two people in my party got violently ill and what they ate in common...bbq chicken wings! So...$90 later and by far one of the worst dining experiences we've had. We will not be visiting this restaurant ever again! read more

WORST DINNING EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE! Terrible service waited 5 minutes for a see, 10 minutes until we asked for a waitress, 10 more then we asked for a manager and after 25 minutes of NO service (not even a "I'll be right with you") we got up and left. The food might be great, or it might be dog food, I'll Never know I'd probably be still waiting for service. read more

T&j's Smokehouse - Worst dinning experience of my life - Smokehouse Near Me - Put-in-Bay, Ohio

Are current wait from being sat down for our meal. It took 40 minutes to get water, almost an hour before drinks and who knows how long till food arrives. Don't waste your time, it's not like there is a shortage of places to eat on the island. read more

I was dubious of a BBQ place where there should not be one. North central Ohio is sorely lacking in "good" BBQ. Anyhow, I rolled the dice and took the girl and we got lunch. I ordered brisket which was tender and flavorful. I was kind of upset by this and asked our server why it was so good here. She sent out the cook who explained their smoking times and processes, which was very nice. The lady got the "healthy" tacos and I sampled them and they were tasty. The corn chips were disturbingly thin, but not over fried and were exceptional as was the salsa. Service was on-par for the island, which is to say it was acceptable. I am sad I have to take the ferry to get good local BBQ... I will be back for sure. read more

Really underwhelming, food was just ok - definitely not worth $13 for a subpar burger. Service also left a lot to be desired, with various little things such as being left with empty water glasses for most of our visit and seeing the waitress just 4 times (once when we ordered, once when she brought part of our food several mins later than the rest, once to get the check, and once when she dropped cards back off). Will definitely find somewhere else to eat next time. read more

I don't know how this place has so many good reviews. We stood outside for 15 minutes waiting for someone to seat us. We finally went inside and asked the girl standing in there doing nothing if we could get seated. We could see plenty of empty tables inside and out., She was very snotty and told us we were supposed to wait outside by the sign. When I told her we'd been out there and no one ever came out, she asked us if we wanted inside or outside. We said inside because it was so hot, plus we'd been standing in the sun waiting to be seated. She then told us they didn't have enough servers for inside so we needed to sit outside. Then why did you ask?! She set us at a table in partial shade and more or less threw some menus at us. We sat for 15 minutes, no one even came to take our drink order. We asked a guy as he was walking back inside if we could get some service. He said he would get our waitress. Another 10 minutes, nothing. By this time we'd been there 45 minutes and no drinks, no service, nothing. We got up and walked out. This was the first time I've been to PIB and this place left a very bad impression on me. If i ever go back to this island, I will surely not eat at this place. Steer clear if you want timely service. read more

Cheese burger and wings are OK. Service was fast and friendly. Bathroom really dirty.

Best ribs. EVER. Best brisket EVER. This place is golden. I will definitely be eating here every time I come to Put In Bay!!!

We came here during the endless pasta on vacation. Great sized pasta bar with included salad and desert. Great deals and great food.

Came on the Thursday of Christmas in July for lunch before the amateur drinkers showed up! Had awesome, fall-off-the-bone ribs & cold micro brews!!! Great lunch! Fun waitstaff Jenni B took good care of us!! Fun day in Put in Bay! read more

T&j's Smokehouse - After photo!! Awesome ribs! Great waitress Jenni B! - Smokehouse Near Me - Put-in-Bay, Ohio

We have eaten here twice, once for dinner not long after they opened & again for lunch last month. I have had their BBQ & brisket. They were delicious! My family tried different sandwiches & we were all happy with our meals. It is one of the places we look forward to eating when visiting the island. We have heard 2 bands that T & Js has brought in. They were both very good! read more

Also took a trip to T&Js Smokehouse during our Put in Bay adventure. Food and service was really good, some of the food was a little pricey for pub grub. Will definitely eat there again. read more

Great bbq! Was a suggestion of a bartender at the longest bar. Good food and drink. Our server, paul I think, was a cutie and super nice. Bathrooms were my least favorite of the weekend. Swinging saloon doors and super tiny. read more

I have been here on several occasions. I have had good and bad service but the food is always delicious and prices are more than reasonable for the amount of food ! read more

I have eaten here three times in the last year and each time the food was fantastic! The pulled pork sandwich is probably one of the best I have ever had! The fries are perfectly cooked and the cornbread was delicious! The service was slow the last time I was here...but it was a Saturday night and the poor bartender was trying to take care of the bar and all the tables in the front area including a large bachelorette party. It's a little pricey but in line with the rest of the Islands restaurant prices. I would've stuck around but I'm just not a fan of country music. So we left right after we ate. read more

Being on an island I did not have high expectations for the food. The brisket at T&J's was phenomenal! Thank you yelp for leading me here!

Food was good. Service was good. Prices were reasonable for the island. We had the perch, Timmy's Tacos and chicken tenders.

Stopped in with 5 adults and 2 children. We sat for 15 minutes and no service. This was in the afternoon so the place was not busy. When we asked for a server the girl rolled her eyes and walked away. No one showed up at our table so we left. Plenty of other places to eat who would be happy to take our money. read more

Delicious! One of the best pulled pork sandwiches I've ever had. This place is the opposite of terrible.

Service was ok. It was lunch and it was slow but we still had weak service. All the girls were complaining how slow it was and how they weren't making money. Can't blame them, but didn't care to hear it. That aside, the brisket Cuban sandwich was fantastic. If I lived there I would be eating it regularly ! read more