Perfection! Great food, easy party order, excellent customer service. Great place for party trays for large gatherings. Bonita Saunders read more

Why in the world would a place charge for sauces and NEVER give them? Chicken is dry and fries are from the bottom of the fryer. Nasty

Found this place on our way home from DE shore, after calling 4 other places for my husband's specific request (of raw onions and pickles) for a BBQ brisket sandwich. We had a BBQ brisket sandwiches, greens and cornbread. Meat was freshly prepared and tender, and the cornbread was moist and still crumbly. Wilmer was especially accommodating when he saw us sitting on the curb eating, and brought us a fold out table and chair. He was a great host and hung out with us while eating. We will be back for sure! read more

I haven't ordered in 4 years. The fish was on point. The greens ( just me) stems don't belong in cooked greens. Cornbread was crumbly. Sweet Tea, way too sweet. read more

Ironically the best cheesesteak I've ever had. And it's not in Philly. TIP: Call before you go to confirm their hours of the day. I was driving on a Sunday from NYC and arrived close to 4pm. The kitchen was 10 minutes from closing. read more

Tender Bones Rib Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Bear, Delaware

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Fish Friday did not disappoint! Fish wash fresh, hot and crispy! Best value for the money. 10 out of 10 stars!

Food was delicious, tasty, meat fell off the bones. Cornbread is very good and definitely the Philly Steak which you receive plenty of meat. My only problem is sometimes the wait is slightly long. read more

We were told by some friends about the steak sandwich here, sounded too good to be true. We drove 25 minutes away to try. The place is not what's shown on website, very small, takeout only (1small corner bench). After placing order, we were told it would be 35-40 minute wait. We saw only 2 guys running things, but they were very friendly, polite & sincere in their efforts for the customers. We finally got back home, opened up the heavy 2+ lb steak sandwiches & I was amazed, the quality of the tender chopped rib eye steak & the cheese blend mix, was off the charts. NO CONDIMENTS NEEDED FOLKS! This was a monster! Delicious! We would not only recommend, but we are definitely making another trip back for some of their other tasty looking meals read more

Tender Bones Rib Shack - Chefs Philly Cheesesteaks - Barbeque Near Me - Bear, Delaware

Best cheesesteak EVER (5 stars, bbq 3 stars) Beats an official Philly cheesesteak and all the others we have tried EVER. We tried their bbq first and overheard another customer pickup the cheesesteak. Tried it and never looked back. There is a great bbq place less than a mile away called Big John's. Come to tender bones for the cheesesteak and Big John's for bbq. read more

I never like to leave bad reviews but the cheesesteak here was terrible. The smell was really bad, and also I'm not sure if it was a plastic piece or bone that came out of the sandwich that I bit into. The Mac & cheese also had a bad smell and the chicken tenders seemed fake. The fries were good but that was about it. I would not recommend this establishment to anyone.. read more

Covid-19 vibe is a somber, but I can see this place being very lively during normal times. I went there to pick up a 3 lb. cheesesteak and I was the only patron in the store. So it was a little sad, but I wasn't here for the company. I had heard about the non-menu item 3 lb. cheesesteak through a local news report, so I decided I had to give it a try. I placed the order over the phone at 11:02am and they said it would be ready at noon. I got there at 11:55 and it wasn't ready yet (of course), but I was hoping that I would check in and avoid any possible crowd (which there was none). The cheesesteak was brought out to my car at 12:10, so a little later than promised. I had to drive back to work (a little over 20 minutes away) and then opened up the individually numbered container (mine was the 41,547th created). Because of the wait to open this baby, the meat had taken the form of the shell and the cheese had hardened a little. It didn't look that appealing, but it was quite tasty. In the end, this nearly 3 lbs. of ribeye, onions, green & red peppers, and American cheese, with a hint of spice (black pepper). It's impossible to eat it like a normal cheesesteak, so make sure you have a knife and fork handy. I gave my co-worker a portion of it and I still have about 1/3 left for my next lunch. At $15, it's a great value compared to a normal cheesesteak. You're getting about 3 times the food for only 1.5x the price. read more

This place is just ok. I don't like too much meat in my cheesesteaks so imo it was just too much. There's 3 lbs of meat in each foot long. It was so stuffed with meat that we cut it into thirds and I was stuffed. I should have stopped there but we also got one with peppers in it. I had to try it. That was also cut into thirds but I had to cut my piece in half because I was so full. Yeah it was that much meat. The good - the bread The bad - too much meat, cheese, and pepper. Almost tasted like sausage since they went really heavy handed with the spice. Overall, if I lived closer yeah I would come back. But since it was almost a 25 min drive to get there it wasn't worth it. So if you live close by yes it's worth going there for. One foot long would feed your whole family (family of 4)! They also gave us some freshly made corn bread for free which I did enjoy. It was so buttery and moist. read more

Tender Bones Rib Shack - Cheesesteak with pepper and regular cheesesteak - Barbeque Near Me - Bear, Delaware

First and foremost, be ready for a wait!- even if you call ahead! That being said, wow! This is the best cheese steak I've ever had! Practically orgasmic! The ribs, collared greens, Max and cheese, peach cobbler...yummm... read more

Do not buy into the hype, I would not get food from here if they paid me ! They are rude and unprofessional and the food quality is not fit for human consumption. read more

The best ribs ever! It truly falls off the bone. I was told about it from a friend and I went to bear Delaware and couldn't believe how good it taste. You're gonna love it. read more

Incredible cheesesteaks! Sloppy, cheesey, meaty. You can easily make 2 or 3 big cheesesteaks out the one. Cool mom & pop shop.

One of the best steaks I have ever purchased here in Delaware! I will definitely return.

Excellent ribs, best cheesesteaks in Delaware. Delicious fried fish on Fridays. The order will be prepared fresh when you show up. Be prepared to wait. read more

Don't sleep on Chef's Philly Cheese Steak, it's the real deal!!! Mac&Cheese was legit too read more

Tender Bones Rib Shack - Chef's Philly Cheese steak! - Barbeque Near Me - Bear, Delaware

Food is good. There is a smoker outside where they prepare the ribs, chickens, etc. Ribs are juicy and out of this world. Collard greens are the chef's mom's recipe. Outstanding read more

Great food but expensive and you have to wait. I got a one hone rib and waited 45 minutes. I could see the staff cutting food and packaging but it seems everything needed to go through the boss first and just slowed everything down. I don't know if this routine has changed but unless you order your food at breakfast don't expect it until dinner. read more

Waited twenty minutes in store for small order (only customer in store). The four ribs were drenched in sauce like the sauce was simply pour in large quantities over ribs. Corn bread fell apart into crumbs as soon as you picked it up. Had to pinch crumbs to eat. Collard greens lacked seasoning. When this place first opened the quality was great with the owner present and engaging customers (very personable). The quality has certainly slipped the owner is not around and that is a shame for such a promising business.. read more

It's like I died and went to cheese steak heaven!!!!! It's like I died and went to ribs heaven! ... and sides heaven... and friendly staff and ambiance heaven If you only have time for ONE restaurant... this is the place to go to and feast on what the almighty intended us to feast on... read more

Tender Bones Rib Shack - I will never look at Cheese Steak the same way again! - Barbeque Near Me - Bear, Delaware

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3 lb. CHEESESTEAK!! If you find yourself in Bear, DE, I'm sorry. The good news is you will be near Tenderbones Rib Shack!! 3 lbs of Ribeye, fried onions, green peppers, mushrooms and cheese. The $15 price shocked me. But, I am going to get 4 meals out of it. It's awesomeness. Chef Bones is wonderful. He numbers and signs every cheesesteak container. What surprised me the most was that only half the people that came in got cheesesteaks. I guess the other food is good also. read more

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The food here was outstanding my wife and son went here today Sunday July 25th . Cheesesteaks to Brisket sandwiche to the ribs food tasted so good and the people there are some of the most friendliest we will definitely be going back read more

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Really good smoked meats. I had the brisket and a pork rib sandwich. The sandwich was $7 which was a good value. It filled me up and the ribs were tender and juicy read more

Mannn i traveled from DC to this place because of the news highlight about the cheesesteak. I had such high hopes and it was underwhelming mainly because it wasn't STEAK it was ground beef! Flavor wasn't bad but it was GROUND BEEF!! A 2 lb chopped cheese doesnt have the same ring as a 2 lb cheesesteak...I wouldn't have paid all those tolls for a chopped cheese ijs...and I had to wait 40 mins for it lol BUT THE MAC & CHEESE was A1! read more

Tender Bones Rib Shack - Chef Philly Cheesesteak - Barbeque Near Me - Bear, Delaware

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Take it from a Kansas City kid, Chef Bones is as authentic as it gets. And his offerings are as well. His brisket is second to none. Services has always been personal and outstanding. Sorry to read that anyone feels otherwise. Two thumbs up. read more

There isn't a menu selection that isn't incredible. From either side of the road. The rib shack or seafood place. You will enjoy every selection. Dr. Bones and the staff are both knowledgeable and social. Enjoy ! read more

Excellent food cheesesteak was UN real I will definitely return. I live in MD and sometimes I come up just for the steaks .

Have gotten their food when the first opened and despite painfully long wait times loved the food. Chef bones is extremely friendly and you can tell he truly cares about his customers. I've avoided the place for the most part recently, because I just don't feel like waiting 45mins-1 hour to get my food. And it's not easy to get through to them to get a call ahead order in. Attempted tonight to place and order. We call and a girl answered and asked us to hold. We were on hold for 30 mins(only reason we held is cause we know how slow things run there) and the phone then disconnected. I called back and got a "hi, we're closed." I was kinda taken back by the way she answered the phone. I told her we had been on hold all this time and she seemed confused. She then blamed it on the phones "having issues all day." What a waste of time! And to have such a non-caring person on the other end of the phone. Sadly I think I'm done with this place. I'm honestly not sure how they manage two locations now. read more

Waited a long time to try one of these 3 lb Philly cheesesteaks.... it was SO worth the wait. I will never eat another cheesesteak again. Philly ain't got nothing on this bad boy!! Hands down THE best steak sandwich I have ever had! read more

Tender Bones Rib Shack - 3 lb Monster!!!! - Barbeque Near Me - Bear, Delaware

OMG. What can I say about Chef Bones and the family. Awesome food , consistent and delightful. Just be patience since it's cooked to order. Order in line whenever possible and give them a few extra minutes due to walk in orders Your old neighbor- Rufus. Aka Alex read more

This sub was one of the best I ever had , so big they give you a fork to eat it with , definitely recommend this if your in the Delaware area read more

Tender Bones Rib Shack - HUGE CHEESESTEAK "NOT ON MENU " - Barbeque Near Me - Bear, Delaware

There was nothing tender about the brisket sandwich. I also had to wait at least 15 minutes for it. In my opinion, that seems like a long time for something that's probably already made (at least that's what it tasted like) and just has to be assembled into a sandwich. The portion size was nice, but It would have been nice to have a decent size to-go box to fit the sandwich. Either way, it did not taste good and I simply could not eat it. I also asked for pecan pie, but they sold out. I was hoping this place was going to be really good, based on the other reviews, but was disappointed. I'll stick to Dickey's for bbq to go. This place is pretty much to go only. Barely any space to eat inside. I did like the spicy bbq sauce. read more

Tender Bones Rib Shack - Hours - Barbeque Near Me - Bear, Delaware

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New to this spot but the cheesesteaks are so good!!! They are meaty and great price for the size! Now Im a regular customer!

Initially, I was surprised at the cost of the ribs, but I always been taught, you get what you pay for. The ribs were excellent. They was tender, meaty and it was very saucy. The owner and worker were very hospitable, so much so, that will I was sitting in my truck on the phone the owner came out to make sure I was okay and then brought me out some free fried fish and the fish was awesome. It was sorta like Jesus turning the water into wine and the latter was better than the first. I really recommend the Tender Bones Rib Shack and I'm still amused because I went there by accident. Go and you won't regret. read more

Food was great. My family and I ordered a bunch of different items and we tried them out. Love how they make their cheesesteaks. The ribs had a lot of meat. The wings were large. And the service was outstanding! They really make you feel like coming back. read more

You get what you pay for ($15) plus with over 2 pounds of ribeye steak, is worth the wait! Yes, that is indeed correct. Making it just about a total of 3 POUNDS Cheesesteak! Each made-to-order, boxed, and signed by the Chef himself. Who knew out of all places, one of the best cheesesteaks would be located in Bear, Delaware. The Mister claims it's the best he has ever had. My opinion, "one of". Tenderbones tends to sell out. So it is highly recommended to place your order by phone. Usually wait time is a hour. I couldn't, he couldn't, we couldn't ever seem to finish this in one sitting. read more

I'm a big fan of good barbecue. I love the roadside stands and the little out of the way places, And I avoid the chains and franchise joints. I'd rather wait in line to eat in a place where can talk to the pit master, than suffer through fast food BBQ. So it was with a great deal of excitement that I looked left while driving down Route 71, in the middle of nowhere, and I saw the sign for Tender Bones (pictured below). When I Googled the place, the first result was a newspaper article that I had missed. The reviews on Yelp were generally good, (real BBQ fans understand that BBQ is low and slow cooking, not fast food.) So, on the beautiful Saturday last weekend, with cancelled plans behind me, and my normal BBQ stand closed (why on a brilliant Saturday??), I drove down to check out Tender Bones. Everyone seemed to be raving about how nice the owner is, so I was pretty happy to have him walk a customer out to his smoker as I pulled in. He greeted me, we chatted for a bit, and when he noticed me ready to climb out with my crutches, "Chef Bones" told me to stay in my truck, and he would have my order brought out. To split with my son, I ordered Spare Ribs -- two bones, a brisket sandwich - wet, dirty rice with pulled pork and baked beans. Chicken has to wait for my next trip. While I was waiting, Chef came outside carrying samples of the fried whiting he sells on Fridays. I've been fishing, and eating fish, most of my life. Chef Bones' whiting, a fish I usually don't care for, ranked among the best fish I've ever eaten. Ever. I took our food down by the Canal to eat by the water. The spare ribs were big and meaty. They were properly cooked; the meat was soft and juicy, but not falling off the bone. Proper to competition quality ribs, there was just a little pull to separate ribs and meat. Light taste of smoke, not bitter or overpowering like some I've tried. A word of warning. Two homemade BBQ sauce offerings, spicy and mild. I ordered the ribs spicy and they were every bit of that. Not "hot for heat's sake", the spicy sauce is quite flavorful. But spicy. You are warned. The brisket was excellent. Tender, juicy, solid slices but not too thick. Lots of meat on fresh rolls. Tender Bones uses a soft hamburger style bun, which I prefer to huge Kaiser rolls, as I want "meat with some bread", not "bread with some meat." The mild sauce is a sweet sauce. Very tasty, a little fruity, the perfect sauce for the brisket. They are three for three, so far. Then came the sides, not bad but needing a little help. The baked beans score points for actually being baked. These aren't open can and dump beans. But therein lies the danger. Baked beans tend to get dry when they sit. An easy fix is to offer a splash of sauce on top. I added the extra spicy sauce from the ribs, but the mild would have been better. And, Chef. If you are open to suggestions from a BBQ fanatic? A little chopped bacon or chopped brisket would take good baked beans over the top. As for the dirty rice, offering a choice of meats is a nice touch. We chose the pulled pork so we could try a third meat. I'm used to seeing dirty rice in a Cajun kitchen, not a rib joint, so I was intrigued. And dirty rice is a style I cook myself. The taste profile was fine, but rice is another dish that quickly dries out. And this was very dry. Fortunately, I was feeding a 21 year old, and they eat almost anything. So he tossed some of our family's homemade sauce on top, and I'll admit, it was better moist. The issues with the sides are minor, clearly the result of growing pains, and should in no way deter you from ordering. The issues weren't enough to cost them a star, and I don't hand out 5 star reviews all willy-nilly. I'll give them 4 1/2, which rounds up to five. Ah. Before I forget. The place was busy when I got there, but the wait really wasn't bad at all. So don't let any naysayers chase you off. Yes. They brought my order out to the truck. No. Chef Bones didn't sing for me. Maybe next time. And there WILL be a next time. Soon. read more

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