This place is pretty legit. Good ribs. Delicious sides. Friendly employees and a decent atmosphere for a BBQ joint. Prices seem just a tiny bit steep. I'm not blown away, but overall I'm impressed. read more

I have heard some really good things about this place and they have a ton of awards, but I was very underwhelmed. The cashier sounded bored, didn't even say hi and didn't smile. After we paid, she just quietly gives us our receipt and says "the cups are by the kitchen" like it was common knowledge. The food was ready fast, but it was a joke. I ordered the pulled pork nachos. The chips obviously came from a box, the cheese sauce was gloppy and not at all appealing, and though the meat was the only thing with flavor, it was cold. Their spiciest sauce was a joke and tasted just like Arby's mild sauce. Not once did anyone ask how our food was and our presence was barely acknowledged. Definitely not a place I'll be returning. read more

Great service, AMAZING corn and potato salad!! The meats are good, I enjoy their sauces. I would give a 5 star just for the sides, but I knocked it down to 4 because the meat is not as good as the sides. My husband is in love with this place though. So I would definitely give it a try. read more

I can't really even say mediocre. I have a true passion for Barbecue and this falls so short. A few things: why does the brisket seem steamed instead of smoked? I mean, I see the smoke ring but there's something wrong with the look and texture. Why is the brisket sliced so thin that it is disintegrated by the time it hits the plate? Sausage...not terrible for a store bought, not house made product and the only reason this got two stars. Pulled chicken was dry and not even very edible after drenching it in a suicide of all the sauces. For some reason I have a soft spot for the burnt end cheesy corn here but, for God's sake, use a little salt in it! This place leaves me wanting good Barbecue and wondering why they aren't making their meats fresh every day. read more

Friends suggested BBQ. Cheesy corn was good. I had 3 meat dinner. Sausage was warm at best. Pork and beef were good. Potato salad was good too. Hubby had 3 meats with beef, sausage, & loin. Sausage was not hot. Beef and loin were good. He got potatoes with cheese sauce. Just okay. He liked cheesy corn. Will go again. Ribs looked good. Try them next time. read more

In 2 words, an "epic fail." I'm new to Springfield, relocating here in a job transfer from Northern Indiana (not known as a mecca for high quality BBQ by the way). I stopped by the location on N Sunshine in Springfield Mo. on hearing that this was a "National Champion," award winning BBQ cook off winner. Upon arrival I walked up to the front door, pleasantly surprised by the linen table cloth dining room and a wall of trophies lining the walkway to the take out counter. Needless to say, I was stoked... no linen table clothes, or hallway of trophies in any BBQ joints in Indiana. My mouth was already watering... dahmn, I'm finally about to discover what real world class BBQ tastes like. WRONG! I took a few minutes to look over the menu board. Decided to go with a 1/2 slab of ribs and 2 sides (fries and a tossed salad). My check number was #7945, take out order 45, placed at 7:41 pm on Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 7:41 pm Cutting to the chase... This was THE WORST order of BBQ Ribs I've ever had - period, with no close second place. First all the edges were burnt to a crisp. BLACK burned, hard charcoal type of burnt. Dry couldn't begin to describe the meat. Portion size was normal, as expected. They appear to ration the BBQ sauce, as this is the first plate of ribs that I've ever seen in my entire life in which no residual BBQ sauce was on the plate - none. One of my joys in a great plate of ribs is dipping my fries and dinner roll into some succulent sauce to end the meal. Sadly no residual sauce on the plate at all, and what little was on the ribs was not succulent. And the fries were dry and over-cooked as well. Seemed like they sat under a heat lamp since noon... they sucked. Let me close by saying that on a 1-10 scale with 1 being terrible and 10 being world class, these were a solid "1." My local Gyros shack serving ribs get's a 5-6, and I'd give freeking McRibs from Mickey D's a 4. Whole Hog cafe got a "1" the old fashioned way -- they earned it. I wish I would have read the reviews online first. A 3.7 rating on YELP tells you something. Now 2 guys from the original location in Arkansas, hand selecting some meat, and prepping and cooking for a contest may be able to produce some world class ribs. I have no doubt the trophies are legit But what they CLEARLY can NOT do --- is mass produce an edible, presentable, even remotely average plate of ribs on a multi-location restaurant basis. This is the first negative restaurant review I've ever left in my entire life. If it was possible to give them a negative -10, I would have. Epic fail - period. Don't waste your time or money Go somewhere else. read more

Very disappointed, I went in around dinner time and they were out of chicken and ribs! What kind of barbecue place is this I'll never go back!! read more

Terrible service. I feel like im being quizzed everytime i come here but the food entirely makes up for that. Amazing tender brisker. And so many sauce choices. Always amazing food read more

If there are two things I appreciate about any dining establishment, it's the service and the food quality. Whole Hog was top notch in both regards. The lady who took our order was extremely helpful and thankful (not to mention she had the most enjoyable accent). I even chatted with the Manager, Charlie, who after finding out I did not order any of the bbq ribs, proceeded to give me a small sampler with my pulled pork sandwich. The sandwhich was amazing with some cole slaw, but, needless to say, I will be ordering the ribs when I next visit. All in all, if you're looking for a relatively quick, tasty, and affordable Memphis style bbq meal, this is definitely the place for you! read more

Great BBQ even better potato salad! Sad to see not full service. Staff was EXTREMELY slow at clearing and busing tables. It took a second with full hands to find a clean table. read more

I started eating at the Whole Hog Cafe during my travels to Arkansas and I'm glad they have a location that I can stop in when in the Springfield area. I like that they serve the bbq dry and let the flavor of their meat stand for itself, with the option to dip their BBQ in one of 6 different sauces. I hate when BBQ places try to mask their lack of flavor by soaking the meat in sauce. Not at Whole Hog Cafe! Great tasting BBQ! read more

Wish I could do 3.5 stars. It's kind of hit or miss, which day you go. Burnt ends are always good. I got chicken last time was 85% fat but has been good before. read more

Being from Minnesota I expected a bit better out of a Missouri rib place with so many awards. It wasn't bad but it wasn't anything to be excited about, a bit better than Famous Daves maybe. read more

Yum yum!!! Excellent. Try sampling everything with a group. My husband says the potato salad is a winner! read more

Whole Hog Cafe - Brisket and pulled pork, sides, potato salad and chessy corn. - Barbeque Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

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My wife and I were here in Sept. we were disappointed, the only thing we liked was the brisket, even if it was sliced very thin, the roll was just like a store bought roll, (not home made taste) the chips were out of a regular chip bag, not home made like I am use to in the Des Moines area, the sauce and cheesy corn were good, after eating here I appreciate our great BBQ restaurants in the Des Moines area much better!! read more

I would go there again I had the beef brisket plate which came with 2 sides. So I got the 2 I've read about on here, the cheesy corn and the potato salad BOTH very good. read more

I did not get this place at all. Too expensive, portions way too small, and the quality is not on the level with most barbecue chain restaurants. I guess it is possible that my family and I went there for lunch on an off day but there are many other places in this area for excellent barbecue. read more

Pulled pork is the meat that any good bbq place is judged for. That being said Whole Hogs Pulled pork was very dry and lacked flavor. You have to cover it in sause to even make it edible. The brisket is pretty good and the sausage is ok. Overall just another boring bbq place that doesn't stand out at all. Only good thing about this place is the Cheesy Burnt Ends Corn. read more

While Hog Cafe is okay. The positive is the excellent side dishes. The potato salad and corn dishes were absolutely amazing. Those items deserve every award. I'm more skeptic about the meats. The brisket seemed corned beef, which is fine, but the seasonings seem to cover up all the natural beef flavor that makes award winning barbecue award winning. I paid for the bigger portion plate and received the same amount of meat as she did but I did get bigger sides. Buckinghams around the corner i place in a level above, but if someone wants to go to whole hog then feel free to tag along. read more

After eating here I questioned all the trophies and awards for "award winning" bbq. It was just okay. Meat was a little dry, potatoe salad was decent, cheesy corn was okay, and the ribs were alright but nothing I'd give an award out for. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad...it just wasn't great. read more

Best BBQ ever! The burnt ends we moist and tender. The corn, beans and potato salad are different and unique. The ribs were smoky and fall-off-the-bone. LOVE this place! read more

Have I had better BBQ? Yes. But, this is pretty good depending on what you order. I have never had a bad meal here, but it's nothing to write home about. Their sauce selection is pretty good and as others have said, the cheesy corn is pretty good. read more

They have a new item on their menu...Texas rubbed brisket!! As a native replanted Texan I can say that this is the Best!! Full of flavor, nice slices, great smokey flavor! Of course the potato salad and the beans keeps us coming back, but now there is a new reason...at least for me. read more

Came in for lunch and was impressed with the friendly customer service, hot fast food and excellent Quality. The atmosphere has high ceilings and plenty of space to stretch your arms read more

This place is just kinda ok. The food is good don't get me wrong, its just that its not great, especially not great for the price

Dont feel i got value. I pd 26 bucks for beans and a sandwich. The bun was dry and the coleslaw was warm. Just not what i expected to get for 26 dollars. However i really did like sauce one. If i ever came bk it would only be for the sauce to make my own sandwiches! read more

Excellent service. We had our food before we were finished ordering! The portions are hearty and the food tastes like a genuine home cooked meal. Will be back! read more

We had the whole hog platter and beef nachos. One of the previous reviews was right about the nachos. Canned nacho sauce and generic chips with whole pieces on brisket tossed on top. The ribs brisket and pork on the platter were average. Cole slaw and potato salad were very good. Beans were good. Barbecue sauces weren't that great. read more

My wife and I have eaten the lunch special there every week for a month or so. Last time, my wife found a piece of rolled up plastic in her pulled pork sandwich. Unrolled, it was about 2x4 inches. She was going to take it to the gal at the register, but as there were other customers, she was discrete and pulled another worker to the side and showed it to her. She said she would show it to her manager. Which we thought would be enough to warrant a visit. As we waited, we looked through the rest of our sandwiches and found no other foreign materials...so, we ate them. After a while, we saw the gal, whom my wife had given the plastic to, leave through the front door. We waited a while longer, still expecting a visit from the manager with at least an apology. Finally, I told my wife that I was going to ask to speak with him, but she said to let it go and we left. Not really wanting to let it go, when we got home, I sent an e-mail explaining the situation. In return, I received a reply from the manager stating that he was there and advised of the occurrence. But, because so many people try to cheat him out of a free meal and the plastic looked more like a candy wrapper than the type they used, he didn't feel he needed to do anything. He also stated that people with a legitimate complaint asked to speak with a manager instead of any old worker that happened to walk by. I guess we need to get start recording our meals when we eat out.... Remember, this was just a lunch special, not some high priced item on their menu. I gave this place a one in my review because the food was okay. But, management doesn't seem to care much if they think it may cost them a meal. read more

Petty good BBQ for Springfield MO. The brisket is sliced extremely thin like a deli. If you go here, go for the pig not the beef.

Very good BBQ. Try all the sauces at teh table, they are all home made and can't miss. The pulled pork is the tastiest. Prices are good, staff is friendly and helpful. Decor is new, so no issues there. read more

Great BBQ. They offer a nice variety of sauces but manage to keep the BBQ both well smoked and moist. The pulled pork was better than the brisket but both were very good. Also, the addition of sour cream to the potato salad is a nice touch. read more

My wife and I both ordered 3 meat combos, the brisket was delicious and moist, no sauce needed, same for the sausage. The chicken was OK, but the pulled pork was dry and tasteless, it did absorb a lot of the excellent sauces though. The burnt ends cheesy corn was outstanding but the coleslaw was nothing special. I would be a repeat customer if I lived here, but we were just passing through. read more

Brisket was pretty good here. The ribs were outstanding and chicken was good. The pulled pork was pretty lacking though and not very tasty. Tree variety of sauces was pretty interesting. read more

Hit or miss on the pulled pork. Sometimes it's spot on great, other times it's just average. Really good for the most part.

Try the volcano sauce. It is sooo hot, but soo good too. The heat sneaks up on you but if you like spicy, this is the best spicy BBQ sauce anywhere. read more

I am from Memphis originally and I have waited for years for bbq this good to come to Springfield MO. My wife and I eat there at least once a week for the last few years and it has been great every time. I do not understand all the negative reviews. It must be your competition. The portions are always large and the taste is the best in town. Always good whether for lunch or dinner. GREAT VALUE GREAT FOOD read more

This place is a fake baked BBQ, I tried it and couldn't eat 4 bites of it due to the over use of liquid smoke. I tried it due to the good reviews but now I feel they were posted by employee's. Its a shame this place calls itself the best BBQ in Springfield, if it is Springfield does not know what real BBQ. read more

this was excellent bbq very fast service and extremely clean. a must go back and eat. would highly recommend. located very close to bass pro. the ribs were to die for and so very tender read more

I've been really missing TX brisket done right. This place is a huge disappointment after the rave reviews. I can't believe I just wasted $14 on this plate. Brisket was dried out & COLD. It had a nice flavor, I was starving & ate it up. The sauces were just eh. The beans were nothing but canned pork 'n' beans doctored up a little bit...yuck. The burnt ends cheesy corn was AWESOME & warm...yay. The sad excuse of a roll they gave me was rock hard and cold. There is no excuse for dried out cold food at 5:30p on a Thursday or dirty tables when there are no customers waiting to order. Several unbussed tables all over. Every booth seat back within my view was filthy. The 2 millennial girls working the front perpetuated their generation's stereotypes by standing up there doing nothing but shootin' the breeze with a house full of dirty tables, and no customers waiting. Just NO, never again. Too bad Buckingham's is no longer what it used to be. read more