Very cool, off the path Texas joint. We stumbled across Willie's just driving around town. On weekdays they are just open in the evenings but it looks like they are open for lunch on the weekends. We did not sample the food selections, which smelled delicious, but we did have some local brews. There is a bar inside as well as outside. The inside area is very small but the outdoor section is very spacious. There is a variety of seating ranging from picnic tables to beach chairs around fire pits. There are outdoor games set up such as jumbo jenga and bean bag toss. Live music at night and daily specials. read more

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Meh. I finally made it down here for a crawfish boil. I wanted to like this place SO bad.... but, $18 for two vodka sodas?!? I mean, what?!?!?! They asked if we wanted doubles and I said no. Then she tells me it is $18. As other people have stated, I'm pretty sure I was over-charged. If this place was actually affordable, it would be pretty cool. Large outdoor space, live oak tree, free crawfish (during boils) with a drink purchase. Not very much shade though and when we went it was HOT!!! If I ever make it back here again, I will make sure to see that itemized receipt. You have been warned. read more

We've given this place a couple tries. I've had to drop my rating lower. It is a great venue and location, but staff are rude, slow, and un-attentive. Eye rolling at your patrons is not recommended. And, you should definitely eat elsewhere. Food is very overpriced and sub par at best. read more

Came to go to Shugabees food truck but they were Mia today. Went with Wiilie's instead. When you come inside you grab a menu and order at the bar. Food came out pretty quick. I ordered the pulled pork nachos. Chips cheese and they gave me brisket instead. It was still really good. Put onions, jalapeños, and BBQ sauce on them. They come out in a bag on a tray so I ripped open the bag to get to the good stuff. Hubby had pulled pork and brisket. So I put some of his pork on it too. Definitely enough to split unless you're a mountain man. Sad to leave half of the pile behind but they just aren't good warmed over. They had a good amount of nacho cheese on them too. Not like some places that are stingy with the cheese. My nephew had the moist brisket and really liked it with the pineapple coleslaw. Which I tried too and it was really good! We tried the potato salad and it was just ok. Next time I'll try the jalapeño Mac and cheese. Neat little place. It was a little warm so we ate inside, but they have a really nice outside bier garden. read more

Well the only good thing I can say is that the music is good. Dont come here if you're hungry. I am waiting still for an appetizer. Got a crappy drink. I am still waiting on the server to say bring me the check and just donate it to someone else. I am paying to leave this place. read more

Cool environment, crappy service and expensive not so good drinks. Disappointed. Was excited to try it we ordered. Drink inside then got our table outside. The server outside made eye contact several times but never once came and checked on us. We were going to order food but decided to finish our one drink and leave. Sucks cuz it's a cool place read more

Of all the places we could have eaten at in Buda, TX this has to be one of the best in the Austin, TX area. A retro style ranch house with all the color it needs inside or out. The bar/dining room is small so you're sort of forced to eat/drink/party outside amongst not fancy picnic table umbrellas but huge trees providing shade. The BBQ is awesome whether it is Texas Brisket (chopped or sliced), chicken, pulled pork, Texas ranch style baked beans, jalapeño mac & cheese, waffle cut seasoned fries, desert (not that we had room for it), and whatever you wanted or needed to drink. You'd be hard pressed to find better food, service, or colorful staff! The two ladies pictured together work there and described the set up they're standing beside as "Chicken S*!t Bingo where you bet (winning $ goes to the charity of your choice), the chicken is turned loose inside, and whatever square it "eliminates on wins! read more

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I don't know why there are so many poor reviews- this place was great! We went for lunch and had the pork tacos and pulled pork plate, jalapeño macaroni and cheese & potato salad- all were to die for! The guy working there was super friendly and the porch area was huge with lots of lawn games. We went when it was super hot and found shade under some misters. This would be a great place to have a big group of friends or to take your dogs. We will definitely come back! :) read more

Such a fun local bar! If you have been to moontower in South Austin, this is VERY comparable in the fact that it has the same atmosphere but much smaller. The food is delicious and the drinks are good. I love relaxing under the huge trees and playing some fun games with friends. I highly recommend this place! read more

Willie's Joint Bar and Grill - Bars Near Me - Buda, Texas

This is a great place to hang out with friends. Tacos are excellent. Bartender Was awesome. I was visiting from Chicago and needed a place to hang out and work remotely. Music was perfect! Little bit of new, little bit of old all great. Will make sure I let other know to stop in when traveling thru Buda. read more

What an awesome little discovery! The drinks are great. Standard bar food with an additional food option from a food truck. Server are friendly and attentive...Great little live outdoor music venue. Definitely will be back. read more

I really wanted to like this place. Staff is great but the food is not. The mashed potatoes has an extreme amount of pepper and garlic. The potato salad was just awful. Meat was just ok. We ordered for 8 and no one was impressed. read more

Overall, this is a good spot. Some things could be better. I was told the bacon wasn't ready when I ordered a grilled cheese with bacon and it was close to noon..so I just got it without bacon..kinda strange to tell your customer bacon isn't ready so basically don't get it and it was already close to 12 pm. grilled cheese was good though. Chopped brisket sandwich was also good, not super greasy like someone had reviewed before. Some of the drink prices are a lil steep..$8.75 bloody marys during brunch time on Sat seems way too high..i know on Sundays they are only $4, so 8.75 seems too high. $1 or 1.50 pulled pork tacos on Tuesdays are tasty and a great price, but I wouldn't pay the regular price for what I believe is only 1 taco any other time because I don't think they are big enough to charge 3.50 each. The pork sliders we have tried and I feel they kinda skimp on the meat so we stopped ordering those. We felt when we got the BBQ plate that it really wasn't enough food for the price. I think they should have burgers all the time instead of only during certain hours/days. $1 frito pies on Monday is cool, just know that its served in the bag, so don't except something super big or anything, esp when its regular priced. bartenders have always been pretty friendly overall and the outside seating area is pretty cool especially on a nice day. We will keep coming back but certain things could be better! read more

The atmosphere was great! Small, quaint, and relaxing. There was a live band and a good crowd but wasn't too loud to enjoy the company of those around you. We initially came for the crawfish but I would pass on that next time. We spent $130, including tip, for 10 lbs. It had fantastic flavor and was one of the more reasonably priced crawfish in the area, but they weren't soaked long enough which made them hard to peel and left a lot of meat on the table. read more

Willies is a fun little spot. Drinks are good and cheap and they do fun crawfish boils and live music. I'm from a small town so I definitely enjoy the feel of this little place tucked away in Buda. read more

Oh Willie's Joint... I really really really wanted to love you. But, right now, I only kind of like you. I was STOKED for a BBQ joint to open up here in Buda - one that has the outdoorsy flair of Salt Lick but the convenience of only being 5 minutes from my house. Alas... no such luck. The BBQ here is something you should really - at the moment - avoid all together. I can't really say I'd eat anything here again except the sausage... maybe... after I've had 2-3 (not very cheap unless you get Bud Light) drinks. The two star rating comes from the outdoors atmosphere - the inside is really just a bar where you order food, so we didn't spend too much time in there. Outside is where it's at. Great glow from the large balloon lights and string lights is pretty nice on a Texas Fall evening. The picnic benches bode well for larger groups. Loved the yard games - corn hole, jumbo jenga, etc. I was anticipating this being a place I would want to bring out-of-owners so they could feel the Hill Country BBQ vibes, but we're going to avoid doing that altogether. The music was a bit odd - Usher cover band? "In da club wit my homies"... Not so much. Flashing lights you'd see from a wedding DJ? Also, not so much. From my Yelp Tip: If you come later in the evening for food (after 9p) just get the sausage... The other meat will have been sitting under a heat lamp for a long time by then. Our "pulled pork" was more like jerky - shouldn't have been served. read more

What a fun place! I love the outdoor atmosphere, live music and fun things they have going on during the weekends! The staff is always super friendly too. Good times. read more

Fun & reasonable! We like the fire pits and the Friday night karaoke on the main stage!

What a waste of a great location! Not enough tables. Not enough chairs. Bad service. Bad prices. Bad bar. :( what a let down. The bartender especially was ugly when I asked for the prices of drinks. Wont be back and bummed about it. read more

I am from out of town and was hoping to find a good restaurant and bar. While the help was very nice, the food was absolutely horrible and the prices way to high. Skip it. read more

We live in Buda and decided to try it out for lunch one day. To get to the point, it was about $30 for the both of us. (Which was a little pricey) We each got a chopped beef sandwich with 2 sides with a drink. You could tell everything tasted homemade which was nice. Chopped sandwiched=good! Pineapple coleslaw=good! Potatoe salad=really good! Beans=could of been warmer, but really good! Bbq sauce= sweet and spicy, its different but grows on you. We both like it a lot. But I wish they offered a regular less spicier version. Could use more inside seating, like other reviwers said, move the piano out of the dining area. Overall it was pretty good bbq! And id rather give our money to local restaurants trying to make a good place for families and patrons to enjoy food and have a good time! read more

Meh. Owners still don't get it. Food was not good. Had the pizza, Frito pie and brisket sandwich. Brisket pizza was not edible, brisket Frito pie was barely passable and the sandwich was mediocre. I'm not a picky eater either. Sat outside and the waiter brought our food, but told us to go back inside to get condiments and silverware. Lazy. Went to use the bathroom and there is a door in the men's bathroom that strangely leads to the beer storage. The beer delivery guys were in and out which just felt awkward. Atmosphere and ambiance is excellent. Music was great. Had my kids there and they were told to stop playing with the beer pong trash cans and then corn hole. Hey Willies, thanks for making my family feel welcomed. This place seems like it is a hangout for the owners and their friends more than a community bar/restaurant. Same complaints and bad reviews since they opened, so it doesn't seem like they have any intentions of making changes. Too bad. read more

Willie's Joint Bar and Grill - Great hangout. - Bars Near Me - Buda, Texas

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Great location, beautiful trees and wonderful concept. Wish the sliced Brisket had a lot less fat ( a full 1/3 of my meal was throw away fat). At $8.00 per 1/4th lb. that is pricey fat! My husbands chopped brisket sandwich was dry. The potato salad and beans were good, beans were spicy enough to make your lips smile. The two sauces were fine, nothing remarkable but good! I had the berry cobbler and my husband had the house special Big Red Ice Cream. Still trying to figure out the flavor...should not be called "cream" since it is more like iced ? Very interesting and we would probably order again, just to figure what it is!!! Wish they had table service. 1 glass of ice in the Texas heat is not enough to stand up to Texas Tea...could have used more ice and another drink, but couldn't bear the thought of standing in line, again. We were there on a Sunday evening, the staff must have been really tired, they were grouchy and not helpful. One bright soul opened the door into my husbands back and pushed past everyone in line without so much as an excuse me.... A little politeness covers up a lot of little things! One last comment. I wish they would keep the smokers to one area. read more

My husband and I decided to give Willie's Joint a try for the first time, and overall we were happy with the food and atmosphere, but there are several kinks I sincerely hope the owners work out. Pros: - All of the food we tried (sausage, chicken, pork, potato salad, cole slaw and beans) was delicious. - Nice outdoor atmosphere under beautiful trees, with live music, washers, ping pong and Jenga. Cons: - No reliable outdoor table service (and the only place to actually sit is outside) - you have to order inside at the bar, which turns into a cluster immediately with limited space and the fact that the line starts right where the bartenders have to exit the bar. I hope the owners a) increase service outside and b) re-think the order/pickup lines inside. - They ran out of a lot of food way too early. We arrive at 7:30 on a Wednesday and they only had 3 meat options left - by 8 pm they were down to 2 meat options, and they were out of cobbler (their main dessert offering). - You are given your drinks, sides and meat inside with NOTHING to carry them on to take outside. Simple solution: PLEASE PURCHASE TRAYS for people to use to carry these things outside. Overall, I think this place has a lot of promise, as long as some of the kinks are worked out. read more

Simply put...Fu*king AWESOME place with staff that makes you feel like you're home! And any place that allows you to scribble on the walls is aces with me haha! read more

I tried Willie's for the first time today, wasn't impressed. So let's start with the positives, the beef was actually pretty good. The garden looked great, although it was too hot to sit out there today. Willies needs to make a ton of improvements. It doesn't seem to know if it wants to be a bar or BBQ joint. It seems more like a bar that has the inconvenience of selling food. The decor matches this confused identity. On the walls are guitars, a picture of a native American, a door (Mounted sideways to the wall) and a skateboard. Seriously, behind the bar looks great with the pallet type wood, repeat that on another few walls and it will look awesome. I noticed a staff member's eyes were very red, I put this down to working long hours, but soon my eyes were stinging the same way. Poor ventilation from the kitchen I am guessing. Also, it was very warm, was the air conditioning not working? Get rid of that piano. If you had someone playing it... how many people would actually be able to enjoy it in that tiny room? Exchange it for a few smaller tables. The sides were not very good (Pineapple coleslaw, without any flavoring of pineapple) and the sauce wasn't to my taste, but I did like the caiyan bottled sauce on the table. Anyway, seriously get a consultant. With a few improvements, this place would be great. I wish you luck. In current state, without change, I'll give it 6-9months. read more

First, they only serve chopped beef, pulled pork, and jalapeño sausage. I like all three of these things, but I really wanted sliced brisket. Second, the "condiment table" is where you get your bread. Community bread that everyone touches. :/ Third, I'm pretty sure the potato salad was store bought. Needless to say, I was not impressed. Positive: the beer was cold. read more

Some of the reviews weren't favorable but my experience was pretty good. Came here after driving to salt lick where there was a 2 hour wait. Not doable with 3 kids. Other reviews noted small meat portions but ours seemed to be the 1/2 pound promised. I got sliced brisket and jalapeño sausage combo. I also got 3 ribs and a quarter of chicken. My husband and son shared with me. We had meat left over. My girls ate grilled cheese and chips. The bbq sauce was really good. The meat was not dry as reported in other reviews which I was glad. Overall it was tasty. read more

Free crayfish Saturdays, great service, amazing atmosphere, and a great cook! After one visit, this is definitely one of my favorite bars now. Just 10 minutes from South Austin read more

Willie's Joint Bar and Grill - Bars Near Me - Buda, Texas

Haven't tried the food yet, but the outdoor area is fantastic. They have giant Jenga and Connect Four, and the specials are great. read more

Willie's Joint Bar and Grill - Bars Near Me - Buda, Texas

We have been to Willie's Joint a few times, and every time they are not on their A game. Today was by far the worst. They opened at 11:30 and when we showed up around 1 NOTHING was ready. They bar back was short with us about when items would be ready and couldn't give us an estimate on the amount of time for even queso... After waiting an hour and a half we still didn't have food and we didn't get an apology either. Their sides like pickles and onions were completely emtpy from the night before after being open for a few hours. The water bowls for pups were discusting and instead of an employee washing a few out I had to wash it out in the bathroom. The food is usually fine but when everything else is crap it definitely doesn't make a girl want to come back. I would choose a different spot for barbeque. read more

Stopped there first time today to try the happy hour pulled pork sliders. They are delicious. Jalapeño Mac N Cheese good also. Not much seating inside, but the music was great. Buda lucky to have them. Just went again a year later. Sliders and sides still excellent. Best Happy Hour deal around. Nice outdoor seating. Good service. read more

Came hungry, left completely dissatisfied. 45 minutes to get a pizza? The highlight of our meal was the free hot dogs being handed out by the Dosexx reps. We ordered the Johnny Cash with the red sauce. The pizza was flavorful but the brisket was dry and there was not nearly enough of it. The lemonade was Country time and the bartender was ornary and never once made eye contact. Come here to drink and do yourself a favor and skip the food. read more

Willie's Joint Bar and Grill - Where's the beef? - Bars Near Me - Buda, Texas

We just moved to Kyle Texas and tried this place out on our first weekend in town while we were staying at the Hampton Inn. The food is fantastic, I had the brisket sandwich and my hubs had the sausage and meat(?) combo. He really liked it and mine was good, too. BarBQ sauce is a must since it's dry brisket. Mac n cheese with jalapenos was amazing. Hot, too. I guess I'm in TX now where everything has jalapenos in it, lol. We went again and food was consistently good. Only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is because it is a bit pricey but I understand how expensive brisket is. Maybe throw in a bag of chips to add value? Owner took our order the first visit and he is really nice, too. Outside looks like a lot of fun if you get a big crowd together. read more

Dog friendly & fun outdoor space. A good escape if you're in South Austin. And yes, there are mist-ers outside to alleviate the pain of this Texas heat! :) yayy read more

Great spot if you're in and around Buda! And its open late! The atmosphere screams 'perfect backyard bbq' and the staff were very helpful and friendly. Ping pong, washers, oversized Jenga, misting fans and outdoor tvs surrounded by plenty of outdoor seating make for a great time with limited indoor space for those trying to beat the heat. The menu really consists of just 3 things: chopped (or sliced) beef, pulled pork and jalapeño slices. All 3 are sold as a sandwich or by the half pound at $7 even. 1. The chopped beef brisket was a solid mix of rich wood taste and a hint of almost a molasses flavor (if I were to guess) on the back end. 2. The jalapeño sausage was meaty and hearty but not too much spice so dont expect a challenge of sorts to push through the jalapeño flavor--it isnt that kind of sausage. 3. The pulled pork had a great flavor but unfortunately was so dry (an easy to fix as Willie's kitchen gets in their groove) that I needed some sauce to finish it. The traditional bbq sauce was pretty good, don't get me wrong but--now I hesitate to say this--the yellow bbq/mustard sauce (?) was fantastic! And I rarely believe in the yellow sauce route. Better sauce than Salt Lick in my opinion and was so good I started putting it on everything cuz I loved it so much. Sides were decent. Pineapple coleslaw couldve used more flavor so says the consensus of my group. If I wanted another quick trip or social outing/gameday environment that was nearby and easy to get to then I would for sure be back. Family friendly and affordable bbq saves you the trouble. Awesome concept and I expect the food to improve as it grows. But if you have a favorite bbq place with flavors that you worship and will drive up to an hour to get to (like I do) don't expect this place to stand in your way. Best of luck to Willie's and expect some good tailgate parties in the future! read more

I love the atmosphere. Its perfect if you want to kick back and chill outdoors and listen to live music. There is an outdoor bar (beer only), so ordering drinks is limited - I do wish they had more of a cocktail service and liquor/wine options outdoors. If its your first time, it is very confusing where to order and how. Indoors, you will be greeted promptly (service is always good) but finding a spot to sit down can be a little cramp. If you sit outdoors, you have to go indoors to order (at least everytime we have been, this has been the process). When you order food to be brought outside, its seems to take a bit longer than usual. Note: If you can manage to sit at the bartop indoors, the bartender is always awesome and service is very quick. The food itself, at it pains me to say this, is not stellar. We've tried multiple menu items and have never been impressed. Going forward, we stop elsewhere to eat, then meet up with friends here for a drink. I would recommend trying this place, at least once. Overall Willie's is great to grab a drink or two and listen to music. read more

We are excited to have a BBQ place in Buda. We are hopeful the owners will recognize our comments as constructive. * BBQ sauce (both) are very good. * Brisket need to be trimmed. A bit fatty. * Pulled pork was a bit dry. * Corn / pepper casserole was good but not very casseroley. * Cole slaw needs more zing. * Employees were very nice. You can tell the owners put a lot of thought into the restaurant. We will be back to give the owners some time to work out their menu. read more

This is the first time my wife and I have been here and I have to say this place is AWESOME!!! The customer service is fantastic omg the food is soooooooo good brisket is so moist and Mac & Cheese is the best I've ever had!!!! I can't wait to come back I'm sad that I'm stuffed and can't eat anymore!!! Everyone needs to come here!! read more

Willie's Joint Bar and Grill - Mac & Cheese is amazing - Bars Near Me - Buda, Texas

We went today and the music was great, but the lack of waiters and the ridiculous price of beer $33.00 a bucket with 6. Made me want to never come back again. Then an automatic tip is added, when we had to go get our own beer, go find a waitress to order the food. The food was ok, nothing memorable. read more