The BBQ Joint - Oak Harbor (WA)

5 /5 Kate MacMillan: Gluten free precautions were STELLAR! Separate cutting board, gave me a cup that was packaged up still, really took the care to make me stay safe! Thank you so much!! The food was so delicious I got a brisket plate with potato salad and baked beans. Often in these places I expect the stuff you can get in a grocery store as the sides, but these tasted like they were made in house. Really great baked beans. The brisket was amazing and you get a hearty portion! My partner got pulled pork, ribs, coleslaw, and potato salad. He also opted for the cornbread. He said the ribs were amazing and the vinegar sauce they gave was amazing. The cornbread was soft and fresh. He was offered butter and honey with it too! Get the sweet tea! Strong tea! Great place to stop! We were full for our long road trip and we really appreciated their kindness!

3 /5 Robert Mc: The BBQ Joint has a nostalgic charm to it with a great atmosphere, friendly staff, good smells, and decor that was at least made to look like it was from a bygone era. The prices were fair, the appearance of the food was very attractive, and the portion sizes were generous given the prices. The ribs had a nice smoke ring and were decently tender and juicy. Unfortunately, for me, flavors were a bit of a miss. The “Sweet Hickory smoke” flavor was almost too subtle to notice and the rub which should have been a prominent feature on the “Memphis ribs” lacked any kind of a punch and was applied to sparingly to matter. The end result was meat that had to speak completely for itself, but just didn’t. The pulled pork was on the dry side and also lacked the bold smoky flavor and seasoning that one would have expected based on its appearance. The single sauce available was good but a little overly sweet and not my style. The honey cornbread was baked well and maintained good moisture, but fell short in flavor, especially with a title that included the word honey. The baked beans followed the same trend with more sugar than spice. It is possible I am overly critical, but I feel like this place has a good deal of potential and these are fixable problems. I want to like you more, I just need more flavor and smoke. With all of that said, I am willing to try it again thanks to the atmosphere, staff, and value.