Mr Powdrell’s Barbeque

There is no BBQ in the ABQ that can even compare! Mr. Powdrells is a must for anyone in ABQ that wants bbq. I recommend the PO Boy sandwich it’s got a little bit of everything on and a side of corn poppers! Wash it all down with some of the best sweet tea in the world (and I used to live in the south so I know sweet tea). Great family atmosphere and the staff is amazing. This is an iconic part of ABQ and you are really missing out if you don’t eat here!

Alright. We walked in and she goes, «You’re right on time, we’re closing in about 5 minutes.» They were closing early because mysteriously, they were having a slow night. Nobody smiled or politely greeted us and it just had an overall Kitchen Nightmare feel to it. We waited a reasonable time for our food but when we got it, oh boy. All the sandwiches were okay and the fries were pretty good but the brisket plate was nasty. It was cold and soggy and seemed like it had been sitting out for a long time. Like bacon fat and sliced beef reminisce. It’s pretty difficult to mess up Potato salad so bravo, guys. Even the chicken strips were a failure. It was an overall disappointing experience. Mr. Powdrell must be rolling in his grave.

I love BBQ and Powdrell’s has long been one of my favorite places, both this one and the one on 4^th (and they are different — 4^th has table service and different sides). This is a great casual dining, counter service lunch spot. Most often when I’m getting dinner here, it’s to go, and they do a great job with that, as well. I’ve ordered carryout for up to 16 people. Their potato salad is amongst my favorite anywhere. Their brisket and sauce are perfect together. I wish they had Coke instead of Pepsi, but I won’t knock of any stars for that.

Good, southern style comfort food. I can’t believe I didn’t try this place sooner. I got BBQ pulled pork, mashed potatoes, and Mac and cheese. So yummy.

I first dined at this location 2 years ago and was pleasantly surprised with the flavors of their BBQ. We returned to NM this week for a visit and had to try it again! Could NOT be happier. The gentleman who was playing the piano as we walked in later went table to table having conversations and making sure everyone was pleased. It’s simple touches like that coupled with the delicious and very reasonably priced food that will continue to make this a must stop any time we are in the area! Also, with thanksgiving coming up, for $ 15 they will smoke YOUR turkey for the holiday! I really wish we had a Powdrell’s where I live. Keep up the great work guys, you have a diamond in the rough here.

Great barbecue I had the brisket and pulled pork and it was very good. Loved the sauce. I had coleslaw and onion rings as my sides with cornbread. I think it is nice that they offer onion rings as a side without an extra charge. I will be sure to come here again when I am in Albuquerque.

The best barbeque in ABQ. Love the brisket, fried catfish and fried okra. The staff are always so friendly.

I am an aggressive BBQ fan. I want to eat as much as I can. Mr Powdrell’s Barbeque hit’s the spot for me. This is a casual dining place, order at the counter, pour your own drink from the soda fountain, and the staff brings your dinner to the table. It’s a quaint fun atmosphere and if you’re lucky you’ll be treated to some live piano music!
The food comes in reasonable portions and you won’t leave hungry. I noticed a lot of sandwiches on other tables and seems to be a favorite of people here. We opted for the 2 meat dinner platter served with 2 sides and either Texas toast or corn bread each, so we got a lot of food. We paid a bit extra for ribs on the platter and I had the hot links while my husband ordered the brisket. We enjoyed coleslaw, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes with gravy the Texas toast, and corn bread. It was a LOT of food for two people :) The bbq sauce is tangy and thick and there’s more at the table. Ribs are tender, and the brisket is unbelievably good. The star of the show is the meat and I would go back for the meat over and over again. I wasn’t a huge fan of the sides, bread, or drink selection. Luckily Mr Powdrell’s BBQ offers a call ahead and pick up at the drive through window option. I forsee lots of future rib dinners in my future picked up and brought home to enjoy with some beer and tv.
Overall, loved the ribs and brisket but the rest left me a little underwhelmed. I want to eat there again though and will use the drive through instead of eating in house. I’d also like to give those sandwiches a try especially the brisket. Enjoy the BBQ!

Nope — another fail. This is a nice place with a friendly staff but I must admit, being from Tx, I am hard to please with BBQ. The brisket and sausage were OK and the sauce is a bit runny for my tastes. The meal did come out quick and correct so there are no complaints there — it was just not what I like my BBQ to be. There are better BBQ places in Albuquerque to try — if your in a pinch I guess it will do, but it is just this Texas country boy’s two cents worth.

I know I always compare BBQ restaurants to Rudy’s (Texas Girl), I will say that this place is very comparable. Their fried okra and collard greens were absolutely wonderful I will definitely come back for those side items. My brisket sandwich was pretty good I love the hoagie roll that they use. My only real complaint is their sauce in my opinion is a little bit too runny for me. The manager/​owner came to our group and asked how we enjoyed everything and I really appreciate that type of service.

Good Texas style bbq in a simple store front on Route 66 /​central ave close to Kirtland AFB. The food is good and the place is usually packed at lunch. Be sure to check out the photos on the wall before leaving.

My May 27^th, 2015 visit.
I shared a 4 meat plate. Sliced brisket 3.5, chopped brisket 4, chicken 4, and pulled pork 3.5.
My sides were fried zucchini 4, and spicy fries 4.
The total came to $ 30.
I love their barbecue sauce. 4.5
All food was hot or just out the fryer, and being that this is a family business, it was definitely friendly.

Just had Powdrells yesterday and the taste was not bad, but it was a little too sweet for me and the macaroni tasted like the quick stuff from a box. However the bad part came 6 hours after I had eaten their food. Never have I been woken up from deep sleep for explosive diarrhea. So no I would not eat here again.

Slightly above average barbeque. I got a brisket sandwich — it looked amazing when it came out. The bun was gloriously toasted and browned but it wasn’t dried out or crusty. The brisket itself had a great appearance, the texture was a little soft, and the flavor was merely okay. It didn’t have a whole lot of depth or smokiness to it and it relied on the sauce to give it flavor.
I also sampled one of my buddy’s ribs. The one I ate was a bit dried out and my friend said his were the same. Not sure if this is how their ribs are all the time though.

All BBQ places are not created equal. Mr. Powdrell’s looks to be doing an awesome job preparing and serving some very good food. In its own light this is a proud BBQ venue — worthy of your own time sampling local and honest.
That said, I can say that for my tastes I have had better — even within the last 24 hours.
Drive up and you can smell the honest-​to-​goodness wood smoke working its magic — and that is awesome. Come inside and you’ll see the menu printed on wall plaquards. Lots to choose from! And EXCELLENT prices.
I ordered a two-​meat combo dinner plate: Pork and pulled chicken. For the two sides that comes with the combo I chose onion rings and baked beans. Texas toast is also served with the combo — with an option for cornbread instead (which I took).
The plate was served quickly. The meats were fresh, tender and juicy with just a little bit of sauce. The O-​rings were crunchy fresh and sweet. Free refills on your beverages dining in. So that’s the «Goods».
For my taste, the meal just OK. Sorry to say the O-​rings were the best part. The baked beans lacked character — and putting more BBQ sauce into them just made them sweeter but not more savory. The meats were clearly well prepared — but also lacked character. One and only one BBQ sauce is served on the table, and it was thinner and more watery than ketchup. The sauce had a good pepper burn that lasted a while after each bite, but it just didn’t seem to satisfy. Not through any lack of craftsmanship or effort.
The cornbread was served as an old-​fashioned pancake — that’s character — and had good flavor. It was crispy at the perimeter — chewy in the center. Just a different experience.
Please give your own Mr. Powdrell’s experience a chance — his place is doing it’s level best I am sure. It just wasn’t my type of awesome on this evening.

WOW! Phenomenal BBQ! Mr. Powdrell’s is located near Kirltand AFB, and not far from the National Museum of Nuclear Science. The parking lot is a little cluttered, but don’t let that dissuade you from checking out this family owned local gem.
The inside is very clean with an industrial décor. The staff is very friendly and welcoming. The wall menu is crafted with a trendy simplistic artistry, organized well and orderly. The staff was familiar with the menu, and patient with us as we navigated ourselves to our first enjoyable meal at Mr. Powdrell’s that will have us coming back as many times as possible.
The food was brought out by a server, taken off the tray and served; a small service that was appreciated and really showed great customer service and attention to detail. For my meal, I decided to try out the chicken dinner plate, potato salad and mac’n cheese for sides, and their highly reputable pancake style cornbread. WOW. I was not disappointed. The chicken was perfectly cooked, tasty and not drowned in their homemade bbq sauce, but perfectly balanced. The bbq sauce itself though was to die for, not too sweet but tangy. The sides were great as well. I actually thought that the mac ‘n cheese was one of the best I’ve had at a bbq restaurant. The dinner portion as large enough that I was able to take home the rest, and reasonable priced as well.
We will definitely be back! I HIGHLY recommend Mr. Powdrell’s bbq to others!

This is some awesome BBQ, although it is less centrally located than places like Rudy’s and Golden Pride. The chicken and brisket were excellent. Powdrell’s BBQ sauce is better than Rudy’s, not too sweet. I don’t mind that the brisket is sliced thin. Mac ‘n cheese is just okay, but the cornbread. GET THE CORNBREAD!!! It’s made fresh and looks like a pancake, but that’s part of the fun. Put a little butter on it or eat it plain like I did.
I like that it’s family owned and operated. Portions are decent. Oh, and did I mention the cornbread??? :)

Hands down, my favorite BBQ joint in the city!
This location feels like eating BBQ at home. Literally, their location on 4^th is in an old house! The staff shares southern hospitality and makes you really feel like you’re having a meal with their family.
Secret: Get the PoBoy, it’s awesome if you’re hungry. Best sweet tea I’ve had too. And fried okra! I try to go once a week!

I’m not exactly sure what to say about this place, oh it’s 5 stars but it’s more than just a 5 star rating. My neighbor Chuck ask us to lunch here with him, I ordered the brisket sandwich with a side of mac & cheese. First let me start off by saying I met Mike, what a nice fellow, he plays the grand piano in the SW corner of the restaurant and does a great job to boot. I was greeted and treated like a guest not just a customer. The BBQ sauce is really great, I left my meal thinking hrm… when will we be back and it’s likely soon. Turns out they recovered from a fire in this location. They have completely remodeled, the whole order process is really simple. If you find yourself on ol’ 66 and are hankering for some BBQ by all means drop in here!

I give this place a solid 5 stars because (in my opinion) it the best BBQ place in ABQ. I know people from Rudy’s will not like that, but hey it’s only my opinion :-)
The prices are reasonable and I understand how to rode from the menu. They have lots of options and also will customize the meals. I’ve done take out and eat in. If you go at lunch, go early since the seats fill up quickly.
My favs:
1) sweet tea
2) po boy, it’s way more food than I can eat in one setting.
3) pulled pork sandwiches or plates
4) my hubby loves the fried ockra
5) sweet potato fries