Woody’s Bar-B-Q

Bad barbecue, cold sides, slow service

I went in for the Sunday «all-​you-​can-​eat-​bar-​b-​Q chicken»
I was more than satisfied with the cuisine! they are also now offering ayce-​b-​b-​q– brisket on sunday. excellent value for the price. I have a groupon for Woody’s and I plan to go back ! service was friendly and prompt (there were only 5 tables seated at the time).

New spot in town. Been here since December of ’10.
Definitely worth a shot!

Service — 4 Star
Food — 3 Star
Price — 4 Star
Florida chain comes to Arlington, well-​known home of fast food franchises. However, based on price and quality, we should welcome this chain as a nice change of place.
We got a very friendly waitress to greet us, Leslie was her name and she was also new a face fresh from Florida. She was personable, perky and very knowledgeable about the menu.
The large menu covered most of the barbecue styles across the US, Texas, Carolina and such are all on the menu. I would agree with everything Solomon W. said in reference to the Texas style BBQ.
However, we went with the pork which was pretty good. Nice size to the sandwich ($ 6.99) and I liked the garlic flavored buns they used. I liked the spicy barbecue beans as a side dish (you get one side dish with your sandwich).
My wife had the Southwestern Chicken Wrap and became a fan. She had the potato salad as her side and said it wasn’t as good as her mother’s. (Well of course, not!). I like it OK., though.
I also ordered the Brunswick Stew, chopped pork with veggies and it was delicious. $ 3.99 as a separate dish, but only $ 2.49 with a sandwich.
The huge bargain, though, is the to-​go menu. Basically, if you don’t mind settling on the potato salad as your side dish, you can get a meal for four for only $ 14.99 to $ 17.99, depending on the meat. Wow!
The bar area is a little weak on decorations or amenities. I can’t see spending time drinking there, but it was functional. Not many beers on tap, so be warned.
All in all, we plan to grab some food to go next time, and take it over to granny’s so we can compare the merits of their respective potato salads.

The Carolina pulled pork sandwich was excellent, better than ‘red hot and blue’ which is no longer around here.
The beef BBQ is good; better than some I have been to. I like their turnip greens and corn nuggets.
Woody’s is not a ‘BBQ-​only Texas smokehouse’ as some have pointed out, but has good food and lots of choices.

Woody’s is the epitome of something on which I want to lay the hamma’ down on. It is a franchised joint advertising all of the great styles from the different regions, yet it is based in Florida. Now it is in Texas… trying to sell ME «Texas brisket.» Well, I left surprisingly satisfied… not blown away, but just surprised. I was definitely not impressed, but then again, I take my slowly smoked meats to an extreme.
As a disclaimer, Woody’s is NOT a Texas pit eatery. There is no glorious carcinogenic smoky odor hitting your face as you point out what slice of meat you want. There is no butcher paper. There is certainly an excess of different sauces to use. You simply sit down and order. Darn.
The food came out, and my family, as in Asian custom, elbowed, shoved, and bit each other to get to the food. Not really; we actually shared 2 platters family style.
As noted before, the meats were actually better than expected. The biggest missing components were that bark and pink smoke ring. The brisket was tender, though lacking saltiness. The chicken was moist, but bland. The ribs were smoky, but tough. The sausage was sausage.
Better were the sides. The beans were soft and sweet. The mac and cheese was soft and cheesy, though missing the «cream» factor. The coleslaw was not too runny. The onion rings definitely hit the grease spot… but just a little too much. Nice crunch, though.
The various sauces added another component to the multi-​item dining experience. They were all based on a similar smooth, light sauce, but they each had a slightly different characteristic. The mustard one was pungent, the Carolina was no doubt vinegary, the sweet was rich, and the spicy had a kick.
If you do decide to go, there is a hidden gem on the menu that I will let you in on. Brunswick Stew, on the appetizer menu, is a nice meaty stew chock full of brisket, pork, corn, lima beans, and potatoes. It is all bound with a decent tangy sauce. It was a bit rich, as it is basically Sloppy Joe filling. It would be best on some toast.
The prices are fair, as 3 of us got full on about $ 30. Normally, you get charged by the pound at a BBQ eatery at roughly $ 10/​lb., so I end up eating $ 20 – 25 when I get my grub on with real Texas meat. Woody’s is definitely a new dining option for the neighborhood, but it ain’t no Texas ‘cue. Best take your appetite over to Cowtown if you want the real hickory goodness.