Cripple Creek BBQ

Restaurant alert! Cripple Creek barbecue is now officially closed as of February 17, 2015. that’s actually good news because their food wasn’t that good I couldn’t believe they actually called himself a barbecue place. Cottonpatch restaurant has recently come to Athens and it’s been putting the hurt on a lot of small time operators and I think Cripplecreek was probably one of them.

Delicious, very reasonably priced east Texas barbeque… yum. sauce is yummy meaty is so tender n good enough to eat without any sauce at all… only better barbeque I’ve had is at Stacis barbeque in Jacksonville, Tx… this is a very close second no doubt

Cripple Creek made the Texas Monthly Top 50 back in 2008 (they publish every 5 – 6 years), but was snubbed by the current 2013 list. Even if it was no longer top shelf, I was sure to find some fairly tasty meat here no matter what.
This place has all of the usual barbecue offerings, but the big surprise you’ll find here is something called «Hog Wings.» I think we’re all familiar enough with porcine anatomy to assume that the «wings» label is an intentional misnomer. Actually, the Hog Wings are small smoked pork shanks that have been whittled down to resemble chicken legs. They also come with a sweet and spicy chili sauce for an added Asian twist.
When I unwrapped my to-​go order, I found meat that looked pretty grey and lifeless. That being said, these pork shanks were extremely tender and juicy despite outward appearances. I also found more smoke than I had anticipated. The meat was really pleasant to eat on its own. The straight-​from-​the-​bottle chili sauce didn’t add much in terms of heat, but did add an interesting sweetness to the pork. For my money, I would have preferred a traditional bbq sauce over the halfhearted attempt at Asian fusion.
Cripple Creek may have fallen a tad short of expectations, but it was still a tasty roadside snack nonetheless. I’d definitely give them another try to see if the more traditional barbecue offerings can pass muster.

Ate lunch here recently on a day trip to Athens. We had the one meat plate and a sandwich, both with sliced brisket.
Portions on both were generous and the brisket was good, not great but good. The sides, pinto and baked beans, green beans and potato salad were all also good.
Not a bad place at all… Interesting décor and friendly service. Don’t expect a high end place… styrofoam papers and plates and plastic ware but that sort of adds to the charm.
One final note, I ordered the sandwich with the spice BBQ sauce and while good, it was very spicy, so be aware of that.

I was in the area with the family and read some decent reviews of this restaurant so we decided to give it a try for dinner. There were 6 of us so we had a variety of food not just 1 item. It was all just very plain and we really expected something better.
The establishment needs updating and a major cleaning. It’s one of those places that has tons of decorative things all over the walls and ceiling and it just all seems very stale and dusty.
Additionally, many of the employees were outside smoking during much of our visit. They were polite though.
I think this place better shape up quickly or they wont last.
Also: Kids meals 6.99 each without a drink.

Loved the buffalo burgers!

We were told this was a great BBQ place but we were disappointed. The food wasn’t bad, but it was merely decent. We got the sampler platter, which gives you ribs, pulled pork, brisket, sausage… so we got a chance to sample every staple. Nothing stood out. The brisket was dry, and the sausage, at best, forgettable. The pulled pork tasted good, though one expected more flavor.
Not bad, but one expects much more from an East Texas BBQ place. At a minimum, at least one of their dishes should taste better than BBQ chain restaurants, but that wasn’t the case here.
On the plus side, the service was attentive and friendly, and the place is inexpensive.

Okay, honestly, I didn’t eat here… BUT I arrived 5 minutes before closing time, and they were closed up. PISS ME OFF. Also, there were people in there at the register (looked like the owner)… and they ignored me when I pulled on the door.
That’s not how to run a business that actually cares about customers.
Probably good food, but run by jerks. IMHO
PS: I tried calling first, but the phone number on both Google Maps and Unilocal is incorrect. A smart owner would check that and get it fixed.