Boss Hog’s

This place was mixed for me. I got the smörgåsbord and the wife got the ribs. The smörgåsbord was great for the price (and as far as smorgasbords go). High point was the pulled pork. Salad was ok. Desert was great. My wife got the ribs. Very smoky, but definitely not fresh. Tasted like it had been wrapped in plastic and placed in a fridge for a couple days. By looking at the reviews, I’m betting if you get lucky and you catch them on a fresh day, they would be amazing. Unfortunately by being old, the ribs were dry. Tasty, but dry… which, in my opinion, kills the ribs.
This place is very reasonably priced however. Because of that, I would almost give them 4 starts. For the price, you can’t beat it. But, in my opinion, you get what you pay for. If you are down this way and want an ok meal for the right price, you’ll be full when you leave.

Yes you can go home again… and again. While back in the Pekin area for our oldest son and wife’s adopted daughter’s first birthday party and a chance to see the little home we bought in Pekin over the internet sight unseen we had to eat. Stick with me, we’ll eat soon!
Well we did good on the house. However we still can’t stay in it. We loaned it to our daughter’s family so we had to stay west of Glasford with the oldest son’s family.
We were only in the Pekin area a little over a week. There are less friends and family left. When we visit any of them we naturally get hungry. So this will be a multi review evening.
Our last evening at our son’s place in the country not far from Banner, they wanted to take us out for BBQ. We live in NW Florida. We eat BBQ almost daily!
My wife and I had stopped at Boss Hog’s in the past but they seemed to always have the door locked. Son Gene was bragging about the buffet at Boss Hog’s. It was a Wednesday evening so the buffet wasn’t opened. My wife and I have a habit of getting a tenderloin sandwich someplace while back in the Pekin/​Peoria area and had not yet had our fix.
We live in the boonies of Florida but I knew that the Horsehoe sandwich was invented in the 20’s in Springfield, Illinois yet we had never had or seen one. On the menu at Boss Hog’s were two sizes of the tenderloin horsehoe. We were advised by the very friendly and helpful waitress that the small size was more than we could eat.
Three of us ordered the small tenderloin horseshoe while our daughter-​in-​law, who always has to be different, ordered a deluxe burgur and possible sweet potato fries and green beans as a side. I’m sorry I really didn’t pay much attention to her meal since this horseshoe thing had my undivided attention.
Our son is a big eater. He couldn’t finish his huge order of fries covered with some sort of delicious gooey cheeze or all of his tenderloin. Neither could my wife or I. Let’s just say we were happy we passed any type BBQ for one of the best meals we’ve had in awhile.
Even our one year old grand daughter had her first two slices of dill pickle, fries, and green beans. From what we saw Isabella liked her meal as well as we liked our horseshoe. I’m thinking we had a side but I no longer remember or care.
We’ll call the meal a three. I’ll give the redneck backwoods décor a one and the great service another one. I’d actually give a five to each but they won’t let me!
We’ll go back to Boss Hog’s when we get back to the Banner area again.

Although the place is a little out of the way it is worth the trip — we’re always looking for good bbq and although I have yet to order from the menu I have thoroughly enjoyed their buffet several times — be careful if the buffet is your intention since they don’t have it every night and I’m not sure if it’s only Friday and Saturday — the pulled pork and ribs are excellent and have lots of flavor but very little sauce (which I prefer) their good variety of sauces on the table are tasty. They have really good fried chicken and I love their catfish strips (fingers?) They also have some really good side items and excellent deserts as well — their corn muffins are a must try

I’ve been there only once so far and I have to say it was an overall excellent dining experience. The pulled pork was really good, the waitress was friendly and attentive and the atmosphere of the restaurant is casual, yet cozy and relaxing. I’ll definitely be going back again. It’s a bit out of the way for most folks but it’s worth seeking out, especially if you like good food and BBQ. They also have a buffet available for people who don’t want to order off the menu. I did not try it, but it looked pretty decent when I walked up to check it out. A good way to try a variety of their food and very economical if you are super hungry. They also have a full bar as well and a gaming area.

Excellent food. I had the buffay. I ate well. Pulled pork catfish curls rib tips and fried chicken. I saw salad but I’m fat. I’ve had no gas so things have worked out with the liver which with my plumbing means it was great food.

Best BBQ in the area. My boyfriend and I drove over from Peoria, which is kind of a haul. We will not hesitate to do it again. We had the buffet. Everything was hot and super delicious. The salads were cold and tasty. It was a great experience.

Ohhh the carnage!!! I’ve never stuffed myself with so much amazing food. Got the ribs and brisket platter and oh yes it comes out on a massive platter! I would’ve took a pic of it but once it hit the table I was in the zone! Half a rack of ribs, a mound of brisket and a pile of steak fries. I ate the ribs with a fork cuz the bones would just come off in your hands! The brisket was amazing and complimented with three different bbq sauces they have at the tables. I didn’t think I could get to the corn bread but once I tasted it … Yep it was gone. To wash it all down … dollar beers!
Great Food! Great People! Well worth the drive to Banner because you won’t find this in Peoria!

The SO (Significant Other) and I were out for a drive and ended up at Boss Hogs this evening. We rolled in at about 7:30 PM and the place was crammed. On the plus side everyone in the queue was waiting for a big table so the two of us ended up at a small corner table pretty quickly. Every employee we met was friendly and courteous.
Since it was our first time there we spent a little time surveying the facility. I was pleased to see that the interior was spotlessly clean and had nice visual appeal. The décor is rustic with a faux log cabin look using ¹⁄₃ sawed exterior siding stained and varnished. There is a fireplace and they have intertwined burlap cloth and LED string lights and loosely wound that around a rod as window accents.
Drink orders were taken within a couple of minutes and we began scanning the menu. One item stuck out as odd it was the Fried Potato Salad. I asked the waitress about it and she offered to bring a sample with our meal. My best description was that they had cubed potatoes, deep fried them and then drizzled them with what reminded me of the dipping sauce they use with blooming onions. Not a bad taste but I wouldn’t want a big serving.
For our meal I chose the ½ rack, crinkly fries, baked beans, and a sweet cornbread muffin ($ 15). The So had the pulled pork sandwich with fries ($ 10)and a serving of applesauce as a side.
The meals arrived and I was pleased with the ribs. They were smoked to the point of being black but were surprisingly tender and moist. Somebody there knows how to cook ribs. There was a choice of three sauces on the table (sweet and mild, sweet with a slight vinegar base, and sweet with mild heat) all sauces were tasty and none was overpowering. Fries were standard issue and were piping hot.
The SO’s sandwich was excellent. The pulled pork was moist and tasty. Served on a 6 inch bun it piled high and was more than she could eat.
OK here is where things got weird the standout star of the meal was… the applesauce. Man was that good. It tasted homemade. There was even small bits of apple throughout the serving. We both commented on how delicious it was.
All in all I would highly recommend Boss Hogs for a casual evening out. The food is reasonably priced and we were in and out with drinks (cokes) for $ 32.

Wonderful Barbecue and 30 items on the menu. We talked to Mike Arnold, the owner, and he smokes everything fresh on site. They make 4 custom sauces: Mississippi Hot, Sweet Sauce, Carolina Style, and the a Wings Sauce. I actually ordered «dry ribs» because I like the meat rubs and not wet sauce. Mike said he will prepare ribs, pork, wings… any way you want them. He will kick it up if you like it spicey. If you want dry ribs he has choices for meat rub. The place looks like a big log cabin and smell like barbecue. There is also a log looking hotel strip next to it for all the hunters. Hunting down there is on a 300 acre area. Staff was great and small-​town friendly. They pull things out of the smoker for your order and then prepare it. It will take slightly longer, but well worth it.

Being a man from the south, BBQ is my first true love. I have travelled all over this country and tried every BBQ place I have ever come across. From dilapidated tin roof shacks to the more appealing brick and mortar establishments, I’ve seen them all. Boss Hogs is not only a structurally sound restaurant, the food is spot on.
I’ve tried several different items on the menu and I’ve never been disappointed. My favorite entrée has to be the BBQ fried chicken. Never have I ever come across such a beautiful marriage of a main course and simple condiment. Out of this world.
This review would not be complete if I didn’t mention their fried potato salad. It tastes nothing like any traditional potato salad but everything like the best potato concoction I have ever introduced to my taste buds. Must. Try.
Every time I go to Boss Hogs I seem to get the same waiter. This guy knows the ins and outs of customer service. He’s on top of refills like butter on a biscuit. He seems genuinely interested in your well being while you visit his place of employment and he also likes the show «breaking bad.» Automatic 5 star for service.

We enjoyed the food. The waitress was friendly and helpful. This is somewhere I will return to.

This is my favorite BBQ place in Central IL. Great food with good prices and a very friendly staff makes this a no brainer.
I love their pulled pork sandwich, it is quite large and very tasty. Their pulled pork horseshoe is also quite good. If you want an appetizer, I suggest getting the catfish nuggets. They really blew me away. I am not big on ribs, so I haven’t tried them but others I have dined with have mentioned how good they are.
I would say that Boss Hog’s is definitely worth the drive.

Some people base their ratings on the quality of the food. While that’s always important when you’re reviewing a food establishment, service is WAY more vital to me. If a place has excellent food, but then treats me poorly — you don’t deserve a good review. And I’m not fricking hard to please either. Just smile and be nice and come to the table a few times. You can be fake about it too, doesn’t matter — just don’t have an attitude. My experience with our waitress was not good. AT ALL.
That being said, the food was pretty decent. I went with a horseshoe, which I’d never tried before. It had two pieces of bread, white cheese sauce, and a ton of pulled pork. It was HUGE and I probably could have split it with one of the friends I was dining with.
On to the bad. The waitress was rude from the time we walked in. Obviously, we didn’t fit in and weren’t from the area. I don’t know if for some sick reason that bothered her or you know what — maybe she was just having a bad day, but she acted like we were intruding and shouldn’t be there. The attitude never improved as she just gave us dirty looks most of the time we were there. When we asked her to split the check, oh my heavens. She could have burned a hole through us.
I wasn’t alone in my feeling. My two friends both mentioned later about how rude she was to us. I don’t think this sort of demeanor is ever acceptable and I hope that she doesn’t show the same «Southern hospitality» to us to any other patrons again.

Drove from Peoria to try this place. I had a ½ rack. The outside was way to burned for me. So much so that the meat at the ends was hard to chew. The flavor was good in the middle of the ribs. If i was in the area I would try them again, but i will not drive from Peoria.
The folks working there were very friendly, they would get 5 stars but my rating is on the food.

Our family has been to Boss Hogs several times. I was very excited the first time and was really disappointed. I have been wishing for someone to open a BBQ joint in the area for a while. I ordered a sampler platter with the dipped fried chicken and pulled pork. The pulled pork was juicy but had no hint of seasoning, smoke, or bark. It tasted like it had been cooked in an oven. That’s not BBQ, that’s roasted pork. The fried chicken was amazing. Probably the best thing they make. I tried my son’s ribs. They were not baby backs, so I expected more fat. They were a little dry, very smokey, probably over smoked. Their sides are hit and miss. Some are homemade some are not. I know the slaw came from a tub. But the pasta salad was very good. I was disappointed to see that there was no Mac n Cheese on the menu. IMO, homemade mac n cheese is a must have for a BBQ joint.
Overall, I thought the place was OK. I really hope they get their BBQ problems fixed. More time in the smoker for the pulled pork and less for the ribs. I want them to be in business for a long time! Home make all of your sides and add mac n cheese!

Had a christmas get together there last night and it was great. Love the catfish curls and combination platter.

Good BBQ place. Friendly staff. Excellent portions. Not too huge that it is a waste, but enough to fill you up and give you a small take home box.
We stopped here with four other families after a swim meet. We called ahead because of the size of the group. I’m glad we did because it was packed.
The kids split a few of the pit boss platters. This is a great deal if you need a lot of food. The adults tried several entrees. I loved the ribs. Someone else raved about the catfish. The corn muffins are fantastic.
The BBQ sauces are on the table which allows you to control the type and amount of flavor.
Our bill for 5 including a few beers was $ 75 plus I have lunch for tomorrow.

The wait staff was nice-​I like that the new owners didn’t change much on the inside décor. My boyfriend ordered ribs-​he ended up chewing on fat instead of meat. I had a pulled pork sandwich-​the pork was plain– I felt that I could have done a better job in my crockpot-​I was really wanting a pulled pork sandwich that was popping with flavor. The sauces that are available on the table-​lacked flavor and tasted watered down. I was really hoping for a house made sauce and awesome smoked pork-​I was disappointed. The menu also lacked desserts– which I think almost every menu in town has. I think this restaurant has potential though-​if they can step up their game on the BBQ they could dominate that market in Fulton county. The prices are reasonable for this area.

Boss Hog’s occupies the space at Routes 24 & 9 where the old Crackin’ Jakes used to be. The owner is the guy from One World in Peoria, and has taken his expertise and created a down-​to-​earth BBQ joint that doesn’t disappoint. I had the sample platter which included ribs, pulled pork, and cole slaw. The ribs came to the table with a perfectly-​crusted dry rub and fall-​off-​the-​bone tender. Pulled pork was also juicy and tender. The sauces are on the table ready for your use, both made from scratch. The larger bottle has a traditional BBQ sauce with a touch of sweetness and a hint of spiciness. The smaller bottle, my fav, is their spicy variety of sauce – nothing scorching, but loaded with flavor. I asked our waiter about it, and he said the secret was their use of the ghost pepper. Sounds good to me!
Great food, great décor, family focused. You really can’t go wrong if you are in the mood for BBQ.