BoBo’s BBQ

I tried this place despite all the negative reviews and the fact that I often see the workers outside smoking in front which is a bit of a turn off. I had the cuban which is turkey, pork, and brisket. It was under $ 6 for a large sandwich that I was able to get in under 10 minutes through the drive thru. I asked for the hottest sauce they have, and I was given one labeled «Hot.» It was anything but hot. The flavor was okay, but it was thin and definitely lacking in heat.
This is no Blackdog, but it’s good for fast food and beats Lil Porgy’s in my opinion.

I had never been here before and, after having an excellent BBQ meal at Black Dog recently, decided to see how it compares. I pulled up to the drive thu order screen and sat there for about a minute. Wondering if the intercom was broken or if they were even open I pulled forward to the window. When it opened I was greeted with a lecture about how they heard me but there were only two employees and that I essentially needed to be more patient. Listen pal, all you had to do was tell me that when I pulled up. I wasn’t even upset about it, I just wanted to know if this was a place that was open to serve me food or not. The food wasn’t bad, but a stressed out cook giving me crap on my first visit is not something I need in my dining experience. Congratulations, you just lost a repeat customer

I pass by this place everyday and have never tried it. Came in on a rainy day and tried the rib tips. The side door was extremely heavy. I think they should probably change that for any handicap or weaker customers. The service was quick and friendly. A couple of unique sauce blends. The ribs were greasy but you got a pound for $ 9. The chipotle mac was just normal mac with chipotle sauce on top. Overall not the best bbq in Champaign and I think they know it (the server mentioned Porgy’s when I was ordering). Im intrigued to try the burnt ends one day but I’m not holding my breath.

Tried this place today as it was close to the auto repair shop. I was pleasantly surprised. I had the carolina pork sandwich, which was pretty good. The bun was nicely toasted, the meat was decent, and the portion was fine. They have quite a few sauces to try-​I liked the peach chipotle.
The potato salad was what you’d get from the grocery store. (I love Hickory River’s)
The fries were VERY good. Ours were nice and crisp, unlike what others have said in reviews.
For $ 7 and change (no drink) I thought it was a decent deal. I may have to try the burgers, which are under $ 3.
I’ll go back.

Went in on the recommendation of a friend. When we pulled in, the parking lot was empty. It was around two in the afternoon, so the lack of cars were quite a surprise! Upon the walk in, I was anticipating the smokey smell of really good BBQ! We ordered two Saturday specials; which consited of 1lb of rib tips, a side and a drink for 9.00. Costing less than 25.00 for both orders. We were given several sample cups to try the various BBQ sauces that they make in house! Amazing blends of flavors! The Pineapple horseradish and the Grilled Peach Chipolte were my favorite. The mashed potatoes were awesome and the coleslaw was left almost in a natural crunchy state with just the right amount of sweet. The mac and cheese was some of the BEST I have ever had!!!
The meat was AMAZING! You can tell by the taste of the rub alone that each piece of meat that they smoke is done with love and care. The meat was melt in your mouth fantastic! I am so excited to find out that they have 6.00 meal deals Monday thru Friday for students who present a school ID! I officially LOVE this place!
The service was beyond amazing too! Very courteous and patient with my questions about their menu and what they offer. Overall a great experience and I can not WAIT to go back!!!

Restaurant review
In my quest to find good BBQ in Champaign outside of BlackDog which I still have not had a chance to eat at due to the long lines, I ended up at Bobo’s with carry out. First the food takes a bit of time to prepare even though I was only 1 of 2 customers. I took heed to avoid the mac and cheese as it was reported to be similar to box mac and cheese. My sides were fries which are skin on potato fries, good not very crunchy but tasty and the potato salad which tasted like run of the mill potato salad. The corn bread was crumbly and dry so not so good. And on to the meats, pulled pork and beef brisket. There was not really any strong smoky flavor. The portion size was ridiculously small. For 13 dollars you can see how much food I got in the container. The only redeeming value was the delicious BBQ sauce. The chiptole peach and mild sauce were amazing BBQ sauce with a delicate balance of spiciness and sweetness. The only downside is you get only 2 small containers for the sauce. If you want any more you have to pay extra.
Pros: Amazing selection of BBQ sauce
Cons: Small portion size, expensive, not really good smoky flavors
Hidden deals:
Lunch specials Monday to Friday with main entrée, side, and drinks for some ranging from 7 – 8 dollars

Went in today with a client, we decided to try it because the sign said «put some south in your mouth». Well my family is from Tennessee, and they have that nasty red clay there, I think it is better than the brisket. The brisket wasn’t even warm, had no smoke ring to speak of, and was very, very, very fatty. We all know when you eat something greasy you get that oil slick feeling on the roof of your mouth, I couldn’t get it off for an hour. The cole slaw was really good, red beans and rice were like soup. They have 8 different sauces and give you 2 small cups to hold it in. I don’t hold out much hope for this place until they learn how to cook a brisket, there are at least a couple of very good bbq places in Champaign, you guys need to really step up your game.

I’ve given this place a wide berth due to the two star rating they have as an average. Circumstances took me there about 10 days ago; I’ve been back twice since. It’s been solid all three times, and for around 6 bucks a pop.
While I agree with a few things that previous reviewers have said — the mac & cheese is pretty much straight out of the box — the meat has always been really moist and smokey. I’ve had brisket, pulled pork, and rib tips. The last one is definitely not for the squeamish by the way; it’s a visceral experience, but well worth it.
The only sides I’ve had are the mac and cheese, and the fries. As I mentioned, the mac and cheese is pretty generic, but the fries! That’s where it’s at.
Obviously, knocking off THE barbecue place in town is a tall order. While Bobo’s doesn’t do it, it does what it does well. If you’re not in the mood to wait for over an hour or pay 20 bucks for a meal (or both) on the other side of town, give Bobo’s a shot.

The food is absolutely fantastic. Especially the Smoked Turkey. Don’t be so cheap with the BBQ cups. Come on you offer 8 different sauces. Let the customer try then all. It makes you look like a cheap skate.

We’ve been driving by this place for months as we head home from Champaign. Today we were heading home and decided to pick up some to take home. While we waited for the order we noticed that the place is clean and the staff very friendly. My wife and I both ordered burnt ends, a special, for about eight dollars each, and it came with two sides, a drink, and three sauces. We took it home– about nine miles– and it was still hot when we got home even though it is packaged just in styrofoam containers.
The burnt ends were perfect. Each of us got four nice sized pieces– about 1 inch by 2 inches. They were sitting inside a toasted hamburger bun. They were perfectly done. Nice char and very tender, with great flavor.
The barbeque sauces were fine. I am not a fan of bbq sauces, especially the sweet tomato based ones, so I was glad they put them on the side. My wife said they were tasty; the hot was too hot for her taste and the cherry-​chipotle too sweet for her taste, but she thought the flavor was good, though BoBo’s will never compete with Black Dog in Urbana.
The sides, however, were a little problematic. My wife ordered broccoli casserole and chipotle macaroni and cheese. I ordered cole slaw and greens for my sides. When we got home, however, we found four tubs of macaroni and cheese. While I have little doubt that, had we driven back, they would have corrected the order, we weren’t going to make the 18 mile round trip to do that. It is noteworthy that they have a nice selection of sides to go along with the meals. Unfortunately I cannot say anything about them. My wife liked the mac and cheese well enough. She says «it’s mac and cheese, with a little chipotle flavor added.» If you can’t make acceptable mac and cheese in Kraft’s hometown, you shouldn’t be in business. And this was acceptable. Too much of it for us, especially since I won’t eat Mac and Cheese, but it was good enough. She was sad that she didn’t get her broccoli casserole, and I was sorry I didn’t get to try the greens and cole slaw slides. Maybe some other day.
Not sure if we’ll go back or not. It is probably unfair not to try again. The meat was good, and while screwing up the order the first time left a «bad taste in my mouth» it probably shouldn’t put them on my avoid-​list.

I’m a sucker for pulled chicken and wanted to love this place. While I prefer white meat pulled chicken, I’ve come around to the fact that most places use dark meat. BoBo’s is no exception. But the dark meat was tasty. Moist, cooked well. Unfortunately there was a bone in my sandwich and some gummy joint meat. I know bones happen occasionally, but the place was dead when I got there, so there was no excuse. And if a place is going to have pulled chicken, they should use chewable pieces and make sure not to include any of the nasty joint stuff that doesn’t chew. Yuck.
The fries were good, well salted, fresh cut, the right amount. And the sauces were enjoyable. I had the hot, mild, and chipotle peach. All were delicious in different ways.
I won’t write this place off just yet, but I will NOT be getting the chicken again. I’ll stick to beef (no pork as I don’t eat pig products).
The service was great, though. Very friendly, and the cashier alerted me to a great deal they have.

So far I have tried the pulled chicken and the pulled pork sandwiches, the fries, and a selection of the different sauces. The meat itself is okay in terms of texture. It doesn’t have a particularly smokey flavor or anything. The thing that makes the meat «BBQ» is the sauce that you put on it. Otherwise, it’s just tender, slow-​cooked meat.
Some may say it’s not fair to just order and sandwich and then review a BBQ joint, but hey; there are a lot of people like me who don’t want to spend $ 15 on ribs every time we want BBQ. In terms of the sandwich, the bun is the biggest weakness. It’s just a generic, slightly stale, un-​toasted bun. At least it’s better than plain white bread.
The fries are prepared fresh when you order. They’re the sort that are clearly potatoes (which is nice), but they’re not crispy at all. They’re kind of soggy and chewy. Not really my thing. They’re also quite bland.
I’ve tried the mild and hot sauces and they’re both fine. The hot isn’t overpowering and the mild is pretty average. I also tried the Dr. Pepper sauce, which is intriguing. It’s very sweet and works well with chicken.
The lemon shakeups are pretty decent. They cost a bit more than a fountain drink, but they do taste like what you get at the state fair.
Overall, BoBo’s BBQ is pretty forgettable. It’s adequate, but with places like Black Dog around, it’s just too generic. The prices are lower than Black Dog (which just gets higher and higher every year), but I’m not sure they’re low enough to justify the mediocrity of the food. I would be shocked if this place is here in a year.

I had the beef brisket platter w/​2 sides (mac n cheese and the broccoli cheese casserole) but didn’t have cornbread because they ran out, so they gave me sliced bun. I also got the one pound of rib tips and that came with fries. The barbecue sauce I chose for the whole order was mild. I ordered the lemon shake up.
Overall the meat is cooked to a perfect tenderness and the meat falls off the rib tips, on the other hand, the seasonings were just not there for me. I thought it could have definitely been seasoned much better. The sides also were not very good, they did not seem fresh, even the fries. The barbecue sauce I choose was not good either. I’ve had better lemon shake ups too.
So in the end, I think this place has to get better or I don’t see it being open for long. I may give it another chance down the road to see if they make any improvements. With Lil’ Porgy’s down the street I think they need to figure out something. We shall see.