Wilson’s Barbeque

Honestly, I wasn’t too impressed. My friend came into town and really wanted to go here after seeing it on Diners Drive-​ins and Dives.
When we arrived they were out of Texas Brisket, and so we ordered the Carolina pulled pork. platter to share It was $ 20 and it came with a side of cornbread, and two little sides of mac & cheese and baked beans. The pork wasn’t bad, but it seemed to have little flavor so my friend and I piled on the sauce that was on the table. Two of the sauces were watery and unappealing, but the Wilson original sauce was pretty good. The cornbread was fine, again nothing amazing and same with the mac & cheese. The baked beans, however, were delicious! Luckily I wasn’t that hungry, otherwise, what we ordered definitely wasn’t enough to share. I am not an expert on BBQ, but I just thought everything was «okay» and a bit overpriced even for Fairfield.
I would normally have tried it again, just to try something else, but as we were sitting there a customer behind us goes «hey I can hear what your saying to who I presume was the owner, Ed Wilson» and a yelling match ensues in which the customer says the owner was, I kid you not, talking about his mom, and the owner was defending it! I literally could not believe what was happening. The customer eventually left calling the owner an a$$hole. The waitress apologized, which I thought was ridiculous since she wasn’t involved, but I just couldn’t believe the owner would defend himself and not apologize to the other customers in the room whom the whole confrontation was awkward. Obviously, I don’t know the whole situation but it made eating there uncomfortable, especially in bringing a friend from out of town.
I’d rather get a good beer and pulled pork sandwich from Walrus down the road any day.

Tried this place out after a «foodie» friend recommended it. Not good. Meats were dry, portions were small, prices were high. Most importantly, their «award winning sauce» was watery and disgusting. Never again.

Hadn’t been in five years, and today I was reminded of why.
1) prices are prohibited. $ 30 for a rack of St. Louis ribs and two sides and Diet Coke. I wanted baby backs, but they were already out of them at 12:15 pm!
2) food was boring at best. Tried all the sauces without a winner. Diet Coke was warm.
So, too expensive for boring flavored barbecue. I won’t be back!

definitely as good as it gets here in CT, i can assure you. st Louis ribs awesome, wings awesome. mac and cheese awesome but the best of all is the pecan pie. its unlike any other I’ve ever had. its not a layer of pecans on top and all that sugary slop underneath. its a little different, its amazing and yes, i’d go there for that alone. also, the place is clean and the owner is a super nice guy. i usually get a dinner with 2 sides, 2 sodas and a pie for around $ 30. for stuff this good that’s a bargain

Mediocre ribs, at best, combined with their «sides» dry corn bread and collared greens served in a mini styrofoam cup, not a place I’d go back to.

From Diners Drive Inns and Dives — to inedible! Went there on

Brisket sandwich was cold, potato salad was fair, pecan pie was pathetic. Deep fryer was turned off at 8:15 pm and no fries available even though business is open until 9:00 pm. There was no staff in the restaurant when I first came in and a cook finally came from the back wiping his head and hands with a towel looking disgusted that a customer came in. This place is really going downhill… Sad.

I don’t know what the hell happened to this place. When they first opened up they used to be pretty good now not so much. I stopped in with the girlfriend and we both got pulled pork sandwiches. Not only was the pork flavorless it was also a super skimpy helping dispersed on the roll we were still hungry so we ordered a brisket sandwich and collard greens. The brisket was disgusting and pretty much flavorless. The collard greens were some of the worst tasting greens I’ve ever had had in my life. You know it’s bad when the highlight of your meal at a supposed «barbecue joint» is the french fries… there was only two other people eating when we were there now I see why it was so quiet inside you could here a mouse piss on a cotton ball. The food has gone down hill big time don’t waste your hard earned money.

Let me start by saying that I don’t consider myself to be a BBQ connoisseur, but I do know good food, and I certainly know what I like.
That said, I felt obligated to try the ribs upon my first visit to this establishment. The full rack was probably one of the largest portions that I’ve ever seen, and it came with two sides and a slice of cornbread. The ribs didn’t come with any barbecue sauce, but the table had three different bottle of BBQ sauce next to the ketchup. I tried all three varieties of BBQ sauce (original, east Carolina, and chipotle); I didn’t really care for any of them. I found them all to be very thin and watery, whereas I would’ve preferred a thicker consistency. As for the ribs themself, the meat wasn’t as tender as I would’ve like and seemed to stick to the bone as if it was hanging on for dear life. I would’ve preferred the meat to fall right off the bone.
We also got a pulled chicken sandwich, which was just that: pulled chicken with no sauce or other toppings, on a on average store bought kaiser roll. And the chicken was extremely dry. This came with your choice of slaw or potato salad, but was never given the option.
One part of the restaurant, which was very clean and had a great BBQ ambiance, that I found strange was that the cooler with the beer was just a tub filled with ice that was not under supervision. The soda cooler at least had a door.
This meal was definitely not worth the $ 50 I spent, although you do get a decent amount of food. Both me and my dinner guest didn’t finish our meal, and that rarely happens. They do have awesome Boylan sodas though.

I have not been to Wilson in a couple years because I was never impressed by their BBQ. Tonight I was nearby and craving BBQ.
I went with the burnt ends and wings. I always liked their wings and they are still pretty good.
The burnt ends were horrendous and reinforced why I don’t go here. They were mushy and chopped like you would texas style chop brisket which doesn’t make sense.
The cornbread was dry and hard just plain nasty. How this guy ever won any BBQ awards puzzles me and how they stay in business even more baffling. But being in CT most people don’t know good BBQ and lack of options I guess we settle.

My husband and I, like others I’m sure, came to Wilson’s by recommendation of Guy Fieri from Diners Drive-​ins and Dives. Driving home to MA from Atlantic City, I had done my research (apparently not enough as this BBQ joint is not rated highly on Unilocal) and wanted to grab lunch here for some good Southern BBQ.
The place is clean (including the bathroom) and has a nice style and flair inside.
We split a half-​slab platter of the baby back ribs. This comes with 2 sides, corn bread, and pickles.
The ribs were ok — cooked/​smoked well with that nice pink color and taste inside from the smoking process. That, unfortunately, is where the good things ended…
For our sides we got the Mac and cheese and the slaw. The Mac and cheese was Luke-​warm and there wasn’t a moist or creamy element about it. It looked and tasted like it had just been sitting out under a heat lamp getting dry. The slaw… well, as another Unilocaler posted «don’t get me started on the slaw. I’ll just get angry.» It was seemed to be just a bunch of dry shredded cabbage that had been brined perhaps in a vinegar mixture — that’s really the best way I can describe it. I had a bite and a half and gave up. We also didn’t finish the Mac n cheese.
As far as the corn bread and pickles… the corn bread was dry and crumbly and, in hind site, they never gave me my pickles.
The tables come equipped with a few selections of their BBQ sauces so you can top your meats (which is necessary as they come fairly plain flavored aside from the smoke flavor). There was a vinegar based sauce, a spicier chipotle based sauce, and a mild sauce. All are pretty loose and heavy in the tangy acidic vinegary side. Don’t expect a thicker sweet variety — you won’t find that here. (Which is a bummer as that’s the type of BBQ I prefer — so I stuck with the basic mild sauce)
Sadly, there isn’t a lot I could say about this place in it’s favor except to perhaps stick with the meats and leave the sides…

Went in there Saturday night around 7:30 and they were out of mac and cheese, pulled chicken and Brunswick stew. I was a «newbie» and it seemed like a chore for me to obtain any information on what was available. I decided on a $ 23 pulled pork/​brisket platter which was very good but not worth the price. My tiny sides were «jag» which was horribly dry and tasteless, collard greens that were bland, and cornbread that just crumbled. Needless to say, I don’t get what all the hype is about. I will not be back there.

I used to live around the corner from this place, and it was always a struggle to resist the delicious barbeque smells. That said, this place can be hit-​or-​miss.
On days when Wilson is there, the service is exceptional, the food delicious, and the portions worthy of their higher price tag. When he’s not, though, you’ll be lucky if the employees remember to include your cornbread and pickles. The sizes are a fraction of what they should be, and the meat itself has a quality only found in food that has been sitting out for a bit.
Still, the ribs are delicious when done correctly, and I love their pulled pork (the most consistent of the meats).

Barbeque is a fast growing food category in New England. The available choices are growing by the day and competition for business can be fierce.
I’m happy to report Wilson’s a solid option in the quest for good BBQ in Connecticut. They have been featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-​Ins and Dives and with good reason.
My wife and I ordered two entrees, a full rack of St. Louis ribs (12) and a two meat combo featuring Texas brisket and sausage. Each comes with two sides and we chose mac & cheese, baked beans, cole slaw and Idaho fries which are their name for fresh cut fries.
Unlike a lot of reviews on here that complained about certain facets of the food, we liked everything. I found the brisket to be pretty good. I did not find it too fatty or too dry so the balance was perfect. The ribs are basically dry rubbed and coated with a light glaze of sauce and then you can add more sauce from the bottles on the tables.
Sauce choices include Wilson’s mild, which is very tasty, Holy chipotle smoke which is a spicy sauce and Eastern Carolina sauce, which is vinegar based. All were very good.
I’m not sure why there are so many negative reviews on this page. I get that they are a bit pricey but you do get a lot of food for the money as we basically took a meal home with leftovers.
I have some other favorites in the Connecticut BBQ race but am glad I gave Wilson’s a try. It was worth the trip.

Had Father’s Day lunch with my son — both of us BBQ fans.
GREAT food! Sauce variants are fantastic, folks are laid-​back & cool.
For the area, Wilson’s is rivaled ONLY by Bobby Q’s in Westport but at ¹⁄₃ of the price!

I’m a BBQ loving southerner with a catering company, so I hope my opinion carries some weight. We picked this place randomly as we were visiting CT for a week. I was skeptical walking up, as I’m accustomed to being able to smell good BBQ joints from down the block. When we walked in, it seemed smaller than expected and just about the bare essentials (as typical fashion with true bbq).
My girlfriend and I split the pulled pork platter and my sister and her boyfriend split the brisket platter… all of us needed a nap afterwards. They give you 3 sauces which are all so good that we were literally saucing each bite individually and rotating through the different bottles.
The sides sucked, but that’s typical for legit BBQ joints that know their BBQ is so solid that it doesn’t matter. The way I look at it, I’m paying for killer BBQ, the sides are just to keep it company. I can’t wait to come back next year, it’s going to be a new tradition.

Oh boy.
Where to begin? My Wife and I ordered lunch and ate in. The Ambiance is great — Everything one would expect from a BBQ joint with a southern flair. That is, sadly, the only good thing.
I’m a chef, so I’m a bit more critical when it comes to food, and I’m talking the basics here. Braised meat should never be dry. Nor should a properly braised protein ever be bland. It’s shameful, really.
That, unfortunately was the case with the pulled pork sandwich. It was dry, flavorless, and underwhelming. No basic seasoning and no sauce. Sauces provided on the side.
The sauces. Oh boy. Another disappointment. I guess this is just purely a matter of preference. My preference is a thicker, sweeter and more tangy variety with molasses and notes of smokey flavor. Their sauces are loose and way too much acid — ie vinegar.
The smokiness should be derived from their smoker. But sadly it never registers at all. A death stamp for BBQ. If a guest cannot taste notes of smoke and hickory, pine, etc from their smoker, then something is very wrong.
I had the burnt ends — Brisket in sauce over beans and rice. It was ok. I’m not huge on overly fatty meat, but the Flavors were ok. The sauce was acceptable, but again, only just.
Their slaw… No comment or I’ll just get angry.
Lastly, their fries. I asked myself, «how can you screw up fries?» But they did. Pre-​fried and retried abominations. Should fries be tasteless and soggy? No, right?
I mean, pre cooking and deep frying is fine, but presenting a guest with fries that have been sitting around is just inexcusable when it literally takes 2 – 3 minutes or less to fry up a fresh batch a la carte.
Portions are ok. Slaw and sides are pricey fir what you get.
So, overall I was not only disappointed but angry. Angry because I wanted so much more, expected so much less and got nothing in the end but the joy of knowing I had one more chance in the day to erase this memory with a good, satisfying meal.

Alright BBQ lovers. If your looking for a really great spot to check out and your in Connecticut (or just passing through). I would hope you would try to check out Wilsons. Located just off I95 at exit 21, you can hop-​off and hop-​back-​on the highway if you need to take it go. I’ve been here a few times and have been able to try a few of the signature meats. They have a pulled pork that is excellent and their brisket is delectable. The sides that they serve are pretty good too, but the meat is where they excel. Their dining area is a bit small and can fill up quickly. My suggestion would be to get it to go. This way you can enjoy all the finger licking flavor at your leisure.
Now the biggest problem that I have is that they are really only open on the weekends. Thursday through Sunday. Kind of a pain if your not in the area all that often. My other issue is the price of their food. Now I know we are not in an area where BBQ is sold at every corner and even at gas stations (I’m talking to you Kansas City), but the prices for these guys are a bit much for what your getting. Other than that I gotta say that every time I’m driving north or south through the area my mouth starts to water in the hope that I can grab some brisket to go.

I dont know whats going on there but over the past year and a half I noticed a decline in the quality of the food being served.
I eat there frequent enough to know and yesterday it was terrible. Ordered the full rack of babyback ribs and they were dry as a bone, almost like they were left out all night and reheated, for the first time I did not finish my meal.
Between the BigW in Wingdale Ny and Wilsons these were my 2 favorite BBQ joints but Wilsons has fallin of the map.
Get back to the ways that made you famous.

Don’t even bother.
We ordered the two meat platter — chicken & ribs. It included a chicken leg and thigh, 5 ribs plus 2 small sides for $ 23! The chicken was so dry (I’ll try to upload a pic) that it was inedible. The same applied to the pork which also included too much of a smokey flavor.
Wilson, if you are reading this — I’ve never seen you at this place but you need to start showing up because if you are going to be showing your brand at i95 rest stops, you need to prove that you can hack it at a restaurant level. Even the corn bread was stale. This is an embarrassment to the bbcue industry and also makes me want to compete because if this guy is getting awards, then I have a good chance of winning.
I’m so tired of these places in this town just giving a half-​assed effort and still sticking around. Give and produce 100% or leave. Stop stealing our money.