Walts Barbeque Hamilton

Come for the BBQ, stay for the immediate severe diarrhea!
You know how when you’re with a group of friends and you’re trying to think of places to go to eat, and someone suggests a place that makes everyone else groan and roll their eyes? That’s Walt’s! The food’s awful, the service is bad, and the inside of the place smells horrible. What more could you ask for?

I’m quite sad writing this review because Walt’s used to be one of my top five places to have dinner on the West Side of Hamilton. Not anymore. After giving the new ownership a chance to get settled in, I’m not going to be returning until there is a NEW new owner, if that’s even possible. The beef brisket used to be amazing. Now it’s a greasy, flavorless mess. The fish sandwich used to be crispy served with good tartar sauce. Now it’s a tiny piece of fish inside an excessive amount of breading and the tartar sauce was the consistency of runny soup. We sent both the tartar sauce and the ranch dressing back to the kitchen because they were so bad, and the server told us that they were making their own ranch dressing and tartar sauce which is why they weren’t thick. While I applaud a restaurant for making efforts to create things in-​house, they have to be quality products. If a kitchen can’t competently make it’s own tartar sauce and ranch dressing, then they need to switch back to ready made dressings and sauces. The sides also used to be amazing, but the green beans I ordered were barely edible. Now I like some salty beans when I go out, but there was enough salt in these beans to kill a horse, and enough diced garlic dumped in to ward off a vampire for months.
I really hope the new owners are reading these reviews because this area needs good restaurants and they are all migrating over to the Liberty Township area.

I used to love this place. It’s used to be the best barbecue around. I’m not sure what happened but something has sure gone wrong. The brisket was full of fat. The portions were small. One of the main reasons for going was their loaded potato salad. My family was so disappointed to see that it’s not on the menu any longer. One of my favorite places to eat has been ruined. We won’t go back.

As a turkey alternative, we had our Thanksgiving get together here at Walt’s BBQ (the weekend after). We made reservations, but even if more were there at the time, they could have still accommodated our group with ease. The portions are generous and there were plenty of options. I ordered the pulled park with a side salad and sweet potato casserole as my sides. You add your own sauce (3 signature sauces to choose from at the table). It was good! The cornbread was very good, fresh, and probably made in house. The raspberry vinaigrette was great on the salad. The rest of my meal came out just as expected. I think it would suit all ages and appetites.

After reading reviews I was skeptical about Walts but when I heard they were having a pig roast I decided that we should check it out. We weren’t disappointed. There was a delicious looking whole pig just ready for the Buffet. Add baked beans, potato casserole, creamy Mac n cheese and cole slaw all washed down with Ei8ghtball beer and a Who dey win… well it was a great afternoon. We will be back! Btw, service was great too! I would say that they have read the other reviews and have made some great improvements to the food.

The waitress was very good, too bad she serves mediocre ribs. The ribs I had I couldn’t even chew! Others had the fish dinner and they said it was good. It’s a shame, Walts ribs used to be so good :(

Nothing says «blah» quite like a BBQ joint located in a dying strip mall. Walt’s location leaves something to be desired, and the B-​Dubs-​style interior (quite a few TVs, a weird Clorox-​type floor cleaner smell, and worn-​out carpet) certainly doesn’t scream «down home» BBQ cooking. But hey, I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, right?
Just kidding. I am judging. Our experience at Walt’s in Hamilton was pretty dreadful. The food is just okay, but if plain-​Jane BBQ is your thing, go get a sandwich at Wendy’s or something. Their mac ‘n cheese is straight out of a box, and their sauces tasted like vinegar mixed with tomato sauce. The brisket was a slight amount of redemption, with a reasonably fair combination of burnt ends, lean, and fat. It wouldn’t win any prizes, but it certainly wasn’t inedible.
What warrants giving them a two-​star rating was the experience we had with their on-​duty manager. When he helped our server by bringing us our food, he didn’t have all four meals. After handing the food out to three of us, he looked at our fourth friend who was without food and said, «not eating?» We all shared a little laugh, and our friend (very) sarcastically said, «no,» and we all share another little laugh.
About ten minutes later, our friend still didn’t have his food. The rest of us have pretty much finished our meals by this point, and our fourth friend is trying to get the attention of our server. Finally, he gets up, approaches the counter, says he hasn’t received his meal, and then comes and sits back down. No sooner did he sit down than did the manager bring out his meal, set it on the table, said nothing, and walked away.
Managers of successful restaurants know how to apologize. Now I understand why the restaurant was pretty much empty.

Went there on a Saturday morning for lunch. One other table in the place. Salad and dressing were good. Fish sandwich was okay. Brisket was like shoe leather. Green beans and collard greens came right out of a can — and in the case of the collard greens, a very bad can.
When I tried to call to complain on the following Monday (didn’t want to complain at the time of the meal — didn’t want to start a Saturday outing on a sour note) nobody answers the phone. So I wrote an email on their website — no response whatsoever.
Never again!

Use to love Walts before they changed ownership. I ordered the turkey dinner and it was 2 small slices of turkey that was rock hard. I was very disappointed and will not be back, much better off driving to Eli’s or pit to plate for bbq. Not to mention the service was horrible, we had our food for no more than 10 minutes and the server came up and asked if we were done and ready for our check. I hope the management looks at all the bad reviews and changes something otherwise it will soon be out of business.

I ordered the turkey dinner. Tasted ok, but the serving size was incredibly small and looked like nursing home food. It was more like a turkey snack. Bu-​bum tss!

Food and service were both extremely disappointing. We won’t be back. The menu has slimmed so much. Waited 10 minutes for refills. Salads were brought out after our meal. Food was ice cold. Waited ten more minutes for our checks to be split. For the price, I recommend you go elsewhere. SMOQ in Fairfield is a bit more expensive, but the food is a much higher quality and they seem to care about their customers.

Last night we arrived at 6:15 and put our name in for a table for six people. The host disappeared and other customers started coming in one after the other. After 10 minutes the host came back to a crowd in the waiting area and asked «who was first?» Everyone looked at each other and I heard someone say «really?» Awkward. There needs to be a host taking names and managing the flow — not optional. We were seated after a 15 or 20 minute wait. We put in our drink order and waited for at least 15 minutes before the pop/​tea/​water arrived. We placed our food order and waited. And waited. And waited. Our server never checked on us — not a single time. My grandson finally took his glass and mine and went to the drink station and obtained our refills. After a little more waiting, our granddaughter, who works at Walt’s, came to our table and told us our server had walked out — quit. Okay, these things happen, right? Well, we sat there another half hour and the manager had still not stopped to apologize or make any attempt to resolve the issue. I stopped him and politely said that we understand they have a lot going on but I needed to add something to our order. He asked what I wanted and I told him and he said he would take care of it. After another half hour my wife went to the kitchen entrance and asked if our order had even been entered and she was advised they didn’t have our order. We left about ten minutes later. Let me stress that at no time in the two hours that we sat at our table did ANYONE from the staff check on us. Not once. This was really the worst restaurant experience I’ve had. My observations would indicate the following advice/​observations for the owners and managers: The server was working more tables than he could handle. He made a bad decision and quit instead of doing his best and sucking it up. Those things happen and a plan needs to be in place to react accordingly. The manager needs to visit each table and be open and honest and try to diffuse the frustrations. Thirty seconds talking to us would have allowed them to realize someone needs to check on our order and to discover it needed entered. You need enough staff working the restaurant to assure good service, otherwise you’re doomed. Look at the other complaints. The number one problem here is SERVICE, SERVICE, SERVICE. It’s not that difficult. Hire someone who can recruit and train people to smile, ask how they can help, and keep checking on customers.
So, the finish to our visit: TWO HOURS, NO FOOD, NO SERVICE, NO APOLOGY.
Interestingly, we hadn’t been to Walt’s in a long time because the previous visit was unsatisfactory as well. Will we go again? If so it will only be because our granddaughter works there and we love her. The barbecue isn’t so special that people are willing to overlook terrible service.

I got pulled pork with a side of baked beans and mac n cheese. I expected the pulled pork to be in sandwich form, but when it came out it was just a pile of pulled pork. Perhaps I read the menu too hastily? The pulled pork was very good. So were the beans. Cornbread muffin was moist and delicious. Mac n Cheese was meh. My girlfriend had a bowl of chili which I tried. I thought it was pretty bland, and they put red onion on top which I thought was unusual but not bad. I tried all three of their sauces. They had a sweet BBQ, a spicy BBQ, and a mustard vinegar one. Both of the BBQ sauces were good, but I certainly wouldn’t call their «spicy» sauce spicy. I’m not a fan of mustard vinegar sauces and this one didn’t change my mind.

If you like BBQ this is the place to visit. I would try to come earlier in the evening otherwise I find the meats to be a little on the dry side being that they smoke everything onsite. My favorite is the half chicken with mac n cheese and baked beans. All dinners are served with a homemade corn muffin that next to melts in your mouth. They have a full bar which has a happy hour from 4 to 7 Monday through Friday. Also it’s well worth it to add a spicy sausage to your meal for $ 2.99.

I have only been to Walt’s a handful of times, but I have never had a bad experience.
I went last night with my husband, my parents, and my sister.
My husband and I started with a moonshine sampler. Maybe it’s just because moonshine isn’t really my thing (or his) but I didn’t care for any of them that much. We tried the strawberry, blackberry, peach, and apple pie. I kind of liked the blackberry but I’d never order it again. The others were kind of gross. My mom liked the apple pie one.
We ordered the Pit-​Special to share. It comes with pulled chicken and pork, brisket, and a full slab of rips. Plus three sides. We had the mac n cheese, loaded potato salad, and green beans.
I don’t understand why the cornbread is always cold but it’s basically just that cheap Jiffy cornbread (which I’ve liked since I was a kid).
The mac n cheese was delicious and the beans were just your standard green beans. Nothing exciting. I really liked the potato salad — it was like a potato skin that was cold. Super tasty.
All of the meat was really good. I was a huge fan of the brisket. The ribs just fell off the bone. Their sauces are really good.
Our service was a little slow but the waitress was friendly and helpful.
There was plenty of food for the 5 of us — we probably all ate too much but it was really good.
I know that my parents enjoy Walt’s a lot so I’m sure we’ll be back with them again sometime.
On our way out (around 6pm on a Saturday) there was a sign on the door saying they were now out of ribs. Guess we got the last slab.

I’ve always loved Walt’s and have been coming since 2010. It’s the best BBQ I’ve been able to find in Butler County. Though I believe Smokey Bones in West Chester is tops. Walt’s has the best corn bread; so moist. The sides are plentiful and all winners. I always go for the pulled pork sandwich with the mustard/​vinegar sauce. Pretty good beer selection but you’re on your own for a recommendation because the servers are clueless.
The pacing of the courses was definitely off last time I was here. My friend had just gotten his salad and they placed his meal down. Salad ended up untouched. I don’t like feeling rushed.

Service is awful! But food makes up for it 100%. Had one waitress waiting on like 10 tables with large groups and multiple others passed by and just kept saying she was busy. Took 25 minutes to get order taken and then food sat at window waiting for 10 minutes because the server was distracted by coworkers hanging out at cash register chatting. Another waitress brought us our food and apologized because I asked why they were hanging out and she said most were «off the clock» and it happens often.
Food was the best BBQ in a long time and I’m harsh on my BBQ. Great pulled pork, great variety of sauces. Excellent food worth the wait!!!

Came here to watch the NBA playoffs with some friends, the atmosphere was great with lots of large TVs around. The food, however, was really disappointing.
I ordered the brisket with green beans and sweet potato casserole and the wings to start. The wings were far and away the best part of the meal, get them smoked!
Unfortunately, that’s where the good stuff ends.
The brisket was way too dry and bordering on inedible. The green beans were soggy, extremely unappetizing and clearly from a can. The sweet potato pie was okay, but nothing special.
The smoked wings were good, but not worth a return trip, skip Walt’s unless you’re dying to watch a game.

We were expecting to find the B-Dub’s that had been at this location the last time we were here but found the newest location of Walt’s BBQ instead. Hungry for meat of any kind we decided to give it a try.
The inside was hardly touched from it’s days as a wing joint but the smoky smells were most definitely sending a different message. The crowd was light for lunchtime (it was a rainy Monday) so we were seated right away and our orders were taken. I ordered the pulled pork sammy with collared greens and my partner ordered the pulled chicken with sweet potato casserole. As with most BBQ places, the food came out fast (which was good cuz we were in a hurry). When the food is this good, the portion never looks like it’s big enough which was the case here. The meat was served on a hoagie roll with no sauce (the way I like it) and the collared greens were just OK (I like a little pork in mine) and the sweet potato casserole was gone quickly so it must have been to her liking.
There appear to be daily specials each day as well as events planned (Karaōke anyone?) most nights.

Thanks to Unilocal HQ, Walt’s address is now up to date. Walt’s is absolutely open, just at a new location near Hobby Lobby.
I tried Walt’s for the first time on Friday night, and I was stunned. We arrived and the place was full, but waited less than 10 minutes to be seated. Our waitress had our table, two large groups, and a few other tables, and we never had to wait for anything. The service was outstanding and we couldn’t ask for more.
As for the food, well, wow. Although the BBQ sauce selection was limited to 3 types, they were all good. I’m not sure why they call the one «Carolina Gold», because when I lived in North Carolina, we didn’t have a sauce like that. Still good though. I tried several items of the menu, including the potato skins (they come with BBQ beef brisket on them), pulled pork, beef brisket, spicy sausage, and ribs. For sides I tried fried okra, sweet potato casserole, and baked beans.
The pork and the brisket were perfectly prepared. The crust on the brisket was outstandingly rich. Add a little sauce to either, and viola, you’ve got some of the best Texas BBQ I’ve ever had. It even tops Burbank’s, if you remember them in their heyday.
The ribs come dry, but you can add the sauce of your choosing if you want to. I think that’s why the dry rub was tempered a bit, because most people probably eat them wet. They were good wet or dry.
The spicy sausage was really good, similar to a a Bahama Mama at Schmidt’s German restaurant in Columbus. The flavor was really good, and it had a slow burn to it, but I was so absorbed in the pulled pork and brisket, I saved it for later.
The sweet potato casserole is outstanding. Definitely a top pick for a side dish. This is a top 5 performer compared to other sweet potato casseroles I have tried. The baked beans were top notch, and could not be improved upon. Finally, though I am not an okra person, the fried okra was tasty and well prepared.
If you’re eating in Hamilton, Walt’s is someplace you should try. This restaurant is now a tie for first place with my other local favorite.
Update: I returned for a second visit and am still as pleased as I was for the first visit. If anything, our service was better, and the food was fantastic. Still raving over the Tater Skins w/​brisket. Yum.