Rowdy’s Smokehouse

Arrived at 7:45 on Saturday night. They were out of pork, ribs, brisket, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, salad, and wine. What? Also, got charged for four sandwiches when we ordered three. No.

Wow! This place is awesome! Haven’t had BBQ this good since I was in GA! Great little place! Great value! Get the Sampler to try it all! Mmmmm good!

Seriously, so good. We stopped on the way home through SE OHIO and this is some of the BEST BBQ we have ever had! If you are road tripping, forget the fast food. Do yourself a favor and pop in here for a quick, delicious meal!

I have been here more than several times and I always hope it will be better than the last… I love supporting local…
We got there at noon on a Thursday (not busy)-ordered the sampler platter to go for hubby (ribs, chicken, pork, brisket) $ 14.50 no sides. Was told after we paid-​no chicken and ribs are only served after 4 — -Well then put it on your order board sign! So they told me they would just double the meat. Got it home-​NOPE! Also missed my 2 sides I ordered as well. My fault should have checked the bag-​even after I asked if they double checked everything and specifically ask about the sides and double meats!
Dine in– I ordered a chicken salad with low fat ranch. The salad said «Angry Chicken» I asked for no spice just plain!!! No chicken cause they were out and it was after the fact as well, so they — put brisket on it-didn’t ask??? (Yuck) and the dressing literally stayed in the cup when I turned it upside down! It tasted terrible! So I didn’t eat any of it, waste of $ 8.50. Plus the lettuce was brown and wilted! It had a half an egg, blue cheese, one cucumber slice, croutons and cheese! Not healthy at all! No thanks — –!!!
My dad got the lunch special-​it was special alright. Small portion and he ordered separately-​potato salad, which wasn’t even cold or good. He even asked the girl, taking our order (who was rude, not happy to even have a job, if it was mustard or mayo based and homemade-​she didn’t even know-​she had to ask!)
A side note-​our «to go» order didn’t even have BBQ napkins, or silverware. Also at the drink station there needs to be a small disposal bin for straw wrappers and Splenda/​sugar wrappers-​along with to go cup kids (all this trash was just lying there). Our gal, that took our order, didn’t even give us cups! So I had to go up and ask for them.
Maybe this place gets 4 – 5 stars because there is nothing else in Jackson.
I would HIGHLY recommend a change in front counter service (someone who wants to work, says hi and smiles, takes the time to answer questions and doesn’t hate life-​even after a 18% tip signed on your Apple I-​signature) a change in the way you present your specials-​what is NOT available at certain times or you are out! I would also recommend more dressing options and side choices.

Great BBQ. Some of the best I have had.
This is a great hidden secret to the out-​of-​towners like myself.
I will make it a point to come back when I come here again.
Specifically, the ribs and brisket exceeded my expectation.

Very good! Love the pork, and the baked potatoes are OUTSTANDING! My only wish is that there were more side dish options, particularly with the sandwiches, because the potato is enough on its own. Best BBQ in town, for sure. Staff is really friendly. A little pricey for Jackson, but I’d say average prices elsewhere. I do tend to forget about it, though, because I know they have odd hours (or maybe used to?) so I tend to not think about it unless someone else mentions it.

Pleasant surprise! Friendly attitude, great customer service and the food was lean and tasty. Even options for non meat eaters (giant baked sweet potato was delicious!). Super clean bathrooms!

Convenient location right off the highway. No combos but reasonably priced, and the food is awesome

Delicious!
I ordered the sampler and hubby ordered a ½ rack of ribs, mac n cheese, and a side of beans. The sampler came with chicken, pulled pork, brisket, and ribs. I am normally not a brisket person, but these melted in your mouth! My favorite was the pork. Sauces were very good too.
Mac n cheese was a little «processed», but kids liked it. The beans were some of the best I’ve ever had — wish I had that recipe! Baked potato was HUGE — enough for 2 for sure.

Talk about a BBQ joint that knows what they’re doing! Rowdy’s has got their craft mastered. The food is simply amazing. Best ribs around, pulled pork and brisket that will just melt in your mouth, and baked potatoes that are huge and tasty. Get them with cheese, butter, sour cream, and BBQ piled on top!
Service is great, atmosphere is great, and the food is outstanding. I’m usually picky about BBQ joints, but Rowdy’s won me over easily!

I visit Jackson, OH twice every year. I’ve seen Rowdy’s, with their huge smoker out front, and have lamented the fact that we were visiting during off hours. Well, I finally had a chance to experience Rowdy’s and it was well worth the wait. These folks know how to smoke meat! The brisket was terrific. Tender, juicy, with nice bark. The ribs were well smoked, and the pulled pork was spot on. Nice selection of homemade sides as well. This is some of the best smoked meat I’ve had in a long while. Rowdy’s is a real gem in Jackson. Oh, and the staff are exceptional. Great work here! Can’t wait to come back, next time I’m in town.

What an amazing dinner. The staff at rowdies is phenomenal, they go so far out of the way to make your experience amazing it is beyond words.
My family had two pulled pork sandwiches, I had pork nachos that were wonderful. We also tried some sides, Mac & cheese, coleslaw, and a side salad that was huge.
I can’t imagine being anywhere close to here and not stopping in. Do yourself a favor make sure that rowdies becomes a place that you want to go to over and over and over.
My wife wants to add watch out for the hot sauce it will sneak up on you. Her other final comment as we were walking out the door she will never ever question the exuberance and energy of youth, if the kids working here are our future, we’re going to be okay! Tonight was amazing.

I never write reviews for places, but after my fourth poor experience in a row, I felt compelled. I have had good experiences here, and I enjoy supporting local businesses, but beware, this place is extremely hit or miss. The quality of the brisket and ribs can be good or downright awful. I have returned to the restaurant after arriving home to find my brisket or ribs are so fatty that only about ¼ is salvageable. It’s so frustrating. I don’t think I’ll ever be going back, I’ve just felt like I’ve wasted too much of my money.

My friend and I have eaten here several times and we really enjoy the food and customer service. If you have not tried this place you are missing out. I love the pulled pork and my friend loves the brisket and half chicken. We both enjoy bread as well. We will be back!

I know we’re in the middle of nowhere, Ohio, but Rowdy’s serves up some BBQ that can hang with any big metropolitan area.
It’s only a few minutes off the highway in BFE Ohio and while a chain was tempting, Rowdy’s was more than worth the short diversion. The pulled chicken and pork sandwiches were amazing as was the brisket chili. Even though we were driving, it was tough to resist $ 2 beers. For $ 20 we stuffed our faces and were tempted to order more but figured it was time to move on.
The service was also outstanding. While the people at the register seemed new, they checked on us a few times to make sure everything was good and invited us to stay as long as we liked despite the fact that they seemed to be closing up shop a bit.
To sum it all up, do yourself a favor. If you’re anywhere nearby, STOP IN!

I’m a big fan of this place. It’s exactly what Jackson needed. A refreshing change to the usual fast food chains and Dakota’s fare. The brisket is EXCELLENT and so are the ribs. If you can make it during they hours they’re open, it’s definitely worth your while. Friendly staff and great service too.

I am a bbq connoisseur from the south and never thought I would find good BBQ up here. This place is open friday-​sunday and is awesome. The sauce has something different in it. Not sure what it is… it almost takes like it has indian spices in it… curry maybe?
Last weekend I ate there every day they were open, in fact I am about to go there not.

Just getting started, but I was impressed. Real smoked entre’s and good sides. We found prices to be very reasonable, also! Location is convineant for travelers, couple minutes off, US 35 and US 32!

This would rank in my top 5 of best BBQ I have had. The service was good, price was great and food tasted great. It is a great place to eat and would highly recommend.

Rowdy’s is a new BBQ restaurant. We visited on day 2 of their opening. Currently they are only going to be open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as they get underway with operations. Rowdy’s is locally owned and operated. The current menu is limited, but only d/​t the fact that this seems to be a soft opening. More items, including beer, is slated for introduction as time goes by.
Rowdy’s concept is very similar to most BBQ places. A casual atmosphere with rustic/​primitive décor. The staff had some great alternative rock playing, but the music is not distracting or invasive. There are booths, tables, and some pretty neat looking high-​tops that have some booth type seating. Nathan’s crew has been working hard and soliciting critical feedback. Food was delivered to our table quickly and the service was excellent. Nathan and his staff have training on how to create great customer experiences and you can tell that this is important to the staff.
Our food was prepared and delivered very promptly. I had pulled pork. My kids shared a ¼ of a chicken. My kids are very picky but they both enjoyed the chicken very much. All of the dishes I tried had a great smokey flavor that really stays with you. There are two sauces available. A regular BBQ and a slightly more spicy version. I tried the spicier version and I was very pleased with the taste as well as the fact that I haven’t tasted anything like it. Nathan’s crew makes their sauces and uses some interesting techniques that make them different than other BBQ sauces. Very tasty.
Overall, I was pleased with how fast our service was, the prices of the items, and the quality of the food. This will be a great casual place to get a fast meal with very good quality and taste. This has the potential to be a terrific alternative to the local chain restaurants. This is also owned by local residents who care about the customer’s experience.
Pros: Fast, friendly service. Affordable prices. Atmosphere, tasty sauces and pulled pork. Plenty of seating and various options. Great location and parking. Customer service oriented. Locally owned and operated.
Cons: Very few for day 2 launch. Limited menu is understood. More items to come. Lack of french fries or some sort of friend potato option. Upgrades still on-​going and more menu items to come as growing pains are worked out.
Bottom Line: Tasty, fast BBQ that won’t break the bank like some chain BBQ joints. I was very surprised with day 2 abilities and the services. Lots of upside to Rowdy’s becoming a regular spot for many Jackson County residents. This is worth your time to try and judge for yourself. The staff at Rowdy’s seem determined to compete with some of Jackson County’s most frequented establishments. Rock on Rowdy’s!