Bubba’s Texas BBQ

We went here with high expectations. They had relatively good reviews on Unilocal,plus the hype from the new Food Network show. We were disappointed.
The décor is nice — lots of dark wood, new tables and chairs, and comfortable. It struck us that it was mainly a bar, with a few tables for food seemingly as an afterthought. It’s pretty loud. We’re not drinkers, so we came for the BBQ. The server was friendly and attentive.
We ordered a few things off the menu, which is written in chalk on the wall (no printed menus), and changes nightly.
We got the bacon mac and cheese starter, the chili fries, a half-​rack of ribs, and the slider trio.
The bacon mac and cheese was a pretty big portion — this could easily be eaten as an entrée — but it was nothing to write home about. Rotini macaroni with a pretty average cheese sauce, and not much bacon, baked in the oven. Our portion was only warm, not hot, leading me to believe it was under a warmer (or maybe even not), until the rest of our food was ready.
The chili fries were okay, they had pulled pork in the chili instead of beef, which was ok, but the chili itself was just average, and no kick to it. Again, the fries and the chili were warm, not hot. When we asked the waitress about the pulled pork in the chili, she told us that the chili can change from night to night, they never do it the same way. Wait… what? A restaurant, that doesn’t use recipes??? I can understand switching up the menu items, sure. But if I’m craving their chili (or anything else), I want to know the next time I go, it will be the same as it was the last time, not totally different.
The ribs were way too dry and chewy — we had to tear the meat off the bones with our teeth! My boyfriend, who NEVER complains/​sends things back in restaurants, sent them back. The waitress was apologetic, but she didn’t seem at all surprised, like she’d heard this before.
The slider trio was good. We got one each of pulled pork, pulled chicken, and brisket. I loved the pulled pork and the chicken (I’m not a big fan of brisket in general). My boyfriend thought the chicken was a bit dry, but I thought it was awesome.
Unfortunately, the sliders were just not good enough to redeem the meal for us. We won’t be going back.

I normally would feel bad about giving a fairly new place (open about a year now) a bad review, but I’m sure Bubba is making plenty of money off his corny Food Network show.
I was very underwhelmed by Bubba’s. My experience there wasn’t terrible, but it definitely is not a place I’ll be returning to, nor would I recommend it to friends. I’d have them go a few blocks over to Fette Sau instead.
What didn’t I like? First of all, the layout of the restaurant is kinda awkward. Like my table faced the kitchen and it looked all sorts of a hot mess. And there were flies everywhere which grossed me out. And the only menu is on a chalkboard on the one wall. Unfortunately, from our table, we couldn’t read it, so we had to get up from our table and walk around the bar to read it. WTF? Figure out your restaurant logistics, people.
Second of all, they ran out of a ton of items when we were there. Other Unilocalers have mentioned this as well. We wanted pulled chicken and they ran out. At like 6 pm on a summer Saturday night. Seriously? I believe they ran out of cole slaw right before we left. Cole slaw? How do you run out of cole slaw at a BBQ place?
They do have a pretty decent beer list and the prices weren’t too bad. I was able to get a half pint, which I LOVE to order when places have them (I’m a slow beer drinker and my last ¹⁄₃ of my beer is always warm).
The food itself was the definition of meh. We did the big plate combo ($ 29) — came with two sides and two meats. We had pulled pork and ribs, with sides of mac n cheese and potato salad. It also came with cole slaw and cornbread. None of these items blew me away. I thought the meat was way too dry and they didn’t offer any BBQ sauce on the side. The mac n cheese was disappointing– penne noodles with cheese melted on top. And the cole slaw was way too creamy for my liking. Cornbread was cold and the potato salad was unmemorable.
If you have a BBQ craving in Philly, don’t go to Bubba’s— check out Fette Sau, Percy Street or head up to the NE for Sweet Lucy’s.

I love barbecue and this was some of the best ribs I’ve ever had! Perfectly smoked and packed with flavor! Huge portions so you’ll leave bursting at the seams!
The bacon Mac-​n-​Cheese was insanely good. The bacon chunks were perfectly cooked!
Can’t wait to go back!

Excellent BBQ for the city (from a Southern girl!) we tried the ribs (very smoky, good and burnt but still tender), pulled pork (nice and plain so you can add sauce as you like), collards (I dare say as good as mine!) cornbread muffins great-​not overly sweet, coleslaw-​not my style but BF loved, beans (novel concept with a mix of several kinds, but not that great-​blah and bland). Don’t know if its a good or bad thing that we are now right around the corner!

I owe Bubba a major apology! We recently stopped in to get some grub after some afternoon drinking and we were so happy to learn that they weren’t out of anything (unlike the last time we visited). We started off with the bacon mac and cheese and I ordered the short rib platter, husband ordered the brisket platter, and we got a side of collards and a side of baked beans. My ribs were amazing, tender and smokey, the brisket was also great. The mac and cheese was bangin’ as usual. I was really digging Bubba’s BBQ after this last trip and would definitely go back for those short ribs!

I really like Bubba’s a lot, and I hope it turns into a thriving business. There is a lot of competition in the neighborhood, but this joint should thrive. The small space is well utilized, lots of bar space and TVs, making this a great spot to catch a game.
There are some aspects of Bubba’s that are hit or miss. Some times, service is stellar. On another visit, I sat at the bar with an empty glass for nearly 15 minutes. Kinks are still being worked out on a few menus items, but overall, everything is good.
I think the wings are one of the menu standouts; they’re smoked wings, and offer good flavor and different texture than anywhere else in the city. The platters have massive amounts of food. Brisket is another star of the menu.
While beer list is small, the prices are (mostly) decent and there’s at least one interesting beer on tap.
If for no other reason, you must come on first Friday for all you can eat roast pork. FOR $ 10 DOLLARS.
Bottom Line: Great BBQ food should overcome the other small issues that mar this otherwise great spot.

When i first read Paul G’s review i thought he was an outlier. He wasn’t. Everything was mediocre, at best. As Paul G said, the mac and cheese WAS «like they boiled some ziti and melted some cheese on top». Gross.
Brisket: very average
Ribs: terrible
smoked Chicken: actually pretty good with the dry rub.
Baked Beans: tasteless
Greens: they put vinegar in them, which i don’t like
cornbread: bland
coleslaw: bland
As another visitor said. They were light on the BBQ sauce, which is fine if you’re a smoke master. These folks are not and you have to ask for more BBQ.
For a place about to get a TV show, it was rather drab inside. Based on previous reviews, Bubba MUST have left.

It’s hard to find a great BBQ Restaurant in Philly. Ive tried several and none of them compare to this place. Everything I had was awesome. Large portions and a nice place. I have tried the place around the corner Fette Sau and their food does not even come close.
Try the Pigs Wings, Brisket, Ribs and chicken wings. I am looking forward to trying the Chili which I heard is also awesome.

Congrats Bubba’s, I am now a Unilocaler, one of the very people that I as a service industry worker completely despise. You have taken me to a new low, but I refuse to continue to be a victim, as of today I vow to never again subject myself to your god awful service, no matter how good your wings are.
As much as I would like to go on a huge rant right now, that would take up more of my valuable time which you my friend and neighbor, are just not worth. I have given you so many chances and I want so badly for this relationship to work, but THE SERVICE AT THIS PLACE IS EMBARRASSING.
And would it kill you to put hard boiled egg on your Cobb salad? Maybe you should call it something else.

The people here are wonderful! And the food is great. The pulled pork sandwich is delicious and the platters are incredibly filling. I recently had the «pork wings», which are fall-​off-​the-​bone pork leg in buffalo sauce. You only get 3 but are surprisingly filling. Also, if you didn’t know, Bubbas won Fishtown’s Chili Cook-​off this year, so I’d say try that!

Best BBQ pulled pork I’ve ever had. The meat was super tender and juicy. The hickory smoke flavor was excellent and the BBQ sauce was great. The sandwich is very thick and is more than enough. The fries were also very good no complaints there. The only things that keep me from giving this 5 stars is that it was a little too pricy for my liking and the pickles weren’t sour enough (I love pickles). Definitely will be going back and it’s cool that it’s open until midnight during the week and 2 on the weekends.

The bacon mac n cheese is insane! Definitely get it. Good food and music (they were playing At the Drive in when i showed up)
Got the brisket and baked beans. Beans got a kick to them. Corn bread was pretty good too.
Definitely would come back next time I’m in Philly.

Lovely establishment with a great vibe, a humble but functional exterior and a friendly bartender. The draft list said they had a beer that wasn’t on, but that’s forgivable. The selection was nice as we waited for our to-​go order. My father-​in-​law got the cop discount, so our meal was ten percent off. Great benefit.
We ordered the ribs, brisket, chicken, and pulled pork with baked beans, collards, slaw, and a side salad. A corn muffin, biscuit, and white bread also came with our platters.
Ribs were tender and well done. Brisket was succulent and the star of the menu, easily. Chicken, even the drum stick, was a little dry. The pulled pork was OK, a bit dry.
The sauce is the main show stopper: tangy, spicy, and sweet. I actually thought the collards (salty and smoky) and the baked beans (spicy and sweet) were delicious, too. The slaw was spot on.
Overall the food was more reliant on the sauce than I prefer, but still really good. No the best BBQ in town, but still a good spot.

Finally got a chance to eat here over the weekend. We waited a long time for them to open– and pretty much avoid Starr restaurant group places like the plague these days– so Bubba’s is the go to BBQ place in Fishtown/​kenzo for us.
The chicken wings were unreal, I mean amazing wings, still thinking about them. Some combo of smoked and then fried with good heat made for a killer wing. When I go back I am pretty much just gonna order a bucket of those.
Mac and cheese with bacon was also really good. Top notch and a great side/​appetizer.
Ditto the baked beans. Some of the best beans I have had at a BBQ place.
However, these great dishes were overshadowed by some problems. We had a mixed experience due to some inconsistencies with the food.
Chicken was okay, a little dry, but decent.
Brisket was good, pulled pork was good.
Ribs were a real problem. Like charcoal on outside, dried out, just waaaaaaay overcooked.
I think they need to get a better handle on the grill/​smoker.
It was easier to deal with the problems with some entrees because of our waiter. Our service was excellent, not too formal, but very professional bearded/​tattoo waiter who was quick to correct any problems – like those charcoal ribs.
I want this place to do well. I will go back and hope that the smoker was just having a bad day or something with those ribs.
I MUST go back just to get a pile of those chicken wings. Still dreaming about those.
The only other thing I found an issue was lack of Kenzinger on draft. I just don’t see how you serve Kenzinger in bottles when the brewery is right down the street.
I would love to watch some Flyers hockey here with a bucket of wings and several pints of Kenzinger draft.

ehhhh, food is okay — nothing special. The buns were stale which for me is a deal breaker. if you are predominately a sandwich place then your buns should be perfect. Waitress seemed attentive and she can’t control that the food is sub-​par.
Doubt I’ll ever be back when there are so many amazing options in the neighborhood.

Stopped in last night for takeout and SO glad I did.
While I perused the menu Bubba greeted me and dropped off homemade BBQ chips to nibble on while I perused the menu. I asked the server (a male — not a Bubba-​Qutie, sadly) for advice on choosing the ribs or the brisket. A tough call, he said, but if he had to pick one, he’d say the brisket, only because it’s smoked longer. I was in a ribs mood, though, and ordered the ¼ rack. Awesome. First, portion-​wise, it’s a lot of food — definitely the equivalent of a ½ rack anywhere else. The care that Bubba puts into his rub and sauce is evident because the combination of the two make for a unique, complex flavor balancing sweet, savory, and spice. It seems the sauce has some form of toasted seeds (sesame?) that brought a nice texture.
The baked beans were unlike any others I’ve had, more on the creamy side with several different variety of beans; to me, they were like a twisted mashup of refried beans and chili. Great flavor and heat. Loved them. Cornbread was great, too. When he overheard I ordered the much discussed Krimpet bread pudding, Bubba offered me a spoonful of the warm, homemade butterscotch he tops the pudding with and I could’ve drank a gallon of it. It was that good. No surprise that the pudding itself was just as amazing as people say.
The only thing that could’ve improved my meal was sticking around and enjoying it with a cold beer which I’ll make sure to do next time.
Great place and great hospitality from Bubba. I hope he’s around for a long time!

Following the irresistible call of BBQ, we headed to Girard Avenue and ordered ribs, pulled pork, chicken and brisket, together with collard greens, coleslaw, potato salad and baked beans. The meats were all good and the same can be said for the sides (3 ½ stars). A standout was the very moist chicken, I also liked the long-​cooked brisket.
For me, the same rather sweet BBQ sauce makes the various meats taste very similar, it would have been nice to use a different sauce for a change of taste (e.g. with the pulled pork). Also, I found the thin slice of bread on the bottom of the our meats — very soggy when we got to it — did not make a good accompaniment (I was hoping for nice slices of Texas White Bread, as is served at Percy Street).
As for the service, our waitress was nice and solicitous, if a bit inexperienced (no problem). The restaurant has a drink list but the draft beers are not listed there, only the cans and bottles. A written list of what’s on tap would be nice (the selection is small but serviceable).

Our group of hungry friends decided to come here to help satisfy our hunger. Yes to BBQ, yes to huge portions, and yes to TVs that showed football. Perfect combination!
However, being a BBQ place, I really was craving for some biscuits. Buttery, light, bring-​me-​back-​to-​the-​South biscuits. I looked at the menu, but none to be found! I was disappointed, but my love for Mac and Cheese helped me forget my desperate cry for biscuits. Why? SMOKED BACON topped with melted cheddar and pepperjack cheeses. Oh my, they weren’t kidding with the smoky flavor. Cheese was good and oozy, but it was slightly oily. Flavor was good, but slightly overwhelming with the smokiness.
Around the table, the boys ordered platters of ginormous portions of BBQ, wings, brisket, and pulled pork. I tasted the collard greens, and they were delicious! The meals were served on giant cafeteria lunch trays. Not kidding. If you’re super hungry, this is definitely the place to go! Wash it down with a few beers, and you’re guaranteed to be in a food coma within minutes. (May need to get a designated driver after this place!)

Met one of the owners, awesome vibe in the place.
A little heavy on the char side of smoked meat taste, but everything was amazing none-​the-​less.
Bubba’s beans are a must to try, great take on baked beans.
The ambiance was a mix of yuppie and hipster, but it was opening night, that may change as the place sits smack dab between Northern Liberties, and Frankford Ave/​Fishtown revival district.

Smoked Hot wings &Smoked crispy bacon Mac and cheese awesome! Also recommend the brisket sandwich. Also, very nice draught beer selection local craft beers and good bottled selection. The bartender Evan made a very good old fashioned. They also have a cocktail menu. Perfect place for really good BBQ, watching the game, hanging out with friends and family.
I like the local, neighborhood groove. The service is very friendly, down-​to-​earth. Will def be frequenting Bubba’s!