John Hardy’s Bar-B Q

Great BBQ and the first place I think of when I want really good BBQ. I have been there over 15 times and every single time it is consistently great.

If you’re looking for really good BBQ — visit this place! I love that it’s a local and being out of town, I knew that this was the best kept local secret. From sweats to suits — everyone was there for lunch! It’s not a fancy schmancy place, but know that you’ll get great, fast service. But let’s go back to the BBQ. Started with nachos, and could not stop eating it. I really had to force myself to stop knowing I had a pulled pork plate coming my way. I what’s nice is that I ordered it without sauce so I could try all of their sauces. All of it was ah-​mazing! Even the super hot sauces. What’s nice is that it’s homemade and you can really taste it. Jojo’s (potato slices) and coleslaw were my sides. For less than $ 20 — this was a meal that satisfied my taste buds and exceeded my expectations. Give them a try!

Food was pretty tasty! Good portion size at a reasonable price. Food style: dry BBQ and douse in hot sauce. Mild & medium has a negligible amount of heat. Hot is more vinegar than hot. The other sauces I haven’t tried but I’ve heard it will make your tongue sweat. I didn’t love that 70% of the plate was filled with JoJos, and the bread was practically dripping with butter when you tore it apart. The baked beans? I could have gone for at least 2 more servings. I still felt the food in my gut 5hrs later. Didn’t love the smell (stale grease?) of the restaurant tbh but you can’t be too picky when you want a quick BBQ meal.

Just okay BBQ. I tried the pulled pork which is their specialty. It was average. The biggest disappointment was the potatoes. The baked potato was an average small potato. Their special potatoes that they called jojos were soggy, greasy, and inedible. These were fried potato slices like potato chips. In all fairness they did offer to replace the jojos with a baked potato. I also didn’t think their barbecue sauces were all that special. Mild was ok. Medium was vinegary. Then there were three other sauces in various stages of hot. The place had no ambience — it is a barbecue joint. Servers were very nice. Food was prompt.

I have visited this restaurant twice in the last year, and both times I had the pork plate and sampled the deep fried okra. The pork plate comes with a generous portion of pulled pork that is full of flavor. They offer many different flavors of sauce, but I only tried the Medium and Mild (both very tasty).

Great BBQ for the price! Go for the Bad Boy sauce. Service was excellent! Nice, casual restaurant that is family friendly. Spent $ 33 for a family of five! We would recommend this our family and friends!

Seriously the best BBQ in Rochester! My favorite is the pulled pork. I love the sauces, especially the big boy hot sauce. Jo-Jo’s are an excellent accompaniment to the meat of your choice.

It is adequate for cheap BBQ. I thought the smoke flavor was lacking. Sauce is a little too much like hot wing sauce for my taste. Staff is friendly and fast.

I love everything about John Hardy’s. Went to high school in Rochester before moving 70 miles north and living in the Twin Cities. Every time I have occasion to return to town, I get it. Very blue collar joint — quick and efficient service.
I love the chicken but in recent years I have focused just on the pulled pork. The chicken is good but the pork it out of this world. I usually like a tangier sauce but there is something about their sauce that it just captivating.
The baked beans and fried okra are my usual sides along with the Jojo potatoes. Saturated in the sauce, they are amazing.

The best thing about John Hardy’s is an important factor: It’s distinct smokiness. You can instantly tell the meat is cooked and smoked with wood, not gas. As trivial as that may sound, this fundamental practice is not always exercised. The ribs had the flavor of a campfire. However, the (rib) meat did not fall off the bone and it was a little too fatty for my liking. Also, the menu did not include brisket, which was a little strange. Even the waitress expressed her disappointment in this omission. And, finally, the sauce. It was OK, at best. The «hot» sauce tasted much like buffalo and the «mild» — or traditional bbq taste — was not great. It lacked that rich, tangy flavor. It’s a shame because John Hardy’s cross-​town competitor, Roscoe’s, boasts a great basic bbq sauce. The side of corn was terrible. Period.

My favorite of the BBQ choices in Rochester!
Locally owned, down home, no frills type place with good food and service! Meats have a great smokey flavor. Love the pork and ribs. Tried their wings and those have a great smoky flavor to them too! Very reasonably priced for the amount of food you get.
The sauce is not what I’d consider a normal BBQ sauce, but still good. I always order it on the side, because not every bite needs sauce, although I really love it on the jojos.
I’m not gonna lie — I caught myself humming a little while biting into my ribs tonight! Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm!

This place is our long time favorite! Can’t get enough of the pulled pork plate and the ribs!

Love the smokey flavor of the pulled pork. I dont eat pulled pork anywhere else because I know it can’t compare. I always get the fried okra with my plate and it is awesome.

Love BBQ. I live on the west coast and anytime I come to Minnesota I make it a point to eat here. I love their JoJos (when they’re fresh of course). I had heard from a friend in town that they added nachos and chicken wings to the menu. The wings are kind of small, but good size for an appetizer. I would get the sauce on the side. The pulled pork as always was above par. I’ll be back next time I’m in town to try those nachos

BBQ is bland.
We had the ribs and brisket. It was lacking seasoning, best way to describe it was bland and boring. The food had a smokey taste to it, but it is as if that is the only flavoring.
If you like flavor and/​or spice, chances this place will disappoint.
If you like smoked meat, go for it.
Our sides (fries and JoJo’s) were cold and greasy.
The service was prompt and pleasant. The place has a real casual and «down-​home» feeling
Wont be going back.

All eyes were on me when I entered the joint. Not only there weren’t too many girls there but I was the only Asian person in the whole restaurant. Good thing, it didn’t last long. Maybe a second or two, then everyone went back chowing.
I felt a little out of place at first but I got over it quickly. The two guys I was with made me blend in a bit more. Very blue collar type place with some occasional ties with no suit here and there. I heard they just renovated it? However, it looked to me like a very lived-​in weathered place. Maybe I misheard.
The place was super busy and most of the tables were taken. One of My dining companions said that this place was no frills type place but the food was great. The founder, John Hardy came from the South and his bbq is as good as you can get over there, but in Rochester.
I was skeptical but I consider myself a bbq lover but I’m not an expert. I can’t judge if it was done right but I can tell you if I like it or not.
I liked it. I liked it a lot. I went with the recommended shredded pork though I wanted the ribs. I don’t usually eat ribs in public so I refrained from tearing up meats from the bone with my teeth in front of these guys I work with. That way, I had no worries of having bbq sauce smeared across my cheeks.
My shredded pork was tasty. I had it with the jojo potatoes and green beans. The green beans were those mushy army green color, which was unnatural for good and not overcooked green beans. I’ll definitely skip it next time and get other side. The medium sauce was so good. It had a nice kick to it and I really liked it. I have to try their bad boy sauce next time. The pork was tasty on top of the garlic bread they served!
Service was pleasant and fast. Perfect for lunch. I’ll come back for sure for the meats. I had a nice lunch and the prices weren’t bad for the amount of food you got.
After watching House of Cards lately, this got me my Freddy’s fix.

Been here many times, not fancy, just a bbq joint.
Good food, service and big portions.
Worth a stop when in Rochester.

What was I thinking? I went to a Bar B Q place north of the Mason-​Dixon Line and I know better.
Three of us in the party and not one of us was happy with our meal. The meat was dry and had less than sparkling flavor. The baked potatoes were not done and were hard as a rock.
The service was adequate, but nothing to write home about.
Given the choice, my shadow will probably never pass their threshhold again.

This is a meat lover haven where you get in and get dirty. Here, people roll up their sleeves and grunt while they tear meat off the bone with their teeth and wash it down with beer.
The setting is rustic, almost on the dingy side. The red and white checkered tablecloths are faded, shredded and cracked on the corners. The outside or front entrance looks like it might be off the set of an old Wild West movie and that there might, just might, be a piano bar with some edge and flair inside but there’s no edge at all. Wha-​waa. The atrium with seating area helps brings in natural light so you don’t feel like you’re in a dark hole but it also makes you «see».
I must be clearly missing the boat because this place is actually quite popular with person after person coming in for take-​out and many were seated. As for me, my shredded pork was dry and sticking to my teeth. It wasn’t until I mixed it with my baked bean sauce that I could chew and swallow. For some reason, I always thought JoJo’s were potato wedges but theirs were thin disc-​like potatoes ladened with oil looking like a pile of used-​up flatten tea bags. Ick. And you’d think you would get equal side amounts but rather you get this huge heaping plate of JoJo’s with a baby dish of baked beans and coleslaw (and if their beans and coleslaw weren’t seemingly from a can I would’ve preferred it the other way around so I got this bigger dish of baked beans and coleslaw and a smaller amount of JoJo’s).
Yes, there was plenty of food and my husband was pleased with how much meat was on his ribs but I thought the taste was okay. Their menu was at least laminated but why not some color to spice it up and create eye interest? The menu wasn’t logical (you’d think their appetizers would be on the top) but they’re on the bottom and there are 2 to pick from and it wasn’t easy to navigate first time through. The emphasis is really on the meat and not on anything else like the sides or setting or menu but even then, the meat didn’t have that bam or wow factor.

Rochester is blessed with great barbecue, especially Roscoe’s and John Hardy’s. Love ‘em both but I like the ribs here better as they’re not fall off the bone. Some prefer that but to me that means they’re over cooked.
Not to miss at Hardy’s is the fried okra. Just like my momma never made. :-)