Big Earl’s BBQ

Good food and great service. They are going to change their name but still great time all around.
Get the guacamole and the filet plus sangria and you will be happy.

Boo. $ 18.50 and I got 3 small ribs.
My friend got dried out pulled pork.
Ate it all cause there wasn’t much.
Two sides offered– fries and mac and cheese. No mac and cheese tonight.

Pulled pork and Mac and cheese just didn’t do it for me here. Like others say its not really a bbq joint as much as a Mexican restaurant. So I suppose had I gotten something other than bbq I would have enjoyed it much more.

Um — why is this a BBQ restaurant? Other than the pulled pork, everything else was Mexican — total bait and switch!!!
We had some appetizers, but we were not impressed and decided to have lunch elsewhere after the mediocrity.

Not impressed! Place is decent and the prices are fair but lunch was boring and not memorable.
Pulled pork sandwich lunch special with fries $ 7.99, draft pabst blue ribbon and a side of BBQ sauce, because the pork was so bland and dry. I placed my $ 20 on the counter and was given change and told the bill was $ 13.06. Not sure how that happened, asked for the receipt and and the waiter made plenty of excuses for not being able to give me one… pretty sure he pocketed that money. Not cool!
Either way BBQ sauce is part of the BBQ experience… you would have thought I asked for alien fingers or something. Weird!
Not sure where to get great BBQ in AZ, but I won’t be going back to Big Earls… certainly not worth the money!

Our experience at Big Earl’s was fabulous! It’s a quaint place in Old Town that is BIG on service and flavor! I had the Yucatan pork sandwich and my husband had the regular pork sandwich. The buns were swishy and so fresh, the seasoned fries were
tasty and the shredded pork to die for! I don’t think we’ve had better anywhere! Give it a try… You won’t be disappointed!

You walk in and are greeted by ESPN on the tv, gypsy kings on the radio, and a BBQ restaurant that almost exclusively serves gourmet Mexican. Talk about an identity crisis. We wound up ordering Mexican and every dish was underwhelming and not worth the price tag. They also charged our party of 6 a 20% gratuity to boot.
Guys, I recommend you go back to the drawing board and come up with a consistent concept.

The food was good — brisket and ribs and mac and cheese. Good sangria too. But it is over priced for BBQ, but it is an interesting twist in that is it a little bit BBQ and Mexican — maybe the restaurant still finding its way.
Service was good, but due to pricing, we will not have it on our list of must go backs

This place sucks! Dry, re-​heated, expensive food.
I have tried this place twice, the first time I got the pulled pork sandwich and I was really disappointed. It was dry and flavorless. The sauce that they gave on the side tasted like pure vinegar. It was so disgusting that I threw the rest of the sandwich in the trash. It came with a large square of cornbread which somehow drier than the pork. you guessed it, in the trash it went.
So far that’s a $ 10 pork sandwich and cornbread in the garbage. I also got a little side of mac n cheese and baked beans (extra 2.99 a piece). The mac and cheese was dry and little more than shell pasta with some shredded cheddar on top, after a few bites I tossed it in the trash. The baked beans were ok… a little better than straight out of the can, and the slaw was ok. I’m not a slaw fan but their apple-​cider/​vinegar slaw was decent. I’ve had traditional Southeastern/​Carolina slaw and this is pretty close. So after all of that, a pork sandwich with 2 sides, cornbread and slaw was over $ 16 and $ 13 of it went straight into the trash.
I decided to give them one more shot. I thought maybe ribs and brisket are the way to go. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I called ahead and ordered the «Pitmaster’s Pick» which is a rib and brisket combo for $ 19.99. Unlike most other places I’ve been, this $ 20 meal does not include your choice of sides. So I decided to try the mac n cheese one more time for an additional $ 2.99.
I was surprised that the guy on the phone said 5 – 10 minutes because I just ordered ribs and brisket which you can expect to wait on for a bit. Anyway when I got there I was surprised that on a carryout order I was charged a 10% carryout gratuity, and my food was waiting on me.
The brisket was unlike any I’ve ever had, one huge hunk of mostly fat, the actual meat was tough and dry. It smelled smokey but I didn’t taste any smoke. There was some kind of rub on there that was kind of chalky.
The ribs were even worse, they were very tough and dry, they came sliced half-​way between each bone and I still could not rip them apart. They had the same chalky rub type substance on there and a little bit of store bought sauce on top. I wont get into the mac n cheese and the corn bread because it was just as bad as before.
After forcing me to tip on a carryout order my tab was just shy of $ 30. I salvaged what I could of the edible meat, and well I’m still hungry. So in 2 trips I have spent over $ 46 on just myself and I will never give them another dime of my money. Do yourself a favor and eat ANYWHERE else but here.

While exploring Old Town Scottsdale, I came across Big Earl’s and decided to give them a try. Cool, cowboy motif, and great, old music.
l was immediately seated and brought out my drink. I ordered the beef brisket dinner, which came with corn bread and cole slaw. I added mac & cheese for $ 2.99.
Dinner was brought out quickly, and with two types of BBQ sauce. I was not impressed. My beef brisket, although larger in portion, was extremely dry. I’m used to brisket so moist, it almost crumbles. The cornbread was good, but also a little dry. I did not try the coleslaw. The mac & cheese was equally disappointing. It was really watery, and tasted like onions.
All in all, definitely not worth the $ 29 I paid for it. Sorry, Big Earl, I wanted to like you.

I came here for happy hour and was really disappointed. First of all, they no longer have the chicken and waffles happy hour that they’ve become known for. It’s what we came there for, and the waiter didn’t even seem apologetic or receptive to our disappointment.
We ordered the guacamole and chips, which the waiter said was made fresh to order, and it came out looking like a huge heap of guac that looked delicious. Image our disappointment when we realized the bottom half was lettuce, with guacamole on top to make it look bigger! The chips didn’t have much flavor, and this dish wasn’t that great. Next we got the pork belly kabobs. These were fatty and chewy, and were actually pretty good. I think these are a must-​have, because it gives you a chance to try the different barbeque sauces that Big Earl’s offers, which were very tasty.
The margaritas were really good and really strong. They don’t do blended, but for happy hour they DO make them strong. Worth coming there for these!

Saw this on Man vs. Food, so I was extra excited to eat here since I usually love the restaurants Adam has showcased.
Well, all I can say is underwhelming!
Mac n’ cheese, wattery adn no better than the instant mac n’ cheese I make at home
Cornbread, «ain’t nothing wrong with that,» unless it is bland as theirs. @ least it was not greasy
Pulled Pork Sandwhich, this is my wheelhouse, I have had one from coast to coast. North Carolina usually has the best, but I was hoping for big earl. Sauce was pretty good, the hot was a little watery, but fortified with the regular it had a good taste and consistency. The meat, pretty darn good, not fatty, and overall would get an A. The bun is where they lost me. The final touch, the bun, was nothing better than a bun that you can get from wherever you buy generic bread. It was white, and lifeless. Come on guys, you are killing me Earl!
Synopsis, it is good in a pinch, but if you are going to eat good BBQ in AZ, make the drive to Joe’s in Gilbert, much better and authentic.

While strolling through Old Town Scottsdale one afternoon, my wife and I came across this little gem near the corner of 1^st Ave and Scottsdale Blvd. We were drawn in by the smell of brisket and ribs wafting through the air, and after reviewing the menu, decided to make reservations for dinner.
Even with the Spring Training dinner rush, the service was still quick and friendly. After browsing around the room to see what others ordered, and asking for recommendations from our server, we decided to start with the fresh guacamole (fresh chopped avocado, not mashed, with chopped onions and tomatoes), followed by the bone marrow. If you’ve never had marrow, I recommend you try it! Big Earl’s serves their huge marrow bones with toast and a wonderful tomato-​onion jam!
For our meal we decided to split the brisket with jalapeño corn bread and slaw, and added a crock of mac ‘n cheese. The slices of brisket were HUGE, with a thin layer of fat (it’s BBQ, a little fat is OK) and a wonderful smokey flavor. The brisket was also served with two squeeze bottles of sauce… one a sweet and tangy, the other more resembled a vinegar sauce I would expect from the south east. The cornbread wasn’t out of the word, but still delicious. The slaw was freshly made, not pre-​bought, with a hint of apple vinegar. The Mac ‘n cheese was creamy and provided a nice contrast to the rest of the meal.
All-​in-​all, we enjoyed our experience and would come again! The only reason I rated 4 out of 5 was because was because they were out of St. Louis style ribs. :-(

Never have I encountered such a stupid arrogant wait staff in my life. Totally turned me off and I will never go back. And this is coming from a reviewer who NEVER cares about the service as long as the food is good or even if the food isn’t that good, and I tend to get annoyed at reviewers who place such importance on service
I’ve been here twice. Both times I got take out. FIrst time, I sat down at the bar to have a beer before ordering my takeout order. The dude working the bar was chatting away for a solid 5 – 6 minutes with 3 or 4 other guests at the bar. He looked like he was a general manager and there was another guy behind the bar literally slaving to make like 10 other drinks, so I don’t blame him. So why can’t this general manager looking dude get me a drink? He looked at me twice, and after a couple minutes I was just waiting to see how long it would take for him to ask me what I wanted, because I certainly didn’t want to interrupt his conversation, and thought it was a joke. He never asked me. And then the guy who was slaving away, finally got to my drink order. Then of course once I finished my beer the dude who ignored me asked me if I needed another beer. No thanks broski, I’m good.
Second time I went in was tonite. Some cute girl was working behind the bar and she was definitely the type of person who is doing YOU a favor by bringing you your drink order. Cut the crap sweetheart. So then she asks me if I wanted a menu as she brings me my beer. I said yes. 30 seconds later some dude comes in at sits near me at the bar and he seemed like a regular because she’s like hey how have you been blah blah… and the dude says he’s doing good and hungry. So she brings him a menu and starts chatting him up a little as he is asking how some of the apps are. so she finally puts in his order after 4 or 5 minutes. So I’m like, hey, can I get my menu? As she is putting in his order. And again she has a slight look of disgust that I interrupted her from putting in his order and that she was doing me a favor again.
I then get my takeout order and I’m ready to go. So I ask for some extra BBQ sauce, because the last takeout order I got only had 2 tiny cups of BBQ sauce in it. Not enough for a sausage, ribs, and pulled pork combo. Then I get home and there is a whopping 1 extra small cup of BBQ sauce in there. Not to mention zero napkins and zero silverware. I mean WTF is this? I spend 47 bucks on a combo order, 2 sides. (granted I had a salad at the bar and a beer) And they can’t even give me more then a half an ounce of extra BBQ sauce and no napkins or silverware??? Is this place actually a business with breathing human beings inside???
The food is actually pretty solid, which is why I went back a 2^nd time. But the portions are not worth the money at ALL. I’m still hungry right now and I had a combo order brisket, pulled pork, sausage and 2 extra sides. How is that possible? Their sides are 4.99 each…4.99 for a side of fries??? I mean… they must have been ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ on either starting this restaurant or robbing a bank before starting the restaurant…“Let’s scrap robbing a bank guys, much easier to charge 4.99 for fries and not have to worry about going to prison” This place is an absolute ripoff. The Mac and Cheese is good and worth the 4.99 if it were the year 2020 right now. The sausage is REALLY good. But is SO small. I would have to eat literally 19 pieces of the sausage to be satisfied if I was just eating that.
I realize this is a long review. I’m not a nitpicker or a complainer, maybe I’m just having an off day. But these people working here totally rubbed me the wrong way with their lack service, attention to detail, and medium to small portions for the high prices you pay. I would pay money to eat at a homeless shelter where the food is free before giving this place a cent of my money again.

Seriously, this place is the BEST BBQ I’ve eaten in the Phoenix area!
We had the brisket plate and the meat had such a wonderful flavor and texture… we were surprised that no knife was needed.
Huge portions (we brought half home and ate it the next day and it was just as yummy) of delightful brisket that is hand-​rubbed with delish spices and a side of beans with cornbread…
The chef brought out (he was so nice, and wanted us to try it) deep fried mac and cheese with bacon and it was fabulous (and I mean, FABULOUS).
Everyone is so nice and the food is FANTASTIC!

I was in here this week for happy hour. Rather than ordering the special of the day I went with the pulled pork sandwich and a side of baked beans. The pulled pork was ok but the beans were fantastic.
They have a nice selection of beers on draft. I had a couple O’dells 90 Schillings which really hit the spot.

I had passed on Big Earl’s once previously after seeing the reviews were all over the place. It goes back to my «what if this is my last meal, and it’s a two star experience» phobia. But after the Unilocal event, we decided to make the giant leap of faith.
They had run out of pulled pork, so we waited until it was ready and started with the brisket. Really flavorful although a little fatty in the center. Maybe that’s the norm… I usually don’t eat brisket. We were given a generous portion for waiting for the pork. Nice! Two sauces at the table, original and sweet and spicy. The latter was too sweet for me, but it was spicy. I preferred the original with it’s vinegar base.
Still waiting for pork, we also had the cole slaw which I really liked since it was cider-​based, rather than mayo. The citrus collard greens were a nice alternative to the traditional ham hock flavor as well. The corn bread that comes with the meal is a traditional corn muffin. The dish you order as a side dish is two muffins topped with molasses. While this was tasty, it was almost like a dessert and I preferred the corn bread without the molasses. The only disappointment was the potato salad. I thought the potatoes were a little too firm, and the dressing was too sweet and too much of it. But I am extremely difficult to please when it comes to potato salad. I’m almost always disappointed.
Finally, the big finale of the pulled pork. Since it was just «pulled,» we got an ample portion of the crispy outside portion with all the flavor. Also all the meat is served dry so you really get the flavor of the bbq without the crutch of a sea of sauce.
As for dessert, we shared (meaning I ate most of it) the pecan and date pie. Quite good, but served refrigerator cold, which is always a mistake IMHO. Although the last time I had pie served warm, it was 2000 degrees on the inside, so maybe cold isn’t so bad.
The chef, Tony, came out and chatted for a bit. He only started within the last 2 weeks, and is still making some adjustments to the recipes and trying to work out some of the kinks that may have resulted in some of the early poor reviews. Will definitely be back.

I have been wanting to go to Big Earl’s since the day it opened. I finally got my chance last night and I have to say that I was not disappointed. They have a good selection of BBQ staples and even offer a cheeseburger for those to want to bail out on the southern food experience. I went with two other guys and we all ordered something different so I was able to try 3 things at once. I got the Pulled Pork Sandwich and my friends got the Hot Link and BBQ Chicken. My Pork Sandwich was tender and delicious. The serving size was huge, really big. I like BBQ places that offer a variety of BBQ Sauces, but I also dont want to have to choose between 10 different varities. BBQ sauce should not be like a salsa bar. But variety is good. I found the sweet sauce to be tangy and delicouns. My friends sandwiches were equally well done.
But what I really want to talk about are the sides. I had the most wonderful Cornbread and sweet Molasses sauce I have ever tasted. My friends had collard greens. Now, my friend has never had collard greens and when he ordered it I asked him if he has ever had collard greens or know what they were. He had not. But I was surprised when he got his order he promptly commence to devouring them. I was impressed.
Also a quick word about the drinks. They have a great selection of beer and whiskey. Their $ 3 Special «The Crow» is a small beer and shot of Old Crow Whiskey. Two kinds, regular of their Cherry infused version.
I need to go back and try their happy hour because it looks like they have some really good deals. I could go on and on about Big Earl’s. This review would get long and boring. Suffice to say, there are many many reasons why I will be returning very soon.

Old Town Scottsdale needed some BBQ! I stopped by to see a friend and enjoyed a quick drink and a hot link… the pricing on the appetisers, sandwiches, and drinks seemed very reasonable. The rest of the menu looked promising too, with some swine-​related delicacies sure to get foodies fired up. It’s hard to understand why anyone would rate this only one-​star — unless they have a personal vendetta. The staff was very friendly, service was quick, and my food well prepared. Good luck you guys!
*UPDATE — Tried this again and it’s a great place to drink too — any draft and a shot of whiskey for $ 3 ALL DAY EVERY DAY! They also have amazing happy hour specials and a nice bar area to hang out in.
Try the pulled pork sandwich and corn bread for $ 7!!!

I went to #FirstService at @BigEarlsBBQ.
I love the décor! And the music was top notch redneck music!
Stephanie should bring water for everyone at the table
HUGE chunks in the bleu cheese!
Nachos was a good mixture of meat and cheese, and more than enough to be a meal.
Five cheese Mac’n had great flavor!
Pulled pork was tender and juicy. Baked beans great.
Potato salad had good flavor, but we were so stuffed we couldn’t finish it.
I’m definitely headed back ASAP!