Ridgewood Barbecue

Sure! Here’s a Google review you can use for Ridgewood Barbecue: --- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you’re craving some seriously delicious barbecue, look no further than Ridgewood Barbecue! The standout for me was definitely their blue cheese dip — it’s rich, creamy, and packed with flavor! Perfect for dipping the crackers. Not only is the food fantastic, but the portions are absolutely massive! You definitely get your money's worth. I left feeling completely satisfied and ready to come back for more. Highly recommend this spot for anyone looking for a great meal in a cozy atmosphere!

Ridgewood BBQ has been around forever. My husband and his friends used to go there and it was good. I was not a fan, but always try to find the good in everything. The atmosphere was nostalgic. Being from a small town, that is fine with me. The baked beans were good. I loved the crocks they were served in. I don’t like shaved bbq. I had never had it before. They only had one bbq sauce, to my knowledge and I didn’t like the flavor. It was too tangy. I like more of a sweet bbq sauce. For me, it was a one time experience.

6/21/2025 A friend took me here and said it was a popular place. You wouldn't know it was here unless someone told you about it. The service was great. Food was yummy and you could tell this was a beloved place! I ordered the bbq plate which came with fries and we ordered the homemade blue cheese. I dipped my fries in the blue cheese dip! The coleslaw is also very good! Reminded me of the slaw my mom makes so yeah it was that good! Only downside of this place, they don't have any homemade desserts! They need some homemade pie or something!!! How can you have dinner without dessert especially being in the south!!! Highly recommend stopping by this place for a bite to eat. There will be a short wait but it's worth it!

Great food .Great service. I had the BBQ platter and it was one of better BBQ platters I have eaten Truly a legendary road food stop.

For me: it’s always been delicious, fast, hot and great prices. Can’t go wrong with this place. On the weekends prepare to wait. You will get enough food to make you loosen your belt and still bring home enough for another meal.

You have to go during non peak time. I went about 3:00pm and it was perfect. We got right in with no wait. Ordered the blue cheese appetizer that was amazing. This is actually why I go. We all ordered the pork sandwich which you can have with or without coleslaw slathered in the sandwich. I got it in the sandwich and it was great! Next time, I will definitely share the order with someone cuz it is a huge sandwich!! Also, the beans are fantastic!!

The food was great, and the portions were very large. The sweet tea was the best that I’ve had in a while. The service was exceptional, and the waitress was very courteous and friendly. Great experience!

The sliced barbecue pork is consistently excellent! You have to try the blue cheese dip with crackers and the barbecue beans. They are famous for these 3 items. The French fries are sliced fresh and all of the portions are generous. The building desperately needs updating. The floors and nearly everything else are worn out and stuck in the 1970s.

Truly amazing bbq and blue cheese dip! So glad a new friend took us to experience it while in town!

Me and my fiancé ate here for the first time yesterday and evening and we will 100% be back as often as possible. Everything was amazing, from the service, to the food, to the environment. We shared the pork and beef bbq combo platter and it was more than enough for the both of us, and we even had some leftovers. The prices were very reasonable, especially for the quality and portion of the food. It is a bit of a hole in the wall place but it is worth the drive.

Met some friends for dinner on a Tuesday night. No line. No wait. Chelsea was our waitress. She kept busy in our room. I ordered the barbecue platter with beef. So delicious! Highly recommend this dish. Comes with coleslaw, fries and dinner rolls. I substituted baked beans instead of fries. Their baked beans come in a baby crock and are so full of flavor. You can use the rolls to make little sandwiches if you desire. We sat in the room on the right of the entrance. Several tables for plenty of seating. First visit was a year ago and I tried the beef and pork platter. Pork didn't have any flavor but the beef barbecue is what keeps me coming back.

I was treated by my brother to this place today we had barbecue pork sandwich unbelievable! The blue cheese dip was wonderful on my fries. Never had that before. Excellent they agreed to us at the door and sat us down. Wonderful with a friendly voice. The place was full of happy people eating delicious food. Thank you for the enjoyment. I will remember it.

Y'all gotta go eat you some Tennessee BBQ for sure. Piled high. Rustic fries. And the Beans, oh my goodness, child. They are the absolute best. Smokey and sweet as honey. The blue cheese and cracker appetizer is to die for. Honey!!!!!!

Ridgewood was bbq for me before I knew what bbq was, and certainly long before I knew other restaurants made it. I can only speak of a few items off the menu: bbq pork sandwich, fries, beans, and the bleu cheese appetizer. If you eat a burger or hotdog, that's fine, but I've never eaten those things at Ridgewood. Ridgewood uses the ham, not the pork butt. It's sliced thin and comes with slaw (if you want it) and some of the best bbq sauce this side of Heaven. The fries are best eaten on premises and the bbq beans make me want to be a vegetarian, especially with the meat that's in them. As for the bleu cheese appetizer, let me start with - I hate bleu cheese. I hate bleu cheese dressing. I dislike 99.99% of all things bleu cheese. I think that the Ridgewood bleu cheese dressing is the only bleu cheese anything that is edible. There's a reason you can buy it to go in containers. It will make your tongue slap your brain out. Now, don't be a cave dweller and eat it straight out of the bowl with a spoon. Use a saltine cracker to bring that deliciousness to your mouth.

Today was the last time I attempt to eat at this place! The whole town can think you're amazing. I think you guys are extremely rude and not just today when you refused us at 2:32 but every other time I've come it's been over the top rudeness. I'm honestly not sure why I even consider coming there but rest assured I won't be back. I'll just go to Pardners down the road where the food is good and the service was excellent! Shame on you guys!!

The food is so good. This place has been around for many years. It's very well-known. We had prompt, friendly service. The ambiance is like a typical diner. There's usually a crowd so be prepared to find parking! Also check their hours, they close in the middle of the day for a few hours. It's worth the trip and the wait!

Shaved meat is not bbq. I'd heard from several people how good this place was. I was severely disappointed. The beans, slaw and fries were ok. The beef and pork was thinly sliced, seared on the grill and covered with bbq sauce. There was no meat flavor at all. Won't be going back ever.

All around all was delicious fresh.long fries.the sauce was great .you need to try this restaurant! All over small wait in line but worth it

Best smoked pork sandwich ever! The sauce was amazing! Great service and food came out very quickly.

On my way to Bristol Motor Speedway, Thought I was lost , until the last turn, and it was right there, lucky I'm handicapped or I wouldn't find a parking spot, they have goodness all around, blue cheese, dipping with crackers, I will be back again

Best barbecue in the area. They also have the best baked beans I have ever eaten. Be sure and try the Blue Cheese Bowl for an appetizer.This place is in my top 5 places to eat.

The BBQ pork sandwich was amazing with a generous portion of meat. The slaw was tasty and the fries were great. Overall, very satisfied with our food. I would have given 5 stars, but the restaurant needs repairs. The tables were wobbly with napkins stuffed under the legs to keep them level. The chairs are old and outdated. Just a little bit of updating to the furniture is all that's needed. It would be worth that to make the customer dining experience a little better. I would still dine at Ridgewood even if they never replace the wobbly tables and uncomfortable chairs.

This place is a legend. Do they deserve the designation? Mostly yes, let me qualify. The beef is far better than the pork. Both meets are thinly sliced versus a pulled. None of it is bad, but the style I like is different. Service was great, our waitress was excellent. The ambiance is like a diner, very casual. For me, the key is if I would return. I would. I wouldn't drive out if my way but I would meet folks here and enjoy the visit.

Outstanding food, but currently not open on Mondays. Try the blue cheese dressing dip.Even if you don't like blue cheese, I hate blue cheese and love that dip.

I ordered a pork barbecue sandwich with a side of fries. The barbecue sandwich was loaded with barbecue and it was really good. The fries appeared to be hand-cut, I had to add some salt to those. We got takeout. It was all really good.

A local favorite! It's very busy here during lunch time. It's got that old school charm, so there's a lot of history in the building. Came and tried both pork and beef sandwiches - both are good. Pork was more moist and beef had more flavor. The waitresses were sweet. Got the coleslaw on the side but felt the sandwich was much better with it (a creamy less sweet coleslaw). I also ordered a side of beans to try - smoky and sweet with creamy white beans. While the sandwiches were good, I couldn't see myself coming back just for them due to the distance and the limited options. If you decide to come here, try to come closer to 1:30 to avoid the lunch rush on the weekdays!

After a slew of mixed reviews from friends, I chose to finally visit this place. Being a Thursday afternoon I apparently avoided the crowd that waits long periods on the weekends. When I walked in no one greeted me. The couple who entered before me just went and sat in a booth. I did the same. A guy came over and welcomed that couple and got them menus but no one came to my booth. So, I got up and retrieved my own menu. With a menu obvious, several employees walked past me but still no one came to my table. I finally got up and walked back to the register and asked if someone could wait on me. Finally, a waitress came by. This was not a good first impression. The waitress took my order of baked beans a pulled pork sandwich and lemonade. The price was $22!!!! The Cole slaw, which apparently comes with, I don't eat, and the small crock of beans came out immediately along with the lemonade. I was able to finish off the beans and lemonade and then still wait on the arrival of my sandwich. When the sandwich arrived it was quite large. The meat seemed to be thinly sliced and certainly not pulled. I've never experienced bbq in such form. It had some flavor but I still had to continually use the bottle of sauce to moisten and flavor the meat. I don't understand why people think bbq is slathering meat in sauce. True bbq is flavorful right off the grill. It's like covering your filet mignon in A-1 sauce! Not me!!!! Other than being fully sated, the experience was disappointing. I don't believe I would recommend this place as the best bbq around.

We just drove all the way from Bristol, VA...for that blue cheese dip...again. And of course...the BBQ.

3.5 stars This is a go-to spot whenever we're in town visiting family. We always get pulled pork sandwich, beans and fries. 3 stars because my kid ordered a corn dog and came out freezing cold in the middle. I would love to see this place offer hot, made fresh rolls. When you order the platter you get cold rolls from a bag. The level of food quality isn't consistent. The barbecue and beans are excellent but everything else seems to be store bought or frozen.

Great food but the inside wasn't the cleanest and smelled like mildew or just not good but the food is amazing

This place is worth the small drive outside the city. It's a must do when I'm in town for work. Local owned and operated. The staff is friendly. I've had the beef and pork and both are excellent and shin sliced. I'm not a coleslaw lover but I can't get enough of theirs. It's creamy and sweet. I'm not a fan of big corporate BBQ, real BBQ is like this small family run establishments.

Like most of the reviews have mentioned, this place is roughly in the middle of nowhere and has a tiny gravel parking lot, but wow, people show up for this barbecue! The only way I can describe this place is to compare it to the Waffle House of barbecue. The quality of food is much higher, but it has the booths and the people cooking right in the main section of the restaurant. (You'll see when you visit! ) The portions are large, and the food is fantastic. Everyone in my party left full and happy. My only tips? Allow yourself time to wait 30ish minutes and carpool!

This place is a Tennessee classic. You'll likely wait in line for a table, but you'll be blessed and rewarded for your patience. I say this even though I myself don't care that much for the style of barbecue Ridgewood offers. Carolina pulled/chopped pork (all variants), Texas brisket and sausage, Memphis or Alabama ribs -- I like all those. Ridgewood is instead thin sliced pork (or beef) slathered with a sweet sauce. It's just not my thing, and yet I still love this restaurant. For the record, I'm not a fan of the blue cheese dip either, but so many people I know are. There are things I love at Ridgewood, mind you. The slaw (and the amount of it you'll get). The beans. The warm welcome. The reminder that, as much as things might change around these mountains I grew up in, certain good things have lasted. And though some of the most well known dishes served here aren't among my favorites, I can still call this spot a diamond in the rough.

I've been eating at Ridgewood Barbeque since I was a child. We were visiting TN and this was one stop we had to make! It is the best barbecue I've ever had and I will always come back anytime I'm visiting TN

This is a perfect example of what a southern restaurant should be. We were warmly greeted when we walked in and given a quick overview of the highlights of the menu. The atmosphere was bustling, but out waitress Sarah made us feel like we were special guests, and the service was surprisingly fast!! We were made to feel at home! Besides the excellent atmosphere, the food was great!! The blue cheese lived up to its reputation (I like to better with fries than the crackers), and the beans were meaty with the most unique and delicious smoky flavor. They're even served in a cute little crock!!! We split a player of bbq, and they mixed the beef and pork. It's sliced very thin, which I think shows the bbq and smoky flavors to be stronger. They give you a generous amount of food for the price, and we'll definitely have leftovers. COVID-19 protocols were being followed, and everything was very clean

So waaaay out in the hinterlands/backwoods/boonies/the sticks sits this BBQ joint. The Lovely Lady and her crew brought me out here for some 'cue to pick up before enjoying the college football game. Packed parking lot. Good sign #1 Smokehouse to the side..smell of hickory. Good sign #2. I was in a slightly Altered State....so review has been kinda foggy. Pulled pork. Beans. Baby backs. All bases covered. I'll prolly never find it again if I go to that part of Tenn again

This place ain't fancy. In fact, run down might be a generous description. But none of that matters. There's a reason their parking lot is so full (I arrived only 10 minutes after opening and barely got a table). Their pork is tender and complements the bread so well. Their BBQ beef is deep in flavor. The BBQ sandwich really pulls it all together and they're generous with the sandwich filling. Also, the service is super friendly and relatively quick given how busy the place is. In fact, I was really impressed on how often the waitress was able to check in on me given the number of customers she had to attend to. Worth the drive to get here.

Best barbecue around. Great fries, Great Tea. Great Blue Cheese dressing. Always a great experience.

We went to Ridgewood because of its great reviews and reputation. It was OK but the nasty lady at the front door needs some lessons on how to say "Hey y'all." The waitress was great and food OK, not great. She offered us a "To-Go" cup but was intercepted by that nasty old lady who argued about it for several minutes. Well, we did get the drink and guess who opened the door to say goodbye with a big friendly smile? Guess she had a long day.

Good food, terrible parking lot. Not what it used to be, but still very good barbecue.

This place is amazing! We love their bbq pork sandwich. This is the best bbq I've ever had.

First phone I tried not to be negative but this I have to be negative. I waited 30 minutes after the time I ordered for my food and when I got it, they had fried french fries not once but twice they were so hard you couldn't eat them and the rest of the dinner, don't even go there so I'm definitely not looking forward to going back

We are from Honolulu and the food here is da kine! Ours was delivered by a good friend and is the most tender cut pork I've had in a very long time! Add a little of the blue cheese it's delightfully delicious! Thanks to my friend for the meal!

On a road trip and this was one of the best meals so far. The bbq sauce was super yummy. Their way of making the pork sandwich was different and i love how it tasted. I would order without the bun next time so I could eat more pork. Sides: both slaws were great, but the dill slaw was my favorite. Fires too were perfect. Ok, let's talk about the blue cheese. I HATE blue cheese. Our waitress brought a sample and i was sipping my fries in it the blue cheese was so good. We purchased some bbq sauce and blue cheese for later. Our waitress was amazing. Super nice, attentive, and very friendly. I feel bad I forgot her name. This is a definite must stop if you're in the area.

First time here-I was skeptical, as I had seen this rated best BBQ in TN. Umm, Memphis is in TN, right? Anyway, this spot was really enjoyable- even though their version of BBQ is unique, to say the least. It is basically smoky, thinly sliced pork with sweet sauce in a sweet warm bun. Kinda like an Arby's sandwich- If Arby's served curated, long smoked meats over a fruitwood or hickory wood pit. The beans were really good too and you should definitely order them. The server was perfect - not too much in your business cuz working through this big BBQ is serious work- but kinda a mind reader that was bringing me a drink refill or condiment or check just as the thought hit my mind. They were very crowded on an early Saturday afternoon, (but they are always crowded ) and they got me through quickly. I liked this a whole lot more than I thought I would have . Indeed, it is less akin to Arby's and More similar to a Memphis, or perhaps Kansas City bbq experience in flavor and smoke. Nice to have this level of an exceptional culinary experience in the Tri-Cities.

Such a unique experience for legacy bbq. We love the story and authenticity of this place. I've been visiting since i was a kid and nothing has changed... in a good way. Must try when you're in the area.

Delish. - So much food!!! I had the Tennessee ham which i found a little too salty but the coleslaw was the bomb!! it came with a salad that was meal itself. My other half had the pork sandwich and beans - he enjoyed it. Price was very reasonable. Great place to eat

Eaten a lot of BBQ. This is up there with the best. Thin sliced like ham very unique. Would prefer a hotter more vinegar based sauce but that's my problem not theirs. This is a must visit if you're a bbq enthusiast in the area. Very impressed and that takes a lot. Whoever said the places that look like dives make the best bbq nailed it with this one.

After spending over five years in Memphis where I regularly ate some of the best BBQ in the country, I feel that I have developed a refined palate for great BBQ. Originally hailing from the TRI region, I had never eaten at Ridgewood prior to this week. The locals speak very highly of this place, so I decided to give it a try. On both visits, the service was excellent all around and my meal arrived almost immediately. Although tasty, the BBQ sauce was a bit on the sweet side for my taste, and the pork lacked the nuanced, smoky flavor that I grew to love in MEM. The worst part of the meal was the "hand cut fries" which were very bland, having nearly no flavor at all. You cannot order ribs or brisket here, as they are absent from the menu. That alone takes away one star. I would argue that you cannot have a "world class" BBQ establishment without having a full/half rack of ribs as an option on the menu. Also, instead of pulled pork, they offer thin-sliced pork and beef, which is then fried, for some strange reason, prior to being served. Ridgewood does have a charming location in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, but I would rate it as average BBQ resto. No more. No less.

The service was fast and friendly, the portions were huge and delicious, and we all had a great time! We had to split our party of 8 up, but we sat across from each other in booths. We had different servers, but it did not make a difference in our experience. We ordered the bbq pork platter, bbq beef platter, bbq beef sandwich with slaw and fries, kids tenders, and baked beans. Both the pork and beef bbq were very good with or without sauce. The texture is more shaved meat instead of pulled bbq. It is different than traditional bbq and very smokey tasting. The fries are hand-cut and not super crispy. If you like them that way, like I do, they're awesome! The baked beans are also very good, a unique flavor, not just your run-of-the-mill side dish. This is a small, stand-alone restaurant literally on the side of the road, and definitely worth the stop! You might have to wait a bit and be creative with parking in the narrow gravel lot, but you'll be glad you did!

This is our "go to" spot for celebrations. And when we are simply hankering for some barbecue and blue cheese dressing. The food is consistently amazing. And the staff is top notch. Don't be discouraged if you have to wait for a table. It's definitely worth it!!

And off the beaten path, hole in the wall, legendary with the locals authentic barbecue spot. This is an old school of the old school roadside diner. Everything is handmade on site including their signature barbecue sauce and super thick fries made freshly from the potatoes they peel and cut as they go. Leave your pretense at home and just bring an appetite, and maybe a few extra napkins if you wanna enjoy a good barbecue dinner here.

Definitely not the same as it used to be. Food is still good but they could definitely use a good, deep cleaning. You never know when they're open so you have to just drive by and check. They don't answer the phone all the time either.

Food, service, and portions were absolutely amazing! We had enough food for another meal when we left. The best blue cheese anywhere on the planet!!! Service is always with a smile!

Best barbecue on the NASCAR circuit! Great food at the right price. Good service with a smile ! Not fancy but a great county atmosphere.

Known for their shaved pork but personally I think their brisket is better. Signature bbq sauce is outstanding. Don't skip the French fries. They're homemade and not those nasty frozen ones. I also love the blue cheese dip

I'm always happy when I can manage lunch at Ridgewood. The BBQ is thin sliced, not too greasy, lightly smoky with a tangy sweet sauce. Everything is super fresh. Slaw, beans and oddly blue cheese dressing are all exceptional. Even the tea is homemade, strong, crisp and fresh and comes with lots of lemon. Service is fast and friendly. If you don't eat here, more for me! Thank y'all at Ridgewood!