The Blue Duck Barbecue Tavern

We tried the Blue Duck barbecue for the very first time last week. We were seated right away and didn't even have wait. To begin we ordered the fried pickles as an appetizer. They were delivered to our table hot and ready within 6 minutes, they were really thin pickles but they tasted good. My husband and I ordered our meals which consisted of the rib plate and the pulled pork plate. The sides that we ordered were the potato salad, French fries, baked beans, and macaroni and cheese. I noticed that most of the food (even the sides) tasted like it was smoked, maybe that's normal but I'm not sure since it was my first time there. I think a lot of the flavor had to do with the house made barbecue sauce. I was hoping for the meat to be falling off of the ribs but it had to kind of be cut off or bit off. The potato salad was kind of surprising, I've actually never had potato salad like that with fried potatoes inside of it, and hot also. The fries and the cornbread were my favorite, they were really great. Everything had its own type of smokey like flavor, not exactly something that I'm used to and not exactly my favorite. I hate to confess that I didn't actually finish anything on my plate except for the cornbread. The service was really great though, the waitress was very friendly and so was the man who brought the food to our table. They have their own specific barbecue sauce sitting there on the table to use at your leisure as well. I really like the location of the restaurant, it was really relaxing. I love that it's downtown and on the waterfront. You could enjoy a nice walk after eating if you choose to. I have heard a lot of great things about this place so I'm sorry to say that it was a miss for me.

MY GOODNESS!!!! The food is off the charts!!!! The only thing I can criticize is the elotes, if they were served warm the entire meal would have been absolutely perfect! Taking the elotes home to warm them up.

Definitely not the best barbeque in Peoria. I've been here a few times. The sides and fries are great. The actual barbeque not so much. Had the brisket sandwich last night. Supposed to have caramelized onions and horseradish crema. The brisket was dry and more of a pulled than sliced, the onions were barely soft and there was just a dab of the horseradish crema. I've had the barbeque plate in the past and found the meat(s) to be dry as well.

Easy to find, we called ahead to Blue Duck and then drove there and got in a few minutes early even. Hostess was friendly. Like a lot of noteworthy 'que joints, it's smaller to control flow and operating costs, but it's worth the wait! We got seated at a clean table with clean utensils. Our party of 3 ordered and had food on our table in 10 minutes. Good flavor and the sides were well portioned. I got the 1/2 chicken and it was perfectly cooked. We left full but not stuffed. We'll definitely be back.

Delicious food and cocktails!! Highly recommend the brisket dinner plate and the Vermont Maple cocktail! Wicked fast service and great food. Waitress was kind and had a pleasurable attitude. Highly recommend! Pulled pork sandwich and key lime pie were also out of this world!

BBQ that hits the spot!! The sauce was so flavorful, I couldn't get enough of it. The slaw was southwestern and I didn't expect or love that flavor (I wish I'd asked what it was like first), but everything else was fantastic.

Blue Duck BBQ catered our wedding and did an amazing job! Tony was great to work with and helped us figure out the right amount of food for our event. The food arrived on time and was kept warm throughout the evening. We had their pulled chicken and chopped brisket with slider buns as the main meal, and bacon potato salad, elotes, and mac & cheese as sides. The food was a hit and we immediately had many guests tell us how great it was! Would definitely recommend Blue Duck for any catering needs!

Banh Mi Sandwich was fantastic. My wife got the pork ribs and she loved them. We also got a brisket soup that was really flavorful. The smoked Chicken Wings tasted a lot like cumin spice. The Bleu Cheese dip was chunky and rich. I got a side of elotes. I didn't expect the elotes to be chilled. I think they would be better served at a warm temperature instead. Overall, a really great restaurant, worth checking out.

We tried the Blue Duck barbecue for the very first time last week. We were seated right away and didn't even have wait. To begin we ordered the fried pickles as an appetizer. They were delivered to our table hot and ready within 6 minutes, they were really thin pickles but they tasted good. My husband and I ordered our meals which consisted of the rib plate and the pulled pork plate. The sides that we ordered were the potato salad, French fries, baked beans, and macaroni and cheese. I noticed that most of the food (even the sides) tasted like it was smoked, maybe that's normal but I'm not sure since it was my first time there. I think a lot of the flavor had to do with the house made barbecue sauce. I was hoping for the meat to be falling off of the ribs but it had to kind of be cut off or bit off. The potato salad was kind of surprising, I've actually never had potato salad like that with fried potatoes inside of it, and hot also. The fries and the cornbread were my favorite, they were really great. Everything had its own type of smokey like flavor, not exactly something that I'm used to and not exactly my favorite. I hate to confess that I didn't actually finish anything on my plate except for the cornbread. The service was really great though, the waitress was very friendly and so was the man who brought the food to our table. They have their own specific barbecue sauce sitting there on the table to use at your leisure as well. I really like the location of the restaurant, it was really relaxing. I love that it's downtown and on the waterfront. You could enjoy a nice walk after eating if you choose to. I have heard a lot of great things about this place so I'm sorry to say that it was a miss for me.

Food was decent. Drinks were decent. A bit cramped at high top tables. Restaurant was a bit hotter temperature wise probably due to size. I felt a bit rushed. I'm appreciative that the kitchen is quick with the entree. However, we were still eating the appetizer and just chatting. Then, BAM there's dinner.

Super cool little restaurant on the waterfront. Loved the location and atmosphere. My service was great but the food fell a little short of my expectations. The baked potato was cooked perfectly. But the chicken and horseradish crema topping turned out to be a little soupy and didn't work well together. I actually wish they topped the potato with pulled bbq chicken breast. The Elotes were bland as well. I should have stuck to something bbq for dinner, I'm sure it would have been better.

We had a great time at the Blue Duck. We had just arrived in Peoria and were ready to chow down. My hubby and I shared a full slab of ribs which he enjoyed very much and the meat was falling off the bone. The potato salad was different yet tasty. Whenever we're in Peoria again we'll definitely stop in again. We recommended this restaurant to our friends who arrived later in the evening and they enjoyed the ribs as well.

Located near the river. It was a beautiful day when I went to lunch there. I had a cup of brisket chili, cucumber, and tomato salad as a side and the blackberry mule to drink. Service was spot on. Couldn't ask for a better experience. Will be returning.

I have been exploring Peoria and for BBQ, I found the Blue Duck Tavern. The Tavern looks like it is in maybe an old depot that has been transformed to a Farmers Market place and also a bar. So far, the Blue Duck has been my favorite BBQ joint in Peoria. First of all, they have real brewed in- house sweet tea that makes this Bama Boy happy. Like the sweet tea, everything is made from scratch. I went with the rib plate, added pulled pork, and with my waitress' help, chose baked beans, bacon potato salad, and it came with a corn muffin. The ribs are amazing! They are meaty and have a delicious smoky rub to them. The pulled pork is almost as good as the ribs as they are tender and moist. The bacon potato salad was a dish I have never experienced. It came with fried potatoes and does not resemble anything like a salad. But I loved each moment of it with bacon and green onions mixed in. The baked beans were definitely made in house with meat mixed in. The broth was pretty thin but actually had a nice spice to it. There are 2 sauces and both are superb! There is a sweet, smoky ketchup base and there is a tantalizing Carolina Mustard. I will be planning another visit to Blue Duck next time I'm in Peoria.

The tacos are always well worth it. Along with the fried pickles. A staple every time go through town. Consistent.

The food was great. I ordered the brisket and it was flavourful and tender. Just great! The house baked potato was good, but the mc&cheese was quite plain.

I miss the BBQ back home in Peoria, Illinois! Also the sides, haven't had Mac and cheese and baked beans like this in forever. San Diego sucks in this department. Someone out here tried to sell me on some keto Mac and cheese once and I'm just like no. I had the sliced brisket meat by the way.

This was my third visit to Blue Duck, another excellent dining experience. I got the pork belly tacos and a side of fried pickles. The tacos were flavorful, warm, tons of texture, and filling. Fried pickles were hot, fresh and delicious with the dipping sauce. I had an old fashioned with my choice of bourbon (I chose the Bib&Tucker, it was delicious. I could really taste the bourbon in it. Service was friendly and my food came out quick. 10/10 experience.

I ordered a half rack of St. Louis style ribs and they were very tender and juicy. I spoke to the owner, and she stated that they didn't put sauce on their wings but would provide 3 different types of dipping sauces with my order. I was a little surprised that no white bread came with the order tho.

Food, service, and drinks were all great! Started with a blackberry whiskey lemonade, not too sweet or strong. Would be perfect on a warm sunny day! We had the fried pickle appetizer. The pickles had a nice brine flavor to them. Light batter, but crisp. For dinner, I had the brisket, elote, fries, and corn bread. Brisket was fantastic! Nice smoke, moist, and tender. Melted in my mouth. I liked that the slices were nice and thick. The elote was delicious! Cool and creamy, but refreshing with the fresh lemon. Fries were handcut, piping hot, and seasoned! The cornbread was underwhelming, but overall, my meal was AMAZING. All of the portions were generous. Our server was so good. He made great drink recommendations and had no problem pointing out a few items on the menu when asked.

We showed up unannounced with a party of 22 on a Saturday afternoon during a youth wrestling tournament at the Civic Center; the staff at the Blue Duck could not have been more accommodating. They were so friendly and the food was terrific. Our server Michelle was amazing. If we are back here again next year, we will definitely come by again.

Neat old train station building, super fast service, yummy BBQ sandwiches and key lime pie!

Service was great ambiance was too. A nice vibe all around. The food though wasn't. The brisket was middle of the road definitely not as good as many places I've been. They have 2 sauces on the table one a more NC mustard vinegar and one a sweet Chicago sauce with a little heat. The pork belly was burnt (too burnt) and the mexican rice and corbread were both dry. The tomato cucumber salad and elotes were good and everybody was nice. The meat though was disappointing. It would be a great value if the food was better.

I hadn't visited in years. ONLY because I no longer visit the area... They are STILL the best wings you can get ANYWHERE. Especially the spicy Asian flavor! The staff is fun and timely. Definitely visit Brie at the bar!

I've yet to have experience here! Love the fried wings and the pickles Services was Very fast and the wait staff is great!

We went there prior to a show at the Peoria civic center anticipating a decent meal. It was more like the "Blue Yuck". We had wings as an appetizer. They were ok. They were dry, but decent flavor. My wife had the Brisket plate. It was 80% fat and cool to the touch. I had the ribs. A great deal of fat, bland flavor, and cool to the touch. The corn muffins were half filled, burnt and cold. The baked beans were bland and cold. The drinks were weak as well. The waitress was very good. Overall, very poor experience.

My family had been wanting to come try this place out and finally got the chance to this weekend. As a Mexican I am very familiar with Mexican Street Corn and i'm disappointed to have tasted the side of street corn like it was made purely out of onion. The ribs were dryer than a desert, I had to drench the ribs with BBQ sauce so it didn't feel like I was eating sandpaper. There was nothing fresh about these "fresh cut fries". They were as stale as cardboard. The cornbread was a sad sight to see and an even sadder experience to consume. Overall the taste of everything was dry and bland. The service was great! I wish the food could have been great as well. Will not be coming back.

My first experience here. Definitely not worth any wait. Ordered the brisket Philly with Mac n cheese. The Philly was a little too sweet for my taste, but I was very surprised by the amount of fat there was in my sandwich. And the Mac n cheese was horrible. Mushy with no flavor. The same flavorless cheese was on my brisket Philly. Definitely 2 thumbs down!

Outstanding bbq in the heart of Peoria! Started with Asian Buffalo wings that were better than advertised. Then moved onto the pork belly poutine and chopped brisket w/ slaw and a warm bacon potato salad. Brisket was juicy and w/ good smoke flavor. The bacon potato salad was a showstopper. Decadent and heavy but sooooo good. Poutine was delicious. Needless to say I won't need to eat for three days after this meal but couldn't have enjoyed it more. Highly recommend if you are in the Peoria area and in the mood for high end bbq!

So my rating is more like 4 1/2 stars. One of the last stops in the tour of Peoria restaurants finished on a high note! Five of us went for supper here Tuesday night and what's great call it was! The pics tell a great story but to summarize it all: Cool decor, Amazing Sliced Brisket and Sauces, Ribs we're great, Pork was good, Chicken was meh, that Potato Salad (OMG! A must!) and the Fried Pickles (not shown) was a miss. We'd also wish the French Fries were a thicket cut and the Key Lime Pie (not shown) had too much zest on top. Overall we appreciated the food and the awesome beer selection to boot. I had to try their Sweet Tea which was great as well. I also appreciated the fact that while they closed at 9p, they did not make any efforts to kick us out as we were having a great conversation at the table. We ended up leaving 9:15p and again thanks for not kicking us out! I'd def come back here while in town and you should too!

Usually when we travel through Peoria, we stop at a fast food restaurant along our route. But today we discovered the Blue Duck. Easy interstate access to this restaurant. It's located along the riverfront in an old train station. Tons of public parking. Once we placed our orders, they came out freakishly fast. Everything was delicious. Our group ordered the brisket sandwich, pulled pork belly sandwich, and mac n cheese. Our server was attentive and friendly. I would definitely return.

This place is the real deal! The brisket is amazing!! Sides and drinks are so damn good!! You have to go her!!

Loved this spot! This was our first night in Peoria and it's such a cute vibe with a parking lot and great service. We tried the Asian wings and pork belly sandwich, both delicious. Can't wait to go back and try more!

The ribs were meaty and done perfectly to my liking which is easily removes fr the bone but has a bite to it. The service was good, not great but good. The corn bread biscuit was very nice. The Mac and Cheese was a bit mushy for me but had nice flavor. The cucumber salad was very nice, slightly sweet and tangy. The bar has a good selection of beers on tap. Overall worth the visit and worth giving it a try!

Food: pretty good (at least in Peoria). Like the tenderness brisket with many sides options. Service: Good, very efficient. Ambiance: Good, family friendly.

This restaurant is super cute and has plenty of outdoor seating. Tons on the menu looked good to me. I really enjoyed the pulled pork torta. It was huge. The toppings added a lot of flavor. They mac and cheese is very creamy. It has a unique sauce. The elotes is also unique because they serve it cold. I really liked it!

I love blue duck! My friend had her bachelorette party dinner here and it was a great experience! Fun atmosphere, great food, and great service!

The very best potato salad I have ever had and it's not even close! We also enjoyed their brisket sandwiches. Service was top notch.

Food and service were great! Loved it. Will definitely come back for the nachos! Great outdoor seating area.

The Blue Duck is where it's at! Definitely check out this cute place if you're in the area. Great menu. Great prices. Great service. Great vibes. We stopped here on a beautiful Saturday and loved it here. The owner greeted and seated us and shared a little of his story (go, Illini!). Such a nice guy and the whole staff was so friendly. Our schedule did not allow us much time but we had a beer (cheap prices!) and the fried dill chips (awesome!). Wish we could have stayed longer but that just means we need to come back.

Elotes was so good! First time trying the baked potato. Hard to eat but next time I'll stick with my husbands choices and go with the brisket and chili.

Please call back to confirm reservation for Tuesday evening for nine adults 5:30 PM dinner. My name number is Connie De Andrea 847-910-910 one thank you.

Here's foods are so delicious! We came to visit and was surprised to see how cheap the restaurant is in Peoria. The cocktails are only $8, and they are pretty good. Foods price is amazing as well and they are also yummy. I highly recommend their brisket poutine, St. Louis ribs and wedge salad. I'll come back here if I come back Peoria to visit.

The restaurant has a nice location right on the river. The inside was clean and had a log cabin look. I had the rib plate with mac n cheese and potato salad. The ribs and mac n cheese were good. The potato salad was strange as the potatoes were cooked crispy so definitely not expecting that. Would try again. The service was good and the food came quickly.

Man the ribs look so good, got a full rack for the price of half. Also got the baked beans and bacon potato salad.

As you enter the Sweet smokey aroma of BBQ hits you. The bar area and seating area has an old wooden industrial look. Behind the bar is a variety of Bourbons and the hand crafted drinks were delicious. Server was prompt with drinks, appetizer of smoked wings with a sweet spicey sauce was very good. After dinner placed another order for wings to go. Our table enjoyed pulled pork and brisket both were very good. Will return when visiting Peoria again.

I have literally been here multiple times and every single time it's great! If you want a really indolgent day get the poutine! But you cannot go wrong

A very nice little spot. The food was amazing. Highly recommend the asian tacos. The meat is brisket with great flavor and good portions. My wife got the smoked, then fried chicken wings, which were also very good. They have a good selection of beers including bottles as well as a full bar.

Amazing first experience, the chips were freshly made & just the right crunch/ crispy. Chicken was very well seasoned a little on the dry side though. The brisket is amazing. Definitely will be returning !

Found this Gem on YELP Based on reviews and menu decided to come off the 74. Easy off,on. Enjoyed their BANH MI [bon me] was excellent. More please:). That good with fresh French fries . Inspired by the popular Asian street sandwich, our version has brisket tossed in our soy garlic sauce topped with pickled vegies, fresh jalepenos, cilantro and red pepper aioli on a torta roll. Served with one side. Other party enjoyed their PULLED PORK SANDWICH Pulled pork topped with our housemade slaw and fried pickle chips served on a brioche bun. Served with one side. $11.45 Service by Jason was excellent

Great food and not busy on Saturday afternoon for lunch. Highly recommend the pulled pork nachos

Good food and reasonable prices. One of the must-visit places in Peoria. When you go to Peoria, make sure you stop by.

Long wait, and overpriced food, for what is mediocre quality. Which is unfortunate because I had been wanting to try this place for a long time, based on rave reviews by friends, The pulled pork tastes good, but the presentation is lacking...was just a handful of meat slapped on a plate. Brisket was too fatty for my spouse's liking. Ribs were over seasoned with dry rub, but the house BBQ sauce available on the table helped to offset the dryness. Hand cut fries were pretty thin and overcooked. On the positive side, our server did a good job of keeping drinks refilled for the restaurant being so busy. Probably won't be back, unless it's for a gathering and someone else is buying, then I might give it another chance.

Great food and atmosphere had chili and all the smoked meats are professional quality!

Stopped in for a quick lunch. The BBQ Mac was excellent. The Old Fashions were on point. Service was great.

All the meats! Smoked comfort food. I had heard good things about the Blue Duck Barbecue Tavern from my last visit to Peoria, but we didn't get to go then, so it was on my list for this trip. It did not disappoint! It was the perfect place to meet after a very productive workday; full of amazing-sounding comfort food. We started with brisket nachos and their smoked chicken wings and then I channeled my inner Canadian and had the brisket poutine for my entree. So good and rich!

Absolutely love this place. A great spin on the typical BBQ. The Asian Tacos are EXCELLENT. I recently took some out of town family there for dinner. They LOVED it. The pork ribs were fall off the bone good. I've never had a bad meal there.