The Don's BBQ

Brisket was faaaantastic. The baked beans were a poem, and we also loved the mac and cheese. The place is clean, and Don is so sweet and nice, he helped us to get all the good stuff. Can't wait to come back!!

One of the or probably best bbq place in the MA. The ribs and pulled pork were awesome. The brisket was good but a little dry for my liking. The Mac & cheese is good. Overall it was a “W” definitely would go again.

While in town fr nova scotia, I was looking forward to checking the place out. Owner Sebastián was great to chat w. Brisket was best I have had. Mac m cheese my son said was his favorite Mac n cheese ever. We got the meat overload. Well worth it. Thanks and see ya next time

So we are visiting from California, and have spent 6 weeks in Texas also this year. The brisket is on point! I could compare it to any bbq place in Texas and it could compare! The baked beans were different.. I assume this is a northeastern style? I didn't care for them as much as usual, but they are probably a local recipe, and anyone local would tell me I'm crazy lol. We were very happy with our meal!

The food is alright. Flavor is good, but the brisket is still just as dry as the rest. It is really hard to find fatty brisket that’s moist. Otherwise great service and reasonable prices.

The food and service here was SPECTACULAR! We came to the Boston area for our honeymoon (we’re from Canada) and we have never had smokehouse food this good! The portions are plentiful, the food it hot and perfectly flavoured! The meat was juicy, yet full of smoke flavour. The mac n cheese was one of our favourites too! This meal has by far been the best on our honeymoon, and we definitely want to come back if we are ever in the area again! 12/10 hands down.

Definitely some of the best BBQ food I've had. The brisket is just fantastic, but everything we ordered was top notch, including delicious carrot cakes. I don't live in Boston, but I intend to come back here whenever I visit.

Smoked chicken BBQ burrito is heavenly. Cole slaw is fresh and crunchy. Don and his staff were kind and caring. Even gave us a sample of brisket to try!

What an Amazing gem of a BBQ joint! On top of great food, the service was excellent, the menu is substantial, Fresh brewed sweet tea and lemonade BOTTOMLESS! Inspiration for each item on the menu comes from the corners of the country that specialize in those items. And I knew I was in for something special when I read another review talk about how much they didn't like the heavy vinegar taste ... ITS SUPPOSED TO BE! Brisket was Award Winning! Great smokey flavor, easy salt and pepper rub with a great bite to it, fat melted almost as quick as melted butter, tons of taste in the fat too. Pit Master Sebastian learned how to smoke this masterpiece by chillin with the men of Texas in their backyards over a few beers all night long. THAT IS WHERE THE BRISKET GODS LIVE. What I enjoyed the most was that the brisket is cut thin. Now usually when I get thin cut brisket, it's that hard jerky style brisket and I can barely eat it. This is that awesome juicy brisket (not too juicy either) that just cuts and chews easy. I hardly ever finish the brisket that places give me cause it's just too much. This is one of the only places I've ever finished. Ribs were fantastic. Obviously everyone has their preference on style but I believe Dry Rub Ribs are Always going to conquer. The rub on these ones is distinguishably made with fine coffee grinds and a little bit of brown sugar just enough to give is a subtle sweetness. Pork flavor is still there, hardly any color manipulation, smokey flavor is on point. Pulled Chicken was Bursting with all kinds of flavors. Definitely some Carolina vinegar style, hardly any fatty bits in there, real easy to eat cause there wasn't any big chunks of chicken un-pulled. Delicious, perfect style for a sandwich too, don't need to add anything. Sue's NOLA Mac and Cheese. New Orleans based recipe. I'm always going to choose a baked mac and cheese over a sauced out recipe but sometimes these gooey style mac and cheeses surprise me. This actually had some great sharp and seasoned flavor to it. Really good stuff. Don's Baked Beans. INSANELY GOOD! I haven't had beans this good in a Long time. Traditional Maple, Brown Sugar, Apple flavors but with a LOT more smokey taste to it! Gravy stuck to the beans, tiny little bits of brisket, perfect texture for beans too. Potato Salad wasn't as zingy as I thought it would be after reading a review that said it was. Apparently the recipe changed a little bit and now it's a bit more mayo based. It's really good potato salad, potatoes are boiled nice and soft, seasoned with pepper, not overdoing it with the mayo base. The only weird thing to me is the potato chunks are a lot bigger than any other potato salad I've had. Not necessarily a bad thing at all but just worth noting, I guess. Carolina Slaw. Sliced up cabbage in a nice Carolina Vinegar sauce (or a Piedmont sauce or something). If you are more into that mayo based slaw then know that you are wrong and eat this stuff till you like it and then eat some more. Andouille Sausage and Rice: Damn good spicy yellow rice and black bean dish mixed with that spicy smokey Andouille! My god this is good! Monica's Pralines. I honestly don't know much about Pralines, but I'll just say this sugary, nutty, cookies that aren't cookies and wonderful. A bit too sugary for my taste though, but those are supposed to be sugar overload. Shirley Taylor's Bread Pudding .... Another New Orleans based recipe that could probably bring world peace. This is one of the greatest desserts I have ever had and I'm ready to get a whole damn tray of it! So sweet yet the bourbon and the raisins prevent the sweetness from completely taking over. Like a Cowboy Creme Brûlée. I almost fell over in my chair this was so good. Fantastic BBQ Joint! hope more people give them a shot and stop constantly going to the big name spots all the time!

A clever move for a restaurant owner to start a new Yelp under a slightly different name (I discovered this when coming back to see how they were doing only to realize my original review was 'missing).... I had high hopes - I'm a southerner - and dabble in smoking brisket myself (it's not easy so I respect what they're trying to do) but what I was served was completely devoid of smoke flavor (or any indication that it was - no smoke ring... pellets?). The crust looks INCREDIBLE and texturally, it's great but it lacks any salt whatsoever. If you eat here, I'd opt for sauce but brisket shouldn't need any (nor would you want it when it's just right). I respect that they claim to be TEXAS BBQ where sauces are definitely a thing but any local Texan will probably throw you some shade if you're seen dousing one of their fine slabs under a lake of sauce. There was no sauce included in the bag (I took it to go and live a minute away by foot) - so I can't judge their sauce. The greens were good... the burnt ends were completely inedible. Burnt ends should be crispy but also tender with a heavy char that has flavor. These were giant pieces of rubber that they caramelized in some sugar that didn't even seem to be from the right part of the brisket (if you ever made any, it's this little flap of typically discarded meat over top of the point). Ask for WET/FATTY brisket - the meat from the flat was so dry that I almost skipped it entirely (ask for a sample vs. being frustrated). I HAVE HOPE - there is more to the menu. I 'm going to explore and will revise my review as I work my way through this 'southern inspired' mafia themed bbq spot. I want to have a good BBQ place close by - Blue ribbon does the job for now and other than BT's out west, I will just have to keep making my own. Price was out of line with the quality - they have some work to do - Good luck!!!

Ordered takeout for 14 people. Phone order went well. Food was overall very good. Here's some takeaways: Bread pudding - amazing! Might just go back for a craving Ribs - very good! Much better than other places I've had in newton/Watertown Potato salad - solid light version, will definitely order again Beans - wife loved them, I thought they were too sugary Texas caviar - delicious Corn bread - moist and overall nicely done Brisket - nice smoke, just one fatty section Some stuff I didn't like: Slaw - a hot mess of vinegar - pass on it unless you want vinegary slaw Collards - also a pass, just didn't love their preparation of them Sauces - they seem to pride themselves on simple vinegar based sauces. They were okay. The hot wasn't hot, the sweet was okay. They should be able to upgrade their sauces pretty easily. Ill be back to order the ribs, potato salad, bread pudding and Texas caviar. Hoping they have the burnt ends available next then I order.

This is a review about the brick and mortar location for The Don's BBQ, which is a casual BBQ restaurant on School Street in Watertown. The Don's BBQ opened a casual BBQ restaurant recently on School Street in Watertown which serves up BBQ meats (smoked chicken, pulled pork, BBQ ribs, beef brisket), platters, sandwiches, dinners (for 4 people), homemade sides & salads, BBQ burritos, BBQ nachos, and dessert (if available). They offer takeout and there is a cozy dining room (self seating) to the left. The prices are moderate and the premium meat beef brisket is significantly higher in price. I stopped by the Watertown restaurant for takeout recently, which was steady busy around dinner time. The owner was giving out samples of the brisket as customers arrived. I saw that the One Meat Platter for Brisket with 2 sides & cornbread was $26.99, much higher than the One Meat Platter with the chicken and pulled pork choices at $14.99. I ordered a One Meat Platter ($14.99 plus tax), I chose pulled pork with corn bread, and choice of two sides (macaroni & cheese and andoulle sausage with rice & beans-add $1) and a Shirley Taylors Bread Pudding ($7 plus tax). 15 minutes later, my food was packed and bagged to go, and they gave me a choice of hot or sweet BBQ sauce to go with food. I got both. I got to enjoy my dinner on the road. The pulled pork was very soft and tender and I dipped the meat into the BBQ sauces given to me. I actually mixed the hot and sweet BBQ sauces for a sweet sauce with a spicy kick. The macaroni & cheese was very dense and rich with soft cavatappi pasta in an thick orange cheese sauce. The andoulle sausage with rice and black beans was decent. The firm piece of cornbread was not too sweet. The bread pudding dessert (rectangular cut piece) was very sweet covered in bourbon sauce. I will have to try other things on their menu on the next visit!

This is terrific food. The ribs are really flavorful without being very spicy (can obviously make them spicier with sauce), and the brisket is delicious. The andouille sausage is very good on its own, but also shines in a rice dish. The slaw and corn/blackbean salad are both very good and refreshing sides. The baked beans are thick and flavorful. My BBQ history is in North Carolina so the pulled pork, while very good, is not quite in my wheelhouse, However, the other meats shine so much that I'm fine without it. "The Don" himself is fantastically nice and was great to work with in catering a party, and all the people who work there are unusually pleasant.

I'm really surprised by the high rating but this place really missed the mark. I am a huge fan of bbq, half my family is from Texas. I don't know what part of Texas the owner is from, or if there are serious cultural differences between Texan bbq (my family from Texas is black.) But here are my observations and you can decide if it's worth trying: Pros: - I mixed the sweet tea and lemonade: that was PHENOMENAL 5/5 - cashier was warm/friendly -ambiance of the place was cute and cozy - the bun on the sandwich was a nice kind/quality - lunch special was only $10 so I'd say if the sandwich had been good it would have been a great price Cons: (pulled pork sandwich lunch meal) - meat had a very mild flavor. It tasted somewhere between North Carolina bbq, in which the "sauce" is a very basic ~4 ingredient, vinegar based mix, and a very diluted distant version of any type of Texas bbq I've ever had or enjoyed. Most of what I could taste was vinegar and black pepper, rather than the woody or hickory sort of flavor I would typically expect. - I could clearly taste the flavor of the meat because there was very little sauce involved. Except North Carolina vinegar based bbq, I've never known a pulled pork bbq sandwich to have barely any bbq sauce on it. - not only was there barely any sauce on the sandwich, but you pay extra for sauce. Not a huge big deal, until I tasted the sauce. I'm not trying to be rude at all but it is downright repulsive. It's way too thick to be called a sauce, it had a texture that was almost "coagulated" when bbq should usually have a texture somewhere around ketchup give or take, but definitely SMOOTH. The taste was worse- it still had the definitive bite of tomato paste, so I suspect the "sauce" is a bunch of tomato paste that hasn't been reduced down or balanced for that signature unsavory "bite", and not enough flavors added. - a lot of ppl don't like cole slaw. It's not customary in any of the bbq sandwiches I had Texas style, so it would probably be wise to ask if they want cole slaw in their sandwich. All in all, I think he's in the right neighborhood to potentially find the kind of ppl that might like this kind of North Carolina style bbq, but ultimately, it's pretty insulting to refer to it as Texas style bbq. I think this company has real potential to excel in a place like North Carolina that prides itself in that very simple vinegar flavor rather than the rich, bold, saucy flavors of Texan bbq. If you decide to try it and don't like it, I smothered mine in sweet baby rays when I got home and it was just ok, but much better than the starting product.

The staff was friendly and the food was even better! Definitely get the burnt ends if they're available. The brisket and pulled pork was top notch. I'll definitely be coming back. Pro tip: Their in-person prices are better than what they show on the delivery apps. Great value for the money.

Just saw this place at Lexington Bbq festival- by far the worst bbq I've ever tasted. I can't believe you guys still decide to serve to customers when your ribs/ briskets were extremely over cooked and dried out. And charging $16 for 3 extra ribs that were VERY small and basically dried out pork jerkey you should be ashamed. Please don't eat at this place it is very bad and save your money

Pretty good local bbq place in watertown. I had the burnt ends. They were not the typical southern bbq style they were very sweet sort of candied which was good but different. The sides were good. I would try the ribs and the brisket next time I go back. The staff was very friendly.

The ribs were $25 for 6 dry bones with 2 sides. Not at all worth it and I certainly will not be going back!

OUR first time at Don's BBQ: The Brisket is well worth the drive from Somerville to Don's BBQ near the Arsenal Mall. It is to die for. I can also recommend the pulled pork and the various sides, especially the collards. Judith 6/27/22

Sorry to say worst brisket I have ever had.also extremely overpriced. They seem like nice people but I'm never going back. So many better options . Just my opinion could have been an off night.

A small Texas-style BBQ joint around the corner from Arsenal Yards. I was very impressed with the sourcing of the ribs, the meat has flavor which is so much better than tasteless pork from factory raised pigs. Take those ribs and smoke' em slow and low; it's a winning formula. I didn't sauce a few ribs, just so I could enjoy the flavor of the meat and wood. The brisket had a nice bark and it's moist as well. Pulled pork did not disappoint. The sides are good. The rice and andouille sausage had a little kick to it.. The beans are good and the cole slaw is unique; it's just shredded cabbage mixed with red wine vinegar and some sugar. Didn't get to try the mac and cheese and I respect the owner's reasoning: he only makes small batches so the quality of the dish stays high and I just had bad timing after a few big orders. Sebastian is a really nice guy. He even let me let me into the kitchen so I could check out his smoker. I'll definitely be back!

So I'm giving The Don's BBQ a 4-star rating with some hesitation. First, the good: pulled pork and chicken were deliciously moist and smoky, the ribs were succulent and fall-off-the-bone. The brisket was fabulous, moist and delish. The mac & cheese was good, the collared greens were tangy and yummy, but my favorite side was the andouille sausage and rice. Fabulous. Everything tasted fresh, and was served nice and hot. Their sauces are very good as well. The food was great, but the prices are about 25-30% higher than the same portions at Blue Ribbon BBQ. I certainly understand the impact that supply-chain issues have had on everyone, but all things being equal - the prices are too high to justify being a regular patron, for me. Other BBQ places will give you little things to help fill up the plate, like white bread or a little container of pickles. The last time I ate at Blue Ribbon (just a week ago), it cost the same for three of us to have a meal, as it cost two of us at The Don's. I know BBQ isn't cheap around here, but I can't help but think I paid more than I wanted to.

Tried for the first time yesterday and picked up 1/2 lb. of brisket and a 1/4 rack of baby back ribs. Both brisket and ribs had very good smoke flavor. Brisket had a nice bark and was pleasantly peppery. One star removed because brisket (and ribs) were a little drier than I prefer but smoke flavor and bark gave resulted in a solid 4 stars. I would definitely recommend and return.

The food was really good and the service was amazing. felt very comfortable eating here and will definitely come back again!

I was excited to see this BBQ opened in Watertown. The Brisket Ruben was good twice, but the third time I ordered it, I was disappointed- I guess it depends on who prepares it for you- the meat and taste are not consistent, with bad surprises in your takeout is just not a good sign for the business. I promised the owner to come back but now I have to think twice! So 3 stars for now.

I've eaten here three times already, I'm pretty sure The Don's BBQ will be what causes me to have a coronary at 40. Everything so far has been delicious. Meats: All the meats we have had have been excellent. I'd say the brisket and ribs are the winners, both have some serious bark on them. The chicken thighs are smoky, tender and moist. The pulled pork was slightly on the dry side, but the flavor made up for this, and their delicious house sauces cover all sins. I've also tried their brisket reuben which was as close to perfection as I could ask for from a sandwich. The burnt-ends are also a must, they're like smoked-meat candy. The flavor endlessly lingers, smoky and unami, the texture is like toffee. Sides: the collards, beans and mac and cheese are spot on, the coleslaw is nice and sharp and helps cut through the mix. The ice tea is perfectly balanced. The bread and butter pudding is delicious (and enough to easily feed two!) Price: It's slightly on the pricey side, but you can taste the time and love that goes into all their dishes, and the portions are deceptively large. Every time we've ordered, we've ended up with leftovers The staff are friendly, the owner is always really engaging and enthusiastic about his product. I really can't fault it. The best BBQ in Boston and the greater Boston area, hands down.

I've been to The Don's a few times and the food and service were excellent each time. I had a burrito with The Don's brisket and the burrito was out of this world (sadly it's not on the menu anymore!). I've also had the brisket as-is along with a number of sides, and everything was delicious.

Small town meets home bbq. Coming from the south having a little piece of home in the way of great BBQ helps quell the homesickness.

Just ate from here, had pulled pork, chicken, Mac and cheese, collard greens, and cornbread. The meat was pretty bland, and the smoke flavor tasted like a campfire, if you lit your campfire solely with recycled wood from shipping pallets. The Mac and cheese was dry, but the cornbread was decent. I'd avoid this place, I kinda wanna throw up right now from the lingering smoke flavor in my mouth, it's somewhere between campfire and cigarette.

AMAZING brisket, mac and cheese, and the best collard greens I've ever had. So happy to have a good bbq place near Boston.

Great people!! Great customer customer service but the chicken thighs were slightly pink. The collard greens and cornbread were tasteless. The baked beans were delicious!!!

Not authentic bbq. Very European tasting if you catch my drift. Ribs are baby back and over priced with tomato sauce on them opposed to really bbq sauce from the south which is where bbq originated. Potato salad looks like German potato salad which is not the typical potato salad that goes with bbq. The Mac n cheese might as well be boxed Mac cheese and even that tast better. If the owner just spiced and tweeked his menu and hired better grill masters/ chef's/ cooks he'd be better off and would make a ton more money. The owner has a good location but horrible food and what's even more interesting is that the people in that area probably haven't had true bbq so what he's selling the people ..they will like cause they have nothing to compare it to in this exact area anyways. The food is over priced for the portions given. The bbq sauce tast more like a marinara sauce, he could've at least used some sweet baby Ray's!!. The sides all need to be re- done and properly. This place won't last long cause the food isn't that great. Cornbread is heavy and dense and lacks that real buttery golden cornbread that your grand ma would make. There are other places in this area that serve better food. You want bbq then go to " the pit" in Boston on Morton st.( Mattapan) Now that's bbq. And blue ribbon is gross too!! This place lacks soul for bbq is soul food..where's the soul?. Hire people with the souls and your food will def taste better. It's almost like going to a Chinese food restaurant and ordering eggplant parmesan.

This is a great place to go for a delicious casual lunch or dinner. The brisket is tender without being too fatty, the sides are great, and the bread pudding is to die for!