Theodore's Blues, Booze, and BBQ

I ordered the burnt end brisket, it was horrible, very dry, no seasoning, hard to eat, and definitely not worth the money. Especially you get like 6 small cubes. But the ribs, omg, let me tell you; it was delicious. Smoked and flavored to perfection. I wish I had gotten only this. If I'm back in Springfield, I will definitely be getting ribs only!!! The service was lacking luster. The bartender was overworked, while the other staff stood around not doing anything and having conversation amongst them self . (UPDATE 6/22/25) I went back today to get a slab of ribs 😫. I was so disappointed. There was no consistency. These ribs were definitely not the same. They had a funny orange taste and were not seasoned well! A waste of a 120 mile drive round trip & $36! I would not eat back here, sorry.

My husband and I had been wanting to try Theodore's for a long time. We finally went for lunch. We were greeted right away. Staff was very friendly. It had a classic BBQ vibe. Lots of great choices on the menu. We loved the Nachos and burnt ends. The burnt ends were cooked to perfection and cut like butter. I will definitely be back!!

The food was absolutely amazing. Probably the best BBQ I've had in a long time. We shared the brisket & a half of the baby back ribs, with mac n cheese, and corn bread with honey butter. The brisket was smokey great, and the ribs were fall off the bone. It was just enough for both of us to finish the whole thing. They had good beer selections too, Amherst Jess and a Corona with a lime on a hot day! Aubrey was great, she gave us great service, was prompt, had a great attitude, and was really helpful with answering questions about the menu since we've never been there before. Really happy with the food, service, and the atmosphere of a beautiful day on the patio and it not being busy, and us getting great BBQ. We'll definitely be back.

Fun, Blues, BBQ! Can't wait to go back. Unplanned visit, and stumbled upon Theodores, we are huge BBQ fans and so much so, we smoke brisket at home. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! In fact you won't want to leave. The wait staff are so friendly, willing to offer recommendations, check on your meal and experience the perfect amount of time. We had burnt ends and they are melt in our mouth, bold flavor and the best we have ever had. The Mac and cheese bowls were so good and seemed never ending! We had one with brisket and one with pulled pork. The portions were ample and we'll balanced. We sampled all the BBQ sauce with the mac n cheese and brisket bowl and loved them all. The decor was fun and colorful. There is something to see every time you turn around. Can't wait to go back. If you haven't been, you definitely need to go. Feels like a blues place you'd find down south - friendly, great food and cool memorabilia.

A vintage old bar bbq place with super tasty food. The meat came off the ribs and the burnt tips where very good.

The food is really good. We ordered the burnt ends as an appetizer and s'mbitch they were soooo tender and delicious. Great place. We'll come back for dinner and a show.

Had been awhile since I had bbq. This place was recommended by a coworker at the site I was visiting. I was please with the food, the service and the atmosphere. If it was not so cold I would have thought I was in a bbq spot in TN. Keep serving the collars and great bbq and I will be back again

Our waitress (Emily) was awesome, the waffle fries excellent (crispy outside, soft inside), potato salad lacked flavor, as well as the mac-n- cheese, the coleslaw was good, cornbread was decent, the St Louis ribs- a good smoke, flavor and tenderness. The bread pudding, my wife absolutely loved! Would definitely recommend it!

Warning: Parking is a challenge! However, there is a paid parking lot around the corner from the restaurant and street parking. When we arrived, the host initially told us that the wait was 1 hour but that changed for an unknown reason and seated us immediately. The waiter was very friendly and took our drink order first. This is what I ordered: Pulled Pork Plate with a side of collard greens and corned bread. Drink: Diet Pepsi/Coke The others at my table ordered, the Mac and cheese bowl with bacon and nachos. The nachos were enough to feed a table of 4 people. The food was delicious, the food was served in less than 30 mins, there is live music (we left before the band started performing) and there are flatscreens everywhere (great place for drinks, grab a bite, and watch sports). Will definitely return whenever I visit Springfield in the future.

Visited on 1/17/25 when they opened. If you've never had BBQ from or by someone from the south, this place might be okay. For me it wasn't. 1. Burnt Ends 1/5 My order was mostly flat brisket which by the time it "looked like" burnt ends, it lost all the moisture. 2. Brisket 2/5 All flat brisket which is okay here. Except it was crumbly and dry. Lack of smoke flavor. 3. Pulled Pork 3/5 Not bad but not special either. BBQ sauce saved this one. 4. Mac n Cheese 2/5 Lack of flavor, depth and color. It's more similar to cooked macaroni with flavorless runny cheese. 5. Collard Greens 1/5 No flavor. 6. Corn Bread 3.5/5 Probably the best thing I ordered but you could pick up a mix from the grocery store and it would be better. 7. BBQ Sauces 4/5 These were all pretty good.

Smoky, tender - fantastic! We sat at the bar where the bartenders were friendly and attentive and ordered local draft selections that were fantastic. Lunch was a brisket plate with baby back ribs added and it was to die for! Fall of the bone, fork tender, delicious. Sides were greens and slaw - I like my greens tart and slaw lightly dressed and both were perfect. Staff were attentive and friendly, clientele were friendly as well - this was a gem!

Very cool place with lots of history , had some great live music jamming and while I am as just as surprised as you are about to be in reading this review I never expected to find some of the best ribs I ever had in New England!! Yes they are that good! Got a full rack and they were spectacular!

I love smoked ribs and Theodore knows everything about fixing ribs . My order is taking home to enjoy because at home I take off my shoes and give those ribs my full attention..lol The public doesn't get to see that..I love the service. I get it ,it's a rhythm and blues type of thing.. Amazing

Theodore's is rocking almost any day of the week. Expect to find a lively crowd. Couldn't pass the corned beef Reuben and Irish nachos (tater tots, corned beef and cheese). Service is fantastic. If corned beef isn't your thing, their standard BBQ menu items are sure to please your tastebuds. It's been around for decades and they have mastered everything.

Stopped here along the way to the Cape. Nothing beats good BBQ which is what this place has, and at a great price. Also the decor and overall atmosphere of the place is great; good music, old rustic signs and neon lights. I bet the place at night looks awesome. The staff is really friendly too. Really cool spot.

My partner and I dined here on Saturday Sept 28th, 2024. We were staying at the MGM hotel nearby so this was an easy walk to get to, about 10 min walk. I looked online prior to coming for great eats in town and Theodore's stood out with many favorable reviews. We are big BBQ fans and always like to try local joints wherever we go. This looks more like a pub/bar from the outside, old school, kind of dingy interior with a lot of character, an old historical builing. The restaurant is more spacious than it looks. Despite being a Saturday evening, there was no wait and we were seated promptly. We opted for the brisket burnt ends as an appetizer and got ribs and pulled pork as main meals. Our sides were a mix of the mac and cheese, corn bread and mashed potatoes with gravy. Everything we tasted was delicious, the pulled pork was the best I've ever had. So tender and flavorful, I liked that it wasn't all drenched in sauce. There were parts that were untouched so you could taste it plain and add sauce if you needed to. On each table, there are 3 types of sauce, regular bbq, hot and a honey mustard type base. The mac and cheese was delicious, cheesy, not dry, the cornbread and butter were warm and so moist. The mashed potatoes were more boring, no flavor on their own but the gravy helped. Portions are very generous and pricing is fair. We really enjoyed and left with full bellies. Only downside is the location, convenient if you are nearby on foot, but the downtown area doesn't have a lot of parking, there was a even a sign posted on the door warning people not to use the paid parking lot, it seemed unsafe. As out of towners, we found this part of the city a bit depressing, many closed businesses and for a weekend, pretty dead and not lively. I hope this business can continue thriving in such conditions.

Great food and service at an awesome local spot. Definitely recommend the brisket plate, and sides were great and big servings. The walls have cool local signs and there's lots of space. Our server Keitha was attentive and helped us order the favorites--great spot

Came in for dinner, it was slammed. I ended up sitting at the bar so I didn't have to wait an hour. The food was pretty good, ample portions and good flavor. It's not the best BBQ I've had but for being in New England, it's not bad either. The spot is kind of divey, more bar than restaurant but a cool spot nonetheless. The parking situation is kind of tough, street parking in a crowded area or pay to park lots. Maybe I'll come back for another shot...

Theodore's is an excellent interpretation of a Memphis/Mississippi blues bar and bbq restaurant. Located downtown, your only parking option is on the street with meters. Inside it's dark wood and decorated in a southern style with all kinds of different wall art. On one side is a full and long bar and the other side is a big dining room with a stage. With some very good blues music playing in the background and the interior decor this is a cool place to come for a meal. You certainly don't feel like you are in Massachusetts! I ordered the 1/2 chicken meal with sides of baked beans and potato salad for $16 which is a very fair price. The food came out in about 10 minutes. The average size 1/2 bird was juicy and flavorful being slow cooked in brine (4). The beans were excellent with a lot of content (brisket meat, onions, etc.) in a tasty sauce (5). The potato salad was mayo based with big potato chunks which I am not a fan of (2). The chipotle bbq sauce on the table was very good (4) and the bourbon sauce was a 5! You can actually taste some bourbon in it and I thought it was perfect. The sauces are on the table which is nice. I would have bought some of the bourbon sauce which they sell but couldn't bring it on the plane back with me. Finally, I usually don't do dessert but the strawberry cornbread shortcake special intrigued me. My waitress talked me into it ($8.24 on special menu). Cornbread? Wow, it was spectacular. With the whipped cream, I simply loved it (5). The soft cornbread added to the fresh strawberries with cream and I have never seen cornbread used in this fashion before in the South. It would take a Massachusetts restaurant to perfect a dessert using this Southern staple! This is a very good place to eat. Springfield is lucky to have Theodore's!

The front of the building looks like it was more of a pub and pool tables. But once I realized the menu was all about bbq I was very intrigued by this type of food in the middle of Springfield MA. But they offered beef ribs along with the typical bbq favorites. So I had to try the beef ribs after I asked the waitress if they have a good a mount of meat on the bone. When the plate arrive, I was very pleased by what I saw. Now I just hoped it would now pass the taste test. Yessssss we have a winner, The meat was tender and there definitely had some meat on those bones. I know where I'm going for lunch the next time I go to Springfield.

We had a group of 8 at 12:30 pm on Monday, 4/8/24. We were seated right away. Our waitress, Keitha, was great and got everything right! Here's what I had: - Corn Bread with Honey Butter ($3.49): Soo delicious! Comes with 4 pieces. Plenty to share! - Beef Brisket Bar-B-Que ($21.99, comes with 2 sides): Wow, the brisket was so tender and amazing. I got it with the waffle fries and sweet potato tots and both were deeeelicious. I also tried someone else's mac and cheese, which I wasn't as impressed with. I definitely recommend the sweet potato tots! It was plenty of food. Others got the Chopped Salad with Blackened Chicken ($9.99 + $7), Burnt Ends (I believe this was also $21.99), and Black Bean Burger ($13.99) Everyone really enjoyed their meal! Great food, great service. Highly recommend!

Food was great! I wouldn't say the best BBQ in the world, but certainly the best BBQ in Springfield. The service was great and the drinks were well poured :) we loved the bar and the ambiance. It is old and wonderful.

Basic americano food done with above average quality. Meatloaf, fish, all of it has been outstanding and well priced. Drinks are done right and the atmosphere is pure New England. I've always sat at the bar during my many visits and the service has always been fantastic.

Amazing food, great service, and the ambience is very cool and unique. They have a stage for live music and cool decorations everywhere.

Came in for a late evening dinner mid week with my younger siblings. It was early for me as I work nights so I had myself two cups of coffee. They brewed me a fresh pot which was nice but threw me off when I asked to be topped off I was brought a fresh cup. Ordered the brisket, thought it was ok. Cornbread was good and the I didn't mind the beans. I enjoyed the bred pudding for dessert though. Again, I work nights so my typical routine and palate of a bowl of cereal was thrown off. I wouldn't mind coming back when there is some jazz playing, seems like a nice spot to visit on a busy night.

Overall: extremely popular spot in downtown Springfield with Southern esq hospitality. Extremely reasonably priced compared to Boston (although unfamiliar with Springfield pricing). Food: biggest positive is the portion size and the free popcorn (huge sucker for popcorn). The main drawback is the flavor of the meat itself. It was mostly under seasoned when it was in the cooking process. Burnt ends were in fact pretty burnt with a melt in your mouth brisket flavor. The pulled pork was extremely tender but lacked salt. It was made up for it with the bbq sauces as we drenched a ton. Ambience/Decor/Service: large space with a stage for live music. The waitress was extremely nice reminding me of like southern hospitality. The entire design reminded me of when I visited Memphis drawing on the theme.

Came here for dinner before attending an event at Springfield College. Wow, we didn't expect such amazing food and an awesome atmosphere! First off, the free popcorn was a tremendous plus as we were super hungry when we arrived. Our appetizer of buffalo wings was spot on, and the full rack of baby back ribs was very large and easily splittable. The variety of sauces was great and each one was flavorful and delicious. Friendly and prompt service, fair pricing, and a great overall atmosphere made our visit memorable. We will definitely return when in the area!

Wow, ten years since my last review. I'm happy to say that not much has changed. The area overall may not be what it once was, but Theodores has held strong. We showed up shortly after opening on a Saturday for an early dinner with some little ones in tow, and were lucky we didn't show up any later, as the line was out the door. Portions were still good, the brisket and burnt ends were delicious. The collard greens were good as well. Mac n cheese wasn't for us, but wasn't bad. The service was also great, even with them being pretty slammed. To double-down and quote younger me, "I'd likely frequent the place if I worked in Springfield".

The food was so good and I was hungry that I completely forgot to get a pic of the food. Came here for the UMaine Alumni party before the hockey playoffs and had a great time. The ribs were so meaty (maybe a tad dry on the thicker parts) but had a ton of flavor. The smoked wings were good, we had the Chipotle ones. My friend really liked the cornbread. The Mac and cheese was out of this world. My other friends had the pulled pork sandwich and pulled pork mac and cheese and they each said they were really good. Atmosphere is interesting, 3 rooms but they are all kind of connected. Front bar, back bar and middle section by the stage. I do wish they had better/bigger TVs there. Seems like it can get loud in there so the back of the restaurant is where you want to be if you'd like to somewhat get away from the noise. Oh they also have a popcorn machine! Service was fantastic. All the severs were wearing Maine shirts which was super cool to see them supporting our team. Our waitress was so nice, she even charged my friends phone for him! Pros: Food, service, atmosphere Cons: need better tvs for game viewing

I should inform you that if say sometimes you have a burger urge don't worry because they got you. I opted for a glass of water (no ice) & a BBQ burger with waffle fries & I opted for pepper jack cheese and onions, string onions, bacon & bourbon BBQ sauce plus when I had the sauce selection I think my photos will be self explanatory.

Stopped by after a long day at Six Flags and I'm super glad we did! The server was so kind and attentive to our table throughout the entire meal. She always topped off our water and answered any questions we had about the menu. I've never had dry ribs before, but we ordered the St. Louis ribs dry and the meat was still so tender and juicy with the dry rub. I would definitely make the 2 hour trip again just for this place! Highly recommend!!

This place is a downtown staple that was packed to the seams on a Saturday night. We managed to snag the last table for two before a line began to form. Our waiter was prompt, friendly and patient. I had the burnt end dinner with collards and baked beans on the side. It was delicious. I had a drink with a beach themed named, absolutely amazing. My coworker and I spilt the bread pudding for dessert. Great food and service, I see why it's a Springfield favorite!

Came here for a weekday lunch with friends. Or waitress was Keitha. She was prolly the best waitress I've ever had! She was attentive, informative, friendly, and just a fun and positive person! She gave great recommendations! The food was delicious! I got the 1/2 chicken and it was tender and juicy and loved the barbecue sauce! My friends loved their dishes too, the burnt ends and the meatloaf. Everything was delicious! Keith the owner came by to say hi and just the whole experience was amazing! Can't wait to go back!

This food was horrible . Bland , too much cream in the Mac n cheese . The chicken was watery even with the bbq sauce & the cornbread was cornbread. 1/10 do not recommend. 50$ wasted

Been there several times and have always looked forward to going here when in the area. Tonight was a total show. Service was great. music was way too loud for the place and the food was way below average. Totally disappointed. In the past I would have given this place a solid 4 all day.

One of my review themes for the year is connecting with places that people recommended years ago. Multiple people enthusiastically told me that Theodore's has great BBQ. So I assumed that is true. But it's not just true. It's TRUUUUUUUE!!! My recent visit to Theordore's was not my first. I bet I've been at least 10 times. But each of those times was over 20 years ago as a SUPER broke law school student. I'd get a cheap beer or two, but I'm not sure I even noticed the food since finances kept me on a Kraft Mac diet. The vibe is similar to what I remember. Sort of an old school Irish Pub vibe with lots of wood, space and tables. A cool place. They were busy at lunch. My server was fantastic. A gem. Very friendly. Efficient. Helpful. Had good recommendations when I asked. She even gave me a cell phone light assist when she saw I was taking pics. Her service would be worth a .5 Star review upgrade. Theodore's does not need that extra credit though, because they aced this meal. I ordered a half rack of St Louis ribs, cornbread with a honey butter side and collard greens. The ribs were delicious, oozy and tender. They were cooked with a bourbon BBQ sauce and there was extra sauce at the table. I loved the collard greens too. Very well executed with subtle flavors. The perfect side to go with something fatty like ribs. The corn bread, especially with the honey butter, was very good. Not dry at all. Not long ago, I said that people would need to drive over the CT/MA border to Springfield for the best area Cajun food. I need to scout more menu items at Theodore's, but CT may be on notice about BBQ too. Five Stars

When you first walk in the door it's pretty tight and has a "bar" feel to it so at first I didn't think it was going to be super appropriate for my 10 year old but once we were seated the dining room opened way up and was very comfortable. The smell will have you drooling! Our waiter was amazing and attentive without hovering and refilled drinks without having to ask. They have self serve popcorn which was good. I truly think they have mastered the art of BBQ! Their wings were so juicy and tender and had a delicious Smokey flavor. My fiancé's brisket melted in your mouth. My half chicken was juicy and fell off the bone. The Mac and cheese was creamy and the collard greens were perfectly cooked with a little spice to them. My daughter got the nachos with chili and cheese. I'm usually picky with nachos as a lot of the chips get soggy but every chip was still crunchy and the chili was perfect. All in all I would go broke if I lived closer to this place! We all loved the food so much I only got 1 picture!! Definitely worth a try!

If you're visiting for a few days like myself or even a local, I definitely recommend stopping by here for lunch or dinner. I was bummed that I missed out of the great music I've heard so much about here. But the food was fantastic. I had a self care day ending with a nice wine and dine. It was perfect having a nice corner, my Netflix, and a nice meal all to myself. The servers were awesome and just let me be while checking on me every now and then but not trying to rush me out at the same time which I appreciated. The burgers are amazing and definitely worth ordering. Anything bbq and bacon is my go to and they did not disappoint. It was so juicy and flavorful I loved every bit of it. The waffle fries were great as well. Overall everything was so good with nice portions, I couldn't even try their desserts that sounded delicious and this is coming from a no sweets guy. I hope to come back soon and thanks again for the great experience!

The Carolina mustard sauce is amazing! Service was also very good, we'll definitely come again the next time I'm in town.

I stopped into Theodore's for a simple supper. I was headed to the NBA Hall of Fame enshrinement. I was shocked at how busy downtown Springfield was. Apparently the staff were surprised as well. I took the only remaining seat at the back bar. People kept coming. I enjoyed the mac and cheese with burnt ends. The mac and cheese had just a bit of charred crispiness. The burnt ends are their most popular item. They offered various hot sauces. I would visit again if I were in town. I can't say this is a city I frequent. But I was impressed. I'd expect to enjoy it even more on a less hectic occasion.

Theodore's has consistently been my favorite BBQ for since the early 2000's - so 20+ years. And even though we live nearly an hour away, It became our Christmas Eve tradition in 2012 I believe, The food is to die for, the ambience is fabulous, the staff is always wonderful, the history of the building - magical. I've yet to experience the night life there though - perhaps someday. Due to work conflicts, we'll be missing you tomorrow, happy holiday's to all!!!

We stopped in to Theodore's on our way home from visiting another part of MA and I'm glad we did. Not only was the food delicious but the service was great. And they have popcorn while you wait for your meal! We started with the nachos which come with a meat chili on them. They were delicious, almost all the chips had some cheese on them which at a lot of other places isn't the case. The chili was delicious, not too spicy. I do wish they offered pulled pork as a second option to the chili. Since they didn't, I got that as my meal. It came with two sides so I got the honey slaw and collard greens. The meat was tender and juicy and with the slaw on top...wow!! My husband got the jalapeño sausage with cornbread and waffle fries which had a seasoning on them that almost tasted like a curly fry to me. He really enjoyed his meal as well and said the sausage had a nice flavor and wasn't too spicy. As far as service, it was outstanding. Our waitress was probably one of the best we have had. She was friendly and welcoming and made sure our drinks were always full. She checked on us regularly but not so much that it was annoying. I would make the trip to Springfield just to have another meal here!

Well I died and went to heaven when I ate here...WOW was the food amazing! I'm a foodie myself, but I was with a southern born boy who knows BBQ and we both agree this place was absolutely amazing. Off the recommendation of Jim (read his post as well, he's quite good at reviews) I ordered the burnt ends and a half rack of ribs...did NOT disappoint. The burnt ends were some of the best I've ever had, anywhere in the world. I went with the St Louis ribs with a dry rub, and you guessed it, amazing. The sauces they have there are really good too, and their hot sauce was delicious. It has a little fire, but doesn't hurt you to eat it. On top of the amazing food, the service was absolutely top notch. Our waitress was amazing and we ended up chatting with her a lot. I really enjoyed talking to her and appreciated her amazing service. I will 100% be back for some more BBQ next time I'm in town, and I highly recommend you try this place.

This place has such nice staff. They were a pleasure to meet. The food was some great bbq food, delicious !

WOW! the reviews intrigued us. thank god we stopped! when i tell u this is the best BBQ we've had..... we mean it. tastes exactly like they say, slow cooked for 12 hours. the vibes of this restaurant are great!! they even have a popcorn machine. the different sauces that they have on the table are AMAZING! the meals are huge but you can't stop eating cuz they are so great!! we definitely enjoyed our stay! the service was so personable! our waitress was so kind to even give us change to pay the meter! she was so kind and great to us while we visited! would recommend this restaurant to anyone because of the FOOD, VIBES and AMAZING SERVICE!

Stopped by for lunch on a Thursday. Sat at the bar and ordered a beef brisket. I skipped the sides since I'm currently on the carnivore diet. The place has a nice ambience and the bartender was very good. I am frequently disappointed by barbecue joints because so often their meat lacks the flavor real slow-cooked barbecue should have. But this brisket was delicious. They advertise that it is smoked for 12 hours and that's what it tasted like. Good depth to the flavor. I'll be back.

Well cooked, awesome and attentive staff and consist. The bar and restaurant have the best jazz vibe. Keith is a rockstar! Don't think twice... you have to experience it.

I'm from North Carolina and struggle to find decent BBQ wherever I go. Theodores hits every.single. time.

There was live music playing and the wait staff were friendly. They also wore amazingly funny tshirts. I got the pulled pork with potato salad and honey corn bread. I could have just eaten the corn bread by itself it was so moist and delicious.

This place was so awesome. The food was amazing and they have such big portions, i had leftovers for the next night. Our waitress was attentive and kind offering suggestions and checking in every few minutes or so. It is a blues restaurant so they have live blues bands come in and perform which makes the whole environment really eclectic and warm. Such a cool place with great food!

Small little place but service and food were great. I highly recommend the cornbread best I've had in a while! Good portions and food was delish! Can't go wrong here!

Wow. My wife and I have eaten at Theodore's dozens of times and generally enjoyed our experiences. This was not that. We ordered brisket (salty), 1/2 chicken (tough), with collard greens (vinegar, undercooked), and mac & cheese (undercooked with flavorless cheese sauce). Tell us you changed chefs w/o saying it. Yikes!

Great food & music. The smoked Mac 'n Cheese and burnt beef tips are my favorite. It is sometimes difficult to find a seat, so plan your visit accordingly.

Theodore's lived up to the great reviews I read. On a Saturday with a local hockey team playing, it was busy and noisy. Nevertheless, the staff was friendly and accommodating for our large party of 11. The food was wonderful. My sons and their families plowed through piles of burnt ends, wings, ribs, and sliced brisket. It was all yummy, hot, and cooked to perfection. I will definitely go back.

The burnt ends and poutine fries. That's what I order every single time. I only order to go,and I've never been disappointed. Also the chicken,the fish is good.

Amazing food, drinks & even better service! The staff here are OUTSTANDING! Low key, quick service

Wow! The food was amazing and very affordable. Great service and nice atmosphere. Why is their key lime pie so good?