Z-Best Barbeque Chicken & Ribs

Man let me tell you I got 3 chicken dinners. It came up to a little over 60 dollars. My sister and I got to the house and it WAS TERRIBLE. Yams was from a can no seasoning no flavor. Mac n cheese was ok it wasn’t hot or any flavor and the chicken wasn’t done. On top of all the horrible food we all had diff amount of chicken with the same dinners. One dinner had 5 another had 4. DESSERT ABSOLUTELY DRY. WAIT THERES MORE AS SOON AS YOU WALK IN YOU SEE LIKE 5 fridges lined up WHY THE HECK THEY DIDNT HAVE NO COLD DRINKS THERE DRINKS WAS IN A COOLER WITH MELTED ICE. This was the absolutely worse experience and I loved them down when they was on the hill.

True to it’s name, it is Z BEST BARBECUE. Fair prices, and a $2 discount for students. Can’t get enough of their collard greens. A great place to go after a weekend home game.

Z best is the name for it seasoned perfectly I got the wing dinner with greens and mac n cheese I recommend everyone go see the girls they told me I'd be in again and their right!!!!

Tried the pork and ribs here, both were excellent. The Cole slaw was awesome, I didn't dig the Mac and cheese- too cheddary. Not a lot of room to sit down and eat, so this is best for pickup and go. The people behind the counter were excellent and very customer oriented. It's pretty good bbq for the price, has a mom and pop shop type of warmth and feel. The picture is of the Z's pork sandwich to go.

Classic hole in the wall BBQ. Seems like most people walk on pass missing out on this gem. The sauces are great. The portion sizes for the price are as good as it gets. The sides are incredible. I recommend the mac n cheese and sweet potatoes. Best BBQ in the Burgh hands down.

The service was decent and the employees are so nice. I purchased the rib and chicken combo. The ribs were a little chewy, not fall off the bone and the wings were ok. The sides were very good (corn bread muffin and greens) as well. I’ll definitely return to try more food, I’ve heard good things about the fish.

This place is fantastic. Everything from the meat to the cornbread is considerately cooked. If you're like me, you'll want to finish it in one seating but will be stopped because you're full. I highly recommend the combo of the ribs and the chicken and can't commend them enough on their mac n cheese!

Amazing cornbread, macaroni and cheese, and ribs. I ordered a half pan of the Mac and Cheese for a party; and when I came to pick it up they asked if I could wait ten minutes because they wanted to brown it better for the ideal presentation. They even gave me a side to eat while waiting! Great people and great food.

Heroes of the Covid-19 crisis: Our first responders, our medical professionals, our grocery and restaurant workers, our public transportation workers, and YOU: because by staying home, you are helping all of PGH. The good people of Z-Best BBQ are helping this community by making incredible comfort food for the people in a difficult time. The ribs are huge and tender, perfectly smoked and sauced. The wings are excellent. The greens take you home. The mac and cheese takes you to heaven. The dessert (we had sweet potato cake) puts you in a coma. In these times, more than ever, you need soul food. The friendly people at Z-Best have what you need. These people are helping PGH get through. Thank you!

Z best is not the best. The food barely satisfied my bbq craving. The ribs were generously portioned out and full of meat. Although, the meat was somewhat on the dry side with not as much flavor as I'd hope. I was not able to eat all of the ribs. My whole meal definitely was very sweet. It seems like this establishment relies on lots of sugar to make their food tasty. The only exception was the Mac and cheese which honestly at first impression, appeared to be cheesy but lacked the saltiness and flavor I enjoy. The sweet potatoes were good but again, they were very sweet and almost syrupy. The baked beans were OK, very liquidy as you can see in my picture (it's the brown liquidy mass in the side container). Would I come back? Probably not.

Still the same NASTY FATTY RIBS. Horrible you would think after a year they would step up their game NOT SMH @ z best bbq It's really Z WORST BBQ

I was blown away. The restaurant doesn't look amazing from the outside and there isn't a ton of room to sit down, but hooooly heck the food is incredible. Z-Best BBQ really lives up to it's name. Any meat dish will be fall-off-the-bone tender while the sweet potatoes and cabbage (my sides of choice) were both delicious and given in generous portions. The cornbread that comes with the meals... it was some of the stickiest, most delicious cornbread I've ever had the pleasure of eating! I honestly can't express with words how satisfying the meal was. For price versus value, this meal excels. If you're looking for a healthy place to grab a salad, definitely don't dine here. However, if you're looking for finger-licking good soul food, you've found the right place! I'd recommend this place to anyone!

I'm absolutely in love with this gem! I'm stuck downtown in a hotel so delivery is a must. Everything on the menu sounded great. I opted for the Rib Dinner with Mac & greens. OMG YESSSSSS! Perfectly seasoned , melt in your mouth deliciousness. I'm sitting through my phone catching up on reviews now, as I'm placing a SECOND order...I cannot stay away.

Delicious BBQ! Sauce was on point... I got traditional BBQ, not too sweet, not too spicy. The ribs were tender, mac n cheese.... oh WOW!!! and the greens were on point. I recommend on planning to do take out because there is limited seating.

This is probably one of the worst meals I've ever had. I don't claim to be from anywhere that has good barbecue, but this makes me not want to eat meat again. First off, all of the ribs that I got are mostly bone, gristle, and cartilage. I cleaned off one bone, and you can see the amount of meat that was effectively inedible on the top of my styrofoam packaging in the first picture. Yes, they were soft, but whatever the original sauce flavoring was didn't add anything enjoyable. I couldn't even have a bite without fishing some gristle or bones out of my teeth. Second, the sweet potatoes. They look like they were canned in the 1950s and slapped on my container. I specifically asked for them to be separate, and they weren't. On top of that, they have the sugar content of a box of nerds. actually, I ate a box of nerds just to feel a more savory taste in my mouth because the sweet potatoes taste like straight sugar. They are mushy, and don't even look like real potatoes. The baked beans are by far the worst. It tastes like there's some sort of lemon zest or something added to the baked beans. That isn't how any other can of baked beans ever tastes, and it is made all the worse by being almost as sugary as the sweet potatoes. The only redeeming part of this meal is the cornbread, and I left that off of my order because I'm gluten intolerant. And I don't feel like I should have had to have paid $20 to be disappointed, and only eat bread that I didn't order.

The food is amazing and reminds me of home back in Texas with the flavors that melt in your mouth! The Mac n cheese is heavenly and the green beans are so savory that I had to slow down eating them because I wanted to enjoy them longer!! I've had both the ribs and the fried fish and both was delicious! I would HIGHLY recommend getting more than one cornbread...it's worth it! I took one star away because of the extremely long wait I experienced when I went to the actual storefront, but the food is so good I waited with a smile on my face.

Great Food it's alway hot and ready... They have the best bbq sauces... if you don't feel like cooking dinner take a trip there they have what you need reasonable prices.

Wow, hit the spot ribs for a hungry crew. The ribs are tasty, tender and moist and the sauce was good. Had the sweet Sweet Potatoes and cheesy Mac & Cheese as sides...all very good. The cornbread is some of the best I have every tasted...very moist and filling. The staff was friendly and helpful. If you are looking for a good rib dinner you won't be disappointed. There are two small tables outside and a couple of tables inside...we did take out.

I've finally found amazing BBQ in Pittsburgh! The ribs were incredibly moist and obviously cooked with so much love and patience, the chicken fell off the bones, and the sides were the epitome of comfort. Order breakdown: 4 ribs with original sauce- sweet yet a little spicy bbq sauce, cooked to perfection and were so tender and juicy. 1/4 chicken with honey mustard-a hybrid of honey mustard and bbq, the chicken had a great char to them and the bones fell right out, very moist. Baked beans- gorgeous mix of sweet and cinnamon Potato salad-creamy and crunchy goodness, reminded me a lot of the Grandma's potato salad you can buy at the supermarket but better. Yams-sweet and creamy but could use cinnamon or similar seasoning. Mac and cheese- HOMEMADE! I finally found somewhere that ACTUALLY makes their own mac and they freaking deliver on flavor! Thick, creamy, cheesy baked mac goodness. 10/10 recommend and will absolutely be ordering again and referring to all!

I live a fair distance from the city, so anytime I do venture to downtown Pittsburgh, I make it a point to try something new. And babyyyy Z-best BBQ did not disappoint!! Met a friend for an early dinner, and I already knew I would love it just from the windows being steamy, when I first arrived (that means the chef clearly was putting in work lols). I got pulled pork with the sweetest honey mustard glaze. You could definitely tell it was homemade. Along with the pork, I had sides of mac &cheese, greens, and cornbread. All in all a good fulfilling meal. Customer service was A-1. I shall return. :)

Good authentic bbq for takeout. I only gave it 3 stars because it doesn't have the atmosphere for an enjoyable dine in experience. It was a beautiful day so we sat outside and ate at the little tables on the sidewalk. I would get food to go again!

Honestly maybe the best greens I've ever had, and the rest of the meal was on point. I loved the ribs, the sauce was smoky and tangy and the meat was super tender. I was also really happy with the friendly service and recommendations to round out my meal. Everyone walking by on the way to the Pens game the afternoon I was there missed out - make time to stop at Z Best!

Z-Best has quite good food. The ribs weren't pulled fresh out of a smoker, they were cut and sitting in sauce, but they were very tender, tasty, and the sauce is excellent. The chicken was perfect, smoky, moist, delicious. The sides also impressed me, the macaroni and cheese was excellent with apparently a mix of several types of cheese, rich and flavorful, and the biggest surprise was the cabbage. I'm not a big fan of cabbage in general, but wow, you HAVE to try the cabbage here, sweet, delicate, buttery, and the perfect complement to bbq. Plus you don't have to feel as guilty eating ribs if you have some relatively healthy cabbage in the same meal! The negatives: Parking can be bad; you don't want to try during a Penguins game. And at off hour you might walk in to find the counter staff asleep in front of the TV.

Wowzers.. this place makes some freakin good bbq. Came in from out of town and was at UPMC. Found this place on yelp and decided to stop in. They have street parking you have to pay for but easy to find a spot, at least during lunch time. I got the 1/4 chicken with bbq sauce. It was so good. Meat was tender and falling off the bone and the bbq sauce it was coated in was some of the best I have ever had. You get two sides with it and corn bread. Got sweet potatoes which were delicious and the Mac and cheese. The Mac and cheese was good but I've had better elsewhere so maybe next time, I would try a different side. Looking forward to coming back in the future!

The ribs are oversized and fantastic. We had mac & cheese and collard greens for our side dishes. They were just as good as the ribs. When we come to Pittsburgh we always make a point to stop here. Keep up the good work!

This is a great choice for lunch in Pittsburgh. The food is a little pricey but very worth it. They do have a lunch special.

Stopped by on a whim today, and loved it. Great service, fabulous portion sizes, and the flavor was spot-on. We had wings with honey mustard sauce, ribs with original sauce, green beans (so good) and potato salad. Definitely on our list of WILL go again!

It's getting harder for me to want to leave Pittsburgh, mostly it has to do with the food and people. Z Best takes the cake as being the best soul food in Pittsburgh. We had plans today to go and check out this other place for soul food, but my friend was told about Z Best by her friend. After she just mentioned great mac & cheese we quickly changed our plans to go. Once again only street parking with a meters. That's fine because when you smell the food from across the street you know it's worth it. Going in we met the owner Darla, a native of Pittsburgh that knows her way around a kitchen. The place is family operated, so I complimented Darla on having her Granddaughter work there. Darla is teaching her granddaughter responsibility, most young people don't have that anymore. When she found out it was our first time in there and our first time to Pittsburgh she wanted us to know good south cooking away from home. Darla let us sample everything on the menu. Off the sampling alone I wanted to marry Darla, that way I could eat her cooking everyday. As advertised the mac & cheese is phenomenal. There are little words to describe it, but masterpiece comes to mind. The pulled pork is never something I do, it's not a favorite of mine, but tasting Darla's I had to get some and she put cheese on it. The Yams were also out of this world good. Before I couldn't sit down and get some, you see my brother and my friend destroyed them (mostly my friend). I couldn't believe food this good existed outside New York. On top of all Darla's generosity, she gave me corn bread free of charge, normally it comes with a meal, but I order everything separately. Darla wanted me to try all her food and see what soul food was all about. I'm pretty sure I convinced her to deliver to New York, what's 400 miles! Anyone who reads this bookmark it or better yet just go. Trust me you don't need directions, let that down south cooking aroma guide you.

One word: Consistency! I've been to this place a dozen times or so and they never fail me. I was very impressed once when changing a pan of food the server requests d a new spoon. That may seem simple to you but there are so many places where this simply doesn't happen, especially local spots. It tells me they take pride in doing it right. Minus 1 star because I'd love to see more care put into the atmosphere both interior and exterior but as far as the food goes

Home cooking to satisfy your tummy!!! The wings are unbelievable the ribs wow!! The candies yams will make your lips smack for more and the cabbage damn!!! You will not be dissatisfied

I discovered this spot during my last year of college and I'm so sad I didn't find it as soon as I arrived in Pittsburgh! The food tastes like your great grandma from Georgia spent all Sunday cooking a meal for her family. When I come back to visit the city this is a MUST on my food list. My typical order: fish dinner with mac and cheese and sweet potatoes. Delicious!

I haven't actually eaten here, only ordered delivery, but it was delicious and I am looking forward to checking this place out for some more BBQ! We had a craving for some wings during a football game and decided to try this place out. At first glance, we were a little disappointed that the wings seemed to be smoked rather than the typical crispy buffalo hot wings. As soon as I took a bite, my mind changed instantly! The meat was, as cliche as it sounds, falling off the bone and the flavor was amazing. You could put the wing in your mouth and pull all of the meat off by barely using your lips. The meat was smokey and juicy and we easily devoured the entire order.

Definitely my go to spot and I tell everyone about it. They give you more than enough food and they even catered for us a few times.

This place is a hidden gem in downtown Pittsburgh. Not too far from the Penguins' arena and Duquesne, this place may not look like much on the outside, but do yourself a favor and go inside! The ribs and the mac and cheese were among the best I've ever had. The service is friendly, and the prices are reasonable. HIGHLY recommend!

Great food terribly run business. Two big issues same day! This was my 3rd time getting food here and every time I've been someone's complaining they are short staffed, they're acting overwhelmed and completely disorganized. I called to place a large catering order for my company for July 4th and was told by the woman who handles it they were short staffed & busy asked me to call her back on her cell that night vrs taking my info, exchanging email, directing me to a website etc. This is a large catering order for a professional business and you're asking me to call your cell later that night? Next I decided I'd stop by for dinner on my way home and called to order fried chicken, first the guy told me no orders over the phone. I told him okay & asked if they had some already cooked or do they make it when I get there? He put me on hold, I heard him talking to someone then he came back to the phone and told me to come in 15 minutes. When I got there I was told by the cook they didn't even have flour to make fried chicken & the guy does stuff like that all the time. If you have a kid working there who you're aware lies to customers why is he answering the phone? I would never go out of my way to go there again because of that. I tried to be a good sport about it, still ordered a meal and got a side of mac & cheese. Nothing was comp'd or discounted for the inconvenience and ironically the woman ringing me up gave me the wrong bbq sauce because she was distracted on the phone...literally taking a catering order! Employees sleeping at tables, food containers laying around from employees eating at the register. Speaking as a Business Major they need to bring in somebody who knows how to run a business. It's sad to see the low employee moral as soon as you walk in and if they lost hundreds of dollars of business from me because of how disorganized they are that day I can't imagine how much money they must lose on a regular basis.

I've never had mac and cheese or wings this good. Takeout, service, AND food = A++++++++++ I HAVE to go back soon

Another home run for Z-Best. This is hands down the best BBQ in the city. Great tasting food, always polite, and professional. The prices are spot on. Cheaper to feed my family here then running to Giant Eagle. We had two slabs of perfectly cooked ribs, cabbage, mac n cheese, sweet potatoes, greens, and potato salad. EVERYTHING was excellent. Rarely do you go somewhere where you enjoy every part of the meal. I'm a longtime patron and every time I eat there I see why.

Excellent food and great portions. I highly recommend. Their corn bread is moist and just sweet enough and their sweet potatoes are soooo good. Ribs and chicken were both juicy and their sauce is awesome. Do yourself a favor and try this place out.

Absolutely, hands down the best ribs I have had in Pittsburgh. The owners are really nice and the portions are huge. If you sit outside you can smell the smoker and it's incredible. I'm a Duquesne student and it's super close to campus.

Amazing BBQ! I had the ribs and chicken combo with mac and cheese and baked beans! The crew there were friendly and suggested the honey sauce! Will be back!

Horrible horrible service , and food . Didn't even ask me what kind of barbecue sauce, they just picked for me and gave me burnt cornbread. I will never return .

The bbq is really good but don't get it delivered through yelp. I've done it 3 times, and each time something has been missing. I tried to get reimbursed through yelp and the restaurant didn't reimburse me the full amount of the food they didn't include. We're talking $2, but come on--they ruined my trust.

My favorite bbq place in the city ! me and my boyfriend eat here at least twice a month. You can never go wrong with any thing they sell.

I placed my first Grubhub order. The food arrived quickly and I was pleased to have delicious ribs, greens, baked beans and cornbread at my doorstep. It really is Z Best!!!! Ribs were delicious. I will definitely order again and again.

So far I've tried : BBQ Ribs : excellent Chicken wings with honey mustard : delicious Chicken thigh with honey mustard : devour that skin, so good Cornbread : great Sweet potatoes : great I wasn't expecting much when I walked by and decided to go in. Pleasantly surprised. Very friendly fun staff too.

Just ate here. I'm from a long ways away but everywhere I go I like to find little hole in the wall bbq joints. This was one of the best I've found in all my traveling. The ribs, the chicken, the cabbage, corn bread... full package of bests that I've had.

Great little find, right behind the consol energy building. A little mom and pop barbecue joint. Small selection, but everything they do. They do well. Great prices and fast service. Not much room to sit down. But over all a nice place!

Today was the first time I'd been to z-best since they were on Herron ave. Gotta say, nothing like I remembered. Got the rib dinner with greens and mac n' cheese. The sides were SOOOOO salty I had to force myself to eat even half of each. And the ribs must have been the last rack on the bottom of the pan, just sitting all during lunch rush, soaking in grease cause they were way too greasy. And worst of all, been in the bathroom all afternoon. It's hard for me to give a small establishment one star, but, it'd be even more difficult not to in thus case.

Ordered a dozen fried wings, sweet potatoes and green beans. I've never seen fried chicken so black and burnt looking. The sides were great but the chicken appeared to have been deep fried in old oil or something. I've never seen fried chicken look like that. The texture wasn't crispy so maybe they fry it different than most folks. I have had ribs from here before and enjoyed them but the wings I would stay away from.

My daughter introduced me to Z-Best oh yeah the macaroni and cheese, the BBQ,the chicken ok the food is good it a small dive but what comes out of that kitchen is worth the drive and finding parking Molten Mac

The Best BBQ in PITTSBURGH I have dined with Zbest as well as had their catering service. You cannot go wrong with them. The ribs and chicken were awesome! Well cooked fall off the bone meat and delectible sauces. The side dishes were all great especially the mac and cheese. You reall cannot go worng with any choice here. The catering order was fairly priced expertly cooked and delivered on time and with a smile. They threw in some tatsty extras that were very apprechated. The envy on the employees in the other departments was palitable and the smell of bbq stayed all day. They made my event a success. Thank you zbest.

This is by far the best BBQ joint in Pittsburgh. The rib meal is my favorite. The ribs are so flavorful (your choice of sauce)and the meat just falls off the bone. It comes with two sides and I always have a tough time choosing because the sides are all amazing. If you are a BBQ fan and haven't checked this place out, I highly recommend it!

The trip downtown was well worth it. Great ribs and Mac and cheese!! I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great BBQ dinner!

This place has had many locations over the last few years and it appears they have finally settled here, a stone's throw away from Consol. A no-nonsense BBQ joint. The only thing that may surprise you is how good the food is for the money. My favorite is the mac and cheese but all of their sides are solid, not to mention their mustardy-bbq sauce covered-ribs. If you're not yet familiar with this place, stop in and give it a try. You can't call yourself a Pittsburgh BBQ expert without stopping here first!

Canceled my order without reason on Grub Hub. First time trying this place and they lost a BBQ loving customer.

Horrible service... Food was disgusting... Will never go again literally had burnt dry ribs potato salad taste like onion juice the greens tasted like vinager...the Mac and cheese was ok chicken was burnt and inedible couldn't Chew...

We were in town for a concert and had it delivered to hotel. We had the ribs and chicken with baked beans, Mac and cheese and potato salad. Everything was delicious. We will definitely eat here again next time we are in Pittsburgh.

Quite possibly the best ribs I've ever had. I felt like I was at a family reunion. Ribs off the grill/smoker. Incredible sauces. Killer sides. I did burn my mouth on the molten Mac & cheese, but that's my fault. I wish they had a hand-washing sink...cause them ribs are messy. I'll be visiting again!