Barn Burner Bbq

06/15/08

Overpriced BBQ place

by Chris251 at Citysearch

I went to Barn Burner when it first opened and it was ok...decent for pasadena. I picked up a menu to take home in case I got the urge for BBQ. I went back about 6 months later and the food had really gone downhill. A few weeks ago (May 2008) I decided to get something to take home. I called in to place an order using the old menu and was dumbfounded that they had raised the prices on most items by DOUBLE. I was really wanting some BBQ though so I placed my order anyway, it was awful. 6 St. Louis style ribs with little meat for over $20. $18 for fried chicken that had not even been fried but BAKED! I had gotten the fried chicken for my wife and it was so disgusting we had to throw it away. $18 worth of chicken that could not even be eaten. The mac and cheese was tasteless, the store bought kind out of the box is better than that slop. The beans are just as bad. The portions have gotten smaller and smaller and the prices are outrageous. I saw a couple of good reviews on the board but it is obvious by the way they are written that it is someone from the restaurant. I hope they close this place. Oh, and the service is horrible too! Wait staff is just rude and uncaring.

• Pros: inside is spacious and looks like a bbq place
• Cons: outrageous prices, poor quality food and service

02/15/08

WE'RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE...OR EVEN TEXAS!

by wise1too at Citysearch

Kansas City is known to be the BBQ capital of the world and while Texas has good BBQ too this Texas styled place ain' t anywhere close to great BBQ! The ribs are tender and well smoked but that's about as good as it gets. Sides are pretty bad except for the mashed potatoes. The BBQ sauce was better than average but the ribs were served on a watery plate! The rolls were clearly microved and ended up being tough. The waitress recommended the mac and cheese...it was like the instant kind you make for little kids! It's not the worst BBQ and perhaps even better than mediocre but it's not worth returning for. I've been at off hours. I can't vouch for what the service is like when they are busy but it's certainly not worth a wait or any type of a hassle. The prices are too high for such poor food but average for may BBQ places. If you're really desperate for BBQ hen this place may pass muster.

01/27/08

DRIVE ON AND AVOID

by bwanastar at Citysearch

Awful food. mediocre service. clueless management.

tried to eat here twice before but always mass confusion. knew instantly that it was going to be a nightmare so we left. today we are figured lets give it one more shot. too bad we did. ordered pulled chicken sandwich (only chicken on menu). came out dry as a bone on a bland flavorless wonder bread roll. drench it with bbq sauce to get it down. very small portion of dry dubious chicken pieces and lots of bread. not cheap. ($9). sides tiny. corn $2.50? coke $3? place is dirty. baseboards and drink station smeared w/black grossness.

BUT thing that set me off: wife burned her hand badly on the instant scalding hot water that came out of the bath tap. I asked a server (spoke English) to tell his manager the water temp was very dangerous and that they should do something about it. I watched from my table while he told his manger and she did nothing. Never came to us to apologize or thank us for trying to help them prevent a law suit. nothing.

So check came. WAY overpriced. gave the server cash and waited for my change... and waited... and waited. apparently they keep all the cash in the back room or down the street at EL CHOLLOS. Not talking lots of cash here - $10. While I waited the wife went back to the bathroom and sure enough still scalding hot. So be it.

As we left I approached the manager and asked her if she had received our message about the instant scalding hot water that gushes out of the tap and she said yes, she did get the message and....... silence. Nothing. Not a word more. no acknowledgement. no apology. no gratitude.... so I told her the food and the service sucked and that we would not be back.

One of her muscle men followed me out the door glowering at us as we got into our car, rocking back and forth trying to be menacing - like a monkey in the zoo. It was such an unpleasant experience I plan to avoid all El Chollo?s and Dona Rosa in the future and I hope you will as well.

• Pros: Texas theme. they sell beer
• Cons: you name it. bad food. screaming kids.