For barbecue lovers, there's no better place to try than the Gilbert staple, Joe's Real BBQ, celebrating its 10th successful year serving delicious barbecued food to Valley residents. Joe's is fun, casual, low-key and well-priced. It stands in a large, open brick building in charming downtown Gilbert. Its relaxed, neighborhood feel fits in perfectly with the Western atmosphere surrounding the area.
Joe's operates cafeteria-style. Diners come in, grab a tray, a drink, some napkins and silverware. Then, step up to a hot-foods counter where an employee spoons up side dishes and calls back to the kitchen for the meat order to be served. The line moves quickly and efficiently, which is good because Joe's can become fairly busy during lunch. Pay at the end of the counter and then grab any garnishes you'd like from a table directly behind you.
Joe's menu is simple. You pick your meat(s), decide if you want it on a sandwich and then choose your sides. There's a cut of meat for everyone — beef, chicken, pork, ham, turkey, ribs, sausage and more. All the meats are pecan smoked, so every bite is infused with that classic smoky-sweet barbecue flavor. The pulled pork is especially good as a sandwich, with so much flavor it only needs to be topped with barbecue sauce.
As for sides, there's no way to really go wrong. The mac and cheese is oven-baked and crunchy on top. There's nothing fancy about it; it's just creamy, cheesy mac and cheese like you'd expect from a barbecue restaurant. Their cheesy potatoes are another great pick: tender chunks of boiled potatoes slightly mashed with cheese. Their potato salad is exceptional. Unlike the overly creamy, mayonnaise-laden potato salad you find too often in restaurants and grocery stores, Joe's potato salad is made of chunks of skin-on potatoes in a thin, zesty sauce. Joe's also offers baked potatoes with all the fixings, sweet corn and, of course, barbecue beans.
And don't forget desserts. Joe's offers a few homemade desserts, including a lemon cake and a root-beer cake. The latter is moist and sweet and laced with the flavor of root beer. Pair it with an old school bottle of root beer or ginger beer or any of the other sodas Joe's offers.
Joe's has a ton of indoor seating, but the best thing to do with your barbecue meal is take it straight outside to the picnic tables for a real barbecue feel. You can even smell the pecan smokers from the yard.
The best thing about Joe's? Go there on your birthday and get your entire meal for free! The second best thing about Joe's? The food's so good, you'll want to go the other 364 days of the year, too.
Joe's Real BBQ
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
301 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert
Entrée Price: Under $10
No reservations
Dress code: casual
Reach the reporter at: jessica.kokal@asu.edu or foodinphoenix.com.
