BBQ Bobs

Barbecue is big right now. If you are even the least bit foody you will have come across (and probably consumed) plenty of pulled pork this summer and American-style BBQ joints serving authentically prepared ribs, steaks and other hunks of meat have been doing great business in the capital. Bedford, too, with its glut of Indian and Italian offerings, is crying out for a restaurant like BBQ Bob’s on Mill Street and we would like to see it succeed for that reason alone. But having visited several times in the last few months, it’s disappointing to report that the food at Bob’s is a real mixed bag.

‘Authentic’ is the key word here and Bob’s menu really emphasises the fact that all of the meat on offer has been smoked in-house and cooked on the day that you’re going to eat it. When they run out of an item, it says, there will be no reaching into the deepest recesses of the freezer to pull out weeks old bits of chicken. The idea of this focus on freshness and careful preparation is spot on. So when the reality of the food presented doesn’t live up to it, it’s doubly disappointing.

Bob has constructed a pleasingly tight, focused menu but the dishes which should be show-stoppers at any barbecue joint were not good. When we visited with a large party recently, five of us chose the delicious-sounding slow-cooked brisket. It’s no exaggeration to say that it was almost inedible. Dry and tough with chewy fat, it was like they had warmed up and plated slices of some sub-Aldi budget supermarket’s packet beef. Unfortunately it appears this was not an isolated incident—we’ve heard similar complaints about the brisket since. Bob’s pulled pork is ok, with a sweet, smokey flavour, but presented as it is in an uninspiring roll without any of the moist, sticky BBQ sauce (or even mayonnaise) that you would expect, it’s just too dry. So are the ribs which, though they have good flavour, were a bit too chewy.

In short, if the food is being prepared as the menu promises, it just doesn’t always taste like it.

There are positives. The service we received was excellent. All five of our very disappointing briskets were comped, as was a burger that was offered as a replacement. The burger was delicious. Tasty beef steak served slightly pink, it was very succulent and melt-in-the-mouth. The chicken wings were excellent, smothered in a lovely, smokey sauce with the meat falling off the bone. The accompaniments are great, particularly the fries which are seasoned with a nice spice mix. There’s also a strong selection of cocktails and Bob’s home-brewed beer is a nice touch, even if it tastes a little tinny.


So while there are signs of promise, as true meat lovers who were very excited about BBQ Bob’s our overall judgement can’t be a positive one. Some of the dishes need to be tweaked and others completely reconsidered. We hope they are: Bedford’s carnivores deserve the best.