Baker's Ribs

First time ever at Baker's Ribs. Great food. We tried the ribs, sandwich, several sides, and the chicken wings. No complaints at all. Even took home a jar of their barbecue sauce. Definitely will return there again. Baker's Ribs gets my vote over F.D. anyday! more

My rating is actually closer to 4.5. I'll preface by saying that I'm from Austin, TEXAS and have searched out great BBQ all over the country. I have lived in MPLS for 13 years and have honestly tried every bbq joint in every nook and cranny of the Twin Cities and have been let down every time. Each time I see any ""Best of the Twin Cities"" lists that has Famous Daves in one of the top positions, it just kills me. I just got back from a road trip that took me through KC and down to Austin and i ate at all of my favorite BBQ joints and feel that I have had some great BBQ recently. OK - I know - really long winded. Baker's uses slow smoking and if you knew how hard it is to pull this off, you'd appreciate what they are doing. Yes, they do do a mostly-TEXAS style BBQ minus the Beef ribs (too bad). Their sides were very good and the meats all had a nice smoky flavor. If you ever get a chance, take home some of their smoked turkey and make turkey BLTs that will knock your socks off. I loved the simple feel of the place which is similar to a lot of places down south and the customer service was great. My only complaint, is that their sauce is average. I wish they had a more standard TEXAS sauce and maybe a spicy and sweet sauce. Give it a try - it's honestly the only good BBQ place in the Twin Cities.\r \r more

Okay, so it was a Monday and past the lunch rush (2pm), but that doesn't excuse ribs that have obviously been sitting in a steam table for hours. The ribs had no crispy bark texture at all and slipped far too easily off the bone with a slimy, gooey feel. Yuck! Smoke was slightly there, but I couldn't discern any hint of a spice rub. This is just plain laziness if you ask me. The sides were good, however. The slaw was nice and beans had a nice spicy kick. The orange-cream soda was a flavorful accompaniment. Ambiance? Well, there was Texas kitsch everywhere, but the two guys running the place didn't seem interested in me or if I was enjoying their crappy ribs. They were both seated at a table in the dining room looking rather sleepy until one of them started talking to his credit card company on his cell phone while pacing the dining room where I was eating. He had time to talk to his credit card company, but didn't have time to ask me how I was enjoying my lunch. Lame and, again, lazy. I spent 15 bucks on a crappy lunch and won't be back. Pros: Good baked beans Cons: Poorly done ribs, didn't feel that welcome more

Reviews had mislead me. I asked what was best and was told the ribs, but they were very disappointing. While they had the pink color of smoking and some smoky taste they were otherwise poor. They seemed to have been made yesterday and heated up a bit today. The sauce was weak and runny, the sides were poor at best. For a few bucks more I could have stopped at Redstone, a few blocks away, for good ribs and sides. Oh, they might of even had a good tap beer to go with it. Pros: Smoked ribs. Henry Weinhard's Vanilla Soda was great. Cons: Everything else more

I like to sit and watch my soaps while I enjoy my ribs! Sauces are great, but my clothes smell funny for 3 days after eatting here :) Pros: Close to Leanne Chin's. Pretty good ribs! Cons: 95% male. more

My wife and I decided to compare Baker's Ribs and nearby JJ's Ribs. There really was no comparison. Baker's... more

My wife and I decided to compare Baker's Ribs and nearby JJ's Ribs. There really was no comparison. Baker's won hands down. Their service was mu... more

If you have ever been to a real Tx BBQ roadside shack, you will right at home at Baker's. The ribs are as good as I have ever had in Texas and much better than the slippery, mushy ""Famous"" ribs. I like the chopped pork sandwich with a dollop of coleslaw (which is more of a Southern thang than a Western thang). The atmosphere is authentic to Texas style BBQ joints.\r \r I take the score down one star only because of the sides. I would like to see (and this is my Southernness showing) fried okra, fried pickles, cabbage, all you can eat oven-fresh baked rolls and jalape?o cornbread, and a serve-yourself wheel of cheddar cheese. Pros: Real Texas BBQ. Authentic tastes, smells and atmosphere Cons: Where's the fried okra? more

This is among the best Southern-style barbecue joints in the area. I have been to Ted Cook's, Qfanatic, Scot-Jamama's, and Market so far, and as far as ribs go it's Baker's and Qfanatic. \r \r It is East-Texas style, so all meats are indirectly slow-cooked in a smoker, and there is a focus on pork (as a Southerner, I don't consider other Texas barbecue styles of to true barbecue. Beef ribs? I don't think so!) \r \r The sausage, chicken, brisket, and especially ribs are outstanding. The sauce is a fairly thin tomato/vinegar concoction, similar to a Memphis-style sauce. It's quite good. All sauce bottles are served warm. The sides are not the greatest, except for the spicy baked beans, which are as good as I've ever tried. They have sweet tea, which is rare up here. Pros: Outstanding food, friendly service, nice atmosphere Cons: Sides not always seasoned well more

I went to Baker Ribs one day after work and had lunch. I would never go back there again for over priced brisket water down sauce. I had better brisket at Famous Daves. The brisket was ice cold and not even heated. Pros: Leaving and not going back Cons: water down BBQ sauce, cold brisket, no good side to pick from more

Baker's Ribs makes barbecue as it should be made. The brisket is tender, the rub perfectly seasoned.\r The sausage (why don't other barbecue places sell sausage? It's not exactly hard to find in the Midwest!) was everything it should be. Best of all, the sides were great. I'd put their beans up against anyone's,\r and I loved the potato salad.\r \r I lived almost all of my forty years in Austin, Texas before moving to the Twin Cities a year ago, and there's no other barbecue restaurant in town to touch this one. It's not even close. Pros: terrific barbecue, wonderful sides Cons: should be relocated next door to my house more

I went to this place because they dropped by my office with free babecue sandwiches. The first thing you... more

I went to this place because they dropped by my office with free babecue sandwiches. The first thing you notice when you walk in is the pig's head... more

I'm slowly working my way down the MSP St. Paul magazine winners top 10 list. I'm having a hard time believing the #1 winner (Redstone)...that place looks a little too polished for a ""real BBQ"" place, but my review of them will be coming...\r On to Baker's...\r Great job decorating. I felt like I was back home in a real BBQ spot. The meat was good. I had the ribs and brisket. The sides were...OK which probably brought down my overall experience but not enough to make TOO much of a difference. I'd recommend picking up their ribs or brisket for takeout and maybe doing your sides at home. Overall it's one of the better places in the Twin Cities for good, REAL Texas Style BBQ ribs & brisket. \r \r On a side note, the guys there are really helpful and nice. more

I tend to be more of a Pork Man myself so I stick with it. I have a hard time deciding whether to order the ribs or chopped pork, but no matter what I choose it tastes like I'm back in Texas. My job tends to keep in there vicinity more and more. Sometimes I do takeout but lately I enjoy staying there. I bring in my laptop and enjoy there great food in my off time. They keep the sauce warm so when you take a bite in the food melts in your mouth. They seem to have just the right amount of smokiness for me. While my brother thinks there on the strong side but what does he know? To finish all I can say is ""If you like really BBQ this is the place in the twin cities"". No messing around just good food, and good people! Pros: Great Pork, Sauce Just Right, Great Owners Cons: Not open 24hrs. more

Go here for ribs, ribs, ribs! The ribs are nice and heavily smoked, and the Texas style sauce served warm separate is a very good compliment to the ribs. Best ribs I've found in the Twin Cities. The BBQ sandwich is run-of-the-mill compared to true southern bbq, but enjoyable on a quick lunch jaunt. Skip the brisket - it tastes like grandma's sunday oven roast - bland, watery, almost zero smokeyness. Surprising given the proprietor is from Texas. Pros: lots of free parking, best ribs, quick Cons: poor brisket, line at lunchtime more

The ribs are smoked here. You even get smoked when dining. If you like smoked food and not cooked and smothered in sauce, this is the place to go. more

Baker's is the best bar-b-que north of the Mason-Dixon line that there is. Great ribs, great beef brisket, pulled pork, and even a great ""chicken-on-the-can"" when available. The sauce is served warm, and if you are from the Carolinas, they will even put slaw on the sandwich if you choose. The best side item is the baked beans - a must have with any dinner plate. The only thing missing is the sweat tea... more