Bonetown Burgers & BBQ

I really wanted to love Bonetown much more than I actually did. I have to say, putting my order through my mouth was literally watering the entire time. The photos looked so incredible! Went in at 6:15 on a Friday night and oddly there was nobody in there. Looked pretty slow...

First, the prices are pretty reasonable for BBQ. The selection is great and I honestly wanted to try everything. I ended up getting a meal with 3 meats (1/4 lb each), 2 sides, cornbread and slaw. For the meats I picked brisket, ribs, and chicken. Sides were collards and beans.

The meats were... bland. Absolutely juicy, tender, fresh but seemed bland and under seasoned (under salted). I expected to sense and taste smoky, rich meaty flavors but this just wasn't there. The brisket had a TON of fat (see photo). Ribs and chicken were just ok. Make sure you ask for extra sauce! I ended up with a tiny little container of sauce which wasn't nearly enough.

The sides were pretty good. The beans were very flavorful, smoky, sweet but a little kick at the end yet not what you'd consider spicy or hot. The collard greens were nice and tender with good flavor. You can see pieces of meat in there. The slaw was just ok. Cornbread was super dry.

I am willing to give this place another try for sure. There's still so much on the menu left to try and I'm hoping tonight was just a fluke. Fingers crossed!

Everything was solid (Mac and cheese was way over cooked though). Loved the burnt ends, beans, egg rolls and after a little seasoning the potato salad. I never think you get enough food at BBQ places and we tend to over order. Will definitely be back to try the burgers. Decent location with plenty of parking.

Very Surprised, great flavor and great atmosphere. No 2 meat combo meal but I asked them if they cuold give me a little Brisket with my Ribs meal. They did.

Brisket Looked AWESOME! Great looking rub and moisture and a bit of a red smoke ring that usually means some real good spices are in that rub. Rub actually wasn't as powerful as I'd like but it was still really good. Fat could have melted better, in some spots it did but it was okay. The Rub isn't spicy or sweet, more of a savory. I didn't think it had too much of a typical brisket flavor, it's very good but it's not the brisket flavor you might think.

Baked Beans I fell in love with when I took the lid off! I couldn't stop saying wow. Red beans in a red bean sauce, gritty texture, bit of that real vinegar bbq style. You might say creamy for a texture but I don't think its the right word, smooth pasty doesn't sound better but it's more accurate. Bit of a cowboy kick to it but nothing crazy. Super Good!

Mac and Cheese was pretty good. I have a hard time trying to explain this, the texture and the flavor of the cheese almost reminds me of a very mild smoked cheesy lobster bisque. Not to say there is actual lobster bisque mix in the cheese (could be but Idk) but it's just more chowder tasting than just plain cheese sauce. Nothing bad about it. But if you were blindfolded and just took a spoonful of the sauce you wouldn't be so quick to say cheese.

Ribs were tender and juicy and a bit thicker than some places. Awesome rub but it didn't have a kick to it even though it kinda smelled like it would. Meat sticks to the bone just enough. The rib feels tougher than it actually is.

Cornbread is cornbread, nothing special.

Sauces: Sweet - LOT of ingredients in the sauce when you look at it, doesn't look as thick as it tastes, BUT it's super Authentic, That's a Real good Sauce I just wish it was more slather sauce than a thick condiment sauce. This would be the Best BBQ Sauce in Rhode Island.
Gold - Same amount of ingredients with lots going on. Tiny tiny bit more liquid like. Sauce was Amazing! Still not quite at Best Level but I would still put in on everything.

Hands down the Beans were the winner of the meal, but everything else was pretty darn good.

We came by to check this place out and ordered a few things to share; brisket sandwich, burger, wing sampler, and garlic parmesan tots.

You order at the counter, pay for your items, and pick up your utensils and sauces before heading to your table. The tables have brown paper on them and a chalkboard with chalk so you can doodle while you wait for your food. The food arrived quickly, mostly because the meats are already smoked and just need to be assembled to your order.

The trio sampler of wings were juicy and have wonderful flavor, the brisket had a perfectly charred outer edge and was incredibly tender, and the burger and tots were tasty and delicious. The wings came with a bacon ranch dipping sauce that was AMAZING!

The only critical thing I can mention is that I wish there was a more traditional BBQ sauce offering. While I like kicked up- unique flavor combinations, I didn't enjoy any of the specialty sauces as much as I would have enjoyed a classic one.

Great atmosphere & gem in Cranston! Came here for lunch & the service was very welcoming, friendly, and speedy. The burger was juicy and well cooked. Their Mac & cheese is flavorful and of course CHEESY! I really liked that there was a kids section on the menu for my little one.
The delicious garlic pharmacy hand cut fries are absolutely delicious! Just the right amount of crunch and softness to them. The brisket was soft & the corn bread was the perfect addition to the meal. Highly recommended!

Note:
I've never had a Yelp account until today - when this food made me feel I had to leave a review.
See the photos attached to this review - the first is what their ribs are advertised as, the second is what we received.

Review:
Searched online for "best ribs in RI", this place seemed to be highly reviewed. My wife and I placed an online order for 1/3 rack of " Dry Rubbed St Louis Smoked Ribs", a Burnt Ends meal, and their Simmons burger which is the only veggie burger on the menu.
The ribs were the biggest turn off here. I opened the container when I got home and said, "wow, that doesn't even look right.." if I had to guess they come from frozen and are boiled. There is no smoke flavor, they taste like boiled hot dogs. I should've realized this when I got here and there was no smoker in sight at the restaurant.
The burnt ends were extremely dry (I know they're the ends of the brisket so they should be more cooked, but these were like leather) and doused in their house sauce which is oddly tangy and not very sweet.
The veggie burger my wife tried, and tossed. I tried it and I enjoy veggie burgers usually. This was straight baby food texture with a chemical aftertaste.
One bright side: the potato salad and cornbread weren't bad.

Avoid this place.

Stopped in during #bestwingsri and was impressed. Their dry rub wings were very tasty and the dipping BBQ sauce they included with it was solid. The wings were crispy and juicy.

I am a huge fan of hand cut fries and these were great. Well cooked and full of flavor. These alone would bring me back.

Very pleasantly surprised to have found a decent BBQ place in Rhode Island. The location is tucked into an unassuming strip mall that you may question the area; however, I decided to give it a go. I had the pulled pork platter with greens and corn bread. The pork and bread was amazing but the greens were just ok. I left full and happy for a reasonable price.

Looked promising and good from the 39 reviews and 4.5 stars.. Sadly very disappointed. Wings were nothing to write home about. They were real which was good just not delicious. I had the brisket meal with Mac and cheese corn bread wife had burnt ends special with potato salad and corn bread . With a water and Diet Coke a $45 lunch.
An implied tip at checkout when signing. The order taker friendly brought out wings to us. Then seemed even after adding a 20% tip she would have brought our meals out especially without anyone else in the place and doing a whole lot of nothing. Just called our name out to come and get it...
Onto the food!
The brisket was so dry it was scaly and white see photo. The burnt ends were more moist and juicy/fatty strange.. Potato salad was meh basic grocery store potato salad. Mac and cheese was average nothing special. Cornbread was the best part.

For my milestone 500th review, I wish I had a better experience to report, but such were the cards I drew in this game called Yelp when I visited Bonetown on a Saturday afternoon.

It's located in a strip plaza and is easy to pass by, but inside, it's a very cool space. Several oil paintings of music legends adorn the walls, and the decor is simple, with a laid-back vibe. I thought the construction paper placed over the tables in between diners was a smart idea, given that barbecue can get messy.

But, the wife and I were more impressed with the atmosphere than the food. She ordered a cheeseburger, with a side of macaroni and cheese. I ordered brisket meat, with baked beans and cornbread.

Her meal was unremarkable, at best. At worst, it was inedible (the macaroni and cheese was under-cooked and tough).

My opinion of my meal only slightly differed from hers. The brisket was okay, but fatty. I did not finish my side, either. The baked beans were too tangy and spicy, leaving an odd aftertaste that clashed with my canned Sprite. The best food item, my wife and I agreed, was the cornbread, although even that was not the best cornbread I've ever had.

The menu appears relatively limited. I noticed they do not have baby back ribs, but only the St. Louis-style (tougher) ribs. Prices did not seem unreasonable for a barbecue place, but then again, did not seem like a good value either, considering the mediocre quality of the food.

Perhaps the most memorable part of the visit was the decor. My wife is a big Michael Jackson fan, and couldn't resist posing for a picture next to a giant, adorned oil painting of the King of Pop.