I really liked Bare Bones, Â The service was great! We had a guys night out and three of us got the sampler platter 1/3 rack of ribs 1/3 pulled pork 1/3 brisket. One guy ordered the prime rib, which I think is only on the weekends. It all tasted good to me! They also have a deep fried twice baked potato which was really good.
It has a small salad bar typical of the Quad Cities area. Â Iceberg lettuce, some potato and other salads. Â Everything was good at the salad bar. ( Cold )
As you look down on the reviews for Bare Bones Barbecue you will see some low stars. Â BBQ is so hard to review because everyone likes it a bit different. Â Kansas city, Memphis, South Carolina, Texas and other regions I have left out.
PROS: Waitress/bartender was very nice. The place is easy walking distance from the Moline/Quad Cities airport -- perfect if you're waiting for a flight. Â Portions were good. Â Full bar.
CONS: The food.
I really wanted to like this place but it was just bad. (The only reason I didn't give it one star is that the waitress/bartender was so helpful.) Â
Should have been tipped off by the big sign outside offering BBQ/Chicken/Pizza. Â (Pulling off any one of those superbly is a challenge... but all three?)
Ribs were dry on the outside, OK inside. Â (And by "dry" I don't mean "dry rub", as superb Memphis ribs can be... I just mean dry). Â Sauce tasted like it came out of a jug from a wholesale food provider. Â Pulled pork was moist (closer to "watery") but flavorless, as if it had been steamed or boiled. Â Brisket ranged from moist to dried out, with very little flavor. Â Baked beans tasted like they came from a can. Â Potato salad was unnaturally yellow and uninteresting, as was something I believe was supposed to be cornbread.
Whenever I eat in a place like this (and there are plenty out there) I want to put my arm around the shoulder of the chef and take them to Kansas City or Lockhart, TX or  Memphis or North Carolina or any of the other barbecue meccas in the U.S. and gently say, "See?  THIS is what it's supposed to taste like.  No hard feelings, but you need to throw away everything you have going and start over from the beginning."
From the restaurant I walked to McDonald's for an ice cream cone and almost wished I had eaten there instead. Â (Now THAT's desperate!)
From the outside the place looks small, the inside is well-maintained. I ordered a rib eye and it was overcooked a little, Â it had little to no seasoning on it but, there was salt and pepper at my table so I was fine. I was surprised on how juicy the steak was since it was overcooked. We received more food than expected. The waitress was friendly and, she knew the menu well. That is always a plus in my book. My fiancee ordered the catfish and rib dinner and she could not finish it all. We will most definitely be going back every weekend.
Review Source:Hard to believe that you can find good brisket in Moline, Illinois but it was actually  good, moist and tender but not that flavorful. Pulled pork also would pass muster in the Deep South. Standard B-B-Q fare is good, salad bar fresh, reasonable prices (see menu posted in photos). Service at bar friendly and best food I've had near airport. Pizza was adequate for dinner. Service at bar was good and friendly.
Review Source:Went in for some ribs as it was close to hotel. Salad bar was iceberg lettuce and a bunch of what I assume to be pizza toppings. Chicken wings had an overpowering hickory/smoke flavor. We ordered a half rack of ribs and she brought (and charged for) a full rack. Ribs were okay but quite dry on one side and definitely not fall-off-the-bone. Waitress was friendly and made a healthy gin and tonic but will not go back for food.
Review Source:As other reviews have stated, the place is not great from the outside, but once inside it is quite clean and well-maintained. There was a good crowd on the Sunday night we went and we did not have to wait long to get our food. In my opinion, the best deal on the menu is the sampler platter. You get 1/3 rack of ribs, pulled pork, sliced brisket, one side, and the salad bar. The ribs had a great rub and a good amount of meat. The pork was lightly smoked with a good rub that created a nice bark on the outer edges. The brisket was lacking in flavor, but it was cooked to perfection. Overall, pretty good BBQ for the QC area. We also tried a calzone that was gigantic and delicious. It was stuffed full of meats, veggies, and two kinds of cheese. The crust was perfectly golden and crisp on the outside, yet fluffy on the inside. The staff was quite friendly as well. The owner's father was in that night and he bought our one year old a dish of ice cream. She thought it was the greatest thing ever, so did he! We will definitely be back!
Review Source:I've now done ALL the BBQ joints in the quad cities and this is the BEST. From outside it looks a bit rundown but inside it is clean and well maintained. The service was efficient and friendly. As mentioned in another review, the dinners all come with the salad bar. Their salad bar is small, it's on a wheeled cart. They have the usual iceberg salad, dressings a few toppings  and cottage cheese. What REALLY made it for me were the 2 pasta salads. They were both very tasty. I found out they make these themselves and they did them up very well. I ordered the smoked chicken dinner. By the time I had finished with the salad, I was having great expectations for the chicken (call me Pip). I was not disappointed. The chicken was well smoked, moist and full of flavor. I made a point of trying some without the sauce and it stands on its own. The sauce just made it better. not to sweet, spicy or tangy. It was the perfect compliment to the chicken. All in all, the was the best meal I've had in the quad cities over the last 3 1/2 months. The only drawbacks are the place is a bit out of the way, it's by the Moline airport and I can't speak for the ladies room but the men's room was not the cleanest. it wasn't terrible but it wasn't all that great. I look forward to going back and trying the pulled pork and the brisket.
Review Source:This is a smaller place, but I love the BBQ. Â Their sandwich platters are the best deal IMO. Â I've tried brisket and pulled pork and both are fantastic. Â The dinner platters still aren't bad for the money, but the protein portions aren't really that much bigger then the sandwiches so I say save a few bucks and go that route. Â I always get take out. Â The one time I was here for lunch it wasn't super busy, but they were understaffed. Â I have heard that's a problem.
Review Source:I ate here recently with my family and it was Amazing! Â They give you free cornbread which was oozing in butter, yum! Â The Ribs were extremely tender and the sauce was delicious. Â My cousin had the pulled pork which was equally delicous and mashed potatoes with gravy. Â You could tell the gravy and the mashed potatoes were homemade. Â I would go back in a heartbeat.
Review Source:
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