Bubby's BBQ

I went to local restaurant Buddy’s BBQ the other day. I then wrote a Yelp review. The owner didn’t like my review and replied. He started out apologetic but quickly got very defensive and eventually sarcastic. The whole review and ensuing conversation follow. My Yelp screen name is Billy H.

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Your review of Buddy’s BBQ

2 Stars

-2018-05-18 22:11:38

This place is close to home and I’d read good reviews. I was disappointed. We went for lunch on a Friday. We arrived around 1:15, after the normal lunch rush. No crowd, only a couple of guys and they were waiting for take-out. First up, my companion ordered the daily special that was on a small blackboard near the entrance. Turns out that was actually Thursday’s special. The woman at the counter said she hadn’t gotten around to changing it. We both ordered the actual Friday special which was a 2 meat, 2 sides plate. We each got a beer also. When I went to pay, the woman said their credit card reader was down, had been for 2 days. So, I had to pay with cash. OK, on to an empty table, which was dirty, to wait for our order. We bussed it and wiped it off. About 10 minutes later, the guy from the kitchen came out to tell me the pulled pork, one of the meats I ordered, wasn’t ready. I asked for sausage instead. Between us, we had the sausage, ribs and sliced brisket. Ribs were good, sausage was average store-bought links, brisket tasted OK but was dry and fatty, a hard combination. The BBQ sauce, which was needed for the dry brisket, was also very average. The okra and slaw sides were average. Overall the food isn’t bad but it certainly doesn’t warrant a rave rating. The operational mess pulls the rating down too. There is no excuse to have several unbussed tables when the place was almost empty. The kitchen should tell the person taking the orders when they run out of an item (the pulled pork). If the credit card system isn’t working, there should be a sign informing the customers it is cash only. First impressions count, and Buddy’s didn’t make a very good one on us. The food is not outstanding enough to overcome the other problems.

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The Yelp message conversation follows, my responses in blue italics:

Buddy H.
Owner

5/19/2018 My apologies Billy. We have had once again some employee issues. One of them hasn’t been on time which put things behind which are not hard things. I expect the place to be ready at 11:00 and it was not. I tried to give these guys a chance. Ended up they both walked out on a Friday lunch and left my wife to finish by herself until I arrived , and the kitchen a disaster. We locked the door. There was pulled pork ready , I smoked it that morning. The tables are inexcusable and that is a big deal to me. The brisket I’m not sure what they gave you , but brisket I dont make dry or AVERAGE. The sausage is not store bought , but I’m working on a different sausage , one that has that wow to it. These guys are gone. I’m having to get tech support on the credit card machine , not sure when that will happen , hopefully tomorrow. I would appreciate it if you would come back and let me get you a plate of bbq that you will enjoy , and your friend. Give me a heads up first. I may not open tomorrow , I have no employees. But I have couple of caterings so I will have bbq cooking if you come them. Once again I apologize for your experience. No excuse for that. Thanks Buddy

5/19/2018, 1:31 AM

Buddy H.

The bbq sauce is not average , must have been your beer. How many tables were unbussed ?There is a trash can close by. Come on back. With a review like that surely you would want a decent bbq meal for free

My reply  

5/19/2018, 2:22 AM

At least three tables were unbussed. The first empty table we found had caked on average BBQ sauce. I appreciate the apology, but the food I had was not better than average. Please don’t blame the BBQ sauce on the one beer (Shiner’s) that came from your cooler. Maybe you and your restaurant did just have a bad day but that is not my fault. The door was not locked and the “Open” sign was in the window when we got there. BTW, we used the nearby trash can to bus the table when we left.

5/19/2018, 2:44 AM

Buddy H.

I didnt blame you for anything. Caked on average bbq sauce. I will have to look into that. Yes we had a very bad day. A bad week actually. The whole crew gone. I cant seem to find people who can follow instructions and show up on time. Common sence… forget it. So come get your free meal then. Tell me what sausage you like. Send me some employees. One was late and hungover and the other came for 2 hours and walked out. My wife ran the register , trying to figure out the credit card issue , help the helpless in the kitchen and clean tables. Should’ve shut it down. So come on , I’m closed today but I will open the door for you. Appreciate ya using the trash can. Quite the opposite on the sauce , I blame the beer on the bbq sauce. You coming??

My reply

5/19/2018, 7:18 AM

No, I have other plans for today.

5/19/2018, 8:40 AM

Buddy H.

All day ? Well mon or Tues then. I’m sure you can work it in sometime. Dont be scared , you might like it. Maybe your A helper. If you see a place with good reviews obviously all those people weren’t drunk when they ate. Something had to be right. So you go in and it’s not even close , then something was obviously wrong. Would you think , hmm they must be having a bad day ? Maybe give a low score and say I didnt think it was that great. Or maybe try again another time. But it was your duty to let everybody know in detail , what a crappy place , and be the one to save from being lured in and wasting their money by this trap they call Buddys bbq. Everything from crumbs on the table to lousy sauce to the “special of the day sign” ,and that we should have had a sign out front about the credit card machine. Maybe we should have had a sign by the street so people dont waste gas turning in. Jeeze . Ok well since your the one that saved these people from let down , you deserve a free meal. We had a bad day man , good lord. I thank you for teaching me a lesson about running a restaurant, by taking some of that business away. Tell me your ready for your meal.I got ya hooked up.

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I did not reply and further engage with this owner who is obviously very defensive and in denial. It is not my fault that I picked a “bad day” to stop by his restaurant. I was willing to give the place a second chance until Buddy went overboard with the excuses and sarcasm. I will not be returning and will now spread the word that this is a poor choice when looking for a place to eat. There were other things wrong with the place that I did not mention in my review. Sanitation was questionable. One of the kitchen workers had black oil/grease all over both arms. It looked like he had just been working on a car engine. In my opinion, this is not the way to respond to criticism and encourage future patronage.  

wjh