Wilson’s Bar-B-Q

Awesome place. My husband loves their ribs and I love their chicken. It is so close and convient to get to. Favorite place to go for the smokey flavor.

My favorite place in Pittsburgh for ribs! The smoky flavor and especially the barbecue sauce are what makes me return time and time again!

Don’t risk it. Never open when you need it, unreliable availability with his products. He offered to reserve some for me until it was done cooking and then when I returned on time he had already sold it. I was excited to try it for the first time but won’t waste my effort in the future if this is how customer service is handled. There are other BBQ places that actually have food to serve.

I have grown up on Wilson’s ribs and chicken and have always loved it. Today I stopped by and was not disappointed. The hot sauce is exactly how I’ve remembered it. The ribs fell off the bone. The potato salad is amazing, and I tried the greens for the 1^st time and it was just as good. It may sound like I’m over hyping Wilsons but, it follows through with how great it is. The service was also extremely friendly too. I can’t wait to go back :-) best bbq in Pittsburgh.

I almost turned around and left after going in here this afternoon, but I was too hungry to walk away from the amazing smell that surrounds this place for about three blocks. Ok so glad I didn’t let the total lack of ambiance or AC turn me off! The people are great and the BBQ and macaroni salad are the best I’ve ever had. I didn’t even know I could eat a half a chicken, but I sure did today! If if been alone, I’m pretty sure I’d have licked the plate, too. This place is amazing. Make sure you have cash on hand!

Simply the best ribs you can find in Pittsburgh. Also make sure to get an order of greens with your take out order

I stopped by yesterday at around 5:30 with CM to grab some dinner after spending the afternoon at the Aviary. I’d wanted to try Wilson’s last weekend before a visit to the Mattress Factory, but wasn’t able to because we lacked cash, and Wilson’s is a cash only establishment. This time, we came prepared with plenty of green, so we were able to get our BBQ bliss on.
In case you don’t notice the heady odor of smoked meat when approaching Wilson’s, it literally hits you in the face as soon as you walk in. I first inquired about the chicken, but was told by the gentleman working behind the counter (presumably Mr. Wilson) that they were out of it for the day. Thus, CM and I decided to split a large plate of ribs (around $ 12), which comes with 6 bones. Because we’d heard that Wilson’s hot sauce is seriously hot, we ordered a mix of hot and mild sauce for the ribs. For sides, we decided to order the collard greens and the potato salad ($ 1.34 each), and I got a can of iced tea, as well ($ 1). Because he’s still having some trouble breathing from his ongoing cold, CM requested that we get our items to go, so I obliged.
After finding a picnic table in West Park commons with a little help from a local resident, we unpacked the food and dug in. We first tried the ribs, and found them appropriately smoky and the right texture, with sufficient give but not falling apart. The sauce was just the right level of spiciness to satisfy both of us, as well – spicy enough to provide a nice kick, but not so spicy as to be overwhelming. After finishing the ribs, we both used the slices of white bread provided to soak up the remaining sauce. As for the sides, they were clearly homemade and of good quality and flavor, though the potato salad was a bit mushier than I’m accustomed to, and the collards were a bit saltier than I’d like.
Overall, we were quite pleased with the quality and amount of food that we received for the price that we paid (around $ 16). Make no mistake: Wilson’s is a hole in the wall, but in the best sense of the phrase – check it out for solid, unpretentious BBQ that hits the spot for a casual picnic lunch or dinner if you happen to be in the area.

As soon as you open the door, the smoky aroma of ribs cooking greets you! The ribs were delish but not as crazy about the sides. I usually love collard greens and cole slaw with my ribs but the greens were too salty and the cole slaw was nothing special. Also missing corn bread! But the ribs are among the best in the Burgh. Only did take out… small place for any large group.

Ribs were so fresh and fool of smoke loved it. Sauce is home made got the mixed had just the rite bite to it.

A brick wood-​fired smoker with a cast iron door, a stainless steel prep table with cutting boards, cooler case, a cash register, and a man who has been tending the coals well beyond your time.
Wilson’s is what a great BBQ place should be. Simple.
There is no sense in overanalyzing what Mr. Wilson has been doing here for years. He’s not a competition circuit smoker, not a modern restaurateur spreading his seed across Pittsburgh, and certainly no hipster chef serving ingredients grown in his rooftop garden.
Ribs. Chicken. Sauce.
The slow smoked spare ribs, sold by the plate size or full rack, are smoked just long enough to make the rib bones protrude from the top of the slab but not long enough so the meat is «falling off the bone»… tender and juicy, but enough bite to let you know that you’re eating the flesh off an animal. The color and texture of the surface aren’t overwhelming in flavor but give you just enough crust and seasoning to let you experience the strata of bark /​meat /​fat. For those that don’t like fat, you’ll complain about the ribs. Spares have a tendency to hold a bit more fat within the meat fibers, particularly the section around the tips that are usually trimmed for a St. Louis cut. you want low fat? Eat a pork loin or a handful of grass.
The chickens are halved and smoked right alongside the ribs. The skin had nice chew, a good simple rub, and cooked beyond the point of any gummy texture but not so long that it was a layer of armor surrounding the meat. The dark meat was succulent and the white meat maintained just the right amount of moisture.
As requested, everything was served with the hot BBQ sauce. Not mind blowingly hot, but a well rounded picquant flavor with a bit of black pepper on the tip of the tongue. Tomato base with a bit of vinegar, good enough to compliment the meat and fat of both animals.
As for sides, the collard greens are tender and you’ll come across the occasional gold nugget of pork. The coleslaw and macaroni salad are simple and a bit underseasoned, but when eaten in tandem with the meat and sauce they compliment everything just fine. Mr. Wilson also caps off an order with the true stamp of great bbq… white bread. A vessel to mop up all the rib shrapnel swimming in the pool of sauce at the bottom of your styrofoam container.
It’s not the cleanest, it’s not the classiest… why? It’s a rib shack in an old house that’s been here for going on 53 years. It may not be the best barbecue you’ll ever eat, but in a city with new restaurants popping up every week that all try to outduel each other with trendy ingredients, it’s nice to know that I can walk in through an old screen door and be slapped in the face with a stiff breeze of smoking pork… without having to worry about anyone selling me small portion size, extravagant presentation, and a list of 35 ingredients to compose a single dish.

We love the ribs here. Watch out, the spicy sauce is really spicy. The location is nice to grab something for a tailgate party. Never disappointed, although the place looks like a dive, it’s actually really really good. I wish they still made pulled pork sandwiches, maybe someday…

This is an unassuming place on the North Side — close to the Mattress Factory. But walking in the door, you are hit with a wall of smokiness (the rib kind), and you know this is a serious place. The owner, Mr Wilson, is a quiet man of few words. You have 2 choices — ribs or chicken. Ribs come in small plate, large plate, or full rack. Then you can add on sides and soda at about $ 1 each.
I went with a small group, and we filled ourselves silly on ribs and sides.
Very good sauces. The small plate of ribs is *very* filling for lunch.
As others have said, the décor is nothing to write home about. But there are a few tables. Most of the business when we were there was take-​out, which I will definitely be returning to do.

One of my favorite places for take-​out in Pittsburgh. The ribs are cooked Southern style, and just the way I love them. This is extremely satisfying slow cooked wood fire BBQ. You have to get there early in the evening to get the chicken.
The service is quirky, but I find it charming. The décor is «down home.»
The hot sauce is hotter than you might expect… so I recommend you ask for a mix, or just go for the mild.
Let’s just say I every so often get a craving for Wilson’s BBQ, and it’s always a special treat.

The ribs were great with mild sauce. The chicken with hot sauce was ok. Hot sauce was nice and hot, but not the greatest flavor. Mild sauce was delicious. Slaw wasn’t very good. Mac salad was good. Collard greens… Well, not for me…
Definitely worth a visit.

Just plain awesome! We read some reviews before trying and people basically love the ribs. Some complained about the guy behind the counter being surly and that it is a hole in the wall. Well, we expected a «Soup Nazi» experience and the main problem was that their television echoes through the place while the soft-​spoken guy, positioned about 30 feet away at the oven, asks what you want with soft-​spoken voice. I felt badly saying «What?» so many times but finally got the order straight. He was very patient with us.
After tasting the magnificent ribs, we told him that these were the best ribs we’d ever tasted (also over the dratted television noise). The guy was positively beaming and we had a nice conversation with him. He said the recipe has been in the family for 140 years so far. He also said that the style was Louisiana BBQ. I had mild and my brother-​in-​law had hot. We were both extremely satisfied. There was plenty of meat on the ribs and they were done to perfection. They did not have cole slaw but we did try potato salad – very good too!
The ambiance is nothing to write home about, but it seemed good enough. But the ribs are so good that I very much look forward to, actually LONG to, go back again. I crave the ribs and it’s only been 4 days since I was there for the first time.

Wilson’s sauce has to be the hottest in in Pittsburgh, the land of weaksauce. Half a chicken under $ 6 bucks, rack of ribs not much more. I love this place except for the two pieces of bread in a bag, it reminds me of prison, but still five stars.

Don’t do it!
The ribs are average at best. The sides are just as average as well. The bones are small and barely have any meat on them at all. The greens were decent and the macaroni salad was awful with tons of water in it.
This place is almost as bad as the now closed Mr Willie’s BBQ in Squirrel Hill! I had such high hopes for this place. Oh well. That’s what I get for trying to cheat on Showcase BBQ in Homewood. Now those are the best ribs in Pittsburgh and some of the best in the country!
They don’t take debit or credit cards. Cash Only!

One of the best hole in the wall bbq places you might find. Prices are pretty reasonable. Bring Cash. Small plate for $ 7something will get you about 5 huge ribs. It comes with bread too. A large plate is 10 and it is probably huge. They tend to be packed on the weekend but its a god place to get it and go. warning– you might get messy. The collard greens are amazing as well. They have sweet potatoe pie from time to time… if you are going to the Mattress Factory — make this your after stop!

The ribs here are addictive. My boyfriend and I got stuck in a post-​game traffic trying to leave the area after ordering from there and ate half the ribs right there in the car – best traffic experience ever. For $ 20 it’s a lot of ribs and I dream of going back there…