R&L Home of Good Bar-B-Q

The only reason we stopped by here for take out ribs was because «The BBQ Pit» a few blocks was sold out. BIG MISTAKE.
We asked for ½ pound each of the ribs and the baby backs. After a 20 minute wait, they told us that they were out of baby backs so can they give us small ends instead. We agreed. After another 20 minutes of wait they handed us our order. I’m not sure why it should take 40 minutes to just hand us pre-​cooked ribs. The restaurant was empty so it’s not like they were busy with dinner rush.
The ribs themselves were absolutely terrible. They were very obviously stale and reheated. They were tough and chewy and had a distinct and horrid taste to them. The sauce was acrid and has clearly been sitting around for a while. Despite having a very strong stomach to all kinds of food (I grew up eating street food in India) these gave me tummy cramps. Probably the worst ribs I’ve had in Seattle, which already has a very low BBQ standard.
I wish the food wasn’t so terrible and the service was quicker because the two ladies who run the place were really polite and friendly. They just really need to fix the primary issue, the food. I don’t think I’ll be going back here unless they make some huge changes to the food.

Well, I wanted to love it. Everything was organized in a way that I would love it. The smell was what drew me in. However, the all-​important food was below average. Most chain restaurants can serve this level of BBQ. No joke: I’ve had better canned beans. The ladies were very nice and I wish it had been better. Reality didn’t deal the cards that way.

Good pull pork sandwich, nice atmosphere.
I didn’t read the reviews until I walked in and was a bit surprised this place was rated, on average, average. The atmosphere as others noted, is quite good. Comfortable down home feeling and considering this building is the only one in the neighborhood that hasn’t been urban renewed, makes a nice statement about what a local eatery used to look like.
I only tried the pulled pork sandwich — a generous portion of meat and sauce served between two pieces of white bread. Sauce was not great but good enough for me to be happy with my order. Cold slaw was a ok too. Overall experience of dining here mid afternoon was good enough to earn 4 stars from me.

What makes «good» (or even «great») barbecue? For me, it’s the combination of the right smoke on the meat and the right sauce to accent the meat but not cover the flavor of the smoke. Some places get the meat right — falling-​off-​the-​bone tender, with just the right hint of smoke — but have mediocre (or worse) sauce. Other places seem to get the sauce just right, but serve meat that has almost no flavor, as if it’s been steamed or boiled instead of smoked. Properly smoking meat isn’t easy, and it isn’t fast. It can (and should) take hours to do, and R&L get this right every time. And a good sauce should be made from chiles, with no tomatoes and little to no sugar. (The biggest problem with the American palate is that most people have been conditioned to expect sugar in everything. Why do you think we have a national epidemic of diabetes?) So when some of the reviews mention that the sauce is «bland» I have to wonder what they expected? (They never say, but I think it’s safe to assume, that what they expected to get was what they are used to using at home, which likely comes from the store and contains, as its second or third ingredient, sugar in some form.) R&L’s sauce is just right, in my book. I’ve tried them all and I prefer the medium, although every once in a while I get a hankerin’ for «hot» and I go that route. Sparingly, mind you, because I don’t want to overwhelm their delicious meat. And yes, good barbecue is more expensive than fast food, as it should be — it took hours to prepare and time is money, my friends, even in the land of BBQ. So quit whining about how much it costs (or just go have a burger, already), learn to appreciate savory sauces that aren’t sweet as molasses, and enjoy this treasure of a place while it’s still in business. Lord knows it won’t be here forever, and Seattle will have lost one of its «touchstone» eateries when it’s gone. Is there any place else in Seattle that still looks the way it did forty or fifty years ago? Not that I know of! And you won’t consistently find nicer people in any restaurant that I know of. You also need to bring cash ’cause they’re «old school» that way and they won’t take your plastic. Me? I like the 5-​way because all their meat is good, and this lets me have a bit of everything with leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Yes it’s expensive (I’ve covered that) but no more so than any other good «Q» joint. When you divide it by 2 (because «Lunch, tomorrow») it’s suddenly more affordable. And when you take that first bite, you’ll understand what all the fuss is about. These folks get it right!

Never again, sauce was gravy-​like, no vinegar tang at all. meat was tough and unseasoned. waste of time n money! peach cobbler was watery and tasted like processed freezer food. cash-​only too!

Ms. Barbara will greet you with a smile, the sausage was homemade and good, the sauce not the hottest but tasty. And everyone complains about the bbq taste and smell but that is what I love going in. Service is quick everything I had was tasty. This is a cash only place

I didn’t go in the place, so this review is kinda second-​hand. However, it took my girlfriend almost an hour to get 1 pound of ribs, and a couple of sides. I mean, ribs are already cooked, right? Shouldn’t really take that long, and it also shouldn’t have run $ 38.
Now, the ribs were good. And the greens were OK. The peach cobbler was sad, and the sweet potato pie was sorry.
The only reason we opted for there was because The BBQ Pit was closed at the time, but next time we will just plan better. No intention to return.

This is the worst BBQ in Seattle and the most expensive compared to Jones in west Seaytle. Please don’t waste your money go to Jones instead better value for your money hands down! Home of good NOT !!!

I LOVE the interior. I feel like it’s 1970 and I’m in a country restaurant in the Southeast. The bbq is delicious. I’m in love with the gorgeous woman who runs the counter. She’s kind and patient and oh so sweet. This BBQ joint is a BEAUTIFUL experience.

Tasty ribs, nice and smokey. Very tender. Good sauce, I ordered medium. I also enjoyed the potato salad. Creamy and tangy. Woman who took my order was sweet and friendly. It felt like a cozy family place. Make sure to have cash on hand if your craving this homestyle BBQ.

*** CASH ONLY PLACE ***
Quick Details:
Service: 5 Stars
Ribs: 3 Stars — taste okay, but overpriced ($ 17 for a pound)
Interior: Old school restaurant which gives a nostalgic, throwback type of vibe… but keep in mind there is no A/​C in the place, so as the weather heats up you may opt to get your order to go.
My boyfriend was craving Rib Tips, so we did a quick search via Unilocal on the best places to check out in the area. We decided on «The Barbeque Pit,» but were greeted with a ‘sold out’ sign. So, still hungry and craving rib tips we did another search to see what was in the area… that’s how we stumbled upon R&L Home of Good Bar-​B-​Q.
I checked out the Unilocal reviews prior to ordering and although they only had 50 reviews, they had received a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Still, we were hungry so we decided to give it a try.
There were 2 women working the kitchen and they were both extremely friendly. We took a look at the menu and noticed it was a cash only spot, so we walked down the block to to the convenience store which had the closest ATM. Once we got back we placed our order for rib tips… but once again, to our surprise we were told they were sold out.
At this point my boyfriend was completely over our little rib tip adventure since this was the second place in a row that was sold out. We perused the menu some more and decided to order a lb of ribs with mild sauce (comes with 2 slices of white bread). Their menu works that they either sell by the lb (pound), in a dinner, or in a sandwich.
The wait was super short and we paid about $ 17 (very expensive and overpriced) for our ribs. Once we got home ate them, the final verdict was that they were okay, but not worth the price… which makes me feel a little bad because the ladies who were running the restaurant were BEYOND friendly, so I wish the Ribs matched their service.
Would I go back? Probably not… but keep in mind that this review is only based on trying the Ribs (mild), so in reality, it could be mind blowing for something else… clearly the rib tips were sold out lol… but I must always give honest reviews and I wouldn’t recommend this place for the ribs.

Well as much as I would love to give this place a high review. I can’t! Yikes!
I started eating here back in 2002. and back then I remember some tasty fresh bbq.
Maybe it’s because we went to this place later in the night and they were ready to close shop, but the food we were given tasted off.
I know there were issues when I heard the microwave go off while we waited for our food.
The chicken tasted old, and the brisket a bit rubbery.
AHHHHH! I hate doing this because the ladies are so nice, but keeping it real, I won’t come back here.

Very good, our family all had a good meal. The food came quick and there were many menu items to pick from. The atmosphere was pleasant and the staff friendly and nice. This would be a great take out to bring to a party!

Best ribs I have ever had. Wonderful atmosphere. Friendly service. What else can I possibly say. Go here.

It’s what I would say is the better BBQ that can be found in the CD. I’m a big fan of everything here. Be aware, cash only!
The pork, beef, and chicken are usually spot on. I order here enough that I can notice maybe when things are not at 100% but it’s never too far from what I have come to expect. The sauce is more of a tangy/​bitter (at times) affair, and the spicy isn’t what I’d say is spicy. I’m glad to sweat a bit when eating something with heat and this never builds to that level.
My usually is a 2-​way either brisket/​pork ribs, or pork ribs/​chicken. The brisket can be a little bit on the really-​falling-​apart side so if you’re looking for a grey ring and some pink on the inside look else where. It’s like a smoked pot roast almost. Ribs are almost always darn-​good to great. Rib tips (when available) are good if you know what rib tips are.
The sides are all okay and taste more of home-​cooking than the from-​a-​tub that is found more and more often at places that serve a potato salad.
If you consider yourself a BBQ aficionado and have toured around the known BBQ regions this may not impress, but for Seattle it’ll do just fine.
There is parking in the back!

Heard a lotta good things about R&L, espcially from older co-​workers that said they went here as children. It has a very old feel once you step inside — like walking through a time warp into 1974. The staff are extremely polite and remind me of a cool glass of sweet tea on a warm summer day.
But unfortunately, the food wasn’t that great… maybe we came on a bad day. When we ordered, they didn’t have the rib tips ready (it was 1pm?!) but they said the rib sandwhich is the closest thing to tips. we went with that and a pulled pork sandwhich. The meat was tender but the sauce (we both chose spicy) was suuuppper bitter! There was no heat at all and the level of bitterness left me unpleased. I managed to put down my food and my wife and I both walked out disppointed…

Solid BBQ in an unexpected place: the Pacific Northwest.
Great food, great service, and an great…“décor.” The place literally looks like a somewhere George and Weezy would eat at back in the 70’s.
The family actually recognized me tonight (only been there once before) and they were super friendly. Even kept a random bum who happened to wander in away from me as I was eating.
Brisket is great, pork ribs are dry but great flavor. Links are just okay, not my thing. The spicy sauce is not really that spicy. Seriously, I didn’t even need water with it.

Pretty damn good bbq.
Hot links were fantastic.
greens were a little spicy but good.
Chicken was great.
Didn’t try the ribs by my buddies say there were amazing.
I mean I’ve had better bbq but this is pretty good for the Northwest.
Oh and check out the juke box. It’s not plug in, but the music selection on there is a step back into time.
I would recommend this spot to friends.
P.S
Very friendly staff

R & L has been around for a long time and has been consistant all that time.
I lived on Yesler for a while in the late 70’s and made R and L a weekly treat.
Recently, I popped in for a plate-​o-​ribs and found out they are exactly the same.
(Bbq is always expensive! So get over it! This is S L O W food not fast food, and it’s run by a family, not a huge corporation that owns stockyards!)
R & L has always served their ribs with 2 slices of white bread – corn bread is considered a side. The beans and cornbread at R&L are predictable and delicious. Greens are popular, like the mac and cheese but only available on certain days. They do a pretty brisk business and customers understand that it is cash only and if you want a beverage, you can have water or a soda out of the machine.
Come here hungry and save room for potato pie or peach cobbler.

No, it’s not cheap, but it’s priced the exact same as most other BBQ in the same general vicinity. Moreover, having eaten ‘cue from Houston to Maine and everywhere in between… it’s good! Great smoke flavor on the meat, good sauce, very friendly staff. This is just the kind of place I love — genuine Deep Southerners who make it the way they’ve always made it, no pretenses, no fancy décor, just good meat. And yes, the neighborhood is sketchy — how else do you know it’s going to be good?
The four stars is for lack of a liquor license, ’cause they used to have one, and I think good ribs deserve a cold beer.