Brother John’s Beer, Bourbon & BBQ

We came for dinner and really enjoyed ourselves. The décor is cool, the food is great. The St. Louis dry rub ribs were delicious and the smoked zucchini and cauliflower steak was fantastic. Our waitress, Kelly, was very attentive and it appeared that the other staff were as well. The only complaint we had was that the red metal chairs aren’t the most comfortable and the chairs squeeze you in the posterior. The background music was pleasant and not so loud that you couldn’t carry on a conversation. It’s a great place to eat.

For tucson this is five star. Superior attention to quality control versus all other bbq in tucson. Most bbq in tucson is a waste of meat but not here. Extensive drinking menu as well. Brojos… add beef ribs to the menu too please.

Hit Brother John’s for belated Fathers Day. Came away impressed. Staff and service were prompt, courteous, and cheerful. Good job. I am a whiskey/​rye newbie so we started with a ‘newbie sampler’. Best idea all week. Staff picked three great drinks. Went from the easy all day J.R. Ewing to the BroJo Blend to the paint remover Blanton. Kids drinks were standard and good. Kids ordered the Hot Mess and a taco plate to share. The Hot Mess is good, kicked the kids appetite completely. Taco plate came home in box. Kids will love the Hot Mess. Parents ordered the rids and pulled pork. Very tasty and good portions. Need to come back to try the others. Our side was the slaw, good vinegar based slaw. Went really well with the ribs. Overall the experience was great along with food. The one item I would suggest is in the sauces. This is Tucson I feel we need more than the one hot sauce offered. Nothing wrong with sweet, but hot rules.

Surprisingly good! I had the baby back ribs with potatoe salad and and it was the best bbq I had in a while. The meat was falling off the bone and the seasoning was very tasty. I also liked the different bbq sauces they bring to the table. The best part about it was the price $$ two meals, two beers and dessert was $ 46. I will definitely come back soon.

Great food choices! Great family place, too. And the live music is a bonus. Love Tesoro!

Four of us! I had pulled pork cobb salad — adding a little of the bbq sauce made it sing.
We sat in the back, and talked, and talked and talked until the lights went out.
Great!

I had wanted to go here when they first opened, but decided to let the new restaurant kinks get worked out and went last night with a networking group we belong to.
We were disappointed that two of the first beers we chose were not available, but the third and fourth choices were terrific. I consider myself a portatarian, so my choices were all pork! We started with sharing the pulled pork tostadas which were a huge portion for only $ 2 and they were very good.
For our main course my hubby had the beef brisket tacos and I had the pork belly tacos. They were both excellent and equally delicous!
We finished off our meal with the bacon, bourbon ice cream which was delightful!
The service was excellent and the atmosphere was enjoyable with Tesoro playing!
We will be back for sure!

It is a beautiful restaurant. I loved the décor. We really enjoyed th appetizers. We had the buffalo mac and cheese fritters and brisket tacos. They were delicious so I had high hopes. The brisket was good, but I didn’t enjoy any of the bbq sauces and really disliked the side dishes. They were all bland. The jalapeño corn bread was dry and no flavor either. They have a huge whiskey and beer list and unfortunately I didn’t get to try the desserts. I really wanted to like the food more, but when we have 4 side dishes and none of them had flavor I just can’t. I recommend trying the appetizers, but for me that’s where my enjoyment ended.

Sorry, this got lengthy,
This here is a compendium of the hits and misses arranged by Brother John’s. The place is beautiful and anyone over 50 from Tucson will likely reminisce about their Cat House days, back when The Bum Steer and The Outlaw also raged on Lester.
I wouldn’t go back except for happy hour, where they need to offer more items that can give you an indication of what the basic menu is gonna taste like. Though, the people next to me had the mini-​mess. This looked like a max mess and for $ 5 could feed four. That twosome didn’t come close to finishing. House beer was excellent if you like brown ales.
But, I would also go back and do what we did and get the multi-​dinner for $ 40. Says 2 – 4, but 4 seems easy. If the disappointments had been a tad better this would be a real abbondanza. For $ 40 this what we got:
Beans– very good, could be awesome, but I don’t care for cumin or chili powder in excess. But this is personal choice. I like tangy, what can I say — - B+
Mac and Cheese– I can make this, and I can make it better. For a place that seems to feature jalapenos, why be shy here? —-C
Jalapeño cornbread – def feeds four, looks great and then you never taste the jalapenos or cheese they put on top cuz it gets cooked-​out. Skip the pretense of cheese and heat unless you mean it. — – C, (but thrown in is a good deal)
Hot Link– Very good A–
Smoked pork – solid – B.
Brisket – Criminal, the Brisket Police have an APB out on whoever is schlepping this as edible. ²⁄₃ is just fat, and the part you dice and slice to salvage is still fat and salty. — -F, and shame on you. I wound up giving the cuttings to my neighbor’s dogs and the older Lab said to me «bro, why you trying to kill me with all that beef fat»?
Dessert– Best thing on the menu maybe the Kammer-​something. German bread pudding with choc sauce, apples, rum raisins. — A+
Beignets– slightly over fried, but saved by strawberry sauce — C (shoulda listened to server and had brownie+ice cream. Again this was a really good bang-​for-​the buck. At the end of the day Tucson can’t begin to match PHX for quality BBQ, and we’re talking about PHX.

Brother John’s has good barbecue, a good beer list, and bourbon… but at high prices in an undesirable location.
BroJ’s is a great spot if you’re going to drive there, eat and hang out, and then drive somewhere else, but don’t plan on using it as a starting point for an adventurous evening on foot.

As most of you know, I am a Texas BBQ snob. Our show revolves around BBQ and Texas and I am a harsh critic.
Brother John’s has an incredible fusion of modern day whiskey bar, yet a down home feel to BBQ. I was really shocked at the large selection of Whiskey, bourbon, and beer. It really was impressive. Often when a restaurant poses such a large and intricate spirits collection the food really doesn’t hold it’s own.
Not in this case.
I ordered the brisket meal. When it arrived, I was taken back by this perfectly dry rubbbed, appropriately proportioned fat cap, piece of brisket. Moist and delicious and just the way you’ll find it in any Central Texas BBQ /​Meat Market… but right in Tucson Arizona. Couldn’t believe it! I also had the yukon gold potato salad and the mashed potatoes… I know, carb city right? But what the hell do expect me to do? Jesus, it was all right there. The mashed potatoes were great! I’m not sure, but I think I sniffed a little smoke in those as well.
Now Brother John himself was nice enough to stop by our table and spend a few minutes with us. As we poked and prodded him with questions, he was kind enough to give us a tour. Despite the amazing bier garden and meeting rooms, the smokers, and future plans… he showed us what they did with the rarity of left over brisket. Brother John continues smoking it until it arrives to this super sweet, slightly chewey beef jerky. They use it in their BLOODY MARYS! It was fantastic.
You bet your ass I’ll be back!

Not too shabby of a place as far as food goes. Obviously they did a great job renovating the old Wildcat House and it is weird going in and remembering what it used to look like. We came in on a quiet afternoon for a late lunch and had a good time. Our bartender was knowledgeable and attentive, poor guy had a lot of ground to cover at that looooong bar but he never skipped a beat. For food we opted to start with The Hot Mess appetizer. It is huge and delicious! I would go back for that alone. Basically it’s a huge plate of nachos with queso fresco, jalapenos, guacamole, sour cream, burnt end beans, salsa verde and pulled pork. I’m craving it again just remembering it. All the toppings were enough so you weren’t left with some lame naked chips at the end, again: delicious! Afterwords I ordered the meat and two sides plate knowing I would be taking most if not all home for later. I chose the brisket with potato salad and hot rolls. When the tray came out it turns out they already serve bread with the entrees so I’m not sure why more bread is an option but I think they have since changed that. Either way the hot rolls were better than the slice of white bread that comes with it. As for the meat it was cooked perfectly and I added just a little of their vinegar and spicy sauces. It was just as good a few hours later for dinner too. The potato salad was nothing special, needed more seasoning unfortunately. Overall it was a nice over indulgent lunch and we will definitely be back for the hot mess plate soon.

Good effort!!! seems still not quite finished with décor but coming along nice; love to see this thrive for the hood! MY WIFE AND I SHARED THE CARNITAS AND IT WAS plentiful and tasty but over salted!
One of our guest had the fried chicken that was very good and generous, her partner had the brisket which he enjoyed.
A live 80s band can on around 930 that was fun and good!
We all shared a very small peach crumble but it was nice and tasted homemade!
Overall I like the place and hope it does well!
Give them a try!

Drinks were good. Service was great. The place looks amazing. But the food was just OK. The collard greens really good. The coleslaw was horrible. The ribs OK. But their sauce is not good at all. Sticking to Famous. Daves

Worse place ever! Ordered the pork sandwich plate and ordered my son something off the child’s menu. once I get, my food some of the meat had fallen off sandwich around the sides of bun I grab a pinch of the meat off the plate and go to eat it and out comes a long black hair in with the meat!!! I show the server and she tells the manager and I show him with the meat still n my hand with hair connected to the meat… he takes the plate and says he will show It to cooks… he comes back says they wear hair nets and I’ll just take the sandwich off your bill.
I was so upset I said I’m leaving and he says well u need to pay for your food… food me or my son didn’t even eat… so disgusted!!! Worse unprofessional service experienced!!!

Maybe because I BBQ myself I am a little less lenient than most. We went here on a Sunday afternoon. The ambiance is nice at the being a whiskey drinker I thought I was entering heaven.
Then the food came out. I ordered the lunch portion of the brisket sandwich. Service was good and decent and we received our food fairly quickly. The portion size was standard for the lunch menu. I took a little taste of all the sauces and wasn’t that impressed. Most of them have a tart taste to them… even the hot sauce. I prefer more sweet than tart. I picked the sauce that seemed to have the better taste and I open up my sandwich… brisket should have a nice thin layer of fat… this sandwich, however, was simply a mound of fat. I started to remove layer upon layer of fat until, I kid you not, I had 2 small slices of brisket with no smoke ring.
The taste of the meat, it was bland and the smokey taste was almost non-​existent. To make matters worse, the smokey taste it did have almost seemed to come from liquid smoke and not from the meat actually being smoked.
Others have gone after me and complained about the pulled pork being dry and the coleslaw tasting like nothing but Vinegar. It will be a while before I give this place another shot.

So. not bad. Not amazing… but not bad.
Portions were a bit small… kid got the sausage link and it was pretty measly.
My food was decent and the sauces were good.
The Mule with Blueberry was very tasty.
The ridiculous number of TV’s as you are trying to have a family dinner is crazy. It was loud sports sports sports in an empty restaurant… would have been nice if they just subjected the bar to that. My kids were fascinated with boxers screaming profanities at each other… bleep bleep… not very fun. Not sure why we need so many TVs…

This is the best BBQ in Tucson. The brisket was very good along with the Mac n cheese and slaw There is a vegetarian option as well that is VERY filling. The beer list is varied and week priced. We are very excited to go back again.
The only item that we do not recommend was the corn bread, it was a bit salty.

Came here on a Saturday night with a group of 12.
They’ve been open for about 8 weeks so we were advised the patio still has a little work to do.
We were greeted and seated immediately, mainly due we had a reservation, but once we were seated, our server brought out a drink menu in which they have a page full of signature drinks, which were delicious by the way, and of course tons of bourbon. They also have a good beer selection which a handful of local brews.
Let’s get to the food. Where do I begin. We pretty much ordered everything with a ton of sides in which everything is shareable since you order a la carte, but you can also individual plates as well. The mashed potatoes and Mac and cheese were Devine! I also heard good things about the buttermilk fried chicken. If you like your coleslaw on the vinegary side, then this the slaw for you!
Mike, our server, was great and also not too bad on the eyes.
So, Tucson, BBQ fans of the world, give this place a try!
Also, turns out they do have a live band on Saturdays around 9pm.

I came here for good barbeque and was literally blown away. This food is DELICIOUS! I had the pulled pork sandwich and my husband had the beef brisket sandwich and both were phenomenal. The service was also great and the environment is inviting. I’ll definitely be back for more.
Oh and the restrooms are clean and there’s a private unisex, accessible restroom, both of which are a big plus!

What a disappointment. The article in Caliente magazine promised a truly great BBQ experience with its state-​of-​the-​art Southern Price Smokers. I was excited. I judge BBQ, especially brisket, based on my many years living in Texas where they do do brisket better than anywhere else. Tucson hasn’t had a brisket to match, and it still doesn’t.
I lunched at Brother John’s the same day the Caliente article was published. You’d think that they would put their best foot forward for the many expected readers trying the place for the first time. The environs were promising with its spacious high ceillings. I ordered, what else, the brisket. What i was served was a very dry and hard piece of meat. I was there for an early lunch and my first thought was I got some leftover meat from the day before. It really did have the look of beef sliced last night and reheated next morning. If it wasn’t leftovers, it is pretty poor smoking skills. The skill of the pitmaster is taking a tough cut of meat as brisket is and making it tender through hours in a well tempered smoker. Nothing doing here.
I also was disappointed in the corn bread that came with the brisket. If I had not been told, I would not have identified it as corn bread. It was bland and tasteless. The whole meal left me sorely disappointed.

Ok… Let’s try to review and rate this place based n food, BBQ, Beer or the bourbon/​whiskey menu. Let’s start with the Southern Pride Smokers, if you know anything about his smokers you know these are the best in the business and they have TWO! A new one (not always the best) and a six year old second one (very seasoned). Had the brisket, simple rub, great smoke profile (Apple n pecan) not nessasarily a melt in your mouth but if you know good Q then it shouldn’t melt, qudos #1!
Qudos #2… This would be the bourbon/​whiskey offerings, you can find Canadian blended, an extensive list of ryes, Pappy 20 year, Colorados Stranahans, 4 types of Jeffersons, 4 types of Four Roses (my fav) and even a New York Rye called Few. Can you say oaky, vanilla, smokey, charred, creamy love!!!
Qudos #3 — GREAT acoustics for live music, saw Leann Savage deliver like she always does a genre of Loretta Lynn to her own cuts and it sounded spot on, the décor of natural wood sucked it all in and absorbed it beautifully!
Last of all… Brother John was a great just and took he time to visit with his customers and the staff felt loved and not cheated… Thanks for a first time!

Ok first off I’m giving it 3.5 stars, can’t do that using the rating system!
Ok the place itself is nice, and my server/​BT was polite and efficient! She recommended a beer which was quite good! They have an extensive Beer and Bourbon list! About average price for Tucson!
The PulledPork Sliders were moist and tender although a bit fatty! They were also reasonably priced! The buns were soft and fresh, and the homemade pickle was very unique!
However the sauces are just lacking! The Brojos is a vinegar based sauce aka Memphis Style, but it lacks depth, and is just too over the top vinegar wise!
The KC Sweet aka Kansas City Style was the most disappointing, it lacked zip and sweetness, that signature brown sugar sweetness was just absent!
The Sweet/​Spicy was the best of the three, but again just lacking in depth and heat! However when mixed with the Texas Pete Hot Sauce, I hit the proverbial Sweet Spot, pardon the pun!
Overall I like this place, and will come back, but hopefully they’ll beef up those sauced again pardon the pun!

Okay — I have to start with a confession. I not only remember some WILD times at the old Wildcat House, but I used to be a regular for their $ 5 burger lunch on Fridays (for like over a decade, and that’s really speakin’). So, when they closed and the building sat vacant forever, it was a constant sad reminder of the good ol’ days when Tucson was a dirty college town and students preferred $ 1 beers to local, organic hop-​beers for about the same price as my first car.
When Brother John’s took over the place and began a revamp, I was amazed. Not the best part of town, and one butt-​ugly building… what would they do? The results are a pretty hip environment (but that old Wildcat medallion is still there if you look) and some tasty eats. The bar is more quality than volume focused now, and there’s space outside that looks really appealing.
As good a job as they did with re-​vitalizing the location, they didn’t wow me with food or service. It’s good BBQ… but it’s not GREAT BBQ, and at the prices they’ve got on the menu, it should rock my world. The brisket was tasty and tender, if a bit fatty, and the pulled pork wasn’t drown in sauce which was great. Their spicy sauce is just meh and the smoked turkey was even a touch dry.
Portions are adjustable, which is great for those of us who don’t eat like a member of the Wildcat defensive line, but the ala carte format means that the $$ add up fast. My server admitted right away to not really knowing their beers (come on, it’s in your name) and they were out of the first 2 I picked. It took quite a while to get a round of 4 draft beers, and the food took even longer. And if you’re supposed to share a side family-​style, why would you only get 3 rolls in an order? How many «families» are only 3?
So — I might go back and give them another go. But, there are better and more affordable BBQ options in that part of town. They may not have the swank or the nostalgia benefit — but it really all comes down to the food in the end.

This place was very good. The ambiance was cool. The TV’s were nice but it was not too loud in there. We went in for dinner. The service was quick and friendly. She took the time to explain the menu to us and make suggestions. The mac n cheese was excellent. Top notch. I would def go back for just that. I don’t think the pickles were homemade, and I kind of expected that. I could be wrong, but they were not outstanding. I had the brisket sandwich and my husband had the St. Louis Ribs, They were tasty and the portions were just what you would expect. The beer selection was good and bourbon was awesome. We don’t really drink bourbon so I can’t comment on that. We would totally go back. Check it out for a good decent dinner.

The environment was a good balance between beer garden and bar/​grill with comfortable lighting and friendly staff. We started with the «hot mess» appetizer before moving on to jalapeño cornbread and fried chicken. The fried chicken was a good move but a little intimidating with its massive portion size that made it hard to figure out how to split things. The brisket is something I would recommend but be prepared that this is a different style of brisket so keep an open mind.
I was here with a large group and had a really good time but can understand other reviewers’ concerns with smaller groups feeling that it’s a little pricey. To that end, the bill was a little confusing — $ 190 total and there were 7 – 8 of us and somehow the breakdown came in at just over $ 30 per person… couldn’t tell if gratuity was included and then one of the employees said it wasn’t. Paid up and tipped anyway since the service was so good and they gave us small samplers while we waited for our large order to make its way through the kitchen.

I had a super awesome first experience here at Brother John’s Beer. The food was delicious, service excellent, and ambiance was warm and inviting.
I really like the feel of the restaurant. It’s nice and open but cozy at the same time. The décor is clean and simple. The long tables were apparently re-​purposed from the former bar which is a nice touch. They also plan on having bands play on certain nights which would def add to the atmosphere.
A lot of other reviews comment on the service being sub par but it was actually friendlier than average on my visit. Perhaps they just needed to iron out some kinks in their first days open. The waiters and manager were all smiles (always appreciated) and very knowledgeable about their food menu, drinks, and smoking process. Our waitress was super helpful and gave many suggestions on food and drink choices and portion sizes.
And last but not least, the food… I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and got to sample the short ribs, short rib fritters, and mac and cheese. I really enjoyed the pulled pork! In my opinion, its also the best bang for your buck on the menu at $ 7. It came on a brioche bun with a generous portion of juicy, flavorful meat. It wasn’t smothered in sauce so you could really taste the flavor of the pork and add your own sauce. I dipped my sandwich in ALL THREE sauces –the brojo (tangy), sweet (sweet), and hot sauce (spicy). They were pretty decent but I actually enjoyed them best mixed together. The short rib was really good on its own. Tender and mildly smokey. Would order either of these entrees in the future. The mac and cheese and short rib fritters were tasty sides/​appetizers. The short rib fritter was an interesting ball of cheesy shortrib pieces battered and deep fried. It was very rich and savory and served with their housemade purple whole grain mustard. For all you veggie people, they do offer a cauliflower steak which was actually quite pretty and had great flavor according to the vegetarian at our table.
I wish I could comment on the drinks but I’m not a beer or bourbon drinker. I just know they have a pretty wide selection.
Overall, I really enjoyed dinner at Brother John’s. From previous reviews and pictures, it looks like they have already made a lot of improvements to the menu and service. I was pleased with my meal and experience and will definitely be back to try their cocktails and other smoked meats.

I checked this restaurant last week with other friend and found it amazing! Their staff if very friendly! They even gave us some samples of their signature ribs after explaining their process. At first I was expecting an off the road meat restaurant like Texas road house, but once my food was delivered, I found my self excited over the food presentation, taste, and price!
I would definitely give this a high remark!

Let’s start out with the fact that this place is extremely pricey. Started off with buffalo fritters and they were yummy. Comes with 5 and a purple sauce with a bite for dipping. The bread was just yellow bread. The nachos were decent. Tried the brisket and it was good. Short rib was also good. Both meats were moist but lacked flavor. My favorite dish was the fried chicken, although the coating is a little on the salty side. They have a HUGE beer and bourbon selection. Beautiful bar area too. Just need to adjust pricing and this place could do well.
Also, I had ordered a Bombay and tonic and I didn’t have any lime as a garnish (I obviously squeeze lime into my drink… Which is why it is a standard garnish)… Bartending 101 guys! :(I will forgive you because you’re new I guess LOL.

What a beautiful place with lots of space. Great and easy parking.
I would really like to rave about the food but … it is just okay.
The 3 bbq sauces to not meet my taste buds very well.
The meat is all thoroughly cooked. I like some actual smoke flavor on the meat.
The pulled pork is the best. But lacking a good tasting sauce …
The wait staff is excellent. They really check on you and they are super friendly.
Their own kind of nut brown ale was very tasty.
The hamburger is just okay.
They are going to have music on Thurs, Friday and Saturday.
They are willing to change and tweak their food, I think that is the key.
With better sauces …
And finally, I find it pretty spendy. A meat or 2 and couple of sides, the price spins up over $ 20.
I think a one person meal with smaller side portions around $ 12 would sell well.
I will be back to see how they do and to listen to music.

One star for the brisket, which was moist and tasty, despite the lack of smoke ring or thick bark. This place wouldn’t last long in Texas. Everything else was a disappointment. Here’s the rundown:
The beans and mac and cheese were both dry and overpriced at $ 5 each. I didn’t find any burnt ends in my beans, as advertised. The mac and cheese was flavorless.
I had to ask for bread and they brought out dry egg bread. Fail. Just buy some cheap white bread!
They served it on thin parchment paper, which completely disintegrated into my brisket. Try using thick parchment paper – the brown stuff!
The bill came to $ 23 and some change before tip, which is overpriced.
My server, David, was polite and professional.

So this will be a partial review since I was not able to try any of the slow smoked meals due to my late arrival. Which is truly understandable and I will update entire review when I go back next week.
However as far as drinks go. They are pretty good! I’ve ordered the Stone Avenue Manhattan and it wasn’t as strong as I thought it would be but it was definitely easy to drink. My friend would say otherwise haha. I’ve also tasted the Moscow Mule and it taste really good. It’s well mixed and not too sour or overly strong. I would have to say it is better than Unions. Last of my drinks was my favorite experience. The Oak Barrel Flight which consisted of three 1oz pour of Colonel E. H Taylor (nice, smooth and light), Wild turkey 17 yrs (a spicy beginning but smooth come down) and the infamous George T. Stagg (strong, bold and powerful). They were all good and if you did try this flight, go in that order. There are other flights as well which I will return to try later.
Therefor as far as drinks, It’s a little pricey but understandable for bourbon and whiskey. Can’t wait to try the food.