Burbank's Real Barbecue
Cincinnati, OH 45241-1835
Phone: (513) 771-1440
- Hours:
- Mon-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11pm-9pm
Editorial Review for Burbank's Real Barbecue – by Lilia F. Brady
The Scene
The joint is named after radio personality Gary Burbank, one of the owners and self-proclaimed "John the Baptist of barbecue." There are photos of Burbank, Blues musicians, and a red bathtub in the main room with a sign: "Afer getting down easy and getting up greasy, wash here." Some tables for two around the bar are great to people-watch and to see the action on the platform where musicians play their hearts out.
The Food
The baby back ribs are finger lickin' delicious. The meat is generously rubbed with Gary's favorite spices and slowly smoked. They're savory and succulent even without Burbank's sauces. The slabs are accompanied with cornbread, coleslaw and two sides. For lighter fare, there are salads, soups (burgoo and Bayou black bean ) and sandwiches. The kids' menu offers half a dozen items -chicken fingers, hamburger, pizza, pulled chicken plate.
Dessert
The best blackbery cobbler for miles around is served here. Sweet and luscious even when served bare.
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Insider Tips
The BluesCincinnati's Queen of Blues, Sweet Alice Hoskins, H-Bomb Ferguson, Sonny Morman and The Dukes all play regularly at Burbank's.
Buy Your Blues HereEverybody's Records in Norwood has a large selection of blues CDs by classic and contemporary blues musicians.
User Reviews for Burbank's Real Barbecue
05/12/2008 Posted by Fretwalker
I've sampled every bbq joint in Cincinnati, and I keep coming back to Burbank's. The pork is always tender and flavorful; delicious even without sauce. Speaking of sauces, there's something for every taste, from the sweet-ish red to (my fave!) the mustard-based hot southern tang. The side dishes are authentic southern cookin'; the sweet potato casserole is sweet, sure, but still tastes like sweet potatoes. The collard greens have just the right tang of vinegar. The Burgoo is a great, thick soup to start off with... I rarely order it, though, 'cause I just can't wait to get to the smoked pig-meat! Service is generally prompt, friendly and courteous, and the bar is stocked with a good variety of beers. Live Blues 3 nights a week, too! The true aficionados would tell you that there are wig shops in Memphis that serve better BBQ....which may be so, but we're a long way from Memphis! About 500 miles, I believe, which is a heck of a drive for a pulled pork sandwich.
Pros: Real Memphis BBQ, right here in Cincinnati!
Cons: Broke my heart when the northern kentucky location closed!
04/13/2008 Posted by nancymrn
This is barbecue- smoky, fall apart tender ribs- cooked on-site, great tangy (not yicky sweet) mustardy sauce, delicious side dishes- the fried green tomatoes were delectable, greens and sweet potatoes great. The only thing I didn't care much for was the "famous" cornbread- sweet and cake-y, rather than my preferred eggy and no sweetener. Ambience is wholly missing- but, hey, this is a barbecue joint- who the heck needs ambience, especially once the blues start up. Why Cincinnati flocks to "that other place" is beyond me- but they can keep going there- then there's no three hour line at Burbanks! I'll be back- gotta try the brisket...
Pros: oh, those ribs
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