Rollin Thunder BBQ
77 11th St,Suite C, Astoria, OR, 97103
Rollin Thunder BBQ Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Astoria for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Astoria for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Astoria for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
77 11th St,Suite C
Astoria, OR, 97103 - Phone (503) 325-5936
- Website https://www.rollingthunderbbq.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
- Mon :Closed
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Divey, Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : No
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Kelly S.
I've had a TON of bbq food and frankly most taste the same. I was very surprised with our food. We had the pulled pork sandwich and smoked tater salad for the side, and sweet tea SOOO good!!
(4)Katie W.
Great BBQ! And you can't beat $5 for lunch.
(5)Laura J.
Amazing food, but winter hours are lacking. Also doesn't stick to open hours.
(3)Laura J.
Amazing food, but winter hours are lacking. Also doesn't stick to open hours.
(3)Peter P.
This may be the last great meal deal in North America! Fantastic BBQ, fantastic scenery(motorcycle and car stuff) and possibly the coolest and most personal proprietor you'll ever meet! All this for around 5 bucks! Try the pulled pork, you won't be disappointed.
(5)Elyse L.
I love this place. The bbq sauce is absolutely the best, the pulled pork sandwich is a must have, super comfortable atmosphere. Bruce is a nice guy and always friendly.
(5)Kayla P.
My husband and I stopped by for dinner and we wrre pleasantly surprised with how good the food was, the customer service was great, and the food was cheap. The owner is a really nice guy and makes sure you feel welcome. I will be going back again in the future and I'd highly recommend this place for anyone wanting some good bbq.
(5)Delonna H.
Great stop on the way home. Meals were large enough so kids split one. Chicken was tender and flavorful. Beans amazing. Brisket and pulled pork tasted awesome. The sauce makes it all taste tangy, and my aunt who doesn't like spicy food did great here (she enjoyed the smoked chicken without the sauce).
(4)Des M.
My husband and I were visiting Astoria today and just ate 1/2 rack of ribs, a pulled pork sandwich, macaroni salad, baked beans, coleslaw and corn bread ... All for $20. Everything was absolutely delicious (and I don't really like meat all that much :) The place is full of Motercycle paraphernalia, a loud TV, tons of magazines and nic - knacks. Not my vibe; but I would come back here in a heat beat!
(4)Chris M.
I struck up a conversation with the owner of this place while checking out the downtown waterfront on a road-trip to Astoria. Gotta say I was not planning on having BBQ for lunch, but the guy had just opened up the restaurant for the day and invited me in. It turned out to be the best food on the trip! I got the pulled pork sandwich with sauce on the side and both the meat and BBQ sauce were great. It was a huge sandwich but--I think because the meat was very tender--it didn't make me want to take an immediate nap like some big meaty meals. The restaurant seemed like a certain type of guy's dream-come-true business: racing signs and artifacts, motorcycle memorabilia everywhere, a race on the big screen TV, beer to drink, BBQ cookin', a comfortable couch near the TV and a location right down by the waterfront and central business district. Since I could give two craps about racing, I give this place 4 stars for the great sammich and friendly owner.
(4)Vikki S.
Great find in Astoria! If you want good BBQ , this is the place. I couldn't decide between the beef brisket or the pulled pork so the owner gave me half and half. Awesome sauce and corn bread and sides. The four of each had something different and went away happy and stuffed. Thanks.
(5)Lara H.
Weird old basement feel, delicious BBQ sauce, served by a very friendly man in a racing jacket, for a steal of a price. Plus a building cat!
(5)Martin F.
You have to have confidence that you are in the right place. There is no sign on the door or window that says Rollin Thunder - I looked through the window and saw the special board and when it said pulled pork, I knew I found it. To be honest, the rest of what I saw wasn't all that impressive, in fact it was a little off putting. I may have had a little better que, I always have more condiments on my que (they have none), but for $5 for a pulled pork poor boy and a side, I have never had as great value. (It is ordinarily $5.65 I think, but on special today). The pork is very tasty, tender and has great texture. While he only offers one choice in sauce, it's so good that I had have no complaints. (It's mild, smoky and maybe just a little sweet). The texas ranch beans were the side I picked - and very tasty. The portion size is very generous, satisfying even my ravenous son. Clean the place up, add some signage and maybe a few condiments to go with the sandwich and I think it's worth another visit. Unlike some other reviewers, I haven't had any digestive issues 3 hours after having had the food. Perhaps staying away from the chicken is some good advice for anyone.
(3)Rose V.
Had the pulled pork. Kids loved it portion size was large and service was almost as amazing as the food. Our visit was a total WIN.
(5)renny g.
Pulled pork insanity. Brisket-vana. Hickory-smoked spate ribs. If you were here, your mouth'd be watering. The sauce should be a national treasure.
(5)Shannon B.
Super nice owner but the restaurant felt dirty. Good was okay not a lot of seasoning.
(3)Dom M.
Super friendly & super tasty. My wife had the ribs which were juicy and tender, me the smoked chicken plate which was equally tender and delicately smoked. Great sides with a tasty BBQ dipping sauce. Very delicious sweet tea. Well priced with just the right sized portions. Delicious.
(5)Tim L.
Stopped in after fishing the other day at the suggestion of a friend. Best BBQ I have had in the Northwest in a lot of years! Great dinner special- had the boneless chicken breast. Fantastic sides of smoked potato salad and pasta salad. Definitely a keeper.
(4)Chelsea Marie S.
Wow, this is the best best barbecue in my life. Great service, and great food = 5 stars Food: 5 stars, I got the smoked pulled pork sandwich with a side of the Texas beans. Price: 5 stars, I mean $5.75 for a giant sandwich and a side that are absolutely amazing, is pretty extraordinary. Customer Service: 5 stars, the owner was nice and attentive, and kept asking us how the food was, and even gave my family (cousins) free drinks. Overall, I will be coming again.
(5)John S.
Brisket was dry but the pork sandwich was good. Great potato salad. Coleslaw was good also. Just like Kentucky Fried Chickens. Which is great slaw. Corn bread was average. This isn't close to a Texas BBQ but for Oregon it's probably the best around.
(3)Sophia A.
This place is awesome for what it is. Don't come here looking for a cool, hip, ambience or classy, well dressed waiters. Come here if you're looking for a casual meal with a bit of a southern feel... And some damn good BBQ. I had the pulled pork sandwich (he was out of ribs) and it was awesome. I'm a small person and I ate the entire thing (but there's no way I could eat any more). The person I was with had the brisket and loved it. The sweet tea was just sweet enough The owner was a really cool guy. The place was empty when we walked in about 45 min to closing and be greeted us with a smile and hefty portions. Good food, homey atmosphere, pleasant owner, no stomach problems!
(5)Devin M.
I just got a big old meat smothered pulled pork sandwich and uggggggggh so good, I got a plate of ribs daaaaang. Yummmmm! I'm from the Deep South and this is as good as any I get there and for southern prices. What a DEAL!!!! And this place is got a special Astoria charm.
(5)Allison H.
We are driving three hours to eat this barbeque. I mean, maybe we will also see the ocean. But it's mainly for the barbeque.
(5)Teresa B.
Haven't been to Astoria in years and based the decision to eat here purely based on Yelp reviews. I have to say I was disappointed about every aspect of this meal. The food was not hot, very bland, rubbery chicken and just not good. Honestly, I cannot think of one positive thing to say. Sorry Yelp, but this one was a bust!
(1)Sara L.
Excellent value for very yummy barbecue. Had the chicken dinner plate, two large juicy smoked boneless chicken thighs with barbecue beans and macaroni salad. Special price was only 7.50 and regular is only 8.95. A very generous pulled pork sandwich and one side was only 5.95-6.95. Super friendly quick counter service. And a super friendly kitty cat towns the hallways but is nonobtrusive.
(5)Francis R.
One of the best value in town. You need to check this place out if you ever visit Astoria. Prices are budget friendly, cheap actually. Spent less than $20 for two meals and drinks. Love the decor as well. The owner is super friendly and helpful.
(4)Zoe H.
Awesome food with ridiculous(ly amazing) prices. The owner makes all of the food himself, including the sauce, which is the best we have had in Oregon. Two lunch plates with a good amount of food for less than $20. Simple and really, really good.
(5)Michelle G.
Simple and delicious. Exactly what I needed. I'm working on a paleo/protein style diet and so I just wanted some meat! With no sugary sauce and that is exactly what I got. For $5 I got a big pile of pulled pork and the owner was very friendly. I would classify this as a 'hole in the wall' place. Not a place to take your inlaws out to dinner but a great place to grab some grub.
(5)Erin H.
After five attempts at other restaurants, my brother finally got his way and we went for the BBQ. I'm not all that much of a BBQ lover, but I knew from the minute I walked in that I would be a convert for at least this meal. The owner was AWESOME. Super friendly and helpful, and he runs the place himself. My brother and I pigged out and for $26 we got a boat load of BBQ that we weren't able to finish (See pic). There is only a tiny sign a few blocks away--so you'll have to hoof it from the road (one block, really). Know that the restaurant is kind of scary/kitschy. Car magazines and other such memorabilia abound, and the whole place will remind you of someones house rather than a restaurant.
(5)John D.
If you want the Best BBQ in Astoria, Oregon this is the Place. Say Hi to Bruce and he always have a smile and laugh waiting for you. The Brisket is the Best.
(5)Rosy D.
Happened onto this place by chance as it is located off the Main Street of Astoria. Located in an old Pier building it shares it's space with a suspicious looking buffet. Trust me pick the barbecue. As soon as I walked in I was greeted by a very cheerful man who I assume was the owner because he was the only one there. He had an energy where you could tell he really loved what he is doing. The menu is limited to the basic BBQ options, but what more do you need. For about ten dollars I got a half rack of ribs, cornbread and two sides. My options were "tater" salad, Mac salad, coleslaw, or baked beans. You could tell everything was made from scratch. Everything tasted amazing I even ended up leaving two ribs because it was such a huge half rack. I thought the overall place was really laid back and nice, very simple. I also thought it was nice that a fellow customer had a baby who was upset and the owner stopped what he was Doing to go get some toys for the kid to cheer him up. Now that's what I call good service!
(5)Fiona P.
Small selection, but an excellent product! The only real BBQ in town! They're hidden away on the boardwalk, so parking is hard to get, but worth the walk! Try the ribs!
(4)Tania B.
Really not good! Dry flavor-less food. Tasted old too. We ordered several things including a half rack of ribs. We ate one rib and gave the rest to the dogs. Pulled pork was super dry as well with no flavor other than refrigerator? I think it would have been inedible without it being covered in sauce. The cornbread is just down right awful. Took one bite, took a couple of chews and had to spit it into a napkin.
(1)Cristina G.
Have to say, I left unimpressed. We had a large group-9 people-so we had a lot of assortment in our menu items. The meat was all moist and tender. The sauce was sweet versus spicy, which was great. I agree with another reviewer that the corn bread was dry (honey or BBQ helped some) but yeah, pretty dry. The beans have more of a tomato base than I prefer, but they were passable. Our biggest concerns are with Bruce. As a one man show, you can't get away from his version of customer service. From the moment he met us in the parking lot, he began lecturing us on our choice, starting with where we parked. Then he didn't like what we ordered, commenting that we were ordering too much food and he would run out. He was interrupting conversations and making belligerent statements-it was very difficult to manage and we were the only customers in the store! The owner seemed "compromised" throughout the whole experience. I didn't mind the "garage" feel of the restaurant-I appreciate keeping costs down, but really feel the customer service is not worth the price we paid. Also, be really careful-the entry way is a safety hazard. It's a jumble of level changes and none of the levels are marked.
(2)Mckee V.
we stopped by Rolling Thunder BBQ on our way back to WA from a weekend in Portland and Seaside. I had high hopes for this place because at that time I was in the mood for some good BBQ! Our first impression was, " man, this place looks like its ready to hit rock bottom!" No wait staff and no one manning the counter for service. We waited for about 10 mins for service. The food sits in a buffet style serving line, it looks like the food has been sitting for a while. I had the brisket dinner with corn bread and bbq beans. My wife had the pulled pork sandwhich with mac salad. While it looked appetizing the taste was completely misleading. I was so disappointed with this I didn't finish my plate and threw away nearly what looked to be a fresh serving. Canned Sloppy Joe sauce tastes exactly like their BBQ sauce. I do not recommend this place unless you are absolutely starving. All opinions are different but if you decide to try this place I hope your experience was better than ours. Happy eating and good luck.
(1)Captain C. Branagain G.
Was having a totally bad day so for the safety of the citizens of this redneck, mud covered, in-bred, learnin' disabled, drunk infested county, it was best if I sought quiet refuge and had a good lunch of comfort food. Thank you Bruce (and Chairman Meow Kitty) for turning another dismal afternoon into a relaxing experience. $ 5bucks for a huge pulled pork sandwich and a side. Fresh iced tea. Filled this big Irishman up for 7 bucks total....(the extra side called to me). Amazing sauce, pork perfection, fresh roll, freshly brewed tea, a damn nice owner to BS with, and a cool cat to give me a bit of fuzzy therapy....I couldn't go wrong! Stuffed myself, and sat and enjoyed the heater, the fuzzy, purring lap heater, and some mindless reality TV. Haunted Mines in Eastern Oregon ??!! Who bloody knew??!! Next time I am having my lovely lass bring in her ukelele and play some tunes with Bruce who was aptly awarded "Ukelele God" status. If you are a gear-head, this is a comfy spot to hang out. Lots of cool stuff to look at and mags and books to enjoy. Bruce summed it up best as calling the establishment "The Den He Always Wanted". Very kick back place to escape the idiots that infest our world. Specials run ALL DAY. ALL of the food looks, smells, and tastes amazing. Ask Bruce about all of the large events that he caters and you will know why Rolling Thunder is your new BBQ Hangout on the North Coast. The Chinese Buffet next door tanked in quality and sold out to a demographic that isn't picky about their food (all of the crushed Tecate & Modelo Cans littering the grounds will reinforce my point), so take your green over to Bruce and enjoy some BBQ Nirvana. Oh, and you want gluten free, organic, meat that is read a bed time story before it is prepared? Face East and head to Portlandia ya ass-twit!! This is real food! (wink)
(5)Megan S.
Excellent pulled pork! Got a huge heap of meat, a slice of cornbread, and two sides for only $7.99. I did the beans and coleslaw. The beans were great, and the coleslaw was good (had pineapple in it, which was new to me). Cornbread was good, although a little on the dry side...granted, it was 8pm. The pulled pork was very moist and I loved the barbeque sauce-- it was tangy and sweet. The guy who runs this is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet! He stayed open 15 minutes late for us and didn't seem to mind at all! We will be back whenever we're in town, that's for sure!
(5)Patrick H.
Tried to stop in during our trip to Astoria. Very disappointed that it was closed at 2pm on a sunday when the yelp hours posted it as open 11-8. Sad face :-( you must have to call to check if they are open before you drive all the way down here.
(1)S E.
What a trip. It was a slow day at Rollin Thunder. The sign in the window says it all..."SEE WHAT WE'VE BEEN SMOKIN". We were the only (and first???) customers near 11 AM. They were out of a few of the sides. I spent 26 years in Texas and am picky about my BBQ. The brisket was very good but the sauce was mediocre. I wish I had told him to put the sauce on the side. The pulled pork was amazing and generous as well. Again, sauce on the side. Kind of a laid back, 70's stoner, casual atmosphere with touches of medical marijuana and biker paraphernalia. Piles of mags, news, and books everywhere adding to the messy stoner teenager's room feel. The big screen TV had Judge Judy playing and a lazy cat was slumming on the sofa. PERFECT. I loved this place.
(4)D A.
Good barbecue, on the right day ... Having had a gut-wrenching experience at the Asian buffet across the hallway in the same building not long ago, we discovered this funky-looking barbecue joint, and vowed to try it out on our next visit. On the way through Astoria, mid-day on a Saturday afternoon, we hung a right off the main street, and drove out to the end of the pier and parked. As other reviewers have pointed out, the interior décor is "early motorcycle garage" - because the owner/chef/BBQ cook is an avid rider. He was wearing his "riding leather" when we waited on us. It wasn't spick-and-span clean; but our table was clean; and the owner clearly kept his "hot foods hot and colds cold" - which eases my mind. Sweetie ordered a half-rack of Baby Back Ribs dinner. For sides, she got the Camp Beans and 'Tater Salad. The Dinner comes with cornbread. She enjoyed the beans, but really liked the ribs. Now, this lady has had her share of ribs in the past. Her comment: "Perhaps the best ever." That's quite a compliment! I ordered the brisket dinner. It seemed kind of odd that he fished pieces and shards of brisket out of an au jus bath, and strained it with a porous ladle before plating it. I also ordered the Camp Beans and 'Tater Salad. Because I like to taste the meat and sauce separately, I ordered the sauce on the side. The meat was - meaty. Having sat in the au jus bath for a while, it has lost most of its smoky aroma. It didn't taste "off" or odd, just not much taste. WE AGREE: His sauce was wonderfully delicious! Everyone has different qualifications for an "ideal sauce" but Bruce's meets our bias: A rich, thick tomato with tangy and distinct sweetness. We both got sauce seconds. WE AGREE: The Camp Beans were great - perhaps because they were swimming in a version of his sauce, we think. 'Tater salad - not so much; just not to our mutual taste. Cornbread was OK, especially with butter and honey. ON SUNDAY ... Out of all the places to eat, from Cannon Beach to Astoria, we returned, about the same time; mid afternoon. We were ready for our second go-around. Sweetie's order was a repeat; except this time, she got two orders of beans and skipped the Tater salad. Somehow, this time, she got the "short end" of the rack. Two of her ribs were pretty much "bare bones". The others were meaty and delicious, she reported. For me, a major let-down. He was sold out of brisket. I understand how it works; he's not pulling out a frozen entrée and secretly warming it in a microwave oven. When you're out, you're out. There I was, hemming and hawing because I'm not a "pig" fan. He encouraged me to order the barbecue chicken. It looked odd, but it was my only remaining available selection. It looked like a boned half-chicken, that had either been smoked, or "held" way too long. About 1/3 of the portion was skin, or fat, or gristle of some kind - for me simply not eatable, even with his wonderful sauce. This was a major disappointment. Next time, we'll probably stop by again - but if he's out of brisket, we're walking (if Sweetie will let me! She does love those ribs!).
(3)Dominic M.
Rollin Thunder was recommended to me as having delicious bbq and heavy helpings; I found it to to have just that but nothing more! Meat was incredible across the board. I had a half rack and my wife had pulled pork. The corn bread was a different story; it tastes like hay and pretty much halted the good BBQ experience. My family and I had an early dinner on a Thursday and the place was empty, save for the dude operating the food scooper. He did not seem happy to be there or to have guests, especially guests with small children. The dining area was quite divey and the furniture was flimsy and stained. The employee gave us dirty looks the whole time when our children were being busy. 2 stars only because the BBQ was good and the place has potential to be a good place for hangover grub or something like that.
(2)Teresa C.
Not sure what the one star reviewer had go wrong last year, but this place was fabulous. Yes, decor is spartan and motorcycle oriented, but frankly, I never go to a BBQ place for the decor or atmosphere. The chicken was strange looking, but was the best smoked chicken I've tried in years. The sides were delicious and the owner gave us more than we could eat in one sitting: wonderful smoked potato salad, good coleslaw, fantastic beans. We also tried the pulled pork, sauce on the side. The sauce is a standard West coast red sauce, but it's made in-house and is excpetional for red sauce. I'm a Carolina BBQ fan, so I only used it sparingly, but it was truly delicious. The meat on both chicken and pork was exactly right: just moist enough to be tender without being fatty, and tasting wonderfully and properly of the smoking process. The crowning touch is the Sweet Tea. I'm a West coast native, but after having lived for years on the East coast, I found upon return to my homeland that no one on this coast can make proper Southern sweet tea. I was so pleased to finally find it at Rollin' Thunder BBQ. His sweet tea is perfect Southern sweet tea, the best compliment for BBQ (except maybe a good beer) and the best beverage for a hot muggy day. I can't say enough about this Sweet Tea or the owner's generous servings, fantastic low prices (we ate on our meals twice and spent about $10 each) and wonderful hospitality. We were treated like family friends and he really took care of us. If you are fond of good Southern Style BBQ but with the red sauce instead of the vinegar sauce, you must try Rollin' Thunder. Delicous. Will return again.
(5)William Y.
I'm always open to try something new. Though the décor threw me off....downtown soup kitchen. The place was filthy, old magazines crap all over the place, one table look like it was being used as the office. But I'm here for the food. The wife and I tried the pulled pork. Not much flavor, cold bun, BBQ sauce spooned on top. Tasted not to bad until a couple of hours later ...then upset stomachs and taste kept repeating in your mouth. Food bad, property and kitchen filthy. Walk across the street to the Wet Dog.
(1)Alexander A.
Awesome BBQ. Awesome prices. Funky small town atmosphere. I had the pork, brisket, cornbread, slaw, and potato salad. All pretty darn good.
(5)Samantha Z.
Found this place through yelp. Figured I'd try it out, when going in you smell the wonderful flavor of bbq. My son and I did not have to wait long, the owner was very nice, we ordered the half rack of ribs and shredded pork sandwich. They were both amazing, my husband loved the ribs and was very full and couldn't finish them all. Defiantly would go back to this place again. The prices are very reasonable my sandwich was 6 bucks and half rack of ribs was 11.
(5)Bruce L.
Very good BBQ with a good price. Got two meals and took them back to our motel to eat . To much for us to finish and still sleep well. Would eat here again.
(4)Tara G.
We are from Georgia, and know of what we speak when it comes to BBQ. This place has very tender beef and pork, definitely top notch. The rest of the menu is small but solidly good. We especially like the beans and cornbread. It's not too sweet or cakey, which I prefer. The service was awesome. We will be back!
(5)Kelsey K.
This place was more than meets the eye. There was very little signage, but we were able to find a parking spot on the pier. The menu was limited: we had brisket, pulled pork, and chicken- all were awesome. The BBQ sauce was very tasty, sweet but not over powering. Cole slaw was also great. I would not take a date here, but if you are looking for good, cheap BBQ, this is the place.
(4)Jocy S.
The owner couldnt be nicer.
(3)Dustin R.
Do yourself a favor, and make the effort to find this place.... it is on the pier, at the end of 11th street on the other side of the trolley tracks on the left side... no visable signage from parking or street... there is a sign you can see from the trolley tracks though... So... anyway, now that we found it... Small menu... but OH DAMN it was killer... my 13 year old son has dubbed it "the best BBQ he has ever had"... I will admit, it is up there with some of the best BBQ I have ever had! We all decided to try something different so we could all sample each other plates... I got the brisket, my wife got pulled pork and my son got ribs... they were all awesome... As for the sides... the meals come with two sides... we all got the beans... and hot damn, I was trying to think of a way to get some of those beans back to LA with me! I forget my other side was... it was good, but not as memorable as those beans... Oh, and the prices can't be beat!!! 3 big BBQ meals with drinks for about $30... hell yea!!!
(5)Cathy H.
There used to be a BBQ place on the North Side of Pittsburgh, Wilson's, not sure if it is still there but I craved that BBQ. Well, I found a replacement, Rolling Thunder, ribs fall off the bones, the beans are an old family recipe and superb. The owner is a super nice guy who gives a damn about his customer and wants them to be happy. Great Value for the dollar......did I mention the BBQ is outrageous :)
(5)Sean R.
Using smartphone monacle feature, I stumbled upon this self-serve place. Such a surprise to see a BBQ joint right on the Oregon coast with glowing reviews. So as a native Kansas City guy and PNW BBQ Association judge, I had to try this place out. It's just behind the main strip of Astoria across the trolley tracks in a red building with multiple doors. I ended up trying to walk into the wrong door. ;p Met Bruce the owner outside and he's a great guy to meet! After placing an order for a mixed plate (ribs and chicken). As well as two sides - chose potato salad and baked beans. I would have to give good thumbs up for the brown sugar bbq sauce and potato salad. I particularly enjoyed the chunky potato salad and how well chilled it was. Large chunks of potato, red onion, and boiled egg. Large portions of dry rub pork spare ribs, chicken, and sides from this joint. The ribs were good but I was hoping for just a tad bit more bark seasoning and some smoke ring to it. Hickory is one of my favorite smoked meats. The ribs were tender with right amount of moisture. The bite was consistent but not too overly done. By serving bbq sauce on the side, told me this guy understands that ribs shouldn't be doused ahead of time to appreciate them. The chicken was boneless and skinless. Without the skin, it didn't have much of a smoked bbq taste or seasoned skin that I was seeking to find. The baked beans I didn't really touch. Still hooked on kc style navy bean which has more of a brown sugar with smoked brisket, molasses taste. Just felt the bbq sauce should match the beans. This version was mostly kidney style bean with more of a chili powder grit to em which is just a regional preference but nothing to fault on. It's a well-rounded balance of flavor and value - !!
(4)Kelly E.
Such a pleasant surprise. Bruce (the owner) was a great host, but the food is what you come for. I had the two meat combo, brisket and pulled pork. Both were cooked to perfection and the sauce was very good. The sides were beans and potato salad. Beans were my only complaint as they were just a tad vinegary. Overall highly recommend.
(4)Robert L.
Owner was Is very nice but food was not good tasted old BBQ sauce was very sweet tried every thing on menu as there was 5 of us
(1)Clare F.
This place has Awesome BBQ food! We knew we were going to go here after Christmas after checking out all the Yelp reviews, and they were right, very very good food. We had the pulled pork BBQ sandwich, barbecued chicken, beans, coleslaw, and cornbread. Everything was awesome except the cornbread. I would like to see them change up their recipe on that, maybe a little more moist and some honey or agave in the recipe as I think it could use a little sweetness to it to compliment the dinner items. The BBQ sauces are excellent! Their prices are amazing! And the decor is very cool and fun to look at! We will definitely come back next time we are in the area! Great job to the owner, we chatted with him a little bit and he was very friendly!
(5)Chris D.
I have only given one 5 Star review that I have felt stronger about. I'm a BBQ snob- I'm so sick of everyone trying to make me think that BBQ is some crazy art form that needs to be analyzed and commended- people need to calm down and stop taking themselves so seriously...take note you punk rock BBQ hipsters in Seattle...just because you can grill a piece of meat it doesn't get you an invite to Wille Nelson's family picnic. Rolling Thunder is EXACTLY my kind of BBQ place. Everything tastes great. That's it. The sauces are great, the meat is great, the sides are great, the corn bread is great- it's not fancy, it's BBQ and it's the best I've had in years. Bruce, the owner, was one of the nicest of the nice guys that we met in Astoria- he's genuinely concerned with you having a good time...If you're lucky, he might even strum a tune on his ukelele. This place is a little out of the way if you don't know where it is- but we'd never stepped foot in Astoria and our 12 year old followed the signs (and his nose) and found it just fine. This place is a MUST in Astoria, folks.
(5)David Q.
Four of my good friends and I went to Astoria to go fishing. We decided at the hotel to find a steakhouse, and headed for pier 11. We parked the car and started to head for the steakhouse but got a whiff of Smoked meats and BBQ sauce, and turned right to it. As we walked in a guy walking out told us that this was an awesome place and we had it to ourselves. We entered and were warmly greeted by who we found out later was Bruce, the owner. Bruce was fun an friendly. The only problem we had was deciding which meat to get. We all ended up getting pretty much every kind of meat he had and shared between us all. Everything was perfect. The baby backs fell clean off the bone. The brisket was fantastic. The pulled pork was inspirational. The sides were delectable. The cornbread was not the best I have had, but is in my top 10. I will definitely be back.
(5)Nicole R.
Excellent food and prices. Low key, relaxed environment. Don't miss out!
(5)Tristan F.
It's simple: The food is great, and authentic southern BBQ, the prices are very reasonable, (which would be 4 stars) and the owner is very fun and friendly. A seriously great find in Astoria.
(5)Bob H.
Great BBQ...awesome price!!!
(4)Katie W.
Great BBQ! And you can't beat $5 for lunch.
(5)Kayla J.
The food here is so incredibly good! My husband and I love it and the owner is as nice as can be. The beef brisket is heaven and the pork melts in your mouth. Check this place out!
(5)Alex W.
Awesome bbq! Super nice guy that owns it. Had spare ribs and beans and tater salad. No complaints.
(5)Bobby D.
SInce this place got really good reviews, I decided I had better check it out. My standard is to try the brisket in order to judge what is a good BBQ. I ordered the brisket sandwich with a side which cost around $6. It came with a choice of one side. I was thinking of getting the corn bread, but since I had really good potato salad at another BBQ place, I decided to compare. The potato salad and the brisket meat was good, I just didn't care for the bun much and it took away some of the flavor of the meat. Eating the meat without the bun was actually a lt better. I tried some of the pulled pork which was also good without the bun. I will go back, but I'll order the dinner without the bun.
(4)Dean H.
Found this place using Yelp on our way back from Seaside to Seattle. Great food and generous portions at a great price. A little tricky getting to and from US 30 but worth the effort. The owner was extremely friendly and sat with us while we watched the Seahawks' game on the big screen TV. Highly recommended!
(5)Jessica k.
Great and cheap! Good place to eat.
(4)Tyler S.
Just what my girlfriend and I needed after a long drive from Seattle to Astoria: simple, quick, delicious BBQ meats and sides in a casual atmosphere served up by a guy who really knows his southern cookin'. It's a great joint on the waterfront with good prices and some of the best-cooked, best-seasoned pulled pork I've ever tasted. The friendly owner/operator also gave us good tips on where to catch the best fireworks for the 4th of July, too! He also caters parties and weddings. Check it out!
(5)Denise W.
We were "seafooded out" after a big grableg and clam pot the day before, and had been to a wedding the day before that where we almost (almost) had more prime-rib that we could handle, so we were in the mood for something that went beyond MEAT, we were looking for flavor. Sadly, this is not what we found at Rolling Thunder BBQ. All but one of of the reviews on this page are fantastic. I figured the low one was just some disgruntled ex employee or something. I was so pumped for good bbq, let me tell you. The first hint should have been the BIG EMPTY dining area. There was not a single other person there except the dude (who I hear is the owner) serving the food and his cat. The first thing I saw (after noticing nobody was there) was that we wouldn't be sitting down with a menue, but ordering from a steam table. Fair enough - I figured he just did a few things but did them well. We ordered ribs and brisket and two sides each. He serves four sides - tater salad, coleslaw, beans, and macaroni salad. Everything comes with cornbread. We shared a little of everything between the two of us. Ribs - definate hickory flavor. That's it. Anyone who can shove something in an oven can do "low and slow" meat falling off the ribs doesn't mean a lot to me if it tastes bland or worse. So ribs were edible, bordering on a little off. Brisket - I expect brisket to be tender, but not to look like waterlogged pencil shavings. He rang this stuff out in a stringer, gave a generous helping and then slathered it in sauce. - while we're at it - the sauce. I'm not a picky BBQ eater - I promise. I don't have a particular love for it or hold anyone to the standard of some legendary relative or anything. But this sauce - man, ketchup has more zip. "smoked tater salad" - meh - thick on the mayo - no real other flavor here. Same for the macaronie salad. Coleslaw- yeesh. If any of you have every tried Albertson's grocery store's coleslaw it tastes just about like that. Not awesome at all. Someone needs to intruduce this guy to the power of acids. Beans- GAG. These taste just like a can of chili beans with a half-cup or so of brown sugar. That's it.. Some long forgotten chili flavorings swamped over by massive amounts of sweet. Cornbread- this was so-so cornbread. i've had worse from better places. Hell, I've made worse. This Cornbread was the *best thing on the menu.* I've gone to places with super-awesome reviews before that I didn't think were all that spectacular. I don't punish the restaurant though if the food is palatable - I just chalk it up to having different tastebuds. But let me say - this place only got a 2 because it didn't make me sick. I was sort of expecting it to. The guy who served us was really happy and friendly though. Maybe he does a better job during the day, or maybe I should have tried the pork. But NOTHING at all smelled alluring in that place. After we left, we were both sad that the other hadn't spoke up, because each of us only ordered in the first place because we thought the other really wanted BBQ.
(2)Griffin H.
Had the smoked chicken; huge helpings of great, simple BBQ and southern foods (smoked potato salad, cornbread, coleslaw w/ pineapple, etc.). Price was right and the atmosphere was casual, open, and our host a really friendly, laid-back guy. A jewel on the northern Oregon coast. Highly recommended!
(5)Peter P.
This may be the last great meal deal in North America! Fantastic BBQ, fantastic scenery(motorcycle and car stuff) and possibly the coolest and most personal proprietor you'll ever meet! All this for around 5 bucks! Try the pulled pork, you won't be disappointed.
(5)Martin F.
You have to have confidence that you are in the right place. There is no sign on the door or window that says Rollin Thunder - I looked through the window and saw the special board and when it said pulled pork, I knew I found it. To be honest, the rest of what I saw wasn't all that impressive, in fact it was a little off putting. I may have had a little better que, I always have more condiments on my que (they have none), but for $5 for a pulled pork poor boy and a side, I have never had as great value. (It is ordinarily $5.65 I think, but on special today). The pork is very tasty, tender and has great texture. While he only offers one choice in sauce, it's so good that I had have no complaints. (It's mild, smoky and maybe just a little sweet). The texas ranch beans were the side I picked - and very tasty. The portion size is very generous, satisfying even my ravenous son. Clean the place up, add some signage and maybe a few condiments to go with the sandwich and I think it's worth another visit. Unlike some other reviewers, I haven't had any digestive issues 3 hours after having had the food. Perhaps staying away from the chicken is some good advice for anyone.
(3)Rose V.
Had the pulled pork. Kids loved it portion size was large and service was almost as amazing as the food. Our visit was a total WIN.
(5)renny g.
Pulled pork insanity. Brisket-vana. Hickory-smoked spate ribs. If you were here, your mouth'd be watering. The sauce should be a national treasure.
(5)Shannon B.
Super nice owner but the restaurant felt dirty. Good was okay not a lot of seasoning.
(3)John D.
If you want the Best BBQ in Astoria, Oregon this is the Place. Say Hi to Bruce and he always have a smile and laugh waiting for you. The Brisket is the Best.
(5)Rosy D.
Happened onto this place by chance as it is located off the Main Street of Astoria. Located in an old Pier building it shares it's space with a suspicious looking buffet. Trust me pick the barbecue. As soon as I walked in I was greeted by a very cheerful man who I assume was the owner because he was the only one there. He had an energy where you could tell he really loved what he is doing. The menu is limited to the basic BBQ options, but what more do you need. For about ten dollars I got a half rack of ribs, cornbread and two sides. My options were "tater" salad, Mac salad, coleslaw, or baked beans. You could tell everything was made from scratch. Everything tasted amazing I even ended up leaving two ribs because it was such a huge half rack. I thought the overall place was really laid back and nice, very simple. I also thought it was nice that a fellow customer had a baby who was upset and the owner stopped what he was Doing to go get some toys for the kid to cheer him up. Now that's what I call good service!
(5)Lara H.
Weird old basement feel, delicious BBQ sauce, served by a very friendly man in a racing jacket, for a steal of a price. Plus a building cat!
(5)Megan S.
Excellent pulled pork! Got a huge heap of meat, a slice of cornbread, and two sides for only $7.99. I did the beans and coleslaw. The beans were great, and the coleslaw was good (had pineapple in it, which was new to me). Cornbread was good, although a little on the dry side...granted, it was 8pm. The pulled pork was very moist and I loved the barbeque sauce-- it was tangy and sweet. The guy who runs this is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet! He stayed open 15 minutes late for us and didn't seem to mind at all! We will be back whenever we're in town, that's for sure!
(5)Des M.
My husband and I were visiting Astoria today and just ate 1/2 rack of ribs, a pulled pork sandwich, macaroni salad, baked beans, coleslaw and corn bread ... All for $20. Everything was absolutely delicious (and I don't really like meat all that much :) The place is full of Motercycle paraphernalia, a loud TV, tons of magazines and nic - knacks. Not my vibe; but I would come back here in a heat beat!
(4)Chris M.
I struck up a conversation with the owner of this place while checking out the downtown waterfront on a road-trip to Astoria. Gotta say I was not planning on having BBQ for lunch, but the guy had just opened up the restaurant for the day and invited me in. It turned out to be the best food on the trip! I got the pulled pork sandwich with sauce on the side and both the meat and BBQ sauce were great. It was a huge sandwich but--I think because the meat was very tender--it didn't make me want to take an immediate nap like some big meaty meals. The restaurant seemed like a certain type of guy's dream-come-true business: racing signs and artifacts, motorcycle memorabilia everywhere, a race on the big screen TV, beer to drink, BBQ cookin', a comfortable couch near the TV and a location right down by the waterfront and central business district. Since I could give two craps about racing, I give this place 4 stars for the great sammich and friendly owner.
(4)Vikki S.
Great find in Astoria! If you want good BBQ , this is the place. I couldn't decide between the beef brisket or the pulled pork so the owner gave me half and half. Awesome sauce and corn bread and sides. The four of each had something different and went away happy and stuffed. Thanks.
(5)Patrick H.
Tried to stop in during our trip to Astoria. Very disappointed that it was closed at 2pm on a sunday when the yelp hours posted it as open 11-8. Sad face :-( you must have to call to check if they are open before you drive all the way down here.
(1)S E.
What a trip. It was a slow day at Rollin Thunder. The sign in the window says it all..."SEE WHAT WE'VE BEEN SMOKIN". We were the only (and first???) customers near 11 AM. They were out of a few of the sides. I spent 26 years in Texas and am picky about my BBQ. The brisket was very good but the sauce was mediocre. I wish I had told him to put the sauce on the side. The pulled pork was amazing and generous as well. Again, sauce on the side. Kind of a laid back, 70's stoner, casual atmosphere with touches of medical marijuana and biker paraphernalia. Piles of mags, news, and books everywhere adding to the messy stoner teenager's room feel. The big screen TV had Judge Judy playing and a lazy cat was slumming on the sofa. PERFECT. I loved this place.
(4)D A.
Good barbecue, on the right day ... Having had a gut-wrenching experience at the Asian buffet across the hallway in the same building not long ago, we discovered this funky-looking barbecue joint, and vowed to try it out on our next visit. On the way through Astoria, mid-day on a Saturday afternoon, we hung a right off the main street, and drove out to the end of the pier and parked. As other reviewers have pointed out, the interior décor is "early motorcycle garage" - because the owner/chef/BBQ cook is an avid rider. He was wearing his "riding leather" when we waited on us. It wasn't spick-and-span clean; but our table was clean; and the owner clearly kept his "hot foods hot and colds cold" - which eases my mind. Sweetie ordered a half-rack of Baby Back Ribs dinner. For sides, she got the Camp Beans and 'Tater Salad. The Dinner comes with cornbread. She enjoyed the beans, but really liked the ribs. Now, this lady has had her share of ribs in the past. Her comment: "Perhaps the best ever." That's quite a compliment! I ordered the brisket dinner. It seemed kind of odd that he fished pieces and shards of brisket out of an au jus bath, and strained it with a porous ladle before plating it. I also ordered the Camp Beans and 'Tater Salad. Because I like to taste the meat and sauce separately, I ordered the sauce on the side. The meat was - meaty. Having sat in the au jus bath for a while, it has lost most of its smoky aroma. It didn't taste "off" or odd, just not much taste. WE AGREE: His sauce was wonderfully delicious! Everyone has different qualifications for an "ideal sauce" but Bruce's meets our bias: A rich, thick tomato with tangy and distinct sweetness. We both got sauce seconds. WE AGREE: The Camp Beans were great - perhaps because they were swimming in a version of his sauce, we think. 'Tater salad - not so much; just not to our mutual taste. Cornbread was OK, especially with butter and honey. ON SUNDAY ... Out of all the places to eat, from Cannon Beach to Astoria, we returned, about the same time; mid afternoon. We were ready for our second go-around. Sweetie's order was a repeat; except this time, she got two orders of beans and skipped the Tater salad. Somehow, this time, she got the "short end" of the rack. Two of her ribs were pretty much "bare bones". The others were meaty and delicious, she reported. For me, a major let-down. He was sold out of brisket. I understand how it works; he's not pulling out a frozen entrée and secretly warming it in a microwave oven. When you're out, you're out. There I was, hemming and hawing because I'm not a "pig" fan. He encouraged me to order the barbecue chicken. It looked odd, but it was my only remaining available selection. It looked like a boned half-chicken, that had either been smoked, or "held" way too long. About 1/3 of the portion was skin, or fat, or gristle of some kind - for me simply not eatable, even with his wonderful sauce. This was a major disappointment. Next time, we'll probably stop by again - but if he's out of brisket, we're walking (if Sweetie will let me! She does love those ribs!).
(3)Fiona P.
Small selection, but an excellent product! The only real BBQ in town! They're hidden away on the boardwalk, so parking is hard to get, but worth the walk! Try the ribs!
(4)Captain C. Branagain G.
Was having a totally bad day so for the safety of the citizens of this redneck, mud covered, in-bred, learnin' disabled, drunk infested county, it was best if I sought quiet refuge and had a good lunch of comfort food. Thank you Bruce (and Chairman Meow Kitty) for turning another dismal afternoon into a relaxing experience. $ 5bucks for a huge pulled pork sandwich and a side. Fresh iced tea. Filled this big Irishman up for 7 bucks total....(the extra side called to me). Amazing sauce, pork perfection, fresh roll, freshly brewed tea, a damn nice owner to BS with, and a cool cat to give me a bit of fuzzy therapy....I couldn't go wrong! Stuffed myself, and sat and enjoyed the heater, the fuzzy, purring lap heater, and some mindless reality TV. Haunted Mines in Eastern Oregon ??!! Who bloody knew??!! Next time I am having my lovely lass bring in her ukelele and play some tunes with Bruce who was aptly awarded "Ukelele God" status. If you are a gear-head, this is a comfy spot to hang out. Lots of cool stuff to look at and mags and books to enjoy. Bruce summed it up best as calling the establishment "The Den He Always Wanted". Very kick back place to escape the idiots that infest our world. Specials run ALL DAY. ALL of the food looks, smells, and tastes amazing. Ask Bruce about all of the large events that he caters and you will know why Rolling Thunder is your new BBQ Hangout on the North Coast. The Chinese Buffet next door tanked in quality and sold out to a demographic that isn't picky about their food (all of the crushed Tecate & Modelo Cans littering the grounds will reinforce my point), so take your green over to Bruce and enjoy some BBQ Nirvana. Oh, and you want gluten free, organic, meat that is read a bed time story before it is prepared? Face East and head to Portlandia ya ass-twit!! This is real food! (wink)
(5)Kelly S.
I've had a TON of bbq food and frankly most taste the same. I was very surprised with our food. We had the pulled pork sandwich and smoked tater salad for the side, and sweet tea SOOO good!!
(4)Tania B.
Really not good! Dry flavor-less food. Tasted old too. We ordered several things including a half rack of ribs. We ate one rib and gave the rest to the dogs. Pulled pork was super dry as well with no flavor other than refrigerator? I think it would have been inedible without it being covered in sauce. The cornbread is just down right awful. Took one bite, took a couple of chews and had to spit it into a napkin.
(1)Cristina G.
Have to say, I left unimpressed. We had a large group-9 people-so we had a lot of assortment in our menu items. The meat was all moist and tender. The sauce was sweet versus spicy, which was great. I agree with another reviewer that the corn bread was dry (honey or BBQ helped some) but yeah, pretty dry. The beans have more of a tomato base than I prefer, but they were passable. Our biggest concerns are with Bruce. As a one man show, you can't get away from his version of customer service. From the moment he met us in the parking lot, he began lecturing us on our choice, starting with where we parked. Then he didn't like what we ordered, commenting that we were ordering too much food and he would run out. He was interrupting conversations and making belligerent statements-it was very difficult to manage and we were the only customers in the store! The owner seemed "compromised" throughout the whole experience. I didn't mind the "garage" feel of the restaurant-I appreciate keeping costs down, but really feel the customer service is not worth the price we paid. Also, be really careful-the entry way is a safety hazard. It's a jumble of level changes and none of the levels are marked.
(2)Mckee V.
we stopped by Rolling Thunder BBQ on our way back to WA from a weekend in Portland and Seaside. I had high hopes for this place because at that time I was in the mood for some good BBQ! Our first impression was, " man, this place looks like its ready to hit rock bottom!" No wait staff and no one manning the counter for service. We waited for about 10 mins for service. The food sits in a buffet style serving line, it looks like the food has been sitting for a while. I had the brisket dinner with corn bread and bbq beans. My wife had the pulled pork sandwhich with mac salad. While it looked appetizing the taste was completely misleading. I was so disappointed with this I didn't finish my plate and threw away nearly what looked to be a fresh serving. Canned Sloppy Joe sauce tastes exactly like their BBQ sauce. I do not recommend this place unless you are absolutely starving. All opinions are different but if you decide to try this place I hope your experience was better than ours. Happy eating and good luck.
(1)Dominic M.
Rollin Thunder was recommended to me as having delicious bbq and heavy helpings; I found it to to have just that but nothing more! Meat was incredible across the board. I had a half rack and my wife had pulled pork. The corn bread was a different story; it tastes like hay and pretty much halted the good BBQ experience. My family and I had an early dinner on a Thursday and the place was empty, save for the dude operating the food scooper. He did not seem happy to be there or to have guests, especially guests with small children. The dining area was quite divey and the furniture was flimsy and stained. The employee gave us dirty looks the whole time when our children were being busy. 2 stars only because the BBQ was good and the place has potential to be a good place for hangover grub or something like that.
(2)Dom M.
Super friendly & super tasty. My wife had the ribs which were juicy and tender, me the smoked chicken plate which was equally tender and delicately smoked. Great sides with a tasty BBQ dipping sauce. Very delicious sweet tea. Well priced with just the right sized portions. Delicious.
(5)Tim L.
Stopped in after fishing the other day at the suggestion of a friend. Best BBQ I have had in the Northwest in a lot of years! Great dinner special- had the boneless chicken breast. Fantastic sides of smoked potato salad and pasta salad. Definitely a keeper.
(4)Michelle G.
Simple and delicious. Exactly what I needed. I'm working on a paleo/protein style diet and so I just wanted some meat! With no sugary sauce and that is exactly what I got. For $5 I got a big pile of pulled pork and the owner was very friendly. I would classify this as a 'hole in the wall' place. Not a place to take your inlaws out to dinner but a great place to grab some grub.
(5)Chelsea Marie S.
Wow, this is the best best barbecue in my life. Great service, and great food = 5 stars Food: 5 stars, I got the smoked pulled pork sandwich with a side of the Texas beans. Price: 5 stars, I mean $5.75 for a giant sandwich and a side that are absolutely amazing, is pretty extraordinary. Customer Service: 5 stars, the owner was nice and attentive, and kept asking us how the food was, and even gave my family (cousins) free drinks. Overall, I will be coming again.
(5)John S.
Brisket was dry but the pork sandwich was good. Great potato salad. Coleslaw was good also. Just like Kentucky Fried Chickens. Which is great slaw. Corn bread was average. This isn't close to a Texas BBQ but for Oregon it's probably the best around.
(3)Sophia A.
This place is awesome for what it is. Don't come here looking for a cool, hip, ambience or classy, well dressed waiters. Come here if you're looking for a casual meal with a bit of a southern feel... And some damn good BBQ. I had the pulled pork sandwich (he was out of ribs) and it was awesome. I'm a small person and I ate the entire thing (but there's no way I could eat any more). The person I was with had the brisket and loved it. The sweet tea was just sweet enough The owner was a really cool guy. The place was empty when we walked in about 45 min to closing and be greeted us with a smile and hefty portions. Good food, homey atmosphere, pleasant owner, no stomach problems!
(5)Devin M.
I just got a big old meat smothered pulled pork sandwich and uggggggggh so good, I got a plate of ribs daaaaang. Yummmmm! I'm from the Deep South and this is as good as any I get there and for southern prices. What a DEAL!!!! And this place is got a special Astoria charm.
(5)Allison H.
We are driving three hours to eat this barbeque. I mean, maybe we will also see the ocean. But it's mainly for the barbeque.
(5)Teresa B.
Haven't been to Astoria in years and based the decision to eat here purely based on Yelp reviews. I have to say I was disappointed about every aspect of this meal. The food was not hot, very bland, rubbery chicken and just not good. Honestly, I cannot think of one positive thing to say. Sorry Yelp, but this one was a bust!
(1)Sara L.
Excellent value for very yummy barbecue. Had the chicken dinner plate, two large juicy smoked boneless chicken thighs with barbecue beans and macaroni salad. Special price was only 7.50 and regular is only 8.95. A very generous pulled pork sandwich and one side was only 5.95-6.95. Super friendly quick counter service. And a super friendly kitty cat towns the hallways but is nonobtrusive.
(5)Francis R.
One of the best value in town. You need to check this place out if you ever visit Astoria. Prices are budget friendly, cheap actually. Spent less than $20 for two meals and drinks. Love the decor as well. The owner is super friendly and helpful.
(4)Zoe H.
Awesome food with ridiculous(ly amazing) prices. The owner makes all of the food himself, including the sauce, which is the best we have had in Oregon. Two lunch plates with a good amount of food for less than $20. Simple and really, really good.
(5)Erin H.
After five attempts at other restaurants, my brother finally got his way and we went for the BBQ. I'm not all that much of a BBQ lover, but I knew from the minute I walked in that I would be a convert for at least this meal. The owner was AWESOME. Super friendly and helpful, and he runs the place himself. My brother and I pigged out and for $26 we got a boat load of BBQ that we weren't able to finish (See pic). There is only a tiny sign a few blocks away--so you'll have to hoof it from the road (one block, really). Know that the restaurant is kind of scary/kitschy. Car magazines and other such memorabilia abound, and the whole place will remind you of someones house rather than a restaurant.
(5)Elyse L.
I love this place. The bbq sauce is absolutely the best, the pulled pork sandwich is a must have, super comfortable atmosphere. Bruce is a nice guy and always friendly.
(5)Kayla P.
My husband and I stopped by for dinner and we wrre pleasantly surprised with how good the food was, the customer service was great, and the food was cheap. The owner is a really nice guy and makes sure you feel welcome. I will be going back again in the future and I'd highly recommend this place for anyone wanting some good bbq.
(5)Delonna H.
Great stop on the way home. Meals were large enough so kids split one. Chicken was tender and flavorful. Beans amazing. Brisket and pulled pork tasted awesome. The sauce makes it all taste tangy, and my aunt who doesn't like spicy food did great here (she enjoyed the smoked chicken without the sauce).
(4)Bobby D.
SInce this place got really good reviews, I decided I had better check it out. My standard is to try the brisket in order to judge what is a good BBQ. I ordered the brisket sandwich with a side which cost around $6. It came with a choice of one side. I was thinking of getting the corn bread, but since I had really good potato salad at another BBQ place, I decided to compare. The potato salad and the brisket meat was good, I just didn't care for the bun much and it took away some of the flavor of the meat. Eating the meat without the bun was actually a lt better. I tried some of the pulled pork which was also good without the bun. I will go back, but I'll order the dinner without the bun.
(4)William Y.
I'm always open to try something new. Though the décor threw me off....downtown soup kitchen. The place was filthy, old magazines crap all over the place, one table look like it was being used as the office. But I'm here for the food. The wife and I tried the pulled pork. Not much flavor, cold bun, BBQ sauce spooned on top. Tasted not to bad until a couple of hours later ...then upset stomachs and taste kept repeating in your mouth. Food bad, property and kitchen filthy. Walk across the street to the Wet Dog.
(1)Alexander A.
Awesome BBQ. Awesome prices. Funky small town atmosphere. I had the pork, brisket, cornbread, slaw, and potato salad. All pretty darn good.
(5)Samantha Z.
Found this place through yelp. Figured I'd try it out, when going in you smell the wonderful flavor of bbq. My son and I did not have to wait long, the owner was very nice, we ordered the half rack of ribs and shredded pork sandwich. They were both amazing, my husband loved the ribs and was very full and couldn't finish them all. Defiantly would go back to this place again. The prices are very reasonable my sandwich was 6 bucks and half rack of ribs was 11.
(5)Bruce L.
Very good BBQ with a good price. Got two meals and took them back to our motel to eat . To much for us to finish and still sleep well. Would eat here again.
(4)Tara G.
We are from Georgia, and know of what we speak when it comes to BBQ. This place has very tender beef and pork, definitely top notch. The rest of the menu is small but solidly good. We especially like the beans and cornbread. It's not too sweet or cakey, which I prefer. The service was awesome. We will be back!
(5)Kelsey K.
This place was more than meets the eye. There was very little signage, but we were able to find a parking spot on the pier. The menu was limited: we had brisket, pulled pork, and chicken- all were awesome. The BBQ sauce was very tasty, sweet but not over powering. Cole slaw was also great. I would not take a date here, but if you are looking for good, cheap BBQ, this is the place.
(4)Jocy S.
The owner couldnt be nicer.
(3)Teresa C.
Not sure what the one star reviewer had go wrong last year, but this place was fabulous. Yes, decor is spartan and motorcycle oriented, but frankly, I never go to a BBQ place for the decor or atmosphere. The chicken was strange looking, but was the best smoked chicken I've tried in years. The sides were delicious and the owner gave us more than we could eat in one sitting: wonderful smoked potato salad, good coleslaw, fantastic beans. We also tried the pulled pork, sauce on the side. The sauce is a standard West coast red sauce, but it's made in-house and is excpetional for red sauce. I'm a Carolina BBQ fan, so I only used it sparingly, but it was truly delicious. The meat on both chicken and pork was exactly right: just moist enough to be tender without being fatty, and tasting wonderfully and properly of the smoking process. The crowning touch is the Sweet Tea. I'm a West coast native, but after having lived for years on the East coast, I found upon return to my homeland that no one on this coast can make proper Southern sweet tea. I was so pleased to finally find it at Rollin' Thunder BBQ. His sweet tea is perfect Southern sweet tea, the best compliment for BBQ (except maybe a good beer) and the best beverage for a hot muggy day. I can't say enough about this Sweet Tea or the owner's generous servings, fantastic low prices (we ate on our meals twice and spent about $10 each) and wonderful hospitality. We were treated like family friends and he really took care of us. If you are fond of good Southern Style BBQ but with the red sauce instead of the vinegar sauce, you must try Rollin' Thunder. Delicous. Will return again.
(5)Kelly E.
Such a pleasant surprise. Bruce (the owner) was a great host, but the food is what you come for. I had the two meat combo, brisket and pulled pork. Both were cooked to perfection and the sauce was very good. The sides were beans and potato salad. Beans were my only complaint as they were just a tad vinegary. Overall highly recommend.
(4)Robert L.
Owner was Is very nice but food was not good tasted old BBQ sauce was very sweet tried every thing on menu as there was 5 of us
(1)Clare F.
This place has Awesome BBQ food! We knew we were going to go here after Christmas after checking out all the Yelp reviews, and they were right, very very good food. We had the pulled pork BBQ sandwich, barbecued chicken, beans, coleslaw, and cornbread. Everything was awesome except the cornbread. I would like to see them change up their recipe on that, maybe a little more moist and some honey or agave in the recipe as I think it could use a little sweetness to it to compliment the dinner items. The BBQ sauces are excellent! Their prices are amazing! And the decor is very cool and fun to look at! We will definitely come back next time we are in the area! Great job to the owner, we chatted with him a little bit and he was very friendly!
(5)Cathy H.
There used to be a BBQ place on the North Side of Pittsburgh, Wilson's, not sure if it is still there but I craved that BBQ. Well, I found a replacement, Rolling Thunder, ribs fall off the bones, the beans are an old family recipe and superb. The owner is a super nice guy who gives a damn about his customer and wants them to be happy. Great Value for the dollar......did I mention the BBQ is outrageous :)
(5)Dean H.
Found this place using Yelp on our way back from Seaside to Seattle. Great food and generous portions at a great price. A little tricky getting to and from US 30 but worth the effort. The owner was extremely friendly and sat with us while we watched the Seahawks' game on the big screen TV. Highly recommended!
(5)Jessica k.
Great and cheap! Good place to eat.
(4)Tyler S.
Just what my girlfriend and I needed after a long drive from Seattle to Astoria: simple, quick, delicious BBQ meats and sides in a casual atmosphere served up by a guy who really knows his southern cookin'. It's a great joint on the waterfront with good prices and some of the best-cooked, best-seasoned pulled pork I've ever tasted. The friendly owner/operator also gave us good tips on where to catch the best fireworks for the 4th of July, too! He also caters parties and weddings. Check it out!
(5)Dustin R.
Do yourself a favor, and make the effort to find this place.... it is on the pier, at the end of 11th street on the other side of the trolley tracks on the left side... no visable signage from parking or street... there is a sign you can see from the trolley tracks though... So... anyway, now that we found it... Small menu... but OH DAMN it was killer... my 13 year old son has dubbed it "the best BBQ he has ever had"... I will admit, it is up there with some of the best BBQ I have ever had! We all decided to try something different so we could all sample each other plates... I got the brisket, my wife got pulled pork and my son got ribs... they were all awesome... As for the sides... the meals come with two sides... we all got the beans... and hot damn, I was trying to think of a way to get some of those beans back to LA with me! I forget my other side was... it was good, but not as memorable as those beans... Oh, and the prices can't be beat!!! 3 big BBQ meals with drinks for about $30... hell yea!!!
(5)Sean R.
Using smartphone monacle feature, I stumbled upon this self-serve place. Such a surprise to see a BBQ joint right on the Oregon coast with glowing reviews. So as a native Kansas City guy and PNW BBQ Association judge, I had to try this place out. It's just behind the main strip of Astoria across the trolley tracks in a red building with multiple doors. I ended up trying to walk into the wrong door. ;p Met Bruce the owner outside and he's a great guy to meet! After placing an order for a mixed plate (ribs and chicken). As well as two sides - chose potato salad and baked beans. I would have to give good thumbs up for the brown sugar bbq sauce and potato salad. I particularly enjoyed the chunky potato salad and how well chilled it was. Large chunks of potato, red onion, and boiled egg. Large portions of dry rub pork spare ribs, chicken, and sides from this joint. The ribs were good but I was hoping for just a tad bit more bark seasoning and some smoke ring to it. Hickory is one of my favorite smoked meats. The ribs were tender with right amount of moisture. The bite was consistent but not too overly done. By serving bbq sauce on the side, told me this guy understands that ribs shouldn't be doused ahead of time to appreciate them. The chicken was boneless and skinless. Without the skin, it didn't have much of a smoked bbq taste or seasoned skin that I was seeking to find. The baked beans I didn't really touch. Still hooked on kc style navy bean which has more of a brown sugar with smoked brisket, molasses taste. Just felt the bbq sauce should match the beans. This version was mostly kidney style bean with more of a chili powder grit to em which is just a regional preference but nothing to fault on. It's a well-rounded balance of flavor and value - !!
(4)Chris D.
I have only given one 5 Star review that I have felt stronger about. I'm a BBQ snob- I'm so sick of everyone trying to make me think that BBQ is some crazy art form that needs to be analyzed and commended- people need to calm down and stop taking themselves so seriously...take note you punk rock BBQ hipsters in Seattle...just because you can grill a piece of meat it doesn't get you an invite to Wille Nelson's family picnic. Rolling Thunder is EXACTLY my kind of BBQ place. Everything tastes great. That's it. The sauces are great, the meat is great, the sides are great, the corn bread is great- it's not fancy, it's BBQ and it's the best I've had in years. Bruce, the owner, was one of the nicest of the nice guys that we met in Astoria- he's genuinely concerned with you having a good time...If you're lucky, he might even strum a tune on his ukelele. This place is a little out of the way if you don't know where it is- but we'd never stepped foot in Astoria and our 12 year old followed the signs (and his nose) and found it just fine. This place is a MUST in Astoria, folks.
(5)David Q.
Four of my good friends and I went to Astoria to go fishing. We decided at the hotel to find a steakhouse, and headed for pier 11. We parked the car and started to head for the steakhouse but got a whiff of Smoked meats and BBQ sauce, and turned right to it. As we walked in a guy walking out told us that this was an awesome place and we had it to ourselves. We entered and were warmly greeted by who we found out later was Bruce, the owner. Bruce was fun an friendly. The only problem we had was deciding which meat to get. We all ended up getting pretty much every kind of meat he had and shared between us all. Everything was perfect. The baby backs fell clean off the bone. The brisket was fantastic. The pulled pork was inspirational. The sides were delectable. The cornbread was not the best I have had, but is in my top 10. I will definitely be back.
(5)Nicole R.
Excellent food and prices. Low key, relaxed environment. Don't miss out!
(5)Tristan F.
It's simple: The food is great, and authentic southern BBQ, the prices are very reasonable, (which would be 4 stars) and the owner is very fun and friendly. A seriously great find in Astoria.
(5)Bob H.
Great BBQ...awesome price!!!
(4)Kayla J.
The food here is so incredibly good! My husband and I love it and the owner is as nice as can be. The beef brisket is heaven and the pork melts in your mouth. Check this place out!
(5)Alex W.
Awesome bbq! Super nice guy that owns it. Had spare ribs and beans and tater salad. No complaints.
(5)Denise W.
We were "seafooded out" after a big grableg and clam pot the day before, and had been to a wedding the day before that where we almost (almost) had more prime-rib that we could handle, so we were in the mood for something that went beyond MEAT, we were looking for flavor. Sadly, this is not what we found at Rolling Thunder BBQ. All but one of of the reviews on this page are fantastic. I figured the low one was just some disgruntled ex employee or something. I was so pumped for good bbq, let me tell you. The first hint should have been the BIG EMPTY dining area. There was not a single other person there except the dude (who I hear is the owner) serving the food and his cat. The first thing I saw (after noticing nobody was there) was that we wouldn't be sitting down with a menue, but ordering from a steam table. Fair enough - I figured he just did a few things but did them well. We ordered ribs and brisket and two sides each. He serves four sides - tater salad, coleslaw, beans, and macaroni salad. Everything comes with cornbread. We shared a little of everything between the two of us. Ribs - definate hickory flavor. That's it. Anyone who can shove something in an oven can do "low and slow" meat falling off the ribs doesn't mean a lot to me if it tastes bland or worse. So ribs were edible, bordering on a little off. Brisket - I expect brisket to be tender, but not to look like waterlogged pencil shavings. He rang this stuff out in a stringer, gave a generous helping and then slathered it in sauce. - while we're at it - the sauce. I'm not a picky BBQ eater - I promise. I don't have a particular love for it or hold anyone to the standard of some legendary relative or anything. But this sauce - man, ketchup has more zip. "smoked tater salad" - meh - thick on the mayo - no real other flavor here. Same for the macaronie salad. Coleslaw- yeesh. If any of you have every tried Albertson's grocery store's coleslaw it tastes just about like that. Not awesome at all. Someone needs to intruduce this guy to the power of acids. Beans- GAG. These taste just like a can of chili beans with a half-cup or so of brown sugar. That's it.. Some long forgotten chili flavorings swamped over by massive amounts of sweet. Cornbread- this was so-so cornbread. i've had worse from better places. Hell, I've made worse. This Cornbread was the *best thing on the menu.* I've gone to places with super-awesome reviews before that I didn't think were all that spectacular. I don't punish the restaurant though if the food is palatable - I just chalk it up to having different tastebuds. But let me say - this place only got a 2 because it didn't make me sick. I was sort of expecting it to. The guy who served us was really happy and friendly though. Maybe he does a better job during the day, or maybe I should have tried the pork. But NOTHING at all smelled alluring in that place. After we left, we were both sad that the other hadn't spoke up, because each of us only ordered in the first place because we thought the other really wanted BBQ.
(2)Griffin H.
Had the smoked chicken; huge helpings of great, simple BBQ and southern foods (smoked potato salad, cornbread, coleslaw w/ pineapple, etc.). Price was right and the atmosphere was casual, open, and our host a really friendly, laid-back guy. A jewel on the northern Oregon coast. Highly recommended!
(5)