Friday Early-Bird 4:25pm. Only one server taking 10min to order Drinks & another 25min to receive Food. Not the place to come with before a movie for whats should be simple food! While waitress was nice, others were not supporting diners.
(1)
T M.
Stay clear of the macaroni and cheese Went to the restaurant yesterday for a take-out order. I had a half-slab of ribs, which were great, seasonlly well and really tasty. I also had a ceasar salad which was very good. Fresh croutons and cripsy romaine and the dressing matched well. Then came the mac and cheese. Awful. How does one mess up mac and cheese? It seemed like there was a strong seasoning like garlic in it. Really disgusting. If we forced ourselves to eat it we would have become ill. Money down the drain. The service was good. If the mac and cheese was not so hideous I would have given the restaurant more stars.
(2)
Ma-e M.
Smokey Bones space is pretty and open space which I like but I'm not dazzled, not quite with the smoked beef brisket; the meat was not tender, not what I expect of a brisket. I imagined that Smokey Bones' description of 6 hours slowed cooked, 24 hours marinated brisket in the menu would be a success but it wasn't; a complete opposite: thinly sliced but not soft and tender and not well flavored. Bacon is better than this; Pho is better than this. Lies or exaggeration? is the same thing, not true and overrated. Smokey Bones tried to redeem with my order of apple wontons for dessert. It's truly wicked and a triple threat to my calorie count. It's SUPER SWEET because it is loaded with lots of sugar! I finished the three hot, crispy, apple-filled mini wontons and two scoops of ice cream, left out some baked small apple slices drizzled with caramel on the side. It's delicious to me, however, if you are not planning to do belly dance, these fats will get stuck in your belly. I say, not recommended if you are not sharing this dessert.
(3)
Kira B.
This place was ALRIGHT. It reminds me of Famous Daves. The service was not good from the get go. There were 5 ppl standing behind the counter where they do carryout, but no one rushed over to seat us. So then some random server saw us and sat us. Waitress came over after 5-10 min and quietly asked us if we had been helped. No. Oh well then ill start you off. Really? Is this not your section? I had a feeling service was going to be iffy the rest of night. It didn't let me down. The restaurant was way warm (no air flow, fans would be nice), Slow slow service...Almost a nonchalant attitude about the whole thing, and the food was OK. I've had better.
(2)
Dre S.
Great food and service. Erin the bartender was great. ;)
(5)
Lori D.
They aren't serving BBQ today and I got conflicting stories as to why! To top it off, they were unapologetic! BBQ is a core component of their menu and I get the smoker is broken and the meat was overcooked without apology for inconvenience. A more customer friendly restaurant would have offered a free dessert or something!
(1)
Jeffrey B.
I came here for a luncheon with my office. I was pleasantly surprised . The two highlights were the kettle chips and the service. The server displayed a knowledge of the menu and skill at recommending dishes that I normally only see at much nicer restaurants. The kettle chips actually had a little bit of soft potato left in the middle and a nicely crispy outside. They came with 3 very good dipping sauces including the delicious Tabasco butter. I got a pretty good salad. Since it was their lunch special that day it was only $5 so I was very pleased with the price.
(3)
Jasti S.
Poker night here on Wednesdays is 5 stars (but minus 1 star now, because Smokey Bones has gotten too cheap to offer $0.25 wings anymore, despite the large crowd poker draws). And last night, my guy and I stopped in after our business briefing in Largo. The service was a bit slow, unfortunately (and it wasn't crowded). The drinks were cheap and good. My turkey was dried out and tough, however, which takes this place down to just A-OK for me. I still have a soft spot in my heart for Smokey Bones. Can't go wrong with ordering other meats (just not the turkey!), drinks, or going to play poker. And if you can, get Jackie as your server! I chit-chatted with her last night, and she wasn't even my server! She's awesome, and offers great menu recommendations. Plus she's funny.
(3)
Ben J.
Ate here in a hurry. Was seated promptly. Bar was nice, many televisions. Waitress was extremely kind and helpful. Food was above average for a chicken Caesar and iced tea. Will go back because it is convenient. Went back. Second time the bar service (because the place was packed) was pretty bad. There isn't much service here, and once you get it, it's very rude. It's like we're not supposed to be there. Whatever! Food is decent. Iced tea tasted worse and I didn't get a refill, but they were happy to take my glass away.
(2)
Olivia D.
ahh the pg county restaurant chain hateration. it runs deep. perhaps i have become jaded but my standards in pg have become relatively lower than other places due to the dearth of options in our livable communities. the reason why i've dined at smokey bones is because they keep inserting $10 off at least $20 coupons in the paper. i find it pretty easy to resist subpar chain bbq restaurants. but i find it very hard to resist $10 off $20 coupons. out of two visits' worth of meals, which included shrimp po'boy, ribs, brisket, turkey, fries, beans and a burger.... the best dish BY FAR has been the kids' menu's bbq chicken. the chicken is so tender and delicious and you get a quarter of it with a side for something like $5. the rest of the food is average and fairly forgettable. there was a dot of mold on my po'boy bread, the brisket is really really dry, the beans are super sweet, the fries are over salted... but thanks to that kids meal and the coupon, i give smokey bones a solid two stars.
(2)
Linda W.
I would give them 1/2 point more if I could. This place is not my usual style, but we wanted to try somewhere different. Other Yelpers have said service was in attentive, but we had great service so I think They have resolved whatever issue they were having. We were greeted and seated immediately. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. Food was fine, fits the setting. More of a casual bar& restaurant place.
(3)
Kelly G.
We went to Smokey Bones on a Wednesday evening for dinner, the greeter sat us and then told us that they didn't have any highchairs. OK, so I have 2 kids and there were only 2 other kids in the restaurant that evening. The manager then came over to us and said that she was trying to locate some so I told her that we could do 1 highchair and a booster seat and they couldn't find one of those either. Really! So 2 minutes later the server came over to take our order. I just looked at her like she had lost all her mind. First, I would like to know why you would try to seat us when we clearly said 3 adults and 2 highchairs and second why in the world would I want to eat dinner with my baby in my lap and my toddler jumping all over the place. None the less, we went to eat at a spot that could accommodate our children with 2 highchairs.
(2)
Kendra G.
Went in with my family(5 of us) at what seemed like a slow time (3pm on a Friday). Our waitress had purple hair, she was somewhat nice, but failed to update us on our when our food was going to arrive, we waited a good 53 minutes from the time we ordered to the time we recieved our food. My mom had to ask when our food was coming, the waitress said "it should be 5 minutes", actually 10 min. later our food arrived and we had to put them into boxes to go so we could make a flight at bwi. If we had 2.5 hours to waste, i would've gave 3 stars. The waitress never apologized and didn't seem to anxious to make sure we were taken care of. Oh and sitting near the front of the restaurant, we could heae the wait staff, cussing and having inappropriate conversations loud enough for a 11 year old to hear. Im no prude, but it just sucks to have to explain to kid other peoples actions. The food was mostly a miss, things were either half cooked or hard. Which means either the cooks got our order late and rushed or they have everything precooked/made and we pretty much ate heated leftovers. I don't recommend this place to anyone. This is my 2nd attempt to like this place. The first time was a long wait time too and it was only 2 of us.
(2)
Shantice J.
I visited yesterday for the first time. Service, food and desserts were great. Our waitress refilled our drinks in a timely manner and there wasn't a wait to get seated. I loved my pork Sammy and the baked beans were savory.
(5)
Marion K.
OMG Kevin W. , I think the same 16 y/o girl was our hostess too. She didn't even speak when we came in, we had to speak to her. I had to point out why was there a 20 minute wait when there where 4 empty tables in the dining room and 2 in the bar, all of which she gave to everyone else when I specifically asked for a table at the bar. Oh, thats right one of the tables had an employee sitting at it on her cell phone while she was taking a 'break'. 1) Service, good luck. 2) Food, like most say, mediocre and forgettable. Its a shame b/c the first time or 2 I went and I've been to one in NC, their food was excellent and the portions were satisfyingly good. I thought I orders off the 'baby' menu the last time I got their pick 2/3 combo, my chicken wasn't even the size of a rolled up fist, and the ribs looked like they came from a cow on a diet! And I don't see too many anorexic cows. 3) Complained - good luck with the that. I told the manager about the hostess #1, he's like I'll talk to her about, #2 our ridiculous wait and there were empty tables, again, he says they needed to be cleaned. #3 our food, oh well, so sorry for your loss. It could have been his lackluster concern was because he was steady telling me he was getting off and there was another manager coming on duty that he'd reply my concerns too. But this is a busy location since its the only one in a 30-40 mile radius of the DMV area, so as long as they're charging high prices for bad food and they're store is packed they probably aren't too concerned about you individually. Oh, and the place is always 'LOUD'. But it is a wanna be sports bar in the bar area. And some character could help (color, nicer seating, etc.) Whats sad is when I went there when they first opened that location and a few months later everything was great and I had nothing but praise for them, along with other people I know. I guess the reality is after a few years and getting people hooked because of the few choices around, you lose sight of whats important, customer service. Now when I speak about Smokey Bones all I hear from people is contempt and complaints. I've been waiting since November to go back to use the $30 gift card I got suckered into buying for a $10 discount that I had to wait until January to use (do the math). I've chalked it up as a waste of my money, since now the gift card has found a place in my junk drawer! And whats sad is when I offer to use it, my crew would rather go someone else and 'pay' than be bothered with Smokey Bones.
(2)
Carol C.
Alot of people seem to dislike SB. They should come to the one in Brandon Fl. We have been regulars for about 7 years, and have always been pleased with the food. Service can be iffy tho. Ribs are always good, my hubby loves the Brunswick stew, and the smoked wings are yummy. We don't do the alcohol (we can get a whole bottle for the price of 3 drinks). Eat at this one and you should be happy.
(4)
Matt S.
Not bad for what it is... It's a chain BBQ restaurant, so you get decent food for a slightly high price. I read a few reviews from others and agree with a couple things said, mainly that the place will run out of something that you want to order, and the 16 year old host/hostess couldn't give 2 $hits if you get seated in a timely manner or not. I think he or she just wants to hurry and get off of work so he/she can go home and smoke some weed or drink some wine coolers, or whatever these teens are doing lately... Other than that, like I said, the food is about a 2.75 out of 5 stars...nothing spectacular, but not terrible either. If you go on a Sunday, whether afternoon or evening, be prepared for a crowded place to eat. Enjoy!
(3)
Felishia L.
This place has an excellent happy hour. The appetizers are very large and all half priced. The drinks are cheap too. Service is ok. it does lack atmosphere, so bring your party with you.
(4)
Tarra F.
Good food but they were out of syrup so the drink menu was very limited which was strange for 8pm and then to be told they're out of desserts at the conclusion of dinner. I gave a 3 because of the waitress she was excellent she was very helpful and attentive. Thanks Victoria!
(3)
Tonya B.
Great service....Food is wonderful! Not to many Smokey Bones in the Maryland, so you can never get tired of eating here. This location in Bowie, MD has been remodeled giving it an open atmosphere. Great bar area, with 10 to 12 flats screens so you can enjoy any sports game available. On differnt nights, they have Poker night and Karoke. Great place for social events.
(5)
Marcus W.
Smoked wings! Off the chain!
(4)
Joyce E.
I've been here several times and the service and food is consistently good. They have a few specialty items that I really like such as the smokey bones (pretzels). Not a fan of the garlic/butter dip but the others are good. I have ordered light (soup and salad) and heavy (burgers). We have always been greeted, and seated quickly. Our service is quick and attentive. No complaints about food. If looking for a quick, easy meal with good variety, this chain is a very good alternative to others similar such as Applebees or Friday's. Don't be afraid to give this one a try.
(3)
Amber S.
Yum!!! Great food variety!!!
(4)
Michele W.
I am stunned at the reviews! I have been to this smokey bones only three times but every time the hostess has been friendly and expedient. I am always seated quickly, my servers are always attentive and the food has been good. I am glad that I haven't shared the horrible experiences that everyone else seems to have.
(4)
Michelle B.
IMPORTANT: If you visit this establishment, they are guaranteed to have run out of something. Additionally, your table will be missing either utensils/plates/salt & pepper/fill-in-the-blank. Your server will not notice any of these omissions. The food is barely average and I'm over giving them chances to get it right, so no more visits from me. The pulled pork inevitably has some huge piece of fat that wasn't chopped off. The sides are bland. The drinks fall into 2 categories: crazy strong and nasty or ridiculously weak and a waste of money. The margaritas taste like Limeade. I don't like you Smokey Bones. I will be sticking with Famous Dave's for my subpar BBQ chain restaurant fix.
(1)
Tempress M.
Totally wouldn't recommend this restaurant. My girlfriends and I went on a Fri night, and it wasn't busy at all (that should've been a sign). The aroma in there had an awful smell!! A guest had ordered fish, and obviously it wasn't fresh, because it reeked! Our server was slow--it took over 15 min for our drinks to come out, and over 30 min for our food. Just was not a pleasant experience whatsoever!
(2)
Chasey R.
Just arrived from new york. My friends brother ask if i was hungry and being that it was almost 1 pm, i said yes. I asked what is smoky bones. We go there, it wasn't crowded. They sat as down very fast. I thought the food was great and the portion was large. Had to bring some home.
(5)
Tiffani N.
We frequented a location in Orlando for years when we lived there so I got excited when I found a Smokey Bones here in MD. They have tasty BBQ and really good wings. Their sides are also pretty good. Our biggest draw was their delicious cinnamon donuts for dessert. The last time we came a few months ago, they had run out of the donuts. Okay... Well, needless to say after all the food was eaten during our most recent visit all we could think about was those donuts. They serve them in a paper bag w/ dipping sauces and we were salivating when they were served. Opened up the bag and saw teeny, tiny little hard discs with powdered sugar. Not what we remembered from Orlando. Sooooo... after a bite of the dry, crumbly "donut" and the waitress assuring us that's how they're supposed to look (not), we sent them back. I cannot tell you how disappointed we were. Not sure if it's just that location but I can't imagine why they ever changed a thing about that dessert. Upside is they have a 15% discount on food if you sign up for the rewards club.
(3)
Maura M.
I'm surprised at the other reviews. My husband and I often venture over to SB for our cheap night out. We get so much food for such a good price that it is hard to resist. Normally I go for the pulled pork and flipping fingers combo and save the fingers for the next day's lunch. Their sides are good, usually I get the slaw and loaded mash. For the people who say it is not enough food... I am not sure what you ordered, but we ALWAYS have to take some home and we are not shy about eating. Is it the best food ever, not, it is chain BBQ but for what it is, I think it is good.
(4)
Rese N.
I went to this restaurant because of the good food, but i guess it doesn't apply to the one in bowie, maybe somewhere else like VA (I've heard is really good). We had 11 people at one table which can be a hand full, so why not a high efficient waitress? no we get a girl that may be new at. Whether if she was new or not it was clearly over whelming to her. She messed up the orders and when you didn't get your correct side she grabbed off your plate leaving it on your food. The drinks were mostly good from what everyone says but it took a while, one co-worker ordered an alcoholic drink and got one with no alcohol, then it finds out that they were out but still did not tell the waitress leaving her under the bus. Then the cooks didn't cook the food all the way. Ribs still bloody red, they are ribs not steaks, they need to be well done. Oh and the bathroom was covered in pee with the toilet papers in it and the trash can fill over the rim piled up against the wall and on the floor. On told the manager, didn't seem to care about the bathroom when I told him of the condition and when we showed him the bloody rib he just took it, walked away. We told him the few things but nothing. It was kinda unprofessional for the waitress telling all the other waiters and waitresses the situation and that she was clearly upset at us but really do that when we leave not in our faces and n front of other people as well. Yeah the only good thing was i was able to watch the game.
(2)
Justin H.
For a barbecue joint, this place has some pretty small portions. Took the girlfriend out for dinner, and got a steak salad and some fried mushrooms for an appetizer. The mushrooms were alright, but there was so much garlic in the sauce that we both felt sick the rest of the night. Oh, and they brought out the mushrooms for my salad in a ramakin, because they completely forgot to put them on the actual salad. Nice job, there. That said, the waitress herself was really quite nice. The one thing that makes me give them 2 stars instead of just the one, frankly. Very friendly and helpful, and came out pretty quick to fix remedy my salad situation. That said, I have a simple rule for barbecue: If I'm so sick I can't stay in my seat for the twenty minutes before my movie starts after dinner, I won't go back.
(2)
Chip H.
I have eaten here often and enjoy the family/sports bar ambience. The food is generally good, of good value, and the choices of barbecue sauces and rubs are quite nice. SB seems to have dropped the expectation that servers sit down with you to discuss your orders (odd!), but in general we have found servers to be pelasant and reasonably prompt. I like the Memphis rubbed ribs, and the BBQ chicken is smoky and moist. I like the selection of draft beers and tall glasses. The menu changes regularly, so be prepared when go back that it is a tad different. Their standard fare of ribs, pulled pork and chicken remains the same.
(4)
Josh T.
I used to love Smokey Bones, don't get me wrong. But my most recent visit spurred this review. When I visited, it was during happy hour, but it wasn't busy at all. The bar was dirty and sticky, it evidently hadn't been wiped down since the last patron. The bartender was quick for the initial order and her service was good. I've had bad service here in the past, but no complaints this time. The food however, could use some serious work. When I first started coming here, they had Beer Battered Onion Rings, they were amazing. For whatever reason, they removed them from the menu and eventually replaced them with your generic store bought frozen rings. I've had better out of my own oven. If I was the manager, they would come off the menu altogether. If you can't serve something you can be proud of, then it should never leave the kitchen. My burger was okay. The beef was good and cooked to order but it needed more BBQ on it, luckily I had some bottles within reach. The bun was also borderline stale. Needless to say, it will be a while before I decide to return to this establishment.
(2)
Heather R.
Smokey Bones should be renamed "Smokey Pile of Turd". I rarely despise a restaurant; I'm not the pretentious type to snub a restuarant simply because it's a chain or lacks a fine ambiance. That said, I hated everything about my experience at Smokey Bones. The food portions must have been designed to feed a fashion model, as my side of broccoli consisted of about five pieces of overly-buttered once-frozen vegetable florets in a gigantic plastic dish that only served to emphasize the scarcity of food. The ribs were small and also impoverished, as well as the service: our waitress forgot about our table several times during the course of the long, incredibly painful evening. Don't go anywhere near here--- hit the Outback down the street off of 450 if you can't control your carnivorous cravings and need some juicy animal parts to sate your appetite. Whatever you do, steer clear of this restaurant.
(1)
Ireyna P.
The BBQ Chicken was on point, this is my second time having it. I tasted some of my sister's burger and I have to say that I've had better. I don't think the cook understood the difference between medium and rare. Krystine was very nice and attentive.
(3)
David W.
Was in town on business with a couple of co-workers and needed a quick late night spot to grab dinner after all day of being on a plane. We were staying right next door to this place, so it seemed like a natural. We were seated right away, the place was empty, it was a little after 8pm. Our server was OK, nothing great, but ok, she seemed to really not fully understand the menu. The food was just ok. I had the BBQ chicken and it was pretty good. Well cooked and juicy. The sides were uninspired, and boring. I had the BBQ beans and the mashed potatoes and gravy. All in all, it was ok. Not a bad late night nosh to keep the munchies at bay, but not tops on my list of places to go in the area.
(3)
Robert R.
Waited 20 min for server to show up and he did not have a clue how to take a order. Never once did a manager come by to Check how our food and service was like every other chain does. When we got our food the server never once asked how are food was or ask if we wanted refills on our drinks. I should have looked at yelp reviews first. Corporate needs to come to this place and do a clean sweep. Only reason I give two stars in food was hot and decent. Also no soap or paper towels in bathroom. How do employes practice correct hygiene standards??
(2)
B H.
Good Spot to watch the game and get BBQ. The ribs were delicious, I would have liked if the turkey was fresh carved. I love you can pay with your CC right at the table. Joined the Bones club and got a free app for next visit. They have a healthy menu - which looks really good and I applaud them for that. Excited to have a big beer and watch the game next visit. Would like to see cornbread with meal instad of toast. Thanks - We will be back Cool lodge feel setting to realx and dine in !
(4)
Kofi A.
It is with a heavy, heavy heart that my review of my Smokey Bones experience and food were less than stellar. In fact, it was awful. To quote the woman next to me at the bar, "it was a hot mess!" Where to begin? Getting a seat at the bar was easy for a Friday night. The bartender Britini was attentive and punctual with my wife and my drinks. She wasn't the only bartender, bustling around the crowd bar. The drinks were good and our eight spicy garlic wings were good, too. If we didn't have To-Go items, then Smokey Bones would have earned four stars or better. But we did have To-Go items. My wife ordered the beer can chicken with coleslaw and steamed broccoli, for my mother-in-law she ordered a Double-trouble, which was supposed to be two different styled-ribs, one barbecued and one steamed. And I ordered the Pulled Chicken Chopped Salad. It took well over an hour before we got the first To-Go item, which was my wife's Beer Can Chicken. There wasn't any coleslaw, so we waited for beans. The second To-Go items came, but again the sides were wrong, so we had to wait again on fries. By the time my unchopped salad came, the Double-Trouble wasn't what it was advertised and the beer can had lost it's flavor. In fact, when we got home, my wife threw up the beans and my mother-in-law's ribs were tough. I hate when a great place becomes terrible. If it was just last night (Friday November 7, 2014), then I could chalk it up to a bad night. But Smokey Bones, which used to be my go to place, has been slipping for a while now.
(2)
Dvon P.
I used to love this place and they blew it.. Food was decent but portions are tiny for a steakhouse. They dropped to all making me wait tooooooo long for my meal and the drink was weak.com .. Never coming back
(1)
Unique W.
So I want to start with I can not make this review up. I work in customer service and I am big on it. I will pay for great customer service and okay food. However, this was not the case, my friend and I waited fifteen minutes. After flagging a busboy to get my drink and appetizers. Out food came thirty minutes later. After waiting an hour, we got the manger to get my friend her Sangria, she had placed this order when we first Sat down. Overall there customer service is horrible.
(2)
Lillian S.
Been there a half a dozen times. Each time the service was friendly but very slow. The food was not very good either. If you're local in Bowie, better to go to DuClaws for food or Apple Bees on Thursday nights if you want to just hang and enjoy the vibe.
(1)
Neen S.
OK, I have been holding off on writing a review for Smokey Bones because the food is actually tasty but the restaurant itself is so poorly managed that I can barely be positive. I have now given them three visits, one of which was against my will because my girlfriends just didn't want to heed my warning. Keep in mind, one star is because the food is actually tasty. Visit one: The beau and I decided to pick up an order to go as it was game night and what better than some barbecue while watching the Wizards. We went to the bar to put our order in only to be told at 6pm on a Monday night that they were out of brisket. Huh??? But you're a barbecue joint. OK, we then ordered wings and the west coast club minus bacon. Keep in mind it's a Monday night, the restaurant has about 5 diners in it and again, it's 6pm. The bartender put our order in and we sit at the bar sipping water, waiting. Now, the bartender was nice, friendly and attentive so one star is acknowledging that. An hour later, and now we just watched tip-off from the bar, our order comes out. Thankfully the order was right. Visit two: This was the visit that prompted a letter to corporate. We again stop in for a take out order. The restaurant was fuller this time but not packed. A family of 5 or 6 was waiting to be seated, we approach the counter to put in an order. A woman walks in behind us who had called her order in 45mins prior. You would expect her order to be waiting for her when she arrives...nope. While the beau and I and this woman stood at the counter waiting for someone to acknowledge us, the beau walks out for a stogie and a young lady comes out of the kitchen to help us. I place our order reiterating NO BACON on my sandwich. Our order goes in and I step aside. The woman with the order to pick up then stands there for another 35mins awaiting her order while she and I chat about what in the world is going on and why are they so slow. I've now gone outside to give an update to the beau and come back into the restaurant. The family of 5-6 never got seated and they left. I'm still waiting and the woman has received half of her order and is waiting on the other half. Another group walks in, never gets acknowledged and walks out. The young lady at the counter is overwhelmed because the kitchen is in shambles and orders are taking too long. I walk back out to chat with the beau and a large group approaches. We both warn them to go somewhere else. They enter and about 5mins later all walk out. I return to the counter at which point our order is ready...thankfully I check it because there is bacon on my sandwich. We now have to wait another 20 mins for a new turkey sandwich. In the meantime, I walk around to find the manager and complain that the place is poorly managed, he's had three large groups of people walk out and why are we waiting so long for take-out orders. He apologizes and says he'll check to see what's going on in the kitchen. I then see him helping the kitchen out, never returning to apologize to the woman who had been waiting or tell me what's going on or offer a cold beverage for that matter. We finally get our order at the same time as the woman. By this time we are all annoyed and just want to take our food and go. Of course, I get home to find my order has been turned into a chicken sandwich, but at least no bacon. I call the restaurant from home to talk to the manager and am on hold for 12 minutes until I finally just hang up. Visit three: Short version; nice waiter, slow service, kitchen and wait staff not communicating, out of brisket again, manager not acknowledging the chaos, etc., etc., This is the most poorly run establishment. Nice wait staff, but slow service, short-staffed, food supply not properly stocked, kitchen mismanaged, oblivious manager, etc. I'm told they have a new regional person and things will get better. Doubtful! You're better off at Ruby Tuesday's up the street or Jerry's if you don't mind a pricier menu. This place is disgraceful!
(2)
Nancy C.
Went here once and it's like any other chain with standard American fare. The bbq was pretty good but nothing standing out extremely either. The bar area is nice and open which I liked and the bar tender there made some awesome shots and drinks last time I was there. Definitely check out for happy hour its a good time!
(2)
KEVIN L.
,,whomever hired these managers should be fired!!!!!! horrible management OUR DRINKS WERE FREE!!!!!
(1)
Solomon D.
I wanted to like this place just because the name is very cool. However, the food is definitely not as good as the name. I ordered a create your own combo with sliced smoked turkey breast, smoked beef brisket, fire-roasted corn, mashed potatoes & brown gravy. This sounds like a really good meal. However, you know the meal was bad/sub-par when the best thing you ate was the corn. Smokey Bones gets two stars only for the drink specials and the fact that they have a lot of TV's for game watching.
(2)
June G.
They were out of everything. We came to the area for Jerry's but they were closed for a private party. We sat down here and another patron said " don't even try, they are out of everything" And they were. We had 2 Grey Goose drinks, ordered a third, but no. No Ciroc, the bottle was empty Looks like Kettle One or Absolut. The food was mediocre at best. Go to Jerry's or Rips.
(2)
Elsa M.
The wings are great. Outside of that, if you are waiting for takeout, prepare to wait an extra 30 minutes minimum BEYOND what your estimated time is quoted. Also, prepare for the 50/50 chance that your order is missing something. Servers when you are sitting are fine, but the ones at the takeout desk seem annoyed and rushed. Perhaps it is because they annoyed and rushed. lol! I think if this location were better staffed (both in quantity and perhaps quality as well in some cases), it would be much better off. We used to come here on game days, but it's a zoo now with so many people. Better off going to Glory Days, even with their big box TVs.
(2)
Pamela V.
A serious disappointment. I ordered the pulled chicken cobb salad. It was mostly iceberg lettuce,was missing the avocado completely, and the scant cold chicken looked like it was a few days old. The wait was especially long, too,but unfortunately not worth it.
(1)
Ben B.
Still slow as all get out. 20 minutes for a drink. Wings... Well let's just say I could've raised the chicken faster. I know there's one bartender and she's cute but.... She needs help! Hope the entree is quicker...
(3)
Brooke T.
2.5 stars y'all. Alright, Friday night, dinner with the male parental. We decided on this place. Located right across the street from the Bowie Town Center, in the same area of the movie theater. It is in between the Jerry's and the Fridays. Considering the location, the time, and the day, I suppose I was expecting it to be more crowded. The service was moderate. She was attentive, but I think she may have missed a bit. I requested things that she just blame forgot. They were little things, but that at times irks me. Just listen, doh! The food was alright, I tried the spinach salad with the honey grilled salmon. I think it is a fairly new menu item that is SUPPOSED to be light regarding the whole caloric intake thing. Now it is only light if the dressing is used sparingly, read: not added to the dish. HA! So, I requested that my dressing be placed on the side, because I don't like my spinach drenched and I didn't know if I would actually like the dressing. That didn't quite happen, I believe she thought I was requesting additional dressing, because what came out was soggy spinach and a side of dressing. Sheesh! The salmon was seasoned nicely, the dressing was okay. I'd like to go back to try the other stuff, but I guess when I place my order I have to be crystal clear, super specific, well you get the idea. Ah well.
(2)
Montie Y.
Absolutely terrible. Horrible service... Unfortunately, I HAVE to give one star n order to warn you to RUN far away from this place if you want decent service. Go to Jerry's or LongHorn.
(1)
John L.
Food is pretty good. The service is awful. They bill you for the wrong things, your food never comes the way you order it. They tried several different bartenders most are bad. Only go to this bar if all the others are filled and then you may try going to another county.
(1)
Darrell K.
There seems to be some tough reviews here, mostly due to the service. Since I've only come in here for carry out, I can't speak to the service. I always get a full rack of baby backs and walk away satisfied. I may need a blindfold test to see if I like Red Hot Blue or Famous Dave or Smokey Bones better. I think I may give Famous Dave the edge. They have a smokier flavor with larger sides. But since this is the only real BBQ place in Bowie, I usually come here for my baby backs.
(3)
Wendy M.
Awful!! Waited long time to get food. When it finally came, they got my boyfriends order wrong. My salmon was dry & chewy. My broccoli was water-logged & disgusting. We won't be back. :(
(1)
James C.
It's a great place for watching the game and the drinks were pretty good but sometimes a bit watered down. Best times to go are on the weekends as the weekday staff seems pretty inexperienced which is pretty normal at most places. Good location to start at for the rest of your date night in the Bowie town center!
(3)
Hope L.
This was my third or fourth time trying this place and I must say I saw some improvements and I am looking forward to going back! So here's the rundown; I ordered the rib (baby back) combo with pulled pork, onion rings and mac and cheese. Ribs were very tasty, I've tasted ribs more tender but these were pretty good. The Mac and Cheese was a little too garlicky for my taste buds (and I LOVE garlic) but it was ok. I think I tried the Mac and Cheese last time I was there and it wasn't so garlicky. Overall it's worth giving it a try. Sorry but I didn't taste the Onion Rings but they looked good :-) We started with the appetizer combo. The southwestern rolls were delicious!! Chili Fries were awesome! Sorry I didn't try the chicken tenders..they looked a little dry, nothing exciting so I decided not to try it. Ordered the smoked wings and they were pretty good too. I noticed that they have all you can eat wings on Monday nights. They are definitely worth getting again. My friend had BBQ Baked Beans and Sausage for a side and he said the sausage is really good. We both like the beans. They compliment the ribs very well. Our waitress was very friendly. We went around lunch time and it was a little busy so considering she was being pulled in quite a few directions she did her best to take care of our table and make sure we had everything we needed. Overall, I enjoyed my meal here and will be going back soon. Going to check out there Monday night special REALLY soon! I'll keep you posted!
(4)
Laine S.
Pros - great for watching the game, funny sexual innuendos all over the walls, good place to get drunk if you have wads of money. Cons - loud people watching the game, not family appropriate sexual innuendos all over the walls, drunks amidst the bars, slow/incompetent workers. Summary - Great for chilling young adults wasting life away, bad for people who want to eat, leave, or bring a family.
(1)
SJ B.
Food was fair and we had a few different items to share. Waiter was good, but was confusing at the same time. I wouldn't go back.
(2)
Alyce J.
It's a shame. I actually LIKE this restaurant's food, service, set-up, etc. EVERYWHERE but here! First, we had to Greet the Greeter who otherwise looked as if we had walked in on him while he was in the middle of...well, something more important than acknowledging customers. Second, we sat for 13 minutes before a server appeared. Seriously? At that point, the restaurant was half empty. Alas, the reason became clear: there was literally ONE server working. And, I mean this dude was hustling! We spotted one other server who was apparently on break. Third, my salad was warm and my entree (ribs and fries) were cold! Not sure how that happens. Oh, and the skillet cornbread that is usually delicious...skip it! Mine was not done all the way through and literally made me gag! Fourth, the have this little machine that allows you to on at your table. I guess this is cool since finding a server is so hard. Of course, we couldn't actually USE this as our bill was incorrect! In all fairness, the server did his best to keep up. Of course, it's the first night of the NBA Finals so, business picked up quickly. Still, no servers...no refills on water or soda...no check in on dessert...no nothing except...finally..."hey, if you are ready to check out just hit this button and swipe your card!" Yeah, I get it....you want my table! Oh, one more thing--the clientele, floors, restroom and overall vibe was...SCUZZY at best! I just cant't...go back!
(2)
TL W.
The pork my companion had was very good, he said, but maybe it was just that we were so grateful to get the food. We were seated right behind the front divider, and then had 20 minutes of servers walking by us without looking at us. I had to start waving and yelling "excuse me" to get anyone to even look at us, and then felt like we better order immediately because who knew when we'd see the server again. Then it took another 15 minutes to get drinks. The host could obviously see us, and paid no attention to my waving or that we were ignored for so long. No explanations or apologies for the delays, and only half the tables were full at the time. I would have given it two stars but the pork was good and not too expensive, and there were some low priced choices.
(3)
Jay W.
My wife and I went there for dinner and absolutely no one came to wait on us! Imagine being in a restaurant for almost 30 minutes without being offered a drink of water. This was a horrible experience to say the least about my favorite restaurant. We left because apparently we were not welcome to eat there!
(1)
Deanna C.
First, the food here is pretty good. The issue with this place is bad waitstaff and an under stocked kitchen. I ordered Mac and cheese and got chicken tenders. They were out of everything and didn't tell customers until after you sat and placed the order.
(1)
Keven M.
If I could give this place 0 stars I would. I visited on Saturday May 10th and had the worst restaurant experience I have had in a long time. Before heading over, I called and asked if they had any current specials. I was informed Happy Hour food and drink specials start at 6pm. Upon entering I was welcomed by a horrific smell, what smelled like raw sewage backing up. I should have exercised common sense and left. However I decided to give a try anyways and was sat in the bar area by the hostess so I could take part in the Happy Hour. Our waiter was bottom of the barrel. He took almost 15 minutes to greet us at our table, even though the restaurant was not very busy. I asked the server what specials were being offered and it went downhill fast. He told me there were no specials, and rudely interrupted me and walked off when I politely explained to him what I was told before. After 30 minutes had passed we still did not even have water brought to our table. The waiter then passed by our table and I asked to speak with the manager. The waiter continued to do his own thing and never got the manager. I had to get up and find the manager. We left and will never come back. There are far too many awesome restaurant choices in the area to go to this cesspool.
(1)
Sebastien B.
Quick review. There were 9 of us in a group. Our waitress took 30 min to serve us an orange juice and the alcoholic drinks had no alcohol at all. We had to send them all back but still got charged for them. After the food came, the waitress left and never came back. A new waiter offered to help us and we just gave up and asked for the check. We watched him stand at the cash register for another 30min trying to figure out how to get our receipt. My girlfriend went up to ask why he was taking so long and he said he was still working in it.
(1)
Mary B.
We order take out and/or eat in the restaurant frequently. Every time we order takeout including today, we have items missing such as dipping sauces and today one entire item. We returned tonight because it was all appetizers we ordered for the Superbowl Game and would like the items that were supposed to come with the food per the menu. I just hate this restaurant for its staff's total incompetence. Also, someone had abandoned a backpack in the waiting room. My husband talked to two different employees about it but they were not concerned. On Super Bowl Sunday in the Washington DC area, this is a concern. A concern important enough to warrant the attention of your employees when pointed out. I will never go or order from here again. There are some other nicer restaurants always opening around here and I would suspect that when Smokey Bones closes, we will get something better.
(1)
Jason A.
I was hoping to really like this place but I did not. Walked into the place and it was nearly dead. The hostess was nowhere to be found and the girl taking to go orders couldn't find her and took nearly five minutes to be seated. Once we were seated the waitress didn't come by for about ten minutes. The hostess had to take our drink order. When the waitress finally came around we were able to order. At one point my glass of water is empty and the waitress looks at it and just walks past. Now the food starts to come and we did not have any silverware to eat it with. I asked for some from the guy that brought us our food and he said okay. Then a few minutes goes buy and another guy stops by to see how ever thing is. I told him "I don't know. I don't have anything to eat it with." Takes him five minutes to locate silverware. Then no one ever came by again. Now for the food.....Nacho's were not bad and I would eat them again. The "Texas Brisket" had no seasoning and didn't have any smoke on it. I don't know how you can smoke a brisket and have it come out with out the smell or taste of smoke is beyond me. Now I know brisket is fatty but when a third of my dinner was just fat that you don't want to eat. It's truly said that broccoli was the highlight of my meal. Eat here at your own risk! You should go to Mission BBQ or Famous Dave's!
(1)
Dwayne H.
Terrible night @ Smokey Bones. This was a 1 person table & order easy right? Wings seemed lesser grade ( fatty / excess skin ) wing sauce was but an after thought. Incorrect type burger returned & waited 20 minutes for correct type. Bill was grossly incorrect as restaurant charged me for their incorrect / returned burger. Waitress returned with " revised" bill only to be shown it was still incorrect. Worked through multiple managers attempting to get a 1 person bill correct,. Ended over paying by $1.50 just to leave the disaster
(1)
Deanna M.
Smokey Bones has recently changed owners, hired new employees, and has much higher standards than before. Go check out the wonderful difference! I will be back and with friends and family. Also I might add, they are no longer a Darden owned business. Fun environment, great food, and upbeat/friendly staff.
(4)
T K.
Unfortunately this review is negative. I went based on a recommendation as a friend enjoyed the wings and cocktails in the bar area so that same friend and I decided to try for dinner. What a joke! They were out of most items on the menu. As such, we ended getting the wings and then we ordered sandwiches. Well, the smoked wings arrived 1.5 hours later and luckily they were hot and tasty. However, the polite but incredibly slow waitress informed us that she had forgotten to place our meal orders and needed to ask us again. (What the what!?) By the time our sandwiches arrived, they were cold and incorrect. How does one forget the mayo, mustard, pickles, and cheese on a Cuban? When she returned back to our table 20 minutes later, we let her know that the meal orders were incorrect so without hesitation she removed them from our bill. The bill was promptly brought to the table and the payment was collected quickly. My friend and I were totally disappointed and left with space in our bellies for Chipotle.
(1)
Ed H.
I came here for dinner because it was walking distance from the Hampton Inn. So far, the service is horrible. I sure hope the food is worth it.
(1)
Marissa T.
Ok, disclaimer. Me and my husband are 60 year olds in 30 yr old something bodies. We went to a late lunch on a Saturday at approximately 4pm. Therefore, no lunch crowd and no night crowd; walked in and were seated right away. Our type of establishment! We were asked if we would prefer a regular table or a high table in the bar area. That's nice they even gave us an option, so we opted for the bar area because of all of the TVs. Lots of TVs everywhere where no matter where you are seated, you are able to view at least 2-3 at an easy glance, then another additional 3-4 if your turn to look at the main tv's above the bar. May I also mention they had the college Cheerleading competition on?!?! THAT deserves a STAR on its on coming from a former competitive cheerleader (spirit fingers!!!!). Everytime something tight was done by the team, I would exclaim, "ooooo!! Watch this watch this!" Way to turn the tables this time around!!!!! Ha!! Ok. Now to the important parts: Service: not sure what her name was, but she was pleasant and did give me a good margarita recommendation. She was attentive enough to make sure we were taken care of without being all up in our space. The mgr even came around and asked how things were, which I always like. Next important topic: FOOD. Ehhhhh. Mediocre. This place is a BBQ joint, so as it is my first time here, I got some type of BBQ. I got the brisket sandwich that's like a Philly cheesesteak. Ehhh. I wish I could say more,but I can't. My husband got a burger. He says it was okay too. He really liked the baked beans. If you want a chain type BBQ, I would prefer Famous Daves. Anyway. The highlight of my visit was the non-packed restaurant, cheerleading on the tv, and a nice waitress who knows a good drink. We would come back just to avoid going to Bowie Town Center for lunch.
(3)
K B.
My husband and I went here after living in the area for a couple years and discovered we had been missing out on great food! We've been here several times since and I ended up downgrading my review from 5 to 4 stars, mostly based on routinely slow service. Food - Based on server recommendations, we got the chicken pot pie pasta and the Sammy and soup combo. Both were fabulous! There are several different BBQ sauces on the table. On a separate trip we also got the excellent chocolate cake (an extra scoop of ice cream is needed for the huge slice of cake). Service - Friendly service most of the times we've been here. It gets busy during peak hours, and service can be very slow at times. It seems they have servers covering tables in separate areas of the restaurant. Price - $$ / $10-20 per person Atmosphere - Nice casual atmosphere with large restaurant seating area and large bar with several TVs.
(4)
Jacqui D.
Totally disappointed. My husband took the family there, the dining room was half full, they sat us in the back. We waited 20 min with waiters standing around talking to each other. No one came over to wait on our table, so we left. Terrible experience, won't be going back again. Went to the Friday's next door, great service good food.
(1)
Mariah B.
Horrible horrible customer service . The waiter kept disappearing . We waited a hour to get our food which was only a burrito and fries . Very unprofessional in there . I will never go back to this location !!
(1)
Kalila W.
I've only eaten the buffalo wings here (not the smoked wings - i remember i asked for buffalo once and they gave me these - i was not happy.). Today though, for some reason, the chicken had a weird/inconsistent texture. That's unfortunate, because based off of two other times, i considered these the perfect buffalo wing - the perfect buffalo sauce evenly coating a nicely fried wing. Also had a Blueberry Mojito even though i ordered a Blackberry Faux-jito.. when i was drinking it, the bartender told me it was her first time making one. I was thinkin "..hmm.. is there alcohol in this.. almost tastes like it" (T'was DELICIOUS tho). I was just convinced it wasn't alcohol since i ordered a non-alcoholic drink... i even denied the buzz i was starting to get. Saw the bill and was like...ohh...that explains it (but i told them they made a mistake and they priced it for the Faux-jito.) SO make sure you ENUNCIATE when ordering. The bartenders were cool tho - but this one chick was like waaayyyy to chipper..like LOUD and just full of energy..to the point that a stranger next to me commented on it, annoyed. If she could just pipe down a litttlllee bit, the service would have been more enjoyable.
(3)
K T.
Went here on a Friday night around 7p.m with a party of 7. Place was pretty empty and we were seated immediately. Our waitress was friendly enough, but as a waitress she less than mediocre. Drinks sat empty for long periods of time, multiple times she forgot things and it took two or three times to get it right. She kept disappearing, and rarely came to the table. The food was brought out by someone else and she never bothered to see how everything was or if we needed anything. For the most part everyone was satisfied with their food. The SouthWestern Scorcher wasn't even remotely spicy/hot. I had the smoked wings, with added sweet brown sugar sauce. Not a fan. Something about a dry rub and wings just doesn't work out well. Also, there was the random man who wandered throughout the restaurant the entire time we were there. It was so strange, he just kept walking around and staring at tables, but never stopped to say anything to anyone. We were there for over an hour, and he did it the whole time. We saw him go into the kitchen once, so we're assuming he was some sort of manager, but the vibe he was giving off was a no-go. Really, this place just loses stars because of the service. If that could be corrected, it would be pretty decent.
(3)
Rene D.
Wow. I really try to give a business a chance, and I usually try a restaurant at least twice before giving it a bad review to allow for an off night. But the service was (and I can't think of a better word) incompetent. Fourth of July at 7PM, and nobody waiting to be seated. But the crowd at the takeout desk was three-deep with frustrated people. We just wanted to pick up ribs and head out to a picnic bench in a nearby park, which we have done at Famous Dave's in 15 minutes. However, after ten minutes we were not even acknowledged. I grabbed a menu from the order desk and made my decision, and suddenly several orders came out and about half the crowd left. Then it got weird...there were three (three!) servers standing behind the order desk listening to two women agonize over their order, and after a few moments one of the servers asked if we were waiting for a pick up. When I said we were waiting to give our order he just turned and walked away. Then the guy next to me complained he had been waiting 30 minutes, and they had checked four times for his order. We gave up and left for Five Guys.
(1)
Cammie B.
This was by far the worse barbecue I've ever had and I now know why the parking lot was empty. Don't waste your money. Go to Famous Daves!
(1)
B W.
So, this restaurant would get high stars for its food and beverages, but the service here is really awful. I usually frequent Smokey Bones during their after hours specials from pm til, but the servers act as if they do not want to wait on you. Last we went, we weren't waited on for our server 15 minutes, for a manger to have to tell someone (our "drink server") to take our order. We we then transferred to a "food server", who after we order, told us "oh, the grill has been closed for 30 minutes."
(3)
Rene R.
I have to start this review by saying ALEX with the Batman belt was awesome and he walked into a crappy situation and did an amazing job to make it better. That said - here's what happened... 1st - there were no paper towels in the ladies room. And then, we had a party of 10 adults, 2 kids and 1 baby. They seated us once when we were still waiting on the last couple to arrive. About 10 minutes later, someone named Rodney came by, introduced himself and set down a few coasters and straws. He ran out and went to grab more (at this point the last couple had arrived.) He dropped off a few more coasters, and then he disappeared. Almost 20 minutes later we flagged down a server and asked if we could have a manager. A man in a stripped shirt came over, said he was a manager and proceeded to take our complete order. Apparently their fountain drinks are handmade because once we had been seated for 45 minutes (lots of watch checking happening by this time) I requested 12 glasses and two pitchers of water. And about 5 minutes later servers with trays of drinks began to appear. We've been seated almost an HOUR without even being given water. And the guy in the stripped shirt introduced us to our new server - Alex in the batman belt! Most of our appetizers appeared shortly after. A table of 12 and no appetizer plates when clearly we were sharing them. And like I said only MOST of them arrived. 10 min or so later food began trickling out. (At this time we've been at our table well over an hour and two of the appetizers still have not arrived.) Then two orders were apparently forgotten. Some people had almost finished their food when the last meal arrived along with one of the two final appetizers. The food was hot and my meal was good. Except the Mac n cheese - it resembled Velveeta and was quite bland. We had all planned on ordering dessert but were fairly disenchanted by this point. We were celebrating a birthday however so we got the birthday man some yummy chocolate cake. I had a bite, it was yummy. At this point, the final appetizer was brought out and at the request of the person ordering placed in a to go container. When the bill came there was an offer to remove the drinks from our bill as we had waited almost an hour to get them. Frankly that wasn't good enough for most of us. I don't normally think a restaurant should give discounts but when you fail to deliver the most basic of service you should do more than discount a few cokes. We weren't even offered an apology by anyone other than the server who arrived for his shift and did what he could to smooth over a crappy situation. We split the check evenly and we made it a point not to punish the server with a crappy tip when he wasn't the reason why the meal started off so badly. I'd like to say I'll give them another try. But I've had better service at Chic Fil A - we probably won't be back. At least not if it's our night to pick the restaurant. And since I doubt the people at smokey bones will actually read this - I am sending it directly to them. If you feel compelled to go, you should call first and see if Alex is working. If not, you may want to go somewhere else!
(1)
Sid P.
We have been here several times. Unfortunately this time was horrible. Nachos were small. Server was absolutely clueless and so slow. Brought the wrong drinks. Forgot the kids drinks. Spent his entire time in the kitchen instead of tending to the 3 tables he had.
(1)
Julie W.
My husband and I have dined-in at this location maybe twice in the past 8 months. Overall we had a good experience with the food and service. However, I don't know what the rave is about the skillet cornbread......I found it to be dense, dry and hard to swallow. But on to the real complaint...... On Sunday, June 8, 2014 I placed a call-in order for 24 buffalo wings around 6:00 p.m. I was told that the order would take about 30 minutes. When I arrived there about 45 minutes later, I walked into a lobby with a long line of unhappy faces. To my knowledge, all of the customers had placed orders at the counter or on by phone and everyone was waiting for food. Everyone had the same complaint that the service was poor and slow. I stood in the line that moved at a snail's pace with about 8 other customers. After being in line for over 30 minutes, I finally made it to the counter where I was greeted by a young lady. While she was very nice and polite, she was clearly too inexperienced to handle the angry crowd. While I was giving her my name and identifying my order, another customer walked in behind me. The counter clerk pulled up an order for 24 wings which I paid for. However, the customer behind me overheard the transaction and we quickly realized after looking at the receipt that I had paid for the wrong order. The customer behind me whose name was "Joy" also had a call-in order for 24 count wings and my name "Julie" was misinterpreted for "Joy". I asked the clerk if she could pull up my order and she was unable to find it. We called for a manager and explained the situation. He vowed to fix it immediately but admitted that neither order was prepared yet. There was another 30 minute wait for the wings to be cooked. Me and Joy were both compensated with extra menu items on the house. When I finally left Smokey Bones it was about 8:15 p.m. which is totally unacceptable! What a horrible experience just to pick up a call-in order for 24 wings! While I was waiting for my order, I had an opportunity to observe the staff which consisted of a lot of young, experienced servers that seemed to have more time to socialize that to serve customers. I will never go back again!
(1)
Mike G.
Not a fan, read why!! I have went here on two different occasions over the past two years. I was hoping the second time I went back, everything would have been better. But it wasn't! Service We we quickly seated (which was a plus). The server came out to greet us, and from here it was down hill. The didn't have certain items available that were on the menu (i.e. mashed potatoes). The waitress was polite to some degree, but was horrible at returning to check on the table to make sure the food was okay. In regards to refills, you better finish your meal off with your saliva. It was hard to grab the waitress's attention to get a new drink. Food The food was fairly decent for the establishment. I have not complaints about the food. I had a smoked wing, which were okay. Nothing spectacular. The ribs were okay as well. Once again nothing spectacular. I would not recommend going here unless you sit at the bar and just want a drink..
(1)
Veronica R.
Just walked in. Waited for someone to a knowledge me and the other 5 patrons. It's 12:35 lunch time- but no customer service. I waited about 7 mins and still no service. So I left. Someone should have just said "Sorry for the wait- someone will be with you in just a moment" And I only wanted to see the lunch menu. I'm over at 5 Guys now. Can never go wrong with that.
(1)
Lisa F.
Super disappointed. I am 8 months pregnant and when I am hungry, getting the food right is important. I hate sending things back, both because it's ridiculous for a kitchen to make their own food improperly, and because I always end up eating last and the wait while everyone else is eating is awkward. I didn't even order anything complicated, a salad for God's sake. The steak and spinach salad, which as stated in the menu contains spinach, steak, blue cheese crumbles, bacon, red onion and sauteed portabella mushrooms. I ordered it without onions and the vinaigrette it came with, but somehow it came out drenched in an off-putting sweet sauce (didn't even taste like the right vinaigrette), with steak, a couple little sprinkles of blue cheese, and PECANS. that was it. Now, the salad does not even come with nuts. If I had a nut allergy it could have been a serious situation! Annoyed, I asked the waitress to have them make it again... the way it says on the menu, with bacon and mushrooms, without nuts. It came back undressed like I ordered, but with onions (I said no onion), cold steak (was it supposed to be cold? Not sure?) and STILL no sauteed mushrooms. She took it off the bill, but I still never got what I wanted and left disappointed, especially since at my husband's recommendation we drove almost 30 minutes to visit. The waitress seemed a bit overwhelmed despite only having a couple tables, and we only got one refill... drinks for our party of 5 sat empty the majority of the time. The only reason I gave it 2 stars is because the cornbread with honey pecan butter was amazing.
(2)
Janine H.
We came on mothers day around 6 pm. There was no wait. Service was ok, food good except that cheap nasty mac and cheese. Bathroom was nasty. Not too crowded. Apples are delicious. Long wait to get the check. Overall good experience.
(4)
Cali W.
The bartender Deezem I believe that was his name had excellent customer service. 100% on point. The food here is delicious!! LOVED IT.
(5)
Rob A.
Terrible Customer Service! Called in for a carryout order, girl didn't know the menu much less get my name right. Had to get someone else to help and then even she didn't get the order right. Order was appetizer size and not an entree size and was cold when delivered to the counter. They were too concerned with talking to each other than helping customers it seems. Spoke to manager, she wanted to fix the bad customer service by giving me a gift card ... that doesn't address the issue - no thanks and not again!
(1)
Kat D.
Met my sister there last night 7/10/2014 and waited 45 minutes for a glass of wine that never came. We decided not to wait any longer and as we were leaving our server was sitting on top of the hostess stand chatting with fellow employees. The table of 6 next to us had to stop a random employee to put their food order in. The management at this establishment needs to start doing there job! This is not our first experience with poor service, but gave them a second chance. We will not be returning.
(1)
Jen M.
This place drives me nuts. It's right around the corner and my husband and his brother always want to go here because it's cheap and they like bbq. I think the food is completely mediocre, the mixed drinks are not great and the service is HORRIBLE. We always sit at the bar and even as regulars, the servers don't pay much attention. One time I ordered the cornbread and just watched it sit on the kitchen window and they never brought it. Last time I was there I ordered a salad with a different kind of dressing because I am on a special diet. I got the salad and ate half of it before I realized they had put BOTH dressings on it. Awesome. NOT. One of my biggest pet peeves about these places that have a lot of TV's in them and put up signs and specials for football and other sports....can we please have the sports audio? I don't want to listen to shitty music when the game is on. There are absolutely NO good sports bars in the area. Most of the time you have to ask them to put a game on. Sometimes the news is on!
(2)
Dan P.
Well it's been about a year since I came back and the food has not given me the WOW Factor as before. Ordered Pork Tenderloin with fire corn and bbq beans.. I know the menu said full sides but it was half serving (near the middle of the side bowls- picture showed corn was overflowing) and poorly cooked (no season)and the Tenderloin was cold and no sauce, got a side of sauce but no flavor just thick liquid.. Ordered chicken dip but trying to figure out how can I eat I this with thin chips with heavy thick cheese bits of chicken fingers, so fork and knife it is....my cousin had hairy mash potatoes and gravy and alright baby back ribs, Mac and cheese was the only highlight of the night..We were hungry and have eaten worse so it's not horrible, but to come back and eat here will be a NO. Went next door but they were closing in 30 minutes so I won't do that to them. I was very sad to come here and will be happy to leave this place.... I should have Yelp this... Next time I will just stay home and eat Ramen noodles with cheese and tuna on the side.. No hair..
(2)
April C.
10.10.14 Horrible! After reading all of the negative reviews, we decided to give it a shot anyway. SMH, the worst decision ever. Cons: *We were seated right away, bad sign #1 right?... its Friday night, where is the crowd? *Ordered an appetizer, waited another 10-15 mins, ordered our entrees (wings, steak and cornbread). Cornbread arrives, no appetizer yet, questioned server, got the standard "sorry, they are taking a long time". *10 mins later entrees arrive..server tells me they ran out of baked potatoes, really? Why wait until you bring the food out!?! Ask for loaded mashed potatoes ( not all that great). *The steak, ordered medium, looks like the steak was warmed on grill (no grill marks) and still mooing, sent it back. * Lets not even discuss the coleslaw (wilted, looked like it was sitting out for some time, no thank you)! * The wings are blah. They resembled frozen wings you can buy in the grocery store. Want real smoked wings go to Kolbys in Laurel! * Appetizer arrives, yay! Server says " manager is taking your meal and appetizer off the bill". Great..right? But where is the manager....is that her leaning at front desk area? We couldnt tell, she resembled a customer, like she had just rolled out of bed. Very sloppy! * Now for the grand finale...bill comes ($23.93), pay cash ($40), server returns with change ($15)..and guess what..not the right amount. At this point I am OVER it. Asked for a manager..guess who? Yea, HER! Oh wait, server asks me if I needed anything..my change would be nice, but you can keep it for your tip ($1.07)!!! Rude! Back to the manager, I asked her why she would comp'd my bill but not come to my table when things were not right...of course all I got was a look of confusion. I also asked was she aware the reviews online were horrible and they matched our visit, again nothing! Pros: * The hostess was very friendly. * Place looked clean * Love the setup. Will NEVER return!! Whoever owns this place should clean house asap!
(1)
Carol G.
Service was completely terrible. We get our drinks and we have to ask for straws. We get our salads and we have to ask for dressing. I asked for no salt on my fries and they came with salt and pepper. Waitress was a complete airhead. We ordered a few appetizers, I ordered a side salad and a burger.. By the time I got my burger, I didn't want the salad anymore. I expected to have it while the appetizers were out o even before my burger, but it never came. So I told the waitress to cancel it and then she asked me "what salad did you have again?!" Then I told her, she said okay, then 2 min later came out with the salad. I refused to eat it and made her take it back and take it off my check. I asked for iced tea like 4 times and she came back and forth to our table at least twice without it. I had to go up to the bar to get my own straws because I just was not going to sit their and wait for her for however long. She was completely clueless. I did not enjoy my chicken burger at all. It was pretty dry for it supposed to be having bbq sauce on it and the bacon was disgusting. The rest of the food was average, but I've never seen service like this before. Iwill not be going back.
(1)
Sean C.
I'm not getting some of the more negative reviews. My family and I have been going off and on for almost 10 years, back to when they ran cartoons along with the sports. I like the food. Service is slow, but not too slow for me -- when we go there, we know it won't be speedy. One thing I dislike is that nearby tables can go unbussed for our entire meal -- unappetizing. Staff is always friendly. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
(4)
Ilissa M.
I come here often. More than I should. I usually come in after work (past 12am) and usually the food is good and service is ok. I ask for the Smokehouse burger or the steak salad, delicious. But today we didn't even get the chance to sit down. Rudest waiter ever says we can't sit at the tables, (he comes charging at us from the side of the bar didn't even greet us) which we know. The only reason we tried to sit there was because the bar was so crowded with dirty cups and plates, we tell the waiter who rudely interrupts us without even saying hello moves the chairs out of our hands that we were about to sit on and says only the bar we say the bar is dirty and he repeats only seats at the bar. We make him look and then he says I don't know what to do with all the plates and stuff but sit at the bar. ( I was thinking to myself how about you clean it off so we can sit down to order since you are a waiter) but We just left. Worst experience ever,so rude, so unprofessional, not coming back ever!!!
(1)
Ashely B.
They have the slowest, and when I say slow, I mean slower than slow service at the bar. I can see why people go to Fridays literally across the parking lot. The music here sucks, and very inconsistent. It's a ghost town anyways, there is really no crowd to comment on. So overall, the service sucks, and is slow. For a chain spot, you'd expect better service. The food is mediocre, the best thing they had was dessert. I don't see this bar surviving longer then two years.
(1)
Mo A.
If I could give a zero after this visit, I would. First of all, they don't believe in having hosts/hostesses on duty evidently. You just stand there and watch all the other employees avoid eye contact while they play hot potato with their responsibilities. Secondly, they give you this afterhours menu that pretty much has a handful of things. Then you sit in the bar area and the wait staff is equally oblivious. HELLO?????? CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE? Why stay open after hours if you don't want to have customers?
(1)
Arnicia J.
The worst experience I have ever had the only reason it recieved one star because I could not give a negative star! We came in the door and they said it was a 30 minute wait and that was fine. Once we were seated it took the waitress about 10 minutes to come to the table for us to order our drinks and that was also tolerable. But after 45 minutes the only thing we had on our table were sodas. So our waitress finally comes back and asks "Is everything ok?" In which I replied " No it's been almost an hour and we stil haven't received our appetizers!" She started to explain it was only one cook and the kitchen was behind and she will see about the appetizers. Long story short after waiting for over 1 hour we left. The waitress stated she would como the meal and the manger would come over and that's the only reason we stayed that long but the manger never came over. We ended up buying McDonalds!! I will NEVER EVER step foot inside of this place again!
(1)
Don I.
If you are familiar with this chain, then you generally know what you are in for with the BBQ theme carried throughout the menu from the ribs to the sandwiches. The food quality is decent, their ribs are acceptable, but I have had better. If you are a doughnut fan, the Hot Bag 'O Donuts is a good desert that comes with two nice side dipping sauces. There are several drink specials, including a rotating brand 22oz. beer special for $3.25. Cheap mixed, and strait-up drinks make for an inexpensive add-on to a meal or a good happy-hour hangout. The Bones Brew is an in-house beer that resembles Yuengling in price and quality that makes for a nice inexpensive option if you are not into the traditional Bud/Miller/Coors fare. My biggest complaint about this location is the service. I have gone a few times and the service is always slow, and most times the waiter/waitress has an apathetic tone when interacting with me. When something bad happens, they are quick to apologize and offer free drinks or appetizers, but more effort at being pleasant and welcoming is definitely needed. If you can accept the less-than-stellar service, it makes for a solid dinner and a good place to take in a sporting event on the televisions over the bar.
(3)
Michael M.
My wife and I like the food at Smokey Bones but the servers don't really do a good job, you would be lucky to get a drink refill after your food arives. We went Saturday night, waited to be seated and after being seated we waited 25 minutes and never got servered so we walked out, on the way out we noticed 5 servers standing at the fire place talking. This could be a good restaurant but it will require a new or retrained manager and properly trained and managed servers. I went to the Smokey Bones webpage Sunday and submitted a comment, after submitting my complaint, a message stated that your opinion matters to us and we will get back to you, I'm still waiting, and waiting, and waiting. UPDATE 3/20/2013, I still have not herd back after submitting a complaint, I gave them my email address and a phone number. They do send me emails with coupons for $10 off a meal of $25 or more, sounds good but evidently this is the only way they can get people in the Restaurant. You basically get what you pay for: Cheap Meal = Cheap Food + Lazy Manager + Bad Server + Waisted Time UPDATE 1/5/2013 Still have not herd back after submitting the same complaint twice, don't waist your time with this place.
(1)
Kareem C.
This place is good for a group of friends/family to watch a sporting event but not so great for a good meal. It is kind of a divey place in a bad way. It is not completely dirty but definitely not clean. The carpet is in dire need of replacement and the walls are in need of fresh paint or a scrubbing. The overall feeling is just Grimey! The sides are horrible. Some people may enjoy soggy broccoli and under baked, baked potatoes but I don't. The smoked turkey breast was extremely dry and needed the whole bottle of BBQ sauce to overcome the dryness. The BBQ chicken however was pretty good. It was tender and juicy. They did allow me to switch my soggy broccoli with roasted corn which was not good either. BTW they take pride in serving their broccoli soggy. The only way I will end up spending my money here again is if I'm attending a gathering to watch a sporting event and even then I will only order adult beverages. Did I mention the broccoli was soggy???
(2)
Michele S.
A few co-workers and I decided to meet at Smokey Bones for Happy Hour this Friday. The three of them arrived about 10 minutes before I did, so imagine my surprise when they didn't have any drinks, and actually, hadn't seen a server yet. We waited 5 more minutes, then went to the hostess stand to see if we were supposed to go to the bar for service since we're a a high-top. We waited 5 more minutes, a server stopped at our table and said "has anyone been here yet?" We answered, "no," and she kept walking. At this point, we were already looking on our phones for a different restaurant. After a few more minutes, we were out the door. At the table behind us, a gentleman had to return his meal because something was wrong with it. He got his plate back about 5 minutes later, and immediately went to go find his server because it was still wrong. This was a very disappointing experience because I've been here before and really enjoyed it, but after this visit, I will never go back, and neither will my companions.
(1)
Ky H.
Scene: My sisters 30th birthday. Plan: To go to Fridays before a bar/lounge/club. Long story short, Fridays was super crowded and we ended up here. Food: Ok, NOTHING to brag about. I know this isn't a top notch restaurant, but I expected better. Service: Dismal. Our server, I wish I remembered his name, was almost non existent. He took our drink orders and didn't reappear for almost 15 minutes,NO BUENO!!! Then to top it all off, he screwed up our checks. We told him before we ordered that we needed separate checks. I even specifically told him my check would consist of mine, my husband and my 6yr old daughters orders. Please tell me why he brought out 3 separate checks for us, with 18% gratuity added to each??? WTH?!??!?!?!! He did fix it w/o a problem, but seriously, you really put a child's order on a separate check with gratuity added??? Rant over......P.S- The drinks suck.
(1)
Andrea W.
Imma make this review short and sweet... Literally their cornbread with honey, pecan butter is soooo excellent. But they are extremely slow and dare I say... Corny. Ok I said it. We came one night it just so happened to be karaoke. Bwahhahaha this is 11pm on a week night. The only people in a bar are old people with problems and they don't want to go home. Therefore you shouldn't scare them off with awful karaoke. And the only person singing is the announcer singing his rendition of some old school Barry White song
(3)
Erica B.
The hot tropic drink was good, the skillet cornbread was great, The tenders were nice, the fries were ok, the wings were sh++.. Service was great! Ohhh and the tv was very entertaining, most places have nothing interesting on!
(4)
Jim P.
Very good food and atmosphere. The staff can use with a little more urgency to help their guests...but all around very good. We went a little after lunch and the place was not busy so I expected a bit more attention from the staff. I recommend trying this place out.
(4)
Mel W.
We received a $10 off coupon in the mail so we decided to try this restaurant. We called the order in for carry-out, were quoted approximately 35-40 minutes. Upon arrival we were greeted by no hostess or anyone for that matter. After several other customers piled in, there was a confusing 15 minutes of waiting at the front for the proper person to help me. After finally receiving my order, the woman ringing me up argued with me about items that were missing. Finally get my food home, the brisket was small in portion, my Caesar salad was bare of any dressing, my mother's steak and spinach salad was bare of any dressing (really?) no sides of dressing in the bag. Apparently the burgers that the boys got were tasty. I would not subject myself to the hassle of dealing with this restaurant again, coupon or not.
(1)
Medina K.
OK food, OK drinks, service is OK. I've been a few times with family and friends. Everything was OK.
(3)
Paula P.
Service was great! Had the crowd pleaser app very yummy. Had the first salad listed. It was a side salad and loaded baked potato with either beef brisket in top or pulled pork. I had it with the brisket. The brisket was very fatty. The ranch salad dressing was warm. $6 for a pitcher of bud light. Had a $10 off coupon and no issue using it on a Friday night.
(3)
Sunny D.
blech. this place is NOT for anyone with tastebuds. we had a good waiter & the bathroom was clean. that's really all i can find to say about SB&FG that is any good b/c, the food? no and NO. let me put it this way: when i go grocery shopping i let the manchild pick his "one thing." that means, something that i likely would not be purchasing b/c it is junk food or just something more processed/packaged than i prefer to do. one time he selected a TV dinner called the "hungry man." it was a big frozen box w/ some sort of BBQ meat (yes, frozen BBQ - eewww), mashed potatoes, [creamed?] corn, mac & cheese, and a green vegetable i can't recall (i think string beans). everything, and i mean EVERYTHING was disgusting. it tasted like the most artificial, preservative-riddled, questionable-textured "food" ever. this kid, who has intestines of steel and will eat almost anything said, "mom, do i have to finish this? it's pretty gross." he knows i don't do wasting food, but i tasted it and took pity on him. it was just AWFUL!!! that's what the food at smokey bones is like. i doubt that they have any actual COOKS in the back b/c it's more likely that everything is just pulled out of packages and warmed or mixed with water and fluffed. the good news is that this location turns over every couple years and a new restaurant moves in. the bad news is that it's in PG county, where restaurants go to die.
(1)
C N.
Good ribs, terrible service. I had two bad experiences with carry out from Smokey Bones in the past month. On my last visit I went in to pick up an order that was called in. Upon entering the restaurant, there were about 8 people standing around waiting to be seated. There were no hosts or waiters to be found. I went to the takeout counter expecting someone to step behind the register shortly. Over Five minutes passed and no one came to the counter or said anything to me. At that point I went into the restaurant and flagged down a waitress asking her to call someone to the register. After several more minutes, a young lady showed up and apologized for the delay. She rang me up and while doing so asked if I would consider giving her a tip... I ignored her rather than Tell her how I really felt at the time. However, after the transaction was complete, she asked me again for a TIP...We'll at that point I had to let her know how I felt about the service, why she was not getting a tip, and that I would be posting something online as well. Better training of the staff should be of a immediate concern if they're going to retain return customers!!! Disgruntle Customers C&C Bowie, MD
(2)
J E.
Went there on Friday sat at bar service was slow and inconsistent. Ordered pretzels the sauces weren't even explained or pointed out when dish was delivered then ordered soup & sandwich got the Cuban sandwich was tasteless the soup however was awesome something stew can't remember the name but it was the only highlight. I waited 15 mins for my app and another 25 for my soup & sand this place was far from busy at the time, I can say that I certainly won't return to this location I will try another in the near future
(3)
Patty E.
Our dinner visit on a Wednesday night was one of the worst ever experienced. The hostess/greeter Simone had a terribly bad attitude, acted as though she hated her job, and overall ignored my husband and me. She never did greet us. Simone begrudingly lead us to our table with a "follow me" and did not provide a place setting for us at our table. Thus, when our meal arrived and was quickly dropped off, we had no silver ware to eat with. No one was around to help us. At this point, we were upset waiting for help. As Simone walked by, my husband made the statement, "Should we eat with our hands?" Simone then replied abruptly with major attitude, "What do you need?" In response, he said "What do you think we need?" When we asked to speak to the manager, she walked away from us. Aside from this unpleasant exchange, Simone treated us with contempt. I later informed the manager on shift that Simone should not be in a hostess position if she doesn't like people and can't show appreciation for customers. Then Elliot, our server, was horribly slow and it took him forever to give us our dinner check and to complete our bill transaction. In total disgust, we left no tip at all. It is unlikely that we will return to Smokey Bones in Bowie MD as the environment is unfriendly by the hostess and inefficient by the server. An all around lousy experience. The ribs were just average. In conclusion, why would this establishment continue to foster nasty employees by retaining someone as awful as Simone in the hostess job?
(1)
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
Address :15209 Major Landsdale Blvd
Bowie, MD, 20715
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner, Late Night Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Nic C.
Friday Early-Bird 4:25pm. Only one server taking 10min to order Drinks & another 25min to receive Food. Not the place to come with before a movie for whats should be simple food! While waitress was nice, others were not supporting diners.
(1)T M.
Stay clear of the macaroni and cheese Went to the restaurant yesterday for a take-out order. I had a half-slab of ribs, which were great, seasonlly well and really tasty. I also had a ceasar salad which was very good. Fresh croutons and cripsy romaine and the dressing matched well. Then came the mac and cheese. Awful. How does one mess up mac and cheese? It seemed like there was a strong seasoning like garlic in it. Really disgusting. If we forced ourselves to eat it we would have become ill. Money down the drain. The service was good. If the mac and cheese was not so hideous I would have given the restaurant more stars.
(2)Ma-e M.
Smokey Bones space is pretty and open space which I like but I'm not dazzled, not quite with the smoked beef brisket; the meat was not tender, not what I expect of a brisket. I imagined that Smokey Bones' description of 6 hours slowed cooked, 24 hours marinated brisket in the menu would be a success but it wasn't; a complete opposite: thinly sliced but not soft and tender and not well flavored. Bacon is better than this; Pho is better than this. Lies or exaggeration? is the same thing, not true and overrated. Smokey Bones tried to redeem with my order of apple wontons for dessert. It's truly wicked and a triple threat to my calorie count. It's SUPER SWEET because it is loaded with lots of sugar! I finished the three hot, crispy, apple-filled mini wontons and two scoops of ice cream, left out some baked small apple slices drizzled with caramel on the side. It's delicious to me, however, if you are not planning to do belly dance, these fats will get stuck in your belly. I say, not recommended if you are not sharing this dessert.
(3)Kira B.
This place was ALRIGHT. It reminds me of Famous Daves. The service was not good from the get go. There were 5 ppl standing behind the counter where they do carryout, but no one rushed over to seat us. So then some random server saw us and sat us. Waitress came over after 5-10 min and quietly asked us if we had been helped. No. Oh well then ill start you off. Really? Is this not your section? I had a feeling service was going to be iffy the rest of night. It didn't let me down. The restaurant was way warm (no air flow, fans would be nice), Slow slow service...Almost a nonchalant attitude about the whole thing, and the food was OK. I've had better.
(2)Dre S.
Great food and service. Erin the bartender was great. ;)
(5)Lori D.
They aren't serving BBQ today and I got conflicting stories as to why! To top it off, they were unapologetic! BBQ is a core component of their menu and I get the smoker is broken and the meat was overcooked without apology for inconvenience. A more customer friendly restaurant would have offered a free dessert or something!
(1)Jeffrey B.
I came here for a luncheon with my office. I was pleasantly surprised . The two highlights were the kettle chips and the service. The server displayed a knowledge of the menu and skill at recommending dishes that I normally only see at much nicer restaurants. The kettle chips actually had a little bit of soft potato left in the middle and a nicely crispy outside. They came with 3 very good dipping sauces including the delicious Tabasco butter. I got a pretty good salad. Since it was their lunch special that day it was only $5 so I was very pleased with the price.
(3)Jasti S.
Poker night here on Wednesdays is 5 stars (but minus 1 star now, because Smokey Bones has gotten too cheap to offer $0.25 wings anymore, despite the large crowd poker draws). And last night, my guy and I stopped in after our business briefing in Largo. The service was a bit slow, unfortunately (and it wasn't crowded). The drinks were cheap and good. My turkey was dried out and tough, however, which takes this place down to just A-OK for me. I still have a soft spot in my heart for Smokey Bones. Can't go wrong with ordering other meats (just not the turkey!), drinks, or going to play poker. And if you can, get Jackie as your server! I chit-chatted with her last night, and she wasn't even my server! She's awesome, and offers great menu recommendations. Plus she's funny.
(3)Ben J.
Ate here in a hurry. Was seated promptly. Bar was nice, many televisions. Waitress was extremely kind and helpful. Food was above average for a chicken Caesar and iced tea. Will go back because it is convenient. Went back. Second time the bar service (because the place was packed) was pretty bad. There isn't much service here, and once you get it, it's very rude. It's like we're not supposed to be there. Whatever! Food is decent. Iced tea tasted worse and I didn't get a refill, but they were happy to take my glass away.
(2)Olivia D.
ahh the pg county restaurant chain hateration. it runs deep. perhaps i have become jaded but my standards in pg have become relatively lower than other places due to the dearth of options in our livable communities. the reason why i've dined at smokey bones is because they keep inserting $10 off at least $20 coupons in the paper. i find it pretty easy to resist subpar chain bbq restaurants. but i find it very hard to resist $10 off $20 coupons. out of two visits' worth of meals, which included shrimp po'boy, ribs, brisket, turkey, fries, beans and a burger.... the best dish BY FAR has been the kids' menu's bbq chicken. the chicken is so tender and delicious and you get a quarter of it with a side for something like $5. the rest of the food is average and fairly forgettable. there was a dot of mold on my po'boy bread, the brisket is really really dry, the beans are super sweet, the fries are over salted... but thanks to that kids meal and the coupon, i give smokey bones a solid two stars.
(2)Linda W.
I would give them 1/2 point more if I could. This place is not my usual style, but we wanted to try somewhere different. Other Yelpers have said service was in attentive, but we had great service so I think They have resolved whatever issue they were having. We were greeted and seated immediately. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. Food was fine, fits the setting. More of a casual bar& restaurant place.
(3)Kelly G.
We went to Smokey Bones on a Wednesday evening for dinner, the greeter sat us and then told us that they didn't have any highchairs. OK, so I have 2 kids and there were only 2 other kids in the restaurant that evening. The manager then came over to us and said that she was trying to locate some so I told her that we could do 1 highchair and a booster seat and they couldn't find one of those either. Really! So 2 minutes later the server came over to take our order. I just looked at her like she had lost all her mind. First, I would like to know why you would try to seat us when we clearly said 3 adults and 2 highchairs and second why in the world would I want to eat dinner with my baby in my lap and my toddler jumping all over the place. None the less, we went to eat at a spot that could accommodate our children with 2 highchairs.
(2)Kendra G.
Went in with my family(5 of us) at what seemed like a slow time (3pm on a Friday). Our waitress had purple hair, she was somewhat nice, but failed to update us on our when our food was going to arrive, we waited a good 53 minutes from the time we ordered to the time we recieved our food. My mom had to ask when our food was coming, the waitress said "it should be 5 minutes", actually 10 min. later our food arrived and we had to put them into boxes to go so we could make a flight at bwi. If we had 2.5 hours to waste, i would've gave 3 stars. The waitress never apologized and didn't seem to anxious to make sure we were taken care of. Oh and sitting near the front of the restaurant, we could heae the wait staff, cussing and having inappropriate conversations loud enough for a 11 year old to hear. Im no prude, but it just sucks to have to explain to kid other peoples actions. The food was mostly a miss, things were either half cooked or hard. Which means either the cooks got our order late and rushed or they have everything precooked/made and we pretty much ate heated leftovers. I don't recommend this place to anyone. This is my 2nd attempt to like this place. The first time was a long wait time too and it was only 2 of us.
(2)Shantice J.
I visited yesterday for the first time. Service, food and desserts were great. Our waitress refilled our drinks in a timely manner and there wasn't a wait to get seated. I loved my pork Sammy and the baked beans were savory.
(5)Marion K.
OMG Kevin W. , I think the same 16 y/o girl was our hostess too. She didn't even speak when we came in, we had to speak to her. I had to point out why was there a 20 minute wait when there where 4 empty tables in the dining room and 2 in the bar, all of which she gave to everyone else when I specifically asked for a table at the bar. Oh, thats right one of the tables had an employee sitting at it on her cell phone while she was taking a 'break'. 1) Service, good luck. 2) Food, like most say, mediocre and forgettable. Its a shame b/c the first time or 2 I went and I've been to one in NC, their food was excellent and the portions were satisfyingly good. I thought I orders off the 'baby' menu the last time I got their pick 2/3 combo, my chicken wasn't even the size of a rolled up fist, and the ribs looked like they came from a cow on a diet! And I don't see too many anorexic cows. 3) Complained - good luck with the that. I told the manager about the hostess #1, he's like I'll talk to her about, #2 our ridiculous wait and there were empty tables, again, he says they needed to be cleaned. #3 our food, oh well, so sorry for your loss. It could have been his lackluster concern was because he was steady telling me he was getting off and there was another manager coming on duty that he'd reply my concerns too. But this is a busy location since its the only one in a 30-40 mile radius of the DMV area, so as long as they're charging high prices for bad food and they're store is packed they probably aren't too concerned about you individually. Oh, and the place is always 'LOUD'. But it is a wanna be sports bar in the bar area. And some character could help (color, nicer seating, etc.) Whats sad is when I went there when they first opened that location and a few months later everything was great and I had nothing but praise for them, along with other people I know. I guess the reality is after a few years and getting people hooked because of the few choices around, you lose sight of whats important, customer service. Now when I speak about Smokey Bones all I hear from people is contempt and complaints. I've been waiting since November to go back to use the $30 gift card I got suckered into buying for a $10 discount that I had to wait until January to use (do the math). I've chalked it up as a waste of my money, since now the gift card has found a place in my junk drawer! And whats sad is when I offer to use it, my crew would rather go someone else and 'pay' than be bothered with Smokey Bones.
(2)Carol C.
Alot of people seem to dislike SB. They should come to the one in Brandon Fl. We have been regulars for about 7 years, and have always been pleased with the food. Service can be iffy tho. Ribs are always good, my hubby loves the Brunswick stew, and the smoked wings are yummy. We don't do the alcohol (we can get a whole bottle for the price of 3 drinks). Eat at this one and you should be happy.
(4)Matt S.
Not bad for what it is... It's a chain BBQ restaurant, so you get decent food for a slightly high price. I read a few reviews from others and agree with a couple things said, mainly that the place will run out of something that you want to order, and the 16 year old host/hostess couldn't give 2 $hits if you get seated in a timely manner or not. I think he or she just wants to hurry and get off of work so he/she can go home and smoke some weed or drink some wine coolers, or whatever these teens are doing lately... Other than that, like I said, the food is about a 2.75 out of 5 stars...nothing spectacular, but not terrible either. If you go on a Sunday, whether afternoon or evening, be prepared for a crowded place to eat. Enjoy!
(3)Felishia L.
This place has an excellent happy hour. The appetizers are very large and all half priced. The drinks are cheap too. Service is ok. it does lack atmosphere, so bring your party with you.
(4)Tarra F.
Good food but they were out of syrup so the drink menu was very limited which was strange for 8pm and then to be told they're out of desserts at the conclusion of dinner. I gave a 3 because of the waitress she was excellent she was very helpful and attentive. Thanks Victoria!
(3)Tonya B.
Great service....Food is wonderful! Not to many Smokey Bones in the Maryland, so you can never get tired of eating here. This location in Bowie, MD has been remodeled giving it an open atmosphere. Great bar area, with 10 to 12 flats screens so you can enjoy any sports game available. On differnt nights, they have Poker night and Karoke. Great place for social events.
(5)Marcus W.
Smoked wings! Off the chain!
(4)Joyce E.
I've been here several times and the service and food is consistently good. They have a few specialty items that I really like such as the smokey bones (pretzels). Not a fan of the garlic/butter dip but the others are good. I have ordered light (soup and salad) and heavy (burgers). We have always been greeted, and seated quickly. Our service is quick and attentive. No complaints about food. If looking for a quick, easy meal with good variety, this chain is a very good alternative to others similar such as Applebees or Friday's. Don't be afraid to give this one a try.
(3)Amber S.
Yum!!! Great food variety!!!
(4)Michele W.
I am stunned at the reviews! I have been to this smokey bones only three times but every time the hostess has been friendly and expedient. I am always seated quickly, my servers are always attentive and the food has been good. I am glad that I haven't shared the horrible experiences that everyone else seems to have.
(4)Michelle B.
IMPORTANT: If you visit this establishment, they are guaranteed to have run out of something. Additionally, your table will be missing either utensils/plates/salt & pepper/fill-in-the-blank. Your server will not notice any of these omissions. The food is barely average and I'm over giving them chances to get it right, so no more visits from me. The pulled pork inevitably has some huge piece of fat that wasn't chopped off. The sides are bland. The drinks fall into 2 categories: crazy strong and nasty or ridiculously weak and a waste of money. The margaritas taste like Limeade. I don't like you Smokey Bones. I will be sticking with Famous Dave's for my subpar BBQ chain restaurant fix.
(1)Tempress M.
Totally wouldn't recommend this restaurant. My girlfriends and I went on a Fri night, and it wasn't busy at all (that should've been a sign). The aroma in there had an awful smell!! A guest had ordered fish, and obviously it wasn't fresh, because it reeked! Our server was slow--it took over 15 min for our drinks to come out, and over 30 min for our food. Just was not a pleasant experience whatsoever!
(2)Chasey R.
Just arrived from new york. My friends brother ask if i was hungry and being that it was almost 1 pm, i said yes. I asked what is smoky bones. We go there, it wasn't crowded. They sat as down very fast. I thought the food was great and the portion was large. Had to bring some home.
(5)Tiffani N.
We frequented a location in Orlando for years when we lived there so I got excited when I found a Smokey Bones here in MD. They have tasty BBQ and really good wings. Their sides are also pretty good. Our biggest draw was their delicious cinnamon donuts for dessert. The last time we came a few months ago, they had run out of the donuts. Okay... Well, needless to say after all the food was eaten during our most recent visit all we could think about was those donuts. They serve them in a paper bag w/ dipping sauces and we were salivating when they were served. Opened up the bag and saw teeny, tiny little hard discs with powdered sugar. Not what we remembered from Orlando. Sooooo... after a bite of the dry, crumbly "donut" and the waitress assuring us that's how they're supposed to look (not), we sent them back. I cannot tell you how disappointed we were. Not sure if it's just that location but I can't imagine why they ever changed a thing about that dessert. Upside is they have a 15% discount on food if you sign up for the rewards club.
(3)Maura M.
I'm surprised at the other reviews. My husband and I often venture over to SB for our cheap night out. We get so much food for such a good price that it is hard to resist. Normally I go for the pulled pork and flipping fingers combo and save the fingers for the next day's lunch. Their sides are good, usually I get the slaw and loaded mash. For the people who say it is not enough food... I am not sure what you ordered, but we ALWAYS have to take some home and we are not shy about eating. Is it the best food ever, not, it is chain BBQ but for what it is, I think it is good.
(4)Rese N.
I went to this restaurant because of the good food, but i guess it doesn't apply to the one in bowie, maybe somewhere else like VA (I've heard is really good). We had 11 people at one table which can be a hand full, so why not a high efficient waitress? no we get a girl that may be new at. Whether if she was new or not it was clearly over whelming to her. She messed up the orders and when you didn't get your correct side she grabbed off your plate leaving it on your food. The drinks were mostly good from what everyone says but it took a while, one co-worker ordered an alcoholic drink and got one with no alcohol, then it finds out that they were out but still did not tell the waitress leaving her under the bus. Then the cooks didn't cook the food all the way. Ribs still bloody red, they are ribs not steaks, they need to be well done. Oh and the bathroom was covered in pee with the toilet papers in it and the trash can fill over the rim piled up against the wall and on the floor. On told the manager, didn't seem to care about the bathroom when I told him of the condition and when we showed him the bloody rib he just took it, walked away. We told him the few things but nothing. It was kinda unprofessional for the waitress telling all the other waiters and waitresses the situation and that she was clearly upset at us but really do that when we leave not in our faces and n front of other people as well. Yeah the only good thing was i was able to watch the game.
(2)Justin H.
For a barbecue joint, this place has some pretty small portions. Took the girlfriend out for dinner, and got a steak salad and some fried mushrooms for an appetizer. The mushrooms were alright, but there was so much garlic in the sauce that we both felt sick the rest of the night. Oh, and they brought out the mushrooms for my salad in a ramakin, because they completely forgot to put them on the actual salad. Nice job, there. That said, the waitress herself was really quite nice. The one thing that makes me give them 2 stars instead of just the one, frankly. Very friendly and helpful, and came out pretty quick to fix remedy my salad situation. That said, I have a simple rule for barbecue: If I'm so sick I can't stay in my seat for the twenty minutes before my movie starts after dinner, I won't go back.
(2)Chip H.
I have eaten here often and enjoy the family/sports bar ambience. The food is generally good, of good value, and the choices of barbecue sauces and rubs are quite nice. SB seems to have dropped the expectation that servers sit down with you to discuss your orders (odd!), but in general we have found servers to be pelasant and reasonably prompt. I like the Memphis rubbed ribs, and the BBQ chicken is smoky and moist. I like the selection of draft beers and tall glasses. The menu changes regularly, so be prepared when go back that it is a tad different. Their standard fare of ribs, pulled pork and chicken remains the same.
(4)Josh T.
I used to love Smokey Bones, don't get me wrong. But my most recent visit spurred this review. When I visited, it was during happy hour, but it wasn't busy at all. The bar was dirty and sticky, it evidently hadn't been wiped down since the last patron. The bartender was quick for the initial order and her service was good. I've had bad service here in the past, but no complaints this time. The food however, could use some serious work. When I first started coming here, they had Beer Battered Onion Rings, they were amazing. For whatever reason, they removed them from the menu and eventually replaced them with your generic store bought frozen rings. I've had better out of my own oven. If I was the manager, they would come off the menu altogether. If you can't serve something you can be proud of, then it should never leave the kitchen. My burger was okay. The beef was good and cooked to order but it needed more BBQ on it, luckily I had some bottles within reach. The bun was also borderline stale. Needless to say, it will be a while before I decide to return to this establishment.
(2)Heather R.
Smokey Bones should be renamed "Smokey Pile of Turd". I rarely despise a restaurant; I'm not the pretentious type to snub a restuarant simply because it's a chain or lacks a fine ambiance. That said, I hated everything about my experience at Smokey Bones. The food portions must have been designed to feed a fashion model, as my side of broccoli consisted of about five pieces of overly-buttered once-frozen vegetable florets in a gigantic plastic dish that only served to emphasize the scarcity of food. The ribs were small and also impoverished, as well as the service: our waitress forgot about our table several times during the course of the long, incredibly painful evening. Don't go anywhere near here--- hit the Outback down the street off of 450 if you can't control your carnivorous cravings and need some juicy animal parts to sate your appetite. Whatever you do, steer clear of this restaurant.
(1)Ireyna P.
The BBQ Chicken was on point, this is my second time having it. I tasted some of my sister's burger and I have to say that I've had better. I don't think the cook understood the difference between medium and rare. Krystine was very nice and attentive.
(3)David W.
Was in town on business with a couple of co-workers and needed a quick late night spot to grab dinner after all day of being on a plane. We were staying right next door to this place, so it seemed like a natural. We were seated right away, the place was empty, it was a little after 8pm. Our server was OK, nothing great, but ok, she seemed to really not fully understand the menu. The food was just ok. I had the BBQ chicken and it was pretty good. Well cooked and juicy. The sides were uninspired, and boring. I had the BBQ beans and the mashed potatoes and gravy. All in all, it was ok. Not a bad late night nosh to keep the munchies at bay, but not tops on my list of places to go in the area.
(3)Robert R.
Waited 20 min for server to show up and he did not have a clue how to take a order. Never once did a manager come by to Check how our food and service was like every other chain does. When we got our food the server never once asked how are food was or ask if we wanted refills on our drinks. I should have looked at yelp reviews first. Corporate needs to come to this place and do a clean sweep. Only reason I give two stars in food was hot and decent. Also no soap or paper towels in bathroom. How do employes practice correct hygiene standards??
(2)B H.
Good Spot to watch the game and get BBQ. The ribs were delicious, I would have liked if the turkey was fresh carved. I love you can pay with your CC right at the table. Joined the Bones club and got a free app for next visit. They have a healthy menu - which looks really good and I applaud them for that. Excited to have a big beer and watch the game next visit. Would like to see cornbread with meal instad of toast. Thanks - We will be back Cool lodge feel setting to realx and dine in !
(4)Kofi A.
It is with a heavy, heavy heart that my review of my Smokey Bones experience and food were less than stellar. In fact, it was awful. To quote the woman next to me at the bar, "it was a hot mess!" Where to begin? Getting a seat at the bar was easy for a Friday night. The bartender Britini was attentive and punctual with my wife and my drinks. She wasn't the only bartender, bustling around the crowd bar. The drinks were good and our eight spicy garlic wings were good, too. If we didn't have To-Go items, then Smokey Bones would have earned four stars or better. But we did have To-Go items. My wife ordered the beer can chicken with coleslaw and steamed broccoli, for my mother-in-law she ordered a Double-trouble, which was supposed to be two different styled-ribs, one barbecued and one steamed. And I ordered the Pulled Chicken Chopped Salad. It took well over an hour before we got the first To-Go item, which was my wife's Beer Can Chicken. There wasn't any coleslaw, so we waited for beans. The second To-Go items came, but again the sides were wrong, so we had to wait again on fries. By the time my unchopped salad came, the Double-Trouble wasn't what it was advertised and the beer can had lost it's flavor. In fact, when we got home, my wife threw up the beans and my mother-in-law's ribs were tough. I hate when a great place becomes terrible. If it was just last night (Friday November 7, 2014), then I could chalk it up to a bad night. But Smokey Bones, which used to be my go to place, has been slipping for a while now.
(2)Dvon P.
I used to love this place and they blew it.. Food was decent but portions are tiny for a steakhouse. They dropped to all making me wait tooooooo long for my meal and the drink was weak.com .. Never coming back
(1)Unique W.
So I want to start with I can not make this review up. I work in customer service and I am big on it. I will pay for great customer service and okay food. However, this was not the case, my friend and I waited fifteen minutes. After flagging a busboy to get my drink and appetizers. Out food came thirty minutes later. After waiting an hour, we got the manger to get my friend her Sangria, she had placed this order when we first Sat down. Overall there customer service is horrible.
(2)Lillian S.
Been there a half a dozen times. Each time the service was friendly but very slow. The food was not very good either. If you're local in Bowie, better to go to DuClaws for food or Apple Bees on Thursday nights if you want to just hang and enjoy the vibe.
(1)Neen S.
OK, I have been holding off on writing a review for Smokey Bones because the food is actually tasty but the restaurant itself is so poorly managed that I can barely be positive. I have now given them three visits, one of which was against my will because my girlfriends just didn't want to heed my warning. Keep in mind, one star is because the food is actually tasty. Visit one: The beau and I decided to pick up an order to go as it was game night and what better than some barbecue while watching the Wizards. We went to the bar to put our order in only to be told at 6pm on a Monday night that they were out of brisket. Huh??? But you're a barbecue joint. OK, we then ordered wings and the west coast club minus bacon. Keep in mind it's a Monday night, the restaurant has about 5 diners in it and again, it's 6pm. The bartender put our order in and we sit at the bar sipping water, waiting. Now, the bartender was nice, friendly and attentive so one star is acknowledging that. An hour later, and now we just watched tip-off from the bar, our order comes out. Thankfully the order was right. Visit two: This was the visit that prompted a letter to corporate. We again stop in for a take out order. The restaurant was fuller this time but not packed. A family of 5 or 6 was waiting to be seated, we approach the counter to put in an order. A woman walks in behind us who had called her order in 45mins prior. You would expect her order to be waiting for her when she arrives...nope. While the beau and I and this woman stood at the counter waiting for someone to acknowledge us, the beau walks out for a stogie and a young lady comes out of the kitchen to help us. I place our order reiterating NO BACON on my sandwich. Our order goes in and I step aside. The woman with the order to pick up then stands there for another 35mins awaiting her order while she and I chat about what in the world is going on and why are they so slow. I've now gone outside to give an update to the beau and come back into the restaurant. The family of 5-6 never got seated and they left. I'm still waiting and the woman has received half of her order and is waiting on the other half. Another group walks in, never gets acknowledged and walks out. The young lady at the counter is overwhelmed because the kitchen is in shambles and orders are taking too long. I walk back out to chat with the beau and a large group approaches. We both warn them to go somewhere else. They enter and about 5mins later all walk out. I return to the counter at which point our order is ready...thankfully I check it because there is bacon on my sandwich. We now have to wait another 20 mins for a new turkey sandwich. In the meantime, I walk around to find the manager and complain that the place is poorly managed, he's had three large groups of people walk out and why are we waiting so long for take-out orders. He apologizes and says he'll check to see what's going on in the kitchen. I then see him helping the kitchen out, never returning to apologize to the woman who had been waiting or tell me what's going on or offer a cold beverage for that matter. We finally get our order at the same time as the woman. By this time we are all annoyed and just want to take our food and go. Of course, I get home to find my order has been turned into a chicken sandwich, but at least no bacon. I call the restaurant from home to talk to the manager and am on hold for 12 minutes until I finally just hang up. Visit three: Short version; nice waiter, slow service, kitchen and wait staff not communicating, out of brisket again, manager not acknowledging the chaos, etc., etc., This is the most poorly run establishment. Nice wait staff, but slow service, short-staffed, food supply not properly stocked, kitchen mismanaged, oblivious manager, etc. I'm told they have a new regional person and things will get better. Doubtful! You're better off at Ruby Tuesday's up the street or Jerry's if you don't mind a pricier menu. This place is disgraceful!
(2)Nancy C.
Went here once and it's like any other chain with standard American fare. The bbq was pretty good but nothing standing out extremely either. The bar area is nice and open which I liked and the bar tender there made some awesome shots and drinks last time I was there. Definitely check out for happy hour its a good time!
(2)KEVIN L.
,,whomever hired these managers should be fired!!!!!! horrible management OUR DRINKS WERE FREE!!!!!
(1)Solomon D.
I wanted to like this place just because the name is very cool. However, the food is definitely not as good as the name. I ordered a create your own combo with sliced smoked turkey breast, smoked beef brisket, fire-roasted corn, mashed potatoes & brown gravy. This sounds like a really good meal. However, you know the meal was bad/sub-par when the best thing you ate was the corn. Smokey Bones gets two stars only for the drink specials and the fact that they have a lot of TV's for game watching.
(2)June G.
They were out of everything. We came to the area for Jerry's but they were closed for a private party. We sat down here and another patron said " don't even try, they are out of everything" And they were. We had 2 Grey Goose drinks, ordered a third, but no. No Ciroc, the bottle was empty Looks like Kettle One or Absolut. The food was mediocre at best. Go to Jerry's or Rips.
(2)Elsa M.
The wings are great. Outside of that, if you are waiting for takeout, prepare to wait an extra 30 minutes minimum BEYOND what your estimated time is quoted. Also, prepare for the 50/50 chance that your order is missing something. Servers when you are sitting are fine, but the ones at the takeout desk seem annoyed and rushed. Perhaps it is because they annoyed and rushed. lol! I think if this location were better staffed (both in quantity and perhaps quality as well in some cases), it would be much better off. We used to come here on game days, but it's a zoo now with so many people. Better off going to Glory Days, even with their big box TVs.
(2)Pamela V.
A serious disappointment. I ordered the pulled chicken cobb salad. It was mostly iceberg lettuce,was missing the avocado completely, and the scant cold chicken looked like it was a few days old. The wait was especially long, too,but unfortunately not worth it.
(1)Ben B.
Still slow as all get out. 20 minutes for a drink. Wings... Well let's just say I could've raised the chicken faster. I know there's one bartender and she's cute but.... She needs help! Hope the entree is quicker...
(3)Brooke T.
2.5 stars y'all. Alright, Friday night, dinner with the male parental. We decided on this place. Located right across the street from the Bowie Town Center, in the same area of the movie theater. It is in between the Jerry's and the Fridays. Considering the location, the time, and the day, I suppose I was expecting it to be more crowded. The service was moderate. She was attentive, but I think she may have missed a bit. I requested things that she just blame forgot. They were little things, but that at times irks me. Just listen, doh! The food was alright, I tried the spinach salad with the honey grilled salmon. I think it is a fairly new menu item that is SUPPOSED to be light regarding the whole caloric intake thing. Now it is only light if the dressing is used sparingly, read: not added to the dish. HA! So, I requested that my dressing be placed on the side, because I don't like my spinach drenched and I didn't know if I would actually like the dressing. That didn't quite happen, I believe she thought I was requesting additional dressing, because what came out was soggy spinach and a side of dressing. Sheesh! The salmon was seasoned nicely, the dressing was okay. I'd like to go back to try the other stuff, but I guess when I place my order I have to be crystal clear, super specific, well you get the idea. Ah well.
(2)Montie Y.
Absolutely terrible. Horrible service... Unfortunately, I HAVE to give one star n order to warn you to RUN far away from this place if you want decent service. Go to Jerry's or LongHorn.
(1)John L.
Food is pretty good. The service is awful. They bill you for the wrong things, your food never comes the way you order it. They tried several different bartenders most are bad. Only go to this bar if all the others are filled and then you may try going to another county.
(1)Darrell K.
There seems to be some tough reviews here, mostly due to the service. Since I've only come in here for carry out, I can't speak to the service. I always get a full rack of baby backs and walk away satisfied. I may need a blindfold test to see if I like Red Hot Blue or Famous Dave or Smokey Bones better. I think I may give Famous Dave the edge. They have a smokier flavor with larger sides. But since this is the only real BBQ place in Bowie, I usually come here for my baby backs.
(3)Wendy M.
Awful!! Waited long time to get food. When it finally came, they got my boyfriends order wrong. My salmon was dry & chewy. My broccoli was water-logged & disgusting. We won't be back. :(
(1)James C.
It's a great place for watching the game and the drinks were pretty good but sometimes a bit watered down. Best times to go are on the weekends as the weekday staff seems pretty inexperienced which is pretty normal at most places. Good location to start at for the rest of your date night in the Bowie town center!
(3)Hope L.
This was my third or fourth time trying this place and I must say I saw some improvements and I am looking forward to going back! So here's the rundown; I ordered the rib (baby back) combo with pulled pork, onion rings and mac and cheese. Ribs were very tasty, I've tasted ribs more tender but these were pretty good. The Mac and Cheese was a little too garlicky for my taste buds (and I LOVE garlic) but it was ok. I think I tried the Mac and Cheese last time I was there and it wasn't so garlicky. Overall it's worth giving it a try. Sorry but I didn't taste the Onion Rings but they looked good :-) We started with the appetizer combo. The southwestern rolls were delicious!! Chili Fries were awesome! Sorry I didn't try the chicken tenders..they looked a little dry, nothing exciting so I decided not to try it. Ordered the smoked wings and they were pretty good too. I noticed that they have all you can eat wings on Monday nights. They are definitely worth getting again. My friend had BBQ Baked Beans and Sausage for a side and he said the sausage is really good. We both like the beans. They compliment the ribs very well. Our waitress was very friendly. We went around lunch time and it was a little busy so considering she was being pulled in quite a few directions she did her best to take care of our table and make sure we had everything we needed. Overall, I enjoyed my meal here and will be going back soon. Going to check out there Monday night special REALLY soon! I'll keep you posted!
(4)Laine S.
Pros - great for watching the game, funny sexual innuendos all over the walls, good place to get drunk if you have wads of money. Cons - loud people watching the game, not family appropriate sexual innuendos all over the walls, drunks amidst the bars, slow/incompetent workers. Summary - Great for chilling young adults wasting life away, bad for people who want to eat, leave, or bring a family.
(1)SJ B.
Food was fair and we had a few different items to share. Waiter was good, but was confusing at the same time. I wouldn't go back.
(2)Alyce J.
It's a shame. I actually LIKE this restaurant's food, service, set-up, etc. EVERYWHERE but here! First, we had to Greet the Greeter who otherwise looked as if we had walked in on him while he was in the middle of...well, something more important than acknowledging customers. Second, we sat for 13 minutes before a server appeared. Seriously? At that point, the restaurant was half empty. Alas, the reason became clear: there was literally ONE server working. And, I mean this dude was hustling! We spotted one other server who was apparently on break. Third, my salad was warm and my entree (ribs and fries) were cold! Not sure how that happens. Oh, and the skillet cornbread that is usually delicious...skip it! Mine was not done all the way through and literally made me gag! Fourth, the have this little machine that allows you to on at your table. I guess this is cool since finding a server is so hard. Of course, we couldn't actually USE this as our bill was incorrect! In all fairness, the server did his best to keep up. Of course, it's the first night of the NBA Finals so, business picked up quickly. Still, no servers...no refills on water or soda...no check in on dessert...no nothing except...finally..."hey, if you are ready to check out just hit this button and swipe your card!" Yeah, I get it....you want my table! Oh, one more thing--the clientele, floors, restroom and overall vibe was...SCUZZY at best! I just cant't...go back!
(2)TL W.
The pork my companion had was very good, he said, but maybe it was just that we were so grateful to get the food. We were seated right behind the front divider, and then had 20 minutes of servers walking by us without looking at us. I had to start waving and yelling "excuse me" to get anyone to even look at us, and then felt like we better order immediately because who knew when we'd see the server again. Then it took another 15 minutes to get drinks. The host could obviously see us, and paid no attention to my waving or that we were ignored for so long. No explanations or apologies for the delays, and only half the tables were full at the time. I would have given it two stars but the pork was good and not too expensive, and there were some low priced choices.
(3)Jay W.
My wife and I went there for dinner and absolutely no one came to wait on us! Imagine being in a restaurant for almost 30 minutes without being offered a drink of water. This was a horrible experience to say the least about my favorite restaurant. We left because apparently we were not welcome to eat there!
(1)Deanna C.
First, the food here is pretty good. The issue with this place is bad waitstaff and an under stocked kitchen. I ordered Mac and cheese and got chicken tenders. They were out of everything and didn't tell customers until after you sat and placed the order.
(1)Keven M.
If I could give this place 0 stars I would. I visited on Saturday May 10th and had the worst restaurant experience I have had in a long time. Before heading over, I called and asked if they had any current specials. I was informed Happy Hour food and drink specials start at 6pm. Upon entering I was welcomed by a horrific smell, what smelled like raw sewage backing up. I should have exercised common sense and left. However I decided to give a try anyways and was sat in the bar area by the hostess so I could take part in the Happy Hour. Our waiter was bottom of the barrel. He took almost 15 minutes to greet us at our table, even though the restaurant was not very busy. I asked the server what specials were being offered and it went downhill fast. He told me there were no specials, and rudely interrupted me and walked off when I politely explained to him what I was told before. After 30 minutes had passed we still did not even have water brought to our table. The waiter then passed by our table and I asked to speak with the manager. The waiter continued to do his own thing and never got the manager. I had to get up and find the manager. We left and will never come back. There are far too many awesome restaurant choices in the area to go to this cesspool.
(1)Sebastien B.
Quick review. There were 9 of us in a group. Our waitress took 30 min to serve us an orange juice and the alcoholic drinks had no alcohol at all. We had to send them all back but still got charged for them. After the food came, the waitress left and never came back. A new waiter offered to help us and we just gave up and asked for the check. We watched him stand at the cash register for another 30min trying to figure out how to get our receipt. My girlfriend went up to ask why he was taking so long and he said he was still working in it.
(1)Mary B.
We order take out and/or eat in the restaurant frequently. Every time we order takeout including today, we have items missing such as dipping sauces and today one entire item. We returned tonight because it was all appetizers we ordered for the Superbowl Game and would like the items that were supposed to come with the food per the menu. I just hate this restaurant for its staff's total incompetence. Also, someone had abandoned a backpack in the waiting room. My husband talked to two different employees about it but they were not concerned. On Super Bowl Sunday in the Washington DC area, this is a concern. A concern important enough to warrant the attention of your employees when pointed out. I will never go or order from here again. There are some other nicer restaurants always opening around here and I would suspect that when Smokey Bones closes, we will get something better.
(1)Jason A.
I was hoping to really like this place but I did not. Walked into the place and it was nearly dead. The hostess was nowhere to be found and the girl taking to go orders couldn't find her and took nearly five minutes to be seated. Once we were seated the waitress didn't come by for about ten minutes. The hostess had to take our drink order. When the waitress finally came around we were able to order. At one point my glass of water is empty and the waitress looks at it and just walks past. Now the food starts to come and we did not have any silverware to eat it with. I asked for some from the guy that brought us our food and he said okay. Then a few minutes goes buy and another guy stops by to see how ever thing is. I told him "I don't know. I don't have anything to eat it with." Takes him five minutes to locate silverware. Then no one ever came by again. Now for the food.....Nacho's were not bad and I would eat them again. The "Texas Brisket" had no seasoning and didn't have any smoke on it. I don't know how you can smoke a brisket and have it come out with out the smell or taste of smoke is beyond me. Now I know brisket is fatty but when a third of my dinner was just fat that you don't want to eat. It's truly said that broccoli was the highlight of my meal. Eat here at your own risk! You should go to Mission BBQ or Famous Dave's!
(1)Dwayne H.
Terrible night @ Smokey Bones. This was a 1 person table & order easy right? Wings seemed lesser grade ( fatty / excess skin ) wing sauce was but an after thought. Incorrect type burger returned & waited 20 minutes for correct type. Bill was grossly incorrect as restaurant charged me for their incorrect / returned burger. Waitress returned with " revised" bill only to be shown it was still incorrect. Worked through multiple managers attempting to get a 1 person bill correct,. Ended over paying by $1.50 just to leave the disaster
(1)Deanna M.
Smokey Bones has recently changed owners, hired new employees, and has much higher standards than before. Go check out the wonderful difference! I will be back and with friends and family. Also I might add, they are no longer a Darden owned business. Fun environment, great food, and upbeat/friendly staff.
(4)T K.
Unfortunately this review is negative. I went based on a recommendation as a friend enjoyed the wings and cocktails in the bar area so that same friend and I decided to try for dinner. What a joke! They were out of most items on the menu. As such, we ended getting the wings and then we ordered sandwiches. Well, the smoked wings arrived 1.5 hours later and luckily they were hot and tasty. However, the polite but incredibly slow waitress informed us that she had forgotten to place our meal orders and needed to ask us again. (What the what!?) By the time our sandwiches arrived, they were cold and incorrect. How does one forget the mayo, mustard, pickles, and cheese on a Cuban? When she returned back to our table 20 minutes later, we let her know that the meal orders were incorrect so without hesitation she removed them from our bill. The bill was promptly brought to the table and the payment was collected quickly. My friend and I were totally disappointed and left with space in our bellies for Chipotle.
(1)Ed H.
I came here for dinner because it was walking distance from the Hampton Inn. So far, the service is horrible. I sure hope the food is worth it.
(1)Marissa T.
Ok, disclaimer. Me and my husband are 60 year olds in 30 yr old something bodies. We went to a late lunch on a Saturday at approximately 4pm. Therefore, no lunch crowd and no night crowd; walked in and were seated right away. Our type of establishment! We were asked if we would prefer a regular table or a high table in the bar area. That's nice they even gave us an option, so we opted for the bar area because of all of the TVs. Lots of TVs everywhere where no matter where you are seated, you are able to view at least 2-3 at an easy glance, then another additional 3-4 if your turn to look at the main tv's above the bar. May I also mention they had the college Cheerleading competition on?!?! THAT deserves a STAR on its on coming from a former competitive cheerleader (spirit fingers!!!!). Everytime something tight was done by the team, I would exclaim, "ooooo!! Watch this watch this!" Way to turn the tables this time around!!!!! Ha!! Ok. Now to the important parts: Service: not sure what her name was, but she was pleasant and did give me a good margarita recommendation. She was attentive enough to make sure we were taken care of without being all up in our space. The mgr even came around and asked how things were, which I always like. Next important topic: FOOD. Ehhhhh. Mediocre. This place is a BBQ joint, so as it is my first time here, I got some type of BBQ. I got the brisket sandwich that's like a Philly cheesesteak. Ehhh. I wish I could say more,but I can't. My husband got a burger. He says it was okay too. He really liked the baked beans. If you want a chain type BBQ, I would prefer Famous Daves. Anyway. The highlight of my visit was the non-packed restaurant, cheerleading on the tv, and a nice waitress who knows a good drink. We would come back just to avoid going to Bowie Town Center for lunch.
(3)K B.
My husband and I went here after living in the area for a couple years and discovered we had been missing out on great food! We've been here several times since and I ended up downgrading my review from 5 to 4 stars, mostly based on routinely slow service. Food - Based on server recommendations, we got the chicken pot pie pasta and the Sammy and soup combo. Both were fabulous! There are several different BBQ sauces on the table. On a separate trip we also got the excellent chocolate cake (an extra scoop of ice cream is needed for the huge slice of cake). Service - Friendly service most of the times we've been here. It gets busy during peak hours, and service can be very slow at times. It seems they have servers covering tables in separate areas of the restaurant. Price - $$ / $10-20 per person Atmosphere - Nice casual atmosphere with large restaurant seating area and large bar with several TVs.
(4)Jacqui D.
Totally disappointed. My husband took the family there, the dining room was half full, they sat us in the back. We waited 20 min with waiters standing around talking to each other. No one came over to wait on our table, so we left. Terrible experience, won't be going back again. Went to the Friday's next door, great service good food.
(1)Mariah B.
Horrible horrible customer service . The waiter kept disappearing . We waited a hour to get our food which was only a burrito and fries . Very unprofessional in there . I will never go back to this location !!
(1)Kalila W.
I've only eaten the buffalo wings here (not the smoked wings - i remember i asked for buffalo once and they gave me these - i was not happy.). Today though, for some reason, the chicken had a weird/inconsistent texture. That's unfortunate, because based off of two other times, i considered these the perfect buffalo wing - the perfect buffalo sauce evenly coating a nicely fried wing. Also had a Blueberry Mojito even though i ordered a Blackberry Faux-jito.. when i was drinking it, the bartender told me it was her first time making one. I was thinkin "..hmm.. is there alcohol in this.. almost tastes like it" (T'was DELICIOUS tho). I was just convinced it wasn't alcohol since i ordered a non-alcoholic drink... i even denied the buzz i was starting to get. Saw the bill and was like...ohh...that explains it (but i told them they made a mistake and they priced it for the Faux-jito.) SO make sure you ENUNCIATE when ordering. The bartenders were cool tho - but this one chick was like waaayyyy to chipper..like LOUD and just full of energy..to the point that a stranger next to me commented on it, annoyed. If she could just pipe down a litttlllee bit, the service would have been more enjoyable.
(3)K T.
Went here on a Friday night around 7p.m with a party of 7. Place was pretty empty and we were seated immediately. Our waitress was friendly enough, but as a waitress she less than mediocre. Drinks sat empty for long periods of time, multiple times she forgot things and it took two or three times to get it right. She kept disappearing, and rarely came to the table. The food was brought out by someone else and she never bothered to see how everything was or if we needed anything. For the most part everyone was satisfied with their food. The SouthWestern Scorcher wasn't even remotely spicy/hot. I had the smoked wings, with added sweet brown sugar sauce. Not a fan. Something about a dry rub and wings just doesn't work out well. Also, there was the random man who wandered throughout the restaurant the entire time we were there. It was so strange, he just kept walking around and staring at tables, but never stopped to say anything to anyone. We were there for over an hour, and he did it the whole time. We saw him go into the kitchen once, so we're assuming he was some sort of manager, but the vibe he was giving off was a no-go. Really, this place just loses stars because of the service. If that could be corrected, it would be pretty decent.
(3)Rene D.
Wow. I really try to give a business a chance, and I usually try a restaurant at least twice before giving it a bad review to allow for an off night. But the service was (and I can't think of a better word) incompetent. Fourth of July at 7PM, and nobody waiting to be seated. But the crowd at the takeout desk was three-deep with frustrated people. We just wanted to pick up ribs and head out to a picnic bench in a nearby park, which we have done at Famous Dave's in 15 minutes. However, after ten minutes we were not even acknowledged. I grabbed a menu from the order desk and made my decision, and suddenly several orders came out and about half the crowd left. Then it got weird...there were three (three!) servers standing behind the order desk listening to two women agonize over their order, and after a few moments one of the servers asked if we were waiting for a pick up. When I said we were waiting to give our order he just turned and walked away. Then the guy next to me complained he had been waiting 30 minutes, and they had checked four times for his order. We gave up and left for Five Guys.
(1)Cammie B.
This was by far the worse barbecue I've ever had and I now know why the parking lot was empty. Don't waste your money. Go to Famous Daves!
(1)B W.
So, this restaurant would get high stars for its food and beverages, but the service here is really awful. I usually frequent Smokey Bones during their after hours specials from pm til, but the servers act as if they do not want to wait on you. Last we went, we weren't waited on for our server 15 minutes, for a manger to have to tell someone (our "drink server") to take our order. We we then transferred to a "food server", who after we order, told us "oh, the grill has been closed for 30 minutes."
(3)Rene R.
I have to start this review by saying ALEX with the Batman belt was awesome and he walked into a crappy situation and did an amazing job to make it better. That said - here's what happened... 1st - there were no paper towels in the ladies room. And then, we had a party of 10 adults, 2 kids and 1 baby. They seated us once when we were still waiting on the last couple to arrive. About 10 minutes later, someone named Rodney came by, introduced himself and set down a few coasters and straws. He ran out and went to grab more (at this point the last couple had arrived.) He dropped off a few more coasters, and then he disappeared. Almost 20 minutes later we flagged down a server and asked if we could have a manager. A man in a stripped shirt came over, said he was a manager and proceeded to take our complete order. Apparently their fountain drinks are handmade because once we had been seated for 45 minutes (lots of watch checking happening by this time) I requested 12 glasses and two pitchers of water. And about 5 minutes later servers with trays of drinks began to appear. We've been seated almost an HOUR without even being given water. And the guy in the stripped shirt introduced us to our new server - Alex in the batman belt! Most of our appetizers appeared shortly after. A table of 12 and no appetizer plates when clearly we were sharing them. And like I said only MOST of them arrived. 10 min or so later food began trickling out. (At this time we've been at our table well over an hour and two of the appetizers still have not arrived.) Then two orders were apparently forgotten. Some people had almost finished their food when the last meal arrived along with one of the two final appetizers. The food was hot and my meal was good. Except the Mac n cheese - it resembled Velveeta and was quite bland. We had all planned on ordering dessert but were fairly disenchanted by this point. We were celebrating a birthday however so we got the birthday man some yummy chocolate cake. I had a bite, it was yummy. At this point, the final appetizer was brought out and at the request of the person ordering placed in a to go container. When the bill came there was an offer to remove the drinks from our bill as we had waited almost an hour to get them. Frankly that wasn't good enough for most of us. I don't normally think a restaurant should give discounts but when you fail to deliver the most basic of service you should do more than discount a few cokes. We weren't even offered an apology by anyone other than the server who arrived for his shift and did what he could to smooth over a crappy situation. We split the check evenly and we made it a point not to punish the server with a crappy tip when he wasn't the reason why the meal started off so badly. I'd like to say I'll give them another try. But I've had better service at Chic Fil A - we probably won't be back. At least not if it's our night to pick the restaurant. And since I doubt the people at smokey bones will actually read this - I am sending it directly to them. If you feel compelled to go, you should call first and see if Alex is working. If not, you may want to go somewhere else!
(1)Sid P.
We have been here several times. Unfortunately this time was horrible. Nachos were small. Server was absolutely clueless and so slow. Brought the wrong drinks. Forgot the kids drinks. Spent his entire time in the kitchen instead of tending to the 3 tables he had.
(1)Julie W.
My husband and I have dined-in at this location maybe twice in the past 8 months. Overall we had a good experience with the food and service. However, I don't know what the rave is about the skillet cornbread......I found it to be dense, dry and hard to swallow. But on to the real complaint...... On Sunday, June 8, 2014 I placed a call-in order for 24 buffalo wings around 6:00 p.m. I was told that the order would take about 30 minutes. When I arrived there about 45 minutes later, I walked into a lobby with a long line of unhappy faces. To my knowledge, all of the customers had placed orders at the counter or on by phone and everyone was waiting for food. Everyone had the same complaint that the service was poor and slow. I stood in the line that moved at a snail's pace with about 8 other customers. After being in line for over 30 minutes, I finally made it to the counter where I was greeted by a young lady. While she was very nice and polite, she was clearly too inexperienced to handle the angry crowd. While I was giving her my name and identifying my order, another customer walked in behind me. The counter clerk pulled up an order for 24 wings which I paid for. However, the customer behind me overheard the transaction and we quickly realized after looking at the receipt that I had paid for the wrong order. The customer behind me whose name was "Joy" also had a call-in order for 24 count wings and my name "Julie" was misinterpreted for "Joy". I asked the clerk if she could pull up my order and she was unable to find it. We called for a manager and explained the situation. He vowed to fix it immediately but admitted that neither order was prepared yet. There was another 30 minute wait for the wings to be cooked. Me and Joy were both compensated with extra menu items on the house. When I finally left Smokey Bones it was about 8:15 p.m. which is totally unacceptable! What a horrible experience just to pick up a call-in order for 24 wings! While I was waiting for my order, I had an opportunity to observe the staff which consisted of a lot of young, experienced servers that seemed to have more time to socialize that to serve customers. I will never go back again!
(1)Mike G.
Not a fan, read why!! I have went here on two different occasions over the past two years. I was hoping the second time I went back, everything would have been better. But it wasn't! Service We we quickly seated (which was a plus). The server came out to greet us, and from here it was down hill. The didn't have certain items available that were on the menu (i.e. mashed potatoes). The waitress was polite to some degree, but was horrible at returning to check on the table to make sure the food was okay. In regards to refills, you better finish your meal off with your saliva. It was hard to grab the waitress's attention to get a new drink. Food The food was fairly decent for the establishment. I have not complaints about the food. I had a smoked wing, which were okay. Nothing spectacular. The ribs were okay as well. Once again nothing spectacular. I would not recommend going here unless you sit at the bar and just want a drink..
(1)Veronica R.
Just walked in. Waited for someone to a knowledge me and the other 5 patrons. It's 12:35 lunch time- but no customer service. I waited about 7 mins and still no service. So I left. Someone should have just said "Sorry for the wait- someone will be with you in just a moment" And I only wanted to see the lunch menu. I'm over at 5 Guys now. Can never go wrong with that.
(1)Lisa F.
Super disappointed. I am 8 months pregnant and when I am hungry, getting the food right is important. I hate sending things back, both because it's ridiculous for a kitchen to make their own food improperly, and because I always end up eating last and the wait while everyone else is eating is awkward. I didn't even order anything complicated, a salad for God's sake. The steak and spinach salad, which as stated in the menu contains spinach, steak, blue cheese crumbles, bacon, red onion and sauteed portabella mushrooms. I ordered it without onions and the vinaigrette it came with, but somehow it came out drenched in an off-putting sweet sauce (didn't even taste like the right vinaigrette), with steak, a couple little sprinkles of blue cheese, and PECANS. that was it. Now, the salad does not even come with nuts. If I had a nut allergy it could have been a serious situation! Annoyed, I asked the waitress to have them make it again... the way it says on the menu, with bacon and mushrooms, without nuts. It came back undressed like I ordered, but with onions (I said no onion), cold steak (was it supposed to be cold? Not sure?) and STILL no sauteed mushrooms. She took it off the bill, but I still never got what I wanted and left disappointed, especially since at my husband's recommendation we drove almost 30 minutes to visit. The waitress seemed a bit overwhelmed despite only having a couple tables, and we only got one refill... drinks for our party of 5 sat empty the majority of the time. The only reason I gave it 2 stars is because the cornbread with honey pecan butter was amazing.
(2)Janine H.
We came on mothers day around 6 pm. There was no wait. Service was ok, food good except that cheap nasty mac and cheese. Bathroom was nasty. Not too crowded. Apples are delicious. Long wait to get the check. Overall good experience.
(4)Cali W.
The bartender Deezem I believe that was his name had excellent customer service. 100% on point. The food here is delicious!! LOVED IT.
(5)Rob A.
Terrible Customer Service! Called in for a carryout order, girl didn't know the menu much less get my name right. Had to get someone else to help and then even she didn't get the order right. Order was appetizer size and not an entree size and was cold when delivered to the counter. They were too concerned with talking to each other than helping customers it seems. Spoke to manager, she wanted to fix the bad customer service by giving me a gift card ... that doesn't address the issue - no thanks and not again!
(1)Kat D.
Met my sister there last night 7/10/2014 and waited 45 minutes for a glass of wine that never came. We decided not to wait any longer and as we were leaving our server was sitting on top of the hostess stand chatting with fellow employees. The table of 6 next to us had to stop a random employee to put their food order in. The management at this establishment needs to start doing there job! This is not our first experience with poor service, but gave them a second chance. We will not be returning.
(1)Jen M.
This place drives me nuts. It's right around the corner and my husband and his brother always want to go here because it's cheap and they like bbq. I think the food is completely mediocre, the mixed drinks are not great and the service is HORRIBLE. We always sit at the bar and even as regulars, the servers don't pay much attention. One time I ordered the cornbread and just watched it sit on the kitchen window and they never brought it. Last time I was there I ordered a salad with a different kind of dressing because I am on a special diet. I got the salad and ate half of it before I realized they had put BOTH dressings on it. Awesome. NOT. One of my biggest pet peeves about these places that have a lot of TV's in them and put up signs and specials for football and other sports....can we please have the sports audio? I don't want to listen to shitty music when the game is on. There are absolutely NO good sports bars in the area. Most of the time you have to ask them to put a game on. Sometimes the news is on!
(2)Dan P.
Well it's been about a year since I came back and the food has not given me the WOW Factor as before. Ordered Pork Tenderloin with fire corn and bbq beans.. I know the menu said full sides but it was half serving (near the middle of the side bowls- picture showed corn was overflowing) and poorly cooked (no season)and the Tenderloin was cold and no sauce, got a side of sauce but no flavor just thick liquid.. Ordered chicken dip but trying to figure out how can I eat I this with thin chips with heavy thick cheese bits of chicken fingers, so fork and knife it is....my cousin had hairy mash potatoes and gravy and alright baby back ribs, Mac and cheese was the only highlight of the night..We were hungry and have eaten worse so it's not horrible, but to come back and eat here will be a NO. Went next door but they were closing in 30 minutes so I won't do that to them. I was very sad to come here and will be happy to leave this place.... I should have Yelp this... Next time I will just stay home and eat Ramen noodles with cheese and tuna on the side.. No hair..
(2)April C.
10.10.14 Horrible! After reading all of the negative reviews, we decided to give it a shot anyway. SMH, the worst decision ever. Cons: *We were seated right away, bad sign #1 right?... its Friday night, where is the crowd? *Ordered an appetizer, waited another 10-15 mins, ordered our entrees (wings, steak and cornbread). Cornbread arrives, no appetizer yet, questioned server, got the standard "sorry, they are taking a long time". *10 mins later entrees arrive..server tells me they ran out of baked potatoes, really? Why wait until you bring the food out!?! Ask for loaded mashed potatoes ( not all that great). *The steak, ordered medium, looks like the steak was warmed on grill (no grill marks) and still mooing, sent it back. * Lets not even discuss the coleslaw (wilted, looked like it was sitting out for some time, no thank you)! * The wings are blah. They resembled frozen wings you can buy in the grocery store. Want real smoked wings go to Kolbys in Laurel! * Appetizer arrives, yay! Server says " manager is taking your meal and appetizer off the bill". Great..right? But where is the manager....is that her leaning at front desk area? We couldnt tell, she resembled a customer, like she had just rolled out of bed. Very sloppy! * Now for the grand finale...bill comes ($23.93), pay cash ($40), server returns with change ($15)..and guess what..not the right amount. At this point I am OVER it. Asked for a manager..guess who? Yea, HER! Oh wait, server asks me if I needed anything..my change would be nice, but you can keep it for your tip ($1.07)!!! Rude! Back to the manager, I asked her why she would comp'd my bill but not come to my table when things were not right...of course all I got was a look of confusion. I also asked was she aware the reviews online were horrible and they matched our visit, again nothing! Pros: * The hostess was very friendly. * Place looked clean * Love the setup. Will NEVER return!! Whoever owns this place should clean house asap!
(1)Carol G.
Service was completely terrible. We get our drinks and we have to ask for straws. We get our salads and we have to ask for dressing. I asked for no salt on my fries and they came with salt and pepper. Waitress was a complete airhead. We ordered a few appetizers, I ordered a side salad and a burger.. By the time I got my burger, I didn't want the salad anymore. I expected to have it while the appetizers were out o even before my burger, but it never came. So I told the waitress to cancel it and then she asked me "what salad did you have again?!" Then I told her, she said okay, then 2 min later came out with the salad. I refused to eat it and made her take it back and take it off my check. I asked for iced tea like 4 times and she came back and forth to our table at least twice without it. I had to go up to the bar to get my own straws because I just was not going to sit their and wait for her for however long. She was completely clueless. I did not enjoy my chicken burger at all. It was pretty dry for it supposed to be having bbq sauce on it and the bacon was disgusting. The rest of the food was average, but I've never seen service like this before. Iwill not be going back.
(1)Sean C.
I'm not getting some of the more negative reviews. My family and I have been going off and on for almost 10 years, back to when they ran cartoons along with the sports. I like the food. Service is slow, but not too slow for me -- when we go there, we know it won't be speedy. One thing I dislike is that nearby tables can go unbussed for our entire meal -- unappetizing. Staff is always friendly. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
(4)Ilissa M.
I come here often. More than I should. I usually come in after work (past 12am) and usually the food is good and service is ok. I ask for the Smokehouse burger or the steak salad, delicious. But today we didn't even get the chance to sit down. Rudest waiter ever says we can't sit at the tables, (he comes charging at us from the side of the bar didn't even greet us) which we know. The only reason we tried to sit there was because the bar was so crowded with dirty cups and plates, we tell the waiter who rudely interrupts us without even saying hello moves the chairs out of our hands that we were about to sit on and says only the bar we say the bar is dirty and he repeats only seats at the bar. We make him look and then he says I don't know what to do with all the plates and stuff but sit at the bar. ( I was thinking to myself how about you clean it off so we can sit down to order since you are a waiter) but We just left. Worst experience ever,so rude, so unprofessional, not coming back ever!!!
(1)Ashely B.
They have the slowest, and when I say slow, I mean slower than slow service at the bar. I can see why people go to Fridays literally across the parking lot. The music here sucks, and very inconsistent. It's a ghost town anyways, there is really no crowd to comment on. So overall, the service sucks, and is slow. For a chain spot, you'd expect better service. The food is mediocre, the best thing they had was dessert. I don't see this bar surviving longer then two years.
(1)Mo A.
If I could give a zero after this visit, I would. First of all, they don't believe in having hosts/hostesses on duty evidently. You just stand there and watch all the other employees avoid eye contact while they play hot potato with their responsibilities. Secondly, they give you this afterhours menu that pretty much has a handful of things. Then you sit in the bar area and the wait staff is equally oblivious. HELLO?????? CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE? Why stay open after hours if you don't want to have customers?
(1)Arnicia J.
The worst experience I have ever had the only reason it recieved one star because I could not give a negative star! We came in the door and they said it was a 30 minute wait and that was fine. Once we were seated it took the waitress about 10 minutes to come to the table for us to order our drinks and that was also tolerable. But after 45 minutes the only thing we had on our table were sodas. So our waitress finally comes back and asks "Is everything ok?" In which I replied " No it's been almost an hour and we stil haven't received our appetizers!" She started to explain it was only one cook and the kitchen was behind and she will see about the appetizers. Long story short after waiting for over 1 hour we left. The waitress stated she would como the meal and the manger would come over and that's the only reason we stayed that long but the manger never came over. We ended up buying McDonalds!! I will NEVER EVER step foot inside of this place again!
(1)Don I.
If you are familiar with this chain, then you generally know what you are in for with the BBQ theme carried throughout the menu from the ribs to the sandwiches. The food quality is decent, their ribs are acceptable, but I have had better. If you are a doughnut fan, the Hot Bag 'O Donuts is a good desert that comes with two nice side dipping sauces. There are several drink specials, including a rotating brand 22oz. beer special for $3.25. Cheap mixed, and strait-up drinks make for an inexpensive add-on to a meal or a good happy-hour hangout. The Bones Brew is an in-house beer that resembles Yuengling in price and quality that makes for a nice inexpensive option if you are not into the traditional Bud/Miller/Coors fare. My biggest complaint about this location is the service. I have gone a few times and the service is always slow, and most times the waiter/waitress has an apathetic tone when interacting with me. When something bad happens, they are quick to apologize and offer free drinks or appetizers, but more effort at being pleasant and welcoming is definitely needed. If you can accept the less-than-stellar service, it makes for a solid dinner and a good place to take in a sporting event on the televisions over the bar.
(3)Michael M.
My wife and I like the food at Smokey Bones but the servers don't really do a good job, you would be lucky to get a drink refill after your food arives. We went Saturday night, waited to be seated and after being seated we waited 25 minutes and never got servered so we walked out, on the way out we noticed 5 servers standing at the fire place talking. This could be a good restaurant but it will require a new or retrained manager and properly trained and managed servers. I went to the Smokey Bones webpage Sunday and submitted a comment, after submitting my complaint, a message stated that your opinion matters to us and we will get back to you, I'm still waiting, and waiting, and waiting. UPDATE 3/20/2013, I still have not herd back after submitting a complaint, I gave them my email address and a phone number. They do send me emails with coupons for $10 off a meal of $25 or more, sounds good but evidently this is the only way they can get people in the Restaurant. You basically get what you pay for: Cheap Meal = Cheap Food + Lazy Manager + Bad Server + Waisted Time UPDATE 1/5/2013 Still have not herd back after submitting the same complaint twice, don't waist your time with this place.
(1)Kareem C.
This place is good for a group of friends/family to watch a sporting event but not so great for a good meal. It is kind of a divey place in a bad way. It is not completely dirty but definitely not clean. The carpet is in dire need of replacement and the walls are in need of fresh paint or a scrubbing. The overall feeling is just Grimey! The sides are horrible. Some people may enjoy soggy broccoli and under baked, baked potatoes but I don't. The smoked turkey breast was extremely dry and needed the whole bottle of BBQ sauce to overcome the dryness. The BBQ chicken however was pretty good. It was tender and juicy. They did allow me to switch my soggy broccoli with roasted corn which was not good either. BTW they take pride in serving their broccoli soggy. The only way I will end up spending my money here again is if I'm attending a gathering to watch a sporting event and even then I will only order adult beverages. Did I mention the broccoli was soggy???
(2)Michele S.
A few co-workers and I decided to meet at Smokey Bones for Happy Hour this Friday. The three of them arrived about 10 minutes before I did, so imagine my surprise when they didn't have any drinks, and actually, hadn't seen a server yet. We waited 5 more minutes, then went to the hostess stand to see if we were supposed to go to the bar for service since we're a a high-top. We waited 5 more minutes, a server stopped at our table and said "has anyone been here yet?" We answered, "no," and she kept walking. At this point, we were already looking on our phones for a different restaurant. After a few more minutes, we were out the door. At the table behind us, a gentleman had to return his meal because something was wrong with it. He got his plate back about 5 minutes later, and immediately went to go find his server because it was still wrong. This was a very disappointing experience because I've been here before and really enjoyed it, but after this visit, I will never go back, and neither will my companions.
(1)Ky H.
Scene: My sisters 30th birthday. Plan: To go to Fridays before a bar/lounge/club. Long story short, Fridays was super crowded and we ended up here. Food: Ok, NOTHING to brag about. I know this isn't a top notch restaurant, but I expected better. Service: Dismal. Our server, I wish I remembered his name, was almost non existent. He took our drink orders and didn't reappear for almost 15 minutes,NO BUENO!!! Then to top it all off, he screwed up our checks. We told him before we ordered that we needed separate checks. I even specifically told him my check would consist of mine, my husband and my 6yr old daughters orders. Please tell me why he brought out 3 separate checks for us, with 18% gratuity added to each??? WTH?!??!?!?!! He did fix it w/o a problem, but seriously, you really put a child's order on a separate check with gratuity added??? Rant over......P.S- The drinks suck.
(1)Andrea W.
Imma make this review short and sweet... Literally their cornbread with honey, pecan butter is soooo excellent. But they are extremely slow and dare I say... Corny. Ok I said it. We came one night it just so happened to be karaoke. Bwahhahaha this is 11pm on a week night. The only people in a bar are old people with problems and they don't want to go home. Therefore you shouldn't scare them off with awful karaoke. And the only person singing is the announcer singing his rendition of some old school Barry White song
(3)Erica B.
The hot tropic drink was good, the skillet cornbread was great, The tenders were nice, the fries were ok, the wings were sh++.. Service was great! Ohhh and the tv was very entertaining, most places have nothing interesting on!
(4)Jim P.
Very good food and atmosphere. The staff can use with a little more urgency to help their guests...but all around very good. We went a little after lunch and the place was not busy so I expected a bit more attention from the staff. I recommend trying this place out.
(4)Mel W.
We received a $10 off coupon in the mail so we decided to try this restaurant. We called the order in for carry-out, were quoted approximately 35-40 minutes. Upon arrival we were greeted by no hostess or anyone for that matter. After several other customers piled in, there was a confusing 15 minutes of waiting at the front for the proper person to help me. After finally receiving my order, the woman ringing me up argued with me about items that were missing. Finally get my food home, the brisket was small in portion, my Caesar salad was bare of any dressing, my mother's steak and spinach salad was bare of any dressing (really?) no sides of dressing in the bag. Apparently the burgers that the boys got were tasty. I would not subject myself to the hassle of dealing with this restaurant again, coupon or not.
(1)Medina K.
OK food, OK drinks, service is OK. I've been a few times with family and friends. Everything was OK.
(3)Paula P.
Service was great! Had the crowd pleaser app very yummy. Had the first salad listed. It was a side salad and loaded baked potato with either beef brisket in top or pulled pork. I had it with the brisket. The brisket was very fatty. The ranch salad dressing was warm. $6 for a pitcher of bud light. Had a $10 off coupon and no issue using it on a Friday night.
(3)Sunny D.
blech. this place is NOT for anyone with tastebuds. we had a good waiter & the bathroom was clean. that's really all i can find to say about SB&FG that is any good b/c, the food? no and NO. let me put it this way: when i go grocery shopping i let the manchild pick his "one thing." that means, something that i likely would not be purchasing b/c it is junk food or just something more processed/packaged than i prefer to do. one time he selected a TV dinner called the "hungry man." it was a big frozen box w/ some sort of BBQ meat (yes, frozen BBQ - eewww), mashed potatoes, [creamed?] corn, mac & cheese, and a green vegetable i can't recall (i think string beans). everything, and i mean EVERYTHING was disgusting. it tasted like the most artificial, preservative-riddled, questionable-textured "food" ever. this kid, who has intestines of steel and will eat almost anything said, "mom, do i have to finish this? it's pretty gross." he knows i don't do wasting food, but i tasted it and took pity on him. it was just AWFUL!!! that's what the food at smokey bones is like. i doubt that they have any actual COOKS in the back b/c it's more likely that everything is just pulled out of packages and warmed or mixed with water and fluffed. the good news is that this location turns over every couple years and a new restaurant moves in. the bad news is that it's in PG county, where restaurants go to die.
(1)C N.
Good ribs, terrible service. I had two bad experiences with carry out from Smokey Bones in the past month. On my last visit I went in to pick up an order that was called in. Upon entering the restaurant, there were about 8 people standing around waiting to be seated. There were no hosts or waiters to be found. I went to the takeout counter expecting someone to step behind the register shortly. Over Five minutes passed and no one came to the counter or said anything to me. At that point I went into the restaurant and flagged down a waitress asking her to call someone to the register. After several more minutes, a young lady showed up and apologized for the delay. She rang me up and while doing so asked if I would consider giving her a tip... I ignored her rather than Tell her how I really felt at the time. However, after the transaction was complete, she asked me again for a TIP...We'll at that point I had to let her know how I felt about the service, why she was not getting a tip, and that I would be posting something online as well. Better training of the staff should be of a immediate concern if they're going to retain return customers!!! Disgruntle Customers C&C Bowie, MD
(2)J E.
Went there on Friday sat at bar service was slow and inconsistent. Ordered pretzels the sauces weren't even explained or pointed out when dish was delivered then ordered soup & sandwich got the Cuban sandwich was tasteless the soup however was awesome something stew can't remember the name but it was the only highlight. I waited 15 mins for my app and another 25 for my soup & sand this place was far from busy at the time, I can say that I certainly won't return to this location I will try another in the near future
(3)Patty E.
Our dinner visit on a Wednesday night was one of the worst ever experienced. The hostess/greeter Simone had a terribly bad attitude, acted as though she hated her job, and overall ignored my husband and me. She never did greet us. Simone begrudingly lead us to our table with a "follow me" and did not provide a place setting for us at our table. Thus, when our meal arrived and was quickly dropped off, we had no silver ware to eat with. No one was around to help us. At this point, we were upset waiting for help. As Simone walked by, my husband made the statement, "Should we eat with our hands?" Simone then replied abruptly with major attitude, "What do you need?" In response, he said "What do you think we need?" When we asked to speak to the manager, she walked away from us. Aside from this unpleasant exchange, Simone treated us with contempt. I later informed the manager on shift that Simone should not be in a hostess position if she doesn't like people and can't show appreciation for customers. Then Elliot, our server, was horribly slow and it took him forever to give us our dinner check and to complete our bill transaction. In total disgust, we left no tip at all. It is unlikely that we will return to Smokey Bones in Bowie MD as the environment is unfriendly by the hostess and inefficient by the server. An all around lousy experience. The ribs were just average. In conclusion, why would this establishment continue to foster nasty employees by retaining someone as awful as Simone in the hostess job?
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