Blue Dog Craft Barbecue in Lakeland - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Their BBQ is consistently delicious! Honestly, though, I pass other BBQ places to come here because I love the fried okra! Until today. 😟 They took it off the menu.

My pulled pork sandwich was great, but my mac n cheese was cold. They were out of brisket and French fries. At $23 and some change BEFORE a tip for a pulled pork sandwich, Mac n cheese, and a fountain drink it was totally not worth it.

The pulled pork was the only thing that made this even somewhat worth it. However, 23 dollars for this and then some random bread out of a bag? Not even toasted? Waste of money.

Excellent brisket and sides. 10/10

Unbelievably good! The ribs and the brisket here are top notch. Myself and my family went back for seconds and thirds! I'm not from the area, but this place will become a staple everytime I'm in the area. Extremely satisfied with every thing we ate. And also the people that work here are very down to earth and delivery good service. I recommend this place to anyone looking for god barbeque!

Super good brisket, I was giving a fatty juicy cut, like candy. Strongly recommend this little secret place, it is kind of tucked in the corner of the joinery.

Extremely overpriced! $30 for a regular size hamburger bun turkey sandwich and pulled pork sandwich!

Amazing service & food. First visit hostess explained offerings and recommendations. Enjoyed ribs meating falling off bone with excellent seasoning. The smoked turkey was flavorful, juicy & tender. Also enjoyed sides of fries (ask for special sauce with garlic), potato salad (so good), collards & baked beans. You may think the cost a little high but quality and quantity makes price reasonable. Can't wait to try the brisket on next visit.

While I had hopes, it all started with an $18 - 1/2 pound plate of bbq meat. But it’s not actually $18 because all the meats had an extra charge of $4 or $5 next to them??? I relented and got the brisket. I’ve travelled the world and had plenty of brisket. This left much to be desired. 1/2 lb of brisket was 1/4 lb of fat, and the coating was solid pepper. Meat was dried out and tough to chew. Side of macaroni and cheese was also inedible. The macaroni was nearly uncooked. Atmosphere was ok but eating places were dirty.

My favorite place for bbq Hands down my #1

Impressive! I greatly enjoyed the brisket sandwich and fries !

The staff was very friendly and helpful. That being said, the food was mediocre at best. I had the brisket sandwich. It was cold and not particularly flavorful. The fries were ok but nothing special. For the price, I wouldn’t do it again.

My girlfriend drove to the Joinery without placing a prior order. She asked for a full rack of ribs at the counter around 6pm. The lady taking the order said that they don’t have enough ribs remaining for a full rack. My girlfriend then asked if she could get a half rack to go. To which the response was “I don’t think I even have enough for a half rack”. Upon her getting home, I called their number and spoke to a gentleman over the phone and asked if I could order a full rack of ribs. He said “sure there isn’t a line, you can even come in to order it”. I then said, I’ll order and pay for the full rack over the phone and come pick up. When picking up the ribs, the same lady that my girlfriend spoke to initially, said “oh you got lucky, it was the last rack”. This makes it seem like they had enough ribs and wasted our time to drive there twice. The food is amazing but unfortunately this experience was not great at all.

Our group tried the Blue Dogs ribs, fries and brisket tonight with a side of potato salad and beans. Everyone was ranting and raving about the different dishes. Nothing but lip smacking praise from all! Personally my grandson and I had the ribs. Tender and well seasoned. The sauce has a great pepper component that is a taste surprise and excellent flavor. Meaty and filling. Definitely have this place on our radar in the future!

First time at the Joinery with my Dad & this was the best gluten free option. Everyone was pleasant & helpful. Dad had the Brisket sandwich with beef tallow fries. I had the beef brisket with a double side collard greens. The mustard BBQ was yummy. Absolutely delicious!

Amazing food. The best brisket I've ever had as well as the Mac n cheese. The sauces made in house are delicious to pair with the BBQ. Inside the Joinery, super cool place to hangout with a great view.

New favorite BBQ stop!!! Highly recommend the brisket and mac and cheese!! Everything was great and really fun location!

Best Bbq Brisket we have had in Florida, turkey and pulled pork were also excellent! Highly recommended!

We were camping and we wanted to visit a local place. I am usually very limited on what I can eat due to be gluten free. I am always scared about calling and asking about gluten free options. I essentially put my health in someone else’s hands and if they are wrong, I am sick for days. I called and spoke to max. He was wonderful and put my nerves at ease. He was very knowledgeable about his ingredients, so we ventured over. I am so glad we did. The space is so cute. The wait staff was wonderful and the girl that checked me out was also knowledgeable about gluten. The food was wonderful and we had a great experience. Thank you so much for allowing me (and my family) to go out for dinner and know I was safe.

The food is mediocre but at least you have the privilege of overpaying for it.

Amazing food at a real fun venue. Brisket and Ribs were really well prepared and had great flavor.

Best pork belly and brisket anywhere around! Only uses prime cuts and you'll taste that immediately.

I came here on a recommendation from a friend after spending the day in Lakeland exploring. For reference I lived in Texas for years and my extended family all lives in Kansas City so BBQ my family loves and takes seriously. Having lived in Florida for the last 15 years it's been the one thing I've missed and have yet to find is truly great BBQ. Until now... this is hands down the best BBQ in Florida I've had thus far. Loved the addition of the homemade pickle bar. Owner was super friendly and wanted to tell him all this in person but by the time I had finished it seems he had clocked out for his shift. Worth the drive and worth the money. Will be back next time I'm in Lakeland

Food 100 Literally, fall off the bone food. So good and I was impressed since I'm a southern girl. The people were nice

My wife and I were raised in Texas and have lived in Florida for 20 years. This is literally the first time we’ve found legit Texas style brisket - Tender, pink smoke ring, peppery crust, just delicious. The brisket sandwich even came with dill pickles and white onion, which is proper. The bbq sauce was not on the meat - also proper. The bbq sauce itself was more vinegar based closer to a NC style sauce, but honestly I like that style of sauce better so another win for me! Great job Blue Dog. Finally found nummy Texas style BBQ brisket so long.

My wife and I ordered two meals w/ drinks for dinner, totaling $50.19. The Ribs had good flavor as well as her brisket, however, both meats were not warm. The sides were smaller portions and also not very warm. Overall, good flavor and atmosphere but is on the pricey side for date night for two adult meals.

Unexpectedly good! I got the pulled pork sandwich with macaroni & cheese. I was genuinely surprised by how flavorful the pulled pork was. I definitely recommend!

Best Brisket I've ever had. Simple and delicious. Mac N cheese is amazing and the coleslaw is on point.

Absolutely love this place! My husband and I were on our honeymoon in Auburndale and made the trek over there for the Brisket. Couldn’t recommend them enough.

I highly recommend the pulled pork and mac n cheese. I want to steal their mac and cheese recipe for myself. You can't go wrong with the food here.

Given the price, portioning and flavor left much to be desired. It was passable, but not for the 24$ price tag. Only ordering the plate with two sides, no drink included. The mac lacked flavor. The two slivers of brisket was bland. The beans were the star of the show, which is not what you want when most of the price comes from the meat. It feels like you're mostly just paying for the atmosphere.

We got the brisket and Cuban sanwhich and it was the best brisket and Cuban we've ever had. The brisket was super juicy. Both items were absolutely delicious!! The atmosphere is great and it's a cute place with amazing food!

Closest thing to central Texas brisket here in Polk county.

Excellent bbq. Brisket smoked to perfection. Baked beans are excellent. Good service.

WOW! Didn't expect this today! This is a must visit locally owned/operated BBQ joint in a small brewery "food mall!" Let's start with the could be better (because nothing was bad!). The biggest disappointment was the lack of BBQ sauce options....there are only 2. BBQ & mustard BBQ. 🤷‍♂️ I LOVE BBQ SAUCE....can more be made available? Then there's the Mac & Cheese....a WOW when you first bite it because it has garlic powder in it. It was a great novelty at first, but wears on the pallet quickly. Maybe hold back on the garlic? Simple is best with Mac & Cheese. Lastly, as good as the brisket was, it had way too much cracked pepper on it. Every bite crunched in your mouth with black pepper, and it was hard to taste the meat. Maybe use powder instead of cracked? However, overall, the visit was terrific. The food was delicious and fresh! I will definitely go back! The staff was friendly and their work atra very clean and sanitary. This BBQ spot is a must visit, and while you are there, check out the other eateries in the building!!!! Blue Dog is also VETERAN FRIENDLY!❤️👍🇺🇲

Best brisket I ever had and the service was excellent. Highly recommend this place.

Brisket is out of this world! And those tallow fries…unbelievable. You guys are amazing!

The barbecue was great. My group had brisket sandwich, pork sandwich, and ribs. Brisket was the best of the three. Sides were delicious. Definitely get the fried okra. It was amazing. The joinery, where this Blue Dog is located, is really cool. Definitely a fun place to spend an afternoon or evening with friends and family.

I ordered the brisket plate, Brisket was very good! I eat a lot of bbq and rarely leave 5 star reviews, but that brisket was right on point, tender, perfect flavor and the bark was outstanding

502 E Main St, Lakeland is the correct address.

Superb! The brisket place was our order. Probably one of the most tender briskets I’ve had in awhile. Highly recommend !!! They can take your number while they text you once your orders complete so you can walk around the Joinery a bit or go back to your table etc…

I’ve been to many BBQ places in my life and HANDS DOWN this is the best BBQ I’ve ever had. The smell even converted my vegetarian wife to try the brisket (which she loved!) I think the secret is in the wood, got to check out the pit out back and wood smells so good!

Best BBQ in Lakeland!! 🤩🥩Everything we tried was cooked perfectly, the brisket, pulled pork, Mac and cheese etc! Can’t wait to eat here again!

A customer named Leroy told my wife and myself about Blue Dog. We took our family and oh my !! It was fabulous. The brisket was amazing as well as the sides. The pulled pork was great as well. I recommend it to everyone. I will be going back. So glad to see a good restaurant in town. The staff was very friendly. Thank you so much.

Outstanding bbq. Friendly service. The brisket is so good it's unreal. Excellent sides; the mac and cheese is good, but the kale salad is the clear winner here. You'll want extra sauce cups of the mustard-bbq sauce.

Have literally been out of brisket the past 3 times I've come up. I've driven an hour and a half to get the brisket here and each time has been a waste of gas. Don't come here if you're specifically wanting something of theirs. But def swing by if you're already here to see what they have in.

Really delicious food. Great sides. All around pleasant experience and friendly enough staff. Been back a few times and they've never let me down so far. I really enjoy the pulled pork sandwich.

Absolutely fantastic BBQ! I had the brisket plate with a side of baked beans and mac and cheese. The brisket was so unbelievably tender and flavorful, and the sides were excellent as well! Great portion sizes and very tasty sauces! I will definitely be back!!

Excellent bbq in Lakeland inside The Joinery. I’ve had everything on the menu, ribs, brisket, and pulled pork. It’s all good but the pulled pork is my favorite. The mac n cheese is perfectly creamy and the baked beans are world class. The staff let me try the collard greens and they were fire too especially with a little hot sauce. Generous portions fill me up each time. 10/10 recommend.

Max was an awesome ambassador of everything bbq. Great to see a local business owner taking pride in serving some awesome food!!! 10 stars ⭐️!!! It was good to the last bite.

PHENOMENAL!!! Absolutely delicious and the beans are out of this world. Best bbq in Lakeland hands down. Can’t wait to go back. Very friendly staff as well

Those guys made even ordering a pleasure. The brisket was the best I have ever had, or made myself (since it was take out he even gave me a bite to try there). The Mac and Cheese and beans were really good...but that brisket. WOW !!