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Brooks House of Barbecue
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
55 reviews for Brooks House of Barbecue
Review Highlights
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"BBQ chicken is positively to die for." In 6 reviews -
"The ribs are fall off the bone tender and come slathered in..." In 5 reviews -
"The salad bar is simple but great - everything is always..." In 13 reviews
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55 reviews in English
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Review from Jeri H.
Jersey City, NJ
4/16/2012 2 photos
This is the only restaurant that I can, in good conscience, give five stars. I have been coming here since I was a little girl and still insist that we return whenever I visit. To say the food has been consistent for more than 30 years (and so many more) says so much about the business and the pride of the Brooks family and employees. The chicken, fuhgettaboutit, and the sauces - I'll pay shipping just to have them at home. I also shamelessly compare every cole slaw I try to that of Brooks and none quite hit the mark. Brooks, thank you for so many years of truly wonderful meals! You are a tradition for my family and a must-stop place for my out-of-town friends. PS - please don't ever change your wallpaper.
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Review from Karyn V.
4/1/2012
We stopped here on a whim after seeing some 100 cars in its parking lot from the highway. Because this is the most people we had seen during our four day trip in Cooperstown, we had to stop to check it out.
Brooks is huge! If you are from the East Coast, it is very similar to Wrights Farm Restaurant in Rhode Island but its menu is much larger offering everything from chicken to ribs to hamburgers and the food is not served family style.
However, the focus is still chicken and if you go here, you should stick with the BBQ chicken. It is also because of the BBQ chicken that I am giving this a three-star rating: good chicken at a really good price.
If you deviate from the chicken, you most probably will be disappointed. My rating for the other food items is two stars. -
Review from Karen G.
Cooperstown, NY
1/15/2012
We love ribs and have had the best in Chicago at Carson's and The Branding Iron and at Clem's in PA, so I was sure these would be great with all the local hype. Save your money. The chicken was tough, the ribs just so-so; and to this day I have no idea what the big deal is. These ribs and chicken show up at church fund raisers too. If you are in the area drive east to Colliersville and eat or take out some from Andre's. These fall of the bone ribs are smoked to perfection and come with your choice of sauce.
sorry Brooks! -
Review from Rob B.
8/13/2011
Really great BBQ as far as NY state goes. I highly recommend the chicken and rib combo. It comes with 1/2 chicken that is smoked and comes with no sauce on it. The ribs are fall off the bone tender and come slathered in Brooks BBQ sauce. Their sauce is somewhat on the thick side, but is deliciously sweet. All the meals come with a fresh loaf of white bread, the salad bar (which has basically nothing but salad fixings) and your choice of potato.
The place itself is nice. It may look like a dive, but it's definitely a great place to go. I spent many a night there during my college years, as you could get the chicken and rib combo with all the fixings for under $10. It does get busy, so you may have to wait a bit, but it's totally worth it. It's definitely family-friendly, and takes it so far as to not sell alcohol, which is probably the only downfall. -
Review from Yvonne H.
Paramus, NJ
10/6/2011
The server was courteous but was rushing for me to order. I ordered the chicken and ribs combo and it was terrible. The ribs were skimpy and the chicken was too salty. Save your money and go eat somewhere else.
If I had a dog I wouldn't even feed it to him. -
Review from Sarah M.
Burlington, VT
6/8/2011
The best barbecue chicken in upstate New York, hands-down! Let me give you a sampling of great things about this restaurant:
-BBQ chicken is positively to die for. It's their specialty! I can't speak for any of the other dishes because I'm still stuck on the chicken. But I've heard great things about the ribs, too.
-Great bang for your buck. Traveling families will LOVE this place. You get a meal, drink, salad, and bread for about ten dollars a person. And the food beats the hell out of chain-restaurant fare, which is often more expensive.
-Quick line! I have come in on several occasions when the line is out the door, but we're usually seated in 10-15 minutes.
-Amazing service. I've been here many, many times and I have yet to encounter an unfriendly waitress.
Only downside? The restaurant is closed on Mondays. -
Review from Matt F.
Norfolk, VA
8/8/2011
And on the eighth day god created Brooks BBQ! Hands down the best BBQ I've ever eaten. This small town treasure over looks Timeless Oneonta, NY. This bucolic upstate Ny town doesn't look likes it changed for 50 yrs, but that's fine as long as Brooks stays open.
There are options to what kind of meat you can get and those are pretty standard for BBQ. The key is THE SAUCE. Put the sauce on anything you can put it on and I promise you will be tempted to lick your plate clean. I enjoyed the sampler which had beef, pork, chicken, and ribs. But with the sauce it all tasted wonderful. -
Review from Jim W.
Centre Hall, PA
The only thing that saved this from being a one-star was the exemplary service.
*****
Let's be upfront with this. I hated the decor the moment I stepped in. Immaculate 70's. First thought that came to my mind. Of course, my Dad felt right at home. I felt scared. Wall paper covered in chickens and lots of "big game" trophies. How the hell does a moose-head compliment chicken wallpaper?? Simple: it doesn't.
But if the food rocks, I don't care if I'm eating in a jail cell.
The food. This is *Brooks Brothers* - the benchmark(?) of the Capital Region for years. Well, someone lit their bench on fire and cooked my dinner over it.
Ordered the St. Louis Ribs dinner, and while I will not profess to be a BBQ expert, I do know what overcooked is. Half was very dry, tough, leathery - just flat out disappointing. The other half was marginally better. Someone in the back didn't move the embers around enough in the firepit. And the serving temp was tepid at best. The sauce they use remind me of Bush's Maple Bacon Baked beans - and I love those beans - but bean sauce on ribs? My baked potato kicked ass too.
With your meal you'll get a smallish loaf of fresh bread, and unlimited salad bar. While the raw materials at the bar were of high quality, there wasn't much selection at all. Iceburg lettuce, onions, mushrooms, pasta salad, cucumbers, dressings, and bacos. Yeah, it's enough to fill your salad plate, but compared to even Pizza Hut the choices weren't enough.
My Dad ordered the chicken meal, his chicken was very dried out as well. But, his corn on the cob was great. Best part of the meal he said.
Kinda sad that when the sides are better than the entree.
One other really strange thing: the men's room was a time warp. Modern, nicely appointed - automatic faucets?!?!?! - left me hoping I'd walk out and the motif in the dining room would magically transform. It didn't. What's the deal with the dead heads hanging on the walls? Don't make your restaurant your big game trophy case unless you're willing to go this distance with the motif. (FYI, I have no problem with the talking heads on walls when they fit a theme).
All in all, disappointed. I've had their catered stuff before, and don't remember it being this bad. Maybe I was drunk. But I do know I will not be stopping here again. -
Review from Jesse L.
Tenafly, NJ
12/26/2010
When I have BBQ, I'm in it for the meat and sauce-induced coma afterwards. Some call it the "itis"
Brooks doesn't disappoint, but don't expect it to be anything mind-blowing. The salad bar is laughable (Iceberg lettuce, carrots, croutons), but the meat portions are just fine, and if you are taking several people out, just treat them to it. Dinner for myself and 3 others = $36. And we ate like kings. -
Review from Mike T.
Ridgefield, CT
10/7/2011
Solid no-frills chicken and bbq grub in upstate New York, nothing more, nothing less. You can either eat inside, which sometimes involves a wait or eat outdoors at one of the picnic tables...or hell take it home with you ! My crew opted to dine outdoors and not have to wait in a long line. We ordered some pulled pork as well as a chicken. Although it`s not top quality "low and slow" bbq, it is still pretty tasty. And the prices are very affordable. For those of you who find yourself passing through and want a tasty and affordable meal in a casual setting, Brooks is a great choice.
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Review from William D.
Ilion, NY
10/24/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I may be a bit biased because i've been coming here since i was 3 days old. But they're chicken and rib combo is one of my favorite foods. Any coleslaw i eat is compared to Brooks. And their tapioca pudding is amazing. I love this place
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Review from John S.
6/29/2010
Brooks House of Bar-B-Q isn't a house, and they sure as heck don't serve bar-b-q. Hopefully there's someone named Brooks involved, or this place's name would be a total lie.
The food they serve is the worst bar-b-q I've ever eaten. There is not a close second. The ribs and pork I sampled weren't slow-smoked. My best guess is that they were boiled and then grilled, resulting in tough, fatty meats. This garbage was then slathered in a sauce that could best be described as dark ketchup and then served up to us along with the meager fixings from the weak salad bar.
I just don't get it. If you've eaten honest-to-goodness smoke ring-having, eight hours-cooked Q, how can you even call this bar-b-q? You can't. Brooks lied to me when they served me crap.Listed in: A Nation of Barbecue
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Review from Sera G.
Glendale, CA
7/15/2011
Been coming to Brooks since I was a kid. Love this place! The chicken is my favorite and their ribs come in second.
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Review from Sara S.
10/16/2010
Delicious! I got the chicken and the ribs plate and well, the ribs were delicious. They were tender and they had a VERY delicious sauce on them. I really wanted to lick the plate clean of sauce. The chicken was good, too. And the salad bar is your standard salad bar with some coleslaw to boot.
Over all, I'm glad I finally experienced Brooks after listening to Oneonta locals talk about it for quite a while. -
Review from Kim K.
6/17/2010 3 photos
We didn't lick our plates clean. This is a problem. We never eat BBQ without licking our plates, and fingers, clean. But this isn't BBQ. This is food mush at a senior center.
The place is impersonal, looks like any run of the mill restaurant, and offers nothing delicious or inspired to its customers. It's a shame really.
I teetered on 2 stars because our waitress was really great but between the quality (or lack thereof) and the price, I just couldn't do it.
Skip Brooks, go to the local pizza parlor instead. -
Review from Kedric B.
New Haven, CT
11/19/2010
.This is definitely not "real" barbecue, but given the value and location, I am a fan.
We arrived at an almost-full parking lot anticipating a serious wait. When we entered the lobby, there was in fact a monstrous line. We noticed the take out window also within the lobby, so we opted for that.
Less than five minutes after placing our take-out order, the two of us were already walking to the outdoor picnic area with enough food to feed a large family.
The speed of service was very impressive. The quantity of food for the cost was also a shock.
As I mentioned earlier, not the best BBQ, but the food is actually quite good, and definitely a winner considering the value. Though I am not normally a BBQ chicken guy, the BBQ chicken definitely stood out above the pork, brisket and ribs (I ordered the sampler). -
Review from Jeff S.
9/27/2010
If you're driving along State Highway 7 and you hit the right spot, you'll start to pick up the scent of rich smokey goodness wafting in the air. Then you'll know, you've arrived at Brooks.
Unfortunately, tantalizing BBQ smoke aside, Brooks is somewhat overrated. People in Oneonta tend to rave, but in truth, the meat is fair quality at best. They tend to overcook everything, so there's a decent chance you'll get something dry rather than juicy. Also their sides are mostly unremarkable, their claim to fame being that they are gargantuan rather than interesting to eat.
Still, Oneonta isn't the deep South so it's passable if you are in the mood for BBQ. Also, the prices are amazing. If I remember correctly you can get a meal (big enough for 2) for about $15 including sizes, drink and tip. -
Review from Formicas ..
New York, NY
10/13/2007
TERRIBLE! If you want REAL BBQ head to Texas; this place can't even compete. The line was over 45 minutes long to get in the door and I just can't understand it- short of the fact there is no where else to eat out here. We ordered the sampler plate and it was a HUGE disappointment. The cole slaw was watery, the pork rib was chewy and over cooked. We could not even attempt the sliced pork (after a few bites) it was so bad- very gristley and not seasoned... The chicken did have great flavor and the baked potato was cooked to perfection (hence the 2 stars!).
We ended up opting for the take out because the line was so long. We sat outside on one of their many picnic tables- it was cold outside but better than waiting an hour to be ultra disappointed.
I just can't see what all the rave is about- over rated. -
Review from Bill K.
Deposit, NY
10/17/2011
Fast service. Delicious food. I had the pork bun and macaroni salad. Very unique BBQ sauce (honey based is my guess) but everything was phenomenal. And cheap too. Truely a fantastic experience. A true old fashioned BBQ house.
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Review from Bill F.
Salem, MA
1/19/2010
This may be the one thing I miss most about upstate New York (I recently moved here to eastern Massachusetts from the Catskill Mountains Region). Brooks has, bar none, the absolute best barbecued chicken I have ever had, along with some pretty fine ribs - but it's the chicken that will keep you going back again and again.
Best thing about Brooks is that they'll cater anyone's event; to that end, my wife and I, long after we left Oneonta, would burn rubber to go to any fund-raiser where they were serving Brooks BBQ'd chicken if it was nearby our place. I can't stress enough how much I miss them. -
Review from Sara M.
6/2/2010
Anyone who has been to Oneonta, NY knows Brooks. Having never visited until last weekend when my sister graduated from college, I was unaware that Brooks existed...but now I know. Her roomate ordered ribs and chicken for 100 and we stuffed our faces all afternoon. Apparently so did every graduate in town - we saw the delivery truck up and down the street all afternoon!
The ribs were great, and the chicken was very tender. Next time i am in town I will stop by! -
Review from Q. C.
Trumansburg, NY
3/31/2010
We were driving home from a short trip to Western Massachusetts and were nearing both Oneonta and lunch at the same time. I pulled out my phone and Yelp!ed to see what was in the area and we all decided on Brooks thanks to the reviews here.
And, we were not disappointed. My husband, a self proclaimed chicken barbeque expert, admits that Brooks is the new benchmark for Cornell Chicken. It was delicious--cooked to falling off the bone, but not dry. The space is wonderful filled with chicken and family memorabilia, clean and spacious. And the service was nice, fast and friendly. If you want to go to a mecca for chicken, Brooks is the place. Plus, check out the cooking building next to the restaurant...It confirms that there are many of us that feel the same way. -
Review from Eric S.
Denver, CO
9/10/2010
Gem in the middle of no where.. Wow factor when you pull into the lot.. Just don't expect a nice place like this in the middle of beautiful new York state.
Everyone is very polite patient and content over here in this neck of the woods.
They give you a real loaf of break with plenty of butter and wet naps.. Wet Naps hah
The meal itself wasn't anything special, but it's a nice place to stop off at for a decent lunch. -
Review from Phil R.
Los Angeles, CA
9/4/2008
I actually mail order BBQ Sauce and Buffalo Wing Sauce all the way from upstate New York from Brooks'. It's true. I have never been to this place, but a kid I used to group with for serious video game pwnage on-line told me about it. His grandma worked here and he went once a week for dinner. After listening to him go on and on about it while killing fools, I eventually broke down and went to their website and blew $40 or so on sauces.
The secret ingredient is BUTTER! Yes. Somehow their sauce is tangy and spicy and buttery. It's a sweet sauce. If you are a BBQ fan, I would recommend dropping a few bucks to try these sauces. -
Review from A p.
Otsego, NY
1/8/2012
'Brooks' is a local favorite, and we enjoy it most as 'take-out". Brooks is *the* comparison for good BBQ chicken or comparing your own homemade sauce. the aroma as you drive by is enough to make you have to stop. Tho' their chicken halves are the most popular i also love their spedies. Macaroni salad needs a healthier update, and the line to get in on weekends or special days (like the local college graduation) is long, but there is nothing better than a take-out down by the river on a summer evening.
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Review from Ari F.
MA
4/29/2008
The BBQ chicken of this establishment is good enough to temporarily convert even the staunchest of vegetarians. Seriously. I was not aware of the amazingness of Brooks until I serendipitously smelled it from the highway on my way up to Ithaca, took the exit,... and was forced to break my veggie streak.
Apparently it can become quite crowded, so try not to go on, say, saturday evening. But the inside is large and they have a decent picnic area, making it an excellent spot for summer lunching. -
Review from Jonathan F.
Walton, NY
9/16/2008 2 Check-ins Here
This place is what my father would call a 'Goldmine"
Very basic, so unless you like very basis food, you might tire of it if you go too often... Like, few others I often get the trout dinner which is very tasty and basic. The same goes for the chicken. The service is just like Alexandra T. and Matt S. describe. The salad bar can use alot of improvement (espically to make the selection of green more interesting) -
Review from Ric S.
Delray Beach, FL
6/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Hands down the most unique tasting BBQ chick in the Northeast. Ate here religiously in college and tastes the same 20 years later. More food than you can eat for under 10 bucks.
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Review from Edward A.
Manhattan, NY
6/15/2011
This place is perfect - great food, super casual setting, phenomenal value and great service. I'd eat here every day if I could.
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Review from Chester L.
Lyme, CT
6/19/2011
"Where's My Chicken!?"
3 stars says it is "A-ok" but I am a fan so it gets 4 stars with an asterisk. I think Brooks makes fantastic chicken but average to poor ribs. Now, the ribs are not my thing. They are to sweet and a little tough. But the chicken is out of this world.
Besides the chicken, save room for the unsweetened fruit pie and a cup of coffee. The last time I was there it was a blueberry with ice cream.
We stop here on the way to skiing in Tremblant and Vermont. We try and make sure to time dinner around Brooks. The ambiance is fantastic. Everything about the interior is perfect. I was bummed that they updated the men's room. It is modern and clean like any new restaurant but it was so old school before and got the job done. -
Review from Jay S.
Chicago, IL
6/18/2011
Excellent barbecue chicken at a very reasonable price. The other items on the menu are okay, but the chicken is the best.
Very different from Southern or Midwestern barbecue. The decor hasn't been updated since at least the 1970s, but you don't go for the view. Service is straightforward and efficient.
I wish that Brooks would franchise and spread out from Oneonta. I haven't really found any similar barbecue chicken anywhere else. -
Review from Kassy M.
10/13/2010
I think this place is very overrated. Their BBQ food is not that good, so I don't know why people are so crazy about it. The food is not terrible, but it will definitely make you feel gross after eating it.
Listed in: upstate NY
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Review from Joey L.
Slingerlands, NY
3/16/2011
Brooks BBQ is one of Oneonta's greatest pastimes and is a famous across upstate NY.
As a SUNY student I typically visit once every two weeks with friends and bring a big appetite. Anytime I go there is always some sort of line but the bizarre thing is that it only lasts for five minutes no matter what the length of the line is. The service is phenomenal especially with large groups they are constantly refilling our drinks and bringing tons of bread.
The meal I get is an incredible value and includes 1/4 chicken, pulled pork, a salad bar, bread and soda all for around $11. There is no need for dessert and you can pay via Dragon Dollars so it is an excellent deal for SUNY students.
The quality does not compare to some Southern BBQ I have had. However, it is one of my favorite places in Oneonta and it is definitely the best value in town. -
Review from Jon C.
State College, PA
4/18/2011
I specifically joined Yelp to give this place a 1 star review. We hit this place on the way to Cooperstown NY because we had heard good things about it. It turned out not so good.
The main points I'd make:
- Chicken was dry
- Ribs were fatty
- "BBQ" sauce was like a honey mustard base or something??
Jim W from Centre Hall, PA hit the nail on the head -
Review from Ian C.
9/30/2010
I really want to give this more than three stars. I love small towns and watching practically everybody in town congregating at a place, like Brooks, for dinner. There's something about that that I really like.
But I just can't give them another star. I ordered the sampler plate, so I could try the different things that they're famous for. I kind of did like their ribs. It wasn't the most tender ribs I've had, but they were pretty good. The chicken, which is probably their flagship item (the neon image outside is of a man with an ax chasing a chicken), was good too-- it was tender and juicy and fairly tasty.. But I didn't particularly like the beef and the pork. Maybe I'm spoiled by NYC, so I may have been expecting a little more for a place like Brooks, which is suppose to have better barbecue than NYC. It has the largest charcoal pit on the East, for goodness sake (and you can see the plume of smoke from the highways)! The locally grown corn was awesome, though. And I did finish everything because I know they worked hard to make the food and I didn't want any of it to go to waste, even if i didn't like everything.
At least the prices are low and you get a decent portion. That's good for all the hard working folks up there. And the service is pretty good. So, if I could, I'd give them 3.5 stars, but we all know we can't do that and I still can't give four stars. -
Review from Jack S.
Tulsa, OK
3/18/2011
This place is famous for the chicken. That's what you should get. I brought some friends here from Oklahoma (where BBQ is king) and WARNED them to stay with the chicken. If' you've ever had real Okie (or any kind of southern BBQ) you may be disappointed in some of the other choices. However, the chicken is GREAT! I always include this place when taking friends to upstate NY. I'd give it 5 stars if the salad bar was better...
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Review from Jo B.
Schenectady, NY
10/20/2011
I have had good/bad and great experiences during 20 years of visits here. The best is walking up to the take-out window on a crowded day and getting your fresh food fast. The food tastes better and you don't have to deal with the crowd. The extreme is making the mistake of eating in on a crowded day, waiting for your food and eating in their cafeteria style setup that is really in need of updating. As it is one exit up from Brewery Ommegang ... make sure you chow down on some BBQ AFTER you had the "closest thing to Belgium" experience to minimize the effects of your liquid indulgence.
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Review from Edward H.
Brooklyn, NY
1/2/2010
I want to love Brooks. I drive by it all the time- it looks great- can smell it from the highway, etc. However my one experience dining there was similar to another reviewers below. I had the sampler platter, and everything besides the chicken was pretty terrible. The rib sauce was pretty much honey- too sweet for my taste, and the rib (only one per sampler) was tough and chewy. The sliced pork didn't seem barbequed at all, it looked more like thin sliced pieces of turkey breast, was dry and had no flavor at all. The chicken was however pretty good, great flavor, although a bit dry as well. I will try Brooks again one of these days in hopes that I just hit an off night last time, but until then 2 stars it is. Prices are super cheap however- which is awesome.
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Review from emily g.
Kissimmee, FL
6/17/2009
Hand down the best BBQ chicken I've ever had. As a college student, we'd go to Brooks pretty often. I always get the chicken dinner, but I substitute onion rings for fries (it's not on the menu as an option, but they let you do it anyway). The salad bar is simple but great - everything is always fresh and tasty. The chicken is really flavorful and super moist - I don't know how they do it, but it really is the best BBQ chicken I've ever had. A must eat when in Oneonta.
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Review from Jon B.
Boston, MA
7/31/2007
Brooks had some of the most delicious chicken I've ever had. Perfectly cooked and flavored, it was deliciousness in every bite. I was visiting the area and it was recommended to me by locals and I was not dissapointed. I enjoyed the chicken and ribs combo, which was not only deliciousness on a plate, but it was also extremely cheap. If you're in Oneonta, stop by!
