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Buck's Naked BBQ
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
22 reviews for Buck's Naked BBQ
Review Highlights
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"The pulled pork was melt in your mouth delicious." In 5 reviews -
"The burnt ends are really thick chunks of meaty, juicy..." In 1 review -
"...with just the right texture, not too gritty and full of..." In 3 reviews
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22 reviews in English
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Review from James C.
Woolwich, ME
11/27/2011
Awesome BBQ joint! Fun atmosphere, friendly staff, and really great selection of flavored BBQ sauce! Two thumbs up for this place!
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Review from Keith M.
Dunstable, MA
5/21/2012
Mango chicken salad (pulled chicken, mango, avocado, on a bed of salad greens &
veggies). More of a coupling of items than a salad. It was a good change of pace, but really just a pile of chicken (very tender), mango, avocado, veges and a little greens.
I really should try some actual bbq next time. -
Review from Andy G.
Fairfield, ME
3/13/2012 3 photos
I saw this place from the interstate and the word NAKED somehow caught my eye,
We quickly got off the nearest exit and the first thing i noticed when we drove into the parking lot was the authentic smell of real smokers burning in the back. This was REAL BBQ. The second thing I noticed when we entered the building was that the hostess was not naked, nor was anyone else. Apparently "naked" was the term for the smoked BBQ at the place which has no sauce, just a dry rub. You add your own sauce at the table, So needless to say the only naked breast I saw was of the shredded chicken variety on top of Simones salad.
The menu at Bucks is extensive. It ranges from the classic ribs and pulled pork to the more unique fried sausage or prime rib nuggets. For the appetizer, Simone (aka "The Wife") and I decided to split the Fried Prime Rib Nuggets and a small order of Smoked Blueberry BBQ Chicken Wings. The nuggets arrived first and they were a huge portion- I would say cut from a 12-16oz prime rib. They were super crispy on the outside with a thick cornmeal breading but were still medium rare, and tender when you bite into them. They were served with a horseradish sauce similar to the sauce that is sometimes served with Bloomin Onions. While not a favorite of mine, I imagine that a lot of people would enjoy it. I instead opted to try my nuggets with the 4 homemade BBQ sauces that Bucks offers ( award winning it says on the sign !) and it was a winning combination. Next up were the Blueberry BBQ wings. These wings go through a complicated process before making it to the table but the work of the kitchen is awarded in the taste. The wings are rubbed with Bucks dry rub, then smoked, then deep fried and then tossed in Blueberry BBQ sauce. Although not as sweet as one may think, they were unique and delicious and were still juicy. I think the term "Finger Lickin, Blueberry Pickin Good" would some these up nicely.
Next up, our entrees. Simone and I both opted to go with some salads ( I know salad- is not an entree but it was lunch and I was the one ordering the damn food so deal with it). Simone went for a salad that had pulled chicken, pears, walnuts, house vinaigrette and a full cows worth of blue cheese. Simone and I both thought that the chicken was dry and that a little bit of blue cheese goes a long ways. I ordered a warm Collard Greens salad with pulled pork. When it arrived I noticed that there was a lot more greens then there was pork to which my loving sweet wife said "well Andy, it is a salad". Thank you Simone. The greens were as they should be, slow simmered and tender, with a bit of bitterness and a smokey flavor. Although not my favorite things in the world they were still pretty good. However the pork on top was cooked perfectly. It had a great pink color and was moist and flavorful. I topped the pork with some of the various BBQ sauces and it was very good. The dish was served with a side of cornbread that was average but not spectacular. Overall i enjoyed the appetizers more then the meal, but i would still recommend you try Bucks for some real BBQ in MaineListed in: The Maine Menu
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Review from Simon L.
4/13/2011
SHOW ME YOUR RIBS!!!! That they did. I have always thought of Buck's as a steakhouse and not a BBQ joint. Having driven by it literally hundreds of times and choosing the Harraseeket Lunch and lobster instead for their fried clams every time, I finally stopped in after I read a review on Pigtrip that chalked it up to real deal BBQ.
It is. Sure, there's steak on the menu, a lot of good-looking steak but it really is mostly BBQ. Place good for families as well as a large bar area to watch the games, décor is old west-ish with colored lights and an attempt at looking like a barn succeeds moderately.
The burnt ends are really thick chunks of meaty, juicy tender brisket. Certainly not the most burnt I've ever had but worth every penny. Served with a light horseradish cream sauce, they are grilled to perfection and have a nice crispiness. Well seasoned, sprinkled with a wonderful cayenne pepper dry rub to offset the good fat content.
The "Show me your ribs" platter was really too much to eat. With a rack of Baby Backs and St Louie's and a deuce of the beef ribs, this platter was a wildly unexpected success. I don't usually order combos, as I like to stick with the full racks for consistencies sake. However, that being said, these were all amazing. The babies were thick with meat and served dry with a nice flavorful rub. The St Louie's were crispy on the outside, nice pink inside, juicy, solid ribs. The Wolfe Neck beef ribs are literally from around the corner (Wolfe Neck farm is less than three miles from Buck's) and the only place I've ever had that even comes close to these bad boys is BT's Smokehouse. The beef was absolutely divine, thick and hearty slabs of meat, not too fatty, juicy and smoked to tender lusciousness. Next time I will order just a full order of the beef ribs.
Good peppery coleslaw and some "braised greens" on the side. A couple long trails and we've got dinner folks. Next time you head up to Freeport to hit the outlets, get off at the first exit and try Buck's: definitely into the regular lineup.Listed in: RIBS, Fall Driving Joints
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Review from emily a.
New York, NY
7/22/2011
My boyfriend and I came here after hearing rave reviews from a couple of friends but I have to say we weren't very impressed.
The food wasn't bad, it just really didn't live up to all the hype.
It also seemed pretty expensive for BBQ, our two meals, plus a cup of chili was around $50.
Personally I think that $50 would be better spent elsewhere! -
Review from Terri H.
8/20/2011
We were seated and served quickly on a Saturday night. I ordered a pulled chicken/mango salad($11) and hubby ordered the 2-meat combo meal that came with 2 sides and cornbread($14). The BBQ sauces (labeled/described) at the table were very good!
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Review from John M.
10/16/2010
I truly miss LL Bean's outlet being in this location, however having some smoked dead animal flesh is a fair trade.
On a Friday night, we were seated promptly, attended to quickly and platters were out in a instant. The smoked brisket was awesome. Nice smokey flavor with a little bit of moisture. My platter had the cheddar chipotle sauce covering which offered a bit of kick and therefore didnt need the sauces. The cole slaw was very good.. served with some pepper for a little kick. The BBQ beans tasted rather can like with a few seasonings added,taking it from bland to good. The whole store can get loud in part from the juke joint on the lower level and the bar on the upper level.
Its worth a stop after a long day out outleting... is that such a word? -
Review from Samantha E.
Alexandria, VA
7/14/2011 7 photos
Dropped in for dinner and really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. They had a pretty big menu and we all got BBQ sandwiches. Their house sauces were delicious and we ended up cutting our sandwiches into quarters so we could enjoy them all. The only downside to the meals is that fries are not a standard side and you have to pay extra. Oh well. No big deal!
Listed in: Summer 2011 Road Trip
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Review from Charles H.
Torrance, CA
12/20/2010
Visited this summer. Easy parking, nice big space. Friendly service. Kids LOVED the play area, and we sat right next to it so we could observe. Plenty of leftovers. Too bad we couldn't stay for the live band!
The "naked" part was a bit gimmicky. Meat was a bit bland without any of the sauces, yet none was the clear winner. I prefer a good dry rub and maybe 1 or two warm sauces max, such a mild and spicy. -
Review from Aria v.
New York, NY
11/15/2009
Fourth of July Weekend = Small Town America
Eating in Maine = I Could Go for Some BBQ
Food:
This place, I really wanted to give it 4 stars. I did. It's teetering, but being a good southern girl at heart, and having a Louisiana boy in tow, there was something lacking. The chicken wings were good if overly spicy, but something that makes you want more while it's burning your mouth.
The salad I ordered was really wilted, and before you go all "why would you order a salad at a BBQ place?," I did really need some green. I don't expect haute salads here, just something where the veggies I wanted look at least appetizing.
The pulled pork, though, was really good. With the multitude of sauces available you could spruce it up however you wanted. I was a fan of the blueberry and the red skinny dip--sweet and spicy. If everything had matched up to that pork in that blueberry sauce, this place would have had more stars for sure.
Venue:
I have to say, it was place itself that lost that star. We were seated in the back row of booths, right next to the pickup window for the kitchen. It was hard to have a conversation because it was a tad on the loud side. The waitresses would also gather and talk and laugh and giggle and screech and complain. While I know it's a waitress' right to do that at the window, don't have your tables right next to the window.
It's a big place though, and it's decorated like a cross between a road-side dinner and a lincoln log house. There's a lot of space and you'll never feel crammed. The most redeeming part of this restaurant though--aside from two or three of the sauces--is the live music they get every so often. The place gets busy though, it's very local and open late. If you need to get drunk with a bunch of buds, this is where you go.Listed in: Weekend Getaway: Freeport
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Review from Julie C.
5/18/2010
Ooooh weeeeeeeeeeee, Buck's is one hell of a place. Like most BBQ joints, Bucks is equipped with booths and picnic style tables.
Our party of 5 were seated one of the large picnic tables, pretty roomy.
Our friends were raving that this place was the bomb and that their bloody mary comes with a rib in it!
Hmm, piqued my curiosity and driving back from Acadia, this was a much need pit stop.
There weren't many folks in the restaurants dining, so service was quick and prompt.
I ordered a Jah Irie to start off with which is their take on a dark n stormy. This drink was weak. I could hardly taste the rum. It did come with a rib! But not in the drink, more like on the side.
The BBQ sauces are ok, nothing that really wowed me.
I ordered the take 2 plate and got the cowboy sausage and pulled pork.
The pulled pork was melt in your mouth delicious. The sausage was good too, nice and crispy on the outside and went really well with their house mustard sauce.
Other people ordered the ribs, the brisket, the sloppy buck which looked incredibly good and totally sloppy to eat.
Everything looked good and tasted good for what its worth.
I wouldn't say this was the best BBQ I had but its decent. A cool place to stop if you are in the area. -
Review from Dee C.
Flushing, NY
2/12/2009 7 photos
The best southern bbq in the northern states, but their waitress are rude.
Their portions are huge, price is cheap, food is great, wait is long for dinner, waitress are rude, and their mixed drinks are not that great. -
Review from Savannah M.
Falmouth, MA
9/9/2008
Went to this place this weekend and the food was great. I just wished I could have picked my sandwich up wihtout the meat falling all over.
They had 4 types of BBQ sauce to choose from. I had a pulled pork with bacon and lettus and tomato, with potato salad and a small salad.
The waitress was great and they were quick.
The decor was cool as well. -
Review from Steve B.
Groton, MA
8/13/2009
Best dang BBQ north of the Mason-Dixon line.
My review is based on one recent visit for dinner with my brother.
We had a very tough day, as I was in town for the death of a close family member. We were in the mood for some good beer and great food at a place that would help take our minds off the day's events. So, my brother said with an evil grin, I'm taking you to Buck's Naked BBQ.
It was a Friday night about 8:30 PM and the place was hopping. We were greeted by a smiling friendly hostess and were seated almost right away. This place is big, so even on a Friday night, you got a good chance at a table without too long of a wait.
Our waitress came by, greeted us with a cheerful smile, handed us menus, explained the specials and took our beer order. (We ordered pints of the native brew of course). She came back in about 5 minutes with the welcomed frosty pints. We were still undecided as the menu was robust with all sorts of appetizers and mouth watering BBQ entrees featuring chicken, pork, beef, turkey, fish and shrimp all cooked in ways that is almost sinful. Plus the aroma of BBQ wood smoke gently hovered in the air creating a sense of wonder and anticipation.
We didn't order appetizers, as we were focused on beer drinking and wanted to save room for the main event. I ordered a combo plate of pulled chicken and a half rack of (dry rub) baby back ribs and Tom ordered the BBQ half chicken. You get to pick 2 sides and the main dishes also comes with fresh baked cornbread. I did the greens and mashed for my sides.
Sometime well into our second beer, out came our full plates of heaping fresh hot BBQ. I felt like a new groom, viewing his bride to be for the first time in her new wedding gown. Both my brother and I smiled and I said "wow" and he said "oh yeah". Are you getting the picture yet?
To finally get to the point, my ribs were perfect, tender and tasty and the pulled chicken was the best I ever had. The greens were tasty and not overcooked and complemented the meat and mashed potatoes nicely. Tom's chicken looked delicious, and after several head nods with his eyes closed, I knew he found Nirvana.
Oh yeah... the cornbread! Fresh baked and warm with just the right texture, not too gritty and full of that wonderful buttery corn flavor.
They also have about 6 kinds of hot sauces and vinegars in little bottles on each of the tables. This allows you to anoint the meat to your preference if your so inclined. Me personally, I'm mucho caliente all the way.
This used to be a little hole-in-the-wall a few years back, with long lines standing outside. Business was good, so the owner built this restaurant to accommodate the growing demand. The atmosphere is rustic but very comfortable. They even have a small kid's play area for families waiting to be seated!
If you are a true BBQ lover, I mean you know and appreciate the difference between smoked meats and grilled, you owe yourself a visit to Buck's Naked BBQ. It's the real deal people.
5 Stars ***** -
Review from Abby N.
Boston, MA
3/7/2010
Yesterday was the first nice day of the year. JP and I were trying to figure out where to go to enjoy the weather so we settled on Freeport, Maine. They have outlets, it would be a nice drive, and JP had never been. Before we went we did what we always do, we looked up the area restaurants. One, Buck's Naked BBQ, came highly rated; it received 4 stars on Yelp. Never one to turn down barbecue, we decided this would be our lunch destination. 2 hours later we arrive at Buck's. I'm excited. I love pulled pork. JP tells me it's naked because it comes out bare, no sauce whatsoever. We walk in and they ask us if we want to sit at the table right by the door. We pass and decide we'd like to sit in the bar area. We're seated and I order a diet Coke. They only have Pepsi. Strike one.
We look over our menu and I decide on the pulled pork. I then get to choose two sides. Since I've given up fried food for Lent, I decided on the potato salad. I couldn't decide if I wanted the coleslaw or the corn bread. BTW, what BBQ place doesn't automatically provide corn bread? I thought it normally came with every order. It came with JP's meal, but I thought most joints will serve it with every order. I also decide to order a cup of the gumbo. It has pulled chicken, sausage, & crayfish. The waiter comes back and I order, but ask him what's better, the coleslaw or the cornbread. He looks at me like I have two heads and then makes a motion like flipping a coin and shrugs his shoulders. OK? So you, who works here, and, presumably, eats the food, can't tell me what is better? Maybe I was wrong to assume he eats the food. I can't say I would eat it if I worked there.
Gumbo comes. I remove the crayfish and give it to JP. He's been craving it for a while so I figured I'd share. My first bite is good. I tell JP if this is any indication we're in for some good food. Then I continue to eat. The pulled chicken is very tasty, but that's it. I keep eating and it's actually becoming more bland. How is that even possible?? I actually have to add salt and pepper, which is very rare for me.
Ding! Food is done. I can see them put up two dishes. And I can see them sit there. And sit there. Oh and sit there some more. The dishes were up there for about 3-4 minutes while numerous employees walked past. Strike two.
Food is eventually brought over. We test out the different sauces. JP likes the skinny sauce and I like mustard/vinegar based sauce.
So here's the thing, their whole restaurant is based off of being naked. So when your BBQ is naked, the bare meat should speak for itself. Buck's doesn't. Some bites of the pork were dry, others were juicy, but there was no flavor. It was bland. I found myself looking for flavor and having to add copious amounts of the provided sauce. I tried the potato salad. It too was bland, yet covered in mayonnaise. So I guess even the mayo was bland. OK so what's left? The corn bread. More like corn dead? Seriously. It wasn't good. It was dry. Again, I found myself wanting to add something. Everything they served made me want to add something. Their naked just wasn't good enough.
Eventually we paid and left. On our way out, the hostess didn't thank us for coming. Strike three.
The one plus was they give you huge portions at a good price. But do you really want a huge portion of not really great food? Yeah that's what I thought.
I give Buck's Naked BBQ, 1 out of 5. -
Review from Erna r.
Portland, ME
6/20/2010
It was ok. Nothin' special, for sure. We had high hopes, based on other reviews here...... Nice people.
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Review from T.H. J.
Andover, MA
6/15/2010
Consistently satisfying
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Review from Sherry Z.
Hoboken, NJ
11/29/2009 1 photo
Nice touch with sweet potato fires. Buck's Naked BBQ has it own charm in New England area. This location has a unique kids play area that make BBQ experience more easier for family. Among all the dishes, the spicy lime beef ribs are the most special item in the menu. With a hint of spice, the tender beef ribs were covered with one nice layer of lime that you can not find anywhere else.
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Review from Bob R.
Portland, ME
8/5/2010
Pretty disappointed overall. Were seated away from everything which meant our waitress had to travel far to get to us - too far when we needed her.
Drinks were ok. Seats were fairly uncomfortable for a booth. Food was served fast - as in almost too fast - as in this stuff had to be sitting in a tray waiting for an order so... chicken was a little dry but not too bad. Brisket was very dry - had to pour the sauce on. I know it's supposed to be "naked" but that should not mean the meat has no moisture in it at all. Side salad was cute and the avocado dressing was very good. Beans ok.
With BBQ, in the end, it's about the food. I've eaten at a lot of BBQ places and this tended to be at the low end. -
Review from Greg m.
Mashpee, MA
6/18/2008
Buck's Naked BBQ is a great place to eat! The food is good for the most part but one thing I wish they would have is hush-puppies!! If you have to ask what that is , move on! Anyway the price is right and the food will stay with you for hours!! Enjoy!!
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Review from Paul O.
Baltimore, MD
4/13/2010
BBQ is standard fair that is nothing special. Brisket is overcooked and I would pass it up next time. Chicken is fatty and should be a better quality of poultry to start with and the fries we very greasy.
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Review from John Paul N.
Boston, MA
3/7/2010
We decided to take a quick road trip to Freeport, ME to walk around the outlet shops and enjoy the nice weather. Searching for places to eat lunch online before heading out, I saw Buck's Naked BBQ and after looking at the website and menu, I knew that was where we were going to have lunch. Needless to say, we had very high expectations for Buck's. Sadly, those expectations weren't met.
Buck's Naked BBQ is aptly named because the BBQ comes out naked. Meaning with no sauce. Basically, the slow cooked meat should speak for itself. This, in theory, is usually the best practice for any type of cooking. However, Buck's does provide 4 types of BBQ sauces for you to add as much or as little as you like. The sauces are all at the table, which is nice. The last place we had BBQ only gave us a small portion of sauce on the side of our BBQ and charged us if we wanted extra. So that was a definitely a plus at Buck's.
Abby started with the gumbo. I enjoyed the crawfish that came with the soup, but the one spoonful I had was somewhat bland. Abby enjoyed the pulled chicken that was in the gumbo and even remarked that this was a good sign that the rest of the BBQ that we ordered would be really good. (Again, we were wrong.)
As we were waiting for our main entree (I went with the smokehouse sampler, which consisted of babyback ribs, beef ribs, and chicken wings, and Abby went with the pulled pork sandwich) we heard the ding from the kitchen bell that indicates to waiters and servers that food was ready to pickup. Abby noticed that the food sitting under the heatlamps appeared to be our lunch. It sat there. Servers walked past the kitchen not even caring. It continued to sit there. One of the managers, or maybe the owners' son, was sitting at the bar with legs up over multiple seats not really caring about anything other than his laptop. Our food continued to "die" under the heat lamps. Finally, after several minutes someone noticed our food and brought it over to our table.
My ribs were big and covered in the dry rub that was used over the meat. Neither babyback ribs or beef ribs were "fall off the bone" tender, but weren't completely dry either. Each bite though was so overpowered by the dry rub, it was hard to really get the flavor of the ribs. I thought that was the whole point of the naked BBQ. I did add some sauce though, choosing the WNC Skinny Dip. This was my favorite sauce of the 4 and I thought was a pretty solid BBQ sauce. The babybacks were the better of the ribs, as it should since they are listed as "award-winning". While the ribs were naked, the chicken wings most definitely weren't. I had the wings in Jerk sauce, and they came slathered. I had to scrape the sauce off the wings before I ate them. That being said, the wings were cooked perfectly and were very juicy. The jerk sauce, once I took the majority off, was better than average, but still nothing to write home about. Abby's pulled pork was like my BBQ, slightly dry and needing sauce. The sides weren't bad, but weren't great either. I didn't like the cornbread much, but did like the baked beans.
Bottom line: Buck's Naked BBQ isn't the greatest BBQ I've ever had. It's not even on the list of best BBQ in New England. Not sure if we went on a bad day or not (the couple sitting behind us didn't seem to be enjoying their lunch either) but there wasn't anything worth coming back to. I give Buck's Naked BBQ a 1 and 1/2 out of 5. (Probably closer to a 2 than a 1 since the portions were pretty big and the sauces weren't bad either.)
