Willie Jewells Barbecue

Its Barbecue, Same Old Barbecue — Acceptable — Average — Better Training --
The coupon came in the mail, a pulled pork sandwich, one side and a drink. And I happened to be in the neighborhood and it was lunch time so I used the coupon.
Now I am now who has barbecue on the brain most days and I have frequented the best places in this country from my favorite BUBBAS which is in Jackson Hole Wyoming, it's a required stop for me, to two or three places in Kansas City with dry rub to Memphis wet to Texas beef and brisket and all the franchises in between. So I divide my BARBECUE ratings and feelings into three categories.
Category one is the stand alone business doing everything under their cap usually family run and well set in their ways, long time following, no chance of franchising, the owner likes what he’s doing and you'll partake here family recipes passed down generation to generation.
Category two is the emulator, the place that operates again through corporate franchise ways of doing things and there are many of these operations with franchise and usually nothing really different, more like copycat food. Place to place and the usual bean counters running the food line. I call them emulators. Willies is a two.
Category three is the individual who thinks he or she has re-invented pulled pork or a secret sauce. They all talk about secret sauce, so many secrets, KFC started the secret sauce, Ya-Ya has SS, McDonalds has Special Sauce...and gets a location going and has a following for a while and then gone. Some one spilled the secret…
Bottom Line — All have something in common, pork or chicken, maybe brisket and traditional country veggies like okra, corn, taters, and carrots, salad bars etc. But the big seller is its ribs and pulled or sliced pork.
So what is Willie Jewels, It's obviously a franchise, and franchise food. The pork sandwich was OK, the Brunswick stew side was as expected and a dispenser Root Beer is a root beer. Nothing to rate it higher. It was average on the cuisine.
Other Observations And Suggestions —
- The decor is decadently different but somewhat nicely done —
- Bigger than it looks from the outside but not huge —
- The Steel chairs they used might have been thought out bigger. They are for someone 4’9” tall —
- Had there been a booth for real people available I would have grabbed it. The seating was uncomfortable made for kids or really short people — OVERALL BAD SEATING — NOT COMFORTABLE
- Lots of old signs and antique wall hangings characterize the place just like all the other places.
- Lots of people somehow not that coordinated. Poor training —?
- Lots of garbage outside their front door, looks like a magazine rack or something fell over, Unnoticed ?
- No sauce on the tables, all on a back bar and poorly marked and needed cleaning —
- They could have put a few potato chips or sliced pickle on the plate. It looked bare —
- The help should smile, it’s not that hard, food came out fast and lots of hand use —
- They were however wearing gloves, to me thats a plus unless they were wearing them after cleaning which I saw happen at another competitor establishment —
- Simply put, the food was just acceptable, the place looked clean inside and definitely a work in progress. I have other places for barbecue, nothing exceptional here I would put over anyone else, just another franchise. I’ll re-check them in a couple weeks. Then I looked at their inspection.
👮♀️ Inspection not impressive — Never went back — I saw what I needed to see —