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Ridgewood Barbecue

900 Elizabethtown Highway, Bluff City, TN - (423) 538-7543
Posted By Bill Brant on 10/27/2004 7:42:00 PM
After reading several reviews here and on other sites declaring Ridgewood to be a bbq mecca, I decided to include a visit on my recent fall foliage trip, going somewhat out of the way for the visit. Unfortunately, I can't concur with most of the reviews and question whether many people outside the Carolinas or Georgia know what southern bbq is, because this isn't it!

I definitely wanted pork (as is required in these parts - real bbq house should not even offer beef). Felt that $12.95 for a plate was a bit pricey (also don't particularly like fries with bbq) so I opted for pork sandwich and side of slaw. The pork on the sandwich reminded me, well, of Arby's. Sliced very thin like deli meat and completely overpowered by sweet sauce that could have come off any grocery shelf. Slaw similarly tasted like it came straight from supermarket. While service was pleasant, you could definitely tell that they wanted to turn over the tables as quickly as possible to accomodate hordes of leaf-peepers backing out the door. True sign that this is pure tourist chow should have been easy to spot - there were very few Tennessee plates on cars; vast majority were from Florida, which is generally a bad sign for any restaurant.

All in all, very disappointing. If you find yourself in Tri Cities area seeking bbq, I might suggest the Firehouse in downtown Johnson City - much better bbq.

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Mostly what you see are French fries -- delicious, hot-from-the-kettle fries -- but beneath them is a heap of smoky pork slices bathed in tongue-tingling sauce.
"Mostly what you see are French fries -- delicious, hot-from-the-kettle fries -- but beneath them is a heap of smoky pork slices bathed in tongue-tingling sauce. "
Michael Stern





Smoky, sweet, and laced with meat, Ridgewood's beans are a must-eat side dish.
"Smoky, sweet, and laced with meat, Ridgewood's beans are a must-eat side dish."
Michael Stern


The sandwiches are huge and definitely sharable. Order one plate of fries for every 2-3 people.
"The sandwiches are huge and definitely sharable. Order one plate of fries for every 2-3 people."
Rae Augenstein


This is the view from a booth near the kitchen: a beef sandwich and a pork plate, just assembled by the cook and ready to be carried to a table -- OUR table, we pray!
"This is the view from a booth near the kitchen: a beef sandwich and a pork plate, just assembled by the cook and ready to be carried to a table -- OUR table, we pray!"
Michael Stern


Just north of the restaurant is this smoky building where hams are slow-smoked over hickory wood for hours.
"Just north of the restaurant is this smoky building where hams are slow-smoked over hickory wood for hours."
Michael Stern


Although it is far off the beaten path, the Ridgwood is almost always crowded. Expect to wait at peak mealtimes.
"Although it is far off the beaten path, the Ridgwood is almost always crowded. Expect to wait at peak mealtimes."
Michael Stern



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