Bodeans BBQ Restaurant, City of London, London

Great place to eat if you want a laid back, stomach busting type of meal. The service is excellent (American customer service standards), and the food is plentiful… and meaty! I recommend the pulled pork, a cold beer and the key lime pie for dessert

Bodean’s has become a regular treat at our office and it’s not hard to see why.

Generous portions of smoked meats (their pulled pork is particularly good), plenty of American beer on offer, great staff and a combination of classic rock radio and ESPN sport to complete the ambience.

The only things that could be done better are that beers are quite often not available, and portion size is quite variable – you don’t know until you get there whether your meal will be merely generous or truly gutbusting.

Made for everyone with a desire for the ultimate American BBQ experience. Make sure you try the hot chicken wings as well as the chili-cheese-fries.

For a tenner you can't expect much, but I was pleasently supprised.
Ribs, pulled pork, fries and coleslaw plus a beer!
Decent portions, good food and nice clean place.
Friendly staff so well worth a visit.

Let's start with the positive; nice clean dining room in the basement and it does what it says on the tin. BBQ.

The service well I have never been that impressed with. After trying this BBQ for the second time I have noticed a pattern..if the wait staff is busy then they will say they are out of it. Out of cornbread then you see they see clearly dishing it out to other patrons and out of dessert if they want you to give up your table.

Foodwise I they cook pulled pork well, sort of bland but there is a selection of sauces. Ribs are nothing to rave home about but if you are craving cheap meat and rootbeer after a night on the town...well you might have a more exciting (less sober) review

Quite close to Tower Hill and the Tower of London, this Bodean’s is slightly different from the Clapham branch in that this one is split-level with a more restaurant feel downstairs and a diner upstairs: it also has an excellent value take away menu.

To give you an idea on prices a pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and fries is £5.75, and an 8oz burger and fries to take away is £7.50, the take away prices are typically about 50p-£1 cheaper.

I had the ½ chicken, pulled pork & grilled smoke sausage “combo” with fries and coleslaw for £14.95. Realistically it would probably have fed two people! It was all very tasty, good value and I washed it down with a bottomless £2.50 “fountain” diet coke.

Recommended for meat-eaters, but veggies better beware! The “Bodean’s Classic Macaroni Cheese” contains smoked chicken! There are a couple of fish dishes: tuna steak and shrimp dinner both are served with coconut rice, but not a big choice.

Meat, meat and more meat seems to be the mantra held at Bodean’s at Tower Hill. Like its Soho brethren, Bodean’s Tower Hill also has a less formal, take away eating area upstairs with the more comfy lounge and cushioned backed chairs downstairs. Small, silver coated pigs heads coat the wall, probably a testament to all of the meat soon to be consumed in the next meal.

Either way, I have to give a thumbs up to their food once again, with the ribs I think improving since my last visit as the meat was soft and full of flavour even though I wanted to have more of their spicy (it wasn’t that spicy) chipotle BBQ covering the meat. Their pulled pork was a little bit more disappointing this time as it just wasn’t as moist as I remembered it though tasty nevertheless.

Completed stuffed after this meal, Bodean’s Tower Hill still satisfies and even has a number of great deals during the week including a £10 all you can eat rib-fest sure to please even the hungriest of meat-eaters.

The main dining area for this Bodeans is downstairs (as is the kitchen) and the minute you start down the stairs that BBQ aroma floats up to meet you. No aperitif can work better than that.
The decor is very typical of the other Bodeans and the big screens, which I find a little distracting, are on either side of the restaurant. Still a nice cosy warm atmosphere, friendly and attentive service.
Chatting about rib combo experiences along Blouberg Beach restaurants, it was decided we will make up our own combo.
The first thing our waiter did when he heard our order was to move us from a table for 2 to a table for 4 :-)
The lamb ribs were superb, tender and tasty as were the Baby Back pork ribs, smoky and juicy. I was very disappointed with the beef ribs that were dry and so tough I had to slice the meat off the bone. That is a sacrilege for any rib eater as fingers are the order of the day.
The extra BBQ sauces on the table, in different flavours, were good. I do recall some chips and coleslaw as well but did not try any, although it looked fresh.
I would certainly go again as there are a few others bit on the menu that caught my eye and the ribs were ever so moreish.