Bodean's BBQ
Restaurant - American in London
10 Poland Street
Soho
London
Greater London
W1F 8PZ
Contact Numbers
About
Bodean's BBQ serves a variety of popular American style dishes. They encourage visits from children (complete with a private kids room) and can cater for private parties upon request.
Reviews
Real American BBQ
Unlike so many Barbaque places in the UK that rely on sugary sauces to provide a barbaque flavour, Bodean's slow roasts their meat on a Hickory fire to give a full flavored, tender meat that is to die for. NOT a place for the Veggies.
A User - 04/09/2009 | report this review
Good Hangover Cure
I've never been to Bodean's straight-headed; we always come here for hangover cures, grumbling "mmmeeeeeaaat!" in an almost animalistic way. It gets seriously busy in the downstairs restaurant, especially on a Friday so we tend to dine early (12pm) or later to beat the lunchtime rush. I've never had anything other than the 'Pig Out For A Tenner' deal which includes baby back ribs, fries and coleslaw with a Coors Light Beer (probably the only thing I can handle in delicate conditions, but pretty tasteless) or a soft drink. The ribs are good; tender and meaty and messy, exactly what you'd want from them. Back in the day they used to give you a little mound of pulled pork in this deal, but alas, this is no more. Fries are average, but the coleslaw is nice and not sickeningly claggy with mayonnaise. I like their sauces - ask for the extra hot one. The waiting staff are always pleasant.
A User - 05/10/2008 | report this review
Bodean's Magnet
I'm not entirely sure as to why I'm drawn to this place, for a start the food is distinctly average. If a Yank was to turn up here, she or he will be initially disappointed with the portions, for they were certainly un-American in size and quantity. Neither am I enthralled with the Plasma Screens featuring American sports but the folks who frequent here are a consistently lively bunch, which can only suggest that they're primarily responsible for the great ambience. I must say that the burgers and hot dogs were pretty much decent. I can't help but find that the sauces and marinades that came with dishes tasting almost synthetic-like. Past experiences included a half-cooked chicken that was returned and rewarded with a properly cooked double portion and the bland Clam Chowder was sadly clamless. My daughter thought the fries were stupendous, the bottomless soft drinks a bonus and getting your hands sticky and grubby with the ribs was part of life. You get the gist. This place can get very very busy, but the great staff manages to hold everything together. I prefer to dine at the Deli section as I find the Dining Room area in the basement too cavernous and claustrophobic.I suppose my repeat visits to Bodean's are probably down to the pomp and circumstance of an American eatery, which I feel utterly comfy and easy with.
A User - 08/09/2008 | report this review
Best BBQ in London - though that's not saying much
The problem with steakhouses and BBQ joints in the UK, and it's a big problem, is that the raw meat ingredients are either too expensive to appeal to anything more than a handful of obsessed foodies, or cheap enough but of inferior quality and therefore undesirable for a different reason. Take Hawksmoor, for example, a brave and unashamedly premium steakhouse on Commercial Road. The quality of the meat is exemplary (The Ginger Pig of Borough Market fame, no less), the skill of the kitchen unquestionable, the service professional and knowledgeable. But at £50 a head on average without wine it's not hard to see why you're not about to see a Hawksmoor on every British high-street - or anywhere outside London for that matter. Right at the other end of the scale, there are dives like Garfunkels and Angus Steakhouse where you can get a "steak" for around a tenner, but if you consider that this price includes a profit for the restaurant, you're looking at a seriously inferior piece of cow. If indeed you can even be sure it is cow. Over at über-bloggers Dos Hermanos, there's a mouthwatering post about a 40-day aged forerib of Aberdeen Angus beef from Ireland, which looks irresistably tempting until you realise that piece of beef for one person cost £20 from the butcher. Good meat isn't, neither should it be, cheap, and this is why good, reasonably-priced steakhouses may always remain a largely (North and South) American phenomenon.That doesn't mean, however, that there aren't a handful of restaurants attempting to walk that fine line between good meat and reasonable value. I have mentioned Bodean's before because I have been to their Clapham branch a couple of times and been very impressed with a number of items on the menu. I was completely expecting this to be a gushing puff-piece about how it is possible to get consistently good US-style BBQ food for less than stellar prices and how I can't understand why there isn't a Bodean's on every street corner. And yet last night a trip to Bodean's in Soho served as a reminder that this goal remains a long way off.Perhaps we just visited on the wrong night. The "Famous Burnt Ends" are served Monday and Wednesday only - we were there on a Tuesday. Perhaps they have a different chef on the quiet nights, and don't try as hard, I don't know. But although our buffalo chicken wings were as gorgeous as ever in a hot vinegary sauce and cheesy dip, and the half slab of pork spare ribs were juicy and satisfying to pull off the bone, the pulled pork was just dire - dry, tasteless and chewy, completely unlike the plate of moist pig meat I'd had before in Clapham. Pickels were OK but strangely fizzy, like they were past their best. I know they can do much better, and have done much better, but if they can't produce the goods on a regular basis then I can't recommend them.So there's only one thing for it - as soon as the weather looks like it's turning for the better, I'm replacing my £14 Argos barbeque (don't laugh - it's lasted three years and served me well) and going down to Dove's on Northcote Road for a bag full of the finest meat in South London. If you want something done properly, do it yourself.
A User - 11/08/2008 | report this review
Just above substandard
Now I don't want to come across too harsh in my review. I mean, I've most certainly eaten here over a dozen times! However, it was purely for ease and availability more than for incredibily tasty steaks.OK, so they aren't bad, by no means to the poor standard of Angus Steak Houses, but, they just aren't that special. Menu selection is suffice, as is the choice of different meats, but it just all feels a bit samey and if you're not paying attention you could be in a TGI / Harvesters / Beefeater.Ambience is nice, very all American, with the usual American sports playing on the screens, so if you hate basketball / Americal football then stay away!Don't go there with the expectation of having the best steak ever, if you want that, check out Gaucho Grill instead...
A User - 05/08/2008 | report this review
One for the lads...!
Bodean's is a meat-lovers paradise, somewhere to indulge your inner carnivore. I love it here. The surroundings are low-key and comfortable. A real haven from the ultra-trendy interiors of some of Soho's other restaurants and bars. There's always sports on in the background, but its not too obtrusive unlike some other sports venues in London. You can actually hold a conversation in Bodean's without risking your vocal cords.The menu is straightforward. Steaks and burgers are well cooked with minimal grease (which seems to be a real problem with some gourmet burger restaurants), and red meat is delivered precisely as rare or as well done as you request them. Chips and onion rings are the right side of crunchy. I can highly recommend Bodean's if you're looking for a relaxed dinner.
A User - 05/08/2008 | report this review
load of ribbish !!
I had high hopes for bodeans on westbourne grove. But was instantly dissapointed when told that my freind and i could not have beef or lamb ribs. This kinda spoiled my night as i was looking forward to some tasty beef ribs. A proffessional restaurant shouldnt be using the excuse of having run out. it isnt hard to stock a freezer. furthermore my stake ordered in loo of ribs was a very average affair and im doubtfull of its true weight. my freinds hotdog looked thrown together and his wifes salad tasted of fish. No root beer half an hour waiting for a drink and waiters who cant speak english. Dont bother with bodeans they cant be bothered why should you.
A User - 01/06/2008 | report this review
perfect for a dirty lunch
Ideal lunch place when hungover to stuff yourself on meat and carbs and feel temporarily better about things before descending into a bloated haze for the rest of the afternoon. It's an American meat diner basically with US sports on constant loop. The Pulled Pork sandwich is a winner. As are the BBQ beans. If you're needing a vague attempt at being healthy they do a decent Caesar salad with a smoke chicken breast. Fries aren't bad and good range of sauces available chipotle mayo, hot sauces etc.Good place but as lunches go it's not especially cheap and you will probably eat 4 days calorie allowance in one sitting. Neverhtheless sometimes you just need a Bodeans
A User - 12/01/2008 | report this review
A great place for election night??
2008, one only hopes, will feature the demise of Britney Spears and the Republican Party (yes I used that symmetry) and thus, naturally, a window of potential for renewing and redressing America's image globally. Whether we get Obama's youthful vigour or Clinton's solid pragmatism, both should read as classic American traits, and, however you are inclined, either will be taken as some improvement on the current administration (or is it a ‘situation'?). A little deli/takeaway kind of ‘joint' on Poland Street sort of embodies both candidates' strengths. Now I'm not extending so far as to claim this as some hilariously sloppy and loose culinary metaphor for a new America under the Democrats, but it just seemed to have everything I like about what has become individualistically American flair for doing things, and also what I like about the main candidates.Firstly, Bodeans is a fairly decent visual approximation of how an American restaurant of this ilk actually looks in America: simple and unassuming, without screaming kitsch but subtle, sometimes tongue in cheek references to theme (the American love of theme is sometimes overstated abroad – see your local TGI's). Neon lighting is used sparingly and what can only be described as an assortment of surfaces are deployed, from white glazed bricks, woods from maple to elm, steel, mirrors – its not overwhelming it just all works to serve a scruffy ‘accumulated' Americana look. The seating configuration basically comprises of stools on counters and a few large communal tables. As you may have already guessed, this is number-system canteen style dining, you go to the counter to order your food, collect your food, get the cutlery you require, napkins, beverage refills, etc, etc. The process was just so swift and efficient (think Hilary) I left a token tip despite doing all the heavy lifting. The food is presented on a tray with a sheet of greaseproof paper with a big dollop of mystery mayo-like sauce, a handful of really good seasoned fries and sliced pickles (Haimsha?). My medium hamburger was very, very good in comparison to what is offered at these various ‘gourmet hamburger' places that populate the area, and the fresh homemade slaw was not inundated with mayonnaise. Actually, this maybe a candidate for the best no-fuss hamburger in London, a claim that is also assisted by the fact that everything for two came under £20, and we were veritably stuffed. The casual presentation of food (loved making a mess on the greater tray surface area with all the condiments), delivery, décor, atmosphere compounded with value for money gives this place a youthful appeal. Strategically speaking, it's a good lively place to ‘line one's stomach' without expense on a Friday evening before hitting the town. So it's quite cool and casual (like Obama). The menu is mostly meat-based quotidian American stuff as you would expect (with the exception of smoked brisket which is virtually impossible to find), but its quality, value, execution and setting is what really separates Bodeans from the existing American eateries in London. Certainly gets my vote!!!Note: This review refers to the upstairs deli/takeaway only.
A User - 09/01/2008 | report this review
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