Thought this place would be amazing because of the reviews. Couldn't of been more wrong. Had the tri tip combo and it was honestly the worst tasting cut I've ever had. The cornbread was also extremely disappointing. Gave a second star because the service was good.
John D.
So sad to hear they have closed. Out of the numerous BBQ joints available throughout our area this place was really down to earth, comfortable and had great food. I guess I'll have to start smoking again myself along with making my Kentucky BBQ sauce and sides. Well neighbors will be happy since with two of us we'll have extra to go around. Thanks for the food and memories.
Aiden S.
I ordered takeout from Leadbelly's after having it catered during a large event, and was really disappointed. I came on a Monday craving some great barbecue, and since the other typical places I would go to for BBQ were closed, I settled upon Leadbellys. The food was ready really fast after I ordered, and the woman waiting the tables inside also was friendly and helped me get my order. The inside is really nice, and it does seem like a cool place to sit down for a dinner, but that was not what I was there for. I had a large order of multiple 3 item combos, and mine included pork ribs, pulled pork, and brisket. This came with baked beans and collards, but I also tried a piece of my friend's cornbread. It's the same price as pretty much every BBQ place (around 20+ dollars for a 3-item) and this is to expect nowadays. The food was still warm when I got home and dived in, and the first thing I noticed was that the membrane had not been removed from the pork rib. For this being a BBQ spot, it's kind of a joke to even have pork ribs on the menu, if you're not going to treat them properly. They were dry, and reeked of too much smoke. My ribs were not fall of the bone, and far from being a good pork rib. On top of that, the brisket lacked any smoke ring, and was way overcooked. They use a pellet smoker, so I wasn't expecting a crazy product, but the brisket didn't even taste like it ever went on it. It honestly felt like I was eating Jewish brisket with way too much liquid smoke, and I had to use a knife to cut through the tough meat. Lastly, the pulled pork was okay. It was very mediocre; however, and not worth coming back solely for. The beans were actually kind of awesome, and remained piping hot, so that's cool. Whats not cool though, was the collards. They lacked acid in every way imaginable, and I don't think they actually seasoned these with anything at all. The cornbread was not the best, but at least there was whole kernels inside the crumb, which not every place does. Somehow, the food was better when it was catered, but I credit this to being able to choose the more fatty pieces of meat, and taking from the bottom of the tray where more of the juices had seeped into the meat. I would not recommend this place unless you are absolutely dying for BBQ and this is your only option. It kind of get's the fix in for BBQ, but leaves you really wanting more. I wish this place could nail their food, because everything outside of that is awesome, and Orange County really does need a larger BBQ presence. Anyways, maybe they can get their stuff together and upgrade equipment one day, or maybe just figure out their pellet system.
Barry F.
Sadly after eight years of operation this restaurant is now permanently closed. Best wishes to ownership and all the support staff. Remember to always leave them wanting more.
Bil K.
Hello friends, We have made the decision after 8 amazing years to close Leadbelly's. I am not sure how we say goodbye to staff, family, friends, those we have lost, those who have come in consistently to support us, and our great food. What I can tell you is: Bil had cancer in 2011! A tumor blocking more than ¾ of his airway. He always talked about opening a Barbecue Restaurant. I said, "Do it!" So, in 2013 Leadbelly's was born. We couldn't have done it without the support of our amazing family and friends. It provided us the opportunity to raise our kids, balance schedules, and for Bil to live out his dream. The years we have had here donating to the community, giving back to those in need, and being a staple for some will resonate with us forever. We are so proud of what was accomplished in this business and can't begin to thank you all for helping us along the way. We have built 8 years of memories and relationships that can never be forgotten. We will take them along with us through the rest of our lives. We will look back on these years with fond thoughts and thankful hearts. What can we say...? It is time for a new chapter in our lives! Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything. Hopefully we cross paths and spend a few moments reminiscing about the great times we had. Bil Kiloh & family
Jody C.
This place is a diamond in the rough, I've been coming here for years. I used to go to the laundry mat next door throughout college and found this place tucked in this little shopping center. Their brisket and cream corn are my favorite. The brisket is usually good on its own, but they have their sweet sauce and spicy sauce to compliment it. I usually like buying the brisket by the pound and bringing to potlucks, it's always a crowd pleaser.
Anna Gerena Sintora
Great food. Friendly staff.
Ali E.
The BBQ sandwich I had was fantastic. It's called the DNR and has pulled pork, spicy sausage, and tri-tip on a soft brioche bun with grilled peppers and spicy BBQ sauce. It was delicious. The fries were really good too. The price is fair for the amount of food you get.
S Ziaullah
It’s really sad I have to write this review. I’ve been a lover of leadbellys for years and this was my first time back post pandemic. I was really excited to show this place to my wife.I’m just going to get straight to the point. We ordered ribs that came out Luke warm and dry. The picture attached actually makes it look much better than it really was. It was dry, almost cold, and not juicy at all. I had to fight with the ribs to get the meat apart. It was really gross and it’s almost like whoever cooked it forgot to add the sauce. I’m pretty sure it was sitting there for a good 45 before I got it.The Mac and cheese tasted like fake cheese. Boxed Mac and cheese would have tasted better. The “creamed corn” tasted more like a cup of cream with some corn in it.Really disappointed with this restaurant and not sure if it is just another symptom of the post pandemic world. Hope they can turn it around because they used to be so good.
Lisa Neilson
Excellent food in a great atmosphere. Service was terrific as well. What a great find! We were traveling through and decided to stop last minute, glad we did! I highly recommend the Bacon Jam Burger. Will definitely be back!
Rob Batie likes it spicy and it's always the best at leadbelly's ?????
Said A.
It's really sad I have to write this review. I've been a lover of leadbellys for years and this was my first time back post pandemic. I was really excited to show this place to my wife. I'm just going to get straight to the point. We ordered ribs that came out Luke warm and dry. The picture attached actually makes it look much better than it really was. It was dry, almost cold, and not juicy at all. I had to fight with the ribs to get the meat apart. It was really gross and it's almost like whoever cooked it forgot to add the sauce. I'm pretty sure it was sitting there for a good 45 before I got it. The Mac and cheese tasted like fake cheese. Boxed Mac and cheese would have tasted better. The "creamed corn" tasted more like a cup of cream with some corn in it. Really disappointed with this restaurant and not sure if it is just another symptom of the post pandemic world. Hope they can turn it around because they used to be so good.
Javin L.
The food was amazing! The pulled pork sandwich and fries were so good. There was more than enough food to eat and the service was very attentive and fast! 10/10 would recommend.
Lina P.
My friend was craving American barbeque so I decided to come here. I remember coming here several years ago and enjoying the loaded pork fries. We came right when they opened at 11am on a Saturday and no one else was there. The staff was very attentive and friendly. I decided to get a 2-meat plate this time with brisket and pork belly. The sides I chose were the jalapeno mac and cheese and the baked beans. The brisket was incredibly tender and has a good amount of fat. The pork belly, however, was sort of dry and seemed to be overcooked. I still enjoyed the fatty parts of the pork belly. We had asked initially if they had burnt ends but they didn't which was disappointing. The mac and cheese was cheesy and saucy but there was absolutely no flavor in it. The jalapeno taste wasn't there and the mac and cheese was in serious need of salt. I still ate it though haha! The bake beans were delicious, was hearty and had a lot of flavor. The barbeque sauces they had at the table were also amazing. They had a regular bbq and a spicy version. The spicy version was pretty spicy so I didn't use much of that but their regular sauce had such a great flavor and sweetness to it, that I dumped a whole lot on my meat. I also had the Alagash draft beer from their draft menu and it was great. Would definitely get it again. Overall, this is a solid barbeque restaurant.
Peter Papadopoulos
The BBQ is great! The best BBQ! Everything tastes great!
Thought this place would be amazing because of the reviews. Couldn't of been more wrong. Had the tri tip combo and it was honestly the worst tasting cut I've ever had. The cornbread was also extremely disappointing. Gave a second star because the service was good.
So sad to hear they have closed. Out of the numerous BBQ joints available throughout our area this place was really down to earth, comfortable and had great food. I guess I'll have to start smoking again myself along with making my Kentucky BBQ sauce and sides. Well neighbors will be happy since with two of us we'll have extra to go around. Thanks for the food and memories.
I ordered takeout from Leadbelly's after having it catered during a large event, and was really disappointed. I came on a Monday craving some great barbecue, and since the other typical places I would go to for BBQ were closed, I settled upon Leadbellys. The food was ready really fast after I ordered, and the woman waiting the tables inside also was friendly and helped me get my order. The inside is really nice, and it does seem like a cool place to sit down for a dinner, but that was not what I was there for. I had a large order of multiple 3 item combos, and mine included pork ribs, pulled pork, and brisket. This came with baked beans and collards, but I also tried a piece of my friend's cornbread. It's the same price as pretty much every BBQ place (around 20+ dollars for a 3-item) and this is to expect nowadays. The food was still warm when I got home and dived in, and the first thing I noticed was that the membrane had not been removed from the pork rib. For this being a BBQ spot, it's kind of a joke to even have pork ribs on the menu, if you're not going to treat them properly. They were dry, and reeked of too much smoke. My ribs were not fall of the bone, and far from being a good pork rib. On top of that, the brisket lacked any smoke ring, and was way overcooked. They use a pellet smoker, so I wasn't expecting a crazy product, but the brisket didn't even taste like it ever went on it. It honestly felt like I was eating Jewish brisket with way too much liquid smoke, and I had to use a knife to cut through the tough meat. Lastly, the pulled pork was okay. It was very mediocre; however, and not worth coming back solely for. The beans were actually kind of awesome, and remained piping hot, so that's cool. Whats not cool though, was the collards. They lacked acid in every way imaginable, and I don't think they actually seasoned these with anything at all. The cornbread was not the best, but at least there was whole kernels inside the crumb, which not every place does. Somehow, the food was better when it was catered, but I credit this to being able to choose the more fatty pieces of meat, and taking from the bottom of the tray where more of the juices had seeped into the meat. I would not recommend this place unless you are absolutely dying for BBQ and this is your only option. It kind of get's the fix in for BBQ, but leaves you really wanting more. I wish this place could nail their food, because everything outside of that is awesome, and Orange County really does need a larger BBQ presence. Anyways, maybe they can get their stuff together and upgrade equipment one day, or maybe just figure out their pellet system.
Sadly after eight years of operation this restaurant is now permanently closed. Best wishes to ownership and all the support staff. Remember to always leave them wanting more.
Hello friends, We have made the decision after 8 amazing years to close Leadbelly's. I am not sure how we say goodbye to staff, family, friends, those we have lost, those who have come in consistently to support us, and our great food. What I can tell you is: Bil had cancer in 2011! A tumor blocking more than ¾ of his airway. He always talked about opening a Barbecue Restaurant. I said, "Do it!" So, in 2013 Leadbelly's was born. We couldn't have done it without the support of our amazing family and friends. It provided us the opportunity to raise our kids, balance schedules, and for Bil to live out his dream. The years we have had here donating to the community, giving back to those in need, and being a staple for some will resonate with us forever. We are so proud of what was accomplished in this business and can't begin to thank you all for helping us along the way. We have built 8 years of memories and relationships that can never be forgotten. We will take them along with us through the rest of our lives. We will look back on these years with fond thoughts and thankful hearts. What can we say...? It is time for a new chapter in our lives! Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything. Hopefully we cross paths and spend a few moments reminiscing about the great times we had. Bil Kiloh & family
This place is a diamond in the rough, I've been coming here for years. I used to go to the laundry mat next door throughout college and found this place tucked in this little shopping center. Their brisket and cream corn are my favorite. The brisket is usually good on its own, but they have their sweet sauce and spicy sauce to compliment it. I usually like buying the brisket by the pound and bringing to potlucks, it's always a crowd pleaser.
Great food. Friendly staff.
The BBQ sandwich I had was fantastic. It's called the DNR and has pulled pork, spicy sausage, and tri-tip on a soft brioche bun with grilled peppers and spicy BBQ sauce. It was delicious. The fries were really good too. The price is fair for the amount of food you get.
It’s really sad I have to write this review. I’ve been a lover of leadbellys for years and this was my first time back post pandemic. I was really excited to show this place to my wife.I’m just going to get straight to the point. We ordered ribs that came out Luke warm and dry. The picture attached actually makes it look much better than it really was. It was dry, almost cold, and not juicy at all. I had to fight with the ribs to get the meat apart. It was really gross and it’s almost like whoever cooked it forgot to add the sauce. I’m pretty sure it was sitting there for a good 45 before I got it.The Mac and cheese tasted like fake cheese. Boxed Mac and cheese would have tasted better. The “creamed corn” tasted more like a cup of cream with some corn in it.Really disappointed with this restaurant and not sure if it is just another symptom of the post pandemic world. Hope they can turn it around because they used to be so good.
Excellent food in a great atmosphere. Service was terrific as well. What a great find! We were traveling through and decided to stop last minute, glad we did! I highly recommend the Bacon Jam Burger. Will definitely be back!
Restaurantji Recommends
Rob Batie likes it spicy and it's always the best at leadbelly's ?????
It's really sad I have to write this review. I've been a lover of leadbellys for years and this was my first time back post pandemic. I was really excited to show this place to my wife. I'm just going to get straight to the point. We ordered ribs that came out Luke warm and dry. The picture attached actually makes it look much better than it really was. It was dry, almost cold, and not juicy at all. I had to fight with the ribs to get the meat apart. It was really gross and it's almost like whoever cooked it forgot to add the sauce. I'm pretty sure it was sitting there for a good 45 before I got it. The Mac and cheese tasted like fake cheese. Boxed Mac and cheese would have tasted better. The "creamed corn" tasted more like a cup of cream with some corn in it. Really disappointed with this restaurant and not sure if it is just another symptom of the post pandemic world. Hope they can turn it around because they used to be so good.
The food was amazing! The pulled pork sandwich and fries were so good. There was more than enough food to eat and the service was very attentive and fast! 10/10 would recommend.
My friend was craving American barbeque so I decided to come here. I remember coming here several years ago and enjoying the loaded pork fries. We came right when they opened at 11am on a Saturday and no one else was there. The staff was very attentive and friendly. I decided to get a 2-meat plate this time with brisket and pork belly. The sides I chose were the jalapeno mac and cheese and the baked beans. The brisket was incredibly tender and has a good amount of fat. The pork belly, however, was sort of dry and seemed to be overcooked. I still enjoyed the fatty parts of the pork belly. We had asked initially if they had burnt ends but they didn't which was disappointing. The mac and cheese was cheesy and saucy but there was absolutely no flavor in it. The jalapeno taste wasn't there and the mac and cheese was in serious need of salt. I still ate it though haha! The bake beans were delicious, was hearty and had a lot of flavor. The barbeque sauces they had at the table were also amazing. They had a regular bbq and a spicy version. The spicy version was pretty spicy so I didn't use much of that but their regular sauce had such a great flavor and sweetness to it, that I dumped a whole lot on my meat. I also had the Alagash draft beer from their draft menu and it was great. Would definitely get it again. Overall, this is a solid barbeque restaurant.
The BBQ is great! The best BBQ! Everything tastes great!