Modest window-serve featuring Texas-style BBQ, hearty plates & covered outdoor seating.
Chuck Hodge
For me, good BBQ is certainly about the food, but it’s also about the overall experience. At Jay’s you get both. Food wise the marbled brisket was really good, nice flavor and you won’t need the plastic knife. The ribs are big and flavorful and the New Mexico Christmas sausage was different and tasty. The mac & cheese had had chilies not especially spicy but was different enough to be interesting (not ordinary) and worth a try. The potato salad was a little bit better than average but is my usual go-to side for BBQ. It was also nice to have a bottled beer with lunch, my preferred beverage with smoked meat. But it’s also a nice place to have lunch. Setting is outside on padded pick-nick tables. There was a line at 12:15pm but it didn’t move too slow slowly, but it’s always slow when you’re waiting for good brisket. They had a few sauces, none of which I tasted more than one, to try em. Key point, the folks here were very nice. They helped on some suggestions for which I was on the fence. I don’t travel through Abilene very often, but when I do, I’ll make sure Jay’s is open and I’m hungry.
… moreDavid Garcia
The wait was pretty long, we got there maybe around 1040 and began eating around 1200. But honestly, I would wait that amount again. It was so worth it. My wife isn’t the biggest BBQ fan and she loved it so much and is now questioning her BBQ preferences of how she likes meat cooked. But honestly, it was so good and brisket was amazing. We will definitely be back again.
… moreChris Cummings
Every single time I have eaten here the food is amazing. Their brisket is the best in Abilene in my opinion. It is worth the wait in line. There is a reason they are in the Texas monthly barbecue issue. But sadly, I forgot to take a picture of the brisket sandwiches that we devoured because of my excitement to get home and eat it.Lol! I can assure you it was delicious.
… moreKeith Blazic
My one and probably only trip to Abilene TX and I hit a grand slam with Jay’BBQ Shack. The wait was worth it and I am leaving TX knowing I had some of the best BBQ in TX
I ask for a special order, the pulled pork with Brisket combo on one sandwich with a side of two ribs. This way I got a wide Rang of meat to try. The ribs were very tasty and balanced – delicious.
The combo sandwich turned out to be a good decision and they were happy to make it for me. Every bite was equally as good as next one and flavor combination was heavenly.
I would highly recommend this place and the environment is what I would have imagined a great TX BBQ place to be and feel like .
… moreAaron Jelley
Im not gonna lie: I was not a fan of the sides, but the meat more than made up the difference, especially the ribs. Their sauce is a bit sweet, but they know how to run a smoker. Get there early, the line starts well before they open
… moreTruth Unicorn
If you like BBQ, this is the place to go to. You will get your money’s worth and treated like a valued customer. Those who have been there know what I’m talking about. You have to get there early like when they open because they will sell out fast. They always seem to sell out of ribs by the time I make there. Very good quality BBQ unlike some of these other places in the area who just aren’t up to par with food quality or customer service. I really like their loaded BBQ tacos with slaw your choice of meat with pico de gallo. They take care of military community as well. The quality of food and service I’ve received thus far, has been worth my hard earned money and repeated presence as a satisfied customer. The serving sizes are descent, but you could never have enough of their BBQ. They keep me coming back for more and more of Jay’s BBQ. They also have different BBQ sauce flavors, small plastic to go containers, silverware & napkins at the self service stand that you can try or take with you for no extra cost. They have napkins set in place at each table so you don’t have bother asking for extras. They have ample shaded/unshaded outside seating areas only. No indoor seating hence why it’s called a shack. The shack area is where they cook and prepare the delicious food. When it’s hot out, they normally have the outdoor fans going in the big shaded area. They do have various beverages on the menu to include alcohol. If you haven’t been to Jays yet, you might wanna go check them out. I wouldn’t lie. I, myself had to see what the hype was all about in regards to the long lines and getting there before they open. It lives up to the hype. I was not led astray or disappointed about the rave reviews from my colleagues who had visited. My recommendation is exactly what was recommended to me. Get to Jays BBQ shack early enough before they sell out of items on the menu. Especially them delicious ribs. They are perfectly made to perfection. Very fall off the bone tender and savory. Don’t forget to kindly ask for the military affiliated discount by showing your ID to the cashier if you have one. Sometimes the wait can be long even when you show up early, but that only on crowded days when lines are super long. It’s worth the wait. Trust me. Plus they have resting benches that customers can sit at while they’re waiting in line. How thoughtful and considerate of them to do that. It helps those who need to take breaks from standing for long periods.
Love, Light, Blessings, Community, Care
… moreRightlerGen03
The food here was fricken awesome! I haven’t had BBQ like that ever in my life! From what I’ve heard you apparently can’t go wrong with any of the options. I got the banana pudding to go as well. But get here early because they will run out of the best meat quick and are only open for a short amount of time, there is usually a line.
… moreAshley Savage
We arrived at Jay’s BBQ Shack about noon on Saturday. The line to order was forever long, but we expected that, being that they are listed by Texas Montly as one of the Top 50 BBQ joints in Texas!! If you would like a beer or soda while you wait in line – you can go directly to the pickup window to get that. The line to order took almost 2 hours – but the $2.50 Lone Star Tallboys kept us entertained!! We ordered Jay’s Platter which included 3 Slices Brisket, Pulled Pork, 2 Sausage Links (we chose regular & Christmas versions), 3 slices Smoked Turkey, 3 Pork Ribs, 3 sides of your choice, bread, pickles, & onions. That was plenty of food in itself, but we opted to add on 2 additional sides to be able to try everything!! Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Pinto Beans, Hatch Mac & Cheese, & Jalapeno Corn. All this food (so much) & 4 beers came out to almost $100 – BUT – it fed 4 of us with leftovers!! Everything we had was absolutely amazing!! It was totally worth every penny & every minute we stood in line!! The staff was helpful in making our choices & were so kind!! Our food came out almost immediately after ordering. There is no inside seating – outside picnic tables only. But they are all very well maintained (all painted so no splinters) & even had pads on the bench seats!! Almost all tables were covered by the awning so being in the shade was not an issue. We absolutely recommend this place & will return here next time we are in the area!!
… moremonsta minds entertainment
I wish they were available later in the day lol. Took a while to actually try them due to the hours of operation, but then again thats a calling card for great texas bar b que. The food was amazing, its actually the best Bar b que in Abilene, like honestly dont go anywhere else lol, take a day off join the line early, and get some good food. My measure of good Brisket or Bar b que overall is when you can enjoy the meat without using sauce and they nailed it. I was too late for the Ribs both the beef n pork ribs so again go early. The hatch Chile Mac n cheese slaps really great. Deff give them a try. Parking is mainly street, they do have a small off street spot, but your best bet might be street parking. No indoor dining with Aircondition, just good old cafeteria style outdoor dining like good bar b que was meant to be enjoyed. The staff was patient and pleasant. Do give them a try, I’m yet to have any better BBq in town.
… moreSmall Town Texas BBQ Burgers & Brews
My favorite BBQ Joint in Abilene with perfectly smoked meats: juicy and tender brisket, homemade sausages, ribs, great specials and great music always playing out on the patio. Sides are also delicious and desserts are so scrumptious. Don’t miss the fatty brisket, the New Mexican Style Christmas Sausage, Pig Candy, The Meat Sweats Sandwich, The Corn, or Banana Pudding. The truth is that you definitely can’t go wrong with anything at Jay’s BBQ SHACK. It is an experience you won’t soon forget. #tracktheshack
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