Bodean's BBQ - Covent Garden in City of London, Westminster

Went for lunch with wife and 2 teenagers. Three of us had the pit boss platter, one a buffalo chicken burger. The “thick cut slices of brisket” were so thin they might have been through a bacon slicer. Burnt ends, spare ribs and chicken thighs were dry - there were only 2 spare ribs in a platter for 3. The pulled pork wasn’t bad. The truffled mac n cheese had no flavour whatsoever, let alone truffle. The portion of fries was minuscule. The beans were good. The buffalo burger was also dry. Nothing had and smoke flavour or smoke ring. Really disappointed, as I’ve had many good meals at Bodeans over the years. Felt like £142 for reheated leftovers.

Bodean’s has always been our must visit place when visiting London. However we were left very disappointed, whilst the meat was nice, especially the pulled pork the chips were inedible. I complained as they were really dry, almost like dehydrated with no centre to them. They took them away and brought some fresh ones back, they were exactly the same except hotter. Very disappointing. Also no toilets on the ground floor.

My recent visit here was disappointing, primarily due to the lack of care regarding dietary needs. I ordered wings to start and a burger for the main. When asking about the burger’s bread, I was told it was brioche, which typically contains dairy. I informed the staff that I have a dairy intolerance (actually an allergy but I can tolerate some). A second staff member assured me the brioche only had trace amounts and was the same bread they offer vegans. When the wings arrived, they came with a dip and celery. I was immediately suspicious, so I set the dip aside. When I asked what it was, I was told it was blue cheese – despite my clear instructions to avoid dairy. The server’s response was simply that "they must have just put it on there. Have you eaterln any of it?" with no apology or concern.This led me to cancel my main. Despite the oversight, the bill still included a service charge, which I asked to be removed. Throughout the experience, there was no hint of concern or acknowledgment of the issue, definitely no apology. For those with dietary restrictions, this level of carelessness is unacceptable and can have serious consequences. This isn't just about preference – it’s about basic safety.

Had eaten at Bodeans previously so booked again to take family as part of a theatre break. So very disappointed, we arrived slightly early but were taken to our table without having to wait, the restaurant was empty except for one other table. Drinks order included 2 bottles of beer (as no draft available due to a problem with ‘the gas’) a coke and we requested a blackcurrent and soda. They could not serve this as it wasn’t a drink on the menu! We ordered food, burnt ends and chicken for each of us. As the food arrived we asked for the same drinks round again only to be told they had no bottle beer left (and none on tap) so only non alcoholic beer was available. Onto the food…the burnt ends were only just warm and though the chicken was slightly warmer it was also bloody when cut open. We spoke to the waitress and told her we didn’t want the food; here was no challenge or explanation so we paid for the drinks and left. As we were leaving a table of 14 arrived so really interested to know how they got on!! We won’t be going again and certainly wouldn’t recommend.

Very friendly staff, good service. Disappointed by the quality of the meet, Sirloin very thin cutted (small portion) and some fat. You can have the table for max. 1.5 hours. But almost nobody in the restaurant (8pm). This rule do not feel you "welcome".

We had the Pit Boss Platter and it was absolutely fab! So much food but great value. I loved the burnt ends and Texas smoked sausage! We went away with full bellies and completely satisfied. The service was great too, we did not have to wait long for anything (booking was 4pm on a Saturday).

SO disappointed - we booked at6:30 last night before going to see SIX at 8pm The staff just ignored us and we had to ask repeatedly for our order to be taken. We ordered the platter plus lots of extras - took ages to arrive and when it did it was dried out and very sad looking and tiny portions - despite repeated reminders our drinks didnt arrive until we had finished eating. We left 75% of the food and the waiter didnt even question it - the bill was £150.19 for 4 for a terrible meal - big waste of money and spoiled our evening - as we left we saw so many other lovely resataurants we could have gone to such a shame we picked so badly - avoid at all costs - they just dont care.

A meal before the theatre, so early evening. We have been to other branches of Bodean's but not this one. We both enjoyed our meals - plenty of flavour, very tasty. Really liked the spring greens with blue cheese and crispy bacon. Reasonable size potions. Seemed understaffed. A long wait trying to attract attention to pay so eventually went to the till.

The food was disappointing. We ordered the platter for 3 people and when it arrived, it was underwhelming. Not worth the money

A beautiful gem! It is easy to miss Bodeans tucked amongst the other shops an eateries in Covent Garden but we are glad we found this little gem! We were warmly welcomed by staff on arrival and shown to our table at the back of the restaurant. I will say the restaurant is very small however we feel this made it 'quirky'. We ordered a full rack of ribs and a brisket dinner with fries, slaw and a side of onion rings. The meals were delicious! Smoked to perfection and nice and tender! Honestly some of the best BBQ we have had in the UK!. Portion sizes were great and the meals arrived piping hot! Very happy with our experience and would definitely return should we find ourselves in Covent Garden again.

I went here around 5pm on a Tuesday and it was fairly quiet. It was a nice experience quick service and lovely food. There was two of us we bought 3 meals and a milkshake which came to a total of £55.50 After the three meals we were stuffed, If you’re someone who enjoys a platter or different foods then i’d recommend for better value than the platters the have that you instead order items/meals you want separately. We had brisket, burnt ends pulled pork and baby back ribs. The ribs were AMAZING and fell off the bone. The brisket meal is a small portion in my option. I would visit again but for a birthday where I can better justify the price.

Best BBQ. Order- neck oil Wings (diablo) baby back ribs and burnt ends Key lime pie Beer = Cold Starter = Hot - Diablo Wings are fire… but not literally. They are hot but you can taste the spice they don’t just burn your face off like hot wings can. These are really good ! Main = I was here for the ribs… and unfortunately that was the worst part of the meal, fall of the bone does NOT describe these ribs.. they were overdone and didn’t taste fresh.. the saving grace was the sauce’s the hot chipolate sauce added some flavour to otherwise mediocre ribs. (Not enough to make these great). The fries were ok, and the burnt ends pretty decent considering they were obviously microwaved.. but in a restaurant that should be all about the ribs I was sadly disappointed. Desert = Amazing ! I would go there and have just desert next time !! Service - great the service was excellent and I cannot fault the staff at all. Starter and Desert were definitely the bread in the proverbial S sandwich

Not a great meal, none of our food was hot, fatty meat and the chicken was very pink in places. The restaurant wasn’t even that busy but we still felt very rushed. Wouldn’t go back if it was free!!

Visited this restaurant with high hopes - but it was dreadful. Ordered Cobb salad with burnt ends. It’s was very basic - cut up salad veggies like your grandma would have made - just big chunks of tomatoes, lettuce, avocado and hard boiled eggs - the yolks were totally white so clearly very unhappy hens. All this was plastered in a huge amount of thick white dressing - so much that you couldn’t even see the salad. Just horrible. 🤢 Daughter ordered wings - clearly reheated about ten times as dry and totally meatless. They took them off the bill - fair enough - but no apology, waitress just looked bewildered and obviously not well trained as she barely spoke a word to us. All in all pretty dreadful.

My son spotted the sign for Bodeans BBQ, and said he fancied it. Inside the staff were very nice and the atmosphere was good. The food was so nice, and juicy.

I had booked a table before Xmas for January 2024. We went to the theatre and then to the restaurant for dinner. I am a keen home BBQ cook and was really looking forward to the meal as I had heard good things about the chain, unfortunately it was an incredible disappointment. The food was just bland, bland, bland and so greasy! We had the Bodeans platter (for 2) and the baby back ribs and pulled pork. Honestly, I dont understand how the meat could be cooked and taste so bland. I could detect zero smoke flavour, which I was really hoping for. There are no rubs applied, and the sauces at the table are just sugar filled. Finally, both the platter and the other plate were swimming in grease! WHY? (see pic). One of the party felt ill afterwards because of the amount of grease she had eaten. For the cost of the meal, but mostly for the flavourless bland beige meat and grease, don't bother.

I haven’t been to Bodean’s for years as I don’t live in London. 2 adults and 2 kids went there yesterday for lunch before the theatre and it was a real disappointment I’m sorry to say. I should have looked at the reviews before going as I assumed it would be great BBQ. I had ribs and brisket, my sister a Caesar salad and the two kids had a burger each. Due to a finger injury it was easier for me to use a knife and fork but I really struggled to get the rib meat off the bone so not smoked long enough as all, barely any sauce and no real smoke or meaty flavor. The brisket was dry and chewy and with no real flavor either. My sister’s salad was uninspiring and dry. I was concerned that I would not be able to finish my dish from the description, turns out I wasn’t at all full as you will see from the mediocre portion sizes. The burgers were fine, not amazing, just fine. Drinks were ok but then how wrong can you go with lager and cokes. £112 including a 12.5% service charge was eye watering given the portion sizes and very average and unenthusiastic service. The restaurant was full so they are not without trade, it’s a real shame as BBQ is so popular now and this used to be great. There are loads of far better places to go these days. I’m sorry to say I won’t return or recommend.

The decline of Bodeans continues as this chain struggles to keep a couple of branches open after several branch closures over the years. I have known this brand since 2009 when it was something special. My last visit of a birthday with my son was a massive dissappointment. Draught coke come came flat “that’s how it comes from machine” er no it doesn’t. No offer to replace, nothing - just took it back from me. Had the second down platter which was an absolute dissappointment. I do texan bbq myself using a smoker and I can catagorically say the burnt ends were some of the worst I have never made - nowhere near smoked or rested for long enough and tough as old boots. The ribs and baby backs were mean and small and cold, highlight was the chicken but chicken is by far the easiest and quickest meat to smoke generaly so no big achievment there Judging by the other recent reviews I am glad I did not go for the more expensive platter with Brisket as it looks like an inevitable dissappointment. I took service off - as apart from bringing our food our we were not serviced at all. Shame as the brand has been in decline for more than five years and I don’t see anything improving any day soon.

We found Bodeans when looking for somewhere for lunch before going to the theatre and the external menu looked great. We were greeted by friendly and helpful staff and the quirky interior reminded us of an olde tavern. They have a good selection of drinks and food and we were excited for the choices we made. The drinks were great, lovely cream soda and larger beers but the food was very disappointing. In fairness the size of the burger patty was generous, the chips on all plates were crispy in a way that they were brittle, almost as if they had been cooked and then reheated and then left under a warmer they were also heavily seasoned with pepper on 2 of the plates but not the others. The pulled pork came served in a pool of oil and the burnt ends were cold in the middle and tough as if they had either been sitting for a while to go cold or had been microwaved and not checked for temperature. All meals were warm at best and the only thing that was hot were the onion rings which I am guessing were cooked to order as they are only available as a side. This was really disappointing as the venue, staff and options available all set out for a little gem of a place however the quality of the food let it down and did not justify the price tag that was attached.

Had high expectations of this place… but unfortunately was poor quality and a small plate for such a cost of their flagship Pit Boss Platter £28 per person)…Ribs were underwhelming and lacking meat.. the chicken thigh was very small and no fries or slaw or pickles of any kind to accompany a plate of just meat…they are included in Bodeans Platter.. so if you took them off that platter at £4 per person you are basically paying £16.50 for a sausage and 3 slices of Brisket (didn’t even get 2 pieces each)…waiter asked if all was ok but seemed a bit put out when I expressed my thoughts adding that we were getting the brisket... I said I was just giving my feedback to his question.. obviously used to most people saying nothing..there was some gratitude payment added to the bill which we asked to be removed but was still on the bill when it arrived..so I will unfortunately not be returning.. it’s a shame really as I thought I may of found a new go to for my love of this kind of food.. sorry.. just being honest…

Really disappointed - had the top sharing pit boss platter @ £28 pp - overpriced & underwhelming. Literally a mediocre tray of meat for £56 - no garnishes - no fries - no slaw. Ribs not meaty - the burnt ends were fatty & not what I’d consider ‘burnt’ The 3 slices of brisket & one overcooked sausage between two … not worth the £8.50 a head price increase especially as losing fries & slaw in comparison to the lesser priced Bodeans platter. Definitely had better & more in cheaper venues. No atmosphere- staff pleasant enough but just doing a job. Service was quick … not sure if that’s a pro or con … was out in 45 minutes & wasn’t rushing 🤷‍♀️

Nous avons passé une belle soirée au sein de ce charmant restaurant . Le personnel a été très agréable et les plats étaient copieux . La viande était tendre . Le menu enfant était plus qu abordable . Nous reviendrons avec plaisir.

Really disappointed. We arrived at 5 for our table. The food was nice but the service was not very good. We ordered cocktails and food. The food came before our cocktails. Only 1 person was serving the whole restaurant! 1 person was behind the bar...

First time we have ever been in a bo/deans restaurant. Great food Nice atmosphere Good value for money. Will definitely ho back again.

The interior of the restaurant was really nice, and had a chilled vibe. Waitress was so friendly, so service was A*. The portions were really generous so that's definitely a plus, and the cheesy fries were probably some of the best fries we've ever had,...

Didn't have the nicest welcome made to feel rather uncomfortable because we hadn't booked in was only a Tuesday around 3pm, seated at the back when all tables occupied very intrusive can hear the peoples conversion right next to you, food was the saving grace,...

I visited yesterday with my family for my two daughters birthday. The service was excellent by the staff and Anna and the birthday candles and brownie was an excellent touch. The food was amazing, I particularly loved the ribs and we had to order a...

Overall comments: I would not recommend this place and would say go elsewhere nearby. The food was below average, the tables, cutlery and menus weren’t clean so it felt quite unpleasant to be in the restaurant. The bathroom had a ridiculous design. If you open...

10/10 barbecue. We came here for lunch wanting some American style BBQ and this was one of the best I’ve ever had. The pork nachos were amazing. Highly recommend

My 12 year old daughter and I visited after seeing Back to the Future. Quick service, good portions and nice food. My daughter had wings and I had thighs. The fries were lovely. Would go again!

Reservierung am selben Tag per Mail hat nicht geklappt, aber Perinal vor Ort sehr hilfsbereit, so dass wir trotzdem noch...

Good BBQ food can be hard to find given it takes a long time to cook and is difficult to heat up. But Bodeans claims to be one of the better ones and unfortunately that's not the case. The food came out far too quickly....

We were in town for a show and came across bodeans which I have not been to for years and I was not disappointed We had pulled pork nachos which were so good! We also had the burnt ends and pulled pork platter which we...

As a couple we are a fan of American food / smoke houses. Service was fast and food came out quickly. Chips were hot and fresh. Husband had chicken in his order which was red and slimy in the middle, so he left that. My...

Had a pre show meal here but was very disappointed by the blandness of the food; which clearly wasn’t cooked fresh given the speed of service. Putting a bit of sauce on dry chicken doesn’t make it more appetising just slightly more digestible. Table wasn’t...

Stopped here for food before going to see a show. Food was delivered to the table quickly and was lovely. Bodeans platter shared with hubby and I found it filling. Personally like the 'no airs and graces' vibe. Staff friendly

Vengo a pranzo con un amico perché volevo tanto mangiare della carne, così vedendo online troviamo che qui fanno un...

My daughter (13) & I have just eaten before seeing Frozen which is perfectly situated as opposite the theatre. Explained we needed to be out by a certain time & they delivered super quick friendly service . Great food!

Found this recommendation online and so glad we did. We are a family of 4 with 2 young kids nearly 7 and 3 and a half. Staff were welcoming and food was served quickly. 3 course kids meal with drink for a £5 each, great...

We came for dinner on Dec 26th. Restaurant was empty. We asked a table but the waitress led us to a horrible table in the very end corner of the restaurant. Said the others had reservations. We ate and finished the dinner 90 mins later...

Bodeons used to be to my go to in London but my recent visit on Wednesday for a 13:00 sitting was underwhelming. The place looks tatty for a start: chair cushions ripped, toilet rundown, dirty floor and my pint glass was old with the logo...

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Bodeans yesterday. It was great to be able to get out of the cold, we were early for the booking, into the warmth. The welcome was warm too. The visit overall was relaxed. The drinks were nice with some...

Service was good although it was a Saturday night and busy, so I think they were a bit stretched. All staff were very pleasant. The food was absolutely amazing. Perfect portion sizes and the meat literally fell off the bone. I’ve been before and would...

Visited here before a theatre show the staff all welcoming the food was very tasty but was expensive for the amount you actually got we was seated at a very small Tiny table for 2 would recommend you getting bigger tables so people can actually...

Visited here during the mid session break of the Harry Potter & the Cursed Child’s with a party of 6 Firstly myself & my family are huge fans of all the Bodeans restaurants but I’ve never had chance to take my oldest son as he...

Having visited Bodeans in Soho ( admittedly pre-pandemic ) and being very impressed by the food quality and portion size we decided to give this branch a go. The seating is a bit tight but the staff were pleasant enough. The Moosehead larger was good...

Pessimo…..non andate……seduto alle 20 iniziato a mangiare alle 22……senza parole……. Servizio pessimo……hanno servito tavoli seduti dopo di noi…….patate che sanno...

Right in the middle of theatre land this American barbecue type restaurant has a great menu and the food served is tasty and of a decent portion size! Great choice for Gluten intolerance sufferers too.

Great Place! Our friends from London booked us to reunite here when we came down south. The menu is great, and they cater to requests as I am a fussy eater. The meats were delicious and very juicy and flavoursome. We each had a meal,...

Such a lovely restaurant with really good food and really helpful and friendly staff will definitely be going back.

The place was warm, clean and well organised even is not too big. Food was amazing, good portions and tasteful. Waiters really friendly and professionals. Location close to Covent Garden Market. Definitely I would recommend!

Great Menu - We actually wanted to try the platter but it's just too much for us! So we had the Chicken Thighs and the Brisket. Really Really good!

We went on Saturday at around 5pm and it was great. It was really busy and they must have turned about 20 walk ins away, so would really recommend to book up. The food was great, we had nachos, chicken wings, burger and a salad...

Food was really lovely and so were the staff. Very polite and friendly, overall a great experience !

If you like BBQ you’ll love it here. Great service, good atmosphere, friendly team and in typical American style the portions are huge!

We are frequent visitors to this branch of Bodean's but also go to their Soho branch too. First of all, you are well advised to book a table at this branch as it is quite small and gets very busy. Staff are friendly and efficient....

After lot of research on the internet i stumbled across Bodean's in top 10 BBQ restaurants in London, it really didn't disappoint, we all said it was really nice to get away from the many famous chained restaurants you see in every town & city...

Family had Burgers, the Chicken ones were good and I had ribs and burnt ends, they were really dry. My son had a kids sausage meal although no veg sticks or dessert were actually offered. The sausage was smoked which to be fair makes sense...

BBQ restaurant serving many different meats. Lots of choice quite small so really need to book. Staff very efficient Will definitely visit again.

Dropped by on the off chance that they may have a table for 2 available - they did! Excellent atmosphere, friendly and attentive staff and incredible food. Also happy hour all day seeing as it was Sunday so this was the icing on the cake!...

The food was Luke warm and nothing great! The waitresses were very friendly and quite clearly overworked! It was just reheated food! There are other great places to try!

I love a good BBQ restaurant so made extra effort to visit on a trip to London. I had the thigh, pulled pork and sausage meal. All the meats were very good, not the best but very good. The stars were the brisket chilli, bbq...

Was nice but not great. We shared the Bodean platter. Was Luke warm on serving and some of the meat was both tough and gristly

This is the second time I have visited this restaurant and both times it’s been amazing! Not crazy for meat/BBQs so went as my partner loves it. I’m converted. The meat is so tender and flavoursome and everything tastes amazing. We had a pit stop...

Had lovely meal here the chicken wings to start were amazing. Main meal of chicken thighs ribs and pulled pork were exceptional amazing smoked flavour. Had no problems with portion size. Staff were friendly and efficient. Heineken on tap was very good as well.

We found this place and were not disappointing. Staff was very friendly, explained menu and informed about happy hour. Old fashioned was great and baby back ribs was falling of the bone. my boyfriend had burger and it was perfectly cooked. Highly recommend to visit!

for a start my wife wanted 2 cocktails from the happy hour 2-4-1 menu but you have got to order 2 of the same drink, ordered same as table next to us but visoully we clearly going different drinks, food wise we ordered pit boss...