Buddy's Smokehouse & Bar-b-q Joint in Derbyshire Dales

Great service and choice of food .One of us is gluten intolerant the chef discussed what they could have food was excellent for us both. They had great choice of drinks too .

The food was really nice and great value. I had the disorderly burger and it was huge and delicious. The atmosphere was great and the music was great. The staff were all lovely and dealt with a issue with a large group really well.

Visited buddy’s Matlock for birthday treat and it has to be one of the best, and our most favourite place to visit. The food is exceptional! And the value for money is incredible! The staff were amazing and they couldn’t do enough for us! We are certainly going to visit this place more often. We don’t live in the local area but it is so worth the 50 minute trip. The burgers are huge and they are delicious! Would definitely recommend!!! Thank you to all the staff who made our trip extra special last night.

Disappointed that the meat was dry and overcooked. I also implore Buddy’s to sort out their chilli. Just awful. Please make a proper chilli. It seems that someone read about a smokehouse or watched a few videos then decided to open one.

We travelled 66 miles from Birmingham to here. What a waste of our time. Food was OK, meat was cooked beautifully but we felt rushed and the service was shocking. We booked a table not knowing how busy it would be. We were seated next to the toilets and requested to move. Didn't seem like they were very happy with that. Drinks ordered, mine was wrong, asked to change. Came over whilst we were still eating to see if we were finished. Food was okay but unfortunately the service has made me want to avoid this place like the plague in the future.

After following their social media I was really looking forward to visiting. I took my parter and daughter for a meal but shortly into our visit was really disappointed. I was shocked there wasn't a drinks menu followed by 2 staff members on their phones behind the kitchen, 1 member of staff was also eating while cooking my daughters burger, no gloves were worn while preparing our food and after the member of staff had eaten what was in her hand proceeded to lick her fingers and rub her nose, she then carried on making the burger with her bare hands. When our food arrived the beef, pork and turkey was dry and chewy. We will not be visiting again and would strongly recommend trying to find another restaurant with higher standards.

Dry , not labelled , 120 quid for 5 meals Over powered smoking , tough as old boots Avoid and it ruined Mother’s Day Only thing was good was the delivery speed

We made sure we didn’t eat before going so that we could enjoy the food. We meant to take photos but were so hungry we forgot - we shared the original platter and it was delicious. I had a chocolate milkshake with Jack Daniel’s in it & it was awesome! Then we shared a waffle which was scrummy but beat us as the portion was extremely generous. If you’ve not been then you had better try it

Staff were great, restaurant is well laid out and the food is plentiful and amazing. Omg i was in a food coma after visiting. This is an absolute must return visit!

We have been many times to Buddy’s, always love the atmosphere as well as the food. We went this time with a party of 14. Service was perfect from start to finish and the food was also brilliant. Shout out to Louis grafting in the kitchen! Great Job👍👍

Amazing food! So much food!!! And service was lovely! Shout out to head chef Louis for making my day and adding halloumi to my burger because I’m fussy! Thank you so much for making it lovely guys! See you soon x

We went on a Friday night the staff where more than accoadating to us, the food spoke for itself, I had to order two mains as I couldn't make my mind up on what I wanted to eat, a group of seven and not one person was displease with their meal, everyone left full and satisfied, great laugh with the chef aswell! Will be returning!

Used Uber eats for a meal on Christmas Eve, food was delivered in a box with foil around it which had absolutely no effect in retaining the heat. I have always been a big fan of Buddies but on this occasion the food was poor for the cost of the meal and definitely a big disappointment. I would personally recommend looking elsewhere for a takeout.

What a spectacular place to eat. If you like meat and enjoy a healthy portion of scare the doctor food, then this is the place to go. The chef Louis has squared me away with reviving my old favourite from a previous menu as a treat for my birthday. The staff are great, and the food is awesome, don't be shy and go get yourself a table at buddy's you won't be disappointed afterwards, and you won't be hungry when you're done. Also if you don't finish your meal they provide a box to take your extras home.

Really excited to visit here, booked well in advance. The place is really trendy with a great looking indie menu and great service. Some food was fabulous and others were a let down. We had the original pit tray and rated it as below: Brisket ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Turkey ⭐⭐ (Dry) Pulled Pork ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Chilli ⭐⭐ (Can't eat Chilli cold) Ribs ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fries ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Slaw ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Smoked Sausage ⭐⭐⭐ Side orders: Spicy Mac'N'Cheese - No stars: way too salty Potatoes Tots ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pork Belly ,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ So a mixed response and the meats are served warm not hot just as an FYI. If I visited again I would try a burger.

Food, service and staff were brilliant. We had the most amazing burgers and bbq food. Will be going again when we are back in Matlock.

Really nice food! Ordered a take out via Facebook messenger We ordered 2 of the OG trays and boy did we pig out neither of us who hadn’t eaten all day could finish the whole thing but it was juicy tasty and those ribs are to die for! Ordered some chicken tenders too which we totally didn’t need but we’re delicious could not recommend the food more! As I mentioned we ordered via fb messenger has its pluses and minuses a phone would have been better. I have a number of allergies so it would have been good to phone. Initially I was basically told no and told to order gluten free? Why? I have no idea I’m not a coeliac I have allergies to peanuts and a few things relating to it. I got the impression their was a second person who actually understood what I was explaining and they really got my allergies checked it all and reassured I would be ok (which I was) It was just a shame I didn’t get the second person the first time! However I can say as someone who has multiple allergies I was impressed with the knowledge of the potential second person and they were really good: Maybe a phone would be better to talk to the I imagine chef or owner or manager just as an idea. I will be back for sure! Thank you for a great meal and good service

Absolutely crazy food, the flavours are 10/10 🔥 and the service even better couldn’t recommend this place enough, the salt n pepper garlic butter tater tots and salt n pepper pork belly was the highlight

Amazing food as always! Brilliant chefs and lovely front of house staff ensuring you have the best experience there. Could easily charge more for the burgers as they’re absolutely delicious and huge! We went for smash burger night and had the Chilli one, Peppered one and Pizza one and they were absolutely lovely each of them! Incredible place and such a great addition to Matlock😁

Had a fantastic night, great atmosphere could not fault the chefs Louis & Ben who went out of their way to accommodate everything we needed and cooked all our food from fresh. The Hung over buddy on the menu was literally a tower of food! We were greeted straightaway and taken to our table, all the staff were friendly, food was insane, massive portions for great value. This was our second visit and could not recommend it enough, will definitely be going back! Thanks guys for making us feel so welcome.

Delicious food… great atmosphere… brilliant service! There’s not one negative I could find with this place having been in hospitality 35 years.my rule when eating out is… if the toilets aren’t clean, then what must the kitchen be like? Well… the ladies was spotless!! I...

Having been visiting the restaurant many times since it's opening I can give a balanced review of the establishment. Buddies is a far cry of what it used to be when it first opened its doors which is a real shame . It has been...

I’d been told about this place by a friend at work, booked on Facebook and travelled 30 minutes to visit. Was not disappointed, food was great, service was just as good… definitely worth a return visit! Leaving very satisfied.

Well what can I say I booked a table of 10 for a birthday party on Friday the 15 September and the staff was all very happy to help we visited on Saturday night at 8 pm all the staff was amazing and nothing was...

We visited on a Saturday afternoon, the restaurant was busy but not packed. We had the pitmaster burger and the mac and cheese. The food was really good, the burgers are massive. Its worth a visit

Following recommendations from several people, myself and 5 others booked a table at Buddy's for an evening meal. Unfortunately, were extremely disappointed. We were given the food menu as soon as we sat down and our order was taken by one of the staff members...

We went for a walk around the food market that was in Matlock and nothing took our fancy there so we gave this place a go because the menu read very well and could have been a good find. We had a sharing tray with...

Visited twice in as many weeks as found this place last time we were on holiday here- the food is wonderful ( when you get the correct meal) but sadly the front of house staff are not good . Out of our 2 visits our...

Really great experience. Food was lovely. Highly recommended. Generous portions. Fast service. Good value for money.

Such a shame, good food let down by poor front on house staff and shoddy service. This was our second visit to Buddy’s and I am so sorry to say they service fell short and would make me question visiting again. As a restaurant local...

Visited here with friends last month, the food and overall experience wasn’t great compared to what the food used to be like on the old menu, the service I found has never really been great, they seem very unenthusiastic and not bothered about being there.

Rubbish for the price. Everything over cooked. Steak that was labelled as a ‘stew’ on the menu was actually just baked beans in a box with bits of cheap steak in it. No seasoning or anything. All for £55 quid as well, crazy. Shut the...

We visited here on a weekend away to Matlock. Although we were seated quickly it took quite a long time to place our order. We had chicken Mac and cheese which was AMAZING! I was impressed to see one of the gents behind the kitchen...

The booking was easy and the drinks were nice (which is why I gave the 1 star). We were greeted and shown to our table. While we perused the menu our drinks order was taken. We made our choice and ordered, only to be told...

Was recommended location by a friend and was looking forward to meal. Attended and was shown to seat, nice venue, menu looks like all BBQ bases are covered. While picking our food had the Buddy's pale ale which was really nice. Attempt one to order...

So odd that you can only book via social media. No phone number or booking app! The food wasn't terrible - but the dry rub on my ribs was way too salty and too much sauce on top. Coleslaw was nice, chips average, but the...

Honestly buddys is the best bbq place in the country. The food is sublime and really really good value for money. I can’t stress that enough. A massive thank you to Ben (lad with the big tash behind the front counter) who popped over to...

Large portions and value for money. Slowly working my way through the menu and never been disappointed!

Ordered a kids cheese burger kids meal came with no cheese and dry as owt also Ordered the pitmaster sharer the ribs was so hard and dry it bent.my folk when tried to cut them. Was very disappointed 😞

We took the kids here for a treat after a busy week at school. Thoroughly enjoyable! Delicious food with great service from Sophie. 👍

Visited here on the Saturday night of coronation weekend. We arrived having booked a table before hand. We were shown to our table by a miserable meme we of staff who looked like she didn’t want to be there. We were given used, crumbled up...

The place looks amazing. We went in a Sunday right after coronation. The whole city was a bit busy but even though really good food and the service was impeccable! We really recommend it

Really great experience. We called in after a day trip in matlock around 5pm and already the restaurant was really busy. We were greeted with a friendly smile from Sophie and she did her best to find us a table. Beautiful food. Great value for...

This was our second and last visit. The first time we went there was actual good BBQ food choices - ribs, brisket etc Now it’s just everything on a bun BBQ. A glorified fast food joint with the high prices. The food was tasty enough....

Me and partner frequent buddies often for special occasions, however today was our best meal yet. An extra huge thanks to Sophie and Chloe, they made our date night absolutely amazing. Some of the best staff I’ve every encountered at any restaurant, and they went...

Not the first time I’ve visited this place but this will be the last. Menu change has spoiled this place. It’s gone from a lovely American eatery offering a good range of excellent food to basically a burger joint. Everything is in a bun, a...

Im a giving this 4 stars because the staff were brilliant and they tried to rectify the problem...but for a resturant the problem was completely avoidable. We ordered a sharing platter, the chips were excellent, the tacos were shop bought but the filling was really...

Visited Spuddys next door with my husband and daughter. Saw a post on Facebook and just had to see if they were as good as they looked. Safe to say they were. I had the Korean, my husband the Pitmaster, and my daugy just a...

Been 3 times and the food is always amazing! The burgers are great and the breakfast is incredible (Lumberjack!) - whilst it may take a bit of time to arrive at the table, it's worth the wait!

Had 2 takeaways from Buddys recntly, and each time I have had to Wait around 15 minutes after collection time, the most recent one I was handed individual unlabelled boxes, the food was ok however I think I will stick to eating at Buddys itself.

Boutique Jacket Potato place next to Buddy’s…. like an upmarket Spudulike 😆😛😊 Properly cooked proper jacket spud and proper interesting fillings. Really clean and also really friendly staff. Try it! 😎👍

Wow !! Hungry? Well this place delivers Was really busy but they found room for 2 Grill is in the restaurant you can see them cooking your food. The best Brisket ive had (aside from mine ) haha. I opted for the Pitbull burger and...

Average - disappointed to not see any meat platters, despite advertising as a BBQ smokehouse. Choice between burgers, meat cobs or hotdogs pretty much. From photos on social media, we presumed ribs/brisket/pulled pork would be available! Burgers looked good, but covered in sauce and toppings...

Took my brother in law and family here for brunch, amazing brunch! Huge portions… tasty food! The Hush Puppies were lovely!! Baked beans and brisket - so yummy! Everyone enjoyed their food! Top chef out an extra scoop of ice cream on my sons waffle!...

No where better round here for miles, this is proper authentic bbq food cooked to perfection, I had the ‘Pitbull’ it was a porcine and meaty extravaganza, just incredible and really you should not eat for a full day before going here, I can still...

Great value for money and amazing food, some of the best chips I have ever had and the brisket is just amazing, highly recommend

OMG! I chose this place for my 40th birthday meal. Once I saw that menu I was sold! Looked at lots of pics online and was looking forward to it. It did not disappoint in anyway. It was absolutely phenomenal! The meat is softer than...

We went for breakfast today and it was lovely. Portions were amazing we would defiantly share next time! Everything we ate was delicious.

Fab tasteful food , very reasonably priced. Waitresses need to be a little more alert with regards to drinks but are friendly and helpful. Nice place too

Small portions on pit trays burgers alot smaller than they look run by a load young clueless kids of portions are small look good on facebook nothing like it when you get there

This a BBQ place and the main seller is meat and that's what they're advertising. The staff were very young girls, friendly, did the job well enough. Tables are big and sturdy and, although it's level to get in there are raised parts and not...

So found this place by accident but such a happy accident. They do a bbq tray for £25 which is pure joy and enough for two hungry people. We did order sides as well and the loaded fries were amazing and although we didn't need...

Good food, not amazing service. We asked to order drinks then again to order food. The music was that loud we asked 4 times for it to be turned down.

Second visit to Buddy’s - amazing bbq food around… all cooked perfectly! I had the St Louis Ribs… so tender - I had a portion chicken tenders… crispy outer and perfectly cooking chicken inner… the Ribs glaze was lovely! Luke a true host… lovely guy…...

Visited on Saturday night when it was minus temperatures outside. First thoughts was the music was way too loud and the restaurant itself was freezing to the point where everyone that was sat was wearing their coats. The food was beautiful but didn't stay warm...

We visited with friends who had travelled from Scotland, my husband had been desperate to go for a while. Whilst the food was good it went very cold before you could finish eating it. the environment left a lot to be desired. We were all...

I came with my partner on friday 13th for our dinner so we decided to try buddy’s . After hearing very good things we decided to try for ourselves and all i can say from arriving to leaving absolutely incredible! We was greeted at the...

We visited buddy’s on friday the 13th janruary me and my family (8 in total) for a special birthday meal we we’re greated bery pleasntly at the door and really made to feel welcome sat prompt and drinks given. We ordered an array of items...

Been here on multiple occasions cannot fault it at all.. food is ALWAYS spot on and the staff are friendly and welcoming, there isn’t any booking required as we’ve walked in when their busy and still managed to get seated, partner is obsessed with the...

We only called in because my sister in law said she was eating there the food was amazing we had our tea around 17:30 didn't need to eat anything else it was that good I would recommend this restaurant to anyone going to Matlock

My partner and I visited with our friends today on their recommendation. I was very, very pleased with the quality and quantity of the food. I had the burger (I forget the name) and it was HUGE! 2 burgers with cheese and piled high with...

Looked forward to this visit after a recommendation. Given a table and then told it would be 30 mins delay to food. Ordered and it was 50 mins. Open kitchen and chef was working flat out but restaurant has about 10 tables with three front...

By far one of the best experiences I’ve ever ever had. The food was absolutely incredible, excellent portion sizes and super friendly staff! 10/10 !!

Went to Buddy’s tonight for a company Christmas meal and as always the food was incredible. HUGE portions and so good! Louis behind the food counter is so friendly and helpful and the waitresses are great! I can’t recommend this place enough!

Food was incredible. Massive portions and really really tasty. Service was great, and beer was cheap... what more could you ask for? Recommend the Buddys pale ale. !

BUDDYS MATLOCK Sat 12 nov Myself and a party of 5 ate at buddy’s on saturday night and the experience was truely breathtaking!! We arrange an anual trip to texas every year to eat at our favourite eateries including 2 of the best BBQ joints...

Disgusting food and service will not be returning, worst meal out we’ve had, poor quality meat tasted like mush and made multiple people sick the next day

Incredible! Visiting on holiday and we were looking for somewhere good to eat. Stumbled across Buddy’s when searching restaurants in Matlock and so glad we did! If American BBQ food is your kinda thing then you need to go! From the lush atmosphere, excellent country...

Checked out Buddy’s Facebook page for opening times and it says it’s open while 11pm. It says there’s no booking system and you can just turn up and that they don’t have a phone number. My partner and I drove half an hour from Sheffield...

7 of us all went to buddys in matlock lady night. All had a terrible meal. Myself and hubby both sick when we got home. Never ever going to go to a buddys again!!

Incredible food! Absolutely loved it here. Especially recommend to anyone gluten free as they cater really well. Great music as well!

Absolutely fantastic. We went on Sunday as a family of 11 to celebrate a birthday. We knew it was a big ask to get us all together as you can't book, but they asked us to wait next door & get a drink until the...

Where do I start. What a quirky place. Greeted at the door by friendly staff. Given our menus and we were told we could sit anywhere we liked. We sat where we could see the food....What a delight seeing the brisket come out the smoker....

We live relatively close by so have visited buddy’s a few times now! Never had a bad meal!! The food is amazing, the portion sizes are huge (I always end up taking the rest of mine home 🙈) the owner and the chefs that work...

I can honestly say as a food critic the food here is the best food I have ever eaten, the portions are plentiful, the taste of the meat is 100% the best meat I ever eaten, besides the fact you can see all food been...

You need to understand what this place is. It’s American BBQ smokehouse and it’s not for everyone. If you understand that then the food is brilliant. Don’t over order, though they do have a doggy box option! It’s a bit under priced and the quality...

A last minute meal for 5….. Oh my gosh it was incredible. Staff cleared and reset an accessible Table for us- fabulous menu and hugely accommodating for children! Would highly Recommend the Pitbull burger ( make sure you are hungry!) All 5 meals were cooked...

Amazing food, I had the pork and slaw pit tray and it tasted as good as it looked,my partner had a hot dog and my child had 2 sides,we ate everything and wasn’t left disappointed at all. We live locally and will definitely be back...

Visited with the missus having massively rooted for Luke on Masterchef, and as a sheffield couple we would have loved our visit to be perfect. I ordered a pitmaster tray and the missus ordered a brisket tray. To be fair, all of the things on...

We were in Matlock for the weekend and saw the menu for this place through the day. Really looking forward to it , it was a Saturday night so expected service to be a little slower , it was , fries were re fries as...

Atmosphere and speed of service was very good but I found the staff to be very unwelcoming - it doesn’t hurt to smile guys!! Although the food does make a good Instagram photo we found the quality to be distinctly average and not worth coming...

We have visited this restaurant several times, always been over the moon with the food and service, this place feels like you’ve stepped into an American bbq joint. It’s very reasonably priced and the food is incredible. Keep up the good work 😍

I cannot say enough about the place. I’m visiting from America and I know bbq. This place is a contender with anybody. The vibe is friendly and casual and the restaurant is well laid out and very nice. We haven’t even gotten to the food....

You can't book this restaurant it's first come first served so don't complain if you can't get in. Went at 4PM on a Friday, no issues with getting a table. Walked past at 5PM on a Saturday and people were queuing outside to get a...

Stopped in looking forward to some smoke house grub but didn't get that far🙁 firstly very little seating and although there was room for us we had the choice of a table at the reception where the music was so loud we couldn't hear ourselves...

A belated review… we came here in its first week. of opening, what an amazing place this is… from the moment you are in the restaurant… the smell of the bbq is all around… I ordered the Put plate… perfectly bbq brisket… ribs and much...