Spitfire Barbecue in Bristol, City of

Highly recommended. Delicious food with many choices and lovely drinks. Great service and very reasonably priced.

Spitfire is probably the best bbq restaurant in Bristol! The staff are amazing, the general manager Alvaro is so kind and attentive! Making sure you never go hungry or left waiting! Last time we visited Alvaro helped make our experience one to remember! The chefs are amazing and the bar staff make the best cocktails! When we go we always make sure to tip as the staff truly deserve it for all their hard work! Thank you Spitfire!!

Granted we came on a Friday night, however we (2 of us) waited over an hour for food (just 2 main meals) and I’ve been up all night with food poisoning 🥲 waiting staff were lovely though. Would not recommend or return.

Food always great here, could do with a refurbish to the interior, looks a bit like an outback cafe.

For those seeking a satisfying barbecue experience in Bristol, Spitfire Barbecue delivers with its flavorful dishes, generous portions, and inviting atmosphere. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, it’s a spot worth checking out.

Disappointing experience – won’t be returning We visited Spitfire Barbecue around 6pm on Sunday, 11th May, asking for a table for 5, even outside, just for a drink. The outdoor area was completely empty, yet the staff seemed reluctant to seat us, particularly the host who was visibly unwilling to accommodate us for drinks only. After finally being seated, we waited about 20 minutes before our drinks order was taken. While we understand weekends can be busy, the wait was notable considering how quiet the outdoor area was. When one of our friends asked to order a hot dog and some chicken wings, the same staff member responded with a rude and dismissive attitude. I asked if there was an issue with someone wanting to order food along with drinks, and only after asking twice, he finally said there would be a 50-minute wait for food, without any real explanation or courtesy. We felt unwelcome and uncomfortable with the service, and as a result, we decided to leave. A disappointing experience overall, mainly due to the unprofessional and unhelpful approach of the staff.

Had a lovely lunch and cocktails, very personable staff and attentive. Good recommendations for food and drink. Amazing meats, we had the cheese steak and Punk chop!! Very happy campers..good luck with Cardiff!!

Over rated.. We were really excited to try as we’d seen good photos online. We ordered the spitfire bbq ribs, slice of brisket, the prawns, cheesy bread, corn ribs and slaw. The only good thing was the ribs, brisket was dry and quite tough wasn’t tender and juicy at all. The corn ribs had 0 flavour and the bread wasn’t cooked properly. Spent a total of £75 and would not go back!

Delicious barbecue food! Lovely outdoor seating area too. Drinks are a little expensive, but overall a nice dinner

Delicious food but long wait almost an hour

Waited 50 minutes for food and when it came some of it was not warm. Don't charge me £15 for a main and then say it's not very filling then make me order £7.50 worth of brisket slice to beef the meal up and deliver it to me cold. Overall very lack lustre BBQ experience there's far better around the UK.

We visited the place on a Monday. The weather was perfect for an outside lunch. Plenty of space, the stuff was very friendly, the food was amazing, we couldn't finnish it, but they are happy to give you a take away box. The music was well played😅 nice atmosphere. At that time the place and sourroundings wasn't busy. I think it's not on the crowded location of the river (probably busyer on other days, but still), which is an extra good thing for us. We will go back for sure.

Very disappointing dining experience. One of the dishes we ordered never arrived, even after we had finished everything else and waited for nearly 45 minutes. We were seated in a corner and were completely ignored. No staff came to check on us. We tried to get their attention several times, but the waiters were walking so quickly that it was nearly impossible to flag anyone down. When we finally asked, we were told if we ordered, it will come up soon.but nothing happened. When we finally asked about the missing dish, the waitress told us we hadn’t ordered it and asked who had taken our order. At first, she denied it, until we reminded her that it was actually the first dish we ordered before anything else. Then did she say it “might have been a misunderstanding” and gave an apology. This was supposed to be our weekly night out and something we always look forward to and it was ruined. Even if the food is decent, we won’t be returning.

Very nice food and accommodating staff would recommend and happily return

10/10 Everything perfect 👌 Very juicey burger Spitfire st.luis rib very very tasty and soft

I tried theirs signature ribs, amazing taste , juicy, and perfect bbq flavoured. Tried the beef brisket as well all together 6 star experience. I will attach photos before and after. Thanks guys, amazing food

Slow preparation time with lots of restrictions and explanations (on seating and separate time to order drinks and food) - can you guys just relax for a sec? 15 mins waiting and that was just for the drinks, 45 mins for the food! And I also heard another table complain they ordered but didnt come. Disconnected amount of servers vs capacity? Food not fresh and not smoking hot off the grill. Artificially bbq'd? Taste is very decent though. Ambiance is awesome. Overall price value, going medium to can be better.

We were hosting an American group and were really keen to show them some British hospitality. Despite booking 2 tables, Lily-Ann refused to sit us together (“because it’s policy”) and instead split our large group across the restaurant despite there being 2 empty tables either side of us. It felt like she took pleasure in not accommodating us. It left a sour taste. Food was good though. Won’t bring guests back!

Had an amazing time here. Really good food. I’d been before and not been so impressed so hadn’t been back for a while. My friend wanted to go and I’m so glad he dragged me a long. Amazing to try bits of different things.

Amazing ribs and pulled pork. Tacos worth to start with. Definitely coming back for the view and more meat

Really great. Amazing food: we had the pork belly burnt ends, two sausages, cornbread with hot honey starter, and wings with fries. Everything ranged from good to fabulous, with the wings probably the least impressive. Still good but just not incredibly special. Would def come back again to try ribs and the beef burnt ends. Special shoutout to the fries which were top notch. Great friendly service and lovely decor which really added to the experience. Only thing is we ordered one of each sausage but got two of the same, we didn't complain as it took us awhile to figure out they were the same and anyway we did enjoy the sausage flavour, but best to check on your orders when they come.

Lily is the best ever. Accomodating, fabulous service, very knowledgeable. Mitchellinstar service

Brilliant atmosphere and friendly staff. The food was really good, I had the wings, messy but very tasty! Not too noisy either, great to catch up with friends!

Got a chicken burger, however it was so thin that it was barely worth putting in the bun. I also upgraded to dirty fires, but the topping only covered about half the chips. Feel very stingy with their portions and the food wasn't that tasty

Great food , Early doors was quiet in the redtaurant , but easy to get a table then.

Loved this place! I was fortunate to have plenty of time and chose this place because we could smell the barbeque. All three mains I and my friends were great (but you only need one sausage!). After eating, we went outside to watch craft on the water and moored up. We had another two rounds. Chatting to the staff we learned about the craft we could see.

The food here is always good! Lunch time offer is amazing, we come here often with the team to eat

Good place, reasonable price and nice atmosphere. Also, quiet clean toilet . I recommend to it eat beef brisket and pulled pork. It's so soft and moist. However the rib is a bit hard.

The menu looked amazing. I was out with colleagues on a work trip and looking forward to enjoying a lovely meal. Unfortunately it was “impossible” for them to take 3 separate orders and generate 3 VAT receipts for one table, we needed this for individual expenses claims but our pleas and explanations made no difference. That meant that we didn’t have the chance to sample the food and had to go elsewhere. I’m disappointed to say the least!

Waiter with the handlebar moustache said that it was “impossible” for him to split our tables bill between four people. That’s the first time I’ve ever been told that by a restaurant. Poor. Avoid.

Waiter made no attempt to serve us as we needed three separate bills to claim expenses. He brushed us off rudely and didn’t apologise. Menu looked great and left us hungry.

Very lovely food, Freya gave us great service, highly recommend

Visited for a works night out, cannot believe I haven't been here before, the food was amazing, service was great and attentive! Liked it so much I took my wife and her family the next month so I could enjoy it again

The best BBQ in Bristol! The food and drinks here are amazing, with the build your BBQ board being outstanding! Staff helped with the menu with their recommendations and were great.

Me and my partner had a meal here this evening and love coming here, we were saying it is hands down the best burger in Bristol. The value for money is insane for what you get. Love the atmosphere too! 10/10

Loved the Mac and cheese. I would go back to Bristol just for that. The chicken was, unfortunately, a little dry.

The food was good. Fast service and staff friendly. Would recommend the beef brisket. Book table beforehand as it was quite busy.

Lucas gave me a warm welcome, and a lovely lady with awesome tattoos showed me to my table. She recommended the St. Louis rib or brisket, and I opted for the rib with a side of fries. Lucas checked in on me regularly to see if I was enjoying my meal – and I certainly was! The rib was incredible, and the fries were delicious. I tried the Spitfire seasoning on them and was instantly hooked. I’d happily recommend this restaurant for its fantastic ribs and exceptional service. Apologies to Lucas – I was watching the football on my phone when I paid and didn’t realise the tip wasn’t included. I’ll be back soon for the brisket and maybe to try some beers too!

My chicken burger was more spicy than I expected. However, everything it was ok

Fire food, great service and a great atmosphere. I ordered: brisket mac and cheese Fried cornbread Beef brisket Sausage Half rack of ribs The spitfire lager is also fire Fire

Very disappointed. Initial greeting was very miserable. Was put right next to kitchen and witnessed one of the chefs who was not wearing a hat scratching his head vigorously on more than one occasion and then touching food. Informed the manager and left the restaurant.

We had a group meal and it was amazing !!!! All of the food was very nice and Ellie was our server for the night and was lovely.

Really nice atmosphere, fast service and brilliant food. Would definitely recommend.

Liliana was the best, we had a great time celebrating our friend being a daddy big time. The food was delicious and meaty x

Amazing if you don’t go you will never know 😀 the ribs were amazing and Lucas our waiter was fab! Highly recommend if you’re visiting Bristol 😃

Great food and even better service! Liliana was great help when ordering and was very patient despite me asking so many questions! Also, she really knew her cocktails!

Absolutely fantastic, Liliana was wonderful, from her advice about what to order and bringing sauce samples for our dairy intolerant diner to try, she went above and beyond. The food was amazing, we'll be back!

First time here and really enjoyed the experience. Special thanks to Lucas for providing us with great service. Lovely food, lovely experience. If you are visiting Bristol, make it part of your visit.

Highly recommend, great food, great atmosphere,

Very friendly staff. We forgot our backpack and they came running to find us! Food was delicious! Very enjoyable experience

Absolutely amazing BBQ food at really reasonable prices. Was stuffed by the end. Such a nice location too!

Food was absolutely terrible. Took us 30 minutes to serve us. I would not recommend.

Another great meal at Spitfire! The staff are friendly and welcoming! And the food is just outstanding!

Looked online saw there was tables available, as we was only 5 mins away we walked round only to be told there was no tables available!! As I left I could still book tables online which was confusing.Really disappointing and a waste of our time.

Lovely place on the waterfront, we all really enjoyed our meals, personally had the burger and it was lush! Wasn't pink like I'd worried and not gritty at all! Delicious 😋 service was excellent and quick as well 😄 fairly priced as well, deffo go back

Amazing food, right on the harbour side

Brisket was a bit dry, but overall food and service was top tier.

We have been to this place 3 times now and we absolutely love it! Absolutely amazing food, can be expensive but is worth it! The cocktails are not great unfortunately so stick with spirits or beer. We did have ONE slightly disappointing experience last valentines day however they were extremely busy so we gave them, the benefit of the doubt. It was an hour wait for food then when it came was slightly overdone. Again we put this down to it being an extremely busy day. The ribs, pulled pork burger and mac n cheese are our personal favourites! Definitely the best bbq/grill place in the centre. Just wish they did better cocktails! Also the parking isn't great but that isn't their fault.

It felt very American, that being a good thing 😜

Had a nice time at spitfire. We thought the meat was a bit tough and not too flavoursome unfortunately and were a bit gutted as were looking forward to it. Not sure it is Smoked for hours/days/whatever it says! The cocktails were OK but they are reasonably priced for Bristol so can't complain, does the job lol! The atmosphere was a bit quiet but maybe that was the time of day and it is winter in January after all! Our server Lucas (apologies if I got your name wrong!!) was very friendly and efficient and I think that's quite rare these days, so we were grateful for that :) I will probably be back in the summer as I want to try the ribs!!! Overall - had a nice time and will be back to try other items :D

The food was amazing, as were the drinks. A nice chilled atmosphere for some BBQ. Country music playing, not overly busy and tables not cramped. We were served by Ellie who was helpful with explanations and recommendations. Always seemed to pop by to check on us at just the right moment. It was all great but particular shoutout to the cinnamon cheesecake! (Which we had to share one slice between 3 people because we were so full of delicious meat!)

We went here on a Sunday early evening. The service was good and the food was excellent.

Good food and great BBQ meats, too cold in the restaurant. Shivering while eating isn't fun!

Spitfire gets better every time I go, but the quality of the meat is still lacking to me - a lot of incredibly fatty cuts

16 hours smoked meats are to be tried here. Never had smoky pulled pork or beef that tasty

I’m slightly concerned about the negative reviews I’ve heard about the spitfire in Bristol the service very welcoming I brought my best friend and fiancé and treated them to lunch due Saturday before Christmas being his birthday.. the service was very friendly and the food was cooked very professionally, all three of us were thrilled with our food.. our only regret was there was no room left for pudding.. I even brought my best friend who’s birthday was a spitfire cap as we had such a great experience.

Went here over 20 times in the pass three years, however, the food last time I came really disappointed me. I believe the restaurant has changed all the staffs and chefs as I can’t see any similar faces. The food also changed with the new chefs where the meat such as punk chop and back rib are totally overcooked, taste hard like biting rocks. Prices also increased by 20% which’s unacceptable with the food quality. The new staffs are very rude, definitely not recommended for this restaurant!!!

Been here a few times and it the food has always been amazing! Will definitely be back

Tough and grainy ribs & brisket. Not recommended at all. Overpriced for the quality of meat. Manager couldn't help us beyond a partial discount.

If I could give 0 stars I would have. We came here a year ago and it was very good. We came back today with family visiting from overseas and it was extremely disappointing. The food was tough and hard to eat. We ordered a full rib and it was very tough. The manager was extremely rude when we called her to help us fix it. She was defensive and wouldn’t hear a word. I won’t recommend it at all and would never return.

If I could give 0 stars I would have. We came here a year ago and it was very good. We came back today with family visiting from overseas and it was extremely disappointing. The food was tough and hard to eat. We ordered a full rib and it was very tough. The manager was extremely rude when we called her to help us fix it. She was defensive and wouldn’t hear a word. I won’t recommend it at all and would never return.

Ribs and brisket were very tough and grainy. Not recommended.

Best night out in a long time, busy evening - waiting staff on point, not rushed and very relaxed. Everyone of our party of 14 had no issues whatsoever- food was amazing. Hats off to kitchen team.

Gran comida y gran servicio. Todos elegimos una carne diferente y cada uno era igual de bueno. Una mención especial a nuestra camarera Liliana. Que era muy acogedor profesional y fue más allá para garantizar que tuvimos una experiencia gastronómica maravillosa

I enjoyed this food. Chicken was succulent and cooked to perfection. For me the half bbq chicken portion was sufficient and reasonably priced at 10.00 chips and slaw were extra but it was certainly enough to share with another person. Service at times was a little hit and miss but I understand it's Christmas but at 7.30 the venue wasn't overly busy. Yes I recommend and yes I would return.

Amazing BBQ food. We booked a table for 16 of us, and pre-ordered. The staff were very efficient, friendly and very organised. They knew who was having what food from our pre-order, so just in case we forgot, which some of us did, they knew. The food was incredible. The meat fell off the bone, perfectly cooked and seasoned, and loved the creative flair which came with the sides. Once we arrived, the food started to come out within half an hour, and everyone was served at once, and for a table of 16, I must take my hat off to the chef and the organisation of the place, that is certyainly a rarity. Spitfire was recommended to me by a friend, and will certainly go back.

Always good food here and can highly recommend! The food is always tasty and the ribs are always juicy & tender.

Great food busy need to book in advance

We dropped in on a Saturday evening and we're warmly welcomed. I have an allergy which was handled so professionally and comfortably. Staff were really lovely. Food was excellent and good value. Would recommend.

My daughters been raving about the Spitfire for years,so I thought i would give it a go with my birthday coming up we booked Ordered our food and waited watching all the other food going past made feel hungry and looking forward to mine. I ordered the Texan Ribs which very spicy hot,but unfortunately that was the only thing that was hot cutting into the ribs I found they were uncooked and cold so I sent them back. 20 minutes later they arrived and they were so hard to cut the meat off the bone I gave up and just ate the chips that aren't included in the meal only as a side. The manager took it away got a small apology and it was taken off my bill. I thought the food was definitely over priced due to the small portions and everything are side orders No apology when we were leaving infact she stayed in the background Throughly disappointed especially on my birthday

Just wow. We are so full we now can’t walk back to the car. We ordered items from the pit rather than meals and shared and my god it is well worth the money and the drive here. Incredible food that melts in your mouth. Half of the items on the menu are Gluten free or can be gluten free. Everyone was so lovely and accommodating. Shout out the the lovely Lucas!! Great selection of drinks and even brought my husband a little brownie for his birthday. Will 100% be coming again with friends.

Highly recommend!!!! The food is so so good and the service is amazing. Beth and Boti are rly lovely :)) The cocktails are out of this world ❤️

Staff and food was good, only one vegetarian option and they didn’t have everything required for that so the burger was dry. Had quite a wait for the food but otherwise was good. Non vegetarian options were good

A real shame that a number of items on a relatively small menu weren’t available, food that they had was average at best.

1st visit to spitfire, I thought the food I had ( pulledpork) was the nicest I have ever tasted 😋 friendly staff and quick service... excellent

The staff were great. Atmosphere was very quiet on a mid-week lunch time but I reckon it would have been a good atmosphere even if it was much busier. The beef brisket was great - really tender and tasty! The coleslaw and fries were great! I was bit shocked at getting a single stem of broccoli for £2.95 though! Will definitely be coming back.

Amazing as always. Beefy fries were amazing.

We have walked past this place so many times and the smell coming from it has been delightful. Finding ourselves back in Bristol and a special occasion we decided to book a table. Good job we did as it was very busy.. so busy you could hardly hear the music over people talking. It was very noisy. The lemon meringue cocktail was amazing and I had noticed there was Sticky Toffee pudding in the dessert menu which I was really looking forward to. The garlic type bread arrived, mine with cheese and the other half had it without. It was amazing and we were really looking forward to the rest of our meal. However, this is when things started to go wrong. An hour after ordering the waiter came over very apologetic but the belly pork I had ordered along side my dirty fries was not available. I politely said I will just have the dirty fries then (thinking about the sticky toffee pudding that was still teasing me from the dessert menu) thinking possibly would be a side plate as they came with pulled pork on. Not long after my dirty fries arrived along with my husbands wings and coleslaw … no sign of his fries or sausage he had ordered. By this time we were starving so we started eating … when we had finished the sausage turned up. We didn’t end up getting the remainder of our meal or the Sticky Toffee Pudding. A big thank you to the gentleman (possibly the manager) who had seen we were upset and just wanted to go, who spoke to the kitchens to see what had gone on and was very apologetic on the restaurants behalf. The food we had was very tasty but took so long and most of it never appeared! There were a number of larger parties there and no one else seemed to be having the issues we did. So maybe it was just bad luck. Thank you again to the gentleman that spoke to us so calmly even though I initially wasn’t the politest person in the world after being so disappointed. Maybe at some point I will return for the sticky toffee pudding.

It was a Wednesday evening booking for a small group of people. We were seated rapidly and after about 20 mins our food and drink order was taken. We then had to wait for one and a half hours before the food finally arrived and certain items arrived cold. Although after complaining the cold items were replaced, I can say this was not the idea situation. Apart from the bad service I have no other complaints, the food when hot is very tasty. The beer choices are quite good. Just one final point, I recommend that you check the bill carefully. Will I be going to the Spitfire again? I don't think so, mainly because of slow service on a Wednesday. Imagine the waiting time on a busy day..

Great meal, fantastic service from Luca!

Suuuuper yummy food, barbecue sauce is amazing, loved the wings

Fantastic food, highly recommended

The portion sizes are crazy, think a single is a good option to share for two people! But v tasty and great value

Fab place, great food and atmosphere. Lukasz our waiter was superb excellent guy and great recommendations.

Disappointing and Overpriced I recently visited this smoked meat restaurant and was left underwhelmed. I ordered a variety of items including a burger, corn ribs, and pork rashers, but all were served lukewarm and lacked flavor. The biggest disappointment was the “brisket mac and cheese” at £8.40—no brisket, just a tiny portion of mac and cheese. When I raised this with the manager, I was told the high price was due to importing the brisket from the U.S., yet there was no brisket in sight. While they did offer a discount, it didn’t make up for the poor value. For the price, I expected far better. Sadly, there are much better establishments out there for smoked meat lovers.

Food absolutely delicious, good range of alcoholic drinks and staff friendly and professional

I came here with my family for my 30th Birthday meal. Hands down the best restaurant experience I've had, the staff were so kind and accommodating, the food arrived very quickly and all together, there was no mistakes at all despite it being a large order. The quality of food was great, portions were great and the food was delicious. The atmosphere was great it was easy to talk to the people at your table without having to shout over loud music. The location is fantastic as well right on the harbourside. I can't recommend going here enough! I already can't wait to go back!

Felt pretty mugged off frankly. They ran out of their top 3 mains meals so my friend and I went for belly burnt ends, they were absolutely delicious. However within several small bites they were gone - this can not be considered a main meal! Mearly a side especially as they come with nothing else. Just 3 small cubes of meat on a metal tray. My friends order came with raw onion and some pickles, mine did not? When there are litterally 3 components to a 'meal' how can some raw onions and pickled from one out of two meals be forgotten? The mac and cheese we were told would satisfy two people, I think most people would argue it's definately for one person. Again, very delicious and you can see a lot of time goes into preparing very tasty food here but we left still feeling very hungry. Almost £40 we paid - for two half pints, 3 pieces of meat each, some raw onion and gherkins and a singular side of mac and cheese. The menu could also do with graphic clarity as the extras are specifically just for the burgers but this is unclear, the waitress agreed. They're charging almost £7 PER sausage here! I mean come on! Such a shame. Is this a place to get a good value for money full sized delicious bbq dinner, or bbq tapas dishes?? Maybe we didn't do it right but from this experience we left in disbelief.

This place was amazing, we got quite a few sides rather than one big main meal and they were such good portions and delicious. Very filling and we'll definitely be going again.

I've been in the past and was always impressed. Came recently and the food was nice, but not as fantastic as I remember. The waiting staff just loitered by the bar chatting, leaving us with finished plates in front of us for ages! Also, the manager on shift was eating a piece of meat in the kitchen - where food was being made. He then put the bone in the bin, licked his fingers clean, and went back out on the floor to serve customers, NOT washing his hands at all! This had definitely put me off returning or recommending any time soon.