Fatboys Southern Smokehouse in Ottawa

I recently visited Fatboys Southern Smokehouse, and while their wings and ribs were fantastic full of flavor and cooked to perfection their hamburgers were a major disappointment. The patties tasted like frozen hockey pucks, completely lacking in freshness or juiciness. It was such a letdown, especially considering how good the rest of the menu is. If you go, stick to the BBQ; the burgers are terrible and not worth the money. Update: I ve been experiencing severe digestive issues since eating that burger. Avoid their burgers at all costs. The owner, Shawn, needs to seriously reconsider keeping this item on the menu. The flavor is awful, the texture is rubbery, the patties taste like cheap frozen meat, and worst of all, it could make you sick. This is a health risk, not just a bad meal! A restaurant that openly admits its burgers are unfit for a restaurant dining experience and I can confirm make people sick is a place to avoid entirely. If they can t take pride in the quality of their food, how can you trust anything on their menu? Don t risk it.

Very cool restaurant with a great atmosphere and great food

Service was great! Food came out cold.

Im giving high reviews because this place may not look like they have vegetarian options but they have a whole page of vegetarian dishes!!! I love seeing a place that cares about us non-meat eaters and actually makes delicious options. The service is great. Must go to this laid back and warm space for some comfort food! Vegetarian options: Lots of options

Amazing real smokehouse bbq brisket chicken pork ribs pulled pork wish I could give 10 stars

Great food and service by Shawn and his team.

Horrible service, host with the messy hair was extremely rude. Why you don t let people sit before start throwing menus and giving us information? Was trying to ask my friend if she wanted me to sit by her side and that lady basically shut me up because she was talking . It didn t got better either when our server started taking our order, I asked him if he spoke Spanish and he gave a horrible dirty look and said no I don t, why? I told him he looked latin like me and my husband, which he replied with no and that is racist I couldn t believe he would call me a racist when I was being nothing but polite to him, then he started laughing and pulling dumb jokes to lighten the atmosphere which was not appreciated at all ( also then told us he spoke spanish indeed ) You don t go around calling clients racist when they are asking you something politely and out of curiosity, know your place. Other than the horrible experience, food is ok. Nothing exceptional, will never come back.

Chicken slaps

Such an incredible first experience! Definately will be returning. It was my dads 70th birthday and I really wanted to take him somewhere special. Fat Boys did not disappoint!!!! They were so accommodating and helped me though the process (we had over 20 guests). The service was incredible and food delicious. I also loved the feel of the place. By far, surpassed my expectations. Best of all, my dad loved it! It was such a special day and I cant thank every staff member there who helped out! If you are unsure if you should book, let this be the review to convince you. Dont hesitate! Go enjoy an incredible meal!

Fantastic service, food is great, the owner is very friendly and welcoming. We will be back definitely.

Reliable establishment, warm welcome, attentive service delivered by Michèle on the bar counter! Homemade sauces of your choice served separately for the ribs. The spicy is excellent!

Omg I couldnt recommend this place enough! Please eat here. In fact invite me when you go! Food

Went to Fatboys with a few close friends to celebrate my retirement. Shawn and team were amazing. We had excellent service, and the food was awesome. I loved the ribs, and those that went for tacos are still raving at how good they were. Plus, the southern style lemonade is my new favourite drink!

Great spot for some tasty BBQ! Brought my 3 year old son and the service was awesome! I would definitely recommend to friends and family! Will be back soon!

Outstanding BBQ... truly the best weve ever had. Service was just as outstanding. A must visit if youre in Ottawa!

First but definitely not last time coming here. Food was great and service was excellent! Thanks Fatboys!

Lol, what was i thinking. Being from Texas is a blessing and a curse we have some of tge best bbq so the bar is set high and this place is horrible from the brisket to the terrible cornbread avoid it oh and if you say you have spicy fried chicken tell the consumer you dont sell breast or wings dark meat chicken only

Came in tonight with a friend and got the Kentucky Derby platter. We were told it was all you can eat ribs, but it was our first time and we wanted a taste of everything, and decided to get the platter instead. I fell in love with the brisket and the fun assortment of barbecue sauces. Our server Jenna was very fast and attentive and made sure our food came out quickly and tasty. I will be making sure to come back again soon!

Just had the best bbq wings Ive had in a long time, exactly what I was hoping for just kinda wish 1lb was actually 2lbs lol.

The service is excellent, the waitress who served us was very friendly and attentive, always attentive to our table, the taste of the food was good although I think the portions are small for what it costs. We ordered the hungry menu and a hamburger, the hamburger is really not worth it, nothing remarkable.

Great food, but beer selection is really lacking

Shared the platter. The smoked chicken, fried chicken and corn bread were incredible! Brisket. ribs and Mac n Cheese were really good. Pulled pork needed more smoke and seasoning but cooked perfectly. Both table sauces were also very good. Service was excellent. Highly recommend! Vegetarian options: My wife had the Jack fruit and she said it was delicious

Besides the unsavory experience we went through and the disrespectful comment the owner left to my wifes review I wanted to chime in. This place has truly terrible barbecue. As a person who only learned about smoking 3 years ago, I can make a much better brisket, rack of ribs and pulled pork on a days notice. Try a different place if you want authentic bbq. Also never visit with a small kid. The staff treats you like the plague if you do.

Great food. I will be back when I visit Ottawa again.

Absolutely worth a visit! Great service, very nice and in a good mood. There was a free choice of sauces on the table, including bbq and special mustard. Every dish came with Alabama white sauce. We had the fried picks, which was a good starter. Afterwards we shared a platter, see photos. The brisket and the non-fried chicken were particularly tasty. Mac N cheese was also very tasty with lots of cheese. The portion was enough for 2, even though we were full, we continued eating because it was so delicious. There is a small star deduction for the ambience because it is quite dark in the restaurant. Wheelchair accessibility: Everything on the ground floor

Ate really well! We got advice on the tasting for two people and I dont think Ive ever eaten such tender meat... the waiter who welcomed us was very nice and was also very kind... the beer was good too!

The experience was great! We were looking for a place to go with friends and found this and it was amazing! I personally shared a platter for two, the meat was nicely cooked with the smoked flavour in the meats, the cornbread was just absolutely amazing, the sides were so so good we took the coleslaw that had some spice in it it was amazing nothing like a normal coleslaw and a mac&cheese also very very good! The decoration made the whole experience even better and we even got to meet the owner that clearly cares about his business and the care of the costumer! I would come back there EVERY Ottawa trip !

Wonderful BBQ, fantastic bourbon selection! Highly recommend.

Visiting Ottawa from out of town and this is the best bbq I have had in years! I ve lived in Texas and eaten across the southern states of the US but haven t been back in a few years. This place was a joy to find and to my pleasant surprise it was exactly what I had been missing. The smell hits you as you arrive and it is the right sorta smell in the words of the guy at the bar next to me. I had the meat platter with ribs, brisket and pulled pork. It was fantastic. Excellent food. The corn on the cob was also delicious though it was Cajun spiced which is not something I d come across before. I also got the cornbread which was just right. Fabulous meal and service from Michelle at the bar! Wish this place was a little closer to home - I d be here every week!

We had dinner a week ago at this restaurant in Ottawa and left really satisfied. Since we were beginners with this type of cuisine, we asked the waiter for advice on the choice of meat. We were offered their menu which allows us to taste their best meats and I must say that establishing which is the best is difficult... Excellent sauces available, cornbread and whiskey, bourbon etc The staff are extremely helpful and friendly

Very friendly staff, with amazing food. Their homemade sauces are great. I live in Alberta and have tried many smokehouses, never expected a place like this in Ottawa, surprisingly good.

We came in on a Saturday night and were greeted really warmly by the staff, and even got shown the smoker (upon request) they use! We got the derby platter to share, which was a good option to try their meats - the ribs, fried chicken, and cornbread were our favourites. Really enjoyable experience.

As someone from the southern U.S. who was initially doubtful about finding good barbeque in Ottawa, I was pleasantly surprised. The food was nothing short of excellent authentic, rich flavors that showed they take the time to prepare their barbecue with skill and care. Who would have ever expected to find good Alabama white sauce in Canada The staff were also incredibly accommodating and friendly, making the whole experience even more enjoyable. It s clear that Fatboys is dedicated to bringing true Southern hospitality and barbecue to the area. Highly recommended for anyone craving real Southern flavors north of the border!

It was a pleasure We orderd the all you can eat ribs and they were amazing. Together with delicious barbecue sauce and the sides a great experience in an authentic audience.

Pricy for the serving size. Sides of mac and cheese was small. Could have used more brisket for the $30 price point Food

The tastiest brisket Ive ever eaten

From the greeting and being seated to the food and the service it was an amazing experience. The food is out of this world and very affordable. Definitely recommend the dinner for two with all the meat they have to offer.

*If your looking for a great all you can eat ribs place on Thursdays* My girl and I went to Fatboys on Canada day, as soon as we entered we felt welcomed. Since the special wasn t running on that holiday, their server Dough, broke down the menu and we got a 2 can dine. The staff truly gets a five star on the ratings, and the only thing missing are porc-less ribs Thanks for the experience!

The ribs are one of the best Ive ever had! The service was excellent even if the servers were swamped. Everyone at the table loved their meals.

A very authentic and delicious barbecue. The staff was extremely friendly and funny and the restaurant was very well decorated. The meat, which is smoked in-house, and the corn bread also taste really good, which is why the restaurant is definitely a recommendation for anyone looking for a typical American barbecue restaurant. Vegetarian options: There is a separate section on the menu with various vegetarian dishes

The best ribs ever! Service was also great!

The service was quick and enjoyable, the food was delicious, not too greacie, and the plate was huge. Its cozy and southern and they play 70 to 90 rock at a reasonable volume!!

Eating at Fatboys Southern Smokehouse is not just about food, it is about experience. We ended up chosing the platter for 2 in which we got to experience all their smoked meat. What a good choice. Everything was exquisit, juicy and tasty. Our server was very nice, it was not busy on a Sunday evening. We ate on the patio. At the end of the meal, we even were offered to see their smoker where a nice member of the staff explained to us how they were smoking their meat. Nice touch! I highly recommend

Great brisket, okay ribs, fair prices. Atmosphere is as expected for a BBQ joint. I liked the mustard bbq sauce. I had a nice time on the patio with a friend.

Was very excited to eat here but got lied to right off the bat. We were a big group with children and were turned away even though I could see multiple available seats from the outdoor. Only when I went back to ask if we could put some tables together did the hostess tell me the restaurant was short staffed. Being lied to right away puts a sour taste in the mouth and really hurts after being so excited to eat there.

Our family were rejected this evening(5 adults, 2 children and one baby) while there were lots of empty seats at the patio, the hostess simply said can t accommodate the baby. We called ahead as well to try to reserve and they said it was first come first serve so why turn us away. Very disheartening.

We came here on holiday with our 13-year-old son. We had a choice of sandwiches with three different sides, and they were all amazing. The iced-tea pitcher upon ordering iced-tea was a nice surprise too! Highly recommended.

Excellent place! Great service! We were able to talk to the owner of the place and he is very friendly and really cares about providing great service, the food recommendations they gave us were spot on and really delicious! Definitely a place you need to visit

Delicious, varieties. Service was good and very good suggestions from staff in terms of what to order. Looking forward to going back there.

The mixed meat platter for 2 filled us up and the flavors out of this world. Not cheap but still great value. If its your birthday treat ask to go here. Food

At a completely empty restaurant with a website that reads the covered patio is first come first serve we waited 20 minutes and weren t even acknowledged, and when I finally asked a staff member if there was a table for 2, she disappeared to the empty patio and came back and said no, and they didn t say how long of a wait it would be If I could give you 0 stars I would. We drove 6 hours to Ottawa and chose YOUR spot, and now I ll make sure everyone knows better and avoids.

We took the three kids there and everyone ate all their food with no complaints. There were even compliments with out asking how the food was. Kid-friendliness: No kids menu but lots of side dishes they can enjoy.

Absolutely excellent service!!

The food here is great and the service is outstanding! I told the manager/owner(?) their corn bread is the best I ve had in Canada and he came back with a complimentary piece to take home. Our server was really good too, she was very attentive and offered to top up our tumblers of water we brought with ice before we left. We also had a debate on the flavour of the green sucker, and you guys were right and I was wrong. I looked it up and it is green apple and not lime lol. Thank you guys for an awesome dinner experience, we can t wait to come back!

The service was incredible and food was amazing. The best smoked meat I ve ever had. 10/10 experience

First time having southern bbq and it was amazing. My girlfriend and I ordered deep fried pickles (best we ve ever had) and the platter for two, the brisket was to die for, same with the chicken and everything else if I could rate over 5 stars I would! The milkshakes are also the best ever!!!

The food I had at Fatboys was the best food Id ever had in my entire life! The pulled pork and brisket were cooked to absolute perfection, so juicy and insanely flavourful. The staff were awesome, so friendly, attentive and knowledgeable! I cant wait to come back to Ottawa and come here again!

Food is absolutely AMAZING!!! We got the Kentucky Derby platter with all the meats and every bite blew me away! Also the vibe and decorations are so cool! Highly highly recommend!!!

I can t remember having better service or brisket. These guys rule

Amazing service great vibes

Excellent place! Will go again

Amazing establishment, super kind staff and amazing owner. I have been there many times and have never been disappointed with quality of food or service. I always order the mashed potatoes with no gravy and ribs, they never cease to amaze me. They have options for gluten free and vegetarian and will make sure to take care of you and your preference/allergy. Dietary restrictions: Gluten free

Delicious drinks (Kentucky lemonade and beer), very good dry rub pork ribs. Macaroni and cheese and fries were sort of ordinary. The ribs were why we were there, though. Worth the trip. Great value. Warm and informative servers.

Long wait, good service, food was not flavourful, the fries were good, mac and cheese was terrible, portion size for a burger meal was small, overall overpriced.

Shawn, the owner, really made his hobby true reality, pure purpose. With awesome smokey food, while enjoying the southern atmosphere. Hope to come back here soon!

We are here for the first and it did not disappoint! We got the Kentucky BBQ sampler platter with smokey BBQ Mac and cheese maple pecan sweet potato mash. Incredible flavours; the brisket melted in your mouth, the BBQ sauces were incredible; smokey, the perfect bite to them. We really liked the Memphis mustard sauce. Liz was our server and she was awesome! Quick service, personable and just all around great! Kid-friendliness: Offered a booster seat, flavours suit the outgoing child, shareable plates.

Amazing. Everything was good

Highly recommend if you like smoke BBQ, but also if you like the southern US BBQ restaurant vibe. Ive been in a lot of US BBQ joints, and have not seen anything on Canada that relocates it so well. Servers tips and advice was spot on and perfectly attentive.

Great BBQ. Great service. Unique house sauces. This place has all the Southern BBQ fixings you can ask for. The menu is quite big, and includes options for GF and vegetarians. I found the meat to be a bit too salty. Overall, they did a good job with the meats and the sides: --BRISKET: amazing. Nice and tender with a good amount of fat. --FRIED CHICKEN: came out piping-hot. Went well with the cream sauce. --BBQ CHICKEN: also came out hot. Great flavour and texture. Paired well with the sauces. --SLAW: thinly sliced vegetables in a tangy, creamy sauce. -- CORNBREAD: moist in the centre. They did a good job here. -- MAC AND CHEESE: nothing special about this. I found it to be bland, and lacked cheesiness and creaminess. Cool washrooms. Creative concept for the sinks.

Good smoky meat. Very solid rib. My best are the chicken. It really taste like the best smoke bbq

Food was absolutely amazing. As much as the BBQ was authentic and delicious; I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY with the fried chicken. I cant begin to express just how exceptional it was. My daughter had the burger and it was also fantastic. Cant suggest this place enough and cant wait to return. You wont regret it!!!

Great food and amazing restaurant !

Best briskets I had. Thank you to the lovely staff.

I ve been here twice and it s been perfect both times. Food: about as good as it gets, lots of options and very well price. Their ribs and briskets and amazing. Service: all the staff are super nice and friendly and the food arrived pretty quickly. Atmosphere: almost every single thing is designed with a southern style, from the Jack Daniel water bottles to the motorcycle handle sinks. If you are looking for southern bbq this is the place to go

Good food and lovely service by Sitha.

Michelle, the bartender rocks

Very tasty

C est un arrêt obligatoire pour tout fan de BBQ qui se respecte. J y suis aller avec mon ado et ma fille, nous avons pris un plat à partager pour 2 avec les côtes Memphis, pulled pork Carolina, Texas Brisket, smoked chicken, Kansas corn bread et 2 accompagnements et nous étions tous rassasiés. La bouffe était époustouflante, la serveuse très gentille et le propriétaire très sympathique, merci !

Nice welcome, fantastic food and friendly staff, an experience we won t forget!

This is my favourite restaurant in ottawa. The food is very delicious. I have been here twice so far and each time I went the food was so good. I highly recommend the cornbread it s addicting and ribs. My friend and I shared the derby platter and chicken wings. They were both very good. The food was fresh and tasty.

Had to try the best BBQ joint in Ottawa. Wasnt disappointed. Meat is perfection, sides are amazing. The atmosphere was fantastic and the service was top shelf. Friendly servers, excellent menu, good portions, everything made with love and care. Fell in love with their pulled pork, delicious with the mustard sauce. Superb brisket. Will be returning again and again.

Great southern vibe - be sure to check out the washrooms. Lots of meat and sauce options - we got a large platter of meat. Locally marinated meats. Their local amber beer was pretty smooth.

Delicious food wonderful atmosphere great service

It was my boyfriend and my first time at Fatboys and we were not disappointed. The food options were amazing and everything we tried was delicious. We started with chicken wings and deep fried pickles as our appetizers and the Kentucky Derby Platter for our main and we would definitely recommend both. To top it all off the service was excellent and the owner personally came and checked on us! Will be back forsure!

The best barbecue restaurant I have ever eaten at. The brisket actually melted in my mouth. Can t recommend the place enough.

I loved the food here. Ordered The Kentucky Dirby share platter and meats were delicious! Cornbread was perfect with a slight toast on the outside and soft tasty inner flavours. Sweet potato maple pecan mash was excellent and wish I could make it that well at home. Decor is very rustic and appropriate. From the outside was a bit like are we sure we want to go in ; but after opening the gas pump door handles - the first thing to hit you is great smell of a barbecue!! Ymmmm!! No good pictures as was gone quickly. But the bathroom was clean and interesting decor with motorcycle handle taps!

Food was excellent, as always. Sometimes the service can be slow, but not enough for me to stop enjoying their menu.

Unsurprisingly disappointingly mediocre. I reckon any restaurant that asks if youve been there before on arrival, means they dont have a lot of repeat business. Ive lived in Ottawa my entire life and I fully believe that almost all restaurants in the Byward market arent worth visiting. People eat here once on a vacation and never come back. Waste of money. If youre still reading, heres a bit more information. Service was super attentive and pleasant. Atmosphere was kitschy and I suppose southern bbq themed.. shared the recommended $60 bbq platter, of which the fried chicken was the best of all the things. Brisket was beyond well done (grey colour), ribs didnt have the connective tissue removed, sides were mediocre (cornbread could have been a dessert) .. for a $100 meal for two (no drinks), I would absolutely not recommend this place. Admittedly, Ottawa has few BBQ options, but Id try harder and eat elsewhere. Points for effort, but execution really needs work...

A business model that every restaurant should learn from! The food is awesome! The music is great, even if its not my type of music lol but it does bring a great vibe that is impossible to not notice! Live musicians! I admire the friendly approche, great service, wait time is not long and still have distraction so the customer experience is just wow! Who doesnt love smoke food! Come on! Everyone should go once! Thats the catch! You will be back !

I never thought that I would find some of the best BBQ Ive ever had in Ottawa. We had the platter for two, and I can honestly say the meal was perfect. I could not find a fault with any part of the platter. The cornbread was moist. The sauces went beautifully with the BBQ. The fried chicken was moist and was elevated by the Alabama White Sauce. Every single one of the meats was tender and juicy. Its not just good BBQ for Ottawa. It is excellent BBQ period. I cannot wait to come back again and try new things on their menu!

Best meat in town, cornbread is always insanely good!

This place is great! Loved everything we ve tried so far. Good vibes, good food, and good conversations. The all-you-can-eat ribs special on Thursdays is a true delight for barbecue enthusiasts. Each succulent rib is expertly seasoned and cooked to perfection, boasting a tantalizing blend of smoky flavor and tender juiciness. The ambiance is warm and inviting, perfect for gathering with friends or family to enjoy a hearty meal together. Give them a try, you won t be disappointed ;)

We LOVE this popular BBQ joint! My family ordered for takeout and the order was ready when they said it would be. We walked in and were greeted so warmly, and chose to wait at the bar for our food where we chatted with the bartender and had a drink. The atmosphere was awesome- such a great vibe and you can easily see why this place is so popular. The food was incredible!! Everything was flavourful and well cooked! We will absolutely be returning! Dietary restrictions: We chose to order from here because there were so many options for our group with a variety of dietary restrictions Kid-friendliness: This is a fantastic place for kids for dinner and there were plenty of options for my kids to enjoy

A must-go place for anyone that even remotely enjoys the idea of meat. Amazing service, reasonably priced meal, and there were barely anyone there! Both the chicken and the pork are good. Ask the waiter for recommendations when you go.

We tried to find parking and we couldn t find any, but then the owner saw that we were trying to find a place and then told us to Park in his spot We were greeted by the owner and treated like five stars restaurant. The young lady that served us was amazing and the food for four was mind blowing I would say the best was the chicken and the brisket and yes the deep-fried pickles lol.

A great discovery for us. The meat was excellent (we had the brisket burger and the platter to share), the atmosphere was perfect but above all, exceptional service. A beautiful place to discover.

Shawn and his team treated us like royalty. The service was courteous and fast. And the food was just incredible. I recommend this place to anyone who wants to eat some real BBQ.

The fried chicken was soooo yummy and the fried corn on the cob will bring me back again and again !!! Also popcorn chicken and fried pickles are super tasty

The food is amazing! The time the owner Shawn took with his customers was what we call from the south southern hospitality! I highly recommend for the best BBQ in the north!!

Had a great time the food is absolutely delicious just melts in your mouth The owner has a wonderful personality with his customers. He makes sure that we are well served He always had a smile and threw in a few jokes He introduced me to Jack, what a great guy When you to Fatboys plesse make sure you ask to see Jack. Good Job!@

Good service and friendly staff. The food tastes really good however the portions are really skimpy. Southern BBQ always has generous portions of meat and sides. For $25 you should get a bit more than a few small cuts of brisket!

ABSOLUTELY DELISCIOUS!!!!!!

We were celebrating my BBQ-loving kiddos 13th birthday. Our server was spectacular: friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, and efficient. The food was a huge hit with the birthday kid *and* his two siblings (one of whom is not generally a meat-eater and opted for a bunch of veggie sides). And the décor kept even my youngest fascinated and engaged. It was a great experience, and Sunday night made it family-friendly and not too crowded.

Wow, just wow! This place has it all, great service, excellent food and atmosphere. Would highly recommend to anyone in Ottawa looking for their BBQ fix. ALL YOU CAN EAT RIBS ON THURSDAYS!

Went for the all you can eat ribs on Thursday night! The ribs were great. Will definitely go back again!

Great experience and good food

Friendly staff and food is delicious.

For barbecue lovers and the retro atmosphere of English bars

Shawn and our waiter were amazing. Good food, great food, excellent atmosphere.

Well lets start off with food. Portions are horrible for the price they charge! I been to plenty of smokehouses and know what portions should look like for $80-90. The drinks were disgusting i mean literally you have a waiter 1 waiter for whole restaurant running serving 5-7 tables and making drinks and you have 1 person in kitchen lol. If you open your restaurant doesnt matter holiday season or not be always prepared to serve properly in all fields. You cant have 1 lady running whole place from being a host to serving food taking orders making drinks cleaning tables like seriously i wish i didnt come here and waste my money and energy and hunger. Had to go somewhere else after to eat because i didnt want to order more food here. Its not right!!

You guys have no idea. This place genuinely saved my life.

Guys, just enjoy the food. Dont talk about it. Its worth it.

So, my brother and I were hit with this intense BBQ craving after binge-watching a BBQ cook-off show on Netflix (anyone else feel me?). And off we went to find a place that could satisfy our hunger. Let me start by saying, the place had that authentic BBQ vibe. I mean, it practically screamed BBQ from every corner (definitely not a place for vegans, thats for sure). Now, lets dive into the food. The starters were absolutely insane! We couldnt resist ordering the nachos with brisket and the wings, and let me tell you, they didnt disappoint. The nachos were loaded to the max, each piece oozing with cheesy, meaty goodness. And those wings? Oh, man, the flavors took us to another planet. But now, lets talk about the brisket. Sadly, it was a letdown. I received three measly, thin slices of brisket. I kid you not, they were so thin that they ended up drying out. I had to drown them in sauce just to salvage some moisture. I cant help but imagine that the brisket used to be one thick, juicy slice, but people probably complained about portion sizes. And now, were left with these three sad slices of brisket. Its a real downer. The sides didnt fare much better either. The mac and cheese tasted like the store-bought kind my mom used to get, and the potato salad reminded me of the one from Costco (maybe it was the same stuff). Again, it was quite disappointing. However, the ribs managed to redeem the meal. They were cooked to perfection, bursting with flavor. But you know what stole the show, hands down? Their freaking cornbread. Im telling you, I could devour trays of that stuff for days. The only downside was that it was on the smaller side, though it wasnt exactly tiny. I simply couldnt get enough of it. As for the service, it was just okay. The server wasnt particularly engaging, and to be honest, there were only a few other tables occupied besides ours. When it comes to Fatboys, Id say go for the entrees and definitely indulge in their mouthwatering cornbread. Its some seriously good stuff!

Family and friends were gathered Saturday at Fatboys Southern smokehouse secret Speak Easy for a retirement/birthday party. The excellent service along with the flavourful and delicious food made this special occasion a roaring success. The BBQ chicken was absolutely delicious as were the spare ribs, the dusted fries, the Mac and cheese (yummy) and the creamy coleslaw. Owner and staff welcomed us and made sure to keep the surprise from our honoured guest. Absolutely recommend this restaurant - five stars all the way. Thanks to owner and staff for a very successful evening. Kid-friendliness: Very kid friendly.

Kid-friendliness: Highchair and booster available Food

Very disappointed with the food and with high prices.

Got the Kentucky derby platter, all the meat had a really nice smoke flavour, but the bbq chicken and brisket were pretty dry. The pulled pork and fried chicken were very good, loved the seasoning on the fried chicken. The ribs are 10/10, probably the best meat on the menu, would probably just order ribs going forward. I got the beans and mac n cheese sides, tbh the mac n cheese was not good...lacked season and tasted bland. Overall the food was decent, really hit the BBQ craving, but I think I will just stick to ribs the next time I go.

Everything was great and exactly what I expected. Ribs tender, bbq chicken flavorful and brisket juicy. The fried corn was a great side to try. Going out is getting expensive so its nice to be able to still count on a few great places. Service was A1 tks!

Great food and staff

Its plentiful and delicious.

You gotta eat here! Every bite delicious. House brew is amazing and so are the sauces.

Best authentic American style barbecue in Canada. Service was spot on, with a very attentive staff. The ambiance was typical roadhouse, with memorabilia ranging from motorcycles to southern charms. The food is the highlight of the place. Slow cooked options, from the All you can eat ribs, to the Kentucky Derby platter, everything looked, smelled, and tasted delicious. They even have some vegetarian options, including a smoked tofu that looked like a real bbq plate. The location is convenient and provides both indoor and outdoor seating. A private room, with a speakeasy theme is an awesome option for a group event. The owner, Shawn, took the time to stop at each table to check in, and was very interested in feedback. Next time on Ottawa, make this a destination. Vegetarian options: Barbecue tofu! Looked amazing.

Enjoyed Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich and choices of side dishes

You just have to take your family here for dinner. Every item on the menu, from mains to sides, will exceed your expectations.

This place was on my to-do list for a while and today I finally managed to give it a try. I ordered the Kentucky derby platter. What I love the most is the fried chicken and the dipping sauce. The chickens super juicy and tender. The ribs are great and tender too. However, a big disappointment is the beef brisket, which is somehow a bit dry.... its also why I cannot give this place a 10/10. Overall my rating is 8/10. (Or 4/5). I highly recommend the ribs, the fried chicken and the dipping sauce.

Its definitely a place to go back. Nice atmosphere and great food. Customer service is great and the price is reasonable.

Awesome service from everybody! And the food is amazing!

Jessica Jones is the most amazing waitress. She s so full of energy and spunky. She s been amazing. Definitely recommending this restaurant, thanks to her and of course the most amazing food but honestly she was an extraordinary waitress.

Delicious is absolutely an understatement about the food here, but that s just a small part of the entire picture, the second you walk in your greeted with amazing service from the host, and then you sit down and it s like WOW! The service I received tonight from Ms. Jessica Jones was absolutely outstanding! She made the ENTRIE experience! What a great soul, amazing person & amazing waitress. Her and the food are the perfect duo to why I will be recommending this place and for sure coming back

Immediately walking in, the host was incredibly nice, informative, showed us to our table with a smile. Sitting down our table was greeted by the friendliest, nicest, most energetic waitress Ive ever had the pleasure of meeting. Her name is Jessica Jones, ask for her if you can. The whole dinner, she was checking on the table, giving us good recommendations, and overall being an awesome server. The owner himself came over to the table because of our waitress to just introduce himself, and he was incredibly friendly as well. Simply, the service was beyond anything any of us were expecting. 10/10 experience, will come again.

Great restaurant for US Southern food. Very friendly staff and delicious food.

We really liked it, we had wanted to go to a typical American barbecue for a long time and we were not disappointed.

Great ribs. Cant go wrong with the brisket, pulled pork, chicken...

Staff and Owner were great! Food was great, The place looked awesome! Highly recommend going here!! Definitely going back soon! Food

Full rack of ribs are smoky and delicious.

We (family of six, two adults, four children aged 6-12) had a blasting time! I celebrated my 43rd birthday there. People were very kind in a natural way, owner was joking with our kids, waitress regularly checked on us if we had everything we needed. Great deco too!! Very delicious food, everyone in the family found something they loved. Little anecdote, when my not so tall 9-year-old came back from the lavatories, she and one of the cooks sort of bumped into each other, nothing big, but the cook right away asked her if she was o.k. and took away all the clouds from that situation. She came back to the table with sparks in her eyes and a big bag of homemade cotton candy!!! After the meal, the owner, Shawn, spontaneously showed us around and told our kids about his granddaughter their age, and us all about his mountain adventures and his association. He felt proud in a very humble way. Definitely a place to go. And people worth knowing! If we hadnt had to continue our trip to Toronto and booked a table at Wheelers Maple Farm (Fatboys even had their giant maple syrup bottles between the kitchen and the restaurant!), we would have listened to our kids and come back the day after.

Nice vintage place, not busy, fries are VERY salty and indicated to Sandrine the water. Find it expensive

I ordered tacos, fries and ribs. The tacos werent great, the corn pitas werent as good. The sweet potato fries were a little burnt. The ribs were average. The service for take-out meals was very poor. I dont expect you to return Parking: very difficult to find parking

Always enjoy coming here. My family loves it! Food is great. Owner is awesome! Food : 5/5

Jess was extremely friendly and attentive , food was absolutely amazing, had a great experience!

We go back time and time again. Food and service is always great.

Very expensive for very small portion sizes, the bbq was good but very small amounts foe the price, the platter was 60 dollars and the sides were tiny. Dont think id be back

The food is OK but way too expensive for the quantities and quality.

Super Service. Nice place .

Ordered a portion of brisket as takeaway. Ive lived in the South and know what BBQ is. The small portion of meat was chewy and had a strange texture, almost like it had been boiled. Smokiness was uneven, too strong on the bark, not enough in the meat. Suspicious. Sides were mediocre. Beans contained too little meat, cornbread was far too sweet. Vastly overpriced at 30$ before taxes. Even in a city with more money than taste, this stands out as rough service.

OMG, the best BBQ Ive had in a very long time. Thursday is all you eat ribs night. Well worth the money. Great service as well.

Very good bbq, will come back next time in town

Definitely a place you want to check out if you like smokehouse BBQ. Very tasty food and good quantities. We were a group of 9 with a reservation, so we were seated on time and greeted by our server right away. It all flowed smoothly! Try the Platter!

If you are looking for some awesome smokehouse food, no need to look anywhere else. Kentucky platter is a great selection for two. Fried chicken, pulled chicken and pulled pork, ribs and the brisket were all outstanding and finger licking! Also have a good selection of brews on tap.

Food, Serive and Atmosphere 10/10! Shawn helped us to choose the best option for food and drinks! All staff were freindly, fast and great - this type service quality made foods taste even better. Highly recommended, and we will definitely go back :)

Went there with a craving for bbq meat, our host was amazing and made us great suggestions. The fried pickles were just delicious and crispy ! We shared the Kentucky meat platter, generous portions and tasty. The meat would have been a bit more warm to my personal taste, Mac & cheese was a bit disappointing ( bit watery/blend flavour), but overall great experience and would go back again!

Pulled pork was amazing. Smoke chicken was a bit heavy on the rub but good. Brisket was a bit dry. Pork ribs 7.5 out of 10 Fried ribs was 5 out of 10 Milkshake was 11 out of 10 And service was amazing!! We will be back!

Food was great. We had multiple appetizers for our meal. Served was friendly and engaging. Decor especially in bathrooms is awesome. Dietary restrictions: We explained no dairy and we were able to get the food item we wanted without the cheese curd.

The best BBQ Ive had in Ottawa hands down. The atmosphere and service is next level. The owner is friendly and helpful in choosing options for the Kentucky Derby

We really love the hamburger and the bikers beer, all very nice.

Amazing and probably now my favorite restaurant. The food is excellent, the brisket is so tender, the chicken, wow and the best cornbread. My partner had the ribs and it was so meaty. We were greeted by the owner, the server we had Sita was beyond amazing. Im not easily impressed and I was wowed!

I would highly recommend Fatboys if you love BBQ. The staff was friendly, including the owner who was very personable and went out of his way to make us feel welcome. Congrats to him on climbing Mt Everest! The recommendations the staff gave from drinks to what sauce to use with which meat was spot on. The food itself was fall apart, melt in your mouth tender. Just fantastic.

just love bbq places, im in ottawa very often, and just discovered this place last thursday .. its is fantastic. there are a lot of good places to eat in the market, but i will defenitly include fatboys in my rotation. closest you can get to being in southern usa. brisket was delicious ( its all i tried, but really worth it). great gob guys. went back another time JUST WOW

Highly recommend this place. Possibly the best place to eat in Ottawa. This is a hidden gem - great food, service, and atmosphere.

One of Ottawas best restaurants. Highly recommend this place if you like BBQ. Also, probably the best BBQ i have had outside of Kansas City!

The atmosphere and service was amazing. And i feel that the excessive price covers just that, thus making me question: was it worth it? My answer was no. 29.99$ for 6 ribs that are dry, barely any flavor and comes with a piece of corn bread so dry i could use it as a weapon. At the end of the day, the food should come first but it came last. Wont be comming back. Please note that the staff did everything they could. The issue is really with the recipe and/or chef.

A must try

Great food, and even better staff! Owner is a real gem. Highly recommend!

Nice bbq place, service is great and the food is perfect. Special mention for the corn bread !

Great place for BBQ smoked meats! Cozy and went early so wasnt very busy. Had the sharing platter - Kentucky Derby platter which has a mixture of ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, southern fried chicken and smoked chicken and choice of two sides. We had the maple pecan sweet potato mash, fries and ordered an extra side of mac n cheese and comes with corn bread, so dont order that as one of your sides. Food was delicious! They make their own homemade BBQ sauce and mustard which are very tasty. Extensive drinks and cocktails menu, they have a maple bacon whiskey which we didnt try.... We wanted to see the dessert menu, but all they had on offer was deep-fried Oreos which we gave a skip. Could do with some Texas style desserts. They do give you a load of lollipops with the bill which was a nice treat! Overall great food and nice atmosphere, service was pretty good. We will go back!

Finally got back here after nearly a decade. The food was as good as I remembered and its especially hard to find good brisket and BBQ here in Ottawa. The food was done well, and the service was attentive and friendly. I had the hungry man and was glad I had the ribs on my plate, which were sampled with all the sauces. Even the leftover white sauce from the onion rings. And Im glad I caved and got the deep fried Oreos for dessert. A great place for a special dinner.

Delicious, fantastic service, and great atmosphere. Sauces are a manual labor. Overall a great place Food : 4/5

10/10 Service even with a massive hockey party going on at the same time. Best BBQ Ive ever had no lie. 11/10 food. Corn bread is to die for. To top it all off pretty cool atmosphere. I ll definitely be back. Big plus is having leftovers for breakfast the next day!

You have to go there for the smoke house experience.

The 1lb wings were amazing, they had a lot of meat on them. The side sauce was 10/10 and complimented well with sweet potato fries and wings.

The best southern BBQ food and vibes in the country