306 Barbecue

"2.5 out of 5 but I can't bring myself to round up. I made a special trip to 306 after work just to try the bbq. Been hearing about this place for years but it was never super convenient and so a visit never came to fruition. But it wasn't too far out of the way on my drive back from Decatur and 1:30 wasn't quite too late for lunch, and so I came by. The location is kinda nondescript and the parking lot is a little bumpy -- and very hard to turn left out of when you leave, as I learned. But luckily it wasn't crowded so that made things easier. I got a faint smoke smell on my walk inside but not enough to instill a ton of confidence. It's fairly spacious inside and the restaurant, including the women's bathroom, looked clean. There was a faint smell that reminded me of, like, a hardware store though, especially in the hallway by the bathroom. I've certainly smelled worse and it wasn't concerning but just kinda odd. Anyway, I placed my order at the counter for a loaded pork potato, which is my go-to when feeling out a bbq place for the first time. The girl at the register was extra friendly and bubbly and patient with me, so I appreciated that. The self-serve sweet tea I got was fine, and another employee brought my potato to me at the booth where I sat. It was a large potato, and it looked good, but I didn't particularly enjoy it. The topping ratio was good, but the pork was okay at best -- not fatty or gristley, at least, but pretty dry and not very flavorful or smokey. Even that would've been okay, but unfortunately a cardinal bbq potato sin was committed: the potato was unevenly cooked. My biggest pet peeve in all of bbq potato-land is an uneven/underdone potato. It is so frustrating to be enjoying hot, steamy, buttery soft goodness and then be interrupted abruptly by a crunchy, watery, dense chunk of potato. I hate it so much - it triggers a visceral yuck feeling in me that makes me insane! After a lot of poking around fork-testing doneness, I made the most of my meal and pitched what remained. What a huge bummer! One other thing that bears mentioning is that the whole time I was eating, I could hear several staff members loudly complaining about and bad-mouthing a fellow employee who wasn't present. I get it, honestly, and I'm far from above some occasional gossip, but this conversation went on almost the entire time I was eating and it didn't give the best vibe ever. Unfortunately, this is not the new barbeque hookup for me. On the bright side, I can consider my curiosity sated."

"Customer excellent, food is absolutely terrible. Greens taste like out of the can. Worst ribs I ever ate in my life. Plate of food looks amazing but totally didn't taste amazing. I left without finishing and it will be the last 23$ they get from me"

"It was an awesome experience. It was our first time going, and we were reluctant but did based on a recommendation. I can tell you the food was great. The atmosphere was quiet but engaged. They allowed you to enjoy your food, but they were also personable. Great experience. Oh, and by the way, we did go back again the next day. Yep, it was that good."

"Very disappointing experience. First of all, the brisket was VERY fatty. The picture shows how much fat was left from my meal. Not exactly a great value for the money or appetizing to eat. The baked beans were sweet and nothing like barbeque baked beans from Texas. Plastic silverware, paper and Styrofoam plates. An overall very disappointing experience."