Eric's Family Barbecue 12345 West Indian School Road, Avondale, AZ 85392

"I was really looking forward to this place. We had heard alot of good things. When we arrived, the line was wrapped around the counter to entrance of the door. First great sign! The line was moving along so I had no complaints. The music was upbeat and a little loud for me but other than that the vibe was nice. Let's get to the food. I specifically went for the jalapeno cheddar sausages and brisket. They were out of sausages for the weekend [we went on Friday]. So I settled for extra brisket for me. The brisket was juicy and Dripping when he pulled it out of that brown wrapping paper from heaven. When I seen it jiggle I knew the fat to meat ratio would please my pallet with all its delights. Now moving on to all the other options... my husband ordered the beef rib. That monster was 1.6 lbs. When I seen it, I knew it was going to be a hefty price just based on size alone. This beef rib was more of a temptation to the eye rather than the pallet. It was a bit dry and was more fatty than usual. I know that beef ribs do come with a fat cap on top and that is to be expected, but when you take a bite and expect the meat to slide off with the fat only to see more fat underneath, it was disappointing to say the least. Especially when paying $52 for 1 rib. But I digress , moving on to the pastrami. The pastrami had a decent smoke ring and when combined with their spicy mustard was a pleasure to my taste buds. Not a finger pressure tender piece but was more of a pull apart tender. My father ordered the pork ribs and truly enjoyed them. He was able to take a bite from the side of the rib and had the meat slide off the bones for him. The seasoning on the pork ribs was not spicy but very flavorful. I reccomend it with the house bbq sauce. The sides Mac & cheese needs work. The noodles were very soggy. Not holding up well, not creamy and not alot of flavor aside from smoke. I understand it's a bbq spot but all items sold should reach a flavor standard no matter how big or small they are on the menu. The one thing we did enjoy was the cheese crust. Some pieces of the crunchy cheese were delicious! The potato salad was nothing to write home about. More of a mustard flavor than any type of seasoning. I enjoyed the fact that there was egg in the potato salad which added to the creaminess of it but once again, there was not much seasoning to help it along. The coleslaw was delicious! A vinegary & saucy slaw that had a great crunch! Some pieces of the Cabbage were more along the lines of thick slices with the core still in place but I didn't mind since the flavor and crunch added some texture with the smoked meats. This slaw was a highlight to my plate. My favorite side was THE FRIJOLES!! There was chunks of different meats mixed in and it tasted like a bbq sauce was added or something sweet but either way it was delicious. The fact that they were whole beans instead of refried smashed beans made the experience better. Let's move to desserts. My father got the banana pudding which we all ended up sharing. That was great and totally worth the $6 dollars. The pudding definitely tasted like they made the custard themselves and not from a box. It was BOMB! The peacan pie was meh... the filling was very thin. Not to sweet. The crust was dry with more of a burnt flavor then a smokey flavor. It was not worth it. Over all, I would rate this place a 3.5 but since Google does not allow half star they get a 4. Our over all bill was $152.19. Reasonable for everything we ordered. If we did go again I would just get a sandwich and hopefully some sausages. Give this place a try if your in the west valley and looking for decent bbq."

"Second best BBQ I've have in the country. So good that I had to order a second entree before I left town. Definitely get what you pay for. You'll spend some money but worth every penny. Menu items I enjoyed included: The brisket, the chicken, the pastrami and the ribs. All 5⭐️"

"I have enjoyed many of the menu items at Eric's. Overall the bbq here is neither the best or the worst I've ever had. The brisket and pulled pork are noteworthy. The chicken was ok but I wasn't crazy about the ribs or sausage. Curiously, the fried tacos were a pleasant surprise. For sides I really enjoyed the frijoles and elote. Coleslaw was good. Mac and potato salad were meh. Staff is really friendly and welcoming."

"Most definitely one of the best BBQ spots in AZ. Went here last night and tried the Pastrami Sandwich which was hands down the best pastrami I’ve ever had; flavorful and juicy. The Mac n Cheese was on point and the staff was very knowledgeable and helpful as well."

"Probably one of the best BBQ places I've been to. From the moment of entering the staff is friendly, helpful and welcoming. If it's your first time they offer up great recommendations and ensure quality service throughout. Add in the fact that from the moment you pull up you can smell the BBQ, my personal favorite thing on the menu so far is the pulled pork sandwich. I also tried the ribs and brisket. For sides the Mac and cheese was delicious. And for dessert, the banana pudding helped end the meal on high note. I like to stop by for just the pudding sometimes when I feel like dessert. All in all I will continue to support this business and look forward to my next visit and highly recommend this place to others."