Restaurant Review: Bandanas Barbeque

I had the recent experience of dining out the other day at Bandanas Barbeque in Collinsville, Illinois. Bandanas is a casual barbeque restaurant that serves up everything from ribs to baked beans and so much more. There are several reasons why I enjoyed eating at Bandanas.

When I first arrived and walked inside I was immediately greeted by a hostess who had a big smile on her face. She quickly seated me at my table with my waitress right at her side. That told me a lot about the service right there. Looking over the menu you will find about 10 different plates that you would like to try. My waitress mentioned that I may want to try the combination platter that includes a small rack of ribs, barbeque beef brisket, piece of chicken, and pulled pork. You can substitute different items if you wish, but this is what suited me perfectly. The combo platter also comes with a side of baked beans and cole slaw, along with your choice of 3 different styles of barbeque sauce. At a menu price of less than $12 I jumped on it.

She took my order and left. Bandanas is a pretty busy restaurant. It has become very popular due to its good food and well proportioned servings. The restaurant itself was very clean and tastefully decorated. You didn't find yourself sitting next to tables that were dirty or finding food on the floor, etc. They also have a walk up bar area that has several TV's around for those who want to enjoy the big game and have some great barbeque at the same time.

My order took right around 13 minutes to arrive. The platter was massive to say the least! In fact, there was far too much food for me to eat in one sitting.

The brisket is served without barbeque sauce on it so that you can add your own from the choice of the different flavors. They have mild, hot and spicy, and smoky to choose from. I found all three to be good, but enjoyed the mild the best. The ribs were very tender and flavorful. It surprised me how easy they came of the bone. I especially enjoyed the baked beans that were cooked with bits of onion and bacon inside. I wouldn't mind having the recipe myself. The only item, and it really wasn't a big deal, that I didn't care for was the cole slaw. It had a bland taste to it; not the sweet taste you come to expect with cole slaw.

I would have to say that if you enjoy good barbeque, Bandanas Barbeque restaurant is a great place to dine in. Not only is the food delicious, but you will not walk away feeling hungry in the least.