L & J KITCHEN BBQ HOUSE
320 E. Burlington St.
Iowa City, IO
4.25 out of 5
The BBQ at L & J's is top notch. We got in on a slow Friday night over Spring Break in college town U.S.A. Iowa City so the place was pretty empty but that seemed to add to the charm. Family owned and operated. Everyone was warm and chatty and friendly. The place is BYOB. There was a DJ table set up on a little bandstand. Everything was in place for the house to get jumping. The owner talked with us about her music and poetry. About her family and BBQ. It's that kind of place with those kind of people. Genuine. Heartfelt. The kind of people you want to talk to and share food and memories with. The kind you don't mind giving your hard earned money to.
We tried everything, BBQ beef, brisket, and pork, catfish, coleslaw, cornbread, and french fries. Everything tasted top notch. Cornbread drizzled over with honey, catfish fried in cornmeal, coleslaw served right on on the BBQ. We also tried the Big Daddy. The menu seemed to challenge us to order it and eat it, so we did. Heaping helpings of pulled beef and pork, coleslaw, fries, and cornbread. We ended up tapping out before we finished. The Big daddy lived up to it's billing and kicked our asses into submission. And it wasn't for lack of taste. There was simply too much food. The sauce was sweet and smothered the meat. We all agreed the pork was better than the beef but all of us said beforehand that we preferred pulled pork, so we may be biased, but nonetheless.
So hell yeah, we know Iowa City isn't know for its BBQ, but don't make the mistake of overlooking this place. You'd be missing out if you did.