Bodean's Poland Street

Three of us ate there last night and each ordered a different kind of ribs. All three portions arrived overcooked. It was as if- and this may be how they serve so quickly- that the food is prepared in advance and them simply warmed up when ordered. The bbq mayonaise was tasteless, even after adding hot sauce. The chips were good as was the cole slaw. But if you really want good bar b que- go half a block down the street to the Cattle Grid. They do their ribs to order and the sauce is memorable.

Give me meat! Bring me a chargrilled hog that I can tear apart with my bare hands and bury my face in its aromatic burnt flesh. These are the sentiments one contemplates during a meal at Bodean’s, the barbecue ‘smoke house’ established by the same team who run Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue in Kansas City. They really know what they’re doing when it comes to delivering a genuine, US-inspired meat-fest of an experience.

Staple dishes such as the BBQ burnt ends and pulled pork, sticky, unctuous ribs and 16oz burgers are what Bodean’s is all about. They have a nice selection of beers too, some interesting desserts, and the whole experience is thoroughly unpretentious and stomach-pleasingly good. It’s the type of restaurant Homer Simpson dreams about.

This isn’t somewhere you go to sample gastronomic delights or to impress a first date. It’s somewhere you eat until you cannot walk, drink Canadian Moosehead beers until you actually contemplate buying a red-checked shirt and a pick-up truck, and watch baseball which you know nothing about but are strangely interested in now because the barbecue sauce and the beer have gone to your head.

It’s simple and affordable, and the food is shamefully tasty. It’s everything you’d expect from a US-style smoke house. There are so many restaurants in London that claim to be a ‘genuine New York steakhouse’ or an ‘authentic American grill’, but Bodean’s is the only place of its kind that actually does what it says on the tin, and does it very well. Just ask Bubba Gump.

Not my average type of haunt but still one of my favourites for a cheap and guilty treat. It's a little too hectic upstairs and as you are now unable to book downstairs I find myself having to chance it more often – given the location there really is only a slim chance of sitting. The food is standard yummy BBQ fare – you get exactly what you pay for and value for money is part of that. The selection is good and always tasty – you don't expect much in the way of presentation but it's not needed. Sticky fingers a full tummy and a small bill will ensure I keep returning. Great for a bunch of lads before a night out or to annoy my colleagues by sitting at my desk with a take away for lunch.