Big Neds Bar-B-Que

The Tri tip sandwich is my favorite from Ned. The chicken sandwich with bacon is my second favorite. The ribs fall off the bone just like they should so those are good too. Ned is always good company and knows how to treat his customers right. I eat his food at least twice a month.

Over price first of all! Order a Philly cheese steak not ass good as I thought it would be! Spent $ 15 on the sandwich and small coke no fries where included total rip off!

Big Ned’s Bar-​B-​Que is an add on to The Food Mill, set up on the patio on the weekends (Fri/​Sat/​Sun).
There wasn’t a written menu, but from what I gathered there are four options:
Ribs (pork spare ribs, 3 or 4 bones) and beans. $ 12
Half Chicken and Beans. $ 12
Hot Links and Beans. $ 12
Combo Plate. $ 15
I got the combo plate to-​go, so I got to sample the ribs, chicken, hot links and a couple of little containers of bbq sauce. This review is based on this single visit (because I’m not planning on going back).
The Good:
Ned was super friendly, good humored, and made me feel like we were friends within just a couple of minutes. He’s a super nice guy, and I wish him the best.
The Mediocre:
The half chicken was just MEH. It wasn’t dry (which is always a danger when it comes to grilled/​BBQ styles), but it wasn’t very flavorful either. The seasoning rub wasn’t anything memorable, and the chicken skin wasn’t crispy or charred.
The Bad:
The ribs and the hot links were literally WATERLOGGED. Honestly, I’ve never experienced anything like it. I know that some methods boil ribs before grilling, but that’s not what I’m talking about here. The meat was literally falling off the bone and the cartilage was super soft (like al dente pasta), but the flavor was literally watered down — ugh. How in the world does that happen — a pressure cooker?
The BBQ sauce was surprisingly sour. It was reminiscent of a North Carolina vinegar/​mustard based sauce (minus the mustard). I was hoping that the sauce would make the ribs bearable, but that wasn’t the case.
If you’re looking for BBQ in Napa, go to Q (formerly Bar Bars Q) next to Whole Foods, or Red Rock Café on Lincoln Ave.