5-Star BBQ
70 North Geneva Road, Orem
801-225-2685
I just went to 5 Star BBQ with some coworkers. Here is my review.
The location of this restaurant doesn’t bode well for its long-term future. Notice that the address is 70 North Geneva Road. If you know this area much, you know that this is right through some lame construction and next to some sad, neglected watering holes.
When we got close to the place, we saw that it was tightly surrounded by numerous vehicles, mostly pick-up trucks. That’s a good sign, since construction workers tend to have large appetites. Plus, it seemed like this was a popular place- we hoped it was for good reason, but worried about getting seats.
When you walk in, it becomes apparent that this is not a regular restaurant. No servers and you must seat yourself! But it’s Subway-style seat yourself in that you build your meal and then haul it to any open spot. Also, the smell was good; genuine bbq aroma.
Their menu is quite simplistic. You can choose from a few styles of plate or a few sandwiches. You choose the meats and sides you want and watch them build your plate from the other side of a counter.
I was there for brisket. Howard Tayler said their brisket was better than Goodwood’s, so I had to see if that was true.
They brought a new chunk of brisket right after we got in line. It was coated in some blackened pepper rub, which made me smile. When he cut into the hunk of meat, juices flowed. I drooled.
As the line got smaller, I kept an eye on the tables and flung my jacket on a recently vacated and cleaned table. Table dibs.
I asked for brisket with their ‘Mama’s Herb Mashed ‘Taters’. You get a piece of bread too.
They served up just under 1/2 lb of brisket. Probably about a cup of mashed potatoes. Approximately 1/2 hot dog bun of bread.
I needed a pound of that brisket.
It was marvelous, and the brisket BBQ sauce was smoky, tangy and just sweet enough. Excellent brisket.
The potatoes were good too. The bread was a shortcut, but it was fine and fresh.
Flavor-wise, the food was a win, for me. My co-worker had chicken and found it to be just a bit dry and not spectacular. Another co-worker had ribs. He said they were good, but not enough food.
And that sums up the experience. Good food, fair prices, but really not enough meat. You want a heaping pile of meat when you go to BBQ, but I was still hungry.
I think their model is clever, but not really perfect. If they’re going to let you add sides and extra meat, they ought to price out each single item on their menu so that you can build what you want. For example, I wanted to servings of meat and some potatoes. If their individual prices for each item had been available for my base plate arrangement, it would have cost me about $7 and I would have been pleased.
All in all, more food, better location, more space in the restaurant and keep the chicken fresh.
3.5 out 5 stars.