Since moving to the area all I have heard people talk about is how great Wayne's Barbecue is. "You will not find a better barbeque place around, it’s wonderful, blah, blah, blah", they always say. So on a late lunch one day, I decided to hop in my truck and take a drive down to ole Wayne's Barbecue in the town of Livingston.

As you first set eyes on Wayne's, the first thing that comes to mind is "Prepare to Dive". This small dive has all the visual characteristics of what could be the making of great hole-in-the-wall restaurant. As I walked in obvious regulars filled the room, munching down on the usual and the aroma of smoky barbecue filled my nostrils. As with any barbecue place I go to, Ribs are what’s always on my mind. I went for the rib lunch and decided I would steal a few bites of my colleagues brisket (what this place is supposedly known for) once we sat down.

I opened my styrofoam box (nothing fancy here) and dove straight into the ribs. At first the taste was very good. Sweet and Smoky, a lot of meat, and probably some on the most tender ribs I have had in the area. But of course being me, I had to find something wrong with it. My only complaint was the quality of the meat. It was very fatty on parts and the tips were too hard for me to chew. Now I know tips are supposed to be nice and toasty, but these things could kill if flung across a room. On the side I had mac & cheese and green beans. It was good, nothing unusual or different about it. After cleaning my plate, it was time to sneak a few pieces of brisket from my friends plate.

"Look over there, its Wayne!!!" I shouted to him. As he turned his head, I grabbed the brisket and carefully hid it under my napkin. He turned back never noticing.

After settling down from all the excitement, i proceeded to try my first piece of brisket. It was delicious. It was tender, juicy & flavorful. I really recommend it to anyone looking for quality brisket, just make sure you order it and not something else so you don’t have to steal it from a friend later.

Food Rating:

Service
The service was as good as it could be. They take your order, hand you the plate of food and then you are on your own from there. Good luck!

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Atmosphere
Some people like dives and I am one of those people. There is however one question I keep pondering over and over again. "Is Wayne’s supposed to be a dive?" It seems to me that it was at one time a clean, nice restaurant but the years have not been kind to it. Either the owner is a genius (and a little old) or its time for some major remodeling. I can't decide, so I'll go middle of the road on this one.

Atmosphere Rating: