Since this BBQ joint opened in Pasadena, it's had its ups and downs. My husband and I have eaten at Barn Burner since it opened. They started out serving great smoked meats, clearly done by an experienced grill master, nice lean brisket and a good BBQ chicken. We last visited on June 9,2010 -- last night. It's crystal clear the place has changed, and not for the better. The first sign was the lack of that invitingly tempting smell of smoking meat that permeated the street as you pulled into the parking lot. The decor has moved from a clearly defined Texan theme to a sports bar with beer brand banners, neon signs and flat panel televisions hanging on the walls tuned to ESPN. The service we received from the waiter was lacking, to say the least. Granted, I can be picky sometimes in restaurants, but I don't think it was unreasonable to be irritated when 3 tables around us were served their meals before us...especially since they arrived after us and we waited nearly 30 minutes. We had to flag down a different server and ask her to check on our meal. Only THEN, did our food arrive. The severe decline in the food quality is a serious crime. When they began, I was rating their food at 8/10. After last night, they get a 2/10. Our salads CLEARLY came out of a bag, with 2 cherry tomatoes plopped on the side. Absolutely no thought or skill involved in the preparation. My 6 year old nephew could do better. The worst (and SADDEST) part of all was the meat. If anything, a BBQ place should take pride in the meat they serve. That is definitely no longer the case at Barn Burner. My St. Louis style spare ribs were tender but flavorless, and strangely doused with some type of au jus that just sat at the bottom of the plate. My husband had rib tips, red hot sausage and beef brisket. His plate was also suspiciously covered in the au jus. This is supposed to be BBQ for crying out loud...not a French Dip sandwich. The beef brisket seemed baked/roasted instead of smoked. It had absolutely no smoke ring and was half fat. Our disappointment was sadly profound. I've only witness the downfall of one other restaurant...but that was only because the building's owner sold the property. That was no fault of their own. Sadly, Barn Burner doesn't have that excuse. Finally, to top off the meal, our waiter tried to kiss up to me as I was paying the tab. Blaming his non-delivery of our meal on the fact that there were ""so many kids"" in the restaurant. Of course that doesn't explain why he was able to server 3 other tables before us even though they arrived after us. Needless to say, his ""tip"" was miniscule. We are now officially on the hunt for a decent BBQ joint in the Pasadena area. Any suggestions?
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