Bison Bar & BBQ

My husband was initially a bit suspicious about going for BBQ as he's spent a fair bit of time in Texas and didn't think that would ever be matched for a BBQ experience. Happily, this was not the case. When you go in, you will think you've entered a dive bar of the highest order. The front room is small, the goodies are out the back. Without a doubt, they serve the largest onion rings I have ever seen. I did think they might be super greasy as they were so large. This was an unfounded fear. They were perfectly cooked and nice and crisp. We had chicken, pork, and beef, and I couldn't honestly tell you which was my favourite. We didn't even use the supplied extra sauces as the meat was perfect. The loaded fries were also excellent with actual bacon pieces, not fatty lardons or fake bacon bits. We also got a whisky flight and our waitress went to the extra effort of covering the names so I could have fun seeing if my husband could find his favourite. He couldn't and was appropriately (gently) mocked. Our waitress was an absolute delight, super friendly, and super speedy! I wish her well in her degree. The other patrons who were clearly regulars were also wonderfully friendly, and we ended up having a chat with two other tables. Honestly, this was one of the best nights out I've had in a while, go get some excellent BBQ, you will not regret it.

Do not eat here I remember when BBQ spots started popping up in Dublin, with Pitt Bros, My Meat Wagon, and BISON leading the charge. Each had their strong points; BISON was my go-to for brisket. Fast forward to the present, and it’s clear things have changed. Pitt Bros and MMW have kept up the pace, but BISON has sadly fallen behind. Decided to give BISON another go while in town. We got seated quickly, which was a plus. However, it took 25 minutes for someone to acknowledge us, only to be told they’d be back in 5 minutes. Meanwhile, a couple who arrived after us got their drink order in before us. It took a full 30 minutes from sitting down to get our order taken, and another 30 for the food to arrive. The place wasn’t even busy. Now, onto the food - and not in a good way. The brisket was so far off the mark, it was like thin slices of roast beef, served with watery gravy. The sausage was tough, and the less said about the ribs, the better. The coleslaw seemed worse than what you’d pick up in a supermarket. My other half ordered a pulled pork burger, which turned out to be just chunks of pork on a bun that you had to pull apart yourself. Not exactly what you’d expect. Honestly, I don’t know why I thought of giving this a 2/5 initially. It was easily one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had in ages, from the service to the food. I’m adjusting it to 1/5 because even the value for money was poor. A real letdown from what BISON used to be. It looks like BISON’s best days are well behind it. Lastly, this place should be two separate places on Google. The Bison Bar is still fantastic. The Bison BBQ restaurant is terrible.

Great place with wonderful Guinness and legitimate pulled pork. Not too expensive as temple Bar area and close enough by walking. Recommended.

Amazing food and great value. Best BBQ food I've had outside of America (I'm from the UK, we cannot BBQ)

We needed to grab a quick bite of food and it Bison was the closest. I had what had to be the tastiest burger I have tasted recently. Service was great. I am looking forward to return to enjoy the BBQ at a much more comfortable pace. Only downer was there were only 2 vegetarian options. But other than that we were pleased.

Best brisket I've ever had! Great food, great whiskey, great service, great music! Highly recommend.

Tasty food, okay portions, a bit more expensive that I'd expect -- 10% more than comparable businesses... the smoked brisket burger was good but lacked some toppings. (4/5) Great service and vibe. (5/5) Tasty beers -- I was happily surprised. (5/5) Bottom line: I'll come again! Mostly to try other dishes, they all look fabulous, especially the smoked ones.

Not great value, 1/2 ribs portion is ok and fries portion was large but the brisket burger was tiny. Service was ok, if anything it was a little OTT - approached the table too many times. Asked how things were with the food and I mentioned the burger was very small to which there was no reply really. If you’re just going to ignore the feedback then just don’t ask the question. Same with this review, please don’t bother replying with the standard reply you post on other reviews, I’ve already read them. Glad I tried it but won’t be back.

My husband was initially a bit suspicious about going for BBQ as he's spent a fair bit of time in Texas and didn't think that would ever be matched for a BBQ experience. Happily, this was not the case. When you go in, you will think you've entered a dive bar of the highest order. The front room is small, the goodies are out the back. Without a doubt, they serve the largest onion rings I have ever seen. I did think they might be super greasy as they were so large. This was an unfounded fear. They were perfectly cooked and nice and crisp. We had chicken, pork, and beef, and I couldn't honestly tell you which was my favourite. We didn't even use the supplied extra sauces as the meat was perfect. The loaded fries were also excellent with actual bacon pieces, not fatty lardons or fake bacon bits. We also got a whisky flight and our waitress went to the extra effort of covering the names so I could have fun seeing if my husband could find his favourite. He couldn't and was appropriately (gently) mocked. Our waitress was an absolute delight, super friendly, and super speedy! I wish her well in her degree. The other patrons who were clearly regulars were also wonderfully friendly, and we ended up having a chat with two other tables. Honestly, this was one of the best nights out I've had in a while, go get some excellent BBQ, you will not regret it.

Do not eat here I remember when BBQ spots started popping up in Dublin, with Pitt Bros, My Meat Wagon, and BISON leading the charge. Each had their strong points; BISON was my go-to for brisket. Fast forward to the present, and it’s clear things have changed. Pitt Bros and MMW have kept up the pace, but BISON has sadly fallen behind. Decided to give BISON another go while in town. We got seated quickly, which was a plus. However, it took 25 minutes for someone to acknowledge us, only to be told they’d be back in 5 minutes. Meanwhile, a couple who arrived after us got their drink order in before us. It took a full 30 minutes from sitting down to get our order taken, and another 30 for the food to arrive. The place wasn’t even busy. Now, onto the food - and not in a good way. The brisket was so far off the mark, it was like thin slices of roast beef, served with watery gravy. The sausage was tough, and the less said about the ribs, the better. The coleslaw seemed worse than what you’d pick up in a supermarket. My other half ordered a pulled pork burger, which turned out to be just chunks of pork on a bun that you had to pull apart yourself. Not exactly what you’d expect. Honestly, I don’t know why I thought of giving this a 2/5 initially. It was easily one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had in ages, from the service to the food. I’m adjusting it to 1/5 because even the value for money was poor. A real letdown from what BISON used to be. It looks like BISON’s best days are well behind it. Lastly, this place should be two separate places on Google. The Bison Bar is still fantastic. The Bison BBQ restaurant is terrible.

Great place with wonderful Guinness and legitimate pulled pork. Not too expensive as temple Bar area and close enough by walking. Recommended.

Amazing food and great value. Best BBQ food I've had outside of America (I'm from the UK, we cannot BBQ)

We needed to grab a quick bite of food and it Bison was the closest. I had what had to be the tastiest burger I have tasted recently. Service was great. I am looking forward to return to enjoy the BBQ at a much more comfortable pace. Only downer was there were only 2 vegetarian options. But other than that we were pleased.

Best brisket I've ever had! Great food, great whiskey, great service, great music! Highly recommend.

Tasty food, okay portions, a bit more expensive that I'd expect -- 10% more than comparable businesses... the smoked brisket burger was good but lacked some toppings. (4/5) Great service and vibe. (5/5) Tasty beers -- I was happily surprised. (5/5) Bottom line: I'll come again! Mostly to try other dishes, they all look fabulous, especially the smoked ones.

Not great value, 1/2 ribs portion is ok and fries portion was large but the brisket burger was tiny. Service was ok, if anything it was a little OTT - approached the table too many times. Asked how things were with the food and I mentioned the burger was very small to which there was no reply really. If you’re just going to ignore the feedback then just don’t ask the question. Same with this review, please don’t bother replying with the standard reply you post on other reviews, I’ve already read them. Glad I tried it but won’t be back.