Somewhere along West Indian School Road in Avondale, Arizona, a modest little restaurant is quietly making barbecue history. Eric’s Family Barbecue might not have a flashy sign or a fancy dining room, but what comes out of those smokers out back is nothing short of extraordinary.
With a 4.6-star rating from nearly 1,700 reviews and fans flying in from other states just to eat here, this place has earned its reputation one perfectly smoked brisket at a time. If you have not made the trip yet, here are ten reasons why Eric’s Family Barbecue belongs on every serious food lover’s radar.
The Brisket That Keeps People Coming Back
Some briskets are good. Eric’s brisket is the kind that makes you close your eyes and forget where you are.
Reviewers consistently call it the best they have ever had anywhere, and after one bite, you will understand why.
The bark is dark and crackly on the outside, but slice into it and you find meat so tender it practically melts before you even chew. Averaging around 65 briskets smoked every weekend day, the kitchen takes this seriously in a way most restaurants simply do not.
One customer described watching the team prep briskets for the next day, which tells you everything about the level of dedication happening here. The smoke flavor is deep and honest, not artificial or rushed.
Whether you order it by the pound or tucked into a sandwich, the brisket at Eric’s is the undisputed star of the menu.
The No-Bitchin Ribs With a Knockout Spice
Fair warning before you order these: the name is not just for show. The aptly titled “No Bitchin” Ribs pack a spicy punch so fierce that one out-of-state visitor admitted he accidentally rubbed his eyes afterward and still felt the burn hours later while sitting in a coffee shop.
Mesquite wood gives these ribs a smoky backbone that is bold and unmistakably Southwestern. The heat builds slowly and then hits you all at once, like a great song that sneaks up on you.
For anyone who loves ribs with real personality, this is the order to make.
Spare ribs are already satisfying on their own, but Eric’s version transforms them into a full experience. The crust, the smoke, the spice, and the tender meat underneath create something that reviewers are still talking about long after they drive home.
Whole Hog Pull That Sings Like a Symphony
Whole hog barbecue is a tradition rooted in patience, skill, and a deep respect for the animal. Not every barbecue spot even attempts it, which makes Eric’s commitment to the craft all the more impressive.
One reviewer described the whole hog pull as a harmony of all the best parts of the pig coming together, calling it a “symphony of hoggy goodness.” That is not hyperbole. When every part of the hog is smoked together, the flavors blend in a way that no single cut can replicate on its own.
The mesquite smoke adds a distinctly Arizona character to a dish that feels rooted in deep Southern tradition. Even guests who do not normally order pulled pork find themselves won over by this version.
It is the kind of dish that reminds you why slow-cooked barbecue has never gone out of style.
Beef Ribs So Big They Feel Prehistoric
Beef ribs have become almost mythical in the barbecue world. Many restaurants quietly dropped them from menus years ago because of the cost and the skill required to cook them properly.
Eric’s Family Barbecue still does them, and does them right.
One reviewer joked that eating here made her feel like a caveman gnawing on a dinosaur bone, which is honestly the highest compliment you can give a beef rib. These things are massive, meaty, and deeply satisfying in a primal sort of way.
At around $47 per pound with the bone included, they are an investment. But nearly every guest who orders them agrees the price is worth every cent.
The meat is rich, smoky, and pulls cleanly from the bone with just the right amount of effort. Finding beef ribs this good anywhere in Arizona is genuinely rare.
Jalapeño Sausage With Old-School Character
Picture a sausage coiled up like it owns the place, with a smoke ring so thick you can see it from across the counter. That is what you get when you order the jalapeño sausage at Eric’s, and it is a beautiful thing to behold.
The grind is coarser than what you find at most modern spots, giving it a rustic, old-school texture that harkens back to roadside sausage shacks from decades past. The jalapeño flavor is forward and confident, not shy or hidden behind filler ingredients.
One reviewer compared it to the kind of sausage you used to get from little shacks on the side of the road, but juicier and more refined in all the right ways. The thick smoke ring tells you this was cooked low and slow over real wood, not rushed through a commercial process.
It is simple, honest, and deeply satisfying.
Smoked Turkey and Pastrami That Deserve the Spotlight
Brisket and ribs tend to steal the headlines at any barbecue restaurant, but Eric’s turkey and pastrami are quietly outstanding in their own right. Reviewers have specifically called out both meats as fantastic, with the pastrami on white bread with pickles and mustard BBQ sauce drawing particular praise.
Smoked turkey done poorly is dry and forgettable. Done well, it is juicy, smoky, and flavorful enough to make you wonder why you do not eat it more often.
Eric’s version lands firmly in the latter category, with one reviewer calling the turkey sandwich incredibly flavorful beyond expectations.
The pastrami brings a different kind of richness, a cured depth that pairs beautifully with the tangy mustard sauce. Having both of these options on the menu shows that Eric’s is thinking beyond the obvious choices.
Guests who are not brisket people still leave very happy here.
Mac and Cheese Made With Real Cheese
Mac and cheese at a barbecue restaurant can go one of two ways. Either it is the gloriously creamy, real-cheese version that makes you scrape the container clean, or it is the sad, watery kind that nobody asked for.
Eric’s lands firmly in the first camp, and customers notice.
Multiple reviewers have singled out the mac and cheese as a highlight of the meal, with one specifically noting that it is made with actual real cheese and not the neon fake stuff. That kind of detail matters, especially when you are paying premium prices for your food.
The texture is creamy throughout, rich enough to stand as a side dish but good enough to eat on its own. One guest admitted she wished she had saved room for dessert but was simply too full after the mac.
That is the kind of problem worth having at a barbecue joint.
The Warm, Down-Home Atmosphere Inside
Walking into Eric’s Family Barbecue feels like stepping into someone’s backyard cookout, except the food is way better than anything your uncle has ever grilled. The atmosphere is relaxed, unpretentious, and genuinely welcoming in a way that fancy restaurants sometimes forget to be.
Several reviewers have compared the vibe to old-school hole-in-the-wall joints from Louisiana and Mississippi, complete with soulful music and a down-home energy that makes you want to slow down and enjoy your meal. There is even a free arcade area that keeps younger guests entertained while everyone else finishes their food.
New customers have shared stories of being welcomed by regulars and staff alike, guided through the menu with patience and warmth. One family described the experience as so hospitable it made them feel like they had been coming here for years.
That kind of welcome is rare and worth something.
The Rows of Smokers Out Back Doing the Real Work
You might smell Eric’s before you even see it. Reviewers have described catching the scent of the smokers as they pull into the parking lot, and that smell alone is enough to tell you something serious is happening here.
Behind the restaurant sits a row of large offset smokers that are essentially the engine of everything great on the menu.
Smoking meat at this level requires real commitment. These are not small cabinet smokers or gas-assisted shortcuts.
The halo grunt offset firebox that one reviewer lovingly mentioned is the kind of equipment that signals a pitmaster who means business.
Cooking 65 or more briskets on a single weekend day demands a serious setup and even more serious skill. Watching the team work the pits is apparently a show in itself, with at least one guest staying to observe the nightly prep routine.
The smokers are the soul of this place.
Breakfast at Eric’s: The Pancake That Changed the Game
Most people do not associate barbecue joints with life-changing breakfast food, but Eric’s Family Barbecue is not most places. A reviewer who spotted the breakfast sign on a Sunday morning made a U-turn and has never looked back, crediting the restaurant with serving what he calls the number one pancake in all of Arizona.
Made from scratch with real butter, this single pancake is reportedly large enough to share between two people. The syrup is described with the kind of reverence usually reserved for brisket.
Alongside the pancake, the smoked brisket omelet and smoked turkey omelet bring the full Eric’s experience to the breakfast table.
Breakfast is currently offered on Sunday mornings, making it a perfect excuse for an early trip before the lunch rush hits. Not every barbecue legend can also claim breakfast dominance, but Eric’s appears to be pulling it off with characteristic confidence.
The Sides That Make a Great Plate Even Greater
Nobody talks enough about the sides at a great barbecue spot, but at Eric’s, they earn their place on the tray. The baked beans have a slow-cooked depth that tastes like someone’s grandmother spent all morning on them.
Smoky, sweet, and just a little tangy — they are not an afterthought.
The coleslaw brings a cool crunch that balances out all that rich, heavy meat perfectly. Every scoop feels fresh and thoughtfully seasoned.
These sides are not just fillers; they are part of what makes a full Eric’s meal feel complete, satisfying, and worth every single bite.