Discover the Authentic Taste of Arizona at Big Tex BBQ
Nestled in the heart of Willcox, Arizona, at 130 E Maley St, Big Tex BBQ stands as a testament to genuine, slow-smoked American barbecue. This isn't just another eatery; it's a destination where tradition meets the open Arizona sky, offering patrons an experience steeped in rich, smoky flavors that define true pit mastery. For years, Big Tex BBQ has cultivated a reputation built on patience, quality ingredients, and a deep respect for the craft of smoking meats to perfection. Whether you are a local resident seeking your weekly comfort food fix or a traveler passing through the scenic landscapes of Cochise County, the aroma wafting from our location promises an authentic culinary journey.
Our commitment goes beyond simply serving food; we aim to provide a gathering place where stories are shared, and memories are made over plates piled high with expertly prepared brisket, ribs, and all the classic sides that complement the main event. The atmosphere at Big Tex BBQ is intentionally welcoming—casual, friendly, and focused entirely on delivering an unparalleled barbecue experience that honors the time-tested techniques passed down through generations of pitmasters. We understand that great barbecue cannot be rushed, and that philosophy is evident in every bite you take.
When you step into Big Tex BBQ, you are stepping into a tradition. We pride ourselves on sourcing and preparing our meats with meticulous care, ensuring that the final product is tender, flavorful, and undeniably satisfying. Our location in Willcox, a town known for its agricultural heritage, provides the perfect backdrop for a restaurant dedicated to honest, hearty cooking. We invite you to explore what makes our barbecue a local favorite and a must-visit spot for anyone serious about savoring the best smokehouse flavors Arizona has to offer.
Key Highlights of the Big Tex BBQ Experience
To truly appreciate what sets Big Tex BBQ apart from the rest, consider these defining characteristics that form the core of our operation and appeal:
The Art of Slow Smoking: Our primary focus is on the time-honored method of slow smoking. We utilize high-quality wood and maintain precise temperature control for extended periods, allowing the smoke to penetrate the meat deeply, resulting in unparalleled tenderness and a complex, savory bark. This dedication to the process is non-negotiable and forms the foundation of our entire menu.
Authentic Regional Flavors: While rooted in classic American barbecue styles, our offerings reflect a dedication to robust, natural seasoning that allows the quality of the meat to shine through. We believe in letting the smoke and the meat speak for themselves, complemented by house-made sauces and traditional, comforting side dishes prepared fresh daily.
Community Focused Atmosphere: Located centrally at 130 E Maley St, Big Tex BBQ serves as a genuine community hub. We strive to maintain a relaxed, family-friendly environment where every guest feels like a regular. It’s a place designed for lingering conversations and enjoying hearty portions without pretense.
Commitment to Freshness: From the preparation of our rubs in the morning to the slow rendering of fats throughout the day, freshness is paramount. We manage our inventory and cooking schedules carefully to ensure that when you order, you receive meat that has been rested perfectly and is ready to deliver maximum flavor impact.
Savoring the Tradition in Willcox
Big Tex BBQ is more than just a stop for lunch or dinner; it is an essential part of the Willcox culinary landscape. We are proud to serve the community from our established location, contributing to the local flavor and providing a consistent source of high-quality, satisfying meals. Our dedication to the craft ensures that whether you are craving perfectly rendered brisket, succulent pulled pork, or our signature ribs, you will receive a plate that honors the tradition of great American barbecue.
We look forward to welcoming you to 130 E Maley St. Come experience the difference that patience, passion, and genuine smoke can make. At Big Tex BBQ, we are serving up tradition, one perfectly smoked piece at a time. Your authentic Arizona barbecue adventure starts here.
Amenities and More
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Wheelchair-accessible seating
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Service options
Outdoor seating
Delivery
Takeaway
Dine-in
Highlights
Fast service
Great beer selection
Great coffee
Great dessert
Great tea selection
Great wine list
Serves local specialty
Sport
Popular for
Lunch
Dinner
Solo dining
Offerings
Alcohol
Beer
Cocktails
Coffee
Comfort food
Healthy options
Quick bite
Wine
Dining options
Lunch
Dinner
Catering
Dessert
Seating
Table service
Amenities
Toilet
Atmosphere
Casual
Cosy
Historic
Quiet
Crowd
Groups
Tourists
Planning
Accepts reservations
Payments
Credit cards
Debit cards
NFC mobile payments
Credit cards
Children
Good for kids
High chairs
Kids' menu
Parking
Free of charge street parking
Free parking lot
Plenty of parking
Menus
Photos
Reviews Big Tex Bbq
Diana Frederick
22-12-2025
My husband and I shared a one meat platter. The brisket was perfectly done, tasty without sauce. Our sides were pinto beans and fried okra. The beans were good, but even better with bbq sauce added. Fried okra was also good, and served … More
Alessandra de Jesus
15-12-2025
Amazing place!!! The atmosphere and decor are awesome, I ate in the section that is a converted train car. So cool! The food portions are huge, I barely could eat half of it, so I have exciting leftovers. I got the combo with two big ribs … More
Frank Steele
24-11-2025
It was terrible. My son's burger was a hockey puck. My daughter in laws $37 steak had pepper, no salt. It was awful. My brisket sandwich was dry, my grandsons fires were maybe 70 degrees. And worst of all, after 40 minutes, while delivering our food they then chose to tell us they didn't have the jumbo shrimp my wife ordered. On top of this, multiple tables seated after us (one 12 top) got their drinks and food before us. Never coming back, and telling everyone we know to dine elsewhere in Wilcox.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$20–30
Food: 1
Service: 1
Atmosphere: 1
Jenevieve Hornsby
22-11-2025
The food here was really subpar for us. We are from the southeast and maybe are just used to a different style of bbq. The barbecue sauce was very heavy on what tasted like chili powder, the brisket was fatty and not very beefy in flavor, the rest was mediocre at best unfortunately it tasted like crockpot bbq, not real smoked meat. We were pretty disappointed with what we had and the cost per portion size on the side dishes was surprising. Our waitress was very sweet and kind. Fast service. We would not recommend this place personally, but did hear people at other tables saying how good their food was so…🤷🏻♀️
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$20–30
Food: 1
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 3
Parking space
Plenty of parking
Kid-friendliness
Kids menu available
wa “Omniwar” w
15-11-2025
Very generous portions.
Part of the restaurant is a decommissioned railcar. Apparently I had ordered the wrong item as I was expecting brisket sandwich instead brisket burger. The burgers was just ok but came with a full basket of tasty strawfries. I will have to give this place another go on my next visit. Also they have a small selection of homemade beef jerky that looked really good.
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 4
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 5
Noise level
Very quiet
Seating type
Indoor dining area, Booth seating
Parking space
Plenty of parking
kim botschon
13-11-2025
Birn and bred true Texan. There are no words for what they exemplified as well Texas bbq. Pinto way over salted. Fries were greasy and soggy. Potato salad was cold lashed w relish in it. Ribs rocked but all else was tasteless and super dry. … More
老Laoxi
25-10-2025
Passby here to Chiricahua National Monument. Get some brisket and sides. The place is nicely decorated and clean. The price is a little higher than I expected but the food is good. The charge extra for using credit card but was not informed … More
Gail McCarthy
14-10-2025
The chicken was overcooked and dry. The ribs were dry. As BBQ goes, it gets 2 stars. It tasted like it was cooked yesterday. Excellent cole slaw.
I wouldn't eat here again. Waitress was excellent. More
Suzi D.
04-10-2025
We visited Big Tex BBQ recently, hoping for a better experience than eight years ago when we found the food overpriced, bland, rubbery, and the service lacking. This time, some aspects improved, but overall, it fell short of expectations.
Service: The waitress was wonderful, attentive, and understanding, making us feel welcome--a big step up from our last visit.
Food: The food, unfortunately, disappointed. The brisket was overcooked, tough, bland, and flavorless, though the sausage was decent. The pork ribs seemed microwaved, with only three pieces that didn't feel like traditional BBQ. The fresh-cut French fries were good, and the large rolls were nice. The salad was fine, but the peaches were the highlight--fresh and tasty.
The brisket tastes nothing like Texas brisket. No wood favor at all and very rubbery. Moist and melt in your mouth it was not. If served in Texas it would have been thrown back at the cook. Serious. If looking for real Texas BBQ in Arizona stop at Rudy's or Dickey's. Texas companies who know how it's done.
Value and Atmosphere: Prices were $10 higher than our last visit, despite ordering less and sticking to water. A credit card surcharge felt unnecessary.
Souvenirs like t-shirts ($35), stuffed animals, and cups were priced like a tourist spot, but the vibe was more of a local mom-and-pop diner.
Final Thoughts: The kind waitress was a bright spot, but the food and value didn't impress. We won't return and can't recommend this restaurant. For better BBQ, consider other options. They need to remove Tex from the name.
Price per person
$20–30
Food: 1
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 3
Jane kinney
11-09-2025
Building and decor was nice. Prices were high. Had onion rings @ $9 and received 8 rings, but they were good. My husband had a chicken sandwich ($12) and I had shrimp ($16) both were good but our fries were awful. Staff was pleasant and prompt.
nm52butterfly
30-08-2025
What a great place you wouldn't expect to find in Wilcox Arizona! We stopped in 20 minutes before closing because we read about their amazing Onion Rings. I wish we were staying overnight in Wilcox because we would have had a full meal the next day. The the waitress was great and the onion rings were excellent. As we were getting ready to leave we noted corn nuggets on the menu. I asked about them and she said they were delicious. I really wish we were hungrier! I guess that will be on the menu for the next time we dine there. I'm also posting photographs dated 11/19/25 of the place and the menu. Definitely stop in if you're anywhere near the area.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Jessica Dennis
19-08-2025
Great service and the food came out quickly. But being from Texas…. We were very disappointed in the bbq. It just tasted like it was made in a crockpot with some pepper. Didn’t taste smoked at all. The portions were very generous though. Would still go back and try other options. The sweet tea was delicious More
Rebecca Early
18-08-2025
No one helped us after being seated. Told to go sit on the patio, the only tables available only had 2 chairs, there were 3 of us. Waited at the table for a good while and no one even came to give us menus or anything, meanwhile everyone who came in after us were given menus. Used to love this place. More
Blaze Reviews
18-08-2025
Went there for a late lunch. Was not disappointed! Greeted warmly by Felicia. Service was fantastic, prompt and accurate. We had a large group of 8 with zero complaints anywhere. Iced Teas were very large, beers came in 2 sizes 16 or … More
George Smith
16-07-2025
Awesome place for some great BBq. Had the baby back ribs, smoked to perfection and just the right amount of seasoning, very meaty. Great Hamburgers also, and lots of fries. Very friendly and helpful wait staff. Loved the little robot also. We will be back.
The Smiths
Meal type
Dinner
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Reservation
Not sure
Noise level
Moderate noise
Lacy LeDoux
16-07-2025
Their pizza is my favorite in town, hands down. Everything else is delicious too! Great place to eat. Family friendly. More
Gene Buonviri
04-06-2025
If you are on I10 , East or West bound do yourself a huge favor…Go to Big Tex BBQ in downtown Willcox for Family Friendly service, good BBQ and food. Nice hometown atmosphere. Ordered Kilt Lifter beers, great beer for pairing with the Pork … More
Aaron Jones
01-06-2025
There place has charisma from the outside with the train car attached. We were there on a warm, but not hot day, and the train car dining area was noticeably warmer, so we sat in the main restaurant area. Service was really good and the … More
MK
15-04-2025
Sadly the building and the train car are the most impressive aspects encountered in a visit to Big Tex BBQ.
Impressive venue, service was disjointed and slow. The plates were priced well … More
Lily Reich
09-04-2025
The food was good but not necessarily spectacular, except the onion rings. They were very good. The service was just okay. The waitress wasn't very friendly. She seemed like she really didn't want to be there. However, they were fast. We … More
Short Trails
29-03-2025
At 1pm on a Friday had their standard plate of brisket , fries& slaw. The brisket was cold and dried out and fries wimpy & cold. Wife had Philly steak sandwich which was way overcooked and dry . Top it off very slow service and a 5% surcharge for debit card and you have a place we don’t recommend. More
Luke Jackson
29-03-2025
I really enjoyed the pulled pork sandwich with fries. The service was excellent, and the restaurant overall felt clean and welcoming. More
TC Brown
22-03-2025
Great experience during our latest visit to Willcox. Food was great! Ambiance is amazing. Service was excellent! Thanks to Stephanie for taking great care of us. Really like the large amount of space in the restaurant. Plenty of room for families, groups and couples! Plenty of parking in the area. We will be back!
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Noise level
Quiet, easy to talk
Group size
Suitable for all group sizes
Parking space
Plenty of parking
Parking options
Free parking lot, Free street parking
Les Hankinson
03-03-2025
This was a nice stop on our road trip from Las Cruces NM to Fresno CA. We had the brisket sandwich. It was good but not every meal has to be amazing. The meat was tender. Not much seasoning but it came with bbq sauce, pickles, jalapeños, … More
Alex Hercia
21-02-2025
Just found this restaurant and read the reviews decided to try it, we ordered the 5 meat’s combo with 3 sides, a huge sweet ice tea, and beer, add a salad in the bar. … More
Mary Burch
15-01-2025
We stopped by Big Tex BBQ while visiting Willcox and absolutely loved it! The atmosphere is so fun and unique — dining in the old rail car gives it a lot of charm. The staff was friendly and welcoming, and the service was quick.
We tried the barbecue and everything came out hot, flavorful, and fresh. The portions were generous, and the sides were just as good as the main dishes. It’s a great local spot to relax and enjoy a good meal.
If you’re passing through Willcox, this place is definitely worth a stop!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Traci Brantley
05-01-2025
Very unique restaurant !! We loved everything about this place on our lunch stop on our travels back home !!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Paul Peters
30-12-2024
Original themed restaurant! Staff and server were friendly, quick and professional service! Decor is cool! It’s clean inside and out with plenty of parking! Easy to find! Burgers are good! Hot apple pie with ice cream hit the spot! Good food at a good price!
Cherylene Abalos
30-12-2024
We came with a large group after the local Christmas parade and we were able to be seated right away. The service was great and the drinks were large servings. I enjoyed the pork bbq ribs!
I really enjoyed their decor! They had a huge Christmas village display! The side car train you could sit on is also very cool and unique.
Meal type
Dinner
Noise level
Moderate noise
Group size
Suitable for all group sizes
Trevor Bowen
28-12-2024
Absolutely amazing! If for any reason you find yourself in Wilcox or even within a hours drive, this place is worth traveling to! The food was fresh and so delicious. The meats were perfect, it's really hard to find good BBQ and this place … More
Reviews Big Tex Bbq