Duke's Brew & Que

Having recently moved to the area I was keen to try this joint out. Casually strolling in at 9pm on a Tuesday I was told to wait at the bar for a table. I was surprised how busy such a local restaurant could be! The atmosphere is great, service is great and the food was great. The only downside is the price. We didn't think the bill would be £80 for a few burgers and a couple of pints. Due to this the joint falls out of the "cheap & cheerful " category and sits more comfortably in the " Posh-Pub " department. Nevertheless a great place.

Simple pleasures, good quality BBQ meat, massive portions, amazing pork ribs, great burgers, good range of proper beer from around the world and local brew, no fuss service with a smile and fantastic atmosphere...guess that's why it's packed to the rafters all day, every day of the year.

I was highly excited about visiting Dukes Brew & Que after reading various reviews of this much hyped East London restaurant, the latest to jump on the BBQ cusine bandwagon. As a huge fan and regular visitor to Pitt Cue co, Bodeans, Chicago Rib Shack, and other established purveyors of fine rib and pork goodness, I arrived with justifiably high expectations, which only served to exacerbate how badly I was let down by the distinctly sub-par quality of the food we experienced at Dukes last night. For the relatively high pricing (e.g. £14.95 for one beef rib, with no sides except for a measly portion of very average slaw) you would expect premium quality, but alas, the beef rib was tough, gristly, and very underwhelming. We were told by the waiter that the beef rib typically weighs in around 500gms including bone, with around 250-300gms of meat, but in reality after removing the fat and gristle, there cant have been any more than 150-200 gms of edible beef. The pork ribs (circa £14 for two medium sized ribs, again served with just a tiny portion of slaw) were a bit better, but still miles off the standard delivered regularly by the aforementioned dining establishments. The pulled pork was the best of the lot we tried, but still far below expectations, and having cooked this regularly myself, I am well aware it is a dish that is actually quite hard to screw up, so Im not offering much credit for the fact it was relatively less disappointing as the ribs were. The house beer was definitely the high point of the night, but unfortunately nowhere near enough to entice me to traipse all the way out to Haggerston again for a return visit. Very disappointing dining experience. Save your time and money, and head for somewhere else.

Dukes has a lovely warm atmosphere, great drinks and beer menu but unfortunately the food was distinctly average. the restaurant has so much potential but it lacks in truly serving up southern bbq classics. I visited dukes last night and had the beef ribs. If these were smoked low and slow properly then the meat should have fallen from the bone, instead it was chewy and tough. all in all a disappointing visit and it has nothing on Pitted Que!

Really had a superb time here. We could barely finish our sides after the ribs, although somehow managed to find room for cheesecake and brownie. Beef ribs were tender and sticky and the pork just fell off the bone. Staff really very friendly and a truly insurmountable selection of drink between imports, craft beers, rums and tequilas. I can't seem spot a three star review on here (people seem to either love it or be disappointed) and there're a couple that say they got tough ribs - got speaking with the staff about this and it's clear they're very happy to replace if there's an issue. Highly recommended.

Finest ale in London! Fabulous beer bottles (love the Beavertown Brewery Gamma Ray APA). Stunning ribs. Purposeful and friendly service.

Outstanding restaurant, both in terms of atmosphere and food. The beef ribs were as big as my ankles - utterly succulent and cooked to perfection. I'd thoroughly recommend the scrumpy cider too.

This eve on my visit it was 3rd time in a row that I was told that the beef's ribs were not available. Come on..how can you run out of your best and popular dish on Monday dinner at 7.00pm with the restaurant half empty!!! This is really an issue!The guy at the door was vey efficient with very good manner, him is the one receiving my only star for you guys. After been seated on a table which we could use for only an hour, the most rudest waitress on earth just jumped on us asking for drinks (we still have our coats on..) and when I pointed that we weren't ready she just barked off that because we only have 50 minutes we have to hurry up!! twice...I can eat a 6 courses meal in 50 min..I am Italian..after that we left immediately and we would never never go back. Ciao.

What a surprise..... delicious everything! Great atmosphere and staff were chatty and likeable. Would visit again as a priority. Great addition to the area.

I can't believe this place even comes anywhere near the top of the list! Went there in September on my birthday, spurred on by the TimeOut review of the ribs - what a mistake! We were served the toughest, 2-inch wide, old beef ribs that I eventually gave up tying to eat. I can only presume this was a cost saving exercises by the restaurant, serving elderly cattle ribs (tell by the size) rather than tender young beef ribs. I couldn't chew what I eventually managed to rip off the bone, appalling. I can only presume the reviewer was treated to the 'real deal', but I certainly wouldn't go back nor recommend the place! Service was good, nice surroundings and atmosphere, but not one of the three serving staff asked if we had enjoyed the meal, which speaks volumes as far as I'm concerned. Wanted to enjoy the place, failed miserably!