text: Joes Real BBQ is one of my favorite places Comfort food in a comfort environment served by friendly people just the bestnnLocated in downtown Gilbert the historic brick building is solid and homey We try to visit at nonpeak hours or on weeknights but if you show up at dinner time on a Friday or Saturday you will be greeted with a long line of patrons waiting for their opportunity to step up to the counter to order some tasty fixins Despite appearances the long line does not usually entail a long wait their counter service team has the process down to a science and they move people through relatively quickly nnThe line moves through the dining room with booth style tables to one side and large wooden tables to the other side through the center Once you reach the front of the line you make your way past a selection of bottled drinks and up to a soda fountain complete with fresh brewed root beer and home made lemonade my pick Grab a tray napkins and utensils then slide on up to the counter You place your order and move forward while they prepare it By the time you reach the selection of desserts your meat and side are landing on the glass top in front of you I usually go for the BBQ sandwich meal as it is just enough lb of meat on a bun side dish My typical meat of choice is the Chopped Pork although when I am trying to be healthy ha I also enjoy the extremely moist chicken and turkey offerings as well As far as side dishes there is just one choice for me Cheesy Potatoes Usually served lukewarm they are cheesy with just a hint of spice and they are delicious nnNow the desserts I really cannot walk away without getting one of their freshly baked chocolate chip cookies the chips are usually still melty and warm However their Rootbeer cake is incredibly moist with a unique yummy flavor and just a hint of frosting and my husband loves their lemon cake They also have a todiefor corn bread served with honey butter but I often skip it as I am so carbed up from everything else I have already ordered darn nnDont forget the barbecue sauce I am actually aghast to say that the first time I had Joes I did not like it This was because I had the original barbecue sauce which I have discovered is just too sweet for me Once I learned about the spicy habenero barbecue sauce I was good to go it is delicious and adds the perfect pop of flavor to my sandwich nnIf the weather is nice skip eating in the dining room and head out to the yard outside There are rows of picnic tables perched beside a large grassy lawn which is the perfect place for kids to run around and burn off steam while the adults finish up their meals and chat The area is bordered by a white picket fence which contains the kiddos from the busy street just beyond so that you can relax while they play The whole area is crowned with strings of lights that lend a lovely glow as you dine If the weather is notsonice I usually try to grab a booth on the far side of the room so I am not eating amongst the people standing in line There is also an enclosed patio area which works well as a hybrid of the two dining experiences I find that it is a bit noisy usually nnThe restaurant itself is quaint with an obvious Arizona Agriculture theme my son loves checking out the giant John Deere tractor that holds court at the center of the room and he often peers longingly into the upcycled fuel pump now turned into a gumball machine nnIf you are jonesing for Joes but do not want to wait in line consider calling ahead and then picking your order up at the window outside it is a good way to get your fix we have also gotten take out for several get togethers that we have hostedattended and it really takes the pressure off of having to cook because everyone likes Joes