BlackBear BBQ, Wetherill Park

Tucked away in the quiet parts of suburban South West Sydney is where you’ll find the American style slow cooked brisket eatery – BlackBear BBQ, located in the industrial parts of Wetherill Park.

THE PRICE

Personally, I do find the pricing at BlackBear BBQ a tad expensive. (To be fair, we did get one of the more expensive meals as we wanted to try a bit of everything.) I visited with a colleague and we ordered two Hungry Bear Boxes with two bottles of Coke, totalling $72. The Hungry Bear Box cost $32 each, and featured the pork belly, brisket, jalapeno and cheese hot link with slaw and potato crisps, housemade pickles and BBQ sauce.

The portion may seem small for the amount you’re paying, but once you start digging into the meal, you’ll find that you’ll struggle to chow it all down anyway!

While I found it slightly expensive, I appreciate that this isn’t a meal you can easily find in the city and suburbs. In addition, you have to appreciate that this is a wood-smoked, low and slow-cooked BBQ, so the craftsmanship that goes into procuring such delicate meats warrants the pricing.

THE FOOD

When you go up to grab your box, you’ll find that it’s already a bit floppy from the meat juices that are seeping through! This only makes the anticipation to sink your teeth into the tender meat that much more exciting.

While you might be underwhelmed for paying $32 for 3 pieces of meat and a sausage (with some crisps and slaw), I can let you know that it’s not easy to smash out.

You might also be surprised to get plastic party cutlery, but it all makes sense when you start ‘carving’ into the brisket, which falls apart effortlessly.

From your first bite you’ll immediately be hit by the smokiness and then the flavour of the meat which is superb. I’ve read other reviews that mentioned dryness and a lack of flavour, but I have yet to experience that. The lack of flavour could be easily remedied with their signature barbecue sauce which was extremely delicious (more on it below).

Much like the brisket, the pork belly was also amazingly tender and easily broke apart when you cut into it. The naughty layer of fat makes it feel heavy quite quickly, though! The pork belly did lack flavour, but that’s exactly why they include a small container of their barbecue sauce which is what actually completes the entire meal. Not only does it enhance the flavour, but it also helps cut through the heaviness of the meat which is much needed.

The sauce was extremely smokey and not your standard supermarket purchase. It was tangy and not overly sweet, complimenting the pork belly. I found pairing them both was an absolute must! (Side note: I believe they also sell their sauce at the counter.)

The slaw was also nice but didn’t stand out to me.

THE VIBE

BlackBear BBQ is all decked out with the American BBQ experience inside and out. You have a choice of sitting inside, or outside with a nice wooden table and benches and a large umbrella to help with the shade–perfect when the weather’s good.

The inside replicates an American BBQ restaurant with a large black bear on one side, a huge welcoming sign of their logo, and even a jukebox in the corner! They have quite a selection of seats inside with large wooden tables and benches as well, or you could opt for the bus-like tables and chairs which is just as immersive as far as the American style smoke joint goes.

The slow cookers are also behind the counter making the experience feel much more authentic.

BlackBear does well in replicating an American BBQ experience in food and vibe. The laid-back atmosphere and casualness give it an Ozzy touch which is what brings it home.

THE SERVICE

This is the type of joint where you’ll go up to the counter to order your meal and give them your name. When your food is ready, the fella preparing it will call out your name for you to pick up. It’s casual and easy. Although if you’re sitting outside, you might want to be on alert when they call out.

Overall, the staff are all very friendly and welcoming, and service is fast and efficient. Nothing to fault here. I have yet to visit at a peak hour so cannot comment on that.

Oh, and if you’re looking for more than just a meal, they also do catering, so this is something to consider when planning for larger parties.

WOULD I COME BACK?

Yes, I’d love to bring my parents who’ve only watched shows about the American-Style BBQ and not actually tried it before. They’ll be amazed by how tender it is and the smokey profile of the meat which is not something you can readily enjoy.

However, I’d look at diversifying my orders to ensure we’re getting the most out of the experience, and trialling the tender meats in different ways as they offer them in rolls and burgers. This won’t be a standard lunch for me as it gets quite heavy, but it might be for you.

Keen to try? Let me know if you do;’d love to hear your feedback below!

BlackBear BBQ also has other joints located in Vineyard and Blacktown so check them out too if they’re closer to you.