Bodean's (Soho) review by dubnobass
My husband and I have been going to Bodeans regularly for a few years, which must say something in itself - we wouldn't keep going back if it wasn't a good place to eat.
They serve American-style BBQ food - ribs, pulled pork, quesadillas, steak, that sort of thing, plus reasonably good cocktails and a few puddings. Their best deal is undoubtedly the 'pig out for a tenner' meal, which includes a large plate full of ribs, pulled pork, coleslaw and fries, plus a beer or soft drink. This used to be offered pretty much at all times other than Saturday nights, but now it's not seen often. 'Steak Tuesday' is a genuine buy-one-get-one-free bargain, where 2 of you can get a decent steak for £14-16. They do 'burnt ends' on certain days, which are pretty tasty and worth trying if you happen to be there on a burnt end day.
The food varies, both in quality and quantity. Sometimes you get the impression that they've changed their policy and decided to offer smaller portions, and at other times, you find yourself wondering whether you should be trying to eat the enormous mountain of food, or climb it. The ribs can be either falling-off-the-bone tender and sticky, or slightly undercooked and thus very chewy. It's either different chefs, or one very variable chef.. but they do get it right most of the time. The fries are -always- good, and usually coated in both sugar and salt. This is a touch of tasty genius.
The desserts are, I feel, a bit overpriced considering that you don't get large portions and they're £4-5 each. I was once served the key lime pie straight from the freezer so it was rock hard and couldn't actually be eaten without the whole piece shooting sideways off the plate. I am also slightly puzzled by their apple cobbler, which has been served uncooked every time I've had it. It's warm, and the apples are cooked, but it appears to be topped with raw cake mix. I actually like raw cake mixture, which is perversely why I keep ordering it, in case it's uncooked again - and it always is. Strange.
The service is usually good, and friendly (but not to the point of being annoying), but slows down at busy times, which is to be expected. Sometimes there are kids in there, squeaking, but this is less of a hazard if you book a table for the evening.
The televised sports, I'm really not interested in. The background music is interesting, varying widely from Roy Orbison to Metallica, via country and western.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Overall rating 
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
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