Old School BBQ

Last summer, we were driving home from Chelan and decided to stop by (just for fun) the Reptile Zoo, which is located on the side of Highway 2, right after Sultan if you’re coming home from Eastern Washington. The Reptile Zoo is ultra bizarre – just a bunch of glass cases with highly poisonous reptiles. Nothing too much to talk about there. Might be exciting if you’re 4 years old, but otherwise, not so much. But there is something worth stopping at the Reptile Zoo for – the Old School BBQ, which is a barbecue place located within a school bus in the parking lot of the zoo.

Old School BBQ is amazing. The couple who runs it is southern, if that tells you anything. It’s a Texas-style barbeque place where everything is cooked outside on the smoker, using mesquite. For all pulled-pork sandwiches fans (I would choose a PP sandwich as my last, dying meal) – this is something not to miss. We stopped by again on our way back from Osoyoos Lake, and were continuously impressed. The woman who takes your order is one of the warmest, friendliest people. And she’ll go out of her way to accommodate her customers – last time they took a personal check of mine because I didn’t have cash (they don’t take credit cards) and this time, they offered up their phone number and told us to call ahead of time if we wanted them to stay open for us later than 7 p.m. if we were running late. Now that’s customer service!

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We’ve both ordered the pulled-pork, which is fabulous. This time around, they were out of pulled-pork, so we had to order the tri-tip, which was incredibly soft and flavorful steak sandwich, slathered in barbecue sauce. The only thing we’d criticize is that the sides are just okay – both the potato salad and coleslaw lacked flavor and needed salt. But the barbecue sandwiches are more than worth it!

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Final Verdict: Most definitely go back. This place has become a tradition every time we’re crossing over Highway 2 – we don’t miss it! It’s that good! We’ve heard the brisket is to-die-for, so I think that’ll be the next thing we try out.

Where: Old School BBQ
22715-B Highway 2
Monroe, WA 98272
(425) 367-1045
Category: Barbecue
Atmosphere: Casual, outdoor picnic tables.
Price range: $8-$10
Service: Outstanding.
Cool features: A second yellow school bus that acts as a dining room for guests!