Bodean's BBQ - London
by Dave "Free Lunch"...uh "Portions" Ellis
I traveled to England in November 2004 to do consulting work with Chichester College, which is located just south of London. During my visit in Chichester, I traveled by train to London to take in some of the sights. I had a chance to see Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Tower of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral. However, the highlight of my trip was having a meal at Bodean's BBQ restaurant!!
Our G.A.S. group played a small part in establishing Kansas City style BBQ across the sea! It was in April 2002 that some folks with a dream to open the first BBQ restaurant in London came to Kansas City to check out the BBQ scene. The members of the G.A.S. group hosted the Brits, visiting four BBQ restaurants in KC. The information gathered from their trip here was enough to get them started in the BBQ business in London and today Bodean's is alive and smoking!
Prior to my visit to Bodean’s, I emailed the people that I would be in London on that Sunday afternoon. My first stop in the city was Trafalgar Square. It took me about 30 minutes to walk to Bodean's from there. The eatery is located in the Soho district of London at 10 Poland Street. There are several restaurants and shops in the area. I walked in the front door and went to the bar to ask for the manager. There were about 20 tables surrounding the bar and it seemed like a good place to hang out, drink a beer, and eat BBQ.
I met the manager and he took me downstairs where they were waiting for me and started me out with a free bevie. They served me some excellent ribs, fries and coleslaw. It was a great meal and all compliments of Bodean's!! After visiting with the manager and waitress, I went back upstairs. It was there that I encountered a sea of "orange" -- people wearing Texas attire. About 15 people from Texas were there to watch the Texas-KU football game that had been taped the day before. They weren’t aware of Texas’ victory over Kansas, but I was so didn’t stay for the end of the game. It was great to visit with them and watch a little football.
The manager gave me an
official Bodean's BBQ T-shirt that said "We have the best butts in Soho"
-- burnt ends, that is. I left the place with a full stomach and
great memories. I would rate the
overall restaurant as an "8" with excellent service and outstanding
food.