A familiar Texas staple has turned into a punching bag, and San Antonians aren’t having it. A debate erupted online after Bill Miller Bar-B-Q was ranked in an article ranking the “worst BBQ” chains by food website Daily Meal on May 10.
Bill Miller Bar-B-Q was the first chain mentioned on the list. The report writes that the “once-venerable chain now feels like it’s gone downhill,” citing customer reviews claiming they’re not getting their money’s worth.
“Sadly, the issues with a meal at Bill Miller Bar-B-Q seem to be multifold,” the Daily Meal writes. “Customer reviews have repeatedly called out poor customer service, disappointingly long waits for food, incorrect orders, and cold meals. The star of the show, the barbecue, is nothing to write home about. With all that in mind, though, Bill Miller definitely still has its fair share of defenders, and there are a lot of people who still have loyalty to the brand. However, it feels a stretch to say that it’s going to be the best meal you’ll ever have, or even a great one. The bottom line is that you can likely do a lot better than this place.”
Is Bill Miller Bar-B-Q the ‘worst BBQ’
After MySA reported on the ranking, many locals shared their thoughts and defended the staple on social media. On TikTok, Natalie posted a video showing a long line at a Bill Miller drive-thru. The TikToker wrote in her caption, “If it’s so bad, why is there always a line?” And, many people chimed in as the video had over 93,000 views, 7,100 likes and over 1,000 comments.
Sandia wrote, “No one goes for the barbecue. Everybody goes for the number four.” Many people added that they go for the breakfast tacos and the chicken. AROMAZ wrote, “It’s fast food BBQ .. I mean, it’s not that bad .. it’s affordable,” which is something the MySA article pointed out.
“I don’t care what people say. Bill Millers is my fave. They are San Antonio institution just like H-E-B,” Sunshine wrote.
On the San Antonio subReddit, i_am_timotacus shared a different sentiment. The person wrote in the post, “Bill Miller is the worst barbecue chain in America, a new ranking from the Daily Meal says. We did it, Joe! Ok, I mean, we knew this. We’ve known this for some time, but it still hurts to hear it codified somewhere.”
In the thread, some people called it the “McDonald’s of BBQ,” or that they go for the tacos, not the barbecue. However, some locals continued to defend it (as San Antonians do).
“I’m tired of the bill millers slander. NOBODY IN SAN ANTONIO considers it adequate bbq like other places but it’s an easy place to get some dinner, fried chicken and breakfast tacos. It’s in its own category so let’s leave BM alone it’s just an institution here. It’s not supposed to be ‘gourmet,'” one person wrote in the thread.
This article originally published at San Antonio debate ignites after Bill Miller ranked among ‘worst BBQ’ chains.