12 Bones (Kingsport, TN)

12 Bones is a new restaurant located on Main Street in downtown Kingsport next to Pappy's Motorcycles. 12 Bones is not entirely a new restaurant venture, the original opened in 2005 in the River Arts District of Asheville.



At the time of my visit they had not yet installed an exterior sign which made it difficult to locate. In attempting to locate 12 Bones I parked on Broad Street and had to ask 3 business owners where it was located before finding someone who had even heard of it. I was somewhat surprised to learn it was so far from the beaten path of Broad Street.



The hours of operation are 11am to 9pm, Monday thru Saturday. Business was very brisk during lunch, however it will be interesting to see if Kingsport will choose to dine in this part of town for dinner.



Upon entering the building the first thing that I noticed was the urban style of the decor. The 12 Bones logo and an old Ward's Feed Store logo painted on the brick walls and chalk board menus set the mood for BBQ. Upon entering the restaurant you order and pay for your food from the counter and it is brought to your table by a server.



Because smoked beef brisket is so hard to find in an area dominated by pulled pork and sliced beef I was anxious to try the sliced beef brisket which came with two sides. The beef brisket was very tender and tasty, but I didn't much care for the sliced raw onion that was covering it. The flavor and texture of raw onion definitely isn't a match for BBQ and doesn't look "pretty" so I really don't know what they were thinking adding it to the dish.



One big 12 Bones claim to fame is that they put an extra effort into their sides and unlike other restaurants their sides aren't straight from a can. While the macaroni and cheese is definitely made in house, I am not sure about the baked beans. They had a unique taste, but the same texture and quality of beans from a can. Overall the quality of the food warrants a return visit, but there really isn't anything to set 12 Bones apart from the numerous BBQ Joints in the Tri-Cities. I want to try the ribs as ribs are a entirely different category of BBQ and I will post an updated review when I do.



One final note, it appears as if an unfinished upstairs may be used for group gatherings and parties in the future, something desperately needed in Kingsport and will increase business dramatically. Civic clubs and organizations are really tired of meeting at Ryan's, Americourt, Meadowview, and Rush Street.



Ratings (1-10)

Food: 7

Service: self service warrants no score

Cleanliness of restaurant: 8

Cleanliness of restroom: 5 (dirty floor)

Value: 8