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Sonny's voted best BBQ chain in the country

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DudsDreader

Nov 7, 2014
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Sonny's is the nation's best barbecue chain according to foodie website The Daily Meal, putting it ahead of other Central Florida-based favorites 4 Rivers Smokehouse and Smokey Bones.

The website called Winter-Park based Sonny's BBQ "real-deal Southern-style barbecue" and noted the company's 47-year-history of making slow-cooked, meaty favorites.

"Today, there are more than 150 locations across nine states, and the chain received far more votes in our survey than any other," the website said about Sonny's.

Mmmmm................it's good eatin'.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-sonnys-best-bbq-20150507-story.html


But I'm not seeing it here.....

http://www.thedailymeal.com/10-best-barbecue-chains-america-slideshow
 
I like Sonny's BBQ. Not crazy about the sides.

I have eaten at 4 Rivers twice and didn't see what was so great about it. I need to go a few more times before I decided if they are better than Sonny's or not.

I don't understand the bad rap Sonny's get...ribs. pulled pork, and sauces are legit.
 
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As a judge for the Florida BBQ Association we're told to use Sonny's as a guide of what average BBQ is then rate it from there. It was a rare occasion indeed that any competition BBQ got a rank below the 'Sonny's Line', usually because it was undercooked!!!
 
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noleit said:
As a judge for the Florida BBQ Association were told to use Sonny's as a guide of what average BBQ is then rate it from there. It was a rare occasion indeed that any competition BBQ got a rank below the 'Sonny's Line', usually because it was undercooked!!!
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So who does the FBA consider to have the best BBQ in Florida?
 
The FBA doesn't rank restaurants.
 
I like Sonny's ok. There are much better bbq places everywhere, but if you're limited to chains, what can you do? I find bbq chains to be pretty overpriced for what you get, and Sonny's is a little better on that front, and I've found it to be pretty consistent everywhere I've had it. I haven't been in years, however.
 
I like to dip those Sonny's crinkle cut fries into my baked beans. The meat is much better at
4 Rivers though.
 
wow what a friggen joke. sonny's is like the applebees of barbecue. not that that's bad, I do like to go to applebees and chilis sometimes, but certainly, nowhere near the best.
 
I don't have Sonny's, Piggy's, 4 Rivers, etc out here in CO. I do have Dickey's and Famous Dave's. Neither can compare to a mom & pop BBQ joint but I think both are pretty good. How does Sonny's and the like down in FL compare to Famous Dave's or Dickey's?
 
seminoledq said:
I don't have Sonny's, Piggy's, 4 Rivers, etc out here in CO. I do have Dickey's and Famous Dave's. Neither can compare to a mom & pop BBQ joint but I think both are pretty good. How does Sonny's and the like down in FL compare to Famous Dave's or Dickey's?
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We used to go to Dickey's on Sunday nights because kids ate free and we could get out for about $20. But they've recently changed their menu and prices and now it's more expensive for less food - and they were always pretty skimpy plates to begin with.
 
Is that from The Onion?

I'll eat at Sonnys every now & then, and will agree that they do have pretty good sauces. But having a really good sauce isn't particularly a compliment for a bbq joint IMO, because if you rely on sauce for flavor you didn't cook it properly in the first place.
 
noleit said:
As a judge for the Florida BBQ Association were told to use Sonny's as a guide of what average BBQ is then rate it from there. It was a rare occasion indeed that any competition BBQ got a rank below the 'Sonny's Line', usually because it was undercooked!!!
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I actually use Sonnys as my C minus grade as well (or worst bbq I would willingly eat). I like most of the few remaining Fat Boys and its successors better than Sonnys (which like most Gator products is a lesser ripoff of the original Fat Boys).
 
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Obviously, most of my favorite bbq places are standalone mom and pops but I can still think of a lot better chains.

I don't hate Woody's and prefer it to Sonny's. Corky's, Dinosaur, The Shed and Dreamland are a couple of small chains that are pretty decent and way better than Sonny's. Smokey Bones isn't bad either but is WAY overpriced. I'm sure that's nowhere near the list of bbq chains better than Sonny's.
 
FSUTribe76 said:
Obviously, most of my favorite bbq places are standalone mom and pops but I can still think of a lot better chains.

I don't hate Woody's and prefer it to Sonny's. Corky's, Dinosaur, The Shed and Dreamland are a couple of small chains that are pretty decent and way better than Sonny's. Smokey Bones isn't bad either but is WAY overpriced. I'm sure that's nowhere near the list of bbq chains better than Sonny's.
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I agree with all this except I would take Sonnys over Woody's.

Also...I'm taking mainly pork products. When is comes to brisket its whole other subject.

And I kind of disagree with Sea Pa....I think BBQ sauce has a lot to do with good BBQ. Seasoning pork is important, but the flavor comes from within...meaning all you really need is salt and pepper. The trick is how you cook them and then your sauce.

While Sonnys doesn't hold a candle to some of the better stand alones of the world, they make a consistently good rib with good sauces.

For a chain...meaning more than 50 locations, it's pretty good.

The Shed is waaaay better, but I only believe they have a small handful of places.
 
I forgot about Dickey's. That's where we usually go with if we're doing a chain...yeah, I'd put that ahead of Sonny's probably, and still well behind independently owned places.

I've heard good things about Dinosaur. Wasn't overly impressed with Corky's but in the same neighborhood as Sonny's to me. Smokey Bones I agree is so expensive for what to get, I don't even put them in the game. I thought Famous Dave's was worse than Sonny's, and Shane's Rib Shack, which is a chain at least in Atlanta, was far worse. As was a chain they had in Charlotte called Carolina Country Barbecue or something like that.

I won't lie I have an issue with portions in barbecue restaurants...many places you don't get very much meat on a $12+ plate, and that's going to factor in for me.

I certainly haven't been to all the BBQ chains, but I'd probably rate Dickey's a B-, Sonny's a C, Buddy's BBQ in Tennessee (which is basically fast food barbecue, but not that bad) about a C or C-. I can't think of many other BBQ chains I wouldn't put up a bit of a fight before having to go to. I'm sure there are plenty of regional ones that are decent that I've never been to.
 
I just went through that list. I've been to a few of those, didn't realize they were chains.

Calhoun's is perfectly decent. Maybe a shade over Sonny's. C+ maybe.

Jim and Nick's is too expensive for bbq to me, they're out of consideration. $14-15 for a plate of pork...I'm out.

Red Hot and Blue - I ate at one of these once 10+ years ago, and it was quite excellent. Didn't realize it was a chain either. I feel like it was pushing the top end of my acceptable price range for bbq, but it was a long time ago. But the one time I ate there, the pulled pork was definitely a B+ and notably better than any other chain I've been to.
 
Nole Lou said:
I forgot about Dickey's. That's where we usually go with if we're doing a chain...yeah, I'd put that ahead of Sonny's probably, and still well behind independently owned places.

I've heard good things about Dinosaur. Wasn't overly impressed with Corky's but in the same neighborhood as Sonny's to me. Smokey Bones I agree is so expensive for what to get, I don't even put them in the game. I thought Famous Dave's was worse than Sonny's, and Shane's Rib Shack, which is a chain at least in Atlanta, was far worse. As was a chain they had in Charlotte called Carolina Country Barbecue or something like that.

I won't lie I have an issue with portions in barbecue restaurants...many places you don't get very much meat on a $12+ plate, and that's going to factor in for me.

I certainly haven't been to all the BBQ chains, but I'd probably rate Dickey's a B-, Sonny's a C, Buddy's BBQ in Tennessee (which is basically fast food barbecue, but not that bad) about a C or C-. I can't think of many other BBQ chains I wouldn't put up a bit of a fight before having to go to. I'm sure there are plenty of regional ones that are decent that I've never been to.
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That Carolina Country BBQ in Charlotte is actually not from NC. It's a chain of some outfit from Ohio that does NOT know Carolina bbq. They opened up a few in NC to (probably) try to claim they were a real NC place just like Phoenix Online eventually opening a brick and mortar place in Phoenix AZ and changing its wiki page to say they "taught" some magical 8 person class there back in 1976....even though it's originally a California company.

I truthfully don't care for Dickeys, I've had it in a couple of locations and would put it below Sonny's. But I agree with you on Famous Daves and Shane's Rib Shack being awful. At least their Tallahassee outposts were far worse than Sonny's. I do wish that the Woody's hadn't gone out of town here though. Even though a chain I've liked it better than any bbq place Tally has ever had except for maybe Mickey's in its first year.
 
Nole Lou said:
Calhoun's is perfectly decent. Maybe a shade over Sonny's. C+ maybe.

Jim and Nick's is too expensive for bbq to me, they're out of consideration. $14-15 for a plate of pork...I'm out.
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Not sure I follow you. Calhoun's is more expensive than Jim and Nick's.
 
DanC78 said:
Also...I'm taking mainly pork products. When is comes to brisket its whole other subject.

And I kind of disagree with Sea Pa....I think BBQ sauce has a lot to do with good BBQ. Seasoning pork is important, but the flavor comes from within...meaning all you really need is salt and pepper. The trick is how you cook them and then your sauce.

While Sonnys doesn't hold a candle to some of the better stand alones of the world, they make a consistently good rib with good sauces.
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I like Sonny's sauces as well. I grew up with a Fat Boys in my hometown (as did my wife even though she was 4 hours away) and I still get nostalgic for its sauce. The Gator dbag who started Sonnys initially just flat out ripped off the Fat Boys sauce which is why it's plain sauce is still one of my favourites. Having gone to the Fatboys in Crystal River and some of it's successor places from when the chain disintegrated like Barbecue Bills in Chiefland (and Florida Boys in Brooksville before it closed), the difference is very minor and probably just in proportions.
 
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DanC78 said:
I like Sonny's BBQ. Not crazy about the sides.

I have eaten at 4 Rivers twice and didn't see what was so great about it. I need to go a few more times before I decided if they are better than Sonny's or not.

I don't understand the bad rap Sonny's get...ribs. pulled pork, and sauces are legit.
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Not to mention they are a chain, and this was about chain restaurants bbq.

I like Sonnys, I have no problem eating there or saying so. I also like independent bbq places a ton. Nothing like a hole in the wall bbq place. Especially in Texas or the Carolinas etc
 
I've never had a bad meal or felt like I got shorted on portions at Sonny's. I can't say that about any other bbq restaurant I've been to...
 
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Item for item there is no way Sonnys should ever be on a "best of" list. 4Rivers has some of the best BBQ I've ever had. Been to their Tally location no less than 8 times since they've opened and have yet to have anything I didn't like.

Ate at Dreamland in Birmingham a few weeks back. Toughest ribs I've ever had in my life.
 
Sonny's is the McD's of the BBQ world. It isn't great, but you know exactly what you are going to get no matter what store you go in to.
 
This is the last time I went to Sonnys:
Got done playing golf around dark on a Saturday a couple months ago soon after the time change.
Called 4Rivers at 8:15 to place a pick up order, "Sorry sir, next pick up time is 9:15 and the line is still out the door", I was surprised and asked a few questions but basically I wouldn't be able to eat until 9:30 or so.
Figured, oh well we'll pick something up at Piggys.......closed at 8:00?!? Its still light outside and they're closed, smart move.
OK, I'll go to MoBetta.....they're out of all sides but cole slaw and are closing at 9:00 so they aren't making more of anything.
Ended up getting the meat at MoBetta(pulled pork, ribs, brisket) and stopped at Sonnys ONLY for baked beans and fries.
#CoolStoryBro
 
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CobNole said:
Item for item there is no way Sonnys should ever be on a "best of" list. 4Rivers has some of the best BBQ I've ever had. Been to their Tally location no less than 8 times since they've opened and have yet to have anything I didn't like.

Ate at Dreamland in Birmingham a few weeks back. Toughest ribs I've ever had in my life.
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The Birmingham location must be off then. I'd eaten at that location and been disappointed as well. Meanwhile I've eaten at the Tuscaloosa and (most often) the Mobile locations and it was fine. Nothing to really rave over as although I mentioned it as one of the better chains it IS still a chain.

If you had asked me about Birmingham, I would have sent you to Miss Myra's. Best bbq chicken I've ever had and their North Bama White sauce is actually good (very vinegary and not too much Mayo). Plus their ribs and red sauce are actually pretty decent for Alabama style cue (which is usually sickeningly sweet). On my last trip to Birmingham about three or four weeks ago I tried Saw's BBQ as it had finished #2 in the Garden and Gun magazine poll for best BBQ. Saw's was very disappointing, especially their pulled chicken and white sauce. It was ok, certainly better than Sonny's but NOWHERE as good as Miss Myra's or Big Bon Gibson's and certainly not second best in the country. Their white sauce was basically just slightly diluted and sweetened Mayo and therefore disgusting. Basically just coating chicken in some Duke's with honey and milk.

So when in Birmingham I do NOT go to Dreamland in part because even the original in Tuscaloosa isn't as good as Miss Myra's and would have warned you away from that location anyways.
 
CobNole said:
4Rivers has some of the best BBQ I've ever had. Been to their Tally location no less than 8 times since they've opened and have yet to have anything I didn't like.
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Trying to get a brick? Just heard about that "club" wednesday, have a cousin that plans to get one at the location here in town.
 
The whole notion of ranking restaurants seems silly to me.

I put "bad" BBQ in the same category as "bad" beer or "bad" sex. At the end of the day, I'm just not that picky.
 
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With Sonny's, it's like Wendy's, it may not be the best, but you know what you're going to get, and it's reasonably priced. I suspect the ranking is because of the consistency, and also because of the number of restaurants.
 
I'd rate Dickie's ahead of Sonny's but behind 4 Rivers.

Sonny's is very consistent, but never better than mediocre. I liked the sausages at Dickie, the brisket varied in quality depending on the day but was solid when they got it right.

To the guy who said Dickie's is expensive, you might be ordering wrong. I used to get the family pack, which would feed me for a couple days for about $20.
 
Unfortunately, 4 Rivers in Midtown, Tally is a five minute walk from my house. That kind of convenience can be dangerous. Had a half rack of ribs last week -- best I've had in a long time. Great sides too.
 
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