**OVERALL REVIEW**…read more
On the Space Coast (Brevad County), there are currently three locations for Sonny's BBQ. Two of them are within central to north-central Brevard. Ergo, anyone living in Melbourne and heading southbound, it is a bit of a drive to get to them. That is why the Sonny's BBQ located in Malabar is technically an "essential" spot for patrons, especially those who are fans.
For a Sonny's BBQ (which I will shorthand simply to Sonny's for the rest of this review), this location is mediocre to okay, depending on who is on staff and the time of day. But rest assured, there are many other better BBQ spots to go to especially one exit up heading northbound on I-95 to Palm Bay Rd. But if you have to eat at Sonny's for any reason, you can easily navigate the menu for a decent meal at a decent price.
Though an address is provided, Sonny's is located on the southside of Malabar Rd., just west of I-95 They are located just west of the Walmart Supercenter at their traffic light.
Starting with their decor and ambiance, they have melded both their traditional western/southern BBQ style with modernization. So imagine barnwood paneling and barn sliding doors, but with a modern layout, color scheme, and art decor. For today's standards, visually okay but the floor is opened to provide more seating.
Most of the serving staff have been good, and the latest one is a girl named Ling, who did here best to keep up with all of us given the fact the floor was short-staffed. The menu has been minimized to optioned choices that include chicken, turkey, brisket, ribs, steak, and pork, cooked in many ways for variety. At times, the pulled pork and brisket would be too dry, at other times, just right, but given the amount of sauce per meal, it is manageable.
As for stand-alone meals, I had many of their sandwiches and they are good, but the what they call a Cuban sandwich is not traditional in any sense. For hardcore Cuban sandwich connoisiers, they may even go as far to call it an abomination.
Thankfully, the price of the food is within the average of most BBQ places these days, ranging from $12 to $20 on average, cheaper for certain meals and more expensive for bigger meal sets such as family feasts.
Sidenote: The restfrooms were clean as they can be for a restaurant that is on average busy. No real messes, and TP and hand towels are stocked.
I am going to give Sonny's an overall average from all my subsequent visits three-out-of-four stars. They are a-okay, but they don't stand out amongst other Sonny's BBQ locations let along there are other places that do a far better job than they do, but they happen to also be mom n' pop locations, too.
Ultimately, this Sonny's BBQ is good in accordance with what you expect with a national chain like them.