This is a total neighborhood place. Everybody knows everybody in this place. I think the people that work there might all be family or they must've been working together for decades. It's kind of a smoothly oil machine. They're cranking out a substantial amount of food from a relatively small kitchen. Everything is consistent and good. I'm not a fan of the fried green tomatoes because they are super thin and so they just flop around. It's very hard to eat them. Everything else I've had has been pretty good. They roll around with some banana pudding on occasion and handed out which is a nice touch. There's quite a few tables squeezed into a relatively small place, which is OK because you're sitting there with your neighbors and you probably know them anyway. This is solid barbecue at a decent price and it's not a chain! Support your local small business. read more

Small, unassuming spot with amazing people and even better food! I had the brisket, coleslaw, and collards -- brisket was perfectly smoked. My husband loved his ribs with green beans and corn, and my daughter had the pulled pork and mac and cheese. If you're ever nearby, definitely worth the stop! read more

Gators BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

See all

Gator's BBQ never disappoints! The food is always good, and so is the service. I've never really had a chance to sit down and eat inside because it's always packed, which honestly says a lot about how good this place is! The only negative I would say is that their online ordering could definitely use an update. It doesn't really give you much detail about what you're getting, and a little description goes a long way especially for someone who's never ordered from here before. Other than that, we've always had a great experience! read more

The food is great. The service is great. The ambiance is quaint and country. Not more you can want from a bbq joint!

Excellent food, great service, and friendly staff has made this a place we enjoy eating at.

I had been by this place a few times and then someone from church recommended it. It was a cute place. I stopped around lunch time and it was very busy, and I can see why, the staff was very friendly and patient while I tried to figure out what I would like to eat. They were very helpful and suggested I try the brisket. Which they were spot on with the recommendations. The brisket was good by itself, but paired with the gold sauce was amazing. They stopped by and offered a sampling of the banana pudding, and it was some of the best I've ever had. I would definitely stop here again for lunch next time I pass by. read more

Gators BBQ - Fried mushrooms - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

See all

Couldn't decide what we wanted to eat so we opted for their smoke house grand slam for $25 which came with chicken, pork, brisket, sausage, ribs, and turkey plus two sides and garlic toast. The menu said it was for 2, but my wife and I both ate our fill and had enough left for another meal. The chicken and ribs both fell off of the bone and had great Smokey flavor. The ribs were a little on the dry side, but not so much that I wasn't going to devour them. The turkey and brisket were both juicy and tender. Of the sides we ordered, I wasn't torn between the coleslaw and the collard greens as to which was better. The restaurant is in an older building, but it was very clean inside and the staff were pleasant. The biggest drawback to having lunch here, is that now I need a nap. read more

Gators BBQ - Collard greens, coleslaw, fries, toast - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

See all

Best Grouper sandwich and turkey great staff you can smell the goodness down the street

What a cool local BBQ country restaurant. They had all the southern favorites like Ribs, Chicken, Brisket, Pork. Collard greens, Mac & Cheese and beans. They also had good appetizers like fried okra, mushrooms, jalapeños and other favorites. The food was and the staff was profesional and friendly. They get 4 starts from me. read more

This is a total neighborhood place. Everybody knows everybody in this place. I think the people that work there might all be family or they must've been working together for decades. It's kind of a smoothly oil machine. They're cranking out a substantial amount of food from a relatively small kitchen. Everything is consistent and good. I'm not a fan of the fried green tomatoes because they are super thin and so they just flop around. It's very hard to eat them. Everything else I've had has been pretty good. They roll around with some banana pudding on occasion and handed out which is a nice touch. There's quite a few tables squeezed into a relatively small place, which is OK because you're sitting there with your neighbors and you probably know them anyway. This is solid barbecue at a decent price and it's not a chain! Support your local small business. read more

Other than Cole slaw everything they sell is fantastic. We absolutely loved everything else. BBQ, other sides and desserts make this a must go to place. Wanted to swap Cole slaw for anything, but the staff is so amazing and friendly we didn't want to bother. It was easier to just throw it away and know not to order it. We will continue eating here often without Cole slaw. If you want great food and to meet amazing employees this is the place. I cant recommend it enough! read more

I've only ordered ahead and picked up as the restaurant itself seems on the smaller side but the food is amazing and it is always ready to go at the promised time. The smoked turkey is moist and flavorful- some of the best I've had. We also enjoy the brisket and chopped pork- so good. There is a large variety of homemade sides available. We love baked beans and potato salad! The prices are very reasonable and the portions are good size. Also don't miss out on the delicious banana pudding for dessert! Yummy!! read more

Foods really good people are Nise but would not recommend for a baby or toddler cause it is very loud read more

Gators BBQ - The food - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Will never eat there again! Terrible experience. I have Celiac Disease and when I went to order, the older lady taking my order did not appreciate my questions regarding gluten free foods, cross contamination,etc. I did explain I had Celiac Disease and what foods on the menu were safe for me to eat? Her answer was "I don't know". She was not friendly and acted as if I was out of line asking her if the seasonings, BBQ sauce, meats, etc. were Gluten Free. Her answers were "I don't know. I don't know what all of the ingredients are.There are 10 ingredients in the BBQ sauce and I couldnt tell you if they were all Gluten Free or not. " By my conversation with her, I knew it was not SAFE for me to eat there and I was taking a big chance getting glutened by having lunch there. My question to the owners is " IS YOUR KITCHEN STAFF PROPERLY TRAINED TO HANDLE A MEAL FOR CELIACS? " Apparantley not,since the employee taking my order did not want to be helpful in the least. Am I the first Celiac customer that they have ever had?? So disappointed by another local restaurant. read more

Small and unassuming local spot for BBQ. Stopped in while on the road between Charlotte and Tampa as it was on the route and we were hungry. Friendly staff. We were skeptical coming from between two places with incredible and mouthwatering BBQ. Ordered the fried green tomatoes and okra to start. The tomatoes were very thinly sliced, lightly breaded and seasoned with seasoned salt. They were very good dipped in the ranch. The okra had no seasoning. None. The ribs were very tender. They were not seasoned and the options for bbq sauce did not fit either of our taste buds. Texas style or a mustard type style. The one labeled sweet was not sweet. The brisket was the same. Bland while tender. The green beans were good. Can't go wrong with a sweet potato. While the meat was cooked well and tender, the lack of flavor (seasoning) and the undesirable sauce options left us out in the cold. Wouldn't visit again. read more

They say, eat where the locals eat! We stumbled upon their little BBQ joint yesterday after we dropped off a quilt to a friend. The parking lot was filled with work trucks and police vehicles. The restaurant was packed with people. The staff was friendly and the service was great. I had the smoked chicken plate with collards and green beans. I'm picky about collards and these were some of the best that I've had in a restaurant. As we were eating one of the employees was walking around handing out little servings of banana pudding. It was yummy and a really nice touch to an already delicious meal. We were worried we wouldn't get a table but the turnover was pretty quick and a lot of people were getting to go orders. I am sure we will eat here again! read more

Gators BBQ - All of the BBQ sauces were delicious! - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

See all

Amazing food for the price! The portions were generous, the flavors were spot on, and the service was friendly and welcoming even in uniform. Highly recommend Gators BBQ for anyone craving great barbecue! read more

Great food, friendly staff and good value. Nice local spot with a good atmosphere and clean location. I will definitely stop in again if I'm ever around. read more

Consistently good Bar B Que. Never had a bad meal there and always a pleasant and courteous staff. Well worth my 25-mile drive.

All I can really say about the food is delicious! I ordered a Carolina pulled pork sandwich and my friend ordered a BBQ Salad, her husband had a BBQ Potato. Since we were going to spend a lot of time catching up we ordered three appetizers; fried pickles, fried green tomatoes and the BBQ egg rolls. Needless to say, as is normal our eyes were bigger than our bellies. All the mains came home with us. The appetizers were delicious, hot and not greasy. My BBQ Sandwich went into the air fryer many hours later to reheat it and was amazing. Not overly sweet as it seems they mixed the BBQ Sauce in the coleslaw. Definitely try this restaurant for your BBQ cravings. It's off the charts. Not much inside seating, but the ladies kept the tables clean and also came around with free banana pudding samples to try. Money well spent! read more

See all

So good! Looks a lil sketch when you pull up but the food does not disappoint in flavor nor portion size! Will def be back next time we are in Jax we will be stopping by again. read more

Fast service, friendly staff, good Q. Went with the 2 meet combo. Burnt ends and sides are great. Brisket was so-so. Not much smoke, or flavor, sauce was really good and helped with the brisket. No frills, limited seating inside & out. read more

Gators BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Finest BBQ I have had in a long time. My wife loves the brisket I love the ribs and chicken. The Smoked sausage is better than most also. Very nice family runs the establishment. read more

Servers were very sweet from the beginning. I got the lunch seafood platter which included 4 fried shrimp, a fried fish filet, one crab cake baked in a crab shell, and a hush puppy. It also comes with two sides and I picked the bbq beans and mac n cheese. The food is pretty good not spectacular but the service and environment make it a great experience. The place is thoughtfully decorated and we received free banana pudding samples for dessert. read more

Best BBQ in town! Stop in and see for yourself. Even if you are not a fan of BBQ try the shrimp! Yummy! read more

Gators BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

I visited this rrstaurant simply because I was in the area. It's a hole in the wall place and you're likely to see a chicken or two in the driveway when you pull in. The dining room is in the front and is small and crowded during lunchtime. The menu is good sized with several options, even seafood and a smoked burger. I decided on the 2 meat plate with brisket and jalapeno sausage, with baked beans and mac n cheese. The plate also comes with 2 pieces of toast, which are buttered and have some parsley on them. Brisket (3/5)- 2 slices, one small and one large, mostly lean with a smoke ring. No seasoning so I added two of their sauces on the table, Texas sauce and sweet sauce. Jalapeno and cheese sausage (2/5) - Was ok, I tasted mostly cheese and no jalapeno. Skin had a snap, juicy on the inside Beans (2/5) - tasted canned and pretty standard Mac n cheese (3/5) - decent, creamy, no exotic cheese used in this Banana pudding (1/5)- tastes like the boxed variety you can buy at the grocery store with artificial flavor, didnt have any real banana slices in the portion I got Overall. I didn't finish the sausage, toast or Banana pudding. This is a blue collar type of place serving average bbq at best, and I don't feel like they're trying to do anymore than that. Their lower prices reflect that too. read more

Gators BBQ - 2 meat plate - brisket and jalapeno sausage, bbq beans and Mac n cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

See all

Hands down, the BEST smoked BBQ I've ever had -- and I've tried a lot of places. The moment you walk in, the smell of hickory and slow-cooked meat hits you in the face in the best way possible. I ordered the brisket and ribs combo, and both were fall-off-the-bone tender with a perfect smoky bark. You can tell everything is cooked low and slow with real care. The meat was juicy, flavorful, and didn't even need sauce -- but their house BBQ sauce? Chef's kiss The sides were just as impressive -- creamy mac and cheese, tangy coleslaw, and baked beans that tasted homemade. Portions were generous, and the staff was friendly and welcoming from start to finish. Whether you're a BBQ fanatic or just craving something hearty and delicious, this place is a must. I'll definitely be coming back -- and bringing friends! read more

Just had some delicious lunch at Gators. I ordered the baby back rib dinner and my husband had the pulled pork sandwich. My lunch came with two sides, fries and coleslaw and my husband just had the sandwich with no slides. The pulled pork sandwich was delicious as were the ribs. We both tried the sweet BBQ sauce and it was tasty. The fries were a tiny bit under cooked and the coleslaw was very vinegary. The ribs and pork made up for the lack of taste in the fries and coleslaw. I used the bathroom before we left and it was very clean, as was the whole place. We would definitely eat here again. $23 plus tip for lunch. read more

See all

We ordered burnt ends(Brisket) boy was it burnt.it was so hard a fork wouldn't go through it. I can't understand why it was even put in a plate. We always get our food to go,so we didn't know till we were home. We usually eat here a few times a month. We will not be back. We're very disappointed in the way our complaint was handled. Obviously they don't care about regular customers. read more

I was looking for a BBQ joint close-by on the west side of Jacksonville as I was traveling back to Alabama. Sorry Yelp....I actually used Google this time since something was going on with the Yelp app. That's when I found the perfect BBQ place to celebrate an Alabama win over the Florida Gators....Gator's BBQ. I was kind of confused when I entered as the inside looked more like a meat and three place instead of a BBQ joint. Not only that, I saw a lot of promotions for non-BBQ entrees. But I soon found out that shouldn't give me any hesitation because this BBQ was legit! I ordered a 2 meat with pulled pork and brisket with potato salad and BBQ beans. Both meats would receive Big Al's approval for championship BBQ. Both meats were tender, juicy, and full of flavor. The potato salad was the chilled mustard/mayo based and the BBQ beans were made in-house. There are 7 sauces which makes a sauceaholic like me very happy. Some of the sauces were very similar like the mustard, hot mustard, and gold. The gold was sweeter and thinner than the mustard sauces. The Texas sauce tasted like Sonny's sweet, not how I expect a Texas sauce to taste. The vinegar base called Pig Sauce, I didn't care for. I didn't like the flavor of it. But the 2 best sauces were the sweet and Red Hot. These 2 sauces were definitely homemade and the flavor they offered would not be found anywhere else but here. They are both a sweet tomato base but had something extra in them. Sweet tea was refreshingly sweet! If you are looking for BBQ in West Jacksonville, don't pass by Gators. read more

See all

Excellent food, even better service. The atmosphere was very family-friendly. A large assortment of sauces were available, and you could not go wrong with any. read more

Love the food here wish it was larger its always packed. When I went to it when it first opened it was even smaller, they moved to us 90 or mist of us know as beaver from jacksonville florida. My wife loved it also. But to be honest my wife's banana pudding was way better, there's is still ok lol...also my friends love it. Great service every time love it. GOD bless you'll and your families. read more

FOOD IS FRESH, JUICY, DELICIOUS. The Ribs fell off the bone before I touched them. Service is awesome, super friendly and helpful! Small place Big Flavor. Awesome pricing! I'm from out of state and this is some of the best BBQ / Southern cooking I've had! Already a favorite of mine! Thank You Gators for a delicious lunch, took my mind off work for a bit. read more

See all

Local Gem! DELICIOUS bbq, FAST service, Inexpensive prices Stacked gator- 5/5, perfect portion delicious pulled pork, amazing pairing with the shredded cabbage Collard Greens-5/5 These were my favorite. They could have used some bacon but exceptionally flavorful and cooked just right Mac & Cheese- 1/5 Soggy, chees-less, flavorless. Craft is better Everything Else: -its order at the counter and seat yourself -Ample parking -I love that you get a complimentary fountain drink -The workers are nice enough. -the place is small -speedy service -we had no stomach issues afterwards which normally happens when we eat bbq so they're doing something right here read more

Gators BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

See all

Good BBQ and the best option in the area. Good portions, although maybe a bit higher priced on some items. Friendly service.

It's been a minute. I remember this being the BBQ "spot" the last time they were near the railroad tracks. It's either that, or I've had much better BBQ since. The chicken was extra bland. The brisket was okay and the sides were meh. I though the portions were also small as well. There's better road side BBQ places on the westside. Heck Sonny's and Bonos is better IMO based on the last meal from here. read more

See all

Tasty food and great people behind the counter. Having Sunday morning breakfast today.

Grat food fast Really enjoyed my barbecue Nice people gave us something sweet Rubs where good read more

Small locals place. Maybe seating for 16. Please don't ruin it. Great portions. Sorry no photos. Are too much too fast.

Best brisket in Jacksonville. I don't live far, but if I did, 1000% worth the drive. Sides are good too. The only thing I've had in NE FL that comes close to this good is Woodpeckers. No other establishment stands a chance read more

See all