I had some business in Waldo this weekend and decided that I hadn't been to Randy's in a while, so I should head up a bit early and grab some lunch there since I had a chance. I have been here before, but not since the shutdown hit. Business hours have changed to just the weekends, and the menu this time around was limited to almost all seafood. No ribs in sight, which is kind of sad. They were only doing outdoor seating as well, but sitting outside was quite pleasant. I ordered a grouper platter with fries and baked beans, and it came out in short order. The fish was good... I enjoyed it quite a lot. It didn't need tartar sauce or anything. The fries were also good, and held up throughout the meal. The beans are more what I would call cowboy beans rather than barbecue beans, but they were still good. I do hope that things pick up for this place and they return to the larger menu. read more

Randy's Rib Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Waldo, Florida

Please be advised that Randy's Rib Shack is not just a cute name to attach to a restaurant to conjure a rustic name. No, the word "shack" in the business name of Randy's Rib Shack is also a pretty accurate description of the exterior of this business. This should not be taken as a negative though. It is a fair description and the food offered here compliments such humble surroundings. The food here is pure Americana and done pretty good. Of course, as with most restaurants, some of the menu items are done better than others. The ribs here are good (they better be, since they are literally in the name of the business). Don't get me wrong, I have had better food, but the dining options around here seemed a bit limited and this place was a good choice. read more

I spotted this little BBQ Shack just off of 301 as I approached Waldo from the north, one easy way to remember the location is its a few hundred feet on the right once you pass the infamous Waldo speed trap where the closely knitted line of speed limit signs take you from 65 miles per hour to 55 mph to 45 mph to 35 mph in less than a quarter of a mile so while standing on the brakes trying to avoid the expensive toll you might as well turn on your right turn signal and pull over for some good ole Florida BBQ. This little shack is hard to miss if you're paying attention, the old screened in smoke house is proudly presented between the entrance to the back parking lot and the outdoor dining area. The service here is extremely friendly and the prices are ridiculously reasonable and the BBQ.... well it's definitely in a category by itself as I find most Florida BBQ to be. Looking for a little protein to hold me over I decided to grab a half a rack of pork ribs and a half pound of beef brisket. Having eaten tons of bbq I try not to compare it to other bbq in other parts of the county because it's total different and Randy's Rib Shack is doing it right. Pork Rib - large and meaty and cooked void of any sauce, they don't base their meats which I appreciate I like to taste the seasoning and the smoke. Today the ribs were very tender and filled with flavor more from the seasoning than from the pit but fall off the bones tender, juicy and tasty. I would of preferred a little more smoke and a little more bark but that's not what they do here and apparently it's working for them. Beef Brisket - they slice it thin here and most of it was sliced with the grain verses against the grain - I'm not one to judge this brisket by the way it's cut it's not bad it's just unique and like none I've eaten before. The brisket was served freshly sliced and very moist and seasoned with some kind of garlic based seasonings. It seemed a little strange at first sight but after the first taste I was a fan. There's a lot going on here and I hope to get back soon to try some of their other specialties it all looks good... read more

See all

Stop by this cute little shack for lunch on our way home from MA. 2 dozen of oysters (very fresh) and two huge rib platter and 4 beers and it only cost $70 Perfect spot to break the trip. It's family own business for 7 years. Very highly recommend, the young lady Celeste (sorry if I spelled wrong) is very friendly and did a great job. read more

See all

Stopped here on the way home from Newberry and WOW! A must for the best, moist tender and seasoned ribs. This little mom & pop place beats anything in JAX. Well priced for serious portions. The biggest winner is their BBQ sauce, we couldn't put our finger on the ingredients, but I would buy a bottle if they sold it. Down side was seating outside, we were covered in flys. But I would stop again read more

Rude. My family of 3 went there & no one would serve us. This overweight girl just stared at us for 40 mins while she served other people. We left after 45 mins of waiting & being ignored. I think they went out of business since Covid, & tbh, good, served them right, imo, after how they treated kind & patient customers. read more

Randy's doesn't look like much from the road, but looks can fool. For one, when you come up to the rear (from the road) of the building, you realize it's larger than it seemed and they have a nice outdoors dining area, too. The interior is small but very clean and the staff is very outgoing and friendly. You can park in the nearby parking lot of the Amtrak station, and as the station is not currently in use for Amtrak trains, that should be fine. I am not sure how long Randy's has been in business, but know that Amtrak did have train service to this station up to around 2004 and suspect part of the reason for Randy's location was to entice those hungry travelers with good food. Aside from the expected ribs, Randy's is known also for its seafood, especially the catfish. Their hushpuppies and sides (mac n cheese, perhaps most notably) are also on-point and the sheer length and diversity of their menu is pretty impressive. Given that they have something of a captive audience here--their only competition is fast food and a Mexican restaurant--you'd not think Randy's would aspire to the very highest caliber of food, but for the simple, Southern, comfort-food they offer, they do a great job. Expect however that many items, especially the starters, are all fried and not the healthiest of options probably, but what you'd expect for this type of restaurant and if you ARE in the market for things like jalapeño poppers or fried cheese sticks or onion rings, might as well get really good ones, right? Their sweet tea is Southern-perfect, also. Though Amtrak doesn't stop here anymore, a fair amount of freight including the Tropicana orange juice express train roars through here and it's a good spot also for train buffs to train-watch. read more

Randy's Rib Shack - Randy's sign. - Barbeque Near Me - Waldo, Florida

Well, one thing they have going for them is portions- and that they are large. We stopped because of the rave reviews and felt that the food was decent, but not crave-worthy. I decided on the boiled shrimp, and there were well over the stated number of nice, large shrimp on my plate. While they were covered in spice, they didn't really have much flavor on their own. Cole slaw and baked beans were decent, both a bit soupy. My mom had the ribs, which leaned more on the tough than tender side. Her "cucumber salad" was actually pickles.... weird. Their BBQ sauces could use some more umph, but they were okay. Alright place, but I probably wouldn't stop here again. read more

Randy's Rib Shack - Steamed shrimp platter with BBQ beans, cole slaw, and the 2 hush puppies hiding in the back - Barbeque Near Me - Waldo, Florida

After yelping found this roadside rib shack. Opens at 11:30 daily, not 1:30 Yelp. Lots of outdoor dining right between hwy and rr tracks. Prices were great. Hubby loved tender fall off bone ribs. My grilled grouper sandwich was WAY MORE bread than grouper, so as not to lose the fish I only ate bottom bun and fish only 2/3 length of hoagie roll. Lima beans were okay with hubby, teen who likes them, didn't like these. Fruit salad from a can. Cucumber salad just okay. Fried okra and hush puppies were good--fried seems to be the speciality of Randy. Could have gotten the buffalo fried frog legs--maybe next time. Thanks Celeste for taking good care of us. read more

See all

One of the most awesome smoked ribs I have had in a long time. Where's Waldo, well I found him, and he's living in a po-dunk town, that has one spectacular BBQ shack. They are known for their ribs and their catfish, but they have the gamut here from alligator to oysters. The staff, well they can take care of themselves. They're friendly and they know there business. I was very happy dealing with them. The place is a dump, but get over it, they have beautiful ribs and that's all that counts. I'm so happy now that I have to drive to Jacksonville in a few weeks, as I will be able to go back to Randy's Ribs! read more

See all

We just stopped here for lunch as we were driving through and we are so happy we did! Every single thing we ate was delicious. We ate: pulled pork cheese fries (with real melted cheese,) pulled pork plate with Cole slaw, pickles (cucumber salad,) mustard greens, fried okra, and French fries, brisket, and shrimp. Everything was extremely delicious. The atmosphere is awesome. It's a standard road side stand with a nicer twist. They use reusable dishes and silverware. Definitely a step above the typical Styrofoam and plastic. They also have home made cocktail sauce and spicy and regular home made barbeque sauce. All three are fantastic. read more

When I say this is best tasty food and good quantity food for the price you, is it.... Don't believe me try it. They deserve a 5 star and very nice people. Usually I get a single tilapia when I order - but here for 12 bucks I got two big sized tasty and heavy seasoned tilapias. God bless them...... read more

Randy's Rib Shack - Mid-afternoon tasty lunch... - Barbeque Near Me - Waldo, Florida

Im a looong time, local customer of Randy's ribs and was flat out devastated when their 484 location closed. I searched everywhere for quite a while and brokenheartedly accepted my lack of closure when I couldnt track down another location. ...fast forward to August 2014 and something familiar glimpses in the corner of my eye while driving on 301... I pulled into the parking lot like someone stranded in the Sahara desert...I couldnt tell if it was real or a mirage that I soo badly wanted to touch (well, taste!!!) ...Even thou a few years passed, I was home as soon as I smelled the smoke and bit into a rib. You can almost taste the love of his craft that goes into this food and it has been both blessing and a curse for me...Randy sets the bar really high for ribs and anything else is just settling for less. His bbq sauces are divine in their own right...the ribs are so savory on their own that I find myself not needing anything to add to the flavor. ...great to see a trimmed down menu, mainly everything at this point showcases why Randy's is a class above!!! I do miss seeing the deer head with the pig earrings on its antlers, thou! read more

Randy's Rib Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Waldo, Florida

See all

Wow!!!! I have never had more TENDER ribs. They were MAGICAL!!!!! We drove 40 miles to visit on a Saturday afternoon and it was well worth the trip.....weekends are your only chance to catch this little gem open. The portions were huge and the service was excellent. We sat outside and there was a nice breeze plus the ceiling fans. My son had the brisket melt and he said it was fabulous. My husband has the jambalaya bowl; a great choice of flavorful shrimp and sausage, okra and rice and tomatoes!! Mom had the fried oysters and was very happy with her choice. Can't wait to return to Randy's Ribs!!! read more

Great hole in the wall Bbq place!! We had fried green tomatoes (more like pink), pulled pork (great!) , shrimp basket (great shrimp and the fries and okra were wonderful! Fried perfectly!! ). Hush puppies were good but need more spice. The server/manager was a really nice women!! The whole place is much nicer than at first glance. Very clean. We sat outside and watched TV. It's big and there was plenty of shade and a fan to keep us cool enough even though it's 98 degrees outside! The landscaping makes it a very relaxing place to hang out. They're growing peppers by the big shade tree and have nice greenery all around. They serve beer and wine COOLERS. Not wine. The server was super nice and brought us to go sodas on our way out. Tip: it's a one way street. Pull in to park BEFORE you get to the restaurant . You park behind it. There's also street parking which is where we parked since we missed the parking lot and you have to drive around the block to get back to it. Street parking worked great for us but we didn't have kids with us. read more

See all

Very cool place. Great food and awesome service. There is limited inside seating but lots of room outside with a TV as well. I enjoyed the gator tails with rice, Cole slaw and hush puppies. Awesome and very filling! We also had the fried catfish, and although I was not a huge catfish fan before - Randy's converted me. All excellently priced! Very glad we got off the beaten path a bit and found Randy's! read more

Randy's Rib Shack - Fried gator tail and hush puppies! - Barbeque Near Me - Waldo, Florida

See all

If you want barbecue and southern fried food, this place is pretty good. If this is not what you're looking for go elsewhere. Ribs are great and we'll come back for these. Everything else was ok. Brisket was a bit dry, coconut shrimp tasty, fried okra quite nice, hush puppies and Mac and cheese decent, mustard greens WAY too salty. Very limited options in this area, but even so, I will come back again, but stick to the rib dinner and maybe sample some of the appies. (We didn't try the jambalaya but it looked really good). read more

Randy's Rib Shack - Coconut shrimp, fried okra, mustard greens and hush puppies. - Barbeque Near Me - Waldo, Florida

See all

Food Coma Heaven!!! Worth the visit, your taste buds and stomach will love you for it. Outstanding customer service. It's family friendly, small sitting inside, or eat outdoors, under the covered patio (w/ceiling fans) picnic tables, very clean too. Everything is homemade, flavorful and in large portions. I had the brisket & rib combo...so good. It's been a long time since I've eaten quality BBQ that doesn't require sauces; it was juicy, tender & seasoned to perfection. My son raved about his shrimp/oyster platter & my husband loved the pork tenderloin. Hands down, a winner in our books, & we rate it as, "Homemade Deliciousness!!" read more

See all

Today was a breezy afternoon having a great pulled pork sandwich at Randy's Rib Shack. Had mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, BBQ baked beans with hush puppies. My wife had the basket of shrimp with fries. Everything was home cooked and tasted great. It's a nice place and not too expensive. This is the second time here and we will be back. read more

Was expecting epic side of the road BBQ...got alright side of the road BBQ. Ordered the family ribs meal (formerly ribs for 2). 1. Not $22.50 like in the pictures. Prices hiked up to $27.45...plus tax, you're sitting at a solid $30. That's a pretty penny...which set high expectations to justify dropping that much moolah...I thought this better be d**n good. 2. Ribs: pretty good seasoning rub but I don't know about "killer" as advertised. However, it was a mountain of meat. 3. Sides. The fried okra was really friggin good. The other 3 sides however...very mediocre. I mean VERY mediocre. The fruit was literally canned fruit...like the nasty pineapple and pears in fructose syrup stuff. YUCK! What kind of restaurant serves this stuff? It's like 99 cents a gallon at Walmart, c'mon people. Fruit means fresh fruit. Especially when you're in the middle of Florida with fresh fruit fields up the ying yang. The coleslaw tasted and looked like it had been sitting out there all day. Barely palatable. And the baked beans...let's just say if you've ever had baked beans, then you've had better baked beans. Even canned beans are way better than whatever bean slop they had. So in sum, I was let down by Randy's Rib Shack. Alright ribs and lots of them, but everything else was rather weak. Not worth the $ IMO read more

I have come by this hole in road rib n seafood shack quite a few times. But today was the first time they open as they are closed on Monday and Tuesday. They are worth the stop for lunch or dinner. They have very little inside seating you see by the pictures I took. I got the rib dinner which comes with 2 sides n 1 piece of Texas toast. You get 4 ribs or as some people say 4 bones. They were very tender without a lot of rib but a good flavor without any side BBQ sauce. I got Mac and cheese and baked beans. The Mac and cheese is home made with penne pasta and I think white cheddar cheese, it was so-so. The beans had too much onion flavor and I could not taste much else. Maybe if I get chance I will try the catfish as a lot of orders seem to that when I was standing waiting to order. read more

See all

Yelp stated they were open till 10pm. Drive there and the board says they were open on Friday but they were closed. Update your info. We drive quite a ways to eat there. read more

Awesome menu. So much looked amazing it was hard to decide. Huge portions and the shrimp were the best (and largest) I've had in some time. Friendly staff, even brought us out samples of chicken salad they just made (which was amazing). A little out of my way but if it was closer in sure I'd be a regular. read more

Not bad for a off the beaten path dinner! Nothing special roadside place with outside picnic tables and umbrellas. The food was really good we had the brisket sandwich it was delicious. read more

We stopped here for lunch on a Sunday while going back home (SC) after our Tampa trip with friends. The name of the town (Waldo) is pretty cool and all the food in Florida had been pretty good, so I had high expectations! The weather was not the greatest for Florida (was little bit chill), but we chose the outside seating area and ordered several things. I ordered the grilled grouper sandwich with fries - it was by far the best fish sandwich in the USA. The bread, the tomatoes, and fish were all great. I especially loved the spices on the fish. My friends tried jambalaya, chicken and fried catfish, all liked them. Also, these guys are very friendly. Randy's is a must-stop place if you are hungry and close to Waldo, FL - especially for lunch time. I am sure that it is even greater in Fall and Spring. read more

Great BBQ. Easily some of the best I've had. You'll never see Randy's while southbound - you've got to know where it is. Clean place and good value food with nice waitstaff. Simple layout - interior seating is a wall facing bar that surrounds the room with a large screen TV on 1 wall. Worth visiting everytime a pass near Waldo, FL. read more

Randy's is a 6+. The plus is the service. The food is Rick sold fresh and full of flavor. Check the specials board. Jambalaya was great enjoy read more

Today at Randy's Rib Shack, I had the Texas toast brisket melt. The most tender beef brisket I've had in a long while. Topped with melted provolone cheese between two slices of garlic bread. It was served with a delicious Au Jus that wasn't overly salty as I usually find at most restaurants. For sides, mustard greens and lima beans seasoned to Southern perfection. I washed down with some delicious sweet iced tea. This is the sixth time I've been here and I've never had a bad meal. Don't speed through Waldo or you just might miss this great little restaurant. The Waldo flea market is nearby and Randy's is a great place to refuel after a day of bargain hunting. read more

See all

Randy's is a gem! This place was quite a find. The quirky setting and extensive menu made us feel like we were having a unique experience, instead of just grabbing lunch someplace. I had ribs and my husband had a seafood basket. HUGE portions and reasonable prices. I really can't wait to go back and try their other offerings!! read more

First off I love the open air Key West type restaurants, and that's what this restaurant atmosphere reflected. The food was amazing to me all the portions look like they were really good size. The catfish you got three big fillets and they tasted so fresh. Moist on the inside. Just the right amount of batter was not really a batter but like a cornmeal coating. The hush puppies were obviously his own recipe Very flavorful. I'm going to get my husband to go there with me soon as I can with the 54 min trip there. They're closed Mondays and Tuesdays. read more

Randy's Rib Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Waldo, Florida

See all

First meal there was very good. Generous servings, (ordered a dozen oysters, got 15) good food. One of the few places to get raw oysters without spending an arm & leg. Second wasn't so good. They were in a hurry to close and shut down part of the kitchen (steamer) an hour before posted closing time (8pm) meaning half the menu wasn't available. I ordered a dozen oysters, got 11. I'll go back and try again trusting that isn't common. . . . I've been back several times since the last review. You have to get the raw oysters, especially when they have Virginia oysters. Huge, briny, sweet, awesome. Also get the cold peel & eat shrimp, spicy. Catfish is the best fried dinner platter to get. Very generous servings. They've earned another star or two! read more

We visited the Starke Strawberry Festival earlier and were looking for some good eats, remembered Randy's and saw that it was 10 minutes away so off we went. I had the 1/2 lb spiced steamed shrimp hot, ( you can get them hot, cold, spiced or plain) they were extra large shrimp and very fresh and seasoned perfectly. I also had the sliced pork sandwich which was tender, flavorful and not the slightest bit dry. The slaw on the side was black pepper spicy and great piled on top of my sandwich with a few sliced pickles ( Ga bbq and NC bbq style melded). We also had the regular rib dinner. WOW! These were huge and tender with incredible smoke and seasoned flavor. I big hit! If you order fries be sure to ask for low salt and I would prefer NO old Bay Seasoning on the garlic toast. I will ask for that next time. We sat outside and enjoyed watching The Help on the big screen tv mounted under the roof that covers the tables. We are already thinking up the next excuse to run out to Randy's! You should too. read more

Lexi and I had to turn around to come back here (which wasn't easy to do) but it was beyond worth it! This place is a gem, nestled next to the seemingly abandoned amtrak station in Waldo, FL. We had the seafood platter for two and were blown away, even though we'd been eating seafood for nearly a week straight! I can't imagine why all the cars seem to roll right past but they don't know what they're missing; excellent home style meal with wonderful service. We may have to come back to Waldo just to stop here again. read more

Randy's Rib Shack - Seafood platter for two! UH-MAZING! - Barbeque Near Me - Waldo, Florida

We stopped by Randy's on the way to the beach because of the reviews. But, we were disappointed over all. The service was incredibly slow. We believe there was only one server and maybe only one kitchen staff. The server was also working the take out window. People that came a long time after us that came to the window were being served 1st. Even a couple that sat at a table 10mins after us got their order taken and their food 20mins before us. It just seemed disorganized. Our server was nice and I could tell she was stretched very thin so I wasn't going to complain to her. The food was decent. We got pulled pork which was a little soggy on the bread but tasted good. The BLT was very good. The fried catfish was crispy and tasty. The Brussels sprouts were boiled and bland. If you're looking for a super slow laid back just ok meal, then this is your place. read more

Had the catfish basket with fries and Mac n cheese. Was absolutely delicious with quick service and big portions. Highly recommend this of the beaten path restaraunt if you are ever in Waldo. read more

Randy's Rib Shack - Catfish basket with Mac n cheese, fries, and hush puppies. - Barbeque Near Me - Waldo, Florida

I have had the shrimp and wings 2 times and they were great! My wife had pork sandwich and she really enjoyed it. The portion sizes are very good and the taste is wonderful. I will say that it can be a little slow amd service isnt always right on top but people have been friendly and I will deffiently go back. read more

This was a giod find on our way to Jacksonville. We ordered 1 lb of shrimps and one rack of ribs. We definitely ordered way too much for for just 2 adults and 2 small kids. I was so impressed with their shrimps. For just $12 i got a good portion of the biggest and juiciest shrimps I've ever tried in a restaurant. The ribs was not good at all. It was tough and dry and just lacking smokey flavor. They brought oysters to the table next to us and they looked fresh and yummy. I was told by our server that they have eat all you can shrimp everyday theyre open. We will be back for their seafood but not for the ribs. This is more like 3 1/2 stars but it's not an option so I'd say 4 coz our server was awesome too and very attentive. read more

Randy's Rib Shack - Big big juicy shrimps!! - Barbeque Near Me - Waldo, Florida

Easy to miss, but worth the turnaround. Yelp pointed us to Randy's, and we're glad you did. It was hard to decide and hard to resist the AYCE (which isn't a variety, but the acronym for all-you-can-eat)! One chose the rib dinner, with fries and okra. I chose the seafood dinner with shrimp, clams, and oysters, with cabbage and mustard greens. Both were delicious and had very generous portions. In fact, we have enough for 2 meals each! I couldn't believe the amount of oysters and shrimp. They were delicious and the shrimp weren't the teeny kind you sometimes get. Skip the clams. Friendly and helpful service, when you next "find Waldo", make a stop! read more

Excellent little "go to" place. We found this on Yelp with great reviews on our way from Tampa to Jacksonville to visit our son. Oysters were excellent as far as size, flavor & price. Very good. I had the ribs with mac-n-cheese & fried okra. My wife had the shrimp basket with fried okra and coleslaw. Everything was very good. Directions coming north on 301 is a little challenging the first time, but that's it. Staff was awesome for personality and service. This is sure to become our stop of choice on this regular trip of ours. Next time... Catfish! read more

Above average bbq spot with a very extensive nenu w lots of choices, and consequently they do some things better than others. Their ribs are succulent and fatty and the sauce choices are suitable for those ranging from sweet to spicy. Pulled pork sandwich is a standard. Brisket was a little dry. The fish was a pleasant surprise-esp the grouper. Sides are consistently good. Like any heavy bbq meal you'll want to stay seated for a while after. Definitely induces the itis Nice to have an option in Waldo that's not a fast food restaurant read more