Deserves 4 stars, except for one situation. Order on Uber Eats for pick up included four wings $11.99 (promo). I received 1 1/2 tenders. Drove back. Received explanation that the Venice location does have wings. Asked for two more tenders. No go on that. Advice: dine-in only so you don't have to drive back to fix order. I like the place and its people; however, you may run into 'management can't do that'. They would trade a bad review for two tenders (strangely I didn't order tenders to begin with). read more

Rib City - a tray of fried chicken and dipping sauces - Barbeque Near Me - Venice, Florida

First time visit for a quick lunch. I went with the special which was 1/4 chicken with choice of either sliced pork, pulled pork, or sliced beef and a choice of two sides. Food came out fast and staff was friendly. Restaurant was empty besides my party as they had just opened. Food had a nice smoky flavor and the house sauce was excellent. Worth a try if you are craving bbq. read more

Baby back ribs were IMO absolutely NOT baby back ribs or they had the meat cut off the top. Also the ribs were very dry. The pulled pork was mushy and had too much vinegar/too tart. Garlic bread was fine but nothing special. Oddly the spicy BBQ sauce was really good. Onion rings were fine. Service was great. read more

It's not Texas BBQ but it's not bad, Slightly Smokey environment adds to one's anticipation. This establishment serves the typical food found in a house of Barbecue and our table tried four different items, no complaints food was delicious as well as most generous especially the Brisket and Pork sandwiches. The platters were as generous, as well as tasty. Our waitress was not over friendly, in fact she was distant but she did her job. Beer was cold and the price was more than right as well as for the meals. I think this place is one of the most reasonably priced spots in this area, couple that with their great food and you have a winner. Not Texas but not bad. read more

It was a Monday afternoon and the Dow Jones industrial average just fell 3,000 points. The ideal time to take advantage of one of life's simple pleasures, BBQ ribs. The restaurant is located in a strip mall adjacent to Italianos restaurant. You have freedom of choice. There's also plenty of convenient off-street parking to keep the pre-dinner anxiety level down. There is certainly lots of anxiety around the coronavirus pandemic as I write this review. Moving along - our server was terrific, she was attentive and made good suggestions. I had the full slab of ribs with baked beans and coleslaw. I lathered on the house barbecue sauce and loved it. The flavor of the sauce and the meat was delicious. The taste and texture of the beans came together beautifully. The coleslaw was fresh and proved to be a perfect complement to the meat and beans. I was not a fan of the garlic toast. Too bad they didn't have cornbread as an accompaniment rather than the garlic toast. The ambience was typical of a rib place and in fact, I would consider it a nicely decorated barbecue restaurant. The dining areas were well taken care of and clean. With all the pessimism going on in the world regarding the coronavirus pandemic, this is certainly a pleasant break from the news. Salute! read more

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Spur of the moment dinner idea led us here. Stephanie was our server and her service was top notch. She had an amazing vibe and made us feel right at home. Food was great and came out super quick. Definitely recommend and we will be back! read more

What a great place!! Felt like home. Everything was awesome! Casey our server was FANTASTIC!!! Be sure and check out the bathrooms read more

Rib City - The crazy bathrooms at Rib City! - Barbeque Near Me - Venice, Florida

My wife's childhood favorite. We stopped by with my inlaws on a recent visit. Don't tell her but I usually am not a fan of chains. :-) Pulled pork dinner was pretty good. It was already sauced with a pretty nice tasting and vinegar based sauce. I added a bit of the hot stuff to kick it up. Service was outstanding and a good value. I'm not changing my mind on chains but this place was well above average. read more

The sign in the window says Under New Management. Perhaps they should bring back the old management. I've eaten here many times and at the Rib City in Ft. Myers. Both were always pretty good. Tonite I opted to have dinner at the Venice location. The sliced pork may not have even been pork. Tough. No flavor at all. More like the mystery meat we used to get at school when I was growing up. I never send food back but asked the waitress to bring out pulled pork instead. It was even worse! An absolutely atrocious meal. I did enjoy the loaded bake potato hence the 1-star rating instead of a big fat zero. read more

I used to order the picnic chicken 4 pack often before Covid shut everything down. The food was always good. I forgot about that place until tonight and decided to order the same thing. It was not good at all. The bbq beans weren't good, the slaw was just ok. The chicken was barely cooked enough and bland. I couldn't eat any of it. I had ordered onion rings and at least they were good. I won't order food from here again. read more

The food was the worst barbecue we've had in the area. We had been there before and it was lousy but we heard it was under new owners so we went back. Same lousy food. Brisket was half fat, not tender at all and not hot. Mac and cheese tasted overcooked, baby back ribs were the smallest ribs we've ever seen. Manager said she would have taken them off the bill if we told her because we didn't eat it, but frankly, we didn't want a free meal we wanted a good done. Not here read more

OK, but not that good. So let me bottom line this for you....... Sonny's actually got their act together a few years ago and have much better smoked meats, e.g. St. Louis ribs, baby backs, and chicken. Their fries and baked beans are just OK, but I'm reviewing Rib City so read on McDuff....... We stopped in for lunch today as we have seen this place for years and thought that we'd try it on a whim. (we skipped the Yelp reviews and I don't typically do that). Several reviewers stated that this place is quite dated inside. I also noted the well worn tables, worn menus and cracker barrel-like ambiance and wall decorations. Our waitress, Casey, was very pleasant and attentive. Today was $1 bottomless ice tea. Now, let's get to the important stuff......the food! I ordered the St. Louis rib combo and selected the 1/4 chicken for the other meat. BBQ beans and the fries for my two sides. My wife ordered the Baby Rack Ribs, cole slaw and house made mac and cheese. We each received 5 ribs. Now, I smoke ribs often and purchase them at Costco, which I routinely get full racks of 13+ ribs. I have to presume that their purveyor sells a rack of ribs of 10 in their full pork rack. Baby Backs were tender, good flavor but short, about 2.5" long. Pretty small in my experience. The St. Louis ribs were also on the small side, about 3.25", chewy, and OK flavor. The 1/4 chicken was a leg and thigh. Both pieces were pretty small and a bit on the dry side. The grilled Texas toast was excellent! The fries were the double cooked variety, came right from the fryer, fresh grease, and hot, hot, hot..........delicious! OK, let's get to those sides. BBQ Beans - don't bother. Beans tasted cooked in house but not quite fully cooked. No BBQ flavor, no bits of meat, e.g. bacon, pulled pork, etc., no onion, nothing that would push these into the realm of acceptable. The sauce they came in was sweet and also not much BBQ flavor. The mac and cheese needs to be creamy to make it lip smacking good. If you've ever melted regular cheddar cheese and not added enough milk or cream, you have no doubt experienced those small lumps clinging sporadically to the elbow mac. We took it home and my wife will fix it. The cole slaw was the sweet type and decent, if one likes that style. So in short, we were expecting much better and got much less for $50. And that my friends is why you and I are Yelpers. LOL My apologies for not taking some pics. read more

I used to like this place very much until the last time there. I got deathly ill after eating their ground steak burger. The only things that give me such a violent reaction is MSG and artificial sweeteners. It's a mystery I don't want to repeat. read more

No hype! Just plainly delicious great down home cooking! Prices are reasonable, easy ambiance and friendly, helpful staff. If you just want to enjoy the food, relax and not spend a fortune, you can't beat this home style neighborhood gem. read more

I have a sincere belief that once you leave Texas , it is nearly impossible to find good BBQ. Sadly, Rib City exemplifies all that is wrong , confused, and perverse about commercial America's take on BBQ. First of all , the whole gallon of sickening sweet bbq sauce they drench everything in needs to be escorted to the dumpster. BBQ derives it's flavor from smoke first and foremost , and any "sauce" or rub added should be a trickle not a damn Tsunami. I ordered their bbq beef sandwich with a side of cole slaw and BBQ beans. The coleslaw was ok, still loaded with sugar , but almost forgivable. The beans on the other hand tasted like a gallon of syrup had been added whilst cooking and were literally inedible. It was like trying to eat some baked bean flavored jam. Do they make make that? The bbq beef sandwich consisted of two slices of their signature garlic bed , drenched in butter , and layered with an Arby's type of beef product , it must have started life as a sirloin or London broil , it wasn't brisket , and not even in the same country as BBQ. The meat was tough , flavorless , and way too lean for anything you would call BBQ. Sad, sad, sad. I'm sure hundreds will go to this place think the food is fabulous , and leave with happy faces. I don't know if ignorance of food is a sin, but it should be , especially with BBQ. I feel like I should park outside and distribute samples of real BBQ brisket so the poor souls truly understand what they're missing. Oh well, chock up another victory for corporate America, the ruination of our food , and cultural deprivation. read more

Rib City - Disgusting BBQ Beans. - Barbeque Near Me - Venice, Florida

Food was great. Fast and friendly service. Ribs were very tender. Good size serving. The coleslaw was yummy.

Very disappointing. I bet their ribs are good however I would not know since I got the brisket which resembled hospital food... I'm from Texas and North Florida, the meat looked like deli meat wrapped in fat rather than a real brisket and the flavor and texture of the meat was mids. Did not taste like true bbq read more

This is a local and no frills casual place that is known for their mastery of the barbecue. It's very basic inside but don't let that stop you from dining here or ordering takeout. The ribs, burgers, pulled pork are sooooo good! I ordered a half rack of ribs, baked potato and green beans. The ribs were very tender, fell off the bone easily. They offer Texas toast vs corn bread with your meal which I loved but others in my group wished cornbread was on the menu. Their baked beans are delish. Green beans are ok. The pulled pork was fabulous, (tender and flavorful). Rib City's pricing is excellent for the quantity of amount of food you receive. They were short staffed but you'd never know it. The staff was very attentive, considerate, friendly, hard working and still our food came within 10 minutes. read more

Was super excited to try Rib City for lunch. Initially loved my server...before she disappeared for the rest of my meal. Baked beans were served ice cold. Serving me or any patron a brown lettuce salad says it all. Rib City does not give a hoot about it's customer. If they did, they would NEVER insult anyone by expecting a paying customer to eat an entire bowl of ROTTEN lettuce. Lettuce is the cheapest ingredient in the restaurant biz, so there is zero excuse!!! I was so hungry for a delish lunch and never fathomed how Barbecue could go so rottenly wrong. Sent salad back. I could only eat the micro servings of corn on the cob--which were good--but $2 for one-third of a corn on the cobb is a rip off and does not a lunch make for a hungry person. Serve an entire cob of corn! I'm sure there are plenty of other great restaurants in Venice, Florida to try so steer clear of Rib City because it is pretty $h!tty!!!! read more

This restaurant is being run by kids and unfortunately it shows in the food and service. Server made several mistakes including inability to bring correct drink order. Ordered the special that was clearly posted on the chalk board, but was charged extra for brisket. When questioned, the server and manager said we should have been told. No offer to take it off the bill. Baby backs arrived insufficiently hot and onion rings (also an up charge of 5 small overly fried rings) were not worth the extra cost. Poorly run place with at best mediocre food. read more

Went to the Venice location maybe 2 months ago because I had visited another location in the past and really enjoyed it. I want to start off with and say the food I ordered was tasty and not a bad deal for the quantity. My server who I can't remember her name, was very sweet. Now for my few complaints. This location felt like I was eating in a sauna and not a restaurant. I almost wanted to cancel my order and leave, it was that uncomfortable. The place felt so old, dingy and not very clean. It could really use a good remodel. It just had an overall non fresh feel to it. I didn't pay too much attention until I sat down and took it all in visually and by feel. I didn't have the heart to up and leave the waitress, as there were only about three tables occupied at that time. I hope they would consider doing some updating and remodeling with a fresh new feel. I wanted to like this place. read more

Phoned order in at 4:15pm from Englewood. They said it would be 15-20 mins so I take off to get it. On arrival they had me pay my bill even though it wasn't ready yet. A couple walked in after me and placed a order right in front of me. They got their order first. When I questioned how that happened the girl just slams the bag on the table & walked away. Got my meal at 5:22pm I did call management & got an "I'm sorry." read more

Good value, great BBQ, and a lot of options. The service was friendly and fast. The atmosphere is one of rustic, very appropriate for a rib place. read more

Let me start by saying that I live in Chicago and have visited plenty of Rib places. So I knew right from the beginning to lower my expectations for Rib City. After my first visit to Rib City I was disappointed by my order of Riblet dinner. Now keep in mind Riblet dinner plate should be a larger version of the lunch size Riblet order. I decided to go with a larger portion because I was feeling a bit more hungry than usual. When I opened my order I was not happy to see 4 strands of meat and a toast. I right away wondered if somehow I got the lunch version. So I decided that mistakes happen and I will order there again and see. Two day later, we placed a larger order which included Riblet dinner plate, 2 Rib combo and 2 chicken on the green salads. This time I asked to make sure I get the larger version since that is what I'm paying for. They confirmed. I also specifically mentioned not to make the chicken dry. They also confirmed. When we opened up our order we right away new that this would probably THE LAST time we order from this place. 17.99 Rib Combo was dry and the sauce was all charred. It was missing coleslaw and was sprinkled with some fries. 12.99 Riblet order was as pictured in the attached photo. Amount of strips was the same as in a first time order. So this must be the correct amount. However, it makes me wonder what a 9.99 Riblet order offers. 2 salads were really nothing more than a slab of DRY chicken (despite my advice) on top of nothing but a pile of lettuce. It did not look like a mixed greens like the menu said. Again look at the photo. In conclusion, I believe I gave this place a fair chance and they dropped the ball twice. May not return for a while. read more

Rib City - Barbeque Near Me - Venice, Florida

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What a great experience, from my server to Marie the manager. They all went above and beyond including sharing eclipse glasses. i would highly recommend!! read more

Kudos to our server, Emma, and to Corinne and her husband who were doing it all tonight! The food is always great and the service is always exemplary despite all the COVID challenges with help. Rib City Express is closer to our home, but we drive here because this store far outshines it. Thank you! SIX STARS! read more

Meh, we asked for smoked Turkey for thanksgiving dinner but got sliced deli meat. Very disappointing.

The garlic toast is my favorite and the ribs are great too! I personally prefer Gold Rush when getting bbq in Venice, but this one is more convenient when we are on that side of town and it's still very good. read more

Rib City - Barbeque Near Me - Venice, Florida

Not exceptional, expensive. It is ok but not to take others to impress. Seemed pretty busy

Amazing place! We are from Kentucky and missed BBQ so decided to try and we were not disappointed. The waitress recommended the "farm" which is the cheese fry app with buffalo chicken strips on them. Phenomenal! We had a half order with the spicy ranch. Half order was more than enough for us and so delicious! The baby back ribs are next level along with the sliced pork. We had the green beans and cole slaw as well and both did not disappoint. 10 out of 10 and we will be back! read more

We arrived 45 minutes before closing time Thursday evening 10/26/23...we were a party of 4...hostess looked at us then walked away without saying a word. We stood there for over 5 minutes and she never returned. I guess she wanted to close early! We left and went to Chili's right around the corner and had a great meal with excellent service!...Can't recommend a place with poor service like Rib City! read more

Best place for BBQ They have the best ribs I've ever had. Only place I know where you can get a rack and a half with two sides for $21.99. That's daily!! Awesome sweet ice tea. The baked beans are outstanding. Service is not bad either. read more

Tried it only once....THAT WAS ENOUGH..Got to go combination plate with ribs and chicken since the aroma in the air smelled so good. We'll the smell must've came from somewhere else...when I got home I was greeted by small over cooked ribs and small dried out chicken..I'm from Chicago and BBQ is a big deal there( rib tips,hot links,slow,real slow smoking) so this was par for the course for local resturants. Finally better ,more reasonable options are becoming available. read more

Large portions great service delicious food recommend it fun place staff seems to really enjoy their job

Just moved go town and decided to try out this place. It was a surprise as we feasted on the Feast for 2. The food was tender and smoky without being overly salty (my biggest bbq pet peeve). The baked potatoes were not over baked but perfectly cooked. The coleslaw is creamy and it was obvious their beans were made from scratch as they were delicious without being overly sweet. The baby backs were tender and finger licking good, the chicken was smoked and tender without being overly dry. The rest of the meats were just smoky goodness. Definitely will be coming back for more! read more

Rib City - Barbeque Near Me - Venice, Florida

The food was excellent, the service was excellent and the price was good. The meat falls of the baby back ribs and best coleslaw I've had in a long time. read more

Came for dinner on a coupon and I was so pleased to find out that the food was amazing and full of flavor. Came in hungry and left full and content! Try this place and enjoy. read more

Rib City - Barbeque Near Me - Venice, Florida

Great smoked ribs. We found this place last year when we saw an advertisement and started making fun of it. They'll and behold we are at target and driving down the road and see it. So, we pull in and give it a try. Ribs were excellent. Fried okra was also. We just went back last night on vacation and decided to give it another go. Ribs where just as good if not better, the baked beans are awesome if you like molasses. No, they don't have health food. As the name implies it is Rib City. The waitresses both times where awesome. A definite must eat if you like slow smoked ribs. read more

Nope. Sorry. Just not up to the competition. We won't do it again. Service was fine, but the sandwiches were sub par.

Stopped on Friday January 26 2024 at about 6 PM.   Several years ago, this place used to be packed.  The food was also really good.  The restaurant was less than half full the entire time we were in it.  I ordered the The Big Fish Sandwich -" Hand-breaded and fried to a golden brown served on a large bun with lettuce, tomato, and housemade tartar sauce".  I was asked if I wanted lettuce and tomato and I answered yes.  It came without either.  When asked about the daily specials, the waitress didn't know so yelled to another waitress to get them.  The fish tasted like it was cooked in old grease.  It did not have any fish flavor, only a bad batter taste.  The wife had the ribs and pulled pork combo.  The ribs were good but the pulled pork didn't have much flavor.   We were never asked how the meal was, if anyone wanted more coke/water.  A fork that came wrapped up in a napkin was dirty. Didn't see the waitress so went to another table to get one. When it came time for the check, we waited for it for over 15 mins. and never saw the waitress.  Finally went up to the counter to get it.  There were 4 people standing around.  I told them that the waitress should probably find a different career.  This got a chuckle and a nod from some of them.  Anyway they had to go and find her. It still took a few minutes for her to show up.  Given the food and service, we will no longer stop at Rib City to eat. read more