Disclaimer: I am a Texas BBQ superfan. I patented my own smoker, so have a deep love of this food type. Shortys is a short walk from my daughter's condo so we gave it a try during our visit to Miami. It had all the making of great BBQ....started in the 50's, dumpy exterior of building with neon lights. Go inside and I see chicken, brisket and pork on the menu. Check check and check. The interior was full of memorabilia from the old days and lined with park bench style seating. YES!!! Then the food came and sadness beat my enthusiasm to a pulp. The brisket was tender but it looked like it was oven cooked (no smoke ring and gray throughout) and came out like it was just pulled out of a pan where it was soaking in beef bouillon. No bark. It was edible, but not Texas brisket. The pulled pork came out slathered in sauce. No pulled pork worth anything should come out shredded in sauce. Again, not smokey. Finally, my daughter's grilled chicken was dry as a bone. The shining star was Edna, who was our server and we loved. She was sassy and attentive. As my disappointment set in, I wondered what had happened to what probably used to be a fantastic BBQ spot. Then I saw many signs talking about catering, which means volume. I think for the sake of sales growth they had to scale up cooking and drive for mass appeal, which typically means high consistency with floating staff (ie automated oven cooking vs highly experienced wood smoking), less smokiness as this doesn't appeal to everyone, and more sweet (ie sauce). Upon a second look I noticed I didn't see the word "smoke" anywhere around the room. "Slow Cooked" but nothing about smoking so this sort of confirmed a shift. I haven't had good Texas BBQ in South Florida after coming for many years, but I am certain there is an old abandoned gas station somewhere where this joy awaits. read more

See all

Shorty's barbecue has been around for a very long time and has the reputation that it deserves of being a delicious and reasonably priced barbecue spot. read more

Shorty's BBQ - Rib and brisket combo. - Southern Near Me - Miami, Florida

See all

I can't believe I never rated this place. Me & my wife's BBQ spot from when we first met a long LONG time ago. And of course as strange of a guy I am I order chicken tenders and fries at the BBQ spot... But seriously they have decent BBQ. The service is good for a casual spot & the place has energy. I have tried other things on the menu because you gotta eat whatever ribs your spouse doesn't right? 7.4/10 - "Good & fun" read more

This place is ok. They have their own free private lot that has a decent amount of spaces. When you walk in you just find a spot and seat yourself. There is only picnic table style seating in there so you may be sitting at a table with others. The place is very spacious and was still packed when I was there. They have televisions in the restaurant which had sports playing while I was there Once seated, your server will eventually find you. It took a few minutes for mine to greet me. I ended up getting a menu that was sitting out, so that I would be ready to order when my server came. The staff there is friendly once they do find you. I got the 1/2 slab baby back ribs with french fries and cole slaw. I got an extra side of BBQ beans. The food came out very quick, around 5 minutes. It almost came out too quick, like the food was prepared. The ribs were OK. A bit overcooked and kind of crunchy. The cole slaw was edible, but had a ranch taste to it. The beans were mehhh..I have had better, and I have had worse. Nothing special. I was not very impressed with this restaurant's Q. I would probably explore other options to get your barbecue fix. read more

I made a purchase online mistaking it for a closer location, I called the store to cancel the order and the manager told me I needed to cancel it online, and online said to the store, the manager has absolutely no knowledge nor willingness to help. Be careful when ordering online at this location !!! read more

Delicious!! My coworkers told me this BBQ was good. I was skeptical at first because I heard it was closing down and sometimes the quality of service goes down when a place is closing their doors. However I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed my pulled pork sandwich with fries. The pork was very tender and juicy. My friends were perfectly crisp and that sweet tea was just want I needed. I'm happy I got a chance to try it. Plus the staff was friendly and attentive. Definitely check them out. read more

See all

Absolutely awesome barbecue and the atmosphere is country. Waitresses always nice with excellent service. read more

Shorty's BBQ - Southern Near Me - Miami, Florida

So this place has been around forever, and it seemed to have lots of locals ... a mix of businessmen and couples. I hate to give 2-stars to an 'institution' but I am reviewing based on my experience vs. others', so take my review with a grain of salt because my taste could be different than your taste. Bottom line, the food was horrible ... I struggled to get through the sandwich and the macaroni and cheese is possibly the worst I have ever eaten. I took one bite and literally almost gagged. I left the whole thing, basically uneaten, and the waitress didn't even offer to take it off my bill despite saying, "I guess you didn't like it." I am a huge BBQ fan and have had it all over the country. Florida BBQ is interesting because it usually is very different than the 'hot spots' of BBQ like Texas and North Carolina or Kansas City or Memphis. Florida BBQ joints have sweeter sugary sauce, more generic sides and less care is taken in the prep of the meat. I knew this going in ... a spot like Sonny's BBQ chain may not have the best or most toiled over BBQ but give me a Sonny's pulled pork sandwich on Texas Toast served with orange mac & cheese and sweet tea and I'm a happy camper. This was oddly 'shaved'/sliced BBQ. It was sliced really thin and as a result was dry. I didn't smell BBQ smoke outside of the restaurant ... and the taste was more like wet cardboard than pork BBQ I've had other places. It came dry and you put on your own sauce. The sauce was the typical mostly sugar sweeter sauce, which tasted more like ketchup and simple syrup from a bar. Typical of Florida. They have a 'house sauce' as well, which is served in a small cup and comes warm. It looks like cocktail sauce but has a tangy/smoky flavor. Very odd and not my thing (but makes the sweet sauce better when mixed in.) The best part of the meal were the regular 'ol average french fries. I was so glad I had them because that was really the only part of my meal I enjoyed. The pork was a miss in both taste and texture ... the bun was literally sad ... and unlike most times I have BBQ, I was literally regretting ordering the 'jumbo' sandwich for a few dollars more. The mac and cheese side (and all sides) come in one HUGE size for $7. I think it stung a little more that it was a giant bowl of tasteless and starchy paste. No way could this sauce have been homemade. Overall, my total bill for a pork sandwich ($12 for jumbo), $7 for mac and cheese that I'd pay them not to have to eat and a bottle of Yueng Ling beer ($2.50 ... great deal) and tip and tax was almost $30! A complete waste of money as I literally would have rather had McDonalds. The only good part of this place was the atmosphere, which felt like a traditional southern road house. I could sit there and eat french fries and drink beer and be content. (To cap things off, my waitress had something icky visible in her nose the entire meal and I was just praying that one of her coworkers would give her a tissue and tell her.) I won't be back but many regulars seemed to love it, although I did notice most diner's plates had a good amount of food left on them after paying the check, something I've never seen at decent BBQ spots in my travels. read more

Another great trip up our favorite Miami bbq , just phenomenal ribs and sides. Do not miss this gem.

My family and I LOVED Shorty's. We frequented once a week and always got everything from the fried green tomatoes and okra to ribs, pulled pork and brisket. Unfortunately, the quality has significantly dropped in the quality of their meats. What was once tender and flavorful can now be chewy and lacking flavor. Their fried items (okra, fries, green tomatoes) and sweet tea are still great but the meat items can be hit or miss. read more

Last time I came here it was quite expensive and the quality of the food was not what I had experienced in the past, although the service and ambiance was nice as before read more

Shorty's was the best in the early 90's! My family ate there at least three times a month. No one could beat their thin sliced beef sandwich. I recently stopped by during my visit to Miami and I mist say, it's not the same. Granted it's been over 15 years since my last visit. However, the beef was thick and tough to eat. The corn still had all that butter and love that beef sauce! but lack luster overall. Service was great! Would give 2.5 stars if possible! read more

Great spot loved the service and food! The food came out quickly and was fresh. The ambiance was calm and very family oriented. read more

See all

The service is so great!!! Nothing but good things! Food was great as well! We had been looking for good bbq and it was great! read more

Shorty's BBQ - Rib plate and Brisket Sandwich. - Southern Near Me - Miami, Florida

Food was amazing would definitely recommend and will go back if and when I go back down to Sourh Miami area read more

Shorty's BBQ - Sign - Southern Near Me - Miami, Florida

It had been years since I've dined at Shorty's. Being a Miami native, my grandfather would frequent here and brought us on numerous occasions when I was a child. Now that I'm older, I was able to come and try to wake up my taste buds. I was really in the mood for some sliced pork, noticed they didn't offer it, so I ordered the brisket sandwich with a side of Mac n cheese. Expecting baked Mac n cheese like the server described, it tasted similar to that of Publix which wasn't terrible. The brisket sandwich followed shortly after and it didn't disappoint! The Smokey flavor was there and the Shorty's sauce paired so well with it! I also dunked the fries in the sauce because it was like crack! It was definitely bittersweet dining here when the last time I came was with him. Definitely a sentimental restaurant for me. read more

See all

Came in at 7:15 PM today Thursday and Rafael was having a very long conversation regarding his country with a customer and didn't even acknowledge us in the table! Than I asked the lady in the front to change tables which we did and than purposely got left unattended at the table. It's now 7:35 PM and the excuse the lady in the front just gave us was that our waitress was in the bathroom. Lol It's obvious they are trying to teach us a lesson. Lol we have been here many times and the crew has been on point. Change this crew NO CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!! read more

Shorty's BBQ - Southern Near Me - Miami, Florida

A CLASSIC MIAMI SPOT! My family has been going to Shorty's for YEARS. Looking for good BBQ in Miami, this is the place to be. Their menu consists of everything from Baby Back Ribs, to crinkle fries, to Key Lime Pie. They have every type of meat Chicken, Pork and Beef. They also have a few different BBQ sauces. As well has delicious sides like baked potatoes, greens, onion rings and corn. The interior is cozy and classic country looking. Their wooden picnic tables are huge and can hold upwards of 10 people. While they are great, Shortys prices has gone up in recently years. It's hard to get out of there with a meal under $20, but if your craving BBQ it's a must. Pro Tip: Check out their lunch specials for their deals! $12 Spare Ribs includes fires, toast and coleslaw. read more

See all

I'm fully aware with time comes changes. However, where did the rendered fat and meat juice (signature bbq sauce) go? Today what I got resembles cocktail sauce with a slight smoke flavoring. Also the sandwich meat used to be saturated in the good stuff and heaped on the bun. Today it was dry heaped. This is not what made the restaurant an Original American restaurant. Is this turning into another "Lost in Translation" establishment? read more

If you live in the southern Miami area or you come to Miami and you don't come to this place you really don't know what you're missing, this place is an institution here, The servers are always very attentive they have great staff here, these people are friendly and always happy, many other Miami restaurants should take a note, but anyways this place is all about the barbecue , the barbecue ribs ,burgers chicken ,brisket and everything related, all A1, it is reasonably priced and always busy, i've been coming to this place for the past 30 years and I will be coming back read more

Shorty's BBQ - 1/2 rack Baby back ribs - Southern Near Me - Miami, Florida

Fast service, great food, and on-brand decor. I love that you can see the history of the restaurant preserved inside. We ordered the sampler for an appetizer and ribs w/fries as an entree. The portions were large and quite filling of course. No complaints, would recommend read more

Shorty's BBQ - Sampler Combo - Southern Near Me - Miami, Florida

We went early on super-bowl Sunday. The ribs we were served were reheated. They were from the previous day. I have never eaten worst ribs than the ones we were served that day. read more

I went to a large union event of at least 600 people catered by Shorties and one of the ladies was so very rude. All I asked for was another plate so I could cover my food and she reacted as if I asked for a pot of gold. She said the plates were counted. Wow that is cheap for a catered event! I asked if I could have a bit of aluminum foil and again this lady acted so rude and said no. Shorties has sure changed. Never hire them for a catered event read more

Stopped here on my way home doing an errand. Had a hankering for ribs. Where else to go but Shorty's. .

Just the best man BBQ place in Miami. A legend. Cornbread is to die for. You gotta be there to savior it. read more

Shorty's BBQ - Southern Near Me - Miami, Florida

The only thing I forgot to add about this place is that it's filthy. The vents are old & dirty & you can see the dust that constantly falls on the table. You see it in front of you as you're eating. That stuff is falling on your food & in your drink & they do nothing about it. The busser that wipes down the tables barely wipes them down. He doesn't even try to clean it right, just a swab of a nasty sanitizer drenched towel. I always use paper towels to clean my part of the table. read more

Everything was great as usual corn babybacks, slaw, & chicken.Missing the pitcher but grandson wasn't 21

I haven't been here in a while but my boyfriend and I were in the mood for some bar b q. And I forgot how awesome there food was. I ordered the brisket sandwich with coleslaw and fries and he ordered the half bar b q chicken. The waitress was super nice and courteous with us. So of course my boyfriend tipped her generously. We went around 8pm so it wasn't crowded which was awesome because the ambiance was great. The food was really good and so I decided to order a slice of their chocolate cake to go. It was to die for. We were both really happy that we went. Hopefully we'll go back again sooner rather than later. If you are looking for awesome bar b q, I highly recommend this place. read more

The food is ok. I was expecting more. Kinda expensive for what you get. Too commercialized . I like a more family homey BBQ . read more

Love Shortys. The best!! Food is awesome. Try the corn, onion rings and ribs! Cannot go wrong at Shortys!!! read more

Shorty's BBQ - Southern Near Me - Miami, Florida

See all

Today we went to the original Shorty's BBQ in Miami. This location opened in 1951 and was always my child hood favorite growing up in Miami. Although there are other locations only this location is permitted to BBQ with wood. The other locations do not. Our waitress Gaby has been a staple at Shorty's for 17 years and is fabulous. Well done for social distancing and a tent outside you really feel safe. We both had the lunch spare ribs which comes with coleslaw , fries and garlic bread. We also had the world famous corn on the cob. Every thing was fantastic and the legend of this Shorty's location lives on. I left a happy camper and glad this historic sight is running so great. Wish there was a 6th star because this location deserves it. read more

Shorty's BBQ - Gaby / 17 years at original Shorty's Miami opened 1951 - Southern Near Me - Miami, Florida

See all

The food is amazing! They are quick and fresh all the time, I've been here multiple times for different occasions! Sade is a great waitress, he's always happy, gets the order right, give recommendations! I love the environment it's so casual, nice atmosphere! read more

See all

Worst ribs of my life!! If I were in the restaurant I would have sent them back, never again

Ok, let's face it, it's a dive - but it's our dive! A local institution. BBQ is solid - not a place for snobs - ribs are the call here - pulled pork is one of my faves too. Beer by the pitcher - cool vibe with friendly staff. read more

If you aren't a local I guess this place would call you attention and maybe good to you. Man its been YEARS since i visited Shorty's wife wanted bbq and we were up the street so I said well lets give them a go its been a hell of a long time. Well the food still sucks. We ordered the pork sandwich and the sandwich trio. Both were super bland no flavor. I drenched it with bbq to try to get it to resurrect but that didn't work. Wife ended up leaving the brisket mini sandwich said it had a weird taste? Idk what to day about that. Fries were good :/ lol. Service was good cant complain about our waiter. read more

Who here from the 60s grew up barefoot, beach weekends, Serpentarium, Monkey and Parrot Jungles, Royal Castle, Dairy Queen, Wometco Theater, Dadeland's dragon (earl Lapan's) and Shorty's. Of all these memorable icons of my past, Shorty's remains. I took my new son in law to experience the log cabin of community tables and Smokey flavors, creamy celery seed coleslaw, and buttery corn... and oh their ribs. To me that's the classic fare and I have never tried anything else here. But I hear their beans are the best and chicken is as good as their ribs. This place is a remnant of what Miami used to be: a laid back little town, barely noticed by the world, ridiculed for its ways and yet now we have been swallowed up by high rises and cookie cutter eateries chain restaurants and corporate food distribution. I'd like to think Shorty's is and will always be true to it's recipes and ingredients. But the corn was way over cooked and not locally sourced as it didn't have that pop but was soggy and tasteless, the meat is maybe factory farmed and the coleslaw soggy tasted mass produced. My daughter and her beau got the burgers. These platters are massive. My other daughter got the baby backs. She preferred them to the classics. And then the quintessential BBQ dipping sauce... They enjoyed it, but I knew the difference. Just felt like it's lost it's power. We took out, must admit do: The fries were soggy, corn meh and slaw so-so by the time we reached home. No more coupons but still not bad prices considering. $120 for two Rib meals, two burgers, a pound of extra ribs, baby backs and sides of corn to feed 8 peeps. Shorty's I'm counting on you to step up and stay real for all of us ole Miamians. Even as you are swallowed up by the modem alienating back drop of fugly towers and mass transit. Stay true to what has kept you going all these years. I still give it a 5 stars as it's my childhood friend. (Just, Mgt: ditch the single use plastic straws for paper!) read more

Shorty's BBQ - Same as it's always been. - Southern Near Me - Miami, Florida

The only thing that was good to me was the sides fries and coleslaw . The ribs was on the dry side. The waiter was really good

Stopped in for lunch this week. The food was good and he service was fantastic. The server made a substitution for me that isn't normally done and I'm very appreciative. I'm on the Keto diet and their menu doesn't offer much in the way of Keto sides.. so I ordered the 1/4 chicken lunch special and a small salad. When the bill came, I noticed that she didn't charge me for the salad. That's a nice touch. The chicken was very tasty as well. read more

The barbecue ribs was amazing and so was the corn on the cob. I will definitely repeat.

I'm only giving it a two stars because the wings were good and after about 15 minutes of waiting we had a very nice waitress. The food was so dry both the smoked chicken and ribs. The pork steak was a fat steak. Just terrible no flavor what so ever I actually had to drink to swallow the chicken. read more