I'm not big on eating (or eating) at chain restaurants but my boyfriend kept saying that we needed to eat at two BBQ places while we lived in Gainesville and that was Sonny's and Adam's. So we tried Sonny's first because it's a mile from our apartment. The wait was stupid long, but we will give them benefit of the doubt since it was a Saturday at 6pm when we ordered take out. The meat though was a 10/10. I got the smoked turkey and my boyfriend got the ribs and the meat was great. I enjoyed the baked beans but wasn't blown away. The cornbread was the first I've ever had that was too moist and sweet... but my guess would be it was just because it was a generic muffin in a warm takeout box. I would definitely go back just to eat the great smoked meat they have! read more

I am not a big fan of BBQ but my boyfriend loves it so he took me to Sonny's. I had the sampler. Never had brisket before, I was surprised I really liked it. Meat was cooked really well, had flavor to it. Their ribs were cooked perfectly, meat fell right off the bone. I even liked their sweet bbq sauce and normally hate bbq sauce. Recommend this place for a meal with the family. Definitely get the endless ribs! read more

Sonny's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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We've been out to the Waldo Road Sonny's so many times. I am not even sure how we ended up at the Sonny's on Archer road. This Sonny's is a great looking restaurant. This upgrade is exactly what the Waldo Road Sonny's needs. It looks clean, there is more room, the seating is way more comfortable. The food is the same. But I really loved seeing the open kitchen plan and the bar. That was a lot of fun and gave Sonny's a whole new look. The service was good. It was a busy night but it wasn't crazy. We got our food pretty quickly. It was a pretty nice experience. read more

We are long time Sonny's fans, so it's disappointing to have to say that the food we got on June 21st was pretty awful. For Father's day, we decided to swing by Sonny's on Archer Rd to get some food to go. We ordered 20 wings, in sweet sauce and a quart of cole slaw. We also asked for extra sauce. What we got was bare wings that were too burned to eat and coleslaw that was so coarsely chopped and dry that it was little better than a mouthful of raw cabbage. Oh. And no sauce at all. Sorry, Sonny. Your Archer Road location really dropped the ball this time. I would have sent this comment to the restaurant directly, but that option isn't on their mobile app, and they weren't answering their phones. read more

This is a great break from traveler's fast food stops. The line was long to get in and we were seated quickly. Our server came minutes from us being seated. Chad was an excellent waiter, giving us friendly efficient service taking care of my husband's tea glass without having to be asked. The quality and taste was good especially since barbecue in FL was uncertain in comparison to TX bbq. My husband had the Whole Hog Sandwich, which he said was amazing. My picky eater, granddaughter, loved the corn on the cob! The atmosphere was inviting and the bathroom was clean. We don't live anywhere close, but there were a lot of locals present, so that speaks well of this eatery. Hats off to Chad for a great lunch today! read more

Sonny's catered an event at UF that I attended. I'm usually quite skeptical of barbecue not from one of the barbecue meccas of this country (Memphis, the Carolinas, Alabama, Texas, Missouri, etc), but I have to say I was REALLY impressed! There was pulled pork, pulled chicken, and barbecue turkey. The pork wasn't Memphis level and was chopped a little too finely for me, but it was quite succulent and had good flavor. The chicken was definitely the best, with a sweet sauce and good smokiness. The turkey was the weakest -- decent flavor but very dry. They also brought a big tub of mac and cheese. At first glance, it looked like generic, crappy Kraft, but it was actually quite creamy and not overcooked. I love mac with barbecue! Oddly, the best part of the meal might just have been the cornbread muffin. It was soft, perfectly crispy on top, with sweet corn kernels. Generous size, too! If I'm ever back in a spot of Florida where a Sonny's is located, I'd be happy to try them again! read more

We were just looking for a good place right off the interstate and stopped here for lunch. Def don't overlook the burgers here--great! Great kosher dills on side. We got them with tater tots and those were good too. Our waitress Zoe was super efficient and gave top notch service--no waiting with her as your waitress. Thank you, Zoe. read more

Food is good. It's Sonny's. I love the food. The staff at this location? Super rude. When I ordered sweet tea and was brought unsweet, I let the waitress know. She took a drink out of my cup to "test it". I'll just go to a different location, thanks. read more

Where's the smoke? Received a rack of BabyBacks, green beans and coleslaw. On the plus side the ribs had very little fat which I appreciated because didn't want lots of fat. On the other side, I couldn't be certain that these ribs were smoked. There was no smoke flavor to speak of, there was no smoke ring, the meat was evenly cooked and white as if it had been cooked in an oven, not a smoker. The only real flavor was from the sauce apparently used to finish them on the grill. They were dry and not fall off the bone, but not dried out. Maybe they were smoked, I just couldn't tell. I've had much more flavorful ribs; I've made much better ribs. So, if you want smoked ribs, maybe go elsewhere. Now you can criticize me for getting green beans at a BBQ place, but I did because it was the lowest calorie side, and because green beans don't have to be bland and without imagination. These were both. They were most likely canned. Coleslaw was average, sweet. Sauces: I'm glad that I didn't use either the classic or smoking sauces they provided. Looking at the ingredients they seemed full of high fructose corn syrup. Ugh. Sorry Sonny, your meal just didn't send me. There are probably better options out there, at least for baby back ribs, beans and coleslaw. read more

I typically really enjoy Sonny's food. Unfortunately, tonight I didn't get the actual opportunity to do so. My fiancé and I went in at 7pm to dine-in. This was our first attempt at eating at a restaurant since March so we weren't really sure what to expect but we were looking forward to a positive and relatively safe experience. The restaurant was in no way busy but there was about ten or twelve tables seated inside. We were actually the only guests waiting to be seated when we walked in. We walked up to the podium which was empty and a young lady who worked there looked at as from about five feet away, walked directly across our path and said nothing. I watched as another young lady working the takeout corner turned to look at us and then just turned and looked away without saying anything. We stood there for quite some time hoping at some point someone would at least greet us and tell us they'd be right with us but no one did. Instead we stood their aimlessly by the podium watching the workers silently walk past us for what felt like a ridiculous amount of time. We eventually decided it was better just to leave. It's really a shame when you attempt to support a business during such a challenging time and they basically act like you're invisible. We won't be returning. read more

Ventured on this place by mistake. We had planned to eat nearby but my Gator daughter did NOT want to eat at what we found out upon entering was a sports club. All men, girls wearing outfits that made Hooters attire look covered! We had a nice meal, love the atmosphere. The logs in the entrance are very cool. Food was a 3.5 star, overall experience a 5! We had SO MUCH LEFT OVER! Big portions. read more

Sonny's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Great food! I had to remind the server to bring over my salad plate, but everyone was very nice and drinks always full. I had the dry rub ST Louis ribs which were awesome! The meat was very tender and will definitely have it again with the unlimited option rather than a salad plate. It was awesome that they also gave us disposable wipes to clean up afterwards. Keto friendly too! Coming back for sure. read more

Sonny's BBQ - ST Louis dry rub ribs! So good! If you are in keto just skip the other sides and get the unlimited option! - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

First time customer came here for lunch driving to Chicago from Miami. Wife had baby back ribs, slaw, baked beans, corn bread. I had St. Louis style ribs, smoked wings , sliced pork, Mac and cheese, and corn bread. Baby back ribs were dry and over cooked, slaw baked beans , corn bread sliced pork were very good. St.Louis style ribs were also good, Mac and cheese were old, noodles were soft and mushy. Good value, average food read more

YELP EVENT 2/28/19 This event was phenomenal. The host, restaurant staff and presenter were friendly . The food was amazing. We had ribs, brisket, chicken wings, coleslaw, and macaroni and cheese topped with bacon. The appetizers before the dinner were egg rolls, meatballs and chicken salad bites. They provided free drinks as well. The Pit Master presentation included samples of BBQ meets and take home samples of Sonny's signature spices. I WOULD RUN TO SONNY'S NOW AND ORDER RIBS WITH THE AMBER OR APPLE KICK BBQ SAUCE. read more

This is the worst food ever, disgusting, almost vomiting.....dirty cuttlery, food undercooking, worst coleslaw ever, worst service, litterally you waste your money, I have nauseas read more

Really good BBQ I thought despite being a chain. I had an all pork plate which I could not even finish. Excellent ribs and nice selection of drafts with some good local brews to choose from. Good service. read more

Enjoyed the baby back ribs, tender, beans always perfect, tasty potato salad. Daughter had grilled chicken and Mac n cheese, which she liked. Husband had sampler of dry rub rib, chicken, brisket; all good, pulled pork was a little dry. Corn muffin is moist and flavorful. 50 years of cooking barbecue pays off. Always a go to for BBQ. read more

Again this is when I wish we could give half stars on Yelp. I think Sonnys is a good 3.5 stars. This is one chain that I do believe does a kinda good job in being original. The reason I say this is that they grill all their meats on big grills at each restaurant and you can smell the wood burning and see the meats in the grills when they have them opened up. This sets them apart from other chains because you could really mess things up when it comes to grilling so the grill masters have to be pretty good. I have only been to Sonny's twice and I really have not tried very much on the menu. The main reason I go to Sonny's is because of the All You Can Eat Salad Bar!! This to me is hands down worth it. I am doing the Keto Diet and can't eat the carbs so I have been eating lots of salads and this is great since its all you can eat. I usually do the all you can eat plus 1 meat for $10.99. The two meats I have have done would be the pulled pork during my first visit, and the dark meat chicken the most recent time. I did not like the pulled pork as I thought it was dry. I did like the dark meat chicken, it was really juicy. The first time I went I had the corn bread which was amazing. This last time I gave the corn bread to the person I was with since I could not eat it. The location on Archer suffers because it is right next to Chick Fil A. The reason is because it takes forever getting in and out of the parking lot with so many people at Chick Fil A. I also think that this Sonny's is different because usually you can pay at the counter and here they have the wait staff do all of this. Like I said I think it would be a better 3.5 stars, but I went ahead and rounded up to be a good sport!! Go get the salad bar! read more

I always enjoy my trip to Sonny's barbecue. They're nice comfortable place to stop in for a meal. Staff is always friendly and ready to help. I usually sit at the bar and have a decent meal . The barbecue's always prepared properly the sides are good service is great. read more

Updating again and fir the last time it appears to our fantastic visit last time was under the direct eye of the general manager so everything was perfect now fast forward a couple of weeks and I go and place an order to go Only one car in the Togo parking was told 10 min after about 15 min the server came out to inform me that the kitchen was backed up cause of serving restaurant guest basically putting me last it would've another 15 minutes I went in and ask fir the GM who was not there I simply ask fir my money back 30 minutes is a bit too long to wait for food sorry all promises before were BS read more

The food is good and some customer service is excellent. I have my favorite server and try to go when she is there. Some of their safety practices need to be tweeked. Maybe these younger folks dont care like the seasoned ones do. Maybe next time. read more

Sonny's BBQ - While dining on Sunday, a waiter wiped our table, she sits the bottle with chemicals beside my husband head. Is that ok? - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Lunch time. I had the salad bar with a side of meat. Sliced pork was perfect . This location is a new building. Great design and they keep it clean . Waitress did a good job. Sonny's meats are the best BBQ IMO. I do enjoy 4Rs across the street , but the food is better here. read more

Sonny's on Archer was really good. Baby-backs were really great and on point . Sides as well. Going back soon.

My husband and I stopped in on our way to Miami, FL from Blue Ridge, GA. Wow wow wow! The food was delicious and the service was excellent. We found southern charm and hospitality in Janinne. read more

Sonny's BBQ - Yummilicious - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Never again! Worse Sonny's experience ever. I ordered a burger, well done. Grilled onions. I was informed they over cooked it and had to redo it. At lease my wife and done did not have to wait. But her food was messed up also. When I finally got the burger, it was broke in half and over cooked again. I only ate half of it. No grilled onions. When I got them, the onions were over cooked and some black. Management was brought out and seen my onions and burger. He took care of it, but I was pretty much through with trying to have a good lunch. Most of the burger found the garbage bin. Don't ask for sweet tea. You may get some with a glob of sugar in the bottom. We laughed about it. See the pic? read more

Just left sonny's and have to say a disappointment!! I read the reviews and hoped for a good meal. Pulled pork on garlic bread. Pork wasn't fresh and the bread tough. Had to ask for more bread. Slaw was really good though. Not planning a return visit. read more

The Archer Rd location is so poorly managed. We do our best to drive to 39th St wherever possible, but we live nearest to Archer Rd. Consistently bad service, missing or out of menu items, excessively long hold times, rude employees. If you're going to be out of sweet potatoes (the last THREE times we've gone!) go back to serving baked potatoes like every other Sonny's outside of Gainesville! read more

So came back after vacation for another Sunday Sonny's lunch break and it was 5 stars all the way. The turkey was perfect, I don't know if I've ever had fries cooked so well, they were all crispy but not over done, mac and cheese was creamy, and since I was at the bar with Jordan, the service was top notch. That may be because with Jordan I don't have to order but merely sit down say hello and my plate appears within three minutes, it pay to be a regular. read more

Love the ribs and service here!! Charles the GM is amazing and actually speaks with the customers to make sure they're happy and satisfied.

This is the second time I've been to this Sonny's BBQ in the past several days. It's a good, clean, safe place to break a long trip and grab good food quickly. The staff is very friendly and I think, especially after my experience today, goes above and beyond. I met some people at the restaurant today but was running 10-15 minutes late so they'd already ordered. The waiter took my order as soon as I arrived, he checked in that fast, and put a rush on my food so I could eat with my family. I didn't ask him to do this but I very much appreciated it. I ordered the smoked turkey sandwich and fries and it arrived less than five minutes after everyone else's food. The food came out quickly and was delicious. Even though I didn't eat when I visited before, the waitress still checked in frequently and was very nice. Good food both times (I may have sneaked a few bites of my family's food on the first visit) and very nice staff. I'd definitely recommend this Sonny's BBQ as a good, quick, sit down restaurant. read more

I ordered a pickup order. They let me waiting for nearly an hour and when I arrived they told me they gave my meal to another people and let me waiting for another round. read more

We always try to stop in at a Sonny's when we travel to Florida. Good food! Good prices! Nice people! That makes being on the road so much better! We appreciate when restaurants really are dependable and servers are nice! Great tea too! read more

I am extremely disappointed in my salad that I got in the takeout. The menu makes this sound so appetizing:BBQ Salad-Mixed greens, grilled corn, tomato, cucumber, diced red onion and shredded Cheddar tossed with Ranch dressing and topped with crispy onion straws and a drizzle of Sweet BBQ Sauce. Add your favorite BBQ meat for a little bit more. I added "pulled chicken". Just take a look at the photo. The "mixed greens" are just romaine, there was ONE corn kernel found in the entire salad, about 3 thumbnail sized pieces of tomato & cucumber & one piece of diced onion. What did they do, wave the spoon over my plate? There was about a teaspoon of cheese (if I'm being generous with my guesstimate) and there was NO ranch. (Fortunately I had asked for extra). In addition, the "pulled chicken" was a few pieces of thigh meat with fat, skin & grizzle included. A drizzle of BBQ sauce did exist, as for those "crispy onion straws"... I'll let you guess. I left work specifically to grab something healthy & quick so I could eat at my desk & get on with my Friday. This was superbly disappointing & actually quite angered me. I SHOULD NOT have to check my food before I leave the to go window. Signed -Still Hungry read more

Sonny's BBQ - Garden of Eatin-BBQ Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Called in our order at 6:03pm. (Two pork sandwiches, "shaved thin", Two orders of fries) Took several minutes to place the order. (busy) Arrived at the restaurant at approx. 6:13pm. ToGo server ignored me even though I was standing in line behind person being served and took someone else who cut in line although I been in line before they even came through the door. Food finally came out at approx. 6:23pm but sandwiches were not correct. Had asked for "shaved thin". It was sliced regular. Sent sandwiches back and took 8 additional minutes to correct. By this time my fries were cold and asked for fresh ones. Took an additional 7 minutes. Departed Sonny's at 6:39pm. Never saw a manager, never received any real apology, only excuses. No compensation or offer thereof for my patience or loss of time. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!!! read more

So very disappointed in content and service of today's experience!!!!!! We order personally every week from Sonny's and we also order 1-2 times a week as a company. We spend a lot of money with y'all because we've always had great experiences. Today we ordered for work, slightly less than $100 as usual, and we were shocked at the TINY so called meals we received. The sandwiches were the size of sliders and the fries were half the amount we normally get, but at the FULL price we normally pay. NOT ACCEPTABLE!!!!!!! There were no apologies or explanations other than, "that's the size of bread we get now". For a slider size, we expect a slider price as well. Have read on line where LOTS of folks are NOT happy with Sonny's at this time. Very sad as they've always been great..........no more ordering for us, work or personal. read more

The food was delicious But our server Briana B was not very pleasant We were celebrating a special occasion and she was not able to accommodate our request Due to this experience we will not be back read more

Service was decent, but BBQ was dried out. I really want to like this chain, but I have yet to get a really good meal at ANY of their locations! read more

Sonny's is my go-to restaurant. But this one definitely didn't hit the mark. The sliced pork was dry and the fries were dark old, cold, and way over cooked! They were not real busy so I just don't understand the reason for this. Come on Sonny's your better then this! read more

Early dinner for the family. We love BBQ! We are visiting from Kansas. Having eaten KC's best BBQ we are pretty critical. Sonny's did not disappoint. The ribs were on point. Very tender and very flavorful. The pulled pork was moist and lean with bark which was a pleasant surprise. Three of us had the sampler and one had the pork three-way. I also added the salad bar for $3.99 - well worth the price. The chicken and brisket were moist and smokey. There were a number of sauces but this BBQ is best naked. The portions were great for the price and we all had plenty of meat and sides to take home for lunch tomorrow. The staff was very attentive and kind. Shout out for the military discount- thank you. read more

Waiter took 15+ minutes to come back to take our order after bringing drinks. People that were seated way after us got their food first. Went up to complain and nothing was done. The place isn't even full. If I wanted to wait that long for food I would've cooked it myself at home. read more