I'm always going to love Sonny's BBQ but I will say I'm older and I prefer the older menu. The new menu doesn't have the Family Feast which is our go to and we stopped at 3 on our vacation and the price was different at all the places and I do understand that sometimes that happens but 10.00 difference is a lot! The food is always good. I would just like to see the prices on the menu. However for anyone looking for some great Bbq and a place you will remember this is your place! The sweet sauce on the sliced pork served up on garlic Texas toast is a taste that you will find nowhere else, believe me I've tried so every chance we get within an hour of a Sonny's we are there. You will never find a dirty bathroom or a bad server at Sonny's this would have been 5stars had the item been on the menu so stop by any Sonny's and you will love it! read more

This was our first time at the original Sonny's. Food was very good and Heather took great care of us!

Great service friendly atmosphere good food and good people. I'd recommend the restaurant to anyone looking for some good BBQ.

Heather was great. Food was ready super fast. Thanks for a wonderful meal. Wish you had more pictures on your menu for my friend that can't read. She picture shops. read more

Food and service were great! We were from out of town, and we loved the rustic feel of the original Sonny's. Our server Jazmin was great!

This Sonny's is old, it's on an old side of Gainesville so it's to be expected but also needs to be mentioned. The inside is smaller than most Sonny's to the point where it feels crammed. The lighting is a bit dim. If you don't mind that then the staff is kind and courteous and the oldness has a bit of charm. The waitress was very kind and so was everyone that greeted me at the door. The food was okay, the ribs small and the pulled pork a bit dry. It was a Sunday during lunch hours so it got busy and as it got more busy our server was less attentive. It took her forever to get our bill to let us leave. For such an old Sonny's I'd feel that they would be used to handling that size of crowd. Overall the food was okay the staff was nice and it was your average Sonny's food. If you can go to a different one in Gainesville I would say do that. read more

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

So tonight we tries the order online curbside service. Took a while to get the food I ordered online. 45 min wait time. The food was fresh, hot and tasty. Although we requested but did not get sauce. Also after the 45 min wait time they did not do curbside we actually had to stand in line at the pick up window. So after we checked our order we noticed our pickles were not there and had to wait a additional 10 mins for them to fry our pickles. Although the service was medoker the food all in all was tasty. Will try again. read more

Sonny's BBQ - St Louis ribs and okra - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Stopped in for dinner, normally prefer the Sonny's in Alachua or 39th ave but trying to avoid all the storm traffic. It was Friday night, 3 tables had people. Back into the day at this time you would be waiting awhile as so many people. Sad! I get it though, Service was at a standstill, seemed to have only 1 server but I did see another one as we were leaving. Our plates set at counter for over 10 minutes, I was looking right at them. Had the AUCE and never got the extra food I paid for, I finally did get one side of pork, but had waited so long, ate it and left feeling quite ripped off. Server was just not there and neither was the food or ambience. read more

if you live in gainesville try it yourself Waldo Road is the best and the most customers Did not have to wait for hostess to greed us and several minutes to seat us server was friendly and very efficient got our drinks right way our fried pickles next the main course came out pipping hot if you live in gainesville try it yourself Waldo Road is the best and the most customers Now if they could only fix the one on Archer Road still waiting for a reply from the manager on the incident that happen a month ag read more

Why are you asking me how many times I've been to this particular Sonny's? You don't need to know I used to go there possibly twice a week (or more) for about a year, that the servers all know that my party is always 2, that I liked rootbeer and my partner always got Coke, and that I always got Redneck Egg Rolls which I pronounced Nedreck Rolls because I was tired after a long day at work.... And you definitely don't need to know that now that I'm counting calories the servers now know that I will take a Diet Coke if the soda machine is working (water without lemon if not) and a grilled chicken sandwich with all the veggies on the side and a couple of packets of mustard and mayo. And that I take my cornbread with a dash of salt on top for that whole sweet and savory taste. Yeah, you don't need to know that. For the most part, the servers are funny and friendly, and they have certainly come to know who we are, as embarrassing as that is. We have our favorites, of course (which is about half the team). These are hardworking folks who have worked at this joint for years. They know just about everyone who walks in that place. I'm not kidding, if you're near the door don't be surprised if one or more of the servers yell out, "Hey Joe! How y'all doin'?" This Sonny's isn't just a restaurant, it's part of our community, maybe for some, it's part of their family. If it's family, you know there will be some drama. Every once in a while we will sit quietly so we can listen to drama between the servers and the customers. We're awful, I know, but it's entertaining (I should be ashamed of myself). This is the original Sonny's Bar-B-Que joint. And it certainly looks its age. It's an older building that has seen better days, inside and out, mostly inside. We hear the servers saying that they've been told for years they were getting a remodel inside but in the three years we've been eating year, nothing has changed. I understand that some upper corporation folks don't want to change the original restaurant but it's looking a little rough in there. The tables are fine but the floors are old and ratty. It looks like it needs a serious deep cleaning...as in rip out the floors and the faux wood paneling, replace the salad bar with something that looks cleaner (or at least clean the one that is in there a bit more frequently). We've never gotten sick from this Sonny's so I can't complain too much about the rattiness of the joint. The Redneck Egg Rolls heat up nicely if you save some for leftovers. Now that I'm eating non-fried stuff, I really like the grilled chicken sandwiches. REALLY like them. It's my treat at the end of a long week. Recently, the place has had some issues with the soda machine. The syrup and the carbonation isn't mixing well. Everyone is well aware of the problem but it doesn't seem like anyone is making moves to get it fixed. It's just a good, inexpensive, friendly, relaxed place to rest your feet and fill your tummy after a long day. It isn't loud with blaring music or too loud voices. The food comes out pretty fast and the servers pay attention to what's going on around them. It is a chain but I like supporting the folks who work there. read more

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

The service is amazing. The food is great. Definitely recommend all my family and friends to come here.

Great service from a manger. I believe it was Sitra. Very friendly. Checked on us made friendly conversation. Made us want to come back again read more

This is the original Sonny's location and a nice spot to stop in for lunch. BBQ to me is more of a lunch meal and they do a great job here. Consistently friendly service. Back in my college days, we would frequent this place often. I love their BBQ Pork either sliced or pulled with that perfectly toasted garlic bread. I love that they still have crinkle fries and I always ask for a bowl of ranch dressing to dip them in. Just love their ranch! Overall, I enjoy this location. The best time to go is lunch where everything seems to be more fresh and fabulous. Of course you'll leave smelling like BBQ'ed meat, but honestly I don't mind that one bit. Leave room for the banana pudding... read more

This Sonny's is on the west side of Waldo road just south of GNV airport. Whenever I'm in north Florida there are a few chain establishments I can't help but notice whenever I pass by. Sonny's is one, Bono's is another and of course there's good old Krystal. The thing that makes me laugh about the two BBQ places is that if you put their names together you have Sonny Bono. It sort of makes me forget which is which although I've in my life been to both. Sonny's is basically an affordable, low key, sit down BBQ family restaurant. It sort of reminds me of the faux log cabin restaurant we have back home called Montana's. For lunch there's many choices for sandwiches. I ended up going with a chopped up brisket on garlic toast and my wife had wanted the roasted turkey with her sides of mac, beans and a biscuit. I like the fact that there's a lot of sandwich choices because I don't necessarily want to have ribs or another big meat serving for lunch, especially if I have to drive for a few hours afterwards. I really liked my brisket and just like many BBQ places they have a choice of sauce at the table so you can zing it up to your liking. For you northerners out there when you're in the south get to know the difference in iced tea. If you want an unsweetened iced tea, it's basically and iced tea. If you want it sweetened you have to ask for a sweet tea. That's something I've taken for granted for years knowing that simple piece of information. Another piece of information is to watch your speed driving from JAX to Gainesville. Waldo is notorious for being a known speed trap not to mention the speed changes from 50 to 40 to 30 in like a quarter mile at times! read more

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Stopped here while traveling through Gainesville. First enjoyed BBQ from this location at a celebration of my cousin's graduation from UF in 1968 - the store hadn't even been open for one year. Food was as good then as it is now, and the service is as advertised - classic Southern hospitality. read more

1. heard they treat their hardworking employees like garbage and let them take the heat for awful food being served. so please, tip your servers well. 2. kitchen does not care about the quality of food they serve. most meals will either be burnt, incredibly greasy, or both. 3. seen multiples roaches and rats both in the dining area and service area, yikes! 4. management does not care about the customer and usually staff will take the brunt of that so again, TIP YOUR SERVERS. read more

This is the classic Sonny's. I love their sliced pork and sauces. And their cups are the right size for the amount of sweet tea I drink. I've never bothered with the salad bar as that takes up room in the stomach I could be filling with bbq. The menus have gotten a little flashy, but as long as they keep the food good, I'll be coming back. It might be a little haggard inside, but at least it still looks local. read more

I used to love going to Sonny's. The last two times I went including this time. I couldn't believe what happened to this place. The ribs are tiny. Little nothings. They look like small baby back ribs. Nothing to eat. They've cut back on the other portions as well. Very big disappointment will never go back. read more

My wife hates Sonny's and will NOT go back since her last really bad experience there. She queries me why I occasionally eat there. I don't eat there often, but I've always been of the opinion that Sonny's is OK for "swinging D" corporate, soulless BBQ - until yesterday. I ordered my go to 1/2 chicken w/ green beans and cole slaw. I received: 1. The RUBERIEST CHICKEN EVER TO LEAVE A SONNY'S KITCHEN. 2. METALLIC tasting green beans. Like can metal. 3. Underdressed cole slaw. 4. Limp garlic bread. 5. HEY! My water did taste like water! FOOD "0". Gave it a "2" because the restaurant was clean enough and our waitress was great. II am much more likely now to take the advisement of my wife. read more

very good service Alexis was very helpful and patient she was very knowledgeable of the menu items her demeanor was warm and welcoming

Brisket was tasteless. Garlic bread was tasteless. Tater tots overdone. Coleslaw good. Man in the Ladies room unacceptable.

Wanted Bar B Q for lunch today, went to Sonny's on Waldo Rd. We walked up to the hostess and she sat us immediately. The server followed very promptly and pleasantly. We enjoyed our meal, had great service and brought home leftovers for lunch tomorrow. read more

This was the first Sonny's ever. Place has been remodeled bit by bit over the years but this location still needs a facelift. I kinda get it since this has been here since 1968 so the they are keeping the nostalgia alive. We've been eating at this place since I was in my teens on the way to or coming home from Gator events. Service is friendly and BBQ is consistent. Just picked up some sandwiches on the way to Gators baseball. Everyone was satisfied. More of a 3.5 star place. read more

The servers were friendly and the food came out really fast. There was no line at all to get seated! This place is very inexpensive and they give you huge portions. read more

Port Orange Restaurant. Been there more than 25 times in the last few years. Always great. Yesterday, Horrible experience and wont return there until new staff. The manager HEATHER was waiting on tables and we were advised would be right with us. 10 minutes later she is still socializing (talking) with customers that are leaving, apparently known to her. I asked another server, DERICK for help and he took over, as we watched her socializing 15 ft way. She took note. He was great, ordered the drinks and took the order. Heather brought out the food, apparently pissed. I asked her to please turn down the fan and she said it was necessary for moisture. I told her to make it like all the others, NOT ON TURBO mode, and she said yes. NEVER DID. She brought out our order more than 10 minutes later ONLY after I asked about it !!!!! She said the brocoli would be right out. IT NEVER CAME. She never stopped by again to see how things were. I had to flag her down, not rudely, about 10 minutes later for my reorder of all you can ribs, and a refill on my drink. Derick brought it out, she never returned. Derick apologized for her. Well time to go, where is she? Got Derick to give me the check, and asked for a to go box. He brought the check and said HEATHER would be out to talk to me about that. AGAIN, she never came, 10 min later I asked Derrick and he said she had advised him new policy of no to go boxes on reorders. We never got the brocoli? He went in the back and talked into giving us the a sweet potato to go, as the brocoli never had come. WOW!!!! I always leave at least $15. tip, so I asked Derick who would get it and he said he would have to give it to HEATHER. I left nothing of course. She is still not in sight. Well, numerous people from my condo go there, and I will advise them of HEATHER and her new policy. Also, post it on my facebook. Wife upset, you are supposed to have a pleasant experience and pay to eat, not with HEATHER. OH, she took the order of the guy behind us too! 15 minutes later he called out to DERICK, and told him it had been 15 minutes and asked about his order. Again, Heather who took the order never appeared. 1 minute later DERICK brought out his food. When sales and reputation go down, now you will know why! Note, every requests I made was with PLEASE AND THANK YOU. Im sure being attentive to customers, forgetting to bring out the side dish, forgetting or intentionally not turning the fan down to the level of all others in the restaurant (blowing strong, napkins flying) ,never coming back to check customer to see if they needed everything, or a reorder is not acceptable to higher management. Disappearing from the eating area for long periods of time, citing a new policy (I don't even believe it) refusing a to go box for sweet potato. And she relayed via Derrick, never saw her again, that the $5 coupon was not valid because we had all you can? BOTH new policies? Anyway, will spread the word and in a few months I will call there to see if she is still there, and wont go!!!! read more

I'm a Florida native and went to UF in the 80s, and I've been eating at Sonny's for over 35 years. I've eaten at Sonny's from Florida City to Baton Rouge. Sonny's used to be one of my favorite chain restaurants. My meal at the Waldo Road Sonny's was the worst I've ever had at a Sonny's. The fried pickles were inedible. The okra and fries were soggy with oil and barely edible. The ribs and bread were good, thankfully! The brisket was dry and lacked flavor. The staff didn't seem to be making an effort, just killing time on their phones. I can remember when everything Sonny's served was fresh and cooked perfectly, so it's disappointing to see the current state of some of their restaurants. read more

Let me tell about the time that this Canadian kid was visiting friends in Gainsville, FL and asked to be taken for authentic Florida style southern BBQ. A question that no man (or woman) should ask the morning after a big night of drinking. The response to said question was met with various men's names being shouted (I soon realized that it's not "good" BBQ unless it's got a dudes name at the beginning of it), and the general consensus was that as a first timer to G-ville - you gotta do Sonny's. To Sonny's we did go, and not just to any Sonny's but the Original location, as I'm told, that resides on N Waldo Road (apparently a fire took down the original structure but this one appears to be holding up just fine). Pulling up, it isn't much to look at, but that's fine, if there is one thing we've all learned about judging books and their covers.... The moment I walked in I knew I'd be in trouble (in a good way) the smell of smoked meat hit me like a ton of bricks and the man in the control center of my brain swiftly turned my mouth from salivate to over flowing Mississippi river..... I think I'll call it as it is right now, the only reason this place is losing a star is because we were made to wait nearly 40 minutes whilst standing in that glorious smell - sheer torture. I get that it was a peak time but I was a bitter kid standing there watching all that wonderfulness pass me. Finally we were seated and the more experienced members of out party make quick work of ordering up corn fritters and fried Okra - two firsts for my palate. Corn fritters were piping hot, sweet and so delicious when dipped in the ranch dressing BUT my surprising fave was the deep fried Okra. Yes that's right, beautiful, healthy, vegetarian Okra, battered more than Tina Turner and deep fried to a "pop it in your mouth" perfection. Done! Take that all you healthy vegetarians! This was merely the genesis of my meal and I was promptly handed a menu and a massive container of what I was told was "sweet tea." Now in Canada we have pre-sweeted iced tea and hot tea... not Sweet tea. This was yet another FIRST (thank you Florida for taking 3 of my food/drink virginity's in mere minutes). Sweet tea is a gateway drug drink... the next stop is freebasing sugar water and injecting it straight into your blood stream. Ya that good! This was so sweet, so thirst quenching that I never once turned a refill down when our kindly server offered me more sugary tea. Yes Ma'am. Thank ya ma'am (God I love the south). Now for the moment I had been waiting for, the main course: MEAT. My inexperience showed as I went meat blind and ordered AYCE ribs for $14. My friends laughed b/c they knew I would soon be SOL (shit outta luck). The meat came quick and was paired with my choice of green beans and cornbread (with honey butter). The beans were overcooked, soggy and pretty gross (I ate two and put it aside). However, the ribs... well those delicious babies were brought to my mouth by the letters OH, EM and GEE! Thick, smoked, juicy, plump, did I say thick.... THICK, Sticky, sweet, dammit they were good, baby back RIBS. I managed my way through a serving and a half before suddenly being hit by a wave of fatigue that literally stopped my heart in my chest for 5 whole seconds. I was well stuffed at this point, but greed gave way to need once more and I polished off my last two ribs and spread honey butter all over my corn bread (had there been more honey butter, things woulda got weird because I was fully prepared to spread it all over my body and go sliding around on my belly). 5000 calories later I woke up in a forest miles away, BBQ sauce smeared on my face, clothes torn, belly distended and feeling a mix of grogginess, shame and joy all at once. I had done battle with Sonny's and he had bested me... ah yes he bested me good and hard. *shakes fist* But don't count this Canadian out yet, I'm going to train all winter in the great white north, grow my mountain man beard out, chop down some trees with the edge of my hands and wrestle live Bison. And then, as my good friend the Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, "I'll be back!" Eatcrest OUT! read more

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the staff here are amazing. caitlyn does an amazing job as manager on duty. everyone is so polite and friendly. theres smiling faces everywhere. jessica also did a great job at the takeout read more

Thoroughly enjoyed our lunch. The BBQ chicken and pulled pork were fresh and tasty. The beans, fries, garlic bread and sweet tea completed the meal. I love the nostalgia of the Waldo Rd location. We will be back! Thanks read more

We love Sonny's. Waldo road location is our favorite because the staff is so friendly and the food is excellent. Since the remodeling, it's just so nice. read more

Yummy! Ribs were great! Price was really good too. $16.99 for ribs, fries, coleslaw and garlic bread.

We went to this Sonnys because it's the original and was recently redone, so expectations were probably too high. We ordered our drinks, and then went to order food but turns out they were out of corn , ribs, and turkey.I would have appreciated a heads up when she was taking the drink orders. Then when I tried to substitute one of the meals that had ribs on it for chicken wings I was told no. In this situation I'm not sure why she couldn't just substitute the items... Food comes out- fried pickles were soggy, chicken wings were burnt, the two sandwiches came out just fine thankfully. The place on the inside didn't have the greatest layout. I will honestly never go back. There's way better bbq options in Gainesville. read more

Picked up Sonny's Meal Deal for takeout to bring back home and the process was seamless. Called ahead, and 15 minutes later my food was ready for pick up. When we brought the food home it was all exactly what I ordered and still piping hot. I cannot comment on the safety precautions as my husband was the one who picked the food up. read more

Good food. The server's were amazing and so polite to us. Didn't even have to ask for a refill on the our drinks

went to sonny's 11/1 at 3:45 pm they we're out of food only had slice turkey, pulled pork ridiculous i had called before coming out to make sure they had sonnys ted ale beer three weeks ago they were out, they told yes they had beer but didn't tell me they were out of food i will not go back it's very poorly run recently they don't even deserve one star how do you run out of food, close your doors read more

Sonny's on Waldo Road specifically is the best one in Gainesville!! The staff is absolutely amazing and we've met some of the managers there as well! We walk in and they already know what we want to drink! They're our little family read more

We love Sonny's BBQ & it is our go to dinner when we don't want to cook. It's just really sad that almost every time we get a To Go order they forget the BBQ sauce & the sauce for the Southwest Egg Rolls. It's not the same when there are no sauces. They have even forgotten to include sides. This regularly happens & reason for the 2 stars. read more

Y'all keep forgetting my coleslaw on ToGo orders and it makes me sad. Please let me get my coleslaw.

Amazing BBQ. The server was super nice, the place smelled of smoke and meat and southern awesome. Ribs were great.

Sonny's has been around a long, long time and still managed to survive through all the changes of the economy and the food Biz. I like this location most because it's one of the original stores, the meat is cooked on site, & some of the waitresses have been here for 20-30 years. Our waitress today, Dianne, is retiring on Christmas Eve after 32 years. They have a variety of sauces (5 varieties I think) and I mix the smokey & spicy together for the perfect combo. The salad bar is excellent, it's always well stocked and the goodies are always fresh. The only things I don't order here is the Brunswick stew (too sweet) & the chicken, it doesn't agree with me for some reason. The pulled pork is my favorite by far. The baked beans, corn fritters, & cole slaw are awesome, the other sides are good, some just short of an "awesome" rating, but I don't recall getting anything that wasn't at least good. The prices are reasonable especially for a BBQ joint. Most BBQ restaurants are ridiculously high priced. This Sonny's is my 2nd choice for BBQ in Gainesville (Yo Mama's is by leaps and bounds a better venue for BBQ for both taste & value). They're quick to get in & out of unless you're here at 12 noon Monday - Friday. There's always the option for "to go" pick up which has a separate counter and window. read more

Sonny's BBQ - Front entrance. To go order & pick up window is to the left. - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida