The food is consistent and very good Ribs , sandwiches, chicken all very tasty The sides are mostly fatty and slathered in sauce - I usually get the steamed broccoli. Corn bred is good but too sweet for my taste. Service for take out is good and ready on time I've only eaten in a couple of times - waits were long- ish even when not too busy I've become a regular customer mostly for the baby back ribs. read more

Service was friendly and fast. Clean restaurant with lots of modern renovations to the look and feel of the place. Sweet tea and baby back ribs were superb. Pulled pork was just meh. Sweet potato was ok- with I got some other side. The red neck egg rolls were amzing as always. Can't go wrong with those! The special Loaded potato was out of this world huge. How can anyone finish that! read more

Sonny's BBQ - South Carolina on Galicia bread - Barbeque Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Have eaten at Sonny's many times over the years, but decided to eat inside this time. Usually just takeout. A very nice atmosphere and great service. Tried the pulled pork egg rolls. Fantastic. Recommend dropping by and eating in house. read more

Sonny's BBQ - Pulled pork egg rolls. Yummy! - Barbeque Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

We had eaten here years ago, but we were in the mood for BBQ and wanted to try it again. I had a 3 meat plate--pulled pork, St. Louis ribs and jalapeno cheese sausage. (They were out of brisket) It came with BBQ beans and slaw plus a choice of Texas toast or cornbread (I chose the latter.) Everything tasted great, but I couldn't even eat it all and had to take some home. Banana pudding for dessert. Service was friendly and efficient. We enjoyed our visit and we will be returning here on our next visit to the area. read more

Down home country atmosphere with very friendly staff. The food was delicious with a good variety of smoked meats and side dishes.

Good old Sonny's! This place has been around forever and it really hasn't changed much over the years. Their barbecue is still very good and you can't beat their prices. This is the first time I've stopped by in a long time just due to the fact, I don't work anywhere near this location. I came in for an early lunch and the place was mostly dead. The service was excellent and very friendly and they talked me into the special they had for the day and I was not disappointed. I'm always amazed how fast the food comes out from the time I ordered til the time it was on the table was probably five minutes. read more

Sonny's BBQ - Rib and Pork lunch special - Barbeque Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

The food was very good! I got broccoli which was average, but the Mac n cheese, corn bread, and pulled pork was delicious 10/10!! The waitress was definitely over worked but she was very nice and still served us very well. Great experience read more

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

I went there yesterday and tried the burnt ends and it was terrible. They take pieces of meat and soak it in some sugary sauce which masks any actual meat flavor. I went for the pulled pork and then it looked like somebody took a spoon of it and just plopped it in the plate. There are not enough servers so poor Gretchen has to run around handling so many patrons that she is nonstop moving. When you need a refill or anything else she is super busy. When I finally get ready to leave is when she has a moment to bring me what I didn't get when I needed it. This is on management for not running things correctly. I also would love to know why you can get sweet potato but yet you can't get a regular baked potato in America?? You can do better people. read more

Excellent barbeque and really nice staff. We were greeted by a pleasant small blonde woman who promptly sat us and gave our son crayons and paper. David was our waiter and he was a really nice guy, in a good mood and very helpful with the information on meal sizes and recommendations and specials. We ordered a pick two meat platter with brisket and ribs, as well as an order of baby back ribs with sides, and a half a chicken with sides. The food was great, we loved everything from the cornbread to the meat, my favorite was the brisket and ribs. The only negative thing we really had to say was that the corn was extremely salty and none of us liked it. Great spot! read more

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

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Earlier this week I went to Sonny's with my family. They were very friendly, and we loved the pulled chicken sandwiches. Sonny's is a good place to get a dinner and relax. The price is also better than most of the places in Sarasota. The servers were friendly, and I will be back again. read more

Food was so good! This was our first time in Sarasota and my dad was wanting bbq real bad and this place totally delivered! Our server was the funniest gal, and and she was so speedy! The drinks were delicious and I recommend the spiked pink lemonade. Refreshing and boozy! The meat was juicy, melt in your mouth delicious. I recommend the sweet potato as a side, so sweet and soft!! It feels like your basic fast food joint but the food is so much more! I think it's worth to try out!!! read more

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This spot is always on point and is always delicious. You can't go wrong with the combos. Of picking 3, or 4, types of bbq and the service is always fun and personable. I like how the bench tables are set up if you dine in. Togo is always delicious too. This spot never disappoints. The Bbq Mac and cheese is great. The burnt ends are amazing their brisket is so good. The corn bread is always hit. And the different sauces they have are great from the spicy bbq to the sweet bbq and Nashville rub. If you're in the mood for BBQ why not give this place a try? It's a local fav and is always on point. Bricks is also a spot I recommend but it can be a little more expensive. read more

I've been a loyal customer since 1970. A trip to Sonny's is part pilgrimage part thrill... today I noticed a very different (bad) smell coming from the chimney as I entered, it was very hickory smoky... not good. At first I thought oh no, Sonny has died and the family has sold out... The taste of sliced pork reflected that hideous smell. I guess now I'm a takeout beans and garlic bread customer... the sliced pork is no thrill with a phony smoke flavor. read more

Ordered through DoorDash on a Saturday. It was honestly the absolute best brisket I've ever had! Green beans were nice and smoky and the sweet potato with the cinnamon butter was amazing! Highly recommended this location!!! I would have added a picture but the food is in my belly! read more

Ordered take out, everthing was good.....i.e. slice pork, cole slaw, onion rings, but the ribs were very dry and chewy, the work I have had in my many trips to sonnys. I have not been there in a while and this was my first take out order, I am very sceptical about returning or ordering take out again. read more

See prior review please! Great food and great service! Ok I have to write more. Go and try it, you will go back!

Always good. Service is good. Food is good and plentiful. Good specials everyday. Service is great. Very accommodating and pleasant. Shanna was the best. Pleasant and very efficient. read more

When I go to Florida on vacation I have to eat there every time. We also buy their BBQ sauce online. I used to live in Fort Myers back in the mid 80's. Was our go to place to eat after the beach. read more

We visited Sonny's to get together as a family after years of being apart, we definitely picked the right place! We were seated at a nice round table in the back, it was the perfect spot for our party. We had our 18 month old daughter with us and it was past her regular dinner time, I was struggling with her. Usually when she gets this way, we just order to go, but our server really helped me through with her kind words of encouragement. She made sure to get my daughters order in right away and checked in with us frequently to ensure we all had what we needed. I couldn't have asked for better service. The food was absolutely incredible! We started with some brisket nacho tots and they were just amazing. For dinner I had the pulled chicken dinner plate with baked beans and Mac and cheese. I ate every bite. The chicken was so flavorful, I love having the 4 sauce options on the table. Kid friendly, great food, great service. Highly recommend! read more

Long time Sonny's BBQ eater, first time reviewer! This is the spot for some of the best sliced smoked pork you'll ever try. Recently came to this location for lunch and was served by Cori, who took excellent care of us despite having a bustling section with several other tables during a busy lunch rush (including one big top!). We ordered the Big Deal lunch special and I ended up making a garlic toast sandwich with my sliced pork, with french fries in there as well, and then drenched with Sonny's Sweet BBQ sauce. Heavenly, y'all! Can confirm that the ribs at Sonny's are also legit, as is the chicken, but primarily I'm here for the sliced pork. Never change, Sonny's, we love you! read more

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

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Had this spots food as takeout before so wanted to check out the in house experience. Apparently we got there just before the "after work" rush as we were told there'd be a 5-10 minute wait to be seated. People that came in immediately after us were told 20+ minutes as they were "understaffed and getting overwhelmed". Surprisingly we were seated after about 5 minutes. Our server was cheerful and friendly. After checking out the menus, we ordered and sat back to wait. Again surprisingly the food wait wasn't overly long. The food looked great! I had the brisket grilled cheese with bean and slaw. Wife had the smoked turkey sandwich. I'd had the ribs previously and they were great so wanted to try something else. The brisket was tender and flavorful and the cheese was melty and tasty. The beans were BBQ-y with a nice tang. The slaw was great! Most spots treat slaw like an after thought but this was bright, flavorful, and fresh! Wife enjoyed her sandwich also. It did get fairly crowded while we were eating but our server remained attentive. The noise level increased a bit also. But overall still a decent experience. The booths were very roomy and comfortable. The tables had chairs that looked like high school cafeteria chairs. Didn't look comfortable to me. But thats me :) We will probably be back again... read more

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We love Sonny's! The food and service was great at the Central Sarasota location. I definitely recommend going to get your BBQ fix.

We like to eat here every now and then. Spontaneous when we do make it in. As I say in all of my reviews, we love fresh cooked meals. Prefer not to go to the chain restaurants. The coleslaw was really great! Tasted like it was just made! Mac and cheese and ribs are really tasty too. Ribs are my fave. Sonny's ribs are almost ALWAYS tasty, and juicy. We get the dry rub. Service is usually really good too. Corey took care of us. She was efficient and polite. Went on a Sunday afternoon. No wait. Food doesn't usually take long to come to the table which is wonderful. When you're hungry, you're hungry!! Who wants to wait forever to eat?! read more

Sonny's BBQ - Dry rub St. Louis Ribs, Homemade Coleslaw and Homestyle Macaroni and Cheese. Also, had cornbread which was amazing!! Very moist - Barbeque Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Not Texas bbq so don't expect that level, but decent considering it's commercial, overall friendly staff. The wait staff are extremely slow to the point I requested another table after several minutes, thankfully I did, request Lori section up front trust me on this, she outperforms all their waiters combined. read more

Sonny's BBQ - All you can eat ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

There is no doubt that the food is fresh here because this site is always busy and the take out orders are non-stop. I mean a line forms on a weekday by the takeout window as guest arrive to pickup their orders. Not to mention, that inside is mobbed with groups of families coming to enjoy a rack of ribs, or some BBQ chicken. There are other options like pork and brisket, but for me it is the baby back ribs that gets me in the door. There is a salad bar with the basic options that is fresh and well maintained. The side dishes include corn, cole slaw, beans, veggies, garlic bread, to name a few. There are sandwiches too. The dining room could use some lights, it seems they painted the booths in black, so it only darkens the interior. The staff is efficient and seem to all have worked there for quite a while. The majority are experienced staff that have the routine down on remote. I know my food will be fresh because of the volume this location deals with. Nothing spectacular just a quick hearty casual meal. Bring the family, for there is plenty of room for everybody to sit and the menu is wide enough, that everyone will find something they like. read more

The food is always great at Sonny's BBQ Sarasota however the Takeout Server (Check #36 on 11/4/24 at 12:43 - Ginger) lady was absolutely horrible. She never said hello when I walked in...I had to ask if I order off the menu's on the counter she could barely respond and didn't even say thanks when she gave me the food. Inexcusable to be so super rude after everything all of us in Sarasota have gone through with back-to-back hurricanes you would think she could at least be kind!! This lady should be fired!! Sonny's needs to train staff to conduct themselves with a simple greeting to a customer and a thank you!! read more

We had a pretty good meal. I was here a couple years ago, I gotta say the portion of my brisket dinner was laughable. The sweet potato was old and shrunken. No cinnamon butter either like last time. Our wait staff was lovely. Very cordial and engaging. I just hope they go back to the normal serving size pre Covid. Oh and the cinnamon butter, that's the whole reason to have a sweet potato in the first place ‼ read more

We love baby back ribs and OMG when we found that Sonny's was near us we decided to try them and that was 2yrs ago, we've been back numerous times and the food quality, taste is always consistent. Love that the food is warm/fresh and they always give you extra bbq sauces. They have a great selection of bbq items on menu, we've tried about everything on there menu. We've never had lunch/dinner there, as we always do carry out since we live around the corner from Sonny's. The chicken is moist not dry, the baby back ribs fall off bone, the Cuban sandwich is delicious, the pulled pork is yummy as i said everything is good. I do like there bread choices from corn bread, garlic bread, sides are also very good. Enjoy Sonny's for some good bbq !! read more

I LOVE THIS BBQ SPOT. Wow the staff was soooo nice and friendly, welcoming, and warm! I came with my husband and two girls- 4 and 2. My girls actually ATE the mac n cheese and green beans (because they never eat, but it was that good!) The BBQ was perfect, juicy, and saucy. We were so full, had beers that were so cold and fresh! Lighting in the restaurant (Sarasota location) was not too bright or dark. I could see my food, but it wasn't too bright where I wanted to hide from the messy eating (LOL)... Better than Texas BBQ, Outback, all of those TBH. read more

We have been huge Sonny's supporters, but this location has been awful almost every time we have tried it. Not the food but the management of the servers. Today, we and other customers turned away at 1230 pm .. due to an at least 20 minute wait in a restaurant with a lot of empty tables. The greeter boy "does not want to overwhelm the servers." This is lunch time.. do you even want to stay in business? Also, Sonny's just sent out a coupon to everyone..should you have planned for additional business? We love Sonny's but are continually disappointed in this location. read more

We always enjoy Sonny's BBQ! Great food--barbecue, sides, salad bar...all so good. Their pricing is reasonable. Service is consistently good. Well worth your time, if you're a barbecue lover! read more

My husband and I went to Sonny's for the first time tonight. The food was excellent. I had the baby back ribs and they were the best ribs I've had in a very long time. We were taken care of by Lori and the service was excellent. We will definitely go back again. read more

It's chain barbecue, but damn, is it good. The prices are low, the service is great, and the food is heavy and filling. Don't come here if you're on a diet. read more

I honestly can't believe that I haven't written a review for Sonny's and I've been there so many times! This is the perfect spot to get some decently smoked meats at a reasonable place. It's great when you have large families as there's plenty of seating and a good-sized menu to cater to many. I've had their ribs, chicken, brisket, and well I've tried a good portion of the menu. I've never been disappointed in my meal. The sides are just as great as the main course. Mac and cheese? Please! Baked beans? For sure! They even have heathy sides of broccoli and green beans. You can be as indulgent as you want with fatty brisket, plenty of sauce, mac&cheese and a cornbread muffin or you can opt in for a lean chicken with green beans and broccoli for your sides. Service has always been great! They even give you big ol' 32 ounce cups so you never go thirsty! I will note that their salad bar is closed due to covid so that's a bummer. However if you're worried about being too close to people, have no fear, they only seat about 50% and the other tables are decorated with logs or their prize-winning awards. read more

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We placed an order online and went to pick it up. Amazing experience. Great fried pickles. Great sandwiches. Amazing BBQ. It got a yes in my book on the quest to eat at every BBQ place in the greater United States. They stuffed a paper bag filled with various sauce packets and after doing taste testing we concluded that they are all perfection. I'm even taking the sizzlin sweet BBQ sauce to work instead of my water bottle tomorrow. Talk about yum. The staff was super friendly, and when they had forgotten the ranch for the pickles we ran back inside. They immediately got on their knees and cried saying they have had such a rough day and they never forget the ranch. After I said it's okay, they revealed it was actually a trick for me to come back inside to sing happy birthday to me. Those guys are so funny. I'd recommend making every annual birthday dinner at your local Sonny's. You won't regret that. Also haha followmeoninstaplease. read more

Sonny's BBQ - Fried Pickles - Barbeque Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Lightning fast lunch It was not very busy when I stopped in today for lunch. A welcoming greeting started my visit and all my interactions with the staff I would describe as friendly casual. Not casual as in slow but casual as friends. It was definitely not slow. Sonny's offers lunch items, I decided on their Pulled Pork with a couple of sides. I also went with their garlic bread which I liked, but my bad for not reading other reviews beforehand and learning they also have great cornbread. The pulled pork was good both with or without sauce, the baked beans nice and sweet, and the potato salad was flavorful too. My lunch was at my table in about 3 minutes after ordering and my side of potato salad sooner than that. If you are limited on time for lunch, don't rule out eating at Sonny's. As a special offer for us Yelpers, the first time you check in you get a free banana pudding. I don't know how long that offer will last but I can tell you just like the other food, the pudding was delicious. It was also a nice size. I expected it would just be a few bites but it was a full dessert. I also appreciated my server asking if I wanted a soda refill to go. All in all, from the wonderful smell when I first opened the door to the invitation to come back soon as I left, it was a very positive experience. read more

Sonny's BBQ - Banana Pudding - Barbeque Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Wow Sonnys has really stepped up they're game! I moved away and stopped in when heading from airport. It's all remodeled, modern and freshened up looking. It happened to be Valentines Day and the hostess Jade gave me a hand written Valentines. That is a special touch and may be the only Valentines someone will receive. The food was great and server was great too. I also felt Covid precautions were being implemented well. read more

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

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I've been going to Sonny's for Ribs for the past 6yrs and will say the ribs are amazing. I went for dinner last night and was very disappointed with my order. The ribs were still amazing however (not sure when this happened) the portion of a "full rack" is now probably the size of a 1/2 rack or even smaller. The rate is also higher by $1 for the meal but talk about cutting quantity down to 1/2 and raising the rate as well for the 1/2 order. You will not be disappointed with the meal however you may have to order 2 orders ($32) for what was $16 not too long ago. read more

I usually have a good time when I go to Sonny's BBQ. The food comes to the table at the appropriate temperature. The employees are usually great. Tonight was not a good visit. There was two of us visiting Sonny's restaurant. One order of food came to the table at the appropriate temperature. If the other order of food was cold. It would have been nice if Sage I would have offered to take the food in the back and warm it up. That would have made me extremely happy. But, instead I took home a cold dinner the warm up in my microwave. read more

Really good! Just moved to the area so we were looking to try some BBQ in the area. This place did not disappoint! Their portion sizes are generous and they have a number of sides to choose from. We also came here during COVID and it was nice to see that they were taking as many precautions as possible to keep everyone healthy. We'll definitely be back! read more