Marginal at best. Ordered pulled pork and I got a paper place mat over the tray with my order written on it with a marker pen. My pork was dumped on the placemat. Really low budget and gross! Collard greens were bland and tasteless but the highlight in nastiness were the bbq beans. Swarming in a thick over sweet brown sugar, molasses concoction drowning out any taste of beans. Cornbread was soggy and tasteless. Won't be back! read more

I give a three for it being good not great. You're not going to leave dissatisfied although you're not going to leave raving about how good it was either. The prices are a little steep but the atmosphere is nice and casual. Good place for lunch. read more

Great food the cheese grits are amazing. I am not even a fan of grits but these I could eat every day! Stuffed jalepenos wrapped in bacon are great if you like hot and spicy. read more

The food is pretty good at 4 Rivers, but unfortunately it seems as if they have the food pre-prepared and just heat it up as you order it, so not the freshest choice. REALLY good mac and cheese and beans, great sides. I got the brontosaurs rib and it was definitely tasty, fall off the bone. This gets three stars because I've heard of at least 3 people who's stomachs have not felt good after their meal and the day after (potentially very processed foods?); I was fine, but thought it should be put into consideration. read more

I must say they've stepped their game up since mg original review last year. I love the brisket and collard greens!

This place is amazing. The food is great and the employees are very friendly, my preferred item on the menu has to be the brisket sandwich. Sooo juicy and delicious! read more

Love the brisket, cheese grits and okra! A dinner plate can easily be shared, tons of food!

The food here is always so good. The brisket is my favorite. The fried pickles are also really really good. Can't really go wrong with any of it read more

Cheese grits, topped with pulled pork, pickles, jalapeños, and four rivers sauce with a side of fried pickles and bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers. OH MY GOD. I can't get it out of my head. Delicious. Even their ranch! It has to be homemade bc its the best ranch I've ever had. Go and try their BBQ you will not be disappointed! read more

My only complaint is they close too early. This place is great, not sure why it has low ratings on Yelp but I'll do my pet to fix that

As a new UF student from Louisiana, 4 Rivers is the only place I've found in Gainesville so far with fried okra; it was really great! Also got the pulled pork sandwich and bread pudding and it was very good. Definitely will become a regular at 4 Rivers. read more

Nice place with great food and staff. I had the ribs. They were excellent. Everything they were preparing looked delicious. I would recommend. read more

Got the burnt ends combo of brisket and pork! Amazing! Any place that has BBQ and cupcakes are fine in my book!

Since its opening, it's had a steady stream of customers every night. Having never heard of this central Florida chain, I wanted to try it out. It was not what I was expecting. When we saw the line out the door, I figured we'd be in for a bit of a wait. I was not expecting to wait in a cafeteria-style line for cafeteria-style food. 4 Rivers is a part of the growing "fast casual" dining scene. Fast casual is characterized by fast food with limited table service, but slightly higher quality food than your typical fast food drive-thru. In that sense, 4 Rivers is a success. Their food is slightly better than your typical fast food. I opted for the bbq chicken quesadilla because it sounded interesting and unique. My friends have criticized me for ordering a quesadilla at a bbq joint, but if it's no good, why keep it on the menu. The sauce was robust and had a deep, smoky flavor. I was a little concerned when I read that their sweet potato soufflé was not safe for people with peanut allergies, but I got used to the awkward crunch. 4 Rivers also has a bakery full of sweets. I had a parfait, but it was way too sweet. I can't say I've ever encountered a dessert I didn't like, but I didn't finish this one. read more

Great brisket! I chose the lean cut with less fat. Sweet tea is a must. The jalapeno wrapped in bacon sides are a great compliment to the brisket. Not too hot either. read more

Ive been to many of their locations throughout the state and have experienced the worst mac and cheese ever here in G'ville. I can't believe that this location waters down the cheese sauce and undercooks the pasta. The al dente pasta with a sauce that doesn't have any flavor isn't southern style mac n cheese. I would love to see the owner eat it and tell me that it is acceptable. If this is their new way of preparing their mac and cheese then I will never step foot in their restaurants again. read more

It had a nice vibe but I really don't understand the hype. I'm always very lenient and positive in my reviews but I felt like the mac n cheese came from a Kraft box. I got a little pulled pork sandwich and it was honestly just okay. The fries were good but that's pretty much it. It was my first time though, so maybe I just ordered the wrong thing. read more

Sad about the decline here. We used to rate 4 Rivers as best brisket (moist with extra bark and lean), best burnt ends, best wings and best prime rib around (in some cases even relative to states with BBQ powerhouses like Chicago and Tennessee). We used to get takeout from 4 Rivers at least once a week. Sadly, something 'happened to management' and the place hasn't been the same for 2 months or so. The past few times we've had brisket, it's been sad and dry, the burnt ends are kind of bad and the wings are tiny and sad. Today, when we brought this up with someone on the line, they just said, "I know - we had a management change and now everyone is saying the same thing". Come on 4 Rivers - you were awesome! Get it together! read more

Getting more and more disappointed as the business grows, meaning the decline in quality and service. Ordered a brisket quesadilla today and three of the four slices were entirely fat/gristle.... and smoke flavoring was overdone. My first visit to 4R was in Winter Park ~ the smoke was not that heavy/prominent there. And in my previous visit, ordered fried pickles, which were half raw, and took 10 minutes to get them. Too bad. read more

Excellent food. Everything was delicious! Great value, great taste. Dessert portions are small for the price, but they are still really good. Love the drink selection. The staff is over the top friendly and eager to serve. Can't wait to go back! read more

Interesting fast-food style concept, but very dry brisket (twice), a long wait, a very loud atmosphere, lackluster service, & sooo messy. I want plates, damm*t! If I'm going to pay a decent price for barbeque & the place is consistently busy, I expect juicy meat, excellent service, the ability to hear my date/friends talk, & not being fed on a flat surface like cattle :) My analogy may suck, but groups of people to the left & right of me eating hordes of beef w/o the basics turns my stomach. Next time I end up here w/ someone, I'm running next door for sushi:) ...on a plate. And it will be moist. read more

I made this mistake today. I had not had barbecue for a while so I pulled in and found that there was actually some kind of yelp gathering going on at this restaurant. I assume it was the restaurant marketing. I ordered the brisket with two sides and found it to be dry and what was most disturbing is that the fried okra was cold and squishy. I have to believe that they would normally be better than this. And did I mention that the service was slow and inattentive? Next time I will find a local place that is not a chain. read more

Decided to give the recently opened 4 Rivers Smokehouse a try this afternoon for late lunch (2:30). It was surprisingly busy for such a late hour, perhaps 1/3 full. As noted in other reviews, it is cafeteria-like in layout. Meals (at least what we ordered) are served on butcher paper. I ordered a moist brisket sandwich, cornbread salad and baked beans. My wife opted for the Six Shooter, one of the Signature Stackers. The brisket was a bit dry, but tasty and plentiful. The cornbread salad (a new one on me) was lettuce with cornbread crumbles, tomatoes, sweet peppers, and bacon. It was delicious. The beans were decent, with lots of molasses and barbeque sauce flavor but not too sweet. Not up to Sonny's standard but pretty good and far from "outa the can." The Six Shooter consisted of a generous helping of pulled pork topped with coleslaw, all piled on a hunk of cheese grits and doused with sauce. It looked about how it sounds but was quite good (my wife generously allowed me a taste). Certainly a unique dish. The menu is fairly large and it will take a few more visits to try some of the other offerings, visits we are sure to make. Overall, pretty good with some unique dishes and atmosphere you won't encounter elsewhere. read more

Ambiance is cool. Love the outdoor eating area. Brisket a little salty for my taste but still very good. Staff is very friendly and accommodating which is good because there are no servers! read more

Love this place. We get the sliders with two sides. Great bargain for the money. Smoked pork and brisquit is the best. Love the cheese grits and the bread pudding read more

maybe it's better in person ( most places are) but ive gotten it to go at work twice and I wasn't impressed. They don't have garlic bread which stinks because I prefer that as a sandwich. The meat has been extremely greasy both times. Ive gotten the pork and biscuit. The pork wasn't so good and the biscuit had potential but was very fatty and way greasy i couldn't stomach it. I might try it one more time if I can dine in...maybe. read more

This place is good but a little pricey. When it first came to gainesville I heard so many good things about it but when i went it wasn't as special as i was hoping it to be. You have to pay for sides. So if you want a sandwich with two sides its going to cost you read more

Brisket is amazing, sides are below average but I'll still keep going for the meat

Absolutely the worst BBQ I have ever had. All of the flavors were completely wrong. The collard greens did not taste southern, but italian. The baked beans were bland. The pulled pork did not taste Carolina or any other style that I can think of. Also there is a sandwich, I think it's half chicken, half pork (can't remember the name), which tasted like sloppy joes. Somehow, the cupcake was nearly worse. I am not convinced they make the cupcakes in-house, as it appears. read more

My last review was from a meager experience at 4Rs. It is good to know that management does keep track of these reviews. I was contacted to rectify the issue with a high priced meal for slim pickins. The selection of different kinds of BBQ ed meats is sure to have some thing that pleases you. My husband swears by the smoked sausage. I like beef or pork. All of these are available and juicy and full of flavor. I also love the choice of sides. Try the bread pudding or the roasted corn. Discriptions of the desserts in the front case would be helpful. My husband would like a sugar free offering. This would be a big draw as there are so few sugar free sweets offered in Gainesville. There are many that could be night from this. Thanks for going the extra step John R. read more

When you walk in door, the smoky, BBQ smell overwhelms you. The ordering was quick and efficient. I had the brisket (order Moist!), sausage, greens and mac & cheese. All was exceptional. The brisket at 4 Rivers is the best I've ever had in my 58 years. Most brisket is dry and tough. Not 4 River's. Don't understand why they have an entire dessert area. I'm always stuffed after I finish my meal. 4 Rivers isn't cheap ($32 for 2), but is worth it to me. Sonny's has gotten better, but doesn't compare to 4 Rivers. Mojo downtown is good, but it's not 4 Rivers. Remember, order the Moist. read more

I stopped by today. One of my local friend recommend it.I had brisket which was really juicy and delicious. Sides was OK. I will stop by again for dinner. read more

I've come to 4 Rivers in the past but not in awhile and I knew I had to retry it when I was back in Gainesville. This time was particularly special and i'm not the type to write reviews but I felt like I had to at how truly impressed I was with the sublime customer service I received. Specifically I write this review to praise one of the workers there - Ani. From the moment I walked in, she was the only one to greet me and make me feel especially welcome, she guided me through my order and answered any questions while providing wonderful recommendations. I hadn't been in awhile so I definitely was not sure what to get and do have some eating restrictions and Ani was incredibly aware of the menu and so accommodating- i've genuinely never received such wonderful service from another establishment in Gainesville. The food she prepared for me was absolutely great and I left with a smile! In depressing times like COVID, employees like Ani make everything a bit brighter when one takes a break to go into an establishment. Hope she sees this and 4- Rivers knows how impressed I was with her work!! read more

Typical chain BBQ flavor. Was solidly average. The beer was warm, food a bit on the cold side. Staff was very friendly and the place was clean. read more

Efficiently ran, top of the line BBQ, and amazing staff truly make 4 Rivers Smokehouse Gainesville's very best BBQ restaurant. It's setup so that you can order, pay, and receive your food in a timely manner. Essentially, the food is fantastic and the experience is authentic. read more

Once again there is no one close on BBQ...worlds best with perfect sides at a great price...cannot go wrong unless you can't eat with a little noise....it is the best run low cost menu in the country, try to beat this place. read more

The sweet corn is awesome! The meat is also very well seasoned and cooked. Try the burnt ends dinner and don't forget to get the bacon-wrapped jalapeno and cheese bites! read more

the worst service ever! Standing in line for like 5 mins and nobody took the order for us. never came back again！！

3 stars because the smokehouse part of the restaurant is pretty damn good for the price. As far as the dessert side, don't waste your money. We got a Reese's Pieces cupcake today and underneath the frosting, was green frosting, like they scraped frosting off an old cupcake to make this one. Not to mention that the cupcake was hard and the frosting was old and hard as well. The desserts look great but do not waste your money on them. read more

4 Rivers Smokehouse is a magical place! You order your meal like you're at Chipotle. I ordered the brisket and sliced pork (half and half). It comes with an excess of 3 sides, so I got collard greens, coleslaw, and fried pickles. I'll start with the sides then move into meat heaven. The collard greens were good but not great and they could've had a better, stronger flavor. The coleslaw was standard, nothing too special. The fried pickles though, were to die for, they are delicious with a side of ranch. Now, into meat heaven, I'll first start with the sliced pork. My pork was slightly dry, but if you soak it in sauce it gets a lot better, but overall it wasn't the best meat I've ever had. The bbq brisket on the other hand was phenomenal! It was so juicy and moist, I really like that they don't put sweet sauce on so you can do it yourself to your liking. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, it was like a southern community having a cookout at a nice modern, rustic ranch home. They also have a whole dessert section called the "Sweet Shop", it looked really awesome that's for sure. After getting all those juices and flavor on your hands, it might be good to rinse up in the restroom. What surprised me was that the restroom even had character, the sinks were like hose faucet pipes and the decor was the nice and modern ranch style, just like the restaurant itself. The workers are super nice as well and are focused on making your experience a great one. Do not miss this place if you are in Gainsville, you will be missing out tremendously! read more

4 Rivers Smokehouse - Half brisket, half sliced pork, coleslaw, fried pickles, cornbread, collard greens, and a side of ranch. Amazing! - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all