Good food in Ocoee. I am a fan of the 4 Rivers chain of restaurants. This is a popular Florida-based barbecue chain that was founded by John Rivers. It began in 2004 as a "Barbecue Ministry" when he hosted a backyard cookout fundraiser to help a local family whose daughter was battling cancer. In October 2009, he opened the first official 4 Rivers Smokehouse location in Winter Park, Florida. The restaurant gained a loyal following for its smoked brisket and Southern sides. Fast forward to today, when the chain has grown to around 15-23 locations. It is still family-owned and continues to expand while staying rooted in its community-focused origins. I have visited 3 different locations and like atmosphere, food, prices and style. This location is to the northwest of the SR 50 and Vineland road intersection. There is plenty of parking. The inside is a counter where you order your food moving from left to right and pay at the end. There are three sets of seating: by the counter, in the next room and outside on the patio. They have serve yourself drinks in the second room along with to-go containers. The food is a mix of barbeque beef and wings and various sides. I got a pulled pork sandwich, fries and tea. It came out quick and was excellent. The place was very clean and the staff was super friendly. I definitely recommend for anyone wanting a good meal, at a decent price, in a pleasant atmosphere in the Ocoee area. read more

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We have been coming to 4 Rivers for quite a while. The food is cosistantly good. Their monthly specials provide a bit of opportunity to try something a little different. Everyone that we interacted eith is pleasant and eager to please. read more

The Signature Beef Brisket at 4 Rivers Smokehouse is always cooked and flavored well. They have two choices of brisket - lean or moist. On this visit, I choose the lean with a side of Collard Greens, Green Beans and Coleslaw. The staff member working the drive thru window was pleasant and courteous. read more

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This day I was in the Winter Garden area and decided to get bbq! I ordered the burnt ends, macaroni and cheese and hashbrown casserole. I was disappointed in the burnt ends because they were very greasy, the paper shows the grease was spreading on it. I think next time I would get the sliders instead of eating just the meat and sides. The mac and cheese and hashbrown casserole were both equally delicious! I must admit it has been a long time since I went to Four Rivers. I am not sure if they eliminated the bakery parts from all of the restaurants, but they did not have one here. They do offer desserts, but I did enjoy the charm the bakery aspect brought. I will have to try another location and see how it compares and contrasts with the Winter Garden location. read more

4 Rivers Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Winter Garden, Florida

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The ribs was good and soft off te bones. Loaded potatoes were bursting with flavor. The sides that we had (corn, kale, coleslaw) were all good too. Service was quick and ambiance was nice and comfortable read more

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It's been a while since I've had 4 Rivers but their family meals are such an incredible value, we tried the pork with 2 sides and were blown away. The portions were huge and green beans and cheesy potatoes were so perfect. We also treated ourselves to their bread pudding which is a 5/5 for flavor and texture. They gave us lots of BBQ sauce packets and rolls for the meat. I would highly recommend for a great dinner one day you don't want to cook! read more

Visited 4 rivers smoke house from out of town, as I heard it's a great bbq spot. Ordered the BBQ platter with 1/4 rack ribs, beef brisket, corn bread, Mac & cheese and a side of COOP chicken tenders. Honestly did not disappoint! The bbq was very flavourful. Ribs fell right off the bone. Meaty, and enjoyed the sauces to compliment the meat on the tables. Corn bread was good, moist and generous portion. Mac & cheese was yummy as well! The chicken tenders on the side were breaded lightly and seasoned great. Atmosphere- casual, plenty of seating space. Good for small groups as well as big ones. Service- friendly, patient and was able to answer any questions. Food came out in a timely manner. Overall, great experience. Would recommend and come back!! read more

4 Rivers Smokehouse - COOP Chicken Tenders - Barbeque Near Me - Winter Garden, Florida

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We have eaten at 4Rivers for years. Clean dining room, always pleasant people working there! The food is always delicious, lots of choices and our non meat eater enjoys just sides. Please ask the person giving you your food to stir the Mac n cheese before you get your little spoonful, it was cold. The portions for the sides have seriously gotten too small. The prices are not small. We can only eat here occasionally now as it used to be a few times a month. Still delicious but sadly we can't afford the luxury too often. read more

We recently went through the drive-thru at 4 Rivers Smokehouse and brought everything home for dinner -- and wow, it was SO good! I ordered the 1x2 combo with pulled chicken, baked beans, and coleslaw. The pulled chicken was incredibly moist and packed with flavor. I added some of their house-made barbecue sauces on top, and that honestly pushed it over the edge of excellence. The coleslaw tasted super fresh and crisp, and the baked beans? Hands down the best I've ever had. Sweet, savory, and perfectly cooked. My husband ordered the brisket and a sweet tea, and he loved everything as well. The brisket was tender and flavorful, and the sweet tea was just right -- not too sweet, not too bland. Yes, it can be a bit on the pricey side, but barbecue usually is -- and the quality absolutely matches the price. When we're in a pinch and craving good BBQ, this will definitely be our new go-to spot. Highly recommend if you're looking for delicious, comforting barbecue done right! read more

4 Rivers Smokehouse - 1X2 Pulled Chicken Baked Beans Coleslaw - Barbeque Near Me - Winter Garden, Florida

I've only ordered her for delivery. So my comments are strictly about the deliciousness of the food!!! Oh my goodness, the cornbread is easily my favorite thing. You could eat a pan and not realize it. It has the best flavor and bit of spice. The meat and sides are delicious. We ordered a variety of things and each were just great. Chicken tenders, sausage, brisket, fries... all of it is great. I'm eager to one day have time to sit down inside! read more

Everything was really good. The brisket was amazing! We highly recommend this place. It was very clean and staff was super friendly! read more

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I haven't been here in about a year and their quality has definitely declined! Asked for the moist end of the brisket and got a container full of fat! The ribs were dry and hard and the portions are so much smaller! I also feel like the flavor is different. Mac N cheese was mushy and just bad. What happened to 4 Rivers!?! read more

4 Rivers Smokehouse - 50% of the portion was fat. Why would they cut this and serve it to customers? - Barbeque Near Me - Winter Garden, Florida

Me and my wife came in last week to try the food. WOW it was fantastic. Some of the best barbecue I have had in a while. The service was phenomenal as well. Maria was the one helping us and she was the sweetest young girl ever. Oh and the corn bread is to DIE for!!! 5 STARS read more

Shamim was the best! The food was very good as well. The brisket was very good and the monster bar

Good lunch. Fairly pricey. Nice layout. Roomy porch. Clean picnic tables. The brisket was as good as ever. The sausage was neutral - not as tasty as we remember. It was dry - as though it might have been sitting out from the previous day? The pulled pork, beans, and cole slaw were fine. The fries were good prepared well-done, as requested Overall our meal was fine. Just cannot understand why 4R has to be so dadgum expensive. read more

Came here a year ago and it was pretty solid for a Florida BBQ restaurant. Tried the Orlando location also a while back and that location was below expectation. I was worried that this location would change from my first experience and I'll have to say, it looks like it has. Today it was pretty mid. The lean brisket sandwich had too much fat. The Mac & cheese was just ok. It appears they're trying to appear more franchise-like and it's not working as far as food quality. . read more

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Have not been here in a while.., There's a reason for that.., Still a 2 star location. I ordered the turkey... I have had it at several other locations. I'm not sure why I have such bad luck at this location... The Turkey had a lot of fat on it which surprised me. The fries were not good. They tasted like the grease had not been changed in a while.., My bad I guess. ... Hope you have better luck here... read more

Pulled pork was more like pulled fat! The staff working didn't care. I showed the them the pile of fat on my plate which was more than half of the serving of pulled pork. Seemed to be a different group of people working today, very unprofessional. It's unfortunate because I used to like their food. BUT never the pulled pork! Again......I paid for Fat in the Trash! read more

Delicious and moist beef brisket. Laid back environment. Friendly service. Large selection of dessert options.

I went on a rainy day. I ordered burnt ends combo with fried okra and cole slaw. Food was seasoned and fresh and very good. Freshly made to order. Best cole slaw in a long time, not watery and had a green onion taste. Prompt service and I went through the Drive thru. read more

This is a quick serve BBQ restaurant which could have great potential. They just need to work on some of the basics. I had the 2x2 platter with brisket and Texas sausage. The sausage was dry, not quite beef jerky dry but getting close. This could have been avoided if they monitored their cooking time, or it's been sitting around a long time. The brisket was heavily marbled, too much fat. Yes, I know that brisket does have its fair share of fat, but this cut was well over 30-40% fat. And it just wasn't very flavorful. The baked beans were well seasoned and the coleslaw was tasty. They offer various dessert options for those with allergies. And while I tried the gluten free monster cookie, the person at the register had no clue as to the making of the cookie. Did it have peanut butter? "I don't know". Any peanuts? "I don't know". So after buying it, I found out...yup, lots of peanut butter. Not my favorite. And if I had a peanut allergy, well, would not have been a good experience. The place has a rustic atmosphere with paper towels vs napkins and concrete bench tops. read more

4 Rivers Smokehouse - Southern Coleslaw, 4R BBQ Beans, Texas sausage,Signature Angus Brisket, Monster Bar (GF) - Barbeque Near Me - Winter Garden, Florida

I will say, I had high hopes for this place. My judge of BBQ is brisket and personally, the beef ribs. Both were dry. As someone who had waited in line for 3 hours in Austin Texas for authentic BBQ, this was quite disappointing. The ambiance is ok, but another farmhouse decor seems ubiquitous read more

We are on vacation in Orlando. We used to live here and ate at the location near UCF all the time. We love Four Rivers and this time was no disappointment. Everything was great and almost more than we could eat. I used to work in Ocoee and ate at this location back in the day. The menu has changed some in the past five years, but the quality has not. The servers are great. The ambiance is great for a BBQ joint. If you have the chance to eat at any location or The Coop in Winter Park, I highly recommend it. read more

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Its a love hate relationship with 4 Rivers. Don't get me wrong - the food tastes GREAT. THe food is what keeps me coming back. Always fresh. Always tender meat. Always yummy sides. I love consistent, fresh tasting food. HOWEVER, the wait is always so long. Staff is moderately kind, but could have better service. I had a coupon that expired a day ago and didn't realize and the staff gave me such a hard time over it. Also there's never any good place to sit. Tables were a little dirty and it always packed. Now, I just bring my food home but really wish the ambiance was better so that I could eat my food fresh there. read more

4 Rivers Smokehouse - 1/2 Rack Baby Back Ribs 2 Sides (sweet potato casserole, Mac & Cheese) - Barbeque Near Me - Winter Garden, Florida

Best baked beans !!!! . But their serving sizes are SHRINKING!!! And why do restaurants serve cookies that were baked eight hours ago and then tell you that they are fresh read more

Best Darn Brisket Ever (moist.. I always get moist) excellent bark and Bite. if you go.. Save me a seat, .. on second thought don't go so I can my usual seat which is on a weekly basis because I quit BBQing all together and eat here instead. ps I have no photos, because once it get the food I'm not wasting my time on anything else but enjoying the brisket or anything else made with it! I love the atmosphere and the service great you just is line up pick what you want, pay, and EAT YUM. read more

If you enjoy BBQ then check this out! Much to choose from. Platters, sandwiches, yummy sides, unbelievably fattening & tasty desserts. You really can't go wrong. My favorite is Burnt Ends but the 6-Shooter and Messy Pig are also good Seating is AC or covered outdoors. Even good for groups. Easy to find and plenty of parking available. read more

I was driving from chicago to fort lauderdale. I found 4 Rivers Smokehouse on yelp. The taste of their food is amazing! And the price is super fair! The service is standard as it is a place you order in the counter and they bring the food, but employees were nice. The place is clean and it has a certain style that matches the business. I would give it 6 stars if I could. Super recommend for everyone looking for a delicious meal read more

The staff are really friendly and helpful. The greeted us upon arrival. They also explained the menu really well so that we were able to arrive at a decision on what we wanted swiftly. I had the bread pudding, macaroni, corn, brisket and chicken. The chicken didn't have much flavor but they did give plenty of it. The brisket was cooked very moist like I like it but it could some more flavor. The barbecue sauce did help. The macaroni had good consistency but salt and pepper was needed. The bread pudding was phenomenal and so was the corn. The place was nice and clean. I would definitely go back for the bread pudding. I just wish they also served ice cream with the desserts. read more

4 Rivers Smokehouse - Brisket, bread pudding n Mac n cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Winter Garden, Florida

*** To go order *** 4 Rivers is always a hit! The ribs were seasons very well. They usually are pretty good and usually consistent at any location. I wish the ribs had the cherry wine bbq sauce it said it was going to have because I think that would have tasted really well. The baked beans were really good as always! I've tried the Mac and cheese and baked grits before and they were good too! I did ask for mustard sauce in this order and didn't get it but everything I tasted was pretty good! read more

4 Rivers Smokehouse - 1/2 rack ribs, burnt ends( right) 2 orders of baked beans, fries and sauce. - Barbeque Near Me - Winter Garden, Florida

It's been a while since I've been to any 4R so I thought I'd come back for nostalgia sake. I have to say they've stepped it up quite a bit IMO. I used to not be a fan, I always thought the base meats were kind of meh, and the sides were ok. I have to say, if this is the new 4R then I'd definitely eat those words! The burnt ends and chicken were great. Well-seasoned and juicy, and the original sauce was better than I remembered, but the hot - now that's what I'm talking about. Sides were very good as well, I know I'm a basic b with the fries and Mac and cheese but you like what you like! The mac was cheesy saucy excellence. Took it home to finish later (reheats better than fries). Service at the counter was quick and everyone was friendly. Plenty of seating for 1-2s or even 5-6s. Too bad I'm only here for a visit otherwise I could see myself coming back more. Well done read more

4 Rivers Smokehouse - 2/2 platter. Pulled chicken top right, burnt ends bottom right - Barbeque Near Me - Winter Garden, Florida

Stood at counter waiting for service. After a few minutes I looked down at my phone to see the time. Employees came out to add fresh food to the counter and then just disappeared in back somewhere. When my phone reached an additional 5 minutes of me waiting a nobody around to take my order... see ya later! Now off to find somewhere that wants to take my order and money. read more

The best BBQ I've had in FL, as there aren't many (I'm from TX). Service is always friendly and efficient, excellent variety, many (great) sides to choose from, and a lot of dessert options (if you so choose). And I enjoy their sauces, mixing their regular and hot together. read more

Had a Santa Maria Tri-Tip Sandwich last week. It was amazing. Ordered another one tonight (via Door Dash). The amount of steak on the sandwich was not just minimal but embarrassing. It was a bread sandwich! I am crushed. It was one slice thin. Wow. read more

Great little franchise. Food is solid if you're on the road and need a food. Solid bbq!

Amazing meats. Delicious sides. Can't beat the collard greens and cheese grit cake. Don't miss the sauce. And a side of cornbread. Only risk is it's so tasty you keep eating even after you're full. read more

We had pulled pork sandwiches and collard greens. Absolutely delicious. Service is always great with such a friendly staff. You should give 4 Rivers a try... read more

The staff here and food were amazing !! we've been dining at 4 rivers for about 8 years now and they never seem to disappoint. read more

And once again, four Rivers does not disappoint... I have enjoyed 4 rivers BBQ multiple times and every time I highly recommend it. This time I got a brisket sandwich, some mac & cheese and fries and a dessert bar. Everything as usual, was very fresh and tasty. I really like that they have a higher rotation for their food so it doesn't sit out there for a long period of time. on the other hand, the staff is always very helpful to accommodate any allergies or preferences. they're also super friendly and love their BBQ!! One thing that I give a lot of credit to most of the four Rivers locations is that they have great sitting inside in the air conditioning and a patio to enjoy the weather if it's not too hot. (oh and btw Plenty of parking spots) . I will say that the restaurants are always clean and I always see somebody cleaning, in all these years I've never seen a nasty 4 rivers restaurant. There is a reason why this is one of the best barbecue places in the south east. read more

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Great BBQ and quick service. Always a stop when I find myself in Winter Garden. Try the Brisket Tacos.