Adam's Rib Company is an unpretentious eatery along one of the main thoroughfares in Gainesville and clearly has a large local following. We (wife, hypercritical son and I) went there this morning to further explore the BBQ options in town and were disappointed. Here's why. ARC is small, downscale and completely unpretentious, down to the chipped formica tabletop where we sat and the gathering local crowd that was obviously enjoying their morning. The service was gracious and fast. We ordered a beef brisket sandwich and slab or ribs with two sides: baked beans and black-eyed peas. They arrived in short order and looked pretty amazing. The beef brisket - on a bun - was moist with a modest smokey flavor, certainly much less than I would have preferred. A small quantity of sweet BBQ sauce had already been added, overshadowing the beefy and smokey qualities. Why do they do that? Are they trying to hide something? The pork ribs were large with generous quantities of pink and cooked meat, along with some fat. The meat was chewy and had to be knawed or sliced off the bone, this in contrast to the "fall-of-the-bone meat" from the Pearl Country Store in Micanopy. The smokey flavors were good...not great. The BBQ beans were sweet and not to my liking, though my son enjoyed them. The black eyed peas had some cooked onion and were way salty, too salty for any of us to enjoy. The dessert of banana pudding was good: sweet, creamy but lacking in chunks of banana. Conclusion: decent food, we're glad we went to check it out, but this place does not hold a candle to the Pearl Country Store in Micanopy. If you love BBQ and have not been there, you should pay a visit. read more

Tried it out for the first time today because of all the good things I've heard about it (plus it was on my way to Publix). Ordered the 6-piece ribs with mac and cheese and fries. The ribs were terrible. Tough and dry like old shoe leather and one side was charred black. The garlic bread was a soggy piece of mess with very little butter and garlic on it. Fries were nothing special either. The only reason it's not a one-star review is because the mac and cheese were actually pretty good. Too bad the portion was so small. I doubt I'll be visiting the place again. read more

The food made our stomachs hurt really bad, as well as the UberEats tracker was incorrect so we ended up waiting even longer. Will not be ordering from again. read more

Let me start out with that this place has made me a fan of spare ribs. I'm normally a baby back snob since I've been to Sonny's more times than I'd like to admit and had their typically dry spare ribs. I was pleasantly surprised to have an amazing molasses glaze on these ribs that were nice and tender and NOT too fatty (which surprised me even more). Other than that, its just an ordinary rib shack, close to UF campus and their prices are pretty reasonable (11 bux for a half slab). If I'm looking for a BBQ hookup in Gainesville again I'll be sure to hit Adam's back up :) read more

A few nights back, I volunteered ribs for a get-together and called Chunky T's, only to hang up in disappointment when I couldn't get an answer. It was less than 45 minutes 'til dinner and the drive to my friends' house was a solid 15 minutes. I began to think that I'd have to settle for David's until I remembered ... Adam's is near my destination! And they're probably open! This store used to be a donut shop before and it looks like it, so try not to be put off by the general grubbiness. The employees are eager to please (a little dim, though -- more in a moment) and will gladly tell you if there's a special available for the food that you're planning to order. For example, when I ordered the full rack of ribs, the cashier let me know that for about $5 more I could get two large sides and garlic bread. Our guests already had the side dishes ready to go though, so I declined and gave the cashier $30 for the $23 meal, and the dude dropped all of my change in the tip jar without even offering it to me first! Three thoughts went through my head then: 1) I can get pure Suthun ig'nant on him and raise hell, 2) I can let it go completely, 3) I can order some more food to justify leaving behind a $6 tip on a take-out order. I'm not in jail and I'm not really kicking myself too much right now, so hopefully you realize I went with option 3. In retrospect (and judging from the interactions that the employees had with other customers) I think that the guy was running on auto-pilot and not really thinking about what he was doing, so I'm not going to take it personally. I will, however, make sure all future transactions here are done with a debit card. The ribs themselves were very meaty and tasty, and the sweet n' hot was a very nice change from the usual sugar sauce you get at most places in town. I still think Chunky T's is the best in town, but this is a good runner-up. 3.75 stars. read more

For years I was a loyal David's BBQ fan until I finally had my first pulled pork sandwich at Adams. Wow what a difference. Adam's pulled pork is made up of larger chunks of pork with the burnt ends and just a bit of sauce. So good! It's way pulled pork should always be. And their ribs? Well there is a reason they are called Adam's Ribs. They are so juicy and tender; probably some of the best ribs I've ever had. They also have great cornbread, Mac 'n Cheese and my mom raves about the coleslaw. Only downsides: Fries are just okay, David's onion rings bring theirs to shame, and their original location is super tiny. They now have a second location which I've heard is a lot bigger. No matter what, this will always be one of the first places I go to eat when back in Gainesville. read more

My son who recently relocated to Gainesville for graduate studies told me about this place and I'm glad he did. In my brief 4 day visit we ate there twice. The food and service are great! I had the pulled pork sandwich on garlic toast with fries and slaw. My son had the ribs with fries. The drinks are of massive porportions. I always go with the sweet tea. I wanted to try the banana pudding but was completely stuffed. The prices are very reasonable. It is clear that others like Adam's Ribs as well as it always seems to have customers regardless of the time of day. This is now my go- to barbeque place whenever I visit Gainesville. read more

I've had the BBQ lots of times-mostly at catered events. I've never had anything that was bad. I've had some sides that were completely forgettable, but, the BBQ has always been spot-on, especially the ribs. Recently I had breakfast there. It's hard to screw eggs bacon, toast, up. It's even harder to make a lasting impression with the aforementioned. They did just that (made it memorable). The ingredients tasted very fresh, and my order was cooked to perfection by John (he brought it out to me because they were busy and he didn't want it to get cold or soggy sitting under the heat lamps. Breakfast is a great value, cheap even. But why the hell is BBQ so expensive? Not just here-everywhere! It would get 5 stars if they had more room and better pricing on the BBQ. Excellent other than that though read more

Was very impressed. Down home style not far from University of Florida. Turkey was phenomenal. Ribs were fall of the bone fantastic. Definitely recommend. read more

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Among the BBQ places that are open 6-7 days of the week in North Central Florida, this may be the very best. Stepping out of your car, you will immediately smell the smoke that lets you know you made a good choice. Their menu is pretty extensive and they serve breakfast lunch and dinner. The service is really nice and the people make coming back worth it. The portion sizes are really big for the price, you can easily make two meals out of your order. (coincidentally the chicken reheats really well!) One great thing about Adam's Rib Company is that they do the meat up real basic. They smoke it real well, and put basic BBQ seasonings on it, but otherwise leave it unfussed with. The sauce is up to you. I went for the tomato-based basic sauce, but they also offer spicy sauces, mustard sauces, and carolina vinegar sauce. So whatever BBQ school you're a fan of, you'll find something to enjoy at Adam's. Overall, a must-visit for any Gainesville resident. read more

Went tonight kinda by accident... I was going to hit the Indian place next door, but they were totally slammed and I had a time constraint. So, I decided to try this place, which I have been meaning to try forever. Glad I did actually. The place is small - obviously a renovation of some other food joint - the generic corporate architecture gives that away. Gawds I hate corporate architecture styles. No reflection on these fine people however - they have done a nice job of making it work for them. I noticed a smoker out back - and saw a guy putting what looked like hard wood on the fire. Good mojo there. Against type I skipped the eponymous ribs and went for the 7oz pork meal, two sauces, sides of corn and mac & cheese. The mac & cheese rocks. The corn was tasty. I also got a slice of a home made cake - walnuts, pineapple, cream cheese frosting. Damn fine cake. The whole deal was 12 bucks and was way more than filling. Some of it is headed for the fridge for later. The slice of garlic toast was forgettable, but I don't add or subtract for that. I'll have to go back and try the ribs next time and see if they live up to the raves elsewhere. I'll probably never sit in and eat because I hate when my clothes smell of the food I just had. Not a problem for many, as the place was better than half full when I wandered in. The service was snappy and the two guys behind the counter happy to make suggestions. I like that. Also, there are a couple of picnic tables on the sides, probably for the smoking types. read more

This is on par with any other BBQ restaurant around for lunch and dinner but the real secret is their breakfast. The breakfast sandwiches will melt in your mouth and have you running back for more. Sure they're more than other breakfast sandwiches but Adams breakfast sandwiches are like angles dancing on your tastebuds. You're welcome. read more

After going here several times and never writing a review I'm just going to put everything in one review. The first time we were here the food was perfect. I was amazed at the different bbq sauces they had at the bar. I didn't like the size of the building, it's a little cramped, but that is easily overlooked. The next time we went we got takeout and the garlic bread and fries were soggy but that was from being in the box. No points deducted from this, just pointing it out for those who want takeout. Skipping to tonight's review...the food came out so quick, I was worried about the quality of the food. My mac&cheese and my boyfriends fries & garlic bread were fresh. Pipping hot and tasty! Sadly my pork and his beef were both cold. I figured they make big portions of food at once (because it's smoked for hours) but I was hoping they would at least keep it hot. It was ice cold! This is the first time we've had food come out cold so it won't stop me from going back. It just sucks that our first time there in a few months and the food came out cold. read more

Best BBQ in Gainesville! I am only sad I didn't try it sooner. During undergrad I started coming towards the end of my senior year and literally everything is delicious. The corn bread, the ribs, and the brisket are to die for. They have a million sauces approximately, it's super fun to try them all out. A few months after I graduated UF, I returned to Gainesville on a weekend visit with a large group of friends. We contacted Adams Ribs Co. And let them know we had a large group of people (13) attending and asked if they had space to accommodate. They made sure we had a table ready, a warm greeting, and constant service. I don't think I had to ask for water at all while I was there. The food came out quickly and they made sure it all fit properly (we ordered a whole bunch). The majority of the group had never been there so it was really great how awesome the service was on a pretty busy day. Everyone had a great impression and left extremely satisfied. Definitely will return every time I'm back in town. read more

Best bbq in Gainesville! I usually get their ribs. Big, meaty ribs with a delicious smoky flavor. The sweet sauce is excellent. The sides are amazing. The best black eyed peas and collard greens I've ever had. The service is fast and prices are reasonable. read more

The food was pretty good. I had the turkey dinner which tasted great but was a tad dry. The fries were cold but tasted fine. The Mac and Cheese was yummy! read more

Man I really don't give 1 star reviews often, but I really wanted to here. First, the bathrooms are gross and there was a hole in the ceiling in the men's bathroom. Yuck. They say if you want to judge a restaurant, look at their bathrooms... Yeah, this place's was awful. The service was pretty good in taking my order (partially why they managed to escape the 1-star). The food I ordered was the $7.99 special (7 oz pork with 2 sides) and THE FOOD ARRIVED UNUSUALLY QUICKLY. That should have been my clue. I ate one of my sides first, and then I got to my pork WHICH WAS COLD! I'm sorry, why is this on special again? I usually don't ask for special things from the kitchen, but I had to ask them to reheat my pork. They ended up being pretty apologetic and giving me "new" pork. Again, the service attitude saved this place from 1-star, but the kitchen and bathrooms definitely made me want to give it a 1. I will NOT eat here again and I recommend that the management clean the restaurant and teach the kitchen how to do specials. DO NOT EAT HERE. read more

Adams is consistently consistent. ...and this is why it is always my first choice for BBQ in Gainesville. The pulled pork dinner is always moist and juicy and the banana pudding is Mmmmmmmm. #GoGators read more

Okay, I like to think I'm pretty experienced with BBQ. I'm familiar with the whole mustard base vs. molasses debate. I myself prefer the molasses based, but regardless... I've always liked Adam's. It's not the best BBQ in town, my choice for that is David's, but Adam's is tons better than Sonny's. However, Adam's is a lot closer to where I work so I end up there when I have a hankering for BBQ. It's never been bad for me. I usually get the rib dinner which is a ton of food for like 10 bucks. The meat is delicious and cooked perfectly. I'm not sure who this "homosexual" is (gasp! not a "gay" server) but ya' know, come on, really? The staff has always been clean, friendly and attentive whenever I have gone. Also, this place is locally owned by Adam and his wife. Really good Christians. I'm not, but they are, lol. read more

Best BBQ in Central Florida. The ribs and brisket are excellent. The ribs are not cooked in sauce, but just seasoned and cooked. The brisket is lean, tender, and tasty. I haven't tried the sliced or pulled pork yet, but my wife loves it. Have always had great service and their pricing is reasonable. If you want great BBQ, this is the place to go. read more

Being a Gainesville native, I'm surprised I didn't try this place earlier... it may have been the terrible logo/menu design BUT I now know not to judge a restaurant based on their sub-par logo and design :D We started off with the corn nuggets.. and I think twice now we've forgotten to NOT order them. I'm not a fan of the powdered suger thats sprinkled on top. They aren't anything special nor do they compare to The Top's delicious golden corn nuggets. On to the main course, we ordered the Pulled Beef Brisket Dinner & Chopped Pork Dinner. Both were yummy - tender, juicy, and not dry! I think what made it even better was all the variety of sauces they had out and you could just pile them on and mix and match. Some were spicy, some were sweet and some were a mixture of the two. My BF devoured his...as well has half of mine. Can we say fatty?! The sides were nothing special, I do agree with another reviewer that they do feel like they came out of a can/box. But I feel like that's very traditional picnic BBQ foods - green beans, corn, corn bread and mac and cheese. How can you really go wrong with that? read more

I can't say enough good things about this place. The management is fantastic along with the staff. To top it all of the food is awesome. You would think a bbq place that does breakfast probably not going to be good. Not the case with Adam's! I can decide if I like their breakfast or lunch better. The food is reasonably priced and the environment is very welcoming. Highly recommend!! read more

The new NW location has messed up our order the last two times. 1st time no barbecue sauce was included. Today, August 14, the fries were left off both orders, the ribs were dry and the toast burnt. Zero stars is more appropriate but can't do that. Don't know what's happened to this place. read more

Went there on a late afternoon, with an empty stomach, ready to pounce on the first edible item I could get my hands on. The store was easy enough to locate as it right on NW 13, with plenty of parking. The dining area, you have a choice between indoors or a couple patio tables outside in the front. Now the food. What I ordered was a burger with fries for the price of $7.99 and when added cheese it was almost $11. The burger was cooked well and the fries was plentiful. But if you're a college student on a budget, I recommend making a burger yourself. read more

Get the City Boy!! Every time my dad is in town we go to Adam's, the best ribs in town. The new location has a bit more room for groups compared to the original location. read more

I've all the hype about this place being the best bbq in town. Sadly it doesn't live up to that. Don't get me wrong they have some solid bbq but not Gainesvilles finest. I got the 3 ribs and 2 sides and the ribs were pretty good. The sides were a big disapointment. I got mac and cheese like i typically do at bbq places. The place is small and they didnt have any seats when we went so we had to get it to go. They should certainly thing about expanding with how much business they do. Overall, it's worth it to stop by at least once and check it out. read more

BBQ can be a very contentious topic, sauce or dry rub? Vinegar or ketchup? Beef or pork. These may be questions of the ages regarding BBQ, I just look at them as more delicious bbq to eat! Adam's Rib CO. has been steadily building a reputation as a go to place for smoked meat in Gainesville. Recently they left their modest digs, and limited seating and moved across the parking lot to the old Pizza Hut building on 13th Street. They still kept the charm of the original building, but the extra space allows for easier take out access, and more seating. I opted for the 8oz pulled pork meal, with fries and collards as a side. A few minutes later I was enjoying my lunch. The fries were crinckle cut, and were appropriately crispy and warm. House seasoning added a salty zing to them. The collards were cooked with bits of BBQ, and were cooked until tender. The liquid was nicely salty. The pork, although tasty had more fat than usual, and seemed like it was reheated but the meat had a subtle kiss of smoke and was incredibly tender. Regardless, the case variety of sauces more than made up for it. There were over 15 available, and I picked six of my favorite to try (the honey BBQ was my favourite). The friendly service, generous portions, killer sweet tea, and flavourful sauces helped create a tasty lunch experience. I can see why Adam's had made such a name for themselves. Adam's Rib CO. Did not suck! read more

Adam's Rib - The 8oz pork dinner! That some pig! - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Mmmm... such good pulled pork. Must not drool on keyboard. Okay, so I've been here a billion times for pulled pork sandwiches on my way to Sam's Club. They're amazing. Just thinking about them makes me want to hop on a plane and visit them in Gainesville... they're that good. Everyone always seems happy when I stop by (customers & employees). I like that they offer coupons, too. Go, Adam's Ribs! read more

I was still recovering from too much home cooked barbecue with friends the night before, so I wasn't in any shape to try everything. Having to narrow it down to one selection, I of course went for the ribs. The four rib dinner comes with garlic bread and two sides for $9.99. My sides were potato salad and macaroni and cheese. The sides were ok but not my favorite in either case. Looking over the menu and others' comments later, I should have tried the corn nuggets and collard greens. Oh well, a good reason to go back. And I will return, because these ribs are awesome. They were exactly what I would expect in great ribs, a sweet and slightly spicy rub complementing just enough smoke to create perfect flavor in the tender meat. Though there was plenty of it on the four bones to feed a hungry man, I still managed to clean them off quite well- they were that good. They offered a choice of several sauces on the side, and I tried the sweet one which was good, but not needed as the ribs had plenty flavor on their own. Without a question, these are the best ribs I've had in Gainesville. The rest of the menu looks promising, and I can't wait to go back and try more of it. read more

AMAZING pulled pork sandwich, mac and cheese AND potato salad. Definite thumbs up from me! read more

Adam's Rib - Pulled Pork Sandwich, Potato Salad and Mac & Cheese. Amazing!! - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

If you are scared of tight spaces you should probably get yours to go. I was in town on business and I ate here three times. Everything on the menu is good. I had the ribs, pork and the brisket all on seperate occasions. Each was good but the pork was the winner hands down. They have several different styles of sauce that you can sample if you dine in. Get here early for lunch, they fill up fast and for good reason! read more

This is our favorite place to dine if we don't cook. But today something was wrong with my Oder and they took care of it to my satisfaction. I will definitely continue eating here. My advice to the Adam rib lovers, do not eat there a few days after holidays. You might end up with leftovers. Always my best Ribs read more

First time here. Food was good, but my rib had to much grease no meat corn bread was delicious, beans ok and sweet potato was great! Service was very nice! Thank you. read more

Really suprised. This used to be a great place. It may be the we came in at 1:30 but the chicken was dry and not hot. The only thing we ate that was decent was the black eye peas. read more

My husband is a Gainesville native. Before we moved to Texas, I'd had the opportunity to have some Florida BBQ at Adam's Rib once. We looked forward to experiencing what Texas had to offer for BBQ, I mean, it's Texas, afterall. Where BBQ is legendary, right? WRONG. We have tried every BBQ place in sight in Central Texas and let me tell you, what a disappointment! This past week we went back to Gainesville for the first time since moving to Texas and Adam's Rib was our first stop and they did not disappoint. Everything was delicious. It seems that Adam's Rib has not only spoiled southern BBQ for my husband the Gainesville native but for this ol' Canadian gal whose first ever BBQ experience was Adam's Rib. BBQ will never be the same anywhere else. read more

Best BBQ in town if you like Kansas City/Memphis style. The sauce is sweet and spicy---and no mustard (thank God). Make sure you get the banana pudding for dessert. This place is great for take-out, not so great if you like ambiance in your dining. read more

I really would much rather give this place a three and a half than a three. It just isn't quite a four, but definitely not bad enough to be a three either. That said, I really liked the food here. I had the beef brisket sandwich with french fries and mac and cheese. My girlfriend had the quarter chicken with potato salad and mac and cheese. Both of us enjoyed our meals. I especially liked the sandwich; the bread and the bbq sauce made it almost perfect. However, the place was very small and while that may not bother a lot of people I just didn't like it too much. Also, my favorite BBQ place would have to be Sonny's, and it takes a lot for me to recommend a BBQ place that isn't Sonny's. So while I liked it here, I'd still rather head over there instead. read more

The only reason for two stars is the sides. They are decent. Good coleslaw, good mac & cheese, good collard greens. The ribs however, HORRIBLE. I got about two bites at most off of each rib and those bites were either chewy or tough. The "banana pudding" dessert is just jello brand pudding. I usually drive to Newberry for ribs and against my better judgment, decided to try this place. Spent 50$ for ribs/sides for my family and want my money back, they were that bad.Next time I am making the drive to Newberry. I'd even pick Sonny's over this place (and Sonny's sucks.) read more

I always make sure I include a stop at Adam's whenever I return to Gainesville. I enjoy the large variety of sauces that you can select from to include mixing up your own concoction. The ribs are always tender and the portions are big enough to share. There is enough room to sit comfortably and enjoy every morsel. read more

This is now my favorite BBQ restaurant in Gainesville. I've tried most of them: Sonny's, Mojo, 4 Rivers, Pearl's, Newberry's Backyard BBQ, etc. Being from South Carolina, I'm pretty picky about my pulled pork. So far, Adam's seems to have the best pork BBQ sandwich in the area. They have a lot of different sauces, including lots of SC-style mustard sauces and NC-style vinegar and pepper sauces. Their (spare) ribs are also excellent. They are tender with just the right amount of smoke and sweet BBQ sauce cooked on. read more