The food was good but the service was amazing. I would go back just to ensure Faith was my server and to get quality service once again!!

Firstly, the young girl working the counter on Merrill rd at 8:38 pm est on 12/12/2025 needs customer service training please. She did not greet me, she was not friendly when I approached with a bright smile and friendly demeanor. Maybe a bad day for her but howsoever the real issue is the food. SURELY this is NOT a 2 meat platter LARGE (see pics) ... when I've gotten the small 2 meat platter with the exact same amount of meat. The purpose of ordering a large was to ensure the protein portion was plentiful. Very very disappointed. Typically the service and the food at this location is spot on. No tonight! Please have someone reach out to me about my experience. Thanks! read more

Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q - 2 meat platter - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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The food here was really disappointing the last few times I've been. My BBQ is cold and that's such a big let down. Service is amazing though! read more

Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q - Kids brisket, 1/2 okra , lrg tea$12.66 - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Bono's has the BEST deep fried corn on the cob in Florida. Their onion rings, fried okra, smoked chicken wings, and St. Louis Ribs are also a few of my favorites on the menu. I mostly order takeout because their restaurants are always crowded because the food is so good and affordable. They also offer an awesome catering menu that never disappoints! read more

Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q - Fried Corn on the Cob, Fried Onion Rings - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

This location was definitely better than the one on Bowden Rd. Twice I've ordered a salad using Door Dash from this location and both times were excellent! The first time I ordered the 3 meat salad with pulled pork, smoked turkey and beef brisket. This salad was giant! You could definitely make this into two meals. All three meats were very good - tender, mild smoky flavor, juicy. Smoked turkey isn't something I normally order but it was great and I'm glad I tried it. The second time I ordered just pulled pork. Still a pretty large salad. I added an egg, extra cucumber and extra green peppers. I really liked the pork with their sweet & tangy BBQ sauce. They don't get cheap with the sauces which is a nice change of pace from many other places. I will definitely keep this Bono's location when I want a good salad. read more

Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Always look forward to coming to Bono's on Merrill. Been a regular customer here for about 4 years and it never disappoints. Great high quality BBQ. Top tier customer service and they are always helpful and on top of things. Always and will continue to look forward to Bono's on Merrill. Highly recommend read more

Enjoyed wonderful service provided by Danielle C who was very attentive to special requests and drink refills. The food here is always good with delicious coleslaw and sweet potato sides. The restaurant was also a comfortable temperature without having to wear a sweater - thank you!!! The restaurant and the restroom is clean. No photos, I ate it all before thinking about a picture --- read more

Always great service and food, my family loves this place. Staff is always very friendly.

Go here...amazing BBQ location and although it's a chain, this location has been here for a long time. The employees are also long standing employees. The food is delicious and packed well for take out or delivery. read more

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Good location to stop at after fishing north of the river and headed home down south. I like the pulled pork and brisket. Also the Brunswick Stew and collard greens. Sit at the bar and watch the pitmaster do his thang. read more

The food was great, really enjoyed the sweet barbecue sauce. This was the "small" chicken platter but it still came with 2 sides and toast. This was too much food for me to finish. The only reason I gave it 4 stars was because the waitress was very inattentive and it took nearly 30 minutes for me to get our check. This was not a very busy time and they only had 4 other table to service in the restaurant. read more

Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q - Smoked Small Chicken Platter - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

I have eaten Bono's most of my life, so when some high school gals and I decided to meet here for lunch on my recent visit to town, I was excited. There were 6 of us and we went during the week in the afternoon to avoid the crowds. The waitress was polite, but not friendly at all, but she got our orders correct. I got a plate with meat and two sides. The portions were ok, but I was surprised that there was no sauce at all in the meat. The meat was just...blah. There are sauces on the table, but it just didnt work for me. The collards were not what I expected either. I took most of mine home and ate very little of it the next day. Just not what I remembered....or maybe I am comparing it now to the good BBQ I get here in NC. I would not return here....due to both the food and the unfriendly staff. read more

I stopped by Bono's for lunch and it was about the 3rd time I had done so. On this occasion today there was only one other there at the window and I ordered a chicken wing basket with macaroni side. The cooks were in the back and looked right at me. I don't know if he pulled yesterday's batch he'd been saving, but never had I been served chicken like this at that establishment or any really. I'm older and It was dried out, not hot, and some pieces were burnt. I couldn't chew it and gave it to the pets. I should have taken it back because I don't have $14 to give away. read more

Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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I have been craving barbecue for almost a week now.... Or, maybe it has been since Matt, our amazing Jax CM, started the TALK about the best barbecue place in town a few months ago. Well... I found out that Bono's has been around for a veeeerryyyy long time. During my visit to Bono's, today, I ordered.... yes... I am a bit wimpy when it comes to barbecue. Don't judge me! LOL! I ordered their turkey platter with their sweet barbecue sauce and a side of collard greens and an additional side of macaroni and cheese. Hey!! I said no judging!!! LOL! I have to watch my physique... well maybe just a little (as I stuff a barbecue drenched sliver of turkey in my mouth) LOL! Furthermore, as I was trying to peel my eyes off of the mouth-watering menu selections, I noticed how fast their service and the food quality was on point. The restaurant appeared as clean as a barbecue pit could ever be. I will... be back!!! read more

Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

We just love bbq and got the feast with whole chicken, which was tender and good and sometimes it is dry and almost not edible but this was pretty good and the sliced pork, fries and baked beans and Brunswick stew made for a good meal! We are here often and thank goodness it was good today since we were hungry read more

My boyfriend been wanting BBQ for a while and this place was close by so we decided to go. We got the appetizers half and half corn nuggets and fried pickles and I got to say that was the best thing here! I got the special and for my sides were very limited since they were out of majority of everything. My food was cold but my man's food was good temp and was good! If I come here again I would get something different read more

Dined in the establishment, ordered one Togo: Accidentally dropped togo box on the table and 1/2 the sandwich fell on the table that was already eaten on. Server refused to ask the cooks for another 1/2 of a sandwich. Sending us home with 1/2 a sandwich to someone who couldn't make the birthday dinner. Customer service 0. read more

Fantastic corn nuggets, brisket and sweet tea all for a great price! Would recommend to anyone near the area and if you're visiting it is near the Walmart as well read more

I will start with the good review.. the baked beans and corn nuggets were great. The ribs...burned and dry.....inedible. very disappointed.... read more

Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q - Burned and dry....just awful - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

That place really fell off. I got some of THEEE most pathetic ribs the last time I ordered from there. I spent over $25 dollars for a rib platter and the ribs were smaller than my pinky. Sad. It use to be a whole lot better a couple of years ago. The prices were reasonable back then too but now, you're paying almost $30 dollars for ribs the size of match sticks. Gotta find a better rib place now. read more

The team at this location is usually on point with orders placed and very friendly. 18 years frequenting and ordering from this location. Today was a disappointment. This is the SECOND time an order over $100 (+ an up-charge of $5.00 for brisket, which I paid without hesitation) gets screwed up for our family. I called. Was told to call back after 8pm if I wanted to speak to a manager as the team was in the middle of their rush hour. Ummm, NO! I paid too much to be nonchalantly given that option. Second option... bring back the food so they can see it and fix the order. I am NOT around the corner from this location. So my time, wasted gas and being inconvenienced is irrelevant? I humored this request the last time my order was screwed up. I ordered to go because I too have to work. what really sent my blood rushing was the fact that the female who was on the phone with me was clueless as to the true meaning of customer service & how it ties to her livelihood. Hello!!! Missy, without customers the restaurant will have no need for your services or your flip attitude. It was for the best that I didn't have to interact with you in person. Bless your little heart & try not to ruin the team's rep. Please note that I am not an unreasonable person. I understand restaurants have windows of "food rush". I empathize knowing working in a busy restaurant isn't easy and requires multitasking, and sometimes putting up with mean/rude customers that mistreat workers. I am not that person thus expect to be treated the way I treat my own customers, period. Also assuming it's okay to call grown women "hon". It's not okay, it never has been. Ugh! read more

The best barbecue in Jacksonville hands down! We've tried other places but no other barbecue restaurants come close to Bono's. It's our go-to favorite place to eat! read more

This location is directly across the street from my house. Their customer service is always on point when I come in and the food always comes out quick, and piping hot. Some of their menu items are different to me but a lot of my friends like them, so I continue to go. If you're shopping at Walmart or Dollar Tree, why not stop at Bono's for a rib or 10!! read more

Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q - $10 Thursday special: half chicken, one rib, two sides and garlic toast - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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The only time I went there was July 2023, I bought 1 pound of brisket for $30 and it was dry, overcooked. read more

Not from around the area but wanted some bbq so my friends and I found this place. Very interesting because it is in a strip mall. The service was great that we received though and the food was pretty good. The meat was on point tender and full of flavor. The Mac cheese was very basic it lacked flavor so I just ate it with some bbq sauce. The bbq that I liked to most out of the four was the sweet and tangy. I could have bought a bottle if possible to take home with me. You can never go wrong with fried okra and it was good not greasy and seasoned well. I'm not a fan of to much butter on my toast but this toast just had to much for me. I think if it was lightly buttered I would have liked it more. Other than that the meal was great. I'm glad we also went with dessert afterwards! I ended up getting the LAST banana pudding of the night. You can tell that they assemble the banana pudding to order because the wafers were not soggy, the bananas were not brown and plus the whip cream on top is a must just for precautions. It was amazingly and my friends said the apple cobbler was great as well. read more

Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q - Banana Pudding - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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I place an order online so I can, what I thought skip a line. Only to find out 1 window taking walk up orders and online orders. Needless to say I had to woof down my food waiting on walk ups to place orders. Never again. Food was good however, only wish I could've enjoyed it! read more

Stopped by on a weekday for lunch. The takeout window was busy and the dining area short staffed. Only one waitress taking care of around 7-8 tables so we stood for a while before anyone even talked to us. Food is amazing and I like the fact that it's not drowned and you have your options of 4 sauces on the table. Being health conscious, I like my bbq naked and salad with no dressings so I had a satisfying and light lunch even at a bbq place. Ribs and chicken were smoked perfectly with really tender meat and crispy outside. Salad portion was also bigger than I expected with a generous amount of turkey. Will definitely return to try their wings and sandwiches. read more

Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q - Turkey salad and three meat combo - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Twice now I've ordered from Bono's within the past month through Uber Eats and both times my order was incorrect. They're just not paying attention to the orders as they are going out. And it's very frustrating when you're spending your hard earned money to get something to eat, and you're not being provided the kind of service that you would give to somebody else. The first time there was an order error, I had to go up there to have it corrected. Today, the girl at Bono's states she couldn't find my order and was very blasé about the fact that they had messed up my order. It's just the little thing sometimes that make a big difference. It's not the end of the world, but it is aggravating. I may try them one more time in the future, but if they screw up my order again I'm not buying from them anymore. read more

Poor quality from food to service. So I unprofessional to have personal conversations in front of customers,

I'm not a big barbecue person but the one thing that I love eating from here is the banana pudding... Are usually have gone here with friends and the rave about their barbecue here! If you love barbecue and Southern comfort food definitely give it a try if you haven't read more

So happy y'all are doing takeout during this annoying time! It was our first time eating from here and it was SO good! Husband got two meats and beans and bread and loved it all!! The beans were especially yummy! I got ribs and beans and sweet potato all of it was delicious. I got the sweet potato on a whim I thought I didn't like them anymore but it was soo good!! Even the husband loves it! The only reason I put four stars was because I feel like there could've been a couple more ribs but it was all really good! Loved the sweet and tangy sauce too :)) read more

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I stopped here after attending a 3-day seminar in Jacksonville. The aroma of smoke is what got my attention. I dined in. I was famished so, I ordered 6 smoked wings, beef brisket and turkey. The wings were ok, they were crispy but didn't have much flavor. The brisket was dry but had decent flavor. The turkey was the best of the three meats. I had baked beans, collared greens and green beans as my sides. All three were good. My server, she nicer told me her name wasn't very cordial. I doubt I'd dine heree agaIn. read more

Terrible Service! Takes Forever To Get Two Sandwiches I Will Never Spend My Money At Bono's Ever Again! Customer Service Is Trash As Well

What a disappointment in their coleslaw & ordered white chicken that came with leg & Thigh & white chicken with wing! Sent it back I only eat white meat ! They ran out of white meat! Disappointment read more

Been going to this location for years, cannot recommended it enough. Staff are wonderful, the pit is hot, and the meat is smokin!

My fiancé and I visited this establishment and holy crap, they didn't have any ribs. A Bar-b-que restaurant that doesn't have ribs WTF!!! I opted for the brisket and I should of found some road kill instead. The brisket was over cooked as well as the wings I purchased. We are totally disappointed in the unsavory food we purchased and I hope this review helps. read more

Legit BBQ. While my JAX family basically argued which BBQ place we'd end up going to we ended up at Bono's on Merrill because it seemed to be a place everybody could agree on and it was geographically neutral. You know a place is legit when you see a line forming at the window and see a stack with smoke coming out at the side of the facility. Take into account 4 sauces on the table, buttery toast and a variety of sides to select from to please just about anybody. Who doesn't love the choices here? My wife and I decided to share a 3 meat platter combo and choose St. Louis style ribs, beef brisket and turkey as our meats along with mac and cheese and fried corn as our sides. The corn was buttered, wrapped in foil and fried... yum! The mac and cheese is pretty much the same as many mac and cheese sides I've had in the south which means smooth and rich, not solid but more creamy. We ordered a dozen smoked wings as well to be shared among the entire table while each group of family had their own thing going on. A good place to bring a group as we were served pretty much all at the same time and it didn't take long either considering the place was pretty busy. I'll say it again, legit southern BBQ. read more

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If you're looking for amazing BBQ in Jax Beach, this is it!!! If you have several mouths to feed, grab one of the family meals! We loved everything! It was all cooked to perfection. We wish we could take Bono's back up north with us! read more

I just paid 77.00 for 4 meals and it was pitiful!! All platters fit into one small bag! The Brunswick stew was freaking Vegetable Soup!! The 2 tiny ribs on my platter were so burnt you couldn't even bite into them! My husbands 3 meat platter consisted of 1 tiny chicken leg, 3 little chunks of brisket and maybe a tablespoon of pulled pork! I'm sorry that in itself wasn't work 19.00!! read more

Craig, the Owner(his sister might be part Owner also)Is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. For many years, Craig donated whole chicken dinners and all the fixings for the quarterly ShAdCo meetings that I would hold and feed the Zone two(All of Arlington members and Police Officers). He never blinked an eye and always told me "yes" right away. All of the other places were not so easy. The food is excellent here, and the staff has always been great. I love this place. I recommend the banana pudding for desert, if you have room. Enjoy! read more

Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q - They do have take out also. The onion rings are very good. - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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