It's nestled in a small busy shopping center . The set up is you walk up to a counter and place your order . It looks like a no frills bunker where you can chow down your food . We placed our orders and sat and sat until I asked is our food ready . Yes ,it was ready long ago, and when we brought it home it was cold . I did enjoyed the fried okra . read more

David's BBQ & Catering - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

23rd ave location ;Placed an order online today. picked it up and got it back to the office and just about everything was wrong. The two sliced turkey sandwiches were sliced pork, the chopped chicken was boxed with the wrong side, and the 3 drinks were not half and half. I called to let them know that the sliced turkey was actually sliced pork and that we didn't eat pork. The lady on the phone told me that the containers were labeled wrong (pork looks completely different than turkey). We brought the sandwiches back into the store and the lady asked why we didn't just eat the pork sandwiches. First off, that's not what we ordered, and secondly, the turkey is $4 more per sandwich! The sandwiches were replaced, but there was no apology and it felt like we were the issue because we had an issue with the order, not that they were at fault. read more

It's been a while since I last visited David's BBQ, and I have to say I was quite disappointed. I ordered a large spare rib, center cut, but what I received were the thinnest, driest ribs I have ever encountered at this restaurant. Despite paying an extra $2 for the center cut, they were not even that. I also ordered onion rings, which were so burnt that I cut my gums while trying to eat them. Plus, they had no flavor whatsoever. The fries were also lacking; they were unseasoned and extremely bland. Overall, everything was burnt, dry, and flavorless. I'm extremely disappointed. read more

Terrible ordering system, definitely needs improvement ................... .......... ..... read more

Bobby and his team at David's did the catering at my wedding and were top notch! The food was amazing. They were constantly checking on us and made sure everyone was happy. Through out our lengthy wedding pictures, Riley kept checking to make sure we had water and drinks. This team was amazing from start to finish. The decor was absolutely what I had visioned!! I can't thank Bobby and his team enough for helping to make my day even more special!! read more

See all

Food was decent but pulled pork was very dry had to drown it in sauce to eat it. Staff was yelling at a customer about them taking a extra cookie not sure what that was about but kinda unprofessional over all I would eat there again but I would suggest training for employees on how to handle situations that arise at the front counter. read more

I visited this location on a Saturday morning after I had worked an a long shift all night. I asked the staff what was the best meal for the items I like for breakfast. She had zero knowledge of the menu at all! Complete waste of a question when I asked her about the menu. I got the cheese grits side, bacon and what was supposed to be scrambled eggs with cheese along with two pancakes. My meal came out to $20.97. The food was so bad I literally didn't eat it. I showed the server who asked to remake the meal. I told her it should've never been served. The grits weren't done so the hard pieces were like spitting sunflower seeds out for about 15 minutes. The eggs were supposed to be scrambled an I got what looks like a egg omelet with cheese in the middle. The bacon was hard as hell. I was happy when I seen the pancakes but as I prepared them I could see the pancake at the bottom was burnt an the one on top was used to cover it. So it tasted like eating burnt syrup. Since when I'm store the server never offered her manger I assumed their wasn't a manger on duty. I contacted the David's bbq which wasn't on 23rd ave and spoke to their manger. Who offered to remake the meal at this time it was 9am I was home and obviously not coming out. I wrote this review because not only was the food terrible but the complete disregard by the host and other staff who I showed that food had no common concern about the food issues. Consistency creates customers my experience wasn't what I've been told about this place by friends! read more

David's BBQ & Catering - Grits Breakfast Davids Scrambler Breakfast - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I used to really like this place but it seems to be going downhill. I ordered brisket a few weeks ago and the thing they gave me looked like one of those steak-umms things you're supposed to use to make cheesesteaks. Gray all the way through and sliced thinly for some reason read more

Dave's is just around the corner from our house and we had a coupon, so we went for lunch. The coupon was buy one BBQ pork plate and two drinks, get a BBQ pulled pork plate for free. We spent about $20, but without the coupon it would have been about $28. I believe there were up charges for some of the sides we got on the dinner plate. The food here is always exactly what you expect from a local BBQ place: it's good, it's fast, and it leaves you full. My lunch plate was so much that I couldn't finish it. We will go to this place when we're in the mood for BBQ and don't want to go to a place like Mojo downtown. It's a good lunch spot. read more

David's BBQ & Catering - Lunch BBQ pork plate - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all

Came on a Wednesday and got the 10$ rib plate with potato salad, corn bread, fried okra, and a warm fresh cookie. My boyfriend ordered the brisket sandwich and wanted fries but they didn't have them at the moment. They instead let him have the Mac n cheese with no up charge and an extra cookie for free. This made our experience feel special and shows how much they care about their customers enjoying their meals. Food was also very amazing paired with their in house BBQ sauce. Tea was great as well. Can't wait to come back for their famous pulled pork sandwich read more

David's BBQ & Catering - Rib plate - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I enjoyed this no nonsense BBQ location. I went by on a whim with some business as do Oates and I have to tell you, it had an old FLORIDA BBQ feel. Limited seating, ample parking but really excellent meats and seven different sauces to sample. Okay, there may have only been five, but they different sauces seemed endless and each as good as the last (yes, I tried every one). Tuesday's they have sand which specials If you go on days other than Tuesday you will leave full and feel like you got a good bargain. read more

I hadn't been to David's in years and decided to give it a try. I ordered a plain, regular size bbq pork sandwich on a bun (no coleslaw, no extras) and a large order of onion rings. I got it to go and was not even given a receipt for the food, so I didn't know how much I paid until I got home and checked my bank account. I was charged 13.59, which seemed pretty outrageous to me. The sandwich had badly chopped pork with large chunks of nothing but fat throughout the sandwich, making it pretty gross to try to eat. I had to take the bun off and dig through the meat for portions without hunks of fat, but after the first bite of nothing but fat, I had to make sure I didn't do THAT again or I wouldn't have been able to eat any of the actual meat and would have thrown the whole thing out. So it was take the bun off and hunt for the actual meat or just not eat at all. The onion rings tasted like old, used oil. They were so overcooked that I couldn't even chew through the very sparse coating that only stuck to a couple of places on each ring. The coating, which should have been the best part, was inedible. It was harder than rocks!! The rings were also just drowning in grease. When I put them on my plate, there was about a half-inch of grease in the bottom of the cardboard container they were in. I didn't even eat half of them, they were that bad, and I LOVE onion rings. I was too tired, hungry and angry to drive back over there and demand my money back. I tried to call, but no one was answering the phone, so I gave up. A terrible dining experience at a ridiculous price. Never ever again. read more

I have been coming here for years. Every local knows about David's bbq. It's still my favorite breakfast spot in town and they definitely do have the best tea. And their bbq is fantastic obviously, Brian hood the owner takes a lot of pride in his food and you can taste it. They do an awesome smoked turkey for thanksgiving and sometimes Brian does his special smoked meatloaf. And they have the best catering in town for prices, quality of food and quantity. They have done a couple of events that I've been at and there has been plenty of food for everyone. Bottom line is if you haven't been then you need to go. read more

David's BBQ & Catering - Meeeee - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I posted a review and it was THE TRUTH! But Yelp or David's had it removed. I did not lie the service and food were both horrible and so full of grease it was inedible. The cooks and waitress BOTH had to see it as the cook fixes it and the waitress brings it. This is a fact and truth but I'm positive Yelp will delt thos as well as the truth seems unreasonable! read more

David's BBQ & Catering - I didn't have my phone on me and believe it's best as the food was disgusting and greasy and service was just as bad. Your warned dont go. - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I had never tried here before and I have heard colleagues talk positively so I thought I would try them. They are ok but nothing special for a non-chain bbq that was disappointing. read more

The food is always really really good and a super decent price. At times the staff can be a little bit cold, but in general the staff are fairly nice and the food is delicious! read more

I was so underwhelmed by my diet cheat meal of a BBQ feast from here! * Brisket and sliced pork: flavorless, indistinguishible except by color. Tasted like reheated cold cuts. Dry, bland, just not good. * Ribs - pretty good * Baked beans: good flavor but too sweet and thick. The beans weren't too mushy which I appreciated, and the flavor was great, but they could make it a little bit wetter and little less sweet to improve it. These were probably the best thing I ordered. * Collard greens: I am picky with my collards, but these were good! * Cornbread: fine * Corn fritters: totally basic/frozen, but fried well, can't complain The mac and cheese though, was an abomination. The noodles were almost indistinguishible in texture, they were so mushy and overdone. The sauce didn't even taste like cheese, at all - just solid, bright yellow, salted mush. If I had eaten on site, the mac and cheese would have sent me back for some money back. I'm so sad to dish on a small business, but some quality control and a little more love is desperately needed. read more

No fancy pants are needed here. Just come as you are and bring an appetite! This is pretty darn good Q for the amount and type of food get here. Factor in the price point and it's a real winner. The Working Man's Combo seems to be the best bang for your buck as it includes a sammie with or without slaw, a regular side and a small beverage for only $6.99. I enjoyed the chopped pork which was moist but only a small ring. I wasn't real happy that they put a bit of sauce on it but I imagine you can ask that they hold it. The BBQ beans were killer. They were sweet and smoky with pork and onions in it. Best part is it was not watery but rather thick and plentiful. I had the sweet sauce on the side was incredible----dark and thick and the molasses were discernible. So happy I found a new Q joint in the area. read more

See all

I like this spot. It reminds me of my hometown bbq. I love the big seasoned fries. I got the brisket and pulled pork and they were good. They also had free cookies for Friday (with a purchase) read more

Went here for lunch today. Line was short and you get your barbecue pretty quick. I ordered a pair of pulled pork sandwiches (I had a coupon for a free one), some fries, and the baked beans. All of these were quite good, but the sandwiches are very messy. Be forewarned! They also like to put coleslaw on the sandwiches, which actually works pretty well because the combination doesn't taste bad. For a quick lunch spot in town, I would go again. read more

Omggggggg... This place has the best breakfast food and the sweet tea is ALWAYS on point. I've been coming here about 5 years and the sweet tea is always good - unlike some places that are hit or miss, or places that let their tea spoil. This tea is ALWAYS fresh. And the scrambler - bruh... shit so good I had to Yelp it. ~ The people are so friendly and country (in a good way). I always feel welcome when I go there and I can only speak for 23rd AVE. Thank you again!! ~ read more

Ordered for delivery......pork was very dry and very small portions. Ribs are very fatty. I can not recommend.

First, I wish to point out that contrary to what Yelp is stating, I AM NOT from San Francisco. I live in Gainesville. Don't know why Yelp is adding that... Recently received a large postcard from David's BBQ with some coupons. I thought it notable that unlike all the other coupons that show up in the mail, David's had them printed opposite each other so if one chose one side, they lost the coupon on the opposite side. Nevertheless, since I live relatively near the 23rd Ave. location, it was a good opportunity to try their lunch/dinner plate, as the coupon was a bogo. (buy one, get one) I went with their sliced pork plate ($12.00), and the smoked brisket ($16,00), which I would not otherwise do since that's a lot of $$ for a lunch, at least on my budget. So everything seems fine at the store, the service was quick even though there was only a mother and daughter team working; Mom is the kitchen and the daughter at the front counter. Having arrived prior to their lunch rush, there were only two people at tables inside, and one guy (who they apparently knew) also ordering at the front counter. When I got home with the food and opened the container with the brisket, I was rather put off by all the thoroughly black (that is burned) parts of the brisket. Knowing that burned meat is highly carcinogenic, I personally will not eat it. I start cutting away the burned parts only to discover that a great deal of it is just fat and very fatty tissue. By the time I'm done, the amount of burnt fat pushed aside amounts to what I would estimate to be 40% of the brisket part of the plate! (see photo) In my opinion, given the kitchen was under NO pressure, this was very unlikely to have been an oversight on the "Mom's" part. Considering the price of $16 for their brisket plate, I just felt it entirely unreasonable that so much of the brisket was inedible. I cannot help but wonder if the fact that I was using a bogo coupon, AND that I ask for take-out, was the motivation for the substandard cuts I was given, in that it may have been assumed I would be far away upon discovering all the burnt fat... Fortunately I live in the neighborhood and took the plate back to register my complaint. By then there were quite a few more people in the place, and two more staff were on duty. The Mom saw me and came up almost right away; as if she knew why I was there. When I showed her what I had cut away and that it was all burned fatty tissue, she took the container to the back. A minute later she brought it back with approximately the same volume of newly sliced beef, still with some burnt ends ( as is to be expected with BBQ ) but clearly meat and not fatty tissue. She hardly spoke a word, no comment, no explanation, no apology; she just wanted me to see that it was actually edible beef this time. I must also note that the brisket was still rather underwhelming. In this case, it somehow managed to be both kind of dry and greasy at the same time. So I would warn anyone going to David's BBQ on 23rd; if you order take-out, BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR FOOD BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE PREMISES! At least the meat they give you, especially if you are using one of their bogo coupon! In all fairness, the baked beans (though a small portion), the cole slaw, and corn bread that accompanied the brisket was very good. Would I spend $16 for their brisket plate again - not a chance. read more

David's BBQ & Catering - Can't tell from the photo, but all those "burnt ends" are slimey fat tissue. - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Pretty good BBQ and a great breakfast sandwich. The staff at work his location isn't as friendly or well trained as the 39th Ave location so hit the drive thru and enjoy. read more

I did a two meat special (ribs & turkey) for lunch and it was great. Food nice and hot, portions big enough to get me through a full day of work - unlike the straw in my drink. Yes, I'm commenting on a paper straw that can't hold it together. It began life at 12:15pm after being inserted into a large iced tea, but now it is getting soft three hours later. (let's keep it clean, people!) If you're going to be taking an all-day iced tea back to work, have a backup plan if you need a straw. This would have been more of a problem if I had been on the road. Food, again was better than average G'ville BBQ. (I still wish they had a HOT hot sauce like the old days, but like usable straws I guess that's a thing of the past. sigh) read more

Ordered brisket. The most disgusting fatty meat I have ever ordered. Not one piece of the entire order was edible. The sides that came with the meal are average. Never need to order from here again. There is no reason not to make sure your brisket is not total shoe leather before sending it out to a customer. read more

I've had David's catering a couple times and been to the restaurant once. Pulled pork is ok. Ribs were smoky and meaty. Smoked chicken is pretty good. I enjoy their sauces as well. Baked beans are great. They are definitely some of the best I've had. The beans have huge pieces of pork - sweet and smoky. read more

I ordered take-out for lunch here. I ordered the Sweet Tea Brisket Plate for lunch, which was absolutely reasonably priced. My sides were the BBQ beans and coleslaw. The beans were decent. The coleslaw, although not my favorite, I found myself not being able to stop eating it. I was a bit disappointed in the brisket. Not necessarily is taste or texture, but flavor. I was expecting more flavor to it, but it was not really there. The actual sweet tea drink however was amazing. The staff here is also so friendly, and the food was ready in an extremely timely manner. I would order here again, but I perhaps trying something different. read more

Local family owned, original and so tasty! Must try brisket as well as the ribs! Each location has breakfast as well, the NW has a drive thru!!! I have tried the Thanksgiving turkey and basically get one for someone every year If you can't tell, I have been a ten year loyal customer and not once have I been disappointed. Thanks Dave's! read more

The good : The food is fast, fries were yummy.. The bad : The garlic toast was almost soggy, like they toasted it 30 minutes ago and tried to keep it warm. The baked beans were too sweet. They run out of sweet tea fairly often. The ugly : The overall quality is average to below average. The pork BBQ was dry and chewy. Taste more like western BBQ that is cooked hot and fast. If you're in a hurry it's acceptable. I think Adams is better personally. read more

Not impressed at all. Came here for pulled pork sandwich week . Fries were great!! Food was fast but sandwich was cold. Ribs had no seasoning. I could go on but frankly I would not recommend. Ended up taking my rib plate home and doctoring it up myself. UPDATE!!!! First I would like to thank the management staff for actually caring about the reviews of their restaurant to reach out to me. I was encouraged to give the restaurant another go. I choose a different location, off of 39th. This experience was much better. I went during lunch time. My food was pipping hot, that already was a plus. My sandwich was tasty and the sides (onion rings) was pretty ok. I would recommend more seasoning on the pulled pork, I ordered mine with cole slaw, but it left my taste buds desiring more. Overall it was OK, but most likely will not return. read more

Wish I could give a 1 star review. I usually go in to order take out for breakfast but this time I was craving lunch. I called and the phone rang for about 2 minutes. A lady answered the phone and I proceeded to try and make a take out order. Before I could finish my sentence she cut me off, said she wasn't taking any take out orders and hung up before I could finish 1 sentence. Never will I go there again I would rather eat breakfast at a Burger King then get breakfast from an establishment with rude employees. My co workers were appalled when we were getting ready to order and got hung up on. Lost business from almost a whole dealership with their "hospitality". read more

David's does an amazing job on their BBQ. My favorites are the Sweet Tea Infused Brisket sandwish, the smoked Chicken and the pulled pork! I love that there are two locations now, one right up the road from my office (NE 23rd Ave) and one on the way home! (NW 39th Ave). Their daily specials rock and I can't wait to try all their upcoming new menu items! read more

Moved a friend to Gainesville for school and needed some lunch, this place was close so I figured I would try it out. Got the brisket plate with beans and fries. Sides were fine but this was the toughest most flavorless brisket I have had. I don't know what else is in town but if you want brisket I would stay away read more

In all I would say that David does Q really well. I was recommended this place by the superintendent at the job. I know he smokes meat too so he probably knows some good Q around G-Ville. I have been to one or two around the job and they sucked bad. Sorry Rivers. Ok this place is an old burger joint by the looks of the place. The first really goods thing is that there is a wood fired smoker out back. That is a super good sign rather then the big silver box smokers that they throw in a stick of wood every day or two. Theirs is powered only by wood. That makes for really good Q for me. I own 4 smokers so. Ok we went up and I got the ribs cause the menu said that they are famous. My friend got the shredded chicken.We both got sides and I have to say mine were pretty tasty. The slaw was a mayo based (like mine) and the beans were cooked join the oven instead of the smoker (not like mine). They were alright but I'm cooking at home and they are cooking for the masses. Big difference. The ribs were very good. Had some good smoke on them and pretty much fall off the bone tender. They had a little pull to them and that is also a really good sign to me. After trying some other bbq places around town I would have to give David's a giant thumbs up. Best in G-Ville to me. read more

David's BBQ & Catering - 4 rib plate with slaw n beans - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Got brisket, burnt tips, and chicken... amazingly delicious! Staff was perfect. Menu is written such that all the meats look the same, so customers always ask the money taker for a suggestion. The lady was happy to oblige and chose good meats for me. I enjoyed the cole slaw and collared greens. Bae didn't like the potato salad. Pretty diverse crowd, young blue collar hillbillies, rich preppy soulless college kids, hispanic family, and us... I will return for more of David and his Real Pit B B Q!!!!! read more

They decided to close 30 mins earlier then the posted time on their door, which is different by an hour from what Yelp has.

Everything was fantastic, my only issue was that I didn't get extra piece of garlic bread which was a bummer

It is so hard to find good BBQ in Gainesville, and a stop here will convince you to keep looking. The brisket was drowning in sauce, probably because it was on the dry side. The chopped pork was just ok. The sides were a disappointment. You expect the collards and green beans at a Q joint to be seasoned well, but these were bland enough to have just been microwaved right out of a can. read more

The ribs and beans are so delicious as are their sauces. While the potato salad had good flavor, the potatoes were definitely undercooked. I even had a few crunchy ones. I'm guessing it was just an off day. I found the Sweet Tea Infused Brisket to be tough and I didn't sense much flavor so I just dipped it in yummy sauce. Again it was tough. The greens had no tangy-ness or kick to them. A little vinegar would have made them good. Like the beans, they were cooked with smoked meat. Yum! I just got a quote from this venue to cater my wedding so I'm gonna do a tasting and update my review then. It may have just been an off day. Try the ribs! read more