The team that catered our wedding did an incredible job. We just had a wedding with 125 guests, David's catered it with the custom menu we gave them. From the Salmon to the pork and even the soup was just perfect. Their staff made sure everything went perfectly. I've had their BBQ which of course is good, but their catering is on a whole other level. Thanks guys! read more

Nothing fancy, but good food. Ribs are always fall off the bone. They have really good specials also. Have never been disappointed.

Just left there. Got a turkey sandwich fries and mac n cheese. Quality has gone way down no more thick cut fries cheap frozen Mac and the turkey looks like it was pulled off the floor I won't go back. Service was really good though lol read more

I had David's for catering at a UF event, where they served their pulled pork, BBQ chicken, ribs, cole slaw, and brownies. All were exceptionally delicious. Their ribs were my favorite, tender and very smoky. Their carolina vinegar BBQ sauce was really tasty, as well as their original and mustard BBQ sauces. I've been a loyal Sonny's fan, but this was way better. Also, they had great service. Seeing the other reviews- I don't know if David's management has changed, or if they're just inconsistent. But with my experience with their catering, I can't wait to have it again. Wasn't dry at all! read more

Nothing but good things to say about this place. I've had consistently delicious food and terrific service. I'm a HUGE fan of David's!

When you come to Gainesville Fl and you are craving bbq the place you want is Dave's bbq. The portions are nice and the food had lots of flavor. They give you the option of five current bbq sauces me I love the hickory sweet. The service is fast and curtious I LIKE Dave's read more

It's one of the best BBQ joints in Gainesville. I would never dare go to Sonny's when you have a real deal BBQ place like Davids. Not only is there BBQ delicious, their breakfasts are fabulous too. We go every weekend for the breakfast buffet and it's delish! read more

So I ate at David's Real Pit BBQ yesterday and i had the worst experience ever!It was my first time ever eating there.its nasty and the meats have no taste.i had the ribs and pulled pork.now i grew up eating bbq and thats NOT bbq!its nasty and disgusting!DONT EVER EAT THERE! UPDATE #1: i did talk to one of the supervisors and she did say that she did remember me cause i came through my line.she knew i didnt like it that much and is going to return my phone call and also stated she,the boss and the cooks WILL work on getting better and improving the food and prob give me my money back or give me a gift card and to make sure it woulnt happen again.Now i dont expect them to make it perfect but its complaints AND feedback that make a business better(sometimes lol) and hopefully my complaint will make it better. UPDATE #2 September 7: starting to get really disappointed with David's Real Pit BBQ.its been almost 2 weeks and ive called them twice and they still nothing done.I called them back and apparently they act like they dont know me or anything.I just called on thurs i think and he said he would call me back fri.nothing yet!Im starting to get frustrated as they promised me it would get better the first time. She said she would call me back back....never did!then i call back and he said he would call back and never did.How many times do i have to call????!!!! Update #3 Justin (the owner) and I finally got in communication after seeing this post and refunded me my money back. As for my overall experience it was ok since I did get my money back. read more

I dined here about 3 p.m. Wednesday 29 Oct 2014. It was empty. The staff were attentive and helpful. Here, order & pick-up at the counter a bit left of the drinks station across from the door. I got the two-meat special, a pretty good deal, including a drink and a side. The chicken and chopped pork were nicely warm, but the chicken was sauced. I'd rather it were not in order to take advantage of the available sauces. Still, it's real and dine quite well. read more

Been here several times and their chicken is very good as is their pork. Their sweet tea is a glass or diabetes which I love and their sides are all good. read more

Good food & excellent tea! 10% off if you show GHF card (gainesville health & finest member card)

Quick service, very good bbq. Mustard based sauces. Potato wedges and mac and cheese were awesome.

Never had it before. Ordered togo. Cane fast and it was amazing. Chicken fell right off the bone. Using a fork was pointless it just fell apart. Loved it was the best bbq I've had in a long time. read more

The BBQ sauces are awesome! We had the Sweet Tea Infused Brisket, Sliced Pork and for sides, got the one rib. I had the cornbread which was delightful! The signature onions rings are homemade! Everything was really good! Stop when you're in Gainesville! read more

I've eaten at David's a couple times in recent weeks and it's pretty good. The pulled pork plate is my favorite. Be sure to get the coleslaw...even if you don't usually like coleslaw. Just learned they do catering so I'm thinking of having them work an event I've got coming up. Extremely reasonable pricing. read more

This is a small location that looks better set up to do pick-up orders. There ARE a handful of tables here, but I am not really a fan of ordering at the counter and then sitting down. The inside isn't particularly clean either. Still, the BBQ is good and the servings are plentiful, so not necessarily a bad experience. A little clean up might earn this location another star. read more

#Addicted" Yes My dear I like Slaw on the Jumbo Sandwich plate. " I make an effort to visit the 23rd ave location on a weekly basis. Hint : The Carolina sauce makes a great marinade for a backyard BBQ, Throw a bone in that tip jar for that hardworking staff. read more

Love David's bbq, they have wonderful chicken, steak fries and many new ideas, that are fun to try. The Philly Steak was my favorite, would love to see them bring that back. 50% off on Monday, August 31, 2015, Special, what fun. Thanks for email and invite. read more

I give it a four because the chopped chicken wasn't very flavorful, but Damn! I could live off that cornbread. Steak fries are also pretty amazing. Overall a nice meal! read more

Worst bbq in Gainesville. Got take out, they were out of brisket at the dinner hour (5:30) so they gave us some sort of cubed beef. Six half inch cubes, four of which were not meat but instead fat from the end of the cut. Greens were overly salty. This is not the first time the food has been disappointing. Never again. read more

Fast Food BBQ - you go up to the cash register, place your order, and a few minutes later, out it comes. We ordered the Working Person's Meal - choice of meat, one side, corn bread or garlic toast, and a drink. Our choices were pulled pork for meat - very good! -- and one side of cole slaw and one of collard greens, again both on the high side of okay. Meat choices include sliced or pulled pork, sliced brisket, smoked chicken (pieces or pulled), ribs (higher price). Lots of sides. You get your own drink, as much as you want. The tables are stocked with rolls of paper napkins in true BBQ fashion, and there are bins from which you can serve any of their several choices of BBQ sauce. We like the sweet, but the others are good too. Next time I'll give them the real test - how are they on fried okra. (Did you get that - "next time?" Because yes, there will definitely be a next time - even though I learned my BBQ in western North Carolina and South Texas, I'm already a fan of David's in Gainesville.) read more

Catered my wedding and they were amazing!!! I got married in December (2014) and can't believe I've waited this long to write a review. You wouldn't think to expect it from a BBQ place, but we saw them at an expo, tried the prime rib and twice baked potatoes and fell in love. We had a Christmas Eve wedding and that was no problem for them. They still came fully staffed, including a bar tender (we provided the alcohol) and the service was amazing. We worked with Chris and he was awesome! It's been almost 10 months, and my friends still rave about the food. We had prime rib, pork tender loin and a ton of side choices served buffet style. I pulled leftover prime rib out of the freezer to make homemade stew/soup and it was still delicious (which made me think, I HAVE TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THIS)!!!! This was definitely not your typical dry chicken breast and green beans you get at large events. And the above-average service we received was the icing on the cake. Thank you Chris and David's!! read more

It had been years since I ate here, so I took the opportunity to try it out while working in the area. Though it is hidden away in an older shopping plaza, this is an oasis of real-life originality amidst the desert of suburban chain restaurants and hippie hangouts that you find in most of Gainesville. Definitely not fine dining, you order and pick up your styrofoam plate of food at the counter and take it to one of the wooden picnic-style tables to enjoy. (if they are not all taken already) My order of pulled pork with black-eyed peas and cole slaw came up fairly for it being the lunch rush, and the counter staff was efficient and friendly. The pork itself had good flavor but was a little on the dry side for me. My sides were good and the garlic bread and tea were excellent. Looking over the menu, the prices seemed just a bit on the high side, but for $5.99 the Wednesday special I got was a great deal and the portions were large. I hope to be back here more often. read more

good barbeque. they actually make it better than sonny's. meats are fresh and i never get a belly ache afterward, no matter how much i've stuffed myself. the sauces are great too. staff is very nice here and the sevice is quick. read more

This place has grown on me. I am very happy that there are still a few local BBQ places in Gainesville. This is one of them and it is great. I eat here regularly and am never disappointed. Reasonable prices and great food. The pork here is much leaner than at other BBQ joints, this may be interpreted by some as dry, but really the other places just have a lot more fat in their meat. I also discovered the little bucket of sauces in containers (vinegar sauce) it is really good. read more

I am very disappointed in the changes I experienced this weekend. I called in an order for 6 and no ribs were available additionally something was terribly different with the cole slaw. The taste and consistency of the slaw has had a dramatic change. This was my favorite menu item. The entrance was confusing and I had to wait 20 minutes in line to even get my call ahead order. The ice and sweet BBQ sauce was out and several other patrons were at the counter requesting refills. Please redefine the entrance and get back to the prior slaw recipe to retain business. read more

Food is inconsistent. It has been really good and it has been really bad (dry meat, raw onion in the beans, unseasoned sides, etc). Drive thru service is slow, 30 minutes today. Not the first time the drive thru has been slow, I just timed it today. For some reason they cannot grasp the concept of taking an order until the car at the window is gone. So basically it serves one car at a time. read more

My go to spot at least once when in town. First order of business is the onion rings basking in the famous hot bbq sauce!! So miss being close... read more

Ok. Good deal for the price. Better than Sonny's, not nearly as good as Adams. Staff has been friendly when I've gone there.

David's must have changed owners. No more Tues. sandwich special (2 for $). Got a brisket sandwich ($5+) had 3 - 1 inch by 3 inch slices on a tiny garlic toast. Won't go back. read more

Not horrible, and not great. The ribs are tasty. I found the pulled pork to be quite bland. The collards weren't the best I've had either. read more

We ordered the cooks night out. Sides were good except the potato salad. Sliced brisket was flavorless, pulled pork was dry, but ribs were okay. Not so good this time around. read more

Why I've actually been back to this place after the 3rd time- only because of a coupon. At not once have I received decent customer service. Seems like the employees have "disgruntled teen" attitudes (including an older lady) and don't enjoy working there which is usually an indication of poor managment. I've gotten the feeling that I'm bothering them when I order or ask questions about the menu. On the upside, the food is ok, but dry. The coleslaw was pretty good. read more

Best BBQ in Gainesville! Great selection of tasty sauces and smoked meats! Perfect for lunch or dinner.

David's is THE BBQ spot in Gainesville. There is no rival, there is no competition. I've eaten tons of BBQ from all over and David's still trumps 'em!!! I've lived in Gainesville for twenty years and I've seen a lot of BBQ come and go and guess what, David's has stood the test of time!! The ribs are my favorite!! I've had them from everywhere in town and NO ONE can cook em like David's!! Perfect competition style BBQ...believe me!!! These guys slow smoke BBQ southern style in real pits NO messing around. (look at the rib bones on your next visit to a BBQ joint, if they're grey, they're boiled. BS) The ribs at David's are PERFECT!!! not overcooked, not undercooked. The sides are awesome!! the greens are excellent as well as the baked beans!!!From the cash register/counter you can see the baked beans in the pit along with the meat, probably why they're so good!!! Take it from a local dude who LOVES BBQ, this place is legit!!!!! read more