David's is ... alright. Granted, I like their food, but for middle-of-the-road barbeque, it seems kind of expensive. And who advertises their catering by saying it's "like the breakfast you get on the cruise ships!" Ugh, get real. Three stars because it's not Sonny's. read more

Average (or below) BBQ: not recommended Well, we just had their BBQ again at a catered luncheon after a funeral. Plenty of food, but pricey. The brisket was the worst I've every seen or tasted: just beyond bland and boring. (Good brisket should taste somewhat fatty, and should fall apart and/or melt in your mouth. This was like eating tasteless cardboard.) The pulled pork was OK, but just OK. The chicken was dry and dull. The mac & cheese was dull beyond belief, probably the worst I've ever had. The Brunswick stew was fairly good, as were the coleslaw, the beans, and the garlic bread. The sauces were OK, but not all that different. In all, this place is not worth the trip or the price. They're at the bottom of the pack of BBQ joints in my opinion, even while realizing that Gainesville does not have any outstanding BBQ. (I think I'm heading back to Texas). read more

The customer service is the reason this establishment didn't get one star. I was in town on family business and wanted BBQ. I searched the area and David's came up so I said why not. I ordered the rib dinner for 14.99, it came with two sides(baked beans and green beans were my choices) the ribs were EXTREMELY tender, even the gristle would melt in your mouth but there was absolutely no flavor. I tried every sauce there was but no to avail. It's like they just take the meat and cook it for hours with no seasonings. read more

Simply said this place is delicious. David's can be packed at lunch time so its probably better to show up closer to 11:30 if you want to get your food in a reasonable amount of time. I basically always get the pulled pork. It is very lean and tender. All the sides are pretty tasty, particularly the onion rings. Also the collard greens are pretty authentic. However, by far my favorite thing is the variety of sauces, both BBQ and hot. All of their BBQ sauces are homemade (as far a I know). The spicy is the perfect amount of heat. Be warned though, driving may not be safe after eating a full meal here. The post pork nap can come on somethin awful. 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

We drove all the way from Jacksonville, just to have the Pulled Pork with coleslaw on toasted garlic toast. Their baked beans are the perfect accompaniment! read more

David's BBQ & Catering - Pull Pork and Coleslaw on Garlic Toast. Delicious Baked Beans. The best sandwich anywhere!!!! - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Eh. Over rated. "Real" pit bbq. If you've never had real pit bbq, maybe you'll be fooled. Rib dinner comes with 7 ribs (Jesus himself could not eat 7 of these tasteless ribs.), 2 sides (baked beans....no. Those are pork and beans. Baked beans have flavor and are BAKED. Collard greens were dry on top--how does that happen? Just blah tasting, not at all like collard greens) and garlic bread (mine was crispy. Everyone else's was soggy somehow more like buttered bread with garlic. My daughter had a grilled cheese. I should have gotten that.... not worth the trip frankly. I passed 2 Sonny's to get there. At least Sonny's salad bar wouldn't have disappointed. Looking for real pit bbq, if anyone knows where I can find any..... read more

Sonny's like prices for slightly lower quality food. Came in around 1:30 - ish and food was definitely from the start of lunch. Tasted old and cold. My sandwich came with coleslaw. I asked for it on the side. I was told that would be 10 cents for the side cup. I asked for it to be on the plate and was told "nope, gotta be in the cup". Paid 10 cents for something I wanted to eat but they were weird about. You can support small businesses or you can pay for something you'll actually like. Look elsewhere. read more

Holy Moly! David's hits it BBQ meat and sides out of the park! my absolute favorite is the turkey sandwich on garlic toast with a side of corn nuggets! the turkey is super juicy and comes pilled high on the ever so tasty garlic toast. Not only are there corn nuggets heavenly they also have so many other sides that make choosing your working person plate even more difficult. The baked beans, mac n cheese, green beans, collard greens, fries, sweet potato fries, and onion rings are FANTASTIC!! Don't forget about the Brunswick stew! All together David's BBQ gives you are wonderful BBQ experience from the super friendly staff, the array of homemade sauces, large dining area, and drive thru. Oh yeah and don't forget about the sweet tea.... Gotta have that !!! :) read more

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We were a party of 5 and told it would be a 30-40 minute wait. Typically when they give you a time like that they over estimate. Not this day...55 minutes later I say something to one of the hostesses and they start discussing. A moment later they tell us they will be seating us. Manager never comes by to apologize or buy us an appetizer for our long wait. Server takes our order which we were ready to give when we sat down. Long wait now turns into slow service. By the time we were done we realize we have been there 2 hours. 2 HOURS!!! Unacceptable! Last week we had stopped by the Archer Rd location and although we were seated and received our food in a very timely manner, they managed to mess up the order and since we were in a rush, I just sucked it up and went with it. The only Sonny's worth a darn is the original location on Waldo Rd. I'm done with these guys. Much better BBQ at David's, Adam's and now at Woodyard Grill in Newberry. Share read more

This is the third or fourth best BBQ in town. It's usually drier than other places, and the sauces are a *lot* different than what I think most BBQ lovers are going to be used to. You'll either love it or hate it. It's a very sweet sauce, that's almost black in color, and the spicy sauce has very little balance. It's a very spicy sauce, buty better than the sweet at least. The ribs are always larger than most places, just not as good, and they are drier. The sides aren't as good either, though the beans are an exception. They are at least standard canned beans. Hard to screw that up. Why three whole stars then? The service at the counter makes the place. The people are working hard, and they are invariably friendly and helpful. Plus, it's not a *bad* place to eat, it's unfortunately just not up to the level the other 3 or 4 better places in town set. It's only marginally better than Sonny's, and quite a ways behind Adam's and Terrell's, and usually not as good as Bono's either. That's an easy three that are better choices every time IMO. read more

I had a craving for BBQ so I ordered from David's using Gainesville2Go. Worst mistake ever. I ordered the "large" BBQ Pork sandwich. This thing was probably about the size of my fist, which is NOT large. Small is probably the size of a typical slider. The pork itself was very very dry. AND COMPLETELY UNSEASONED. It was just a small hunk of bland dry pork. In an attempt to make that appetizing, they poured their sauce over the top (so you know the middle and bottom are still totally dry). Their sauce is a pathetic excuse for BBQ that had no flavor. It had an odd smell to it and was extremely watery. And turned the paper the sandwich was wrapped in a weird pinkish purple color?! huh?! I had to drown it in my own sauce to make it edible. The steak fries were alright, kinda whatever though. Came to my door basically cold. Could be either David's BBQs fault or Gainesville2Go's, idk. Anyone who says this place is better than Sonny's is delusional. I will never, ever order from here again. I just wish I had seen some of these reviews before I ordered. read more

Really good! I had ribs, green beans,sweet and sweet corn nuggets ( insanely good). They were friendly great price. The ribs were so good you could eat them with out extra sauce. That said the sauce was the bomb to. read more

Had it delivered for large employee lunch. Extremely disappointing. Meat was overcooked, fatty and bland. Beans, Mac n cheese were straight out of the can. Garlic bread was even tasteless, how do you mess that up?? read more

Ordered brisket sandwich with sides and was extremely underwhelmed. Half of the meat was fat, sauce was watery and made buns soggy, Mac n cheese tasted like canned cheese spread over noodles, and portions were so small and over priced. Staff was nice and friendly but doesn't make up for the poor quality food served. read more

The green beans and BBQ baked beans were great. The staff was very friendly. The BBQ meats were all dry rubbery and flat out gross

Good southern Breakfast Buffet- absolutely delicious! Large selection to choose from and did I say chicken fried pork chops! Fresh fruit and both cheese and regular grits. Made to order omelet station- large choice of fresh ingredients to add in. The staff is very friendly and inviting- especially DD- We will definitely be regular customers read more

When I want BBQ in Gainesville this is where I go. The ribs are the best in town. They fall off the bone every time I get them! The pulled pork is a little above average, but the sauces that they have def. even that out! I am a fan of mustard bbq sauces and I love the one that they have. The service is usually always friendly and nice. You usually cant go wrong with any of their sides( gotta get the corn nuggets), and they usually have great lunch specials! read more

It's literally "where the locals eat" I love David's wish I could eat here more often. It's been around a long time and they still do everything right! read more

David's BBQ & Catering - Gonna have to come back to try this!! - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Ate here recently while visiting Gainesville. The sliced pork was very dry, sides were mediocre at best. We only stopped here because so many places were closed on Sunday. I would not go back. The restaurant has a variety of BBQ sauces, but we were not impressed with any of them. read more

So was in the area and had an hour to kill so figured it would be a good stop for a quick lunch , and who doesn't love BBQ ? Walked in and the place was semi busy which is a good sign. While waiting in line to order noticed a generalized feeling of dirtiness in the place. Now I'm not quick to judge because some of the best food I've had has been in places with decor from the 70's and never vacuumed. Lots of choices on the menu , all your BBQ staples (pork, beef , chicken) in varied forms (pulled , brisket , ribs) . Decided on a BBQ sandwich with 2 sides and a drink . I ordered pulled pork, potato salad, baked beans. Now 9 dollars for a lunch plate at noon may be steep for some but if it's the bees knees I will pay it. Got My drink and a cup of their original BBQ sauce and sat down and five minutes later my food was up. Now I leave the sandwich for last in hopes a good experience will be waiting for me and try the baked beans. The beans were just flavorless , room temperature beans , that would not surprise me if they came out of a can. Potato salad. What can I say it was just a run of the mill potato salad that was unremarkable . Hit with salt and pepper and it was edible. After eating the sides it was time for what I wanted. The BBQ. Opened the sandwich and was hit with a smell almost of the tuna variety. Weird. Opened the sandwich to reveal a sad , sauce less lump of pork that was drier than a piece of sand paper left mid day to cure in the middle of the gobi desert. Drowned it in their sauce and got it down my gullet and left. In summary for people to say Davids is good BBQ is quite disturbing. I guess it's middle of the road blandness is what people of an accelerated age bracket are looking for as to not upset their G.I. Even though sonnys has lost their way in the BBQ arena I would rather patronize their business before ever going to David's again. In closing David's was expensive for what you receive , tastes terrible and is not worth the coupon, gift card , groupon stop that you are contemplating. read more

"Everybody loves David's Bar-B Que"? Catchy jingle, but oh so wrong. This place gets the ultimate yuck - which magazine is it that gives the worst record review a shit sandwich? No matter - this place deserves one. And, appropriately, we had a very nasty diaper incident here (again, no changing tables, so we had to clean up in the trunk of the car) so even Ayler knows what's what. read more

This is a review of the $10 breakfast buffet. I was under the impression that a barbecue establishment would have great meat as part of their fare, but--NO. This was the smallest and worst buffet I've ever been to, anywhere. Burnt sausage, gelatinous grits, and pancakes straight out of a boxed mix. Even the self-serve coffee was bad. Huge disappointment...this place was recommended to me, but for the life of me I can't see why. Straight up AWFUL. read more

I had the special for the day, 2 meats and 2 sides and a drink for 9.99. I chose the sliced pork and the chicken on a bone. The pork was moist and tender and had a great smokey flavor. The chicken was almost as good. The sauces were good, but I like a little more bite to mine. The staff was super friendly, and didn't mind my indecision at the check out counter even though they were slammed. The person I was with had the ribs and they looked so good I went and ordered a slab for myself to bring home. They were amazing. If in the area stop by and see them I don't believe you will regret it. read more

I just ordered 2 chopped chicken dinners from the drive thru. Chopping requires a knife. When I lifted the lid I see a small portion of shredded dark meat with several pieces of skin in it. They spread it thinly across the bottom to look full. Basically I just spent $20 on scraps in sauce, not the sides we ordered(probably because they were out), and cornbread so rock hard you could chip a tooth. My large diet coke yielded about 5 sips because the entire cup was full of small ice which is very dense and packs close together leaving no room for your beverage. I called back and spoke to Amanda who admitted they had given us the last of an old batch of cornbread. She did apologize and offered to send something in the mail. Who cares honestly? It's hard to take back that being ripped off feeling. I would say don't bother eating here and if you do surely don't use the drive thru. I would say judging on what they are doing to customers they are not doing well financially. Next time I will eat across the street at their competition. Which honestly isn't a competition at all. They serve decent food. read more

I cannot rave enough about David's Catering. From the first communication I shared to discuss ideas with their catering specialist, Chris Shindle, to the follow-up communication he initiated after the wedding (when he didn't have to); it was such a pleasant and smooth process. Chris helped me with my timeline of events for the evening. They even assisted getting our purchased kegs to the venue for us, and arranged our bartenders who were a lot of fun and shared laughs with our guests. We were a very "DIY" wedding, and there were times I was close to seeking anxiety meds (lol), but Chris calmed me down each time, and came up with ways to help me succeed in my vision. They went over and beyond to even help me decorate our venue the day before the wedding! He added so much charm to our décor with his ideas on table placement, the lace & burlap on our reception tables, the bunting he himself did to miscellaneous fabric i.e. on our buffet table linens. They arranged our tables beautifully and instead of running around being stressed out while setting-up, we were all bonding and jamming out to music. I got many comments on how calm I was, and they were a huge factor as to why. Everything looked ten times better than what I even had in my head and that was due to Chris' ideas and input. I couldn't be more thankful for him! The day of our wedding was beautiful and we easily transitioned into an amazing reception. I received a lot of compliments following the wedding, on our food, especially the cocktail hour appetizers which consisted of mini shrimp and grit shooters and fried green tomatoes! Everyone also adored our crawfish boil entrée, and there were plenty of other options for non-seafood eaters. While most people forget the dishes served at a wedding, Chris really helped me create a charming and unique southern menu that I will always remember. To end the night, we were given leftovers already packaged up for us to easily take, and hugs from Chris and all of the wonderful, friendly and fun staff. We felt just as close to them as our friends and family that made up our guest list! Months later, I still think about that day, and it warms my heart that God blessed me with some amazing people to help make it perfect. We definitely made new friends with our very few vendors, and they've gained our business outside of catering because of it. I recently picked up breakfast for the office at David's and was very happy to see Chris waving at me from the back of the restaurant and asking me how things were going. Overall I would list the following about them: reasonable, willing to work with you and bring considerable ideas to the table, highly professional, the wait staff matched the same quality and friendliness that Chris portrayed, delicious food (they know what they're doing!), generous with their help, and very responsive. I strongly recommend them for any event if you're looking for someone to ease your stress and provide quality service. read more

Really not impressed. I went for lunch and had the barbecue chopped chicken plate. The chicken was dry, the onion rings were soggy, and the cole slaw had no zing. When the best part of a barbecue lunch is the garlic toast, there's just no reason to go back. read more

Really good bbq, some of the best I've had in awhile. I had spare ribs, Cole slaw and garlic toast... It's called the working mans plate. Lots to choose from. They even have Brunswick stew. Haven't tried that yet. If your in the Gainsville area and you like bbq, go there. Oh and they have pie read more

Okay, so my bestie and her hubs are frequents here and rave about the BBQ but say it isn't THE best. They ordered me the combo plate with ribs and fried okra & sweet potato fries as my sides. I loved the sweet potato fries. It was a first for me so can't quite compare it to anybody else's sweet potato fries. The okra was blah. I think I had better fried okra at Church's Chicken. The ribs were good, BUT I've had better. They were juicy, tender, and seasoned, but somehow it didn't quite hit the high of "OH MY GOD, THESE ARE THE BEST RIBS EVER." The BBQ sauce was good in it's initial taste, but the aftertaste seemed a bit off for some reason..if that makes any sense :/ I would, however, order again or try other things on the menu since it is down the street from us and the closest BBQ spot. read more

Ok guys here It goes.... hit the drive through and ordered a working mans special with a CHOPPED chicken sammich. Sigh.... It was not chopped ;it was huge discolored dry chunks of disgusting greenish dark meat; It looked like 3 day old turkey that was microwaved and smashed onto a Kaiser bun to hide the extreme nastiness of the meat they are defrauding my wallet with ! The fries saved me from starving that night because I just knew if I forced myself to eat that "chicken" I would not make it to work the next day. OH gods ! The slaw tasted ok , but 5 min later I was holding my belly groaning in pain. This was by far the absolute worst Chicken sammich i've ever had , and that's saying something because I used to eat the ones from 7-11 and even those were way way WAYYY better !!! David's BBQ NO SPANK YOU !!! It seems to me that they bulk cook their meats and serve them days later as fresh BBQ , and they take advantage of the drive through customers hiding the 2 or 3 day old scrap meat in these poor peoples sammiches just to make sure they don't lose profit. Sad to see so many greedy people finding new ways to lie to you so they can "legally" steal your money. Shameful ! read more

I'm very surprised to see so many low ratings on David's, but I suppose everyone has different experiences. In my own experience, however, David's has always been great. I am a member of their rewards club, which means I get a free meal around my birthday, and we had them cater my graduation last summer and their food was a hit with my whole family. Delicious pulled pork, brisket, sides, and sauces--and the service has not once disappointed me! read more

Being from NC I had some high expectations for some good bbq... unfortunately Davids didn't really meet the mark. Their sweet tea and garlic bread were amazing... but everything else was mediocre. Ribs were not fall-off the bone, beef brisket was dry, bbq chicken was greasy and they had these weird wanna-be hushpuppy things called corn nuggets which were filled with creamed corn? ewww.... also the brunswick stew was not very flavorful. I hope I can find some good bbq around here... I've heard Terrels is good? read more

Good place to get plenty of meat and sides for what you paid for, but the meat wasn't as flavorfufl as what you can get at Sonny's. Oh darn - you just have to REALLY drench the stuff in their yummy barbeque sauce. I didn't feel sick after eating this place like Sonny's so the quality is definitely good. read more

I had a Surprise 70th Birthday Party for my husband. What an AWESOME choice to have it catered by Dave's BBQ. It was delicious!! Plenty of everything, we had an assortment which was amazing!! Alicia was very knowledgeable & helpful in planning for this event! Thank you!! read more

The food isn't very good & it's way overpriced. Pass it by. Sonny's is just up the street.

My favorite thing about David's is the variety of sauces. I am a fan of mustard and vinegar-based sauces, hard to find at other BBQ spots here. David's has those, and also nice traditional types like hot and sweet. I am happy that they started serving brisket in a new thicker format, I think it's better than the thin-sliced kind. Also a very cozy location with character. read more

What I like, pulled pork, baked beans, cole slaw, steak fries are da bomb. Ribs, beef decent.. Pretty good ice tea. Service, good. Added bonus. Surprisenly good breakfast if you are in the mood for take out, or dine in. Highly recommend all the items on the breakfast menu esp omlets, bacon, sausage links, beef, and Sausage Gravy over Biscuits!!! Drive thru can be a wait. The bad - Price a tad high. Other than pulled pork, the bbq meats are not on par with Sonny's. I like to eat garlic bread with my BBQ and Davids dissapoints. Its edible, but not as good as Sonny's. I also wish David would invest in some different tables. They are not comfortable to sit at. read more

Consistently good food. If you want a large breakfast, this is the place. My favorite barbecue is the pork on garlic sandwich with coleslaw and any of their sauces. The french fries are hand cut and spicy and very good. Their new store near Ironwood golf course is my favorite stop after playing golf. The staff are very friendly and do a great job. read more

Not much better than Sonny's, which is a put down. Been here 4 times, not again. The ribs are dry and chewy, not falling off the bone. In fact, ,all the meats here are dry. If you must eat here, stick with something like pulled pork. Sauces are not very good, either. Why can no one do good barbecue in Gville? This is the deep south, for heaven's sake. And no, Adam's Rib does not fill the bill. read more

Ordered a beef sandwich on garlic bread with a side of BBQ beans and a sweet tea. The sandwich was very thin due to a small portion of meat. The beef tasted good, the garlic bread was good, and the beans were outstanding. However, their sauces really need help. I tried original and sweet. Both were as runny as water and didn't taste that great. I will be back to try something else. read more