East and West Seeks BBQ Best on a road trip. Driving south in central Florida on a beautiful…read moreSunday (March 15) and hunger hits. Search Yelp and find Berndt Ends BBQ in nearby Palatka. Perfect. Good rating, reviews look great, timing perfect. My mouth began watering in anticipation. We drive through Palatka and find Berndt Ends....CLOSED. We found someone out back and were told that they had a catering so they closed. No sign, no notice on the door or on the web, just disappointment that we couldn't try them out. Loved the looks of the joint. Loved the name (the owner/pitmaster). Loved the reviews. Just didn't get to love the 'Q. I would suggest a call ahead if you are traveling or not very near to this place. Rating? How? I guess I'll rate it 3 stars and hope someday to get back there and let them prove that they are a 4 or 5 star joint.

The food at Berndt Ends is stellar. I have had a number of their dishes (ends, brisket, ribs) and…read moreeven purchased a smoked turkey from them at Thanksgiving which was the best turkey I've eaten ever! However, the service from their wait staff has consistently been unsatisfactory. At least 4 times (on different days and times) I have sat in their front dining area waiting to place an order, only to be turned away after waiting 20-30 minutes. One time I waited even longer. The young lady took the 3 orders ahead of me and told me she would come back for my order. I waited another 15 minutes. She then returns but only from the kitchen door to loudly announce to me and the 3 new parties that just entered the restaurant that "we are no longer taking orders for take-out". I was taken aback at how this was handled because she knew I had been waiting a while and just ignored me. I understand that things get busy but this could be handled so much better. How about a sign on the door so I know upfront and don't waste 30-40 minutes of my day waiting for nothing? I left Berndt Ends that day and vowed never to return until they get staff that is friendlier and better suited to serve. This area in Florida has plenty of smoked meats and barbecue to choose from. While Berndt Ends sells a stellar product their customer service is so lacking, I would rather go to a place that is almost as good where I am treated fairly and, dare I say, even nicely. I'm not asking for someone to fawn all over me. And I understand you all get busy. I have waited tables myself and get it. Just be a little friendly and fair. I will understand.

Cool Beans graced us with their mobile BBQ factory at my work (Gioia Sails) yesterday. As a…read morelifelong BBQ enthusiast, I was literally blown away by their succulent Beef Brisket sandwich. The beef melts in your mouth like candy. I've never tasted its equal! Will be hunting this biz down when I next need a fix, Its now Saturday morning and Im still full from that meal, and the feeling was mutual amongst dozens of my coworkers, I was literally in a meat coma yesterday. Top Notch, 5 stars, 6 even.

I've been eating BBQ for over half a century and this is some of thee BEST BBQ I have ever had…read more They catered a Festival of Life event, for my best friend Tim, which happened to be on St. Patricks Day 2023 and I was priviledged to be there. I got a chance to meet Keith and Tanya before the event. They have a real nice set-up and keep it very clean. I could tell, that Keith was very passionate, about smoking meats. He told me, that he personally, hand selects, all their meats and that the wood, he uses, comes from Texas. He explained, about how he uses specific types and certain amounts of wood varities, for each and every meat, to bring out their full potential. As we were talking, the smell of that smoke was making my mouth water, I couldn't wait for the event to begin. I started out with the brisket sandwich, beans and slaw. The brisket was so tender and juicy, that I wanted to try it, without any sauce. All I can say, is that I am glad I didn't put sauce on it. It would've been a sin, to cover up all that great flavor. The beans! Let's not forget the cool beans. They were some of the best baked beans. I have ever had. You could tell, they combine loads of bacon, several types of beans and were made with love. The slaw has just the right amount of tang and sweetness. The mac and cheese was creamy and full of cheesey goodness. The rice, was cooked perfectly and had just the right amount of seasonings. I hate to say, that I took advantage of a good thing, but I did. I went back for 2nd's, then 3rd's, then 4th's and finally 5th's. I had a total of 2 brisket sandwiches, 2 pulled pork sandwiches and one chicken sandwich (all with sides, of course). If he's reading this review, then he'll know who I am, because all night long, everytime I started eating the sandwiches, I kept saying out loud "NO SAUCE!". It truely was, some of the BEST smoked meats, I have ever had and the only time, I have eaten that much meat. without any sauce. If you ever have the pleasure of meeting up with these good people, be sure to give them a try. Like me, you'll be hooked for life. I promise.

Food tasted old. Was dry and overcooked It was my 1st and last experience. Plus the wait time was…read moreto long for the amount of people that was there.

Whoever said the stuff about old grease is nuts. All the food here was gas. The dude running it was…read moresuper nice. The ribs and Mac and cheese are the best I've had in Florida.

Owner was super friendly and the food was like going to a friends house for lunch. Not necessarily…read morephotogenic but delicious. It was the boyfriend's first time trying the tripleta and it was just like the ones in PR. Buen Provecho!

If I could have given less stars, I certainly would have. The food and experience was less than…read moresubpar. For your company to blame the wedding coordinator for the drop off time frame and how it affected the quality of your food is unacceptable. This was the ONLY flaw at my daughter's wedding. My wife and I booked your company with the understanding that you offered an incredible Latin food experience and believe me it was far from that. The rice had no flavoring at all and and bland. The color of it was a shade of rice I have never im my life seen before (Soy Boricua, y eso ni se parece como algo que yo mismo perparo). I never knew arroz con gandules was made like that and could be that bad. The Tostones were the worst that I have ever had. If you know how to make tostones the right way, they would have been crispy, and yellowish texture and not looking like they were old (days old) and looked to be of the frozen kind and processed. Never knew reheating them makes them look aged. I've never seen dry Tostones and you should be ashamed as a so called chef. The pasta was dry and had little to sauce and looked horrible. The chicken, from my understanding and experience that was brought to my wife's attention was raw. I for one can tell you that your food had me in the bathroom numerous times after the wedding. Gracias. Smh. The pernil was debatable at best (Im happy to sell my recipe if you like because I know lor a fact that mine is way better than yours). For the money that was paid, the lack of quality and ownership on your part, I would never use your company or recommend to anyone that I know.

I received an email message while at work informing that this food truck would be in the area and…read moredecided to try it. Although they provided great service, the flavors didn't level up. I ordered the rice bowl topped with tempura shrimp. Very disappointing. Where's the shrimp? Nothing but batter that I peeled away to get to the shrimp. Also, too much mayonnaise, very little slaw, and flavorless yellow rice. Sorry for the downer review especially when a woman (the chef) is doing business. I am a big supporter of women in business. I hope this review helps her step up the flavors of this particular dish. This is my first time trying this food truck and maybe other options are better. Good luck.

I'm catching up on reviews, and realized I didn't do Camel Tow yet!…read more Love the name btw! Always get a concerned look from people when I tell them I enjoy Camel Tow haha! One of the best food trucks I've visit in a while! The tempura tacos are on point! The sauces you can get pair perfectly with any of the tacos! The tempura is light and crispy. It also didn't have an oily texture or taste! The truck workers were fun to talk with. They made jokes and recommendations, and were awesome to talk to! I will be back!