Came to this landmark during PorchFest! The servers were upbeat and hospitable. Provided suggestions when asked. Very chill and informal restaurant. Booth, table and bar like seating. You seat yourself. We ordered a variety of things, bbq chicken salad, rib, shrimp platter, BLT, and sides of French fries and string beans. They also offer beer and seltzers. The bbq chicken salad was my favorite of the items. The BLT was what it was. No frills. I thought they could have added mayo and added a little thicker cut of bacon since it is a. Bbq joint. Shrimp and fries were fresh and cooked well. Didn't try the ribs but it was tender enough to fall off the bone. If I'm back in the area next year, I would definitely try it again. read more

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I was finally back in the city and I'm riding with my friend as we are riding I see a BBQ restaurant so I'm down to try it. I must say those ribs were very good. They were very big. Mannn I tell u. Getting your money worth for those ribs is and understatement. The sides were good as well. I like the fact that the crowd was diverse too. I felt more welcomed. My only thing I have negative to say is that they forgot my "banana pudding" . I was refunded my money but I'll be back!!!! read more

Fred Cotten's Landmark BBQ - Front Door Entrance - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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Cottons is the best. The servers are all great. The food is awesome! Just a great vibe. If you are doing lunch and are at work this is the place. Fast good service!!! I love Cottons!!!! read more

After a few more visits, I have to say this place is a staple for the Springfield area! The BBQ is 10/10. No matter what we get, it's always good. However, the sides are a 5/10 - lacking flavor. Really wish the Mac & Cheese and coleslaw tasted better. The service is always welcoming and very helpful and fairly quick. The atmosphere is that of a quaint rustic bar good for kids and all types of gatherings. All in all, it has great BBQ and we will be back. read more

I order ribs and fries and the ribs had to have been baked in the oven, this is so crazy to me. What is going o with the barbecue restaurants. I don't understand. The french fries are trash, you have to eat them with a hammer. read more

Fred Cotten's Landmark BBQ - Now who wants to eat these hard ass fries? Never again - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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That was a lot of food! First time dining in and it was delicious! My friend had the Wednesday special fried pork chops and I ordered the two meat combo (pork and brisket) with two sides baked beans and Mac/cheese. Corn nugget as the appetizer and sweet tea which was amazing tea! Overall I can't complain, great food and service. read more

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Little place on Main Street a bit north of downtown Jacksonville. A great place for lunch. In my opinion Cotten's has the bbq pork ribs in Jax! Original mustard based sauce is simply great. They have several other sauces that I have not even tried in the years I have been going here for lunch. Of their sides, I always choose the slaw. Garlic bread is good too. I recommend the 3 rib "sandwich" combo that comes with 3 large ribs, one side, two pieces of bread and a drink. Service is quick and friendly. Try it, you'll like Cotten's if you like bbq. read more

Service was very good and the lady was sweet. I wanted to like this place so bad, however I do have to be honest. The brisket was probably the driest meat I've ever had in my life. It was more reminiscent of an over cooked flank steak. Everything else wasn't bad and maybe if I went back and got another meat it would be okay. read more

Horrible...Horrible..we went there and was told by the server that having no pork was OK...only to find out when we get home there was pork all mixed in we we specifically requested no pork. When I called back we were basically told to bad. I am fine with human error but the response that I got when I finally got in touch with them was absolutely disgusting. Horrible, Horrible service. We had been there before and had the same request no problem. Very disappointed. read more

Stopped in during 5pm weekday drive time rush hour for some takeout bbq spareribs with baked beans and coleslaw. Best decision of the day! .. . Thick and juicy ribs, delicious sides with a couple of slices of garlic bread. Food was fresh and staff was overly welcoming. The "new" ownership has been on hands for seven years now.. old school vibe on the exterior, nice and very clean on the interior. Looking very forward to returning soon. Best Barbecue in JAX. Simple as that. Thank You ALL!! read more

My friend told me about this nice spot on Main Street. So I went to yesterday for lunch with them to try it myself. Their sweet tea was really good. I ordered the pulled pork lunch special and added house salad and potato salad as my sides. The house salad was shredded lettuce instead of an actual salad. The potatoes were also diced. I've never had diced potatoes before, let alone in potato salad. So the texture was different than what I'm used to, but it still tasted really good. The pulled pork itself was delicious. I added their sweet BBQ sauce to it to make it less dry. Definitely a really good sauce. My friend ordered their pork sausage special with baked beans. There were only two people working when we got there. One at the counter and the other was serving everyone else. There weren't many people at first. But when we finished lunch, there were a few more people who showed up. They have some cute decorations around the restaurant also. I will definitely be back in the future to try other foods they have there. read more

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Great meal and a great atmosphere. Staff is always great and welcoming. Mustard sauce does not have any sugar. It is fantastic? read more

So I meet up with some friends here and was excited to try Fred's for the first time. It smells so great inside and the server was delightful, so helpful. I ordered a family deal to take and share at home. As I started in I was happy at the portions I received of each meat and the 3 sides. The green beans were as huge in size as in taste. Coleslaw was tasty and than I started on the potato salad with a few bites..it so good I came back for more and than a third trip to the refer to find my husband finished the rest off and I was not happy to see it gone...Finished..nomore! That was the best potato salad I've had in years! So good I will be checking back here soon to get more. I forsure enjoyed Freds and see many more orders from me in their future! read more

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I love Fred Cottons! Best ribs in town and the sauce is the best. Been going here for over 20 years.

The food is great! The restaurant is very clean.The only reason I say maybe is because of the woman up front she is annoying! I always call my order in and pick it up. An soon as you're about to pay she always you wanna give me a tip hun . She doesn't give you time to get your payment out. I stop going because of her. read more

Cotten's was recommended to me by a coworker who frequents. On my first visit, I ordered the quarter chicken with green beans-- I was not impressed with the chicken at all and I didn't plan on returning. However, the corn nuggets are delicious; make sure you don't forget the ranch it is a must have! Recently, I decided to give Cotten's another chance (thanks to that coworker) and I ordered chicken tenders with green beans and Texas toast. WIN! Definitely didn't expect it to be so good but it was enough to make me return. The service is great, the employees are always very kind. They do have an updated menu with new pricing so some of the photos already on Yelp are outdated. I have an updated photo with my review. read more

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The one time I went, the food was bland and not tasty. There was no sauce on the ribs. It was a to go order and took too long. Hungry but not worth it read more

Lunch here is always the jam. The service is quick and friendly and they don't forget you!!!!love when you can sit down and they know what you drink and eat!! The sausage is legendary and be sure to get the sweet potato and the fried Brussels it's my go to every time. Was too busy talking to get a pic today but super yummy!! Love it being in the neighborhood read more

Husband wanted BBQ, I was indifferent so I ordered the fried shrimp dinner and couldn't pass up on at least trying the ribs, so I ordered the 2 rib "side piece", he ordered the 4 meat combo. We like to experience everything a place has to offer. Brisket was OK, not the best we've ever had but not the worst by far either, ribs were decent size, juicy enough, not as much flavor or seasoning as I would wanted or expected honestly. The actual winner of the night by both of us was the fried shrimp, very lightly breaded, no tails, basically popcorn shrimp but not all batter like you usually get. I'm a green bean lover and these are Italian green beans, read: flat green beans for those not in the know. Decently good and would order again but not seasoned or flavored to my taste. Mac was good too. Overall, we will definitely be back to try more and portions are great and the staff is friendly, it's a neighborhood establishment. read more

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So growing up as a kid in Springfield there were 2 BBQ locations competing for best Mustard sauce, Jenkin's and Cotton's (aka Fred Cotton's BBQ) back in the day. Well they closed after 68 years in 2014 and apparently Cotton's reopened a little over a year ago in a new location (Still in Springfield). So when you get off early from your day job and can't decide what to have for dinner and Boom, I arrived Cotton's! The inside has a great modern, yet welcoming feel and the staff are friendly just like you'd expect from a Southern BBQ restaurant. I was told to wherever I'd like and I'm assuming due to yesterday being a holiday and didn't know how busy it would be, they were working with only 1 server when I arrived, so I had to wait about 10 mins before my order was taken. I was in no hurry and they were hospitable throughout. They have 4 sauces, Mustard, Hot Mustard, Sweet and Sweet & Spicy. I tasted all of them....you know for science reasons and I enjoyed the plain Mustard most of all. My appetizer of Corn Nuggets came hot & fresh and instead of a standard little cup of Ranch, I was given a whole squirt bottle and I happily decorated my nugs for consumption. My Brisket was both a mixture of sliced and chopped, served with a piece of plain white bread (I'd prefer garlic bread), so I made a little sandwich. Mac was cheesy and clearly baked fresh and the Collards were good, but not my favorite, but that could've been my own tastebuds clouding my judgment, I'll let you try them and let me know. Go see Walter and the crew for lunch or dinner and support this welcomed back staple of my hometown of Jacksonville Florida. read more

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Not a bad BBQ place for lunch. My coworkers and I tried Fred Cotton. The BBQ is awesome! The meats are well smoked, soft, and falls apart. They do serve a Carolina based mustard BBQ sauce. Two us tried the MOAB special and 1 person had the pulled pork salad. The only concerned I have is that the wait staff will stop by and ask if you need anything but keep on going as if it is an empty gesture. The MOAB, mother of all BBQ is suppose to Come with a drink. We've asked several times to get our drinks we never got them. If the staff is going to ask customers if they need anything, then You should mean it. Also, the restaurant needs branding. There is nothing in the restaurant except the menu that says Fred Cotton. I had to keep asking my coworkers where did we go? It would be nice if the restaurant had hand wipes. Tables and door knobs to both the restrooms and to enter and exit are greasy. read more

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I absolutely love this place! this is pretty much my go to in Jacksonville because it's fairly priced and MOST of the time I don't get a whole glob of fat in my pulled pork/brisket (; read more

Fred Cotten's Landmark BBQ - collar greens and mac & cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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First time and last the only season I tasted was from the bbq sauce. The customer service was very nice. I hate to say this because of the customer service but the ribs and brisket had zero (0) seasoning. Just smoke taste not even an ounce of salt or black pepper. Greens taste like glory greens, and I definitely know canned baked beans when I taste them. Yes straight out the can and no additional upgrades to the beans. Inside was very clean and plenty of room to sit down. Just my observation hope this helps. read more

Good old school BBQ, Friday rib plate is what to get! Great friendly staff and right off Main Street In Springfield

Worst brisket ever, cut thin to make it seem more tender than it is. Fried corn is tasteless, Baked beans could've came from a can but there are cans of beans that are better. Order came with raw sliced white bread?!? Is that a thing?!? I expected toast or something more than bagged white bread. Ribs were dry and also flavorless. Their sauce was kinda good but nothing special, much better bottles bbq sauce out there. Cant believe this place had 4+ stars. ‍ read more

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Was recommended by a family member, it couldn't disappoint more. The brisket honestly looked like wet dog food. Pork had zero flavor. Atmosphere is great, good booze options, bbq... not so good read more

Fred Cotten's Landmark BBQ - Beef Brisket Dinner - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

OMG. I'm already looking forward to my next visit! We visited on a Saturday shortly after opening, and in the hour we were there all the tables were taken and there were several customers waiting for to-go orders. Everyone in our party got something different, which was great because we all sampled everything - ribs, pork, chicken, mac and cheese, collards, BBQ beans, fries. Y'all, it was all SO GOOD. I don't normally eat ribs, but the ribs here were so tender and flavorful. I loved the mac and cheese! My husband had the all-you-can-eat special - $14.99 for so much food. He raved about all the meats he had. The original barbecue sauce - it's mustard based - has just enough of a kick, but not too much. The sweet sauce? Just sweet enough without making you feel like you're eating syrup (like some chain barbecue restaurants). And the banana pudding is a nice, sweet treat. You will drive by this place if you're not actively looking for it. Don't be swayed by the outside appearance - you will find phenomenal barbecue here with friendly service. Wear something you don't mind getting messy in. :) read more

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Great service , Beautiful Hospitality and the Food yes it was Amazin.Definitely recommend you to have a Taste

Attempted to eat lunch at another spot but found out they were closing and out of food, so I grabbed my phone and went straight to Yelp. This came out on top as closest and highest rated, and since BBQ is a family fav, off we went. The spot is not a fancy building by any means, but the smells wafting out from the smoker out back are incredibly inticing. Inside you have booths, a few tables, and a bar with stools. It was fun finding out these were the original booths and stools from the opening in 1941! My husband and I both ordered the special of the day - the MOAB. Mother of all BBQ sandwich, which came with a side and drink. The teen ordered a pulled pork sandwich, which you can get as a combo as well. Prices were incredibly reasonable, especially after seeing the quantity of food you receive. The MOAB comes with pork, beef, or a combo. I had FF and hubby and teen had mac and cheese as a side. Fries were hot, fresh, and very tasty. Mac and cheese was creamy, cheesy, and ooey goodness. The MOAB sandwich was amazing. Grilled onions, grilled peppers, coleslaw, and a heaping serving of meat. It was a handful to say the least, but well worth the messiness. I could only eat half of my sandwich, but hubby was happy to help out with the rest. We spoke with the owner, John, who gave us some history on the restaurant and informed us they are going to open another restaurant that will include seafood (YEAH!). He was telling us that the ribs are one of the best sellers, and even gave us a few to try out! What a way to make sure we come back as they were so tender, fall off the bone, and amazing. Their sauces are a spicy mustard and a sweet. I'm not usually a mustard sauce person but this was really good and the sweet was tasty as well. We found mixing the two to be what we liked best. We will definitely be headed back here in the future when BBQ is craved. Service was top notch. Photos on the walls show the original owner, as well as famous folks from Jax that have visited. read more

The place is adorable and doesn't look ran down. The lady that was serving everyone was very kind. The only thing that was missing was good barbecue. I'm not really sure why this place has good reviews, unless the reviews aren't on the food. I'm not picky about barbecue in any way, but what they serve isn't real barbecue. They don't cook meat in the back and cut portions from it; they order cheap frozen stuff. I didn't get brisket because they only serve lean, so I got a "shredded pork sandwich". The pork was chopped and looked almost like chicken. They only have their own sauces and every single one tastes like bay seasoning, no tang to it at all. I was very disappointed in my choice to go here, honestly. read more

I went here a bunch of times it has always been so good. Shrimp is the best here I'm talking like 10 out of 10

Great lunch special with the pork sandwich. Loved the coleslaw and beans too. Was a little messy when we arrived but they had just gone through their lunch rush read more

I've passed Fred Cotten's for years and never stopped. Today, my colleagues and I decided to try them out. I ordered the beef brisket lunch special with green beans and mac and cheese. The food was delicious... although I'd have loved to see Texas toast in place of the slice of white bread that was included in my meal. I'll definitely be back again read more

Fred Cotten's Landmark BBQ - Lunch with my transportation planning colleagues eating their Beef Brisket Lunch, Side of Mac-n-Cheese, Side of Green Beans - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

We were served raw food and were told that it was normal. The server then caught an attitude with my sister and proceeded to talk about us in the kitchen while we were still sitting in the dining room. I don't recommend coming here. It ruined my sisters birthday lunch. read more

Just moved to Springfield and stumbled upon this unassuming BBQ joint and decided to give it a try. So glad I did! Stopped in for lunch with my dad who was visiting from NY with the hopes of him getting to have some decent BBQ and I can gladly say the mission was accomplished. I had the lunch special ($5.50 for 1/4 chicken with 2 sides) and he had 3 ribs with a side ($9). Although my dad was concerned that 3 ribs wouldn't cut it they were big and had lots of fall off the bone meat on them. The amount of delicious food I got for the price with my lunch was on point. I wasn't super impressed with my sides (green beans and collard greens) but they were tasty enough. His fried corn on the cob was great. Our waitress was very friendly and readily available to grab us whatever we needed. We enjoyed the food so much that my partner met us at the end of our meal and got ribs to go! He had absolutely no complaints to report when he ate them at home. Overall, I'm excited to have found this place within a few days of moving to Springfield; just a bit worried that it's only a few blocks away from my new apartment ;) read more

Fred Cotten's Landmark BBQ - Free taste of their banana pudding - Barbeque Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

One of our long time favorites and so glad it stayed true to the original! Celebrated my parents 50th anniversary here and couldn't have asked for anything better! The food was excellent! Can't believe how quick they served fresh our group of 35. Liz was an excellent waitress and Melanie and her team treated us like gold! You made our surprise party for our parents a wonderful experience! Highly recommend! We will of course be back! read more

Great family owned and operated barbecue spot. They have nostalgic photos of the history of Jacksonville hanging so its pretty cool. They serve pretty large portions of food so be prepared to bring some home. Their sauces are their own secret recipes and I prefer the tangy mustard base on the chicken. My friend had the all you can eat fried shrimp and they just kept it coming. The sweet tea is "southern" so you know it's sweet. So when you're downtown take a ride up Main street and check them out. read more

The new Fred Cotten's is simply put, as good as it gets! From Bbq to seafood and all else in between. Smoked Turkey on Thursdays and Baby Backs and live music on Fridays. Be sure to try the fried shrimp! read more

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Needing some BBQ, this one popped up so I swung by. Little shack in an iffy neighborhood, usually a good sign. I got ribs, greens, mac and cheese, and fried okra, with banana pudding. The ribs were meaty, with a tasty crust, but not much flavor in the meat. I had the spicy mustard sauce on the side, which added some zip. The mac and cheese was clearly homemade, but just meh. The greens were oddly sweet; otherwise fine. The fried okra was good- huge portion, crisp, tasty, with a side of ranch for dipping. The banana pudding was very good. All in all, good not great. I was hoping for amazing BBQ, and got fine stuff, but was disappointed. The service was amazing- welcoming, friendly, fast. The prices are very good. I'd go back and try out some of the other meats. read more

Love this place don't normally leave reviews but this one of my go to spots not to many choices for good food on main St between 1st and the trout river read more