Stop at this local favorite for some down home hospitality and great BBQ! I love the Starr special: crispy delicious fries covered with chopped BBQ pork, cheddar cheese, jalapeños! Then pick one of several sauces to drizzle on top! So yummy! They have the best sweet tea and even lemonades. There is a box for book exchanges and a fun big chair to sit in for a photo op! Plenty of picnic tables to sit at. The staff is friendly and down home. Why not eat where the locals do?! read more

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This unassuming trailer next to a local meat shop has some good BBQ! They are located off county road 39 next to Rick's custom meats. They have a variety of BBQ meats and sides. I had the pulled pork and sausage with Mac and cheese and baked beans. Very good. I'm not sure the beans or Mac was homemade, but everything was still good nonetheless. They had some tables outside under a cover with some fans, but everything is served To-go. Stop by Smokin joes for some good BBQ! read more

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Best smokin around. We have tried it all!! Fruit teas are amazing. Briquet, ribs, chicken. That cabbage is the best too! read more

Smokin Joe's BBQ & Grill - Barbeque Near Me - Lithia, Florida

Great tasting barbecue! This food truck is located nears Rick's Custom Meats at county road 39 in Lithia. Their service is fast and their hospitality is small town feel. We enjoyed the "Star Special". It's nicely fried French fries covered with pulled pork, cheese and Jalepenos. Oh, so good! I can't wait to return to try more from their menu. Highly Recommended! read more

Smokin Joe's BBQ & Grill - Barbeque Near Me - Lithia, Florida

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This place was fantastic. Watermelon lemonade was perfectly sweet and refreshing (I had her make it not too sweet). Got the brisket sandwich with coleslaw and baked beans. 10/10. The brisket was juicy, tender and smoked perfectly. Coleslaw was flavorful and not drowning in mayo. Baked beans were some of the best I've ever had. Will definitely be back! read more

I'm very picky about my barbecue. This place had excellent barbecue that wasn't overly fatty and smoked to perfection. Their prices are not that bad either. Would definitely recommend. read more

Smokin Joe's BBQ & Grill - Barbeque Near Me - Lithia, Florida

Great barbecue & service! A friend and I were traveling thru, camping near bye, and stopped in for dinner. Kitchen had just closed, but a guy was cleaning up. We talked for a bit, about food, fishing, & local sights. While sitting in parking lot looking for another place for dinner, Joe, yes that Joe, brought us enough ribs & sauce for a great meal! SO GOOD!! I will return next time in area!! read more

Awesome BBQ, Awesome prices, Awesome people. Get the Pulled pork Star Special ask for strawberry habanero bbq sauce on the side

I've been coming here for a few years. I used to really like it, but each time I've gone I've gotten less and less impressed. The BBQs a little fatty and everything other than BBQ is pretty underwhelming. I tried a burger last time and it was undercooked and tasteless. It takes a really long time to order and get your food also. It's not terrible, but it isn't the best option. Definitely get some BBQ, but stay away from everything else. read more

It's so good make me wanna slap my momma food was off the chain can't get better than this

Why 3 stars? Because this was your average BBQ fare. --- --- --- I had high hopes for Smokin Joes to finally become the BBQ in Tampa Bay that finally gave me a clear-cut #1 favorite. It did not happen. It's not that it wasn't enjoyable, it was just typical Central Florida BBQ - boring. I'm begging the BBQ restaurant owners of our area to spend some time in Texas, Missouri, Tennessee, and North Carolina to bring those flavors back home. I finally made out to Lithia, which felt like it took longer than driving to Orlando, but I can't fault them for being located far away from my house. What I can fault them on was what I indulged. My sausage was alright, and my ribs were just not what they should be. Some were burnt and dry like beef jerky. The ones that weren't, were just not that flavorful. I'm determined to write a 5-star rating of a Tampa Bay BBQ spot... it WILL happen... one day. read more

Smokin Joe's BBQ & Grill - Smoked Sausage, Ribs, Coleslaw, Mac-n-Cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Lithia, Florida

Huge portions and delicious pulled pork!! Always friendly. Get there early to avoid a line but it moves fast, so no worries! Lots of picnic tables for a relaxed outdoor lunch. All the sauces are great. Enjoy and support our local businesses. read more

Great chicken wing dinner and chicken breast dinner. Plenty of good food at a reasonable price Thank You! read more

Smokin Joe's BBQ & Grill - Barbeque Near Me - Lithia, Florida

We came over to try the ribs. We had a rib sandwich and big butt burrito. We also tried some spicy jerky, it is very spicy. The ribs were pretty good and a lot of them. The fries were steak fries and fair. The big butt burrito was pretty good also. Thought weird to have salsa and sour cream served with it. I tried all the bbq sauces, liked the variety. The strawberry lemonade was great. We sat out under the tents, was glad it was cool so the bugs were not out. If we are back in the area we may stop by again. read more

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Really tasty BBQ-- and loved the sauce selection!!! My fave- the vinegar based. Tasted like Carolina style sauce. Pork was really good -- slow roasted for sure. Unfortunately the sides were not as good. Collards not seasoned enough. Super casual -- picnic style outdoor dining so you can be in and out. Would go back -- for the BBQ only. read more

We drove past on a Saturday morning at 11 and there was already a small line forming. It's easy to see why! The lady at the window was incredibly friendly and took a photo of our dog to add to the collage. The Mac and cheese was creamy and delicious! The sweet tea was perfectly sweetened and ice cold. The baked beans were loaded with pork and onions, fantastic! Ribs were cooked perfectly, fall off the bone . The sausage was smoky and accompanied by a great classic sauce. We will be back! read more

This place is why I no longer fire up my cabinet smoker. It is a little out of the way, but definitely worth the drive. Try a few ribs and you will be convinced. Nice smoke, nice shine, nice smoke ring and I ate mine without BBQ to taste the meat and smoke. The pit crew has a great smoker and warmer and are very happy to discuss the science behind the rig. BBQ Fries. Enough said. read more

I have searched high and low for bbq brisket. The kind of brisket that would me make slap someone it's so good. My search ended today read more

Smokin Joe's BBQ & Grill - Brisket and some extra bark. So, so good - Barbeque Near Me - Lithia, Florida

So glad we decided to stop here for lunch today. I've driven past it at least a hundred times and have always been curious. The good: * Huge portions * Large variety of BBQ sauce to choose from * The free smells * Friendly staff * Diverse menu * Fruit lemonade * Tender, white chicken, mac & cheese, smoked sausage, and pulled pork The ok: * The green beans & the jerky The bad: * Collard greens.... to be fair, I had never had them before today and am glad to have figured out that they are not my type of food :) We will be back! read more

I am not sure if they get their meat next door, but this is some of the tastiest and tender meat that I have every had. I know it is not because of added MSG, because I am allergic to MSG. They have a great selection of very good home made BBQ sauces. Don't miss this place. It just s food trailer and outdoor picnic tables, but the food is great. We ate here twice while staying at the local state park. read more

Walked over to Smokin' Joes after one of my many trips to Rick's Custom Meats to give this place a try. This place has all of the great signs of a good BBQ shack, not to mention it's right next to an awesome butcher shop, so I guess my expectations were quite high for some good 'Q. Not sure if they were having an off day or what, but my pork sandwich was not good at all, with a strange flavor that was not appetizing. I struggled to finish it and only got through about half before tossing it away....something I rarely ever do, much less ever at a BBQ joint. I really don't like to give a poor rating to any restaurant until I've tried it twice, figuring anyone can have a bad day. Particularly since I didn't have time that day to give feedback to the person working there to see if they could make it right. So I'll definitely give it another try on my next visit to Rick's, and update my review then. I'll score it 3 stars only to say I found it inconsistent compared to the many other excellent reviews Smokin Joe's has on several review sites: Atmosphere: a solid 4 on the cool "BBQ shack scale" Service: 4 Food: 2 Value: n/a read more

If you don't know where this place is you will miss it. Don't miss it! It's worth a 30 mile trip out of your way. So get the address in your GPS. And remember that it is only open for lunch. read more

Great BBQ, one of my favorites in the area. I've been back time and again for the "star special" which is a pile of fries and pulled pork with cheese and peppers on top --- combine it with some sweet tea and a lazy lunch outside at a picnic table and you've got a little slice of BBQ heaven. A good variety of sauces to try (mustard, sweet, regular, hot, raspberry spicy) and a fun place to relax if you like side of the road BBQ. There is a large covering over 8 or so large picnic tables, generally back yard bbq style - very enjoyable if you are into that sort of thing. read more

Pretty good for a roadside BBQ wagon. First time here and I ordered the boneless, smoked ribs, potato salad and greens. I don't typically use sauces on my BBQ but will try them next time just to see how they are. The place was jammin' at lunch and I didn't want to hold up the line futzing with all the sauces. The potato salad was really good and a bit on the sweet side but not too much. The greens are spot on with what they should be and the pork was generous, smokey, and delicious. Helpings are generous and I took most of mine home to enjoy over the next two days. The watermelon lemonade was decent but will try the other fruit flavored lemonade next time or the sweet tea. Prices are fair and the Canadian jerky is awesome. Definitely going back to Rick's and will plan lunch here again as it's a bit of a hike from the Orlando area. read more

Smokin Joe's BBQ & Grill - Boneless, smoked ribs, potato salad, collard greens - Barbeque Near Me - Lithia, Florida

Killer chopped pork, collard greens n fries with sweet tea, thank you very much. (They have the full menu but I do loveThe smoker smell as you drive past will pull you in. Worth the stop; best BBQ in Lithia and Brandon area-by far! Picnic tables with covered seating, clean and Super nice folk. It's a family favorite. read more

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"Just runnin down the road " Saw Smokin Joe's. by the side of the road and had to stop and give them a try. Very friendly young man at the window. Got the sparerib dinner with beans and potato salad. Sides were fine ribs had great smokey flavor but the outsides were tough----too long on the smoker? But the place is one of a kind. read more

Smokin Joe's BBQ & Grill - Dining room - Barbeque Near Me - Lithia, Florida

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I should start by saying I love BBQ! I go out of my way when I'm traveling to find little BBQ gems. And I have had a ton of BBQ. I drove by this place on a trip and purposefully took the longer route on my return home to get a chance to stop in. It has all the makings of a great spot. Outdoor seating, butcher shop next door, middle of farm town. I felt like a kid who found a secret fishing hole..........only to get skunked. I'd give it a 3.5 if yelp had the option. The staff was very nice, and the ambience was perfect, which leaves you a little more disappointed than you would normally be. As far as the BBQ, I went with brisket because I feel it's the real test of whether or not you Know what you are doing. It was a little dry, the right amount of tender, but completely flavorless. Taste like a roast your mom forgot to season. Good bark, right colors, just totally bland. Their sauces helped it out but brisket should stand alone, and this did not. The fryers were not working and I was really just there for the BBQ so can't speak to other items on the menu. I wanted fries. The sweet tea was good and strong and cold. I'll try again sometime, I desperately wanted to walk to the window and say "season your brisket, put some butter on your bun and slap it on the flat top for a second or two". But to each his own. I'll go back, because I love the abuse. And they have 4 other sauces I didn't try. read more

Absolutely Amazing! I love coming here when I'm in the mood for BBQ. Always a pleasure.

You will never walk away hungry from Smokin Joes. I love that they have a lot of different sauces...one that comes with a warning that it is VERY hot. This is basically a food truck that doesn't move. They grill on the residence which is next to Ricks Meats. You eat outside on picnic tables. My only complaint is the ribs are a little more tougher than I like. Low and slow would be better. But the pulled pork is amazing. Its a huge sandwich with tons of meat. I always get two meals out of it. read more

I was skeptical heading here after reading some of the reviews. However, those fears went away after getting their rib dinner. At first it didn't look like they gave me enough, until I took a bite. The ribs were meaty, smokey, juicy, and delicious. I only used a little of their mustard sauce and vinegar sauce, but they can stand on their own. I was stuffed just with the ribs, but still had baked beans and coleslaw as sides. I thought they could have been a little better being from the South, but the pork ribs made up for it. Regardless, they give you plenty. Overall, I thought the prices were fair, the ribs were great, and I was full when I finished. read more

Great place to stop for lunch, has good BBQ, sweet tea, and french fries. I personally would recommend the starr special which is the local favorite. Has plenty of outside picnic tables to sit. read more

Room temp to cold meat. Tough brisket. Very sweet potato salad. The only saving grace was the sausage links. Tasty links, moist, with just a touch spice. Serving size is generous but quality is on the low end of good. Not worth the 30 mile drive. Thank goodness it is next to a great meat market read more

Love the food and love the people. Always friendly and always delicious. My favorite is the Starr Special

I have eaten alot of bbq in my day, being raised in the south i have been raised on home made bbq and southern style sides. I went mountain bikin one day in alifia and went to this place with a buddy when we were done. I was blown away. Smokin joes bbq is some of the best i have ever eaten. The pulled pork has so much flavor and is so juicy and tender with very little fat. And not to mention there home made lemonade, absolutely amazing. I would reccomend this place to anyone that wants to try some real southern bbq!!!! Smokin joes you rock! read more

We moved here a couple of years ago from Indiana where the bbq was outstanding. We have tried some other places, but they all fell short (some were almost unedible) Smokey Joes however could take on our favorite place in IN. We both got the brisket sandwich and its the best brisket we have had since our old Texan neighbor made it for us. The sauces are great and we love that we got a choice. My husband liked the vinegar one in particular. Its quite a drive for us to get out to Smokey Joes, but I feel we will be returning again soon. I can't wait to try their pork! read more

Fantastic BBQ. Meat is tender loaded with flavor, portions are generous, and pricing is very reasonable. Staff is friendly. Outdoor, shaded area for dining there or takeout is available. They even cater! A must try for BBQ enthusiast. read more

Smokin Joe's BBQ & Grill is a small family owned and operated business right here in Lithia, FL. The owners, Joe and Starr are two outstanding 'Lithians' who support the local schools, businesses, ballparks, and individuals. I would highly recommend Smokin Joe's to anyone passing through our "one red light" town. The ribs are my personal favorite, but the bbq sandwich always hits the spot. Not too spicy or over dressed, not too bare... JUST RIGHT!! The taste will stir memories of the old home cooked bbq meals families used to enjoy, and the homemade sides are just the icing on the cake! I have tried other BBQ in the area (Jaymers) and was quite disappointed. I did not find the flavor of true BBQ cooked over real orange wood, and I certainly did not find the warm friendly feeling you will ALWAYS experience at Joe's!! We're even considering Smokin' Joe's to cater our daughter's wedding reception!!! Now, that's pretty darn good!!! read more

Simply the best. Great food, great people, great music. I have always been pleased when I come here. All of the meats are excellent as are the sides. There are different flavored lemonades and sweet teas. There is always great music playing and the staff are pleasant and friendly. read more

I was really hoping for some great bbq today. That was not the case. Collard greens & pork were SEVERELY under-seasoned. Pork did have a nice smokey flavor, but that's about it and it's chopped. I prefer pulled, but chopped is okay. My other side was coleslaw. That was okay, I've had better. Seasoning was good on the coleslaw. Service was friendly and quick. There is a nice covered patio for outdoor dining. I think I'll get a pressed cuban sandwich at Rick's next time. read more

my husband and i stopped here on our way back from fort myers. the thing that did it for me was the smoker i saw outside that gave me the feeling it would be the real deal. it is very VERY casual, paper plates, towels, picnic tables, etc. the person at the counter which i assume was the owner, was super friendly and courteous, definitely made us feel at home. wasn't the cleanest of places, although that sort of thing doesn't bother me too much. on to the most important part, the food! all the smoked meats were bare which my husband loved. he likes to taste the actual flavor of the meat, he hates when thats drowned out by sauce, which this was not, since the sauce was on the side. we had the ribs, smoked mullet (fish), and pulled pork. i definitely think the pulled pork was the best. the sweet sauce they have is mustard based and is delicious, but they have sauces for all palates. i think we came right after a rush because they were out of most of their sides. so we only got baked beans, green beans, and steamed peeled potatoes. the sides weren't phenomenal, i'm pretty sure the beans were canned and the rolls it came with were store bought but if your going their for the meat, then it's definitely well worth it, and the price is fair. read more