Ooook.... Keeping my fingers crossed here, as I've had some REALLY bad BBQ lately (Like that fast food joint 'Smokin Ds' in St Augustine Florida.) Looks like its a carb day. Anyhow, my rule of thumb typically goes around whether a BBQ place sells brisket or not. I'm parked across the street and saw that they had brisket, so it was comforting. But it wasn't until I walked through the doors that I realized I was walking into a chain restaurant. Now I'm nervous hahaha I'm actually writing this review as I sit here and as I go along. Ambiance is nice. Sort of BBQ-Y, but definitely has that chain aesthetic to it. Bathrooms could use a little bit of TLC, but nothing too heinous. My server is Danielle... Shes THE best! They have a bar area, but only serve beer and wine, which is a bummer. Including me, there's only about a half a dozen parties in here so they're not terribly busy but then again it's only 2:00 p.m. and they have at least 3 servers that I have seen so far. A couple empty tables still had remnants of the last patrons, but after I sat down the tables were cleaned off. I ordered a 4 meat plate. I'm really rolling the dice here, because I ordered two orders of sliced brisket, (which is in $8 up charge collectively) figuratively blindfolded, along with pulled pork and the ribs. All I truly care about is the brisket (after I got that JOKE of and impalatable "beef" order from Smokin D's in St Augustine a couple weeks back) Well I just finished eating, and my Gambit paid off! Man, was that GOOD. I drove straight into the brisket, and it definitely exceeded my expectations. Still pretty moist, flavorful, and they gave me a good portion size. The baby back ribs were excellent. None of that "fall off the bone" BS that fake BBQ places due to try to lure in customers. REAL ribs that you can see your teeth marks in after taking a bite. The pulled pork was better than average also. The beans were really good, I haven't had any flavor like that and the cornbread was okay. I don't eat a lot of it, but I've only had some real knock your socks off cornbread once in my life. Sonny's BBQ is what Famous Dave's USED to be, until they went too far corporate. So my meal, that included I think around $15 in up charges, AND a draft beer came to just under $38. I was expecting it to be more! This trip was a success, I'm glad I took the leap of faith, and I'm glad I ate here. I will definitely be back when I'm in this area! ***DISCLAIMER*** This pure, uncut, honest review is federally protected under Federal Law by way of Bill #EO14149. Removal or alteration of this review by Yelp and/or their affiliates without Expressed consent by it's author is strictly prohibited by FEDERAL law. VIolators will be prosecuted, and litigation imminent read more

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From the time we walked into the door, it has been a half hour and still no food. Now it did take about 10 minutes to be seated, get our drinks in, and our oder so maybe I am being impatient. So it was actually about 30 to 35 minutes for our food to come. Guess when you are hungry it seems like forever. The food was pretty good, but it was all barely warm so it makes me wonder why such a long wait. Ordered 2 all you can eat rib meals and some chicken wings. The drinks here are really huge. If this had been a take out order I would have been more disappointed. Our server made all the difference, turning this 2 star experience into 3 stars. read more

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This was my first time eating at Sonny's BBQ, and while the food was very good, the service left a lot to be desired. I was dining solo and had a question about the birthday coupon. When I tried to ask, the waitress cut me off and said, "We worry about that at the end," without actually answering my question. The interaction felt dismissive, and there was no friendliness or even a simple "happy birthday," which was disappointing. She also forgot my tater tots and later blamed the kitchen, even though when I received the receipt, the tater tots were the last item listed -- suggesting they may not have been entered right away. As someone who comes from the food and beverage industry, I tend to have higher expectations when it comes to communication, accountability, and overall service. That said, the food itself was very good, and the sauces were hands down some of the best barbecue sauces I've ever had -- definitely the highlight of the meal. I'd consider giving Sonny's another try because the food and sauces were solid, but I'm hoping for a much better service experience next time. I wouldn't want to be i Lynne's section. And the only way I knew her name was because it was on the receipt. She didn't even introduce herself. read more

Sonny's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Haines City, Florida

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Ran out of all chicken baby back ribs then St. Louis ribs ! This is the third time so not a accident. Ranch is watery , forgot blue cheese dressing waited the entire time others were eating for them to come check and then actually bring dressing . Mom's salad was forgotten all together then all the bread came after people were almost finished . Crazy dining experience Wednesday then again on Sunday thinking it would be better! We won't be back to this location read more

Great food great service, reviews almost kept us from coming in but experience was the opposite of what the aggregate reviews indicate. Worth going. read more

My first time going there we had a great time the food was great! I would definitely come back read more

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We eat here often and the family loves it! The staff is friendly and the food is delicious! One of our favorite restaurants. The BBQ pork egg rolls are soooo good! The music is nice and the restaurant is clean, and it is certainly family friendly. read more

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French fries were almost cold. Sandwich was OK (Pulled pork on bun) Waitress was OK ... she didn't offer refill on drinks or really check on how the food was (I might have mentioned the cold fries- if she had asked) In general I have always enjoyed Sonny's but was disappointed this time. Place was clean & I will probably go back read more

The service was good, wasn't very busy at lunch time. The waitresses were very nice, chicken wings were a little dry but had some good flavor, the ribs were mediocre pretty tough to get off the bone. The chicken tenders with bbq were probably the best ones I've ever had. Not much smokey flavor but maybe due to the bbq sauce being poured on top of it after its cooked. The seating area was very nice and I liked the options of the different types of sauces on the table, but nice set up around the restaurant. Will try it again in the future maybe at another location read more

Sonny's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Haines City, Florida

I've had the pleasure of visiting this location several times and each time have had amazing food and service! Food is always hot and comes out quick. Employees are always friendly and kind! Grace has been amazing this visit as our waitress! read more

Sonny's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Haines City, Florida

Stopped for late lunch on a Saturday, 2:00 pm. Ordered prime rib sandwich with side salad and sliced brisket sandwich with onion rings, and iced teas. Teas were large and cold as should be. Side salad was nearly large enough to be an entree and was properly cold. Both sandwiches were tasty and large but barely warm. Onion rings which should have been very hot if fresh from a deep fryer were barely warm. Server didn't check back with us till we're nearly done. We lodged our disappointment and got the onion rings for free. read more

Food is pretty good for most things. Solid and reliable. However, they don't clean the back room very much. Found close to 50 dead flies on the back window sill. I say something because I care, not to be nasty. It's our go-to place for wings and amazing bbq. (I decided to edit this post due to the initial harshness. I was taken aback at the sight.) read more

I normally do not do this, but I had to leave a review. I'm normally the person that will overlook something when it comes to customer experience, but this I can't. I've been to this Sonny's before and the food was great. Excellent service, piping hot food and I was so eager to come back. BIG mistake. I brought my girls here, ready to eat some good BBQ and boy was I disappointed. They brought me my food on a dirty plate. I tried to overlook that because it wasn't that dirty. Then when I tried to eat the pulled pork, it wasn't pulled enough. It just looked like a bunch of fat. The waitress did bring me another one but on another dirty plate. Whoever they have cooking the food today is a big MISS. Sad to say, I will not be returning. Too bad I can't select zero as a rating because that's what they'll get. Maybe I picked the wrong day ‍ read more

It's drive thru BBQ so already expectations should be low. It's pretty average at every level Meat was tender. But was just ok if your craving bbq and it's open it will handle the craving but be prepared for very mid bbq read more

We wrote our name on the waiting list and patiently waited. 5 new tables walk in and get seated. I went up to the hostess To see why our name hadn't been called since everyone else was greeted and seated. she said " i dont know I just got here" I feel like she was rude couldn't even apologize for not checking the wait list. Had no sympathy we've been waiting longer than anyone else with our 2 children holding our 9 month old baby. every guest seated with a smile was white while we are a Spanish descendant family made us feel even more discriminate. If she has no customer service etiquette then she should not be the front face of the restaurant, maybe the line cook position will fit her better so she can make all the rude faces to people she wants. Once seated I asked the server for her name and I was not given her name so we just left. read more

Was there again ...Food still great but that smell from that carpet not sure why they are not changing it I guess no one else is complaining you definitely can smell it it's gross The odor. They decorated nice for Christmas But please change the carpets read more

We have been visiting this area for the last 2 months and we just experienced the best food since we got here. Many other restaurants have been good but Sonny's was perfect. Pulled pork, green beans (just like mom's) Cole slaw. What a great meal. read more

This is the 2nd, consecutive order, thaybthey didn't get right. I ordered through Uber Eats, both times. The 1st time I ordered big deal...no drink. The store corrected the bill. Today, I ordered big deal and get a child's drink. Called the story. They're to busy to correct the bill, but if I come in or call later they can fix it. May be time for a different restaurant. read more

If you like Sonnys BBQ it is a nice spot to stop by. Friendly staff and food came hot and fast. read more

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Arrived at 12:45 as a single diner. Waited in the lobby area with three other groups. We waited and waited and waited for someone to arrive at the hostess stand to seat us. After about 7-8 mins, someone arrives. I get seated in an empty booth and waited and waited and waited again. This time, after about 10 mins of waiting, I decided to leave. Not sure about the food at this location because I'd didn't get a chance to order. I do know that the service SUCKS. Now, we all know that some Sonny's suck however this place puts an exclamation point on how much they SUCK!! Drove to the diner next door (Egg City), great food along with excellent service. Do yourself a favor and keep driving past this glorified shithole. read more

Upon arriving for dinner, we noticed a line of people waiting to be seated. Fortunately, the rest of our party was already seated, but it seems like this location always has a wait despite available tables. Perhaps they need more servers to handle the crowd. Nonetheless, our server promptly greeted us and took our drink orders. Soon after, she returned to take our food orders. Being a creature of habit, I knew exactly what I wanted. I always order the sliced beef brisket on Texas toast with a side of baked beans and fries. When our orders arrived, everything was spot-on, and my meal tasted just as expected. The service was excellent and efficient. While Sonny's might not be the absolute best BBQ out there, it certainly delivers good quality BBQ that you can trust and know what to expect. My meal hit the spot, and I left the restaurant feeling content. We'll definitely continue visiting this location for our BBQ fix. read more

First time here. Nice drive up appeal. We were seated quickly and hostess mentioned how good the baby back ribs are. But somebody then mentioned it would be 2 hours for them. Bummer. Fried okra and tater tots for apps were both excellent! BBQ Salad add turkey was very nice. Ranch was good, but has this tanginess (Miracle Whip? Vinegar?) But I really enjoyed it and would definitely get it again! Mike tried the Sampler and had ribs, dark meat chicken, sliced brisket. All meats were good with the ribs being our fave. We didn't detect as much smoky flavor as one might expect at a BBQ place. Mac n cheese and green bean sides were both very good. Would get these both again. Banana Pudding was good and a representative example. Might try another dessert if we have enough folks to share it again. read more

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One day as I was sitting to order in the drive thru, they had the back door propped open. I sat and observed as I waited, mind you this was at night around 8pm-ish. I sat for about 10 minutes waiting to order directly in front of this alley way door. I gave grace the first 8 minutes because perhaps someone went to throw out trash, but no, the door was left wide open for an additional 15 minutes. I was shocked and disgusted as this direct access to the kitchen (which already looked a bit grungy and not well kept) remained accessible to all forms of pests. I can only imagine what secrets the kitchen holds and what might have been atop my food in previous visits. I'll never return again, disgraceful. read more

Amazing service and food !! Loved the service and the hospitality!! The food was delicious. We ordered triple meat platter to share: thick sliced brisket , St. Louis rib, baby back rub with mac n cheese side, bread, and fries. Finger licking goodness. We thought we were going to take some to go. Nope we pigged out. Great till the last bite!! Sorry no pictures as we are like savages. Jk read more

Twice I have ordered to pick up at this location.. BOTH times they messed up the order. Calling their phone is useless as you get stuck on a recording listening to crap and after 15 min I just hung up. This kind of service is not acceptable. read more

The service was extremely slow & the food wasn't made as ordered. Usually don't there at lunch time. But driving thru 42 mins isn't acceptable in my expectations. Then the order was wrong. read more

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I could not believe it when the waitresses started arguing loudly! It was very awkward, and lasted for a good five minutes I have been there three times now, and a third of my meal was FAT! I was given a $50 gift card for Christmas. I will regift it to someone else, I will not eat there again. The taste of the food was the average, I saw nothing special in the barbecue sauce. The ambience was nice and comfortable. read more

I can see why the reviews are mixed at this location but the food is amazing. I don't know if they are short staffed or what. But the wait we were quoted was like 45 min and there was hardly anyone in the restaurant at all. We got seated and there were only two other tables that even had people sitting at them. The waitress was alittle abrasive. I think that's just her personality honestly. She did a decent job. I asked what flavors of the bud light seltzer they had. She said she didn't know. I said I would take anything fruity. If they only had lime I would pass. She came out with a strawberry. The top looked dirty and had a white film like it had been at the bottom of the cooler for a year. The tab broke off when I tried to open the can. She brought me another and it was fine. The food was great. The loaded tots were delicious. We wanted the red neck egg rolls but she said they were out. My brisket grilled cheese was the bomb. It was basic and literally came on a plate all by itself since I didn't get any sides. But man it was delicious!!! I love brisket and I love grilled cheese and this really hit the spot. My husband got the sampler platter and asked if he could have smoked Turkey instead of the chicken. She said yes. It came out and he has chicken on top, but the Turkey was under there too so he was happy. We would go back for sure. Hopefully they can fill the restaurant more so the wait isn't long for no reason. read more

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This is my first time at this restaurant and I did like it. The ribs are good and the 4 different bbq sauces they have are good. The portion has a good size and the side dishes are good. The server was very friendly and the place looks nice. read more

Sonny's BBQ - Baby back ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Haines City, Florida

I still want my money back! They basically stole my money. Wish there was a no star option. Came here for a small anniversary meal for two and left with nothing. Was told their system had kicked my order (no fault on my end) so I would need to repay if I wanted my food (spending $70 instead of $35 on 2 small meals is crazy). I asked that since it isn't a mistake on my end and showed that it had actually went through my account if they would go ahead and make the meal I waited over 20mins for. Was told by the manager that even though it was their mistake they wouldn't give us a courtesy meal since they wouldn't make a profit. Obviously the profit was made as my card was not refunded and I was left without dinner that night. Lost a loyal customer off of $35 which would've been small change to the company. read more

Sonny's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Haines City, Florida

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Great bbq, everything from there entrees to their peach cobbler egg rolls! You will definitely enjoy the southern hospitality here along with awesome food an amazing service ! Always a terrific experience at the Haines city location an really enjoy the new app for rewards. read more

Sonny's BBQ - Peach egg rolls - Barbeque Near Me - Haines City, Florida

We ordered our food as a pick up order at 5:02 pm. We were told to give them 20 mins. It's currently 6:22 and no one has come to the front desk or to the pickup window. My husband is inside while I sit in the drive thru. Neither of us have even seen an employee. I rarely order from here anymore because they cut the size down on portions and the prices have gone way up. But now, even the service is awful. I'm used to waiting about 40 mins when I do a pick up order here but over an hour is ridiculous. Where is the staff? read more

Done! Done! And done! Third strike. Never again. Before Covid, they were awesome. Post covid, their management and service has repeatedly been a let down for the money we spend there. So sad because now I've got to drive further for bbq. B-bye. read more

Sonny's BBQ - Sonny's BBQ Storefront - Barbeque Near Me - Haines City, Florida

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We placed a delivery order from Haines City specifically to get the brisket and that was the one item they left off the order. Literally nothing else on that order would have been ordered, minus the meat - the brisket. The day of the order they admitted they messed up, they wouldn't send another driver to replace what was missing. Said I could drive there to pick up the missing main course - yeah, of course I can and I would have never placed a delivery order if I could just drive over there to pick up the order. He said they would refund the entire order and then they didn't. I guess they don't want customers. Company dinner ruined, was I really going to serve potato salad for a meal - really? Making a mistake is one thing, refusing to fix it is another! read more

I really enjoyed this place. I loved the pulled pork and ribs (both the baby back and spare ribs). The cornbread muffins and baked beans were also good. The staff was great especially Taquila was nice and helpful. Ambiance is family friendly. Will be back! Also note we went on a Sunday, there was no wait for service and our food can quick. read more

The staff are highly attentive the bbq is good but not over the top good, pricing is on average the ambiance is quant , offering low noise and ability to talk to each other with ease. The facility is clean and offered ample parking. The meals size are average and food is served hot and ready to enjoy read more

The service was horrible from Katrina and Alberto! It's a shame because the other locations have great food and service.

First time trying this. Ribs 5/10 Fries -1/10 worst fries ever Bread 6/10 Drinks 6/10 Place is not very clean read more

Sonny's BBQ - Not very clean - Barbeque Near Me - Haines City, Florida

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First visit to this location and it was far and above others we have visited. They were very busy both inside and the drive thru but they handled it well. We were seated fairly quickly and our server was prompt. We ordered right away as we knew pretty well what we wanted walking in the door. Our food came out quicker than anticipated but everything was in order and the right temperature. We both got the half slab of ribs for the extra $5 per entree and of course had too much food. Leftovers are fine when they are this good. They have 4 kinds of BBQ sauce on the tables and they are all good. We prefer the sweet but you should try them all if it is your first visit. We will be back to this location. read more

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I've enjoyed eating at this franchise location for many years. This Sonny's BBQ was renovated a few years back. The hosts/hostesses aren't always friendly, but the table service is usually friendly, conversational, and attentive. Food is usually hot, tasty, fresh, and timely. Occasionally, I encounter a side item that has been under a heat lamp too long or French fries that are cold. My favorite dishes are their steakburgers, big deal sandwiches, fried okra, French fries, and corn nuggets. Many of my friends love the Redneck egg rolls. If I could give 3.5 stars, I would do so because restrooms and floors could be cleaner. On the plus side, if you're a local, you're almost guaranteed to encounter someone you know here because everyone likes good barbecue. The people who eat here are what really make this location a lively, enjoyable atmosphere. read more