Beef BBQ in the South? I guess some cowboy from Texas got lost and kept wandering until he hit the Atlantic Ocean, and set up shop. Lucky us!
Must have the Burnt Ends, they are the best part by far. Tender, moist and smoky, mmm mmm good! And what’s this in my collards, fat back? Nope, it’s a beef thingy and it’s delicious!
I always thought BBQ HAD to be pork, but I might be converted in one visit.
Yum! Found this when on vacation to NSB! Great BBQ place. Hubs had ribs w excellent spiced baked beans & ok collard greens. Greens needed more flavor but everything else great! Ribs were very meaty & tender. I had wings & banana dream! Both very good. Save room for their onsite bakery-got excellent coconut cake & decent Texas sheet cake(sheet cake should be thinner) but frosting was very good. Not a fancy place-just good eats!!
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Back in 2015, I visited the 4 Rivers Smokehouse in the USC area of East Orlando. So when Frankie Hornick, the general manager at the 4 Rivers location on Baymeadows Rd. invited me out to tour that site and have dinner I was all in. I am quite fond of Bar B-Q and remembered how much I had enjoyed my visit when in Orlando. The interior is quite similar as I had experienced, a large dining area with high top tables, booths, and regular low tables. There is also a nice sized outside sitting area perfect for the Florida climate. The restaurant was doing a brisk business when we arrived, most of the patio seats full, and almost half of the dining room area was full with people arriving the entire time we were there.Frankie greeted us then led us to a table and had someone bring us drinks. We had chatted for a bit before he went off to get us our food. We were not prepared for what arrived. The first tray was a mix of some of the nicest smoked meat I have seen in a while; each of us had our tray.
Loved the whole meal. Solo date night and chose this place because it was near Tinseltown and I wanted ribs. Great choice. I recommend this restaurant the next time you want barbecue.
Sebastian Jankiewicz
+4.5
Amazing meats, cooked to perfection. Delicious side dishes. Also a small bakery attached for sweet treats. Highly recommend if you're a meat eater.
Delicious meats and sides. You really can't go wrong with any of their menu items! I'm so hooked and I crave their food. Love at first bite and the hot bbq sauce is where it's at.
Fantastic food! Absolutely the best barbecue ever. Great flavor, nice size portions. Love that their to go containers are sitting out for all the leftovers. Easily can get two meals out of one. Love, love, love it!!!
This is a must stop for us every time we go down to Florida. We've never had a bad meal here. The staff is friendly and very welcoming. The cornbread salad is the most unique and delicious salad, sounds like it wouldn't work but it blends perfectly. The brisket is some of the best we've had in our travels. The Santa Maria Tri-Tip with the Smoked Tomato Chimichurri is sheer perfection! The meat is so tender I have honestly never used any sauce on anything. And what is there not to say about the sweet shop? If you like unique bottled sodas, they have a vast selection.
This Place Gets 2 Thumbs Up!. What can you say about 4 Rivers that haven't already been said. The quality of the barbeque is best I have ever tasted.
To avoid the crowds you have to eating earlier than usual.
I would give it 5 out of 5 stars, but the cafeteria style ordering and cleaning up yourself when you are finished is the only negative at the prices 4 Rivers charges.
Table service is the only way to go.
Best Brisket! Friendly service with a great family atmosphere and love the seating. The portions are plentiful so take extra home w/ you. My favorite sides are the baked beans and bread pudding.
The Santa Maria Tri-Tip was excellent!
Salad good brisket very salty
Pleasant experience. Loved the brisket and the baked cheese grits!! And adored the snickerdoodle cupcake!
Best BBQ have eaten at this location and ones in Orlando. Always top notch.
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Cafeteria service is aThrow back to the 70's. Nostalgia is what it's all about from the moment you queue up in the Morrisons style cafeteria line (remember that chain?) to the old time soda pops available in the refrigerated case prior to ordering the meal. Overall it is very predictable in quality, we have eaten here a dozen times and consistency is there. The cafeteria line is a bit slow considering such a limited menu. The place is run by kids, it seems. 4 Rivers BBQ is a fast food service restaurant, just a little slow for fast food. The only negative is waiting in a line, this is not a Disney Park for goodness sake. Overall, we have always been pleased with the food and tried many items, pulled pork to turkey breast. Coleslaw excellent, collard greens not overly greasy, salad was fine. I especially appreciate the sanitary clever plastic utensil dispenser which eliminates someone's dirty hand germs landing on my fork. There is a bakery also on the premises and the display is overwhelming, the quality is underwhelming. I tried a basic vanilla cupcake and a chocolate one and with both noticed an artificial flavor that was unappealing. The brownie type bars were very good. And word on the street is that the red velvet cupcake is also favorable. Overall, a great concept and an easy quick meal.
This place is delicious! The sweet shop is even better. And they're selection of old fashioned soda pops is awesome. Brittany is the best server at 4 Rivers... Sweet, patient, kind, and hard working.
My favorite BBQ in Jax. Hands down. My favorite is the six shooter. Wife loves the sliders. Sides are awesome. Would highly recommend.
Beyond awesome! When I saw this place getting ready to open I didn't think we needed another BBQ place. 4Rivers is way above the rest!
I know BBQ and this is great BBQ. Not like all those chain places they have in Jacksonville. They make you stand in a corral to order and get your food which is good because they scoop it and slice it in front of you so you can tell them to "pile it high" if they try to give you a skimp portion. Also sometimes the line is long and when it is I usually take my cane in with me. 3 times out of 4 the manager has moved me to the front of the line, just like Disney!
I moved here to Jacksonville from Memphis a little over a year ago. Being from Memphis, I've had a lot of delicious BBQ in my day. 4 Rivers Smokehouse is the best BBQ I've found in Jacksonville. My husband and I love this place! We've been several times, and will continue to come back. When I'm craving BBQ, it's my go-to place in Jacksonville. My favorite is the 6 shooter. Highly recommend this restaurant!
I was totally baked when I grinded here and it was deelish. They got all the meat you could want and real cool sides like a smoked pickle wrapped in bacon. The pickle was spicy as hell but I liked it. The desert rack is off the chain I got a cupcake that had candy all crushed up on it. Excellent food at this place. A little out if the way cause who wants to be on Baymeadows but if you are in the area do your stomach a favor a check this ace out. I reccomended sparking up before you go for the ultimate experience but to each is own!
Was not impressed with the food, service, and establishment. Food: it's cafeteria style which I love but the food is luke warm to cool. Pork wasn't that impressive and the brisket was very fatty. Service; "we have soda but we are out of CO2 so your soda is going to be flat and suck" was what my register girl said. Why not "the soda is out of order?". Friday and your out if CO2? No backup? Really? As for the cupcake... Mine was dense and dry. Baked too long maybe? Don't plan on going back.
Fantastic!. I have had 4 Rivers at the restaurant, take-out, and at a catered event it has been amazing every time.
Worth a try. The bullet: Food-B,Service-Self,Price-C,Vibe-A. I will go back.
The good: Cheerwine on tap, lots of menu options, sweet shop, food served fast [and that cafeteria line everyone on here is bitching about moves quickly], nice compliment of sides to their meats, ample portions.
The blah: the brisket - I will allow that it IS the most difficult Q to get right but as their speciality, they miss on smoke flavor and overall moistness, even from the point. The curse here being that it needed the sauce - ouch. The pulled pork is better. And their version of burnt ends is not up to the name. The fried okra was tasty but over salted.
Still, I will be back to try various other things on the menu like the Texas sausage. You should give it a try and don't complain about the line.....
Nancy Elias Harrison
+4.5
Likes. On point brisket and pulled pork, really good. The sides were all amazing! Will be back!
ISO Great BBQ in Jax. Ok so I thought the Cafeteria setting would not make the grade when I first entered but boy was I wrong. As a Barbecue Lover this totally surpassed my expectations. In hindsight it made you feel like you were at a big Family cookout with folk sharing tables and great conversation. Definitely reminiscent of my childhood reunions in a restaurant setting. I loved the food and the Brisket was probably some of the Best I ever had (Next to my own!). The only thing to top off such a great meal would be Dessert right, Well the have that as well Fresh Homemade and Decadent! I loves the experience the only thing I could suggest is that the customer service be a little less stoic. They seemed a bit overwhelmed by the crowds and needed to be more suggestive in menu items in order to keep the line moving. All in all I will definitely go back and SOON!!!
Went here recently at lunchtime. Lines were extremely long and for a line/counter service restaurant, that serves dishes that are already prepared, the service is incredibly slow... With that being said, I enjoyed the decor as well as the nostalgic drinks offered. There are many sweets to be had after food if you have room, (or to go). Don't expect fancy! The BBQ sandwich I had was ok, I did have to put plenty of their sauce on it though so it was a little dry. The Mac and the corn were definitely on point though! Overall good place, will go at a less busy time next time.
Since working at fellow BBQ joint, Mojo BBQ for 3 1/2 year while in college, I consider myself a BBQ guru, pundit, etc. That being said, I don't understand how one can not like this place? Sure I was fraustrated the first time I went I there was a line out the door, but it moved quickly! 4 Rivers offers cool specialty sandwiches, yummy homemade sides, great sauce options, and Cheerwine on tap--enough said.
Went back last night for a second visit. Brisket was good. Macaroni and cheese was also good, as were the bbq beans. Went to the sweet shop for the first time because other reviewers liked it. We got an Almond Joy which was way too gloppy and sweet. The other one we tried was the Snicker. It was better but was so hard it hurt our teeth to bite it. I think that will be our last try with the sweets. Would go back for brisket.
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Smoky No Sweet Shop YES. OK I have finally gone to 4 River's Smokehouse. I to am wondering what all the hip is about. Let me say that I own an operate a BBQ Catering Business and to me I do Q right. Theses folks take short cuts or at least that what the meat I ate today told me. I know they didn't grow the jalapenos but they were small and the filling (what was there) was plain old cream cheese and then wrapped with a tiny piece of bacon. I ordered the moist brisket (the point) and some baked smoked chicken. Now they put some BBQ sauce on it some I guess you will have some Q flavors. I sure couldn't taste any in the meat I was served. The skin on the chicken was soggy and limp no where near crispy. The brisket did have some bark and a smoke ring but the smoky flavor never made it. So let's move on to The Sweet Shop. Now this is worth driving over here for. I was told that the cup cakes are to die for. I died right there at the table. I got the Almond Joy and a Chocolate Lava for later or the wife whoever gets there first. Maybe she won't see it up there in the cabinet. They are really yummy and I just know that they are sugar free too. I will drive for the desserts and maybe try the Q again.
Had the 6 Shooter. Cheese grits, Pulled Pork, Cole Slaw, BBQ Sauce, Pickles, Jalapeños . Side of Mac n Cheese. Couldn't eat it all. Sweet Shop in Restaurant had unbelievable cupcakes, cakes, cookies, etc. brought home a Carrot Cake Cupcake that was as big as a large slice of cake.
Yes. This place trumps Bonos!!! Wayyyy better!! Pending on the time of day, the meat temperatures vary.
Best BBQ in town. So glad finally in Jacksonville. Be prepared to wait during peak times.
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Wow, lived up to the hype.... Heard some of my family in Orlando taking about it. Had Gary Mills from the local paper advising us of the opening every step of the way. Waited in a line like I am going to hop a ride at Wallyworld, and this place still delivered great BBQ.
One this first outing we tried a variety of meats and sides. We did the spare ribs, burnt-ends (half brisket and half pulled pork) cooked in a dark brown, sweet BBQ sauce, and the pulled chicken.
The spare ribs could barely hang on the bone when you would pick them up. the burnt-ends were not the least bit fatty, and melted in your mouth, and the pulled chicken was also a hit with my daughter.
The sides? the cheese grits,(more of a grit cake), fabulous. the corn bread salad, not what I was expecting, but very good. The baked beans were good, just not exceptional like the rest of the meal. I also tried the bacon-wrap stuffed jalapenos, if there was a "miss" that was it for me. Too many other great sides for me, but would probably be a big hit for your resident bacon lover!
Most of all bring your patience, don't try to plan much afterwards, as this could be more of a longer dining experience than one might initiallly expect.
As one reviewer who did not like this place should have come right out and said, if you don't like to stand in line and wait, don't bother coming here. But for those that know how slow cooked BBQ is done, you may have a new favorite BBQ joint besides your own smoker...
Buddy
Cafeteria style service. Excellent pork, brisket, and turkey. For sides the corn was ok, baked cheese grits (excellent), baked beans (very good), green beans, bread pudding (very good). Portions are huge so bring an appetite! Recommended & will be back.
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Lots of upside and a few misses. 4 Rivers is a cafeteria style BBQ joint. The Upside is that it doesn't pretend to be anything else (except for the onsite bakery...more later). I had sliders (3) with (1) pulled pork, (2) burn ends and (3) brisket. Each slider was big enough to be it's own meal and all meats were very good. My sides selected were Krispy Kreme bread pudding, sweet potato cassarole & a cheese grit cake. Fellow diners enjoyed the beans, mac & cheese and fries. All sides were good, but none were remarkable.
The staff is friendly, helpful and walking the floor to keep things cleaned & make sure that everyone is happy (an important and often neglected role).
There is a bakery with dozens of fresly baked cakes, cookies, cupcakes and brownies. All deserts are super sized and look amazing! They have a Coca-cola potato chip cupcake, a Mountain Dew and Dorito cupcake and several over-the top brownie versions of popular candy bars. The taste will have to wait for another visit since the BBQ was so good and plentyful.
Downside: There is always a line & you can expect to wait unless you arrive just as they open at 11. The parking lot fills up & you may have to walk from another lot before you stand in line.
Excellent meats, huge portions and adequate sides.
Totally worth the wait. I always get the longhorn with fries and 4R beans. I like to try the nostalgia bottled soda everynow and then. Also gotta try the mountain dew and dorito cupcake from their Sweet Store inside the restaurant!
Absolutely amazing! Brisket and pulled pork were tender and delicious! Large portions and great service!
Place has awesome food. You get alot for the prices. Dessert area is a knock out. They have only been open two weeks, once they get the line issues worked out there will be no complaints.
Wow, great great spot. Out of town looking for BBQ and gave it a try. Ribs were top notch, brisket was top 5 I've ever had. Will definitely be back!
Great barbecue and sides. The ribs are very very good... good sauce too. The sides are where they really excel. Bacon wrapped jalapeños are so good but they are rather expensive. My favorite side item was the baked cheese grits and the baked beans. I did not care for the cornbread salad. You won't find many better barbecue places in Jacksonville.
Great family atmosphere. We ate on Thursday, their "preview" day - best brisket I've eaten since Texas! Ate there again today; we were equally pleased w/their sandwich plate. Ample servings, excellent meat & sauces; corn & jalapeno peppers were exceptional. Sweet potato casserole and slaw are very good. No alcohol was evident and they are CLOSED on SUNDAY!!! Hoping they do EXTREMELY well!
Delicious! Waited for about 15/20min, not bad. Limited seating inside if you don't want to sit at a community high top table though, which we couldn't with our infant son. So good though, and price is amazing.
Best brisket ever. The ribs, sides and sweet shop can't be beat. Nothing better, I will be there at least once a week.
Messy Pig was awesome!. Went there today "opening day" and has early dinner. The food was awesome and service and attention to detail was spot on. We will definitely be a frequent diner. Got my Pitmaster Kit signed by John Rivers !
4 Rivers is slowly becoming a new favorite of mine. They are fairly new to Jacksonville and have other locations throughout Florida. I have been a few different times since they opened and have never had a bad meal. They have tons of different entrée/side options and are more of a fast casual restaurant. You order at the beginning of the line, then...
The brisket was every bit as good as before, flavor wise...in fact the slightly thicker rub and absence of sauce drizzled on top improved it in my opinion. It was perfectly moist, smoky and excellently seasoned.
Remember how I mentioned I was looking for some great brisket in Jacksonville a few months back ? Well, the arrival of Orlando-based 4 Rivers Smokehouse has answered my prayers. 4 Rivers The three locations in the Orlando area are known for their brisket and long lines–upwards of 15,000 pounds of meat are smoked and sold at the original location alone–so a lot of buzz surrounded the June opening of the new Baymeadows location. I was greeted with a 20 minute wait on my first lunchtime visit, which I’d say isn’t much worse than, say, the Town Center Chipotle. I decided to try the Burnt Ends sandwich (1/2 brisket, 1/2 pulled pork smoked in 4R sauce) with Smokehouse Corn and fried pickles, while Mario had the Texas Sausage Sandwich with sweet potato mash and mac & cheese: Drinks, burnt ends, & brisket Texas Sausage Sandwich I wasn’t a huge fan of the corn or mac & cheese, but I loved the salty fried pickles and Mario enjoyed his sweet potato mash. The burnt ends sandwich was tasty, but I t
The best things all came from bakery, the bayou bar, sweet potato casserole, and bread pudding were amazing. I'd come back and order a pulled chicken sandwich with collards or beans and 4 different desserts.
You walk thru an order line and pay at the end. Then find a table, beverage bar and sauces are in the back with a very convenient sink to wash your hands afterwards.
I ordered the two-meat combo with two sides, with Brisket, Sausage, Mac n' Cheese and Baked Beans. The brisket was the best tasting from the group, which had a pretty good balance of flavor from marbling and lean meat. I thought the sausage was just eh', it just lacked a distinct flavor, not bad and not excellent. Mac n' cheese was very basic, tasted good (really hard to mess up 😅), although nothing special about it. Baked beans were pretty sweet, would have tasted better with a little more smoked flavor and less sugar. Their chocate chip cookies were huge and tasted great. Would I come back here again? Sure, probably for their brisket, but I might try out some other menu items.
The beef, chicken, macaroni and cheese, greens, green beans, barbecue baked beans, and cornbread, as well as the traditional and spicy barbecue sauce. We’re all catered for the event. This brand is pretty consistent. However, the barbecue smoke was a little lighter than I have had in Orlando. But I was happy about that.
Wow wow WOW! I consider myself a BBQ fanatic, and this place really impressed me! Their chicken, including the white meat (which is often dry me at places) was beyond tender and taste great! Sides were so good and the corn stuff is a MUST! My family got the vegan burnt ends and brisket and raved! We are very much excited to return!
The clerk at our hotel reccomended this restaurant and we were not disappointed. I had the brisket sandwich, okra and sweet potatoes. Everything was delicious. Staff explained the different meats and wow was it good! Too much to eat for one!
The service was great and the food was tasty. The local health inspector is a friend of mine and was there eating with their family, so that is a good sign. I do believe my cuban was supposed to have onion rings on it, which AI am now still kinda hungry for... And this was a week ago... What is wrong with me...?
Vegan burnt ends were delicious as always!! I live they tell you which sides have meat. First time my hubby came here with me, he loved everything but preffered the vegan ends instead of the normal ones. He's a meat eater!! Love they have so many option.
Get the bread pudding!!! Little chunks of bananas. Great dessert. ☺️
I stood in line to order my food, but the line was so long I went to their site ordered and paid for my food and then got out of line. As soon as I got out the line I got an email that said they were having an issue with their site and my order wasn’t placed. I went to the pick up line and explained my situation. She allowed me to order there. Wings were great!
We liked this enough, we ate there twice. The brisket was really moist and tender. You did not need a knife to cut it. The pulled pork was good, but not the top of my list out of my travels. I would get just the brisket if I went back a 3rd time. The Mac and cheese was creamy and cheesy. The baked beans were delicious. Whoever makes those are on top of it. The street corn was surprisingly good! I got that on the off chance I'd like it and I was right. The cornbread was nice and gritty, but sweet. They know how to do BBQ right and that's coming from someone who loves TN BBQ. Also, they have really good BBQ sauce. I love the mustard sauce while my husband loves the house BBQ. Good flavor for both!
Between the two 4 Rivers Smokehouse in Jacksonville, I prefer the Baymeadow location. The ribs, chicken, and sausages are moist and tender. The signature and hot sauses are must try when you are there. The spiciness and taste of vinegar has the right ratio. The environment could be cleaner. Overall, it is a high 3 to 4 rating with all things considered. Would recommend thier food anytime.
5/5 amazing establishment. Had overwhelming selection of meats and custom combinations in which you’d like them with choice of sides. Also tons of other choices. I personally had the “Mac Attack” which was only $10 for a HUGE serving of an interesting mixture of mac and cheese, chicken tenders, French fries, and different sauces. (AMAZING!!). Also employees seemed genuinely happy to be there and glad to help us through the menu. The service was fast and there’s a huge indoor and outdoor selection of seating, all with good vibes.
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This is actually a 4 1/2 ⭐ review as a very small but important item needs addressing. First a very large and easy to enter, if you are heading East on Baymeadows but a bit of a challenge if you are heading West as you need to U turn after passing 4 Rivers. Parking is excellent as well as entry. This is not a table order place but an easy to read menu board is very helpful. As you order you may get to watch them prepare the trays which is a pleasant experience. Bill likes his Brisket moist with the Fat still on and by placing his order with the cutter he got just what we both wanted. The combination of the Cutter and the out of this world moist Brisket is a reason that they will see us again so 5 ⭐ and then some. We ordered the 2+2 of Brisket and Burnt Ends... this is where they lose a ⭐. The Burnt Ends should be crispy but these were sooo soggy... not to Bill's liking. The two sides of Sweet Potato Casserole and Green beans were outstanding and enough for two a sure 5 ⭐ accross the board. You get to add you own sauce which is great as neither of us are big on drowning the meat in BQ sauce HOWEVER we tried three in small amounts and all were very good. This is a nice clean and well staffed place that is good for friends and family be they young or more senior. Oh looking for the restroom??? It's outside in the outside seating area... strange.
Always has great food. The hardest part is deciding what to get because everything I've tried is so great. Desserts are really good but often don't have enough room in my belly.
Great food and amazing service! Everyone was so friendly. Great atmosphere 😃
Best brisket I have had in FL! I had takeout so I have no idea about the atmosphere but that is even more impressive because I drove 20 minutes before I could eat and this legitimately some of the absolute best brisket I have had in Florida or anywhere for that matter!!! Coming from the western US I find it difficult to get good brisket in Florida but this was great! You don't need any sauce! It's that good. Btw the Collard greens were great too! So legit!
Missed another chance for photo before eating. The beef fell apart. It was never tender.the okra was like eating sea salt. The manager will correct that issue. Staff was friendly like they wanted to be at work. Good BBQ I shall return to explore other menu items. We back after lunch crowded. A hidden gem old school folks up in here enjoying this good food
I finish a rib before I could place my food on a plate. So good and the sweet & tangy sauce wasn’t needed to get started. The green beans were seasoned just right. The baked beans weren’t dry. Everything was good and it hit the spot. Oh I had a Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip cookie. I’m sure delicious too full to eat after the feast.
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