ABBQ — Restaurant in Atlantic Beach

ABBQ is a recent addition to the Jacksonville barbecue scene, so I naturally had to check it out. I will willingly admit that even before visiting I was a little leery of their claim to serve "Central Texas BBQ at the beach". Seems like everyone around here is claiming "Texas Style", even if they don't know what that means. So I was extra suspicious when I saw a sign touting authentic Texas something or other as I parked next to a plastic wood fence and walked inside.

I was able to park because I visited for a weekday lunch. Parking is very limited here, and word is it is hard to find a spot on evenings and weekends. They do offer valet parking during those times. (I won't claim it never happens, but when I picture a Texas barbecue joint, valet parking isn't usually in the picture. But more about that later.) The inside, on the other hand, is very spacious. Both the indoor dining and outdoor backyard offer plenty of seating options.

Ordering and seating was a little confusing because everything I read said they had counter service, and there is a counter, but there was also a sign saying to wait to be seated. However, I was quickly greeted and told to sit wherever I liked. As it was one of the first pleasant blue sky days of fall, I chose a spot on the patio where I was quickly provided with a menu and a glass of water.

I wanted to sample as much as I could, so I chose the "1513 Sandwich" which includes pulled pork, brisket and sausage, along with cole slaw and pickles. I asked for the sauce on the side so I could sample the meats in their natural state, then added a side of potato salad and a sweet tea to round out the meal.

I methodically deconstructed my sandwich (it was far to big to eat whole anyway) by first sampling the sausage, which they make themselves. Even in small slices it had great texture, the crisp pop of the skin contrasting with the juicy interior for a quick burst of perfect flavor. The brisket lived up to the billing as well. I'm not sure if it was intentional, but my sandwich had one slice that was lean and one more fatty, so I got to try both. Regardless, both were excellently smoked specimens of that most famous staple of Texas barbecue. When I got down to the pork, it wasn't quite as amazing as it seemed to be a little lacking in flavor. There wasn't anything really wrong with it, it was more like it just didn't steal the show like the other two meats. But with a little of the tangy sauce- another check for the authentic Texas claim- it too was delicious.

The potato salad was some of the best I'd ever had. Creamy mayo met red potatoes in a glorious union, along with a surprise guest. Whatever else I have to say about this place, there's no doubt they know food. They know what it's worth as well. My basic meal set me back 20 bucks. It was worth that for sure, but I don't know how many working class people like myself are comfortable with that price point for a weekday lunch.

In this case, I would have no problem if they marketed themselves as a trendy, slightly upscale restaurant that serves Texas-style barbecue. There are several of those, and honestly, ABBQ does it better than most in my opinion. If that's your thing, you need to eat here. Just maybe wear the good pair of jeans, leave the dirty truck at home, and be sure you've got a high...

I've been here a few times now, and, overall, the experiences have been pretty good.

The food is good but, unfortunately, the service is a little slow and lacking. The first time we ate here was towards the end of the night, the server knew a lot about the menu and was very helpful with our food order but it seemed that the server had forgotten our drinks because we didn't get them until almost the end of our meal. The second time we ate here, the server seemed more worried about her side work and closing up the outside area than her tables. It took a really long time to put in any orders since she wasn't really present. We were going to put in a second round of drink orders but decided not to since our dining experience was already an hour in and we had finished our appetizers and still hadn't received our entrees. The third time we ate here, the server was pretty attentive and nice but he up charged us for ordering sweet potato fries with the beef rib and I wish he would have said something because it didn't seem that way with the menu was worded. (But I also get it... it seems to be a shady practice that more and more restaurants will up charge for things without being up front about it.)

The FOOD! Everyone I know raves about their burnt ends appetizer but I find them a little too charred and peppery for my liking. I prefer their smoked wings. They're a decent size and has great smoky flavor. For an entree, I like to share a platter just so I can get a little bit of everything. I love that they give you the option of lean or less lean meat when ordering the brisket. The ribs are okay but not my favorite. The pulled pork is great and the sandwich looks good too but I've only tried it on the platter. The beef rib wasn't great but that might have been because I got the one on the end. (The beef rib was completely charred and inedible on the one side. It was so burnt that it super tough and hard to the touch. I didn't anything anything because it was so big I don't think I needed all of it. shrugs) The sides are pretty typical BBQ sides. The mac and cheese is good but if you order it make sure you eat it first because it solidifies as it cools. The brussel sprouts are addicting! (The first time we had them, I really like them. The second time we had them, they were a little too charred. We'll had to see how the third time goes.) Their baked cowboy beans are a flavorful saucy mixture of beans but they are a little on the soupy side for me.

There's plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors, and they are very family friendly with activities for the children outdoors. The restaurant can get pretty loud so a lot of people opt for outdoor seating.

Oh, I forgot... I also hate that they do that thing with the bill where it's not itemized when you are looking at the little screen they hand you to pay... you only see the itemized copy after you pay which isn't very customer friendly.

Overall, it's definitely worth trying at least once because of the food and I'll probably try ordering to-go next time and see...

EDIT: I have been in contact with management of ABBQ since posting this, and they have gone above and beyond to make it up to us. I am grateful that we were able to resolve the issue and move on from it. ABBQ, and their manager Kevin, deserves credit for reaching out and making sure that we felt taken care of. Thank you.

Please let me preface this review of ABBQ by saying that after many years of working in the restaurant industry, I don’t take reviews like this lightly, and I would never be posting this had I not given the restaurant owner(s) a chance to make things right.

My husband and I got married on May 28th of this year and decided on ABBQ for catering services. In February, we had a call with either a manager or owner, discussed buffet-style food options/pricing, and decided on a menu. We chose to have pork, brisket, and turkey (we have multiple friends/family who do not eat red meat), and a couple of sides.

Fast forward to April and we decided to have a date night out together, choosing ABBQ as our dinner spot. We had an amazing server (sorry – I can’t remember her name), but when we asked to speak to a manager about submitting our payment for the wedding catering, she sent a manager of ABBQ to our table. He told us that if we paid him that night in April, his entire inventory would be inaccurate until the end of May. Now, if you’ve ever worked anywhere in your life (especially for a small business), you know how inventory works – and you also know to take a customer’s money if they are giving it to you. There are ways to make a record of pre-paid items while keeping your inventory accurate. Despite not being given a single “thank you for choosing us for your wedding” or “congratulations,” we went along with it and agreed to pay closer to the wedding date.

Now May 28th, the day of our wedding. ABBQ showed up without the turkey we ordered or any of the silverware they promised to bring (for reference, the house we got married at was a ~45-minute drive one-way from ABBQ). They promised to drive back and bring us the missing items, and they arrived 1.5 hours after our reception was supposed to begin.

To make up for a mistake like this should be simple. An apology from the owner or manager, possibly paired with a “thank you” or “congrats,” honestly would have made all of the difference. Instead, we were given 13 coupons for a complimentary cocktail or appetizer (hardly an apology).

Last weekend, we decided to give them one more chance and take our coupons with us. We had another great server, and she let the managing partner who we had spoken to before know that we were there and wanted to use some of the coupons. He knew we were there – he even delivered a round of drinks to us – and did not say one word or mention the mistakes that were made. I understand that mistakes happen sometimes, but ABBQ did not make any effort to make up for what they did, nor did they ever thank us for our business. I used to recommend this place to everyone, but unfortunately, I won’t be doing...