Sonny's BBQ — Restaurant in Ensley

I don’t tend to write bad reviews of an establishment, but our experience was so bad that I felt compelled to do so. Over the past 22 years I’ve eaten at this particular Sonny’s dozens of times, and every time it was consistently good. However, my family and I had not been to this particular one in quite some time. So, this is what happened, and please read through this review because it just gets worse and worse:

On April 11, 2024 our family arrived at Sonny’s just prior to 8 PM. It was not busy at all, but we still had to wait about 10 minutes for a hostess to seat us. We placed our order almost immediately, but our food did not come until after 9 p.m. While waiting, there were numerous customers around us who were openly complaining about the excessively long wait, and it looked like one group sitting parallel to us, just got up and left in disgust. however, we are generally patient people, and if that was all there was to it, I wouldn’t be writing this review. Again it gets worse.

So the food finally arrived almost an hour after we ordered. My wife and two of my daughters ordered salads. They pulled hair out of two of the salads, one belonging to my wife and one to one of my daughters. I had the sliced pork meal, (my go-to) and it didn’t taste right. The meat was really dry, and lacked the flavor I’ve come to expect from Sonny’s pork. Also I noticed the slices were different in terms of the cut we are accustomed to. I wanted to complain to the waitress about the hairs in the salads so she would at least know, but my wife dissuaded me from doing so because she just wanted to get out of there. So when we finished eating, we packed up the to go boxes, paid the bill, and got out as quickly as possible. Even at that point writing a bad review was not on my radar.

However, as of April 12— the day of this review— at least two of us are experiencing mild food poisoning, and we are having to track across town to pick up one of our daughters from school because she is sick and has mild food poisoning too.

I am very disappointed in Sonny’s for allowing one of their franchised restaurants to operate this way. it has tarnished their reputation with me and our family, who are loyal customers for many many years. I hope someone at corporate will see this review and investigate how that particular location is being managed because it is not good and it is soiling...

Oh. My. Goodness. If you find yourself anywhere near Pensacola, Florida, a pilgrimage to Sonny's BBQ is an absolute must, especially if you have a weakness for truly exceptional baby back ribs. From the moment they arrived at the table, glistening with that signature smoky glaze, I knew I was in for something special. And boy, was I right! The meat practically fell off the bone, each bite a tender, flavorful explosion that had me closing my eyes in pure contentment. Seriously, these are hands down some of the best baby back ribs I've ever had – juicy, smoky, and utterly divine. But wait, there's more! Just when I thought the experience couldn't get any better, I discovered their peach cobbler egg rolls. Yes, you read that correctly! This ingenious creation is a little taste of Southern comfort wrapped in a crispy shell, with a warm, sweet peach filling that's simply heavenly. Dipped in the accompanying sauce, it's a flavor combination that's both surprising and utterly addictive. Trust me, you need to try these! Now, while the baby backs and those incredible egg rolls stole the show, I do have a small note on the brisket. It was definitely good, with a nice smoky flavor. However, for marbled brisket, it was perhaps a tad on the dry side. Still enjoyable, but not quite reaching the same stratospheric heights as the ribs. Despite that minor point, my experience at Sonny's BBQ in Pensacola was overwhelmingly positive. The service was friendly and efficient, the atmosphere was classic BBQ joint comfort, and those baby back ribs and peach cobbler egg rolls? Absolutely unforgettable. Do yourself a favor and make a beeline for Sonny's – your taste buds...

I've been hitting Sonny's since I was a student at UF in the late 70s. Like all restaurants, some nights are better than others. My policy since I was a restaurant reviewer for the St Petersburg Times is always give a restaurant 2 tries before giving my final decision. I always check the kitchen; White people can not do BBQ as well as Blacks, it has to do with smoke tolerance for the eyes - and who do you think did those BBQ dinners for the Whites going back to colonial America? BBQ is to Black cuisine and pasta is to Italian. That said, Sonny's is, as a franchise, a 70-year Sucess Story. One reason is their corporate willingness to give local franchisees some freedom with menu and environmental considerations. So Sonny's is always similar, but not a cookie-cutter operation. Let's talk about Pensacola: Restaurants underwent a total decor and menu makeover a couple of years ago. Absolutely the correct decision. All 3 local ops were vastly improved. If you have not been in the last 2 years, it's time to pay a visit. My wife and I, for geographic reasons, rank them as Pine Forest and I-10, then Ninth Avenue and Creighton, and third as Navy Blvd. across from Wal-Mart. We have made friends with the Server Staff at all 3; remember, good tips result in great service. If you think server work is a breeze, try it for a month and you will have a change of heart; "entitled," "it's all about ME!" restaurant patrons and their ill-disciplined "creep-a-zoid" brats will stress anyone to thoughts...