Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q — Restaurant in Florida

Bono's Pit BBQ seems like one of those "typical BBQ joints". You know what I mean...kind of like Sonny's, Woody's, Dustin's, Dickie's, and countless others. Normally it's a dried out, over smoked, over cooked, and over-sauced BBQ mess on a plate.

Little did we know Bono's has been around since 1949. Mostly scattered around NE Florida in Jacksonville, with a place in Denver, Gainesville and St. Augustine. Sixty-seven (67) years is almost unheard of in the restaurant business.

Bono's St. Augustine has never looked crowded, but the drive-thru is always hopping. We visited on a Thursday evening. The crowd was minimal, the staff was cordial and efficient. Food service was very fast, almost too-fast. You know, the kind of fast where you think the food is coming directly from the microwave to your table. Not so at Bono's. Always fresh.

We both ordered combo platters of meats, sides, and sweet tea.

SIDES:

Mac/Cheese - very, very cheesy and obviously handmade. Piping hot with just right amount of cheese to pasta. Not one to share mac/cheese, we each had our own. Brunswick Stew - smoked brisket, beans, veggies, and spices. A cupful of lovely homemade goodness. We could eat this by itself with some garlic toast. Baked Beans - somewhat typical of most BBQ joints, but with their spices and meats it's above par. Definitely not from a can.

MEATS:

First, let me say that Bono's is the FIRST BBQ joint that we enjoyed ALL of our meats without adding any sauce. Every meat was tender and juicy with an excellent bark. Their slow cooking shows through with awesome little crunchy bits from the bark. We tried the brisket, pork, ribs, turkey, and chicken.

Secondly, who offers turkey? My other half spied the turkey and added it to her combo. Man-o-man was that some juicy, tender, and flavorful bird. Major kudos on that one Bono's. SAUCES:

We're not fans of BBQ joint sauces. Most of them are generic and taste the same from roadside joint to roadside joint. Bono's is no different, except for the Reggie's Pit Boss Sauce. This sauce was freakin' amazing. Hot, spicy, peppery, thick, and just plain yummy. This sauce was a creation of one of their cutters in Jacksonville. He took their basic hot BBQ sauce and added some tasty bits. Reggie...you're the man. If I ever meet you I'm going to hug you and slap your butt. That's some tasty sauce.

CONCLUSION:

Being a Southerner, it takes a lot for me to get excited about BBQ. I've had bad, fair, decent, good, amazing, and great BBQ's. I would class Bono's as one of the greats. A pit master is judged by his meats, not his sides. The meats are great. Tender, juicy, and flavorful. So good you don't need sauce. In fact, if you need to sauce your meat you should be going to a different BBQ joint.

I was born and raised in NE Florida, how I've never been to Bono's before is beyond me. We have finally found some great BBQ meats, and it is Bono's. You won't be disappointed.

p.s. the extremely large wet-naps are...

First experience and will never return! Grilled Chicken Salad was the worst I've ever had! I would have valued it at $7.99 just for the chicken. There was barely any lettuce to call it a salad I paid $11.99. The lettuce I did get I pushed most to the side since it was part of the rind. Tomatoes were gross and pithey like they had been frozen before. My cup was completely chipped around the edges. I prefer not to use a straw but had no choice unless I wanted to cut my lips to shreds. I kindly mentioned to Brittany D that they need to do a better job cutting up the lettuce because much of what I was served should be thrown away. I also mentioned throwing away the cup. She rudely stated, "We aren't allowed to throw any of the lettuce away, and most people like it and will eat it." She also stated, "We aren't allowed to throw cups or anything away," turned her back, and walked off without even a simple apology. We didn't mention the issues with my son's meal (Chicken dinner special with 2 sides). The fried Okra was slimy inside; the rib and chicken were dried up to a crisp. My question is, if they aren't allowed to throw anything away, whose leftovers are we being served? I never undertip a waitress for a management or cook issue; however, Brittany D received a .40 tip for her lack of professionalism. I can get a better salad and service...

I was excited to see a Bono’s BBQ in St. Augustine and haven’t had it in a over a year. My family & I go there all the time in Jax, we’ve had a few family members that have worked at Bono’s over the years too. I saw that this location had a drive thru and placed a to go order online to get on my way home this afternoon. I ordered the half and half appetizer, with corn nuggets and squash. The squash was cut very thick and when you took a bite out of it, juices went everywhere- but they’re way too big to eat whole. The corn nuggets were good. The tea is always great in Jax, it was just ok here. When I got home, I opened my double meat salad that’s nearly $16. There was a single onion, a single pepper, 2 small tomatoes, with very dry brisket and pork on a bed of lettuce. I was actually shocked, I’ve never received a single onion ring or pepper ring on a salad before. This is one of their most expensive salads on the menu. I also purchased a banana pudding that I haven’t tried yet. Overall, I spent $36 + tip. I was disappointed because it isn’t the Bono’s quality that I’m used to. The location looked nice from the outside, the employee at the window was nice. Maybe it would have been a different experience had I dined in, but I wouldn’t go back to this location...