Sonny's BBQ — Restaurant in Florida

Sonny's BBQ 150 Sheriff Dr., Melbourne, FL 32940 .5 Stars (Chain restaurant review)

SWILL ALERT

When the name of Sonny's BBQ blinked back at me from my random name generator I was filled with a sense of anticipation. According to the internet, they were founded right here in the Sunshine State by Floyd “Sunny” Tillman in 1968, with the first location being in Gainesville. Bob Yarmuth purchased the company in 1991 and continues as owner and CEO today. As of 2016, they have 113 locations across eight Southeastern states and are headquartered in Maitland, FL. So, while this may be a regional chain, it's still a local joint and I love patronizing local businesses.

My service pro for the day was Melva and she is outstanding. I ordered a Sonny's Sampler with all the meats (I know you said that in the Arby's commercial voice) along with sides of slaw and baked beans and one Brisket Grilled Cheese Sandwich with a side of Tater Tots. I sat back and relaxed while Melva ran my order back (not literally, but she did hustle). I noticed how clean, neat and well-lit the place was. It really was nice to sit inside and I was sure, with 113 locations, the food was going to be at least above average. I have to stop looking ahead like this as I was so incredibly wrong about this place.

Melva was soon seen bringing my order over so I prepared myself for the task at hand. Everything smelled as it should and who doesn't love the smell of BBQ? I was actually salivating just a bit when I put the first bite of pulled pork from Sonny's Sampler. The meat was slimy; in fact, it all was. The only way you get slimy meat is if it is frozen and reheated in the microwave. They served a fulsome amount, but if it isn't edible, is it a good value for the money? I did not try the sliced brisket, chicken, or ribs, as the pulled pork was enough slime for the day. I took a taste of the slaw and found it to be your average run-of-the-mill food service bottom-of-the-barrel industrial strength slop I wouldn't offer to a dog if I had one. The beans were overcooked and had the consistency of soft-serve ice cream.

Forcing myself to continue the job at hand, I grabbed the Brisket Grilled Cheese and took a sample bite. This was, to quote the menu, “a cheesy blend of chopped brisket, queso and shredded cheddar, topped with sliced cheddar and served on garlic bread.” Now, if that doesn't sound tasty as all get out, I'm a monkey's uncle. I am sure it would have been had it been cooked properly. As overdone as it was, it was hard to tell exactly what it was supposed to be other than old shoe leather.

The Big Boy says, “I didn't think there could be worse BBQ than BB Rads, but this swill is not fit for human consumption, animal consumption, or any other life form for...

Let me start off by writing for the record - I like Sonny's, always have. However, the Sonny's that I like is the one in Titusville. Everything this location did not have, I am spoiled by how well they do in Titusville, so what the heck is the deal with this one outside of Viera?

I have no idea. From the get-go I had a feeling this was going to be a less than stellar experience. On this particular evening, Sonny's wasn't even our first or second choice, only because we had forgotten there was a Sonny's down in this area. But once we realized, we made a straight shot to it. What was even more so enticing was seeing how lightly busy, to not really at all, this Sonny's was last night. So, in we go...

We walked in, were ignored from several waitresses, the lady working the bar area in the entrance area as well, and no greeter to be seen or heard. So we wait, and wait...and wait. Finally, out of what I will call the party room, shoots out the greeter. What in the world was she doing hiding in there, when not only was my party of three but another party of about 4-5 folks behind us waiting, is beyond me. Anyway, we get sat down...

Now, while at the table, we wait, and wait, and...wait. The waitress finally shows up to take our drink orders, our meal orders, and we wait again. Why the service was so painfully slow, when the location had maybe 10-tables with mostly couples, again, is beyond me.

Food shows up - my dinner mates were good with their meals, but mine was not up to the par of what you expect from Sonny's. The pulled pork was sloppily pulled, and the St. Louis ribs were overcooked. At least the cole slaw and baked beans sides were edible.

Service was simply nonexistent, not once, not once did our waitress drop by to check for drink refills or how the meal was going. I guess she knew she was doing poorly...So now, we are trying to leave and that was an ordeal in itself. No only did we have to wave over another waitress to get our bill, we ended up getting the wrong bill. So, we wait - again - as the waitress goes to the manager to fix this mixup. Finally, mix up gets fixed and we can leave, and as for me, to probably not come back for a very, very, very long time...

I think what I will do is just stick to our local Sonny's, they do a way better job than this one farther south in...

“Can’t go wrong with smoked chicken and garlic toast.” We’ve visited Sonny’s for carry out twice since moving to the Southern US. Perry, GA and Melbourne / Viera, FL. I’ll be writing a combined review for these locations.

Firsts and foremost, if you’re even considering a Sonny’s order, join their Q Crew email list. You’ll get an awesome intro coupon to save a few bucks. I normally avoid email lists, but this one is worth it.

Sonny’s for both dine-in and carry out seem to be very different experiences and I can only speak to the carry-out options.

The staff at Sonny’s are helpful and well-trained. One of our visits was coincidentally on Father’s Day. The place was hoppin! Everyone seemed to move fast and communicate well to get customers served as quickly and as accurately as possible.

The salads are crisp and fresh and made to order. There are protein add-on options and a meat-free option, if you have dietary needs. Smoked chicken seems to be a safe and tasty bet, but I’d recommend adding it to a salad without BBQ sauce, so you can add sauce and dressing to your liking. There are several BBQ sauce styles and they offer standard salad dressing options as well.

The garlic bread is really good so order extra if you’re considering it. You can have a sandwich served on this unique crunchy vessel or on a standard bun. Either way, you’ll be pleased. The pork, pulled chicken and brisket are skillfully smoked and seasoned. This is seriously delicious meat!

The fries and beans are the only sides we’ve tried and they are pretty standard. The monster sized chocolate chip cookies are better you microwave them for about 10 seconds to soften them. Otherwise, they’re a bit crunchy.

The dine-on menu is different from what’s offered online. This can be confusing, so it’s best to order in person at the counter, or in drive-thru to get the full view of...