Tom Jenkins BBQ — Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale

Very, very good BBQ! The oak smoke is fantastically done!

This is the kind of place you stop in (1) for the food and (2) for the experience. The atmosphere is what it is, and it goes with the territory with a certain category of these type of joints. I've seen the same in many of them, and it is simply one branch of the subculture. It is not supposed to be a fine dining establishment. It is not supposed to be a high-class dig. It is a backlot bbq trailer (a fantastic one, as it so happens!) that moved into a small building at some point in time, and that is what it has remained. Expect it for what it is. To be fair, while McDonald's service training might be useful in some ways...oh my goodness! McDonald's cuisine has not yet even learned to dream of tasting like this!

Let's get one thing out in the open and up front: This is not a place one visits to be wined and dined with 5-star service. I must admit that most McDonald's restaurants have indeed, in my experience, afforded a more open, friendly, and "I-am-so-happy-you-stopped-by-how-can-I-help-you!" level of welcome and service. But while I would not say that the staff was especially friendly, they certainly were not mean or disrespectful, either. Not at all.

Others have commented on the space, lines, waits, and tables. The facts are accurate, and I'll leave those be, except to comment that my wait was 15-20 minutes, which was exactly as they told me it would be for my items when I ordered. It was easily worth it.

Tonight I enjoyed both the Baby Back Ribs and the Spare Ribs. I would have to call the Spare Ribs the winner of the two, and they were almost perfectly prepared. I eat all over the western hemisphere, and I don't recall the last time I ate BBQ that got the smoke right like this. It was as close to the perfect smoke as I recall having eaten. It was that good! The meat on the Spares was just the right amount of juicy and tender; the sauce was left on the side for me to apply to my own liking; and I didn't leave any of the leftovers I had intended to keep when I first came in.

The Baby's were just a bit over-cooked, crisped, and a bit on the too dry side. The taste was still fantastic, but I just can't quite give them the same top score in good conscience.

Tom Jenkins' is worth returning to. Give yourself a little extra time to wait in line; remember that you're going for the smoke and flavor instead of the smiles; be ready to have a bit of a "communal" dining experience if you choose to sit at one of the bench tables; and enjoy that food 'n wood smoked flavor! Can't wait...

I went there for the first time on Friday 9/14/18. The first thing I noticed was that the parking lot is very small and in the back of the parking lot is where they do a lot of they're smoking of the meat using big trailer type barbecue devices. The inside of the restaurant was fairly clean and when I went to the counter to order I told the girl that I was dining in. When my order was ready I went back to the counter but notice that all the food was placed in styrofoam takeout containers. This is how they serve the food regardless of whether you are eating in or taking it out. There is no soda fountain dispenser for self-service they feel your drinks and give them to you I requested a large beverage but apparently they only have one particular size which was kind of small. They do offer free refills thought you have to go to the counter and give it to them or one of the girls we'll take it for you. The main thing I noticed about my food was that the portions of all the side dishes for very small. The corn on the cob I ordered was about 2 in long. I ordered french fries they were placing a very small styrofoam container about the size of a container that you would get a regular sized hamburger in. Again, small portion size. I'm not sure why but there were four or five employees congregating at one of the tables and then another woman walked in that apparently works there also with her small daughter and they were all socializing. I thought this was very unprofessional and as I was eating my mail started to get busy and I couldn't help but wonder why they were taking up tablespace when they had customers coming in. The main course of a meal was the baby back ribs. They were not horrible but somewhat under Cooks on the inside. Overall I just have to say I would probably not go back not a horrible place but not worth the price...

This place has a high rating so I was excited to try it out. I'm sure there is a way to enjoy your experience here but mine was horrid. While waiting in line, I noticed at least a half dozen signs that joked about being polite or having to pay for whining, etc. These signs are funny to me but I have found they typically indicate ownership/staff that do not care about customers. When I ordered, I ordered a 2 meat combo with catfish and ribs. The cashier yelled, to the kitchen, "Catfish Combo!" I asked her if she heard me say ribs, her response was "Yes, I was listening," as she rolled her eyes at me. When I got my order, the catfish was under-cooked (pink, nearly raw) and one of my side orders was incorrect - perhaps the cashier was not listening as well as she thought. On top of that, the ribs were tough. I also got some brisket which was tough and more fatty than usual and, because it was under-cooked, the fat was like gristle. I also had to wait a while which would have been find if they had given my drink to me, when I ordered. Instead, I sat in the heat (did not feel air conditioned) without anything to drink because they will not give your drink to you until you get your order. It wasn't a ridiculously horrible experience but there were so many small things that were terrible, I cannot see myself...