Adam's Rib Co. — Restaurant in Gainesville

WE WILL NEVER GO BACK! When concerns were brought to the OWNER he CUSSED in front of our very young children (all under 5) … and it was one of their birthdays. Worst restaurant experience ever. His solution was to offer a $20 gift card. We declined because we will never go back there ever.

Our food wasn’t great at all. Our service was pretty awful. At one point I was on my hands and knees in front of the restaurant & cleaning up a spill & they didn’t even offer me towels to help.

No one checked on us and the food was just not good- so we kindly asked for a manager and just asked if anything changed because this experience was subpar compared to our previous experiences.

He just started telling us we were wrong and all the food was great and getting upset that we “we started this in front of the whole restaurant.” Mind you- he was the only one upset. At one point we were apologizing for even bringing up concerns. At some point he used a fair amount of foul language in front of our little kids ON THEIR BIRTHDAY. So I just left the restaurant.

We shouldn’t be attacked for expressing concerns about our experience. We didn’t want anything. Just wanted to find out why things were so different.

But cussing at us for having concerns and being inappropriate in front of my kids when we are celebrating? Absolutely not. So unprofessional. I will not support any business owner who acts like that. I’ve been a server for 10 years. The customer is not always right- but you can still be kind.

Below is my review from 3 months ago. We have always loved this place. But after today we will never go back.

Post from 3 months ago: A wonderful hidden gem in Gainesville. Part of me doesn’t want anyone to find this place 😊 but they’re wonderful and deserve the recognition. Our server was absolutely sweet and very helpful. Our food was AMAZING. I have been looking for good “southern BBQ” since I was in TN. And Adams is right there! The food was true southern style, affordable and delicious.

We were super pleased with our experience and will absolutely...

So, this is going to be a bit long. I was born and raised in NC. But I have experienced BBQ all over the country. The BBQ I make is a combination of all those places. Not professionally, or in a restaurant, but nonetheless, have cooked Pork all my life. Today, I chose to visit Adam's Rib Co. in Gainesville, Fl. After studying the menu, I chose "The City Boy", a 2 meat combo with 2 sides. I chose ribs and chopped pork with mac & cheese and cole slaw. Two basic sides for a BBQ joint, because let's face it, if you can't get these two sides right, you're sunk. I found out, they serve pork spare ribs, not baby back ribs. Nevertheless, I wanted to try them. So let's get to the tasting. The plate arrived at my table and looked very promising. Except ( there's always an except), there were only 2 ribs, and maybe a small handful of chopped BBQ. Good portions on the sides, and two big pieces of texas toast. The ribs were not wet, meaning no BBQ sauce, which is favorable. First bite of the ribs: good pull, the rub was flavorful - a little sweet. A rub I have not tasted before, and very good. If I had to nit pick, the smoke ring could've been a little more prominent. But otherwise, very good ribs. I would be curious if they could do Baby Backs as well. Pulled Pork: first taste - cold. Not much flavor, but the burnt ends were good. The same rub on the pulled pork as the ribs, so that unique flavor was there. If it had been warm, or fresh off the smoker, 5 stars would've been checked. The cole slaw and mac & cheese were exactly as they should be. Very flavorful and what you would expect from a BBQ joint. I love how there is no sauce on the BBQ when they serve it. They have alot of different sauces on the side to satisfy everybody's tastes. A strong 4 stars! I do wish the BBQ portions had been just a bit larger for the price of the combo, and the pulled pork should at least be warm. Overall, I would recommend this place and might just go back before I leave town. Thanks for good service and...

I've lived really close since Aug 2018, but only since pandemic hit, I discovered Adam's Rib. I have ordered various foods here at least 6 times in the past year, and I believe it's time for me to leave a good review (if not too late:). As its name suggested, the rib is their best BBQ food. I have lived in Texas from 2016 to 2018, and enjoyed BBQ there, especially the brisket. However, the brisket and the chicken at Adam's Rib were not on par as they were in Texas. But to be fair, I've never eaten brisket on the same level outside of Texas. "Texas barbecue has no peer on earth" maybe changed to the scope in US. (As there are other variants of flavors or types of barbecue that I rate up top, e.g., Chinese Skewers, Shish kebab)

OK, back to Adam's Rib, the 4-rib dinner is definitely enough for 2-person meal, my girlfriend and me had tested this several times. And the flavor and textures were not as good if you reheat left over food. The turkey and pulled pork were fine but not outstanding as their ribs.

Outside of BBQ food, their fish sandwich is a hidden gem, my girlfriend and I do believe it is worth the price tag over McDonald's Filet O Fish. It is much bigger and fresher than all the other fish sandwiches below its price. I like the vibe in the restaurant, however, I only ordered take outs from here for health concerns. For sides, fries, collard green, and mac & cheese were our top 3. Black Eyed Peas might be the 4th choice. The food/restaurant price in FL is definitely higher than in TX, but I do consider Adam's Rib to be worthy...