The Bearded Pig — Restaurant in Jacksonville

READ THIS REVIEW…….. I’m torn! The sausage & turkey are great, plus 2 staff people kept them from getting 1 star. Very disappointing food otherwise considering all the great reviews!?!? I had high hopes and won’t be back. Not Texas BBQ - or even close.

HOWEVER - the STAFF is impeccable!! Better than most restaurants I’ve reviewed. (I rarely mention staff unless extremely bad or super outstanding, as in this case.) Cathy at the counter is extremely knowledgeable of everything on the menu (with details!) and was patient with me and very kind as I asked a million questions. And Harley at the bar is super friendly, excellent at keeping up with a busy bar and catches every detail to ensure you have a great experience. Together they made my experience so good that I would come back just because of them!!! Great job! I got 2 more drinks and stayed 2 hrs to hang out. And I NEVER do that! I’m in-and-out normally. (Hey owners & managers, give them a raise!)

Ambiance is perfect for a BBQ place. Just what you would expect. Food came out quick (5-6 min) but was surprisingly cold… I mean “not warm”. By my 3rd bite - no warmth at all - ice cold. Obviously no heat lamp on the meats or kept in a warmer. Likely just kept on the cutting board for 20+ minutes until another portion is needed. Most disappointing!! Cold BBQ - really?!? Never had that before. At least the beans were warm… probably because they are in a hot pot. Duh!

They have 5 sauces to fit any preferences. I enjoyed the Sweet Spot (molasses and brown sugar). Also have Carolina vinegar and mustard types plus spicy too.

Sausage: Best thing on the menu (and turkey too). Pork blend pepper sausage. Excellent flavor and perfect light spices. Really enjoyable and I would eat it again.

Turkey: Another best on the menu. Not brined or salty - or dry! Cooked only with salt, pepper and butter basted - a lot! The most moist turkey I’ve ever had at a BBQ place. Dripping moist - get it! Delicious.

Brisket: (lean, fatty or mixed) The lean is incredibly moist - more than any other / not dry at all. Look close at photo & you will see it glistening! No smoke ring or char, but really nice.

Baked beans: Butter beans, Lima beans, navy and kidney beans with sautéed onions. Good flavor and nice, but I’m Texan and regular baked beans are a staple. Ate 4-5 bites and did not take the rest home. Not my style but enjoyable.

Pork Ribs: (beef available too but expensive!) Beautiful char and huge!! (About 10 inches each!) Very lean but are unfortunately bone dry and a bit pretty chewy for my liking (not tender fall off the bone like by friend Steve does them).

Overall, not worth the drive unless you are close by chance. Only get the turkey, sausage or lean...

I initially needed ice just for my soft drinks in the car. Robbie, the manager, went above and beyond by generously providing some ice for our cooler at no charge. He was very attentive at first, and helpful and initially friendly but that faded with him.

Portion size was ok. The non-fatty Brisket was better than the fatty. It was juicy. But not a knock out.

Best was the variety of barbecue sauce choices. Honestly best choice of the night.

I also called two days in a row to inquire about the store hours and other details. Each time, the staff answered the phone with exceptional kindness and thoroughly addressed all my questions.

Overall, the service was outstanding and the best part, and I truly appreciated the team’s helpfulness and professionalism.

This is our first time and it was amazing. Happy hour has $5 mixed drinks. I wish I knew the wings were $10 for 10 wings.

The Bartender (Jessica) and (Ashley) were super friendly and helpful. Jessica made sure she immediately approached us and made us feel welcome. Jessica was super kind to my three boys even though we ordered initially a to go order. The reception we received by “Cam” while ordering to go and we ended up staying for an in person dinning experience was flawless. He was friendly and reached out to Robbie to make sure he could get us ice. Cam didn’t just say no. Cam made suggestions for several times that were amazing. Cam was the best part of the visit.

Even the server (Emma) mentioned to grab the extra paper serving tray while I was getting silverware by the drink area. Class act from every angle. I have over 300,000 plus views from my reviews.

Emma was a super bright spot of the night. She was the person who suggested get the paper serving trays. Smiled and friendly.

I mentioned my review to Robbie (the mgr), and he didn’t seem to care much. Appreciate the ice help though.

Wings were one the best feature for us. Mentioning that he $10 dollar for 10 wings before happy hour expired would have...

IF YOU'RE EXPECTING ANYTHING THAT RESEMBLES TX BBQ- DON'T!! You'll be highly disappointed even though the website talks about "remnants of TX BBQ." 🙄

I had high hopes for this place because I've had friends rave about it. However, I am extremely disappointed!! I drove 30 min out of my way for the loaded baked potato bc as a Texan native I love me some delicious tx bbq on a loaded baked potato. I took it to go so I couldn't even return the meal. I get home and to my disappointment see penne pasta in my baked potato. I've never heard of mac & cheese in my baked potato. It says you get a side dish. I wasn't expecting for it to be poured in my potato. Had I known that, I would have specified "on the side." I guess it would have been okay if the mac & cheese was at least creamy, but it wasn't. It was extremely dry!!! Then I took a bite of the potato with brisket, and absolutely no flavor at all. I didn't even finish it. I lost my appetite at this point. The meat was chewy lacking flavor. Not enough bbq sauce could make it taste good. I'm used to a loaded baked potato with all the fixings. This one had butter, sour cream, no flavor brisket, and dry mac & cheese. Waste of time, money, & the drive. If I could give no stars I would. I give the atmosphere 2 stars even if I took my food to go because the atmosphere seem chill. Other than that, that's it really.

In response to your reply- mac and cheese does not go in a baked potato, especially if it supposed to be a "side." Loaded typically means- the meat, chives, cheese, sour cream.. the fixings. And your mac and cheese was extremely dry. There was barely any cheese. And yes of course I will compare it to TX Bbq bc it's what you mention/claim on your website. Have you actually seen a loaded baked potato from TX?? Trust me yours looks nowhere close to it. Every person I literally showed the pic to had the same impression, "I don't know what the heck I'm looking at. What is it...