4 Rivers Smokehouse — Restaurant in Lakeland

Alright, alright, alright, listen up, folks! It’s me, droppin’ a food review like I’m smackin’ a golf ball 300 yards straight down the fairway! I rolled into 4 Rivers Smokehouse in Lakeland, ready to putt some serious grub in my piehole. Let me tell ya, this place is swingin’ for the fences when it comes to their chicken wings, but their cheesy potatoes? Well, they’re kinda stuck in the sand trap of flavor.

First off, them chicken wings? Oh, baby, they’re the hole-in-one of the menu! These bad boys are smoked to perfection, juicy as all get-out, and sauced up like they’re ready to tee off in a flavor explosion. I’m talkin’ the best wings in a 48.6-mile radius, folks—trust me, I measured it with my driver! Whether you go for the spicy kick or the sweet BBQ, these wings are eagle-level good. They’re so tasty, they’d make Shooter McGavin choke on his own ego. I was munchin’ these wings faster than I chased down my golf dreams, and let me tell ya, I wasn’t leavin’ any meat on the bone. Pure fairway magic.

Now, let’s talk about the cheesy potatoes. Oh, boy, these spuds are like a bogey on an easy par-3. They got potential, sure, but they’re sittin’ there like a golf ball in the rough, waitin’ for someone to give ‘em a little love. The cheese is there, but it’s not meltin’ my heart like Virginia Venit melted my man Happy Gimore. They’re a bit bland—like they forgot to chip in some extra seasoning or creamy goodness. I ain’t sayin’ they’re bad, but they need a caddie to carry ‘em to the next level. Maybe a bit more butter, some bacon bits, or a divot of extra cheese to get ‘em out of the bunker.

The vibe at 4 Rivers? It’s like walkin’ onto the green of a good ol’ Southern BBQ joint—smoky, cozy, and ready to make you feel like you’re winnin’ the Waterbury Open. The staff’s got more hustle than Bob Barker in a parking lot brawl, and the smell of that smokehouse had me droolin’ like I just saw Grandma’s house on the horizon.

All in all, 4 Rivers Smokehouse is a driver worth swingin’ by for, especially for them wings that’ll have you yellin’ “It’s in the hole!”. I’m givin’ this place a solid 8 out of 10 dimples on the golf ball—mostly ‘cause them wings are a birdie I’ll keep comin’ back for. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to find my happy place… probably with another order of wings.

To...

Last year, we made a visit to the Kissimmee location and was simply blown away out how good their offerings were.

Spent the morning on a nature walk at a nearby Reserve and worked up a pretty good "hanger" for some "Q".

They put this one is a decent location, access isn't difficult. Departure can be because of the shopping center access.

We arrived about 1230pm and there was only one person in line in front of us. This is where I think things need to improve the most...

Staffing appeared to be adequate, but the process was slow, I mean very slow. It was easily 10 minutes just to counter order and pay. The chain BBQ up the road stays a heck of a lot busier and you're through the line and shoving how fresh BBQ in your face in minimal time.

During this time, the process of assembling the order continued at a slow pace and then our food sat on the counter for the longest time.

By the time we were seated, got our beverages and utensils, the food was barely tepid.

Now, the flavors are decent, Brisket is nice and tender, Burnt Ends are decent, maybe a tad mushy since they leave those in a steam table pan. BBQ beans are awesome, remember that from the other location. Collard greens are average at best.

In the dining area, there were patrons having a small birthday party and clearly adult supervision is a thing of long ago in a galaxy far far away, every where in the world. Loud and intentionally obnoxious children makes for an uncomfortable dinning environment.

So, now we are concerned as to if we want to try the Tampa location. Pretty sure we won't be back...

Went here for an impromptu dinner datenight; and found out it was 'burger week' here in polk county this week (had never heard if it.) We were going to go somewhere else but upon arriving found all the entrance and exits taped off with caution tapes....so we found this place and im so glad we did! We tried their special brisket burger for burger week and both of us found it amazingly delicious! I had a side of the locally sourced corn; which was amazing with a bit of cilantro, tomatoes and green onion. Hubs ordered 2 sides; fried okra and the cheese grits. He said they were both great but the cheese grits came as almost like a piece of cake, they told us they bake it! We were also there late, and being a person that has worked many years in the service industry in the past; I know how annoying it is when someone comes in late and you want to close up...they never once tried to rush us; were super helpful with understanding what was in everything and answered all our questions. I also want to mention the redhead that served us named Reagan; she was super helpful even mentioning the deserts we may want after delivering our burgers to the table. I definitely would give her 5 ⭐️ as well! I also love the back story of the place and its owned by a Floridian that's very involved with community. (Wish I would of taken a picture of the poster that describes the origin. But im sure they must have something about it on their website.) Wrapping up i would absolutely recommend this place if you want some delicious smokehouse BBQ as I know we will...