Dickey's Barbecue Pit — Restaurant in Saint Petersburg

Never going back. It lost its mom-n-pop feel. It's just like another commercial joint. I drove there, ordered, waited for it, and drove home. Who's tipping me? No one. So, the story goes, not only are the ribs terrible, but their menu advertised $18 (and change) for the 1/2 slab with 2 sides. The receipt was rung for $19.99, plus .39 recycling fee - why do we have to pay their recycling fees, and why is this not disclosed prior to purchase? While this isn't drastic, what really irked me and got under my skin was the fact that the Asian cashier (yes, calling out the culture just the same way many call out other cultures basically for just breathing) was FORCING me to leave a tip. Their machine gives ZERO opportunity to opt out unless they come and force the machine to exit that screen - but for the consumer, there's no option. Anyway, before you trash me over the small difference in price and me bitching about a tip and recycling fees, know that I ALWAYS tip. However, don't force me. Tacky AF! I've also adjusted my mindset about tipping whenever I pick up food because it makes no sense to me to have to tip them when they didn't deliver the food, I didn't eat there, they cooked it, bagged it and charged me because it's their job. Do supermarket cashiers get a tip? How about the deli workers inside the supermarket, do they get a tip? The mail currier? It's out of control with these restaurants. I will ALWAYS tip when I'm sitting at an eatery, they're serving me, I'm consuming, they're catering to me. But to force me to tip, especially when I'm picking up my food... Nope. Especially after today, done. And, advertising one price to find out it's another is plain deceitful. The ribs - again - were horrid. I feel like I've betrayed the best barbequer in town: C&J's BBQ. Huge mighty yummy slabs for 17 bux, including sides. Also, at Dickeys, if you dine in, they don't bring the food to your table, you have to pick it up to retrieve it from the high counter... but they expect you to tip. The Asian cashier LITERALLY TELLS YOU, "Choose tip" before you're allowed the next screen where one submits payment. It's just ridiculous. Lack of principle and now, good food. Don't bother with this commercial chain. Support the Mom-n-Pop's. The only reason they got a star from me is because this system won't allow posting without choosing at least one. Believe me, it's a lousy star. I am not sorry for sharing my...

This was my first visit to this Dickey's. I ordered a brisket sandwich with house BBQ, with coleslaw and chili for sides, a sweet tea, and a slice of pecan pie. Except for my brisket missing the sauce, and disappointingly discovering that my ordered sides were half-cup portions (I paid extra for a 2nd side thinking I would eat one later, but nope), the food was excellent. The brisket was tender, soft and smokey, but slightly dry due to the lack of included sauce, but a little squirt of ketchup woke the meat up. The coleslaw was a beautifully fine mince, a bit of sweet but not much tang, that probably would've went better on my sandwich than as a side. The chili was great too, heavy with smoked paprika and filled with pork and veggies. The pecan pie was the unexpected star of this order though, beautifully sweet with an almost fudgy texture, with a thick, strong crust that stood up wonderfully to the pie filling. I am not at all a fan of pecan pie, but this is the first one I've ever had that commanded my respect.

The rest of my experience however can only be described as poor. I picked up my order, but was treated like a doordasher. I ordered sweet tea but was given a cup and directed to a fountain which had multiple sugar flies hovering over the area. There was not enough sweet tea to fill my cup and instead of offering to brew more tea, she asked me if I wanted more ice so I could 'go ahead on my way.' I was literally the only customer in this restaurant. The parking lot was empty, there were no customers eating, and no customers in line, and it was 6:30PM. I don't know what's going on here today, but the quality of service I received from this experience has me questioning if I would like to go back despite the high quality of the food. I hope that my experience is neither common for others or repeated for me if I return. Food this good shouldn't be gatekept by...

This was such a sad experience for our family. To start I'll say we were greeted by a woman who seemed very put out to have customers. We looked over the menu for a few moments and placed our order. There was a gentleman behind the counter who was helpful and informative which is why I gave service two stars.

I have eaten at other Dickey's locations previously, but this was my first and last ever at this location. I'm not sure what was going on here but the food was clearly not purchased from the appropriate distributor. My husband and I each ordered the chicken. This was similar to that of Purdue shortcuts covered in BBQ sauce, and I strongly feel that the owner is trying to cut cost. The boneless chicken wings we ordered for our children, were nothing more than chicken nuggets with the drizzle of sauce on top ( I will say the gentleman behind the counter did inform us of this prior). The "Texas toast" was not actually a Texas toast, but a stale lightly toasted hot dog roll with butter on it. The ice machine did not work, but we were given our cups with ice in them from behind the counter. The drinks did taste as though they had been watered down (again assuming the owner is doing what they can to cut costs).

After our meal, obviously disappointed, it came as no surprise to see other patrons shared similar experiences.

This location is not living up to the Dickey's standards. It is my recommendation that Dickey's looks into this. This location is giving Dickey's a very poor reputation. If this was my first time ever eating at a Dickey's restaurant, I would never...