Brick's Smoked Meats - Sarasota — Restaurant in Sarasota

I simply can't say "THANK YOU" enough for the entire team at Bricks for going above and beyond this Thanksgiving 2023. What a Blessing!!

Allow me to explain: I work on a team with members spread across the Southeast region. One of our teammates, who lives in Sarasota, FL, is going through an incredibly difficult family time, and as a result was home alone for this Thanksgiving. Knowing that she would be emotionally and physically drained, a few teammates from TX, NC, and Central FL, got together and decided to surprise her with a Thanksgiving Day meal, delivered via Uber Eats. Order was confirmed on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving.

At 12:15pm on Thanksgiving Day, we learned that Bob Evans, 5903 Brookhill Blvd, canceled our order, stating simply that "we can't get to your order now." Are you kidding me? We were crushed!!

We immediately hit google and the phones. After being told "no" multiple times, God had a solution for us.....🙏🏻

At 12:33pm, I called Bricks Smoked Meats, which happens to be my favorite BBQ spot in Sarasota. I noticed they were open earlier in the day, but closed at 12pm Noon. Did I say this is my favorite BBQ in Sarasota, and my go to every time I'm in town??? I immediately heard a sweet voice on the other end answer the phone. I asked, whom I learned later was Meghan the General Manager, if they were still opened. Meghan, shared that she had just sat the staff down for their Thanksgiving Day meal. Expecting a "No", I went ahead and explained the predicament we were in and asked if there was anything she could do. To my surprise, Meghan jumped at the chance to help and make a difference in someone else's Thanksgiving. Meghan humbly said, "This is why I do what I do"....

After a few quick minutes, Meghan had a smoked turkey and sides on their way to our beloved teammate. Randy, the awesome delivery driver, delivered the meal and we all gave thanks and praised God for His favor, and praised Meghan, Randy, and the entire Brick's team for making this happen on such such notice. With all of the hate and unjust in this world, It just warms my heart to witness first hand, the love and genuine care people have for one another when given the opportunity.

To the Bricks Team - Your BBQ won my taste buds a couple years ago, but you all won my heart this Thanksgiving and I am forever grateful for you.

To all reading this review - If you want the best BBQ(For those that know BBQ know that Texas-style brisket is the true sign of an awesome BBQ spot) in Sarasota, FL, this is the place. I travel the US for work, but am always in search of the best brisket, and this is it. If you're not in the mood for BBQ, but want to support a local restaurant with incredible food and staff, that genuinely cares about their community, this is...

update. The regional manager reached out and made every effort to correct provide a better experience. Much appreciated.

We had high hopes for Bricks Sarasota after seeing thousands of positive reviews, and we brought friends along to celebrate a special occasion. While the vibe and service hit the mark, the food experience fell surprisingly flat.

The good first: The restaurant is clean with cool decor, the music was perfectly balanced—not too loud, just enough to add ambiance without killing conversation. Our server was friendly and attentive, and we appreciated the manager stopping by to check in mid-meal.

Appetizers: We started with the bacon burnt ends and the brisket nachos. The burnt ends were well-cooked, but the flavor leaned far too sweet for most of the table. The nachos were better—tasty, especially for those lucky enough to find brisket on them. For something billed as "brisket nachos," the dish really could use more brisket.

Entrées: Between our party, we tried three brisket plates, a salad with brisket, a burger, and ribs. Sadly, the brisket was a major letdown. It was served in tiny shredded bits, more resembling pulled pork in appearance and texture—no slices, no bark, no flavor. One of our plates was mostly fat. My wife and I barely touched ours. When the manager asked how things were and I mentioned the brisket looked like pulled pork, he admitted it did, shrugged, and said, “new cook.” That response honestly said it all.

On a brighter note, the ribs were well-received and looked great. The burger was just okay—frankly, not on par with something like Five Guys, but at a significantly higher price point.

Sides & Drinks: Sides were a mixed bag. One order of Brussels sprouts was crispy and flavorful, while another was soggy and oily. Sweet potato fries were excellent, but the cornbread muffins were dry and bland. The collard greens missed the mark completely. The pimento mac and cheese got high praise, which was a rare win.

As for drinks, margaritas were light on sugar (a plus!), but also lacked any punch of citrus or real flavor. At $21 per drink, that’s a disappointment.

Overall: We spent over $300 for dinner, and unfortunately, the food quality just didn’t come close to matching the price or the hype. Aside from the ribs and one or two sides, most of our group found their meals either flavorless, poorly executed, or simply unappetizing. The brisket—something they’re supposed to be known for—was hands down the worst we’ve had.

That said, Bricks clearly has a great bar scene and live music setup, and I can see why people might enjoy it as a downtown hangout. But as far as dinner goes, we won’t be back. Too inconsistent, too expensive, and far too...

Rarely have I been as impressed with a BBQ spot (especially a downtown spot as they tend to be touristy and superficial generally) as I was with Brick's!! Let's get into it..

First the ambiance. Not gonna lie, on a Friday night.. it's LOUD. And it's busy. But there's entertaining live music and the atmosphere is fun and energetic without feeling frenzied or chaotic. The greeters are super friendly and on point! We were seated almost immediately. The décor is what I would term "modern BBQ upscale chic". You like that? I just coined it. You can use it :)

Next - the food! Man oh man the pics I took do not do this food justice. Everything was great but a few items stood out to me. The mac & cheese is very creamy and flavorful, with pimentos. The loaded onion rings are very crunchy and tasty! The kickin' greens are literally KICKIN' you right in the mouth! These are hands down the best tasting greens from a restaurant I've ever had, but beware, these greens are SPICY. I don't mean like a slow burn that gets hotter, I mean first bite BLAMO!! Mouth on fire!! But super tasty! Lastly, the RIBS!! I mean that's what you wanna hear about right? Maaaaaan, you ain't HAD no ribs till you've had these tender, juicy, meaty, perfectly smoked Saint Louis style ribs! I didn't even want to put any sauce on them they were so tasty! Speaking of sauce.. there's is pretty tasty also. They have a sweet, a vinegar based one (brisket), and a spicy one (mild to me).

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the freaking FANTASTIC job our server Cassidy S did, on her SECOND DAY on the job! She was so attentive and accommodating, even as crazy busy as she was, and very knowledgeable about the restaurant and the menu! I mean the food was fabulous but Cassidy made the evening for us! Keep your eye on that one, she's a keeper!!!

Also, shout out to the live performer (i forgot his name sadly), but this guys high energy renditions of popular tunes from the past in his raspy 90s rock style voice was perfect in the setting! Hi-five man!

Pro tip - street parking is packed in the evening.. use the parking garage a few...