Darrell's Restaurant — Restaurant in Venice

Here's our experience at Darrells!! We called when we left GoldRush, the assured us at Darrell's they would take care of us. We were greeted by the kindest young lady who escorted us to our seats and answered menu questions we had. After ordering our meal, we had a lovely conversation with the young lady behind the bar. Our food was completely fresh, hot and delicious. The Fried Okra Appetizer was fantastic. They were so kind and accommodating.

Best all around BBQ in Venice! Went to GoldRush BBQ on Venice Island at 8:27 pm for dinner. Their Google Business info says they stay open until 9 pm. Their posted hours in the restaurant said they were open until 9 pm. The lights were all on outside and the sign was lit up. We entered the main doors, read the "stake your claim, find your seat" sign. Made our way to a booth along the front windows. We sat for a moment and then was approached by a young man who stated "he was sorry to have to I form us, the kitchen was already closed (even though we watched food being delivered to a nearby table as we sat ourselves at the booth) and we would have to leave the restaurant". That's how we ended up at Darrell's BBQ just down the street on 41 on the island. We called when we left GoldRush, the assured us at Darrell's they would take care of us.

Best all around...

Well, it's usually a good sign when the local constabulary eat somewhere. This time, though, I'll disagree. First time, I had a catfish sandwich. It was good but it's a BBQ place so I had to go back for the 'que. Got the pulled pork sandwich with slaw & collard greens. Had the slaw on the side because you never know how high that meat will be piled. Good call. Big stack of pig meat on an actual non-hamburger bun. It was solid, if a bit bland, and stayed together throughout while absorbing a lot of sauce and thus preventing a messy eating experience. But let's address the sauce. 3 kinds, sweet, hot & Carolina style mustard-vinegar. The hot is not. Good flavors in all. And you'll need them as the meat is cooked & served without, i.e., dry. Sadly, it required two dosings to keep the meat & bun swallowable. Not much seasoning on that pork, either. And it was barely over room temperature when it arrived. The collard greens were plenty hot. A little bitter, nowhere near as good as my last (and first ever) time experiencing them. A possible clue: the water has a bit of a metallic/salty note to it. Might this have affected the greens? After two stops I don't see a third. Not worth the cost ($ 11) for...

We ordered water and lemonade to start. The mason jars they came in were very large and I did not require a refill. The food was really good … after I added the available BBQ sauce to my pulled pork. I tried the pork plain, as it was served, and it was moist and I found zero fatty pieces. The flavor of the plain pork was, just that, plain. However, once I added the BBQ and mixed it well, it was delicious. Two others in my group had the brisket sandwich and the fried chicken. Both said they would come back. As will I. I would like to try the ribs. I ordered my pulled pork with a side of potato salad and broccoli. It also came with corn bread. I was overall very pleased with my meal and the price. Our server, Lisa, was very nice and friendly. She did however forget to mention the specials to us but it would not have changed my mind and there was a board showing the specials. The owner/manager (?) came by and he was very enthusiastic and he thanked us for coming and checking to see how the food was. I also heard another young man being friendly and thanking his table for coming. The service gets 5+ stars if I could give it to them. The next time we crave BBQ, we will think...