The Best Hole-In-The-Wall BBQ Restaurants In Florida

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When you think of barbecue, no doubt states that make up America's barbecue belt – such as Texas, Kentucky, Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee, and the Carolinas — come to mind. But Florida has its fair share of great barbecue offerings, too. In fact, all across the Sunshine State, you'll find pitmasters serving up great food, right from smokers on the side of the road.

While these have a delicious place in Florida's culinary landscape, for the purposes of this article, I focused on brick-and-mortar locations that offer a cozy BBQ escape. To find the best locations, I scoured and compared reviews praising restaurants' atmosphere, customer service, and, of course, food. Some of the best known BBQ restaurants in Florida don't quite make this list. Instead, we focused on the hole-in-the-wall joints. A hole-in-the-wall must have a feeling of being a little apart from the mainstream, almost like a secret space that feels more personal and particularly special, with the feel that you're going home, even if it's your first visit.

In all likelihood, you'll smell all of these hole-in-the-wall BBQ restaurants before you see them, and that's how you'll know you're in for a real treat. Find out more about how we chose these restaurants in our methodology slide at the end.

Amid the hustle and bustle of Orlando, one of the country's favorite vacation cities, you'll find some of the very best hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Florida. Uncle Tony's Backyard Barbecue was once a food truck but eventually spawned its own brick-and-mortar space. Now, the restaurant's slide-off-the-bone, slow-smoked ribs and sloppy, fabulous bites have the perfect space for you to take in some delicious barbecue delights, like the Mac Daddy Burger, a burger piled high with brisket, macaroni and cheese (a barbecue side Mashed readers simply can't live without), and all the fixings of a fabulously messy burger.

The restaurant is a cozy space that will surely turn your first visit into a long line of returns. For offerings, you'll find the typical barbecue fare alongside burgers and tacos. Uncle Tony's is the ideal spot for meat lovers and those who thrive on sides like garlic mashed potatoes, tater tots, collard greens, and fried okra, all with the homemade, backyard flair the restaurant's name suggests.

uncletonysbackyardbbq.com

(407) 601-0068

6807 S Orange Ave Ste. 110, Orlando, FL 32809

Not far from Destin in the state's panhandle, you can find Papa's Smokehouse in Niceville on your way in from the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport. Locals love it because the restaurant is deeply invested in the community, celebrating local sports teams and events. The food is so good here that the restaurant regularly closes early because it actually sells out, a mark of exceptional BBQ. In fact, one of the best ways to tell if you're at a fake barbecue joint is if there's still brisket left late in the day.

The menu itself doesn't offer too many surprises. It's definitely on the simpler side, but there are several meat platters, sides such as smoked beans, Creole potato salad, and macaroni and cheese, and even banana pudding for dessert, so what more could you really need? Like any great hole-in-the-wall restaurant, the real magic of Papa's Smokehouse comes from the family behind the menu, led by former nurse-turned-pitmaster Jim Wells, son Colby Wells, and daughter Cashen Harrison. It's clear that this hole-in-the-wall is absolutely packed with flavor and love, cultivated over several generations' worth of passion in front of and behind the smoker.

papassmokehousebarbecue.com

(850) 353-2157

205 W John Sims Pkwy, Niceville, FL 32578

Once you start poking around Florida for some of the best barbecue in the state, you'll no doubt stumble upon Woodpeckers Backyard BBQ in St. Augustine. Here, "backyard" isn't just a style; it actually feels like being welcomed into a close friend's delicious, smoky barbecue, complete with cozy decor and murals from artist Amy Stump.

In addition to the barbecue options you can find at most places, the menu at Woodpeckers Backyard BBQ includes several sides that use datil peppers, including corn, beans, slaw, cornbread, sausage, and sauces. The datil pepper is found all over St. Augustine and is widely celebrated by locals and vacationers alike. Though you can find datil products outside of St. Augustine, the peppers are likely grown locally, so it's an obvious and delicious source of pride here. Woodpeckers Backyard BBQ no doubt includes it as a celebration of the region and to lean into its locals' love for the pepper.

facebook.com/woodpeckersbackyardbbq

(904) 531-5670

4930 State Rd 13 N, St. Augustine, FL 32092

When we declare a location as a hole-in-the-wall, you'll want to note that some places are a little less well-known than others. Most have Facebook pages or other outlets as their primary form of advertisement, but Willie's Bar-b-que's Facebook has a smaller social media presence than other joints on this list. Still, it's been featured in local news and attracted plenty of glowing reviews, proving Willie's Bar-b-que is a beloved gem in Montverde.

The restaurant specializes in Southern hospitality and home-cooked barbecue cooked with love. Its menu is pretty typical of such establishments, featuring the likes of pork, chicken, ribs, sides, and combo meals that include various meats. You won't find anything terribly unexpected here, but customers are especially fond of the pulled pork. For recipes that taste like they were taken from family recipe boxes, Willie's Bar-b-que should be your stop.

williesbar-b-que.com

(407) 469-0060

17436 7th St, Montverde, FL 34756

What hole-in-the-wall restaurants lack in glitz or shine, they often more than make up for in customer service and passion. Say-Less BBQ is no different. The locals know it, but even first-timers fall in love with Say-Less BBQ in Lake Wales, which sits south of the theme park madness of Central Florida.

Say-Less BBQ regularly serves specials such as oxtail meals that don't always appear on a barbecue joint's menu. Since you might not know how to cook oxtail and may even struggle to find it, having it from a skilled pitmaster is all the better. The restaurant has even been known to offer a crave-worthy banana pudding. 

These specials are, of course, in addition to your typical meat and sides, all served with a dose of devotion to great barbecue, where regulars have a deep loyalty to the meals they have come to love. With alternative choices to keep the menu interesting, there's plenty to switch up your usual order.

facebook.com/groups/3448524035423166

(863) 223-8353

907 N 2nd St, Lake Wales, FL 33853

While some hole-in-the-wall spots are far off the beaten path, others sit closer to Florida's most touristy areas. That's the case for Jazzy's BBQ, which is about 10 minutes away from Tampa International Airport and less than 10 miles from Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. The simple exterior opens to a restaurant full of life, surrounded by walls adorned with murals of jazz musicians.

Celebrating their days with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization, a husband-and-wife team made up of Johnny Ray Smith (a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back) and Pamela (a former cheerleader for the NFL team) run Jazzy's BBQ. The duo named the business after their daughter, Jasmine, while their son, Kalen, is the restaurant manager.

With platters of meat, BBQ sandwiches, and plentiful sides, Jazzy's BBQ offers everything you know and love from a BBQ restaurant. Granted, it might be different from the classic steakhouse that so many athletes decide to open after their time in the NFL, but the BBQ makes this space a favorite among Buccaneer fans and Tampa residents alike.

jazzysbbq.com

(813) 243-8872

5703 W Waters Ave, Tampa, FL 33634

Maxim Filippov BBQ/Shutterstock

For this piece, I chose hole-in-the-wall restaurants that were actual brick-and-mortar locations rather than a food truck, trailer, or smoker on the side of the road. These restaurants have the feel of being a little tucked away, and some are so far hidden, they require specific trips to the destination.

To find the best places, I pored over reviews from both restaurant regulars and first-timers who swooned over the quality of food, atmosphere, and customer service. Ideally, truly great hole-in-the-wall restaurants must have a fine balance of all three factors. However, above all else, great food is the key to a standout hole-in-the-wall joint — as is the case for all of the restaurants on this list.