I'm going to give the Merrill Road pit the credit it deserves. This was the closest Bono's to my house for years. I would order take-out or eat-in at least twice a month, and almost every time it was great. Bono's in and of itself is an instiution in Jacksonville and some of the best BBQ in Jacksonville. And I won't lie, they fell off for a little bit there. But I was in town over Christmas and stopped in for my annual real Southern BBQ rite of passage. Dog my cats and shut my mouth, it was awesome and I went whole hog. The aroma just walking up to the place let me know I'd come home. I started off with a sweet tea. It was a little cold for sweet tea, but they have the tea that melts in your mouth and enough of it for a diabetic coma. Next stop was Bono's used-to-be famous onion rings. Boys, they are fomous once again. Huge vidalia onions fried juuuuuust right. Just greasy enough, but not swimming in it, crispy and delicious. With ketchup, BBQ sauce or plain jane. Of course since I only get my Bono's once a year now, I had to go with the chicken and pulled pork. Everything was so tender, and surprisingly lean. Put a little of the pulled pork on the slice of texas toast and you got a sandwich. The chicken was smoked so that it was tender and juicy inside so you can actually taste the chicken and the smoky goodness let me know, it just came out of the pit and wasn't sitting in a fridge. Double fries on the side of course. And on the meat, fries, rings, side of my face is that great mustard based Bono's bar-b-que sauce that seems like you can only get in Florida and Georgia. The sauce is special and I love it, tangy and a little sweet, playing with all sorts of different parts of my tastebuds. One of my tastiest experiences here! Bono's is back to kick some ass and take some names. I'm hungry now.
(5)
Mike J.
Merrill Road Bonos... My first visit and I had high expectations since I've always seen a lengthy line at the door. I'll first start with the Pros Pros: Staff (server was quick and very polite) Wait time (We were seated immediately) Cons: Meats and more Meats (I purchased the Feast for 4 1/2), so I was able to sample all the meats. -The beef (dry and very tough) -The Turkey (even drier than the beef) -Pulled Pork (was really pulled fat and tasteless) -The Chicken ( was almost wet and filled the bottom of the platter with juice) -Ribs (was the best of the bunch, but still not seasoned at all) -Sausage links (the skin on them were very tough and they weren't smoked nearly long enough) Sides (Mac & Cheese) Green Beans -Mac & Cheese was two steps down from Kraft out the box -Green Beans (very good) While the service was good the food was hardly worth what I paid for it. Add to that they they added a 18% gratitudy charge of $8.10 for a party of 2 adults and 2 children for cold food, and I can say I'll never return. If you're in the mood take the time to visit either Sonnys or Jenkins Barbecue downtown.
(1)
Tressi J.
I love barbeque and miss eating at Bono's so much. My favorite is the Beach Blvd. original location, and I have been dining there since I was a baby! The sauces are delicious, and I literally crave their fried squash and the smoked turkey barbeque salad! I also love the smell of the meat smoking that you can smell from just driving by the place.....Yum!
(4)
James R.
The bbq is consistently delicious. They have the most moist and flavorful smoked turkey in Jacksonville. Unlike many other large bbq restaurants, they smoke their meat on site. All of their sides are wonderful too. Also - you have to try their wings. They are smoked and amazing! Little secret though... Ask for them to be heated on the grill versus in the deep fryer. So much healthier and the char from the grill is sensational. It takes an extra 2-3 minutes to come to the table but is SO worth it!!
(5)
Jay C.
Three meat salad is a good meal, lots of good stuff in the salad. BBQ is good anytime.
(4)
Gawayne K.
Good BBQ restuarant. They have a variety of different BBQ sauces, which should be enough for a variety of taste buds. I had the baby back ribs, which tasted good but were smaller than most . I would definitely recommend this restuarant!!!!
(4)
Phunk M.
This is a southern style (Arkansas) style BBQ place. If you are expecting Carolina sauces or any other BBQ style regions you'll notice it has it's own twist to them which is nice. Friendly neighborhood greetings from the staff as I went with someone who was a local and new the owner. Ask questions about how they smoke and style. That will lead you to make better choices and mix flavors. Great spot!
(5)
MJ D.
I love this place! Customer service is always on point! Food is always on point and taste great! They get you in and out fast or you can sit and chill whatever works!
(5)
Scotty C.
Food is always consistent, but the service is impeccable. They have the best wait staff of any BBQ restaurant I have ever seen. Seems like most of their wait staff has been there a long time as well. Must mean they treat their staff really well!! Great Food, Great Service!!!
(5)
Trina M.
We enjoy coming to Bono's when we are in town visiting friends. My only complaint is the meat is always cold when it gets to our table. The bread for the turkey sandwiches was dry. Love the corn nuggets and pig ears (fried squash)... The waiter was awesome and friendly. The banana pudding is awesome and so is their carrot cake
(4)
Tracy D.
This is our favorite barbecue restaurant in Jacksonville. We have been here many times and the service is always great. Orders are taken quickly and the food comes out very fast. Your drinks always stay full. Servers typically are there a long time, which tells me the work environment must be pleasant. Because we are gluten free and their seasoning for meats has gluten in it (barley) we aren't able to eat most of their meats. I wish they would replace that element in their seasonings to allow GF folks to have meat choices. However, the turkey is juicy, phenomenal and not seasoned like the others, so we order it every time. The baked beans and green beans are also great, without too much black pepper as we get at some other barbecue restaurants and even other Bono's locations. The food has been very consistently good. Their sweet and tangy barbecue sauce is my favorite of any barbecue sauce on the planet. You cannot beat the price for us. We feed six people with two pounds of meat (provided in a family combo feast) under $40 and we always have leftovers. We love Bono's. We know we will have a good meal every time.
(5)
Cathrine C.
What an awesome theme! Completely in love with the way the restaurant is designed and setup. AND I'm in love with the big grill behind the register, it's so awesome! My boss had ordered a huge meal for all of our staff and I volunteered to pick up. After some confusion was settled about what order I was coming to pick up, everything went by smoothly and quickly. The food was ready right on time and a nice gentlemen brought out the food to my car and loaded it up for me (hey, I offered to roll it out myself). So yeah, customer service on point! Which always scores major points with me. Everything was packaged perfectly and nothing spilled in the car. The food was suuuuperb even after sitting for a bit (we ordered the chicken, pulled pork, toast, mac n cheese, baked beans, and greens beans with some sweet and unsweetened tea). Definitely want to go back and eat :)
(5)
Paul D.
I had the bbq po-boy and damn it was good! Also had green beans for my side and that was delicious as well!! Very happy with my choice to stop in.
(5)
Bob B.
We love this place. Tons of food. Great value. Great sweet tea. We had the feast with a whole chicken. We brought an entire meal home after 2 adults and 2 children filled themselves. The wait staff could not have made us feel more comfortable. They were attentive and very hospitable. When in Jacksonville we will definitely return here for food. They have a real pit in the restaurant and you can tell that a lot of family's have enjoyed this place. You can smell the flavor once you enter the parking lot. If you are looking for elegant dining, this isn't it. If you want honest food and service with an authentic atmosphere it's here.
(5)
Rebecca N.
Craig, the Owner(his sister might be part Owner also)Is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. For many years, Craig donated whole chicken dinners and all the fixings for the quarterly ShAdCo meetings that I would hold and feed the Zone two(All of Arlington members and Police Officers). He never blinked an eye and always told me "yes" right away. All of the other places were not so easy. The food is excellent here, and the staff has always been great. I love this place. I recommend the banana pudding for desert, if you have room. Enjoy!
(5)
Feather R.
I tried this place last weekend. Let me begin by saying I moved here from SC and love a good mustard based barbecue sauce. I ordered the two meat combo, and had the brisket and the ribs. I loved the ribs. I could literally eat their ribs until I died a fat, happy death. Delicious. The brisket was somewhere around average, maybe even a little bit below average. I wasn't really a big fan. Their sides were really good. And sadly, I didn't really care for their version of mustard based sauce, but maybe that's what I get for ordering that in Florida. Seriously, though. If you die without trying their ribs, I can say with confidence that you didn't live your life to the fullest potential.
(4)
Marlene R.
Just moved to Florida from North Carolina and found that this place was so delicious! First time trying it and have no complaints. The food came out fast and was prepared delightfully. Not North Carolina BBQ but still amazing!!!
(5)
Bill K.
Ate here this evening, because it's close to the house and usually dependably decent. Tonight was no exception the food was decent but not memorable. Except for the baked beans they were fantastic. The Beef brisket was OK but not great. the French fries were good though. The sweet iced tea was also very good, but the garlic toast I don't believe had any garlic on it at all. The onion rings were not too good as they were seriously over fried. Will I eat here again, I probably will, but I won't be getting the onion rings.
(3)
Keely P.
Great BBQ, today was especially good, 3 meat salad and hubby had the pulled chicken sandwich. Service was great and tea is yummy!
(4)
Quay M.
Dear Bono's owners: please bring this to Pittsburgh. I miss your cooking so much. Thanks. P.S. The sweet tea, too, please. This was probably my favorite restaurant in Jacksonville growing up. I always got the pulled pork. So tender, finger-licking delicious! Moving to Orlando finding good BBQ was really hard and now that I am living in good ole Pgh, it's impossible. The stuff up here just makes me crave Bono's even more. Their sweet tea is diabetic good, just the way I like it. The baked beans, mac and cheese, and sweet potato sides are awesome. The fries aren't bad, either, especially for mopping up their sauce. Mmmm. I'm a fan of sweet sauces and theirs pleases the palate. Good food for a really good price. Is it the best barbecue I've ever had? No, but I can't stress how really, really, super good this stuff is. They are definitely one of the few good barbecue shops in the state of Florida. Hey, you gotta head north to head south, right?
(4)
Mikel B.
The BBQ was delicious. 4 sauces on the table to choose from. Fried corn was more juicy than I would have thought. I was seated quickly and served very promptly. Staff was courteous.
(5)
Robert M.
Ordered the Bo Hawg sandwich and it was a BEAST! Loaded with pulled pork and smoked sausage and cheddar cheese, it was all I could handle. Also I thought the staff was excellent, all very friendly and engaging while I ate from the bar watching TV. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a good place to hang out and enjoy some 'cue at very a reasonable price!
(5)
Chris P.
On March 24th 2013 we went to this Bono's. It is usually busy and that is a good thing as food is turned over. BBQ pork has slight smoke profile and the. Chicken Fingers have light breading good taste overall. The fries were not the best.
(3)
Jay D.
Very good Bar-B-Que and friendly employees. Pulled pork is the best.
(4)
Nina I.
A little on the expensive side considering its BBQ. Food is always good. Visit once every few months.
(4)
Jonah B.
Very friendly attentive staff in a relaxing atmosphere. Have yet to have a bad meal no matter what I order. Good portion sizes for the money.
(4)
Ryan M.
When driving by everyday we CRAVE Bono's by the smell. But, I would say the only good thing at Bono's is their amazing sweet tea in the huge styro cup and thier corn nuggets. We got the sampler platter with all the meats and every single one of the meats were incrediby dry. The smell is amazing, but don't waste your time. Go for other BBQ restaurants!
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Ian W.
I'm going to give the Merrill Road pit the credit it deserves. This was the closest Bono's to my house for years. I would order take-out or eat-in at least twice a month, and almost every time it was great. Bono's in and of itself is an instiution in Jacksonville and some of the best BBQ in Jacksonville. And I won't lie, they fell off for a little bit there. But I was in town over Christmas and stopped in for my annual real Southern BBQ rite of passage. Dog my cats and shut my mouth, it was awesome and I went whole hog. The aroma just walking up to the place let me know I'd come home. I started off with a sweet tea. It was a little cold for sweet tea, but they have the tea that melts in your mouth and enough of it for a diabetic coma. Next stop was Bono's used-to-be famous onion rings. Boys, they are fomous once again. Huge vidalia onions fried juuuuuust right. Just greasy enough, but not swimming in it, crispy and delicious. With ketchup, BBQ sauce or plain jane. Of course since I only get my Bono's once a year now, I had to go with the chicken and pulled pork. Everything was so tender, and surprisingly lean. Put a little of the pulled pork on the slice of texas toast and you got a sandwich. The chicken was smoked so that it was tender and juicy inside so you can actually taste the chicken and the smoky goodness let me know, it just came out of the pit and wasn't sitting in a fridge. Double fries on the side of course. And on the meat, fries, rings, side of my face is that great mustard based Bono's bar-b-que sauce that seems like you can only get in Florida and Georgia. The sauce is special and I love it, tangy and a little sweet, playing with all sorts of different parts of my tastebuds. One of my tastiest experiences here! Bono's is back to kick some ass and take some names. I'm hungry now.
(5)Mike J.
Merrill Road Bonos... My first visit and I had high expectations since I've always seen a lengthy line at the door. I'll first start with the Pros Pros: Staff (server was quick and very polite) Wait time (We were seated immediately) Cons: Meats and more Meats (I purchased the Feast for 4 1/2), so I was able to sample all the meats. -The beef (dry and very tough) -The Turkey (even drier than the beef) -Pulled Pork (was really pulled fat and tasteless) -The Chicken ( was almost wet and filled the bottom of the platter with juice) -Ribs (was the best of the bunch, but still not seasoned at all) -Sausage links (the skin on them were very tough and they weren't smoked nearly long enough) Sides (Mac & Cheese) Green Beans -Mac & Cheese was two steps down from Kraft out the box -Green Beans (very good) While the service was good the food was hardly worth what I paid for it. Add to that they they added a 18% gratitudy charge of $8.10 for a party of 2 adults and 2 children for cold food, and I can say I'll never return. If you're in the mood take the time to visit either Sonnys or Jenkins Barbecue downtown.
(1)Tressi J.
I love barbeque and miss eating at Bono's so much. My favorite is the Beach Blvd. original location, and I have been dining there since I was a baby! The sauces are delicious, and I literally crave their fried squash and the smoked turkey barbeque salad! I also love the smell of the meat smoking that you can smell from just driving by the place.....Yum!
(4)James R.
The bbq is consistently delicious. They have the most moist and flavorful smoked turkey in Jacksonville. Unlike many other large bbq restaurants, they smoke their meat on site. All of their sides are wonderful too. Also - you have to try their wings. They are smoked and amazing! Little secret though... Ask for them to be heated on the grill versus in the deep fryer. So much healthier and the char from the grill is sensational. It takes an extra 2-3 minutes to come to the table but is SO worth it!!
(5)Jay C.
Three meat salad is a good meal, lots of good stuff in the salad. BBQ is good anytime.
(4)Gawayne K.
Good BBQ restuarant. They have a variety of different BBQ sauces, which should be enough for a variety of taste buds. I had the baby back ribs, which tasted good but were smaller than most . I would definitely recommend this restuarant!!!!
(4)Phunk M.
This is a southern style (Arkansas) style BBQ place. If you are expecting Carolina sauces or any other BBQ style regions you'll notice it has it's own twist to them which is nice. Friendly neighborhood greetings from the staff as I went with someone who was a local and new the owner. Ask questions about how they smoke and style. That will lead you to make better choices and mix flavors. Great spot!
(5)MJ D.
I love this place! Customer service is always on point! Food is always on point and taste great! They get you in and out fast or you can sit and chill whatever works!
(5)Scotty C.
Food is always consistent, but the service is impeccable. They have the best wait staff of any BBQ restaurant I have ever seen. Seems like most of their wait staff has been there a long time as well. Must mean they treat their staff really well!! Great Food, Great Service!!!
(5)Trina M.
We enjoy coming to Bono's when we are in town visiting friends. My only complaint is the meat is always cold when it gets to our table. The bread for the turkey sandwiches was dry. Love the corn nuggets and pig ears (fried squash)... The waiter was awesome and friendly. The banana pudding is awesome and so is their carrot cake
(4)Tracy D.
This is our favorite barbecue restaurant in Jacksonville. We have been here many times and the service is always great. Orders are taken quickly and the food comes out very fast. Your drinks always stay full. Servers typically are there a long time, which tells me the work environment must be pleasant. Because we are gluten free and their seasoning for meats has gluten in it (barley) we aren't able to eat most of their meats. I wish they would replace that element in their seasonings to allow GF folks to have meat choices. However, the turkey is juicy, phenomenal and not seasoned like the others, so we order it every time. The baked beans and green beans are also great, without too much black pepper as we get at some other barbecue restaurants and even other Bono's locations. The food has been very consistently good. Their sweet and tangy barbecue sauce is my favorite of any barbecue sauce on the planet. You cannot beat the price for us. We feed six people with two pounds of meat (provided in a family combo feast) under $40 and we always have leftovers. We love Bono's. We know we will have a good meal every time.
(5)Cathrine C.
What an awesome theme! Completely in love with the way the restaurant is designed and setup. AND I'm in love with the big grill behind the register, it's so awesome! My boss had ordered a huge meal for all of our staff and I volunteered to pick up. After some confusion was settled about what order I was coming to pick up, everything went by smoothly and quickly. The food was ready right on time and a nice gentlemen brought out the food to my car and loaded it up for me (hey, I offered to roll it out myself). So yeah, customer service on point! Which always scores major points with me. Everything was packaged perfectly and nothing spilled in the car. The food was suuuuperb even after sitting for a bit (we ordered the chicken, pulled pork, toast, mac n cheese, baked beans, and greens beans with some sweet and unsweetened tea). Definitely want to go back and eat :)
(5)Paul D.
I had the bbq po-boy and damn it was good! Also had green beans for my side and that was delicious as well!! Very happy with my choice to stop in.
(5)Bob B.
We love this place. Tons of food. Great value. Great sweet tea. We had the feast with a whole chicken. We brought an entire meal home after 2 adults and 2 children filled themselves. The wait staff could not have made us feel more comfortable. They were attentive and very hospitable. When in Jacksonville we will definitely return here for food. They have a real pit in the restaurant and you can tell that a lot of family's have enjoyed this place. You can smell the flavor once you enter the parking lot. If you are looking for elegant dining, this isn't it. If you want honest food and service with an authentic atmosphere it's here.
(5)Rebecca N.
Craig, the Owner(his sister might be part Owner also)Is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. For many years, Craig donated whole chicken dinners and all the fixings for the quarterly ShAdCo meetings that I would hold and feed the Zone two(All of Arlington members and Police Officers). He never blinked an eye and always told me "yes" right away. All of the other places were not so easy. The food is excellent here, and the staff has always been great. I love this place. I recommend the banana pudding for desert, if you have room. Enjoy!
(5)Feather R.
I tried this place last weekend. Let me begin by saying I moved here from SC and love a good mustard based barbecue sauce. I ordered the two meat combo, and had the brisket and the ribs. I loved the ribs. I could literally eat their ribs until I died a fat, happy death. Delicious. The brisket was somewhere around average, maybe even a little bit below average. I wasn't really a big fan. Their sides were really good. And sadly, I didn't really care for their version of mustard based sauce, but maybe that's what I get for ordering that in Florida. Seriously, though. If you die without trying their ribs, I can say with confidence that you didn't live your life to the fullest potential.
(4)Marlene R.
Just moved to Florida from North Carolina and found that this place was so delicious! First time trying it and have no complaints. The food came out fast and was prepared delightfully. Not North Carolina BBQ but still amazing!!!
(5)Bill K.
Ate here this evening, because it's close to the house and usually dependably decent. Tonight was no exception the food was decent but not memorable. Except for the baked beans they were fantastic. The Beef brisket was OK but not great. the French fries were good though. The sweet iced tea was also very good, but the garlic toast I don't believe had any garlic on it at all. The onion rings were not too good as they were seriously over fried. Will I eat here again, I probably will, but I won't be getting the onion rings.
(3)Keely P.
Great BBQ, today was especially good, 3 meat salad and hubby had the pulled chicken sandwich. Service was great and tea is yummy!
(4)Quay M.
Dear Bono's owners: please bring this to Pittsburgh. I miss your cooking so much. Thanks. P.S. The sweet tea, too, please. This was probably my favorite restaurant in Jacksonville growing up. I always got the pulled pork. So tender, finger-licking delicious! Moving to Orlando finding good BBQ was really hard and now that I am living in good ole Pgh, it's impossible. The stuff up here just makes me crave Bono's even more. Their sweet tea is diabetic good, just the way I like it. The baked beans, mac and cheese, and sweet potato sides are awesome. The fries aren't bad, either, especially for mopping up their sauce. Mmmm. I'm a fan of sweet sauces and theirs pleases the palate. Good food for a really good price. Is it the best barbecue I've ever had? No, but I can't stress how really, really, super good this stuff is. They are definitely one of the few good barbecue shops in the state of Florida. Hey, you gotta head north to head south, right?
(4)Mikel B.
The BBQ was delicious. 4 sauces on the table to choose from. Fried corn was more juicy than I would have thought. I was seated quickly and served very promptly. Staff was courteous.
(5)Robert M.
Ordered the Bo Hawg sandwich and it was a BEAST! Loaded with pulled pork and smoked sausage and cheddar cheese, it was all I could handle. Also I thought the staff was excellent, all very friendly and engaging while I ate from the bar watching TV. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a good place to hang out and enjoy some 'cue at very a reasonable price!
(5)Chris P.
On March 24th 2013 we went to this Bono's. It is usually busy and that is a good thing as food is turned over. BBQ pork has slight smoke profile and the. Chicken Fingers have light breading good taste overall. The fries were not the best.
(3)Jay D.
Very good Bar-B-Que and friendly employees. Pulled pork is the best.
(4)Nina I.
A little on the expensive side considering its BBQ. Food is always good. Visit once every few months.
(4)Jonah B.
Very friendly attentive staff in a relaxing atmosphere. Have yet to have a bad meal no matter what I order. Good portion sizes for the money.
(4)Ryan M.
When driving by everyday we CRAVE Bono's by the smell. But, I would say the only good thing at Bono's is their amazing sweet tea in the huge styro cup and thier corn nuggets. We got the sampler platter with all the meats and every single one of the meats were incrediby dry. The smell is amazing, but don't waste your time. Go for other BBQ restaurants!
(1)