Big John’s Alabama Bar-B-Q
5707 N 40th St, Tampa, FL, 33610
Big John’s Alabama Bar-B-Q Menu
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Address :
5707 N 40th St
Tampa, FL, 33610 - Phone (813) 623-3600
- Website https://www.bigjohnsalabamabbq.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : No
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Jacqueline L.
Boyfriend and I were out of local bbq joints since Mike's up the road is closed for renovations. We tried the beef, chicken, pork and sausage, as well as potato and macaroni salad sides. Verdict? All of it was amazing. Great taste, quality, price and portions. The service was great, too. We're fans and will gladly be returning.
(4)Kelly G.
This place is amazing! Great food, friendly service, very clean restaurant with a wonderful "homey" feel. Fair prices too. Everything is homemade from scratch and you can definitely taste the love! I like how you can see the BBQ pit when you order at the counter (ole Betsy!). The only downside is I don't live close by:(
(5)Caitie K.
AMAZING barbecue place! Both times I've been in, the guys in the front have been cool and really nice. The pulled pork is tender and smoky and the macaroni and cheese is gorgeous. Go and enjoy, but make sure you grab a lot of napkins!
(5)Sonya M.
This place has the greatest BBQ in the world , I love it the give you way more than what you deserve, their baked beans, macaroni salad, and potatoe salad is awesome, I try to go every friday.
(5)Shelley W.
Big John's Alabama BBQ was a great, home-cooked meal w/amazing sauces & Mac & Cheese sides! We were referred here & we'd recommend it to everyone else too. Definitely a local favorite by the foot traffic we observed.
(5)Ty L.
I had heard this was the place to get bbq when in Tampa. I got the hungry man platter. It was HUGE!! Two people could share it. I didn't. It had a variety of all the meats and two large sides. The brisket and ribs were my favorite. I got collard greens and baked beans as my side. Delicious is all I can say. The bbq was some of the best I have ever had. Definitely on my next trip to Tampa, I will be back. I wish the dessert menu had been better. I passed on that. I would also suggest getting the food to go. The smoke had alot of people coughing. At first I did not notice it until my friend and I were eating and my eyes got irritated.
(4)India M.
During this visit I was with a group of 5 we came in for lunch @ 10:30. The food wasn't good & neither was the customer service. They were out of thin end, so I got the center cut rib dinner. The ribs were not cooked today it was obvious they were warmed up. They were tough & cooked too quickly. The meat doesn't come of the bone easily and the flavor was weak. The sauce served w/ my order wasn't impressive. Taste like something off the shelf in the grocery store. Someone in my group had the sausage which was good. The side dishes weren't however. Over cooked mac n cheese, canned baked beans drowned in sugar, cole slaw also not homemade. Another observation, there wasn't much hand washing or organization amongst the staff either. The woman who took our order was also making plates moments later. Not even hand sanitizer was used. I could go on but save yourself the time & $$. Award winning barbecue not even close but it is palatable. This was a good spot years ago unfortunately the quality has declined. Best ribs in Tampa is still Kojacks.
(2)Donna S.
After reading some of the other reviews, I had to wonder if we were all talking about the same place! We have been loyal customers for many years. Like 10 + years since they were in the old location that had to have a police officer at the door...not good. But hey, I'm willing to risk my life for some great BBQ!! :-) the family that runs it is AWESOME, we love them to death. They are a wonderful bunch who all work hard to keep the business going. I usually get at least one hug. My son who was about 12 at the time, he's in his mid 20's now, nicknamed this place Uncle Fat Asses BBQ, (sorry : ( )as the guy who ran the oven was BIIIIIIGGGG, he has since lost a lot of weight but the name kind of stuck and although its rude, its a family joke name and we mean no disrespect at all, in fact its more like a term of endearment and used with love...for the yummy stuff that comes out of there. The meat is all tender delicious and fresh. The ribs are huge. They actually chop the pork and beef so its tender and yummy. Chicken is moist and tender. Sauce outstanding but mild is definitely mild. Try the hot. Their baked beans are not canned. They are homemade with a brown sugary cinnamony flavor to die for. They will NOT give out the recipe or even tell you whats in it. Its more jealously guarded than the recipe for crabby patties. Potato salad macaroni salad and mac n cheese all yummy. If you are lucky, they will have some lemon cake or sweet potato pie left BUT don't hold your breath. The best buys are the 2 meat or 3 meat dinners with sides...plenty for 2 hungry people. The sausage is spicy and killer. I like the 3 meat with ribs, white meat chicken and beef.. add a rib. Or ribs, sausage and chop pork. We always fight over the beans so get double beans for your sides and a side of something else. They always give u a couple pieces of white bread (unnecessary). This place has been nationally recognized yet you don't see anything on the walls like awards etc.. I asked once and a very nice lady told me they had all the business they could handle right now without any formal advertising, if word got out that they were a BEST OF place, the lines out the door would just get longer. Aw..love!!! :-)
(5)Tallman F.
It's Saturday afternoon .. close to noon but I was able to beat the rush by about 5 inures. When I turned and looked behind me there were about 10 people behind me. I guess I was mesmerized by the smell and the visual of the open pit full of meat. That had me distracted in a good way. The best thing I had was the sweet tea. Seriously ..... It tasted like they had fruit cocktail or something in it. You tell me what that taste is! But - it sure was good!! The sides ...were average. Nothing special BUT edible. I have to try the baked beans & potato salad. That way I'm comparing apples with apples. I always get ribs ....they were just a little too firm, in other words just a sliver ahead of being tough.... just a sliver but I will try them, again. Chicken was moist ..that is hard to do with the white meat. Not the best I've had but pretty good .......
(4)Brantz R.
They've let this place go way down hill over the last several years. I NEVER thought I'd say I won't eat there again, but after three really bad experiences they've lost me as a loyal 25 year customer. I wish John was still alive and taking care of business. They sure don't any more.
(2)Ben T.
We love Big John's Alabama BBQ. The BBQ Sauce is awesome and I like to get the Pork/Beef/Sausage chopped sandwich. It is to di for. The greens and Mac & Cheese is banging. My other half loves the beans. If the tell you the is a wait on any of the 3 and you want them wait for them to come up. You will not be sorry for the wait. This little place is my addiction,. Priced right as well it is about $5.00 more then I spend somewhere else and well worth it. Come and enjoy the good food and friendly people.
(5)LaShon J.
Did not like the customer service I just received. When telling the cashier that all orders for the people behind me had been filled her only response was to repeat my total like I didn't hear her the 1st time. Will not be back! ^&**;:":(
(1)David R.
I come here anytime I'm in the area. The sausage is amazing. The sauce is delicious. The sides are fantastic. Pretty much everything about this place is great.
(5)Katie D.
I came here after graduation on a recommendation from my brother. It's a small joint with some decent BBQ. I had the pork and beef sandwich with mild sauce and I really liked it. The cole slaw was a bit salty, a bad batch maybe? The potato salad was good. Definitely not the best (I love Pit boss in New Port Richey), but it's the perfect fix for a BBQ craving. If you're in the area then give it a try!
(3)Brandi M.
This restaurant has been around forever and you never get tired of the taste. The smoked barbecue is the best in town, by far. The side items, and the Sunday dinners are cooked to perfection!
(5)Marie F.
So I'm interviewing in Tampa and I'm starving. I call up a friend who's leaving the gym and ask him a good bbq spot. He recommends this place. And actually beats me to the restaurant. He calls me back and says "OMG There are white people here." I'm sorry if that sounds offensive but that let me know that I was going to eat well. Driving to the location at night, I'm wondering why are there so many people walking around with long black tees. Then I pass a sign that says "Size Matters" in graffiti. "OH SH*T... this place is in the hood .. and white people are still eating here!" As soon as I enter the building my nose is under attack. It smells so good in here. You would swear up and down you are in some country field with a charcoal grill. I just wanted to order everything on the menu. And then they packed the plates. Plus the service was great. So the food was great! Absolutely completely great. EXCEPT The bbq sauce tasted like fancy ketchup. It was completely tomato based and just nasty. Potato salad was beautiful in my mouth - it has relish and eggs - couldn't place anything else but it was great. And worked even better with the beans. Will definitely be back if I'm ever in Tampa.
(4)Rob B.
A true Tampa institution, Big John has been here long before I was even born serving up his tasty BBQ. It's been a few years since I've been here last and the first since their remodel in 2010. The place is nice and clean with a glorious scent of smoke. I think everything is new except for the pit. This time around I ordered a two meat plate of smoked sausage and chopped pork with collard greens and mac 'n cheese. All were delicious with hot BBQ sauce mopped on top. Order on the left, pay on the right. Sit back and take in your Que while listening to the rhythmic chopping of meat as other orders are filled.
(4)Michael L.
No air conditioning in building thought I was going to pass out waiting on food. Need sign to let you know where to place order cause it's not where you pay at . Bar b que was Dry....got Hungry Man's which had 5 meats and 2 sides...got mac n cheese and collards the side were ok. Not Delicious. ..sorry.
(1)Brett N.
Why 3 stars? Because it was typical Tampa BBQ. --- --- --- I don't have a lot of Texas pride, but the one thing that I do miss about "back home" is the quality of BBQ. I haven't found barbecue that has really reminded me much of ole' Tejas. The sauce here was interesting, as others have pointed out. Unfortunately, "interesting" is usually not a positive word when describing something edible, and this is no exception. The girl who helped me out was extremely friendly, and I'm always rooting for local business (especially ones near my house) but this wasn't my favorite, unfortunately. The hunt continues, for the Q that stands out above the rest. Please, let's party together in the near future.
(3)Brian M.
This place is pretty much over-rated. I give it 2.5 stars. I'm a huge fan of pulled pork sandwiches and have tried my fair share but this is not one of the places to get a really good one. Sure they give you a lot of meat but the quality, tastiness, and moistness is just average. I'm pretty sure one of the the reasons why the meat is dry is because they chop up the pork too finely, instead of it being pulled or slightly chopped. And this place is real stingy with their BBQ sauce. You have to ask for it on your sandwich (or meal) and then they pour just a little bit on your sandwich. Then there are no dispensers or bottles to put more BBQ sauce on if you want to. But besides that the sauce isn't that good at all anyways. The sauce has this sour-odd taste to it that just doesn't taste right...or that good. And the hotter BBQ sauce wasn't hot at all and also lacked taste. As for the sides, the macaroni salad looked and tasted exactly as if you were to buy the store brand kind at Publix / Sweet Bay / Wal-Mart / etc. Cole slaw was plain & average. Not sweet whatsoever and even salt didn't help kick up the flavor. Price wasn't cheap either. And there is no lunch specials there at all which is surprising. The new layout and remodel is nice but doesn't make up for the average food and high prices.
(2)G C.
Great BBQ! I'm not a big fan of their side side dishes but the ribs are awesome! I usually get the rib (thin end!) sandwich with sauce on the side. Delicious!
(4)Mike S.
Very cool prior review....and yes, I am one of the white people who come here regularly for good BBQ. This is the place whose smoke you smell from Hillsborough Ave, crossing 40th Street. Not really the ghetto at all and the new brick building is considerably upgraded from the original frame building a bit further south before 40th st was widened. Much cleaner, more seating and less of a fire hazard. The BBQ meat is superior in my opinion, and I like the chopped version and especially the sausage & ribs. The sides of potato salad and beans are excellent, but the sauce is unexceptional. Fortunately the meat is moist and well-smoked so sauce can be minimal. Nice sweet potato pie, but often sold out. I consider this high-grade standard by which to judge local BBQ places, along with First Choice in Brandon. BTW all black folks and ruddy-necked BBQ aficionados are most welcome to visit my neighborhood where there a many international and domestic food choices paralleling the mix of us multi-racial, multi-ethnic neighbors. And I would probably avoid a BBQ joint that had only white customers.
(4)Duong Anh P.
Nice old smokey place for BBQ
(3)Christina R.
The pork sandwich is really really good. Its chopped, a little charred, and very tender. Take this from a girl that normally only eats pork on special occasions - jamaican jerk pork, fall of the bone bbq ribs if someone makes this claim, and special occasions with roast pig. I also tried a bite of sausage once.. wow. thats good too. The chicken is good (thats what I normally get) but it is similiar to other BBQ places around, the other items on the menu as well - but go for the pork. I also like First Choice in Brandon - the style is different - but food really good.
(4)Cayci W.
Finding good BBQ in Florida is hard. Plenty of chains and suspect places but that's usually it. Big Johns is the best BBQ I've had here in Florida. It's delicious! When you enter the building you get overwhelmed by the aroma of the tastiness awaiting you. The next thing that you discover is the very friendly staff. That's important to me. I want the business to appreciate their customers. The staff here just had a genuine air of politeness. I got the pork sandwich and baked beans. Don't be confused, this isn't pulled pork. It's chopped. I found the flavor of the meat to be very good and you get a ton. The best though was the baked beans. Best I have ever had and I love me some baked beans. So why not 5 stars? I need to try more from the menu first. Also, with their sauce I don't think I could give them more than 4. It keeps the meat moist but that's all it's good for because it doesn't taste that great.
(4)Ben F.
Have been going there for several years. I still consider it the best BBQ in Tampa, IMHO. The remodeling is a plus. The food is always consistent.
(5)Brice W.
Really didn't care for the ketchup based sauce. If you can taste the ketchup in the barbeque sauce it isn't spiced right. I expected more and was disappointed in that regard. The meat didn't have that fall off the bone quality you expect from the best BBQ joints in town. Sure, it's clean and spacious. The staff is friendly as it comes, but the food is just, meh, I've had better. I think most chains server better BBQ. If you want good BBQ in this part of town, keep looking.
(2)Bunny B.
Big John's Alabama barbecue is the best barbecue in Tampa. We had some last night and it was smoking! Bravo to the chef and his excellent ability with cuisine thanks Fred!
(5)Clare S.
We went there for the first and only time on Monday this week. The place was empty at 12:30 in the afternoon except for three big white guys. This should have been our first clue. We tried the ribs and the beef in sandwiches. The smell coming in the place is wonderful, but the meats were dry and in the case of the ribs tough. The side dishes that we tried were the baked beans which were good and the only way that my hubby could eat the dry beef in the sandwich, as he dumped the meat into the beans. I tried the pork ribs and collard greens, again the side dish was very good. The problem with the food seems to be one of the following; that it sits too long on the grill, it is warmed up from food that does not sell the past day, or the quality of the meat is poor. When I asked for some of the hot barbecue sauce, they took the regular sauce and dumped in tabasco like sauce! We will keep trying to find a great native barbecue joint in the Tampa area.
(2)Holly H.
My search for good BBQ in Florida continues. I don't think I'll ever find anything to compare to Oklahoma Joe's in Kansas...or Kansas BBQ in general, but oh well! We went, the building is nice (it's new). The staff is nice. The place is noisy, but that's expected I guess since they are chopping up meat right there in the room. My family is more of a pulled pork and sliced beef kind of family, so the chopped meat was the first bad thing for us. They DEFINITELY give you plenty of meat though. I had to take half of mine off just to be able to eat my sandwich. The sauce was not good in my opinion. I'm sure there are many out there who love it, but it's not my cup of tea. It had this weird bitter/tart/spicy flavor. I enjoyed the kick at the end, but the whole package was just bleh. I only used it because the meat was dry without it. The potato salad is good, nothing special, just potato salad. My husband enjoyed the pork, but didn't use the sauce because he didn't like it at all. My mother-in-law said the chicken was really good and so was the corn on the cob. My father-in-law said the baked beans were SUPER sweet, we aren't really into super sweet beans. The ribs were okay. They had a really good smokey taste, but they were a bit tough in my opinion. My husband enjoyed them though. Overall we've definitely had better and will continue to try new places.
(2)Donald H.
Just knowing that it is 'Bama Q' is all I need to know...! I have been going here since Rev. John opened it..! He's gone now but the family keeps the tradition going strong...! Thin-end sandwich, rack of ribs, sausage, chicken...all of it is the best to be found...!
(5)Robby M.
As someone who grew up eating the great bbq of Kansas City I got to say this place is damn good. The spicy sauce they have is real good and if you have it with the sausage dinner you won't go wrong. They have nice sides added them mac & cheese so that makes me happy. The lemon cake they have is really good. The only reasons I'm not giving them 5 stars is one the ribs don't fall right off the bone and the other I liked the old building better.
(4)Sasha V.
It has been a long time since I have been in Florida and I would love to go and get me some ribs. Big John's has always kept it simple. You get your rack or two of ribs some white bread, baked beans and potato salad. The beans and the ribs are awesome. If you go you should always expect a line but they work fast so it is never a long wait.
(4)Kyle F.
Good pork, ribs are decent. Worth checking out. BBQ sauce is average thou
(3)