Sonny's Barbeque

[Michigan0626]

I know I'm going necro on this post. 

I wanted to see how people thought of Sonny's BBQ. It is the one restaurant I miss the most since moving from Florida over 3 years ago. And in 10 days I will be back in the sunshine state.

Sonny's uses the Southern Pride industrial smokers. They are gas powered, but uses actual logs for smoke. For several years they did do all of the smoking in a central location and ship the meat to the franchises. Customers complained (rightfully so) and now all locations smoke on site.

My favorite thing there is to make smoked turkey sandwiches on Texas toast and use their spicy Smokin' bbq sauce. They have a Sizzlin' Sweet sauce that is a sweet heat, but their spicy sauce is my all time favorite from anywhere. If I knew how to cook bbq sauce that is what I would try to imitate, but without any commercial chemicals everyone uses for shelf stability.

And I am looking forward to McBBQ over this New England crap I am stuck with.

[Jaxon]

Our local Sonny's is remodeling.
I guess they, too, are going through the change of life.

[RG]

My local Sonny's caught fire a few years back. It was a fairly new location at the time. They have since rebuilt it and made some changes. Their food is okay but I have sworn them off due to bad service but may give them another shot one day. What's REALLY sad is the BBQ shack I grew up eating had caught fire (old school pit) and now due to having to rebuild, they are no longer grandfathered in and have to build to new codes. Sadly, the red tape is more than they are willing to cut through so they are closed and it looks like they will remain so. If I only could've had ONE more sammich

https://www.yelp.com/biz/deans-barbeque-jonesboro

Sorry for the hijack!

[Michigan0626]

Look's like you two Georgia boys are only 1 to 3 hours away from Myron Mixon's place. Have y'all tried his joint?

[DWard51]

My local Sonny's caught fire a few years back. It was a fairly new location at the time. The have since rebuilt it and made some changes. Their food is okay but I have sworn them off due to bad service but may give them another shot one day. What's REALLY sad is the BBQ shack I grew up eating had caught fire (old school pit) and now due to having to rebuild, they are no longer grandfathered in and have to build to new codes. Sadly, the red tape is more than they are willing to cut through so they are closed and it looks like they will remain so. If I only could've had ONE more sammich

https://www.yelp.com/biz/deans-barbeque-jonesboro

Sorry for the hijack!

Sonny's is OK, but I would prefer the old school BBQ joint over Sonny's any day.  When we travel across the state at work, we always google for a local "mom and pop" style BBQ joint and try to work in it.  They are out there and although most don't have a web site, they generally have some presence on facebook.

Not to hijack the thread further, but.....

We used to eat at Dean's all the time.  My office was right across the street from them for years. They had great Brunswick stew and a $5 lunch deal of a chopped pork sandwich, bag of chips and canned soda in a brown paper bag (flat $5 bill with no tax?).

They have had other issues though.  Roger Dean was a former GA Revenue Agent and he ended up going to prison for collecting sales taxes from his customers and keeping them.  Sort of ironic he used to put people in jail for that same thing and then did it himself.  Then after their father Jessie passed, Roger and the other children have been in court for years squabbling over ownership of the business.  I think the sister was running it last when the fire happened. It's all been in the local papers, but that pit fire was the last nail in the Dean's BBQ coffin as the State and county will not let the rebuild the old style pit and they apparently cannot afford to build or buy one that will comply with current fire/life safety codes for BBQ pits. There was a fundraiser on GO FUND ME to rebuild the pit, but it only raised about $1,500 since last year. It was not the first time Dean's pit house had burned down, but the codes are way different now.

Interview with Roger Dean for "Southern BBQ Trail" project in 2010.

https://www.southernfoodways.org/app/uploads/GeorgiaBBQ_DeanBBQ.pdf

GA Attorney General press release on conviction of Roger Dean for 1 count of false statements and 19 counts of theft by conversion in Sales Tax theft case in 1998.

https://law.georgia.gov/press-releases/1998-01-30/attorney-general-prosecutes-sales-tax-violator

Youtube video on Dean's BBQ (with old photos)

[RAD]

We hit Sonny's every now and than and i like their sliced pork as my fav. Sometimes the ribs are hit or miss but noting to turn down. I love the sauces and now there are several places around here that carry them.

[UWFSAE]

Growing up in Panama City, FL, in the 80's (and later living in Pensacola in the 90's and early 2000's), Sonny's was the only BBQ chain we had and better than 90% of the local mom-and-pop joints.  Back then they used wood fired smokers, but I do know some franchisees are now using gas assist smokers.  Honestly, it's cost effective and provided flavor and consistency ... I don't judge.

Back in my fraternity days, we'd hit the AYCE rib night with a frightening single-mindedness ... and our servers never batted an eyelash.  They (like Chick-Fil-A and so many other Southern restaurants) had impeccable service and were maternal in the extreme ... and never let my sweet tea run dry.  The Sweet Sauce on center cut spares, with some Texas Toast to mop up the mess ... delicious.

I've got a high school reunion next year in Panama City and you can bet that I'll be grabbing at least one meal at Sonny's before I head back to Texas.

[teesquare]

I have to admit....When I came to N. Carolina from Texas....Sonny's was the ONLY place I could get decent BBQ. And - to this day, when I am near one- I will still eat there if convenient. No, it is not the best...but I will often default to "consistent mediocrity"  ( like McDonald's coffee...) in lieu of the unknowns.

Every Sonny's I have been to has had great service, was clean and the food was pretty similar to the others I had traveled by.
But, each location can vary I know....I have been lucky I suppose.

[Michigan0626]

When I earned my bachelor's and traveled to Florida to walk two years ago, Sonny's was what I chose for my graduation dinner.

[Big Dawg]

I'll be honest, I haven't eaten at Sonny's a looooong time.  Guess I'll give it another try . . .





BD

[RG]

I'll be honest, I haven't eaten at Sonny's a looooong time.  Guess I'll give it another try . . .





BD

It's not bad. It gets lumped into the "Fast Food" category so people are quick not not WANT to like it, lol. I've never eaten at Dickey's BBQ, some hate while others love it but it too is a "Chain" restaurant so I guess I too have been judgmental and not given it a shot.

[Big Dawg]

I'll be honest, I haven't eaten at Sonny's a looooong time.  Guess I'll give it another try . . .





BD

It's not bad. It gets lumped into the "Fast Food" category so people are quick not not WANT to like it, lol. I've never eaten at Dickey's BBQ, some hate while others love it but it too is a "Chain" restaurant so I guess I too have been judgmental and not given it a shot.

Funny, I was actually getting ready to try Dickie's last year when I found out that the Charlotte location had closed. 





BD

[Jaxon]

I'll be honest, I haven't eaten at Sonny's a looooong time.  Guess I'll give it another try . . .

It's not bad. It gets lumped into the "Fast Food" category so people are quick not not WANT to like it, lol. I've never eaten at Dickey's BBQ, some hate while others love it but it too is a "Chain" restaurant so I guess I too have been judgmental and not given it a shot.

Funny, I was actually getting ready to try Dickie's last year when I found out that the Charlotte location had closed. 
BD

We had a Dickies just about 2 miles from here...closed after one year.  We ate there one time and I know why they closed.

[Jaxon]

Look's like you two Georgia boys are only 1 to 3 hours away from Myron Mixon's place. Have y'all tried his joint?

I haven't been to Myron's place.  It's about 30 minutes down I-75 from us.  I met him at a local exhibition where he talked about pulled pork.  He seemed to be a "prima donna" instead of "down home" cook.  I have one his books, but never read past the first few pages of his story.

[UWFSAE]

Dickie's is very much hit or miss with regard to brisket and ribs.  Their kielbasa is tasty, as are their baked beans.  Definitely "fast food" bbq.  I'd classify Sonny's as "fast casual" bbq ... good, simple, filling food at a good price.