Bubbalou’s Bodacious Bar B Que

Perfect pulled pork tacos! I’ve never been here before, but now I’m in love. The tacos blew my mind. The pulled pork was delicious and tender and juicy on its own. Add on top baked beans and Cole slaw and the taco is transformed into a great handheld meal. French fries, corn bread, baked chicken, and veg sides were also good, but I’ll be back for more pork.

Nicole was our server & she was awesome. Funny, polite, and attentive. I got the pulled & sliced pork with Mac n chz, fries, and corn bread. Flame daddy flame

My wife and I were there last Thursday night with a group of about 9 people she works with. I ordered the nights special, Baby Back Ribs for $ 14.99. When I got them there was a weird smell off the plate. I cut one off with my fork. The meat was soft and had a awful taste. I think the meat was turning bad. My wife tried it and said the same thing. No wonder it was marked down. We will NEVER go back there again. Other people in the group were not thrilled with there food either. What a rip off! Go to Sonny’s

Great barbecue from good people. Lots to try and not as sugary tooth-​rottenly sweet as other joints in town.

I love BBQ so it pains me to say that I don’t love their BBQ. There have been times when the food is «good» but that’s rare. More often than not, I’m getting dry barbeque and who likes dry barbeque? The quality is never consistent and I’m not willing to take the risk especially for the price! I’d much rather go to Keller’s BBQ because I’ve never had a bad meal, meaning I’ve never gotten dry meat!
I will say that the inside of the restaurant is always clean and I can definitely appreciate that, especially since BBQ can get messy! :)
I really wished I had better experiences, it’s definitely close by and convenient but in the long run… not worth it.

The pulled pork and brisket is pretty bland, but the food is pretty decent over all. They have a few sauces provided at each table to help add some flavor to the food if you want. This place doesn’t really have anything that sets it apart from other bbq joints. The interior design presentation could be better, the food didn’t have any signature flavours, and everything just seems lacking. It was good enough for a first time go, but I don’t think I’ll be going a second time.

This particular location does a great job at frying the catfish and gizzards we get, PERFECTLY! Those 2 dishes are our «go-to’s» when we come here. The catfish is battered in a corn mix and is seasoned well. The gizzards have a flour breading that is so yummy and fried to crispy perfection (other locations don’t do it the same)! Squeeze a little lemon on it and find yourself saying «Mmmmm!» out loud. That is, if you like that sort of stuff.
One side it comes with is baked beans with shredded pieces of pork in it, which is sweet. I don’t usually like pork n’ beans but this one is good. The coleslaw is pretty good, too. Their cornbread is the traditional little muffin you think of when you hear cornbread.
The kids love getting the corndogs that are fried to their liking and comes with fries. They eat the whole thing so fast, it must be good, especially if they want a second one.
This location is clean with a small lobby that you order in first before you seat yourself, inside or outside. The bathrooms are always clean, too. It has that southern BBQ joint feel decorated with piggies throughout. Sometimes you get to hear and see the train set whistling and riding above your head if you sit in the middle of the inside dining area. They also have merch available for those piggy lovers or souvenirs for out-​of-​towners/​tourists.

Seems like it has been ages since we ate at Bubbalou’s — we used to hit the original on Lee Rd once in awhile before a Magic game — back when Shaq & Penny were playing. Saw the marquee at the Altamonte Springs spot advertising beef ribs, so we pulled in to grab us some. Based on our experience ordering a few simple items, the quality of the ‘cue we ate, and our overall experience, we probably should’ve kept driving.
The advertised beef ribs turns out to be a small 4-​bone rack of short ribs, served with 2 pieces of garlic bread and 2 sides for $ 10.99.
«No, you can’t buy the beef ribs by the rack, or by the pound. You have to order the meal.»
«Ok, cole slaw and pinto beans, please.»
«What are pinto beans — do you mean baked beans?»
«No — do you have pinto beans?»
«I don’t know what that means.»
Hmmmm. Ok, let’s just get the beef rib dinner w/​double slaw, a rack of baby-​backs, and a ½# of moist brisket w/​2 orders of garlic bread and head home.
«Is your brisket the flat, the point, or can we choose which we want to order?»
«What are you talking about?»
«Is the brisket moist?»
«Yes.»
“Good. Must be from the point. A ½# of moist, and 2 orders of garlic bread, please.”
«How many garlic bread orders?»
«Two orders.»
«How many orders of garlic bread?»
«Two orders, like your menu shows as a side item, and as it’s offered up on that big menu printed on the wallboard behind your head.»
«Ok, so you want 2 side orders of garlic bread. You realize there are 2 pieces in each order?»
«Yea. Sounds right.»
Wow, that was hard. Much more so than it needed to be. And this young lady is handling both orders at the to-​go counter as well as the drive-​through? How is it restaurants always seem to place the biggest knuckleheads at crucial spots like food ordering and making change?
Reviewing our receipt, we notice our ½# of brisket is $ 7.99 on the printed menu & on the wallboard, but $ 8.49 on our printed receipt. Bringing this discrepancy to our clueless and now cheerless order-taker’s attention, she stares at the receipt she just handed us, then at the menu, then back to the receipt, then back to the menu, as though if she waits long enough, something will magically reconcile one or both of the pricing discrepancy. Realizing we might be here for hours, we kindly tell her never-​mind, just please give us a few BBQ sauces in our to-​go bag. With a big sigh of relief, our young nitwit goes back to packing our go-​bag of ‘cue.
We’re pretty eager to dive in to some yummy low-​and-​slow ‘cue when we get home, but much to our dismay we find the bone-​dry, leathery, rock-​hard slices of alleged moist brisket to be virtually inedible. No classic ‘window-​pane’ texture, no juicy taste, no tender bite, no flavor. Yuck.
Fortunately, the short ribs are tender; the baby backs have a nice texture and mouthfeel; the slaw is refreshingly tasty; and the garlic bread buttery and delicious. If any of these had not been up to par, we would’ve been forced to grade Bodacious only 1– or 2– stars, rather than 3-​star.
Compared to 4-​Rivers, Bodacious turned out to be a Bust. Won’t look to be going back anytime soon. We agree: we’ve both got a number of way better ‘cue stops within 30 minutes of Bubbalou’s: 4-​Rivers & Keller’s top our local list and deserve to be spotlighted as just a few nearby options. Save your money.

I went to Bubbalou’s in Altamonte on the Fourth of July. Crazy idea, right? It was my first time visiting this restaurant and it was a great experience, although they were very busy.
I had no idea what I was doing, but I managed to successfully order the pulled pork/​brisket basket and FOUR sides (what?). My boyfriend had the ribs basket.
I will have to agree with every Unilocaler out there, the pulled pork was definitely the hands down best thing in the restaurant. The mac n cheese was really good;definitely had that home-​cooked taste. The ribs were huge and the best I’ve had in awhile. They also have CHEER WINE — a fabulous surprise.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the baked beans or the cole slaw. I am a cole slaw connoisseur, so that was disappointing. I really didn’t like the brisket either — it was dry. I did really like that they put pickles and jalapenos on top of it, but the flavor was still very much lacking. The brisket is most of the reason this restaurant didn’t get five stars from me.
The service was genuine. One would think that employees working on a national holiday would be less cheery and maybe even rude. Not the case here. Everyone I encountered was friendly and interested in how my experience was. I left a tip on my tab at the counter, but was bummed I didn’t have cash to leave on the table before I left. Next time.
And there will definitely be a next time.

My nephew and I ate here today. It was decent. The set up is a bit odd, you order at a counter first then pick a table. You get your own drinks and wait for your food.
The staff was super nice! After you get your food though, you are on your own.
Food was good but I’ve had better BBQ.

I’ve eaten here before and it has always been very good but today it was really bad. I had the brisket basket with fries and slaw. The meat was tasteless, dry and tough. The garlic bread was stale, the fries were still a bit raw and not a very big portion and the slaw had a nasty taste to the dressing. I love slaw and I’ve had good slaw here before but today it was bad. I won’t be going back anytime soon.

Baked beans are «Slap Yo Momma» good! The ribs were a bit dry buy the sauces make it amazing. Excellent cornbread (wish they had honey). Fast service. Clean place. WILL come back!!!

I was surprised how much I love this place — I wasn’t expecting much, but was absolutely delighted with our dinner. To be sure, the best part of all the BBQd meats we tried was the pulled pork — very moist, tons of flavor and a genrous portion. I can hardly wait to go back.
Our group tried the mixed meat combos — brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and more. Each meal comes with a massive assortment of sides — be hungry! And boy, those beans are good. We also tried the Chicken gizzards which were, of course, great.
A very casual place as you’d guess — big roomy tables, perfect for a family or group dinners. Lots of choices depending on your budget or appetite.
Must go — order the pulled pork.

I’ve been going here for years, it’s the only BBQ I like. The sweet sauce is awesome! Everyone that works there is great, I’ve never once had a bad experience in all the years I’ve been going here.

An hour out of my way (mostly due to stupid traffic on this main road), but a local told me that this was the best barbecue in Central Florida and I have to say, this was damned good. And seeing as how I’ve lived in Charlotte for the last eight years, I think I know barbecue.
Charlotte’s a pulled pork /​pulled chicken capital, so sliced pork seemed like a good thing to try that I probably wouldn’t get back home. After placing my order, I was given a wooden spoon with my number (that was unique) and a cup for my drink. The sweet tea wasn’t all that sweet (yay!) but I made an Arnold Palmer anyway. Mostly because I could.
A few moments later, my meal arrived. A decent portion of sliced pork on a standard burger bun. The pork was moist and very tasty, not too fatty at all. With five or six bottles of sauce on the table, I felt it needed a bit of the hot (not the hottest) and was off to the races. Good texture and flavor, it went down a treat.
For my sides, the mac & cheese was more pasta and not as much cheese, but what there was was crispy cheesy goodness. I liked it mostly because it left me wanting more. The baked beans were nearly a Brunswick Stew — very meaty, and bits of veggies, very flavorful and hearty. If there was more of it, it could be a meal all by itself.
The summary… yes, this is the best BBQ I had in Central Florida. Give it a try!

Excellent food and service. We ordered pulled pork sandwiches and they were absolutely delicious. Their mac and cheese was exceptional and I don’t like cole slaw, but theirs was really good. We
will definitely go again.

Wow!!! What can I say! We are new to the area and wanted some BBQ sooooo I came to my fav review since and found this placed. Decided to give it a try with the family, and boy what can I saw… THE FOOD IS SLAMINGGGG!!! Everything from the service we encountered at the door to our waiter Tyler was AWESOME!!. We had Rib dinners and Catfish dinners which all came with baked beans, coleslaw, fries, texas toast and cornbread. Thats a lot of darn food!!! Boy, let me tell you, those beans… smh. makes you wanna slap yo mama… lol. My boys were raving about how they could eat the whole pot… lol. I’m not a big fan of beans nor eat them often BUT THOSE BEANS right there… omg!
The fish was fried very well and very good. I dont eat ribs but hubby and the boys ate all the meat down to the bones, there wasn’t a piece of meat on those bones… hahaha
Everyone in my family is stuffed right now. We just left the restaurant and I had to come on to write a review! We’re all on the couches with stuffed big bellies… hahahha. lmbo!!!
The service was really great, the lady who took our order at the front was very nice but the person who made our experience worth it was our server Tyler. This young man is phenomenal. He is such a nice person,. We chat about his time at work, how much he likes working here, and how he is currently training for the Coast Guard. He even encouraged my boys to apply for a job here and gave them tips on what to do when they first come in for application/​interview. He was awesome!
I like their ordering setup. You enter and place your order, they give u a wooden spoon with a number on it to put into your paper towel which is on the table and the food was brought to you at your table. I also like the fact that they had several different BBQ sauce to choose from. They were all good!
We will definitely be going back… the food is awesome and the service is great. If u go, please ask for Tyler, you will enjoy his conversations!
Oh yea., they have an outdoor eating area and a drive thru!
We’ll be back Bubba!

First time here it was a very expensive and disappointing experience. I eat a lot of BBQ around the country and I’ve come to the conclusion that my quest to find great BBQ in Central Florida isn’t going to happen. I’ll just get to the depressing facts
— Price — $ 35.00 for two meals with two ice teas and tip
— Utensils — I am eating inside not take out so please don’t feed me on cheap plastic plates with cheap plastic forks and knives. I also hate the cheap styrofoam cups and my sides served in small condiment size plastic cups with snap on lids filled with pre-​made sides unbelievable.
— Restaurant — Nice large beautiful dining area that’s where it ended, my table was dirty I moved 3 times to fine a clean one. My roll of paper towels was splattered with old sauce from pervious customer’s dirty fingers sooo fricking nasty. I notice most rolls looked this way.
— Turkey — Here we go again sliced as thin as lunch meat from Publix flavorless portion was ridiculously small as well. (Hint — Hand Crave the Turkey)
— Sausage — Processed pre-​packaged tough flavorless (using plastic knife almost impossible to cut) nothing I would order again I can buy this exact sausage at the grocery store but I wouldn’t.
— Mac n Cheese — One tablespoon portion dry and crusty
— Green Beans — Cold and from a can flavorless
— Garlic Bread — Two extra large pieces nice flavor, toasted perfectly great job on the bread I was so thankful best side hands down.
— Sliced Pork — Actually nice flavor, smoky tender but mechanically sliced paper thin
— Cabbage — Extremely flavorful but again a extremely small portion in a plastics condiment cup with a snap on lid.
The two stars is for the staff friendly and very attentive I really hate having to review a place this bad it’s has so much potential but someone isn’t paying attention to the details.

I guess it was clear when I walked in the front door that I was a total newbie because Shawn, the wonderful woman at the counter, smiled and told me that you order at the counter and they’d bring the food to me. I was initially confused because the inside of the restaurant has the appearance of one where the servers would take your order at your table, but I was happy to follow her directions!
Shawn gave me her recommendation for the best sandwich in the place (pulled pork) and for $ 7.99 I would get two sides (I chose corn bread and baked beans).
As soon as the food got to my booth I knew I’d made the right choice– the sandwich looked very manageable compared with the sloppy ones I’ve had at other BBQ joints and the corn bread was in the form of two corn muffins, just out of the oven, with a dab of butter placed on top. The corn bread served in this fashion looked insanely good, and tasted even better!
I ended up eating half of my sandwich without the bread because I was getting full and it would have been blasphemous to leave any of that delicious pork behind. Shawn walked by and let me know that if I ever want it sans bread in the future, they’d be happy to make it that way for me. Did I mention she was wonderful?
At some point in the meal I started to hear a loud sound that would fade away and then return. I looked up and there was a toy train on a track above my head chugging along. While this was maybe the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, it was a bit loud. But I imagine had I been eating with people (rather than eating alone like the cat-​lady I am becoming) [no offense to the cat ladies out there, I can totally dig it] the sound would not have been noticeable.
tl;dr — Great food, even better service. I will definitely be returning.

Five stars and well deserved. Clear and focused menu. Nice, clean and charming/​fun ambiance. Excellent and friendly service (thank you Amanda!). The food was fantastically delicious !
After reading the reviews we went with the beef brisket and ohhhhhhh my! It totally melts in your mouth and has incredible flavor. You get beans, coleslaw, fries and garlic bread with the dinner so plenty of food for sure… it was all tasty. The tables have a tray with the different sauces — honey mustard, sweet, mild, hot and killer– we tried them all and even dared to try the bottle they keep in the back called ‘psycho’…blazzzzzzzing HOT but flavorful.
I will definitely return on my next trip out here from Arizona.