Mr Bones BBQ

In the South, BBQ restaurants are a plenty. On Holmes Beach, not so much. When our crew had a hankering for BBQ, we picked up from Mr Bones. With BBQ the meat is where the rubber hits the road, and the meat was cooked well. The have a multitude of sauces. I had their spicy sauce, and was pleased to say it had a kick. The Ribs were good, but not outstanding. My biggest complaint was the sides. Their yams were awful. They had an almost medicinal flavoring to them. Overall, the place is average BBQ, but not bad for a beach spot.

Love it– year after year!
Best ribs– chicken-​cute voo-​doo vibe ambiance! The ladies room could use a bit of tlc! Friendly service! Don’t forget to take home some bbq sauce! Yum!

Got a recommendation from a local. What a disappointment. There is absolutely no waiting room in this small local bbq mom and pop restaurant. Waiting to be seated you are constantly in the way of the staff who go back and forth from the front where the kitchen puts the ready to serve food to the dining area. You are offered a variety of drinks from Mexican soda, every kind of beer and even chocolate milk out of an iced coffin which was interesting. The décor was like voodoo in New Orleans with masks hanging everywhere. There is a sign above the dining room entrance stating there are no condiments (including salt and pepper!) the dining room only has about 10 tables total and it is very cramped. No appetizers on the menu but they do offer vegan, Indian, Tex mex and of course bbq. It took 20 min to sit a party of 3. And about 10 to get a waitress. Total wait time for food was over an hour! No bread given to the table until AFTER your food is served which doesn’t make sense. The food is lukewarm not hot and was just ok. Got the Mongolian chicken which I thought would be cut up off the bone chicken pieces but it is a chicken wing, drum, thigh and half breast with the bones in sauce. Nothing special at all.

Oh, Yeah! Delicious! Definitely worth it. This place knows how to do BBQ! If you’re in the area you should eat at this place, for sure! The Cole slaw is great, and the Spare Ribs are perfect!!!

My job has me in this area often. I asked a Bradenton friend for a dining tip and they told me about Mr. Bones.
I’ve eaten lunch here twice now. I got a pulled pork sub with baked beans. It was REALLY good, and good enough that I ordered the exact same on my second visit. They put out some top-​notch BBQ here!
Plus, get this… They even offer Thai and Indian menu items? What BBQ joint does that? Very cool. One can visit with a handful of picky friends and all will likely be happy with their varied menu. I would love to try the non-​BBQ side of the menu here, but no more for me…
Why?
It all comes down to their «Soup Nazi» type sign! I understand the «no ketchup» at Chicago hot dog joints, but Mr Bones PROUDLY has a no salt and pepper rule? Huh?
That’s total control-​freak mentality. The «customer-​is-​NEVER-​right-​here,» sort of thing? Should we all bend down and declare Mr. Bones «Restaurant Nirvana?»
Why does this bother me? On my second visit, I came for lunch and the place was totally dead. Still, it took like 10+ minutes before any service appeared. And after? Even worse…
If they get upset about a simple «salt and pepper» request, just imagine the possible hassle here if one DARES mention slow and inattentive service?
Nah, the BBQ here is good, but I can get great, similar food elsewhere without the smug attitude!
To conclude:
Food: 4 stars — good, but not great 5-​star BBQ
Experience: 2 stars — grovel or you are not welcome here
That SIGN?: 0 stars — Someone failed basic Customer Service 101
Thanks, but never again!

Worth it.
Good delicious rids.
Average looking store front.
But… the food is outstanding.
Affordable.
Worth checking out.

Great Ribs, Great pulled pork, great beer selection, friendly staff, recommended its always good, be back next In August, I would like to put hot sauce on my food but hey I get it, its the restaurants hook, and yes its good but hey it’s never hot enough for me!!!

Place looks like … But iT fits perfectly the theme and more important the ribs are awesome!
Love from the Netherlands and see you guys back in July

We ate here 3 out of our 4 nights on the island it was so good! Just when I thought the Indian inspired dishes were the best they had, we had an appetizer of baby back ribs. They were the bomb! Best BBQ sauce on the planet. Add to that the ice cold beer and home made salad dressings (the Caesar was fantastic) and we never wanted to leave. We had to get there early to beat the rush as they only have 10 tables or so. Not a problem when you’re motivated :) Staff was awesome — friendly, attentive and fun. The «Bones» vibe was a blast — tribal masks, coffin full of ice cold beer, and «Don’t Even Ask» sign warning not to look for salt, pepper or ketchup (our waitress informed it’s all tongue in cheek). In season after 6:00pm means a wait so we ordered take out, which was packaged well and hot when we got it home.
Mr. Bones please add a restaurant in Philly!!!

Had a great time at Mr. Bones. We stopped in because it was surprisingly cold on Anna Maria and we needed something to warm up. The crawfish gumbo hit the spot! The soup was spiced perfectly, and it definitely didn’t need any salt or pepper, which the restaurant prohibits you from asking for. My mom got the shrimp in grits, which was good but not very big. Surprisingly, their barbecue vinaigrette was delicious. The service was fast and friendly. All in all, we had a great experience!

This place is kind of more of an old school restaurant but it was still super good. When you walk in there is a big coffin with all kinds of beer and sodas. The walls are decorated with all kinds of cool masks. It’s pretty small on the inside and there was only one guy waiting everyone (I felt bad for him!) so the service was a little slow. However, the food made up for it. I got the BBQ baby back ribs that were sooo good. You also get a good helping of rice, and 2 sides if you get the full, 1 if you get the half. I would definitely come back!

I stopped in for an early 12^th birthday dinner. Now, My new favorite BBQ on AMI. Don’t order ribs, and you’re doomed! The ribs are the best thing to order, and they’re never chewy– just perfect. The coffin of drinks (I posted that picture) doesn’t just have beer– they have an assortment of fountain drinks. Try the baby back ribs! The bake beans are good-​not the best thing in the world, but good. Same with the rice. Overall, amazing place!!! I was impressed.

We were here for a wedding with many other family members and ended up having a party of 12 come to this spot. It was very cinco de mayo meets island flair. Tribal looking colorful masks adorn the walls and the menu was definitely interesting as it was a combination of Tex Mex & Indian! I read through descriptions of biryani and baby back ribs all on the same menu.
The staff was nice but I think overwhelmed by our party a bit, although we were the only ones there. I had the BBQ baby back ribs half order with rice and sweet potatoes. The rice and ribs were very good but the dish was lacking salt and I rarely salt my food beyond what chefs cook with. The sweet potatoes were very gelatinous with the same texture as apple pie filling, with just way more of that jelly like stuff– wasn’t really a huge fan and sort of disappointed in that side.
My guess would be that prices were on the higher side due to it being in a touristy area. Overall, good experience with the family.

Yummy, still absolutely yummy! Went back yesterday for my annual BBQ pork sandwich with beans and yams as sides. Everything was great although the yams were a bit too sweet. Hubby changed things up and orders the jambalaya. Wow, the dish was filled with shrimp, sausage and huge chunks of chicken. He said the dirty rice was some of the best he has ever eaten. He did say that he wished he could have had a splash or two of Louisiana hot sauce to add a bit of spice but as everyone knows, Mr. Bones has no spices no condiments because their dishes are cooked perfectly. Don’t ask!

I don’t know how this place got 4 stars nice enough folks but food was awful weird menu generic soda even undercooked chicken and expensive worst ever and funky odor

Absolutely best BBQ in town with great alternatives for everyone!
You’re greeted by Mr. Bones’ skeleton and the coffin full of cold beer at the entrance which is your first sign of how cool this place is. The atmosphere in the dining area has a tiki lounge like island vibe and the masks on the walls from all over the world add to the décor.
The staff was really nice and helpful when ordering. I’d recommend the hot baby back ribs, The meat is succulent and falls right off the bone. The sauce is sweet yet hot and tangy. I got the Curried Rice which was also was also really good and Cole Slaw.
If I was looking for something different and more healthy, I’d go for the The Veggie Tikka Masala which I tasted and was also delicious.
I don’t know of any other place around that’s both great for meat lovers as well as vegans and vegetarians.
All of that combined with the great selection of local, domestic and imported beers make Mr. Bones BBQ definitely a great place to eat for the whole family.

I can’t say enough good things about this place. We’ve passed it several times during the week and just had to stop in once, so happy we did! The inside was really cool, tons of New Orleans style decorations and masks on the walls, skeletons everywhere, and a coffin filled with ice and beer. We were one of two groups in the place, got excellent service, and excellent meals. Everything is priced very reasonably, and the menu has something for everyone. I got their classic BBQ ribs with BBQ baked beans, potato salad, and rice. Everything was stellar. The ribs were delicious, meat fell right off the bones. The sides were all great as well, and the rice had awesome flavor. Probably my favorite spot to eat on the island, highly recommend coming once!

If you are ever on the island, feed your beach bellies here and I promise you they won’t disappoint.
Definite muat have here are their ribs… succulent and tender.
From asian inspired noodles as an appetizer to rich flavor jambalaya… these guys are on point.
Kudos to the chef and team at this location… we dined fabously here and we will be back.
Thanks guys,
Foodie S.

Customer service is absent at this place, it felt as though this staff had worked here for a long time and had pretty much had enough with customers in general.
Mac and Cheese is the Kraft skinny noodle stuff you can get at Walmart the ribs were subpar, the rice was horrible, waiter’s style was passive aggressive.
The beer was good though :-/​
Never coming again, don’t bother…

I have not been to Mr. Bones in over 8 years and nothing has changed and that’s a good thing! Same old bamboo wall coverings, voodoo masks, coffin containing ice, beer and sodas and of course the Mr. Bones fountain. Even the waitresses are the same! Great ribs but I would recommend the baby backs instead of the pork ribs, they were a bit dry. The side dishes baked beans, coleslaw and fried rice were amazing. Waitresses are great and they check up on you every so often and refilled my ice tea several times.