Shorty’s Bar-B-Q

Been going here since 1970. If this were the first time, I’d never go back. The sauce on the pork sandwich which used to be everything about this place, is now just ketchup. If they don’t get back to the basics soon, this place will be history. Sorry to say it. I’m a long time customer.

So I went here to order take out the restaurant wasn’t that busy. I ordered my food and then was waiting well I was standing by the kitchen and was watching bad mistake. Only one person in the kitchen had on gloves. No hair nets one of the cooks was wearing a tee shirt on his head and sweating. The take out guy was eating coleslaw out of a cup. Scratching his face. I watched a person sweep up the floor walk into the kitchen with the dustpan and throw it in the garbage. The manager ended up making my food for me cause after watching everything I was grossed out since I had already paid I let him. I brought my food home and it was subpar the corn overlooked. The ribs no flavor. Most disappointing a waste of money. Somewhere I would not go back too. Health department should pay them a surprise visit.

An institution, this old bbq joint will always remain close to my heart. The food is delicious but the service sucks. Try the rack of ribs. I enjoy the sweet sauce but they are known and loved for their vinegar based Shorty’s sauce. Also yummy; baked beans, corn on the cob, Texas toast, coleslaw.

I got the chicken and spare ribs, my boyfriend got the chicken and brisket. He said the brisket was dry and tough. The chicken was fatty and not flavorful at all. The spare ribs were just okay. Within 15 minutes of finishing the meal, I got nauseous and a horrible stomach ache. Won’t be going back.

Shorty’s is no longer what it used to be! Garlic bread & coleslaw all that I like from here now. I feel like the place Is dirty & the food is definitely not fresh. I remember it being so much better before. The ribs are NO good & served room temperature. Ugh no way! I will not come back here again.

Best bbq in Miami. This place is amazing. I was brought here by a friend who considers himself a Miami regular and said that I had to try shortys since I’ve been in Miami for so long.
I won’t disagree. This place is amazing. Great food, service, and location!!!
I will def introduce everyone to this location. Soooooo delicious and portion sizes are perfect!

Well it’s a sad day when a local staple becomes just another BBQ joint. It ain’t what it used to be. The only thing that still taste good was the corn and fries until they got cold. The brisket was tough and flavorless. My wife ordered the pulled pork which had some sweet sauce on it that she didn’t care for.
They used to give you heated BBQ sauce and that doesn’t exist anymore.
What can I say it just lost its charm.
Bye bye Shorty’s…RIP

The first time I ate at Shortys was in the mid ‘70s when I attended the University of Miami. We used to love the casual feel of the place and laughing at the stuck up kids from New York who thought they were all that with grease dripping down their chins from the ribs. That was then and I have continued to enjoy Shorty’s through the years. I especially love their rib special for lunch on weekdays and Shorty’s has been good for a very long time. This review is based on the experience I had tonight which was very different from anything I have ever experienced there in the past. We were seated at the end of a long line of picnic tables almost in the corner. Things started out well as our waiter greeted us almost immediately and took our order but that is when the good times ended. Before long we got our corn and then the onion rings we ordered, all good although the batter on the onion rings was more cakey than I remember getting in the past and not all that good. After a very long time our food still had not arrived and and people next to us who had arrived well after us were served and they had ordered the same thing we did. We hadn’t seen our waiter in a long time so I approached the register to ask about our order. A short time later our waiter appeared and said that the order was in but the kitchen was backed up which made no sense at all because the restaurant wasn’t full and the people who came in well after us were eating. Our food finally arrives and served by someone other than our waiter. The fries were well done, the texas toast was burnt, and the baby back ribs were overcooked. Personally, I feel our food was left under heat lamps for a very long time. I hate to give this establishment a bad review because it has been so good for so long but if what I experienced at Shorty’s tonight is the norm for how they are now than this place is not what it used to be. Usually I get a female server and I recognized some of them that I have had before and they were very efficient. Sorry to say that the male servers don’t seem to have it going on like the ladies. I have dined at Shorty’s Doral location and found it had a decidely Latin flair and the food was not nearly as good as this Kendall location, but this location on US 1 is a landmark and I hate to see it go down the tubes. I will try it again due to all the previous wonderful meals I have enjoyed at Shorty’s although my dining companion this evening said «never again.» I am hoping that this bad turn isn’t a trend.
Returned to Shorty’s again today 6÷5÷16 and another bad experience. The service was excellent and so were the fries and texas toast this time but the meats were the problem. Chicken was fair but the baby back ribs were perhaps the worst I have ever had. To begin with they were cold and tough. I believe the baby back ribs were not cooked through enough and while you expect to see pink meat with smoked meat you do not expect bright red areas which indicate blood, in other words uncooked. The problem with Shorty’s is that it is very inconsistant and still trading on a reputation made over many years. While I understand there is a difference in cooking preparations, you cannot begin to compare something like Flannigans fall off the bone baby backs to Shorty’s tough as leather have to slice them yourself undercooked baby backs. Despite the friendly and efficient service I am not running back any time soon. Sad, because I really used to like this restaurant.

My family and I love going to any of the Shorty’s locations. If I am not mistaken this location is the first one built. My husband is not crazy about the table set us as they are common tables. But I don’t mind.
The food is great, we love their Brisket and fries.
Service is great, reasonably priced.
What can I say, I love Shorty’s food!

I grew up in Boston, where there were no BBQA joints until the 1990’s, so the first real BBQ I had was at Shorty’s during Spring Break in the mid-70’s I fell in love with this place, and always return. The ribs are to die for, the service friendly. A must when in Mianmi!

Shorty’s is a Miami institution — it’s been here for as long as I can remember and I can remember coming here as a very small child. Their original BBQ sauce is absolutely incredible and addictive — I honestly don’t even know what style/​category to place it in — it’s not sweet, it’s not spicy — it is vinegary but it’s thick and served hot … its like no other BBQ sauce that I’ve ever had. That BBQ sauce is what I come here for & everything else is just a foil for it — my personal favorite is the Brisket Sandwich (even the French Fries are fantastic when dipped in the sauce). Ribs, Chicken, and the Brisket Platter are good but could be better (more tender & more flavorful). That’s why I took off one star — even though their sauce is THE BEST, their actual BBQ is only good.
The Cole Slaw is pretty good (and I’m VERY picky about my slaw), fries are crinkle-​cut, greasy and good, corn on the cob is tender and buttery …
They also have a second BBQ sauce that’s served cold that’s completely different … It’s a more traditional sweet/​spicy sauce, so it’s important to specify which sauce you want, especially if you order extra, like I always do. They now sell their sauce in jars that you can take home and use and/​or cook with — which is amazing & I always have a bottle around (it’s great to make pulled pork with in the slow cooker, btw). Their take-​out is quick, easy, and accurate — I almost always get take out from here, because I’m not a huge fan of the environment of the restaurant. The restaurant itself is a bit loud (because of the crowds plus the metro rail that is pretty much right on top of the building) and it can get pretty crowded at times; they have a few individual tables but most seating is at these super long picnic tables — so you end up sitting at a table with a bunch of random people (not the best situation for me with social anxiety) … But if you happen to go in on a cool night when it’s not crowded it can be nice.

Wow, how times have changed. This place went from first to last in the past ten years! Not the same «Shorty’s».
Sad, must be new owner’s?

Miami history. Unfortunately far from as good as it used to be.
I had the brisket which was dry and reheated. The sweet tea was so sweet that I had to cut it with water.
Very disappointed.

Oh my southern goodness!
I loved it. very southern style eating. We ordered chicken and wing combos. I felt like we were having an indoor picnic. Based on fellow Unilocalers — thank you had their buttery corn on the cob that was so friggen hot took us forever to be able to eat it — was driving me nuts lol the flavor was awesome.
The ribs fell off the bone and portions to me were huge — my hubby and I both took boxes home.
The chicken was perfectly cooked and theirs sauces were incredible. It was the best indoor rib fest we have attended. Our server was definitely on the ball and did a great job.
The only critical thing I can say is the manager didn’t communicate with his staff very well and corrected the host in front of us which was inappropriate.
Will go back

I grew up eating Shorty’s Delicous food! It was always a staple for my family to go to every few weeks or so.
I went a few months ago and it wasn’t all that great. The food took a while to be served, the food portions were generally a bit smaller and it was extremely cold where we were sitting.
Since I love this place so much, I’ll give it another shot at a different time :)!

Las costillas muy frías y viejas. La mesera solo vino a tomar la borden y a dejar el cheque. Lo pensare en volver a regresar

There’s a reason this business has been here for over 60 years! May not be the fanciest but it is by far one of the best places to get authentic BBQ. Laid back, picnic style atmosphere and excellent friendly service.

Finding a good restaurant is so hard especially if you’re not familiar with the area. Thanks to Unilocal I found Shorty’s Bbq just near our house.
The ambiance of the place is very nice. Our waiter immediately greeted us and gave us the menu. The service of the food was very quick and the servings are very big. I ordered the Pulled Pork Platter $ 10.69 (sides: coleslaw, fries and garlic bread) I didn’t like the pork because it was too sweet for me but I loved the coleslaw and garlic bread. Because of the big serving (and I don’t eat that much) my mom and I decided to just share the platter. My dad ordered the Baby Back Ribs $ 14.99 (Half Rack) and he loved it and I liked it too! :)
Overall it was a really nice restaurant. A lot of people were eating so if you are planning to eat as a group be sure to make a reservation :)

#CosasDeGorditos es lo primero que me viene a la cabeza cuando pienso en el Shorty’s. Siempre que voy a Miami, mi padre necesita su dosis de Brisket con patatas fritas, y ya ha terminado por contagiarnos ésa necesidad a todos.
Lo que empezó como un capricho suyo terminó convirtiéndose en una tradición familiar y parada obligatoria cuando estamos por esos lares.
No sé si es porque los camareros estadounidenses dependen en buena parte de la propina para llegar a fin de mes, pero todas las veces que hemos ido nos han tocado camareros super amables y atentos, rápidos y eficientes trayendo la comida y siempre pendientes de que todo esté bien y sea de nuestro agrado.
Fue aquí donde descubrí las maravillas del pulled pork, el brisket y demás formas de comerse media granja con salsa barbacoa y curly fries. He vuelto a probar el pulled pork incluso aquí en España, pero ninguno como ése, y el brisket es definitivamente el más recomendable, consiguen el punto exacto para que la carne se deshaga en la boca, muy suavecito. Y la salsa barbacoa que preparan ellos mismos, es también la mejor que he probado.
El local es muy tradicional americano rollito rancho BBQ, todo de madera, mesas con bancas largas, y los camareros van vestidos al estilo de los cowboys.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this location. Every time I come it’s a great experience. BEWARE of the Bird Road location (definitely not comparable to US1). This particular location is the original.
I always order the onion rings as an appetizer they bring about 9 thick cut rings per order with a tangy house sauce. Trust me and scratch the house sauce — ask the waitress for some ranch and the squeeze a nice portion of the sweet house barbecue sauce in there and mix it up and dip. You’ll remember me it’s awesome.
My entrée never changes — pulled pork platter. Bomb. You get a nice hefty juicy portion of pulled pork, Texas toast, French fries, and coleslaw. I don’t like coleslaw so I always get double fries.
My mom usually gets the burger. They take 20 minutes to make because it’s a big 10 oz burger 100% chuck. Those have to be the best burgers in town with all the fixings.
Honestly everything on the menu is SO delicious it doesn’t matter what you get. Make sure you’re sipping sweet tea. And .5 mints in the front are usually our dessert.
Enjoy!

A true Miami institution, I cannot believe I’ve lived here over a decade without ever visiting Shorty’s. I have heard the accolades countless times, and was excited to finally try it for myself.
The location is nothing noteworthy, mostly your typical no frills, BBQ vibe. The seating is communal, with long wooden benches spanning the length of the restaurant. If you tend to spread out when eating, it may be tough to share the space, with your neighbor practically in your lap. I started with one of my Southern favorites, the fried green tomatoes. Although they were a bit greasy, overall thy were much better than anticipated. The slice of tomato inside managed to stay quite tender despite the breading, and I enjoyed their buttermilk ranch as well.
The entrees disappointed me slightly, mostly because of the lack of options in the sides, and the fact that all the BBQ came with french fries and coleslaw. Don’t get me wrong, french fries can be delicious, I was just hoping for something like a choice of cornbread or sweet potato casserole. In any event I went with the pulled pork. It arrived quite quickly, a mountain of meat tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce. For me this truly was everything BBQ should be, and I was very happy. They did offer several other sauces but I never got around to trying them.
Our server was quick and friendly, and there are rolls of paper towels around the tables if you make a mess (which is quite likely). I will definitely be back when I’m craving BBQ, and I would suggest giving it a try if you’re in the area.

This place has been a landmark here in south Miami for over 60 yrs. and rightfully so. Their menu hasn’t changed since my last visit over 15 yrs ago. This is no «hoity toity» place. It’s very rustic, and down to earth joint. I had the signature BBQ pork sand. Came with a shaker of warmed signature sauce. The sauce has plenty of BBQ flavor and not overbearing. Service was nice and quick. I came during lunch time and was surprised to find front door parking and was seated right away. Menu price for the sand and beer was under $ 10, pretty reasonable.
Highly recommend and will not wait another 15 yrs to return.

Restaurant typique et très convivial. Les mamies serveuses sont très accueillantes.
Bön rapport qualité prix !! Leur spécialité est baby Rib, poulets au BBQ. Je vous recommande si vous passez par là.