Smokin’ D’s BBQ

Now this is a BBQ JOINT! Order in, take out. Nothing fancy but packed with working guys at lunch (always a good sign)…won’t bore you with «foodie» blather, but being from KC, I know the basics: they use oak for smoking and offer a variety of regional southern sauces (vinegary, mustard, etc.). Four ribs and beans for $ 11. Wished there had been a couple picnic tables, but I didn’t see any and I was in a rental anyway, so drip away.

Great brisket Beach Bucket. Ate their while camping at the state park and it hit the spot

My first and last time here. Just keep driving not worth it. The brisket was very dry and lack of flavor.

I have to say that I’m a little biased to bbq after visiting a small business in Alabama. But this joint was not bad. I ventured over and did take out which I took back to my hotel room. I decided to go with the chopped pork sandwich and baked beans. The sandwich was confusing to me. I don’t understand the concept of the chopped pork. They serve it on texas toast, it was not cut in half, and the meat kept falling out of the sandwich making it almost impossible to eat as a sandwich. The meat it self was just ok. Nothing special. For it to be smoked I felt that flavor should have been more developed. I tried a few of the sauces, but my favorite I believe was the one named after the restaurant. It had great flavor and saved the chopped pork. But they have something magical going on with the beans. I like that they use multiple beans and the sauce is light and not heavy. Not your normal take on baked beans, but their recipe works! For the beans alone I give them 4 stars.
My only cons to the place was the staff. They were very nice. But because this is such a small business, you can see everything. As soon as I walked in I saw the you man picking up scarps off the table where they cut the meat and popped several pieces into his mouth. He also seemed to be sweating quite a bit and touch his sweaty hair before putting on gloves. So I would just be watchful as they fix your food.
It did not wow me enough to say that I’d return, but the beans are worth trying :)

I am astounded at the positive reviews this place has gotten. I ate there today for the first and only time. I got a sliced brisket sandwich with a side of beans. ($ 8.25 and that includes Florida state tax, so not a bad price.) The beans, as others have mentioned, were quite good. Now to the sandwich… so tough I could have been chewing on Naugahyde. No taste, no smokey flavor, nothing. Just toughness! Oh, and did I mention the gristle? What it lacked in taste it made up for in inedible gristle. Honest, I would have much preferred a darned old baloney sandwich to this. Go there for the beans and aroma, leave for the good of your jaw teeth.

Delicious and tender BBQ meat, very reasonably priced, super cool atmosphere (though there’s only outside dining). Great staff, but be aware they only take cash!

I was told about Smokin D’s BBQ from a friend and I truly value his opinion when it comes to food. My wife reached a break in her studies so we decided to make a trip to St. Augustine so we could start off with some BBQ before heading to the Old Historic District to explore.
We arrived and the smell was incredible. I was now getting really excited but as we were in line being told how great the food is by the locals, we were informed it was CASH ONLY and that is a detail my friend left out. We walked to the convenience store next door and their ATM fixed my CASH ONLY needs. lol
We returned and after a short wait we were placing an order for the BBQ picnic + 2 more meats so we could try all of them. Pork, Turkey, Brisket, ribs and chicken. It comes with all three sides which are D’s Smokin Beans, Cole Slaw and Southern rice. Also included are two pieces of Texas Toast. We also sampled ALL of the sauces…
Ribs — 3 — Great flavor but under-​cooked and tough. Another hour would have done them justice.
Brisket — 3 — Excellent flavor but tough. The brisket could have used about 2 more hours.
Chicken — 3 — One piece was just right and the other was dry. Smoke flavor was great.
Pork — 3 — Nice flavor but some pieces were tough and others were cooked just right.
Turkey — Not enough smoke flavor and too much salt. Was cooked perfectly.
Beans — 5 — Unique mix of beans with a great flavor. I really liked their beans.
Coleslaw — 3 — Just your average run of the mill coleslaw.
Rice — 3 — Cooked right but basically just plain rice. Nothing really special.
Texas Toast — 5 — Just what you’d expect to get in Texas.
Sauces
Memphis Sweet — 4 — If you like a sweet sauce, you will like this one.
Texas Heat — 3 — Not as much heat as I have found at most Texas BBQ joints.
D’s House — 5 — Definitely a Georgia influence and it had a nice flavor. My favorite of them all.
Carolina Vinegar — 4 — Pretty close to what I have found in the Carolinas. Well done
Alabama White Sauce — 4 — An interesting flavor that went well with the turkey and pork.
The flavor of the meat impressed me BUT it appeared that the pit master was having an off day because the ribs, pork and brisket were not done. Had someone checked the doneness of the meat, they would have discovered that. I have to say that serving under-​cooked BBQ is a big no no. The beans were a home run but the other sides are just OK and nothing special. The service is great and the place has a charming area outside to dine but basically they are a to go joint.
If I was in the area I would give them a second chance based on the flavor BUT was it worth the hour and a half drive for what was served to me TODAY??? NO! I was expecting some incredible BBQ and tough meat does not blow me away…

Best bbq turkey in town hands down. Thick cut and moist and not oversalted. Love the beach buckets, which are layers of yellow rice, homemade barbecue beans, choice of turkey, chicken, pork, brisket, and their very excellent bbq sauce.
Take out only, cash only.

Without question the best BBQ in the entire Duval area.
Seriously, this place is a real gem, and worth the drive. I hop over from Orange Park once a month for a couple of lbs. of chopped pork. I don’t eat it there cause I don’t want to sit out in 100° heat, well that and the fact that they make sandwiches with Texas toast, which is a real No No. I thought about putting that extra star back on there when I was reminded that their chicken is equally delicious, and to my knowledge they are the only BBQ joint in N Florida that serves White BBQ sauce, an Alabama specialty. (and I guarantee nobody in the BBQ mecca of Alabama makes pulled pork sandwiches with friggin toast fer cryin out loud!)
I can’t tell you about their ribs cause they’ve always been sold out when I was there, but I’m told (by outside diners) that they are pretty damn good. All the sides are well done, and they have a variety of sauces to choose from. For my money its the best BBQ in 904, followed closely behind by G’s Slow Smoked BBQ in Middleburg, and Gator’s on the Westside. One thing to note about Smokin D’s however… no credit cards accepted, and they don’t have an ATM machine.

Great and tasty bbq that has a perfect amount of smoke flavor without be overpowering. I order d the pork sandwich and was FULL of meat and came with a side. It was chock full o’ meat and the beans were not so bbq-​y as more vinegar and a mix of pinto, black, and kidney.
Both were good and well with the drive just off of 95.
Prices are great for the taste and quantity. Note there is no interior dining.

It’s Christmas Eve and we are driving down to Florida to visit the family. We decided to take a chance and detour off to this hidden jewel. However, it’s not all that hidden once you venture off the highway.
Awesome BBQ and their baked beans were super!
The ribs were perfectly cooked. The turkey was juicy. They have several choices of sauce ranging from vinegar to sweet and spicy. No inside seating and cash or check only/​no CC. There is a kangaroo gas station with an ATM inside. There are a few stumps for seating on the outside with a makeshift table which pairs well with the warm breeze, sweet ice tea and everything being served in butcher paper. I did notice that you could order whole hams or turkey. Perfect for Christmas or any day for that matter!

Let me start by saying — «There’s nothing about barbecue that’s not controversial.»
This BBQ will trigger memories with its aroma and taste of smoke. If you’re going to Bar-​B-​Que do it right and create an authentic experience, mission accomplished here.
The focus here is on the BBQ, the staff is friendly enough they will let you know what’s left to purchase. I was fortunate enough to get here mid afternoon and they still had ribs, chicken and chopped pork so I got a little of everything (I really wanted some turkey but oh well I should have arrived earlier). Looks like the hours are 11:00 am until the meat is gone.
Ribs — Fresh off the pit smokey, perfect dry rub, tender and full of favor. I tried the sauce but I like mine naked.
Chicken — Wow fall off the bone tender nice smoke and seasoned great if the turkey can top this I can’t wait to come back.
Chopped Pork — Yes chopped not shredded not sliced paper thin they only use real knives here, the bark and smoke was exceptional. This pork was chopped to about ½″ cubes and was as tender as ham.
I did get a few sides but decided to pass on them since the BBQ was so good.
The iced tea was excellent oh I suggest bringing a few fold up chairs to set up under the tree if you plan to eat it here the alternative is finding a stump.
I love this place absolutely some of the best BBQ in Florida and they easily out perform any of the regional or national chains and I’ve tried them all.

The best BBQ I’ve had in my life! All the sauces are amazing. I had the pork sandwich Carolina style (with vinegar sauce and cole slaw) I almost passed out it was so good. Hmmmmm I love a vinegar sauce and this is so good. Try the white sauce too if you like tangy.
Had the yellow rice for a side, yum
Only downside is that there is no where to sit. Didn’t matter, we parked it on the curb. Amazing day