The best BBQ joint in Florida is in Tampa, according to survey conducted by Southern Living. That spot is Big John’s Alabama BBQ (5707 N 40th St). Southern Living Magazine states the survey was conducted by a third party and 20,000+ people weighed in between July and August 2023.
“Big John’s is new to the South’s Best list but it’s hardly new to the Tampa Bay area,” writes the Southern Living editorial team.
ADVERTISEMENT
The late Rev. John A. Stephens came to East Tampa from Eufaula, Alabama, and opened Big John’s in 1968. Today the restaurant is run by Stephens’s grandchildren, and though it moved into a new building in 2010, it still features splendid chicken, sausage, and ribs cooked hot and fast on an Alabama-style open pit with a giant brick chimney.
Visit the restaurant’s website to learn more about the menu, its history, and the family behind the recipes. See Southern Living’s full list of the South’s Best BBQ here.
What to read next:
- Fine dining dinner and brunch cruise launches in Tampa
- PHOTOS Deep South BBQ serves up fried peach pie
- New rooftop bar debuts with panoramic views of Tampa Bay
- Wicked Sweet Sugar Boutique brings gourmet cupcakes to Ybor City
- All 30 Tampa restaurants on the Florida MICHELIN Guide
ADVERTISEMENT
