Jacksonville BBQ: Starter List

A barbecue name that goes back to 1949, a food truck that finally settled down, a backyard worth the trip, and a pit named for the blues.

Five pits, spread from San Marco to the beach, and each one has a story that is not on the menu.

Bono's is where Jacksonville barbecue history starts: Lou Bono opened the first one in San Marco in 1949 and moved it to Beach Boulevard when I-95 came through. The Bearded Pig, back in San Marco, is the one with the backyard; it moved from 1224 to 1808 Kings Ave in 2021, and plenty of listings still have not caught up.

The Butt Hutt spent eight years as a food truck working the East Coast before settling on Roosevelt Boulevard. Mojo Kitchen at the beach is named for the blues and pours a full bar, though its own site says it is not booking live shows right now. And Yellow Rose does Texas-style out of a Mandarin strip center with no website we could find, which is a gap a machine notices and the owners could fix in an afternoon.

Not a ranking. One Jacksonville institution is missing on purpose: Jenkins Quality Barbecue, family-run since 1957, closed all three locations in September 2025. Know a smokehouse that belongs here? Submit it.

Venues in this guide

Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q

Southside · $ · bbq

One of Jacksonville's oldest barbecue names. Lou Bono opened the first one near Kings Avenue and Atlantic Boulevard in San Marco in 1949, then moved east to Beach Boulevard when the Jacksonville Expressway, now I-95, came through. It has since grown into a regional chain; this is the Beach Boulevard room.

The Bearded Pig

San Marco · $$ · bbq

Opened at 1224 Kings Ave and moved four blocks down to a purpose-built room in 2021. The backyard is as much of the draw as the tray, which is the sort of thing a menu never tells you.

The Butt Hutt Smokehouse

Murray Hill · $$ · bbq

Started in 2011 as a food truck that spent eight years working up and down the East Coast, then settled into a room on Roosevelt Boulevard where Murray Hill meets Avondale.

Mojo Kitchen, BBQ Pit and Blues Bar

Jacksonville Beach · $$ · bbq

Slow-smoked barbecue and a full bar in the Beach Boulevard plaza at Penman Road. The name and the room come from the blues, though its own site says it is not booking live shows right now, so it is not listed for live music here.

Yellow Rose BBQ

Mandarin · $$ · bbq, texas bbq

Texas-style barbecue out of a San Jose Boulevard strip center in Mandarin. We could not find a website, which means every discovery check on this profile reads unknown rather than failed.