My search to find the best place to stuff my mouth with smoked meat stopped here. Â As far as BBQ goes look no further for the best in South Florida. Â Enjoyed the chopped pork, baby back rips, and chicken. Â Who cares about sides, I barley touched mine. Washed everything down with the Sweet Tea, want to try the Lemonade next time. The girl working through me an extra corn bread which I had no room for. Â Will defiantly be heading north next time I get a craving for BBQ. Bring a shirt before the shirt if you plan on doing anything afterwards, def will leave smelling like eau de toilette de smoked meat.
Review Source:This place offers really good barbeque. Â I went there for lunch and had no expectations at all after reading some reviews. Â We were pretty lucky because when we got there 2 people were on line. Â The people who worked there were funny, and friendly. Â
I ordered a full rack of baby back ribs mac and cheese, collard greens and hush puppies. Â They also offer free refills on your drinks. Â Everything was delicious!!! Â The ribs were fall off the bone amazing, collard greens and mac and cheese were really tasty. Â The hush puppies were fried to order they were really crispy, crunchy and the center was so soft. Â Don't waste your time with the fries because you can get them anywhere. Â
As we sat down to eat the place started to get busy. Â A lot of people started to come in and the line got long really fast. Â I guess this place can get really busy sporadically and it can get a little crazy but it's totally a great place to try.
We're in the process of opening a BBQ restaurant in OH, happened to be in the area on a short break and wanted to check out some good Q. Â Ate at Mississippi Sweets first, Â then made my way down to Tom Jenkins. Â Different as night and day. Â While MS was good, Tom Jenkins was outstanding. Â As I was reading the menu and watching the pit masters in action, three different people from the kitchen asked if I needed help ordering. Â I explained that I was looking for options to try all menu items that I could possible stuff in my face, they then proceeded to give me samples of the brisket, ham and ribs. Â All items were excellent, great flavor, great smoke. Â Beans, Mac & Cheese and Corn bread were very very good. Â Overall if our place gets close to Tom Jenkins, we'll be doing good.
Thanks!!!!
The lines are long, sometimes out the door, but it's worth the wait. Â Who said Florida doesn't have awesome bbq? Whoever said it, has never visited Tom Jenkin's. Â This place has ridiculously good ribs, sweet tea is perfection, corn bread is unforgettable, and it's just a great unique bbq restaurant atmosphere. Â Prices are fair, although it adds up quickly but at any great place to eat, you just can't get enough and your wallet will suffer when you have to have it all:) I do definitely recommend Tom Jenkins BBQ!
Review Source:I was really excited to try this place out after all of the great reviews. I go on vacations just to eat good barbeque (Memphis, KC), just to put in perspective how much I love good barbeque. Rendevous and Neely's in Memphis are still my fav. And I to say, I have mixed feelings about Tom Jenkins. The baby back ribs were just ok to me. They were a little tough. The sauce is on the sweet side, where I prefer a smokier sauce with a kick. They do have some hot pepper vinegar they keep behind the counter available upon request.... request it!!
The chopped pork was really good, as was the mac and cheese. The corn muffin was the dryest corn muffin I have ever had, and I LOVE corn muffins so I was very disappointed. They serve generic sodas. The lemonade is pretty good.
The service is actually very good here. They were very friendly.
Although it was not bad, next time I am in South Florida, I will look elsewhere for some good BBQ Ribs.
This place is awesome but if you are coming for lunch (during the work week) be prepared to smell like smoked BBQ for the entire rest of the day.
I can't affirmatively say that this is the best BBQ that I have ever had, but its damn good! I probably come here every couple of months or so, the only downside being that sometimes the wait is very long and it can be hard to find a place to eat inside. Alas, the problems with dining at a very successful restaurant.
If your in the ares (and you'll know by the smell anywhere within a half mile radius) stop in and give this place a try!
If I could describemy experience in one word it would be "unimpressed". After reading the reviews I got super stoked to check it out. The inside is very interesting making you feel like you are in a cabin in the woods. The service was pretty friendly and it took no time to get the food. Sadly, the food wasn't anything special at all. I got the whole chicken as my meal (I am a fatty). The chicken didn't have as much flavor as I wished and the BBQ didn't amaze me. I also got a chance to try the brisket which was cold and also nothing special. I wouldn't come back due to the fact that Florida has so many other good options. One thing I would recommend is the baked beans, they were very good. Maybe one day I'll give it another shot.
Review Source:I was totally unimpressed with this place, I feel duped by the reviews I had read . But to no fault of their own most South Floridans have never had real southern BBQ. So they have no idea how to judge restaurants who claim they are REAL BBQ joints. I should have known this place was a farce by  the fact I could not smell any smoked aroma coming from this place. A real BBQ joint's smoked flavor can usually  be smelled for hundreds of meters away from the location. None the less I decided to try this place because of the reviews.
     First off the line to order is long and annoying, I was  basically standing over people eating the whole time I was  waiting. When I finally reached the register to make my order, I was face to face with  this sour faced almost demonic looking girl who took my order, I should have taken that as a sign to leave, but I didn't. After I made my order of mac/cheese BBQ chicken and a corn bread, I took a second to take a gander  behind the counter. I noticed all of the  people who work here are kind of miserable looking except for the old guy who yells at people to come pick up their order.
      My earlier suspicions were confirmed once I received my order from the  loud yelling old dude, the chicken  was definitely not smoked. The chicken did not have any real taste itself, I could not smell any BBQ flavor or aroma from it, but it was edible once you doused it in their BBQ sauce. As far as I know if  you do not not smoke your meat, you do not call it BBQ. The BBQ sauce that came with it tasted like it was made with High fructose corn syrup and not sugar, it had an odd almost slight metal taste. The cornbread and mac/cheese were just average, nothing special, but not bad either.
Best BBQ I have had yet in South Florida...I did just read about Willy's which I will be trying shortly...Can't go wrong with Tom Jenkins BBQ...The sides are not all that, like the macaroni and bbq beans which are pretty bland and taste like they are from the can..but the desserts are off the chain!!!! Â Cobbler is sooo good and the sweet potato pie is delicious
Review Source:Hmm, I am not sure how to review this place. Â First things first, I have had ribs here from takeout that I absolutely loved. Ever since I had them I always wanted to go back and have some amazing bbq. Â However, on my trip this weekend I was just totally underwhelmed. Â My beef brisket was lukewarm and not as tender or smokey as I would have preferred. Â Plus the mac-n-cheese was horrible- very dry and flavorless. The only real redeeming thing was the baked beans and I'm tempted to say they were the best I'd ever had. Â Maybe I over-hyped this place with my first experience or maybe this time was just a dud? Â Who knows, but I'm not in a rush to go back.
Review Source:Assisted with a luncheon where catered TJ ribs & chicken were served and a scuffle almost broke out over the TJ BBQ sauce!!! Â Needless to say, I didn't get to eat one single rib at that function so I drove downtown Fort Lauderdale the next day and bought my own chix & rib dinner, w/mac-n-cheese, collard greens and corn bread. Â Simply DELICIOUS!! Â Luv the fried catfish too.
Review Source:A year after high school graduation while my friends were busy trading STDs at foam parties to the beat of Mo Money, Mo Problems, I was in the Air Force. As a member of an assault team for 'Nuclear Emergencies' you could say it was a pretty serious first job for a teenager. So whenever we got some R&R we'd have a cook-out. In Texas that means beef BBQ, slices of Wonder bread and Spoetzl Brewery's Shiner Bock. The first time I saw the 'San Antonio Spread' I wasn't impressed, but then a bomb went off when I tried it. I haven't tasted anything like that in Florida until a vegetarian led me to the only place that made her miss meat..Tom Jenkins's. This is what we had --
Baked Beans - the dish that made D'Angelo sing, "I want some of your brown sugar."
Hush Puppies - usually accompanies the Mississippi Catfish but like those that keep Kosher, I prefer my fish with fins and scales not mudsucking bottom feeders. They are .25 each and will make you rethink the value of a dollar.
Mac n' Cheese - in a survival situation, hope you packed TJ's for your in-flight meal. The gooey cheese and pasta is so compact it's virtually waterproof yet light enough to keep you buoyant.
Don't worry my friend didn't succumb to her carnivorous cravings but I did --
Brunswick Stew - often 'sidelined' because of star players like potato salad and onion rings supporting the entrees but it's a soup that eats like a meal. Meat, beans, corn and okra in a hearty tomato broth cooked low and slow.
Chicken - Colombians have a saying, "Mujeres, gallinas y marranos se comen con las manos." I'll let you figure out what it means but meanwhile toss your plasticware and dig in with your hands. A well made drumstick will make a man do crazy things...
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DdJGeo2LvdVQ&s=6b664ffa1bc675d0b9a1a77550dbf5bcb231c323dd8247ca3d4a2e34123c7bff" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>
0:43 "At least I have chicken."
Ribs - the sliver of meat that god stole from Adam to make Eve was seasoned with TJ's secret blend of spices. That's why ladies are so sweet and full of heat. The types of people that enjoy ribs are a grisly group that can be characterized as --
Fingerpainters: full grown adults that look like they're repeating kindergarten with ten red saucy fingers.
Hyenas: gnaw on bones trying to pick them clean.
Murderfaces: can't get the meat into their maws fast enough, so the BBQ blood gets smeared all over their faces. The ones that are crying are either overcome with joy or took some sauce in the eyes.
Take a little advice there with you, be patient as there are usually long lines on weekends. Also try everything without sauce first, you may find out it's not necessary. Don't rush through your meal, this is one you'll want to take your time with. Think of it as your wedding night with the BBQ love of your life.
If you love BBQ ... and live within 30 minutes form Tom Jenkins .... I envy you.
And if you happen to work at Tom Jenkins ... I'd kiss your hand, buy you a beer and thank you a million times for making such wonderful food!!!
Now, highlights of my credentials, I've tried:
- Phils BBQ ( San Diego )
- Dr Hogly Wogly's (Van Nuys)
- Phillips BBQ (Ingelwood)
- Rudy's Country Store (San Antonio)
and now ... Tom Jenkins (Fort Lauderdale).
I tried the Pork Spare Ribs ... I thought I had smoked ribs before ... but nothing like this! WoW, the ribs were amazing! AMAZING I SAY!!! I want to move to here so I can eat this every week! Â The meat was so tender that it practically melted in my mouth once it touched my tongue. Oh Yum!!!
I tried the chopped Beef Brisket ... tender too, but not as tender as the pork. Â Lots of great smoked flavor, but this I enjoyed dipping in their signature bbq sauce; a little tangy, a little sweet ... with a hint of heat that sets in after a few seconds.
Also had the their Baked Beans ... which were very good. Â In fact, I think their beans are one of the best I've had!
Their cole slaw ... pretty good; it tasted like it was vinegar based, which is expected coming from these parts. Â Really solid ... really compliments everything when eaten together. Â But it might be a bit odd eaten out of context (ah, meat).
And the corn muffins. Fresh ... very warm, when pulled apart and taking a bite after watching the steam rise ... yum! No little bits of corn ( a personal wish ) but still great!
Yes ... the line can be long (took 25 minutes to receive our food after ordering) ... and it is small with just one ordering cashier (but hey, be very nice to the women behind taking your order ... she is your link to great food).
And yes, the place is filled with the smell of great smokey food and will probably stick to your clothes, your hair, and hopefully, your fingers too.
Ah, hello ... this is  bbq.  (This ain't Lucille's chain bbq)
Thank you Tom Jenkins ... I love you.
My out of town friend made the choice (from 8 options pulled from Yelp) to go to Tom Jenkins B-B-Q. Â Parking seemed plentiful on a Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Â The restaurant had the dive-bar vibe to it as expected from Yelp reviews & photos.
You enter a smoky dining area. Â Furnishings are picnic tables and benches where customers in line to order surround those enjoying their meals. Â My first complain is the menu board. Â It is located in an area where it is unreadable unless you break out of line which causes some friction when you want to re-enter the line in your proper place. Â The staff seemed indifferent with no effort toward even reasonable customer service. Â You order at the counter and pick up your meal 10-15 minutes later when they shout out your order number.
We each ordered the full rack of ribs with macaroni & cheese and collard greens. Â The food is served in Styrofoam containers even for in house diners. Â But despite a laundry list of complaints, it quickly became apparent why people come here.
The ribs were outstanding. Â 5 stars. Â The sauce is served on the side which worked out better than I imagined. Â It has a hint of vinegar but a noticeable and lingering bite. Â These were show stoppers. Â The macaroni in its little plastic cup was room temperature and a 3 star side dish at best. Â The collar greens were delicious and rated 4 stars in my book.
You must try the ribs!
So if you can get comfortable that you are coming to this place for one thing and one thing only - the food. Â You'll leave happy. Â But for those who are first timers like me, your clothes will be fully embedded with the smoky goodness smell until you launder them. Â So this is not recommended as a place to eat if you plan to head elsewhere (in public) after your meal. Â But if you want to have some amazing ribs (and likely other B-B-Q), you would be hard pressed to find a better spot to go.
In my opinion, one of the best BBQ places anywhere. My first experience was around 2004-2005 time frame and I never looked back. You better be ready for some smokey BBQ when you enter the place cause it is filled with smoke. So much that if you're in your car outside you can smell it like your car burning. My favorite is the pulled pork sandwich with fries. I love their BBQ sauce even though it is sweet. Don't forget to try the lemonade!
Review Source:When I was introduced to this place I ate here 3x days in a row because they put crack in the food. Â I've tried the ribs, chopped not pulled beef and pork. Â Everything is stellar, ask for extra bbq sauce and an extra side of collard greens the most amazing collard greens I've ever had.. Corn bread tastes like jiffy lol, there is a little wait but not too long definitely worth it though.
Review Source:If you're a fan of BBQ, you owe it to yourself to go to Tom Jenkins. Â Located just south of Davie Blvd. on Federal Hwy (aka US-1) in FTL, you could easily drive by this place without a second thought. Â But don't - stop, park your car, and go in to satisfy that BBQ fix!
Tom Jenkins has ribs, chicken, and all your standard BBQ joint offerings. Â But instead of pulled pork or brisket, they have chopped beef and chopped pork. Â Don't be scared - it's the same BBQ you've grown to love, just chopped up into bite-size pieces!
My standard order is the chopped beef dinner, which is more than enough for me for 2 meals. Â With the dinner, you get your choice of 2 sides a plethora of offerings - potato salad, fries, cole slaw, corn on the cob, baked beans, etc., as well as a delicious corn muffin.
BBQ sauce comes on the side at Tom Jenkins, the better to allow you to really taste the meat. Â The chopped beef is always perfectly smoked, with a little pink near the edges - the smoke ring for those true BBQ addicts out there.
Prices are incredibly reasonably - the chopped beef dinner with a drink is roughly $11. Â The staff is friendly and efficient. Â Parking is aplenty - if you don't find a spot right next door to the restaurant, just keep on going to the back lot, and you'll be sure to find a spot!
Next time you find yourself hungry for a bite in Ft. Lauderdale, or even if you just have a real hankering for BBQ, get yourself to Tom Jenkins. Â You won't be sorry.
Another no brainer whenever I visit Fort Lauderdale.  Down to earth.  Ribs and brisket cooked perfectly.  Firm  and not too falling off the bone.  To me, the yardstick for good BBQ is whether or not the sauce is required.  And while the sauce here is fine and not sweet at all (a real deal breaker in my book) I ate happily without it.  If you're staying on beach, it's worth the five minute drive.  Not a lot of seating so get there early.  Closed Sunday and Monday, oh well.
Oh, yeah. Â I'm at the airport and I still smell a little smokey. Â Nice.
I have been coming to Tom Jenkins for 10 years. Â Had lunch there today. Â The restaurant is quaint. Â Seating is limited. Â It can be hellaciously crowded, so lunch is a good strategy for that. Â The staff are nice. Â We had a rack of perfectly cooked pork spare ribs. Â The brisket was excellent. Â The barbecue sauce, served on the side, was great- not too sweet. Â The barbecue was so good that the sauce wasn't really necessary. Â The mac and cheese was very good. Â I didn't like the cole slaw. Â The corn muffin was good.
Overall, this is a great restaurant to go to as an alternative to franchised dining and pretentious restaurants. Â The only improvements I could think of would be to serve beer and make the place bigger. Â Hope to go there again, soon.
This is the best storefront Southern barbecue in Broward County. Â They have a big brick oven smoker and they cook low and slow with a real wood fire to get the perfect heat on the meat. Â Their sides are great too, as is the sweet potato pie. Â Sauce is also what separates the BBQ men from the BBQ boys. Their BBQ sauce is perfect. Not too much vinegar, which, at least for us Texas BBQ fans, is always something of a liability in Southern sauces. The perfect blend of spicy sweet. Â Close to downtown Fort Lauderdale, it's also an easy trip from Fort Lauderdale Airport. Â The place has picnic table seating, and is ALWAYS crowded, although they have really good parking. The place is old school dark woods and full of commemorations of their greatness. Â It takes a few minutes, but order the hush puppies. They're awesome.
Review Source:4.5
Tom Jenkins is what I call ghetto greatness. It's small, run down and produces the best barbeque I've had in South Florida.
If you're coming for lunch be prepared to stand awhile before you place your order and even longer to receive it. The place doesn't exactly have the most customer-friendly ordering system and because of its limited spacing you're pretty much standing next to someone who is probably eating.
Don't let any of this discourage you though. You're here for the food and you won't be disappointed.
You can smell the place a mile down the road and I promise you that smell won't leave you the rest of the day. I can't imagine the people working there have clean lungs because the smoke is just infectious. Then again, many of the people working there are dead ringers for Edgerrin James and Rick Ross, so I'm guessing inhaling smoke is pretty customary. And speaking of the lah, this might be the ultimate place to go right after a session, just saying.
Order your pulled pork platters or some ribs and grab a seat on their old wooden picnic benches. Make sure you ask for their pepper/vinegar hot sauce. That's gold Jerry! Gold.
The ribs smothered in their molasses sauce along with some mac and cheese and fries just gives me a semi thinking about it. It's truly a trifecta.
I love me some Tom Jenkins (pause) and have no qualms saying this is hands down the best BBQ I've experienced in South Florida.
The simple reason why Tom Jenkins is the best BBQ restaurant is because it is the only BBQ restaurant in South Florida! Most places that advertise BBQ grill their food but none really smoke it, which basically is what BBQ means. Some restaurant infuse their food with a little smoke, some just grill and bathe in a smokey BBQ sauce, not Tom Jenkins. Any time you show up at Tom Jenkins, you will smell the smoke and taste the smoke, a good indicator of how your food is being prepared.
When I go to Tom Jenkins, I get the spare ribs or the brisket or the pulled pork. The meat is soft, smokey, cut to perfection, overall perfect. Then you have your baked beans, which again are great, your corn, your corn bread, all your sides. Overall is a great down south experience in South Florida.
You will not regret going here, the lines may be long and the seating area may be limited but the food exceeds all expectations and elevates BBQ to a new level. The Beef Brisket is phenomenal and the collard greens aren't simply palatable but will change how you see this vegetable forever. Overall this is a must try if you are in the area.
On a side note, even the beverages especially the tea and lemonade are a delightfully refreshing experience.
My love affair continues-- A friend used to live in Ft. Lauderdale by this place and begged me to go for lunch one day. I had no interest but also no plans so I agreed. OMG- best decision of my life! :0) Â It is amazing BBQ- pulled pork and beef brisket, you can't decide which is better - The baked beans are beyond AmA-zing and the mac and cheese is killer
Come to Miami Please :0)
Eaten here 50+ times over 15 years. I remember when it was just a smoker on the side of the road, and when they had spicy vinegar on all the tables and and when they only took cash. After all this time, they still have the best southern style ribs in South Florida.
These are Mississippi style ribs, smoked pork and in my opinion, the best. Great collards, not cooked too much like most places and not over salted either. I put the spicy vinegar over it all. You have to ask for it though. They keep it behind the counter now. Their mac and cheese is simply the best anywhere, ever. Can't go wrong with either the sweet tea or lemonade. Both perfect. And for goodness sake, get some peach cobbler but don't eat it until a little later. :)
I still see some of the same guys working the grills. These guys know what they're doing and are super friendly. I like the music as well. I've heard people complain about the line but I think its a mental thing because at any other restaurant you have to wait to be seated, wait for your waiter, your drink order, your food order, your check, etc.
Oh my have a missed you. Â I live across town and it's not often I'm out this way, but tonight I was. Â Â Friday night, 6:15 p.m. Â Â Long line when I stepped in....30 minutes to the counter, then another 20 for my food. Â What was odd, and a bit offputting, is that my friend had order 187 and I had order 188....187 was called a good 10 mninutes before mine. Â So by the time I got mine he was done..haven't had this happen before but was getting irritated especially when you hear orders after you being served. Â All i ordered was chicken! Â I feel bad for order 181 that still didn't get her order when my 188 was called. Â Weird, and not cool.
But the chicken, just awesome. Â Collard green, awesome. Â Mac and Cheese, so good.
Love this place...just fix the whole order thing
Ask around downtown Fort Lauderdale who makes the best BBQ, and the name you'll hear in response 80% of the time is Tom Jenkins. Â I haven't sampled enough of the competitors to confirm for certain, but what I've had here would identify a contender anywhere else. Â The large crowds attest to its popularity.
Generous portions and friendly service add to the experience. Â I've had their BBQ quarter chicken platter ($6.75, with two sides and a cornbread roll); nicely smoked, but a tad overcooked. Â The pulled pork sandwich was tasty. Â Tom's sides are exceptional, and worth the trip alone; the collards and the mac and cheese in particular.
Tom Jenkins is always crowded, and walking here from the motel after a long working day sometimes presented a line longer than I was prepared to deal with. Â As a result, I've only eaten here twice.
This local joint has always been at the top of my preferred places for bbq but my recent visit left much to be desired.
It's always slow to get waited on here but you get used to that. Â Honestly, if they went much faster, there wouldn't be anyplace for you to sit and eat, forcing you to take it with you. Â And bbq is always best eaten hot.
That said, I got the full rack spare ribs and not only did they lack proper amounts of meat on them, they were tougher than they should've been. Â And being the sweet sauce lover I am, I always love their sauce. Â But my ribs were greasier than I remember them the last time and when combined with the sauce made my stomach so upset I couldn't finish my last rib. Â Now, who leaves ribs uneaten, right???
The collard greens are ALWAYS good while the macaroni and cheese needed salt. Â Just remember, if visiting this place, try and avoid 5:30-7:30 because that's the prime dinner hour. Â If you're on Federal Highway, try Ernie's BBQ instead.
Excellent on all counts!
The food is awesome. Great, great bbq. You can tell they make it with loving attention. Everyone there seems to like what they do and they do it well. That vibe carries over to how they treat their customers. Other food joints could borrow a page from this place's customer service book. They now how to treat you right and make you feel at home.
The locals have a special place here. If I lived remotely close to here, I would visit regularly.
I have been to Tom Jenkins twice as the place is very close to work. It is the textbook definition of a BBQ joint. The place is old, beat up, and very small. So small that you could find yourself without a place to sit to eat your meal. So fair warning. Another warning, there is a chance you will walk out of this place and your clothes will smell of the smoke used to cook the food. So don't wear anything that requires dry cleaning.
The menu is short and sweet. Ribs, pork, chicken, brisket, and catfish. I have had the chopped port and brisket on my visits. While I love the flavor or my dishes and each had a great bark, I did find the pork and the brisket to be pretty dried out. This required using quite a bit of the barbecue sauce. The corn bread that came with my meal also was dry.
I do like the place. The sides are pretty good and the smoke flavor was good. But I have been bothered by the fact that both meals were basically dry. That should not happen. But this place is a landmark and so I will continue to try it.
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