Jimbo’s Pit Bar-B-Q

If you’re looking for good BBQ beef, this is not the place for you. I got the beef dinner with onion rings. The whole thing was disappointing. The beef looked like rolls of lunch meat. The BBQ sauce was watery but was the best part of the meal. My onion rings were so over cooked they were hard to eat. In my opinion, the food was not worth what I paid.
That being said, the place is cute and the service was pretty good. There wasn’t anybody else there but us an hour before closing on aTuesday, but the server was attentive and the food came out quick.

The food isn’t great, but it is good. Nothing is standout and their homemade BBQ sauce is served hot and surprisingly watery (though not lacking in flavor).
You’d do better to go to 4Rivers on Macdill or even Holy Hog but Jimbo’s will satisfy your BBQ craving. It just also won’t blow your mind.
The chopped pulled pork is smothered in sauce to make up for the lack of inherent flavor.
The ribs lack seasoning.
The chicken lacked seasoning and the smoky flavor or crispy skin you would expect from a BBQ joint.
And the sides are not worth mentioning, though they’re not disappointing.

*This review is for breakfast.*
I thought I’d reviewed this place before as this is my second time here for breakfast, but I guess not. Anyway, their breakfast is really good. My wife had the ham, egg, and cheese on English muffin, and she raved about it the whole time. It was BIG, with lots of ham and melted cheese everywhere. I had an omelet created by me with smoked sausage, sausage patty, cheese, tomato, & mushrooms. It was quite large, full of ingredients, and really tasty. The home fries that came with it (unless you choose grits) surprised me as they didn’t look special, but they sure tasted like it. Well seasoned and not too crispy/​fried out. Not quite as good as mojos (for those who know what those are), but good. The biscuit I had was big, not too dry, and delicious. This meal was very filling and both entrees came to around $ 15. I will definitely come here again, as the drive through is very convenient. You order, it is cooked in a timely manner, and then handed to you. There are a variety of breakfast items on the menu, and I look forward to trying more of them.

My 1^st time going I met up with 3 friends, I had the pulled chicken sandwich… Not much «pulled» about it. looks like tore up chicken piece’s placed on the bun. The sauce was warm and runny and my sandwhich needed a lot of it. the waiter was fine however she jiggled all the way to the table and back and made for some uncomfortable convo at the table — well it is a rib joint so what should i expect huh? The place was busy and clean for the most part. décor was a little aged even for the theme they were going for. You will likely find me at 4Rivers :)

Stopped in here with some friends this holiday weekend. I’ve driven past that big signature sign so many times, but never stopped in. Now that I have I’d say that I wasn’t missing anything especially amazing, but it’s still a pretty good BBQ meal in what feels like a classic BBQ eatery.
From the outside, Jimbo’s looks like the kind of restaurant that was built in a very different time, a very different place, than the center of Tampa in the 21^st century. The inside isn’t much different. Whether you find this charming or it puts you off is up to you; but the restaurant is clean, has a ton of character, and it’s pretty comfortable.
When we entered we were greeted with a mostly empty restaurant and a large sign telling us to seat ourselves. We chose a booth in the back and our waitress was over almost immediately with menus and to get our drink order. The menu looks like it was made/​designed at the same time the building was, which seems to be a long time ago. We ordered, and our food arrived within just a few minutes. Our check was at the table before we even realized. Very good, if a bit quick service (it felt like eating at a very busy restaurant, where they want to clear your table so that they can replace you, but that definitely wasn’t the case).
The BBQ was pretty good, but nothing really special. The meat on its own was good but not especially smokey. My ribs were tender and moist. My BBQ beef was a little dry and felt like it might have been sitting around for a while (to be expected at the end of the day at a BBQ restaurant). The sides were okay. Hush puppies were the best part, but it’s pretty hard to mess up hush puppies. Mac n’ cheese was that classic southern BBQ style with a thick yellow cheese sauce, but nothing special. The baked beans were very tomato-​y (again, up to you whether that’s good or not). The sauce was pretty good, but again, nothing super special.
The price was great. A very good amount of two BBQ meats, two sides, and hush puppies for $ 12? Pretty good deal. All the other options seemed to be similarly fairly priced.
All in all, a pretty good place for a quick bite of quality BBQ. Don’t make a roadtrip for it, unless you want a picture of the old fashioned sign. But there’s definitely no problem with dropping in, or even making it a regular pit stop.

If you like BBQ! DO NOT EAT HERE. From the staff to the food it was all phoned in, Beef was cold and fatty same with the pork, my son got the black Angus burger aka frozen BUBBA BURGER, hush puppies were sooo dry and the BBQ sauce was watered down and flavorless

Do you like BBQ? Are you in South Tampa? Then come to Jimbo’s. Centrally located right off of Kennedy, you’ll be able to get there in no time.
Walking in, it’s like walking into your father’s den from 1970. It’s ALL wood. Dark wood at that. Sitting down on hard wood benches or in the booths it’s comfy and cozy. Taking a look around you’ll see the old advertisements and the waitress will be right with you.
To the back of the place is a pickle and pepper bar, try some, they’re really good. Homemade if I’m not mistaken.
The food! We had a party of 7 last night, so everyone seemed to order something different. Myself, I got the pig ribs (¹⁄₃^rd rack) with double green beans. The husbeast got a salad with pulled chicken and the brother next to me got brisket with beans and coleslaw. I couldn’t see what everyone else got, but I can tell you that nearly everyone cleaned their plate. My ribs were delicious, tender, very flavourful and just the right amount of fatty. The pulled chicken was juicy and smoky and oh so good. The salad beneath was chock full of good leafy greens.
And of course, lets not forget about the hush puppies. I’m not supposed to eat them right now, but I did eat one. ok Two. And they were SO good.
The kids — 2 of them ages 7 and 3 both had dessert. One just had ice cream, the other had a brownie sundae. I swear, hand to god, that the ice cream on the sundae was nearly a foot high. And ZOMG. it looked so tasty, the soft serve looked creamy.
For 7 people, the bill was under $ 100.

I’m in love with the pickles! They have a big ol bowl of what I was expecting to be shitty dill chips, but these were fat, fresh-​tasting and delicious! Their garden salad is huge and better than a salad at a bq place should be. The bacon on it is sooooo good. I got a double meat plate with white chicken and sliced beef. They were both on the dry side but had good flavor. I really liked the sauce, tangy and served hot. My husband thought it was too thin and resorted to dipping his meats in the leftover honey mustard salad dressing. Most bq places have a couple of sauce options, but if you don’t like the sauce here, you’re stuck. I’m not usually a hush puppy eater, but these looked too amazing to pass up. They were warm and crunchy and soft in the middle. Service, however, was pretty terrible. Our waitress got wrapped up in a conversation at the register and didn’t even look our way for 15 min or so. She brought us two salads, which is no big deal, she realized her mistake and didn’t charge us, but the table behind us (different wait staff) got all wrong food! There were only like four tables of people at the time. Meh, I’d go back again just for the hush puppies.

Quick Review: Tampa Barbecue with tradition — solid food, but it’s seen better days.
I want to rate Jimbo’s so much higher; truly, I do. I’ve gone here with my parents so many times, and each time the food seems to lose a little more of its magic. I’m not sure if ownership has changed or if the recipes have changed, but while the food is decent, they have done better.
On a much more positive note, the service is still killer — the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful! I really hope that this place can get its mojo back, I really want to see it stay strong for years to come.

Tampa has some goooood bbq and this place makes the list. the smokey flavor and friendly folks make you want to get their hospitality anytime your’re in the area. Yes Jimbos has gooood bbq.

I am always impressed by how consistent the BBQ is here. The ribs are great and I love the chopped pork sandwich! Tonight I tried the sliced pork sandwich and although the flavor was great, I didn’t like how the sauce drips right through the cracks! ;-P
Another awesome standout is the pickle bar with huge pickle chunks and my personal fave, pickled cherry peppers! Mmmm!
They have dessert. I’ve heard it’s fantastic, but I am always stuffed! So, go and try Jimbo’s and let me know how dessert is-I’m curious! :-D

Don’t think we’ll bother coming back to this place due to the quality of the food and just-​okay service.
We grabbed a table and waited 10 minutes for a server to come take our drink orders. After that, the service improved, though it was not great.
As for the food, it wasn’t terrible, but it definitely wasn’t anything special. The barbecue sauce is very thin and runny. It basically went everywhere on my plate except where I wanted it to end up. I found the hushpuppies lacking in flavor, as did the coleslaw. My boyfriend’s fries tasted liked they went straight from the freezer to the fryer to our plate. My baked beans were tepid at best, and essentially congealed in the bowl.
Unilocal’s «meh» really sums it up.

Ribs couldn’t have been drier. It seems
They had been from day before or sitting under heat lamp for a very long time. Green beans were also old and dried out. I told the manager and he acted like he couldn’t care less and asked if I wanted a to go box. Won’t be back!!! Stay away!

For what it is, a casual bbq restaurant, it’s wonderful! They serve delicious bbq pork, beef, and chicken dishes and yummy homemade pickles. Prices are reasonable. They have a drive up window and indoor table service.

I had driven past this place numerous times in my treks up and down Kennedy and had contemplated trying it many times; the source of my reluctance is that being a Texas native, I have very high standards for meat. A stewardess friend was in town and staying nearby so it was a perfect opportunity to check it out.
This resturaunt is quaint, super clean and inviting. The wooden picnic-​style tables and inviting pig statue out front gave this place plenty of charm.
My first impression of Jimbo’s was, «Wow, that girl really knows her meat!» Telling our very friendly waitress about my origins, she quickly pointed out that they didn’t serve bruiscuit and therefore I was not cheating on Texas. The portions were generous and a great value for the price. The chicken sandwich was quite filling and the warm sauce on the table was delicious.
Upon leaving, I had to ask if there was a special aparatus they used to keep their sauces warm and the friendly young lady pointed it out. There were several menu options that I wanted to try so I will certainly be back.

When grading BBQ I like to look at the food to see if it was cooked properly. The sauce and rub are very subjective, you either like it or you don’t. The meat didn’t fall of the bone (which means it’s overcooked) but it came off once I took a bite of it, which means it was cooked perfectly! I actually liked the sauce, it had good flavor and I liked the fact it was dry, I could sauce it how I pleased.
I didn’t have any problems with service, and the prices are decent; expect to spend around $ 10 per person. The chicken was good, but the mac n cheese was awful, no flavor whatsoever— get the ribs and some sides and you will be pleased!!!

I had the pork sandwich with fries and BBQ beans. The beans and fries were good. The pork sandwich was decent. Just pulled pork on a hamburger bun. Nothing spectacular, to me. I thought that since they brought the sauce out warm it would be heaven. It wasn’t. A little too runny for me. The husband enjoyed it though.
I’d probably go back, if I was in the area, to try other items on the menu though.

What a great local gem! My Unilocal community helped me out to find this place. At noon on a Tuesday this place was packed. Great community atmosphere with community style dining tables. Paper towels and condiments on the table and homemade pickle chips free flowing. I tried the ¹⁄₃ slab of ribs with mac and cheese and green beans and hushpuppies. SOOOO much food for the price and all good. The meat just fell off the bones and the vinegar based sauce was a perfect compliment. Green beans were nice and crisp and hushpuppies were piping hot.
My colleague ordered the pulled chicken sandwich with cole slaw. She said she would definitely be back when we were in town next.
Friendly staff and very attentive. They were very patient with the out of towners. The one thing we did notice was we were the only female patrons. Didn’t matter to us! Good food is good food!

Jimbo’s is one of my favorite BBQ joints in Tampa. This restaurant has been around for over forty years and is consistently busy. The prices are such a great value because the portions that are served are very generous.
The staff here is very friendly, attentive, and efficient. I can honestly say in the all the years I have dined here, I have never had a bad experience.
If you decide to dine in, there are complimentary peppers and pickles you can munch on while you wait for your order. You won’t wait long though, food comes out quickly here.
There is also a drive-​thru and a separate to-​go window here for your convenience. I love the to-​go window because I will call ahead with my order and don’t even have to walk through the restaurant looking like a tired hot mess.
I have tried most of their entrees and my favorite is their sausage. I also enjoy the hush puppies that are served with every meal. You don’t really find too many restaurants that serve hush puppies. Their sides are typical sides items served with BBQ: french fries, BBQ beans, etc. The French Fries are good.
Jimbo’s also serves a very inexpensive breakfast, if you are looking for an option.

This place would get four stars from me if it weren’t for the bad service and the lack of more than one type of barbecue sauce.
I had the chopped pork sandwich, which was good, although I’ve had better. I wish they had a spicy sauce, but alas I had to settle for the bland sauce they have posing as tangy!
The waitress was terrible. She didn’t bring refills to our table very often and when she did, she had a mean look on her face.
If we’re in the Tampa area again we might try this place again…

Passed by Jimbo’s on the way to our hotel and immediately looked it up on Unilocal to check out the reviews. I hadn’t had bbq in a while and knew we needed something close by for lunch the next day, so it looked like a good place. After reading the reviews and talking to fellow Yeep Steve E., who lives in Tampa, I was sold on this place!
I ordered the chicken & ribs combo and chose baked beans and fries. My chicken & ribs were both cooked perfectly. The chicken was nice and juicy and the ribs were nice and tender. The baked beans were not the best I have ever had, but they were pretty darn good and I ate them all. I didn’t care for the fries because they were seasoned, so hubby ate those. Nothing against the fries, I just don’t like seasoned fries from anywhere… ever. I wish now I would have gotten the mac & cheese instead.
The hushpuppies were so yummy! I was born and raised in Mississippi and have lived in FL for 17 years. These hushpuppies were so close to the ones back home. Closest ones I’ve found yet here in FL. LOVED them! Could have eaten my weight in them. Yay that hubby doesn’t eat hushpuppies because I got to eat his too! Hehehehe
The place was really nice and homey inside. I loved all the old timey signs they had as decorations. I also loved the cute little stairs that went nowhere with a sign for a painless dentist. Very cute.
Only 3 stars instead of 4 for a couple of reasons. They only had one type of bbq sauce. I like my bbq sauce sweet and their sauce was a little too tangy for me. Even though my chicken and ribs were cooked perfectly, the tangy sauce took away the total yummy factor for me. The other reason is because of the service. Our waitress was absolutely horrible. We had to get up twice to go ask for refills on our drinks and we had to get up and go ask for silverware. We were there in the middle of the afternoon and the place was pretty much dead. I don’t understand why she wasn’t attentive.
Anyway, when in Tampa, I’d still return here just for those hushpuppies!