Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ: Simple.

There is very little decent BBQ in Orlando. I am not joking. There are plenty of options for BBQ in Orlando, that part is also true. Between the entourage of Sonnys, Smokey Bones, and 4Rivers Smokehouses, you are never too far away from BBQ. But unlike other genres of food like seafood and Italian, it remains a challenge to find a spot that will conquer your soul and pretty much force you to return.

Bubbalous is no exception. The right idea, but not the right stuff.

Already on the Zagat survey it claims the spot had lost some of its old-school fans saying it’s not the same. Rather jarring to see that on the front of the door. Not a good sign of hope. There were plenty of options on the menu and the range is quite extensive. Its aura of BBQ isn’t quite as strong as your usual spots, and I was trying to figure out why. I went with this platter that had ribs, shrimp, garlic bread, fries and macaroni and cheese. This was considered their most popular item. The dish has a heavy…Sonny’s feel.

One of my biggest (most random and douchy) complaints about these types of places is that they never dare to put the sauce on their items, pretty much making you do the extra work. If a place believes in their sauce, they will lather their meat with their condiments, fully knowing how much you are going to enjoy it. This is why Yellow Dog Eats remains the top BBQ place as well as one of the best sandwich places in all of Florida. Bubbalou’s delivers their meat and sides dry, with the sauces in each of the tables. Which would explain the lack of intoxicating smell.

Everything on my plate was decent and feasable, but nothing really special. The ribs were the best part, but without the layer of sauce already caked in there it comes rather dry until you use their signature sauce. The fries were very….Sonnys-ish. The macaroni and cheese has seen better days. The garlic bread also had the taint of Sonnys. By the end of the meal, what I determined was that this place was the local equivalent of a Sonnys. Which is a shame, because the place had been quite hyped up to me.

I am running out of words, because I am running out of reason to talk about this place. It was recommended to me, I spent the money, and I felt empty by the time the lunch had finished. There was nothing very Floridian about this place. There was nothing Orlandonian about this place either. If its close to you and you truly crave BBQ, go for it. If you want to go the extra mile and aim for something more fulfilling, seek elsewhere.



Final Verdict: Do Not Recommend

Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ
5818 Conroy Rd
Orlando, FL