Billy Jacks BBQ

I've been patiently waiting for STH's latest concept, and the wait didn't disappoint! Quite the opposite actually!I wasn't sure what to expect, really, but this is what I've discovered.I was pleased to find that the brand's focus on hospitality wasn't ushered out with the introduction of the disposable plates and utensils. Extremely friendly staff, from management down to the line cooks and servers. All said hello, and made me feel welcome!I dined alone so I sat at the bar. I was blown away by the menu options. While this place has the southern charm of a hole-in-the-wall backyard BBQ joint, the flavors of the food were other-worldly.I opted for the Thursday Special, turkey wings over rice with gravy and a cornbread muffin PLUS TWO SIDES! Holy cow. For my sides, I got the baked beans and cole slaw - two sides that a bbq joint could be judged on alone!Both were EXCELLENT! I mean, for real. The Cole slaw was reminiscent of chick-fil-a, which sounds like an insult to anyone who doesn't know Cole slaw. This was awesome.The baked beans were SOUTHERN! Right kind of sweet, and Smokey. Perfect.The Turkey, rice, and gravy.... There are no words, and the photo certainly does it no justice. I'm considering using all of my PTO days on Thursday's and making that a "thing". The portions were HUGE! Like theme park sized .I also added a rib to my meal because I felt guilty not ordering something bbq, and because I'm a Datil junky, and I had to try their Datil bbq sauce. Certainly didn't disappoint!I'd normally break this down individually, but the entire meal was a 10 out of 10.Food 10/10 (Thanks, Chef!)Ambiance 10/10 (great water views)Service 10/10Menu diversity 10/10Quality 10/10Cocktails 10/10 (selection may be smaller than their typical bars, but they have a great line up!) plus a bonus because the bartender had a great personality.I've got a long way to go to try everything on this extensive menu. It's a LONG way from home but I'll be happily making the trip from St. Augustine as often as possible.Another home run for Southern Table Hospitality! Now bring one south so I can give you guys all my money! Super impressed with what they were able to do with the old package store.

We tried this new restaurant on Thursday 1/09/2025 as we traveled back to Jacksonville from a trip to Amelia. We should own stock in the Southern Table Group restaurants as we are at them on a weekly basis. Marker 32 and North Beach being our most frequented.Anyhow, this is similar to Dockside with counter service and a seat yourself setting. That's not my favorite, as I prefer table service, but I understand this is probably a good idea for this location.Because we were unprepared for not sitting down to look over a menu while having a drink, we made relatively quick decisions, as we let multiple parties go in front of us. The hubby had the brisket sandwich with fries. The brisket was flavorful but dry and tough. There were onions all over the sandwich and on the pickles on the side and he hates onions. That is not mentioned on the menu and should be for allergy reasons. The fries were OK. He likes a really hot barbecue sauce and their Datil sauce is not very hot.I had the Mayport fried shrimp basket and it was very good. I only eat wild caught shrimp and confirmed they use local shrimp. It came with fries, coleslaw and hush puppies. It was a generous portion and the hubby helped me eat that. I also had a red sangria which was tasty. The downside was after we had to clean our own table to get seated ( dirty tables galore) , we looked over the menu and would have ordered some additional appetizers. No one ever asked us if they could help us, had we been there before, or anything to assist. The cashiers were troubled to be there imo. Would we go back? Sure but they need a better team to make this place a success. Pros- It's on the water, beside a full barbecue menu they also offer local seafood, they offer adult cocktails, and it has decent parking. Cons- Counter service, doesn't seem like they care if you are there or not, good luck finding a clean table even when the restaurant is mostly empty.

Opened in Aug 2024, we happened to see this place going to my brother's family's house during the Christmas holidays. Very deceiving from the outside, looks as though it's a tiny restaurant when in fact it's pretty huge inside with different seating arrangements. From inside the main dining area to a covered high table area, to the outside dining near the water. As you walk in your blasted with a huge menu along with the daily specials. And wait to order at the counter. We decided to try the Friday special which was the Fried Pork Chops with Rice tomato sauce and 1 side. Chose the Black eyed peas. And you also get 1 piece of corn bread. A drink station is past the ordering counter.The plate was huge we could have shared and got extra sides and would have been satisfied. The seasoning on the pork chops was spot on, however the bread crumb crust on the pork chops broke completely apart and separated from my pork chop when I tried to cut into it. My only critique of the pork chops. A little less coating on the chops would have been better. Sometimes less is better. Over thinking itThe tomato sauce was okay, I was thinking it was going to be stewed tomatoes on top instead of a sauce. Black eyed peas were good and the cornbread was a little on the dry side. All the food coming out looks great, all though we had an okay experience we will definitely be back to try the BBQ.

This place is really nice. Right next to the ferry location right on water. Good outside and inside seating. I had the turkey sandwich with collard greens. Very tasty. Candyce had the brisket. Very tender. With 2 sides. Order at the counter and the bring it out to you. Good service location and of course the food. Definitely will be back

Wow! Great food and fun views of the water. Order at the counter and sit facing the water or outdoors by the water or sit at the small bar. Daily homemade specials which always sound delicious. I have had seafood baskets with oysters, flounder, scallops and shrimp. Always cooked perfectly and taste great. The sides are really good too. Lots of options. Full bar with good margaritas. I love this place!

First time here. Smelled it all the way from the ferry. Walked in, and was greeted with the staff. Friendly from the start. They let us know the specials. You order up front and then head to get your drinks. I had the special jalapeño pulled pork. It came quickly. They didn't have the sauce or one of the sides. Had to bring that to me in a separate trip. The sandwich was very good. Had a wonderful smoky taste. The jalapeño were not too hot. Wish they were spicier.Sat outside and watched the boats go by. I would definitely come back and work my way around the menu.

Very nice folks! I had the Cuban and collards. Yum. Hubby had the pulled pork with mac and cheese and greens beans! The frozen drink are yummy! We went on a cold day or we would have sat outside!

Let me start by saying BBQ isn't usually my go-to and I'm not typically overly exited to go out for BBQ, it's just not normally my thing, but my boyfriend and his family LOVE bbq so I'm always down to try new places. I've been to most of the well known BBQ joints in the city and I can confidently say Billy Jacks is at the top of the list! I wasn't surprised to as the Groshells know how to provide top notch, exceptional food and service and this is no different! We ordered the spicy fried pickles, Turkey wing special that comes with rice & gravy and 2 sides, and 2 way combo with ribs and sausage that comes with two sides and 2 drinks all for $60 w/ tip. The portions are amazing for the price so if you leave here hungry, you may have a tapeworm! Everything from the apps to sides to meat were exceptional and we were super impressed! I highly recommend ordering a daily special- I was so surprised by the turkey wings. I was expecting smoked Turkey legs/wings but they were prepared much different (think Sunday dinner with lots of gravy) and the perfect excuse for an unproductive evening to follow. I would say be conservative when ordering because you get a lot of food but I always over order because I love to try a little bit of everything. No matter how you do it, get to Bill Jacks ASAP!

Wow!! Great experience- Loved everything!! We like to order different items and try as much as we can. The ribs, brisket and pulled pork were super juicy, tender and sooo flavorful. The sauces were great- my favorite was the vinegar one. I love sides- they did not disappoint. Potato salad- yum!! Coleslaw was creamy, salad was fresh and crunchy, beans a little runny but not a drop left. The staff was super friendly- Thank You!! Great location on the water, casual and really clean. The restaurant manager (John Pulley) stopped by to check on us- That was great. We felt appreciated and taken care of. We are planning our next visit and bring our family from out of town. Great Job to the chefs!!! Service Outstanding!!!! Highly recommend

There's a new kid in town, folks! Billy Jack's BBQ did not disappoint these TX transplants. We drove out on a Saturday (you could take the ferry, as it's right next door). It's counter service, which is fine. They have a pretty big selection of appetizers and sides, and even desserts, but I didn't get a pic of the menu or the boards... sorry! I started with the fried squash, which was nice big chunks of yellow and zucchini squash, lightly battered, with some ranch dressing to dip. We each ordered one of the dinners, which come with 2 sides, sweet (?) pickles, pickled onions, and a (just one?) slice of white bread. My husband enjoyed his pulled pork, and I thought the brisket was better than most I've tried in Jax (since I got an ugly message from a stranger about that opinion, I'll point out again, "in Jax." Overall, brisket outside of TX sucks and there's not a nicer way to say it). There are several sauces to choose from. He liked the sweet but I was partial to the datil. We both got collards, which were pretty standard. He enjoyed his cole slaw. The potato salad was halved small potatoes. Not bad, but different. They also have a full bar. I liked the strawberry lemonade vodka slush, very refreshing!Being that it was day 3 of operation, I loved seeing/meeting the owners who were present and "touching tables" as we say. Good job! We'll go again!