Randy's Rib Shack

I had some business in Waldo this weekend and decided that I hadn't been to Randy's in a while, so I should head up a bit early and grab some lunch there since I had a chance.I have been here before, but not since the shutdown hit. Business hours have changed to just the weekends, and the menu this time around was limited to almost all seafood. No ribs in sight, which is kind of sad.They were only doing outdoor seating as well, but sitting outside was quite pleasant. I ordered a grouper platter with fries and baked beans, and it came out in short order. The fish was good... I enjoyed it quite a lot. It didn't need tartar sauce or anything. The fries were also good, and held up throughout the meal. The beans are more what I would call cowboy beans rather than barbecue beans, but they were still good.I do hope that things pick up for this place and they return to the larger menu.

Please be advised that Randy's Rib Shack is not just a cute name to attach to a restaurant to conjure a rustic name. No, the word "shack" in the business name of Randy's Rib Shack is also a pretty accurate description of the exterior of this business.This should not be taken as a negative though. It is a fair description and the food offered here compliments such humble surroundings. The food here is pure Americana and done pretty good. Of course, as with most restaurants, some of the menu items are done better than others. The ribs here are good (they better be, since they are literally in the name of the business).Don't get me wrong, I have had better food, but the dining options around here seemed a bit limited and this place was a good choice.

Stopped here on the way home from Newberry and WOW! A must for the best, moist tender and seasoned ribs. This little mom & pop place beats anything in JAX. Well priced for serious portions. The biggest winner is their BBQ sauce, we couldn't put our finger on the ingredients, but I would buy a bottle if they sold it. Down side was seating outside, we were covered in flys. But I would stop again

I spotted this little BBQ Shack just off of 301 as I approached Waldo from the north, one easy way to remember the location is its a few hundred feet on the right once you pass the infamous Waldo speed trap where the closely knitted line of speed limit signs take you from 65 miles per hour to 55 mph to 45 mph to 35 mph in less than a quarter of a mile so while standing on the brakes trying to avoid the expensive toll you might as well turn on your right turn signal and pull over for some good ole Florida BBQ. This little shack is hard to miss if you're paying attention, the old screened in smoke house is proudly presented between the entrance to the back parking lot and the outdoor dining area. The service here is extremely friendly and the prices are ridiculously reasonable and the BBQ.... well it's definitely in a category by itself as I find most Florida BBQ to be. Looking for a little protein to hold me over I decided to grab a half a rack of pork ribs and a half pound of beef brisket. Having eaten tons of bbq I try not to compare it to other bbq in other parts of the county because it's total different and Randy's Rib Shack is doing it right.Pork Rib - large and meaty and cooked void of any sauce, they don't base their meats which I appreciate I like to taste the seasoning and the smoke. Today the ribs were very tender and filled with flavor more from the seasoning than from the pit but fall off the bones tender, juicy and tasty. I would of preferred a little more smoke and a little more bark but that's not what they do here and apparently it's working for them.Beef Brisket - they slice it thin here and most of it was sliced with the grain verses against the grain - I'm not one to judge this brisket by the way it's cut it's not bad it's just unique and like none I've eaten before. The brisket was served freshly sliced and very moist and seasoned with some kind of garlic based seasonings. It seemed a little strange at first sight but after the first taste I was a fan. There's a lot going on here and I hope to get back soon to try some of their other specialties it all looks good...

Rude. My family of 3 went there & no one would serve us. This overweight girl just stared at us for 40 mins while she served other people. We left after 45 mins of waiting & being ignored. I think they went out of business since Covid, & tbh, good, served them right, imo, after how they treated kind & patient customers.

Stop by this cute little shack for lunch on our way home from MA. 2 dozen of oysters (very fresh) and two huge rib platter and 4 beers and it only cost $70Perfect spot to break the trip. It's family own business for 7 years. Very highly recommend, the young lady Celeste (sorry if I spelled wrong) is very friendly and did a great job.

Randy's doesn't look like much from the road, but looks can fool. For one, when you come up to the rear (from the road) of the building, you realize it's larger than it seemed and they have a nice outdoors dining area, too. The interior is small but very clean and the staff is very outgoing and friendly. You can park in the nearby parking lot of the Amtrak station, and as the station is not currently in use for Amtrak trains, that should be fine. I am not sure how long Randy's has been in business, but know that Amtrak did have train service to this station up to around 2004 and suspect part of the reason for Randy's location was to entice those hungry travelers with good food.Aside from the expected ribs, Randy's is known also for its seafood, especially the catfish. Their hushpuppies and sides (mac n cheese, perhaps most notably) are also on-point and the sheer length and diversity of their menu is pretty impressive. Given that they have something of a captive audience here--their only competition is fast food and a Mexican restaurant--you'd not think Randy's would aspire to the very highest caliber of food, but for the simple, Southern, comfort-food they offer, they do a great job. Expect however that many items, especially the starters, are all fried and not the healthiest of options probably, but what you'd expect for this type of restaurant and if you ARE in the market for things like jalapeño poppers or fried cheese sticks or onion rings, might as well get really good ones, right? Their sweet tea is Southern-perfect, also.Though Amtrak doesn't stop here anymore, a fair amount of freight including the Tropicana orange juice express train roars through here and it's a good spot also for train buffs to train-watch.

Well, one thing they have going for them is portions- and that they are large.We stopped because of the rave reviews and felt that the food was decent, but not crave-worthy. I decided on the boiled shrimp, and there were well over the stated number of nice, large shrimp on my plate. While they were covered in spice, they didn't really have much flavor on their own. Cole slaw and baked beans were decent, both a bit soupy.My mom had the ribs, which leaned more on the tough than tender side. Her "cucumber salad" was actually pickles.... weird. Their BBQ sauces could use some more umph, but they were okay.Alright place, but I probably wouldn't stop here again.

After yelping found this roadside rib shack. Opens at 11:30 daily, not 1:30 Yelp. Lots of outdoor dining right between hwy and rr tracks. Prices were great. Hubby loved tender fall off bone ribs. My grilled grouper sandwich was WAY MORE bread than grouper, so as not to lose the fish I only ate bottom bun and fish only 2/3 length of hoagie roll. Lima beans were okay with hubby, teen who likes them, didn't like these. Fruit salad from a can. Cucumber salad just okay. Fried okra and hush puppies were good--fried seems to be the speciality of Randy. Could have gotten the buffalo fried frog legs--maybe next time. Thanks Celeste for taking good care of us.

One of the most awesome smoked ribs I have had in a long time. Where's Waldo, well I found him, and he's living in a po-dunk town, that has one spectacular BBQ shack. They are known for their ribs and their catfish, but they have the gamut here from alligator to oysters. The staff, well they can take care of themselves. They're friendly and they know there business. I was very happy dealing with them. The place is a dump, but get over it, they have beautiful ribs and that's all that counts. I'm so happy now that I have to drive to Jacksonville in a few weeks, as I will be able to go back to Randy's Ribs!