- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Jax House of Ribs - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Barbeque Barbeque [Edit]
5401 Powerline RdFort Lauderdale, FL 33309
(954) 776-4994
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
19 reviews for Jax House of Ribs
19 reviews in English
-
Review from BETH F.
Boca Raton, FL
4/24/2010
I was searching the web for a "decent" place for RIBS since I had been in the mood for them. I am VERY particular to the type and TASTE of the BBQ sauce for ribs. I'm NOT particularly fond of smoky-flavored ones...I tend to enjoy a sweeter type. I stumbled upon this GREAT find.....a bit of a drive for me from West Boca, but WELL WORTH the trip. A friend of mine met me from dinner and she lives in the Lauderdale Lakes , FT/Laud area...so I met her there. Before leaving, I found the website to have Internet coupons and Monthly coupons as well. I printed out a number of them as choices for my friend and I. I arrived well after her since she lives relatively close and my GPS on my phone gave rather a backwards suggestion to get there. The owner, Mitch, feeling sorry for my friend waiting gave her an appetizer of smoked chicken and crackers to eat while waiting and, she said that she enjoyed immensely. I personally didn't try it as I wanted to SAVE my appetite that had been on my mind to have RIBS. This place is touted as having an "all u can eat" ribs motto, but I simply had one of their internet coupon deals which was VERY reasonable considering the price of a full rack of ribs these days. I ordered the full rack of baby backs with your choice of either corn bread or garlic bread (I had heard the garlic bread was the one to choose, so did), two sides, I chose a sweet potato and collard greens, the salad bar (unlimited trips, I might add) and unlimited refills of soda/fountain drinks were included in the price of $15.95 which I thought was truly AMAZING!!! Our server, Keisha was very friendly and accomodating. Actually, from the moment I walked in, the owner/manager Mitch, welcomed me and said "she's over there"....LOL (as if he KNEW who to be looking out for). I felt like I was a regular already!!!
I was going to have the St. Louis-style ribs, but my friend ordered the sampler that came with 1/2 rack of baby backs and 3 St. Louis-style ones with again, two sides, she chose the sweet potato as well, but had green beans. Mitch came over and even told my friend that if she didn't like the St. Louis-style type of ribs, he would bring her another 1/2 of baby backs...(very generous of him, to say the least!). I went up to the salad bar and, it was presentable and well stocked with various options to put on the salad, including sunflower seeds, croutons, bacon bits and the usual various creamy salad dressings. I only went up once and opted for the oil and red vinegar choice for my dressing. I was half way through my salad when my dinner arrived. Decent size of rack of ribs for me. Color was perfect, sauce was coated and carmelized on the back side of the ribs (which I noticed because I have found the easiest method of cutting individual ribs is to turn them over so you can see the scored lines to cut ...little trick for you rib lovers if you didn't already know..lol) Anyway..from the moment I bit into one, I KNEW that their ribs were succulent, tasty and fall off the bone type. They really didn't need any added sauce, but I just wanted to taste a drop of the Sweet BBQ sauce that they had on the table (there were two others too, but I don't recall what they were) but ended up just eating the ribs without any added sauce, although the sweet was delicious! I didn't think that I was going to eat the entire rack as with all the other sides, I tend to eat about 5 ribs and take almost a half to 3/4 of a rack home, but I DID! I ate the whole thing Ma!!! LOL They were bone-sucking good ribs. Seriously!! My friend got the sampler and even though the St. Louis style ribs appealed to me since they are bigger and looked like more meat on them, my friend didn't like the tougher quality and told Mitch she didn't care for them and he made good on his promise to her to bring her a 1/2 rack of the baby backs as placement. She was thrilled and enjoyed hers as well and loved the cornbread, sweet potato and green beans. There wasn't a morsel on her plate left and, it was amazing to see such a tiny friend put it away! LOL
I, enjoyed the collard greens...they weren't too salty and there were bits of pork pieces (I think..lol) in them that were quite tasty. I enjoyed my sweet potato with a cinnamon butter that comes in a tub that they bring as well. The raspberry iced tea was really GREAT too...big too..and remember, the coupon entitled me to a drink and unlimited as well...I couldn't finish the first one. It was THAT big!!! Although I was quite full, I HAD to try their cobbler that they MAKE there..a peach one with some whipped topping that tastes like FRESH whipped cream and NOT in a can or cool whip. It was served warm and VERY good. My friend took ONE bite and then was sorry she didn't take more. She was coughing and didn't want to infect the dish. It was very good and Keisha said it was a toss up between the sweet potato pie and the cobbler. I would return again over and over!!!! -
Review from John O.
Cooper City, FL
9/26/2011
Menu is limited. Service is mediocre unless you get Jessica she is great.
Cashier is cold and unfriendly (must be a family member of the owners) i would have fired her a long time ago.
Owner is really friendly though.
Wish they would put something other than sports on the tv.
Food is good, i would like to see more combo meals. -
Review from Tim N.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
5/16/2010
Sadly Jax has closed!
The web site says, "owner is selling building, we will relocate & re-open"
Let's hope so!
This kinda sucks! -
Review from Vanessa P.
Aventura, FL
5/25/2009 1 photo
Since it was Memorial Day we made the trek up here earlier this afternoon to take advantage of their lunch special, and it was well worth every drop of gasoline we wasted (we live in Aventura)
Service was wonderful, the food is served up super fast and by far some of the most deeeeelicious barbecue I've ever had. I ordered the pulled pork plate with a side order of the 1/2 rack of baby back ribs (only $3.99 extra!). The sides dishes all sounded incredible, but I kept it simple with corn on the cob and a sweet potato. I'm a big fan of the different BBQ sauces they have, especially the Smokey one.
Needless to say, my craving for barbecue was thoroughly satisfied after eating here. Normally my boyfriend isn't a fan of BBQ, but even he admitted to how wonderful his pulled pork sandwich was and joked about ordering a second one to go.
Unfortunately, I was too full to order the fried cheesecake dessert or key lime pie, but since I work in the area I'm definitely coming back.
Also, check out their website for special coupons and to also sign up to be part of their VIP club for additional discounts.Listed in: Worth the drive, Fave Repeat Visits
-
Review from MICHELLE C.
Miami, FL
8/31/2009 1 photo
Did someone say all you can eat BBQ??
Had a taste for BBQ grabbed my phone and wa la this place came up because we were two miles from it. It did remind me of Sonny's BBQ.
The waitress was nice and friendly, although she did get distracted a few times during our visit.
We both did the all you can eat for $11.95 because it came with the salad bar, all you can eat sides, and choice of pulled pork, pulled beef, or sliced, turkey, or chicken. Hubby actually tried the St. Louis ribs which were just o.k. He did say next time he would try the baby back which looked really good.
I chose the pulled pork and pulled beef. Very good with excellent choices (on the table) of three different BBQ sauces. My first plate came out after my fresh salad and there was alot of food. Not being a huge pork or BBQ person, I did really like the food. You have to have a very large appetite to enjoy the all you can eat. We never ordered anything more as the first plate was to much for us to handle.
The garlic bread was yummy......corn on the cob (fried) very tasty with a nice smokey flavor to it. Did not try the onnion rings but they looked awesome as well.
Food= 4 stars
Service= 3 stars
Cleanliness= 3 stars, they need help in the restroom area,
So all in all 3.5 stars is what I would really give them. Would I go back? Yes, if I am in the area.
Go very hungry!!!! -
Review from Jamie H.
Bloomington, IL
8/20/2009
Maybe I went here with artificially high expectations, maybe I'm not a big BBQ fan, or maybe people who give this place 5 stars don't know what they're talking about...not exactly sure.
Jax has decent food at a VERY good price. The portion sizes are very large and the service is very quick. I just didn't think the taste separated it from most other non KC and non TX bbq's that I've been to.
We started by splitting some wings. The size of the wings and the amount of meat was impressive. We asked the waitress what sauce she recommended and she said medium. I should have known better...it wasn't that good. I'd recommend trying the wings but get a different sauce.
For the main course I had St. Louis ribs, mac & cheese, green beans, and garlic toast. The ribs were just average...good portion of meat but a little dry. The mac & cheese was decent, certainly better than Kraft but I've had better. The green beans were also just OK. I'm used to having green beans at a BBQ joint that come with a little kick. These were just mushy. The best thing...check that the second best thing...was the garlic toast. MMMMMM. The actual best thing was the $2.00 beers to wash it all down
In summary a decent BBQ place especially for the $$, but nothing special in my book. -
Review from Jack L.
Hollywood, FL
7/20/2009 2 photos
All I have to say is WOW. I don't think I could get tired of this place.
I love BBQ. And I love All U Can Eat. Someone pinch me!
Being that this was my first visit, I decided not to cannonball into the pool but rather test the waters first. So I went with the safe 3 combo plate of Turkey, Pulled Beef and St Louis Style Ribs w/ an added 1/2 rack of baby backs for $4 extra. The plate itself was 12 and it included 2 sides and bread. Everything was good. And I do mean everything. I'm not a big dinner bread fan at all and I gotta say their garlic bread was simply delicious. The Mac and Cheese was superb. My only mistake of the evening was getting the french fries when there were so many other sides to choose from.
The st louis ribs were surprisingly good. I almost prefer them over the baby backs. The turkey was moist and thin carved. I ate that with my bare hands and couldn't shovel it into my gullet fast enough.
I am definitely going to tango with the all u can eat later.
With or without AUCE, this place definitely warrants future visits. -
Review from Jason K.
Edina, MN
3/15/2009
My wife and I were hanging around the Baltimore spring training stadium and we saw JAX.
What an awesome place for BBQ. The service was fantastic. The beers were 2 bucks. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and it was juicy and full of flavor.
My wife loved the corn bread and her salad was made perfectly.
Overall, an awesome lunch. -
Review from Steve H.
Hollywood, FL
11/12/2010
This location has been closed.
-
Review from The Dude Dean ..
Fort Lauderdale, FL
6/23/2008
Good BBQ in Fort Lauderdale, located at the same spot as Sonny's BBQ. Most importantly this place has Sweet Tea.
-
Review from Keith H.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
5/2/2010
Found the site on google and it was close so I checked it out w the gf. The place is neat, somewhat clean but well used(seating, tables, etc), decorated accordingly if not a bit sparsely. Prices are good to ver good for the portions. The actual food is a bit under par for a bbq joint; good but nowhere near great. To the first timer, it may come across as 4-5 star, but it's nowhere near that. Jack's in Oakland park is a step up, but still not 4 star bbq. The food itself is lacking tenderness and smoke flavor for the style of cooking. The salad bar is def. not worth the extra $4, some of the items look to have been out for a very long time. Cornbread was nothing special, cooked way ahead of time and got a bit soggy. The sauces are very good, all 3 flavors standout. Jax hits this nail on the head. Curly fries are good as well. In summation, the food def. has impressive portions for the price(although the all-you-can eat option is more precisely worded as one main course and 2 re-orders, then a check is set down on your table), but is not reflective of authentic BBQ.
The service was absolutely HORRID, after finishing my first plate and drink, I spend 5 or so minutes watching out waitress sitting at a table by the door chatting to a co-worker. I finally walked over and ordered my second course while she was talking. Once the bill arrived I was again left to fend for myself in order to get a take home container for the gf's chicken. I got one from the cashier after an inquisition as to why I needed a to go container(maybe she thought I was opening my own restaurant and was trying to stock up on them by getting free ones after each meal). This place could be big just by the fact you get a lot of food for a reasonable price, but the service and sub par food will keep that from ever happening.
Keith -
Review from Ryanne S.
Oklahoma City, OK
2/19/2010
This is my favorite bar-b-que restaurant of all time. Formerly "Sonny's", Jax has the same great food for the same great prices. The baby back ribs are most excellent. The service is always great, the staff is always smiling and ready to serve. I've never tried the salad bar, but it looks absolutely delicious. The fried okra appetizer is great, and their potato salad rivals grandma's. Two thumbs up, more if I had more thumbs.
-
Review from Jade M.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
4/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
OMG! Ok I am not sure what anyone likes about this place. For a ribs place there is no smoke or even just the hint of a smell in the air. Ribs were cold and the mac n cheese was lumpy( probably from the powdered cheese), just yuck. Ok who could mess up mac n cheese. This is not a place I will be recommending to anyone:(
-
Review from jen p.
San Francisco, CA
1/25/2009 4 photos
my boyfriend and i came here on our first and last day in Fort Lauderdale. The ribs were are absolutely delicious and tender, the meat falls right off the ribs. The drinks here are the biggest I have ever seen! The raspberry iced tea is great! Jax's definitely does not skimp on their portions, the sides are plentiful, but after that full rack of ribs i can barely finish my sides. the cajun rice here is great, there's a nice spice to it.
-
Review from Tedd F.
San Jose, CA
7:30 pm Saturday. Except for the cashiers girlfriend chatting and practially laying on the counter and getting in the way for people to pay, I love this place. I had to stand at the end of the counter near the server window because the "friend" had he phone, keys, wallet , an torso on the counter. She did not even move for me to sign the credit slip and exit. Very trailer park. Ususally the awesome owner is chatting everyone up and making friends. Very disappointed this time. She only told menmy total and that was it....nothing
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
-
4/2/2010
Super quick service!!! Great baby backs!! Cole slaw is world famous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Awesome fast… Read more »
-
-
Review from Dave J.
Winchester, VA
6/22/2009
Nothing great, better than chain BBQ. Tried the St. Louis Ribs, Pulled Pork and Smoked Turkey. The pulled pork really wasn't very good. The turkey was so-so, as were the ribs. All had good smoke but he seasoning wasn't working for me. Sides were good. Plan to try it again, will update my review.
-
Review from Eric B.
Tamarac, FL
6/20/2009
I really thought this place would blow my mind after all the five star reviews. The restaurant is in the old Sonny's location on Powerline; in fact, they have an aerial picture of the restaurant near the front door where they've stuck a little piece of paper over the Sonny's logo and wrote Jax on top. I found that pretty funny.
We ended up at a sticky table with a waitress who must have been having an off night. She carried on a conversation with the table next to ours while she was taking our order, insinuated she was going to refill my sweet tea and then forgot (to her credit when she brought our check she remembered and apologized) and had a prominent open wound on her forearm.
Our food was pretty good (and hopefully scab free). I had the fried okra and the combo beef and pork dinner. The pork was definitely the better of the two meats; the beef was too dry. On the plus side, it felt like a lot of food compared to other local barbecue places and I definitely left feeling full. I wouldn't make a special trip out for this restaurant again, but if I was in the area craving barbecue I'd go again. -
Review from Ted E.
Astoria, NY
4/4/2010
I'm no BBQ expert, but in my very humble opinion, the food at JAX is 2 stars, at best.
I came based mostly on the high Yelp reviews and can say I'm not in agreement with many of them. The the pulled pork was fair, but the St. Louis ribs and bbq chicken were not good. We didn't have the babybacks, which, maybe we should have, but based on every other piece of meat they serve, I don't feel like we missed out. The sides were fair and, as indicated by other reviews, the garlic toast is great. Beers are 2 bucks and there is a whopping discount for EMTs, Firefighters, Cops, and Members of the Armed Services. The price break is a hell of a gesture but it doesn't make the food any better.
So, Jax is someplace you should go if you are seeking out huge quantities of food for low prices. If you are seeking delicious BBQ, go almost anywhere else in the south. -
Review from Dan B.
2/1/2009
Jax's House of Ribs is barbeque at it's finest. The plethora of side dishes are all wonderful. I had my first experience with "deep fried corn on the cob." It was hot, crispy, and delicious. I also have to say they have respectable corn bread and garlic bread. A must-try item is the onion rings. They are some of the best onion rings I've ever had and the three different types of barbeque sauce are enough to keep your onion rings company. As far as the ribs go, they are amazing. I still haven't found any baby back ribs better than Flanigan's (champion of ribs) in South Florida, but these are a close second. The flavor is very distinct. It's the wood that makes it good as my buddy Erik would say. The only way these juicy, fall of the bone, soft pieces of heavenly goodness could have been better was if there were more meat between the bones. That's what sets Flanigan's apart is that there is a great deal of meat between each bone, so you can really enjoy a full gulp without having to labor by approaching for a second. Also, the barbeque sauce is a little better. But, if you are in the Ft Lauderdale area, these are ribs to try for sure. The flavor is amazing and I highly recommend it. The swine on which you dine will be fine and divine. French fries are excellent and the cajun rice is great too.
