SONNY'S BBQ

No asterisks on SONNY'S BBQ: an A kitchen at 97/100, 4.6 stars across 4,027 reviews. The food and the inspection agree.

It ranks safer than 72% of Orange County restaurants we grade. The last inspection (January 22, 2026) noted just 3 basic violations. Menus here flag options for dairy-free, keto, paleo, and nut-aware diners.

A · 97/100 · safer than 72% of Orange County

Get directions Call (407) 671-2002

Restaurant details

Health grade
A (97/100)
Violations
3 total — 3 basic
Address
3390 UNIVERSITY BLVD, Winter Park, FL
Cuisine
American
Categories
Barbecue restaurant, American restaurant, Bar & grill, Catering food and drink supplier, Family restaurant, Lunch restaurant
Price
$10–20
Rating
4.6 stars (4027 reviews)
Seats
177
Phone
(407) 671-2002
Website
Official website
Photo of SONNY'S BBQ
Photo: Sonny's BBQ

Community Rating

Reviews via Google
4.6 Community-sourced rating 4,027 reviews
Read all reviews on Google →

What diners say — our read

The recurring subject in this corpus is front-of-house, not the food in general. Where the staff comes up, the rating that follows averages 4.8, so it reads as a strength.

More reviewers landed on 5 stars than any other score — 24 of 27. The split is 27 positive to 0 negative across 27 rated reviews. What nobody raises here is pacing — it goes unmentioned across all 27 reviews.

Against that, the kitchen inspects well — an A (97/100), 3 basic violations at the most recent DBPR visit. That result dates from January 22, 2026. Ranked against Orange County, it is safer than 72% of the restaurants we score. What the inspector actually wrote up: storage & handling of clean equipment and utensils and floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained.

Nothing here pulls in opposite directions — an unusually clean read. Full reviews follow below in the order they were left.

Our own analysis of 27 reviews for this restaurant, set against its Florida DBPR inspection record. How we calculate grades →

  • June 29, 2026

    Acoustics very loud since location remodeled! Ladies Restroom not desireable!!

  • June 28, 2026

    Always good since the renovations. Great value. Friendly staff, good service.

  • June 25, 2026

    Awesome food & service Lisa & Madison are the very best servers! For anyone looking for a terrific burger - you gotta get the candied bacon burger, it is THE BEST!!!

  • June 24, 2026

    Brisket was really good

  • June 21, 2026

    Our server, Laura, was so nice & delivered amazing service!

  • June 17, 2026

    Katelyn was amazing !

  • June 17, 2026

    Excellent all around BBQ and great service at this location!

  • June 17, 2026

    Laura is great

  • June 16, 2026

    Laura’s the best

  • June 11, 2026

    Service was incredible! Made the meal that much more enjoyable.

  • June 11, 2026

    Abby did an amazing job during our visit

  • June 11, 2026

    Abby was a wonderful server and the food was good.

  • June 11, 2026

    Abby was a great sever anf the food was great!!!

  • June 11, 2026

    Abby was amazing

  • June 11, 2026

    The food was absolutely amazing, and Katelyn is hands down the best. She may be the good-looking one, but I’m definitely the funnier one, so together we make a pretty solid review team. Great food, great service, and an even better experience. Highly recommend!

  • June 10, 2026

    Laura was an awesome waitress and the food was great

  • June 10, 2026

    Laura provided great service with smile

  • June 10, 2026

    Laura was an excellent server very nice

  • June 9, 2026

    My mom and I have been coming to this specfic location for about 10 years, after the Oviedo one went downhill in service and quality. Thru several mgt and menu changes, the staff here has been consistently amazing and helpful. Sometimes the kitchen staff don't always knock it out of the park, but it's uncommon. My favorite server is Laura, and she's about the main reason why we keep coming back. She's the only one who ensures our preferences are met and goes above and beyond the call of duty. You can really tell that she cares about the people and wants to make us happy. Totally a sweetheart and so kind. Never let her go!

  • June 9, 2026

    Kate was absolutely amazing

  • June 9, 2026

    I hate the Sonnys in Apopka but this location has renewed my attitude towards sonnys again food was amazing

  • June 9, 2026

    Service was great

  • June 9, 2026

    Kaitlyn is awesome! She’s great and fun to have around. Great service and helps me deal with babysitting grown men that I work with on our lunch at the bar

  • June 8, 2026

    Great special today, food was good, and Kate was nice and wonderful. What else could you ask for?

  • June 6, 2026

    The pulled pork was good!

  • June 4, 2026

    Best brisket ever.

  • May 30, 2026

    Definitely get your money's worth.

Overall Score

76 / 100

  • Health inspection grade 40/40
    Grade A
  • Dietary transparency 13/20
    4 options listed
  • Community rating 18/20
    4.6★ average
  • Hidden-gem status 0/10
    Not flagged
  • Track record 5/10
    Stable, 33% clean

Composite score from health grade, dietary options, ratings, and inspection record — distinct from the state-derived health grade.

Opening hours

Monday
11 AM to 9 PM
Tuesday
11 AM to 9 PM
Wednesday
11 AM to 9 PM
Thursday
11 AM to 9 PM
Friday
11 AM to 9:30 PM
Saturday
11 AM to 9:30 PM
Sunday
11 AM to 9 PM

Inspection history

The following records are from Florida DBPR public inspection records, most recent first.

  1. January 22, 2026 · Routine - Food

    Inspection Completed - No Further Action

    0 high-priority · 0 intermediate · 3 basic

    • 14 — Food-contact & nonfood-contact surfaces properly designed/maintained
    • 24 — Storage & handling of clean equipment and utensils; air drying
    • 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation
  2. August 21, 2025 · Routine - Food

    Call Back - Complied

    0 high-priority · 0 intermediate · 0 basic

    No violations cited.

  3. July 21, 2025 · Routine - Food

    Warning Issued

    0 high-priority · 1 intermediate · 2 basic

    • 23 — Nonfood-contact surfaces clean
    • 29 — Plumbing installed & maintained; mop sink; backflow prevention
    • 51 — Other conditions of sanitary & safe operation

This grade is calculated by us from Florida DBPR public inspection records — Florida does not issue official grades. How we calculate it →

Data last updated: January 22, 2026