My wife and I visited Cooter’s Smokehouse whilst on vacation from the U.K. Located in the Davenport area, this truly authentic family run business is a welcome change from the abundance of franchised restaurants in and around the tourist areas of Orlando.
Upon arriving the welcome was genuine, friendly and relaxed. The dining area was cool and practical, these guys don’t need bright lights and fancy tv’s everywhere, they impress you with their service and their food.
One thing to note is that the variety of drinks on offer is limited, no alcohol, which was fine for us, but I personally would have preferred the addition of some different soda options to compliment the drinks on the menu.
We made our order and sat back in anticipation of some good hearty homestyle BBQ fare and wow did we get it in abundance.
I ordered a 3-meat platter of ribs, pulled pork and brisket. They also offer pork chops, but unfortunately, they had sold out prior to us arriving.
The first thing that my wife and I both noticed was the lack of sauce smothering our food. At last somewhere that doesn’t rely on a sauce to provide flavour. It was obvious that there was a lot of pride and effort put into cooking these meats, so much so that each and every one of them had a very different taste.
Succulent and in no way dry even without sauce, the meat simply fell apart and melted in the mouth. There were two different homemade sauces available on our table, both of which offered something different in terms of a slightly spicey fruity flavour or a less spicey more rounded BBQ flavour.
The portions are extremely generous, so much so that my 3-meat platter could easily feed two or more people, yes they are that big.
So what about value for money. Well as regular visitors to the Orlando area, my wife and I have been fortunate to eat in a variety of places but nowhere has come close to providing the value for money that Cooter’s Smokehouse did. The value for money here is exceptional.
So would we return to Cooter’s Smokehouse? Most definitely, this family-run business in the heart of Davenport is only a 20-minute drive from the popular area of ChampionsGate, but what it provides in terms of authentic BBQ food is in our opinion a different world in terms of the quality of food on offer here.
Thank you for the amazing meal and excellent personal service.
Curt A. Van Cleave
I have been meaning to make this review for awhile now, but time has slipped away from me. In my personal opinion, Cooter’s Smokehouse is the absolute BEST BBQ on this side of the Mississippi! Every other BBQ place should aspire to be as good as Cooter’s Smokehouse. A few weeks ago my Mom and I were driving around Davenport looking for a good place to have lunch. Being a historian I saw the old house that said “Cooter’s Smokehouse” and living in Tennessee I know these old houses have some of the best BBQ. We went ahead and parked and went on in. We were greeted with immediate southern hospitality and friendly service. I ordered the smoked BBQ brisket and so did Mom and 2 sweet teas. Our sweet teas came out in 2 big mason jar jugs poured over cold ice. You could tell it was homemade and delicious! (Which it was,) then came time for the food. The portions were good, you could tell all the sides were homemade, and the smoked brisket with their signature sassy apple bbq sauce was the best I had EVER had! EVER! During our meal Mom had to go to the bathroom. Mom was in a car accident a month or so ago and still needed a wheelchair when we went out. The owner (at least I think she was the owner,) offered to wheel Mom to the bathroom and make sure she got in okay, so I could continue eating. She also wheeled her back to the table as well when Mom was finished. You really don’t find food and caring service/people like this anymore. The whole experience was a 5 star down home southern hospitality experience. As far as I am concerned, you should run NOT walk to Cooter’s Smokehouse! This is truly the best smoked bbq made by some of the most caring folk ever! If there was a 6 star to give I would give it and Siskel and Ebert don’t have enough thumbs! Ya’ll are the best!
Bob Cohen
Cooters Smokehouse in Davenport, FL. created an amazing buffet for my wedding reception Thanksgiving 2024. No singular person could create such an amazing spread and environment without an AMAZING crew. The food included RIBS, PORK, CHICKEN, (delicious), sweat potato casserole, 2 delicious salads and an unbelievable MAC N CHEESE bar. Everything you could add to fantastic MAC N CHEESE by itself. If you have a sweet tooth, the 🧁 CUPCAKES, oh my.
I truly believe they can make anything incredibly delicious. I consider myself a BBQ afficionado and have competed in competitions, but Cooters Smokehouse is off the charts.
Again, we had to overcome some logistical difficulties and Samantha's team pulled it off without a hitch.
I cannot overstate how happy I was with Samantha and Cooters Smokehouse.
In closing, if you don't believe me, try them for lunch!
Thomas Nieporte
Our first visit but not our last. The food was absolutely delicious, but the folks that work here make this a fabulous experience. It is family run and they make you feel like part of the family. Thank you folks for a wonderful evening and a great meal. Will be back soon 🙂
Murphy Alain
The flowers were nice but the customer service was horrible. She complained the entire time in front of me while arranging my flowers about me missing her call before arriving. I was crunched for time and getting ready for work so I didn’t see the call. I apologized for missing the call but she literally went on and on with her fellow associates complaining about how we “place orders online and just expect the order to be ready”. Why give me the option for a pick up time online and complain when it’s not ready even though I came 30 minutes late. Which mean she had extra time then what was promised online.
Talyna DeCarlo-Kauffman
What a fantastic place! We’ve been searching for 3 1/2 years for a great barbecue place in Florida and we finally found it! Service is phenomenal. Food is outstanding and grandma Mae is the sweetest!
Milan Elizabeth
My family and I absolutely loved dinner here!!! The cozy atmosphere was like eating at home and we didn’t even have to do the dishes! Grandma was too cute, everyone was so friendly and the food was to die for! In and out within the hour, prices are super affordable, portions are more than enough! Highly recommended! We will be back!
Megan Kueker
Great catering for Thanksgiving! We were out of town and lucky to find Cooter’s online. All the food was better than my expectations. So yummy!
Tenesia Campbell
Hubby and I had lunch here. First time sitting inside the old Tea House. Everyone was friendly and personable. Food was awesome!! Everything homemade. Will definitely go back!!
Rosa Butler
We had steak $38; they are enough for two, but they charge you $20 dollars if you share with another person so $58 and you add the cost of any sides. Have this in mind when you go.
As the recipient stated, "This is a stunning and high quality arrangement." Will definitely utilize their services again.
Andrew Regalmuto
Best bbq in Polk County. Excellent daily specials. The staff make you feel like family. We love the atmosphere. You cannot find the food here hard to beat and the prices are well worth it. They make their own bbq sauces,desserts and even make their own butter. You will not be disappointed.
Suzette Byrd
Cooters smokehouse hosted our private wedding reception and did not disappoint. They catered to our requests for food, provided amazing food and excellent service. We absolutely loved everything and felt like family with their family style dinner! Thank you Samantha and Cooter for your amazing food and going beyond our expectations! Consider them for lunch, dinner or your special event!!
Andrew Regal
Best bbq in Polk County and different specials everyday.Very friendly atmosphere and they make you feel like family
Debra Wright
I searched for a local florist online. There weren't many, but I selected this location to order a "get well" plant around 11am for same day delivery of a plant. They called later to tell me that it was too late for delivery today. I was surprised but opted to pick it up myself.This flower shop is actually a florist inside of a cozy restaurant. It's physically a house, alone, on a corner. The ladies I interacted with were personable.They canceled my online order.Surprisingly, they charged my credit card for the pickup order but never provided a receipt. I should have checked before picking up. The amount doesn't make sense, so I'll follow up tomorrow. I also noticed that one of the plant leaves appears to be ripped. I assume they'll replace the plant though. I'll update my review if anything changes.
My wife and I visited Cooter’s Smokehouse whilst on vacation from the U.K. Located in the Davenport area, this truly authentic family run business is a welcome change from the abundance of franchised restaurants in and around the tourist areas of Orlando. Upon arriving the welcome was genuine, friendly and relaxed. The dining area was cool and practical, these guys don’t need bright lights and fancy tv’s everywhere, they impress you with their service and their food. One thing to note is that the variety of drinks on offer is limited, no alcohol, which was fine for us, but I personally would have preferred the addition of some different soda options to compliment the drinks on the menu. We made our order and sat back in anticipation of some good hearty homestyle BBQ fare and wow did we get it in abundance. I ordered a 3-meat platter of ribs, pulled pork and brisket. They also offer pork chops, but unfortunately, they had sold out prior to us arriving. The first thing that my wife and I both noticed was the lack of sauce smothering our food. At last somewhere that doesn’t rely on a sauce to provide flavour. It was obvious that there was a lot of pride and effort put into cooking these meats, so much so that each and every one of them had a very different taste. Succulent and in no way dry even without sauce, the meat simply fell apart and melted in the mouth. There were two different homemade sauces available on our table, both of which offered something different in terms of a slightly spicey fruity flavour or a less spicey more rounded BBQ flavour. The portions are extremely generous, so much so that my 3-meat platter could easily feed two or more people, yes they are that big. So what about value for money. Well as regular visitors to the Orlando area, my wife and I have been fortunate to eat in a variety of places but nowhere has come close to providing the value for money that Cooter’s Smokehouse did. The value for money here is exceptional. So would we return to Cooter’s Smokehouse? Most definitely, this family-run business in the heart of Davenport is only a 20-minute drive from the popular area of ChampionsGate, but what it provides in terms of authentic BBQ food is in our opinion a different world in terms of the quality of food on offer here. Thank you for the amazing meal and excellent personal service.
I have been meaning to make this review for awhile now, but time has slipped away from me. In my personal opinion, Cooter’s Smokehouse is the absolute BEST BBQ on this side of the Mississippi! Every other BBQ place should aspire to be as good as Cooter’s Smokehouse. A few weeks ago my Mom and I were driving around Davenport looking for a good place to have lunch. Being a historian I saw the old house that said “Cooter’s Smokehouse” and living in Tennessee I know these old houses have some of the best BBQ. We went ahead and parked and went on in. We were greeted with immediate southern hospitality and friendly service. I ordered the smoked BBQ brisket and so did Mom and 2 sweet teas. Our sweet teas came out in 2 big mason jar jugs poured over cold ice. You could tell it was homemade and delicious! (Which it was,) then came time for the food. The portions were good, you could tell all the sides were homemade, and the smoked brisket with their signature sassy apple bbq sauce was the best I had EVER had! EVER! During our meal Mom had to go to the bathroom. Mom was in a car accident a month or so ago and still needed a wheelchair when we went out. The owner (at least I think she was the owner,) offered to wheel Mom to the bathroom and make sure she got in okay, so I could continue eating. She also wheeled her back to the table as well when Mom was finished. You really don’t find food and caring service/people like this anymore. The whole experience was a 5 star down home southern hospitality experience. As far as I am concerned, you should run NOT walk to Cooter’s Smokehouse! This is truly the best smoked bbq made by some of the most caring folk ever! If there was a 6 star to give I would give it and Siskel and Ebert don’t have enough thumbs! Ya’ll are the best!
Cooters Smokehouse in Davenport, FL. created an amazing buffet for my wedding reception Thanksgiving 2024. No singular person could create such an amazing spread and environment without an AMAZING crew. The food included RIBS, PORK, CHICKEN, (delicious), sweat potato casserole, 2 delicious salads and an unbelievable MAC N CHEESE bar. Everything you could add to fantastic MAC N CHEESE by itself. If you have a sweet tooth, the 🧁 CUPCAKES, oh my. I truly believe they can make anything incredibly delicious. I consider myself a BBQ afficionado and have competed in competitions, but Cooters Smokehouse is off the charts. Again, we had to overcome some logistical difficulties and Samantha's team pulled it off without a hitch. I cannot overstate how happy I was with Samantha and Cooters Smokehouse. In closing, if you don't believe me, try them for lunch!
Our first visit but not our last. The food was absolutely delicious, but the folks that work here make this a fabulous experience. It is family run and they make you feel like part of the family. Thank you folks for a wonderful evening and a great meal. Will be back soon 🙂
The flowers were nice but the customer service was horrible. She complained the entire time in front of me while arranging my flowers about me missing her call before arriving. I was crunched for time and getting ready for work so I didn’t see the call. I apologized for missing the call but she literally went on and on with her fellow associates complaining about how we “place orders online and just expect the order to be ready”. Why give me the option for a pick up time online and complain when it’s not ready even though I came 30 minutes late. Which mean she had extra time then what was promised online.
What a fantastic place! We’ve been searching for 3 1/2 years for a great barbecue place in Florida and we finally found it! Service is phenomenal. Food is outstanding and grandma Mae is the sweetest!
My family and I absolutely loved dinner here!!! The cozy atmosphere was like eating at home and we didn’t even have to do the dishes! Grandma was too cute, everyone was so friendly and the food was to die for! In and out within the hour, prices are super affordable, portions are more than enough! Highly recommended! We will be back!
Great catering for Thanksgiving! We were out of town and lucky to find Cooter’s online. All the food was better than my expectations. So yummy!
Hubby and I had lunch here. First time sitting inside the old Tea House. Everyone was friendly and personable. Food was awesome!! Everything homemade. Will definitely go back!!
We had steak $38; they are enough for two, but they charge you $20 dollars if you share with another person so $58 and you add the cost of any sides. Have this in mind when you go.
Restaurantji Recommends
As the recipient stated, "This is a stunning and high quality arrangement."
Will definitely utilize their services again.
Best bbq in Polk County. Excellent daily specials. The staff make you feel like family. We love the atmosphere. You cannot find the food here hard to beat and the prices are well worth it. They make their own bbq sauces,desserts and even make their own butter. You will not be disappointed.
Cooters smokehouse hosted our private wedding reception and did not disappoint. They catered to our requests for food, provided amazing food and excellent service. We absolutely loved everything and felt like family with their family style dinner! Thank you Samantha and Cooter for your amazing food and going beyond our expectations! Consider them for lunch, dinner or your special event!!
Best bbq in Polk County and different specials everyday.Very friendly atmosphere and they make you feel like family
I searched for a local florist online. There weren't many, but I selected this location to order a "get well" plant around 11am for same day delivery of a plant. They called later to tell me that it was too late for delivery today. I was surprised but opted to pick it up myself.This flower shop is actually a florist inside of a cozy restaurant. It's physically a house, alone, on a corner. The ladies I interacted with were personable.They canceled my online order.Surprisingly, they charged my credit card for the pickup order but never provided a receipt. I should have checked before picking up. The amount doesn't make sense, so I'll follow up tomorrow. I also noticed that one of the plant leaves appears to be ripped. I assume they'll replace the plant though. I'll update my review if anything changes.
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