Of the several barbecue options I researched when I knew I was going to be spending some time on Amelia Island, State Line looked the most intriguing and potentially promising. It had a good percentage of great reviews online, but also a higher than normal amount of 1 and 2 star ratings. I knew I needed to try it for myself to see what could cause such a variation.I was the only customer a little after noon on a weekday. The gentleman behind the counter, who I took to be the owner, greeted me and put on his own mask before approaching. I asked for a pulled pork sandwich and added a side of potato salad (sides do not come with a sandwich) and a bottled drink which is the only kind they serve.After I paid, he proceeded to assemble my sandwich from the foil-wrapped meat in a ...crock-pot? Looking further, I saw another slow cooker on the table to the right. With barbecue, low and slow is the way to go- but you can't make barbecue in a slow cooker. It might be good, but it wouldn't be barbecue. What I eventually surmised is that the slow cookers were being used to keep the meat warm. This, however, led to the question of what he did cook with, and how long ago it had been cooked. For now, I watched as he doused the meat in a vinegar sauce, wrapped the sandwich and scooped my potato salad from a gigantic plastic bin that came out of a refrigerator.I grabbed a bottle of sweet tea from the cooler, thanked the proprietor and returned to my truck, as they are take out only. From my seat in the shade, I prepared to find out once and for all what they were selling here.At first glance, it looked exceptional. The pork was in tender, big chunks which had been pulled apart, meaning that it was cooked to the right temperature to not have to be chopped. Currently though, it barely qualified as warm. I had seen a couple reviews from guests who said they were served a cold sandwich- and responses from the owner saying they had never served a cold sandwich. To be fair, it wasn't cold, but it would only be a minor exaggeration to make that claim. It definitely wasn't hot, for just being made.To make matters worse, it had a distinct reheated taste to it. It was not like the meat was bad, but if you have ever reheated pork you know that it's never quite the same as when it's first cooked. Some reviewers had also commented that theirs was "sour", which could have been referring to what I noticed, or to the vinegar sauce which was sprinkled on the meat. I have no complaints about the sauce. In fact, I have to give this credit as being one of the best vinegar sauces I've had. I was happy that another cup of it was included, because unfortunately that was the only way I could get the meat down.Similarly, the potato salad was a great recipe. Sadly, it seemed like it had been in the refrigerator for quite a while, and possibly had been frozen at some point. This didn't detract from it quite as much as the meat, but it just wasn't quite what it could have been.I am sad to report that this is one of the few times I can remember that I have not been able to finish a sandwich. It was large, as I would expect for the price, but eventually I just reached the point where the taste I was getting was not a fair trade for the calories I was consuming.So here's my conclusion. The owner is someone who without a doubt knows how to make good barbecue. I would suspect that if I had visited on a day when the food was fresh I would have rated it much higher- hence all the good reviews. It seems though that due to a lack of business, or for whatever reason, they are cooking ahead of time in large quantities and serving that food for at least a couple days. So anyone who visits on an "off day" would be likely to rate it much lower. I hate to see this happen to anyone, especially to someone obviously talented in the barbecue realm. Hopefully business will return, or they can make some other adjustments to improve the consistency of their food.
Stephen Doublestein
I've had the pulled pork it was pretty good and tender barely had to chew at all but today I got the rib sandwich. That guy knows what he it doing every piece of meat fell right of the bone you can practically slurp it down without teeth. Usually you get a rib and you gotta work on it it get all the meat off and nibble and chew. Not these you dont some of the best ribs I've had from a BBQ place
World Traveler
Highly recommended State Line Barbecue Company!! My family and I visited during our road trip in the summer of 2019. The gentleman, who I believe is the owner, is extremely kind, hard working, and friendly. ALL of the food was excellent and we have high expectations. We look forward to visiting again!
Daniel S.
Was super excited to try this place out as it's close to my work and I had seen the rave reviews. I walked into the establishment to find absolutely no one present. All the signs were on and flashing but the restaurant was empty. I waited patiently and called out several times over five minutes. Absolute silence and no help was forthcoming. Disappointed and confused about the effectivity of this business model.
Jess Kirkland
I tried this based on a review someone had given and said that their Mac n cheese was delicious. I decided to try it. The owner was very nice. I got pulled pork sandwiches and fries & Mac n cheese. I brought it home and opened the container and the sandwich literally smelled sour!!my fingers even smelled sour from picking up the sandwichI got 2 sandwiches fries and drinks and an order or Mac n cheese and it was $40. I would of been happy to pay that for a really good sandwich but I couldn’t even eat it. Very disappointed.
Gabriel Gomez
This place is installed in the same building of a busy Fernandina Beach gas station and doesn't look like much from the outside. But if you're looking for straight forward North Florida/South Georgia BBQ you'd be remiss to pass it by. I especially found their "All-The-Way" hotdog to be of exception quality and have sampled the pulled pork now a number of times, myself. I look forward to returning for the brisket and fried chicken as the owner-operator/pitt boss is a great cook and pretty stand-up guy.
Traci S.
Grabbed some grub on the way home from the hospital. The owner is super nice and personable. Burger was good. Brunswick stew was very tasty.
Marla Miller
My husband and I have had the barbecue brisket, pork and ribs and the french fries. Everything was excellent. I am a Texan and a hard grader and this barbecue is really good. We only have had lunch so we cannot comment on the dinner platters but we are definitely going back. The owner Mike is very gracious and helpful. Highly recommended
MMB243
We have had the brisket sandwich, the pulled pork sandwich, the ribs and the fries. All of them were delicious. Cooked to perfection and I am a Texan so a hard judge to please. The owner is very kind and helpful and makes this a place we want to return to many times.
Jackie Smith
Amazing food. I always get when I come down to visit my Mama.
Pulled pork was dry and had a weird taste/smell. I'm not a pit boss but have never had bbq like this before. Perhaps just not my favorite style but none of the family cared for it either.On the positive side, the Mac n cheese was the best I've had from a bbq joint. The baked beans were pretty solid too.
Lily Roberts
Food was super good and fresh. Ribs out of this world. Mike was very nice. I will definitely be back. Both my kids loved it too!!!
Brian B.
Mike is the best. Man I tell you his BBQ pork and ribs are just outstanding. Love the beans and pot salads. Highly recommend this great place.
Wesley James
Great food and perfect down to earth vibe. Portions are worth the price and staff was friendly. Definitely going to be a regular spot for me.
Jessica Hall
Great place to get some good ole bbq!!! Good portions as well!!!
Of the several barbecue options I researched when I knew I was going to be spending some time on Amelia Island, State Line looked the most intriguing and potentially promising. It had a good percentage of great reviews online, but also a higher than normal amount of 1 and 2 star ratings. I knew I needed to try it for myself to see what could cause such a variation.I was the only customer a little after noon on a weekday. The gentleman behind the counter, who I took to be the owner, greeted me and put on his own mask before approaching. I asked for a pulled pork sandwich and added a side of potato salad (sides do not come with a sandwich) and a bottled drink which is the only kind they serve.After I paid, he proceeded to assemble my sandwich from the foil-wrapped meat in a ...crock-pot? Looking further, I saw another slow cooker on the table to the right. With barbecue, low and slow is the way to go- but you can't make barbecue in a slow cooker. It might be good, but it wouldn't be barbecue. What I eventually surmised is that the slow cookers were being used to keep the meat warm. This, however, led to the question of what he did cook with, and how long ago it had been cooked. For now, I watched as he doused the meat in a vinegar sauce, wrapped the sandwich and scooped my potato salad from a gigantic plastic bin that came out of a refrigerator.I grabbed a bottle of sweet tea from the cooler, thanked the proprietor and returned to my truck, as they are take out only. From my seat in the shade, I prepared to find out once and for all what they were selling here.At first glance, it looked exceptional. The pork was in tender, big chunks which had been pulled apart, meaning that it was cooked to the right temperature to not have to be chopped. Currently though, it barely qualified as warm. I had seen a couple reviews from guests who said they were served a cold sandwich- and responses from the owner saying they had never served a cold sandwich. To be fair, it wasn't cold, but it would only be a minor exaggeration to make that claim. It definitely wasn't hot, for just being made.To make matters worse, it had a distinct reheated taste to it. It was not like the meat was bad, but if you have ever reheated pork you know that it's never quite the same as when it's first cooked. Some reviewers had also commented that theirs was "sour", which could have been referring to what I noticed, or to the vinegar sauce which was sprinkled on the meat. I have no complaints about the sauce. In fact, I have to give this credit as being one of the best vinegar sauces I've had. I was happy that another cup of it was included, because unfortunately that was the only way I could get the meat down.Similarly, the potato salad was a great recipe. Sadly, it seemed like it had been in the refrigerator for quite a while, and possibly had been frozen at some point. This didn't detract from it quite as much as the meat, but it just wasn't quite what it could have been.I am sad to report that this is one of the few times I can remember that I have not been able to finish a sandwich. It was large, as I would expect for the price, but eventually I just reached the point where the taste I was getting was not a fair trade for the calories I was consuming.So here's my conclusion. The owner is someone who without a doubt knows how to make good barbecue. I would suspect that if I had visited on a day when the food was fresh I would have rated it much higher- hence all the good reviews. It seems though that due to a lack of business, or for whatever reason, they are cooking ahead of time in large quantities and serving that food for at least a couple days. So anyone who visits on an "off day" would be likely to rate it much lower. I hate to see this happen to anyone, especially to someone obviously talented in the barbecue realm. Hopefully business will return, or they can make some other adjustments to improve the consistency of their food.
I've had the pulled pork it was pretty good and tender barely had to chew at all but today I got the rib sandwich. That guy knows what he it doing every piece of meat fell right of the bone you can practically slurp it down without teeth. Usually you get a rib and you gotta work on it it get all the meat off and nibble and chew. Not these you dont some of the best ribs I've had from a BBQ place
Highly recommended State Line Barbecue Company!! My family and I visited during our road trip in the summer of 2019. The gentleman, who I believe is the owner, is extremely kind, hard working, and friendly. ALL of the food was excellent and we have high expectations. We look forward to visiting again!
Was super excited to try this place out as it's close to my work and I had seen the rave reviews. I walked into the establishment to find absolutely no one present. All the signs were on and flashing but the restaurant was empty. I waited patiently and called out several times over five minutes. Absolute silence and no help was forthcoming. Disappointed and confused about the effectivity of this business model.
I tried this based on a review someone had given and said that their Mac n cheese was delicious. I decided to try it. The owner was very nice. I got pulled pork sandwiches and fries & Mac n cheese. I brought it home and opened the container and the sandwich literally smelled sour!!my fingers even smelled sour from picking up the sandwichI got 2 sandwiches fries and drinks and an order or Mac n cheese and it was $40. I would of been happy to pay that for a really good sandwich but I couldn’t even eat it. Very disappointed.
This place is installed in the same building of a busy Fernandina Beach gas station and doesn't look like much from the outside. But if you're looking for straight forward North Florida/South Georgia BBQ you'd be remiss to pass it by. I especially found their "All-The-Way" hotdog to be of exception quality and have sampled the pulled pork now a number of times, myself. I look forward to returning for the brisket and fried chicken as the owner-operator/pitt boss is a great cook and pretty stand-up guy.
Grabbed some grub on the way home from the hospital. The owner is super nice and personable. Burger was good. Brunswick stew was very tasty.
My husband and I have had the barbecue brisket, pork and ribs and the french fries. Everything was excellent. I am a Texan and a hard grader and this barbecue is really good. We only have had lunch so we cannot comment on the dinner platters but we are definitely going back. The owner Mike is very gracious and helpful. Highly recommended
We have had the brisket sandwich, the pulled pork sandwich, the ribs and the fries. All of them were delicious. Cooked to perfection and I am a Texan so a hard judge to please. The owner is very kind and helpful and makes this a place we want to return to many times.
Amazing food. I always get when I come down to visit my Mama.
Restaurantji Recommends
Pulled pork was dry and had a weird taste/smell. I'm not a pit boss but have never had bbq like this before. Perhaps just not my favorite style but none of the family cared for it either.On the positive side, the Mac n cheese was the best I've had from a bbq joint. The baked beans were pretty solid too.
Food was super good and fresh. Ribs out of this world. Mike was very nice. I will definitely be back. Both my kids loved it too!!!
Mike is the best. Man I tell you his BBQ pork and ribs are just outstanding. Love the beans and pot salads. Highly recommend this great place.
Great food and perfect down to earth vibe. Portions are worth the price and staff was friendly. Definitely going to be a regular spot for me.
Great place to get some good ole bbq!!! Good portions as well!!!