Big Lee's - Serious About BBQ

Big Lees catered our wedding, the food was amazing!! The ordering process was smooth, and the owner Rashad delivered the food! All the guest loved the food and I would recommend big lees for any food catering event!

Best bbq ever glad we made the drive from charlotte county worth the couple hour drive.

We went to Ocala for the weekend and before the trip, I saw this place on Tik Tok. I knew right away I had to try it and it did not disappoint!! We ordered the brisket, pulled pork, beans, coleslaw, mac and cheese and the banana pudding. All if it was so good!!!!!!

Ive been dying to try this man’s bbq & then realized it was 10 min away, tried it today & it was absolutely delicious! Only complaint was the meats were barely warm.. everything was on point though, one of the best briskets I’ve tried in Ocala yet. My toddler tore up the okra (she called them nuggies, she’s picky - loved it!)

So, so disappointed with today's visit, especially after reading so many positive reviews. We drove up to Ocala from Davenport, Fl., to visit family and since we love BarBQue we were excited to give it a try. First, it was a much smaller restaurant than we expected with mostly high tops inside and patio furniture outside. It was hot today so we sat inside. The food was more expensive than I thought it would be especially given it's super casual, small portions and limited seating. My sister and I had the pulled pork sandwiches with 1 side (which was small), my son had the burnt ends with 2 sides. Save your dime and head over to Sonnys's barbque instead. They provide much larger sandwiches and sides and have much better sauce options as well. Additionally, they provide table service which Big Lee's does not but they still charge a minimum 15% tip fee! Being forced to give a tip for no table service on top of their already high prices was an insult. It's like tossing your money out of the window (throwing more good money after bad). Their food is NOT worth driving hours for. Matter of fact I wouldn't even drive 30 minutes in Ocala to go here. HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT! If you are looking for mediocre then this place would work for lunch. I was looking for Good, better than Sonny's barbecue which this WAS NOT.

Stop what you’re doing and go to Big Lee’s bbq!!! Absolutely phenomenal food and service! You can eat the meats with a spoon they’re so tender! We drove over 2 hours to eat here and were beyond impressed! Big Lee’s is a must go food destination!

The brisket and burnt ends were under seasoned, the meat was mushy, and the fat was practically raw and had no crust on it. The fries were so over cooked they were almost translucent. The corn nuggets and mac & cheese were good but portions were tiny for $22 + tax per plate. I contacted them about it on Tik Tok (since that is where I heard about them) and they blocked me from their account. 😅 Talking to someone on the phone led nowhere either, so I'm posting here. It definitely wasn't worth the 1.5 hour drive nor the almost $50 we spent on two meals.

After seeing so many videos on Big Lee I finally got my hands on the family meal which consist of BBQ ribs, chicken, brisket, sausage, Bake beans, mac and cheese, street corn, rolls an Banana pudding. Ribs are just ok, chicken had no (NO) seasoning. it was like they took it out the pack and grilled it. same with the brisket. Sausages were ok. all the sides were mid... so if you traveled less then 15 miles.. I am sure you passed a better spot. maybe it was a bad day for them.. we will be passing by again.. and we will stop for one more taste.. oh and at $73 the portions could have been way better.. 5 bones, 2 thin briskets, 12 thin sausage cuts, maybe a baby bird..

This is my all time favorite BBQ in the country. I loved every bite of that moist tender flavorful seasoned Brisket. I loved every bite of the fall off the bone ribs. Yes I waited in line and enjoyed the vibe of the most friendliest and humble owner. Yes I waited in line again to take another order home. Dessert: Yes peach cobbler was delicious and yes the homemade sweat tea was delicious 😋 I seek BBQ on every travel and I’ve been to a lot of BBQ places stop here eat here if you love BBQ it won’t disappoint

In Ocala for a week, and I love barbecue, especially a perfectly cooked brisket. Big Lees has so many rave reviews, I figured I might eat here twice. Arrived at 6pm, knowing they close at 7pm. Staff was friendly. Ordered the “big” brisket/burnt ends plate for $18. They were already out of Mac and Cheese, the favorite side option, so I got baked beans and fried okra. Also comes with a roll. I added bread pudding because the cashier said it was very popular. Big Lees has a minimum suggested tip of 20% at checkout. The cashier stood staring as I custom changed it to $1, which is always uncomfortable, but I don’t pay the same tip to a cashier that I pay to a full service wait staff. Maybe that influenced the food service negatively, because immediately after she went and whispered something to the manager. Food came quickly, but they were out of bread pudding offered to replace it with another side. That was a bummer. Out of 2 popular items by 6pm on a Tuesday. How was the food? Fine. Below average compared with most other BBQ I’ve had, including chains like Mission. WAY below places like Salt Lick or Terry Black. Brisket was dry and lacked flavor. Baked beans were thick and too sweet, like from a can. The fried okra was the best thing on the plate. The roll was fine too, nothing special - could’ve done without it. The sauces are all good. I like the tangy yellow sauce best, because the other 2 are very sweet. Portion size was not impressively big. I ordered to go and was expecting the container it to be “heavy” - similar to other comparable meals. Not the case - small sides and a conservative portion of meat. It was enough food, but I’d have been very disappointed if I’d ordered the $16 regular size plate. I should’ve taken a photo. The vibe was cool, and the place was clean. The specials all looked interesting. Unfortunately vibe isn’t important when I’m looking forward to a good BBQ meal to-go. I had a better meal last night for $12 at CAVA. Big Lees is alright, but not one of the best restaurants in Ocala.

Stopped in for Lunch today on the way back home from Tampa with the family. Food was on point, and customer service was great. 👍 more restaurants should take note of these guys. Wish they were closer! Will definitely be back. Ya’ll keep up the good work!

Traveled from St. Pete to Ocala just to eat here. Me being from Alabama, Im picky with my BBQ. The food was absolutely amazing! Got the family plate and everything was fantasic! Fall off the bone ribs, brisket was perfectly smoked, sausage was flavorful. Word to the wise: wear your fat pants!

Had the sliced brisket sandwich and fried okra today. There’s a reason he’s the best! Hands down the best brisket I’ve ever had….i know that says a lot but it’s the truth! And I won’t say anything about the okra because my mama would be really upset hers isn’t the best 😂😂😂

Amazing experience. We were greeted at the door and told about the specials and left to make our decisions. The food was amazing and extremely plentiful. The staff was very efficient and pleasant and the wait for our food was brief. In all seriousness, there was enough meat on one sandwich for two. Totally great experience. They only have the one location but also offer catering and food trucks.

I didn’t want to rate this because I feel it must’ve been a fluke or something. I heard such great things about this place so my wife and I decided to take my parents for dinner on my mother’s birthday. It was about a 45 min drive on a Saturday and we arrived around 5PM. Went inside to place our order and a few of the items were unavailable including sides. After making the drive we settled for what was available and ended up with just fries for a side. It was really disappointing and I’ve been trying to talk myself into giving them another chance in the future. Portions seemed small and you’d think since they were out of things they would compensate with either a little extra of something else or a discount. I will go back again because I love BBQ and I did like the flavors of what we got. Hopefully when we do I’ll get what everybody else brags about because I have read a lot of great reviews.