Sonny's BBQ a chance to sound off
 

I am meeting with the management of the LSL Sonny's next week. Here's your chance to let them know what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong.

I will be happy to pass on any constructive comments. This is an excellent chance to make Sonny's better.

Thanks

The bride and I had lunch at the Villages location, we both had ribs, simply awesome. Great smoke ring, sauce selection was great, ribs had good flavor, service was great! It was so good we invited friends of ours to join us for supper at the same Villages location, we arrived at 7.30 which was our fault, we should have arrived earlier. We all had ribs, they were simply reheated which made them tough! We ate about 1/3 and simply could not eat them.

Our family tradition is BBQ smokin : Family competed this year at the best of the best in Douglas Georgia and the Jack in invitational in Lynchburg.

Moral is you don't reheat good ribs!

Sonny's
 

We stopped there last night for the first time, the service was fine, it wasn't busy, our waitress was friendly. The food was just not very good. It was the end of the day so that is probably why the restroom was unkept but we will not rush back.

I have never had a bad meal at Sonny's.
Mel, why are you meeting with the management?

My wife and I enjoy Sonny's baby back ribs. Most often we order take out. We had bad ribs once (meat was tough, we are used to tender, fall off the bones easy ribs), attributed it to a bad batch of ribs and continue to patronize Sonny's.

I'm disappointed that they don't do a better (more) business. They have a full bar, nice location (plenty of parking out back), and have seemed friendly and attentive to our needs whether eating there or doing the take out thing. The place just never seems that busy. One of the bartenders said they tried to do a promotional football thing but couldn't get permission to put in a satellite system.

The owner (Ken Kirkpatrick) has been a Sonny's owner for years so he should know what makes them tick.

I'd hate to see them leave, hopefully your meeting will be productive.

Oh I love Sonny's!
The only part that makes me hesitate to eat there is that it's always cold inside, but not as cold as Too Jay's. If I'm wearing shorts and sandals I try to remember to take a sweater or a jacket to Sonny's and ask for a seat away from the fans. Unfortunately, because it is so cold inside, sometimes the food is not very hot when we get it. Please tell them to either put the fans on 'slow' or turn up the thermost a degree or two. :cold:
Thank you.

Every Sonny's I have ever been to has a Salad Bar except LSL. I believe Sonny's is synonymous with Salad Bar. Will not go back to LSL for that reason. It's not that far to Leesburg or Bellview to get it the way I like it.

I would like to see the mustard based BBQ sauce as one of the standard bottles put out at the tables. When you ask for the mustard based sauce they bring you those little packets. Makes it feel like McDonald's and it is never enough!

Great Comments

Please keep them coming it's our opportunity to effect positive change. Ken Kirkpatrick and I have know each other for a while. He and I are having lunch next week............at Sonny's of course.

My purpose is to help make the LSL store a stronger store in his chain. I am doing this as an favor and will not get anything for helping him.

Mel

Ditto on the cold room and the need for mustard BBQ sauce. Service was fine and quality high when we went.

I agree about the salad bar. It's always been a main attraction for Sonny's. I think this was discussed on this site, but I was very disappointed when they opened without one. Is it too late to add the salad bar?

No Salad Bar Please
 

One vote requesting that salad bar NOT be installed. In these days of H1N1, it's not healthy to have a communal salad bar IMHO.

We ate there on Monday night. Mr.mac9 thinks that they have the best baby backs and ordered the all you can eat. The first rack was dry and had obviously been reheated. He asked to be brought another rack which they did and it was tender, juicy, and all of the other stuff that it its supposed to be. The refill was again dry and reheated. He again asked for it to be replaced. Because he ordered all you can eat, there was no problem. But why should he have to go through all of this to get a good rack. Someone else would have thought that Oakwood would be the place to go next time.

Lunch Ribs
 

The last time I had baby back ribs for lunch they were dry and obviously reheated. We never had that problem in Belleview, it has made me think twice about going back. I did not complain, the chef knew what they were serving. We will do our Sonny's trips in Belleview.

Charlie

I have patronized various Sonny's for years. However, since they have been in The Villages I have been twice. I prefer Oakwood on 441 over Sonny's. As long as Oakwood continues to please me I will go there for BBQ.
You might suggest Sonny's management visit Oakwood.
I am not recommending one over the other. It's just my personal tastes.

Mel, not getting anything, hopefully Ken will buy your lunch, nice to see you taking the time to help them though....GN

Sonny's
 

I would ask that the chef use none or less salt in the food prep. Many of our seniors have hypertension and salt in their food is a "no" "no". Please see what you can do to make the food more heart healthy.

Its BBQ. :icon_hungry:

We ate there a week ago and thought everything was great. The staff was very friendly and made a it a nice experience. I will agree with a previous post about there not being many people in there.Unless business picks up I fear they won't be there very long.

I ate at Sonny's last month for the first and last time. Waitstaff was un-friendly (almost threw the silverware at us). My wife and two friends got the 1/2 rack of ribs. All three complained that they were dry and tasteless. I got a hamburger that was burned beyond recognition. Should have gone to Mickey D's.

Sonny's
 

Bogie Shooter, there is enough natural salt in the prep of the bbq, and it doesn't mean that the chef has to add additional salt. Furthermore, the topic was what could be brought up at the meeting with the manager and not sniping at people who may be concerned with "BBQ." My wife makes delicious ribs without using extra salt. Surely a good chef would know how to compensate.
You should consider yourself most fortunate that you do not have to concern yourself with matters so mundane as requesting the use of less salt.

Sonny's
 

The three times my wife and I have eaten there, two were satisfactory and one was not. The restaurant is not on my "must return to list" now.

I wouldnt evey try a Sonnys without a salad bar. One more vote for salad bar because its healthy.

We ate there twice and the ribs were dry as in pre-cooked and reheated. Their chef should visit Oakwood, never had a dry rib there. We'll give it one more try.

If your looking for healthy why would you be going to bar-b-que, just curious....GN

Hypertension? Salt?
 

With all due respect, we were not sure about the salt comment.
As Golfnut implied in a follow up, why would a health- and hypertension-conscious eater eat BBQ?

Lowering the salt would be like a weight-loss dieter eliminating the cherry on the ice cream sundae.

Take it for what it's worth, but we checked the archive of a world-renowned M.D., professor, and author of nutrition books (now a villager) and found some info:

More than 5000 papers have been written on the DASH Diet. .
http://www.drmirkin.com/heart/8839.html
http://www.drmirkin.com/heart/8614.html
http://www.drmirkin.com/heart/dash_diet_works.html
http://www.drmirkin.com/heart/2193.html
http://www.drmirkin.com/heart/9542.html

Back in DC, we used to listen to his radio show daily for tips on health, fitness, and nutrition (OK, the 'edutaining' sexuality show on Fridays occasionally caught our attention too!) and it's delightful to know he's now here in TV.

We agree that a salad bar would be a most welcome addition, to help balance the offerings.

We and the good doc are regulars at Ruby Tuesday, Golden Corral, and Subway - all offering some of the most healthy and tasty choices in our compound.

Even if we happen to yield to some of their less nutritious offerings,
we hop on our bikes and work it off on the trip home.

L&L

Now, let me think. I think that one of the smartest things Sonny's can do, is .......ah.......advertise here on Talk of The Villages. In about 24 hours, this thread got 25 posts and 1,115 views. In my book that's proof enough that this forum provides astounding exposure to advertisers.

Careful GN, I got slammed for a similiar comment.

TH:

I plan on printing and giving the thread to them, so you comment will be noted.

MZ

Mel
We are a group of 8-10 folks who favor Sonny's over many of the others due to the good ribs and other items on their menu. Each time we go to the LSL Sonny's we let them know our desire for a salad bar and each time we are told why they preferred to encourage the bar over the salad bar, subsequently, we have chosen to go to the Leesburg store when we need a "Sonny's fix". As one writer stated "Sonny's is synonymous with the salad bar". Hopefully you will encourage them to reconsider.

Took our kids, visiting from Oregon with a toddler, to Sonnys in TV last week. Ordered the family feast for 4. Asked for a booth that was out of the way so the toddler wouldn't disturbe other diners. $36 including drinks, plus tax and tip. Great value. Food and service were very good. We finished about half and took the rest home. I would do it again.

We love Sonny's in LSL, eating there at least two times a week and have since they opened.

My first comment would be: leave the recipes alone! We feel they have the best cole slaw, beans, mac & cheese, cornbread, and sweet tea around. We don't smoke or drink, so our vice is our meals at Sonny's. We don't go there for a healthy meal. We can fix those at home.

With that said, we have had a couple of less than great experiences with our "Big Deals." We have had sandwiches where the meat was re-heated, dry, and tough. Lots of their awesome sauce helps, but this is something you'd think they could avoid. We've had many, many more excellent meals than not, so we'll keep going back.

A salad bar would be nice, but the lack of one would never keep us away. I've never ordered one, but several of my friends have said their menu salads are great.

TH

With all due respect

I am a sales manager by profession and I don't sell anything for anybody for free. I suggest your sales people should have contacted Sonny's if you really want to sell to them.

As I said I will give them a printout of this thread so there is you "foot in the door"

MZ

Sonny's BBQ a chance to sound
 

We still go to Leesburg or Bellview because of absence of a soup/salad bar at LSL. Also, don't believe they have the beans and franks lunch at LSL which was a nice alternative at lunchtime.

Why is BBQ not healthy?
 

I have been eating BBQ for the past 60 years. I have always found it wholesome and filling. The side dishes - baked beans, black eyed peas, collards, corn on the cob, cole slaw, etc - are all veggies that my mother made me eat with other meals.

The BBQ chicken is always tasty and the ribs have a lot of meat on them. Tasty and healthy to me!!

I have no desire for-the salad bar - too filling and I might not get that ninth rib down. However, if a salad bar is what it will take for more of you to frequent Sonny's then I am all for it. It will keep the place open so I can enjoy my healthy, succulent greasy ribs!!

Bon Appettit!!
Z

Sonny's
 

Ditto on the salad bar! Other than that I love eating there. Good food & service

Stop Reheating
 

Had the pulled pork sandwich both times for lunch. Food wasn't all that hot, and was reheated. My advice is to start making things fresh, and serve them hot. Just because it is Sonny's doesn't mean people are going back if the food isn't good...now, Cody's on the other hand....good service, always hot food, and fresh....that may be the reason they are PACKED every night.

We eat at Sonny's a couple of time a month, a group of 8 and love it Happy Hour and great food.

My wife and I ate at Sonny's several months ago for lunch. We had two very good meals of ribs, chicken and pulled pork. Food was hot and tasted delicious.

When we were down last month to sign the contract on our house my wife suggested we go to Sonny's again for dinner. This time we both got ribs. To echo other people's comments, both of us thought the ribs were dry, tough and appeared to be reheated. Totally different from the meal we had the first time. Food was also barely warm even though it was served very quickly so it didn't appear to be a problem with the server.

Both times the service was great. While I think Sonny's should be given another chance because our first meal there was good, my wife stated that she has no desire to ever go there again.

I had dinner there tonight and the ribs were succulent, moist, and yumm-o in every way. I also had the corn on the cob, the corn bread, and the southern-style green beans. It was soooooo gooooood. And the ceiling fans were turned off, too. :icon_hungry: