Sonny’s BBQ

MMM… Slap some molasses on dead cat, burn it, and you got yourself some Sonny’s. I won’t be back.

Don’t go to this place. There are a ton of barbecue places in the Charlotte area that are great, but this is not even remotely close to it. They use cheap ingredients and the food tastes terrible. The service was atrocious and I believe I would have been better off served by the vermin living there instead. Please take your business elsewhere.

Food here is over priced for the quality and taste, the ribs were just way too dry and had too much sauce on it, to try to cover up the low quality of the meat.
The staff here is also not too friendly or maybe I caught them out on a bad day, because they were just acting like this was the last place they wanted to be.
tl;dr come here if you want bad service with low quality food

My visit a two months back wasn’t great. My order was incorrect two times in a row, the food was lukewarm, and service wasn’t anything to write home about.
I’ve since returned to this location and had a much better experience than before. My order was correct, very hot, and the waitress was absolutely fantastic. I hope I have the same experience during my future visits!

I cannot believe a bbq sandwich by it self is $ 8. Only about 3 or 4 oz. Of meat. Prices at Sonnys have gone through the roof.

Had a delicious meal here with husband and daughter. We were seated quickly and our server, Kyona, was attentive, efficient, and very friendly.
All three of us had the pulled pork lunch special. I love it that they serve lunch specials until 4 daily. So many restaurants only do 11 – 2 and/​or only weekdays. Their cornbread is SO yummy. Among us, we had a wide variety of sides: baked potato, corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, and baked sweet potato – and all of them were great! The pulled pork was extremely lean, and I love their selection of BBQ sauces.
Will definitely eat here again when visiting daughter.

Came here with some family for Father’s Day, and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Started out with the Redneck Egg Rolls, which are pulled pork, cole slaw, and a little jack cheese. The proportions of meat to slaw to cheese were just right, with the pork dominating the majority of the roll, with just enough slaw and cheese to provide some crispness and creaminess. They were fried well and not greasy at all, served with a spicy ranch for dipping. The sauce was pretty good, but honestly they didn’t need it. Would definitely get them again.
For the entrée, I went with the Brisket version of the Big Deal combo, which is a sandwich, side, and drink. I got mine on garlic bread with fries. I’m a sucker for crinkle cut fries as long as they’re not soggy or greasy, and these were done just right. Sonny’s garlic bread is always a winner for me as well, just crisp enough, while still being soft with a little chew in the center. The brisket was tender, flavorful, and juicy, and I recommend it highly.
The service was generally good, but had one or two hiccups. They forgot to bring out my brother-in-law’s fries at first, but were quick to bring him out some fresh ones after we pointed it out. There was also a decently long wait to get refills on our drinks at times, but it wasn’t a deal-​breaker.
My sister ordered a chopped brisket plate with mac n’ cheese and baked beans as her sides, and didn’t really care for either of them. Based on past experiences, I’d tend to agree with her, they are decent but really just mediocre.

$ 40 for a Family Feast? Yes please! Very generous portions. Our server was attentive and sweet, but very experienced. We sat on an empty patio, but was not ignored. She has some serving skills to pick up, but I’m not faulting her for that.
I’ve never had a Cowboy egg roll before (pork, coleslaw in a deep friend egg roll) and it was pretty darn good even without the «smoky» ranch sauce. I thought the brisket was very flavorful but a little on the dry side. Speaking on things overcooked — the corn on the cob was like baby food. I actually asked the girl for more cornbread (which is perfectly cooked) in substution of the cob. I’m pretty sure that sat around in simmering water for waaaay too long. Mac n cheez, green beans — all southern style.
3 (or was it 4?) different BBQ sauces — I personally enjoyed the smoky sweet.

Meh. Typical chain Sonny’s. BBQ is OK, but nothing special.

Haven’t been to Sonny’s in a while and some family friends invited me when I came up to Charlotte to visit. We were seated promptly and that was about the only good thing about the place. We had to ask the waitress for EVERYTHING. I ordered cornbread and got garlic bread instead, so she went and got me some cornbread. After touching it, it was cold. As I requested a new one she said they serve them at room temperature… Something I’ve never heard of as you serve cornbread hot. We constantly had to ask for refills as well.
The food was plain. There was really no flavor to the chicken or the pork. Just seemed really flavorless and bland. I will not be going to Sonny’s for another while.

Don’t know why the address says Quail Hollow .this restaurant is in the Arboretum. Anyway, usually OK BBQ with good service. However my wife orders the pulled chicken sandwich, and it came this time with quite a bit of gristle. So beware if you order this item. Never had a problem with the pulled pork.

Pretty good consistent BBQ I always get ribs and they do have really nice Mac and cheese .we also like the salad bar it is one of the best salad bars .the pulled chicken sandwich was a little dry and boring… the kids did like the slice pork sandwich… over all OK not my favorite BBQ place in town but I’ll rank it as decent BBQ

Pulled pork is delicious, food has always been served hot, service is friendly and attentive!
My only complaint would be the location– the old building had lots of windows and natural light, and an open layout; this location lacks those.
Still a NC classic!

Hadn’t been to a Sonny’s in about 10 years. Now I am reminded why. The food was cold. It isn’t difficult to keep food warm. Throw it in a microwave! I wouldn’t know the difference! Also the pulled pork was very greasy. Almost waxy. I’m sure the waxy parts could be attributed to temperature (cold!).
The salad bar has decent, sometimes odd, options, but there were things like egg salad dropped into cottage cheese and some pink marshmallow fluff? Not really appetizing.
Don’t get the cornbread. It was a cold, gross tasting brick that was raw in the middle.
The fried okra appetizer is the size of a single side serving.
Anyway. The service was spotty. We asked for refills and they brought us the wrong drinks in to-​go cups. No one seemed to notice the obviousness of our dissatisfaction. Full plates, yet signing the check…
Our server was nice enough but it was just not worth spending money on ever again.

GROSS. My fiancé told me it was so-​so but the place I wanted to go to was already closed (Sunday night). I should have listened. The beef «brisket» was a flavorless pot roast and tasted like it had been cooked in a crock pot or boiled. Seriously. The mac & cheese had no flavor and tasted like hospital food. Golden Corral’s version is better and I am NOT a fan of them at all. The cornbread had a good flavor but was too heavy and undercooked. The dry rubbed wings were fried The outside was crispy and flavor was decent but they were EXTREMELY fatty and that grossed me out. The only good thing was our soda from the fountain. Don’t waste your money here. Go to Mac’s Speedshop (LOVE THEM) Their wings are to die for!

Talking straight food… I love the pork BBQ, cole slaw has a weird taste, my baked sweet potato last time was burned, they shouldn’t have served it, baked beans are good, fries ok, cornbread is really not cornbready at all, but good taste, garlic bread was kinda soggy. We did take-​out and they totally forgot one of our sides!!! I’m not driving back to get it either cause it was another cole slaw and it’s not even that good. But I will call to let them know they should double check their orders!
Overpriced for the overall quality of food, but I like their pork BBQ, and I may go back for just that, but wouldn’t really recommend someone eat there.

Sorry, but I believe Sonny’s BBQ is the worst BBQ that I’ve ever tasted. The ribs, very dry… Chicken absolutely tasteless. Cornbread (if you can call it that) was so heavy. More likely used as a weapon.
What a Shame!!!

When I moved to Charlotte, (being a BBQ fan) I was excited that a BBQ place was so close to my new apartment. It didn’t take long for us to head over to try out Sonny’s. Unfortunately I discovered that we’ll have to search a little more to find great BBQ. It wasn’t bad, but my fiancé and I were both unimpressed. We don’t eat out that much, so when we do, we want to make sure that it’s really worth the trip. Unfortunately, this place wasn’t and I am still on the search for that great BBQ place in Charlotte.

Got to have that sliced pork and the wonderful salad bar:-) love me some sonnys

I was sad to see that the Good Ol’ Days Café/​Diner had closed… Not that I went there daily, but it had been an Arboretum staple for me ever since I moved to Charlotte way back in the day.
Pleasantly surprised that in its place was a Sonny’s. Yes, it’s a chain that spans over a couple states, but I’ve never really had any issue with the fact — I know some BBQ purists are rolling over in their graves as I type this review, but there is a reason why there are so many Sonny’s locations.
Don’t come here semi-​hungry! There is a lot of food to be eaten at this place. I opted for the special (on a Tuesday night) for the all you can eat ribs. The first batch were a little tough, but the 2^nd batch fell right off the bone. There are a plethora of sides (or on the menu: «Side-​kicks») to choose from, I went with the corn on the cob and the mac and cheese. Needless-​to-​say… my fingers and mouth area were totally covered in sauces by the time I was done.
Since this location is brand-​spanking new, the dining area is super clean and the tables are very shiny. It was like a high end country saloon with a nice bar in the middle of it. Because of the shape of the space, there are other little dining room nooks where tables were, but we opted for the high top near the bar.
Would I go out of my way to go to this restaurant? Maybe not, but it’s a good option whenever I am in the area.