Cotten’s Bar-B-Que

Definitely a good BBQ place but with that said, it is also not amazing or world shattering BBQ. Based on the reviews I assumed my mind would be blown when I came here but that wasn’t the case. Again, the food here is definitely good and for Jacksonville this is easily one of the best BBQ places in town but that also isn’t saying a whole lot as most of the BBQ places here are average at best or are part of a franchise or large national chain. As much as I wanted this place to be my new favorite BBQ spot, it sadly was standard Jax BBQ, meaning its average in the grand scheme of things.
For reference, I got the rib and chicken dinner combination. The one thing I have to say about the ribs is they tasted good but the smoke ring could have been a little better. My friends got the brisket and the pulled pork sandwich meals. None of us had any complaints about the food as again it was good. The restaurant was also clean and the service was quick and friendly. I worked as a line cook in college so I really appreciated the tip jar they set up for the cooks, as I too understand how it feels to see a server get all the credit for your work and also get additional money for your hard work (nothing against servers but you get my meaning). Very cool idea and I hope everyone who eats there leaves a buck or two for the cooks.
I’m thinking that maybe my expectations were way too high when I came here. With that said, my experience here was pleasant enough to where I will absolutely try this place again and maybe they can blow my mind on visit two but based on my previous visit I can say with certainty the BBQ here is good or as Unilocal puts it A-​OK

Best barbeque in town. Clean and very friendly environment. The small business community owners of this establishment have been making Jacksonville’s bar-​b-​que lover’s there famous and delicious barbeque for nearly 30 years. (maybe longer).There sides remind me of those home cooked meals my grannie made on those special family gatherings. The employees, literally, make you feel like your part of a family. Start 2016 right ! If you haven’t tried the amazing adventure of Cotten“s, I advise you do so. Then you will know why they have been around for so long.

Aside from the whole Arlington-I-hope-I-don’t-get-murdered thing, this is the mom-​and-​pop barbecue joint you have been looking for! Smoked in house, homemade sauces in homemade bottles (kinda neat, actually), and service that knows their regulars by name (which there were several of) and this is the place to be!
A word of caution, though; get there before or after peak hours, because seating was a commodity when I was there. If you have to wait, stick it out – it’s worth it!

Just good old fashioned barbeque! They are famous for their mustard barbeque sauce, although my favorite is the sweet sauce. Onion rings are real onion and fried to perfection, not circles of grease. The turkey is moist and to die for! Enjoy!

Worst barbeque I ever ate. Want really goid barbeque go to Monroes on Beach Blvd. Formerly Woodys

My family has been coming here for sixteen years. Not once have we been disappointed. I usually get the beef dinner and I always get a side of either the corn nuggets or fried okra. There’s a reason Cotten’s has been in business so long. It’s the best!

We have driven by Cotten’s for 2 years commenting every time that we need to stop there. We did. We will continue passing it by. My wife had a brisket sandwich and I had the beef (brisket) tray. The meat was dry and had little flavor. Barely received 3 ounces of meat. The cole slaw was horrible and the beans nothing better than what you get from a can of Van de Kamps beans. The red sauce was nothing special and the mustard sauce was thin, runny and short of any flavor. The ice tea was good, though. Never again.

Not good. We went there hoping for something new and maybe a good hole in the wall. First off they were pricey. For what we got we seriously paid too much. Also, the food wasn’t great. Flavorless. We won’t be going back. Would be better off sticking to Bono’s or Sonny’s for some consistently good BBQ.

Good basic lunchtime BBQ joint. Nothing fancy just basic beef, pork, chicken, turkey fries and baked beans, done just right, washed down with copious amounts of sweet iced tea. Doesn’t get much better than this, but it’s not a destination dining place. It’s just a good BBQ joint.

Has great turkey dinner plate and the best corn nuggets. Service is very friendly and very accommodating. I have never had a bad meal here and I frequent Cotten’s often the owners are very friendly too.

We were visiting Jacksonville University and had a couple of hours around lunch time to spare. Searching for another restaurant we found on Unilocal,we drove past Cotten’s and decided to stop in. Glad we did!
The restaurant was surprisingly clean inside. The staff was friendly and our waitress offered a couple of quick menu suggestions including which menu items were «home-​made» at their location. Our food took about 5 minutes to arrive at our table.
I loved the home-​made beans and cole slaw and the shredded pork sandwich was tasty, but needed some extra zing by adding some sauce. The only thing I didn’t like about my meal was that the bun was a little dry. When I paid the bill, it appeared they store the buns next to the oven so perhaps it sat a little close to the heat and got dried out.
All in all we were happy with our choice to visit Cotten’s. I would gladly stop in again.

Good BBQ. Meat nice and tender ribs soft and has good texture. Wasn’t as spicy as I would like it but it was still good.

The food wasn’t good at all. Some of our dinners arrived cold and the chicken was very dry. My kids didn’t like this place at all. I love BBQ food but I avoid this place.

The Franks & beans were enough for two people. My step Father’s portion of pork was very very small. I know and like the Owners. Good food. Try the friend corn nuggets when you go.

Cotten’s is a small family business that consistently serves up delicious bbq. Their chicken and ribs are served smoked & are not the Carolina style where they come in doused in sauce.
At Cottens you get your meat smoked, and it’s up to you to put on any sauces/​condiments. They have sweet/​hot tomato sauce & regular/​hot mustard sauce available. The ribs are my favorite.
Another recommendation for lunch (and it’s cheap!) is the Frank & Beans platter. You get two giant fried franks, a big bowl of baked beans, and garlic toast. I always end up taking half home.
The Sloppy Freddy is also tasty & I recommend getting on garlic toast instead of regular bun.