Michelbob’s Championship Ribs & Steaks

Driving in Naples to and from the beach, I kept on seeing the signs for this place. My boyfriend said it’s older than he is and he’s never tried it… so we had to try it.
It was good. The service as REALLY good, but the food was just ok. It’s not BAD BBQ, but compared to all the great things i’ve had in St. Louis, this just falls a little flat.
If I were from a place without great BBQ, i’d probably love it. The ribs were pretty good (a little dry at places, but just needed some sauce), the onion rings were FANTASTIC, the sides were decent but nothing to write home about, and the pulled pork and brisket were pretty good (but again, not amazing).
Will I come here again? Probably not. Am I glad I did? Yes. It was a good experience.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Michelbob’s while vacationing in Naples, FL. I went with my sister and niece and had a wonderful dinner of «The Feast» which is a large platter of a half of roasted chicken, mounds of pulled pork, sliced beef, which we opted for double order of pulled pork instead of the beef because we love pulled pork so much and they allow you to do that. It also comes with a rack and a half of baby back ribs, garlic buttered toast, coleslaw, baked beans, corn on the cob, and baked potatoes. All of this would have been good enough on it’s own but what really put our dining experience over the top was our server Terry, she was fast, kind, knowledgeable, and very funny. When we go back I will be sure to request her again, it would not be the same without her taking care of us.

Used to go to Michelbob’s all the time when I was a kid and visiting Sanibel/​Marco Island area. I had fond memories of the food and atmosphere. 15 – 20 years later, I decided it was time for a trip back. We went with a group of 8, 20 min wait ended up taking 45−1hr. Our waiter was on a different planet for sure. Everything that could have gone wrong for him did, wrong food, missing food, visited the table only twice. The ribs were as good as I remembered although the rack was TINY and not very meaty. Pigs must be smaller in Denmark or wherever they get the meat from. The sauces were so-​so and the garlic bread was miserable. Sorry Michelbob’s, I think I’ve outgrown you :(

Was here on a Tuesday, about 1:30pm so thought I’d order the Tuesday special. Which is a whole slab of baby back ribs two sides and a potato of choice. (I ordered French fries) Also, add two side order of sausage, one was a hot link, the other was a jalapeño and cheddar link. My order was a take out.
OH MY, the slab of baby backs had four shiners out of the 12, no seasoning and super dry. The Cole slaw tasted like, it looked, puréed cabbage and cream. The beans were so/​so, the French fries were «spot on!» The sausage link tasted like they were made with out the use of spices, very bland. Totally disappointing! In my opinion this location is a great French Fry joint, existing on a rib burn, that they won back in 1991. They should be ashamed and embarrassed, to boast that they have «The Best Ribs in America!»

Simply said… this could be the best ribs I’ve ever had! Fall off the bone tender and flavorful even without any sauce. Even the baked potato is awesome! A must dine for any rib lover… or even those who may not be a big rib lover.

The food was really good. Ribs were as advertised. Side dishes were great as well. Didn’t get to dig into the dessert though.

This place is great. Great atmosphere and phenomenal food. Prices are very reasonable and ribs fall off the bone. Would definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a great reasonably priced meal. If you go the onion rings are a must try.

Place came recommended on Unilocal and didn’t dissapointment. First thing I noticed was how clean everything was; floors, tables, glasses etc.
I went with the full rack of ribs and it was great. Comes w slaw, beans, some bread, and choice of potato.
It was all delicious. «Best ribs in America»?? Not sure about that, but I would have them again.
Recommended if your not looking for an over complicated menu and a good heavy meal

Absolutely the best ribs I’ve ever had! I’m not the biggest BBQ fanatic, but my friends and I drive up from Miami at least once a year. When we come here we turn into Man VS food and we order everything in sight. In addition to great ribs the sides do not disappoint (French fries, cole slaw and texas toast are all amazing.) Michelbobs is a must if you’re in the area

Great food, A LOT I mean A LOT of food. Great service people are nice, food comes out very quickly but is amazingly fresh!

A hommy place with AMAZING food. The ribs were PERFECT! They serve a mountain of BBQ Beef. I don’t like to eat the Baked Beans or Cole Slaw in most BBQ joints ’cause they’re either too sweet or too watery… but the ones @ this place are just PERFECT. Kudos to MICHELBOB!!!

Love this place! Good food, great service and love the ribs!
I have eaten here soooo many times and always bring my out of town guests here. Wish they had a good garlic cheesy bread to go along with the ribs!
Check them out and thank me later!

Michelbobs is always on our list for dining out when we come to Naples. Great food! Friendly staff!
Most in my family get the ribs which are delicious. I usually get the beef sandwich and ditch the bun. Soooo much meat I usually get to take some home for lunch the next day. Cold beer too. Love this place

The wife and I came here for dinner because we saw good reviews and wanted some BBQ. I have never been to a restaurant where my wife and I both got sick before we even left the place.

Great bbq! We shared a meal and we’re very satisfied. Terri was very attentive and provided service with a smile. I would definitely come back

Good barbecue, but don’t expect to eat their in the late summer as they are usually closed in August and/​or September
Very convenient for pilots as it is right across the street from the airport and is easily in walking distance or a short drive in a crew car
A local favorite for the blue-​collar hearty appetite working man

Our cheapest meal in Naples and I think we will be eating it for days. We went for the big time at Michelbob’s, ordering «The Feast». For about $ 45, this is a huge platter of meat and sides: a rack and a half of ribs, piles of sliced beef and either sliced or pulled pork, plus cole slaw, baked beans, potatoes (we ordered fries and a baked potato). Wow! This was a ton of food!
Some of the food was extraordinary, some very good, and some really missed the mark.
The extraordinary: the best pulled pork I have ever had… by far. It was so tender and juicy, without being smothered in sauce, like some pulled pork.
The excellent: the ribs. I only tasted them but they were fall off the bone and perfectly spiced. I don’t know if they are «the best ribs in America», as advertised, but they are great!
The good: the barbecued chicken and most of the sides including baked beans, cole slaw, and fries
The bad: the sliced beef and pork. Both were too dry and pretty tasteless.
The décor is typical barbecue joint… very casual with wood booths. There is a ton of Coke a Cola memorabilia and lots of barbecue competition awards.
Service was friendly and fast. Definitely a place to return to for a cheap meal in Naples.

Definitely not the best ribs in America, but not the worst either. This place is much better than rib city if you are in the Naples area.
I’ve read some others reviews and want to «piggy-​back» on them. I’m from Chicago and grew up eating Carson’s Ribs, which to me were the best and very hard to beat. There are plenty of rib festivals in the Chicago area during the summer and I have been to many of them.
With all that said, who voted Michelbob’s the best? They have some trophies and placards showing they won some small local competitions. Nowhere do I see an award for best in America. Anyone can say they are the best… it’s not illegal. Hey, I’m the best Rib judge in America… you may not have known that.
With all that said, I’m still going to give Michelbob’s 3 stars because they are better than some of the other local places. I would however recommend Famous Dave’s over this place. Since Famous Dave’s is from Chicago and they now have locations nationwide… and it is very good.

Hype. Sometimes it can help sell things and make people appreciate them. Problem is, if you don’t walk that walk, then the hype turns on you like a rabid dog. Michelbobs? Their hype is a mouth-​foaming beast. The reality? (Yawn.)
I’ve had top grade Danish ribs before at places like Carson’s in Chicago. That said, these sad overcooked, oversauced prior pig parts are not the championship grade cue being touted on signage all over the walls inside and out of the building.
Their ‘killer’ onion rings were fried in grease at a lower temperature. Instead of being dry and crisp and wonderful they were soggy and greasy and left a pool of oil on the paper.
I order potato salad and slaw because those are cue standards. Michelbob’s? I have to say its a FAIL on both. These are sides, not synchronized swimming. The cups are for slaw and potatoes, not pools of liquid hiding them. There is this thing called a slotted spoon. USE IT. Taste-​wise there was no pop. No joy. KFC++ at best.
The ribs were prepped and dressed so badly that bone splinters were coming apart with the meat which is not good. Taste? Too much sauce. If you’re rub is so baaaad, gents and ladies, then leave the sauce off. When it comes to rubs and ribs, the dry don’t lie, y’all.
The wait staff is very friendly and the service was great. The place has tables like a fast food joint and a very retro-​sixties wood-​panel and kitsch everywhere thing going for its décor, along with all of the BBQ bravado on their walls.
It’s not bad. It’s not good. It’s just there, at least for the cue connoisseur. If you had some BBQ game, it got lost somewhere in those over-​prepared mushy ribs. Get your A game back and I might try it.

The Good the Bad and the Meh!
For once Unilocal let me down. A 4 star BBQ joint always gets my attention.
I’m honest with my reviews, so I’ll start with the good.
The ¼ chicken (dark) was very good although on the small side. Smokey and tender it is the reason for 1 of the stars.
The other star is for the service, my waitress was great. Very Happy, attentive and charming.
The Bad — The ribs, ridiculously small ribs, not Smokey and just not flavourful at all.
The Meh — The sides were just okay, beans and coleslaw were bland and Texas Toast (toast was dry), Corn on the Cob was passable.
Bottom Line is I won’t be coming back anytime soon.

Beste Rips und bester Cesar Salat ever! Unsere Erinnerung an unseren Besuch, 16 Jahre zuvor war nicht verfälscht.
Service ist einem Diner angemessen freundlich und schnell. Die Baby Rips fielen nur so von den Knochen und die Sauce war zum Fingerlecken. Das Putenfleisch zum Cesar war super zart und wohl zuvor im Smoker. jammy.
Die Meßlatte für alle BBQ die ich kenne, sorry Leute, da müsst ihr euch noch mächtig ins Zeug legen.

Nachdem wir immer wieder dran vorbei gefahren sind und gelesen haben, dass es dort die besten Ribs in Amerika gibt, wollten wir uns mal selber überzeugen.
Eher einfach eingerichtet, aber ganz typisch amerikanisch. Alles sauber, Bedienungen sehr nett. Essen kam sehr flott und und hat uns auch gut geschmeckt. Aber kein Vergleich zu unseren Lieblings-​Ribs.
Geschirr kein Porzellan, sondern Melamin o.ä. Aber das ist ja sehr typisch für Amerika.
Fazit: Kann man gut hingehen, aber wenn ich Ribs möchte, gehe ich lieber zu RibCity.