Woodpecker’s Backyard BBQ

We have driven past this place a hundred times always threatening to stop in and so we did (on a Friday afternoon). The inside is larger than it look but boy is it one busy place!
Fiancé and I split a big platter of dark meat chicken and lean brisket with Datil beans and Mac. First off, we were thrilled with the food and service. They make you feel at home and they work their butts off! (we sat at the counter). Secondly, we kind of got strange looks from our order. I am not one for chewing on fat so I wanted the lean brisket. They gave us a free sample of the fatty brisket. I spent the rest of the afternoon apologizing to my fiancé. Holy cow! The lean had a bigger slab of fat on it than the fatty… and the fatty was to die for. We never even made it to the chicken.
Amazing BBQ, large portions and down home service. like being in your backyard (full of people). Word of advice «Fatty Brisket».

Waited 1 ½ hours for take out. When I asked how long it would be I was told my ticket was somewhere on the line. Won’t be back.

It would be helpful if these folks could include the fact that they close when they run out of food. I wasted my time driving 25 minutes to get there before 5:30 to find out they closed two hours early. I hate having my time wasted and they will never get my business.

Amazing food!!! Fall off the bone ribs, tender juicy brisket, moist pulled pork and delicious sausage! The Corn is amazingly peppery and sweet at the same! Go early, they close when the food is gone!

Amazing! Awesome staff! Delicious food. I would recommend the chicken or the brisket!

I’ve been hearing about this place from locals for months. Now I can honestly say that it lived up to the hype.
Chopped pork sandwich with a rich bark full of great flavor. Subtle smoke flavor that had a nice sweet aftertaste that complimented the pork so nicely. The sweet BBQ sauce has a nice bite of heat that balanced the sweetness so well too.
My side was the datil pepper creamed corn. Since moving to the area I’ve been introduced to these brilliant little things and I love the spice, heat and complexity they brought to this side.
Would I come back? Absolutely!

The best bbq around. We love driving up from St. Augustine to enjoy the food and the people. We love the datil pepper flare that found across the menu. Surprisingly, the turkey is my favorite. I mean I feel like you should get ribs or brisket when getting bbq and many in our party and said it was amazing!!! But the turkey was so tender and flavorful which really allowed me to enjoy the wonderful sauces! So much food I had it for lunch the next day. The datil beans are spicy so beware of you dot like spice! Head there early. They always have food, but some of their best runs out quick.

By far the best bbq in the area. This place is an authentic bbq shop that has the best staff you can find. Highly recommend to anyone… will be back for more. Lisa is absolutely the best…

Read the great reviews and a friend went last weekend and raved about the place. So, I drove on down to open it at 11:00 (beat the crowd) and was greeted by several other guests/​families all who also praised the food and service. They could not believe I was a newbie.
Let’s just say the owners and staff got it right. From the warm welcome, attentive service and lack of ambiance (it is afterall, a BBQ joint) I felt like I was at my neighbor’s backyard. I ordered the turkey platter with datil beans and datil corn. It also comes with 2 thick pieces of garlic toast.
The meal is served in a plastic basket with wax paper with sides in two nice sized styrofoam cups. All the items were generously portioned. The turkey had a nice smoky flavor and went well with each sauce I used. The datil beans had a nice bit of heat and I added a few shots of the datil mustard BBQ sauce to give it just a tad more.
The only thing that did not meet my expectation was the datil corn. It was more of a sweet, creamed corn without any distinguishable datil flavor. It was good (I added salt and a good bit of pepper) but did not meet my expectation. I grow my own datil plants and make many sauces, dishes and soups so I was hoping for some heat with sweetness of the corn.
If you like BBQ, go early, give them a try. As I wrote at the start, the folks here at Woodpecker’s have done it right!

WoW! We happened upon this place by accident. We saw the line of people and thought «let’s give it a try». WOW, WOW WOW. I had the ribs, slaw and corn on the cob. My husband had the brisket. The ribs were so juicy, with the perfect barbecue taste. Not overpowering just right. Yes finger kicking good. We have lived in the are for 16 years and didn’t know about ti. While standing on line (expect a wait and know its worth it) we saw long time neighbors who said they come all the time. Who knew?
My husband’s brisket was to die for. They gave a choice fatty or lean. He chose the fatty for flavor. The flavor was amazing (he let me have a bite and then kept it all to himsel). What we call fatty and what they call fatty is so different. No fat just incredible flavors, delicate meat, no toughness at all. Just mouthwatering delicious.
Lisa and her staff were amazing. All were attentive, like eagles watching over their babies. They sure made us feel welcome. I highly recommend this place. I was going to take pictures of the food… but I ate it. You will have to deal with this picture.

Delicious BBQ and terrific sides! They only have a few sides, but don’t be discouraged! Their sides were delicious. I had their collard greens (a special side today) and the baked beans. The pork was seasoned so nicely and was juicy, which seems hard to come by for some BBQ spots. Their sweet tea was perfect. Give this place a try!

The food is always so delicious and flavorful. No fryer in the whole restaurant. The owner is my absolute favor person I’ve ever encountered at a restaurant ever. She’s so unbelievably sweet and genuine. You’ll know exactly who I’m talking about once you go. I get the brisket even though it’s all wonderful.
Let me repeat the owner will feel your heart with an abundance of joy!

If I had to rate the place just on food it’d get a better rating than two stars.
We had a really bad experience and not sure if it was just our timing, we were there yesterday (Sunday) afternoon around 1 pm.
The dine-​in area was packed so my wife and I decided to order take out. The take out line wasn’t that bad, was able to reach ordering counter in about 15 minutes. Ordered and waited.
First the drinks came out, they got mine right and my wife’s wrong, she ordered unsweetened tea and got sweet tea. They took care of it quickly. No problem.
We waited about 45 – 50 minutes for the food, nothing. We saw people ordered after us started picking up their orders. So we asked where our order was and she checked and did not find our ticket in the line of tickets. She asked me what I ordered, instead of verbally repeating our orders I gave the order receipt which had the items printed on. They hurriedly throwing our orders together and handed over. I checked and found my sides were missing and they took care of that. We took our food to a nearby park and ate and found that they missed to include garlic toasts as well.
Currently they are not able to handle the traffic they are receiving during peak times.
We may try this place again once the memory from yesterday fades away.

Went to Woodpeckers on a lunch date with my wife today. This place is INCREDIBLE! Lunch was so good I can’t even compare it to another BBQ joint.
The pork was the most tender pork I’ve ever eaten and the chicken was just as moist. The chicken fell right off the bone and melted in my mouth. The datil cole slaw was the best cole slaw I’ve ever had. The datil corn is so good I could eat it for dessert.
We were talking to the waitress about their sausage and she brought us out 6 cut pieces to try for free. Our minds were blown. I had no choice but to order a half pound to add to our feast.
I never want to eat in another BBQ place again. So many times I’ve gone to restaurants and said we do this better at home. I have never come close to preparing the food greatness that was experienced today. Woodpeckers is incredible.

The service is outstanding. Very much of a family atmosphere. Feel like you’re in the true south. Food is very good as well. Love going here. They have added some nice outside tables as well and also have the quick window out front to order from. Truly a gem for Jacksonville.
Thank you staff.

A fun place to go for lunch! The food was great! I highly recommend the brisket… I got ½ brisket with fat and the other ½ leaner. Really, the fatty portion was better. Fat or not it’s definitely good! The (Paula Deen) type owner was welcoming and engaging as she worked. Definitely recommend stopping here.

This place is SO worth the drive! Out in BFE, but the food is spectacular. I’m a certified BBQ judge, so I know a little bit about good BBQ, and this place does it right! Place is always packed, and there’s outdoor seating available. Part of what I love about this place is that in addition to great BBQ, they also have good side items. For most BBQ places, the sides seem like afterthoughts, and they usually taste like afterthoughts. But not here, sides are delish too! The service is good, and the owner came to our table to chat — and she’s freaking funny! Super cool all the way around…

I had the two meat combo with sausage & turkey and it was DELICIOUS! The sausage was so juicy and the turkey was incredible. I had the datil corn and macaroni and cheese for sides and they were just as amazing! I don’t live near Woodpecker’s but I will definitely travel the distance to visit again! My brother lived in Austin, TX for a little while, but now lives back in Jacksonville and always says the BBQ here doesn’t compare to Austin, but even he’s in love with Woodpecker’s! Don’t miss trying this place!

This is definitely a hidden gem in the middle of nowhere. But WOW, the food is really delicious. I can’t say enough about their food. The service is exceptional and the owner is super awesome. She came to our table to see how we enjoyed our meal. Talk about personal. :)
There’s limited seating inside as this place is always busy (a good sign). They have outdoor seating where you can enjoy your authentic southern BBQ under the great old oaks and they also have perfect sweet tea. Yum, sweet tea.
Overall, come with your appetites and order anything on the menu including their homemade sides. You really can’t go wrong. We got to try it ALL since we were a party of eight and my mom won a free rack of ribs from Woodpecker’s.
And I’ll agree with Casey B., this may be the best BBQ is NE Florida.
If you like smoked meats, this is definitely the place. Dine-​in or take-​out. It’s all good.
I love being a carnivore these days. :)

A hole in the wall. This is what this place is. Located 30m away from Downtown Jacksonville, and surrounded by trailers, RVS, and small farms, this restaurant is a good place to have a bbq meal.
I had a brisket platter with corn in the cob and baked beans. Great flavor, especially the beans.
The best: the baked beans, great flavors, perfect for me.
They have five different types of sauces and one of mustard. They are really really good, they even have it for sale.
The so so: the corn in the cob was too simple, I guess that is how they make it.
The not so good: no alcohol, no beer. In a bbq this is a must, so they have to offer beer if they want to get bigger.
No plates. When I asked for plates, they gave me a plastic basket, those used to serve the bbq.
Rusty and dirty tables outside. The tables were dirty, covered with oak polen.
If you feel like eating a good bbq regardless the negative points, this is the place to eat.