4 Rivers Smokehouse

I got a nice surprise recently when the manager of the 4 Rivers BBQ (Baymeadows location) invited me out to  tour the restaurant and try some of the food. We arrived on a Wednesday night at 7 and the restaurant was packed. This was shocking since not many places have this kind of a line during the week. 4 Rivers is an order at the counter restaurant, and the line was 3 turns deep. Not only was the line long, but there were quite a few people already sitting down enjoying their meals. The restaurant has booth seating as well as community tables in the middle. 

 We grabbed a seat at one of the tables and were treated to a tray of meats. This was only the first course and I was already having to pace myself. I knew that we had another tray of meat and sides to get to, so I made sure to take a bite of everything (for research purposes) and move on to the next thing. Some of the table favorites included the pulled pork, pulled chicken, brisket, tri tip, and especially the burnt ends. 

The pulled pork and chicken were unique since they were coated in their Signature sauce, which is sweet, mild, and tangy. I’m not a huge fan of BBQ sauce, but I loved these meats. My husband (who is not a huge chicken fan) was also raving about the pulled chicken. The burnt ends were the ones that made the whole table go Mmmmmm at the same time. They consisted of brisket shredded with pulled pork and they were crispy and flavorful.

 Next, the sides came out. I was very excited for this since I have only tried a few, so this was a great opportunity for me to try some of the other things that I wasn’t sure if I would like. Spoiler alert, I liked everything. My favorites were the mac and cheese and the baked cheese grits. The mac and cheese is super creamy the baked cheese grits were different than any grits I have ever had. They are served as a baked square of grits instead of in a bowl and the cheese flavor is baked in.

 

After dinner we were treated to a tour of the restaurant. All of the employees were very friendly and we noticed that there were a few bulletin boards in the kitchen used to praise them. The corporate office sends out a newsletter that showcases different employees that have gone above and beyond. The people who get featured receive a gift card. I love the positive reinforcement and the sense of family. Another contest allows the winner to donate money to a charity of their choosing. That’s another thing I love about 4 Rivers, they are very charitable. All of the money that they would have spent on advertising goes back into the community instead. They survive solely on word of mouth, and from what we saw, it’s working!

 We walked through the kitchen and over to the smokers. All of the meat is smoked for 10+ hours in these huge ovens. We got a sneak peek inside the ovens and they smelled amazing. I could not work here. The temptation is too great. I would have to test everything for quality control.

 We also got to check out the Sweet Shop. All of the bakery items are made fresh in house. Another awesome thing they do is offer free sweets for expectant mothers. It is personal touches like this that make 4 Rivers stand out in the crowd. The more I learn about them, the more I like them.

Verdict: Loved it!

If you are in the mood for some wonderful BBQ, head on over to 4 Rivers. They have a large menu with many different meats so you are sure to find something you will like. You order at the counter and they fill your tray right there in the line, then you take a seat. They also have outdoor seating so if you are there when the weather is nice, you can sit outside and enjoy it!