Cecil’s serves up some delicious barbecue. They have very generous portions, I was able to stretch my meal into 2 meals. I had the beef brisket, which was good, albeit a little dry. The sides were excellent. The staff was friendly and very polite. I would definitely recommend Cecil’s to anyone looking for good barbecue in town.

Smokehouse BBQ is in the old Blackwater BBQ location on south Orange Ave. There has been a change of ownership, management, and a bulk of the staff. During the transition, something must have been lost, because Smokehouse BBQ does not hold up to it’s predecessor. I had the beef brisket, which was a bit dry, unlike Blackwater BBQ. The sides are still good, and the sauce is delicious, enough to make up for the dry meat. It’s still a decent place to get some barbecue, but not what it once was.

• Monday
  • Baked potato and salad
  • Chicken Caesar lunch salad
• Tuesday
  • Classic burger
  • Southwest chicken lunch salad
• Wednesday
  • Avocado turkey burger
  • Steak and spinach lunch salad
• Thursday
  • Soup and sandwich
  • Nutty chicken lunch salad
• Friday
  • Buffalo chicken sandwich
  • Cool turkey Cobb lunch salad

I assume since they specify “lunch salad” every time that this means it is a smaller portion than usual, but it will probably still be plenty for a lunch.

I’ve visited the Lee Rd. location in the past, and was unimpressed. The Conroy Rd. location is much better. The pulled pork is excellent, as are the rest of their sandwiches. The meat is slow smoked, and you can taste it in every bite. A sandwich might be enough to fill you up, but the sides really compliment the meal, especially the baked beans. I definitely recommend Bubbalou’s for some good barbecue.

• Texas de Brazil: purchase $60 and get a $10 bonus, or purchase $100 and get a $25 bonus. Use code HOLIDAY214. Extended through December 24.
• Taco Bell: get a free large drink with the purchase of a gift card.
• Outback Steakhouse offers a $20 bonus card for every $100 purchased.
• Sonny’s Bar-B-Q offers $10 in bonus cards (looks like they give you two $5 cards) free with a $50 gift card purchase.
• Carrabba’s: get a $20 bonus card for every $100 gift card purchase.
• Applebee’s: get a $10 bonus card with a $50 gift card purchase.
• Charley’s Steakhouse: get a $50 bottle of wine with a $100 gift card purchase.
• Del Taco
  • Buy a $10 gift card, get 2 regular tacos free.
  • Buy a $15 gift card, get 2 chicken soft tacos free.
  • Buy a $20 gift card, get 1 free menu item.
• Fuddruckers: purchase a $25 gift card and get a bonus $5 gift card
• Jeremiah’s Italian Ice: Black Friday, November 26th only, get a free small item voucher with every $10 gift card purchase
• Arby’s: get a free combo meal with a $20 gift card purchase.
• Denny’s: get a free $5 gift card with the purchase of a $25 gift card, online or in the restaurant.
• Smokey Bones: buy a $25 gift card, get a $5 bonus card, make it a $10 bonus card if you are a Bones Club member. Bonus cards only good between certain dates, details here.
• Chipotle: buy $25 in gift cards, and get a free burrito, bowl, salad, or order of tacos.
• Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse: get 10% back in holiday bonus cards with every gift card purchase of $250 or more
• Tijuana Flats: purchase a $25 gift card, and get a bonus $5 gift card.
• Friendly’s: get a $5 bonus card for every $25 gift card purchase, must be purchased in store.
• Buffalo Wild Wings: buy a $25 gift card, get a $5 bonus card. Bonus card good from January 1, 2001 – February 28, 2011.
• Jason’s Deli: purchase a $50 gift card, get a $5 bonus card.
• Panera Bread: purchase a $100 gift card, get a $10 bonus card.
• Logan’s Roadhouse: get $10 in Logan’s Bucks for every $30 gift card you purchase.
• Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza: get 10% for yourself with gift card purchase of $100 or more.

While I do try to include any of the fine print details I can find, you should pay close attention to the deals listed here and elsewhere. Bonus gift cards often are only good between certain dates, have a minimum purchase necessary, or cannot be used with other gift cards.

• Chili’s offers a choice of 1 of 6 entrees to all veterans and active duty military.
• Outback Steakhouse offers a free Bloomin’ Onion and non-alcoholic beverage.
• Applebee’s offers 1 of 7 free meals to all active duty or retired military.
• Golden Corral offers a free meal on Monday November 15th to all military personnel. This year marks their 10th anniversary in honoring our troops.
• Pizzeria Uno offers 1 free entree with the purchase of another entree.
• Hooters offers a free meal, from selected menu items.
• Grab a free doughnut at Krispy Kreme on Veteran’s Day.
• Subway is giving away one six inch sub to veterans. Check with the location beforehand, because many locations are franchises and it is up to the owner to participate in this promotion.

If you know of any other restaurants offering deals on Veterans’ Day, leave a comment and I’ll add it to the list.

Four Rivers Smokehouse serves an amazing variety of barbecue. Their meats are tender and juicy, and you can taste the smoked flavor throughout. Their sides are great, offering fried pickles, smoked jalapeno peppers (wrapped in bacon, and stuffed with cheese), corn bread (with jalapeno pepper slices baked in), baked beans, fries, and a few others. I haven’t tried their dessert yet, as the meal itself is plenty filling, but they look delicious.

There’s a good chance you will have to wait in line for a little while to get your food, but it’s worth it, and obviously others think so too. While waiting in line, the staff will come by with ice water (great considering Florida heat), and I saw others offered ice cream while we were leaving. They often offer samples of sides and the meats themselves to, but this might only make it more difficult deciding what you want to order, since everything is so good

The service is great, the food is great, both in quantity and quality, and the price is right. The one gripe I have is that it is only outdoor seating, but they have fans with misting setups to keep you cool. It would be nice if they had a larger awning or pull down for when it’s raining though. Honestly, the food is so good you won’t care about the dining area at all. I’m almost hesitant to recommend Four Rivers because I want it all to myself, but seriously, you need to try this place if you haven’t already.

• Food Quality: 7/10
• Quantity: 10/10
• Cleanliness: 7/10
• Atmosphere: 7/10
• Service: 8/10
• Price: $8-$10 (meals include a fountain drink)