King is a monarch of the BBQ business

Review by Jeremy Barnett

If you didn’t already know, the king of Tallahassee doesn’t wear a crown or have his own jester, but his home does offer feasts that Buckingham and Versailles would have envied in their hey-day. The palace’s name: King’s BBQ.

What once was Mike King’s truck located on the corner of Pensacola Street and Ocala Road in 2002 has morphed into a restaurant in just two years. King’s has quickly risen from an outdoor, hot and smoky truck to an air-conditioned, fully functional BBQ establishment.

For meat lovers, King’s offers just what the butcher ordered. King’s has rib bones sized for Fred Flintstone, and sausage so big it would satisfy Bill Swerski’s “Super Fans.” Add in King’s sweet BBQ glazed chicken and pulled pork and that’s more than any BBQ fan could ask for.
The tasty sides satisfy any BBQ connoisseur. Baked beans, fries, collard green and corn on the cob are just a sampling of what is ready to be added to any meat-stacked meal.

Bang for your buck is an understatement at King’s. Here’s how far five dollars can go: one quarter chicken, two (Flintstone-sized) spare ribs, two side items, two pieces of bread and a drink (sweet tea, soda or water). The overstuffed styrofoam box barely closes when its pushed across the counter into the customer’s hands.

The menu plastered on the wall is ready for single eaters, couples and larger groups. It can get confusing deciphering the difference between the “hungry mob,” “hook-me-up please,” and the “ribtacular.” Just know when reading the menu that you’re either getting a lot of food, a lot more food or enough food to feed a frat house.

King’s sweet tea, like the rest of the restaurant, comes good and in good size. The drink complements any of the sweet BBQ served at the restaurant. Its homemade taste comes straight from the giant orange water cooler sitting behind the counter.

 If dessert is your thing, King’s has the cure for your sweet tooth. Desserts such as sweet potato pie and red velvet cake are wrapped bake sale style on the counter. Bread pudding is on the dessert menu as well.

King’s BBQ is a local place with that true southern BBQ thang. Maybe it’s no coincidence that the phrase “good home cooKING” contains the word king.

The King’s home is located on 2420 West Pensacola Street. Hours: Sun. noon-5; Mon. 11-7; Tues.-Thurs. 11-9; and Fri.-Sat. 11-11.