Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q
Best Barbecue in Jacksonville · FL
Slow-smoked over oak since 1949.
Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q has smoked ribs and pork in Jacksonville since 1949, when Louis Bono opened a pit barbecue that became a First Coast institution. The original recipes — slow-smoked ribs, pulled pork and a tangy sauce — still define North Florida barbecue for generations of locals.
A Jacksonville barbecue landmark for over 75 years, Bono's is the 2025 Centurion Award winner.
What they're known for
- Slow-smoked ribs
- Pulled pork
- Tangy Florida-style sauce
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Founding cohort: evaluated in 2026 on public evidence available then, labeled 2025. Selection follows the published criteria; Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in Jacksonville since 1949 — 77 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Jacksonville.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Jacksonville has kept Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q busy for 77 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Jacksonville regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best barbecue in Jacksonville for 2025 for more than 75 years of oak-smoked pork from the original Beach Boulevard pit.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. Own this business? Claim the listing to manage it, or ask us to remove it.
Award record
2025 Centurion Award
Best Barbecue in Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL · Awarded under the 2025 evaluationThe details, verified.
Clean, checkable facts about Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q.
- Legal / trading name
- Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q
- Category
- Restaurant
- Founded
- 1949, Jacksonville, FL
- Founders
- Louis Bono
- Location
- 4907 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32207
- Centurion Award
- Best Barbecue in Jacksonville — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
A signal you can check.
This is a dated award record published by The Centurion Awards after reviewing public evidence for Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q against the 2025 criteria for its market and category. The business did not have to apply for this page to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. The criteria are public. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. If an award stops holding up, we may revoke it. For anything current, like hours or bookings, go straight to the business itself.
Frequently asked questions.
What is Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q?
Jacksonville barbecue institution founded in 1949 on Beach Boulevard, slow-smoking over oak for more than seven decades.
Is Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q award-winning?
Yes — Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Barbecue in Jacksonville, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best barbecue in Jacksonville for 2025 for more than 75 years of oak-smoked pork from the original Beach Boulevard pit.
Where is Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q?
Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q is in Jacksonville, FL.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.