Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q

The overview

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

The public record

What reviewers already knew.

A Centurion Award doesn’t replace the public record — it verifies it. Read it for yourself, on the platforms where it lives.

Google Maps
Reviews, photos & directions Read reviews →

Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.

The verification

Why this business cleared the bar.

Selection is by the published criteria, evaluated on public evidence. Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q cleared every one.

✓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 2026 for more than 75 years of oak-smoked pork from the original Beach Boulevard pit.

The full verification report — the specific data behind this award — is held by the business. The exact thresholds stay internal so the bar can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.

Award record

2025

Best Barbecue in Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation

All awards for Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q →

Visit Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q

Websitebonosbarbq.com ↗

Location4907 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32207

In business since1949

Find them onFacebook · Instagram · Yelp · twitter · youtube

Facts at a glance

The sourceable record.

Clean, checkable facts about Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q — for readers, search engines, and answer tools alike.

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 Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q cleared the 2025 evaluation for its market and category. It was not bought, voted on, or sponsored — the criteria are public, only winners are published, and an award that stops holding up is revoked, not quietly removed. Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. For everything else — hours, bookings, live reviews — go straight to the business itself.

Quick answers

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.