As someone who makes pretty amazing ribs myself, I am quite the picky rib eater at restaurants.
Today’s review is on a place that has the best ribs anywhere. Now the thing about ribs is everyone may have their own preference on tenderness and seasoning so it isn’t really fair to say 4 Rivers has the best ribs ever. Yet I will still say it again – 4 Rivers Smokehouse has the best ribs anywhere.
It is obvious there is something special about a restaurant if you go to eat there and notice their is a line of eager customers out the door. And this is an every day occasion, rain or shine! Actually, people are out waiting so often that they even put a table out with complimentary lemonade (it’s Minute Maid from their fountain beverage machine, but it’s the thought that counts, right?)
Because I know what I’m in for at 4R, waiting reminds me of being in line for the Incredible Hulk ride at IOA*. Along the wall is a big print version of their menu for you to decide on your order.
So then you get inside and the line continues to coil like a bank teller line. And as you wait you see the drinks you can have instead of fountain beverage machine drinks.
And you can even grab some sauces to try and replicate the goodness at home. You can come close with my rib recipe (don’t worry it’ll open in a new tab/window).
Then you finally get to order – you tell them what your having (except for the sides you want since that’s the next persons job). And you try to ignore the desserts – I hardly get desserts but have tried their banana pudding before and it’s okay. Nothing out of the ordinary. I opted for fried Oreos this trip (picture below)
So you pay and seat yourself on a picnic bench (this doesn’t sound as nice as it actually is). They have some booths too, but the benches kind of fulfill the whole experience of eating at 4 Rivers.
All that’s left to do is dig in – and OMG is the only thing that comes to mind when you take a bite. Fall off the bone sweetness.
For our sides we usually get macaroni and cheese and a baked beans cup – the beans are cooked in their sweet barbecue and are seriously the only beans I eat like this straight as a side. I would even make a bean sloppy Joe out of these and bread alone! They’re that good!
This trip I tried their fried Oreos. They’re pretty good, but if you’ve had them before anywhere else you have also had them at 4R. Again nothing fantastic, but we are here for ribs right?!
My favorite part of 4 Rivers is that every time I have gone, the food tastes the same. It’s great every time no matter who is working that day. To me that is so important and I’m honestly never dissapointed. So if you’ve never been to 4 Rivers, this is definitely something to change right now!
*IOA = Islands of Adventure
Link to the official website of 4 Rivers Smokehouse
