Shorty's BBQ West Miami

Our next family food adventure take us to Shorty's Bar-B-Q located in Miami with a category of 4.2 and more than 2,038 reviews, this restaurant specializes in barbecue. One History and Tradition: Tracing the Roots: Barbecue's history spans centuries, originating from indigenous cooking methods and evolving through various cultures. Regional Styles: Each region has developed its distinct barbecue style, from Texas brisket and Kansas City ribs to North Carolina pulled pork and Memphis dry-rubbed ribs. Cultural Significance: Barbecue plays a significant role in American culture, bringing people together for gatherings and celebrations. At Shorty' s they have maintained the original recipe since its inauguration in 1951, I went with my family at dinner time. The experience was good, the waiter was very friendly and was very helpful when choosing from the menu. The place has a very Texan Western-style design. The only thing I didn't like was that it was too dark. The food was delicious and exquisite. The ribs fell off the bone smoothly. A constructive advice should make a renovation because the competition in kind of cuisine style is already at another level.

I’m very discouraged about my service here. I walked in. I placed a carryout order and decided I wanted to dine in, followed by receiving my food. It was made a big deal. The manager had to come out and then ask the servers. From working in the hospitality industry as long as I have. To get that kind of response was very unfortunate. This reminded me of another experience I had at this restaurant. I got a carry out order, I sat down and dined in because my partner was going to join me. The server at the time was very rude. She didn’t say anything to me, but gave me dirty looks for sitting there. When my boyfriend arrived, she gladly helped him and the service and energy completely changed 360. It was very weird for me. Not to mention I tip when I purchase carry out. I would also totally understand if the restaurant was at occupancy or close to. However, each of my interactions that was not the case as you can see the picture this forced me to eat outside at the Starbucks next-door, and unfortunately, all of my food blew off of my lap due to a strong wind. Because I decided I wanted to eat in that moment. Service could DEFINITELY be better.

Always such a pleasure to eat the best baby back ribs, awesome coleslaw, delicious corn bread and irreplaceable key lime 🍋‍🟩 pie! And today best attention by Roxana, such a dedicated waitress, in one word all was PERFECT! We will be back! Recommend 💯 %!

Stopping in for a quick bite, I was met with the kind of efficiency that tells you this kitchen knows its rhythm. The BBQ ribs arrived swiftly, tender and deeply flavorful, striking a perfect balance—rich in smoke without tipping into cloying sweetness. The sides were thoughtfully portioned, well-prepared, and offered just enough variety to complement the star of the plate. For a casual dinner done right, Shorty’s delivers a satisfying and unpretentious taste of comfort.

Loved it! Vennessa was a gem. Food was great! We will be back 🥰

My vacation meal spot, wow, the meals and atmosphere were great. We enjoyed every meal that we had, and I met a beautiful soul who has been working with Shorty's for over 30 years, her services to everyone were amazing, keep up the great job Maria, and God bless your soul, Shortys Thank you for the meal, after experience our first day we refused from going anywhere else. Each day we walk from our hotel to have a delicious meal. The best place to have a meal for 2 for until $100. Great job Shorty's 🥰🥰🥰👍👍👍

I've been eating Shorty's BBQ since I was a kid. I've visited twice in the past two months and the food has been great and just like I remember. You definitely get a lot of food for your buck. Both times the wait staff were friendly and helpful. I wanted to give special recognition to our waitress this past weekend, Roxana, who was one of the sweetest and caring wait staff I have had before. She helped us with the menu and took great care of us.

The worst place I have ever been in Miami. Food was extremely horrible, no taste, the gravy in the smashed potato taste nasty. The french fries tasted like the have been in the fridge for months, and the ribs werw old, dry and grey colored. They should close down this place forever. The bathroom very dirty. The waitress very rude. Horrible experience. We did not even finish out food. Real nasty.

Every time I'm in Miami I always try to hit Shortys BBQ. at least once. The food is always the same no surprises just good barbecue and that's what I'm looking for so tired of the spin off places that want to add their new touch to barbecue which turns us old-school barbecue people off very fast shorties isn't that place and they've been around a long time And I think they'll be around a lot longer because they stick to doing old-school barbecue and not trying to come up with something new

Huge fan of BBQ and Brisket! I was craving brisket and had the opportunity to stop in for lunch the other day. Was seated right away even though it was lunch time and a holiday. I didn't even see the menu, I knew what I wanted. Brisket platter please, waited anxiously like kid on Christmas morning for ato arrive. What a total disappointment and waste of piece of meat. There wad no crust, taste(seasoning totally missing) and chopped not sliced. I am the type that doesn't add additional salt or pepper to my food. I am good how it comes from the kitchen. Today was not that case. I had to salt and pepper and add shortys sauce to get some flavor. Totally disappointed..

Can't get enough of this place I can't say it enough the food is always good! The corn is a must as well as the baby back ribs this has become my daughter's favorite place to eat if I mention the name she's like can we go! The customer service is exceptional as well! One thing I would love to recommend add some Grilled shrimp or shrimp kabobs!!

NO STARS worst BBQ restaurant, wouldn't recommend this restaurant even as a joke. There is a very good barbecue restaurants down by Homestead and one in Doral.

Always love coming to Shortys! Food is always fresh and delicious. Staff is wonderful, friendly and attentive. I usually order half a rack of ribs with fries and coleslaw, an order of buttered corn on the cob and an order of fried green tomato! They are all so fresh and delicious! This is good place for groups, any occasion and celebrations!

Horrible customer service from the new manager at Shorty's. After years of ordering from the kids menu for my kids to go apparently you can't do it anymore. They would rather lose an order and now a customer than let me order from the kids menu. The manager lied over the phone claiming that the kids menu doesn't exist anymore but when you physically go to the restaurant the kids menu still exists. Just terrible customer service.

We stayed at the Comfort Suites behind this location and decided to walk over and grab a bite. I was leery due to the reviews but I'm glad we stopped in. The food was good. The corn was great...love that it comes out in a pool of butter. My husband got the ribs and he said they weren't the best ones he's had but was good. Maria, our server, was outstanding! She went out of her way to make our meal perfect! The decor was of a typical BBQ stop which was totally fine. It appeared to be clean and well.

Great spot for yummy comfort food. Baby-back ribs are fall off the bone tender. Smoked brisket was a tad bit fatty but overall great taste.

Service is terrible. There are like 5 tables here. Now I know why. The service was never at my table. Had to chase down another service to get a box. Had to get up to the register to get my check. Finally saw the server and told to wait. The manager saw the interaction and I looked at him and he turned around and went into the cooler. Did not even acknowledge I've been waiting for the server. The prices went up and this place continues to have terrible service. I will not be coming back to this place. This is not the Shortys I know. The food was ok.

I stopped in today to grab some food to go. It was close to the FL turnpike and easy to get off and on. I did a quick yelp review and settled on baby back ribs and pulled pork. I also got a side salad. The salad and ranch dressing were decent. The ribs appeared to be baked after boiling with a lot of sauce slathered over them. Just not much of a taste. The pulled pork was a saucy mound that had some chunks of pork and what looked like mashed pork. I didn't care for the taste of either of the meats that I had chosen. The staff was nice, however I would not stop again. My BBQ preference is little to no sauce and a smoked or grilled taste to meat.

We tried to eat at Shorty's BBQ, 11575 SW 40th Street, in Miami, FL. Our experience was simply awful. We LOVE the original Shorty's near Dadeland in Pinecrest and the Fort Lauderdale Shorty's on University and Stirling, so we were especially disappointed at Shorty's on SW 40th Street. Some of our order never came to the table, part of the order came wrong, and the meat came cold. When we let the server know the brisket was cold, it went back to the kitchen and after 20 minutes it came back hot, but it was all fat. Like, ALL fat trimmings! It was inedible and disgusting. We finally just got up, went to the register and requested our bill. We explained how we felt, but there was no manager assistance and no concern. We left feeling hungry but sick at the same time. We do not recommend that anyone eat at this restaurant. Stay away!

The location still looks the same as all these years . Like an indoor barn like bbq locations in the world. Service was good and it became very busy. They messed up my wife's order but quickly fixed it. My problem is that the food was not warm. The wings were perfect but the food chicken ribs and the brisket was almost cold. The brisket was sliced thin n not the best quality.the ribs were good but the sauce was humm light n sticky not thick as bbq is. Good cole slaw and bread way good and good portions. Last, the sit you all together while the restaurant is half empty. I saw people asking to be sit away and were told no? I was alone then surrounded by people when half the restaurant is empty? They to this to keep half the restaurant clean! Or is it too far really?!? As for the venue very good in all .

Ordered the pulled pork platter with fries, coleslaw, and garlic bread with a side of corn on the cob. Guys got full rack of ribs, fries, coleslaw, garlic bread and corn on the cob. Food was tasty, sauces were great, & it hit the spot. We were too hungry to take pictures so paint your own meal. Ordering was easy and service for take out was quick.

Love love love this place. There is no other bbq spot like shortys. Good and fast service. The brisket of course is a must have. They have so many options that even the pickiest of eaters will find something they enjoy here.

Delicious food served by the best waitress they have over there. Her name is Maria. Be sure to ask for her. I've been coming here for many many years.

It was pretty empty when we arrived around 4 pm, yet it took a little long for us to be greeted. After being greeted, the service was quick, and the food was even quicker. The place itself looks like a typical bbq joint, the tables have benches for you to sit in. There's a paper towel roll in all of the tables and three different sauces for you to use. The noise level was average. We ordered the sampler which brings mozzarella sticks, fried okra, potato skins and chicken wings. You have the option of doubling some of these items if you don't like one of them. Personally everything in it was good, except the chicken wings. Wow I've never had such bad wings. They were extremely burnt at the bottom, like actually charcoal burnt. They barely even had any meat on them, they were skimpy and super dry, I would absolutely not get them again. The fried okra however, was an interesting appetizer to try. We ordered our food as soon as we received the appetizer and the food came out 2 minutes after, which led me to believe it's already premade and reheated. We ordered the brisket platter and the bbq pulled pork platter. Both plates brought a lot of food, they come with fries, coleslaw, and a garlic bread. The flavor was okay, not horrible yet not great. I'd rate this restaurant a solid 3.5 out of 5.

I've been coming to Shortys for over 20+ years and never had a problem until today. The table they sat me by had a termite problem. I brought it to the managers attention and advised him that I wanted to run out of there bc the termites were on my table, on the napkin role and crawling on the window. The manager simply said " thank you for bringing this to my attention, it's breeding season." I'm staying away from this location.

I have honestly been here about a billion times since I was a kid back in the 1970's...a favorite spot of my family since the 1940's! The interior feels exactly the same as all those years ago and the smells when you arrive on-site gets your mouth watering immediately. The seating inside is picnic bench "communal style" seating, which I have always liked. I get the same exact order every time I go...mostly due to the fact that I'm a rib guy through and through...spare rib platter with a side of corn on the cob (in a moat of melted butter) and a sweet tea. My favorite way to eat these ribs is to mix together the two available sauces...the "warm" one that comes straight from the drippings used to make it and the tableside squeeze bottle. The drippings sauce is hearty and vinegary while the squeeze sauce is a bit tangier, they make a great combo! Small side of cole slaw is very creamy and I'm a huge fan of crinkle-cut fries. This may not be the best 'que around, but it is certainly my all-time (childhood and beyond) favorite. Can't wait for the next time around!

This place has been open since forever and the food is delicious! Great service and nice ambiance as well.

I have always loved this casual barbecue spot with the informal southern family-style decor. The sauces make the ribs burst with flavor as they melt off the bone. The corn on the cob is a little wet, but tasty. I love the baked beans. This is a nice casual barbecue in Dade County! The service is always with a smile.

In the mood for BBQ in Miami? Sorry to disappoint, but there's not too many choices. However, if you're just looking to satisfy your craving for some decent ribs, brisket, and pulled pork, then Shorty's could probably fit the bill. They've been around for decades, with several locations throughout Miami. It's casual BBQ, OK service on most days, and good prices. You'll get a nice sized plate with fries and cole slaw and can always sub with a baked or sweet potato. I wish they'd tweak their sauces because they're not particularly great, but overall, the food's not bad. The atmosphere is chill, and you can usually get immediate service since there is rarely ever a wait. Beer and limited wine selections are also available.

The server I had was EXTREMELY rude. My friends and I went there a couple days ago and I can barely eat a whole meal due to a health thing, so when I kindly asked for a kids menu, the server started giving me attitude and said I'm not 12 so I shouldn't be asking for it. When I told him I barely eat, he proceeded to give me the kids menu but kept complaining that he's not supposed to serve me from the kids menu. I was so embarrassed. I've been to many restaurants where I've asked for a kids menu and no server has ever complained. The server I had was a man with black hair and looked around late 20's/ early 30's. I don't remember his eye color but I think it was dark green eyes. The food was good until we found a piece of hair in our french fries.

Food was amazing! Fall off the bone ribs, great coleslaw and tender chicken all with delicious smoked flavor! Unfortunately, our poor service dampened our experience. Had to get a to go bag from another server who also had to check us out. Our server was missing in action for about 20 minutes once we finished our meal! We passed on dessert which we were looking forward to, but couldn't wait any longer.

The only thing that was good were the onion rings first my ribs came burned then they replaced them but they did taste like it was just made was not super hot . The chicken wings came burned also like if they cooked them twice . The corn on the cob didn't taste good and the hamburger my son ordered had a cold bun and the meat had no taste and not juicy .

Ribs are not smoked and still had the membrane on it. The order was also missing it's sides which DoorDash declined to refund. The pulled pork was good

Another staple in Miami for BBQ. love their family meal with the ribs, chicken and sliders. Service is always good.

Used to frequent when the kids were young and have fond memories. Sadly it's not what we were expecting. We were seated quickly but left just as fast after realizing the air conditioner was bad. It was hot and with no air flow in the corner it was stuffy. Can't speak to the food quality but a disappointing visit.

bad food nothing was fresh ever thing was like frozen very disgusting if the chef have any problems I recommended you to change job this is not for you anymore

I consider this the Denny's of South Florida barbecue. Better yet the trailer park of barbecue. The fries are nothing special they're pretty much from Cisco, the barbecue seems a-day old, amd the only thing that's consistently good here is the corn, but then again who doesn't know how to make a good piece of grilled corn. Lunch specials are fairly priced for what you get so there's that. Service is friendly.

I guess it's supposed to feel like you're at an outdoor picnic/barbecue. All seating is picnic tables, which is fine, if you're average build. The lighting is yellow bulbs in lanterns. It's cute, I guess, but the yellow light makes reading the menu difficult and hard on the eyes. Sides are cole slaw and fries. You can substitute another form of potato for the fries. Of course they were happy to substitute a salad for the fries for an up charge. No substitutions for the cole slaw. The salad was fresh and they have the good ranch. The coleslaw was dry and vinegary. The brisket had a decent flavor, but lacked a smoke ring. The ribs also had a decent flavor, but were slathered in barbecue sauce. The chicken was charred. The fries lacked salt or other seasonings and were barely warmer than room temperature. We were seated quickly, but the service was a bit slow, but not overly so given it's a Friday evening. They gave a small cup of water with a lemon wedge for cleaning fingers, which I think is a nice touch.

Found a band-aid on one of the plates. It was disgusting. They didn't even apologized for it. They just asked "oh no how did that get there?" I should have taken a picture of it. They didn't discount the bill (over$100) and we had to remind them to bring back the new plate that we were charged for. Then they start cleaning with Fabuloso cleaning product when people are eating. Never again!

The menu shows 15.99 for Chicken Breast plate. Bill comes and the charge is 16.99. Manager refuses to fix it says it is an old menu. I tell her "The menu is legally an offer, and when you place your order, it's a binding contract and they have to sell the food at that price." She says no that is the price. THIS IS ILLEGAL IN FLORIDA AND AGAINST FEDERAL LAWS. The location has been going down hill the last six months to a year. Sorry Shorty's you have lost a life long customer. This was the final nail.

We always go to the shorty's in the US1 but we were by bird road and ran into shortys and we were very excited. It was my dads first time going to any Shorty's so the excited was real. When we got there the host greeted us but told us that we had to wait 15 minutes to order food since they had a bug party. We were fine with that but i was like cqn you seat us atleast so we got seated and then our waitress came over to the table and introduced her name which was Wendy. She was super nice and very attentive. The food it was another story, we ordered the baked beans when they got to the table they were cold, we also ordered the cornbread which it was cold as well. Very dissaponted since this should be the best thing in the appetizer menu . Then we order a full rack of babyback ribs this were good, tasty but it felt like they had an artificial smoky flavor. We also ordered spare ribs these were good too but not so much meat. To drink we ordered a pitcher of beer and Arnold Palmer .. Conclusion I will rather go to the one in US1 since that location is always on point in everything in their menu.

Best BBQ and coleslaw. Coming here since 1980. Love their baby back ribs and chicken and love their coleslaw mmmm. Highly Recommended.

Food was awful. While in the bathroom, another lady's skin was torn off by the door. The employee that was alerted was careless, and tried to put the blame on the elderly lady that had no fault. If you can go to any other Shortys, do it. Do not recommend this establishment.

Unbelievable experience here this afternoon :). Exceptional to be sure because of the hospitality I received I bought ribs and a quart (or pint?) of coleslaw and had at least 2 hrs to get home. My coleslaw made it perfectly well to Jensen beach and the Manager on duty truly elevated my visit to a totally new level. He has a shaved or bald head- great shape. Thx for everything- 5+'

We were able to order catering for July 4 weekend and let me tell you, best idea ever. we will be doing this any time we want bbq and are in the area! We called two days before to make sure we can order catering, gentleman over the phone was super friendly and helpful. When we went to order the catering morning of our event, the same gentleman was behind the counter. He was able to help us out, suggested catering instead of a family meal, and it came out much cheaper than expected. Later that day we picked up the food, they helped us to the car with two large crates of food. When we were serving the food, we realized they even provided us with serving tools! Scoops, large trays, tongs and large forks, all made out of sturdy plastic so we can reuse them. Great experience for catering and we will definitely continue using Shorty's for our BBQ, as we always have. Thanks!

Just don't do it don't go this chain was probably OK 25 or 30 years ago but it's a step up from cafeteria type of food. Just say no.

Tried placing an order. Not sure what is wrong with phones but I got hung up on multiple times. Thought maybe it was my phone so I switched phones and they say hello, I say can I place an order and as soon as I say that they hang up.

I love this BBQ place, going there for years and never got tired of a good baby back ribs and slow cooked brisket.... my happy face says it all. Try a sample plate and add as many sides as Otón can: corn on the cob, green fried tomatoes, southern fried okra, fries and come slaw! Don't forget their sauce goes well with everything on the menu. Pair with an ice cold beer and voilá you have found a piece of paradise.

This place is always a classic spot. The BBQ ribs literally melt off the bone. The Mac and Cheese was okay, the beans are where it's at. Go for quick service and a good meal.

This place is terrible. The food was dry and flavorless, definitely not the quality it once was. I feel bad for the waiters that have to put this food on someone's table. I would give this one star if they had not refunded part of my order, the waitress gave no issue when we had asked. Unfortunately, I will not be visiting this location that I have visited many times before

I had the pork sandwich and it came out cold! Thankfully our waiter was very nice and took it back no problem and they brought it back with a fresh batch of fries and warm pork. The pork itself wasn't tasty. It didn't have any flavor. They have a fantastic barbecue sauce, it's smokey and added the perfect touch to the sandwich. If it weren't for the barbecue sauce I wouldn't have been able to finish the sandwich because it was dry and had no flavor. The service was great though! It was one server for more than 5 tables and he still managed to have a great smile and friendly disposition. He never forgot anything we asked for (extra fork, water, lemon). It's a shame I didn't get his name because he deserves a raise!

We all have read and seen horror stories. My experience and opinion about this visit is something I scarcely experience however, this is often why I choose to cook at home. Shorty's BBQ has been around since the 50s, I know there are better bbq establishments and family owned bbq pits that we could of chose from but, we chose to come here and to get treated worse than a gum on a shoe that you step on from outside. During our visit we had Katherine as our server, not once did she introduce herself or greeted our table period although, we understand this restaurant is busy on days like today it is no excuse to be rude. Furthermore, she consistently provided the wrong order & when I spoke with her about providing the wrong beverage it responded with an attitude, I don't know what is going on in her personal life or now but we all got problems but having a rude waitress shouldn't be one of them. Lastly, we were eating lunch with flies, I don't even experience that when I go to Animal Kingdom in Orlando. I don't think we will be coming to this establishment based on our experience with our server, Thank you Katherine.

Me encanta la comida. Y la salsa caliente, La atención no es muy buena pero vale la pena

After some moderate physical activity, my girlfriend and I were in the mood for something substantial (we were larping, get your mind out of the gutter). So on our way home we decided to grab some BBQ. I had the Brisket and Chicken Plate, and she had the Pulled Pork Plate. The food was good, though my chicken quarter had been on the grill a little too long. I will say though that portion sizes are very generous so come very hungry! Service was excellent, and I can't wait to go again in a few months!

The service was great and the food always the best Corn on the cub to die for Love Shortys The place I highly recommended it

The service here was very kind and friendly Even though the waiter was overbooked and busy, he still found time to meet our needs

Good ribs in Miami. Spare rib platter is the go to plate. Key lime pie is a must. Make sure you go to their website and print the coupons to save on your meals.

I was not happy today. This is a really good place, their food is great. But they did screw me over on my sides today and I didn't appreciate that. The meal comes with french fries, a small portion of slaw and garlic bread. They specifically mention in their sides section that french fries can be substituted with large slaw. So I asked to have my fries substituted by the slaw and mentioned that I would surely get the side slaw substitute as well as my small portion that comes with the meal anyways, correct? Their reply was simply "no, that's not how we do it." My reasoning fell on very deaf ears. They would just put the substitution together with my regular small portion from the meal basically giving me another small portion instead of another large. It didn't make sense what so ever. Do that to the other customers that don't notice, but if someone points out that this doesn't make sense, let them have it the right way. Prepare what you advertise! Prices are going up for everyone and I as a customer have to think twice now where I take my hard earned money. It will not be Shorty's anymore and I cannot recommend the place either just because this is not how this situation should have been handled. Very disappointed!