Ron’s Ribs

Ron’s Ribs is closed now, but I tried them years ago & put off finishing my review. I was waiting to give them a second chance, hoping I’d have better luck but that never happened.
The ribs were not as juicy and succulent as they could be. Tasted fine though.

Not worth the time. I have ni idea what people are referring to when they say this place is good.
Let’s just say be nervous walking there and if you get there, the food is not all that it is supposed to be.
Must be a bunch of people who do not know good cooking. Ribs were flat out overcooked and the place is tiny and cramped.
When they say fall off the bone, they do not. Maybe they should fly somewhere and learn how true BBQ cooking.

My absolute favorite ribs. Great little place. Haven’t been there in a while and I hear it’s temporarily closed, but when it reopens you owe it to yourself to try our Ron’s.
Their ribs are absolutely delicious, and all of the homemade sides are great. I usually go with potato salad and greens. So ridiculously good.
A great family runs it, too, they’re all super-​cool. Ron passed away years ago, but his brother keeps it going (I think his name is Kevin?) They are great, I even remember many years ago we had a group that was too big for the tiny little eating area they had, so Ron let us go upstairs and eat at a roomier table up there. I cannot say enough good things about this place or the people who run it.
In summary: Eat at Ron’s!

Ron’s is closed for renovations until summer ’11!!!

I’m not going to waste your time or mine with a long winded review full of flowery prose, much like Ron’s doesn’t waste time on frilly window dressing or décor. If you’re out front and need help deciding if you want some BBQ, all you have to do is inhale. Smell that? Now get the fuck in there and have a taste of what real BBQ is supposed to be like.

I’m not a ribs connoisseur by any means. I just know what I like. With ½ a rack of pork and ½ rack of beef, me like A LOT. The place was very smoky (like always) when I stepped inside, to the point where I worry about lung cancer but it would be worth it to eat these ribs. I don’t know how I was able to wait until I got home to dig into these hunk of meat but I did. It helps that I live a block away.
As soon as I was able, I devour and kept on devouring. The ribs were amazing, tender and juicy. The spicy bbq sauce was just right. I only wish that this was place was cheaper especially since it is CASH ONLY.

Ron’s is great in a lot of ways. You can see, smell and feel the long tradition behind Ron’s. Everything I’ve eaten there has been great, but after my last meal there I started to question the value. A half-​rack of beef ribs with no sides and a bottle of water came to $ 16. The amount of meat I got was probably about 6 ounces. The hot BBQ sauce is freakin delicious, and since I was still hungry after finishing the ribs, I used a bone to scoop more sauce into my mouth. Actually it was good for me not to stuff myself for once, but that price is too high. Sorry Ron, I’m on the hunt for a new favorite rib shop.

I went on a lunchtime bender at Ron’s this afternoon. As my stomach growled, I decided a sloppy, BBQ sauce drenched, pulled pork sandwich was the way to go. My eyes were bigger than my stomach though and I left Ron’s feeling in serious need of horizontal couch time. Then I fell into a 2 hour food coma. I also added a heaping pile of mac n cheese to my order. Way. too. much. food.
When you’re feeling gluttonous, perhaps Ron’s is the way to go.

This place is so interesting. Come in the summer, and it is an oven inside. Seriously I don’t know how they work in this environment. I have only ever seen one girl working there in the 4 years I have lived down the street from Ron’s — she is really nice and funny and just great.
Now I must disclose that I don’t like BBQ. I try and try but I just don’t. However I can still love Ron’s Ribs with all my heart because their roast chicken is amazing! The sides are equally amazing! Please try the candied yams. Potato salad. Corn Bread. Macaroni. Everything is amazing.
(For those only interested in the BBQ — many friends have had the BBQ ribs while I eat my plain chicken and just love them)
It also made while you wait, so I am able to get my roast chicken sans BBQ sauce. The dinner platter ranges from $ 10-​$ 12 and it’s way more than enough. Ron’s really is a treat — especially in the summer, a great summer meal — and I need to come here more often.

Oh my god, this place is so manly. You walk in and are wrapped in smoke and the smell of grilling meat. The interior is a bit divey, but definitely charming. The shop has been around for decades and is still run by the same family. Everything is homemade and the owner is enthusiastic about the food they serve.
Please note, I have eaten ribs about three times in my life, so I’m probably not the best person to judge barbecue. However, the pork ribs at Ron’s are the tenderest I have ever had. The meat literally fell off the bone. I opted for a mix of the hot and regular sauce, which turned out spicy enough for me. I really loved the greens, but I wasn’t a big fan of the mac & cheese. I’ll probably try the candied yams next time. They give you a lot of food, I probably could have eaten half of my meal and been satisfied, but it was Fat Tuesday so I gorged.
My only real complaint is I wish they had beer. And wet wipes.

So, I just went to Ron’s Ribs today and I had the pork platter with pork ribs and candied yams, corned bread, red beans and rice and coleslaw. The food was okay, I thought the meat was a little overcooked and dry but the sauce was redeeming. The corn bread was also dry, day old maybe more?
It’s very laid back, only plastic cutlery and disposable to go plates are used there. They only take cash, be warned. The platter was about 10 bucks. They are going for the authentic look, but they are not working too well on the ambience. There was a TV on, no blues music or anything like that. On the plus side, it’s BYOB, so take a six pack of beer and wolf down some food. My friend who used to live in the south said it was an authentic rib shack, just like the southern places she is used to going to down there.
I would go back. I’ve heard they have outdoor seating in the summer. When I do, I will come back and alter this review.

Ron’s Ribs is the best BBQ place I have been to in philadelphia. my first time going there I ordered the half chicken platter which seemed overwhelming but I ate it all. Second time, ribs. Fall-​off-​the-​bone tender ribs slathered in delicious BBQ heavenly goodness. The owner Kevin, who kept the place aroound after his brother Ron died, is one of the nicest people I’ve met in this town. I am often walking by his place and he always has a smile and asks me how I am doing. One time I ordered for myself and commented that I would eat there more often if my BF wasn’t a vegetarian, to which he replied, «There are a lot of really good sides he can get, like beans and rice and mac & cheese. He has to eat his beans, for protein!» I laughed but ended up ordering stuff for him. :)
My one and only complaint is that I never know when they are open! Once in awhile I will walk by late afternoon on a day it is supposed to be open until 10 and it’s closed! I am pretty sure Kevin is a one man work force so I can’t blame him, but it’s still a bummer when I have a hankering for BBQ and he’s not there. :(I’ve had to give his competition, Phoebe’s, a visit so I could curb my cravings, but it really isn’t the same.

Very friendly place and rich in South Street history as well, This place claims Billie Holliday is a patron which I find very reliable. The owner of the place was very friendly gives you a Southern hospitality.
The Ribs are very delicious they give bomb bomb a run for the money however Take out or eat out is the only option here. The place will leave your shirt a lingering smokey scent which will outduel your eau de toillette of the day. Eat here when very hungry and it does satisfy lip smackingly good.
They only accept cash is another turn off, I hope they go with the flow of civilization advancing.
Ron’s Ribs gives you that option from Phoebe’s another Rib take out joint. Although sometimes I would like to appreciate my Ribs dining in so Bomb bomb outpaces this joint on that criteria plus the card acceptance.

I have to admit, I was really disappointed about Ron’s Ribs. We did a takeout order for a platter of pork ribs, with mac n cheese and sweet potatoes on the side.
As everyone says, one platter was definitely big enough for two of us. Unfortunately, the ribs were very, very dry — almost inedibly so. The sauce was good (we chickened out and got the mild), and the sides were tasty.
Not sure if it was because the ribs weren’t very fresh on a Saturday night but we were a little sad the Unilocalers had let us down on this one.

When you walk by this place, it might not seem like the best of places to eat but because you have been smelling it from a block away, you really can’t help but go in and check it out. You won’t be disappointed! Very simple ribs in either pork or beef (I had the beef) with good olé southern sides… amm… did I mention that I just moved here from NC? This place is great!!! One dinner platter is enough to feed 2 people. The greens, baked macaroni and the corn bread are a must.
Do yourself a favor and follow your nose into Ron’s. You won’t be dissapointed!

What can I say that hasn’t already been said?
You can smell it from a block away. It smells AWESOME. The way barbeque is supposed to smell. You walk in and it’s a little dive place. Everything on the menu is very basic. But goddamn it’s good!
The ribs are tender and the meat on the bones is plentiful. The mac and cheese is fucking awesome. So is the cornbread, and I’m not a big cornbread eater.
WARNING: If you order hot sauce for your ribs, you better be prepared for that shit. You better have a gold medal in «hot pepper eating», or a 1^st place trophy in a «Chug a bottle of gasoline, light a match, and drop it in your throat without dying» contest. I got the hot sauce once, thinking I was all badass because I ate vindaloo at an Indian place once and lived to tell about it. Nope, wasn’t prepared. Sure wasn’t. Them ribs kicked my ass. I couldn’t finish ‘em. Not even close.
Goddamn.

Just wandered in here while walking around South St. They have photos of Al Roker and Bobby Flay eating there, so I figure it ought to at least be worth trying out.
When I went there on a Saturday night it was strangely empty. It was maybe 8:30PM, but still kind of odd. I guess that was good because there are maybe 4 or 5 tables, and it cultivates a very nice down-​home atmosphere, right down to the screen door through which you enter. So, on that note, don’t go here to impress anyone with the décor, unless they’re wearing tight jeans, big sunglasses and an ironic T-​shirt.
The food is great. We split a BBQ plate, which seemed to be the best deal to me, since it comes with two sides. We certainly could have gotten two plates for the two of us but then we would have exploded. The pork ribs were melting off the bone. You get to choose your sides from all of the standards: cornbread, rice and beans, greens, mac & cheese, etc. Try the hot sauce on your BBQ if you like spicy stuff. Then eat your meat without drinking any liquid and you’ll get mad props from the owner.

One of those great places you find when you are just sorta wondering. I have a soft spot for holes in walls too.
Probably the best bbq place I’ve found in Philly. I’ll have to agree with Jake that it is probably one of the most authentic as well.

Holy Moly.
Wa-​wa-​we-​wa.
Give me Ron’s, or give me death.
This place rocks.
We had the half chicken, red beans and rice, slaw, and cornbread. The chicken literally melted in my mouth.
The red beans and rice were so phenomenal that my bf took the container and wouldn’t share.
The slaw was crisp and delish.
The cornbread was reminiscent of something homemade.
Thank the heavens for Ron’s Ribs. Now we FINALLY have a go-​to take out place in Philadelphia! Don’t know what’s for dinner, how about Ron’s? We are soooo overdosing on this place in the next few weeks. I guarantee it.
I will say that it took us 2 attempts to eat here – the first time they were totally sold out of chicken! arg!

This is the most authentic BBQ in Center City, Philadelphia.
The sauce is very Memphis influenced. It’s very much like a thin tomato sauce, with lots of spices. They have ribs (beef and pork), chicken, and more authentic stuff like pigs feet and such. The portions are hefty, and priced accordingly. The sandwiches are open-​faced,… so if you’re expecting Kansas City-​styled stuff, think again.
The sides are good… but perhaps Phoebes are better.
If you’re looking for an entertaining night, avoid it. But if you’re with a group of friends in pursuit of great American cooking done properly, Ron’s is a Philly essential.