Randy’s Rib Shack

OMG!!! Best BBQ ribs I have had in a long time. Fried green tomatoes were delicious too!

So good. Glad Unilocal pointed us this direction. We split a brisket po’boy, hush puppies, fried okra, and pulled pork cheese fries. All amazing.

Excellent little «go to» place. We found this on Unilocal with great reviews on our way from Tampa to Jacksonville to visit our son. Oysters were excellent as far as size, flavor & price. Very good. I had the ribs with mac-​n-​cheese & fried okra. My wife had the shrimp basket with fried okra and coleslaw. Everything was very good.
Directions coming north on 301 is a little challenging the first time, but that’s it. Staff was awesome for personality and service.
This is sure to become our stop of choice on this regular trip of ours. Next time… Catfish!

We stopped here for lunch on a Sunday while going back home (SC) after our Tampa trip with friends. The name of the town (Waldo) is pretty cool and all the food in Florida had been pretty good, so I had high expectations!
The weather was not the greatest for Florida (was little bit chill), but we chose the outside seating area and ordered several things. I ordered the grilled grouper sandwich with fries — it was by far the best fish sandwich in the USA. The bread, the tomatoes, and fish were all great. I especially loved the spices on the fish. My friends tried jambalaya, chicken and fried catfish, all liked them.
Also, these guys are very friendly.
Randy’s is a must-​stop place if you are hungry and close to Waldo, FL — especially for lunch time. I am sure that it is even greater in Fall and Spring.

We love going here to get oysters, boiled shrimp, and the fried catfish dinner. It is a veru nice find in a small town.

Very cool place. Great food and awesome service. There is limited inside seating but lots of room outside with a TV as well. I enjoyed the gator tails with rice, Cole slaw and hush puppies. Awesome and very filling! We also had the fried catfish, and although I was not a huge catfish fan before — Randy’s converted me. All excellently priced! Very glad we got off the beaten path a bit and found Randy’s!

Randy’s doesn’t look like much from the road, but looks can fool. For one, when you come up to the rear (from the road) of the building, you realize it’s larger than it seemed and they have a nice outdoors dining area, too. The interior is small but very clean and the staff is very outgoing and friendly. You can park in the nearby parking lot of the Amtrak station, and as the station is not currently in use for Amtrak trains, that should be fine. I am not sure how long Randy’s has been in business, but know that Amtrak did have train service to this station up to around 2004 and suspect part of the reason for Randy’s location was to entice those hungry travelers with good food.
Aside from the expected ribs, Randy’s is known also for its seafood, especially the catfish. Their hushpuppies and sides (mac n cheese, perhaps most notably) are also on-​point and the sheer length and diversity of their menu is pretty impressive. Given that they have something of a captive audience here – their only competition is fast food and a Mexican restaurant – you’d not think Randy’s would aspire to the very highest caliber of food, but for the simple, Southern, comfort-​food they offer, they do a great job. Expect however that many items, especially the starters, are all fried and not the healthiest of options probably, but what you’d expect for this type of restaurant and if you ARE in the market for things like jalapeño poppers or fried cheese sticks or onion rings, might as well get really good ones, right? Their sweet tea is Southern-​perfect, also.
Though Amtrak doesn’t stop here anymore, a fair amount of freight including the Tropicana orange juice express train roars through here and it’s a good spot also for train buffs to train-​watch.

I have been driving by this place for the past 5 years and finally got the nerve to try it out after seeing the reviews in Unilocal… they were not wrong! If you want some fresh original country food, you have to stop by Randy’s rib shack. I the hush puppies that came with my fried catfish was amazing and the Mac and cheese was delicious. All the main course we had were fantastic; brisket poe boy, fried catfish, and the chopped pork sandwiches. This place is a hidden gem right off the Waldo Main Street. If you pass it by… Make sure you turn around and give it a try. I also need to compliment the service. While they were busy, everyone was taken care of quick and the food was hot. Very friendly folks. Glad I finally stopped!

On our way through the speed trap that is Waldo, decided to hang a right into Randy’s Rib Shack, just off the main road leading through Waldo and beside an old Amtrak station near the railroad tracks. Ordered takeout consisting of a pound of beef brisket, large side of mac and cheese, and jalapeño poppers and buffalo shrimp as appetizers.
The brisket was okay but not great, and was for some reason cut with the grain rather than against which seems like something someone in too much of a hurry might do. Jalapeño poppers were pretty standard and came with big-​bottle ranch dipping sauce, tasty but unremarkable. Mac and cheese was ziti with a white béchamel sauce which tasted surprisingly good. The buffalo shrimp was excellent, one of the best I’ve ever had; something about the slight sweetness in the batter along with the sauce it was tossed in made for a nice balanced flavor with a little zip. I had the shrimp tossed in their mild buffalo sauce, but asked for some of their «nuclear» sauce on the side, and it was VERY hot and at the same time quite tasty. Definitely seemed to have fresh bits of some super-​hot pepper, maybe Scotch bonnet or higher on the Scoville scale. Before leaving the waitress gave us a free sample of their smoked chicken salad, which was just a little too salty for me but tasted excellent and fresh.
May be a bit unusual for the appetizers to be more memorable than the BBQ, but will definitely be back for more.

After going to the Vet in Branford, fl we decided to go to the flea market in Waldo, fl. Thru Gainesvill and we ran into Randys. We almost missed it so we backed up and it was a great decision. Food was GREAT… We had the slab of ribs with 4 sides and we ate got full and took the rest home. They have a great variety of seafood, chicken, just a full menu full of whatever you would like. Angela the waitress was awesome. Kind and they even allowed my puppy on the outside tables. We will be telling everyone about this place and keep up the awesome food and friendliness.

Stopped here on a road trip back home. Awesome food excellent service. I will be stopping here again well worth the experience!

Don’t let the name rib shack for you. They have plenty of offerings on their menu. I ordered off of Palm spiced shrimp and ear of corn. Can’t beat the price. Angela was above and beyond helpful and friendly. Would definitely come here again when in the area.

First meal there was very good. Generous servings, (ordered a dozen oysters, got 15) good food. One of the few places to get raw oysters without spending an arm & leg.
Second wasn’t so good. They were in a hurry to close and shut down part of the kitchen (steamer) an hour before posted closing time (8pm) meaning half the menu wasn’t available. I ordered a dozen oysters, got 11. I’ll go back and try again trusting that isn’t common.
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I’ve been back several times since the last review. You have to get the raw oysters, especially when they have Virginia oysters. Huge, briny, sweet, awesome. Also get the cold peel & eat shrimp, spicy. Catfish is the best fried dinner platter to get. Very generous servings.
They’ve earned another star or two!

Stopped here with my husband for lunch while traveling. The waitress was nice, but the food wasn’t very good. It felt unclean. I’m not really sure how this place earned so many stars.

Awesome. It was clean, great service, huge selection and delicious food. A must when in or near Waldo.

We just stopped here for lunch as we were driving through and we are so happy we did! Every single thing we ate was delicious. We ate: pulled pork cheese fries (with real melted cheese,) pulled pork plate with Cole slaw, pickles (cucumber salad,) mustard greens, fried okra, and French fries, brisket, and shrimp. Everything was extremely delicious. The atmosphere is awesome. It’s a standard road side stand with a nicer twist. They use reusable dishes and silverware. Definitely a step above the typical Styrofoam and plastic.
They also have home made cocktail sauce and spicy and regular home made barbeque sauce. All three are fantastic.

Wow. Just wow. Huge menu and everything we have had on it is awesome! Don’t go if you are looking for a «dine-​in» experience, take out is your best option. But so worth it. The ribs are the best and portion size is unbelievable — especially for the price.

My father and I stopped here on our way to the Ford Dealership the other day. We are huge fans of bbq. especially GOOD bbq. The customer service was very pleasant and the place was super clean and organized. We ordered the rib plate with 2 sides… AMAZING!!! The ribs are smoked not grilled, so be aware that they are not dark like you would see in Sonnys or Kens. However, the ribs were so incredibly tender and seasoned… the meat literaaly fell off the bone. These were the best ribs … hands down. I used to be a fan of Sonny’s. but I now have a new #1. I’m from Gainesville, and I would be willing to drive the extra 20 miles just to get another plate of their bbq. A must try!

Im a looong time, local customer of Randy’s ribs and was flat out devastated when their 484 location closed. I searched everywhere for quite a while and brokenheartedly accepted my lack of closure when I couldnt track down another location.
…fast forward to August 2014 and something familiar glimpses in the corner of my eye while driving on 301… I pulled into the parking lot like someone stranded in the Sahara desert… I couldnt tell if it was real or a mirage that I soo badly wanted to touch (well, taste!!!)
…Even thou a few years passed, I was home as soon as I smelled the smoke and bit into a rib. You can almost taste the love of his craft that goes into this food and it has been both blessing and a curse for me… Randy sets the bar really high for ribs and anything else is just settling for less. His bbq sauces are divine in their own right… the ribs are so savory on their own that I find myself not needing anything to add to the flavor.
…great to see a trimmed down menu, mainly everything at this point showcases why Randy’s is a class above!!!
I do miss seeing the deer head with the pig earrings on its antlers, thou!

Food Coma Heaven!!!
Worth the visit, your taste buds and stomach will love you for it. Outstanding customer service. It’s family friendly, small sitting inside, or eat outdoors, under the covered patio (w/​ceiling fans) picnic tables, very clean too. Everything is homemade, flavorful and in large portions. I had the brisket & rib combo… so good. It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten quality BBQ that doesn’t require sauces; it was juicy, tender & seasoned to perfection. My son raved about his shrimp/​oyster platter & my husband loved the pork tenderloin. Hands down, a winner in our books, & we rate it as, «Homemade Deliciousness!!»