John Rivers, 4 Rivers Founder, is a native Floridian originally from Jacksonville. His general philosophy about business and his commitment to the craft of Smoking and BBQ have earned him and the 4 Rivers brand numerous awards over the years, from a 2013 invitation to cook at The James Beard House, Southern Living naming 4 Rivers Smokehouse among “The South’s Best BBQ Joints” in 2017 and Food & Wine Magazine naming 4 Rivers Smokehouse The Best BBQ in Florida in 2018.
Pitmaster Rivers’ careful dedication to perfecting only the best BBQ techniques from around the world paid off. From St. Louis-style Barbeque Ribs to California-style Tri-Tip, Memphis-style Pulled Pork to Kansas City-style Burnt Ends, even the best Smoked Chicken and Smoked Chicken Wings available anywhere, and the main event, the signature Smoked Texas-style Brisket, the 4R philosophy is in taking the time to get it right.
After you decide on meats, choose how you want them: get it as a heaping sandwich, or sample them all as sliders, get a Cuban Sandwich, maybe some Street Style Tacos, or try the BBQ Quesadillas. You can even get a Brontosaurus Beef Rib, or just get your favorite BBQ by the pound!
Barbecue Sauces are a touchy subject within BBQ circles and 4 Rivers only adds to the debate with our traditional BBQ sauces, the Signature 4R Sauce, our Hot 4R Signature Sauce or the 4R Mustard BBQ Sauce, plus the Smoked Chicken with White BBQ Sauce. For barbecue purist who just can’t seem to bring yourself to sauce our delectable smoked meats: at least try it on some fries.
4 Rivers takes the same approach to our homestyle side dishes as with our award-winning Barbecue. Curating, testing and improving upon the best of the best recipes for southern favorites like Fried Okra, Corn on the Cob, Coleslaw, Sweet Potato Casserole, Potato Salad, Baked Cheese Grits, Barbequed Beans, Mac & Cheese, Collards, Biscuits, and Cornbread. For the little ones, we have our Lil’ Bites Menu.
Vegetarian dishes like our popular Smoked Portabella Mushroom Sandwich, the deliciously savory Vegetable Quesadillas, or our southern favorite, Veggies ‘N Grits. We also have a lot of gluten-free options. Just ask us!
Do not miss the Sweet Shop! We bake all our fresh bakery items daily bread pudding made from scratch with Krispy Kreme doughnuts, seasonal cupcakes, Bananas Fosters, Fried Oreos, cake balls, dessert bars, cakes, or try our chocolate cake sundae humbly named “Chocolate Awesomeness.”
Dine in, get it to go, order ahead for even quicker takeout pickup, get 4R through your favorite delivery provider, or let us cater your next event. 4 Rivers Catering can handle everything from full meals with meats and sides, to desserts and appetizer trays, we can even deliver and set it up. Nobody does catering in North Orlando like 4 Rivers Longwood. We will even take care of delivery, setup, and cleanup because our goal is to be Orlando’s Best Caterer, and we love catering Seminole County events!
4 Rivers Smokehouse Longwood is located on State Road 434, directly at the first light east of Interstate-4 (Exit 94), making it easy to get to on your way to and from Daytona Beach and Orlando. Or for locals, it’s probably on the way to their favorite hidden spot.
Every single day we’re hard at work to be the best BBQ in Orlando and Central Florida. Stop in and see us!
See what others have had to say about 4 Rivers Smokehouse Longwood
“One of the best BBQ restaurants in the country! ”
“Best BBQ in Orlando.”
“Hands down best barbecue around, any native Floridian will tell you the same.”
“Excellent BBQ.”
“Best BBQ around Orlando. Tri-tip is excellent!”
“Best BBQ in Florida.”
“Best BBQ in FL, by far.”
“The BEST BBQ in Orlando.”
“I’m from Texas, home of incredible BBQ, and this place is amazing.”
“My favorite BBQ place in town. Good, tasty and quickly served food. I highly recommend it.”
“Great food great people great variety on the menu.”
“Would highly recommend to anyone who likes Barbeque.”
“My favorite bbq in the area. The meat is so good it doesn’t even need sauce. “
“You cannot go wrong here. Homemade recipes of Their Own, fresh meats, freshly-made foods, it is absolute awesomeness here.”
“I love this place. The food is phenomenal. I would recommend this place to the world.”
“Love this place! A MUST visit if you visit Florida.”
“Whenever I travel, I compare the local BBQ to 4R. 4R wins nearly every time!”