SW 19th Ave Rd · Ocala · Barbecue
Big Lee’s – Serious About Barbecue
Food Network champ Rashad Jones smokes brisket, burnt ends and ribs near I-75. Food & Wine named it Florida’s best BBQ. Get there early, before favorites sell out.
Opens Big Lee’s menu. Closed Mondays, and favorites can sell out, so come early.
Details checked November 2026
Featured photo
Brisket and ribs on the pit (not taken at Big Lee’s) · Photo: Heather Cowper on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Type
Counter-service barbecue restaurant
Brick-and-mortar home of a famous Ocala food truck
Price range
$12–$35
Tripadvisor’s listed range; see the menu
Hours
Tue–Sun 11 am–7 pm (Fri–Sat to 8 pm)
Closed Mondays; popular items can sell out early
Time needed
About 45 minutes to 1 hour
Add time for the line on weekends and at lunch
Parking
Free shopping-center lot
Shared strip-center lot; busy at lunch
Award
BBQ Brawl win
Rashad Jones won Food Network’s BBQ Brawl, season 3
On the menu
Brisket, burnt ends and ribs
The menu centers on pit-smoked brisket, burnt ends, pulled pork, ribs, chicken and house sausage, sold as plates, sandwich combos, by the pound or as family meals. Sides are classic Southern: baked beans, mac and cheese, fried okra, corn nuggets and street corn, plus Big Lee’s sweet tea.
Photo: Wesley Fryer on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Start here
Brisket
The meat that made Big Lee’s famous, sold chopped or sliced as a plate, a sandwich combo or by the pound. Reviewers single out the bark and smoke ring.
RV tip: Ocala RV Camp Resort is about 9 minutes away. Order a family meal to go for an easy campsite dinner.
Also worth ordering
- Burnt endsThe most-mentioned dish in Tripadvisor reviews.
- The KathyMac and cheese loaded with brisket, a house favorite.
- Carolina BullA pulled pork sandwich topped with coleslaw and a tangy sauce.
- Banana puddingThe dessert reviewers mention again and again.
Why go
Ocala’s barbecue with a national name
Big Lee’s began in 2014 as one food truck run by Rashad and Patrice Jones. They named it for Patrice’s late uncle Leon, ‘Big Lee.’ Rashad went on to win Food Network’s BBQ Brawl and appear on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The couple opened this sit-down restaurant on July 4, 2023.
Brisket gets most of the attention, and Food & Wine has named Big Lee’s a top barbecue stop in Florida. Tripadvisor reviewers mention the burnt ends, mac and cheese, banana pudding and baked beans most often.
It’s a small, casual room with about 40 seats inside and 10 outside. You’ll find it in a strip center near I-75 and SR 200, easy to reach from the RV parks south and west of town. The catch is the line. Come close to the 11 am opening on weekends.
Photo: austinboardman on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Why it made our list
- Pitmaster is Food Network’s BBQ Brawl champion
- Food & Wine pick for Florida barbecue
- Rated 4.8 on Tripadvisor across 550+ reviews
- Minutes from I-75 with a free lot
- Family meals and feasts for two work for a campsite dinner
For RVers
Taking the rig to Big Lee’s
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Leave the rig at camp
It’s a shared shopping-center lot that fills up at lunch. Drive over in your tow vehicle or car. No source mentions room for RVs.
Beat the sell-out
Lines form early on weekends, and ribs, sausage, chicken and desserts have run out on late arrivals. Try to get there around the 11 am opening.
Don’t plan on Monday
It’s closed Mondays and closes early the rest of the week (7 pm, or 8 pm on Friday and Saturday). Plan on lunch or an early dinner.
Take dinner back to the site
Takeout is available. A family meal, a feast for two or meat by the pound makes an easy campsite supper.
What visitors say about Big Lee’s
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked November 2, 2026.
What visitors often mention
Recurring themes in Tripadvisor’s review mentions
Burnt endsBrisketWorth the wait
Tripadvisor’s review mentions bring up burnt ends, brisket, mac and cheese, banana pudding and baked beans most often, along with “worth the wait.” Tripadvisor shows no counts. Checked November 2, 2026.
Reviews by site
Number of reviews on each site, checked November 2, 2026. We couldn’t open the official menu to chart prices.
Good to know
ClosedMondays
ReservationsNot taken; walk-ins welcome
SeatingAbout 40 inside, 10 outside
Good forBarbecue loversTakeout to the campsiteLunch stop off I-75
Details from Tripadvisor, Yelp and local news, checked November 2, 2026. Big Lee’s opened this restaurant on July 4, 2023.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Big Lee’s – Serious About Barbecue
- Address2611 SW 19th Avenue Rd, Suite 100, Ocala, FL 34471
- HoursTue–Sun 11 am–7 pm (Fri–Sat to 8 pm)
Closed Mondays; popular items can sell out early - Phone(352) 670-2972
- ReservationsNo reservations; walk in, or order to go.
- Getting thereBig Lee’s is at 2611 SW 19th Avenue Rd, Suite 100, in a shopping center near I-75 and SR-200, about 9 minutes from Ocala RV Camp Resort.
- ParkingIt shares a shopping-center lot that fills at lunch. No source mentions RV parking, so bring the tow vehicle.
Older listings (the visitor bureau and a 2023 news story) say daily 11 am to 9 pm, and some list (352) 304-9105. Yelp and Tripadvisor list the hours above and (352) 670-2972.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Big Lee’s
These are the Ocala-area RV parks we have visited and written up. Drive times are without traffic.
Ocala RV Camp Resort
An older, budget-friendly park beside I-75 Exit 350 with shady grass sites, ponds, a big pool and simple log cabins.
Ocala Sun RV Resort
A social, all-ages resort south of town with 387 grassy full-hookup sites, 100 ft pull-thru super sites, a heated pool and pickleball.
Sun Retreats Ocala Orange Lake
A big lakeside RV and golf resort north of Ocala with 378 full-hookup sites, a 9-hole course, a heated pool and a boat dock.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
Tue–Sun 11 am–7 pm (Fri–Sat to 8 pm)
Get there before the brisket runs out
Open Tue–Sun from 11 am, closed Mondays. Arrive early on weekends.
Thank you to the people behind these photos. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Heather Cowper (brisket and ribs; CC BY 2.0); Wesley Fryer (burnt ends; CC BY 2.0); austinboardman (sliced brisket; CC BY 2.0); the images were resized. Food photos marked “not taken at” show the dish, not this restaurant’s plate. Area photos show the neighborhood, not the restaurant. Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Big Lee’s – Serious About Barbecue unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including the restaurant’s published materials and publicly available sources. Hours, prices, menus and other details are set by the restaurant and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly with Big Lee’s – Serious About Barbecue at (352) 670-2972. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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