With Mother’s Day behind us and Memorial Day quickly approaching, the summer party season has officially arrived at the Villages of Citrus Hills.

Even though the great Florida weather makes outdoor picnics and parties a year-round possibility in the Villages of Citrus Hills, there is something about the summer holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July that really get us in the spirit.

And because we’re located near so many different parks and recreation areas, our residents have grown accustomed to using these facilities for great summertime parties with neighbors, family and friends. 

Some residents throw block parties within the community while others hold their summer parties at one of the parks along the gulf coast.

No summertime party is complete without some finger-lickin’ BBQ. Some of our residents take great pride in their grillmanship, while others prefer to let somebody else do the cooking.

Lucky for us, there are plenty of great options near the Villages of Citrus Hills that can handle it all.

Texas has brisket, North Carolina has pork ribs, Memphis and Kansas are famous for BBQ but here in Citrus County, we have our own great Florida style of bar-b-que. We talked to our residents and came up with three of their local BBQ favorites:

Fat Boy’s Bar-B-Q

The Fat Boy’s name dates all the way back to 1956, and they have been serving delicious BBQ in Crystal River since 1972. They specialize in cooking big slabs of meat over an open pit. Their specialties include Beef Brisket, Pork, Chicken, Ribs, Baked Beans, and Coleslaw.

In addition to serving great southern style BBQ in their restaurant setting,Fat Boy’s also offers all of their food in bulk pricing for catering large parties. You can order their Ribs, Beef, Pork, and Chicken by the pound, and all of the sides are available in pints, quarts, and gallons. Their website also provides a great reference guide for ordering based on how many people you are expecting.

Skeet’s Smokehouse & Grill

Skeet’s Smokehouse & Grill is located on Lecanto Highway in Beverly Hills, about 15 minutes from Citrus Hills. Skeet’s serves all of the regular BBQ menu items like Smoked Pulled Pork, Ribs, and Beef Brisket. They also sell southern favorites like Gumbo, as well as Fried Haddock and Grilled Salmon.

One of the most popular items at Skeet’s is their Pulled Pork Eggrolls, which are sure to be the talk of any BBQ event. If you are planning to eat at the restaurant, they have a great craft beer selection and a delicious Key Lime Pie. If you are looking to order out for a party, the entire menu is also available for takeout.

Sonny’s BBQ 

Located just 15 minutes away in Inverness, Sonny’s BBQ offers some of the best southern BBQ around. This popular chain got its start when Floyd “Sonny” Tillman and his wife opened their southern BBQ restaurant in Gainesville back in 1968. Since then, the restaurant has grown to over 100 locations across the southern states.

In addition to their excellent restaurant menu, Sonny’s BBQ also has a custom menu for catering your next BBQ. Their catering menu is set up to make your party planning as easy as possible. It contains great appetizers like veggie, cheese and cracker, or fruit platters. The menu also contains flexible catering packages that let you customize your own meal from the ground up.

In order to make your life even easier, Sonny’s BBQ also offers delivery and on-site catering options depending on certain minimums.

The summer party season has officially arrived in the Villages of Citrus Hills, and no matter whether you are planning a small get together or a huge block party, you can certainly find a place to host it and great food all right at your fingertips.

Learn more about the Florida lifestyle at Villages of Citrus Hills. Download our brochure.