If you’re feeling in the mood for some good old BBQ ribs and Memphis Blue BBQ is too far away, then Tony Roma’s is a good second choice. Considered the pioneer of Baby Back Ribs, Tony Roma’s can now be found all over the world. With nearly 200 restaurants in 32 countries, the restaurant that Tony started has become a worldwide success story. They have won countless awards over the years for their ribs and signature sauces.
Tony Roma’s reminds me a lot of the Red Lobster. The two restaurants are very similar in style and decor. These aren’t high end restaurant by any means. However, they are a nice enough place to take a date or a family for night out on the town.
The Onion Loaf
There’s really no better way to start a rib feast than with a massive loaf of deep fried onions. It reminded me a lot of the blooming onion served by the Outback Steakhouse. The main difference is the loaf has the onion taken apart instead of in one big piece. The dipping sauce wasn’t very spicy but did had a nice kick to it. I wouldn’t recommend eating this too often. I’m sure the fat and calorie count must be through the roof.
Grilled Gulf Shrimps
The grilled shrimps look really good on the menu so I decided to order a plate to try it out. I’m glad I did because it tasted way better than the ribs. Make sure you order these shrimps if you’re ever at a Tony Roma’s.
Original Baby Back Ribs
This is what Tony Roma’s is famous for and I can’t for the life of me see why. The ribs at are not cooked for 12 hours like classic southern BBQ. As such, the meat doesn’t fall off the bone like those at Memphis Blues. It also doesn’t match Memphis Blue for flavor or taste. However, it wasn’t bad. I had my ribs with two sauces - original and Carolina honey. I prefer the Carolina honey sauce. A classic coleslaw and corn on the cob gave the dish that good old USA feel.
Dinner at Tony Roma’s came to $60 with tax and tips, which isn’t too bad for two people. The food was good, the service was sub-par on the day we went. The restaurant wasn’t at all busy so I can’t understand why the service was so slow. Must have been an off day.
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yeah first comment!!
Most useful response to a blog post i’ve seen on this blog so far
so what being first but you don’t actually comment.. lame.
Why do you even bother to comment if all you can say is: “yeah first comment”?
“yeah first comment!!” ?????? when did this site turn into break.com?
break.com? when did this site turn into a site people compare to break.com
That onion loaf looks like an oil slick ready to do some serious artery cloggin. You’re right John, you don’t want to eat that thing too often.
i say live life worry about the clogged arteries later
You might not think that when you have to have triple bypass surgery, and then have to recover from it.
The Tony Roma’s we have around here (London, Ontario) is pretty damn awesome. Sucks it wasn’t all that good for you out there, they must be doing something wrong
. The ribs I had were fantastic, they fell right off the bone and tasted amazing. I’d go back there any day, I just have to find time to do it!
John,
Always enjoy the food reviews. Tony Roma’s is ok, but I’m looking forward to trying Memphis Blue BBQ.
I can’t say that the food looks very appetizing, but my family loves Tony Roma’s. They recently closed a location close to us and they threw a fit… lol.
Damn that onion loaf looks totally good… now I have to go find something not nearly as delicious for dinner
I’m a big rib fan so I know what I like, and while these one’s kinda look alright they dont really stand out to me. I’m sure they were reasonably tasty but if you’ve got your own BBQ and are willing to experiment a bit then you can easily do better yourself..
Is eating ribs can make us become a better blogger?
LOL I just love how you blog about the restaurants you visit John, I love to talk about food too but its just so random how they come up on your Posts.
I have never been to Tony’s, I am hearing a lot about them lately though. 
Maybe you should start a food blog john..you a very good at it!
I just gained 5lbs by staring at that deep fried onion appetizer for 10 seconds!!!
Is the price fair enough for 2 person, i think it should be by looking at the picture you show.
I used to be Roma’s Rib junkie but all the Tony Roma’s in Texas have been shut down for over a year now. I think they left a few open in South Texas, but none in Dallas or Houston.
Come on John, it’s the Holidays…give the waiters/waitresses a break
As for Tony Roma’s Ribs, my wife and I consider it delicious and I’m not the one that eats it…my wife takes the whole thing 
Like I said before John, you raised your expectation level WAYYY too high for restaurants like these..
-Mike
why does everything have to be so perfect?
I do not fancy those ribs and i have never been to tony roma.
Maybe you should be a chef
I don’t like if the meat is falling off… these are good I guess.. getting hungry
The original Baby Back ribs looks awesome.
Onion loaf looks sickening
now i must say…that looks damn good!
John, you make me drooling….
Mmm, ribs. Can’t seem to find decent ribs anywhere in Bangkok. The excuse they call meat here I wouldn’t feed to my dog back home.
Now I have a reason to drop by Tony Roma’s which opened its doors in Malaysia this year. So that is one of their 30 something countries that they operate in.
My wife loves ribs, might have to fly over to try it
It’s 3 am, I’m on a diet and I decide to read your site and see this post.
My stomach is now growling, thanks alot.
I don’t think I spent too much money for this meal…
OK…. if you really like barbecue and you need to know where to get some of the best in the country, then I am going to do a quick and blatant spam here (is this evil?).
Check out one of my sites at http://www.bbq-festivals.com There are listings of barbecue restaurants from coast to coast including bbq festivals and competitions. There are also some links to bbq related blogs that provide excellent info on regional bbq events that my site may have overlooked or just not added yet.
BBQ is not just food. BBQ is a way of life………… enjoy
Eric aka NoviceSEO
I can feel my cholesterol level skyrocketing just by looking at images #2 and #4, I’ve personally eliminated this type of food from my menu quite a while ago and have never looked back
Alan Johnson
I love Tony Roma’s, but the closest one is almost 400 miles away. It’s very hit or miss, I’ve probably eaten at 10 locations across the US and Canada, and I’ve had amazing ribs, and downright awful ribs. Seems to vary from location to location. The best was at Niagara Falls, by far!
When Tony Romas opened in Glasgow, Scotland I ate onion loafs daily for about 3 weeks thans to the £5 lunch special! I only visit it every other week now when they have a dinner show
You ate onion loafs for three week straight?! When is your heart surgery scheduled?
I completely agree… Tony Roma’s is over rated… I see nothing fantastic about thier ribs!
I’ve never eaten there. But, I want the onion loaf
I’ve eaten at Tony Roma’s before and I personally didn’t see what the big deal was.
The ribs were okay, but nothing to get excited about. Anyway, hope you enjoyed your dinner. 
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Late onion loaf looked like a loaf. The shrimp looked burnt but you say they are tasty that is good to hear. The ribs looked the tastiest out of all the pics. Surprised they did not taste better but like you said they are probably not cooked for hours on end. At least the ribs did not look like they were drowning in sauce like a lot of BBQ places do.
Hmmmm Mouth water treatment.
I just had a feed of Bar-B-Barn ribs last week. If you’re ever in Montreal give them a try.
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