A sign of a good bbq place is if you can smell the food before you walk in. I could smell the bbq…read morefrom a block or so away. This is the best bbq sandwich that I've eaten in NC. The sauce was amazing and the perfect balance of vinegar and taste. The brisket has the option of fatty, mixed, or no fat. The mix had a lot of fat, I wouldn't order it again. The service was great too, I think our food was ready in less than 5 mins. The food came out before the water lol

My oldest daughter has been craving barbecue so we decided to give this restaurant a go. The…read morehostess was really nice and the decor of the restaurant was sports themed with a bit of country... we liked it. We could watch the World Cup as well as other things. Our waitress was kind and went over the menu with us. Our orders: side of fries Well-fed (4 proteins and 2 sides) 2 of us shared Burnt ends plate with 2 sides We know that NC barbecue is NOT SC barbecue but anywho, the portion size was not what we expected for the Well-Fed nor did it match previous photos we'd seen. Our food was cold but tasty except for the macaroni and cheese, my daughters hated it. We politely let our waitress know and she took our plate back and the kitchen in turn, provided us with a whole new plate of food. We were ready to dig in but this time, the barbecue lacked flavor and my daughters were so disappointed and were ready to leave. I definitely appreciated the kitchen for trying to make it right but I don't think we'll be returning on our next trip to Raleigh.

Found this hidden gem on my journey to the air port. I can say that this place is very neat, with…read moredelicious food, and very nice customer service. When I ordered my food, the person at the cash register was very nice and friendly. She told me about how Raliegh is a very neat place to explore. The store itself seems like a very chill and relaxed place to get some BBQ at. There is plenty of seats around and it's nice to see this places history through the posters around the dining area. Sam's Original BBQ is very very good. It had the right amount of spices and salt added to it. I did not even need any sauce for it. The fries were good too and the sweet potato muffin was very decent.

Sam jones BBQ was yum!! We've tried a ton of local spots and would definitely recommend this one…read more I got their salad and the cornbread croutons and homemade bleu cheese dressing were really good. The meat was really tender. My husband got a sandwich with mac and cheese. Overall great spot and the outside was very kid friendly.

Fabulous blue skies found us walking downtown Raleigh on a Friday afternoon. Hunger struck and…read moreLongleaf Swine BBQ was within sight! What a fantastic lunch experience we had with Kelly as our server. We people-watched while we I enjoyed a smoked chicken salad sandwich that was so hefty, I brought half of it home. I chose the best side dish of roasted (and fried though they did not taste fried) sweet potatoes with a sprinkling of pepitas & goat cheese to create amazing flavors. My husband loves a great chicken pot pie, and the one at Longleaf Swine BBQ does not disappoint. Warning: The pot pie comes out steaming hot. Do not burn your tongue - poke holes in it to allow the extreme heat to escape.

I used to go to a church just down the road so Swine had been on my list of places to try for…read moremonths. I took a seat at the outdoor bar and started with some smoked wings. 5 whole wings, so really 10 wings at most places. Meat was juicy enough, maybe I was hoping for more of a dry rub though. I used the tangy BBQ sauce and sweet BBQ sauce on them, and they certainly enhanced the flavor. I usually like mustard based sauces, but theirs was little more peppery than I wanted Then, per the bartender's recommendation, I ordered the brisket melt sandwich, and it was the undisputed highlight of the meal Muenster cheese, thinly sliced white onion, pickle chips, and a good load of horseradish sauce. The brisket had an amazing flavor, and all the other toppings came together beautifully. But that Union bakery bun is just another level. It's like brioche, it was so soft, but somehow a little more substantial. For my side dish, I went with the sweet potatoes with goat cheese, pepitas, and agave. This was just ok. For me, the potatoes could have been cooked longer, a little more crispness would have really helped. I did think the goat cheese was a unique flavor with a milder ingredient like a sweet potato, but it did work with the other ingredients pretty well. Only one unisex bathroom and it's small, so be warned!

Best KC style BBQ outside of KC. We lived in LC over 25 years, this is the real stuffread more

You cannot go wrong with Prime BBQ. They have I ncredible pulled pork potatoes! Go early before…read morethey run out!

Ole Time Barbeque is now on our must list when visiting Raleigh. We stopped by for the first time…read moreand were blown away by how delicious everything was and how friendly and helpful the staff was. I ordered a combo plate of chicken pastry and bbq pork, with sides of fried okra and potato salad. Everything was served piping hot, just as it should be. The Chicken Pastry (chicken and dumplings) had wonderful flavor and was comfort food at its finest with thick and wide chewy noodle dumplings. So often chicken and dumpling dishes can be overly salty but Ole Time Barbecue's was perfectly seasoned. The barbecue pork also had great flavor and also was seasoned perfectly, though unfortunately I can't do even the most mild of spicy, so even tho there were only a few red pepper flakes, they made it a little bit challenging for me to eat. The fried okra was cooked and seasoned perfectly and not at all oily and the potato salad was also really tasty. I also tasted their coleslaw and mac and cheese from Hubs dinner and both were delicious as well. Also loved their sweet tea, I got it 25% sweet . The biggest surprise was the large basket of tasty hush puppies brought to our table the minute we sat down, and refilled. Also delicious and seasoned perfectly. The location is very homey and diner like, with just a handful of tables so you may have to wait, though luckily we didn't. The only thing that was a bit disappointing was they served their sides in styrofoam containers versus reusable dishes like they use for their main courses. I do love that they're using reusable dishes for their mains so it seems like they could also do this for their sides. Less trash for the restaurant and better for the world... .

Always great food and great service!!! The waitresses, cooks…read moreand cashier are ALL doing there job phenomenally!!! I love their fried chicken!!!!!

This is good barbecue and a fun place but pricey. I think this is the most I've spent for counter…read moreservice barbecue ever. Having said that the brisket is very good it's tender and flavorful and I enjoyed it very much. I got fried okra as a side and it was solid as well. The sauce is here are typical Carolina and therefore vinegar based. Those are usually not my favorite, but these were pretty good. My only complaint would be that they are a little thin, but it is vinegar based and that's kind of given. The meat stands on its own though and does not need the sauce. The sauce does not distract however and are enjoyable.

This restaurant is colorful and bright. Staff are friendly, and the prices are affordable. I did…read morenot enjoy the carrot cake, ribs, and fries. I will return again to try a different dish. The location is central to many local shops, restaurants, and a movie theater in North Hills. The restaurant was crowded, and there's a small bar section inside of the restaurant.

First time here despite hearing about the original location for a while. I had the turkey, sweet…read morepotato muffin, chips and Mac and cheese. I shared the catfish bites with my husband. He got the chicken, potato salad and coleslaw with cornbread. We both agreed the catfish bites were the best followed by the homemade chips and the muffin. Love their big menu with lots of options as neither of us eat beef or pork. Turkey and chicken were ok. Sauce too. My husband is great on the grill so I am spoiled. His is better on both accounts. I normally don't love chips. These were awesome. Cornbread was weird. Very dense and not much flavor. Service was very friendly.

New location they moved because businesses left downtown and didn't come back. The location was…read moreformerly red hot and blue bbq. Super staple in Raleigh. Disclaimer: Atmosphere lower because it's an odd setup in the inside. Music didn't fit what they are doing ascetically. They are getting settled so they get a pass from me. My taste buds are from New Orleans Live in Texas for 7 years bbq in a bbq capital Customer service is a 3: One lady was very helpful in recommending things. Being kind. Another just may have had a bad day or something she wasn't welcoming at all it was almost like she rubbed people the wrong way that she worked with. This my most important thing with restaurants because it returns customers great service and consistency in flavor of food. I will return to explore the menu tho!

"Chain vs boutique"…read more I especially enjoy City Barbecue because it is delicious, unpretentious, easy parking, and the kid's meals are great! On this particular gathering, a group of 10 selected this location. No issues with seating. Similar to other bbq lodges, it's first come first serve and bench(?) moveable seating. Customer service was first rate and terrific! A solid, solid bbq option. I polled my family and other guest and everyone agreed it was absolutely delicious. Opinions: We thought the collards were a bit vinegary/sour (not an issue for me) coleslaw was coleslaw - perhaps a tad bit less sweet than at some establishments. Hush puppies sweet, light, and airy. Ribs: similar to homemade Pulled Pork: solid - delicious Sauces: Eastern NC (swine wine), BBQ, Hot BBQ, many others Overall: a delicious option. While boutique BBQ may offer a slightly more refined (+/-) palate experience (I.e. more smoke / more wood flavor). This may, for price, and/or convenience be everything and more for your particular palette. Family discussions varied regarding boutique bbq brands vs City BBQ (chain). Some stating there was little to no difference and others stating there is a significant difference. Try for yourself! Finally, don't forget to inquire about senior specials. Chain BBQ: 4.1 Boutique BBQ: 4.7 Overall: 4.5 (additional points for customers service).

Horrible. I've eaten at 4 different City Barbecue restaurants & the one on Lake Boone Trail was, by…read morefar, the worst. The pulled pork tasted good but, was full of fat. Also, the greens tasted like someone had dumped an entire shaker of salt in them--totally inedible, even after rinsing them with water. I called the restaurant to let them know about the greens and was on hold for almost 15 minutes. When I finally reached someone he said, "Yeah, sorry 'bout that." I guess that I'll try Mission BBQ or drive to Clayton for some Smithfield Chicken & BBQ. I was really hoping that I'd found a good BBQ place in Raleigh.