Backyard BBQ Pit really does look like a pit, bless its heart. It's all casual here, and I wouldn't change a thing. You have to try the Barbecue Plate. Their pulled pork has enough flavor to stand alone, but NC vinegar makes it pop. All the sides look amazing, and I highly recommend...all of them. The Stewed White Potato is a soupy alternative to mashed, the Mac n' Cheese is all-American comfort, and I could eat just Hush Puppies for days. I've never had any this good! Same goes for the Fried Catfish. Made to order, best batter I've ever had, right out of the fryer. The sides of Cabbage and Candied Sweet Potato are also standouts. They only have one dessert, but it's easy to inhale a giant piece of Chess Pie. The crust just melts in your mouth, and the custard filling will blow your mind. Eat this food and you'll get why we say "southern by the grace of god". The good here is out-of-this-world awesome, and if you want an authentic taste of the south, it's all in here. read more

Rough exterior. Rough interior. Facility Seemed to be unnecessarily dirty. Food: collards were the best I've ever had. Yams were yams. Little too sweet for my taste, but still good. Beef brisket was pretty good. Tasted like a good pot roast, not a smoked brisket. Hush puppies were light and fluffy. Overall, good experience. Not sure I'd rush back to eat here the next time I'm in town. Worth a try if you are looking for local while you're in Durham. read more

This place definitely draws a crowd, at least during the time we were there. A constant line of people came in the door, and most ordered to go. The line moved along at a good steady pace. I wanted the brisket, but they were all out, so I settled for the rib tips. I chose macaroni and cheese for my two sides. The macaroni & cheese was very good, and I thought the hush puppies were as well; however I haven't had a lot of those to compare them too. The rib tips were not for me. I found them to be too greasy for my taste and not that flavorful. Customer service was great and the locals seem to really like it, so I'd say check it out and judge for yourself. read more

I am so glad this place is going viral! Between when I came 4 years ago and now, the line is three times longer (and management has expanded its seating to meet the need!) The food is the same! Stick to your ribs, soulful food. The line of customers is eclectic from locals that the servers know by first name to infrequent tourists like myself. My friend and I got the bbq ribs (these are a must) and pulled pork. For sides we got the corn (a bit mushy but I love anything corn), cole slaw (diced instead of sliced cabbage which was interesting. There is a Ton of mayo), collards (delicious!) and green beans. The hush puppies were crispy and slightly sweet. They were like having dessert but mid meal. I really enjoyed it. This place made me feel like I had to run a few miles over the next few days but it was well worth it (and I'd do it again and again if I could!) read more

Backyard BBQ Pit - Pulled pork. Collards. Corn Cole slaw. Green beans. Ribs. Hush puppies - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Decent food in a run down space. Based on reviews and word of mouth my wife and I had to try out Backyard BBQ. We will go back to try a few more options but we didn't feel it lived up to they hype. First of all the place could use a good scrubbing. I can handle the water stained ceiling tiles and the crud in the corners. The bathroom needing attention in a busy restaurant isn't too uncommon. But for a place that has a lot of hands on deck they could spend a little more time cleaning. A fresh coat of paint goes a long way also. The food was fairly solid though. I ordered the BBQ sandwich with Brunswick stew and macaroni and cheese. All were a little better than average. You can taste the smoke in the BBQ and the stew had a nice flavor. The mac and cheese was good. I would suggest that the restaurant listed their sides though. It would make the ordering process easier. Maybe a chalk board? The staff was friendly and welcoming. They definitely usher you down the line. From what I hear there is always a line, so that's a good thing. I would recommend trying them out. Better than average. read more

Backyard BBQ Pit - BBQ Sandwich with Brunswick Stew and Mac N Cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Ms T and I have now eaten at Backyard seven times. The last couple of times were a bit down from what we first experienced, but we know every day cannot be perfect in this business. We collected Andrew T and Aunt Annie from RDU and went immediately to Backyard for lunch, no later than 11:30 and it was not yet busy. Before we were done eating the line was out the door. I have to focus on the barbecue, since that is the main draw for us. This time it was back to what I first experienced. It was moist, very well flavored and tender. The sauce was a little sweeter than I remembered, but I don't want to leave the impression that it is sweet style barbecue. The pork was delicious, served in a kind of shredded, coarse chop, almost pulled. They still cook good collards and my style of baked mac 'n' cheese. The slaw is fine, it just needs a little of the vinegar sauce. The potato salad is still not my style. It has too much sweet relish and needed salt. I need the mayo style. Aunt Annie still liked the fried cabbage and the Andrew enjoyed the very simple black-eyed peas. Ms T had a huge, freshly fried flounder filet that was piping hot and very good. Backyard hovers on the line between four and five stars for me. We always include this as a stop when we travel through the Triangle area. read more

Downhome cooking. Inexpensive and excellent food. Collards are very good. Ribs are also very moist and succulent Portions are large. No indoor seating at this time. One of the best bbq places around. read more

Hush puppies were excellent...they're like eating savory doughnuts. Brisket is really good but it is pretty salty. Yams are sweet and collards are just right vinegary tasting. The tea was ok. Want to try the pork chop and ribs next time. Super nice staff. It's like having Thanksgiving dinner at someone's grandparents home. Everyone around me was eating Mac N Cheese... Need to try that next time. read more

Backyard BBQ Pit - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This may be a hole in the wall but, they are good at what they do. The soul food coming out of here was a bit unexpected. I'm glad I did stop in they load the plates up with food. The desserts are also very good . I had the cake and it was moist. read more

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If you looking for good, authentic BBQ, this is the place to go! Customer service is top tier and the food is amazing!! Can't wait to go back soon read more

Ok so food is great is just when I walk in there I'm scared I'm aww roaches or a rat Really needs a major upgrade and employees need to stop arguing in front of customers while in line. It's just ratchet at its finest honey but food is the bomb. read more

Backyard BBQ Pit was the best meal I had on my recent work trip to the Research Triangle area. As far as interior decor this is biggest hole in the wall place I have been to. The walls are all covered with various words written by Sharpies. The tables look like their from the 80s and have a grimy feeling to them. With that being said, I would highly encourage everyone to overlook the interior cues and stop by here to grab some Carolina style BBQ. I had a very tough time choosing which meat and sides to get but after looking through almost 60 pictures on Yelp. I decided to opt for the platter with two sides. As far as the meat goes I opted for the pulled pork with collard greens and Mac n cheese for my sides. I was a fan of their portion sizes. You get a lot of food for a very cheap price. The pulled pork was delicious and definitely the best pulled pork I have had. It was tender and juicy and you honestly don't even need to add BBQ sauce since it's that good. The sides were also equally delicious- they are a bit greasy but nothing I was not expecting from a hole in the wall spot. The sides were seasoned perfectly for me although some people may find the Mac n cheese a bit bland. All this food paired perfectly with their sweet tea. The tea is definitely sweet as hell but it was so good. I read plenty of reviews about the long lines- luckily I didn't encounter any. I stopped by around 5:45 on a Monday and we were served immediately. However with that being said, the food here is totally worth the long wait. It's delicious and cheap. Honestly it's so good that I may purposely make a trip to NC just to eat at this spot! read more

My coworker took us here to get some real North Carolina BBQ. The place looks like a tiny little hole in the wall cafeteria with some a few tables and chairs. Everything is served cafeteria style too where you go down the line, point to what you want, pay at the register, and go enjoy your food. They do also take card. I got the BBQ platter with pulled pork and two sides. The pulled pork was delicious especially with the NC vinegar-based sauce. So juicy. For my sides I got the mac and cheese and collard greens. The mac and cheese needed a bit more salt as it was bland, but the collard greens were great. With your platter you also get three hush puppies, which were slightly dry. Unfortunately, they did not have banana pudding :(. But they do sell pre-packed pieces of pie. Everything was so cheap too. I don't get BBQ often, so this was delicious BBQ to me. I unfortunately food coma-ed afterwards, but this was well worth that side effect. read more

Backyard BBQ Pit - BBQ platter with pulled pork, mac and cheese, collard greens, and hush puppies - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

One of the top BBQ joints in the U.S.? Bring it on. This place looks, feels, and tastes like a true BBQ joint. A little hole-in-the-wall in the middle of nowhere, with a steady line of cars and people wandering in, the food hits the spot and satisfies whatever BBQ craving you have. From the pork to the brisket, the chicken and turkey, and even the fried flounder, the menu has something for everyone in your group. I went with a group of 4 hungry fellas, and we each got something different. Nobody complained 'cos our mouths were full of food. Because of COVID-19, we couldn't eat in, so we had to drive home with the smell of delicious food teasing us all the way. You want good BBQ, this place has it. Definitely worth a visit when you're in Durham. read more

One lady in the office is always eating here and talking about how good the food is here. Well I decided to grab lunch here. There was a long line but it moved pretty fast. I ordered Mac and cheese, collards and smoked bbq chicken. It was fresh, full of flavor and good! I was pleased....and will be coming back soon! read more

Wtf is with the roaches? Has no one seen them?! Walked in to order and no joke saw 3 German roaches on the counter within the 5 min we were there. How disgusting is this place? I've eaten there b4 but ordered pick up. The food was amazing, but I was horrified when I went in to order. How could they possibly pass inspection? read more

I've been coming to Backyard Barbecue since I was in college and I've definitely watched them grow. This place is nothing short of amazing! From first glance, the exterior is like WTF... it's truly a "hole in the wall" but aren't these THE BEST PLACES? The staff is great, always friendly and inviting the food is always hot and fresh. My "go to" items on the menu are definitely the turkey bbq and the fried whiting! Both AMAZING! the turkey bbq is just the right texture not all fatty, 100% turkey not fat or grizzle like I've had other places and the flavor is perfect and not overwhelming. Any fish you get will be fried to perfection. The batter is very flavorful and yummy! If you're in the Durham area and looking for a good ol country lunch... this is the place. You won't be disappointed. read more

Never Again! We use to come here all the time! We live in Charlotte and would drive up just to get food. Yesterday we came, and we've had food poisoning since!!!!!!! Do not come here! Obviously they are not keeping their food together anymore!!! Service was ridiculous. An employee yelling to the line, "does anyone need anything fried? If you get up to the front and say you want something fried, I'm gonna make the cashier upcharge you!" Huh?!? This is just unprofessional. Again, we will NEVER be back!!!! read more

This local southern barbecue joint is delicious! I loved the beef brisket marinated and served in juices, and the mac and cheese was delicious as well. Fried shrimp was pretty good, and I'd do the collard greens again as well. The candied yams were probably a bit too "candied" for my taste but overall the food is excellent and I'll definitely be back. read more

This place definitely proves that hole in the wall restaurants serve the best food. I am normally very picky about BBQ, as I prefer Western NC BBQ. But, this place quickly became my go-to for BBQ in the area! Not only do they have delicious food, but the employees are always very friendly and welcoming. I get the BBQ plate with 2 sides and hushpuppies, for $7.50. The BBQ is perfectly cooked and seasoned. They have a variety of BBQ sauces you can choose from as well. My favorite sides are mac & cheese, baked beans, and green beans. The mac & cheese is soooo cheesy and dripping in grease, which obviously makes for the best mac & cheese ever. TIP: It's typically pretty busy around lunchtime; so if you're in a rush, I would suggest getting there before noon. read more

Backyard BBQ Pit - BBQ plate w/ mac & cheese and green beans - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Real BBQ. Service was amazing. Food was unreal. I'd go anytime. If to try the banana pudding.

This is the only place in the triangle to get BBQ if you want the best. I promise. It's a hole in the wall, but aren't all the best places?? They are a locally owned small business, but they must be making bank because they are always busy. They also do catering. This food is so good. Next time you want dinner to go, stop in here and get a plate. read more

The place was very busy despite the "B" RATING I should have left when I saw this, but teammates had recently eaten here and praised the food. Not sure why. I had the chopped pork, Mac and cheese and black eyed peas. Nothing special about any of it. And the pork was practically minced. read more

This business has declined significantly. I was extremely disappointed with my last visit to this place. Everything was filthy i.e., floor, entrance door ( I don't think it has been cleaned in several months), staff apparel and preparation surfaces. The cashier attire was so filthy, it looked like she had just finished digging ditches. My pork ribs were so under cooked, I had to return them. The baked spaghetti was swimming in grease. I don't know if this business is under new ownership but it is sad to see where it is today. WOW!! read more

WOW! Don't miss out on this place! This is that hole in the wall BBQ joint of your dreams. First let's talk about affordability. I had the BBQ plate with two sides for only $7.50. This place has GREAT value. The sides were EXCEPTIONAL. I had the collard greens and the mac n cheese. The collard greens had so much delicious flavor, and the mac n cheese was not your regular old plain old mac n cheese- it was dang good. I also tasted some of my bro's sweet potatoes that were really good. The pulled pork was soooo good. Juicy, moist, tender, and had delicious flavor. The Carolina BBQ sauce was so good that I wanted to just turn it into a soup. read more

Backyard BBQ Pit - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Always make a stop here when we come to town. Great food and great people working there. Shoutout to Big Paulie for the good service and conversation. It's clear this place cares about providing customers with the best quality. Everything we've had is delicious: ribs, brisket, chicken, shrimp, yams, mac & cheese, collards... we've never been disappointed. Even when there's a long line you won't have a long wait. Definitely a great choice for anyone looking for good bbq comfort food. read more

First timer. Cleanliness is non-existent... quite frankly can't believe I stayed and ordered food from here based on that alone, but did so based off of good reviews on here. I can't believe their health and sanitation score is 94.5... it looks like 84.5. Servers are very sweaty standing over the food line (it's piping hot!) with masks worn below the nose. Service, including friendliness and helpfulness, is mediocre at best. I'm from the area in the state of Lexington-style BBQ and the taste of this doesn't even come close... pulled pork should have its own taste independent of drowning it in BBQ or hot sauce. Don't even think about the Mac and cheese- flavorless. The hush puppies were the best part of the meal. read more

This is a little hole in the wall with excellent food. Everything is great and always hard to decide what to order. Staff is friendly and so helpful. Can't go wrong with the ribs, Mac and cheese, veggies or anything else they serve. Always try to stop by when passing through. read more

Wow. Just got 2 plates from one of my favorite places to go for comfort food. So sad because I opened my plate and found a large grasshopper in my collards. Yuck. Beware. read more

Backyard BBQ Pit - Nasty Big Grasshopper in my collards greens. Looking through the photos I see I'm not the first to find a bug in my food. #NEVERAGAIN - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I'm astounded at the bad taste of dozens of reviewers--they have no idea what good BBQ and particularly good side dishes should be--and at the even more amazing remarks about the staff being 'friendly' and 'nice.' The staff, as has been noted many times, is surly, moneygrubbing (I saw them try to overcharge a friend ten or fifteen bucks), rude, and does not give a flying f*ck about customers or customer satisfaction. The place is an open sewer in terms of dirt and lack of health standards; COVID mandates/precautions might as well not exist. Now for the food. Weary, grey brisket that has nothing to do with the real thing; mac and cheese that Kraft would sneer at; dreadful attempt at Brunswick stew with SUGAR in it--a lot of sugar...Speaking of sugar, hush puppies which could be good, RUINED by even more sugar. The desserts are horrendous escapades in insulin shock with ZERO flavor, subtlety, or interest. This place was once passable; it is now complete dreck. That is all. read more

Great service, fun place. The folks running the place were kind and personable as could be. There's definitely some changes I would make though .... maybe I just don't understand how Carolina does bbq, but I understand how they do it in TN, OK, AL, MS TX, GA, and plenty of other places. I don't think the brisket was smoked - I'm pretty sure it was roasted or grilled (their menu here on yelp says "grilled tender") and it was in a steam table with a gravy on it. I've never seen brisket like that before, so I opted for the ribs and a pork sandwich. The ribs were sauced, not my personal preference, but were not very flavorful and were very chewy. The pork sandwich was good. They don't have condiments for each table - there's a giant jug of vinegar sauce and be careful pouring it as there's no dripper tip on it, just the giant open jug pouring out. This place is clearly popular; it's surprising how many folks came through in the short time I was there. Seems to be a really nice group of folks running it, they hustled, they were sweet as could be. The prices are sure tough to beat. Sounds like some of the non-q dishes are mighty good, and I'd return to try those but I have certain expectations when it comes to q and this didn't meet them. read more

I am shocked at the 4 and 5 star reviews. I sampled the brisket and another 'meat' I could not recognize. The good; 1). The service was 5-Star! Tyree was great in letting me try a few sample, many items were out of. I did not order anything .... The Bad; 1.) The parking lot is a war zone. They have potholes big enough to make a Koi pond. The owner was sitting at a table with his laptop, (not greeting guests) and I asked him if he was responsible for the lot. He said he was. I told him it was in severe need of repair. He said to me, verbatim, " I don't care what you think!" Really. I then told him I was going to write a review and he remarked; "Don't care what you write." And the food reflects his attitude. 2.) I have eaten barbque all over this country, and from what I tasted, it does not resemble barbque in the slightest.. If you've ever had a T.V. dinner with meatloaf, that is exactly what the 'barbque' tastes like. Maybe I came on a off day, but the owners remarks said it all to me Try it. I'd like to hear other reviews. Cheers! ** Oh, did I mention it was filthy inside. And smelled of burnt cooking oil? read more

I've been visiting this restaurant since I was in undergrad at NCCU and years later when I come into town and eat here it is still amazing and never disappoints. My faves are the ribs, hush puppies, and the pineapple lemonade but honestly, everything is SOOO good. 10/10 highly recommend. read more

Over all the meal could have been better. When you 1st walk in there is a unwelcoming smell. I know bbq places usually have a smell, so I let that slide. The gout taking my order was just too much. I'm not a fan of flirting while I'm ordering. The whole "shoot my shot" conversation that was held in front of me was completely unprofessional. This customer has just had a long and frustrating day, the last thing I want is unwelcome flirting. The women on the cash register was pleasant, and professional. Leaving the parking lot is annoying. The pot holes are huge, and after a week of rain it a parking lot of pools. Conclusion: the food is ok at best. There was no wow factor. The baked beans tasted as if there was a entire container of molasses. The pork chops was grilled pretty good the sauce used was lacking. The string beans tasted as if pigs feet was used as the meat for the seasoning. The saving grace were the hush puppies. Would I go back? I highly doubt it. read more

Loved this place. So good and cheap makes a case for moving down south. Never had Brunswick stew before and trying real hard not to get more of it right now. Delicious! Pork bbq sandwich! read more

Our favorite BBQ place and there are some really great ones here in Durham. Don't let the ambiance ( or lack thereof ) stop you. The food is great, the people who work there are kind and helpful and generous. Always a good experience. The vegetables are also very good. I have a hard time deciding what to order because it's all very good. Go early if you want ribs. They sell out early. read more

The Mac and cheese, collard greens and ribs are to die for! Staff is always friendly and helpful.

Great! Made me feel like my mom or grandma cooked it! I would definitely recommend. !

Delicious pulled pork and sides. I enjoy their slaw, collards, beans, and sweet potatoes. It's one of those hole-in-the-wall gems with good eating. My favorite Carolina bbq in the area, and I've tried them all! read more

Zero stars - we just tried to take 19 people in when the restaurant was empty. They were more interested in their to-go orders than helping patrons and TOLD US SO. We waited 15 min without them taking our order and left. Find somewhere else who wants customers. read more