I drove here after work because I needed some good BBQ! It's off 55 and without GPS I would have missed the location. Driving into the parking lot it looks like any Southern small restaurant. At 4 there were ~10 cars. Inside was a mess! They are remodeling and setting of for drive thru. That will be cool! The food is served cafeteria style so fast and hot! The staff was busy but friendly. I got smoked chicken mac and cheese, sweet potato, collards and brisket. Each a dinner. A little under $20 a plate. In the way home I almost pulled over to dive in to the food it smelled SO GOOD!! The smoked chicken was moist and delicious. I am not a huge fan of smoked poultry but this was good. The brisket was for my husband, I stole a piece... before he got home. So good! I will get that next time. I hate cooked beyond recognition collards... these were not! They still had texture with perfect seasoning. Mac n cheese... perfect amount of cheese! Baked. My sweet potato was so good. Next time I am just getting 2 orders of brisket, Mac and cheese and two extra sides of sweet potato.. just for me, eating in my car! Missing a star only because the inside seemed a bit icky. As a woman who is brave and does not like to turn away from good food I looked passed it. But many may find it unpleasant. They are working on it. read more

service can be pretty slow but food is always p good! my fav combo is the pulled pork with the potato salad :) read more

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

I dined at Backyard BBQ on Saturday July 5th 2025 and ordered a baked chicken with 2 sides. They asked me to proceed to register to pay. They didn't have the baked chicken but had charged me for it. So I asked could I get something else but put the charge back to my cc. She said she did but Monday morning both charges was posted to my account. I called and was told that he couldn't pull previous transactions up. BE AWARE!!! If you go proceed with caution and pay with cash!!!!! Still haven't received my money!! read more

Wonderful owners and workers. I usually just ask them what's good, as it depends on what's going on in the kitchen (on that day/time). Been a bunch of times and it's always been excellent read more

The food is amazing. It's a chill spot that offers great stick to your ribs food. It's auntie's, uncles and someone's grandma in the kitchen. service is quick as possible. I love getting a meal from here, my favorite is a veggie plate! read more

Maybe I caught a bad night. Got a takeout order. Found out later that my brisket plate was easily 50% fat and was not sliced right. Almost no smoke flavor so it was more like pot roast. The sauce was low on flavor and the meat was swimming in it. On the plus side, the Mac and cheese and green beans were fine. read more

Delicious food, outstanding service.Clean, comfortable and they even have a small bar. They genuinely greet and thank everyone who walks through the door. I stopped in by accident but I look forward to coming back. read more

Been coming here for years. Last minute decided to go by for some sides for Thanksgiving. Almost 5:00 and got potato salad, collards, mac and cheese. Wanted yams but there was a 20 min wait. Potato salad was very soupy. It is normally good. Collards taste like Glory greens. Didn't seem homemade and all and had alot of stems. I will blame this on the time of day and not on the cook. I guess I will try again at some later time! read more

Backyard BBQ Pit - Soupy potato salad. - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I really want to like this place. The BBQ itself is pretty good and the whole atmosphere yells local and authentic, not to mention the staff is polite. I can't recommend eating here though, not with the current level of cleanliness if you really look at the back and what's going on among various other issues (hair in drink etc). I'm not interested in writing a terrible review in detail because I think the staff is well intentioned, wants to serve their customers and the issues are more a matter of someone coming in to train. If they see this I would love to come back in a few months and be able to give a great review. read more

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

To summarize my experience at Backyard BBQ, I will say two words. Customer service. This restaurant is the definition of a local business. We went here at the recommendation of a friend, and quickly realized that this would be an incredible place to eat. Once you enter the door, you are treated with warm welcomes and incredible smells of BBQ. We split a pulled pork plate, and at the recommendation of the staff ordered the beef ribs. I wish I had remembered to take photos but the food was so good that in my rush, I forgot. We had to wait 15 minutes for the ribs to finish cooking, but they were worth the wait as they were soft off the bone. Now let's get to the customer service. While we were waiting, they gave us some shrimp stew to eat. ON THE HOUSE. I insisted on paying, but they refused. Since this time, we've come back a second time, and we had an equally good meal. The person I was with wanted to get a sweet tea to go, and they again said it was on the house and refused to allow us to pay for it. I will always come to Backyard for BBQ in the triangle area. They've earned a customer for life read more

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

This is a legit hometown backyard BBQ place. They offer two sauces, one is vinegary with a little kick and the other is darker brown, thick, and very sweet. The dark meat chicken falls off the bone and the chicken skin has a great rub and a slight crust. The baked beans taste like they have a lot of honey or something else very sweet, like molasses. The cabbage was perfect, with no sauce to it and cooked just right. The pulled pork was a little dry, but that may be because I got there late. They sometimes close earlier than posted hours. It's a definite place to visit and try North Carolina BBQ. I'd go back. Service is provided with a family feel. It's not really a place to sit down and eat. This is more of a take out place. Remember to tip well. read more

I had seen Backyard BBQ Pit off of Hwy 55 for months and been meaning to try it. I finally tried them for the first time yesterday! I'm happy to report that it's as good as people say! Go ahead and add them to your list of black owned businesses to try! I got a pork bbq plate with mac and cheese and collard greens. My friend got a turkey bbq plate with coleslaw and potato salad. Let me tell you, both turkey and pork bbq were good, but the SIDES? Phenomenal. Mac and cheese was SUPER cheesy, collard greens were juicy and flavorful, and coleslaw? Y'all, I used to be one of those coleslaw belong in the trash person. I'm a recent convert and I don't know what Backyard's did but I'm here for it! read more

Backyard BBQ Pit - Pork Bbq plate with Baked Macaroni And Cheeseand Collard Greens - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Backyard is consistently good. Not really a fan of food not made to order but backyard does it right

I was so disappointed with what I ordered-the brisket plate. The scant 5 slices ($22.00 total) were exceedingly fatty and greasy. Had some kind of slightly sweet greasy gravy which made it more inedible. Served with 2 sides. I opted for mac and cheese (not flavorful and with added sugar) and baked beans which were just ok. My dog was willing to eat small pieces but I worried that it was unhealthy for him. WILL NOT BE BACK. read more

I use to come here long ago when I attended NCCU. The food is just as good as ever to this day! The service line moves fast and everyone is kind and patient. The turkey is my go to! The inside has had a facelift since I was last in. I honestly miss the graffiti walls but it's still a cool spot to eat in or take out. read more

This is just sad. I saw this in the News and Observer. I have not been back since my last review. It has fallen so far. Over 20 violations in the most recent Health and Sanitation check. At one time I came here at least once a month. Now, there is no way I would eat here. "Received a score of 84.5% during an inspection on Feb. 8 (2023). The restaurant was in violation of 20 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to three points. Violations included multiple dented and rusted cans of apples in the dry storage area, several foods being held at incorrect temperatures, some foods not being date-marked and "excessive amounts of roaches in facility." Some violations were corrected during the inspection. The restaurant previously scored a 90% in July and December 2022 and an 83% in June 2022." The violations are listed above in Yelp. read more

Delicious, delicious barbecue. Absolutely not a fancy place and you won't be impressing your date with this joint. Unless they like really good 'cue and then you're golden. Arriving in the peak of the lunch rush, I ordered the pork barbecue plate with an extra pork rib. Neatly packaged and layered with paper in the styrofoam, it was three hush puppies on top, the rib in the next and then my main course underneath. I did try one of the hush puppies. They're delicious. Still warm, very light, delicious. But not really good on the keto diet, so I did not eat the others. The rib was delicious. Loaded in sauce, very moist, meaty, delicious. I could eat a whole plate of these. Finally, the main course. Collard greens were good. Definitely fresh and tasty, there was one big stalk in there that I had to eat around but the rest was excellent. Cole slaw was wet and very finely chopped. Almost pureed. Tasty. The pulled pork needed absolutely no sauce. Very moist, very flavorful, this is perfect barbecue. Great stuff at the Backyard BBQ Pit. I would definitely eat here again. [Review 11639 overall, 1420 of 2019.] read more

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Enjoyed the burnt end plate very much. The meat portions had fatty bits which gave it mouth watering savoriness. The plate comes with two sides. We had the cabbage which must have been cooked in some tasty broth. It went well with some corn. To top it all off, the staff there was super friendly. Definitely a great place to check out! read more

As bad or worse than I remember. Horrible pulled pork. No taste. Bland and tons of horrible tart cole slaw. Sides were bad. Why did I let my friend drag me here. How has this place not closed down. Will never go back. For good bbq go elsewhere. MCL cafeteria had better bbq. read more

By far the best BBQ place in North Carolina. I love the brisket and the mac and cheese will make you cry with delight. The dining area is a bit alternative but the bbq is PERFECT!! read more

Omg!! The service is so chaotic. After ordering , it took them a while to get my order and when asked for receipt they refused. After asking for my order again, they literally opened a ready box of food and touched everything by hand to verify, I was grossed out to even go back and eat that food. Wish I checked the reviews before visiting. read more

This place was the highlight of our North Carolina BBQ tour. After talking with the regular customers in line, I couldn't decide what to order--they all had their favorite fishes, and they all looked/smelled delicious! After sampling several things, settled on ribs with my favorite collards and potato salad. To satisfy my indecision, I had a side of chopped pork and awesome deep fried gizzards--wow did those send me back to my childhood! All meals come with their house made fresh hush puppies. For those who haven't had these before, Backyard BBQ Pit's hush puppies are the best you'll ever eat. Guaranteed. Enticingly crispy outside, pillowy soft inside with a hint of sweetness. This will forever be the gold standard for any hush puppies I'll eat in the future! The friendly service and warm hospitality are top rate, I felt like part of the community, conversing with the patrons and the owners. I'd return to Durham--just to come back to this restaurant! read more

Backyard BBQ Pit - Hush puppies, Collards, Potato Salad, ribs, chopped pork, deep fried gizzards. - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Recommend! Recommend! Recommend! We were staying overnight in Durham to catch a plane early the next morning. Googled Inexpensive Restaurants Near Me. Backyard BBQ Pit was one of the suggestions. Read some reviews and headed over. This place looks like a dive diner, but walk in and be welcomed like a long lost friend. The staff seemed to enjoy working together (always helps the atmosphere) and the food was EXTREMELY tasty. The 'pulled' meats are not swimming in BBQ sauce, once you get it , you can add as much or as little as you like. When trying to decide what to drink, one of the staff piped up and said they had Pineapple Lemonade. Heavenly. My friend had the fried catfish, which I tried. It was not heavy on the fishy taste (normal for catfish) or the weird tang many of them have from eating trash. The portions were enough to fill you up and not break the bank. read more

I googled for good barbeque in Durham. The Backyard BBQ Pit showed up repeatedly. What a mistake! First, the only chicken available was wings (how can a BBQ place run out of chicken). Second, the side dishes were awful. The potato salad was more like a soup and the green beans were fresh out of a can. Third, the strawberry lemonade was lukewarm (what - no ice available). Fourth, no hush puppies (unbelievable). Fifth, the woman behind the counter was uncommunicative. I won't be going back. read more

The food here is so delicious. It's one of Durham's best kept secrets. I don't normally like peoples collard greens but theirs was on point! Hush puppies were a good mix of sweet and savory. Max and cheese was super cheesy. Very delicious the sauce with the ribs was sweet while the beef ribs were really good. Not as chewy but more tender. Which I loved. I'd give it a 8.2 out of 10. read more

Backyard BBQ Pit - Beef Rib Dinner Brisket Sandwich with Sides - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

It's a sight and site for sore eyes. There's a whole lot of character to the building (writing on the walls) and the staff is friendly. I love the bbq sandwich special. But if I'm a little hungrier, the ribs are my next choice. Their Mac and cheese, collards, and sweet potatoes are delicious. Oh! And the cabbage? Yum! The pineapple lemonade is worth every penny. You won't be disappointed. read more

In think my expectations were too high. I ordered collard greens, Mac and cheese, and turkey BBQ. I just wasn't impressed. The prices were definitely reasonable but the food was just ok. I went on a Friday afternoon and they were packed! So I'm sure others enjoyed it. read more

Super convenient BBQ joint in RTP. Over the years I have enjoyed almost everything on their menu. The BBQ, ribs, chicken and fried fish is always good. The sides are AWSOME also. Looking forward to my next visit. read more

Amazing food! this is a restaurant that consistently provides good food. Everything and I do mean everything is delicious. I most recently tried their lemonades-the peach and pineapple is great. Literally any and everything you order is good-the pork chops, the barbecue, the chicken, the Mac and cheese! You won't be disappointed. Nice hole in the wall. read more

4/19- I'm either convinced that people just don't know good food or they just eat anything. When we immediately pulled up there were almost no cars in the parking lot .I really base my opinion on whether food is gonna be good in how many vehicles are in the parking lot. As soon as we walked in...I thought IMMEDIATELY NO especially since I didn't smell any smoke from a grill. I was with others so I didn't have much of a choice. There was a hot bar set up- almost similar to how the fast food Chinese places are at the mall. I particularly don't care for this because you never know how long food has been sitting and small black owned businesses are probably not going to throw away food that's been sitting for a few hours due to not wanting to waste food .Had it been me, myself and I, I would have left immediately after walking in. To keep it simple I ordered a chicken breast sandwich-that's it. My daughter got the fried flounder snack. 1 flounder and some fries.Everyone else got Ribs, collards and Mac n cheese which none of it looked appealing. Now about my food. You can't go to wrong with fried chicken unless it's not seasoned. It was decent. Seasoned well. My daughter's fish was fresh. She actually asked for another piece but I said no. She didn't like the home made fries. They were more like potato wedges but cut like fries. They were fine for me my aunts and sister's order ribs and Mac and cheese. They said the ribs were not good and tasted boiled. Uggh. The Mac and cheese was dry which it looked like it was. Not sure why Mr. Chime Time gave it a high rating but I'm not trusting his opinion on nothing else either. They seemed very confused on things. A lot confused actually. They keep repeating what they thought people had ordered. Kept saying the wrong thing. It was just a mess overall. Oh and the tea and lemonade/ stay away from if you have diabetes. You're gonna go into a coma if you drink it .Also flies. The lace was filled with flies. NASTY read more

This recent inspection says it all. Backyard BBQ Pit (5122 N.C. Hwy 55, Durham) received a score of 83% during an inspection on June 22. The restaurant was in violation of 18 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to three points. Violations included employees not properly washing their hands, multiple foods being stored at incorrect temperatures, the facility having "absolutely no refrigeration" working and "excessive amounts of flies and gnats" in the facility during the inspection. Some violations were corrected during the inspection, the inspection report shows. The restaurant previously scored a 90% in September 2021, an 87% in August 2021 and a 94.5% in November 2020. Read more at: https://www.newsobserver.com/living/food-drink/article262956668.html#storylink=cpy This accurately sums up my one and only experience at this restaurant. read more

Hands down the best barbecue joint you can get in Cary. This place reminded me being at a family cookout in the early 2000s. All their food is fresh, hot and seasoned to perfection. The serving sizes are amazing and the staff is super friendly. I've been coming here for years now and it's always consistent in terms of performance. If you are not a eastern NC style bbq lover then the pulled pork might not be for you. However, everything else on the menu is absolutely to die for! Their mac and cheese is one of my favorites and they have some outstanding brisket and pulled chicken. Absolutely will keep returning to this establishment. read more

Backyard BBQ Pit - Pulled pork with Mac and cheese and green beans - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Ok...I'm impress! I finally had a chance to stop in for an early lunch and it was delicious. A lot of people talk about how run down the place is but it's part of the culture here. I think it that it makes the food that much more better! Imagine eating this kind of food in a really nice and fancy restaurant...it wouldn't taste the same. Back to the food! I went with the pulled pork plate with 2 sides (mac-n-cheese + collard greens). The pulled pork was cooked perfectly and went well with the bbq sauce! It was just the right amount of smoke and tenderness. Both of the sides were amazing! The M.V.P. of the meal had to be...the hushpuppies! Best I've had and I say that with enthusiasm too! It was the most fluffy hushpuppies ever! I would stop by just to eat this. Props! Overall, great place if you want some good ole' fashion, southern BBQ! read more

Lord have mercy! The ribs here are perfection! The reviews about the food here are legit. I have been waiting to try the ribs from backyard BBQ pit for quite a while and it was worth the long drive to get there today after a very long week. The ribs were tender, meaty and cooked the way they should be. They had a hint of sweet barbecue sauce on them that was not overwhelming it was just enough to melt in your mouth If you wanted more types of sauces you could add different flavors to it after you picked up your order. I tried the green beans as a side dish and they were delicious, they had somewhat of a smoky taste to them and you could tell they were cooked in something extra, but you'll have to go figure that out for yourself I won't give it away. This is a mom n pop type of establishment and trust me it's a place you do not want to miss ordering ribs from. They also serve chicken, brisket ,shrimp , and lots of other things so you can try a variety of things. The staff was very pleasant and appreciative of me being there to order a dinner today and I definitely will be back. The barbecue Pitt is easy to find off a main highway and the food was ready when I walked in. A perfect way to end my week thank you. read more

Backyard BBQ definitely has some solid bbq and some great, large portions. I've tried their Pulled Pork sandwich plates and Brisket sandwich plates. The Pulled Pork sandwich plate is around $7 and you get a huge portion of food for that price. It comes with two sides of your choosing. The Brisket sandwich plate is a bit more expensive around $11-$13 (I don't remember exactly) but it comes with hushpuppies, and then you get to pick another two sides on top of that. The pulled pork was decent, very tender and juicy with the notable North Carolina vinegar taste. They definitely pile on a bunch of meat in your sandwich and it also comes with coleslaw if you want it. However I think overall the food is just really...greasy. And I get that BBQ is definitely on the splurge/unhealthier side, but it's just a bit much for me. I've only tried a few sides, notably the mac and cheese, hushpuppies, and the baked beans. I felt like the mac and cheese was 80% cheese and the mac was super soft, that it all felt like the same mushy texture. No "bite" to the noodles and the cheese was really overwhelming. The baked beans were alright, pretty classic baked beans. The hushpuppies were great though, they had a slightly sweet taste to them. Backyard BBQ can get super busy and have a really long line. The flow is essentially like a cafeteria line, where you go down the row of food and pick what you want, and pay at the end. Unfortunately, a lot of the employees weren't wearing their masks properly and there wasn't a limit on how many people could be inside the restaurant at one time (it's been pretty crowded every time I've gone, too). While customers were required to wear a mask, it was shocking to see the employees not follow that protocol, especially during a time like this. read more

Backyard BBQ Pit - Pork BBQ Sandwich with Mac & Cheese and Baked Beans - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

First time visiting since the remodel. The service was very slow, I paid for white meat dinners and end up having to settle with dark instead. Half their sides they didn't have in stock. I'll spend my dollars somewhere else. read more

We came here on a Friday night, and there was a line. It was around 6:30 and they already ran out of pulled pork chops, which was okay because we ended up ordering the pork ribs. I ordered Mac and cheese and fried okra as my sides. Unfortunately, they messed up my order and didn't give me any fried okra. I understand, mistakes happen sometimes. What really got me pissed was my uncooked ribs. You can clearly see the pork was still red, and I just felt so so so so unsafe to eat that. This experience was just terrible. Will I come back again, definitely a no!!!! read more

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

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Coming from the north and I usually don't like food with vinegar, the food from this place is interesting, delicious and the right combination of sweet and sour. Cole slaw is even better than Walmart, my top choice Hush puppies are like fried dough and delicious BBQ is finely chopped pull pork with vinegar interesting and yummy Brisket is tender with brown sauce, smokey, I like this version Collard green is soft and delicious Cabbage is good too My least favorites are - Brunswick stew - mac and cheese Will try baked bean next time read more

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What more can I say about Backyard BBQ besides the fact that you need to go right now. A small hole in the wall right in Durham. What the place lacks in aesthetic it makes up for in top of the line BBQ mixed with incredible value for your dollars. I highly suggest coming earlier in the day as some of the more popular items do sell out. I'm a big fan of all the sides (Mac & Cheese, Greens, Baked Beans, etc) are all good options for your lunch/dinner. This place is very see what you get. I pop in every time I'm in Durham. Can't wait to make an excuse to come back. Finger Lickin Good. read more

Delicious cabbage. Oxtails cooked to perfection. Collard greens on point. Max & Cheese needs a little work. Also.. best banana pudding I've ever had (from a restaurant) read more

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