This place was referred to me by a local for having wood fire smoked BBQ. When you pull up, there are piles of wood outside and as you approach the building, there is a hint of BBQ in the air. The lady who waited on me was so sweet, friendly, helpful with helping me find what I wanted on the vast menu, and attentive during my visit. The place is cute with a giant pink pig near the counter and overall looked clean. I ordered a Chopped BBQ Plate with 2 sides, hush puppies and a sweet tea. The sides I ordered were Mac n Cheese and White Coleslaw. They have very good tea. The Hushpuppies are the BEST Hushpuppies in the world. I've never had them so good and I ordered extra for the road. I could eat an entire meal of just those Hushpuppies dipped in their BBQ sauce which is a vinegar based sauce and delicious! The Mac n Cheese was not baked and had a straight out of the box taste. I didn't hate it. It was just ok. The White Cole Slaw was some of the best slaw I've ever had. It was fresh and light and made just how I like it. Now about the pig. I'm not going to lie, I've had better. I've also had a lot worse. The pig meter didn't go all the way to the top but would have if there was just more smoke flavor on it. It was perfectly cooked. Seasoned well. Was tender. And the vinegar based sauce they use is delicious. I was really hoping for more smoke flavor than I got but still very satisfied with my experience there. I would still definitely recommend to anyone looking for authentic NC Lexington style BBQ. It's way better than Randy's and Speedy's on Piedmont Dr. IMO. read more

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Been there many times over the years. Now Each time quality of everything continues to decline. Did the ownership change in the last few years? I think the huge ice deserts keeps people coming back, certainly not the BBQ. There are so many better choices in the immediate area. I'd move on to others. Sad, because it was great.... They get two stars because of their ice cream! read more

Husband, kid, and I dropped in for a quick lunch. We almost went on because the parking lot was full. We went inside and the restaurant was only a fourth full. I guess everyone eating drove two cars a piece, I don't know but it was misleading. We were served quickly and the food was good. The fries could've been a bit crispier and the hush puppies weren't hot when they came out. They only gave a few with my husband's meal, but offered refills of them if we wanted any to just let them know. We didn't ask for anymore. I had a chicken tender sandwich which was easy to rip apart and dunk in dip, which also wasn't very warm temperature wise. I also opted for chili cheese fries and they were pretty good. I wouldn't rush back here over other places in town, but if someone suggested here, I could eat it again. read more

Barbecue Center - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, North Carolina

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Was looking for some great bbq in Lexington and someone told me they have the best "dip" in town. They may not be as well known as the other places in town but that just made it easier to get a table at lunchtime. The chopped bbq was great and the dip (sauce) leans a little heavier on the ketchup and a little lighter on the vinegar but still has great flavor. The sign outside and the ambience inside shows the restaurant's age but that's part of the experience. Not fancy but a great bbq and very good sides. If you're in Lexington check out the local scene at Barbecue Center. read more

Barbecue Center - Hush Puppies - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, North Carolina

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I used to come here years ago and always enjoyed it. My husband and I ate here yesterday and it was not good. The pork barbeque was so dry and tasteless. The baked beans were straight out of a can with no smoky flavor and my husband's cheeseburger looked like frozen patties slapped on a grill and it was also tasteless. The service was good and that's the only positive thing I can say about the experience. read more

I always enjoy the BBQ here and their hush puppies are the BEST! They have a light crispy crunch on the outside and soft buttery tasting deliciousness inside. The service is quick and barbecue is good. read more

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I used to come here for BBQ when I worked in Lexington. This time I tried the What a Burger basket with onion rings and a couple of chicken tenders. Very delish.. They are strategically located on North Main across from the EMS Base One station. Clean, good service, with steady local traffic. read more

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The food here is fantastic, as is the service! Kind, attentive and friendly service and staff is a plus to the addition of their delicious food! Be sure to order the gigantic and stunning ice cream banana split! The ice cream they use is delicious!!! Family friendly! read more

Barbecue Center - Yummy pies to go! - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, North Carolina

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This is one of several great BBQ restaurants in Lexington, NC. Pork shoulder cooked over a wood fired pit, chopped and sauced. The flavor is delicious. Dipping sauce is a great addition; however, the last time we were there, the Q was a little dry - like it had been under a heat lamp a touch too long. Lady in front of me in checkout mentioned it. Manager was a bit defensive with her. When I mentioned that her observation was correct, he apologized and said he would check on it. Their hushpuppies are great. Servings are ample. If you are up to it, they have an amazing Banana Split. It is huge, so bring a friend or two. They also have a really good hot dog. We'll be back. read more

This is of the genre of classic barbecue drive-in restaurants. If you pull up to the shelter, they will come out and take your order. They also have menus, but I didn't have one. I just asked the guy what was good. Today I'm having a barbecue plate which has red smile, french fries, and chopped barbecue. Being in North Carolina this could be red barbecue yellow barbecue plain barbecue or some other kind of barbecue and I'm gonna find out and let you know. But any place called "the barbecue center" probably knows what they're doing. I'm here at 12:30 and the place is straight wrapped up. I got the plate which comes with fries, red coleslaw, which is spicy kind of like redneck, kimchi, hush puppies and a large chair wine it was delightful. The chopped barbecue is in the bin, Minegar family of barbecue sauce preparations, but it's not red and it's not yellow. It's just good smoked. Made this chopped up and treated with some tasty sauce. French fries are crinkle cut very basic. The hush puppies are homemade and slightly sweet but not jiffy mix sweet. To me the show piece of the entire meal was the coleslaw which was spicy and delicious and crunchy and cool and just wonderful. The overall experience was really good. I like a drive-in barbecue place I eat in my car and talked on the phone. The server was really helpful. He was a nice young man high school age. Real good kid. Everything was just great. read more

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When you walk in, you will likely find the restaurant full of locals enjoying some really good food. As we were just visiting, they didn't hold it against us, even though my blue Hawaiian shirt stood out quite a bit among what the other guys were wearing. We sat in a booth, got immediate service, and ordered a couple of iced teas that were very good compared to the usual brews we had in the area. I decided on a coarse-chopped pork sandwich, which comes with slaw on top. I got the white slaw and then an order of hush puppies. For those who follow me from other states, you may not appreciate the great Southern food that we have in North Carolina. But if you visit or come to live here, you will soon agree it's great here. The coarse chop on the meat was a pleasant way to eat the sandwich from the usual chopped pork, and I would recommend it. The eastern sauce was good and tangy, just the way it should be. We saw a banana split being made here. I think it's 3 pounds of ice cream and not to be ordered for the faint-hearted. I could not eat that much ice cream, so we just watched it being made. Service from everyone there was great and super friendly. Worth a stop for sure if you are looking for good food. read more

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Found another barbecue place that I love very much. I went simple today with just a barbecue chicken sandwich basket with hush puppies. One of the best hush puppies I've had so far. And the barbecue sauce on the perfectly cooked tender chicken breast was absolutely delicious and I wish I had gotten a side of that barbecue sauce to dip more into it. I will do that next time believe me you. It was just my husband and I so I couldn't order that massive gigantic ginormous ice cream dish cuz I would just get sick. So I'm dying to come back here with a group so we can attack it. It smelled wonderful in there, the staff was wonderful, and I want to go back and try different things. read more

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Always good. Took my 3 year old grand daughter out for hot dogs and fries for lunch. The ladies here always take care of you. read more

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Great Lexington BBQ and definitely one to f my go to's in the area! Take some friends and enjoy a giant banana split but ensure you bring your bib. The staff is friendly and the restaurant is always clean. read more

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Our waitress was great and another waitress stopped by for refills several times. The pork was OK but did not have that tangy flavor expected. The hush puppies were probably over cooked, very dry and bland. read more

WTF? Ordered a Boston Butt for Christmas. Undercooked! They made it right and give me store credit. We went a week later and dined in. Order chopped bbq plate.(bland) Ordered two course chopped plates. Wow! So nasty. It tasted like the meat was boiled. But not even "boil" enough. It was so tuff. I'm sorry I hate to leave a review on a restaurant that has so much history. But this was the worst "Lexington" style BBQ I've ever had. What has happened to the food? Guessing the burgers and ice cream keeps them open. Service was great and ambiance was like every other BBQ place watch is ok. read more

The food was great and very affordable. Recommend. The service was excellent and a really great spot for the locals

In most respects, Barbecue Center is as reliable as ever. It's still a comfortable, old school space. It's still excellent service. It's still the same dishes and recipes. Why the downgrade to three stars then? I blame the quality of the meat. My chopped pork plate was loaded with fat; I'd estimate it made up a quarter or more of my serving. I felt cheated. And yet I assure you the price hasn't been reduced by 25 percent. C'mon, y'all. Do better. There's too much competition in Lexington and the surrounding area to sell your customers short this way. read more

Came here today and it was pretty empty despite hearing it was the best BBQ place around. We were seated immediately and I found the servers to be very attentive. We ordered our food and it was out in less than 5 minutes. I know bbq is generally slow cooked so it's likely ready as soon as you order it. But how fast it came out made it obvious that the fries and hush puppies are just sitting back there being kept warm. Not the biggest deal, fries were delicious, hush puppies were probably the best I've ever had. They weren't dense, we're fluffy and still crispy. The BBQ had too much vinegar for me. But prices were reasonable, portions are big and service is great. Check them out! read more

Barbecue Center - BBQ Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, North Carolina

Today, Wednesday, February 18, 2026 was the first time my husband and I ate at the Barbecue Center. It is a small restaurant with not much seating. It is very loud in the restaurant and unfortunately today there was a large family with 3 small kids eating and one of the children was screaming at the top of his/her lungs and the ignorant parents refused to take the child out of the restaurant ruining everyone's meals. Anyway the bbq itself was delicious. The fries are good. My husband got a tray and it had plenty of bbq on it but hardly any hushpuppies. They are extremely stingy with the hushpuppies he got maybe 5. I would go back just hoping no small children there. read more

Went to Barbecue Center today with group of 5. We each ordered something diff and I believe everyone was happy with their choices. I had the small BBQ tray with course chopped and Red Slaw and hushpuppies. Everything was delicious. Our waitress was top notch with the service and all 5 orders came out together. The restaurant was busy as we hardly found a place to park our motorcycles. This is my first trip to Lexington for BBQ in probably 40 years but I hope to come back soon. I highly recommend the Barbecue Center. read more

Barbecue Center - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, North Carolina

Pork chop sandwich... Pork chop sandwich... Pork chop sandwich!!! Oh my goodness. It is the most tender and delicious item you will ever eat. The meat was so tender and fried to perfection. Add on some hush puppies and some sweet tea and you got yourself the best meal one could ask for. Staff were extremely friendly and food came out quick. Lots of parking. I will definitely be coming again soon. Try it! read more

Can we talk about the banana split? It is a monstrosity of a dessert. 5 of us shared it and we were not able to finish it. The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is because it almost feels like too much - but then again that is the whole premise and it brings people in the door. Someone is our party got the banana pudding and they also said it was delicious! I want to go back ASAP and try some of the BBQ! read more

Barbecue Center - Outside - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, North Carolina

Ranked 34/50 in the 2019 Southern Living survey of BBQ restaurants in the South, and still up there in 2023, coming in at #37. It was packed at lunchtime, but the very friendly staff managed well. $11.02 purchased a small tray of chopped pork with red slaw and hush puppies, and what arrived at the table was classic Lexington 'cue. The slaw was superb, working both by itself and mixed in with the meat. The latter was moist and full of smoky flavor; I tried it plain, with extra sauce, and mixed in with the slaw ... all were good choices. Only the hush puppies disappointed, proving crisp on the outside but quite dry on the inside. Even so, a return visit is definitely in the offing. read more

Barbecue Center - Hush puppies - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, North Carolina

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Their pork chop sandwiches are what we craved for. Worth our trip to Lexington from Colfax for those sandwiches! Hats off to BBQ Center!

I've never got anything from this barbecue place that I didn't absolutely love that's why that's my go-to barbecue place and if I want to be entertaining a few kids in a couple of adults we go get the banana split that's enough for four adults and four children and you might finish it and it's fantastic just like the rest of their food top notch A+ read more

I hadn't been to the Barbecue Center in years, but I was near by recently and knew I had to stop for lunch when I rode by and the smoke was billowing out of the smokehoue making the whole area smell all good. I rolled up for curb service, got the coarse chopped plate and a hot dog all the way, both were excellent. The big chunks of pork had a great smoky flavor and some with the brown outside bark that I love so much. Everyone has different tastes for bbq, Barbecue Center is a top pick for me, wish I lived a little closer. read more

The food is great! Love the BBQ chicken and it's also my favorite pork BBQ! They have large desserts as well. I've not tried them yet.

Shockingly disappointed. I went here because Lexington bbq was closed and this place was on a list of best bbq joints in NC. Everything was flavorless and poorly cooked. Pork-dry, dry, dry!. Chicken-dry. Pintos-completely flavorless and excessively hot as if they had been microwaved. Okra and onion rings-cold and soggy. Salad=small pile of shredded iceberg, chopped tomatoes, and a plastic packet of dressing. How this place exists in such a legendary bbq area is astonishing. read more

We love this place and actually go quite often. Great service, maybe too eager to get you in and out but that's just how they make money. Our favorite bbq spot for sure, could work on consistency of portion sizes: dip (why in a cup you can't dip in?). I'm never disappointed actually and recommend it as the OG NC BBQ. Must leave with a Togo ice cream, it's a must. read more

My wife and I drive more than 50 miles round trip several times per year to eat here. Food is always good and service is the best. Oh...be sure to get a milk shake before you leave..make mine black cherry please. read more

On my weekend food search with my friends, I had watched on Food Network show that included barbecue center in Lexington. We decided to make the trip from Mooresville to Lexington to check this place out, and see if it was worth all the hype. We all ordered the same thing the barbecue plate that came with french fries coleslaw and hush puppies with a very large heaping family plate full of barbecue. Buns came as a side and we're called rolls, and you have enough of everything to make at least two sandwiches with the $9.50 plate we ordered. My only negative thing I would have to say, is the pork had a different taste than I was expecting. There was not a lot of smoke flavor which I like, as well as heavier on the seasoning. Since I am also a huge vinegar barbecue person having to ask for salt, pepper and ketchup was disappointing but that was not the restaurants fault, blame that on COVID-19. As a finale, I ordered the $9.50 banana split, which right now two hours later, I'm wishing I had not done. This was truly a 4 pound ice cream split, complete with whatever the three ice cream's you wanted, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, caramel and last but not least the best bananas I think I have ever eaten. I will have to say if you go for the banana split you will not want to eat barbecue or anything else for that matter the rest of the day,. This was a very nice Hometown restaurant that I would recommend to anyone going through Lexington North Carolina read more

Barbecue Center - The picture does not do this justice. This was their standard chocolate vanilla and strawberry banana split. - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, North Carolina

Excellent service, great food and the biggest banana splits you've ever seen I got the quarter barbecue chicken and sliced pork was delicious read more

Super busy and still had excellent service. Food was very good, though the hush puppies were kind of bland.

Yes, one of the few true Lexington style BBQ restaurants left. They have been here since 1955 & continue to deliver... Pit cooked to perfection. Lean & Flavorful... ABSOLUTELY THE BEST AROUND Our service was great! We didn't have time for a Banana Split today but if you go, you have to try one... Amazing!! read more

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Food is pretty good for a BBQ joint! It's the ice cream that makes it great. Friendly staff that took all of the gang in after our championship game and let us stay late to fill our bellies! Down home atmosphere. read more

We made a trip to Lexington today just to dine on barbecue for lunch. We came to barbecue Center so we could walk around downtown after we ate. It wasn't our first time here so we knew what to expect. This place has remained consistent for years. The building is pretty old school. They have a tile floor, red leather on the booths and barstools, chrome, and throwback decor. They keep the place clean. They have a 98.5 sanitation grade. The restrooms were clean. The service was good. As soon as we walked in we were taken to our booth and our drink orders were taken. We placed our orders and everything came out quickly. Everything was correct. Our server kept checking on up throughout our visit. We have no complaints about out our service. The food was good. As soon as we got out of our car we could smell the aroma of hickory smoke and cooking pork. My barbecue was moist and flavorful. My daughter ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and it was good. Her side of sweet potato fries were very good. Before our barbecue sandwiches arrived our server brought us some warm barbecue sauce. It was a lot of food. We had no room for desserts. I recommend the sliced barbecue sandwich. The prices were very fair for what we received. read more

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First off the waiter was very rude to me and my husband and i don't know how it takes 15 minutes to just get are waters and mind you the place was not the full to like 4 tables full not including us and there was like 2 other waiters just sitting around then we ordered are food and i don't really like fat and literally over 90% of it was fat and my husband found a hair in his food too would not recommend going there 1 star and I would also like to say I think that most of there 5 stars reviews are fake but I don't know just don't go there and I know I sound like a Karin but I don't really complain that much but that was just a bad overall experience read more

Before Thanksgiving we came to Lexington to do a few take out orders to try to compare spots. Hands down, the family loved this one the best. From their pulled pork sandwiches, the the perfect coleslaw, the a great potato salad & better baked beans - this was the pre-turkey favorite. The best things were the oh so delicious hush puppies. This is going to be a new family tradition. read more

Good food and good prices. Definitely recommend the Coarse chopped bbq plate it is a classic