I've had a few yummy dishes and a few really disappointing ones. Today was the last time. It's too expensive and there are other options. Today I got a very fatty brisket and the seasonal veggies I got are fried okra. The biggest offender was a vinegar condiment was included in my bag that was not sealed properly so I now have to clean vinegar from my passenger seat. read more

Big Mikes BBQ - Texas Texas Style Brisket Plate - Southern Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Food is great. Ordered sampler platter with 3 sides. All was good. Outdoor seating is appreciated on a nice evening. Service was only adequate, but friendly. read more

Just average. If you're looking to crave your basic BBQ needs, Big Mikes does the trick. However, it's not the best in the area. Staff is great, considered to be a staple for Cary locals, but it misses the mark for my personal taste. The potato salad is fried potatoes and served hot with melted cheese and sour cream. The sauces are a bit watery for my liking. Call me old school when it comes to BBQ, but potato salad is not deep fried or served hot. I totally respect their desire to be different, but I'm more of a traditional BBQ guy. read more

For obvious reasons when I saw this place on Yelp for our trip we wanted to go there. As soon as we got there we smelled the aroma of hickory from the smoker out front. The inside was cute with two sections for seating and some outside. We chose the picnic style tables and were greeted with a friendly server who took our orders. For me I got the chopped BBQ plate that came with two sides, which I got the collard greens and the bleu cheese slaw. My wife ordered the brisket sandwich which came with slaw on it. The meat was great and the greens and the bleu cheese slaw on mine meal were excellent. Perfectly cooked greens and the Eastern NC sauce added so much to the meal and for $12.00 I felt it was a good deal. My wife's brisket sandwich was not that large and only with the slaw at $14.00 came with no side so even though the brisket was tender and smoky I didn't think for that price was a good deal. I would ask that Big Mike reconsider and at least add one side for that since the sides are not that large. For desert I chose the Baconana Pudding, banana pudding with bacon on it, which was over the top excellent and the bacon added so much to that pudding. Believe me don't knock that until you try it. Overall I would give the place the four stars, service was great and other than the items mentioned it was worth the visit. read more

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Perfect place for people with dead taste buds. Super salty! But I only had the loaded fries.

Mac and cheese and cole slaw sides were decent. Pulled pork was flavorful but had so much gristle, fat, and skin(?) mixed in that it kept me from enjoying it. Service and seating were both good. read more

The good: the BBQ, and honestly that's the best you could want from a BBQ joint! Really like the chopped pork. Service has also always been good. The bad: The sides, not a fan of ANY of the remaining sides. They used to have Mac n cheese and cornbread on the menu which was pretty good. My husband and I would often get platters as takeout. However, now that both of those have been removed from the menu neither of us really like any of the remaining sides we have tried. The fries are ok but not worth the overall price for a meal. read more

I went in here with high hopes craving good bbq . I placed a Togo order over the phone and the woman who took my order was very nice! I had ordered 40$ worth of food and left a 30$ tip for the woman because she was so nice . I had ordered the three meat platter with double brisket, burnt ends, potato salad and greens. When I tell you I took my first bite and spit it out. It was no salt or pepper that could save this meal. Brisket was extremely overcooked and flavorless. Greens were not tender and had no flavor at all! Burnt ends HORRIBLE! And the potato salad was not potato salad there were cheesy potatoes. The bbq sauce was the worst waterey ketchupy bbq sauce I've ever tasted. So I called and spoke to the manager and told him that I wanted a refund because the food was inedible and I can bring the food back for proof that it was not ate. I apologized over and over and over again on the phone not wanting to tear down the hope of this small business and feeling so bad that I had to call with bad news. If it was 15$ okay whatever even 20$ whatever but when you are spending 40$ on food u cannot eat I need a refund. I had to spend more money to buy me more food. So the manger then tells me not to worry that he processed my refund . A month later and I have never gotten my refund . Now I genuinely feel played with and felt like I was lied to. I call the restaurant up and ask to speak to the manger but the woman told me the manager was not there so I explained the story to her and she was very understanding and told me that she will have the manager reach out to me . A few moments laters I got to speak to big Mike personally . I can say that this time he wasn't nice at all. He was actually very combative telling me that I received a refund that I never got and told him I can show proof. After him being visibly irritated and upset and telling me that he processed the refund he said when he got to the store that he would check the systems to see if the refund was processed. I NEVER RECEIVED A CALL BACK FROM HIM. energy never lies and always reveals itself on gods timing. And god revealed to me who he was not only from this trash a** food but also his customer service and it shows why this business is very slow. As food is a nourishment to the soul and carries energy from the person it's created by, please don't waste your time on this place and if u don't like the food don't even mind asking for a refund. And for the owner to treat me like he did the second time around should be enough for absolutely nobody to waste their time and money on this place. Below I will show proof of me not receiving a refund! And when BIG MIKE SEES THIS CHANGE YOUR ENERGY AND USE SALT AND PEPPER! read more

Nice little spot to get some BBQ! Enjoyed the Brisket, but wish the potato salad was more with mayo/mustard. Other than that, great service and good food :-) read more

Big Mikes BBQ - BBQ Nachos - Southern Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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Dude. WTF. It's heartbreaking when your favorite bbq joint turns to dog sh*t. Bland burger. Dried out brisket sandwich. And don't get be started on the " burnt ends". What used to be a weekly special is now a menu regular. Time to rethink this. It was pile of shoe leather and grease. They apparently recook the brisket in sauce on the stoves. That is embarrassing. I made better ones on my old electric smoker. The service wasn't much better. They forgot slaw on the brisket sandwich. The burger had the wrong side. When I mentioned how horrible the burnt ends were, the waitress offered to take it off the bill. I said she did not need to do that - the place is likely in trouble. But she insisted. So i said ok. When I got the bill they had taken only half of my entree price offs. "That's the price of the burnt ends"'she said, the sides weren't removed. Fine. Whatever. I don't know what is up. We've been eating here since they first opened. Before they broke thru and expanded. I won't go back. I need a new bbq joint. This sucks. read more

We got there a little after 4, walked in to see only one customer and a waiter just standing there. He didn't acknowledge us, just stood there with a straight face and blank stare.   OOOK - this is a little awkward.   It wasn't until another gentlemen came from the "back" that he greeted us with a loud hello and told us we could sit where ever we liked.   It was off putting at first with the first encounter - I mean did you bite your tongue? Was it off putting because of who I was?   After finding a seat, we thought was we should have turned around as it wasn't the warmest of greetings. We could see if they were busy - but they weren't. Like I said, one customer at the bar and the other two people looked to be workers having a chat on the other side of the wall. But, we decided to give it a try because of the guy who DID greet us.   I believe his name was Kaleb, he was a gentle soul. Very kind and did his best to ensure we enjoyed our experience with this establishment. He took the time to provide us with what was his favors and recommendations of things to try since it was our first time here. With this we decided on:   Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls: stuffed with smoked chicken, blue cheese, hot sauce, and buffalo blue sauce   BBQ Egg Rolls: stuffed with pork, collards, and chow chow   Smoked Chicken Wings: comes in 8 or 12 with a dry rub and sauce on the side for dipping (sauces include: booty sauce and Alabama white sauce)   Chopped BBQ Plate with Collards and Mac & Cheese   Granny's Cornbread   Everything came to $38 with tip included.   I would have to say that we selected this meal off of the recommendations of Kaleb, he did an amazing job in explaining what to expect with each item and flavor profile.   My personal favorite was the smoked wings with the Alabama white sauce. My guest enjoyed the chopped BBQ with their Eastern NC Vinegar Sauce. They are actually from Eastern Carolina, so it was spot on to what they remember from back home. The other sauce taste like the BBQ you would get from like a Cook-Out or somewhere that serves a "sweeter" chopped BBQ.   The eggs rolls were an interesting spin on some classics. I would say of the two, I liked the BBQ egg rolls the best. It reminded you of when you are finishing up your plate and you spoon everything into one corner for that last bite! If you are not familiar with chow chow, it is like a vinegary coleslaw - depending on who makes it. It can be very sweet, spicy, or in between. The buffalo chicken egg roll was good overall - no real grumbles to it.   The collards were vinegary, sweet, and spicy. Not bad - my mom cooks hers like this. If that is your thing - you will enjoy them without issue. The mac and cheese, well it missed the mark for us. Since it states smoked gouda, we were looking for a very prominent flavor of the smoked gouda, it wasn't there. It just tasted like normal mac and cheese - one you can take or leave if you had something else more tasty to choose from.   Oh and granny's cornbread. Not sure why it's called cornbread lol it's more like cake with some cornmeal lol. It was sweet, buttery, fluffy and dense at the same time, pieces of corn in each bite. It was a treat but savory at the same time. It was a good compliment to the collards. Take a piece with each bite of the collards.   Honestly, not sure if we will return to this location - not really because of the food but because of how off putting it was when we first walked in. I am not one to want to return where I don't feel welcomed. I did noticed they had another location in Apex. We might see about that - if the vibe is different. read more

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Awesome food and the brisket tamales aren't on the menus but worth the ask! Don't sell yourself short and go check out their newly redesigned space. read more

Very pleased. I got the BBQ Nachos with pork BBQ. It was a hearty portion, very reasonably priced, and tasty. I wished I lived closer to this restaurant; I would definitely be revisiting. read more

Big Mikes BBQ - Southern Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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The food here is amazing! Real barbecue! The waitress and staff were extremely nice and the ambience was of a great barbecue place!

10/10/20: Disappointed is an understatement. I'm just glad I didn't pay for it and someone else did or else I'd be beyond pissed. He ordered a 2-meat & 3-meat special which included 1 side and a huge hunk of dry cornbread. Sure, they gave him butter, BUT it's kind of hard to eat it when the cornbread is cold and dry. You definitely need a drink to get any of it down. We went to a hotel without a microwave, so warming it to make it softer wasn't an option. And there were hard pieces in it that was probably corn & they were inedible. The sausage wasn't good to me...it had no flavor. The pulled pork was dry & I didn't like their BBQ sauce, so trying to eat it was a lost cause. The chopped chicken was ok but smelled like cigarettes. I wasn't going to taste it after smelling it, but my friend ensured me that it was just the way they smoked their meat. Uh, ok. I've had BBQ before & it has never smelled that way. After tasting the tiniest piece, I was happy that it didn't taste the way it smelled. It was pretty good. The baked beans were blah, but my friend really enjoyed their collards. Personally, I won't be back, but I'm sure he will. He's kind of like "Mikey" & pretty much eats anything. I will keep looking for BBQ. read more

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No consistency on product taste . For example: brisket 1st time awesome, next time dry, following time spice off. Atmosphere is good. Really wish there was a consistent bbq establishment that is not a cheap chain or "wannabe " closer to Apex area. read more

The food was really good. I got the smash burger and i really liked the caramelized onions on it. I got a side of okra, and I love fried okra. It was really good okra. read more

This neighborhood spot is pretty good! I liked the creativity and flavor of their sides (honey sriracha Brussels sprouts! smoked potato salad!) and the portion of chopped bbq pork was great. I did think the baby back ribs in the ribs plate was only okay--the sauce was tasty and the meat could've been a bit more tender. It just didn't compare to the ribs I had at Sam Jones earlier in the month for about the same price (and Big Mike's ribs are much smaller). Service is friendly and pretty quick, and there's outdoor seating, although I took my orders to go. read more

Big Mikes BBQ - Ribs plate with honey sriracha Brussels sprouts (x 2), $17 - Southern Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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Brisket - Meh. Pretty dry. Sort of tender. Lacking flavor. Pork ribs - Well flavored. Parts of the ribs were really tender and fatty while others were dry and almost burnt. Mac n cheese - Pretty good. Thick and cheesey. Not a lot of flavor though. Throwing bbq sauce on it helped. Coleslaw - Sort of decent. On the creamier side. Slightly vinegary and slightly sweet. read more

Big Mikes BBQ - Brisket (+$3), ribs (+3), mac n cheese, coleslaw - Southern Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Food was delicious and service was attentive. Ambiance was laid back and is self seating. Came in around 6pm on a Saturday night and was hoping to try their special burnt ends but was already sold out. Otherwise, would come back again! read more

Big Mikes BBQ - Ribs with Mac n cheese and Collard Greens - Southern Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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Pregnant lady approved!! Nachos were just the right amount of vinegar, heat and smoky sweet bbq! My waitress Kim was kind and attentive! Will definitely be back! read more

Big Mikes BBQ - BBQ Nachos with BBQ Chicken - Southern Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

I ordered take-out for lunch for my Mom and me. I ordered the Big Mikes Platter The platter included chopped BBQ, chicken BBQ, 2 pieces of small briskets, one smoked jalapeno sausage chopped into pieces, two wings, and cornbread. I had mac and cheese and cole slaw as the two sides. I added a side of baked beans. All of this was a little under $40. It was worth it because I wasn't about to go cook up all this meat. Wings 5 star Barbecue was a 3 out of 4 Gouda Mac n Cheese 5 star Baked Beans 5 Slaw is a no for me. Cornbread 3 out of 4 Jalapeno Sausage 5 I'm more of a vinegar-based barbecue person. The barbecue was flavorful but just not as much as I would've expected. There were some sauces provided that tasted good to add to the meat. The mac and cheese were cheesy and moist. Very delicious! The cornbread was a bit overcooked on the bottom. Maybe it stayed in the oven too long. Besides that the top half was good. Maybe dark cornbread is a thing here! Not sure. The service during pick-up was great and the order was ready promptly. Would I visit again? Yes, for wings, mac, and cheese, baked beans, and the next time I'd like to try collards. read more

So, I'm not obsessed with BBQ, like all those Carolinians. We came here for my friend's birthday because she was raving about the place and it was close to where we worked. The place is not impressive when you walk in. However, the food makes up for that. You will get served on a sheet pan with paper. I ordered the 1/2 smoked chicken platter. I will say that I was impressed with the flavors. The chicken was really well season and not one bit dry. It came with cornbread and I got a side of beans. Since it was my friend's birthday they brought her banana pudding with a candle in it (how sweet...pun intended). Overall, I can recommend this place. It's a hole in the wall, but really great food. read more

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First time customer, from Florida. I took the waitress's recommendations of 1/2 Rack, Smoked, Cheesy Potato Salad and smoked Brussels Sprouts. Oh!!! All of the flavors. My first time tasting authentic Carolina Rib Sauce - I'm sold! Terrific. read more

Big Mikes BBQ - Oh! The Flavors. - Southern Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Bff and I needed food in the area and stumbled upon this place We got potato salad, mac and cheese, brisket and BBQ chicken - they were nice enough to split the portions for us (portions were a bit small but I didn't mind cuz I didn't want leftovers) I enjoyed their vinaigrette sauce and BBQ dipping sauce - potato salad was rustic potatoes covered with dressing versus the salad that's all creamy so I liked it a lot haha - mac and cheese was just alright - I'd recommend to order a different side Total came to $16 - before tip A friendly neighborhood spot if you're looking for BBQ read more

Big Mikes BBQ - Southern Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Food is over priced, not good at all, fryer wasn't working, food tasted like old leftovers, paid about $50 for 2 rib dinners, don't give you enough food for the price, don't waste your money like I did, i will never go there again, I'll eat the Wendy's across the street before I ever go there again read more

Big Mikes BBQ - Ribs, baked beans, and collard greens - Southern Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Great food! Great service! Nice selection of beers on the tap! Overall a great experience read more

Big Mikes BBQ - Brisket, chopped bbq, Mac n cheese, and amazing fries! - Southern Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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My favorite barbecue joint in the triangle. Everything I've ever had on the menu is outstanding! The service can occasionally be iffy, but the food is awesome. My wife and I stopped in the other night, and our server, Trevor, was great! He was very attentive and a super sweet kid. The piggy Mac sandwich might be the greatest sandwich I've ever had. And I'm a fat guy that loves sandwiches. Grilled pimento cheese sandwich with your choice of barbecued meat. It's the size of a small house. This might not be the most traditional barbecue in the world, and I know some people might knock it for that, but the menu and atmosphere are creative and amazing. I recommend this place to everyone. read more

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Used to be the best bbq in cary. Just had dinner and they were out of burnt ends, bbq rolls, French fries and half their beers. Service was awful. Fried okra, which I typically love, was soggy and gross. Took my parents there who are from FL to experience NC bbq and everyone left hungry and disappointed. Horrible. Will never go back read more

New menu has very few choices - asked the waitress how to get a two meat combo, and she showed me a $21 platter and $12 alacarte price to add chopped pork. $33 for a lunch plate? Fryer was broken, so even less options available (second time that's happened when I've been there). My friend had brisket and about half the slice was fat. He told the waitress and showed her the pile of fat left on the plate and she didn't have much to say. I had the brisket sandwich, which was $14 with no side. $18 check with tip, and all I had was a sandwich? Prices are out of control. I used to tell people Big Mikes was one of the best around, but it has fallen way down my list. Not sure I'll be back. read more

I admit I am a BBQ snob and was hesitant to try a place in a shopping center. I'm glad I got over that hesitation, because Big Mike's is legitimately an awesome meal and more than meets the standard the traditional roadside BBQ joints. The menu is on point, the food is excellent, the service is authentically friendly, and there's a strong ambiance of local community. Would recommend and will be going back again. read more

As usual, my favorite bbq restaurant around. Food came fast and was fresh and delicious! Service was amazing! read more

Big Mikes BBQ - Chopped BBQ Plate, Cucumber Salad, Smoked Potato Salad - Southern Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Checking this place out as a recommendation. We're from Texas and like to try different bbq. Food was ok. Got the 3 meat plate with ribs, wings and bbq chicken. Didn't realize the bbq chicken would be chopped. Didn't care for it. Smoked wings would have been good but it was extra dry. Ribs was ok. I liked the honey siracha Brussels. Corn on the cob was really hard and dry. My son liked the Gouda Mac and cheese. We tried the banana pudding for dessert but wasn't good. Service was great! read more

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First and foremost we will remember the amazing service we had when we visited straight off the plane at RDU. It was the kindest possible welcome to the area. Beyond that the food was as great. I can't eat beef or pork, but the family raved about the ribs and the burnt ends. The chicken was very good (wings and chopped). What I will remember most though is the potato salad and the greens, both amazing the best I've ever had. read more

Best Bar B Q ever!!! It's the bar we hold all other BarBQ to when we travel. Both our son and daughter wanted their college graduation parties catered by Big Mike's. The smoked potato salad is absolutely decadent. Love the dry rub wings with the spicy ranch. Collards are better than my grandmothers! The Alabama Chicken has great flavor..... Heck the Kale Salad is good.... Nice little patio area to eat at outside too. read more

Big Mikes BBQ - Outside patio - Southern Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

I'm undecided about returning here. I'd heard raves about it, so we decided to try it. The service was terrific (quick, pleasant, and attentive) and a manager addressed the problem, but I was generally disappointed with the meals. I ordered a brisket sandwich and my partner ordered a brisket plate. Each meal had 3 generous slices of brisket. However, included were large slabs of fat on both plates equal to one of the slices. A manager comped my entire meal, but seemed to ignore what I told him about my partner's meal. Perhaps he thought removing my entire meal from the bill would comp for both and I'd accept that if he'd said it. What bothers me most is that the kitchen staff would even consider letting those plates be served. Some fat is always expected with brisket, but I've eaten it up and down the Atlantic coast and have never been served any fat amount even close to what is pictured. read more

Big Mikes BBQ - Southern Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

We stopped in here for dinner Saturday night and we had a good experience! We had to wait about 10 minutes for a seat at the bar, but that wasn't bad. One side of the restaurant serves food and various drafts, and the other side is a beer shop. We each ordered a beer and started to browse the menu. My boyfriend ordered the sliced brisket sandwich with slaw, and I had the 2 meat plate; chopped chicken and burnt ends with Mac & cheese and smoked potato salad. My boyfriend was going to share my sides. It was starting to get busy and a line was forming. We didn't have to wait too long for our food. The portions are perfect; most BBQ places give you way too much food. The first thing I tried was the smoked potato salad and OMG, it's a must order!! The potatoes are warm, cheesy, and the sauce they're tossed in is so delicious!! I've never had anything like it! The Mac & cheese was good, but not as good as that potato salad. My boyfriend really enjoyed his sandwich, the brisket wasn't too fatty. I loved the chopped chicken with a mixture of the 2 BBQ sauces they had; a vinegar based, and a sweet sauce. The burnt ends did not need any sauce; the flavor was perfect. My only complaint is the line of people that form behind you wanting to place beer orders while they wait for seats. It made dining awkward when you're trying to eat your meal and the waitress is handing beers over your shoulder. I feel like the bottle shop space could be utilized a little better as a waiting area. read more

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Big Mikes is so delicious, I haven't tried everything on the menu but I'm making this review simply because the sides are just too good! I sometimes stop by just for a pint or quart of the Honey Sriracha Brussels & Smoked Potato Salad. They have a bar and a seating area with a nice atmosphere. The staff has always been very friendly and helpful to me. They menu is not always right depending on what app or site you are looking at and same goes for the hours but the food makes up for it! read more

Big Mikes BBQ - Honey Sriracha Brussels & Smoked Potato Salad - Southern Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

We used to love Big Mikes but it has been so inconsistent and disappointing the last handful of times we've gone. Today was our last visit. Not only was my food not warm, but it had a hair in it. Thankfully, our server was very nice and didn't charge us for that portion of our food, but that was the last straw for me. He is the only reason this review wasn't 1 star. read more

Hadn't been here in a while. Brought the family because we had always enjoyed Big Mikes. Wow! Has this place gone downhill! Food was less-than acceptable. Burnt ends were nothing but bites of fat. Wings were ok, but nothing else was. The staff seemed to be uninterested teenagers. Two guys who were both clearly high came and sat at the bar. They were both vaping in front of staff, who apparently thought these guys were hilarious. Then I noticed the "C" grade from a recent health department inspection. Nice. Thanks, anyways, Big Mikes. Won't be back. read more