Yes. Just go. Small city charm, excellent ambience, strong BBQ offerings. I went here with friends from NYC a few weeks ago and we were simply enamored of it. The owners came to talk to us at the table, and they were lovely humans too - we had a delightful conversation about the area and the arts scene - what's not to love?? We got some wings that had just come out of the smoker (delish!) and an assortment of other meats and goodies, as well as a pitcher of IPA for really cheap. The sauce on the wings was really awesome, and the meats were cooked to perfection. I've been to Austin and San Antonio a couple of times and had barbecue there, and I've gotta say this is the closest place I've been since to getting that authentic flavor and feel! read more

Service was nice. Didn't meet the owner or GM though. This place seems to be run backwards. Everything was bland. Meat did not taste smoked at all. Beans probably came from a can. Slaw tasted almost like vomit - initially couldn't tell if it was pickled onions or what, so I had to ask. I am nowhere near a picky eater, but the slaw was BAD. Originally went in looking to eat ribs, but they are SO expensive. $4 a bone? And that's the only option - not cheaper for half or full racks. I asked the server if it was weird to get two to try. She said "it's not weird, but the owner doesn't suggest I order ribs until dinner because they aren't fresh." Huh? This owner needs to step this place up. No wonder I was the only person eating there at peak lunch time. Meanwhile, several restaurants on the same street had lines out the door. It's a shame, because the building is really fun looking, and in a nice location. read more

Blues On Franklin - Pulled pork meal - Barbeque Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Great place nice people and phenomenal BBQ. Sad they are closing but still doing catering.

There is so much better. Ambiance: Nice building, patio and seating areas. In the time we were there my clothes and I came to smell like I had been sitting in the smoke by a raging campfire. Not pleasant. Menu: confusing. I actually ordered an appetizer thinking it was a main dish and as I was still hungry ordered a main course. NOt the best BBQ in North Carolina. I had the smoked tips (dry) served with a ketchup dased sauce and the house favorite pulled pork sandwich (soggy) served with vinegar based sauce. Sauces are not at the table. Clearly hopping during the school year, it would be a nice palce to hang out but I am not going to be one who does. Highlight of the meal was the beer. The lager I had was good. read more

I'm not from NC but my brother in law is, and this is the type of barbecue his family gets every Christmas. I got the smoked pork sandwich with "slightly" spicy bbq (forgot the name but the owner explained that after the war, that's what people wanted), slaw, and hush puppies. Smoked pork and the slaw are no frills and exactly what I was hoping for. Hush puppies crispy with a soft middle. I recommend this to anyone wanting authentic NC bbq, and I'm surprised it wasn't busier. I'll be back for seconds! read more

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I might be a little spoiled when it comes to BBQ being from Houston, but I was sadly not impressed by the food tonight at Blues on Franklin. I've had North Carolina BBQ before as well and this didn't quite live up to it. The staff was friendly which is why I am not giving out 2 stars.... Pulled Pork Sandwich comes cold and without any flavor. Had to ASK for BBQ sauce which made it better. Collared greens were very plain... no flavor. Hush puppies and their fries were both good though! Some of the other people I went with had better luck with their mains. Maybe worth checking out again one day. read more

Blues On Franklin - Pulled Pork Sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Wonderful customer service!!!! Best barbecue in North Carolina, sorry to see you closing. Congratulations! If you haven't eaten, you missed out on some exceptional food. Hope to see you, catering on Franklin Street. Looking forward to seeing you again. Best wishes sincerely The Man from Davie County. read more

Blues on Franklin is an awesome place for authentic smoked meat. On my first visit, we met the owner, Andrew, and he showed us the smoker. The smell was amazing but we smelled like smoke by the time we left the restaurant. He sent out some burnt tips for us to try and then I just told him to bring us whatever he recommended. We ended up having some pulled pork, deep fried okra, fantastic curly fries, and other delicious items. We had to go back and on our second visit we got the burnt smoke gifts and baby back ribs. They were fantastic! As we were leaving, there was a DJ setting up music and I was told it was karaoke night. I was going to start it off with the first song of the night but he wasn't quite ready. I think this place would be an awesome place for late night but we were there around 5 p.m. before it got busy. Definitely check it out. Our waitresses, Savannah, was very knowledgeable and friendly. Strongly recommended! read more

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I had a wonderful lunch today with my son. We met the owner Andrew, he was wonderful and had some great stories! The food was delicious and had lots of flavor! We can't wait to go back for more read more

Blues On Franklin - Barbeque Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

This is not how Carolina Pulled pork should taste. Actually, it didn't have any taste at all. You would think with all the smoke you endure while dining, that at least some of it would get into the meat. The meat was also cold. They advertise two different type sauces..Eastern Carolina and Lexington, but only had the eastern sauce available (really ??, this stuff is not that difficult to make). Then was offered "Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce !?!?! That sauce should NEVER be offered in any Carolina BBQ joint. Baked beans were Luke warm and tasted like they came straight from the can. A complete disappointment. I've had better pulled pork in Fairbanks, Alaska !!! read more

Fiancé and I were craving BBQ during our day trip to Chapel Hill, NC. We decided to stop here after spending a pretty afternoon walking around UNC's campus! We split a rack of ribs, some baked beans, mac and cheese, and hush puppies. The ribs were meaty, smoky, and juicy! Definitely "fall of the bone" kind of ribs! My only criticism was the BBQ sauce. I was hoping for a more vinegar-based sauce as we were in North Carolina. The BBQ sauce was good otherwise, but nothing spectacular. The sides were good, but nothing to rave home about. Wonderful and quick service. read more

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My wife and I came here 3 years ago on our first date. We have now been married a year and came back to revisit the spot. Delicious BBQ with incredible service. Andrew (the owner) and the team treat you like family and deliver a great dining experience. Would highly recommend their BBQ sandwiches and the BBQ nachos appetizer. Blues on Franklin has a special place in our hearts! read more

Blues On Franklin - My wife and I enjoying the meal - Barbeque Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Terrible. The Owner jammed into me with his shoulder. I assumed because I was African American and he didn't want me in there. I am glad it finally closed down. We need better restaurants to cater or diverse community. read more

I had the pork tips, collards, and hush puppies. I've lived all over the country as well as in Europe and the Pacific. That's some of the best - if not the best - BBQ I've ever tasted. Very cool atmosphere too. The owner and staff were all very friendly. Recommend. read more

Blues On Franklin - What BBQ should be like. - Barbeque Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Amazing owners! Great service, support local businesses. Excited to make a trip back to chapel hill and visit Blues. read more

Amazing food!!! We had the Boss Hog burger, The Brody and the Monster Grilled Cheese with tips. So delicious!! And you HAVE to have the banana pudding. Rich, creamy with a hint of cinnamon. I could have eaten a gallon of it! We will definitely be back read more

Pros: The burger was pretty good. Smoked corn is highly recommended. Decor is Carolina themed with lots of TVs for sports. Cons: Smoke is everywhere. To avoid it, you have to eat outside in the heat. There doesn't seem to be good ventilation inside. Kids chicken tenders and fries, just look at the picture. Dead flies in the windowsill. Live flies all over inside. Hot with fans everywhere. The walls look like they need cleaned. Pulled pork was dry and unappetizing. Overall, I gave them a 2 star review for the decor and the burger. I'll pass on eating there again. It's a great idea with execution in progress. read more

Blues On Franklin - Kids chicken tenders and fries - Barbeque Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Went on a Friday night for take out. My husband ordered the nachos and had said they were very good and he would order again. I wanted to get the loaded Mac and cheese and they said due to a large party coming in "soon" they would not make it. My second choice was the burrito and they said they could not make that either. I ended up with the pulled pork sandwich due to this. It was just ok. There was no sauce on it so it was very dry. The Mac and cheese was ok. The fries were good. Had to find my own condiments at home to eat the meal. Not a great experience, may try again. May not. Will not go out of my way to go back. read more

I was excited to finally try Blues on Franklin! The staff was incredibly friendly! Also, the restaurant smelled incredible when I walked in. However, the portions were a bit small for the price compared to other local BBQ restaurants and the food was a bit cold when it came out. I probably wouldn't go here again but am glad I tried it. Probably a great atmosphere on a gameday! read more

It's very infuriating to drive all the way back home, sit down to eat and find out that the order is WRONG! I repeated my order several time a barbeque sandwich with SLAW and bbq sauce. The place wasn't busy and I patiently waited outside sipping on a lousy cup of ice tea. I should have known better to open the container, but I didn't...trusting the staff. I only tried Blues on Franklin because it's a restaurant on my mileageplus dining membership. But, NEVER AGAIN. Wasted $19.08 on food I threw away. read more

Blues On Franklin - Blues on Franklin's dry bbq sandwich, onion rings and a small bbq sauce. - Barbeque Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Went with my wife for dinner. We were in a BBQ mood. Started of with burnt tips and smoked wings as appetizers. Burnt tips were served with a BBQ sauce and a choice of blue cheese or ranch dressing. Wife wanted ranch. I didn't care. Enjoyed the tips with and without the BBQ sauce. Had 6 smoked wings with the Dook sticks hot sauce. Great taste. Wings were smoked four hours so you got the smoky flavor without it being overpowering. Ordered the BBQ plate with sides. We had baked beans, Mac and cheese, corn on the cob and sautéed onions and mushrooms with white cheese. All was good. Particularly liked the sautéed mushrooms and onions with cheese as a side. The pulled pork had a nice smoky taste. Finished of the dinner with cinnamon dusted donut holes. Warm and tasty. Took the leftovers home. Or server was pleasant and freely have recommendations when we asked. They also serve burgers, but we were in a BBQ State of mind. Would I recommend Blues to family and friends? Yes. Would I go back? Yes. read more

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Loved it!!! I'm staying at a nearby hotel and the concierge recommended this place and I had to try it. Cute place and everyone there was so friendly and helpful. I love the beef brisket and this was simply delicious here!!! Lean with very little fat and smoked perfectly. I asked for spicy sauce and they gave me a spicy bbq sauce and another which tasted a bit like mango habanero? Either way they both had different types of kick and gave the brisket a whole different flavor. Loved both sauces. Oh, the brisket plate came with 2 sides and I didn't know what to choose from several options. It was heavily suggested that I get the hush puppies and the mushroom/onion/ cheese. Awesome sides. I DEFINITELY recommend them hush puppies!!!! Truly enjoyed this delicious Carolina bbq brisket plate. I'm going back for more tomorrow. read more

Blues On Franklin - Barbeque Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Couldn't tell you about the food, because I was so turned off by the behavior of the manager. Accosted us about being in their *completely deserted* parking lot for not even 90 seconds, as I was trying to pick my wife up *in the pouring rain*. I said I would move and even apologized for thinking they weren't open (the front of each spot was blocked with traffic cones) and he just yelled about people not coming into the restaurant. I get that you are next to YoPump and don't want their customers taking your spots, but you chose that spot on Franklin St - maybe think about an approach that doesn't involve immediately going to level 10 jackass. Or maybe just keep it up, and help expedite your departure. This local won't be patronizing, that's for sure. read more

Really debated between 3 and 4 stars, but I went with 4 because of the service which was excellent! I was greeted and sat right away. My server was extremely nice and she gave me recommendations on her favorite dishes, so I went with the pulled pork sandwich. I was expecting a ton of flavor and juicy pork, but sadly I was disappointed by the lack of flavor (this is why I took a star off my review). Honestly I've made better pulled pork and I have no clue what I'm doing when it comes to making bbq. I'm hoping this was a one time thing, I'm planning on giving it another try at some point. read more

Trash BBQ. The meat itself was advertised as smoked, this was clearly not the case. The pulled pork came out looking like cafeteria food, thrown across a dry $1 hamburger bun, and the sides must have come straight out of cans as well. Absolutely crazy to charge $15 a plate with the quality of food that was given. Also, no sauce was given with any of the entrees, which is sacrilegious for a BBQ restaurant. Will not be back. Save your money and find somewhere else. I expected better from North Carolina BBQ read more

Best bbq I've had with a great and friendly owner. Stayed open late just to serve us, after the staff at UNC recommended the place. Highly recommend if you like a legit hole in the wall with friendly people and amazing & authentic bbq read more

where to eat on franklin street after a basketball game? so many choices and all so crowded. we walked by this place and saw we could get in right away...since it smelled so delicious we figured it couldn't be bad. not only was it not bad, it was delicious! we started with the "nachos" which came immediately, were piping hot and flavorful. the perfect appetizer for our party of four. we ordered a hog wild mac and cheese bowl, a pulled pork sandwich, and a loaded hot dog. everything was fabulous! and the banana pudding dessert was the perfect ending. can't imagine why we were able to get in, get seated, and get served so quickly...this place should have been packed! read more

We had a great dinner here. The server was a young fellow who was very sweet and accommodating. The food was really good! Everything we ordered. It was a little slow, but it's a slower placed vibe or sitting back and relaxing. Family owned which I love. The owner actually came down and sat with us to ask us about our travels and answer some questions we had about our upcoming college tours. Highly recommend to support this great family business with really good food! Ps I had the nachos with the burnt ends and they were great, we also ordered a burger, pulled pork sandwich and the appetizer that had 3 meats and all were great! read more

Bad! Just BAAAD! How can you mess up BBQ?! Smoke the meat, chop it up, start adding spices and vinegar! BBQ slaw: shred cabbage, ketchup, salt, pepper, celery seeds, dash of sugar. The meat was smoked, but it all went downhill after that. No sauce in or on the BBQ, a sad excuse for slaw served in a small plastic cup and no extra sauce. We couldn't really complain to the waitress, as it was her first day and she was very nice. And, after reading the reviews, it's doesn't seem that the owner is receptive to criticism of his 175 yr old recipe. You'd think in 175 yrs somebody would have figured out how to get this right! So, if the owner reads this, please take a quick walk over to the Carolina Inn and order their BBQ sandwich. Get ready for FLAVOR!! read more

Real down to earth place with great BBQ and wonderful, friendly folks from North Carolina providing outstanding service

Cannot say enough good things about this place. In addition to having by far the best brisket I've ever had, their "nachos" are delectably good. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. What makes this establishment truly special, however, is the endearing and kind manner of the owner. Each time I visit this place he goes out of his way to greet me. I've worked in the food industry before and can spot superb management when I see it and this guy is fantastic at what he does. Cannot recommend highly enough. read more

Stopped by once we dropped our stuff at the hotel. We were hungry after traveling for about four hours on a plane and we went to Franklin Street. Lots of options to eat, but the bbq smell pulled us in. Once we entered the door, we were warmly greeted and let to our table. Wife and kids had a few questions about the menu and staff was very courteous. Got our food quick and it was delicious. But, the staff was great. Highly recommend because how they treated us. Thank you! read more

Absolutely fantastic experience. The hospitality was superb; both the waitress and owner were so kind and helpful. The food was mouthwateringly delicious and hands down some of the best BBQ I've ever had. It was wonderful to experience what felt like authentic Carolina hospitality and bbq. Great environment, great hospitality, great food!! read more

Terrible food. Owner/ cook/ cashier asked how it was and when I told him that it wasn't very good he threw a fit and told me I didn't know what I was talking about. Worst customer service I've ever experienced, I'll never go back... read more

Yelp says open on Monday,drive by and lights on. Spend 15 minutes to find parking and walk up to find you are closed.Please update yelp. read more

Blues On Franklin - Yelp says open,drive by and lights on. Spend 15 minutes to find parking and walk up to find you are closed. - Barbeque Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

We checked the website for the hours and location. Drove 30 minutes to get to it only to be told that they were closed due to a private party being held. Nowhere on the website did it say they were closed ON A SATURDAY. When I made a statement that they should have put it on their website that they were closed to the public, I got a nasty look and response from the man at the door. Man probably in his 40's, dark hair, wearing an apron. read more

Great food. Side dishes are great and love the outdoor bar under the carport. Service is fast and friendly.

Incredible BBQ, down to earth owner who just wants to bring amazing food to Chapel Hill. Been here many many many times. Would 100% recommend as most likely the best BBQ in the Triangle. read more

Lovely, lovely restaurant that just opened near UNC run by a 3 generations of alumni. My friend and I were craving BBQ and happened to notice this place as we were walking, and we decided to check it out in case it was open. Much to our luck, we went inside and heard that this was their first full day of being open for business! With a restaurant opening during the pandemic, I had low expectations, and I was ready to be forgiving of the experience and food. Fortunately, the restaurant needed no excuses, as everything we ordered was great. They recommended the Awesome Nachos, which are basically sidewinder fries and onion rings topped with their signature pulled pork and melted cheese--a bit of a heart attack on a plate, but unquestionably worth the damage. We also got the pulled pork plate with sautéed mushrooms and onion rings, which came with a delicious bun (delightfully buttery and sweet, while still retaining the quality of a sturdy bun). As a big wings person, I had to try their "Smoked Buck Naked Wings." Here, the quality of their smoking really shone through, enhancing the excellent flavors (I got Dook Stinks Hot and Sweet BBQ) with an extra layer of complexity. Their hottest offering features an interesting twist of habenero mixed with a buffalo sauce and dry rub mixture(?), while the Sweet BBQ was a classic sweet-but-not-too-sweet kind of BBQ sauce that stood out to me largely because I normally dislike BBQ flavors. They suggested the "Impossible Dessert," which is basically ice cream, a brownie, and (optional) donut holes, generally sprinkled with cinnamon sugar... an idea I plan on stealing for my own cooking. Again, decadent to an insane degree, but hard to feel like it's not worth it after you're done. I've only dined out a handful of times since the pandemic started, but my experience here reminded me of the best dining out experiences I used to have. The owner and wait staff were incredibly attentive, friendly, and accommodating, and it's clear that their hearts are in this restaurant and community. The term "family business" gets used to a lot to evoke a sense of warmth and welcome, but Blue's truly has a wonderful family story behind it, and I hope they can experience generations to come. read more

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Food was ok, cold when it got to our table. The potato salad was very good. Like most businesses, staffing seemed to be an issue. I can empathize with that, but cold food was unexpected. read more