"Chain vs boutique" I especially enjoy City Barbecue because it is delicious, unpretentious, easy parking, and the kid's meals are great! On this particular gathering, a group of 10 selected this location. No issues with seating. Similar to other bbq lodges, it's first come first serve and bench(?) moveable seating. Customer service was first rate and terrific! A solid, solid bbq option. I polled my family and other guest and everyone agreed it was absolutely delicious. Opinions: We thought the collards were a bit vinegary/sour (not an issue for me) coleslaw was coleslaw - perhaps a tad bit less sweet than at some establishments. Hush puppies sweet, light, and airy. Ribs: similar to homemade Pulled Pork: solid - delicious Sauces: Eastern NC (swine wine), BBQ, Hot BBQ, many others Overall: a delicious option. While boutique BBQ may offer a slightly more refined (+/-) palate experience (I.e. more smoke / more wood flavor). This may, for price, and/or convenience be everything and more for your particular palette. Family discussions varied regarding boutique bbq brands vs City BBQ (chain). Some stating there was little to no difference and others stating there is a significant difference. Try for yourself! Finally, don't forget to inquire about senior specials. Chain BBQ: 4.1 Boutique BBQ: 4.7 Overall: 4.5 (additional points for customers service). read more

City Barbeque - Kids meal - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Horrible. I've eaten at 4 different City Barbecue restaurants & the one on Lake Boone Trail was, by far, the worst. The pulled pork tasted good but, was full of fat. Also, the greens tasted like someone had dumped an entire shaker of salt in them--totally inedible, even after rinsing them with water. I called the restaurant to let them know about the greens and was on hold for almost 15 minutes. When I finally reached someone he said, "Yeah, sorry 'bout that." I guess that I'll try Mission BBQ or drive to Clayton for some Smithfield Chicken & BBQ. I was really hoping that I'd found a good BBQ place in Raleigh. read more

The guys in my crew, basically everyone except me, were craving BBQ. The only challenge was finding a spot that stayed open late enough since places around here seem to close much earlier than we're used to in Miami. With limited time left in the evening, we landed on City BBQ. The staff was friendly and helped us settle on the Motherload Sampler, which came loaded with brisket, pulled pork, turkey breast, sausage, ribs, half a chicken, six sides, cornbread, and Texas toast. Sounds like a lot, but clearly you've never met my boys. They can clear a platter like it's a sport. I dug the variety of sauces, especially the Sweet City and LowCo. As for the meats, I enjoyed everything. The brisket was a little on the dry side, but we were convinced that's because we came at the tail end of the day. I have a feeling it would be banging during peak hours. The cornbread was crumbly goodness and disappeared pretty quick. Overall, we left happy, full, and with our BBQ craving completely satisfied. read more

City Barbeque - The Motherload - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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December Update: I was foolish to place another order with City Barbecue and the Falls of Neuse location, but I had hoped they would have actually addressed the issues by now and verified that customer orders are fulfilled correctly and have all items. I have no idea whether the chain deliberately tries to cheat customers to make a bigger profit or whether the employees need more training. But they have messed up my large orders twice, requiring me to go buy what they didn't include elsewhere. I will walk away from bad service and from being shortchanged. I should have ordered from a local restaurant that cares about its customers. This order was missing the sauce for the pulled pork. A 4-ounce container seems hard to miss. The plates and utensils were also missing. Then I still have not received a response from the restaurant for either incident. So they have lousy customer service and cheat their customers out of their orders. I do not recommend. Update: Still haven't heard from the local restaurant after almost a week, but corporate gave me a $15 gift card. I had placed a curbside pickup order. The email receipt said I would receive a text. I never did, and when I arrived, the sign said to check in on the app, but I don't have the app. I was just going to go inside when an employee saw my vehicle. Another employee brought my order out and put it on the passenger side. I knew I should have checked to make sure it was complete but I didn't. I will trust my guy next time as I was missing the 12 rolls and the utensils. The food I received was great and well packaged. I had ham, potatoes, corn pudding, sweet potato casserole, mac n cheese and apple cobbler. It is too bad that orders are still not accurate. The items I did receive were checked off the receipt, so I am not sure what happened to the rest of the order and why nobody noticed that items were missing. Going inside might be the best way to get everything that you ordered. But then finding parking would be challenging. read more

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Such a disappointing experience at City Barbeque today. The employee at the register was very brusque (the tall man with baseball cap and a ponytail) and as soon as I started ordering he said "Give me a minute, I've got curbside orders." I certainly don't mind waiting, but the tone of voice was very rude. We ordered our food and as we were paying, a coworker of the rude employee asked him a question. He was rude to his coworker and said "Dude, they're together. The tickets are together!" On to the food - well, the bbq sauce station was surrounded by gnats (see photo). Three gnats on one bottle alone. So disgusting. The meals were not up to par, period. Brisket was extremely dry. Side salad mix was weird, why not just do romaine lettuce? The honey mustard dressing was very thick and glue-y. The baked beans were good. Paying $48 for a lackluster lunch, with a rude employee and a bunch of gnats. City BBQ has gone way down in service and food quality. read more

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Consistently good for a quick and good BBQ sandwich. My kids love the Mac and corn pudding sides and saving room for banana pudding. What sets them apart is the service. Everyone is always friendly, helpful, and prompt. We otherwise don't typically eat at chains but will keep coming back to this City BBQ location. read more

When I need some juicy (but they are kind of small) wings, I come to City Bbq. The macaroni is good but portion side is smaller than I would like. The banana pudding is my slice of happiness of the desserts. Much better than their apple cobbler in my opinion. When I can't get Mama's banana pudding, City bbq is a good choice from a restaurant. Especially when they add a lot of caramel read more

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Friendly staff and affordable menu. We had a coupon so we decided to check out City BBQ in Raleigh. I've been in the past and enjoyed it. The menu is straightforward with new items added periodically. Main items include the southern style sandwiches and sides, ribs, and bbq by the pound. Ample sauces are provided with the bbq. It's easy to place an order online for pick up at the counter or curbside. We ordered the Dirty Bird ($9.49), Smokehouse Classic ($9.99) + side of Corn Pudding and Sweet Tea ($4.99), Hushpuppies ($2.99), Triple Chocolate Cake ($4.99), and 1 lb Pulled Pork ($16.99). The meal was reasonably priced and filling. Overall positive experience! read more

City Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Worst experience of my life. No brisket wouldn't let me substitute anything. Managers could care less. Had to buy everything as an extra side If I didn't know better they are probably owned by private equity Won't go there again Suggest you do the same read more

They they cheat on the portion that they gave me they call us a weighing, but they're not giving you a pound or something what you need so if you wanna go there or go there the food isn't that greedy either read more

Another great BBQ sandwich. Alway fast and friendly service. No matter how busy they are the get the food always is served quickly. The baked beans and Hush Puppies are always hot and tasty. The Fried Okra is also a good choice. The Not a Sloppy Joe is delicious! read more

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The vibes here were immaculate. Everything from the sports team flags hanging overhead and the metal pig and cow hanging on the walls, the music, cozy fireplace complete with framed photos on the mantle place and country music playing in the background. Everything about it felt cozy. I recommend the hot bbq sauce and the hot vinegar sauce too. Wasn't a fan of the baked beans with bacon nor the pulled pork sandwich which lacked seasoning and flavor in general. It simply tasted like a coleslaw sandwich. The beans were far too sweet for our liking. I really enjoyed the brisket and the ribs were good too. We've also tried the roast chicken and sausage at the Durham location and those were on point as well. Next time I'll try the fries which looked yum. They were not too crunchy looking and kinda soft in the middle, which is totally my preference. The food came out quickly but they didn't let us know when it was ready. We had to ask. Also, for fountain drinks they have Pepsi products/have Dr Pepper and diet Dr Pepper for my fellow dr p lovers. For sure would eat here again especially for the major kid friendly factor plus it was extremely clean. read more

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Where's the apples? One thing I love more than peach cobbler is apple cobbler so I was excited to hear about this new item at City Barbecue. As you can see there's no apples! I put it on a plate so you guys can see for yourself. I'm not sure if I just got a bad scoop or what but I believe there should be some type of quality control, someone should've noticed this! Not only the apples are missing but this was extremely dry, not even the whipped cream that comes with this helped. I only come here for the dessert because everything else on the menu is of low quality especially online/delivery orders. I never had this issue with the peach. Just bring back the original because you shouldn't offer this to customers. I tried to tough it out since I hate wasting food but in the trash it goes, 1 star! read more

City Barbeque - Pan Apple Cobbler I guess - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

bbq for dinner again!! this time we visited city barbeque and i liked it more than the other bbq spot. it was our first time and the worker so kindly gave us some samples to try! we tried their brisket and pulled pork. loved the brisket so i ended up getting a sampler of brisket and chicken! the alabama chicken was really delicious! it was mixed in with some sort of white sauce and not dry at all. (also my first time trying alabama chicken!) for the sides i got corn pudding and green beans. both were yummy! we also got fried pickle chips which is just deep fried pickles and it was good! delish when dipped in ranch. we also got a banana bread pudding on the house!! it was so sweet of the worker to do that for us :) we ended up eating it at home and it was pretty good! tasted like a cinnamon-y pie with banana~ read more

City Barbeque - Fried Pickle Chip Basket with pickles the frog :) - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Love this bbq place. Quality food. Quite a few menu choices. Fun place to eat. It has gotten expensive IMO. I don't think all of the sides should cost the same amount. Good tea and lemonade. read more

The ribs were tender, sauce mild, sides balanced. Overall decent but ordinary, a fair three-star dinner. read more

City Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

A general manager and restaurant that truly cares about its customers! As customer service and food quality continue to decline in many places, this City BBQ stands out in the BEST way. I've been dining here for years and have always been impressed with the food quality, portion sizes, and service. Recently, we had a small hiccup with a to-go order. I reached out to the General Manager, JoJo, to share the issue and my concerns. He responded in less than 24 hours, listened with genuine empathy, and immediately offered a resolution that far exceeded my expectations. When we returned, he was present in the store, greeted us with a warm smile, and made sure everything was perfect. Feeling appreciated as a customer is important to me, and this location does it right. If you're like me and want to spend your money where you're truly valued, I highly recommend this City BBQ! read more

The food is always amazing the staff is so sweet and patient with you! The manager always goes above and beyond! Such a great team and amazing environment! It's always clean everything is always stocked ! They truly stay on top of everything !!!!! read more

City Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Though I enjoy a good pulled BBQ sandwich with slaw...yet there is few genuine BBQ restaurants in our area in North Raleigh, there is City BBQ. Better than nothing. To satisfy my craving we give in and order over $100.00 in food. Not the first screw up, but the 4th. We get our food and go home. Open up the bag with several paid for items not there!!!! It is infuriating to have main items missing out of the bag! We will not be going back. Tne female Mgr. Lori Johnson needs to stay home and skip "managing" read more

Tasty Barbecue, good service. I visited and had the 2 meat sample plate with the Brisket and Pork Ribs. My sides were fried okra and collard greens. All of the items were properly cooked and tasted great. No over or under cooking seen anywhere. There are plenty of tables around the shop, which gives you the option to sit where you most feel comfortable. Though I wouldn't ever want to visit this place when they were packed, because that would be a /LOT/ of people! Pretty good for BBQ, I have had BBQ from a number of places, and this place did not disappoint, though it did not excel either. read more

Disappointed at the sizable upcharge for brisket and the amount of fat in the slices I was served. I don't know what the answer is when you get a very expensive cut of meat from your purveyor and it's as fatty as these cuts were. But I know I wound up paying extra for something I wound up tossing in the trash. read more

I absolutely love City Barbeque - Falls of Neuse Road! The food is always fresh and delicious they make my salad just right every time, the fried okra is amazing, and the peach cobbler is SO good. Whether I dine in or place a drive-up order, it's always right. The customer service is great, the staff is friendly, and the restaurant is always clean no matter how busy they get. Definitely my favorite City BBQ spot in Raleigh! read more

the food is always great. service is always great The store looks like it is going out of business. Ice tea machine and ice machine remain broke. This had been this way for a long time. Such an easy fix. Sauce stand looks as though they are out of sauces as the display is barley keep up. If this appearance continued you will be out of business as you look like you are headed that way. Jim. read more

I'm from out of town and looking for good bbq. Some friends recommended City BBQ and they were on it. Ribs were great!! Service was fantastic. Jack was a huge help. Thank you! read more

Delicious cornbread and a wide variety of sauces to suit a variety of tastes. Friendly staff make the visit! read more

City Barbeque - Corn Cornbreadbread - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

So I come to this restaurant every time I come in to town. This time was Totally Different and Not in a good way either. First, every time I come here which is once a month there is a different store manager. The present grey haired with beard manager was not very personable and looked like he was just going through the motions and not serious about his job. The thing that got me to rate this as 2 Stars was because the Brisket which is usually Smokey and Tender was NOT! The Brisket was Extremely Peppery Tasting and had NO SMOKE FLAVOR AT ALL. This is NOT the way it was before. I have in the past brought people with me to try out their Barbecue because it was very good. This was very disappointing and because of the constant manager change over This BBQ Place will fail. They were also out of the Smoked Pastrami And it was 5 pm on a Thursday, more Bad Planning by the Poor Manager The Coleslaw tasted Sour and not sweet On Top of all that when I ordered a Brisket Sandwich I asked for it to be served on Garlic Toast twice with the manager and he assured me it would be on Garlic Toast. So when they served me it to me it was on soggy bread that had No Garlic on it. When the Manager is the Cashier and also the manager this should Tell You Everything About this place. The table we sat at had food crumps on both sides of the table. This was VERY DISAPPOINTING SO BUYER BE AWARE Surely there is Better places in this area than City BBQ read more

City Barbeque - Soggy No Garlic Bread served on a Brisket Sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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I came out to city BBQ today and it was absolutely amazing. The staff over here were absolutely great as well. I was held by Tyler, Dom, Melanie and Niya I'll definitely recommend this place. You're looking for some good food. read more

Loved the burnt ends & sides. Liked the brisket & pork. Def return for more. Lemonade was really good too. read more

City Barbeque - Brisket, burnt ends, pulled pork, collard greens, baked beans(both w brisket) & Texas toast with 4 BBQ sauces - Barbeque Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

First time here- great experience, mostly because the staff was great! They were welcoming and patient with a busy family and generous- good food, appreciated a positive experience- will return, thank you! read more

My almost $1,000 order was filled accurately. Jojo Lentz has a great crew. First time to try the pulled chicken. Not what I expected but very good read more

I love the food there, but even more importantly, the team is fantastic and every time I go in , they are attentive and welcoming . The new Apple cobbler is absolutely out of this world ! read more

B Tier. Decent BBQ. Nothing to get excited about. City BBQ is a standard barbeque chain. They have a bunch around town, and for good reason. It's good! My only gripe is that they are not consistent. And if they're busy it is a long wait for food. Otherwise, it's my go-to BBQ spot. read more

I don't know why i waited so long to come to City BBQ. This is place is absolutely one of the best BBQ restaurants. Today I has the chicken wings and fries and I wish I could've got more. The place was was very nice and clean. The staff was very polite especially Tyler. YOU ROCK MY GUY!!!!! I will be defiantly be back to try more. Thanks!!! read more

So good!!! I got the 3 meats and 2 sides. The meats were all good but i absolutely loved the brisket! Next time I might get all brisket ha. The sides I got were coleslaw and potato salad. Coleslaw and as excellent! I wasn't a fan of the potato salad. read more

Hubby and I got smoked chicken breast on bone and cream corn with toast and sweet tea Chicken was tender and very moist. Consistent. Same last few visits we made over last 3 weeks. Long line when we got there but all managed very efficiently. See a lot of Barbeque purchased but chicken is our favorite. read more

Always delicious food! The service is top tier - second to none. Warm and inviting dining area. A great place to enjoy a lite lunch and a hearty dinner. read more

Two times we have went to this location and it has been out of ribs and brisket. Just very frustrating

My friend told me to try the brisket. I must say I was impressed. It was very tender and went well with my collard and Cole slaw

I went to City Barbeque with friends on 27OCT2024. The service was fast and the prices are reasonable. I had the Not So Sloppy Joe sandwich and fried okra. The okra was lightly breaded with a nice dipping sauce. The sandwich was tasty, juicy, and messy and worth every bite! read more

2nd visit. First was good. Both times the fried okra doesn't have breading that sticks to the okra. The brisket wasn't just dry this time, it was choke you dry! Meal for 2 people one 3 meat 2 sides and one 2 meat 2 sides $49 I expect juicy brisket for that price and okra cooked correctly. read more