Food is outstanding Great portion for the price Friendly staff I live in the area and recommend it to all my customers best barbecue on the beach read more

We had a craving for BBQ, and decided to stop by this place to try it out. They have a good variety of offerings, with classics like pulled pork and smoked ribs. We've ordered their platters, and it came out quickly. Although the brisket and ribs were tasty, it was a bit dry to our liking. Dining area has ample room and seating. Staff was helpful and friendly. Portions were generous. Pricing was fair compared with others in the area. A good place to enjoy Carolina BBQ. read more

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Service was great and they stayed on top of us checking frequently. Brisket plate with two sides...... brisket was pretty dry with not much flavor..... didn't taste very fresh...... beans were awesome...... Cole slaw better than average..... hush puppies..... fail, tasted like they were reheated from last night. Fried Chicken..... very tasty. Overall not completely satisfied but not a major failure either. Debatable whether I will give it another chance. read more

Absolutely our favorite bbq place in the outer banks. The restaurant is incredibly clean, staff friendly and food plentiful. read more

Came here around 7 on a weekday and the place was about half full (they close at 8). We were greeted immediately at the door and seated right away. I ordered the Arnold Palmer can seltzer to start and guzzled it down due to being at the beach the entire day. To eat, I ordered the Rib double combo with brisket as my additional meat and Mac n cheese and potato salad as my sides. Loved the potato salad, everything else was pretty good but I REAAALLY loved the potato salad, so much, I ordered a side of it to go, along with the rest of my food. Really would recommend coming here if you're within driving distance. The service was great, food was delicious and I had enough for leftovers the next day. Would also highly recommend the potato salad. I told myself it would last me a few days, and I ended up eating the entire side the next day. read more

High Cotton BBQ - Rib Double Combo with Brisket and Potato Salad & Mac n cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

We stopped here after a long drive from Richmond to get a quick bite to eat which turned out to be the right decision. Service here was very quick and the staff was friendly. I ordered the smoked chicken, beef brisket, cole slaw, and applesauce. I hadn't ever seen applesauce on a restaurant menu before but having it was a little taste of my childhood haha. Both meats were tender and flavorful with a good amount of smoke. The cole slaw was simple and added a nice freshness to balance the meal. This didn't blow my mind or anything, but it was definitely a good meal and a restaurant I'd come back to. read more

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Service was good, food came fast too bad it was dried out like jerky and it was brisket. Sides were super salty and plentiful but we came for the meat and were very disappointed read more

High Cotton BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Very good food, large portions, super quick service and prices are good. I went twice the week I was at Kitty Hawk for the week and would have gone more if I had been there longer. Nice menu, enough choices for everybody to find something they would like. The dining room is wide open so the noise level is a bit high, very well lit and pretty well space out if you're concerned about close seating. read more

High Cotton BBQ - Dining hall - Barbeque Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

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Awesome place. Delicious barbecue, delicious, french fries, great atmosphere and service. Very generous portions as well. I can't recommend it enough. read more

High Cotton BBQ - Brisket sandwich and fries - Barbeque Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Good service and fast kitchen, but this is some of the most bland bbq I've had in years. Had ribs, coleslaw, and beans and it was unremarkable across the board. Can't smell any smoke when you pull up. They don't even have real honey butter at the tables, it's some prepackaged butter-like spread. I assume the kitchen uses equally low-quality ingredients which is probably why it's all below mid. Even for an island with a captive audience, hard pass. read more

Our family stopped here on our way into town. It was a very good stop to feed a hungry family very quickly. I would say the food came out roughly 10 minutes after we ordered. Everything was very good and definitely recommended for a quick lunch as you come into Outer Banks. read more

High Cotton BBQ - 3 Meat Combo - ribs, brisket, pork - Barbeque Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Tried a multi meat plate with a sample of slaw and pulled chicken. Left 90% after tasting. Worse BBQ we tasted Ribs were dry-and tough. Brisket was overcooked and hard to cut or chew. Food was cold Service was fast and pleasant. Never again read more

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We have been long time customers of High Cotton. We will continue to return at least once when we are at the OBX. We are, however, finding it necessary to take a star away. It seems that high Cotton lost something with COVID and never has really recovered. The fact that today's visit found only on other party dining at lunch time tells you something. I know it is off-season, but we have never seen it so empty. Don't get me wrong, they still serve very good food. Today's fare for us was fried chicken and barbecue. The portions are still very good and the prices are reasonable. Ms T had the ¼ fried chicken and I had the barbecue-fried chicken combo. I had a large portion of barbecue and the same serving of chicken that she had and mine was only $1 more. This means I got a large pile of Ebarbecue for $1. Next time I will have her get the combo as well and have more barbecue to take home. My relatively minor complaint today (and last Spring, and last Fall) was that the food was served barely above room temperature. My fried chicken was all dark meat and the leg was dry and had been waiting for a customer for a while. You could tell by just looking at it and my eyes were correct. Fortunately the thigh was better. The barbecue, other than being just warm, was still the good, clean ENC barbecue that I expect. It tastes like the pork that it is and is not buried in sauce to cover up the flavor. My leftover will make a huge sandwich and it will be great. We still like their coleslaw, baked beans, Brunswick stew and collards. We appreciate they are an AAdvantage dining participant. We will continue to come back. I just don't give out five stars to every place I go and don't wish to lead people astray. It is good food and worth going. It just is not five stars. read more

High Cotton BBQ - Another plate of ENC Barbecue and Fried Chicken - Barbeque Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

If you are looking for tasty, well priced bbq you need to checkout High Cotton! Upon walking in, you are greeted by multiple friendly smiles and welcomes. We all ordered the brisket and it was great! The "Texas" bbq sauce they use was amazing, so much so we had to buy a bottle before leaving! Our two year old was happy with the chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and fries. Even more happy about the Moon Pie that was included in his kids meal! I loved the classic bbq ambiance with the checkered tablecloths and wall decor. We will definitely be back! read more

High Cotton BBQ - Kids meal - Barbeque Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Even though you're on the coast sometimes you want a nice barbecue meal and they did not disappoint. The sauce on brisket was delicious. The meat itself was a little under seasoned but the sauce made up for everything. The green beans were perfect and seasoned well. We ordered our meal to go so service was quick. read more

High Cotton BBQ - Brisket Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

The service was on point and the food was delicious! The portions were a good size. Would definitely recommend this place!

We LOVE High Cotton! We are always sure to make one, if not two visits while we're in town. The pulled chicken plate is what I got, and is an extraordinary value. You get so much, and it's under $15! Some of the best BBQ on the OBX, for sure! The service is incredible. From the moment you walk in the door until your plate is in front of you, it's a MAXIMUM of 10 minutes. Go hungry, leave happy! read more

High Cotton BBQ - Pulled Pulled BBQ Chicken Plate Potato Salad Green Beans - Barbeque Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Best barbeque in the Outer Banks! The smoked cabbage was amazing! Big portions & friendly helpful staff. Will definitely be back! read more

Our week in the Outer Banks wouldn't be complete without BBQ. Tonight's adventure was High Cotton BBQ in Kitty Hawk. Our servers couldn't have been better. I let Chad plan my meal. A three meat comb fried chicken, brisket and pulled pork. Sides wee baked beans and fried okra. I thought I died and went to heaven with the brisket. The fried chicken was not my norm, but the coating was delicious. I think I surprised Chad and Jen when I wanted the Carolina vinegar sauce on my pulled pork. Authenticity matters. He suggested I put some of Cindy's cole slaw on top. Chad is a teacher by day, and this teacher was right. He recommended the chocolate pecan pie for dessert. Another great call. Don't pass this place by! read more

Take out area stocked with sauces. Menu includes family style options which is nice. Not digging that they use styrofoam cups - as it's not really earth friendly. Friendly staff provides excellent advice on the menu. Food is incredible - tender, savory, and delicious. read more

The service is always top notch here. They guys working here are so quick and nice. Our food came out within 5 minutes of ordering. It probably wasn't even three minutes. The place looks like a typical BBQ place. The food wasn't as good to me as it was last time. I know COVID has come and gone, but out of our 11 years visiting, this is the first time the food wasn't top notch. The flavor of the potato salad was good, it was just soupy and didn't have a lot of potatoes, it was more celery and onions than anything. The brisket was good, it was just a touch too dry. I added some sauce and it helped. I love their Brunswick stew. I really wish I could give it a 5 star review. We love this place and will continue to come, even with this little hiccup. read more

High Cotton BBQ - Brisket, mac and cheese, and fries. Comes with hush puppies - Barbeque Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

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Found this place as I got fed up with the service and wait times in Duck. FANTASTIC!! Friendly and quick service. We had a bit of everything including brisket, smoked chicken. Fried chicken, fried okra Have to have the Brunswick Stew. Check out the family take out packages. Worth the drive. Thank you. read more

This place is a hidden GEM! We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn and discovered this adorable place directly across the road (like a 2 min walk). The atmosphere,food and customer service was the best we've experienced the week we've been here! The owner made a point of checking on us and made us feel very welcome. Our food came in record time - seriously, like 5 minutes! The food was DELICIOUS! You can't go wrong with this restaurant, 10/10! read more

Affordable, fast and delicious. Everything you want in southern BBQ! A good experience for both adults and kids and reasonable for the area with little wait and excellent service. read more

I was very satisfied with High Cotton BBQ. Upon entering, we were greeted by an extremely kind server. We entered the restaurant (with a group of 7) at 7:20pm and they close at 8pm, and they were still delighted to serve us so near to closing time, even with a larger group. Our server was exceptional at making us feel at home. He interacted with us like we were people he's met before. Upon ordering our food, it was only a few minutes before we all received it. Our server was very mindful and respectful to let us say grace before our meal, and he actually encouraged it. During our meal, the server and an additional staff member made sure we didn't have to wait a second for a refill on our drinks and that our food was to our liking. The food itself was great. Part of the ribs were a little overdone, but the other parts were cooked well. The vibe of this restaurant was very much to my liking -- old school, not overly classy, and personally welcoming, which many restaurants don't exhibit today. For reasons of good quality, unique food, and exceptional service, I give High Cotton BBQ 5 stars! read more

High Cotton BBQ - Half Rack Dinner - Barbeque Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Honestly, I was expecting more from a BBQ place in the south. I come from Connecticut and I was kinda sad to admit that I've had better BBQ from up here. I tried High Cotton's brisket, famous smoked chicken, and hand-chopped pork. Everything was pretty lackluster as far as the meat goes. The brisket was not seasoned, and pretty dry and quite honestly tasted like it had been leftovers from a few days prior. The smoked chicken was just ok but kinda tough and not very moist. The chopped pork was for sure the best that I picked out, but they put so little sauce on it. I thought the green beans and mac and cheese were pretty good though. The staff was nice and the ambiance of the restaurant was good. The parking is adequate and the wait was reasonable. But overall, I'd skip this place next time and try another BBQ joint. read more

Ugh. How does this place have such high ratings? The one good thing I can say is that the staff were very friendly on the phone and in person. Beyond that, there were signs that it wouldn't be good but we called in our order so it was too late. We walked in to pick up and there was zero bbq smell. There were also a bunch of empty tables. We ordered ribs, brisket, pork, coleslaw, green beans and fries. The chopped pork was bland and dry, the brisket was tender but mediocre, the ribs were falling off the bone but the taste was nothing special. Did they season the meat?! The coleslaw was the equivalent of KFC's and the fries were greasy and mealy. Everything needed a sauce or ketchup to make it palatable. One person in our group said the food tasted like BBQ you would have in a cafeteria. I hate to say that it was one of the most disappointing meals I've had. read more

Place is clean and cute inside. Servers were extremely nice. Food was okay. The BBQ Pork was moist and tasty, the Brunswick stew had a tang to it (as if it was getting ready to spoil). Fried okra yummy. The ribs however were disappointing. I expected a slab, glistening with bbq sauce....these were presented cut up in two bones and looked and tasted like they were covered with foil and baked in the oven. It just didn't have that nice rib texture....like it never saw a grill. Portion size was good but I should have only gotten a 1/2 slab until I knew how they were. We'd come back but not get ribs. read more

Amazing food it was so delicious best bbq I have ever had service was amazing very nice staff

Party of 6 on Saturday night First visit, great food and excellent service Tables were very clean and well spaced.

Our first visit to High Cotton BBQ and we were very pleased. McKenzie was our server and did a great job. The staff couldn't have been more friendly. The service is very fast so don't turn away because there is a long line. The food was very good and was served hot. The restaurant is very clean and well maintained. Don't miss the opportunity to eat some the delicious BBQ. We would highly recommend High Cotton BBQ read more

The food is awesome! Everything on the menu is terrific! Not one menu itemm is less than superb. My daughter and I have our favorites for sure, but we are always excited to order here! read more

The food and service were EXCELLENT! All six of our kids LOVED everything - especially the ribs! Meat is marvelous - loved the pulled pork and the pulled chicken! The cabbage was sooooo good and the mac/cheese was beyond YUM. Our servers were super friendly amd fast! read more

Did carry-out. The good stuff: fried chicken was good. Beans and Cole slaw are also good as are the hush puppies. Didn't try their sauces . Now the bad. Brisket is tough, although tastes good. I am not from North Carolina so maybe it's normal here but you should be able to cut a properly rendered brisket with a fork. Also the lack of the "smoke ring" is odd, perhaps finished in an oven? Ribs were tough and not fully rendered out. read more

Took a quick ride to Carolina and decided to get a bite to eat. Unfortunately the first bbq place we tried to go to was closed until March 16. This is the Mr's second pick to our surprise it was take out only uuuggghhhh!!!! So we had to make the decision to eat or not to eat is the ultimate question. To eat!!!! Of course that is the only answer. We ordered our meals and took a ride down the street to Duck found a little pier and watched the sunset. Our food was pretty good. I ordered the smoked chicken and brisket. Not what I expected it was more like BBQ chicken but it wasn't bad at all. The brisket was very good and tender. read more

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Ordered our food to go but I will say this is some of the best bbq I've ever had. Even after a 10 minute drive home our food was still hot and fresh. read more

Great food and great service. The place has small store inside where you can buy their bbq sauce. The beef brisket and fried chicken are amazing. read more

The smell of the bbq and the taste of the food is amazing. My son wanted bbq while he was visiting and chose this place. It was in April so not busy at lunch time. The decor is very cool as they h e lots of old pics of bbqs of yesteryear. We will be back! read more

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Bottom Line: Super friendly and organized staff and excellent Eastern style barbecue! After stumbling across a YouTube video about the North Carolina BBQ Trail I found myself craving some Eastern style pork barbecue from High Cotton. Serendipitously several weeks later I was invited to the Outer Banks to stay just a few miles from High Cotton so my first dinner was take out from High Cotton. My husband and I both got the Eastern style hand chopped barbecue and it was absolutely excellent!!! Yep, worthy of three exclamation marks and probably the best Eastern style BBQ I've ever had. We also really enjoyed the green beans, fried okra and hush puppies. The fried chicken was ok and the beef brisket was exceptionally fatty. I'm wondering if we just had some bad luck with brisket. Overall, I am still a big fan of High Cotton and I am already thinking about my next visit for Eastern style chopped pork! read more

High Cotton BBQ - High Cotton - Barbeque Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

This place is a must!!! Ordered the rib 3 meat combo with 2 sides as did a friend and husband ordered rib platter. Ribs were fall off the bone tender, pork barbecue was excellent and chicken was so moist and crunchy Sides were fried okra,so darn good, coleslaw delicious, baked beans which I usually don't care for also very good and the hush puppies delicious , special side of chicken and dumplings also delicious. Iced tea was the best I'd had in North Carolina. The waitresses couldn't have been nicer if they tried The prices were terrific for everything and the portions were large! Best meal I had all week we were here! I wish there was one where I lived in Barnegat,NJ (shore area) (hint, hint) they would make a killing there because Northerners do not know how to make good southern food like this!! I swear if you open one by me I will be there 3 times a week!! read more