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

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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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

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

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

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

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

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 eastern NC BBQ, and very friendly staff! The pulled pork sandwich was delicious, and I highly recommend the side of fried okra. Their fried chicken is also perfectly cooked, crispy and falls right off the bone. Great spot for local southern food. 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

I was not impressed. We ordered (to-go) the rib lunch special which comes with two sides, I chose baked beans and collards, and the pork bbq sandwich lunch special with fries. The ribs were very tender, but lacked flavor. No sauce came on the ribs, it was served on the side, and even those were not good. The baked beans were ok, nothing to rave about, and the collards were good, just a little too crunchy for me. The pulled pork was so dry and has absolutely no taste. We didn't get to try the fries because they were cold by the time we got home. Looking at the other reviews, maybe I tried them on a bad day. read more

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

After a day fishing we were really looking forward to good BBQ. We didn't get it. We passed up other bbq places bc of the reviews. This is not a 4.5 star bbq place. The good: some in our party liked the Mac n cheese. I loved the coleslaw. One person liked the ribs. The bad: everything else. The brisket was incredibly dry. Almost hard. And the brisket had too much fatback-which is a prep issue. The fried chicken was insanely salty even with what was otherwise a great flavor. The pulled pork was average. The hush puppies were like tasteless hockey pucks. I think we'll stick to our own bbq. read more

I really wish I read Doug F's review before visiting. Unfortunately, that pretty much matched up with my experience. My wife and I both got the brisket meal. The meat was mostly one color with a very thin smoke ring and no bark. Also, it did not have any flop to it. I wanted to like the place as I love BBQ, but it fell flat. Also, I understood that it would be takeout only. However, after seeing the amount of staff and the large space, they could have easily transitioned to cafeteria style. I did not deduct any points for that, the review is based upon the food. read more

Dang! I thought I had reviewed this place and I guess I never finished my review. Came here back in July with some family. At the time, this restaurant only did carryout (works for me!). They were very organized as you order online ahead of time and you come inside the restaurant to pick up your box of food. They handed me a large box that had everything in it and then tossed in the sauce that they made. We ordered some family meal for 4 or 6 people. The food was delicious but that sauce.. mmmm. so vinegary (which I LOVE). I was dipping everything in the sauces. I think one sauce is chicken based and one is pork based? Or used for chicken and used for pork? Either way both sauces were freaking good. Really fair priced food that is delicious. We started going to OBX as an annual trip and we will make this place one of our annual restaurants that we get food from. I love some good BBQ!!! read more

We decided last minute since it was conveniently located good reviews and not crowded. It got busy right away though. Service was extremely prompt and very friendly. I wasn't pleased with my brisket but the fried chicken was like my mom's kitchen. I'm a Mac and cheese connoisseur so it's hard to please me but it wasn't bad definitely had a mustard ingredient which is sometimes different. String beans seasoning could be cut back just a tad and same with mustard in the potato salad. My wife says ribs were good. Delicious Arnold Palmer. We would return here. Good southern style cooking. read more

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Delicious food and great prices. The service was friendly and welcoming. Top meats are brisket, fried chicken, and pulled pork. Too sides beans and slaw. Kids loved the fried chicken and ribs. Family friendly. read more

Top notch BBQ that lives up to its reputation. I got the pulled pork, which was perfectly flavorful and didn't need an ounce of sauce on it. It was also piled high as promised and paired well with the crispy fried okra and green beans. I also got the pleasure of meeting the man behind the magic, Mr. Thorp, who was one of the kindest, bbq smart people I've met. This was the first of what will be many trips back to support High Cotton BBQ read more

Bbq ribs and brisket combo, brisket was relatively dry even though it was soaked in sauce. 3 ribs on the plate one had to be replaced because it was skin coated bone, not a rib! Baked Beans were delicious, good sweet tea, and fries. Should have tried the pulled pork. read more

The food here is amazing! Pulled pork comes un sauced so get more bbq sauce, you're gonna need it! I also highly recommend the Mac & Cheese! read more

Fast service, easy online ordering interface, very tasty BBQ with generous portions! Extra sauces available. First time thru was amazing fall off the bone, second time the ribs could have used a bit more slow cooking. Can't go wrong with the pulled pork/chix and fried okra. Cole slaw is also fabulous read more

Great Carolina style BBQ. Not too keen on the hush puppies. They were a bit hard and dry and only get two with a plate but everything else was excellent. Would have been nice to have delivery also. read more

Go, & go again! The staff was amazing; the owner was awesome; the food was perfect. We had so much food! We will definitely come back! How can I say thank you enough for a wonderful night? Our party of 9 never wanted for anything. read more

Five star food and double five star service. Very very good bbq. Nice clean spot with easy in, easy out. Prices are in line with everywhere else read more

We're staying in Duck and there's at least one bbq spot between Duck and High Cotton. I will admit some displeasure they aren't open for dine-in, but, that mostly changed when I drove down to pick up my order, opened the car door and took a deep breath. I started to levitate at the aroma of Q. I did place the order online: full rack with green beans and slaw and the three meat sampler (pulled pork, sliced brisket and smoked 1/4 chicken) with fried okra and Mac and cheese. Web ordering was not a cinch as therewas no slaw because I ordered green beans twice.Not a biggie. I'm thinking maybe the two sides can be ordered in the same field. The staff was friendly enough as I picked up the order. 20 minutes later, my wife and I were eating this great NCQ. Generous portions. All delicious. And, at prices close to what I pay at home in Baltimore. Next visit, I hope the dining room is open instead of being used as storage. We'll be back. And, despite COVID, please tip the team. read more

High Cotton BBQ - TOO. In dystopian 2020. - Barbeque Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Ordered the party platter #2 basically comes with everything that they offer and.. everything was average at best. The fried chicken was greasy The ribs were mediocre and not very meaty The brisket was okay Green beans okay Baked beans okay Hush puppies bad Coleslaw eh Pulled chicken okay Pulled pork okay They don't give you any sauce for your pulled chicken / pork / brisket other than this awful vinegar sauce. Very disappointing and unfulfilling. read more

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

Great BBQ spot in the OBX! We came here late afternoon on a Wednesday. The place was moderately busy with plenty of staff. We were greeted and seated immediately. I liked the warm, inviting and casual atmosphere. Their menu is all about BBQ with an excellent variety of different meats and sides. Their alcoholic beverages is limited only offering a few selections of beers. We had: -The 2 meat combo-smoked chicken & brisket. The smoked chicken leg was a little dry and had too much bbq sauce on it (maybe it's a preferential thing but it was too drenched for me). The brisket was tender, delicious and cooked perfectly. -The pulled pork entree was excellent. -Slaw side was delicious -collard greens side was very good -sweet tea is refreshing The portions are generous and this is a very family friendly place. The service is fast, attentive and friendly. I would visit again soon! read more

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Best fried chicken ever. I'm so glad that they converted to carryout only. Order was ready and we made an additional item when we got there and NO PROBLEM! My only regret was that our stay wasn't longer so we could order from there again!! Fabulous read more

Nah- I can't give them a pass. The only thing that was halfway decent was the brisket. but the worst thing we had was the chicken which was so overcooked there was nothing we could do with it... read more

Pretty good takeout BBQ. We were not able to eat inside as they were takeout only,but there are a few picnic tables outside. BBQ chicken was my favorite. read more

Loved the food from here - the pork was much better than the brisket (a little too fatty for our liking), but make sure you get some bbq sauce in the side for the pork as it doesn't come with! read more

The fried chicken and okra were great. The smoked ribs were so good. Had never had New Brunswick stew but this was quite tasty.

It was very busy here and others seemed to love it. Maybe it was an off night, but we ordered most things from the menu because we were a fairly big party and we did not have any dish that we liked. I guess the ribs were the best of it all if forced to pick one stand out. The staff seemed to be friendly people! read more

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My sister had High Cotton cater her wedding and beforehand, told me I must try it. So we went down to High Cotton to do just that. I got ribs, pulled chicken and tried some of her brisket. It was super good with exception to the pulled chicken. It just wasn't my thing. The sweet tea is perfect though and I really wanted to try their dessert, but I was too full.. Get the brisket! :) read more

Get this once every year when we vacation in the OBX. Food is awesome. This evening we got the fried chicken, ribs, pulled pork, French fries, coleslaw and Mac and cheese. Everything was awesome, the pulled pork was a little dry but that could be a southern thing (?) and nothing adding some sauce can't fix. Fried chicken was insane, and I really enjoyed the coleslaw and Mac n cheese. I honestly thought it was better this year than in years past. Give it a try read more