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    It's a Southern thing: Kitchen and Bar

    4.0 (719 reviews)
    ModerateSouthern, Bars, Barbeque
    Closed 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    It's a Southern thing: Kitchen and Bar Reservations

    It's a Southern thing: Kitchen and Bar Photos

    Business Info

    IT'S A SOUTHERN THING: KITCHEN AND BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - It's a Southern thing: Kitchen and Bar

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    Reviews With Photos

    Shrimp and grits with side blt salad
    A A.

    Great food. Great location. Awesome shrimp and grits and tasty banana pudding. Would come back again.

    Fig Cocktail & Manhattan
    Lori R.

    Having had a stellar brunch here before, Husband picked it for his birthday celebration dinner. We made 5:00 Saturday reservations (they open at five, but it doesn't hurt to have reservations). We were seated right away. For drinks, he chose RyeWhiskyDon'tLetMeDown, and for $14 it very much let him down. It was four small sips, the rest was a giant cube of ice. My None of Your Fig-ness was interesting. At first it was too sweet, but then I realized I just needed to stir it. Fine after that. For food He got the Hamburger Steak. I chose the Half Chicken but substituted collards and mashed potatoes for the other sides. Love that you can do that. When the food arrived it looked absolutely fantastic. We both dived right in. Potatoes and Collards, check! Delicious! His Hamburger Steak came with a very flavorful sherry onion gravy. He was happy with his potatoes and green beans. But sadly, my chicken was cold. As in, just came from the fridge cold. And so was the bbq sauce on the side. They both tasted good, but were just cold. I kinda wish I didn't ask about it cause, when she said that was not the way it was supposed to be, she took it back to the kitchen, and when it came back to me, they had fried it to death. All I could taste was oil, and it was overcooked. But hey, it wasn't cold anymore. If I could have had it the way it originally came out but warm, it would have been perfect.

    Blackened NC Catfish
    Pamela L.

    I drove into town for the Chris Brown concert, and after checking into the hotel, this spot was recommended for a quick bite. We arrived right when they opened, so it was nice and quiet -- perfect for a relaxed start. The food was absolutely amazing. I'd definitely recommend giving this place a try!

    Hannah H.

    Stopped by for a meal, and overall, the food was good--solid Southern comfort fare--but it could've used a little more flavor to really stand out. Everything was cooked well, just missing that extra seasoning or boldness to take it up a notch. One downside? No espresso drinks. For a spot like this, having a good coffee option would've been a nice touch, especially with brunch-style dishes. A latte or even just a solid cappuccino would've rounded out the meal perfectly. Service was friendly, and the atmosphere was welcoming, but I'd love to see them step up both the flavors and the coffee game!

    Pete-Loaf tasted like Salisbury steak and was burned  Dirty, partially cooked Roasted Potatoes and rubbery Crispy Brussels
    Kim H.

    We stopped by for dinner and ordered the "Pete-loaf" and the fried pork chop with sweet tea. There were no issues with the service but the Pete loaf meal was horrible. The potatoes tasted like they hadn't been washed and were partially cooked. There was no seasoning. The sprouts tasted like rubber. The meat loaf tasted like a burned Salisbury steak. I was unable to eat it and ended up sending it all back. It was the worst meal I've had in a long time. The pork chop meal was a 2/10. It was dry and bland. The tea was bitter. We ended up going to a different restaurant because I was starving.

    Awesome kitchen setup. Open aire for all to behold the magic that happens within. Great taste
    Chuck J.

    Amazing place and amazing food, as usual. Staff are always happy to accommodate you in every way. Really cool setting and various forms of seating accommodations.

    WING WEDNESDAY
    Donovan T.

    I love this place, breakfast, brunch and dinner is perfect and I will always be back as long as they keep being them

    Fried Green Tomatoes
    Priscilla R.

    Second time here and prefer the ambiance at this location to the smaller Durham one. I enjoy the larger space, music, ambiance and crowd. Decor is also nice. Food is consistent and good at both. I've ordered the shrimp and grits and the chicken and waffle skewers. Both were great! I went with people who had dietary restrictions and they don't really have alternatives or non meat option. Service was good. Servers were friendly, attentive and accommodating.

    Cajun Salmon Cake Bene
    Nicole M.

    Came here early Sunday morning and probably one of the best decisions I've made in a while. Walked in and our server, Jesse Jarvis- what an angel, someone needs to give him a raise. He was super kind and had such a great energy early in the morning and never failed to make sure we had everything we needed. Again, give him a raise! He's great. Ambiance is wonderful, this was the first time I was here- you walk in and it just feels so homey. A great ambiance whether to celebrate a friend's birthday (like I was this morning), group hang outs, could see myself having brunch here with the girls, or even here for a date. I got the Cajun salmon cake bene- it came with a side of potatoes and fruit and it was so delicious. I'm a potato fein, and they were the perfect outside crispy and inside soft. Egg was poached perfectly, loved the flavor of the salmon cake but wanted to taste a bit more of the Cajun. The fresh veggies (spinach and bell pepper I believe) made it well-balanced. Would totally come back again :) and make sure y'all tell Jesse I said hi too.

    Pulled pork dinner
    Alan B.

    This was our first time in. They sat us right away. We ordered the Brussel sprouts to start then the pulled pork dinner was very very good. The Arnold Palmer was excellent. We will be back for sure.

    Room at the bar
    Tom O.

    In town for the Duke daughter's Parents Weekend...Sunday brunch? Why not go to a restaurant with such a .... different name? Very fun vibe. Bustling crowd, NFL games on the multiple TVs, waitresses running around with big pitchers of mimosa... We got a Fat Kid sandwich which is such a politically incorrect name and yet worth ordering! We also grabbed the garden omelette, with bacon on the side. The portions are really generous. I only regret eyeballing the food on the next table, someone ordered the 1 pound of chicken wings with collard greens. I nearly begged them to allow me to try one, but I did not want someone to put a fork in my hand. Which I would've done to me. We shall return!

    Private room
    Roger K.

    Been here twice before and both times were a hit. Great ambience. This is a cool place to bring your significant other for a nice date night. It's surrounded by fun things to do. Anytime you're in Durham and you want some good southern cuisine, check out these guys.

    Fried green tomatoes

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    4 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Solid brunch spot. Pretty busy in there consistently. Good eggs Bennie's. Cooked perfectly. Service was good.

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    5 months ago

    We enjoyed a post-football game dinner here. The food was tasty and service was attentive.

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    6 months ago

    Food was decent, service was good and the place looked clean. But overall I wouldn't try it again, try for yourself

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    2 years ago

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    Page 1 of 18

    It's a Southern thing: Kitchen and Bar Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - It's a Southern thing: Kitchen and Bar

    Which parking deck downtown Durham is close to the restaurant?

    I'm not to familiar with Durham, but parking is not convenient at all. We parked behind the restaurant near the apartments. That was the only space we could find. I didn't see any parking decks close by.

    How are the prices?

    Not cheap, not too expensive....but honestly you get what you pay for. Portions are generous and each item is unique and delicious!

    Do they do private dining?

    Yes, they have an awesome private dining area with a lot of space

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    The Original Q Shack - 3 Three Meat Combo Plate with ribs, chicken, and brisket.   IG: Cereus_eats

    The Original Q Shack

    4.1(826 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    This is the way that BBQ should hit!!…read more We stopped in the "Shack" while visiting Durham. Having been huge fans of North Carolina style BBQ, we were not disappointed.My wife and daughter enjoyed the Pork Plate. By for me, I went with the two meat combo with Pulled pork and brisket. The pulled pork was spot on. It was perfectly smoked and almost melted in my mouth. With a touch of spicy vinegar sauce, I was gone to Carolina in my mind for the rest of the day. The brisket might have been some of the best I've ever had. It had a nice fat layer and was also "melt in your mouth" and juicy. The brisket didn't need any sauce at all. It was that good. The hushpuppies were the star at the table. My family considers themselves to be connoisseurs of hush puppies, and these were ranked in the top five. A respectable ranking from such a discriminating hushpuppy panel. The sides we sampled included collard greens, mac and cheese and BBQ beans. The collards and Mac and cheese were out of this world. I should have ordered a double serving of the collards. However, the beans were a huge disappointment. They were more like a bowl of sub-par chili than BBQ beans. If we return, they will not be selected. A great BBQ spot when you are in Durham. Highly recommend you stop by, if only to taste the brisket!

    great food for good price. $14 brisket sandwich , side and hush puppies. ..............read more

    Photos
    The Original Q Shack - Inside. Part of the dining room. Ordering line in background.

    Inside. Part of the dining room. Ordering line in background.

    The Original Q Shack - Three Meat Combo. $22.95. We chose Chopped Pork BBQ, Chili-Rubbed Beef Brisket, St. Louis-Cut Pork Ribs, Mac & Cheese, Creamed Spinach.

    Three Meat Combo. $22.95. We chose Chopped Pork BBQ, Chili-Rubbed Beef Brisket, St. Louis-Cut Pork Ribs, Mac & Cheese, Creamed Spinach.

    The Original Q Shack - Close-up of Chili-Rubbed Beef Brisket, sliced. Part of our Three Meat Combo. $22.95.

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    Close-up of Chili-Rubbed Beef Brisket, sliced. Part of our Three Meat Combo. $22.95.

    Lawrence Barbecue - Chopped Brisket Sando

    Lawrence Barbecue

    4.3(197 reviews)
    16.2 mi
    $$

    I owe this place nothing. My friends who live in the area took us here on a Friday night. It was…read moreabout 80% full. It was my husband and I's first time having Southern BBQ/ Carolina BBQ and Lawrence BBQ had set the bar high for us. Everything was SO GOOD. We got the Cedar Street Family Platter. It was able to feed 5 of us (3 guys and 2 ladies) and there were leftovers. So perfect for the recommended size. The brisket and the ribs were the faves. Honorary mention to turkey, that pleasantly surprised me. And I'm not a fan pulled pork but I can only have pulled pork from here from now now on. My least fav meat on the platter was the pork belly but it's still ranked at like a 7. That's how good the meats were. The sides were great supporting roles. They weren't spectacular but they're disappointing. The only side I didn't try was the orzo. I didn't get our waiter's name but he was such a delight. He made the experience really good.

    My daughter and i tried the grilled oysters. Very delicious. These topsail oysters are small,…read morebuttery and succulent. Sauce has a little kick, just right for me. Bad part is you could eat a couple of dozen of these easy, and at $4 a piece that could get really pricey !! Just be aware, these little babies are addictive !! Chili crisp cheesy tots were yummy !! Will have these again ! We sat at the bar and bartenders were friendly and engaging. Will be back for sure !!!

    Photos
    Lawrence Barbecue - Inside

    Inside

    Lawrence Barbecue - Pork belly burnt ends, sweet and spicy collard greens, macaroni and cheese

    Pork belly burnt ends, sweet and spicy collard greens, macaroni and cheese

    Lawrence Barbecue - Brisket Sandwich with fries and Mac & Cheese

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    Brisket Sandwich with fries and Mac & Cheese

    It's a Southern thing: Kitchen and Bar - southern - Updated May 2026

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