Simply great food! I call ahead and grab and go! The double cheeseburger is one of my favorites read more

Small town country cooking. The food was delicious and the people were so nice with great service!

Great breakfast, Great Lunch! On Thursday's their special is shrimp burgers. Have not had one but my aunt claims theirs is better than El's. Everything I've tried has Ben exceptional food. Keep up the good work! read more

Small town, food favorite definitely worth your time!! Everything they make is good to go! bring your appetite!!

Far from fancy and perhaps even a little divey in a cute and appealing way, Ken's Grill stands by the side of a busy highway. It was rather crowded with lunch diners today when I arrived and was able to be seated at the counter immediately. A very busy but friendly waitress took my order. A few moments later, a massive pile of food arrived. Pulled pork with onion rings and cole slaw. Yes, I ate one of the delicious hush puppies. A little sweet but yummy. The pulled pork was amazing. It needed no sauce and was moist, flavorful and fantastic. Five stars. Onion rings were fresh and the cole slaw was creamy shredded cabbage with the right amount of vinegar for tartness. I was sitting at the counter so I could see hard work going on as they prepared burger after burger. Maybe when I'm back in the Kingston area, I'll try one of those cheeseburgers. Wow. [Review 15489 overall, 993 of 2021, number 3032 in North Carolina.] read more

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Classic dinner on the drive to the NC coast. Best NC eastern style BBQ out there, only available certain days of the week. Great too for a hot dog, burger, and fries too. Nothing fancy, but nice people and food hits the spot every time. Don't second guess it, stop in and grab some food. read more

This used to be the best cheeseburger in eastern Carolina but not anymore. The burger is now overcooked and hard as a brick. It's a shame that it has gone away. read more

I love this place, great food always, the staff is always nice and accommodating. Always get the BBQ special on Wednesdays, it's so moist and flavorful, and I like the other sides as well but the slaw is great, I crave it. read more

Ken's Grill - Wednesday Bbq special with double coleslaw. - Barbeque Near Me - La Grange, North Carolina

We pass by this place every time we are heading to/from Emerald Isle (right off HWY 70) and no matter what time it is, there are always cars in the lot. We finally stopped today and now know what the hype is all about--- their BBQ pork is scrumptious! My sister and I shared the large plate, which came with 2 sides (potato salad and onion rings)---PLENTY of food for less than $10. The pork is mixed perfectly with a spicy vinegar sauce. They serve you free crispy pork skins (but you must ask for it) which are delicious to eat along with the chunks of pork. Our sides were good too, as typical sides (our server also threw in a side of cole slaw) but the pork is truly the star. We will probably stop often, now that we're hooked. This is a no frills place, clean and busy. The service is quick and not super friendly (at first) but I imagine it is because they are hustling. You must ask for anything you need (crispy skins, more sauce, etc) and they definitely bring it to you, so don't be shy. I highly recommend you stopping, regardless of (and yet especially because) everyone else is! read more

Ken's Grill - Large bbq plate, BBQ pork, 2 sides and hush puppies. - Barbeque Near Me - La Grange, North Carolina

It had been awhile since we'd found ourselves in this part of the state on a day when Ken's was offering it's outstanding Eastern NC style Pork Barbecue, but last week the star's aligned, and we scored some super Eastern NC BBQ! We got there early, around 8:45 AM, and were afraid that the precious pig would not yet be available - but we ask if we could get some fresh (not frozen) to go, and the very nice, very personable owner ask simply - how much would you like? We ordered 3 pounds, a bit breathlessly, and the order was quickly filled, and we were ask if we'd like some pork skins to go with it, and of course we did, are you kidding me! What incredible service - if you pick the wrong time on Wed or Sat, things can get crazy, but the timing is on you, these are more than solid folks, and this BBQ is NC gold! The Fish Stew on Friday is also excellent, and once again, timing is important! read more

We stopped by this restaurant on our way to Atlantic Beach over labor day weekend. It is truly a local spot. I got the fish stew - which, I've never had before and I would say it's quite different...wasn't my cup of tea. I wish mine had more fish, it was a lot of potatoes and a TON of eggs. Like I think I had 6 eggs in my bowl. We also got the BBQ there, which we thought was okay... but what really shined was the burger..I think we got the Ken's Big Boy Burger? It was delicious! Come here for the burgers...!! Just really simply done, fatty, juicy ground beef patty...yum! I did notice some flies but honestly the hospitality was so amazing from everyone who worked there and I love supporting local businesses! Worth stopping by for their burgers! read more

Ken's Grill - So North Carolinian and cute! - Barbeque Near Me - La Grange, North Carolina

Fabulous pork and coleslaw, french fries nothing to write home about. Portions are large and prices are reasonable. Given how great the pork is, can't wait to try the cheeseburger on my next trip. Given virus concerns I chose to do takeout, but was pleased to see that all staff were wearing masks. read more

Very busy upon arrival. Place was all local folks. Leave your jackets and sweaters in the car because your clothing will smell greasy. Butt this didn't take away from the deliciousness pkg the food. Our pork sandwich was delicious and the flat top Ken's Big Boy burger was seared erfectly. read more

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This place is fantastic! Stopped by here on the way from the beach to Raleigh had the most amazing burger. Our server was sweet and attentive, will definitely stop by the next time I'm passing through. read more

I'm not going to be cute or clever: This is the grill you need to hit when you're driving from Raleigh to the Crystal Coast. Old-timey diner with the best flat-top cheeseburger ever (I get mine with mustard, raw onion, and homemade chili). It's almost always filled with locals, and the parking lot is filled with work trucks at breakfast and lunch (a true sign that it's good). It's likely your waitress is someone's grandma, and she probably has a beehive and thick blue eye shadow. Ken's doesn't have french fries, they have USA fries (ha!). They're of the crinkle-cut variety and always hot, crispy, and perfectly salted. They open at 5 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Closed Sundays. Friday is fish stew day, and the place is packed (I'll stick to my burger but I hear the fish stew is famous). Daily specials include fried chicken and barbecue that they cook out back. So skip King's or Wilbur's and give Ken's a try. I think Wednesdays and Saturdays are 'cue days. read more

Ken's Grill - Who needs plates when you have wax paper? - Barbeque Near Me - La Grange, North Carolina

I thought the fish stew was quite impressive. This concoction laced with tomato and bacon uses striped bass. When it was time to pay the bill, I got a huge discount because it actually wasn't their top shelf stuff, but the bottom-of-the-pot rendition which might have less fish. Food tourists take note, this was around 4:30 p.m. The Friday-only availability of the fish stew was widely reported but it also appears to be a lunch-only item as well. The sweet tea was very good also (although after a full day in NC I might downshift to water for a few hours.) read more

We took a Saturday Drive, 33 miles from home because it was a beautiful day and we had Ken's Grill as our BBQ Destination! BTW I LOVE Fred B's and Nick P's Reviews, they obviously know and appreciate authentic Eastern Style BBQ much more than I do. I'll just come out and say it, I'm not an Eastern NC BBQ Purist, I actually prefer something with some sauciness (don't be hating me!). Or at least to have some sauce options on the table. That being said, this BBQ was great, as far as a well seasoned, high quality, chopped pork BBQ. However the sides are limited to slaw (a must), potato salad, onion rings, or french fries, and hush puppies of course. No veggie or bean offerings so prepare yourself for a heavy plate. I'd love to try some other things here but the Pork BBQ is what they have on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Fish Stew only on Fridays, and some other day for the Beef BBQ so I've read here on Yelp. Looks like you can get a burger any day, and I may try that some time. The serving hours are a bit limited. The place was packed when we arrived but the service was friendly and fast. Definitely make Ken's Grill a stop for your BBQ adventures!! read more

Ken's Grill - Small BBQ plate - Barbeque Near Me - La Grange, North Carolina

A great little grill with excellent food, excellent staff and excellent service. Wednesday's and Saturday's are my favorite because they serve Eastern NC whole hog bbq with the best hush puppies around! read more

40 mins to close and they have zero BBQ, of any kind. So I'll eat a standard hot dog and try again another day.

Stopped by on my way to Raleigh to pick up breakfast. I had a country ham sandwich and it was great. I have always enjoyed the food at Ken's. The staff is friendly and the food is consistently good. read more

We are traveling to the beach and saw Ken's Grill with a parking lot full of vehicles! BBQ was out of this world!!

Was looking forward this place for breakfast while on the way to beach but beware they serve everything including coffee with styrofoam and utensils are flimsy plastic. I ordered bacon and it ended up melting through the styrofoam plate in multiple places getting plastic stuck on it. We had already been there for 45 mins at that point and our waitress was busy at the cash register so I ended up leaving without asking them to cook a replacement. I really wish they would reconsider their overwhelming use of styrofoam for customers who wish to dine in. read more

A great place to grab a bite! Local diner with lots of options for food! My family still loves to eat here whenever they are in town.

First let me preface this review by saying that I have been going to Ken's since I was a young child since I am now in my late 50s I consider that a pretty long time. However there has been a couple circumstances when I have eaten lunch with my family but every time I have had this one particular waitress who is Ken's daughter-in-law, I have received poor service, a snippy attitude and her being downright rude. This is a review of the service we received by this person who should not be waiting on people when she's having whatever kind of problem she has. Four of us went to lunch today. My elderly mother, my aunt, my fiancé, and myself. It was after the major lunch rush so things were not going at a fast quick pace. Unfortunately we had Ken's daughter-in-law wait on us. She began taking orders. First with my aunt. My aunt ordered a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onions, mayonnaise and pickles. She then went over to my fiancé, he said "I will have the same thing she is having, with everything. Ms. b#!+(h-a-lott asked "do you want that with cheese?" Where as he replied "yes please". The waitress with an attitude from hell, then came to me and asked for my order. I replied I would like a cheeseburger with catchup mustard and chili and an order of fries crispy. I also said we would like an order of onion rings. My mother then gave her order which was a copycat burger of my aunts and my fiancé's. I noticed the onion rings on the counter as they were waiting for the other items to be finished. I made a statement that those onion rings looked very overcooked. When the order made it to our table I commented about the over cooked onion rings. Ms. b#!+(h-a-lot looks at my fiancé and snaps "you said crispy!". I replied "I asked for crispy fries, not onion rings. She then slammed her hand down on the table, grabbed the OR and fries and stormed away. She left on the table a HAMBURGER with chili, mustard, and onion. We thought she gave us someone else's burger. When she returned with the properly cooked OR and fries, I asked about this HAMBURGER no one ordered. She practically spit "HE said all the way" The table response was, no, he ordered a burger like my aunts. Se insisted not (jeez it was a single hamburger...what happened to the customer is always right?) I pointed out to her that the ticket (in her handwriting) clearly states that I ordered crispy fries, not crispy onion rings and that seem to only irritate her even more. The ticket also HB ATW which was clearly not the case since we specifically requested the same thing my aunt ordered. I get it people make mistakes, but you have to start slamming things around and being such a rude person over a silly hamburger? The thing is she was directing her anger that my fiancé who never said anything or contradicted her order in anyway, it was me. I do not know what provoked her. I do know this put us in a peculiar situation, because my aunt and my mother eat there multiple times during the week, and we did not want to give a bad impression or make a scene. I do know what Ms. b#!+(h-a-lot does is completely wrong; even though she is related to the business owner should not be condoned in anyway,shape, or form. read more

Southern gold. Ken is the nicest man in the world. Best bbq hands down. My girlfriend and I stopped in for breakfast and Ken got us some bbq pork and slaw to go. First southern bbq experience for my girlfriend and she's hooked. Definitely recommend! read more

Best BarBQue sandwiches around. I love that they give you skins. If you're a true Southerner, you get that. read more

Ken's Grill - Best BarBQue sandwiches around. I love that they give you some skins. If you're a true Southerner, you get it. - Barbeque Near Me - La Grange, North Carolina

Cassidy, thank you for a wonderful experience! Your recommendations of the pork BBQ, cheeseburger and chili fries were the best I have ever tasted!!! The coleslaw is the best I have tasted....Best little hole in the wall ever. Don't drive by this little nugget without stopping for a bite and great customer service. You will not be disappointed! Surf on Cassidy Brook- The Virginians read more

We have been driving past Ken's for I don't even know how many years, on the way to the beach. It's so close to where we live, we usually don't stop. But we left early one morning a couple weeks ago and decided to stop in for breakfast. We were all pleased. My husband and I both had BLTs with a fried egg. He had hash browns, which he said were delicious, and I had grits. I won't get the grits again (it was obvious they were out of an instant grits envelope) but that's no biggie. Both our kids had pancakes and they gobbled them up. The service was quick and friendly, and it was reasonably priced. I'm hoping to stop in for lunch on our next trip down East. read more

Great hometown restaurant. Good service, good food, plenty of options on the menu and love the friendly atmosphere.

Love this place!! My husband always make this our lunch stop when we are in the area, especially on Wednesday. We enjoy the North Carolina Pork BBQ so much! The slaw is some of the best I've ever had!! Huge portions!! Just an all around great place! read more

Ken's Grill - Wednesday special....North Carolina BBQ Plate with slaw and potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - La Grange, North Carolina

Excellent!!! Diner atmosphere with hometown feel! Cassidy and the entire staff are FUN! Best Carolina BBQ I've had in quite some time!! Looking forward to coming back!! read more

Ken's Grill - Yum! Must stop in for BBQ and something from the bakery!! - Barbeque Near Me - La Grange, North Carolina

Delicious bbq! Been going there my whole life. Get a bbq sandwich and hush puppies. Also, I don't like slaw, but it's not bad from Ken's.

Usually Yelp does not steer me wrong, and due to reviews and in-person recommendations, we've been thinking about stopping at Ken's for a while on the way to the beach instead of our normal visit to King's. I got the BBQ because I always feel the need to compare to my Mecca (Skylight Inn) and it definitely fell flat for me. I like my BBQ clean, and Ken's had so many big pieces of fat and tough skin (not crispy, but tough) that I couldn't really get through it. It was also fairly bland. The service was fantastic...we had 2 unruly kids, and our waitress was as sweet as she could be and I felt a real vote of confidence from her (like her eyes were saying, "it's fine Mama, you got this"). She brought me a sample of their chopped BBQ beef because, being from NC and all, I've never seen that at a local place, and I WISH I had ordered that. It was amazingly good. The green beans were also good. They had the perfect seasoning, the perfect amount of meat (I want a veggie, not a meat side with veggies mixed in like some places do) and probably some crack because I could have just eaten a whole plate of them. I was also impressed by their side selection. Sweet potatoes and green beans, not just slaw and fries. The hushpuppies were OK. So, a 4.5 for service, a 3 for food overall, and I'll just leave the BBQ out of this because it's not up to par for me personally. I would go back and try a burger, or get that chopped beef. read more

Fantastic! The barbecue here is absolutely amazing, but you have to time it right because they only serve it on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The pork is moist, tender and delicious, and served with good hushpuppies and sweet tea. You know you're in a good barbecue joint when there's just a pitcher of sweet tea sitting on the table at all times. Ken's is a tiny little place right on 70 East, but you will not be disappointed if you stop in for some food. My wife had the cheeseburger and said it was really tasty too. Seriously, make the trip, you won't regret it. read more

One of my favorites as a kid. This place is an institution! Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday they serve some of the best BBQ eastern NC has to offer. The fish stew on Friday's is also outstanding. Also try the burgers which are a taste straight out of a 50s diner paired with excellent "school house style" crinkle fries. Ask for extra skins with your BBQ plate as they are awesome! read more

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The very 1st time I went to Ken's were to pickup Food for my church, I saw a few of my friends enjoying their food and we spoke briefly. They explain to me that the barbecue and the double cheeseburger were their favorites. A week later my wife and I visit Ken's and boy oh boy how right my friends were. The double cheeseburger I had was the best I had in my life,and my wife Fail in love for the barbecue and the skins. I like to thank my friends an the staff/cooks for the Great experience and Food ! read more

Ken's Grill - the setting of a colorful sunset - Barbeque Near Me - La Grange, North Carolina

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I know I was a fool to chase the unicorn that was Melvin's, but Kens was on the way back to the airport and so, we stopped...for hamburgers...at about 10 in the morning. Don't judge me. These are good, but not exceptional. Again, Melvin's, at least for me, is an unreasonable standard to hold anyone to. Had I not had Melvin's just a couple days prior, I probably would be rating this higher. The burgers were the same small style, but without quite as much grill crust, without a little sweeter slaw, and with a pretty good chili sauce. It should be noted that I had to kind of special order my "slaw/chili/mustard" - it's not the default option. So again, I was comparing to an unreasonable standard. We also ordered a chili dog, which came with the same good chili sauce and a bright red dog that we thought maybe would be seasoned or spicy, but really just turned out to be a very red colored hot dog. Price was cheap - a couple bucks for each item, so no complaints there. Unfortunately, we were not there on Tuesday or Saturday, and so we didn't get to try the BBQ, which gets rave reviews. So - certainly don't avoid the place for burgers, they're not bad...they're just not mindblowing. And maybe read other reviews if you'll be there on a day where there's BBQ. read more

I was a bit skeptical because it looked like a Waffle House when I first went in but I'm glad I did. I got the pulled pork BBQ tray and it was done eastern NC style. It was really delicious. The hush puppies were really good as well. I got the food to go and the staff was nice enough to give me some to go hot sauce for it. Wish I lived closer so I could go again. read more

If you're heading to Kinston (or on your way to the beach), forget King's and stop by Ken's Grill. It's the best BBQ in LA! And their Big Boy Burger is one of the best burgers around. It's always packed at lunch time, so be prepared to wait a few minutes for a table - but I assure you it is worth the wait! If you happen to be in the area on a Thursday, its BBQ Beef day at Ken's, and their version is the best I've ever had. read more

Ken's Grill - Barbeque Near Me - La Grange, North Carolina

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This is hands-down the best barbecue I've ever had in my entire life and I am a barbecue junkie... I've tried it all from South Florida to California to Texas to Kansas City to the Carolinas... I bought a bag or ribs here for five bucks and these bones are like a foot long they must come off a bore not a pig! In the world of good barbecue made the right way they do it the best. The bones had no meat on them all the meat had fallen off into the bag it was so tender. A++++ will be back any time in the Carolina's, well worth the drive! read more