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Ore Nell's Barbecue

4.3 (309 reviews)
ModerateAmerican, Barbeque
Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

Order Ore Nell's Barbecue Takeout or Delivery

Ore Nell's Barbecue Photos

ORE NELL'S BARBECUE ATMOSPHERE

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Moderate noise
Hipster
Casual
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Recommended Reviews - Ore Nell's Barbecue

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1/4lb Pulled Pork
Jireh H.

Freezing cold weather and good ol'BBQ is something I've never associated together. Never thought I would until this last trip. How exactly do you fare against the elements to maintain the proper heat and smoke levels outdoors during this time of the year to yield perfectly smoked meats? What kind of insulation do you have? Or are you just crazy enough to do it indoors and trust that the exhaust vents are reliable enough to prevent you from carbon monoxide poisoning? Don't know but I will definitely ask next time. Obviously, I'll leave it to the pitmasters of northeast to have figured it all out just to keep the product available mostly year round. There is a good following for well prepared brisket, pork, and chicken so if there is a will, there is a way to provide exactly what loyal customers are willing to trek through ice and snow for! Not to mention, to quench their thirst in a way that warms up the soul with their nice selection of drinks. (NOTE: Is it as good as the "true" BBQ states? No. Is it a portal to what those states have to offer? Yes. Is it worth visiting when in the area? Absolute YES.) It's a cute little spot. Comfy and warm and inviting. The staff are not only friendly but VERY polite. You'd feel right at home immediately from the moment you enter. Now that's something you'd expect in the South. As for the food, I was here more as a pitstop than a proper meal but still decided to order the "BBQ for two" since that provided a quick sampling of their primary cuts. Figured if it was too much, I'd pack it; if too little, I'd order the half chicken next or something else that beckons whatever carvings hit next. I must admit that while they sing high praises of their brisket, which was quite good when it came out (it cooled down too quickly), their pulled pork was the *tonguegasmic* homerun for me. It was so juicy, perfectly seasoned that it trumped both the brisket and ribs IMHO. The collards were different from what I'm used to but delightful. And the mac and cheese? Divine. No way you can go wrong with Cabot cheese! All in all, I'll definitely be back and can't wait to be back when in the area again. Definitely recommend anyone to at least visit when around town!

Great for a party of 4-6, if everyone eats meat.
Maria M.

It was our first time here...we had great service, great bbq, great atmosphere. One member of our party couldn't find parking anywhere...so I asked the manager for recommendations about where she could look for parking...instead he so kindly walked outside with me and had her park right in front of the take out window (which was closed). So nice! We ordered the family meal (which served 4-6). It includes a bit of every meat...brisket, chicken, pork and beef ribs, hot sausage, plus 4 sides of your choice. All the meat was cooked so perfectly. It was tender, flavorful, great texture. They have BBQ sauces at the table, sweet and hot, both are delicious! The brisket was outstanding...so was the hot sausage. I love that they have a great selection of creative mocktails, and cocktails. Love the smoked maple syrup in the drinks. Such a great Fall season flavor. Will definitely be back!

Ribs, brisket, pulled pork, tatters and collard greens.
Boomers R.

Our first time and a Saturday night to boot! We were on the hunt for some good barbecue. We like the dry kind and Ore Nell's hit the spot. I loved the brisket (tasty succulent and right amount of char), St Louis ribs were fall off the bone, juicy like we like them. French fries were not hot enough (according to my partner) but I loved the crunch. Deep fried baked potato was bountiful enough for two. Collard greens not too sweet or sour, right amount of crunch left us wanting more. Cole slaw was silky and crunchy. We are big fans of tofu but next time we were order a solid block. Waitress was on top of our needs and was impressed that the owner (manager?) introduced himself to us. Nice touch.

Devin Y.

I arrived in the evening with some friends, and a big portion of the interior is taken up by a bar, with some side booths and tables surrounding it. It's a very western vibe, with a rustic accent in the decor. I got the Jalepeno Poppers, Peach BBQ chicken and the Pork belly taco. All off the specials menu. This by far most closely parallels offerings from Lexie's Joint (a small, exceptional spot for burgers & fries) in a similarly under-scaled menu, but with delicious specials. The jalepeno poppers were served in an iron cast dish, with a lettuce bed, and a creamy basil aioli. The poppers had a heavy amount of cream cheese in them, flavoring the crunch of the salty jalepeno, all wrapped in a crunchy breaded/fried crust. One would think the aioli is an unnecessary excess to the already cream-heavy snack, but once you actually taste it, all the ingredients meld together to create a balanced bite of softness, crunch and flavor. For the peach BBQ chicken (a mix of drumsticks and wings), the sauce was the perfect mix of fruity sweetness and BBQ flavor. The well cooked chicken allows the meat to gently free from the bone, keeping its tenderness in each bite without any dryness. The dish had chopped scallions sprinkled across, giving the wings a nice fresh crunch. You get an abundance in saucy wings for $18, so I definitely recommend ordering this or at least a consideration. The pork belly taco was probably my least favorite dish, only because it costed $8 for one. Otherwise, the taco was soft, and the neutrality of the tortilla gave additional structure to the flavor of the creamy sauce coating the lettuce. The pork belly and the meaty sauce were not too salty, and you won't be disappointed by how well each ingredient stands out yet never overpowering. Although we got here at a relatively non-busy time, the service was great. We were served quickly, and were consistently tended to. This spot is a MUST TRY!

Wings of the day, beef link, side of collared greens
Krista R.

I've eaten here three times and I've left perplexed each time. The flavors are lacking on all the BBQ items I've had (wings, sausage) and the fried green tomatoes I recently had were oddly prepared. Want a Bloody Mary but it's not "brunch" - they won't make you one. The menu looks great and changes regularly, which is why I've given it so many chances.

Ribs and fried loaded potato

Absolutely loved this gem! The sweet tea! Enough said! It was like I was back home in the south! I loved the food, the service was great and was such a cute little spot! Will definitely be back when visiting this area! Would even go out of my way to return!

The D.

We were searching for a spot to eat in Portsmouth as we were at a small surf event on York beach. We drove past Ore Nells which is right on the water before the bridge into Portsmouth. We love a good BBQ especially on a chilly day. We ordered the Barbecue for two which had 1/4 lb brisket, 1/4 lb pulled pork, 1/4 rack St. Louis ribs, and three sides. The ribs didn't want to stay on the bone which is exactly how we like them. The brisket was a little dry but we do think it was seasoned well and had a good meat to fat ratio. The pulled pork definitely didn't come out hot. It was dry but that is something we typically expect when ordering pulled pork from anywhere. Mac and cheese is as basic as it gets I'm pretty sure that's what they feed the kids for school lunch. Coleslaw was different than your usual. It was seasoned well and had a lot of acidity to it. Good for vinegar lovers. Personally I wasn't the biggest fan of their jalapeño cornbread. I don't think I tasted any jalapeños. It turned into dough when I put it in my mouth. It was sweet and they did sear it on one side which made it a little more enjoyable. Overall the place was cute and clean. We were in and out and got our fix in.

Shrimp taco (delicious)
Sarah W.

We visited Ore Nell's yesterday for dinner for the first time. It was an off-season Tuesday; the food was pretty good but not stellar, the service was unorganized, and the atmosphere was obnoxiously loud for a not-too-busy time. I won't bore you with my specific opinions on noise control in restaurants; just know that the seating layout and decor do no favors to anyone not wanting to be startled by the shrieking children TWO ROOMS AWAY. Atmosphere aside, the staff here works as a team to take care of each table. I find this great when it works well and the staff communicate with each other well. Sadly, it doesn't work well here. Different people asked us the same questions several times, but then were unable to follow through on the service. Some of our meal order was lost and when we asked about it (to a different server than the one who took our order), she didn't know about it, went to check, and didn't come back for a while. Eventually she returned with our missing fries, but this and other things made us realize communication amongst the staff (both kitchen and front of house) seem poor and this was on a slow day. Now to end on the highlight: the food. All the bbq was pretty good. It wasn't the best I'd had, but the meats were tender and juicy, and well-seasoned. The coleslaw had some spice and was vinegar-based, so it wasn't my favorite, but others in my party loved it. The collard greens were well-seasoned with lots of mustard seed. The mac and cheese was decent, but far less flavorful than we expected, especially with Vermont cheddar in the title. It tasted like one step above annie's boxed white shells, which is fine but a little bland. Lastly, the shrimp taco was delicious. It is the only thing I would go back for. The acidity, creaminess, and perfectly cooked shrimp had the perfect texture.

Elizabeth X.

Kind staff and good BBQ. Meat was so tender. Lots of seating, including porch seating. They also have some tables outside. Parking lot out back.

View from back patio

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Some of the Best BBQ outside of Texas. Great atmosphere and good service. Bar seating a plus.

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Best bbq in area by far. The ribs are awesome. Been here many times but often for takeout

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Ore Nell's Barbecue - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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