We are visiting from out of town. Our attempts to find good food in the area wasn't going well. After days of no success we went to Picnic. We met a really cool person at a grocery store that suggested this place. We went and wasn't disappointed. We ordered the family size fried chicken meal, ribs, and some pork. The portion sizes were great. We gorged ourselves in delicious food. My wife said, it was the best chicken she has had. I couldn't say the same but I was so satisfied with our meal. All the sides were great. The ribs and pork were great. We had plenty of leftovers which we ate later that night. The young lady who served us was very nice. We are adding this place to our definitely gonna eat at places again list. read more

Got a pound of Brisket and pint(s) of Green Beans, Hush puppies, Cole Slaw and Baked Beans for my sister and her family. Everything was so good!! The Brisket was so tender, smoky and done perfectly. Picnic is the best BBQ in Durham and that's saying a lot because this town's got some really good BBQ for NC. read more

To us, it was incredibly underwhelming. The Mac and cheese was mediocre, at best. What they did to the fried chicken might be considered criminal. The fries were frozen crinkle cut and very blah. The okra was good. And the burger was good. Very unusual for me to say that food is under-seasoned, but very under-seasoned. They put sea salt in a regular shaker, and you couldn't coax it out. My curiosity is satisfied and I have no need to eat there again. If you are really hungry, and don't have another option, you can fill your belly. I just doubt you will actually ENJOY the experience. read more

Inconsistent quality of service. More times than not, the staff has been inattentive and not very concerned about the customer. We use the three strike rule before we write a business off. Two down. One to go. If the staff was better at treating customers, we would look past the mediocre offerings. Some dishes are excellent, but not many. read more

Great food, friendly staff, and quick service. Their bbq is really good, along with all the sides I've tried so far. My boyfriend loves the fried chicken sandwich. Our favorite bbq place in the area for sure! read more

Driving back to MD had to give NC BBQ a second try (and hopefully not get sick this time). Heard great things about this place across the internet, so decided to stop by. It's definitely a bit out of the way, but I can tell you it's 100% worth it. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Beautiful outdoor and picnic area when you park, and you walk in to this old school type of bar/restaurant. Tons of nostalgic items displayed across the walls and behind the bar, as well as a huge black board with specials and drinks which makes ordering easy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I grabbed a local Rice Lager by Funguys Brewing, that sadly was oxidized. Not the bar's fault though, but was really disappointed about that. Went classic and got a BBQ sandwich and fries, which came with coleslaw and hush puppies. Now the fries and hush puppies were perfectly cooked. Crispy with a good crunch, but then soft in the middle. When it comes to the sandwich -- I guess I just don't get NC BBQ. Medium sized sandwich on a potato roll with a bunch of dry, mildly seasoned meat. I dumped 1/8th of a bottle of Pig Whistle BBQ Sauce (only thing available) and it really didn't add much except for the taste of vinegar. Threw the coleslaw on there too, and still just didn't blend right. Now overall, everything tasted good, it's just not my cup of tea. The service was absolutely amazing and the rest of the menu looks phenomenal so I'll definitely be giving it a second try when I'm back down next week! read more

Picnic - BBQ Sammich - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Worst ribs ever. Seems that they buy local free range hogs that have been run to death. Ribs so tough you will break your jaw - greasy with no meat - could barely cut with a sharp knife. They readily replace with a BBQ sandwich which tells you they know it's completely inedible. Collars tasted good, but cut the middle stem out of the leaf - that's just unacceptable. read more

I would love to give 4.5 stars. Service was super friendly, quick, and efficient. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The environment was exactly what we were looking for in a local independent shop. Perfect!!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food! Unfortunately, they had run out of brisket so we cannot review it. The Fried Chicken, deviled eggs, and smoked wings were all TOP NOTCH. I would order it over and over again! I would pass on the "barbecue" (pulled pork), cucumbers, and fries. They were just average, and this place has so much that's way above average! The ribs were pretty good, but dwarfed in comparison to the chicken products. Really wanted to try dessert but we were WAY too full!!! Hope everyone enjoys this place as much as we did! read more

Picnic - Fried Chicken, ribs, pulled pork "barbecue" - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Stopped by for takeout at lunch. My husband got the pulled pork sandwich with fries and I got the brisket with beans and greens. The food was absolutely delicious! Brisket is hard to cook and they did it perfectly. The green beans were flavorful but the star, outside the meat, was the hush puppies. Soooooo yummy!! Next time I'll have to eat in restaurant because this is the type of place you come back to! read more

I came in with friends for a late lunch. Friendly staff, wonderful food. [[HIGHLIGHT]]A comfortable place to enjoy a great lunch.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] A place to come back to again read more

Best fried chicken sandwich I've had ! Service is excellent and the sides were delicious!!!!! read more

Picnic - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

My lunch buddy always picks the best spots. Today he took me to Picnic, and we sat out front at one of the benches. We both had a BBQ sandwich, cole slaw, and hush puppies. My friend got fries as a side, my side was fried okra. And it was crispy! Yay! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Everything was delicious, the service was good, and I really enjoyed sitting outside.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I'm a fan! read more

Best BBQ we've had in North Carolina. Every meat was succulent and delicious. The sides were all well made and flavorful. Friendly and attentive staff, a pleasure to visit. read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great place for barbecue and music.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambience was just what you'd expect. Casual and friendly.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Worth the stop from Goldsboro back home to Charlotte. I randomly picked this place because it was open on Sunday, full service, full bar and the food looked pretty good. The food ended up being better than good, it was great! Mac & cheese, baked beans, combo brisket and BBQ (pork), hush puppies. I wish I got the bartender's name but he was amazing and made the experience that much better. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's a cool looking spot too, had the picnic feel but with escalated service and food.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I also ordered a banana pudding to go...wish I had gotten multiple! It was so good! read more

Picnic - Mac & Cheese, Baked Beans, combo Sliced Brisket and pork - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

A big ole platter Good Fried chicken Collard greens Brisket Meh French Fries Fried okra Bad Barbecue LOL (wayyyy too dry) Green beans (canned) Hush puppies (oil ball) read more

Picnic - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]We really enjoyed this place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It had a cute vibe and the food was pretty good.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The bartender who waited on us was very nice. They were out of a lot of stuff the day we went so if we go again we may try on a different day of the week. read more

Simple yet DELICIOUS chicken sandwich. Anytime I am in the area I crave this menu item and the 2 hushpuppies that come with it. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It is such cute spot to enjoy lunch with friends or family or even have a nice dinner out for great comfort food.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Thank you for being consistent in taste Picnic, I definitely will continue to be back! read more

Good barbecue. Great fried chicken. Has to be one of the few barbecue joints in the state with a full bar. My fiancé said next time we go she wants to eat outside on one of the picnic tables Great staff read more

Terrible Shrimp PoBoy. Large roll, not much filling.. Fries and Platter including Potato Salad and Beans good. Service good. read more

The food was incredible the service was incredible we got free banana pudding college football and the best brisket I've ever had amazing mac and cheese and the nicest server i've ever had Paulo read more

Picnic - This image speaks for itself - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We went on 10/19 afternoon and it was busy but they had several servers and a bartender for one party. We waited 20 minutes to order and our waitress never checked on us before, during, but she did check after our food was brought by somebody else. Another waitress brought us our food, before our appetizers and drinks we ordered. Food was meh, no seasoning on pork, chicken, or even Mac n cheese?! Beedubs, idk what's wrong with bbq joints in Durham but everyone runs out of brisket by dinner time... read more

This is a very decent BBQ place. Why I liked it: They actually make sides. So many NC BBQ places rely on the lazy "just add mayonaise" model. Picnic adds... ingredients, herbs, and spices that give the sides *gasp* flavor AND texture?!? The hushpuppies appear to be scratch made as well (vs. the frozen one's that are distro'd around the region). The BBQ is more of a pulled pork -- which I enjoyed. It most definitely isn't the same as chopped BBQ. NC BBQ purists and more conservative eaters are going to maybe NOT enjoy this. It is different than the standard Smithfield's Chicken N' Barbeque model. I hate to give it 4 stars, but I think 5 stars is a bit too much. It's a very decent BBQ place. I enjoyed, I would go again, I would recommend it. Go here. It's pretty dope. read more

We stopped here for a quick little lunch of wings and mac & cheese. Smoked wings drenched in honey hot served with ranch is a love language. The wings came with 3 flats and 3 drums but I switched with my partner to have all flats. IYKYK. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We asked to sit outside since it was a beautiful day and our service was fast and efficient.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Thank you! read more

Picnic - Honey hot wings - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Cool place to eat.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food was good - fried chicken was excellent!!! Nice and friendly staff and very accommodating. read more

Update to a review I left before: returned to Picnic and had one of the area's best BBQ sandwiches, complete with mac and cheese and hushpuppies, so good they will make your tastebuds sing. Prompt and efficient process to order and receive food. The setting may feel a little stark, given the exposed ceiling and huge chalkboard of drinking options, but where else will you get a brew named Bring Me a Shrubbery? Go there. Eat. Enjoy. read more

Picnic - Huge selection of drinks and desserts listed - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Ambiance and cleanliness was the best part of this place. The fried oysters and banana pudding were good. However $12 for 3 oysters and $6 for a very small portion of pudding is tough to root for. The bbq was well below average. Brisket was very dry and portion was small. Pork was flavorless and seemed old. Bbq sauce tasted like ketchup. Sides were average. Nothing memorable. Charged extra for asking for half lemonade and half water instead of a juice box on the kids meal. Service, had to ask for stuff that one would deem normal with bbq and hush puppies. Drinks weren't refilled once. Fun place to hang out. Disappointed w the food read more

Picnic - $20, below average taste imo. - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Great food and service. Sanitation score 91.5 and management needs to do better. The rules are clear, known in advance and nothing below 97 should ever be acceptable. read more

In all seriousness, this place is great. I'm not a BBQ lover, so the only time I am here is when joining friends. Saying that - I can still find something tasty on the menu. I've ordered their chicken thigh sandwich numerous times and it always delivers. Their fries are okay, not a big fan of their coleslaw, and enjoy their hush puppies. This time a friend and I ordered fried green tomatoes and pickle fries, both delish (and pictured). This place is affordable, tasty, and staff have always been friendly and cheerful. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Casual vibe! Great for lunch.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Picnic - Pickle fries & fried green tomatoes - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I rarely miss the chance to take home Picnic chicken any time I am in Durham. It's fried chicken the way I love it! Tender, juicy, with a light crispy coating. The hush puppies are also very good! Service has always been great when I have eaten there. read more

I bring everyone here for fried chicken and sublime brisket. I can't go longer than three months without a visit to picnic! Desserts are great and a full bar! Great beer selection too. Staff are always friendly. Informal setting but great vibe and indoor outdoor setting abundant. Come with your honey or a crowd. No one will go away hungry or disappointed! read more

This is the second time I've been here and I've loved it both times! It's not really a sit down restaurant so if that is the vibe you're looking for, this isn't really it. You order at a counter and they do bring your food and drinks out but there's not a server who checks on you. The food is top notch every single time. I really like their fried green tomato BLT but every time I get it I wish I got the brisket because it is so so good. Their cucumber and onion salad is always super fresh and I like their hush puppies. I'm not a coleslaw fan but my dad liked it a lot! I will absolutely be back!! read more

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My wife and I made our first visit to Picnic this past Saturday, arriving about 5: 30. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place was dark, noisy, and crowded.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Fortunately, it was warm enough to sit outside at a picnic table.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I ordered the beef brisket and pork plate. Sides of green beans were pretty good and the okra fair. We were both dismayed that they served "plates" of food in a rectangular paper container that you might find at a fair. Both meats tasted ok, but not particularly good/special. We asked for some slices of bread, but none were available. Q is still the best barbecue place in town. On a positive note, the service was very good. Our waitress was friendly and attentive, and the bar has a large selection of beers. read more

I will preface with, I'm a BBQ purist and snob, I love, love, love..... did i say Love BBQ. So with that I've been to many BBQ places around the country. Picnic is a solid BBQ spot. The cook on the Brisket was great however the flavor on it was just ok. The Whole Hog BBQ though was fantastic. The portions were manageable, not skimping out but not overly generous either they were just fair. The Mac and chees was meh, but the Brussels were fantastic flavor and cook. The smoked wings were ok. However the star was there Pig Whistle sauce very tasty! Beer was cold. Staff was super friendly and attentive 7.5/10 would eat here again! Cheers! read more

Picnic - Brisket and whole hog BBQ Mac and Brussels - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Excellent food and service. I haven't been for a few years and returned recently and the food remains stellar!

We ordered take out and had high hopes. Here's our 2 cents: Solid, southern style hush puppies. Smokey, flavorful brisket. Disappointing slaw. It's was runny and flavorless. Underwhelmed with the pork. Small portions, especially for the price. We wanted to love it but a solid BBQ place has to master the pork and slaw. I still gave it 4 stars for the brisket, but we won't be back since we have other top choices when we are in the mood for great BBQ. read more

Mmmmm mmmm good!!! Sometimes I wish I could give a half star because this place was pretty darn good, but not quite 4 stars--a solid 3.5 stars though. We were in the area for a few weeks and realized we needed some legit North Carolina BBQ. I googled "Best BBQ Places in NC" and then double checked them with Yelp reviews--this was one of the only ones on the list with good reviews on the list, so we decided to give it a shot! We pulled up and there was only one small group in front of us. We perused the menu and decided we had to share a few things, so we could try a bit more of the menu. My hubby got Whole Hog Sandwich with a side of mac & cheese, I ordered the Barbecue Boat with an extra side of collard greens and we shared a half rack of ribs. They nailed the whole hog barbecue and ribs--bomb flavor and I would be a fat kid if I lived closer. Really good and their NC BBQ sauce was sooo good. I love that vinegar bite and I didn't mind that it wasn't that thick for the meat. The sides are where things feel short for me--except for the coleslaw. I love coleslaw and this was a delicious super minced slaw perfect for piling on top of meat. The mac n cheese was ok, very creamy but not really cheesy so it was a miss for me. The collard greens had a great flavor to them, but they really needed to be cut up a little more. There were just whole greens that were difficult to eat and there were no meat/ hock bits in it which was a little disappointing. The hushpuppies were interesting. These kinda looked like hush puppy fingers. Maybe that's how they're done around here? They were okay but a little dry. I tried dipping them in the bbq sauce, but it wasn't think enough to really latch on to, so they were just okay. I really loved the outdoor picnic space. They bagged up our order and we enjoyed it outside on the picnic tables. It was a bit chilly, but we bundled up with extra sweaters and enjoyed the afternoon lunch. They were really good about coming outside and cleaning up the tables when people left. They also had a pretty good selection of beers to enjoy too. My hubby tried an IPA which he loved and I tried one of their ciders which I enjoyed with the meal. If you're looking for some delicious NC BBQ meat, you should try this place. Grab one of their beers and eat some meat! read more

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Tonight, I did something random. I decided to take a drive through Durham and randomly stopped at the first restaurant I saw. It happened to be "Picnic", a place that has been on my list for quite a while now. The IG worthy signage caught my eyes right away. I was a bit confused whether they were opened or not because most lights were off. Luckily, there was another customer leaving which gave me hope that the restaurant was actually open for business. Someone finally came out to take my order, he didn't seem too enthusiastic. The menu was taped on the windows, a bit further from the register. I ordered the brisket sandwich and then he asked for my side so I said, "fries". I added a sweet tea and it came out to be $20. Holy! I wasn't planning to spend that much but okay...I'll take it. When my food came out, I discovered that it was "CHOPPED" brisket. Hmm...I swore it said, "brisket sandwich". I assumed it was sliced brisket like most places. To be honest, it tasted like a sloppy joe or chili sandwich. I didn't taste any brisket what so ever. The fries were fresh but there were too many broken pieces. Also, the tea was from a bottle; not homemade sweet tea. My $20, gone just like that. Like a bully taking my lunch money. :( read more

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The smoky aroma lofting from this restaurant is irresistible! They are known for their barbecue, fried chicken, and catfish. I went the traditional route and ordered their Barbeque Boat which has their classic trio of pulled pork, coleslaw, and hushpuppies. My favorite was actually the coleslaw with the finely grated cabbage and hint of chives and creamy sauce that complemented well with the vinegar-based sauce and smokiness of the pork. Definitely one of the best coleslaw I have ever had! The indoor area is currently off limits, but the outdoor patio is open seating. Aside from their menu, they also have some cool swag such as hats and shirts for purchase as well. Lastly, they have an automatic service charge of 20% so that is taken care of. read more

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Everything about this place was amazing! The food is simple, and GOOD. My husband comes from Eastern NC and he was so impressed and said that it reminded him exactly of home. We both had the BBQ plates and they each came with 2 sides. I ordered Mac and cheese and my green beans (both were straight home style and I really wanted to lick my plate). My husband got the fried okra and the hush puppies. Both were equally delicious and I am NOT a fan of okra. we even got a bottle of the bbq sauce to take home with us. Will definitely be back soon! read more