I went there last night with a group of 7 people. We were seated outside at one of the large picnic tables. Seating inside seamed more limited to smaller parties. We were told it would be 45 minutes to an hour but we were seated in about 30 minutes. The server was friendly, knowledgable and honest about the options. We followed her lead and we were not disappointed. The bbq was smokey without being over powering and i did not find any huge fat portions that can make it hard to chew. The bbq sauce on the table is vinegar based and spicy so add carefully. I also ordered the pimento cheese mac and cheese and baked beans and both were very good. This is a place i will go back to in the future. Only draw back is parking. Parking is limited and it is located in a curve so it makes it challenging to pull out onto the road. read more

Might be the best BBQ in Durham (Original Q Shack is pretty good too) Friendly staff, prompt service, good craft beer selection and most importantly delicious BBQ! Try the "picnic" deviled eggs (smoked deviled egg with pickled shallot). read more

This is either the best or second best place to eat BBQ in Durham. It might just be the best, and the only thing keeping it from easily being the favorite for our family is our total love for Texas BBQ. Either way, this place was utterly awesome, and we likely gained 10 lbs by coming here due to our inability to control our urges to eat more and order more. It's truly amazing. Why oh why did it take us so many years to finally discover this place?! read more

Its okay. If I could figure out how to do 2 1/2 stars thats what my real score would be. We ate there in early March. The BBQ I really enjoyed, the flavor was good it wasn't overly sauced and it wasn't over cooked or dry. Your normal NC vinegar based sauce. So if you don't like that skip this one. I prefer Q a little more chopped but that's a non-issue for me. The sides on the other hand. Not a fan. There were three of us and we all tried to get different sides so we could taste more of the menu. I got the cukes and onions in vinegar/oil...honestly if you mess that up you need to close your doors. That was on point. The other side I got was the sweet potato puree something or other, whatever it was supposed to be it lacked a lot of flavor (its called vanilla folks add it in, it needs it desperately). It also had almost a burnt flavor to it i don't know if thats an effort to get a smoked flavor to it maybe or if it was burnt?? Not good no one at out table would eat it. The hush puppies were just okay they are missing some flavor too. Maybe not enough onion or onion salt? Not sure but the flavor profile was pretty bland. My sister got the potato salad... WAY WAY to much dill. It really over powered the dish. Maybe some people really like a strong dill taste. This was just way over the top. The pimento mac and cheese-- I was not a fan. I love love pimento cheese too but it just didn't play well together for me in the mac combination. The Baked beans & slaw were just eh, honestly pretty forget able. I really don't remember now why none of us really liked them but we could take them or leave them. I was kind of surprised the waitress didn't ask us why our sides weren't eaten. I polished off my cukes & Q but I left the sweet potato with only three bites gone. That's how pretty much all the sides looked. If I had been the waitress It would alarm me that only 3 bites of each side were eaten from the sides. The bill... VERY Pricey especially for lunch. I would like to try their fried chicken as it looked really good. But I'm a little hesitant to go back. The atmosphere was a little hipster BBQ reclaimed stuff, simple but I did like that they didn't try to overly trend it up with hipster pigs and what not. Staff is friendly and informed about the menu. A little slow, it took us about 30 minutes to get our food from the time the order was taken. Not from the time we were seated. They were busy but it was also what I call early lunch 11:30. Nice amount of room between tables but it is very loud. Its a small restaurant and im glad they didn't put tables on top of each other. The parking lot is full most evenings and that's one of the draw backs to this place. There is NO PARKING. This is a really draw back. They need to strike up a deal with the masonic lodge across the street for over flow parking. But crossing the street there for Ped's is just out right dangerous. I know I live less than a mile away from the place. Sides are the supporting actors to your BBQ so they need to be just as good as the star. That's sadly lacking here along with parking the only thing not missing was the price. Overall Eh I wasn't blown away that's for sure. I'm not going to totally leave it off the list but with the sides as they were, I doubt I will be using this as my go to place for Q, no matter how close it it is to my home. Which is disappointing because I was really looking forward to being blown away. read more

This was such a great restaurant with excellent food and service. The menu had something for everyone. Sandwich options were very affordable, with options for bigger plates as well. I had the fried chicken sandwich and LOVED it. The Banana Pudding is also a MUST! Will definitely become a regular spot of ours. read more

We LOVE this neighborhood gem!! The shrimp boat is delicious - the breaking is perfect! The fried chicken - perfection! The BBQ sauce is glorious - we even bought some to ship to family in NY - big hit! We go for takeout and have a craft beer at the bar while we're waiting :-) Fast and friendly servers! read more

I'm from Texas, and I'm darn proud of it. I like my BBQ the Texas way. My friends, family, random people I'm stuck in an elevator with, everyone knows this. I heard good things about the fried chicken at Picnic, so I had to check it out. With Lactaid in hand, I picked up my foodie friend and we celebrated America's Birthday with a Picnic trip. We both were blown away by the crispy fried chicken skin and tender, moist white meat. The accompanying sauce was weird, but that's the only complaint I have with our entire visit. Good service for the most part, nice selection of local beer, easy parking, crispy fries and hush puppies, and spicy collards. What more do you need? Well, you heard it here first: you need some Carolina 'cue. Until I tried the pulled pork from Picnic, Buxton Hall in Asheville has held the title of "Only Carolina BBQ this annoying Texas gal likes" for 3 years. Y'all need to try for yourselves. The moist meat sourced locally doesn't even require any pesky vinegar sauce--it's that good. I can't wait to return to Picnic to try a frozen cocktail that isn't too sweet--the cherry limeade option that was swirling on my first visit was too sweet. I didn't need anything else to sweeten the deal after my first bite of that delicious pork! read more

Picnic - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Dinner with wife and kids Friday night was great. We came early enough to not wait for a seat. The fried chicken was huge, delicious, and filling while my two sides of pimento mac and cheese and cucumbers were excellent. Furthermore, the chocolate pie was perfect. Only complaint would be the minimum price for a draft beer of over $6.00. Regardless, it's convenient and local! We will be back. read more

My new favorite BBQ place in Durham. Picnic has a lot of room but feels cozy. The food is excellent! I got the Pulled Pork Plate with bacon braised collars and baked beans. All of it was delicious and the portions are very generous! I haven't been that full in quite some time read more

We live just a couple miles away but had never made it over here. Enjoyed lunch. We split pimento cheese appetizer. I had fried green tomato BLT and fried Brussel sprouts (special side). He had pulled pork sandwich with potato salad. Since we weren't drinking, splurged on chocolate chess pie and fried apple pie for dessert. Every bite I put in my mouth was delicious. I chose well. When we come again, I will probably go with BLT &, if they have them, those brussel sprouts. Also enjoyed some of his pulled pork. I guess it is a little on the pricey side, but I thought it was well worth it. Will definitely be back! read more

I thought it was good, at the time they did not have a sampler plate with ribs. They said they were creating one. It is good bbq . The also have a pretty good bar. I would go back. read more

My wife and I had a great experience here at Picnic in Durham. Outstanding fried chicken and sides. Save room for the cornmeal pound cake if you can. read more

Super tasty, groovy hip take on a BBQ place.. I liked that.. they had a full bar.. very nice bartender. Frozen jack and coke slushy he let me try while were sipping our cocktails waiting for our takeout. The menu is on the smaller side for a BBQ place.. no ribs or sausage. Pulled pork was tasty. I'm not a huge vinegar sauce fan I've discovered (I'm from tx.. it's different down there)... the fried green tomato blt was AMAZING! Hush puppies were flavorful. Piemento mac was 3 1/2-4 out of 5.. so pretty solid, but not mind blowing. collard greens were ok.. but I make really good ones lol.. anywho! I really liked the place.. I don't live near there, otherwise it would be on the rotation. read more

Overpriced under achieved pork. I can't even bring myself to call it BBQ. Very sour tasting. And $10 for a 4 ounce serving with slaw and hush puppies with no other sides!?!? I've been there twice, my first and last in one visit. I think I'll take a road trip to the eastern part of the state to get the real stuff this weekend. read more

This food was not seasoned at all. The fried chicken breading fell off the chicken and it wasn't even seasoned. The Mac and cheese had no flavor and the collards wasn't seasoned and it even had bacon in it. I paid almost $50 for my meal was not pleased with it all. I would rather eat at bojanles compared to this. read more

New to the area and live close by. I give it a 4 because I can't speak for the BBQ, as I don't eat pork. I had the fried chicken sandwich and fried okra. The okra was a little salty, but delicious anyway. We sat at the bar and found the service very friendly. They had a diverse beer selection and Prosecco on tap. My husband had the braised beef sandwich special and thought it was fantastic. If you're looking for BBQ shack prices, you won't find them here, but I was ok with prices considering the quality of food, service and atmosphere. We are sure to go back. read more

Attended a party catered by Picnic, and everything about it was superb -- so much fun to drive up and see the smoker, smell the roasting pork, then eat the delicious barbeque. It was the best ever, and the Pig Whistle sauce finished it off to perfection. The sides were outstanding, too: collards like your mama used to cook, sweet potatoes topped by spiced pecan crumble, and the kind of macaroni and cheese you dream about. Made sure nobody was looking, then I sampled all three desserts: banana pudding taken to a new level(just the right splash of vanilla), chocolate chess pie, and key lime pie. Picnic's professional and personable staff added a special touch to the event and made sure everything ran like clockwork. The event was a crowd-pleaser and a party that won't soon be forgotten. read more

Picnic is incredible. Great food, beer and a fun atmosphere. They take a "BBQ joint" to another level. Well done!

Unfortunately I have to echo the disappointment experienced by Dave C. This place is pricier than average, and we eat out as a family often so we know. We heard very positive media reports about the owner/founder and the concept for the restaurant and we were excited. So excited we took my husband for my son's first Father's Day on June 18. I had a special menu item - the shrimp boat. The shrimp were fine, but not any "wow factor". The cocktail sauce was clearly homemade and was good. The portion was very small for the price. The slaw was average at best and very plain (we love slaw, but not this). My husband had the pulled pork BBQ, collards, mac-n-cheese. Let me pause on the mac-n-cheese for a moment specifically - in a word "terrible". It tasted sour, it wasn't visually appealing, the texture was slimy. I ordered a side of it to feed to my kids and had to send it back. Bad. So back to my husband's plate. The BBQ was tender but not flavorful. True Eastern NC pulled pork should not need loads of sauce to have flavor. The collards were not my taste (we love collards, but not these) but I will just relent that they weren't for us and won't call them "bad". A small cup of about 8 small hush-puppies is $3.50. Puppies are usually free (right), the portion was small, they were maybe slightly above average, but not to-die-for, and for the price they needed to be. Finally, my mom ordered chicken wings. We expected finger licking good chicken. The wings tasted like paper. The texture was like cardboard. The portion was tiny for the price. Even my sweet tea was bad, and I draw the line when you mess with my sweet tea. Atmosphere was average but not terribly inviting or great for families with kids. The back door was worn/filthy and should be hidden/replaced. Finally, the flies... We live less than 3 miles from this place. We thought we were in for a treat and were starting a family tradition. We paid a hefty tab and got a not at all good memory for our trouble. We left without daring to try dessert and wishing we had just gone to Q-Shack or Bullocks. read more

Picnic is a great place! I love the atmosphere and our server was amazing. The food is incredible, the best palmetto Mac and cheese EVER!!!! LOVE Picnic read more

good solid food. I had the chicken and would have liked a bit more seasoning as described by others but perfectly cooked. My buddy had the pork and it was very good. We both had the greens - perfectly NOT overcooked into mush. Parking is tight. read more

Stopped here because of the limited options near Eno River State Park. How lucky were we? We've been back multiple times since. The food is incredible! The pimento cheese burger and fried green tomato burger were both delicious and fresh. We loved delicious specials like cod sandwich and the calamari basket. We love that everything there is high quality with a unique twist. Plenty of craft beers on tap and dog-friendly seating outside when the weather is good. read more

Cleanest BBQ restaurant I have ever been in. Pork sandwiches and one side ( fried okra and baked beans.) Real sweet tea. Very busy but it was Christmas Eve. Extensive booze list. Sauce was good with vinegar and standard tomato. Small and can get crowded easily. read more

I hadn't heard about Picnic until a friend brought me there following a long hike in the nearby Eno River State Park. I was expecting to order barbecue, until the Fried Chicken Sandwich caught my eye. This may be the best fried chicken I've EVER had. Perfectly juicy on the inside, without sacrificing crispness on the outside or being overly oily. A light portion of Old Bay aioli gives a subtle flavor boost, but the chicken itself is what really shines overall! I'll definitely be coming back for more! read more

Enjoyed a weekend lunch meal here - pulled pork, pimento mac & cheese, greens were all excellent. Biscuit with fried chicken/cheese/gravy had good flavor but the biscuit was hard & dry... (Not gonna try another biscuit at this place when there are so many places around here with consistently amazing biscuits.) Service was quick and friendly, and we really appreciated that the tables weren't smushed together so we weren't sitting on top of our neighbors. read more

Had the privilege of enjoying the soft shell crab sandwich they had on special. Simple ingredients but tasted amazing. Service was on point and the beer selection was good. Parking was severely limited, however. read more

The place has great drinks and barbecue, stay away from wings. Kitchen has great hush puppies, but refilling ketchup bottles (not combining)'on a counter beside my table was horrendous. Bottles are nasty on table. Get 1.00 ketchup squirter. read more

I try to frequent Picnic whenever in town. Incredible whole hog BBQ with amazing sides. I'm a big fan of the collard greens and sweet potato puree. They serve a tiny amount of coleslaw, as some people don't like coleslaw, but if you ask they will give you a large portion. The hush puppies are a little dry and would rather have these swapped out with some cornbread. I love their sauce which I believe they also sell at retail locations. I hear the fried chicken is amazing as well, but can't resist whole hog BBQ. They also have an impressive beer menu across draft and bottles. I usually find a beer or two that are nearly impossible to find on draft in North Carolina. read more

Haven't had a chance to actually eat in but had takeout - the BBQ pork and mac n cheese and cuke salad. Delicious!! The hush puppies were a tad dry. Will definitely be going back!! So happy we have a good restaurant in North Durham!!!!! read more

Excellent and well thought out menu and recipes. People are griping about $$$, stay home or go to another cheaper establishment. You pay for what you get. Their heirloom pork (locally farmed) is worth every penny in terms of taste and quality. Their sides are improving every time I go. I can see them adding another TV at the bar and being full around big sporting event nights. Keep the taps open, I'll be there! For being opened this short of time, they are great and will be a welcome fixture in our neighborhood for long time! read more

This place is awesome. New favorite BBQ joint in the area. Everything was on point - friendly staff, generous portions, good fried chicken, pimento mac, collards, baked beans, potato salad, pulled pork, coleslaw. The one thing I didn't care for was the hush puppies - I prefer a stronger onion flavor and a side of butter for dipping, but that's a personal style thing. The BBQ sauce could always be more vinegary in my opinion but it's a great compromise as they say. I also really liked the location - it's in a neighborhoody area with trees on either side so you feel like you're eating in someone's backyard. Go and try it! read more

It lived up tot he hype! I ordered fried Chicken, Pimento mac and cheese and baked beans. It was all awesome. Compared to some other local places, it's a smaller portion for a higher price, but in my opinion it was worth it. read more

Like others, we came for the BBQ, but left being most impressed by the fried chicken, which, indeed, is absolutely excellent. The BBQ is good too and I liked the sauce (though I'm no purist). Solid drink list and service and great interior (a hipstered NC BBQ joint), though parking is a real challenge. read more

Impressed! Cute little BBQ stop off hwy 85 . Tried the smoked S.Fried Chicken-super juicy, Pulled pork BBQ-OMG!!, fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese-mixed together are AMAZING! We will be back; please keep up the great food and service; we need more restaurants like you in this area!!! read more

Fantastic BBQ and amazing fried chicken. All the sides hit it out of the park-cold slaw, sweet potatoes, and mac&cheese. I will definitely be back to stuff my belly with this amazing food. Great job, Picnic!! read more

Not sure what all the hype is about. Nothing was bad, but nothing was great. They are close to being really good, and have the hard parts down, but need a little tweaking. The fried chicken was moist, with a really crispy breading, but was really bland. The hush puppies were crispy on the outside, and light and fluffy inside, but, again, bland. Pork tender and moist, but....yep, bland. Baked beans were overly sweet. The pimento Mac and cheese was very good. Frustrating, because it's difficult to get a crispy and moist fried chicken and a tender and moist pork, and they accomplished that. They just need some seasoning. read more

Yummy smoked pork barbecue. Great service. Really yummy desserts. My only disappointment is the sides.

I thought I was going to have to be wheel chaired out of there. I couldn't stop eating it!!!! WOW. I'd give this place more stars if I could. I told my sweetheart waitress to surprise me. She ordered me fried chicken sandwich with some marmalade sauce, Mac & cheese and Brussel sprouts. Don't ask what I liked the best it was all amazing. But the Brussel sprouts ... and the Mac... and also the sandwich. Yea. It was all amazing. I was just passing through the area, they don't have food like this where I come from! read more

Most friendly staff I've ever experienced!!! Place feels really clean. The BBQ is good

Great place to go when your appetite is at its best because you will receive a nice hardy helping of good food!!