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

Another example of why Yelp should have an option for zero stars. In 41 years, this is the worst restaurant I've ever eaten in, not that I ate. Got a catfish sandwich. Bland isn't the word. It was a soggy, greasy mess! Potato salad, coleslaw, and hushpuppies were gross. This place obviously has no idea how to season anything. Even the pickle fries were nasty, fried to hell, and most of them didn't even have pickles in them. What an absolute waste of time and money. read more

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Came over for dinner with friends after we visited the Duke lemur center. It was a beautiful day so we gladly picked outdoor seatings. When we arrived around 7, the little parking lots were pretty full from the guests sitting outside but there are still plenty of open tables inside. Food was ordered at the front desk and brought to us later. We ordered the fried green tomato (3 pieces), pickled fries, and deviled eggs (4 pieces) for starters - although they were all very fresh, they were in pretty small portions. Thankfully, entree food arrived very soon after. I really enjoyed my brisket sandwich - not anything unique or sophisticated, but solid flavor & portion. My boyfriend got a fried chicken sandwich and the fried chicken was dark meat, smoked & fried - highly approved! Though, our table's consensus was that their hush puppies were the winner of the meal. Our southern friend concluded these are "true hush puppies made the right way". Overall a good experience, and would recommend it for a casual, quick, but still yummy barbeque dinner. read more

Picnic is my fave local BBQ. Their brisket is to die for, and they have some of the best potato salad around. I've never had less than amazing service -dine in, takeout, or delivery. read more

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

We had a friend in town from California and a request was made for barbecue. I hadn't heard of Picnic but ended up in the area so it's time to see how it stacks up to the barbecue giant in Raleigh and Durham (you know who you are). I like the minimal decor and clean look here. The kitchen is viewable from the dining area which I thought was nice. We were seated fairly quickly and brought menus and drinks without too much wait. We started out with pimento cheese that comes with packaged Lance crackers. While some might find the packaged crackers tacky, it was kinda fun and well, works for their name, Picnic. The pimento cheese was just ok. It was certainly very strong flavor, just a bit dry. The menu is what you'd expect, pulled pork, fried chicken and catfish, sides like macaroni and cheese, collards, potato salad and beans. One stand out for me was pickled cucumbers and onions, which I got along side my fried chicken sandwich. I must say the sandwich was great! Perfect squishy bun, perfect fried chicken and nice touch of aioli sauce and pickled red onion. I didn't care for the little coleslaw that comes with it; super finely minced and kinda dry, even though I can't stand mayonnaise based coleslaw and usually prefer a drier coleslaw, this was too dry. None of the sides really blew me away, but I did like those pickled cucs and onions. My sister and I split so I could also try the pulled pork sandwich. It too was very good especially with a little bit of their sauce that's on the table. No biscuits that I could see, which was a bummer because that's one thing our visitor was looking for. We ended sharing a banana pudding and it was good! Very vanilla but I didn't get a nice crunch from Nilla wafers like Im used to with banana pudding. It was more cake-like, but good! Bathrooms were usable and cute, but could be cleaner please. I liked the bar area (taxidermy duck included) and would like to come back to try some cocktails. I found some of the pricing a little high but for locally sourced I'm willing to support. read more

Picnic - Fried chicken sandwich with pickled cucumbers and onions. Arnold Palmer to drink. - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Highly highly highly recommend the brisket! I ordered from here for my birthday dinner and the staff was lovely and the food was delicious!! The butter served with the corn bread was also a huge hit! By the end of the night, I ran out of brisket, hush puppies, and Mac and cheese. Sadly, there were a lot of left over pork bbq, maybe that's because everyone preferred the brisket. But the meal was truly solid. Service was fast and friendly! Will certainly return. read more

Picnic - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Nice enough little place. Parking is maybe a little tight. Our server was very sweet. Our food was fine, but I wasn't super impressed with the bbq which was sorta the main attraction. Their menu specifies where they get their local pigs and how they prepare it on site so I was expecting it to be phenomenal and it just wasn't. The Mac n cheese was boring, not bad. The collard greens were meh. The fried okra was perfect! Maybe the best one I've had in a while. And the dessert was *chef's kiss* Everything came out almost immediately after we ordered and we hadn't waited to sit. So good spot if you're looking for a quick bite. read more

Very good modern BBQ place! We were on a road trip and didn't want fast food. Great atmosphere and quick. Appreciate the non-BBQ and veggie options on the menu. Also checked on us while seated which was awesome. Love checking out new spots while driving through when we can! read more

Service was lightning fast and friendly. The hush puppies are to die for. The special sauce they use is delightfully tangy. I think the buns for the bbq are soft and of high quality. The shredded pork bbq is decent and of my favorite variety but in my lifetime of pork bbq ratings this place is 5/10 for Carolina style pork bbq and 10/10 for everything else. Loved it, will be back again, but it isn't destination-level bbq. read more

Good barbecue and friendly service! I agree that it's not the best barbecue I've had, but it is really good and there is something for everyone on the menu. They also have some fun and unique appetizers. Their barbecue sauce is really good and they sell it by the bottle. Plenty of seating and they do seem to do a lot of takeout as well (perhaps I would like it better if I had dined in, since that usually results in better anything in my opinion). The cocktails looked interesting, also! read more

Only a takeout review so keep that in mind. This is not bbq. This is smoked meat. I've had better in LA cooked by some talented and flavor conscience Mexicans. Eat here if you want some beautiful meat on a plain bun. Make sure you've got some sauce on hand at home or it'll be a dry experience - maybe ask for a side but in my experience they'll charge you. Why three stars? Because holy crap the collards!! read more

If your looking for a good BBQ place?? Pass this place right by...$16.00 for a small chopped BBQ sandwich that tastes like it was made with Sloppy Joe mix....fries and a cup of water. The BBQ tastes like it was cooked in ketchup. The fries are nothing special. It wasn't terrible and it wasn't great either. The price is ridiculous for the quality..Some of the brisket was a little old. You could tell it's been sitting for awhile. The meal was maybe worth $8. Damn sure not $16.00... read more

Picnic - Chopped Brisket Sandwich, fries and water. - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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The food was mediocre, and the fried okra's were soaked in grease. Brisket was dry. I've had better barbecue. The dessert tasted like chocolate mousse mixed with brownie cake batter with definitely store-bought Cool Whip. Not the very best dessert either. read more

Picnic - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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The Picnic is the Standard around the Durham Area for Family Style BBQ!!! Throw in that wonderful Brunswick Stew with those Collard Green or Okra, now you got a Great Meal!!! Drive on a beautiful road and enjoy setting outside with the fans blowing. Yes indeed a good experience to be enjoyed with Family/Friends. read more

Picnic - Yes Indeed Folks!!!! - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Super tasty bbq and brisket! Sides were good, but nothing was out of this world fantastic. Drinks were good and staff was friendly.

Food: We got the brisket, whole hog bbq, and fried chicken sandwich w/ hush puppies and coleslaw. The brisket was pretty tender but super fatty so not really to our liking. The whole hog bbq (pulled pork) was kinda just clumped together and not anything special. The fried chicken sandwich was the star and it was lightly breaded with juicy meat. Experience: Due to COVID, we ordered take out at the restaurant (although you could do it online as well). We went a few min after opening at 1100 so there weren't a lot of people. The food was brought out to our car probably within 5ish min of being ordered so I appreciate the quick service. Staff were friendly and the quality of the take out containers was top notch so I wasn't worried about it making a mess in my car. Value: All items totaled just over $40. Given the amount of food we got and the quality, I'd say it was def pricey. I understand there was a bit of an up-charge per item due to COVID. Still, I don't think it was worth the money and would try another spot over this one if I could do it again s read more

Picnic - Sliced Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Creative twists on Southern favorites and a solid addition "north of 85"...been probably four times and all worthwhile; and my wife enjoys the changing beer selection. read more

Take out order was perfect! The fried okra even had a tasty warm crunch when we sat down to eat 30 minutes after picking up- surprising for takeout. The pork sandwiches were large and filling with a side of hush puppies and fries, we had enough for two dinners each. Definitely recommend this place. read more

When in North Carolina, MUST. HAVE. BBQ. On this trip, we tried Picnic. It wasn't my all time favorite Carolina BBQ place, but we had a good time nonetheless. After ordering at the front, we grabbed a seat at the bar. I opted for the BBQ Plate (duh!) with beans, hushpuppies, coleslaw. I also ordered a Brunswick Stew, mostly becasue I wanted to see what the hell Brunswick stew was. It was essentially a BBQ pork soup -- not bad, but nothing I'd rush back for. What I would rush back for, though, were those BBQ beans. Holy hell, those were some awesome beans. I'm not an expert on hushpuppies, but they definitely seemed to be better than most of the others I've had as well. The coleslaw, however, was a disappointing little cup of nothing. As for the BBQ pork, it was enjoyable, but somewhat middling compared to some of the other spots we've been. I really didn't have much (if any) sauce on it, which was a bit disappointing. I was looking for that vinegary flavor that Carolina BBQ is so famous for, but I had to add a bottled sauce on the meat to get it. Nevertheless, the good service, let's say "quirky" bartender, and atmosphere, made for a fun inexpensive meal out. I'd probably try some other BBQ spots before I go back to Picnic, but I'd definitely go back. If nothing else, for those amazing beans. read more

I was incredibly impressed with the takeout dinner we had from Picnic. We ordered a full rack of ribs, a pound of brisket, plus coleslaw and mac & cheese sides. Everything was delicious and relatively well-priced. The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender, but lean and flavorful-- not overly fatty. The brisket MELTED in my mouth, it was that tender. Coleslaw was standard, not too liquid-like. Mac & cheese was creamy with well-cooked pasta (al dente and not too soft). The takeout situation was a COVID-safe table outside, everyone wearing masks. Certainly among the best BBQ I've ever had-- better than many more expensive places I've eaten at in bigger cities like SF and NYC. Definitely coming back to Picnic if we come back to Durham again in the future! read more

Picnic - Full rack of ribs, pound of brisket, coleslaw, Mac & Cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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In North Carolina, barbecue is a religion, and few places show the reverence and respect for the Carolina barbecue tradition quite like Picnic. And if you love to support local microbreweries, boy is this the place for you! They feature a rotating beer list featuring local breweries, so you can always be rest assured that every dollar spent here supports the local economy! I personally highly recommend the fried chicken sandwich, but really you can't go wrong with anything here! The macaroni and cheese is just like mama makes, and don't even get me started on the barbecue itself! It's made eastern style here, and that means tangy vinegar flavors that pop in your mouth and set your taste buds alight. Do yourself a favor and indulge in some traditional southern cooking at Picnic read more

Picnic - Order to go at their outdoor kiosk! - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

At time of my review, Picnic was rating 3.9 stars. All I can say is, people, stay away from the hooch when writing reviews. Picnic is five stars all day, everyday. Today was my second visit. I had the pulled pork plate. Au nataural, it was tasty, but the house bbq sauce knocked that janx out of orbit. My ocra side was crisp and tasty and my green bean side was on steroids. To top off this delight were the curously sweet hust puppies. Someone dropped love on those puppies. Anyhow, stop downstarring places over stupid stuff. We know Picnic is a five oh. read more

Have not been to Picnic since before the Pandemic, during that time, they had dropped off the menu, what was a really good burger. Tonight I went there as I saw a burger on their website as a special. I sure hope they keep that special going because it's the best Damn Burger I've had in a long time, less than a quarter mile from my home. They have a great offering of local draft beers, and the service was very quick and friendly. It's a great neighborhood spot , that apparently draws from all over central North Carolina, for a quick beer, a happy hour cocktail, casual dinner or lunch. It's a Barbecue joint, which I hear is quite good, and I've heard the Fried Chicken is awesome. I can tell you the Hush Puppies were absolutely out of this world. read more

Ate here after a Duke lacrosse game. Good location and nice restaurant settings. Carter, our server, was terrific. Very personable and efficient. Very responsive to our requests for ice, BBQ sauce, etc. Pulled pork sandwich is very good and slab of ribs with sides was huge and delicious. Highly recommend. read more

Came for the BBQ and outdoor seating and left very satisfied with both. Here's everything we ordered for our family of 4 adults and 3 kids: - NC whole hog BBQ: absolutely delicious! - Ribs: sauce was a bit too sweet for us but the meat was super tender. - Fried chicken: great option for kids who didn't want to get hands too sticky. Crispy and meat was still moist - Sliced brisket: the best of the meats!!! Tender and melted in our mouths. - Pig Tail: this was a special. If you like fatty, this is for you! Wasn't feeling the strawberry sauce that came with it. - Chicken tenders: can't go wrong for kiddos Now for the sides and apps: - Trout dip: this was another special. Too salty for us and not enough flavor. - House made seasonal pickles: not a crowd favorite. Needed to be more pickle-y if you know want I mean. - Mac and cheese: another easy pick for the kids - Baked beans: super tummy! - Potato salad: our favorite side! - Waffle fries: crispy and another kid favorite Would I go out of my way to drive here - probably not. But if I'm in the area and weather's nice, I'm definitely swinging by at least for the brisket, hog BBQ and potato salad! Also to note, more expensive than other places around the area. The quality is there though! The service was excellent. The outdoor seating was clean and spacious. read more

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I stopped by on my drive across country for lunch and had one of the best brisket sandwiches I've had in a very long time. Also a great and friendly staff. You won't be disappointed! read more

Great little BBQ place. Good menu with good side selections and a full bar if you are thirsty. We were seated right away, had a really friendly server and the food came out fast! Good beer and cocktail selection. Food was fresh. Will be back if we are in the area again. read more

Picnic - Barbeque platter with potato salad, baked beans, cole slaw, far plate is Po' Boy sandwich with lil' salad. - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

People had always told me that the barbecue was only average here, but that the sides were to die for. Well, I can at least agree with half of that statement. The barbecue certainly wasn't to die for, maybe die of. It was drier than a Baptist wedding in South Carolina. The fried chicken was chalky and overcooked too so we figured that the chef must be focusing on their famous sides yet he may have just been preoccupied because they weren't revelatory either. Nothing at this place was particularly terrible, but nothing was very good either. In a state filled with the best barbecue on the planet, it is practically criminal to spend your money at a place like this while some of the classic North Carolina barbecue traditions struggle to stay in business. You're better off driving a little further, doing some research and having a picnic somewhere else with better food. read more

Picnic - Fried chicken, Mac & Cheese and Baked Beans - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Great location near Eno river! Good service, food is affordable and delicious. Highly recommend getting take out and eating it by the river.

New school in Bullocks old school League. Phenomenal sides and delicious bbq with yummy sauce. Highly recommend. read more

Barbecue restaurant and bar on Cole Mill Rd., not far from Eno River State Park. The inside has clean and simple decor, and a decent amount of space. The outside has a couple of picnic tables for seating. The menu is pretty standard barbecue, with pulled pork (eastern NC style), brisket, ribs as the main meats, and most of the southern style sides you'd expect. The price to portion ratio is a bit higher to the other barbecue places I've been to in NC. My pulled pork sandwich plate was $10 and came with a tiny cup of coleslaw and one side. A larger pork plate with two sides is $16. The food I got was pretty good though. I liked their pulled pork in that it has flavor, but not too much of the vinegar taste. I got the sweet potato puree as the side, which was tasty as well. Overall, probably 3.5 stars. I'll round up to 4. read more

Picnic - pulled pork sandwich with slaw and sweet potato puree - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

On our way out of town, our friends suggested lunch at Picnic. They had been here previously, but it was my first visit. The place us super cool on the inside. Upscale bbq place. We were seated quickly and waited on my our pleasant server. We started with the deviled eggs. They were quite tasty. I'm not a big fan of mustard, but I did enjoy them. They had great flavor. We believe the eggs are smoked too. Definitely unique! I wanted to try their brisket but I wasn't overly hungry so I ordered the brisket cheese fry appetizer for my entree and a side of fried okra. The okra was delicious!! Fried perfectly and tasty. The brisket cheese fries were good. The brisket was cooked well and tender. It was in a flavorful bbq sauce. I felt like it was a bit over sauced. I couldn't taste the meat flavor, only the sauce. If I would try this again, I'd ask for it to be light on the sauce. Other folks in our group ordered the Brunswick stew, wings, veggie plate, fries oyster boat (a special) and a bbq plate. Everyone enjoyed their food! We finished up by all splitting a banana pudding, which was outstanding!! Large enough to split too. I would definitely try Picnic again and order a sandwich or a plate next time. read more

Picnic - Brisket cheese fries and fried okra - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Excellent! They are kind and courteous. Food is delicious. Especially loved the fried chicken sandwich and the wings. Their specialty sauce is great. This was my first time back since before the pandemic so I'm glad they survived and are thriving. Definitely get the Mac and cheese and fried okra!! read more

All you can eat oysters for their 'birthday' was amazing. I was pleasantly surprise when I the oysters were huge and meaty. I have never had roasted oysters, similar to grill but a little different. I loved it. The pulled pork was also on point. read more

Picnic - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Save your money. Dry hog and hushpuppies. And the flavors just aren't there. Not worth the money. Cute sign on the front tho. read more

Picnic - NC Whole Hog Barbecue plate - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Really good deep smoke barbecue. During COVID they only offer outdoor seating or takeout. They have lots of dairy-free and gluten-free options. I got the pulled pork plate with collard greens. One disappointment was the waffle fries came with CHEESE on them. Which I'm sure is delicious, but I'm lactose intolerant, so it was a bummer. read more

Great place to eat barbecue! The food is delicious. Highly recommend this place. They also do take out.

This is the best barbecue in Durham, we also got a catering order recently with fried chicken, brisket, mac and cheese, corn bread and kale salad. The team was so efficient in processing the order, it was well packaged, with instructions for how to set things up. And of course, the food was phenomenal. If you decide to eat there, they have a wonderful outdoor space with heaters. Free parking on site. Staff is kind and courteous. Some reviews have called it pricey, but we found it to be very reasonable, especially for the quality of food! read more

Decided to give Picnic a try for lunch. There wasn't a single thing on the plate that wasn't delicious! Our server, Jaime walked us thru the menu and specials like a pro, and was quick, attentive and super friendly. Amy had fried green tomatoes and pulled pork. Tomatoes were firm and crunchy, the batter fried to a perfect golden brown. The aioli dipping sauce was a great complement, creamy and tart with a little heat. We agreed that these are the best fried green tomatoes we've ever eaten. I had the pulled pork plate, accompanied by collards, glazed brussels sprouts, coleslaw and hush puppies. The hi-quality ingredients was fresh and incredible. Collards were perfect - full leaves, not too mushy, the ideal blend of spices. Brussels sprouts are my favorite and these were fantastic. The glaze was sweet and tangy, but not overpowering. Coleslaw freshly made, ground fine and slightly sweet. Hush puppies fried right... light brown, firm but not too crunchy, not greasy and spiced just right. Oh, and let's not forget the pulled pork! A nice portion, definitely expertly cooked, very lightly sauced. The house sauce, Pig Whistle, is classic NC vinegar based. It's good, but not my favorite - I'm a sweet sauce guy. Last but not least was a shared banana pudding. A little too much whipped cream for my liking... But under that cream - YUM. It's a relatively small place, urban chic. Tables widely spaced so lots of elbow room and a couple of tables out front. There's an extensive beer list, and a whole bunch of other things to try on the menu. At $40 for lunch it wasn't cheap, but well worth the drive for some outstanding BBQ with all the fixins. We'll be back! read more

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