Ralph's is huge and there aren't a lot of choices in the area. It's a BBQ buffet and it is OK. It's not great, but probably better than the options in the area. On the buffet is pulled and chopped pork. Chopped was better than the pulled. The pork was probably braised or cooked in a stainless. No smoke was involved at all, so it's pig, but it's not really BBQ. Slaw was great. Cabbage was good. Fried chicken was overly breaded and not too great. Big supply of desserts that looked promising. Folks were friendly and it was an easy in and out. This place is fine, but it's nothing special. It's a place to go and eat too much decent food. Keep hunting. I'm sure there's some smoke about somewhere in this neck of the woods. read more

The Eastern style BBQ here is great! When seated, you're immediately served hush puppies with a honey butter spread. There's a buffet where you can pick what you'd like, but I ordered off of the menu. I got the Chopped BBQ and 1/4 Fried Chicken Combination Plate. It also comes with french fries, cole slaw, and Brunswick stew. Their fried chicken is very different from other places, but in a good way. It's very crispy and tender. I was most impressed with the cole slaw, as I don't eat everyone's cole slaw. This plate is enough for two people, or you can indulge on your leftovers later. If you're traveling on I-95, I highly recommend coming here. The staff is very sweet also. read more

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5 stars for what it is - a small town NC style BBQ joint. Not fancy and little atmosphere. It's a big room and feels like a cafeteria, family oriented with a large buffet. Most people order from the buffet so you can have a bit of everything. The veggies are canned but that is to be expected on a all you can eat buffet that serves 100s of people a day. The minced BBQ is better that the pulled. This is vinegar based but they do offer some with sweet red BBQ sauce. Cole slaw is outstanding. The fried chicken is battered and fried - it is not rolled in flour so it can be over battered sometimes. Brunswick stew is flavorful but a bit thin (I'm a Brunswick stew snob and expect the spoon to stand upright in the bowl). Chicken livers in gravy - yum. Chicken and pastry is loaded with chicken and good. Lots of other options. The hushpuppies are average and I have to add pepper to give a bit of zip. Desserts on the buffet are limited. Banana puddling is good but not great. The chocolate cake is bland. There is a selection of desserts that are good but extra and after eating at the buffet, I seldom order dessert. Wait staff is wonderful but the counter people can be a bit surly (maybe because they are so busy). I prefer NC style but you are prefer your BBQ smothered in that sugary sweet red sauce, you may be disappointed. This is a place to eat lots of homestyle food, reasonable price, and down home attitude. Nothing fancy. read more

My sister asked me to stop by this place on my way to Virginia. She asked me to get a quart of Chopped BBQ. The menu said $13.00 but the lady charged $28 bucks. When I disputed she told me that was the price. I think she knew I was an out of towner. It's sad but that's how my black people treat their own. I've never had a good experience with African American southerners. God help. I had another black owned business in NC cheat me out of $10. I gave her a $20 dollar bill she gave me no change back. That's why I deal with the other persuasion. I'm African American with a little native Indian in my blood but for some reason my African American folks don't like me. Go figure! read more

Stopped here on way south. I really enjoyed this fourth generation bbq restaurant. The vinegar based chopped pork was great. Every side we tried was better than the other. The chicken had great flavorful breading probably a little thick for some. Ribs were tender and sauce was sweet which the mention on the menu. Coleslaw was from a 70 year old recipe. Collards were perfect read more

Ralph's Barbecue - We ordered alittle bit of everything as you can see - Barbeque Near Me - Weldon, North Carolina

A northeastern NC classic and a legendary stop. The Brunswick Stew is just as good as it was in the 1970s & all the years prior. Even though the buffet line is currently unavailable, their menu service is up & running just fine. Vinegar-based barbecue is an acquired taste for some, but home base for many. So, don't be dissuaded by people who might not understand the specialty. Plus, they offer pulled pork & red sauce if you prefer, as well as numerous other protein & side options including some excellent seafood. Start with some of the best hush puppies you'll find anywhere, then enjoy some real-deal northeastern NC minced barbecue pork at its original finest. read more

If you like NC barbecue then Ralph's is the place to stop. Always busy but the service is fast and the food is good.

Personally, bbq is not my thing, but my Dad loves it and considers Ralph's the best bbq around. Every time we drive down to NC, we stop here. They also have the BEST hush puppies I've ever had. I don't care for hush puppies normally but the ones at Ralph's are amazing. read more

Stopped in while traveling for a bbq sandwich with coleslaw. The sandwich was terrible...WAY too much vinegar. I was literally coughing because of the amount of vinegar that was on the bbq. The quality of the bbq has really gone down over the years. read more

Ralph's barbecue is the home to the best home cooked food. In my experience, the staff was friendly and patient. The food was absolutely delicious having both vinegar and barbecue pulled pork. I would highly recommend this establishment to anyone. read more

Went for the lunch buffet. Thought the price was a little high for a weekday local buffet. The food selection was heavy on meats, which the best option was the eastern NC barbecue. Salad bar was too light on options for me. read more

TLDR: bad service, bad food, bad experience. Save yourself the trip. Our experience here was pretty awful. We called in our food 30 minutes before arriving. The woman who took our order was sassy and impatient. Ok, we thought, as long as the food is good we don't care. Arrived at Ralph's, told the woman we were there to pick up our order and then proceeded to wait for another 30+ minutes while other people came and left with their food. What is the point of calling ahead?? We go back up to ask how much longer until our food would be ready and the woman asked what we were there to pick up...WHAT?! We told you 30 min ago!! Told her we had some orders for bbq chicken and fried chicken and she told us they were out of chicken. Again WHAT?! We had ordered over an hour ago and we're just hearing this?? Turns out they had it waiting behind the counter and just ignored us/forgot. Finally get our food. We had ordered a mix platter with fried chicken and bbq pork sandwich and instead got bbq chicken. WHY?? So we finally dig in and ...everything tasted like it was from a can - canned green beans, canned collards, canned Heinz baked beans, frozen Mac and cheese. I'm not sure why it took so long since they just heated up canned food. Save yourself, go anywhere else. read more

After searching around our rental home for the week for some good southern BBQ, we found this place on Yelp. It seemed to have a lot of great reviews so we figured we would give it a shot. Let me tell you this food was EXCELLENT. We did the buffet and everything was hot, fresh and homemade. So many delicious options from turkey to pulled pork and all the sides you can think of. And may I add- homemade hush puppies! Yum!! Fellow yelpers suggested the banana pudding and it was great!! Plan on going again before we head back home. Only reason I give it 4 stars is because the atmosphere is quite dated. read more

Ralph's Barbecue - To die for! - Barbeque Near Me - Weldon, North Carolina

Whenever I'm traveling north or south, I stop for NC chopped BBQ, Brunswick stew and banana pudding. read more

Ralph's Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Weldon, North Carolina

Drove all the way from New York. Heard about Ralph's and wanted to try it. So I wish I could review the food. I really do. But with people still eating in the restaurant at 8:26 pm on a Monday ...we were turned away. And we only wanted take-out! No one would even open the door to speak. Just stood there yelling "closed" at us through the locked door. Sad! No hours posted anywhere. So if you try to get in... assume they close sometime after 7:30 pm but before 8:30 pm. Maybe 8? I don't know. Hard to tell by the looks of happy eaters inside. Guess it wasn't our time. All the best to you travelers on the road trying to get something to eat. Chick fila is right down the road. I'll stick to Smithfield's from here on out. read more

Horrible food! Non- Responsive Manager DO NOT EAT HERE! We ate the lunch buffet, overly battered fried chicken, canned clam chowder (and not the good kind?, canned green beans, tasteless hush puppies, 3 types of barbecue, none of which were good. We stopped on our road trip. If youre looking for good NC barbecue this isnt it! We tried everything on the bar, hoping to find something edible, we wasted food and money. We saw plenty of food wasted on plates everywhere. I told the manager, i was willing to pay for some of it, but not all. He refused and sent us on our way. I will contact home office about the lack of quality and respect! read more

I love the Carolina style BBQ. I don't have many complaints other than I wish we got refills when needed, and the cashier was kinda snippy. But she went back as we were checking out and corrected herself. read more

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Ok people if your ever in Roanoake Rapids, Nc. then you have to stop in at Ralph's BBQ because it is the absolute best in the world. There are several side dishes to go along with the pork, fish, etc. It is a buffet and the price is so cheap you won't believe it. CASH ONLY THOUGH. It's a place where the locals go to eat and it's the best on a Sunday Morning. Eating there was a real warm down home feeling. Two thumbs up. read more

Took a detour from Birmingham to Charleston and had to drive through Weldon to get home to Northern VA. Ralph's Barbecue was worth the extra hours on the road. (Generally, I avoid anything with the word Ralph in it, as I had a douchebag ex with that name but I was famished and when you're a barbecue worshipping freak like me anything goes...) Anyway, the pulled pork sandwich with vinegar and slaw totally rivals my favorite Bham q joint, Moe's. As others have pointed out, East Carolina (or Low Country) barbecue is basically sauceless unless you count the vinegar and red pepper flavoring. And while not a slaw lover, it tastes so damn good on the sandwich, especially when it's not swimming in cellulite inducing mayo. Funny story - Ralph's is CASH ONLY but there's an ATM in the adjacent lobby for others who are just as unpleasantly surprised and unprepared. While waiting for my order, I was made aware of this inconvenient fact by the sign on the wall. I was directed to the ATM but forgot my PIN and twice I was rejected. I finally left and went to fill up my tank when all of a sudden I remembered the correct four digits! So I drove all the way back to Ralph's, hit the ATM, and picked up my sandwich to go. I don't think they realized I'd even left. And while on the road, I calculated how many hours it would take to drive from Arlington back to Weldon, just to get a q fix. Maybe I need to plan another trip to Charleston. Next time I'll bring a bigger appetite and hit the buffet. read more

Anyone who gives Ralph's a poor rating appreciates neither Eastern North Carolina, vinegar-based BBQ nor Southern cooking. This place is excellent if you appreciate either. We stop by for the buffet whenever headed South on I-95. Our entire family loves it. Not to be missed are the pulled pork, homemade coleslaw, Brunswick stew, or the best fried chicken you'll find anywhere. If you prefer minced pork or tomato sauce BBQ, Ralph's has you covered there, too. All that said, there is room for improvement. The vegetables are not as fresh as they were here some years ago. For example, the present canned collard greens are nothing like the fresh cooked greens Ralph's once served, and the same could be said of other offerings. The banana pudding is made with canned pudding, which should never happen in a good Southern restaurant. And buns should never cost extra at an NC BBQ place. Ralph's caters to the mass market as it once did not, and it shows sometimes. Nevertheless, if you're on the Interstate and tired of Cracker Barrel and other mass fare, Ralph's can't be beat. Recommended! read more

You can't go wrong with the buffet here. Good flavor with the red sauce bbq and nice vinegar flavor on the NC bbq. (Pick off the bottom of the pile for the best NC bbq, but you know that already.) The hush puppies come right out of the fryer, in all sorts of weird authentic shapes. Lightly crisp and oily on the outside and warm corny inside. Just right. Usual sides and all good. Your mama would eat their collards (though (yes ma'am) her's are better). Nice flavor on the pork n beans and the Brunswick stew is delicious. (Coming back for that Brunswick stew.) The lemonade is just right. Not too tart and not all sweet. You'll finish with some delicious banana pudding. Fresh taste. (Even mama would admit that hers wasn't better.). Again, it's just right. Saturday buffet for $12 and tip. Don't go to Cracker Barrel. Or Zaxby's. Or Applebee's. No Sir. You go to Ralph's at exit 173 off the 95 highway. You'll eat good and it's just right. Oh, and eet mor chiken! The fry on their chicken is really nice. You know how everybody's puttin spice on their fry like it's goin outta style? Not at Ralph's. The crunch is substantial, but not oily. The taste is light, so the moist chicken flavor underneath really comes through. I like that in chicken, and so will you. They've got a big ol salad bar if you've a mind for that sorta thing. The watermelon rind is tasty. Don't bother with the cooked apples. That's not why you're here. My son ordered off the menu (a sandwich and French fries). I looked at him funny. "Can't you smell the buffet?", I asked him. He missed out, but don't you miss out. Eat at Ralph's. It's quick. The food is delicious. Your wallet won't take much damage. Everyone eats at Ralph's! read more

I'm all for a greasy spoon, country buffet. But, I'm not particularly a fan of this place. Kinda like the school lunches I didn't like in middle school. read more

Good random find while on road trip to visit family. I was just planning on getting gas but saw the Ralph's Barbecue sign in the distance. I like to keep moving so the plan was to get some takeaway and trash the rental car with crumbs, and paw the steering wheel with my greasy knuckles as I barreled back down the highway. I entered the building on the takeout side and took advantage of the daily special, a pulled pork sandwich with fries or 6oz veg for $5. While I waited i took time to look around and the main dining area had a buffet set up of southern deliciousness. All kinds of bbq pork, chicken, fried shrimp and fish. The seating area was full of pensioners and "large" people so it must have been a good value. When I was finished with my tour, I opted for the greens instead of the fries, and headed out the door. Watch out because the door is really light and I almost broke the thing as I rushed out. The sandwich appeared to be normal, with the familiar unassuming boring white bread bun. I hate that. Underneath the bun, appeared to be juicy shredded pork with a nice vinegary aroma. My first bite gave me that OMG feeling, where you close your eyes and shake your head in disbelief that you're eating something this good. read more

After trying a few places in my short visit to North Carolina a friend suggested I try Ralph's. I was initially hesitant to go because the few places I tried did not deliver that authentic Bbq punch I was looking for. Not only did Ralph's deliver a first round knockout but the assault on my taste buds continued long after the culinary referees rang the bell. Am I crazy to drive 8 hours from NY again to come here? You damn skippy! I'm planing the next trip. read more

My mother insisted we stop here while headed south for a family vacation. We had the buffet and while I won't go as far to give it five stars like everyone else, I had a good enough meal at a good price. The pulled pork is pretty darn good, prepared Eastern Carolina style with a peppery vinegar sauce which is lightly tossed with the pork, as well as available on the table in a bottle. For those who want a tomato based Memphis style sauce, they have that too. There was pulled chicken and pork spare ribs, but I didn't try those. The rest was kind of hit and miss as some items are clearly homemade while others weren't. They serve sweet tea, but hand you powdered lemon packets instead of real lemons. The salads (potato, macaroni, coleslaw) are good, but the vegetables (corn, green beans, and baked beans the night I went) seemed to be out of a can and soggy. The desserts were pretty good (including a surprisingly moist chocolate cake), but the fried chicken was disappointing (cooked well, but no seasoning). They could also invest in some signs to label what things are, as it wasn't always clear. read more

We love this place!!! I picked up to orders of chopped BBQ & 2 orders of the stew to bring back to friends in new York. Ralph's never disappoints. It was a Sunday afternoon & the place was crowded. They have two separate sides, eat in or take out. Take out was a 10 minute wait, but I didn't mind at all. I had the stew and it was awesome like always. Will always pay a visit to Ralph's BBQ whenever I am visiting family in that part of North Carolina. They had a sign up advertising fat back grease that really puzzled me, I still don't know what to make of it. Next time I will ask questions. read more

Ralph's Barbecue - Never heard of advertising/ selling fat back grease. I don't know what to make of it. - Barbeque Near Me - Weldon, North Carolina

Amid all the fast food places populating the interstate, it is great to find something different AND good. Off of the 95, exit the route 158 in Weldon NC, you will see the signs for Ralph's BBQ. Buffet style, clean and relaxing, they have the BEST fried chicken. Let me repeat, the fried chicken is the best I had in a long long time. Of course there are many other delicious BBQ choices and sides. But the fried Chicken tasted delicious, perfectly cooked. So try the fried chicken and eat as much as you want. Btw the service is wonderful too, friendly and always smiling! A great way to fill your belly and relax. read more

Ralph's Barbecue - Ralph's - Barbeque Near Me - Weldon, North Carolina

Okay, I'm a vegetarian. I've been one for longer than I haven't at this point--about sixteen years now. But this place holds a special place in my heart. You see I have fond memories of this place as a child. It has the best Carolina bbq around. For those that don't know, Carolina bbq is a vinegar based pork, generally minced. It's quite different from the saucy beef stuff most are accustomed to. Post vegetarian transition I still go here with my family when I'm in town. I order hushpuppies and cole slaw and the waitstaff thinks I'm crazy--vegetarians don't exist in this part of the world. 'That's it?" they ask. But yum! The cole slaw is so good. Like a previous reviewer said, it's good enough to eat alone. And the hushpuppies ... delicious little fried morsels. Lets just say I don't go here for any nutritional value or for my health. Now you go if you just so happen to be driving through North Carolina via I-95. read more

This bbq place is a good place to stop and eat if you're looking for mediocre food. I wasn't blown away by the food but it was certainly edible. In all fairness, I have never eaten NC bbq before so I have nothing to compare this place to anyway. read more

Ralph's Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Weldon, North Carolina

Love stopping by Ralph's for that good Carolina BBQ pork (pulled & minced) & slaw when I'm down in the Roanoke Rapids area. Definitely the best eastern NC BBQ place I've been to. I've never dined in. I just usually get a take out tray or containers with BBQ & slaw to take home, then throw them on a bun for one hell of a sandwich. read more

Ralph's Barbecue - BBQ, slaw & hush puppies - Barbeque Near Me - Weldon, North Carolina

Really good buffet for a very fair price. Items were definitely prepared in small batches and all offerings were good temperatures and seasoning levels. Our waitress, B, was incredibly friendly and prompt, even though she had several other tables. The menu prices were also a great deal and the non-buffet items came out quickly- hot and fresh! From the hush puppies to banana pudding, and everything in between - delicious! read more

I've got to say, I was let down by Ralph's when I stopped in last weekend. Based on the reviews I was expecting far better food. It wasn't terrible, but I've had better elsewhere. My girlfriend and I stopped by for lunch on our way back to DC from Florida. I ordered the buffet but, in retrospect, I should've ordered off the menu. The lunch buffet did not include the fried chicken nor the brunswick stew that a lot of folks raved about in previous reviews. I was a little surprised by that but I should've checked the buffet before ordering so I only have myself to blame. Nevertheless, seems like odd omissions for a country food buffet. As I said, the food wasn't bad. My only quibble was the lack of actual chicken in the chicken and dumplings. The sweet tea and the hush puppies were pretty good though. read more

Ralph's is a must stop on our way to or out of NC preferably on the way in and out. We only get carry out, we love the pulled pork sandwiches and don't need anything other than what it comes with... no need to add additional sauces. Sides have been good but we usually get the fries.... the tea is super sweet but that how people like it that way.... I would like to try the buffet one day. It is cash only... the people are super friendly and tend to be the same staff year after year..... love it. read more

I went to a small elementary school in North Carolina and the buffet at Ralph's is the closest I've come to experiencing school cafeteria food since my youth. Not necessarily in a good way, either. The pork BBQ is fine (and the obvious crown jewel of the buffet) and it comes in the shredded or chopped varieties. While a drink is not included, a basket of hush puppies and a friendly smile from your server is complimentary. I cannot say that Ralph's BBQ buffet is responsible for the rampant obesity and diabetes crisis in America however, based on what I saw, I do accuse them of being accomplices before the fact since 1941. read more

This place is a hoot. Passing thru at 11:30 am on a Friday, we arrived with the geriatric crowd. Is that odor at the door the smell of medical clinic? Once inside we didn't notice the odor but the cafeteria seating and elder guests sustained the nursing home ambiance. Light crispy batter, barely greasy, moist meat make fried catfish and chicken top choices - as good as anywhere. Everything seemed very fresh, but the rest of items were just good to mediocre. The pulled pork was good, not great, but offered two styles of sauce. Slaw was good. No collards on buffet? Other sides on buffet just okay. Buffet or menu: $11 for choices or $5 for a sandwich of unknown quality? The extra $6 of insurance was a good move. Wife would have picked mediocre popcorn shrimp, but was able to satisfy on excellent fried chicken. Staff were fast, efficient, and friendly. For an extra treat, wife got sniffed and tickled in the food line by a read more

Okay, horrible. The service was uninspired, and the ribs weren't good. There's got be better barbecue in NC. That and they served me mac n cheese that had turned bad, it was rancid. Did a manager come over to apologize? No, he took a $3.00 appetizer off of my bill and never spoke to me. I guess a $3.00 appetizer is worth risking food poisoning over. It's dirty as well. I would never go back there. read more

First visit. Everything mentioned in this review tasted delicious. The pork is available in both western and eastern style, with eastern offered in pulled and chopped. The western is rather sweet and the eastern had a bit more vinegar than I prefer. Mixed together was very tasty. The dirty rice was well seasoned, but too crunchy. Cole slaw, chicken salad, and potato salad were homemade and sweet. I will eat here again if in the area. read more

My experience at Ralph's was a bit hit and miss. I would only come here again if I was local (I'm not). The decor is dated generously speaking and the food is church cookout uhhh...decent. The only thing that made Ralph's worth the visit was the pulled pork and vinegar BBQ sauce Ralph's provided with it. This was obviously freshly made and handled with care. The locals seemed to love it...my kid and I liked the BBQ well enough but the rest of the buffet was kind of blah. One unexpectedly nice touch was the home-made hush puppies that come with the meal. Maybe the takeout window next to the register is the proper way to go :) read more

They accept credit cards now. Best BBQ I've had besides my own. Nothing else on buffet impressed me but would buy this BBQ and vinegar sauce by the bucket read more

Ralph's Barbecue - Yummy buffet - Barbeque Near Me - Weldon, North Carolina

I have experienced Ralph's many times. The barbecue is usually good and very little 'fatty' Fatty pork: However, today...my mother bought a total of 4 lbs of pulled pork barbecue and other items, totaling more than $55 (take out). I received 2 lbs of pulled pork barbecue and out of that, each pound contained approximately 1/4 pound of fat (large chunks without meat). Pictures are included. Barbecue 'sauce': It tastes like 100% vinegar with a few red pepper flakes (for looks)...and, each container of barbecue sauce was inconsistent in the mixture (color, texture, flavor). [I know NC style barbecue sauce is very thin and made mostly of vinegar...but, most of these types of sauces have more flavor than Ralph's version.] Employees: They were not friendly...they were very 'robot'-like, they did not smile at all. In summary: quality control should be improved in the area of 'qualifying' acceptable pulled pork product that will be sold to customers; the barbecue sauce should be improved; and, the employees should try harder to smile at times. read more