This place is a family favorite. I've been here and had the same good food for years. The inside is a little old but feels clean. The service was good and the server is so funny and super sweet. read more

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Love Short Sugar's BBQ! BBQ is cooked to perfection. Fries are crispy. Hugh Puppies are sweet and crunchy. I really love their dipping sauce. Has the just right blend of spicy and sweetness. Cole Slaw has a little tanginess to it. Hot dogs are good - all the way with mustard, chili, onions , and slaw. Do not recommend the grilled chicken. Pounded thin and overcooked. Rule #1 - when going to a BBQ joint, stick with the B read more

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They are closed. That's a real shame. Thanks for many years of great service. Unfortunately they were a result of changing times and the terrible red tape of business climate. read more

Great food with friendly staff!! An enjoyable throw back to an old style restaurant. Not only great BBQ but Hamburgers, Hotdogs and other things as well. read more

Their breakfast is pretty good. Very nice for a small town. The staff is nice and quick. Small sit in, you can fit 4-5 people per table. read more

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My girlfriend and I debated about the classification of Short Sugars (on the Guy Fieri scale). She was facing the counter, so she called it a dive. I was facing the 15-ish table dining room, so I said diner. Granted, the two or three tables needing bussing didn't help that rating. We grabbed a table and were greeted fairly quickly. After a few questions about the fare, we placed our order. Barb had the minced 'cue with slaw and baked beans; I opted for chopped (at our server's suggestion) with slaw and mac n cheese. We both got hushpuppies (I took hers home), and a chocolate shake. We both consider ourselves barbecue aficionados, having been to some of the best places on Yelp and Food Network in the Minneapolis-St. Paul and Los Angeles South Bay areas. I can't say this will make my list in the Piedmont Triad area. While there was nothing wrong with anything, per se, it all lacked a bit of flavor. If pork is all you're going to barbecue, season it well and get a little smoke on it. (bring it by my place and I'll throw it on my smoker, for a cut) The slaw similarly, needed more vinegar or more dressing. Barb said her beans were like basic Bush's. The main reason we came here was for some good, homemade mac n cheese. Theirs barely satisfied my craving; it could have used some more sharp cheddar or gouda to give it a little more punch. The milkshakes were plenty thick, but could have used more chocolate. I would return to try other menu options, or maybe a second try after my body returns to more normal after a nasty Covid battle. read more

Short Sugar's Pit Bar-B-Q - Chopped 'cue tray with Mac n cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Reidsville, North Carolina

READ THIS ONE F I R S T !!! Disregard all these other negative reviews, this place is the REAL DEAL. If I could give it 30 stars I would. It's not for the NY /NJ transplants who come down and complain about the lack of good pizza or subs ( "it's the bread" (gimme a break)) Took the old muscle car for a spin in a different direction today, and found this absolute GEM. This place has authentic NC BBQ, and they work very hard in there. Located near downtown Reidsville, it almost has an older diner vibe. The food is made in front of you, and you can mingle with the friendly locals while you wait. We were in there just after a baseball team left, and although the staff seemed a little exhausted---the food was excellent and fresh. Very well priced too! They sell ALOT of burgers, the girl said about 16 lbs a week, but I had bbq in mind. I'm fat, so I know good BBQ. This is the most authentic NC barbecue I've had. Made with LOVE. Hush puppies and slaw were perfect, pimento chs sandwich made my knees weak. And the SAUCE.......thick but melt-in-your-mouth. Vinegary but deceptively sweet. It's the kind of sauce that you dream about weeks later on after you've already had it, if I could do shots of it I would. If you want BBQ done right, come here. If you're used to some Northern-wannabe crap burnt ketchup sauce barbecue, then don't. They're not hurting for business. I'm driving up here every month here on out. I guess I better find a CrossFit or Pilates gym, I'll need it. Holy cow. Pure excellence. read more

Short Sugar's Pit Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Reidsville, North Carolina

My wife grew up worshiping Short Sugar's BBQ. She spent every summer of her childhood in Reidsville and ate here very regularly. Over the years we've been together we have been to town a hundred times visiting her relatives and have eaten at Short Sugar's nearly every trip. As family traditions go, SSBBQ is better than many. The food is dependable but not fantastic. I agree with the many reviews here that report that the meat simply does not taste like it's been on the smoke very long. There are stacks of wood outside so I have to believe they use it for some portion of the cook, but I suspect that the smoking phase is much shorter than a higher temperature roasting phase. I could be wrong, but as a pit guy myself, that is my suspicion. That said, the meat tastes good even if it isn't very smoke-happy. The quantity of the meat on a sandwich is decent. I have never left the table feeling like I didn't get my money's worth. Brunswick Stew is, perhaps, commercially prepared off premises. (We spied a Star's Stew container on one recent visit, perhaps a coincidence.) Regardless of its source, it's a fair take on Brunswick stew. Pork rinds are fresh made and excellent if you can get them. They are not always in stock (or we may have arrived too late in the day the last few times we asked for them.) The very best thing about SSBBQ is the sauce! I have been trying for years to crack the code on what they do, but haven't been able to duplicate it. It looks like worcestershire sauce but has a heavier vinegar flavor, with a little sweetness as well. We buy the sauce by the gallon (sold in reused texas pete jugs, so I can't even glimpse the ingredients!) when we are there and take it home to go with home smoked pork butts. The sauce is what lifts Short Sugar's above the status of average home town barbecue, and justifies the trip. Service is very friendly and attentive. Prices are reasonable. We will continue to stop in when in town. It's a tradition. read more

Short Sugar's Pit Bar-B-Q - Chopped bbq, hush puppies, fries. Yum. - Barbeque Near Me - Reidsville, North Carolina

It's basic, but it's also Reidsville. If you're showing up expecting something incredible or a hidden gem, you went to the wrong city. They're a solid staple, it's fast service, it's friendly staff. Don't look for gold when you've got silver in your lap, so to speak. read more

This is where I fell in love with barbecue, griddled cheeseburgers, Brunswick stew, fresh pork rinds, and The Sauce. We go down every 9 months for a couple gallons of sauce, it's that special. The chopped pork is what made me love bbq in its many forms. And while it's a little disappointing that they outsource their stew and coleslaw, it's fine, because it means I can bring it home much more easily. Their cheeseburgers are magical. They are childhood in between two buns. This has been a family spot for as long as my grandmother could remember! And beyond! My great grandparents were regulars. I see my great grandfather in every booth. Hear his laugh. Feel his presence. This place is so special! read more

Short sugars has always been a big thing around Reidsville since it's been a long term, more small town type of restaurant. Their food is usually in the range from good to decent depending on the day and what you order. Staff is usually friendly and makes everyone feel welcome! read more

Called and they were open so we made the drive from Danville, as we are from out of state. Ordered the minced plate with slaw, fries and hushpuppies and was really sad that this location did not have pulled chicken so I ordered the grilled chicken with mac n cheese and a kids grilled cheese meal. The fries and hushpuppies were room temperature and would have been good if hot. The chicken tasted like it was from the freezer to an air fryer to warm up and had no taste. The mac n cheese was the best part. Was so disappointed since we aren't in the area often and we actually caught them when they were open. read more

Im going to start off by saying Jessi was a good server. I usually would give a 5 star rating for the food and service, but today, I'm right shocked they sprayed ant spray while customers are dining in. The smell is horrible and has given me a fierce headache. I understand wanting to get rid of ants but to smell that when trying to eat. It over powers everything else. read more

Sorry to say but nothing to write home about. Don't get fooled by name if you enjoy smoked meat. We did not taste smoke on our chicken or pork. And did not enjoy bbq sauce. MY wife and I both felt the potato salad was a mass produced product, nothing special. We went out of our traveling way to eat here and won't travel that direction again. read more

Disappointing BBQ with and old school vibe. After reading a small write up in a book about Carolina BBQ my wife and I decided to take the drive to Reidsville to chase after one of my favorite things BBQ. The restaurant its self is a neat retro space though could use a touch up. A fresh coat of paint would do a lot to boost appeal. It offers curbside service which is definitely a throwback. To the right as you walk in there is a bar that runs down the length of the open kitchen. To the left is the main dining room. My wife and I sat at one of the few booths in the dining room with views through large glass windows into the parking lot. The floors are brick and the walls are half paint and half wood paneling. Some of the tint on windows is peeling. It would be a nice bright space if not for the tint. Our server came and took my wife and I's order. It didn't take long for our BBQ sandwiches and Brunswick stew to arrive. The Brunswick stew was generous with vegetables but short on flavor. Fairly bland. Once I tried my sandwich I could see why. The BBQ has no smoke. I do not know how you can cook with firewood coals and it not taste at all like smoke but they either have achieved that or they don't cook it over coals long enough. I ate 1/3 of the meat in my sandwich searching for smoke to no avail. And about the meat in my sandwich it was a very sparse. There was as much slaw as there was meat. I don't want to knock an iconic establishment but they left me no reason to go back. read more

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They make a great hot dog here, while the pork barbecue is very much middle-of-the-road pig, at best. They still cook with hard wood, so I am told by the staff, and the North Carolina Barbecue Society - but somehow it does not get through to the pig at the end of the process - there simply is no smokiness to the barbecue, no enhancement of flavor due to the smoke curling around the pork as the fat melts. Folks throw around all sorts of culinary terms as if those terms, in and of themselves, ensure excellent food, excellent dining experiences - Authentic; Farm To Table; Locally Sourced; Street Food; Small Plates; Tapas; and Hickory Smoked - terms used by many restaurants &/or used to describe their approach, but results do vary. Good quality ingredients, poorly used, produces inferior food. This venerable barbecue restaurant is a near perfect example of the mentally lazy, shallow fallacy of assigning excellence to the process, procedure, or description of the food rather than the END RESULT. Cooked over wood coals or not, this is very average pork barbecue, nothing remotely historic about it. read more

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We were out for a Saturday road trip and past this place. Something told us we should turn around and try some BBQ. We ordered the sliced roast pork and brought it home. It was DELICIOUS! This place has been here since 1949 and just a taste will tell you why it is still around. Take some home or dine in. It is something special! read more

I was in Reidsville working today and happened to drive by Short Sugar's. I'm glad I did because I was considering a burger. I had the chopped tray which vines with cole slaw (white), hush puppies and a pickle chip on top. The BBQ had excellent, smoky flavor and didn't need any sauce. The hush puppies were just right, the slaw was tasty, and the pickle chip was a nice bonus. I normally eat my Q, slaw, hush puppy together with ketchup on my hush puppy. Adding the bite of pickle made the flavor even better, and I'll be asking for pickles next time I order BBQ anywhere else! I'll definitely be back when I'm in Reidsville again. read more

I got BBQ one time here and it was "NASTY." I've ate there several times but I DO NOT GET THE BBQ! They have good burgers, fries, hush puppies, etc. I hope, that the time I got the BBQ, that it wasn't what it normally taste like. I'll never get again to find out. Service is lacking at times. The ambiance is 1950's. Not because they decorate it that way but because it hasn't been redone since then. Limited seating. When I first pulled up to get the BBQ (the one and only time I've gotten it), I thought that this is going to be good. I could see the fire wood out back and the smokers. I don't know what happened between the smokers and the plate, but it was the worst that I've ever had. My homemade BBQ is better than it. read more

Great food! Great service! Nice combination platters. Hush puppies rock. Reasonable priced.

Short Sugars has been cooking BBQ since 1949 and is a North Carolina BBQ institution. This venerable restaurant embodies everything BBQ that we grew up with: pit cooked BBQ, hushpuppies, sweet tea, hot dogs, counter service, and car hops. This combination is pretty rare these days. Short Sugars stays true to their heritage. About the only change they've made since the " good 'ol days" is that they take debit cards. If you're looking for the real NC BBQ experience, stop by Short Sugars. read more

5 Star because the locals love this place and a 1 star pit (no pun intended) to me. If you've been to some traditional NC pits like Skylight Inn in Ayden, NC or Jones BBQ in Greenville or how about the now closed Bill Ellis BBQ in Wilson - SSP is at the bottom for taste. Reviews are important, but it seems the latest owners are working off the name and instead of embracing all the one stars reviews and trying to figure out how to improve, they simply don't care. A one star review from someone is saying "Hey, we want to come back, but give us a reason", yet they take it personally. Work on it guys. read more

Went there last sat ordered the chop barbecue sandwich and fries the sandwich was ice cold no taste I cook better barbecue on my smoker will never stop there cook out barbecue is better read more

I got ribs from here and they were not very good. Just boiled ribs with a runny bbq sauce. Nothing to write home about. read more

Short Sugar's Pit Bar-B-Q - Not very tasty...over priced for this quality of rib. - Barbeque Near Me - Reidsville, North Carolina

Very friendly staff here. However, the food wasn't great. The Macaroni and cheese was like kraft easy mac, but without flavor, aside from an artificial butter taste. The pork was on the bland side. The baked beans were good. On top of that, the service was remarkably slow. I waited 30 minutes for things that seemingly would have already been cooked and ready to serve. I'm sure the breakfast here is better, but I just didn't care for it. read more

Short Sugar's Pit Bar-B-Q - This is their Macaroni in a cheese sauce. Not quite hitting the mark on flavor. - Barbeque Near Me - Reidsville, North Carolina

Excellent homemade BBQ. Very friendly staff, nice family vibe. The Pork Ribs are UNBELIEVABLE!!! read more

Short Sugar's Pit Bar-B-Q - Pork Ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Reidsville, North Carolina

Hands down, the best BBQ I have ever had and the only place I ever recommend. It's all cooked over wood. Real, old school Curbside service. For ribs you'll have to plan ahead. Ribs are only available (Mon - Fri after 4pm, Sat noon to close) and they do sell out. I can't describe the full on flavor, but it's not too vinegar-y, not too mustardy, not dry, and always just right. Worth the drive from wherever you are. read more

Bbq is very fatty, overpriced. The service was good, however. They also charge a service fee if you pay with a card. Overall the food was mediocre at best and you don't get the amount you pay for. We won't be back. read more

100% best bbq in North Carolina!!!! The sauce is next level. I love getting the chopped bbq plate with slaw and fries. Their hotdogs are awesome as well.. and the sweet tea read more

Only been one time but such a cute mom and pop type of deal the brunswik stew was to die for and very friendly staff

Mediocre at best. Nothing really just jumps out at you and makes you say, WOW! I had a hot dog, which was not too bad; a chopped BBQ sandwich, which I would say I have had much better. This place has been around forever but my experience with the food this time was just blah. read more

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Short Sugars is that Small Town USA, easy going, laid back, like you turned back the hands of time a few decades BBQ joint that has a little something for everyone, not just BBQ, but hot dogs & burgers & alot more, they even do breakfast from 6AM-10:45AM. You can do like most & go inside & get a table or booth or sit at the old timey lunch counter with the stools that spin round & round or you can pull under the shelter that runs along the side of the building & toot the horn one time & the waitress will come out & take your order, curb service at it's finest, you don't find that much these days. When you order BBQ here you are going to get nothing but good ol' smoked pork that is smoked right there in the building. It comes with nothing on it, no sauce, no dry rubs during smoking, not even a hint of salt or pepper. You get a blank canvas to paint whatever big flavor picture you want on your BBQ, whether it's a dash of salt n pepper, a shot or 2 of Texas Pete or the very thin sweet tangy sauce that Short Sugars makes, it's up to you. Their sauce is distinctively different than any other sauce I've had & is available to purchase & take home, which I do. The sauce works real well with chicken also. Everything else I've had from Short Sugars has been very good. The hot dogs are awesome, from the homemade chili & slaw to the steamed bun, you can't ask for any better. You can tell the burgers are hand formed & not pre-pressed from a machine, they are really good, you may need to add a little salt & pepper, but that's it, really nice & fresh burgers here. Be sure to finish it all off with one of their cobblers & ice cream, blackberry & cherry are my favorites, but they also have peach & apple. You can usually tell how good a place is by how full the parking lot is & Short Sugars is packin' 'em in every day at lunch & dinner. They've been a fixture in Reidsville since '49 & continue to be one of the top places to eat among locals...Just be sure to have your salt shaker handy. read more

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Had the chopped plate with bbq, fries, slaw, hushpuppies. Didn't care much for the bbq sauce, unlike any I've ever had, maybe locals like it, or aquire a taste for it, it's just not tasty.I didn't really detect smoke flavor either.On a 1thru10 scale I'd rate this bbq a 6. H. Puppies were decent. Fries are crinkle cut, not greasy,they were good. Slaw was average..nothing unique or spectacular. I think the plate is overpriced, no drink included, for a little over 9 bucks and no drink? One and done, nothing to make me want to revisit. I did like the old school feel though. read more

Hey. It is good Q. Sauce is good and plentiful on the table, good slaw and hush puppies and the little red and white cardboard tray holds smoky, tender goodness. Best Q ever? No. But damn fine. I'd eat here again. Easy to find, lots of parking and nice staff. Oh. Buy a souvenir coffee mug. I use mine all the time. read more

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Very disappointing lunch experience after driving here for our N.C. BBQ trail based on Our State magazine. Our earlier experience in Madison's at Fuzzy's, we were expecting something similar. Not so much. Plates came with bbq, fries, hush puppies and fries. Trays without the fries. They wouldn't substitute and I didn't want fries so I got the tray. My husband doesn't eat slaw, again no substitute. Slaw was bland. Hush puppies were the best part. BBQ. OK but nothing to return over. Service wasn't very friendly. Asked for cobbler with ice cream. No ice cream until I asked again. Cobbler was mediocre. Place was grungy. Not quaint, grungy. I'd say from the older crowd it's a locals place. I'd return in a minute to Madison but Our State missed it on Reidsville. read more

2nd time stopped and could not get waited on. Waitresses were behind counter just chatting. Also highest priced I've seen for bbq.

The food it ok but the. Service is bad and my order was not right I well not be back y'all lost Some Business and I am not the only one my friend food was not right and the food she got was not good and Great and she well not Be back read more

I will concede that the dip makes it impossible to tell if the pork is properly smoked under hard wood (which it is by the way). Also I will add that it's not really near anything of note and Reidsville isn't the kind of place you would just up and visit. That said, I have been making the trek from Chatham or Durham 3-4 times a year for almost two decades and it's still worth the trek. The barbecue just straight up tastes good if you're not a purist in the saucy sense and the servers are uniformly nice folks. read more

Short Sugar's Pit Bar-B-Q - Why else would you be here other than to eat the BBQ? - Barbeque Near Me - Reidsville, North Carolina

Amazing!!! Catered my wedding for 160 people, but brought more than enough food for 200! Price was just right! They set up a hour early, walked around while my guests were eating to see if they needed anything. East to work with! Will have them cater for me any time! read more

Let me start by clarifying that 3 stars is a good review. Many throw out 5 stars for everyday restaurants. To me, 5 stars are reserved for only a handful of places visited over a lifetime. See my review on Bern's Steakhouse in Tampa, FL. 4 stars are for "Excellent" restaurants. 3 stars are very good restaurants. We visited Short Sugars Saturday July 23. First sight of the building took me back to a simple time. Plain tables & bar stools at the counter. The staff was very nice & the service was good. The tables were very clean. It is a good sign when you see someone clear the tables & "wipe" off with a wet cloth. Now for the reason we came...BBQ! We had 2 BBQ sandwiches & 2 plates of BBQ - 1 chopped & 1 minced. The meat had a little fat, not enough to be a turn off, but enough to add moisture. The meat was lighter in color than many restaurants that use pork shoulders. The smoke was light to nonexistent. I do prefer more smoke. All in all, good solid quality BBQ. The sides were also good. Coleslaw is mayo based & adds a nice creamy goodness to the sandwich. Crinkle cut fries are my favorite so I really enjoyed these golden brown delights. Mac & cheese was ok. Baked beans were good. Not sure if homemade or from a can. Not your typical sweet baked beans. These have a heartiness found at restaurants of long ago. I would visit again & recommend if you want to step back in time for an hour of your day. read more