This is the way that BBQ should hit!!…read more We stopped in the "Shack" while visiting Durham. Having been huge fans of North Carolina style BBQ, we were not disappointed.My wife and daughter enjoyed the Pork Plate. By for me, I went with the two meat combo with Pulled pork and brisket. The pulled pork was spot on. It was perfectly smoked and almost melted in my mouth. With a touch of spicy vinegar sauce, I was gone to Carolina in my mind for the rest of the day. The brisket might have been some of the best I've ever had. It had a nice fat layer and was also "melt in your mouth" and juicy. The brisket didn't need any sauce at all. It was that good. The hushpuppies were the star at the table. My family considers themselves to be connoisseurs of hush puppies, and these were ranked in the top five. A respectable ranking from such a discriminating hushpuppy panel. The sides we sampled included collard greens, mac and cheese and BBQ beans. The collards and Mac and cheese were out of this world. I should have ordered a double serving of the collards. However, the beans were a huge disappointment. They were more like a bowl of sub-par chili than BBQ beans. If we return, they will not be selected. A great BBQ spot when you are in Durham. Highly recommend you stop by, if only to taste the brisket!

Got the two meat plate for about 26$. It comes with two sides and I chose to get fries and mac and…read morecheese. The sides were good but the start was definitely the brisket. It was tender and flavor was there. The ribs on the other hand was a bit dry and the hush puppies weren't my favorite since they felt a bit too dry and doughy. Overall, this has been one of my favorite bbq in Carolina.

We came on a Monday during a very quiet time. Since it was our first time, we appreciated the very…read morefriendly staff. The Pulled Pork and Burnt Ends were fresh and uniquely flavorful. But the Collard Greens were exceptional with a nice spicy touch. The only flaw was the potato soufflé side which was too creamy and mushy for our tastes. We really appreciated that the cook asked our opinion of our choices. We would definitely recommend a stop here.

Was walking around Durham with my girlfriend and decided to get some food. It was really good!…read moreWould come here again.

My son and I stopped in for some dinner, clean lots of parking. Stood at the counter for a few…read moreminutes before we were acknowledged, seemed a bit unorganized but we placed our order. Rib tip dinner, with Baked beans and collard greens. The ribs were pretty good, the beans and collard also good. The star was the hush puppies. My son had the wings which was pretty generic, nothing much to write about, he wanted chicken but they were out! Overall it was decent but not sure I'd come back if in the area.

I ordered the brisket plate with a side of rib tips. Sides were Mac & cheese with collards. The…read morebrisket tasted like it's been dehydrated and thrown gravy on top to mask it. It was not tender all throughout. The ribs tips, almost the same texture. The only thing I thought was yummy was the collards. I didn't have hush puppies so they pulled out a loaf of bread placed it on top of the counter and replaced it with the hush puppies. So lame! Throw in an extra side if you ran out of hush puppies. So lame! Atmosphere is hot with no fans or AC running. Don't let the 4 star fool you and don't let me say...I told you so!

Y'all. Get out of here. This food is ridiculous…read more When they were at Boxyard, we went all the time, and they would always- ALWAYS- have a line of people, and would run out of menu items. They moved, and we were genuinely upset, because they were SO CLOSE to us. Yesterday, we had to drive half an hour to get there, but, again, it did not disappoint. The wings NEVER disappoint. The brisket sando was so good, and you never need BBQ sauce. It's moist, it can be messy, and the taste is always on point.

My daughter and i tried the grilled oysters. Very delicious. These topsail oysters are small,…read morebuttery and succulent. Sauce has a little kick, just right for me. Bad part is you could eat a couple of dozen of these easy, and at $4 a piece that could get really pricey !! Just be aware, these little babies are addictive !! Chili crisp cheesy tots were yummy !! Will have these again ! We sat at the bar and bartenders were friendly and engaging. Will be back for sure !!!

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

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

This is a decent four-star Southern bar near the Duke campus. We were driving through town, and we…read morestopped here before visiting the local botanical garden. There's plenty of paid street parking in the area. The interior is a bit dark inside, minimal ambient light from the outside, TVs around the bar. Lunch arrived quickly, I had the patty melt which was a bit over salted, but not too bad. Service from Makena was overall decent, nothing exceptionally bad or good. Pricing for lunch averaged just over $20 per person, including the "included gratuity." It's a fine Place to get standard bar food.

We were driving from Columbia, South Carolina to Richmond, Virginia today and decided to stop in…read moreDurham for some lunch around noon. This place is located in the downtown area of Durham on the second floor of a red brick building. There is plenty of patio, bar and dining room seating. It was a little hot for the patio so we sat at one of the tables in the dining room. The menu offers a handful of appetizers and salads, as well as about twenty lunch entrees. I went with the NC pulled pork sandwich. It also had coleslaw on the sandwich. Side options included fries, salad, Brussel sprouts, or onion rings. I went with the brussel sprouts and they were very tasty. My husband had the patty melt with French fries. The fries were a generous and tasty portion. His patty melt was very salty, though. Service was pretty quick.

A Texas style thank you to Dampf Good BBQ!! Being from Texas, I am always searching for truly great…read morebrisket...found it!!! Dampf Good BBQ truly does Texas proud. Today was my first visit and I knew it would be something special. The owners, brother's Nick and Bryce, have mastered the flavors of the iconic cuisine of the Lone Star State. The brisket is incredible, and when you add a sausage link, it takes it to another level. My side of Jalapeño Cream Corn tasted like it came from my grandmother's kitchen...creamy, comforting, and with just the right amount of heat. The setting adds its own magic. Located in Cary, the drive takes you through the city, but as soon as you turn onto Good Hope Church Rd and turn into Phillips Farms of Cary, you're transported straight to the country - rolling pastures, open space, and a relaxed atmosphere. The scenery alone sets the tone, but then the music kicks in. Texas' own Stevie Ray Vaughn, followed by classic country tunes. Between the landscape, the music, and the smell of barbecue in the air, I felt like I was back home like a warm Texas memory. The staff is fantastic...kind, helpful and they clearly take pride in what they do. They serve from a large food truck, but the set up feels like your at a favorite outdoor restaurant. You dine outdoors at picnic tables under a pavilion, giving the whole experience, a cozy downhome feel. And here's one of the best parts: they are opening a second brick-and-mortar location in downtown Durham in November 2026!! It's no surprise they have earned a spot in the Michelin Guide as a barbecue favorite...they are, without a doubt, Dampf Good!!!

This is the best Texas barbecue outside of Austin. A tip to order ahead on their website and…read morepossibly get a bit shorter line when you get there to pick up your food. The sides are so unique and fantastic and flavor the brisket sandwich was outstanding and these guys offer great service. Be prepared to wait a bit as with a Michelin rating this place is always busy.

Hunter was awesome with helping us with our order!!!!! Very helpful!!!!…read more Thankyou We will definitely be back again

We've been coming here since day one and the quality of service and their food is still top notch!!…read more We usually make a point to come here on Tuesday's when it rib day, but tonight we felt like their pork sandwiches. I got the Lolo's pulled pork. The sandwich is so big. I swear it's at least a half pound of delicious pork. I also got the corn casserole and my spouse got a side salad that she enjoyed. Bottom line, they knock it out of the park every time.

This was our first trip to North Carolina and we wanted to try North Carolina BBQ. So, we ordered…read moretakeout while visiting Durham. I'm leaving 2 stars in case this may have been an off night, and for this review not to be dismissed as one of those "I only left one star because I couldn't leave zero" posts that even I usually ignore. But with the amount of issues, this could easily be justified as a one-star review. When I arrived around 6:45-7:00 p.m. on a weeknight, the restaurant was completely empty. I didn't think much of it at the time, but afterward this seemed unusual for a barbecue restaurant in a state known for its BBQ. The first real issue was that one of our two-meat dinners was missing one of the meats. Next was that the brisket was extremely dry, even when soaked in barbecue sauce by them, and even more sauce added by me. The ribs had an acrid smoke flavor and a smell that resembled the odor more of cigarette smoke than even liquid smoke. I'm not accusing the cooks of smoking in the kitchen. In fact, research tells me, "An unpleasant, ashtray-like smell can come from dirty smoke (a poorly managed fire), excessive creosote, or meat that sat too long." With how empty the restaurant was, it could very well have been the latter. Sides: My son's fries were also missing. The sweet potato fries were significantly undercooked. The hush puppies' outer layer was a bit more solid than I'm used to, and several of us could not take more than one bite. However, this could have been due to personal taste. The potato salad and mac and cheese were just okay, but that could also be personal taste. We're the type of people that try to convince ourselves something is better than it actually is, which is why I sat on writing this until the day after. This is also why I'm not even going to attempt to ask for a refund. I don't see us ever going back to that area, nor that restaurant. I'm generally not a picky eater, but this was one of the few times where I could not take more than a few bites of anything. We were really looking forward to trying NC BBQ in NC, so this was a disappointing experience.

We stopped in at 7pm on a Friday night and it was dead inside the food was pretty good though and…read moreservice was quick due to us being the literal only patrons there. Over all it was reminiscent of places we have in Texas but we had a great dinner so no complaints from us. I got the Fergie burger and husband got the brisket sandwich

Stopped here for lunch on our way to Charlotte. Plenty of street parking right out front…read more The front during the day looks like it's closed. We were welcomed as we entered and shown to a small table in the main seating area. Fairly large place with a large bar and a stage for all the live music they have. At this time we were the only customers. Our server brought us the menus and glasses of water. After a little extra time, son needed extra time. We ordered the 1/2 rack of baby back ribs with coleslaw and Mac-n-cheese. I ordered the brisket bowl. We had a short wait before everything came out. Everything looked great. The meat literally slid off the bones and the ribs were very tasty. I sampled everything. The slaw was good and even the Mac-n-cheese was good. My brisket bowl was delicious. Brisket over a bed of rice, black beans, blue cheese crumbles, tortilla chips, and a sauce. All the flavors played well together and satisfied my taste buds. It was just enough food. First time here and we both enjoyed the experience. We would definitely eat here again. Recommend giving this place a try.

Wow open night Mike was amazing great times and wonderful people taking to the stage. I ordered the…read morecatfish platter with collards and Mac n cheese. Someone's auntie is in there cooking up a storm. I highly recommend a trip to Durham.