The BBQ is pretty good. Good food for the right price. I had the dinner planter which consisted of two vegetables I chose the collards and French fries. Meat was chicken breast and pulled pork. Came with hush puppies and coleslaw. Chicken was season right and juice and tender. The pork was spot on. The collards were really good. The coleslaw I was not a fan of. It was too tangy and tasted too much like mustardy. The hush puppies were the best I had ever had. Cooked to perfection not greasy and right amount of flavor and texture. I liked them so much I had to get a dozen to go!! The French fries were hard and over fried. Probably sitting under a heat lamp for too long. The pork was season right. I dined in so at the table they had a few sauces you can sprinkle on. Over all the food was really good and all for an amazing price. Lots of locals come there and that parking lot is always full! The restaurant staff was very friendly and the establishment was very clean! I will be a regular customer moving forward! read more

Excellent location for traditional Eastern NC style BBQ, Collard greens, boiled potatoes, hush puppies and slaw & banana pudding. Daily specials. Good crispy fried chicken too read more

Carolina Barbecue is a staple in Garner. It is a quick spot to grab some good food. The chicken pastry and bbq are both good options for mains. I also like the boiled potatoes, coleslaw and string beans. read more

We did takeout. My wife had flounder. The portion was generous and cooked perfectly. My fried chicken was excellent. The prices were great.

I will start this review by saying that I have only had North Carolina BBQ twice. I'm not really a fan of Pulled Pork basted with vinegar. My wife had never tried Southern BBQ, so we gave it a try. This place stays pretty darn busy, so there are plenty of people that like this place and their food. We agreed that we are not fans. The Fried Chicken was good and so was the fried shrimp. The Hush Puppies were just ok. Same with the Corn Sticks. Too doughy- we all agreed that we have had better ones. The Potato Salad was ok and the Cole Slaw had good flavor but was to finally chopped versus other Cole Slaws that I have had that have more texture versus the one served here. They provide a fair amount of food and the prices were reasonable. The wait staff was pretty attentive, helpful and friendly. If you like Southern BBQ - give them a shot. read more

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Wasn't what I expected being my first bbq place in NC. I settled for a pulled pork sandwich that left much to be desired. The service was lacking and our server seemed to misunderstand something I said and got an attitude. The ambience? What ambiance? I would assume people do like this place but I for one have found much better bbq establishments to dine at. read more

I have been a customer here for decades but I doubt me, my family, my employees, or friends will be back to patronize this restaurant after tonight's experience. It seems this restaurant has lost all appreciation for their best customers. Even basic customer service expected in a restaurant is challenging. We were seated and after a long wait our waitress appeared. She was pleasant enough but kept disappearing on us. Long waits ensued for everything we ordered adding interminable wasted time to our dinner experience and a lot of frustration. To make matters worse and add insult to injury we were eating family style which means all you can eat. Apparently it's "Russian Family Style" where they give you the food you are going to get and tell you: "That's all you can eat." We had plenty of time to order food and eat. Our waitress apparently wasted it to our detriment. When we asked for more food we were told "There is no more food. The kitchen is closed." It was 9:10 PM and we were leaving shortly. When a restaurant prints a menu and puts an offer on a menu and your customer accepts that offer the LEAST you can do is actually show up and provide good service. My son asked for a refill twice. He finally received one three minutes before we walked out the door. I received no refills, but a small pitcher appeared for me...........five minutes before we walked out the door. No refills. No food. Full price charged. That's just wrong. If you don't want our business just say so. We won't complain. If you offer to serve us don't rip us off and make us feel unwelcome at our expense. No one wants to have this experience. When I expressed how disappointed I was in this whole experience the cashier simply shrugged and said there was nothing she could do. Well that was easy. So take your chances here if you must, but if you pay to order family style I can guarantee you that it's not all you can eat and that you will walk out the door filled with more bitterness and regret than BBQ. Go elsewhere. read more

Still yummy! Stop by on a saturates visiting a local lumber mill. Service still fast and friendly. I still don't care for the vinegary no mayo slaw, buts that me. read more

Carolina Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Garner, North Carolina

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Stop in for lunch at 11:30 on a Saturday. Note that there was a posting that prices had just gone up due to increasing cost.I posted photos of the menu so you can see. Honestly, my expectations were low, and they well over delivered with a delicious lunch. The hush puppies were perhaps the best that I've ever eaten. The Eastern Carolina style barbecue was moist, flavorful, accompanied by green beans, and a good tasting potato sala. The fried flounder was cooked nicely. The staff was incredibly friendly. My experience was excellent, and the food was fresh, tasty, and hot. The total price for 2 lunches with 2 drinks and a tip was $31. I look forward to going back when I am more hungry so I can try to get to dessert. read more

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The fried chicken and BBQ was hot and delicious. Chicken Pastry was also yummy. Love the yams and the Cole slaw. Service was also great.

Not a shortage of turkey bbq! Felt like home "252 that is" it's the perfect spot for a eastern Carolina style bbq sandwich read more

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Nice selection of great food. Yum! Great option if you are attending a show at Spiritual Twist Productions and want to get dinner first!

New Dimensions Fellowship Christian Church of Burlington NC closed our doors to attend Glorious Church of Raleigh for their Conference Weekend 10/29/23 and after our Dynamic Bishop Fed us with the Word we went to Carolina BBQ of Garner for the country eating. All I can say this Party of 15 is still talking about how we threw down in there and how great the food & service was once it got started. Atmosphere was comfortable. The waitress was very patient and pleasant. We'll be back very soon. read more

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I used to frequent the drive thru at least twice a week because I like the Gizzards and the Ribs. The Ribs are only sold on Friday. I called the restaurant to speak to the manager about the long wait at the drive thru. They have an eat-in and a walk up but I am handicapped and it is easier for me to drive thru. There's a guy who works the window but "work" isn't the best word to use. He takes his time with the getting the orders and bringing them to the window. I've waiting in line for at least 30 minutes or more because of thru inefficient way of taking orders. Once in the lane, it is difficult get around the cars so you must wait. I have pulled up to find him, talking to other employees and a manager about eating pizza. He had his back to the window, drinking tea and was in no hurry to get the orders out. There were 5 on the counter. I was under the impression that mine wasn't ready but when he finished sipping on his tea, he passed my order to me. I asked was that my order and if so, why didn't he just give it to me. I'd been waiting for over 30 minutes. I'd even turned thd engine off to save gas. I jokingly said, "I do not like you." I called back and explained exactly what happened and my ribs were mostly fat. David, Sr., was nice and told me to come back and bring the plat. He told me that some people liked the fat but told me the next time (Friday's only) to ask for ribs that were lean. I came to the walk up this time and David, Jr., served me and was really nice. I didn't go back for a while because I was sick. David talked to the guy and the service got better. They had two ladies who worked and they got the orders in and out very quickly. The other guy came back and the problems came with him. I ordered the ribs again but this time, instead of the usual 3 to 4 depending on size, I got 1 only along with the sides that I'd ordered. I called back and spoke to a nice lady in the restaurant. She told me to come back but I'd waited so long in line and it was dark. I told her that I would bring the plate back the next day but that I'd eaten some of the rib; which coincidentally was fatty. I came back the next day and waited in the drive thru. He was working. I guess he can see the cars because the line stalled. I saw the manager as he was taking out garbage and asked if he could help. I told him about my order. He asked did I bring back the back and I gave it to him. He asked what did I want in its place and I said Gizzards. Gizzards are $9 and the ribs much more. I asked could I get the difference but the guy left his post at window to come out to question me. I spoke to Hannah and she said that she'd have David call but he may have forgotten or was busy. If I return, I will not go to the window if he's there. read more

i ordered a $389.00 meal on July 20,2024 for my Aunt surprise Birthday Party i was so happy what i had got chicken boil potatoes green beans hush puppies plates forks napkins 2 gallon of lemonade 2 gallon of tea and barbecue what a meal so tasty so please if you want a great meal try Carolina Barbecue read more

I know understand why there is always a line out the parking lot here. I had turkey bbq and it was wonderful! Comes with cold slaw and the hush puppies taste so so so good. Tasted like they were made fin scratch. The reason for 4 stars was because they mistakenly gave me pork. They apologized a million times over and fixed my order. The store is off by itself alone and pretty easy to find. Will definitely be back. If you are looking for some good bbq then look no further. read more

Today I had to barbecue chicken and it was dry and chicken you always have to be careful eating this If it's not steaming when you open that chicken up then it's not hot enough and it's probably got germs and when I got home I did have diarrhea. I will return it next time in the past I've had good food there. The young lady that took care of me for services very good. read more

Yummy food and sweet staff! Feel like a member of the family when I dine there. Wish staff could walk outside to take orders from drive thru lane and pay with mobile credit card reader so orders could be ready at window. read more

I am grateful that I found Carolina BBQ. I grew up in NC and I no longer eat pork. Carolina BBQ provides a way for me to get chopped turkey BBQ and it is so good! The sides they offer are phenomenal as well. (They cook some with pork.) read more

The okra was good but greasy. Potatoes were different ok but different I couldn't get the flavor. Pork didn't have any flavor so I added vinegar made it better I could have used more vinegar but they only gave me one. coleslaw had good flavor. Hush puppies were delicious. read more

Carolina Barbecue - Kitchen - Barbeque Near Me - Garner, North Carolina

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I ordered 2 bbq chicken plates to go. They wrap plates in foil and put in a paper bag and the entire order in a plastic bag. When I arrived 20+ miles from the restaurant and opened my plate, it's chopped bbq and not chicken. I call the restaurant and was told by the front end manager and kitchen manager that I need to drive back with the plate for them to do something about this. I can save the plate my refrigerator the next day and return it. I explained that I live 20 miles away but both were like that's the only way they could make amends even though I told them my plate was mixed up with the person in line ahead of me. And why do I have to save the bbq plate in my refrigerator if I'm not going to be in the area for another week or so. Is Carolina BBQ going to resell this plate? Yuck! I ate the plate but vow not to return there. Plus the Lima beans were a canned, mushy salty mess and I don't like collard greens mush! read more

First, I was on a quest for chicken pastry because, like an idiot, I didn't think to watch my granny make it while she was alive and it was my favorite food she would make for me. This place delivered the goods - it was so close to what she made, plus the banana pudding had merengue. Granny always had a killer merengue on hers. Thank you for this gift! Second, I can see that a good number of people leaving reviews haven't been to many/any eastern North Carolina BBQ joints and I'm just going to leave it at that. read more

Sorry but it has to be said - this was not the experience we had anticipated! My group were from TX, CO, TN and NE were all expecting what we were described as the best Homecooked BBQ!!! We had no idea certain days of the week dictate the selections and basically could only order pulled park, turkey or a pork chop - no pork ribs - no beef - no lemonade - so no choices! The 'fresh breaded seafood' was frozen not fresh! Ok ket's move on to what was good - the fried chicken although made ahead of order in bulk waiting to be ordered - was good! Finally, the homemade Fresh Peach Cobbler was made from can peaches and more sugar and some kind of stuff in it - that we had to leave it aside. Carolina BBQ serve your neighbors right! They like to brag and share their prideful eateries - we won't be back but wish you much success!! read more

I give 0 stars but you have to click it in order to leave a comment: I just went to Carolina BBQ Hwy 70 Garner to pick up a order @ the take out. I witnessed an employee touching food without gloves & flicking his hair & I asked if he fixed my food. The man @ the counter told me that the young man was a waiter & didn't fix plates. I told him what i witnessed...it turned into a whole blowout. He asked the young man if he did what i said...the young man said yes. He preceded to tell me the young man didn't touch my food, did i want my food. I told him he is not the owner and I spend a lot of money there. He said he was the owner...I described the owner, he said that's my dad. He told me get my black a$&& out & told someone call the cops. The actual owner came up & backed his son. I told him I simply asked if that person fixed my order bc if he did i didn't want it. Again he told me they use gloves & I told him I watched the young man pick up a piece of meat and flick his hair without gloves, so I just wanted to know if he fixed my plates. They both said do you want your food . I told them again I spend a lot of money here, so a female came and said she fixed my plates.....I told her I don't want it bc as much money I spend here, why would I come here and say I saw something i didn't see... i dont do drama nor cause problems....my mom loves this freaking place. BUT THEY WILL NOT GET ANOTHER PENNY FROM ME. They really showed their racism....WOW i'm disappointed read more

Carolina Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Garner, North Carolina

We've driven by this place so many times and never stopped, but today was the day. Super impressed! Very clean, staff was warm & welcoming, excellent menu choices. Trout was delicious, pork BBQ was excellent, sweet potato fries and hush puppies were on point, homemade banana pudding was even better than we expected. We'll be back! read more

As you would expect in this state, there are a number of barbecue restaurants that carry some version of the name Carolina Barbecue - a 2 locaion "chain" in Wilmington. an iconic Lexington style BBQ joint in Statesville, a BBQ & Country Buffet in Kenansville, an Ole Carolina BBQ in Gastonia, 2 Carolina BBQs in SC (also known as Little Carolina), a commercially produced "Carolina Barbecue" by Chandler Foods of Greensboro, and even a Carolina BBQ Whopper thanks to Burger King. And that is not even counting Carolina Brothers Pit Barbecue in Ashburn, VA - run by 2 brothers from Camden County, North Carolina. So a place named Carolina Barbecue is kind of easy to overlook, or even dismis, but that would be a mistake in this case because this Carolina Barbecue serves up some surprisingly good Eastern North Carolina BBQ, and more. The barbecue is moist, tender, moderately chopped, and well sauced out of the kitchen - and that sauce carries a kick, due to an abundance of red pepper flakes. The slaw is the typical white slaw of this style, and it combines to make an outstanding sandwich, goes for $3.19. The Shrimp Burger is loaded, really loaded with very well fried shrimp, only a little tartar sauce and salt & pepper are needed to complete this great "burger" - cost is $4.69, and worth it. The Trout Sandwich ($$3.99) is also ample, and needs only the same toppings to complete it - an excellent fish sandwich. This is a busy place at peak times, but the service is very good. They have a separate take out station on the left side of the building, helps logistically. This may not be an absolute destination BBQ joint, but it is sure more than a drive by one. Sadly, they do not offer a hot dog. read more

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Fried chicken and sweet potato fries are always so crispy and delicious! Staff is always very friendly

It's a great sign when you pull into a BBQ joint and the parking lot is full (even during Covid-19) and the drive through is 10 cars deep (if not more) at 1 o'clock on a Sunday. With it being a rainy Sunday and knowing once we got home we weren't going to leave or for that matter cook Sunday dinner...we opted for the Family #4 Pack adding Chicken and Pastry. The chicken and pastry was a pleasant surprise, especially when comparing it to my sweet southern aunts recipe. The BBQ chicken fell off the bone and super moist. The pork BBQ was well done, as were the sides. My only complaint and this is suggestive-the slaw even though it was wet it had too much pickle for my liking. Worth the drive for my family! read more

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We only tried a few things, but we won't be back to try more. The bbq was mediocre, the fries appeared to be from a freezer bag, and the slaw was not what I expected. I will say that the hush puppies were good. read more

Carolina Barbecue is always packed, especially on Sunday's. The chicken pastry and yams are my favorite. I always go through the drive thru since it's always so busy. read more

In search of whole hog BBQ, we drove to Garner NC to try Carolina BBQ. Unique red building with multiple dining rooms. Staff was extremely friendly. While waiting for your food, they bring complimentary pork skins. These were great! I had a large BBQ plate with slaw, Brunswick stew & collard greens. First the Q: the flavor was on point, but it was a bit dry. Whole hog has a greater risk of being dry due to the addition of loins which have so little fat, but it makes up for it in overall flavor. The collard greens had good flavor, but over chopped for me. The Brunswick stew was good, but needed few more veggies. The hush puppies were great! The food quality reminded me of a old, long closed restaurant by the name of Don Murray's. The wife had A BBQ sandwich & lima beans. She enjoyed the Lima beans. Q was a bit spicy for her. My son had a BBQ sandwich & sweet potato fries. He liked Q & fries. Overall, an enjoyable meal. I would try again if I lived nearby. I would recommend people give it a try!!! read more

My first time eating here and I got the family pack to go. The chicken and the BBQ were great. The sides were really good too. I was however charged more than the price on the website though and that is very uncool. There is absolutely no excuse for not updating prices and making people feel misled. read more

Excellent food every time we go. Fairly quick service. Friendly staff. I wish we had one in my hometown.

Classic southern comfort taste! This place lives up to it's name. I wanted some Carolina Barbecue and that is exactly what I got. The pulled pork plate was absolutely delicious: warm and tender with that quintessential vinegar-based Carolina BBQ sauce. The Brunswick Stew!! I ordered this as a side bowl because I am a huge lover of soups and stews. This dish was hearty and warm, but not overpowering as a side dish. From the tomato base to the chicken to the Lima beans and veggies, this dish is sure to become regular add on for me. The hush puppies were just the right combination of crunchy, soft, and just a little sweet. Fried okra was simply divine with a perfect crunchy coating. Even the sweet tea was excellent, maybe one of the best I have tasted. It was not stale at all--tasted perfectly fresh even when we ordered at the tail end of dining hours. Service was relaxed. The place was pretty empty when we arrived (around 7:45pm before the 9pm close time). Our waitress was attentive but never lingered too long or made us feel rushed. The food came out fast, fresh, and hot. This place was recommended to me by a Cary local. She has been coming to Carolina BBQ for years and it is always a family favorite. A just try if you're craving that classic southern taste. read more

Stopped by here to try something new (we're new to the area). We got suckered in by all the cars in the parking lot. We grabbed drive thru and headed home. Cornbread sticks we're gross, hush puppies were great. Very mixed start. Got home and opened my Beef rib plate - the Friday special. Immediately I could see huge globs of fat all over the meat. An instant sign that these were not BBQ, but boiled. One taste confirmed the mushy flavorless consistency of pot roast. Not even sure these are actually ribs. The sheer amount of fat and ligament and garbage I had to remove left me with only half my mushy pile to eat. I got the slaw (terribly mustardy), Mac and cheese (clearly boxed junk, not homemade at all) and my fries that had been soaked in all the boiled rib juice. The icing on the cake, I ordered the cobbler, pretty sure they boiled it too. It was closer to the consistency of a soggy piece of bread. What a disaster. I will never go back to this place, heck I wouldn't eat here again if it was free. read more

Excellent food at an excellent value. Their sauce has a great sweetness to it and their bbq was cooked perfectly. Slaw was chopped nice and fine (how I like it). Their sweet potato fries were outta this worldddd. Topped with sugar -- l couldn't stop eating them ! 5/5 will be back. Servers were also very polite and courteous. read more

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This place deserves NO stars. The owner does not take responsibility for the poor quality and unprofessionalism. Greens thrown on top of fried catfish, making it soggy and looks like it was thrown in the bag and shaken. Owner LAUGHED at me and says he 'doesn't do refunds'. The customer is responsible for the presentation. I simply opened the bag and container to find this. read more

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Well worth to come for ribs barbecue and fried chicken liver and gizzards. Will coming back. read more

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Stopped by while going through Gardner. 3 had barbecue plates and I had rib special. Barbecue was dry but they added sauce on the table that was good. The ribs were tender and good. The Brunswick stew not so good.. I should have had the butter beans. Service pleasant. It is not a barbecue house I would make a special trip to attend. Too much great competition in NC. read more

Good Lord the service here is slow. Keep in mind I'm here during supper time (6:15 PM) you would think they would have some one ready to sit patrons as soon as guest see the PLEASE WAIT FOR SEATING SIGN. Nope,not even close. Now I don't mind to wait, especially for good local food. This place is not worth the wait. I saw ton less than three tables with guest still with menus and half filled drinks. No staff awareness. I'm embarrassed for the owner. The food was cold, portions small. I have a pet peeve, cold fries. They win the prize. read more