You know any time you've heard of a restaurant before you've ever even been to the city, it's gotta be legendary right? Well... Carolina BBQ has definitely lived up to the hype!!! Currently working short term in Roanoke Rapids North Carolina, I came by during a lunch break thinking I could grab one of their famous bbq sandwiches but once I got there and realized it was a buffet, oh naw I turned right back around and decided to come back for dinner when I had time to eat EVERYTHING lol. It was rough waiting those few hours and my growling tummy was relentless. But when I tell y'all the flavor of the food was so shockingly good I completely forgot about how I almost passed out from malnourishment waiting to get there lol The fried chicken is juicy and crispy (and didn't taste like it had been friend in 3 day old grease ) ....each side item was seasoned differently so they all had their own distinct taste. (I hate going to a restaurant where everything tastes the same ) The smoked seasoned bbq was some of the best I've ever had in my life. And they had these things called spicy scallop & crab cakes yall......omg......after I tasted them I asked to speak to someone cuz I had to let them know how delicious the food is. 10/10 recommend this spot.....I can honestly see myself driving 1.5 hours just to eat here again. *Absolutely BB referral!!!* read more

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If you're looking for an awesome lunch or dinner like you were going to grandmas then this is the place. It doesn't look like a fancy schmancy cloth napkin restaurant, but it a wonderful atmosphere and good southern home cooking. Collards, fried chicken, Mac & cheese, black eyed peas... and southern desserts. The staff was so kind and friendly, went out of the way to make sure you never lacked anything. I'd recommend it to anybody. read more

Made a quick stop at a southern style buffet with friendly service and good food. Lots of options besides barbecue.

You have to try Carolina BBQ & Chicken! As soon as we arrived we were greeted at the door and shown to a table. The staff are friendly and very welcoming. Three large stations of food with sides like macaroni cheese, collard greens, baked beans, navy beans, Pretty much what you would think in a southern style restaurant. The main entrée has brisket, BBQ, pig feet, fried frog legs, fried chicken, fried fresh croakers, fried shrimp, baked chicken etc. The cornbread is not too sweet almost to a cake consistency. There is a large salad bar and a wide range of sweet treats for dessert. We will be back! Definitely worth the drive from Virginia! read more

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This has been the BEST BBQ ive ever had We saw the sign on the fwy and almost pulled into crackle barrel but THANK the heavens we came here instead. We live 2 hours away in Virginia beach and this place would be worth the trip for dinner. Full bellies and happy spirits: best combo for bbq. read more

Carolina BBQ & Chicken - BBQ buffet. Say less. - Barbeque Near Me - Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina

This is the real soul food like no other , when I come to town to visit family this is a go to place for me .... Good Old comfort food Delicious!!!! read more

Disgusting. Horrid. Awful. With that said, I very rarely write poor reviews on any restaurant unless it seriously deserves it. I think I've only rated one star to two other restaurants after almost 150 reviews. This one deserves a one star review more than any other restaurant that I have ever reviewed. Somebody wrote a review saying it was, "Home style county cooking." I don't know who's home she has been eating at but for the love of God, please don't eat at that home again. This is definitely not "home style country cooking." They rope you in with their billboard advertisements if you're traveling I-95. I mean who doesn't want good, authentic Carolina BBQ? Let me tell you, this isn't authentic Carolina BBQ. In fact it isn't BBQ at all. Granted, the pulled pork was somewhat edible but it was the only thing on that buffet that I ate more than two bites. Absolutely no smoke flavor and I can guarantee there wasn't a dry rub on that pork. I'd bet my bottom dollar that it wasn't cooked in a smoker. Don't get me started on the chicken. Just because you put barbecue sauce on a funky tasting chicken, doesn't make it real BBQ. As for the sides, I can almost guarantee that these vegetables came out of a giant tin can and we're just dumped into the tray on the Buffet table. The collard greens were disgusting. Oh, but if you like cold (and I don't mean room temperature, I mean cold) mac & cheese, then this is the place for you. I'm not kidding you when I say we literally took about two bites out of everything on our plate, paid our bill and left. We ended up going to Cookout down the road and that fast food joint had ten times better food than the nasty food you get at this place. read more

Went for supper and it was good. The service is awesome. The food was good. I had baked chicken and it was very good. The collards were fantastic and mash potatoes delicious. I am gluten free and I found plenty to eat. No gluten free desserts but the beets were good for dessert. We will be going back for sure. Food could have been a little hotter but it was still good. read more

This is a local "chain" with locations in Rocky Mount, Emporia VA & here. The location was once a Shoney's, then I believe some Asian place, I first experienced this restaurant in the Emporia location. The #1 thing that bothers me at with this place is the lack of welcome/information when you enter the facility. There is no signage telling to seat yourself or wait to be seated. The second thing that bothers me is the lack of a menu. The "menu" is a bunch a square printed signs that at this location are over a kitchen window. I guess they expect everyone to eat from the buffet. As for the buffet they have a fair (not great) salad bar selection. Main bar is full of southern favorites - fried chicken, bbq, fish, and southern vegetables. (translation: vegans aren't going to like the options.) The server was polite and checked on me multiple times. Just a few tweaks are needed in the way this chain does business to make it a better dining experience. read more

Carolina BBQ & Chicken - The buffet (main draw to this place) - Barbeque Near Me - Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina

Happened to drive past this place, as we were passing through. The food is exceptionally delicious. The staff is very friendly with outstanding service!!!! Will definitely come back. read more

Carolina BBQ & Chicken - Pulled bbq, and collard greens. - Barbeque Near Me - Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina

Good ol fashioned soul food great salad bar as well! Hidden Gem I highly recommend! Service was great!

Listen......when is the AC going to get repaired.I come down from Virginia and just came last weekend and it's still broke.The owner needs to get it together and stop being cheap.They are going to lose customers and employees.You got your employees working in that heat is ridiculous read more

A nice find. We will definitely be back. Best BBQ and great service. There was plenty of variety

We travel from Virginia every couple of months because my husband loves the Seafood on the buffet. Went this past Saturday and prices had gone up again. Two buffets with water to drink was $52 - just not worth this ! The food is good but restaurant is very rundown - no A/C - two big floor fans blowing which didn't help. Owners haven't spent any money to improve their restaurant in a very long time. read more

I cannot imagine a worse place to dine. Not very clean. The food on the buffet was cold. Not only cold but old,definitely past its shelf life. When these issues were addressed with so called manager, I was told I would have to pay because I had fixed a plate. No attempt to make things better or for customer satisfaction. Plain rude. Sorry food, sorry guest relations. read more

All I can say is that the BBQ meats on the buffet were surprisingly better than I thought they might be. Let me say that the staff was super nice and very attentive. ---however--- This place is in serious need of repair, cleaning and upgrade. If Chef Robert Irvine walked into this place he'd likely take a sledgehammer to everything. The men's room has leaky pipes, water all over the floor and a sink that was clogged and overflowing. The ceiling tiles have stains all over, especially by the entranceway. The area between the buffet tables is simply not picked up with large chunks of food and debris everywhere creating a slip hazard. Carpets in the dining room covered with food, stains, crumbs abd completely worn through, holes in the upholstered booths, and the walls destroyed from years of friction. If you can get past the appearance you might enjoy a couple of the items on the buffet. I do not think I will come back. I am definitely worried about the potential for gastrointestinal stress in my immediate future. read more

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The food was not bad but if your going to advertise crabs legs you Should have them. The cost for what they had was a little rich for my blood I think they have too much staff the out numbered customers and were just standing there cut back and some of the food had been out for a while so it was not fresh read more

This has to be the absolute worse BBQ and fried chicken I've ever had the displeasure of putting in my mouth. Which is astonishing as their original Emporia, VA location was REALLY REALLY tasty! The service here at its BEST has been nonchalant. No attempt to be friendly or even remotely fake a smile. You can watch as they take kids off giant cans of corn and place that can right onto a burner to heat it up. Won't even add it to a pot or try to add any seasoning. Not even salt. My advice if you want BBQ, go pay more at Ralph's down the road. read more

Wow! Where do I start? How about w/ the "BBQ" chicken was Not BBQ! It was obviously cooked in the oven & slathered w/ BBQ sauce, & had a funky taste. The Mac & cheese was cold & had absolutely no flavor the same w/ the mashed instant potatoes. I had to quit there, wasn't willing to attempt anything else. Ate 2 bites of each and was done! Had a long 6 plus hour ride home & didn't want to be sick. So if you like bland & cold food I suggest you try it, otherwise go Anywhere else for Real NC BBQ. read more

First impression was not great. Parking lot empty during lunch hours. The food was awful, you could have gone to food lion and bought everything, threw it in the microwave and it would have been better. Everything tasted from a can, or frozen. With the exception of the chicken(which was burnt and not seasoned) The corn and green beans were canned, powder mashed potatoes with a heinous about of butter that sat on top. Mac and cheese was Stouffer's frozen meal, Pulled pork bbq was Brookwood Farms Carolina style. The pricing is just under $25 for 2 people without tip. The best thing from this experience was the to-go-cup. read more

Everything you want in Carolina cookin' is right here! My husband says we came in as car passengers, but we're leaving as CARGO.

What a pleasant surprise. Was on a road trip getting hungry, figured southern bbq was our best bet. At the time I did not know this was a chain, saw bbq, and went for it. Face palmed when I realized I walked into an all you can eat buffet. Almost exclusively a bad thing if you want decent food. Let me tell you, it's good! Way beyond expectations. Almost everything I tried from the hush puppies to corn bread to bbq chicken pulled pork etc.. Quite delicious and also surprisingly not greasy. The place is run down, the service (if you could call it that at a buffet) was almost literally non existent (our initial water was never refilled, plates piled on the table until the end and our check was haphazardly dropped on the table mid meal) but I didn't care at all. Was it the best bbq I've ever had? No. For $10 though i felt I was getting a tremendous deal and the food far exceeded both my expectations and the price point. Not too shabby. read more

Carolina BBQ & Chicken - Barbeque Near Me - Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina

If you're looking for a heart attack from over cooked terrible food this is the place for you. Shrimp cold and greasy, fish dry and cold. Bbq looked like it went through a blender. Will not go back and do not recommend unless I don't like you. read more

I felt like I was having a southern style Sunday dinner at a friends house. Fried chicken and tilapia was hot, fresh and tasty. All the southern sides you'd expect and were great. I actually liked they had the option of buffet style, which I chose. Lots of desserts to choose from a little too sweet for me. It's the better option than the fast food chains in this area. read more

The sign out front says "we have frog legs on weekends". They did NOT! There were NONE on the buffet. When we asked the manager on duty about it she said she apologized. We asked her to take the sign down but she said she couldn't do it. Then we said she could at least put a sign up on the door and she said she wouldn't do it. That's false advertising and BAD service! And the place is absolutely filthy! There is so much grease on the floor that you have to skate instead of walk! It's very dirty! read more

After eating in Lexington Barbeque in Lexington, N.C. and the Beacon Drive-In in Spartanburg, S.C, this barbeque is mediocre at best, and it was cold. John C. Evans, Ga. read more

I wanted to like this place, I really did. Checked it out on the annual road trip between DC and Myrtle Beach in August 2015, and the idea of stopping for bbq and chicken about 1/3 of the way there seemed to make a lot of sense. But this place was just dirty. I can eat in a down-home place with relaxed standards, but honestly it was shocking how greasy every single surface was. Tables were left uncleared for, it seemed like, as long as a half hour or even longer. Bones, trash, garbage everywhere. It was honestly disgusting, and there is zero chance this place could pass a health inspection. It was a miracle we all didn't get sick. I can't deny that the chicken was impressively good. But honestly I expected to get sick for the next several days after we ate there, and I will never go back under any circumstances. The food could be something to grow on here, but I say avoid at all costs -- this tips over from divey and charming into skeezy and shower-inducing. Ugh. Still feel sort of sick just remembering it now. read more

I rarely write reviews as I am rarely inspired to whether it be positive or negative. In the case of Carolina bbq I'm inspired to say as loud as I can that this may have been the single worst restaurant experience I've ever had. My wife and I were driving back to Florida from the northeast with our 4 and 8 yr old children and were so looking forward to crossing the Carolina border to get some good n carolina bbq. I am somewhat of a knowledgable Carolina bbq war guy and have had numerous experiences with both north and south carolina offerings. The name was what got us obviously. Here is our experience that took place 15 min ago. First we all noticed that the floor was extremely slippery. So much so that my 8 yr old son almost fell. We laughed but were not aware that it was basically a symbol of what was to come. As we slipped and slid to our sticky dirty table the very nice waitress came over and was taken back a bit by us asking for menus. It took her a solid five min to make it back with a piece of copy paper that had 8 $5 deals on it. The Buffett is basically what they do and it was made clear. The price was 9.49 for adults and 4.49 for kids so off to the Buffett we went. There were plenty of options and truth is I was excited to dig in while I slipped and spun jokingly on the oily floor with my kids en route to the food. My plate had fried pork chop, hush puppies, ribs, mashed potatoes and something they called burgers and gravy which was basically a ball of dried chopped meat in canned gravy. The pork chop was dry and gross. The hush puppies were tasteless. The ribs were underwhelming albeit the best thing on my plate. The mashed were clearly made from boxed flakes. My son had chicken fingers and his first bite revealed a bloody vein running through it. Of all the many chicken fingers he's eaten and never not one drop of blood. He was mortified. My 4 yr old daughter who is the one who eats anything in my family spit out the mashed, the rice and a hush puppy before crying and yelling. " I don't like this place! It tastes disgusting!" While embarrassed to a degree I was glad someone had the gumption to say it. My wife spent her time trying to make sure my kids didn't touch anything while saying her pulled pork was dry and "yucky" and her Mac and cheese had something hard in it. She ultimately ate the corn bread and cucumbers. The corn bread was good. I forgot to mention that above. So before we left my son and I used the slippery floored bathroom. Only difference was the floor was slippery with urine and not oil/ grease this time. Just the worst. I am extremely disappointed that I took my family to this place and would advise all people to ask themselves what quality of food do they expect when they get all they can eat for under $10. Sorry to say it but Carolina bbq just might be the worst restaurant I've ever been to. It was that bad even if the place had quite a few seemingly regular customers. Probably the pricing that keeps everyone coming back. Before ending I will say that ever staff member I had contact with was a sweet as pie. read more

Great home cooking, hot fresh and tasty! Highly recommend, some of the best home cooking I've ever had!

Love to experiment with local joints. Granted, if you are looking for "looks", don't come here! But if you are looking for home style southern cooking, this is your place. The buffet is nice, variety. 2 types of fish (tilapia and cat fish), shrimp, frog legs, etc. great fried chicken. The pull pork is average. They have rice with gizzards which is extraordinary! My issue is that they lack bbq sauce variety. They only have 1 type of sauce, tomato n vinegar based. Not my favorite. But for the price and the food quality, definitely is a place to come! read more

Ever been to a buffet that serves pigs' tails? 'Nuff said. My brother and I ate, or attempted to eat, at Carolina BBQ on way back from Emerald Isle on 8/27/18. It was about 2PM and we were looking for a gen-u-ine NC-style BBQ joint. Were we ever fooled by the name! I should have known better since the first thing that hit us on entry was the sour odor of collards and vinegar, definitely not the appetizing aroma like from grandma's greens. The place looked grimey, with unbused tables, stained carpet, damaged walls, etc. But to their credit, the men's room had both soap AND hand towels available. Beyond the smell, the buffet food looked distinctly unappetizing. Silly us, we persisted and found a table. There was probably a dozen or 15 customers eating there at the time. The single staffmember working the tables was surprised that we wanted a menu, trying to convince us that the buffet was a better deal. But we just wanted a barbecue pork platter with slaw and fries. He finally brought us, not a menu, but a stained price sheet. We ordered and were served in a relatively timely manner. I reminded the server that we needed utensils, so he handed us each a fork. I spat out the very first bite of barbecue onto the table. It was a big wad of gristle. Digging through the pork pile, I could see nothing but fat and gristle, and it didn't smell appetizing at all. The fries were hot, but the coleslaw was just cabbage mush. The sacrilegiously sweet hush puppies looked like golden dog turds. Fortunately, the sweetened tea only had a 4-lb. bag of Domino sugar added. Good thing they've stopped selling the 5-pounders. I looked up suddenly to see a panicked look on my brother's face. "What's wrong?" "A piece of pork is lodged in my throat," he croaked, "and I can't get it out." He rushed to the men's room, returning a few minutes later. In the intervening time, I didn't bother eating more. He said he hadn't been successful in dislodging the offending pork. I suggested the Heimlich maneuver (as opposed to the hindlick maneuver, which is equally effective, and probably more apropos in this kind of restaurant) and was rising from my seat when he darted back to the men's room. When he returned he looked much relieved, and said he'd self-Heimliched (I had a flashback of John Belushi in an SNL skit as Elizabeth Taylor doing samesame), and was fine. I suggested finding a different place to eat. We paid, though they didn't deserve a dime from us for such poor grub. We then went to Ralph's just down the street. Muuuuuch better. read more

I stopped here while driving from Norfolk, VA to Orlando. I used to live in Roanoke Rapids, and it seemed like a good thing to do. My family is from Down East, NC and we know NC BBQ. The chopped pork BBQ here is adequate (it ain't Wilbur's, but it ain't bad), but the coke slaw is something to rave about. It's perfect! I will definitely be back. read more

Howdy out there to all my travelers and North Carolinians folks!! If y'all have not heard about Carolina BBQ and Chicken then let me tell ya'll about it. It's an all you can eat southern buffet place right off I95 south right off exit 173. My mom bought me here after an evening of errands for some take-out. As I walked in for the very first time, it felt like a food festival was going on in here. People were everywhere picking up plates, eating utensils, ordering/fixing plates either to dine in or for pick-up. There are three stations, one that has various vegetables (corn, string beans, collards, cabbage, peas, butter beans...etc) another that has meats, chicken (fried, baked, or BBQ) and fish, hush puppy/corn bread which are my favorites and last but not least, the salad, fruit, and deserts plus more. The prices are very reasonable for an all you can eat. Adults pay $9.00, seniors $8.00, Children ages 0-5 $2.00, 4-10 $5.00. They also have a breakfast buffet every Saturday from 7:00am - noon. If you have not eaten all day and you are hungry then you will be able to satisfy your hunger here. read more

This is about as bad as food gets! I thought that at a buffet I could piece together enough to make one meal. Nope! Out of many offerings, the only things edible were green beans, corn, mashed potatoes, and something that I think was boneless fried chicken. That may sound good but even those items would only rate a 2, although if someone forced you to eat there, those could be swallowed. (I literally spit most everything else into my napkin after one bite!) Desserts were gagging sweet. read more

The food is always excellent, very consistent in taste and temperature! Would highly recommend to anyone wanting a country style home cooked meal! read more

Had the Buffett and tried most offered The fried chicken is awesome, butter beans and collards rocked! Nice assortment of all things southern:) We will definitely make our way back. read more

Stopped in during a drive from South Carolina to the DC area. Arrived at noon and took advantage of the buffet. Everything I tried was VERY good and there was a nice selection of southern cooking. Great collards, beans, wonderful minced pork BBQ, BBQ chicken, fried chicken and coleslaw. Peach cobbler was fantastic. Prices were low and the service was friendly and fast. Lots of locals dining there which should be a good sign. Located only about two minutes from I-95. read more

Carolina BBQ & Chicken - Barbeque Near Me - Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina

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It hurts me to have to leave a 2-star review, and even then, I still feel like I'm being generous. If they'd billed this as a fried chicken and hush puppy spot, I'd give it 4 stars! But beyond that, everything else was forgettable. Variations of salt, sugar, and canned or frozen ingredients. I think I'm most disappointed in the barbecue. With Ralph's just down the road, you'd think they'd want to be in the game to compete with their closest buffet/barbecue rival. But hi do you dry out chopped pork when the pieces of fat are still in the meat?? I was so confused. The staff is super nice and helpful, and the tea is sweet! But, I don't think I'll be returning :-( read more

Solid buffet style southern cooking. Not the most extravagant facility, but the dishes are Southern Standards done well, and the chicken is better than average. Friendly staff all around. read more

Had my first side of frog legs and enjoyed it along with Eastern NC style collards, field peas and barbecue. The restaurant isn't far from I-95 and the hospitality is just right. Would recommend... read more

Carolina BBQ & Chicken - My plate - Barbeque Near Me - Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina