Never disappointed at this location! This City BBQ location distinguishes itself with consistent high quality in food and service, something that many chain restos struggle with. Not this place! Food is always wonder and served quickly, which is very nice when dining in with a hungry toddler :) I would even go so far as to say the quality of food has gotten better over my five visits. We even opted to have our boy's 1st birthday party catered by City BBQ, and it was a hit. Pulled Pork and Ribs were of course a hit. The kids inhaled the Mac & Cheese, the adults appreciated the Crisp Salad, Cole Slaw and delicious Baked Beans. But the winner was the Corn Pudding! I'm craving it as I type...my in-laws were in town for the birthday and they're from Canada. They don't have Corn Pudding in that strange country to the north, months and months later I still hear about how good it was. The mother-in-law even told me she looked up the recipe online to make this exotic foreign dish, lol. Dine in, pick up to catered...food and service is wonderful! One tip...they're normal slaw is a vinegar-based slaw. If you want creamy slaw, you need to specify that. Both are very good. read more

City Barbeque - Laid back - Barbeque Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

Sorry, City Barbeque. Who was I kidding? You're worthy of much more than 3 stars. I apologize - I just wasn't feelin' the beef brisket from my last visit. Round 2: pulled pork. Oh y'all. Melt in your mouth, fall apart on your fork goodness. Juicy, tender, delicious. Pair it with the sweet BBQ sauce and you've got a party in your mouth. The green beans with bacon are some of THE BEST I've ever had. Like Southern slow cooking style. I'm in love. Not to mention your cornbread is dense, cakey, goodness - I heated it up a smidge, slathered some butter on it, and I never looked back. read more

I took it as a bad sign that, when I placed my order over the phone and asked for coleslaw, they said that they were OUT OF COLESLAW. WHAT. I wanted to remind them them that, hello, they were a barbecue restaurant -- therefore, they were not allowed to run out of coleslaw. (Because barbecue and coleslaw go together like ... whatever number of things that go together really well.) Holding in my righteous indignation, I sallied forth and ordered the sweet potato casserole instead. But gosh darn it if it isn't true, City Barbecue won me over despite not having coleslaw the day I visited. First of all, they fry up your hush puppy order while you wait, so that they're nice and crispy and hot. That's just good customer service right there! That's, like, a sign that they care about your dining experience. Also, their bacon green beans are amazing -- easily the best things I've eaten in a while. Pretty much any vegetable is made better with the addition of bacon, but these are superior and worth ordering. Trust. And the barbecued meat. Dang. I got the pulled pork sandwich, which comes with barbecue sauce on the side, so you can add as much as you want. The meat is smoky and tender, shredded but with the occasional chunk of charred goodness. The bun was nothing special, but the sheer beauty of the meat made up for the bun's mediocrity. Also in our order was the macaroni and cheese. It really appealed to the kids because the noodles were super soft and the seasoning was bland. I like my mac and cheese with a little more depth, so this particular dish wasn't my favorite. I'd like to go back one day when they do indeed have coleslaw! read more

So last time I was at this location, several years ago before covid the service was beyond terrible. I stopped by this afternoon and had to comment as I had the best experience and customer service. Fatima rocked it out of the park with a terrific smile and warm welcome...... 5 stars plus !! read more

Had good food for 20+ people at a birthday celebration gathering, but it was almost ruined by an inept delivery driver. One of sacks containing pans was completely soaked through at the bottom, and the driver said it wasn't his problem. I will have to think twice before spending 200 again. Especially since I added $20 tip to that when I ordered! If I can figure out way to get that back, I'd like to make sure a rude driver doesn't get it. read more

I was staying overnight in Carmel and so I ordered from here via Doordash. I wanted a pulled pork sandwich with my two sides and a drink. The guy who brought was super fast and when I opened my door my food was there. I picked it up and wondered why it was so heavy. I look inside and instead of a pulled pork I get what is in the picture. It looked like a someone threw all the crap they were going to throw away. I tried to contact the driver but no luck. Highly disappointed. read more

City Barbeque - meat in a foil container - Barbeque Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

The ribs (if they aren't out of them) are dry. The brisket is dry and flavorless. the service is spotty to poor. Just got home (didn't check my order, big mistake. ) and half my order was missing. This is NOT a real BBQ joint either. Go to Big Hoffa's instead. Waaay better. read more

I was so excited to treat myself to City Barbecue while I was in the Carmel area today! I will say the speed of service and the friendliness of the cashier did impress me but the food was a disappointment. I ordered the city sampler to split with another person, which includes brisket, pulled pork, sausage, and turkey. The turkey I received was cold and very dry, the pulled pork was room temp, and the brisket was shredded instead of the nice slices that I have received in the past. It was hard to tell what was pork and what was brisket since they were both shredded to the same consistency. The sausage was warm and had a great flavor with a slight kick. The garlic bread was alright but not much garlic flavor. I love the vinegar slaw and would highly recommend this sweet and light slaw to complement their meal. read more

City Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

City Barbecue is one of those places that I've known about for several years, but for whatever reason, we never made the effort to try it out. So, since we had family coming to the house for Christmas, I thought it would be a good idea to get some take-out and have some BBQ pulled pork for everyone. It's located in a strip mall on Rangeline Road in Carmel, and it's easy to find and easy to get to. When we walked into the restaurant, I could immediately tell that this was my kind of place. Inside, it "looks" like what you expect a BBQ joint to look like. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that 80% of their customers are guys, and I think they're doing a good job of creating an atmosphere that will appeal to their target audience. The young lady at the front register was pleasant, and she helped us through the process of ordering. It's not a hard process, but we just hadn't been here before, and didn't know exactly how to ask for what we wanted. We ended up with a 3-pound tin of pulled pork, along with their standard BBQ sauce. Once we got home, I had a small sample in advance of the guests' arrival. This was probably the best pulled pork I've ever had, and I was impressed with how lean the meat was. The meat didn't last long, and it was devoured by everyone that came for Christmas. I'm looking forward to coming back and trying the rest of the menu. read more

Place is pretty good! I've done some traveling in KC and TX. It'd be crazy to try and stack this up against those places, but for our area I'd have to say it's some of the best BBQ I've had. Brisket could've been more moist but had good flavor. Sausage and HP's had were great. Relaxed atmosphere in a rustic/classic BBQ type restaurant setup. Service was good - fast and casual. Food was tasty. Large selection of good sauces. Kids menu as well. Not cheap but not excessive on price. We likely be back when we have BBQ on the brain. read more

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Nasty! Unseasoned food! Expensive prices! Beef Brisket full of fat. Macaroni and cheese flavorless. Have a nice atmosphere. I will not return read more

There's a downside to being a Yelp Elite. What is it, you say? The problem is that after you've been to a Yelp event, Elite or not, return visits to that establishment require that you return to the role of simple, ordinary customer. Trust me, it ain't always easy. City Barbeque is a case in point. (SIDE NOTE: What does "Case in Point" mean, anyway?) While the Yelp event that I attended was not at this location, attending the event left me without a real sense of how City Barbeque actually works. I found myself possessing unrealistic expectations, for example actual service, when I entered this Carmel location of the four-state chain with five Central Indiana locations that have proven to be popular amongst Central Indiana's growing numbers of foodies. At a Yelp event, especially a "meet the maker" type event, you tend to get a significant amount of service and a sense of rhythm for operations that is seldom realistic. Sometimes, I'd even say most of the time, you can read "between the lines" and understand how it all works. In this case, I definitely missed the mark. City Barbeque is located in a decent sized strip center on South Rangeline Road. The parking isn't the greatest despite the strip center's private lot, though there are a couple of accessible spots out front and a nice curb cut with small incline up to and in to the restaurant. I have to be honest. I really thought City Barbeque had table service. This certainly isn't a deal breaker...just a surprise. So, I sauntered up to the counter and read the menu. Truthfully, it had been a little time since the Yelp event and I rather forgot how ordering went. I allowed someone to go ahead of me, eventually figuring out that you could order meats up to "by the pound" with or without a bun. There are also a small group of sides and also the usual available drinks. While a vegetarian could probably survive City Barbeque, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this is a land where pigs will die and feathers will fly. Options include pulled pork, brisket, turkey breast, chicken, and sausage. The sides include 12 different options starting at $2.29 for a side - as a plus, you can up it to 2 sides for $3.29. Generally, you're going to spend in the $12-15 range for a meal. It could, rather easily, go higher. As I'd never been to this location, and openly said it, I must admit that I was disappointed to find the service on the soft side (lack of table service already considered). While I was asked if I was part of the Rewards, a plus, all that was explained was that it was an app. I mean, "Oh, okay. Thanks for telling me all about your Rewards program that I apparently can't join right now." I guess it all just felt very casual to me. It certainly wasn't inhospitable, but neither was it possessing of that southern hospitality that I really kind of expected. Maybe an explanation about the menu? Maybe an explanation about the line (I was never 100% sure if you waited up at the front for your food)? Maybe an explanation about the sauces? It just felt overly casual. The drink fountain is self-serve with both sweet and unsweet tea options. While the lids are a tad high for accessibility purposes, it was functional. It was a little interesting carrying my tray to an appropriate table, but I made it work. I ordered a pulled pork sandwich and, as most reviews have noted, it was definitely spot-on. The french fries come in a generous side serving and they were nicely seasoned and browned. As the drinks are self serve, I definitely got my always desired iced tea refills. Among Indianapolis options, City Barbeque is certainly one of the best. While it's a "chain," technically, it's a relatively small chain and it's a chain that doesn't yet franchise in favor of growth that seems just about as slow as the cooking on its barbeque. However, I suppose I'd like to see some upped energy and enthusiasm among the crew and maybe a little more engagement before I'm willing to even fork over that fourth star. This was a good visit, but having met most of City Barbeque's leaders I'm fully aware they're amazing for much that extra notch that makes you think "I can't wait to go back." This wasn't quite that visit, but I'll definitely be be back anyway because this visit was definitely a reminder that there's some good eats to be found at City Barbeque. read more

10/10 for flavor! Brisket was delicious, as well as my sides of Mac n cheese/ green beans. Will definitely be returning.

There is just something about City BBQ that makes me happy. The cashiers are always laughing and ready to help you with your order. The staff is always friendly and wanting to engage you in conversation. And who could complain about the food?!? The most recent time I was here was a late night. I think they were just about to close in 15 minutes or so. They were doing their cleanup things and being mindful of where we were eating compared to where they were getting things around. I noticed that there was this giant brown bag hanging out on a table. I read the side of it then asked the worker who was working near it what it was for. I am so happy to say that they donate their left over food at the end of the night. What a wonderful thing to do. I know it takes energy, time, and responsibility to do that every night. I know a lot of other companies that wouldn't go though all of the work to make that happen. This place is amazing! read more

City Barbeque - Huge bag of donations from the store. - Barbeque Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

Love the idea of BBQ fast! I've been a few times for meals and the service is speedy and the place is cleanly but I was most impressed with our larger takeout order. There was a mishap in a previous order that had been placed elsewhere and we needed to replace it quickly. I rolled up to City, placed the large order to go, and it was ready in less than five minutes! All the plates, napkins, and utensils were all packed and ready, it was the perfect solution. Their meat sampler is terrific and gotta love that Mac & cheese! Great spot for a quick bite! read more

I usually really enjoy City BBQ but my experience this week was not stellar. I put in a curbside order and arrived about 10 min later. I followed the text directions to alert them I had arrived. I ordered a kids pulled chicken with no bun and a salad with a side of macaroni and cheese. After my order time had past and I saw cars pulling in and getting their orders quickly, I called. My order was brought out but they sent the wrong drink. He brought me the right one and I noticed all ice had melted, letting me know my order had been sitting. I drove home and prepared to eat my food but noticed my macaroni and cheese was missing. So disappointing!! I called and they did refund the side. I did not enjoy my dinner very much since it wasn't my full order and I figured it was such a simple order. Bummer. read more

I will preface this review by stating that I tried to order from here several months ago. I did an on-line order for a Grilled Chicken Salad that I was picking up on my way to work. When I got to the restaurant, they informed me they were out of salad mix. I asked them why they didn't call. They really didn't have an answer besides asking me if I wanted something else. I told them I couldn't wait, because I was going to work. And I was still late for work, because they had to run my credit card to refund me for the salad. I contacted the manager and he offered to send me a gift card and I gave him my address and I never got one. I wasn't really looking for one, which I told him. I just told him that I wanted them to call customers if they're out a certain item, before the customer reaches the store. So, I've been apprehensive about going back. However, I made some potato salad and needed something to go with it. I was close to this place, so I figured I'd give them another chance. I picked up 1/2 pound of brisket and an order of hush puppies. The brisket was very lean as I like it. It also had the sauce on the side, which is a huge plus. However, the meat was rather tough. I couldn't make out what all was in the seasoning for the rub, but there was something very different in it. And I'm glad the sauce was on the side. I got the original flavor, which tasted like a typical bottled sauce from the store. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. The hush puppies by far were the best I've ever had! And a lot of places put jalapeños in them, I'm glad they do not. I got my order to go, but the restaurant was very clean and has a BBQ feel to it. And the staff this time were very good and very friendly. I'd definitely go back, but they're not my first choice in the Indy area. read more

City Barbeque - Beef Brisket & Hushpuppies - Barbeque Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

I have been on a barbecue kick lately. This continues to be my place of preference. I love the chicken. It is so juicy and tasty. I did try for the first time the Nashville hot chicken sandwich. It was amazing! I'm stuck on it right now. I get one of those to eat at the time and get the smoked chicken to eat the next day. This place is definitely a favorite read more

Good food, good prices. Tried it out for the first time and the host Fatima was extremely nice and welcoming :) Will come again!

We ordered family pack w pulled pork and with Mac and cheese and green bean and baked beans. The sides are great and good portions for a family. The pulled pork was a little dry but overall good. Make sure to get the peach cobbler for desert! read more

Always great food here. Went tonight for dinner and had the best welcome we ever had here. Taliyah was fantastic. Very happy and helpful. My wife and I took notice of her. She is one reason we would come back. Thank you, Taliyah. read more

Great spot found this place after leaving downtown Indianapolis on a Saturday late afternoon. Service was fast and friendly. Everything we had was fresh and amazing!! read more

went for dinner last night 6/13/24. in town from WI and was told this is some of the best bbq in the area. place was not very busy but took a while to receive food. baked beans were the best part of this meal, everything else came cold. i ordered the 3 meat sampler, pulled pork (cold), pulled chicken (great flavor but cold), brisket $3 up charge for small portion size of 4 small pieces (very dry, cold, little flavor). my son got the Chipotle pork sandwiches ( great flavor, meat was cold), Mac n cheese was so cold it came out of the cup in one clump. I saw others returning coleslaw as well. overall, experience was horrible and not worth $50. Skip this location. read more

I picked up an order Saturday March 6th. The order we had we got had mold all over the buns. I thought maybe someone would respond. I sent pictures of the buns & my receipt. No response. read more

After enjoying several corporate occasions catered by City Barbecue, I was happy to spot the actual location in Carmel, especially on a busy Saturday night when the wait times in more formal restaurants climbed into 1+ hours. The atmosphere is that of a BBQ dive with rough tables, paper towels and sets of sauces. Prepare for your clothes to smell like meat smoker (the dog kept following me and sniffing the deliciousness for hour after my return and even attempted a couple of licks). The menu is a mix of almost anything that can be butchered and smoked: pork, beef, chicken, turkey and salmon when in season. Order sides separately, second one much cheaper than the first. In addition to traditional green beans and corn bread, hush puppies and corn pudding are delicious staples. Must try banana pudding (a spoon fight erupted at our table for this addictive desert with chunks of banana and whole Nilla Wafers). Half a smoked chicken fed two for dinner and we took almost half of it home. Next time I am ready to try the "order online and take home" alternative for dinner. read more

City Barbeque - Half smoked chicken - Barbeque Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

Food was excellent so was service! You know what you need to know, the rest of this is just to fill the 85 character minimum.

I have tasted everything on the menu at City Barbeque. I've not been as often as I would like (wouldn't we all eat barbeque every day if we could?) but every time I have visited the Rangeline location, I have been thoroughly pleased. Prices are moderate for what you get. The lunch special of one main item and two sides is a very good deal. My husband and I have ordered the sampler platter ($26) for half a rack of ribs, pulled pork, brisket, and a half chicken with two sides of your choice and cornbread and stuffed ourselves to the brim with leftovers available for lunch the next day. Sure, another meal could be a little cheaper, but the consistency of the food at City Barbeque is always so spot on. I just know that I'm going to enjoy my meal, and that makes me oh so happy. The macaroni and cheese is good but it is not my favorite mac and cheese of all time. The potatoes, green beans, cornbread, coleslaw and hush puppies are all great side options. If I had to pick two favorites, I'd go with green beans and mashed potatoes. Instead of table service, everything you need is available for you to get when you want and as much as you want. Your order comes out of the kitchen on a big serving platter that you can carry directly to your table. Each table setting has four sauces: mustard, sweet, spicy and original. All are worth experimenting with, but my favorites are the spicy barbeque sauce and the mustard sauce. Of the meats, brisket is my favorite. It's smoky, slightly burnt and crusty where it should be, but tender and juicy at the same time. The pork is equally smoky but softer, melt-in-your-mouth good. The half chicken is great for those who don't eat red meat, but I'll save the room in my belly for the half rack of ribs. My husband was lucky he got any because I could have squirreled those away for myself. All in all, you won't be disappointed with your visit to City Barbeque on Rangeline. Consider them the next time you have a craving for delicious barbeque! read more

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City BBQ catered our June 2014 wedding. We were already big fans of the food served in the restaurant. We were already generally pleased with the service at City BBQ. At our wedding reception? City BBQ blew us away with professionalism, attention to detail...and THE FOOD. It was a whole different level of good. Seriously. Many guests commented it was the best BBQ they'd had, that it was better than they'd remembered it, etc. 5 stars. Highly recommended if you are wanting a casual, fun caterer for your wedding or big event!! read more

Very good bbq. Friendly staff. Cool vibe. Great music! First time visitors. We will be back!

City Barbeque is a top notch BBQ joint for sure. Very authentic down to the way they make your sandwich - you want pulled pork they pull the pork out of the roast and plop it onto the bun, nothing going to sit in a bucket here. The only thing to watch out for is they serve a LOT of food. The sampler which is actually pretty reasonable WILL FEED 3 easy. Their ribs are St. Louis style. They have absolutely great lemonade and iced tea including sweet tea. I am going to give this 5 stars - I have been to Shorty's in Miami and this beats it hands down. The only thing different I would like to see would be to add beef ribs to the menu. read more

City Barbeque is a chain I love from when I lived in Ohio. I ordered food online, and it took 40 minutes to walk out of the restaurant. The order wasn't complicated. There was a small line, but no reason that the service should have been so slow. That normally wouldn't bother me, but the staff didn't even acknowledge any of us. I got the same customer service I would have received from a vending machine. It's ok if you're busy, or the kitchen is backed up, but at least say hello to your customer and explain what's going on. The food is fine. The brisket is a bit tough, but the smoked chicken has a nice flavor. I am a fan of the hushpuppies, though. Y'all can do better read more

Sides were great. Cornbread on point. Zero smoke on meat, definitely not bbq. Turkey tasted oven roasted. Brisket was pulled like pork nearly zero smoke flavor. Not a smoke ring to be found. Meat portions small read more

A-OK pretty much to sums up City Barbeque. The decor is pretty reminiscent of many of the BBQ joints that you would find in the Texas. There are TVs throughout, if you wish to catch a game while dining. They do have a allergen menu at the register, all you need to do is ask. In terms of gluten free options, there is a decent selection. I do appreciate that they noted gluten free on my receipt to signify to the back to change out their gloves prior to plating my food. If your a die hard BBQ lover, you will most likely be let down by the flavor and texture, especially the ribs. For the love of all things BBQ, the ribs should be that tough to eat and lack flavor. The saving grace of City Barbeque is hands down the sweet tea. It is definitely reminiscent of Southern Tea, and will cause a sugar high if you drink too much. read more

So, I have been here twice now and let me tell you, this place knows how to do BBQ. I can't get enough of their brisket. It is so tender, moist and delicious. Their pulled pork is great as well. The hush puppies are fantastic but be forewarned that one side of these is plenty for two people. Their slaw is pretty good. It is not a creamy as other places but it has great flavor. I wasn't a big fan of the mac and cheese but it was still OK. And you can't forget the amazing southern sweet tea. All in all, a pretty good BBQ joint. read more

Been wanting to try this place for sometime. We just moved here from CA so we are having fun exploring all the new restaurants. My husband and I both got a 2 item combo with brisket and ribs. I got a side of green beans. We got our kids chicken fingers and Mac and cheese. The brisket is really good, but the ribs are better. The only reason I gave it a 3 stars is because the meat is really salty. Not sure if it's from a dry rub or not. But if you can't have a lot of salt you might want to avoid those meats. My parents had the chicken and said it didn't taste as salty, but it was still a little more than they would like. Overall though the food is good and service was pretty quick considering they were slammed! I think we might go back and try out something else on the menu! read more

Went here for the first time and definitely intend on coming back. I ordered a brisket sandwich, hush puppies, and Mac and cheese. The sandwich with their original BBQ sauce on it and the hush puppies were both excellent. I want as big I a fan of the Mac and cheese thinking it was just OK. Other big pluses the price which was under $20 for myself and two boys and the service. The person that took our order was nice and even took time to talk to the boys and make sure they were having fun. read more

City Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

Ate there last night and had the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich, fries and banana pudding. The sandwich was probably the best Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich that I have ever had, and believe me when I say I've had a lot! The banana pudding was also exceptional. I didn't care for the fries, sadly (they were definitely subpar, especially when compared to everything else). The service was good, food arrived quickly and hot, and counter workers were very friendly. read more

Very quick service and friendly staff. Highly recommend to any one who likes bbq food.

The pulled pork was good. I'm assuming the macaroni and cheese as good since I couldn't eat it since we had it delivered and they didn't give us utensils or napkins, I'm sure the sandwich would have been even better had their been any BBQ sauce on it. Food was good but the service didn't impress me for all reasons I listed. read more

I had been craving City BBQ for about two weeks when I was finally able to make it there. Walked in and they were out of a few items but not my go to ( it was late on Monday double points day). I ordered my sausages and green beans... paid and then found out they were out of sausage. They went above and beyond to find me something I would enjoy and gave me a coupon for my next visit for sausages! Great guest service!!!!! read more