Awesome take out service and always cool staff! Oh, and the BBQ turkey, and ribs along with a side salad is really good.

I just love this restaurant. It almost amazes me that even in NC, my favorite BBQ restaurant is from an invader restaurant group like this. However, the quality is awesome, the food is delicious, the place is fun, and the service is excellent. They really get customer service and are the benchmark in the area. It starts all the way from the service mindset of the guy that runs the place. He is great, and I love the way he always makes me feel welcome and special when I come in, even if I only see him some of the time. The other staff follows his leadership and they always do what they can to go the extra mile to meet customer requests and to make the experience great. I can't say enough good things about this business. It is currently the Ritz Carlton service experience of BBQ at this branch, and I proudly give them a huge appreciative 5 star rating. Keep up the great work there. You will become the legend of the local hospitality scene. The many cars in the parking lot are obviously there for a reason... read more

My first time visiting and I was not impressed. I ordered pick-up online and arrived at the restaurant promptly at the pick-up time noted. My order consisted of brisket, fried okra, and banana pudding. Upon arrival, I was informed that the okra was not ready and given a cup for a complimentary drink for my wait. It took about 5 minutes for the okra to be ready. I found the fried okra to be bland and tasteless. The brisket was all right, but also needed a bit more flavor. I used the Brush fire BBQ sauce on it. The banana pudding was a bit too sweet with the added flavor of caramel, but it was bearable. Overall, the fried okra turned me off, but I would be willing to give it another chance to try another side and perhaps another meat. The service was friendly even though the meal was late. read more

best bbq I've had since moving here - bbq doesnt taste the same after indulging in Austin, TX order of tastiness: sweet tea ribs were so good. corn bread pulled pork brisket was real lean (tasted just okay..) could be better jacked mac potato salad texas toast they have a huge variety of sauce there are also pickles and onions to eat with your bbq (my must haves) read more

My girlfriend and I wanted something different and figured we would try this place and we are soooo happy we did!! The guy behind the counter was super friendly and patient with us with it being our first time and all........He talked about his favorite sides and the customer favorite sides which really helped us make our decision. I was slightly disappointed that it's counter service and not waited service. Other than that we plan to go back over and over again!!!! P.S. The corn pudding is a MUST TRY!!!! read more

City Barbeque - The Pick 2 Meats with Pulled Pork & Ribs with a side of Beans & Natural Cut Fries....YUMMY!!!! - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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With so many good barbeque choices in the area standing out in the crowd can be tough. The woman who helped me (and I wish I had remembered her name!) asked me if I had been in before which I replied I had not. She literally took me on a tour of the menu, then offered me suggestions and free sides since it was my first time and I wasn't sure what to get. Brisket was good - not the best ever but still very good. The sides were amazing. Best potato salad I've ever had. Beans and green beans were good. The corn pudding was also amazing. Hush puppies were fluffy which is hard to find. And the chocolate cake which she also gave me free to try was fantastic. This may have been an ordinary experience but the customer service and attention made it much better. I told everyone I work with at Southpoint to go in and with the app ordering is super easy. It will be my go-to when I need lunch or dinner on the way home. read more

Love love love. I first ate at City BBQ in Cincinnati Ohio. I couldn't believe it when I walked in one here in Durham. I am. BBQ aficionado. This is awesome! read more

This afternoon, 04/18/23, @ 3:46 pm, my friend and I were highly disappointed with our Brisket, Collard Greens, cornbread, first-time order, and visit to City Barbeque. The entire order was less than lukewarm. Never have I seen brisket sliced so thick and crumbly, like an overcooked roast or something served on wax in a little cardboard French fry tray. The collards were dished in a small bowl fit for a scoop of ice cream and contained more leftover meat scraps than greens (I love vegetables more than meat), and both orders of cornbread were served in the same little French fry tray that held ou supposed to be brisket. Even the fountain drinks were weak in flavor. We should have walked away, but hunger ruled. That business thrives on catering and online orders. About six parking spaces are reserved online pickup orders are served in very large shopping bags. Oh! My friend said, "They named it right, they nothing about the country...cows, pigs, or chickens. The blue chicken on the wall seems to be running away from there." read more

Placed an order for Delivery. Got the Judge's Sampler with 3 Cheese Baked Macaroni, French Cut Fries and an extra side or Peach Cobbler. Received a call that they were out of the Cheese Baked Mac. Very disappointing. The fries were greasy and cold. The Texas Toast was missing. The chicken was good, but overall not impressed. Won't be ordering again. read more

Sometimes you notice where people work when you are on the bus, and I had seen a few folks from City Barbecue and decided I would try it out..The Gumbo and Mac and Cheese were on point, and the Turkey was definitely savory......Definitely liked the atmosphere as well.....Definitely a great place and I will definitely have to make a return trip....Was also a fan of the staff..... read more

Love it! Best BBQ. They are so nice an fun here and there is always a good vibe at this restaurant. Does not feel like a chain or plastic menu place. Feels like a neighborhood BBQ joint. We've even used them for big parties and everybody loves the food! The brisket is the best and you can order it lean. Delish! read more

Food was OK, but the curbside delivery was horrible. We were really impressed with how easy to order, arrived and there were specialty spots for curbside pickup with clear instructions on how to indicate arrival. I followed them, using both the text and call options, got a text saying that they "saw" me, and would be right out. A phone call, the same thing, we'll be right out. 30 minutes later, still waiting. Finally, masked up and went in. Most of the behind-the-counter folks had their masks under their chins, nobody had noses covered, the chef in the back wasn't masked at all, most of the customers were not masked, walking around inside. We probably won't be back, at least not until things are better. read more

Great little BBQ place. Delicious food, nice ambiance, quick service. I like the outdoor seating area, although it's a little loud with the traffic on 54. The mac and cheese wasn't as good as I was expecting for a BBQ joint, I will try other sides next time I'm there. The ranch sauce that comes with the fried okra is delicious! read more

City Barbeque - pulled chicken sandwich with vinegar slaw and mac 'n cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Ummm City BBQ, you've outdone yourselves a-gain. Except this time you're pumping out aromas of smoked meats a few miles from my house. Dangerous! Okay so the banana pudding was underwhelming but let's skip over that and head to the brisket, the ribs, the pulled pork, and the chicken - all too legit to quit. Yeah, I just said that. The corn pudding was a hit along with the cornbread and hushpuppies. I did get some green beans because ya know, vegetables are good for you, but I'm pretty sure there was bacon in there so yeah. Overall not the best if you're on a diet but this is going to be a go-to take-out place. The employees were incredibly friendly and helpful - very impressed all around! read more

Extremely disappointing uber eats experience. Upon opening the bag, we didn't receive any of the sauces we asked for. We ordered a city platter that was extremely mediocre. The sausage was overcooked to the point that it was chewy, and the pork was flavorless and dry. The sliced turkey was fine, but once again quite dry. The brisket was the most flavorful out of the bunch. We were so underwhelmed with the meats that we threw out some sausage and pork. Perhaps actually having bbq sauce would have made a significant improvement. The sides: the mac and cheese was okay but flavorless; the green beans were the only truly tasty portion of the meal. They also gave 2 pathetic pieces of "Texas toast" which were just grilled hot dog buns. Save your money and go somewhere else, at least for take out. read more

Okay, this is North Carolina, so the bar is pretty high for bar b que. Especially for pulled pork. And, yes, I realize City BBQ is a chain and it does not claim to have traditional NC pulled pork. But I got pulled pork anyway. It was smoky, which was nice. It was also dry. And had very little flavor besides the smoke. If I go again I'll try another meat, but there are SO many better options for pork just here in Durham. The sides were really really good, though. Mac n cheese, green beans, and mini cornbread loaves were tasty. In summary, pork meh, sides good, and I'll at least give it one more shot. read more

They catered to my daughter Janice Thomas for a nice Christmas family get together lunch. The whole entire order was delicious. Love the smoke turkey-of course and everyone enjoyed it. I heard the manager gave an amazing customer service too Thank you. read more

Xavier was very helpful with explaining the menu on our first visit to City Bbq. The food and customer service was excellent. The nice outdoor patio was a great way to enjoy our delicious smoked flavor food. read more

City Barbeque - Delicious smoked flavored food! - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I am so impressed with my first encounter at the Cary location of City BBQ and then this new location opened in Durham recently opened, offering the free training lunch/dinner options. I had technical issues with signing up, and by the time I closed my browser to try again - my available times were taken up quickly. I emailed the contact, Corey, to see if I could be put on a wait list and after offering a couple of other times that did not work for my schedule, graciously asked for my mailing address and sent me a generous coupon and gift card to come try them out when I could. Talk about first impressions - not only did Corey do all that she could to accommodate me, the gift card and coupon allowed us to order a huge sampler that had me rolling out of there with a full take out box. Corey's hospitality extended to the rest of the folks in the restaurant - including the cashier who was so very nice and patient while we tried to figure out what we wanted. He even offered to give us samples of the sides since we were having a hard time narrowing down which to choose. The cherry on top was that the food was DELICIOUS of course, all flavorful and almost not even requiring any of the fun sauces that they have at the tables. Of course, I'm a dipper, so I had to try each and every one. I am a fan - this place would be a GREAT option for catering events, big and small, since they have so many options to choose from. FYI - the mac and cheese has to be the creamiest mac I've ever had - definitely go for it if you're also torn on which sides to get. THANK YOU COREY and City BBQ - so glad to have another great BBQ option to choose from. read more

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Short review here. The ribs were the best ribs I've had in North Carolina hands down . I've been to a few places in Greensboro and Winston and these were great. I ordered the judges sampler ( chicken, pork, brisket, and ribs) . I also added a sausage link as well. The ribs were flavorful and smokey without any sauce applied. There were really juicy pieces and some bark all around so plenty to be happy about. The chicken had the same smoke flavor but not as strong as the ribs. The brisket was okay but temperature cold. I love Texas toast and it was warm and crispy . The banana pudding was pretty sweet and I could only have a few bites considering I stuffed myself on all the other items. The sauces were good too. My favorite is the spicy brush fire sauce. I would definitely make the 1 hour drive again read more

This place is right by our house so we come here all the time. I've probably eaten here 20 times so far, and these people are consistently good. Lots of great options and it's reasonably priced. Food is always hot (if you order takeout, they don't even start cooking your fries until you show up, to ensure they are hot and fresh), staff is always friendly and professional, and everything is clean. Don't forget to download the City BBQ app to scan your receipts and get free food! Love this place - I recommend the smoked turkey on Texas toast, corn pudding, fries, and the banana pudding. The only thing I can't recommend is the chocolate cake - very dry. Other than that, excellent food all around! read more

I have always been a big fan of City Barbeque, but that has changed. I have ordered takeout from the Durham Store and historically have been pleased. Not this time. I received an email from City indicating my points were expiring. I then ordered takeout and a message flashed that my points could not be used on this order. No explanation. I proceeded with my order and wanted to use a gift card. Couldn't do that either. I reluctantly proceeded with the order. The salads I received were garnished with unsliced grisley turkey atop wilted lettuce. And I did not receive the drink I ordered! I am not in a hurry to return to use my points or to use my gift card!! read more

Over the holiday weekend, I ordered the judges sampler about a 30 before closing unfortunately my meal was not complete. I didn't figure that out until I got home and the restaurant was closed. Unfortunately, it took me a while to figure how to contact anyone and it has to be corporate since they are closed on Mondays. I sent my email and two days later the manager Jeff called very respectfully and quickly to fix my problem. I came in later that evening and Jeff make sure I got my order free for the mishap. When I tell you this food was so delicious just like every other time I went but that very Sunday. I say this to Say one of the best bbq restaurants in Durham and you should go and get some the best service from Jeff and his staff. Thank you for making my visit a one to remember and see you guys soon. read more

Overall, I wasn't happy with my meal because the entree didn't match the description or the company photo. I ordered a Nashville Hot sandwich for carry out. It was not hot at all! The description said it was a spicy chicken breast with hot mayo, pickles, and slaw but their was nothing spicy about the chicken. We called to ask if we did something wrong and they said it should have come with mayo (which they did) but the mayo wasn't hot either. We offered to drive back to pick up another sandwich but with two kids at home near bedtime that wasn't a feasible solution. The chicken itself was good and juicy. I had the mac and cheese which was nice and creamy. We also had the banana pudding which has a cinnamon caramel or sauce on it (but isn't included in the description) which was great. The peach cobbler isn't something I'd order again because it is more of a bread pudding consistency than a cobbler but it has good flavor. I may give it another try but first attempt was okay. read more

Friendly folks, free drinks including real brewed tea (sweet tea, if I have to say ;-) -- got to say hey to the Mayor on his way out... gotta be good, right? We've had trouble finding ribs & beef brisket to love in the Triangle (lots of good 'cue of course) & City really nails it-- no sauce needed & the beef has yummy burned tips. 'Cue & sides are good with the fried okra dipping sauce & gumbo of note. We tried the biggest sampler & added the 2 meat platter to try the (amazing) sausage. 'Cue needed a bit of the sauce (5 options on the table) as it was a bit dry but nicely smokey. Very happy. It's sort of a 'chain' with a few other city locations, but we can ignore that, right?! They also did a 25% fundraiser, which is why we tried them today-- that's $10 bucks for the Scouts! read more

Visiting from Chicago for surgery and decided to come here with my husband as he is a huge bbq fan. This place was very underwhelming to say the least. I'm just going to say that there was a lot of microwave usage going on in the kitchen. Everything arrived like warm. The vinegar slaw was very soggy and sweet. You could barely taste the vinegar and it had green bell peppers that overwhelmed the dish. The Mac n cheese was bland, cold, and the cheese on top was hard and coagulated. The brisket was dry and the corn bread was a bit mushy and lacked sweetness. Hush puppies were good and the ribs were decent having come out of the microwave. Idk would definitely not recommend. I was surprised because this place was on a bunch of best bbq in North Carolina lists but it was not it. Maybe they are slacking due to covid so I guess take this review with a grain of salt. read more

Brisket cut waay to thick. Brisket was so mushy it fell apart even being cut so think. Flavors weren't that good. Sauces okay but too much molasses. Pork was good and moist. Overall expect chain quality food. Overall would likely not come here again. read more

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The best things about this place are the service and the unsauced BBQ/pulled pork. The corn pudding was good too- I got it because of a recommendation here on Yelp, and because the cashier let me try it. I also tried the collards, which were good (but spicy, and I was sharing my lunch with my 1 year old). *The Mac and Cheese looked really good- I should have gotten that instead of the baked beans. Now, the reason the service was so great was because they did things beyond my expectations! I was prepared to do my regular 1-handed Mom act, since my husband wasn't with us. ;) But, they did so much for me! And best of all, EVERYONE was so positive and nice/cheerful! read more

The food is pretty good. I would come more often is the service was horrible. There is one gentleman (possibly the manager) that is on top of things and if he is there things are great. When he's not there though.... I did curbside pickup a few weeks ago. Arrived and checked in online. Waited for 15 minutes in my car before I went inside. I spoke to someone and was told it was t ready yet. I waited 2@ minutes before someone picked up a bag that was sitting there when I walked in and handed it to me. My good, cold.... This isn't the first time this has happened. When 1 guy isn't there, this is a completely different experience. I would say 4-5 stars if it wasn't for the horrible service recently. read more

Was so looking forward to this after hearing great reviews from friends. It is good, but didn't blow me away. What was excellent? The turkey (very tender and flavorful) and the sausage (nice texture and great taste). What was good? The pulled pork was tender but kinda lacking in flavor. If you're going to serve pulled pork in NC, don't make me soak it in BBQ sauce! The brisket was good and almost great but a little too salty for my taste. The corn pudding was what I was excited for but didn't seem to have much flavor. The Mac & Cheese was bland to me and tasted like it came from a KFC. Overall they had more good than bad, but I don't know if it was good enough to tear me away from my favorite places in town. read more

I had high hopes for this place. Unfortunately they were not met. Got the brisket with baked beans and mac&cheese. The beans were the best part of the meal. Flavorful and smoky. The mac & cheese was lifeless. Brisket was smooth and good, but lacked flavor. The sauces didn't help much either. Was really hoping for better. read more

City Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Tried the half smoked chicken and the new side dishes(southern slaw and stew), but I gotta say potato salad is still my favorite. The dark meat of smoked chicken is so good!! read more

This place is just like all the others if you have been! We have yet to be disappointed by the BBQ at these restaurants and appreciate the friendly service when we go. The menus spell out everything they have...but you really can't go wrong with anything they serve. All of it is made fresh daily. I really love the different types of sauce they have for the BBQ. My kids love the hush puppies and so do I! read more

After reading reviews online I decided to order from City Barb. I am extremely disappointed. I ordered the brisket sandwich and it was just awful. The brisket was so dry and tough that I couldn't even get halfway through the sandwich. I also ordered cornbread and banana pudding. The cornbread was so overcooked that it was inedible. And I have yet to try the banana pudding because the last two things were so bad. I don't really know what happened with my order. Did I catch them on a bad day? Did they just sell me food that was left over from the weekend(ordered on Monday)? I hate writing a bad review but I'm pretty upset that I spent $20+ on this place. Good luck to anyone that orders from here. read more

Gave them another chance, that's it we are done. Super rude staff. Never pleasant. I put a note on my order not to forget the sauce, as they often do. Guess what? I picked up my order, no sauce. I went inside to ask for sauce and was met by a rude individual who clearly doesn't value their job duties to include customer service. The food isn't that great to be treated like trash every time you spend you money at this place. read more

Great food friendly staff a tad pricey but worth it when you want really good smoked bbq

The brisket was dry and tough the service was terrible and slow. I placed an order online and called for the curbside pickup and the lady that answered the phone hung up on me. I ordered for our work lunch group and they left out items. I guess they had enough business they didn't want mine. Won't be going back. read more

This is one of my favorite BBQ places in Durham. Service is always good and friendly. I appreciate the staff recommendations especially when you are trying to make up your mind. The brisket tacos are excellent (be sure to use the green sauce). The chicken is always a good goto when you do not know what you want. I love the green beens and the baked beans. Highly recommend the vinegar based slaw. read more

Employees were wearing their masks with their noses hanging out. Not much good that way!! Glove use was also inconsistent. Where is their training?? Maybe we'll try again when the pandemic slows because watching them prepare my order was stomach turning! read more

My favorite place to get bbq food in Durham. The meat is always seasoned and tender. My favorite thing is the brisket but everything is amazing. The only thing I'll complain about is the okra. Not a fan of the breading they use but to each his own. The ribs are fire!!! And so is the banana pudding. The staff is also extremely hospitable! Love it here. Great chill atmosphere. read more