Friendly staff- good meal! I like the atmosphere here also- it's a good place to kick back and read my Sunday paper! read more

Our experience at this City Barbeque in Durham was average at best. The barbecue ranged from OK to good and service was fine. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, but it should suffice if you're craving barbecue and the location is convenient to you. It's not bad, but better barbecue can certainly be had around the state. City Barbeque is a chain that originated in Ohio. At the time of writing this review, there are over 50 locations spread throughout six states in the Midwest and South. This location in Durham can be found in the SouthPoint Crossing shopping center just off I-40 exit 276 (Fayetteville Road, Southpoint). It opened in a freestanding building in May 2016. The restaurant looks nice. The construction still looks new and "updated," but the environment is made to evoke a more rustic, country, barbecue-joint feel. Lots of wood in the interior, painted wooden signs, barn doors, corrugated tin, and picnic tables give it that atmosphere. There's even a photo stand-in outside. The kitchen is open, which is cool. You can watch the pitmaster at work. The smokers are outside along with stacks of the Carolina wood they use. Inside, there are TVs playing sports with various sports memorabilia such as jerseys, flags, and trophies used for decor. When we visited, the restaurant had their curbside pick-up system implemented with numbered parking spots assigned. However, at the time of our visit, they were also allowing up to 40 customers to dine inside and 40 customers to dine outside. We sat on the fairly spacious covered patio which had a mixture of umbrella-covered picnic tables plus metal tables and chairs. The patio was lit, had ceiling fans, music, and cornhole. Whether you're ordering in or to-go, your name is called and you pick up at the counter. Drinks (fountain machine, tea and water dispensers) are self-serve, even during COVID times, but barbecue sauces and other condiments are not - you have to ask for them. During our visit, the sauces were individually packaged in small clear cups with snap-shut lids and we had to specifically request them. City Barbeque doesn't serve a particular regional style of barbeque. I suppose you can call it "regionless" or more of a "generic" style. It's actually not too different from the barbecue I'm used to in Georgia. It's definitely not North Carolina style. Like other barbecue restaurants, you can order City Barbeque's Q in various forms such as sandwiches, plates, and by the pound. Expect to spend less than $10 for a sandwich, about $23 for a full slab of ribs, about $10 or less for half a chicken or less, less than $3 for a side, and $15 and up for each plate or platter. By-the-pound barbecue will set you back roughly $14-19 per pound depending on the meat. They also have classic desserts like peach cobbler ($4.99) and banana pudding ($2.99). My wife and I got the Judge's Sampler ($31.99) and an extra side so we could try a little bit of everything. The Judge's Sampler is designed to feed 2-3 people and I would say that designation is spot-on. If you order the Judge's Sampler, I recommend upgrading your sides from regular-size sides to pints for $5 extra. It's worth it because I think the regular-size sides are too small. The Judge's Sampler comes with beef brisket, pulled pork, 1/4 chicken (you get the choice of breast or leg and thigh; I chose the latter), a half slab of ribs, two sides (I chose vinegar slaw and collard greens with pork), two pieces of cornbread, and Texas toast. They forgot our Texas toast and I didn't realize it until after we got home. That was disappointing. For our extra side, I got their 3-cheese baked mac, formerly known as their "Jacked Mac." I was told by the cashier that their 3-cheese baked mac and their green beans with bacon are their two most popular sides. Generally, we found the barbecue to be a bit too bland, overcooked, and/or dry. That was particularly the case with the pulled pork and, most notably, the brisket. I know pork can often run on the drier side at other barbecue restaurants, but the brisket was almost inexcusably tough and dry. Maybe we got unlucky and our cuts were just too lean and well-done. The ribs were par for the course: good, but not outstanding. The smoked chicken was unexpectedly tender and tasty. Of the meats I tried, that was probably the winner for me. Overall, I thought the portion sizes were fair though the amount of pork seemed a little small and we could've done with another slice of brisket (the sampler came with three). The cornbread and sides were yummy, the latter especially so. I recommend both the 3-cheese baked mac and the collards with pork. They're solid. My wife liked the cornbread more than me. The pieces were big. I thought the cornbread could have been more moist and flavorful. As for the sauces, we were given their sweet sauce and spicy sauce, but they have more. The sweet sauce was tangy and tasted very generic while the spicy sauce had barely any kick at all. read more

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City barbecue, when you miss Texas style barbecue this is the place. Great brisket and so many delicious side to choose from. My go to favorite is sliced brisket, corn pudding and the tomato cucumber salad. When the family wants a barbecue supper I always order a meal deal. Plenty of meat, sides and bread to feed the family of 6. Even the picky eaters get a meat or side that makes them super happy for City Barbeque. read more

City Barbeque is a good, reasonably priced meal. It is not blow-your-socks-off barbeque, but the meat has smoked flavor and sides are reasonable. read more

City Barbeque - Judge's Sampler with two extra sides. The chicken was the best of the meats. - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I did a to go order and picked it up. Super excited to try the pulled pork and brisket. When I got home, I realized they didn't give me any sauce. It was in the order online menu of the type of sauce I wanted and clicked it. I didn't realize no matter how good BBQ is, you need still need that sauce. So I could tell it was good quality but I only could have a few bites until I go to the store to buy some BBQ Sauce. Bummer. read more

City Barbeque - Pick up - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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As someone who's Texas born and raised, I can tell you for a fact that BBQ doesn't get much better than City Barbecue. This place is the epitome of slow smoked meats in hefty servings. I've been eating here for about 5 years and I can tell you that EVERYTHING is amazing on this menu--from the Nashville's Hot Chicken to the sweet cornbread to the banana pudding, you are sure not to have a bad choice. I personally recommend the Lolo's Pulled Pork sandwhich with coleslaw on top and spicy BBQ sauce. 5/5 stars from this TX native and happy costumer. read more

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The barbecue and the friendly staff here makes for a wonderful place to have lunch or a casual dinner. Sometimes the place gets so busy that they run out of beverages. Today, I was unable to get Diet Pepsi or diet Dr Pepper. sometimes the restrooms are not particularly clean. It seems like they might could use a slightly bigger staff. read more

After a late long night! Me and my fiancé decided to give this place a try for the first time... the pulled chicken was disgusting creamy and raw looking I almost threw up... The brisket was ok after putting it in a pot and using the extra bbq sauce. Idk if we will be back... read more

Hits the good ol' Texas bbq craving quite well. Got a judge's sampler for 34 bucks and and extra side for about 2 bucks. After tax it came out to 38 bucks. Honestly wasn't expecting much food but was pleasantly surprised. I ordered it expecting to be able to finish everything by myself. Boy was I wrong. It was a heaping load of food enough to feed 2 people. I was only able to finish like less than half of it and had to box the rest up. Taste wise ribs were on point and fall off the bone. Pulled pork was good as well with a hint of vinegar. Brisket was okay, a little on the dry side. Chicken was alright and was semi moist. Got their spicy sauce to go along with the meats. For the sides, baked beans were decent and the collard greens were okay as well but a bit on the sour side. I loved loved loved the corn pudding though - probably the most enjoyable thing on my whole plate. Overall, good experience if you're in the mood for Texas bbq. This chain does it justice. Bbq is not cheap but the price for the amount of food you get is worth it. It's certainly much cheaper than true authentic BBQ in the lone star state itself. read more

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Best pulled pork bbq I ever had. Swine sauce perfect combination of vinegar and spices. Not too hot either. Best lemonade I've ever had. Best fries I've ever had. Service is 5 star. My only minor complaint 2-3 hush puppies should come with it. You should not be forced to buy an entire side if you only want two. Only BBQ place I have ever been to that does not. Solid 5 star plus. Would be 10 stars with 3 hush puppies. read more

City Barbeque - City Barbeque lunch special. - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Nestled in Durham about 20 minutes from the airport, this barbecue joint is a carnivore's paradise. The tender brisket practically melts in your mouth, showcasing slow-cooked perfection. Their array of sauces, each bursting with flavor, adds an exciting twist to every bite. We loved the Spicy sauce mixed with the orignal. What truly sets this place apart is its exceptional service - attentive, friendly, and genuinely enthusiastic about their craft. They are kind and patient with non-locals and I really appreciated the hospitality. I wish i got the servers name but he was so kind. The restaurant is very casual and they have indoor and outdoor seating. There is space for large and small groups. And let's not forget the hush puppies, freshly made and divine, offering a delightful contrast to the rich, smoky meats. They were so warm when we got them i almost burned my tounge. If you're not from around NC I would recommend getting them from here. This spot is a must-visit for anyone craving BBQ in North Carolina. I would also highly recommend sharing the combo plates because they were big enough to split between two people. We ended with a peach cobbler bc why not. Honestly all it was missing was a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. When we visit again we will definitely return. Thanks again for being so kind! read more

City Barbeque - peach cobbler - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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The food, the service and ambience are amazing! We enjoyed ourselves immensely. Also the blues music is so cool. Not live, but really good. Would be great if they had live blues at night. The bbq sauces complement the food nicely. read more

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If you're looking for good BBQ with a wide variety of sides this is the place to visit! I love pulled pork and with their spicy BBQ sauce the sandwich was a winner. I had a hard time settling on the sides, but some repeat customers started talking about their favorites while we were waiting in line so I decided to go with the baked beans, potato salad and cornbread. Way too much food but I loved every bite! Sadly I didn't leave enough room for dessert. The restaurant is well laid out with indoor seating, an attached tent with seating and outdoor seating with umbrellas. read more

City Barbeque - Pulled pork sandwich with baked beans, potato salad and cornbread. - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The food was great and the service was amazing. I loved the prices and the atmosphere. I will be back again soon.

my absolute favorite order here is the pulled pork with the swine wine sauce! probably one of my favorite places in rtp

always a good time at city bbq bbq is amazing and the new chilli is mad good. they have this amazing new choose cake also

Fabulous barbecue!! Clean and spacious. Sauces were tasty. The More Cowbell sandwich was fantastic. We had 2 sides. The coleslaw was crispy without an overwhelming amount of cream. Our second side was baked beans with brisket...Yummy read more

Man, it breaks my heart to have to write this but after moving here 2 years ago, the quality has really taken a nose dive. The brisket is always dry despite asking for the fatty/full cut. The mac and cheese has no flavor. I don't know what's going on lately but y'all need to get some quality control in the kitchen. Especially in the brisket department. Check the picture, you can SEE the dryness! You'd think it'd been sitting on a counter all day... but this is prime dinner hour I ordered at 6pm. The only two things that have kept up to par is the banana pudding and chicken, which are always bomb... for now read more

City Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Placed an online order for two family meals and 1/2 bird. Missing 1/2 bird, missing Texas toast, no BBQ sauce was given at all. We used our own BBQ per picture. Pulled chicken nasty it was covered in a white creamy sauce unadable. Beach cobbler has only two slices of beach and is extremely dry see picture When called the manager their attitude was nonchalant. read more

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Service was amazing, courteous staff, and food was great! Freshly made and super tasty!

We had a pretty poor experience picking up food for dinner. The food was ready 15 minutes after it was supposed to and then multiple sides were missing from our order, which we unfortunately did not realize until we were home. We understand covid times are difficult but, after a year in, we expected it to be better. The positive side is we found the meat to be nice and flavorful. The hush puppies were also tasty! read more

The place is filthy, all tables were dirty, the floor was nasty. The service is bad. The food is actually decent. read more

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So Grandma and I stumbled upon this hidden gem while in the neighborhood for some medical supplies. We weren't disappointed and loved the entire menu only dinner is in 4 hours, so ordered lightest items. Grandma had the Cucumber Salad mini and the picture shows the Smoked Turkey Smokehouse Salad with ACV dressing. The drinks were organic bottled ginger ale for her and I had the gourmet Rootbeer. Best damn greens and crisp fresh tomatoes burst jn your mouth. The dressing had some lemony sweet tastes to it and the smoked Turkey chunks plentiful and delish. THANK YOU for your warm southern hospitality ! Have to come back for the brisket smells wonderful inside!!! read more

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I came to this particular City BBQ for the Yelp grand opening a while back and had a good experience. I am a fan of the other City BBQ's in the area but this particular one sent me a bad vibe. I stopped in on a Sunday for lunch and didn't have a good experience. When my order was being taken, the lady who worked at the cash register didn't greet me (I greeted her) or acknowledge me. I used my City BBQ coupon from my app and she made me feel like I was wrong. She eventually figured it out. After I completed my order, she greeted the next couple in line with a smile and conversation. Yea...​I see how it is. After that experience, I thought the​ food was ok. Who wants to eat after an experience like that right? As a long time City BBQ supporter, I'm having second thoughts about supporting this particular location. No thanks! I rather drive out to Cary or Garner. read more

City Barbeque - Well smoked - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Beef brisket- very good! Excellent char on it. Great with or without bbq sweet sauce. The bread was not over whelming. Not too dry and Smokey. Just great! I enjoyed it. Corn pudding- wow, never had the side before. It was sweet and smooth tasting with bits of corn. Couldn't put it down. Excellent. Mac & Cheese- not good. Reminded me of Boston market or kfc quality. Like powedered creamy box stuff instead of home baked. Will pass. Banana pudding- I really like the extra touch of brown sugar and some off it made a Carmel sweet liquid goodness. It had higher pudding to wafer ratio , which made it more silky and moist. However, the quality of that pudding seemed can quality. So not quite there. Still Famous Jimmys hotdogs still tops in my book but wish they had more pudding like City bbq. read more

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Update March 2021: Their app now gives the ability to notify them that you're on your way and tell them when you're there. I showed up about 5 minutes before my pickup time and my food came out within 2 minutes. We ordered: 1. More Cowbell with Turkey (8.99). The turkey was perfectly cooked and flavorful. The horseradish was the perfect amount without being overwhelming. I loved the veggies (sautéed onions and green peppers). All served on Texas toast. Absolutely delicious. 2. Nashville hot chicken (7.99). This was fantastic. The chicken was spicy and crispy in a delicious marinade. You could really hear a crunch when you bit into it. Served on a bun. 3. Banana pudding (2.99). Definitely not a dessert for those on a diet, but well worth it. This 600 calorie dessert has bananas, whipped cream, vanilla wafer cookie crumbles, and shortbread. It was absolutely delicious. We will be most certainly be coming back. read more

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Wife and I got the sampler platter. I can't complain about their product. My belly was full and satisfied for a couple of days.

First time home in 3 years and was craving real NC eastern barbecue. This wasn't the eastern bbq I am used to but it was really good. The 4 of us ordered: Collards Fried okra Green beans Lolo sandwich Pulled pork sandwich Pulled chicken sandwich Brisket and pork plate Banana pudding Cheerwine Original ginger ale Hush puppies Fried More than enough food! The portions were massive! Dad said the collards were some of the best ever! Mom said the banana pudding was divine and even had a caramel sauce! N loved the brisket. The pork was dry and not cooked in sauce like typically eastern style is - they have multiple types of sauce available for you to add after the fact. The swine wine has a vinegar base and is good but just not exactly the flavor I was hoping for. This was my first time ever having fried okra with a cornmeal and not flour. The corse cornmeal was not traditional and just not the way I prefer. Hush puppies were decent. They boys polished off the fries and said they were excellent. Overall fun to try it. Great and fast service. They have real silverware and plates available plus extra napkins on every table. read more

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We are all entitled to our own opinion, right? Well here is mines: Parking: 5 Location: 5 Ambiance & Décor: 5 Customer Service: 5 Newer location, Nice clean atmosphere, awesome outdoor seating, great views, same great food, but wonderful service with the employees. Anna was the server for us today and she was fantastic. She gave us lots of tips on how to save money and eat more with city barbecue. She was the perfect representative to have out front working and serving the customers. I came back a few days later and was assisted by Taylor, Nicole and Kate! WOW... these ladies were amazing. They were also great and so friendly. They gave great suggestions on what to eat. Being a Vegetarian and coming to a BBQ spot is a bit crazy BUT they made it easy to find good options. Great job city barbecue! read more

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This is my second time at this restaurant chain but the first time at this particular location. We came to this event as a result of trying their food at another event in which the food was food. The employee that rang me up was friendly and helpful. There are several table options inside of the business. An area that contained several sauces was located near the drink area. Our food was prepared in a timely manner. Today we ordered Mac and cheese, french fries, fried okra, brisket, and green beans. The okra is fried in cornmeal and there is bacon in the green beans. The food was warm but certain parts of the food were cold like it was not warmed thoroughly. The Mac and cheese was a little runny. The portion size of the brisket was small compared to the price that was paid. The food was not great and was very mediocre. I did not even take home my leftovers. Based upon the food that we attempted to eat today we will not be returning. read more

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Tl;dr: Friendly service, a proper potato salad, with great smoky bbq! Went here on a Thursday evening and there were not too many people eating, however there was a decent amount of take out orders that were being prepared. I ordered the half slab of ribs with fries and potato salad, and my girlfriend got the pulled pork sandwich with potato salad and beans. The ribs were tender and held together nicely. I got the sweeter molasses-y bbq sauce with a little heat (forgot what it's called) and so did my gf. We enjoyed the mild tang with the sweetness. The pulled pork might have been my favorite because it carried such an intense smokiness that I look for in pulled pork, and it was not dry! The potato salad had us craving more by the time we were done. Properly seasoned, good chunks of mild onion that gave great crispness, and it was held together with a creaminess that somehow other places cannot do too well. I got some smoked sausages and some cookies to-go because we just installed a new fireplace and wanted to roast some sausages and eat some cookies. The sausage was peppery and flavorful without being overly unctious with grease. It had a great ratio of lean meat and fat that resulted in a juicy and taut link. The cookies were buttery and soft, yielding to a decent amount of brown sugar which I think they use -- all of the better. We will be back! read more

Amazing food and fast service! Best BBQ I've had in a long time! Highly recommend the ribs, beef brisket, and pulled pork! Don't let the fast food type atmosphere fool you, the place is great! read more

This place is great. I love the vibe of the restaurant. Lots of little things on display that's cool and unique. Food is great. I ordered the Beef Brisket, Vinegar Slaw and Fries - I enjoyed all of it. The Beef Brisket is very flavorful and tender. I love the Vinegar Slaw - I'm not a fan of creamy slaw so this is a good alternative for me. The fries is great - it has a lot of flavor and it came out fresh. read more

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The prices here are very reasonable for good BBQ. They give you a nice serving with a generous amount of sauce on the side. The pulled pork was juicy, rich, and not too salty. I recommend the hush puppies and Mac n Cheese as both were quite tasty as well. read more

City Barbeque - Pulled Pork - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Dirt cheap, greasy and good. Nice people too. Would take this over hipster bbq any day. Ribs were great!

Prices are reasonable and the bbq is top notch Ribs - 5.0+ Brisket - 5.0 Chicken - 4.5 Pulled pork - 4.0 Unsweetened iced tea - 5.0 read more

If you want leftover meat ALL week to flavor your homecooked recipes, come to City BBQ and order the Judge's Sampler. It's $33, it says it feeds 2-3 people, but really it feeds 2 people for 3 days at least. Literally, we were adding it to our kimchi fried rice and mac and cheese for the rest of the week. It isn't the best BBQ I've ever had, but some of it is quite good, particularly the tender ribs and brisket. I could take or leave the chicken. The cornbread has a strong tang to it that tastes great hot, but tastes like shrimp tails cold. Your guess is as good as mine. However, the corn pudding is great hot AND cold, so leave that one as your leftover. I wasn't a huge fan of the banana pudding, which tasted mostly like stale Nilla wafers. read more

Awesome food and customer service. I will return to City BBQ more often. The ribs are amazing.

Great customer service and quality food. Took my mom here for a meal after her flight. She ordered the pick 2 and chose the ribs and pulled pork. My wife ordered the pick 2 as well and chose the ribs and chicken. Both seemed to enjoy their meal completely, so much so that refused to share! read more

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Though I have eaten here for years, the service has deteriorated and the brisket was 50% fat from yesterdays meal. Take your chances. Here is what I sent to management this morning: "The service at this location has gone from marginal to sucks over the last year. I have been eating there for years and I am making an allowance for the Covid excuse you will suggest. However the wait time for my order is now ridiculous and the majority of the help could care less if they worked there! To top it off I took a friend yesterday and she did not complain and ate her sandwich BUT mine was terrible. Over 50% was pure FAT! Ten dollars for 50% fat? Two brisket sandwiches, salad, fry and Dr. Pepper. My ticket was $24.14 and you should be ashamed! I took a photo of just the fat on my one sandwich but no way to attach it here." Be a long time till I give your place another try! read more

City Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina