Ok, so is this the best barbecue in the triangle? Yes. But this review is about Shay. I came in tonight with my children, who were acting like feral raccoons. I mean, horrible. The highest form of chaos. I am certain that all onlookers felt bone-deep annoyance, at the very least. Sadly, there were many because ordering for a family of four while attempting to keep loud, violent animals apart took *A While*. My youngest had also forgotten his shoes at martial arts. But did Shay kick us out? No. Shay, Genius of Children, PhD of Keeping-It-Together, played a game with my barefoot chaos monster. She got him to calm down long enough for me to order way too much food in a completely disjointed manner because my brain had stopped working hours ago. But she made sense of the situation, made sense of my children, and did it all with profound grace and a smile. I hope that City Barbecue gives Shay a raise because her customer service and her humanity truly go above and beyond. We will be coming back, with shoes on! read more

Excellent! I stopped in on my way through town. My expectations were pretty low but turned out to be great. The food was hot and fresh and staff was very friendly. Worth the money and I'll be back! read more

The brisket is my favorite, although the ribs are a close second. The sides are all pretty amazing too.

For fast food barbeque, it is surprisingly good. It's a little dirty inside and the kitchen looks a bit gross and unorganized. That being said, what can you expect from a fast food place. I'd probably go back if I was in the area and in the mood for barbeque. read more

Had their catered bbq at a business meeting lunch. Always excellent pork and chicken.

Ehhh... Just arrived from WA state and needed bbq stat! Not my first time (or even 100th time) to NC, the South or eating BBQ so my review is not a first timer opinion. Honestly the people were super friendly but the food left me wanting something else. The greens were loaded with pork and super salty, the various sauces were a little much and overall it wasn't anything worth coming again for. My auntie who lives in NC agreed, and while we're both glad to say we got to try this place and now we know.... There are far better spots for BBQ if you have the time to look more into it. If in a pinch and you're in the area its worth a pop-in MAYBE. But being from WA state there are a TON of other places I would go for real BBQ and southern food. read more

City Barbeque - Line of sauces.... - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Swung by on a weekend for an early dinner. There was plenty of parking in the restaurant-designated parking area. While there was a line to order food at the counter, it didn't take too long. I ordered the "More Cowbell" (brisket Texas toast sandwich with grilled peppers, onions and horseradish sauce) and got two sides of Jacked mac (with bacon) and green beans. I also ordered the banana pudding. Ambiance: 4/5 Decoration was neat though the floor was slightly dirty. Service: 4/5 Food: 5/5 The More Cowbell was delicious. While the brisket itself was decent (I've had more tender brisket), the combination with the Texas toast, horseradish sauce and the peppers and onions was stellar. In terms of the sides, while the green beans were just decent, the Jacked mac was phenomenal! I ordered it added bacon. I thought the bacon would come with it but instead they gave me a whole separate container with a generous portion of bacon. The bacon bits itself was almost half the size of the jacked Mac. The banana pudding was absolutely delicious and had some caramel and some crunchy brown sugar bits on top. The texture dynamic was amazing and it was hands down one of the best banana pudding I've had. read more

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Well the City Barbeque in Durham NC is outstanding, no extraordinary. About a month ago I sat down with Stephen with manager explaining we were having a birthday party and I explained what we needed and he made a lot of suggestions to improve what we wanted. Well the party was yesterday and the food was the hit of the party. The barbeque was outstanding, chicken on the bone, sausage, the the baked beans with the brisket, Mac and cheese and the hush puppies. Then Stephen added 4 different barbecue sauces, rolls and everything we needed. Stephen said corporate headquarters sends out pins but I say he needs a bonus, raise or even a promotion to where he travels around the country teaching customer service. It was because of Stephen did we go to City Barbecue. We have 4 barbecue places closer to us but we traveled over 30 minutes because of the excellent service and food. read more

Got a bunch of food to go on a Saturday afternoon. Food was ready and hot for pick up. For 4 people, we sampled: 1. brisket -- 3 stars. Was looking forward to this but the meat was unexpectedly dry and unflavorful 2. smoked chicken leg -- 5 stars. really tender and juicy meat 3. pulled pork -- 3 stars. Dry... and no amount of dabbing with the sauces helped 4. corn pudding -- 3 stars. Corn kernels were tough 5. vinegar slaw -- 5 stars. cabbage was crunchy and with the right amount of acidity and sweetness 6. potato salad -- 4 stars. Can do well with half the amount of mayo but I liked it 7. collard greens with pork -- 2 stars. pretty terrible, greens were tough to chew, more bitter than other collard greens I've had, the pork didn't add anything valuable to the dish 8. peach cobbler -- 5 stars. It's not too sweet and loved the crunchy bits of crust It was a let down. I haven't been to any other BBQ joints in the Raleigh Durham area but this can't be the best one this city has to offer. For comparison, Smoque BBQ in Chicago and Texas Jacks in Arlington VA are solid 5 stars. read more

City barbecue was delicious! I really enjoyed the side. Although no sides come with sandwiches, the green beans, collards, potatoes salad and baked beans were all very tasty. I tried a pulled pork with swine wine and cole slaw. It was tangy and delicious! I also added a sweet bbq on the side. The bbq sauces are very flavorful. My girlfriend ordered a pulled chicken sandwich and she added bbq to it, very moist and full of smoky rotisserie flavor. My mom said that her chicken thigh had good bbq sauce but was dry. Once she got the cole slaw on the side she was much happier. It was kinda slow when we went, but the dinning room was messy. We asked twice for smashed cornbread to be swept from up under the table but overall great food! The tall lady server was very polite. We engaged in some playful banter, she goes to NCCU & I'm an NCAT aggie! Very sweet, and welcoming! Great southern food, and pretty good service! read more

The staff's friendly and the decor's comfortable and rustic. Overall its a very welcoming environment both for a group of friends as well as a gathering of family friends. It should be pointed out though everything- even the ranch dressing they gave you tasted like its dipped in a block of salt. If thats the style of BBQ you grew up with, be your guest. Well, now you know what I didn't. Be a bit cautious, the brisket i got was really burnt that part of it was practically charcoal. There's also more marshmallowy fat in there than a layman might be used to. However the sausages here are quite excellent, they are long, thick, and they give you 2- so a very generous portion per order. They are well seasoned and satisfying, everything you could have want from a hefty order of meaty sausage. Save some to go too bc its big enough for 2 meals! read more

Went in and placed and order since the call in is to a customer service center who couldn't answer the questions. Went in and ordered it was relatively easy process. Big visible menu. Took about 8 minutes to get the food on a to go order. Portion sizes are good but the food is DRYYYYYY! Brisket and ribs DRYYYY . Amen for the sauce it's the only thing slowing me to eat some. Mac is mediocre as well read more

Love the Brisket and BBQ... Clean and Friendly Environment. Quick Service ... Nice seating area

Best pulled pork, collards and green beans with pork. Easy parking, but the Swiney Winey vinegar sauce has 16 grams of sugar per small black container read more

The food is delicious. Unexpected find in the city. And the gentleman who took our order was so knowledgeable and friendly. He recommended the city sampler for my husband and me. Perfect suggestion. Couldn't have asked for better. We will be back to try more. read more

City Barbeque - City sampler with Cole slaw and french fries - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We came here on memorial day weekend and this place was packed like sardines!! I'm serious...We usually rave about this place but it was VERY disappointing this time around! They were out of pulled pork, turkey, banana pudding, fries, cornbread, brisket!!! What in the world folks! I don't understand a restaurant that is not prepared for all the items on the menu. It's very frustrating and extremely disappointing!! Cook plenty of food and be prepared! Yea it was a holiday weekend but they should have known to cook extras. The restaurant was dirty inside all around. The bathrooms were nasty. We saw one of the cooks give some random man, I'm assuming he knew him, a large bag of food out the side door, like it was an inside job or a "hook me up deal" I guess he got the pulled pork, turkey, and banana pudding we were wanting.....We will definitely not be coming back here!! Very disappointing as we usually hit up this restaurant pretty regularly. Don't recommend coming here. I am sure they will be out of something you want to eat...... read more

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Absolutely great curbside pick up service. Not the best bbq in the area- but the ribs are good, brisket and chicken as well. Chopped pork was dry- Sides are good- collared greens, Mac & cheese and corn bread were great.. Fried items- doesn't travel well- okra fried was mush and fries were limp. Judges sampler is a massive platter- good enough for 4 at least. Highly recommend trying for a quick everyday bbq - but there are better options IMO for a really deal experience. Customer service was above and beyond. read more

Stopped on way to the airport. Was at an off time. So food was out in under 5 mins Ribs were shockingly good. Fell off the bone. My son loved the brisket Pulled pork - solid. Def not the best. Chicken - was moist and tasty. Mac and cheese was a hit as well w my son read more

The last couple of times here have been a real drop in quality from where City BBQ previously was. Last time the brisket was dry and really below their typical quality. This time they forgot multiple sides in our takeout order. Since it was busy at the time of pickup I couldn't pull everything out on the counter and check. I got home and we were missing two orders of macaroni and ranch for the fried pickles. Went back and told the crew working and they could barely be bothered to fix the mistakes. City BBQ always seemed to have really good quality standards but they are really dipping in that department lately. I'm sure i'll go back again, but i'm not in a rush, which is a shame since was place is so dependable during the height of the pandemic and one it's just coasting. read more

Horrible, horrible, horrible. Never try to redeem your coupons through the app. Even though it says it will be redeemed once you place your order, it will not. I went to the restaurant on 54. The manager was very rude and said.....yes. it's a lie, you can't redeem the coupon through the app, but I can't give you your money back. At least, he was honest about the scam. Bad business....horrible manager, sucky app. PS. When I said I would dispute it with my credit card company, the manager was rude and laughed over me fighting for 5 bucks. read more

Ok You Guessed it Folks, I love Good BBQ and this place has plenty and then some!!! Kind of a Family Style atmosphere with Big Platters and a ton of Choices too. Of Course I go for the Pull pork and it is very tasty!!! Several Sauces to choose and those mouth watering Desserts if you have the room!!! read more

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Heard that BBQ in North Carolina is awesome. For a while, I was confused about people's BBQ standards since the first place I tried tasted mediocre. Seriously. Got picked up from the airport, beelined over with my deer. I was curious about the menu...lots of items. We asked for a sample of their sausage and rib and they freakin gave us a WHOLE PIECE OF RIB!! That rib was heavenly I tell you. Juicy & slipped right off the bone. Sausage blew me away as well. We ordered: A full rack of ribs (normally $24 ish, but Tuesdays are 40% off), a two meat combo with sausage & brisket. That sausage....whew....don't believe I've had better sausage...so juicy with that awesome "chewy" coating. Side dishes are $3 something for two so guess what we got! Four! We tried hush puppies (gave it a second chance...still blech), gumbo, pecan coleslaw, and mac&cheese. They have a condiment station with all sorts of BBQ sauce and alongside that was pickles & jalapenos...my favorite was original. I'm definitely coming back for that sausage...even thinking about sneaking some back to Cali... read more

Great customer service. Very friendly. We are from Texas and our bbq standards are very high. It was not bad but it was different. Scale from 1-10 we give it a 6.5 nothing was wrong with it it was just different from what we are used to. read more

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My favorite cheat night spot! The BQ sandwiches and ribs are really good but I usually get the grilling chicken thigh and some sides! All are amazing and can't go wrong with any combination. My favorites are fried okra, string beans, collards, Mac and cheese and the hush puppies!! Woo really good! Oh yes, don't forget the banana pudding!!! And don't forget their extra sauces you can get on the side. read more

I had a sample of City Barbeque at a yelp event last year. It was my favorite one from the event, so I had extremely high hopes for the actual store. I'm not sure if they lowered their standards since then, but this was a whole other experience. My boyfriend and I ordered their ribs, brisket, green beans, and mac + cheese. Their ribs had more flavor than the brisket and was overall more enjoyable in comparison. I didn't like their brisket too much as I thought it was dry. Both their brisket and mac + cheese were harder than I had remembered. Also, the green beans were good, but the ones on the bottom were quite salty. Honestly, my favorite one out of everything was their bread, which tasted like garlic bread. Also, the place offers a variety of complimentary sauces and pickles by the plates and utensils. read more

City Barbeque - Beef Brisket, Ribs, Green Beans, and Mac + Cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This is yet another barbecue emporium, this one a chain that began in 1999 in Dublin, Ohio, not exactly the barbecue capital of the country, and the offered smoked meats are about what you'd expect, generally not bad, but far removed from exceptional - they described their food as "Authentic and Inspired," but I found it to be neither, closer to "Dazed & Confused". This is the third location in the Triangle, and the newest, and it is all bright and shiny, completely void of character and charm. This is fast food casual, which means you order at the register, fill your drink, grab a seat, and await the call, and the order was out quickly. We settled on the Judge's Sampler ($26.99) which offers 1/4 BBQ Chicken, 1/2 Slab of Ribs, Pulled Pork (no amount indicated), Full-Cut Brisket (again, no amount indicated), with 2 sides, 2 Corn Breads and Texas Toast. As sides we chose FFs and Fried Okra, and added another side, Hush Puppies. The BBQ Chicken was nice, tender and moist, with a noticeable smokiness not limited to the skin, and the sauce was a bit thick, a bit sweet, but did not smothered the chicken taste. The ribs were also rather nice, best of the bunch actually. The meat was very tender, and the ribs were covered with a thick, dark bark which added substantially to the overall flavor. The FFs were outstanding, and the Hush Puppies were very, very nice. The rest of the sampler was simply awful. The Pulled Pork was especially disappointing - it comes out with no sauce, and was dry, tough, and stringy, and no amount of the sauces on the table changed that. The Fried Okra was sprinkled with a small amount of cornmeal, and then thoroughly under cooked. The Texas Toast quickly became limp and bedraggled. All in all, 3 stars seems close, perhaps a bit high, and no return visit is anticipated, and in the final analysis I'm still not sure how Full-Cut Brisket differs from brisket cut in other ways. read more

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I ordered the "pick two meats" and added two sides. They also offered me two more sample sides since it was my first visit. I really appreciated that! I got brisket, ribs, Mac and Cheese, cucumbers, hush puppies, and green beans. I did like the BBQ, but I'm from Texas and am used to really juicy and saucy BBQ.. I thought the meat just wasn't as juicy or saucy as those in Texas. However, it was still a solid meal. The amount of meat they give you is huge. The sides were delicious and definitely my favorite part. My total ran to about $18 and could definitely serve as more than one meal. I came with a group of about ten people. We came for a fundraiser my manager was part of arranging. Unfortunately, our coupons weren't registering with the machine and the City BBQ person he communicated with regarding the profit-share wasn't there that day. Luckily, the manager on-site was cool with the fundraiser so we were able to let that continue. :) I enjoyed my time here! They have a great atmosphere for friends and family. It is also very spacious -- we were able to seat about ten people by pushing tables together. I'm open to coming back but would prefer the meat to be extra saucy/juicy if possible. read more

City Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I am in love! I loved this place when I worked in Cary and one was nearby, but I love the Durham one more -- and not just because it's right by my house and where I shop. I described it to my fiancée as Q-Shack meets Cracker Barrel, and I think that description still fits. The staff here were so friendly, and they took it above and beyond when we visited late on a Sunday evening! We ordered a whole rack of ribs, but they didn't have enough to provide a whole rack, so replaced it with brisket (after asking what we wanted), and still gave us all the rest of the ribs! We obviously ended up with plenty of food to take home, and they were kind enough to bring out our food to us, take the trays, get silverware, and also basically just be fun people to hang around with. This worked out well, because we ended up loving the brisket even more than the ribs! Top this with amazing barbeque, fabulous old-school country sides (like cucumbers and onions, watermelon, collards stewed with pork) in a no-stress counter service setting with plenty of atmosphere, and I've found my new favorite place! They even have the to-go stuff out so that I can grab and go without having to put out the staff, or be slowed down. Oh also, LOVE the complimentary pickle bar! Tasty garlic dill pickle, red onions for brisket sandwiches, and super spicy jalapeños! And every barbecue sauce style I could want! Vinegar base for the pork, Brush Fire for the brisket, and mustard and Texas Pete for anything else! Aaaand...outdoor dining! It's set into a grassy hill so you're somewhat insulated from the traffic going by. Love, love, love! Check it out! read more

City Barbeque - Okra, collards, potato salad, and pulled pork cheese fries. - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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We have eaten here 2 years ago and had decent memories of the place. So we thought to ourselves it had been an awhile so why not eat here before our movie. It was not a good experience. They don't seem to have the good pulled pork plate meals with all the trimmings any longer so I ordered the pulled pork, hush puppies, and slaw (all as separate items). Turned out the pulled pork was a sandwich on a bun which I had not expected. So you don't get much. Got a tiny little separate container of bland tasting slaw and the hush puppies were OK but I've had better from the frozen ones we buy at Food Lion done in our air fryer. With regard to the food quality the worst of all was every fountain soft drink I tried (because I'd take a sip of one finding it tasted like slightly flavored carbonated water and went back to try another flavor). After dumping 3 cups of just nasty almost bitter tasting soft drinks out I just went with the one that I could stomach. Absolutely mostly what I was getting was carbonated water with very little of the soda syrup added like they were not monitoring the syrup tanks or trying to save money. My other half got the 2 meat sampler, beens, hush puppies, and a soft drink. It came to $42.05 which when I looked at what was on our table seemed to be a pretty high price for the, at best, marginal food we were served. We will NEVER eat here again and certainly don't recommend it. read more

I've ate here plenty of times as it is near my house and also near where I used to work. It's always good and is always made quickly. Some of my favorites are the fried pickles, but at the Durham location you can only get them in the shareable size which is quite a lot so I only order them when I am feeling indulgent or have someone to share it with. I also love the cowbell sandwich which is the brisket with onions, peppers, and cheese. It's so good, I think the soft roll they put it on also adds to the greatness. I know this place kind of feels on the fast food side but I've never had a bad meal there. I can't say much about the BBQ but the ribs and the brisket are both good choices. It's average price and the atmosphere is pretty relaxed. I would say you have to try it at least once! read more

We're new to town and have been here 3 times, the first few times the service and food was great, unfortunately today the ribs were inedible and undercooked, the brisket was extremely dry, the sausage was undercooked, but all this pales in comparison to the extremely disrespectful and rude service at the register and the individual who called out orders. Hoping today was an off day, but overall a super disappointing experience. read more

A friend order me a 2 meat plate with 2 sides. Ribs had been sitting all day seemed like. The were tender but dried out if that makes sense. Mac n cheese the exact same. I ate both because it wasn't HORRIBLE but definitely not worth paying for. The peach cobbler though, I felt so disrespected ! Absolutely appalled the would sell something thats in bad condition like mine was! BURNT. HARD. DRIED OUT. MANLY just burnt up bread no peaches. I don't normally trip over small things but this was ridiculous. I usually have good feedback but today was by far my worst experience. read more

I was extremely disappointed in the food here. You'd think living where we do, more restaurants would know how to do BBQ but this place is one of the worst I've tried. The meat was so dry and way overcooked. You want meat that is close to falling off the bone and the ribs almost required gnawing to get it off and we could only grudgingly eat it. The sides were dismal as well. The collards were way off the chart salty that we didn't eat more than a bite. The slaw is pretty serviceable. It's not good but it was probably the "best" thing we had. It's a nice setting, but unfortunately you can't eat that. I'd recommend The Pig if you want bbq done right and they even have vegan options as well. It's not a fancy place but you know where there heart is and it's the right place which is where it counts. read more

I should have taken a picture. An excellent BBQ sandwich with slaw. Hush puppies just right. Yes sweet tea. A great lunch...great staff engaging and helpful. read more

SO GOOD! Stopped by during a work trip and had me wishing we had BBQ like this in Nevada. All the sides are bomb. The hush puppies are incredible. And they put every sauce I asked for in the bag when I ordered through Grubhub. Good customer service + good food = awesome place to eat. Highly recommend! read more

YES, YES, YES!!!! I was skeptical because it's yet another bbq joint in NC, but this was surprisingly good! I loved the sides... corn bread, collards, corn pudding. Amazing. And the meat was also legit. I had the turkey and used several of the (thousands of) sauce options that were all tasty. But the all-star here was the service with a smile! I should've caught the guy's name and didn't, he was the best. Awesome suggestions and free drinks for our first visit there! Also heard one of us say they wanted some of the choc cake in the counter and he gave it to us FOR FREE on the way out! Can't wait to go back. I want alllllllll of the sides! read more

City Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

My mother and I have been coming to this City Barbecue since it was opened here. I wouldn't call myself a frequent customer but I have eaten here a good amount. My girlfriend and I came here on Valentine's Day and was met with amazing food but more importantly service. We were treated politely and when seated the food was brought to us. While eating the man who took our order came up with another batch of fries saying the ones he had given us prior which in my opinion were perfected might've been over cooked. He gave us a new batch of fries free of charge. Absolutely amazing service and food, but that is to be expected by the best BBQ in the area. read more

Well after ordering and waiting for a half an hour they finally informed us they are out if food! Nice way to run a business! Never again! read more

I don't often buy BBQ but found this place to be amazingly delicious and indulgent. The brisket and pork are to die for, as well as the corn pudding, Mac & cheese, baked beans and peach pie. You can order using doordash. Great comfort food! read more

Good bbq and great staff! I was t too sure of what I wanted but they let me try a few meats before I made my decision. The staff made great recommendations and the meal was great. Sides were hot and what I ordered. The have a great selection of bbq sauces, I like the original and bourbon sauces personally. If you like bbq I recommend you give them a try... read more

City Barbeque - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina