As everyone else in Aiken, we couldn't wait to try Duke's BBQ again after such a long closure. It's a nice new building with plenty of seating and an enclosed porch to sit outside. The barbecue pulled pork was good as I recall, but the BBQ chicken was dry and way overcooked. The ribs were very tough and the home made chips had so much salt on them, that for me, were inedible. Some of the sauces are definitely not the same. The custard machine was not working and the chocolate eclare pudding in the desserts wasn't made this trip. So many of our favorites that we looked forward to enjoying were not there. So, we may go again, but definitely not the same as before. read more

A home town favorite for years! Love the hash and rice and the multiple choices of vegetables. Great fried and barbecued chicken as well as pork. read more

A lot of the food isnt to my personal taste (i dont like fried chicken or barbequed pork ) but the sides are absolutely amazing, especially the deep fried corn and banana pudding, and the workers there are very nice and friendly! read more

The employees are friendly and helpful. The food is great. The restaurant is very clean with a southern style scheme. The prices are kind of high but well worth it for the food and experience. read more

Duke's is back in business with a beautiful new building plus great BBQ, Fried chicken salad bar and those awesome fresh down home cooked veggies, as well as, dessert and sweet tea! The food is spectacular with reasonable prices and friendly service! read more

Well... the chicken was good and banana putting was good and the okra was good and they have soda machine finally but the ribs were not that great. They used to be really good. I don't know what happened. Service was good tables were dirty. They only have one stall in the men's restroom and one urinal I miss the old Dukes. read more

Always great food, have some things to work out with the new building but well worth the wait

The food was amazing, the building is really nice compared to the old one. Not that long of a wait. The desert food is amazing. I got banana pudding. The only problem is that it's packed and loud. read more

Great food don't forget to bring your appetite. Everything from one end of the bar to the other is wonderful. Just make sure you are hungry when you go. read more

I'm not a big "buffet" person. BUT this placed was the bomb. I dont think I have eaten like that in years. Wanted some South Carolina BBQ. Got the hash, smoked chicken, ribs a couple of dozen veggies, nanna pudding, pork skins? OMG. I will stop here when I come back by here. Nothing like this in Alabama but if I ate like this all the time I'd be dead. Try it. They will have something you will love. Tracked this place down after seeing it on Food Network. read more

HEAVENLY!!!!!!! Dukes is the most amazing place like ever!!!!!! Great place to meet up with friends. Food is spectacular! And service is pretty darn good if I say so myself read more

Absolutely LOVE this place. Very rare that you can go to a Buffet Style restaurant and EVERY item tastes good. This place will satisfy your BBQ and Soulfood needs in one trip. There is dessert and an cream machine but I can never save belly room for dessert. The restroom area is tiny (one stall) and outdated but other than that, it's all good. Take out is available and gloves are provided for Buffet Serving. It can get pretty crowded during lunch/rush hour but they'll get you accomodated sooner than later. The pink lemonade is a winner! read more

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Typically, I don't rate a place 5 stars unless it exceeds expectations. We went to Dukes last week (2-3 weeks after reopening). It got a lot of local press when it reopened and we figured it would be busy for a while. We went at lunch time and it was still crowded. Parking was at a premium and we had to park on the road We hadn't done Dukes before the fire so this was a first time. I wasn't expecting much more than what the other BBQ places around here offer, but I was relatively impressed by the food quality. It is as pay first and then go through a hot bar line and then a salad bar section. Typically the side items (potato salad, beans, Mac-n-cheese, etc) are secondary to the meats. I was surprised at how decent/good they turned out to be. Tried several of them and all were good! The BBQ meat (pulled pork and fried chicken since the ribs weren't keeping up with demand) were good; nothing really outstanding. There were several negatives in the experience however. Drinks were in a corner that got really crowded and they had a hard time keeping up with the demand on the iced tea. The BBQ sauces were on a small table in the back and not easily found. Tables, other than a few bigger ones in the back room, were set for four; we had 5 and it was difficult to grab another chair and put it on the end of the table. While it was an all you can eat place, I thought the price a little high for the "seniors" price; but I'm still adjusting to post-COVID inflation still. [at least it wasn't as bad as Mickey D's inflation!] While there were some negatives, I'll still go with 5 stars since I had lower expectations and was fairly impressed. read more

All you can eat for $10.50. Really? I'm glad I don't work near here because if that was the case, this would be a regular spot that I would go to every week. What can I say about this place? It's all you can eat BBQ. So this is what I got from the scoop: Here, they have a rivalry between Duke's and Carolina's. I personally, biased, am from NC, and a UNC fan. So naturally we went to Carolina's first, but sadly I have to say that Duke's just won it overall for me. The selection is just more enormous and just has a bigger variety of side dishes as well. From fried chicken, baked chicken, pulled pork, all you can eat ribs, and greens, corn, hash, it's just never ending. This place will definitely be the place for me to go if I am ever in town and craving for BBQ and trying to find a place for lunch. Let's say for a low carb diet person, this place was perfect for me. I ate to my heart's content, but I didn't eat as extremely as I did compared to when I went to Carolina's BBQ because well, I wanted to save space for dinner! If you're in the area, definitely check this place out and if you're a BBQ lover, try both and decide for yourself! For me though, this place won it hands down. read more

Duke's Bar B Que - Just a plate, and a little more. - Barbeque Near Me - Aiken, South Carolina

Very good selection of items. Especially enjoyed the broccoli and cheese, corn nuggets and Mac and cheese. Fried chicken and pulled pork were delicious. Desserts were scrumptious, just wish the banana pudding had slices of banana in it. Will definitely be returning. read more

Delicious bbq and southern food plus hospitality period! I'm sad I won't be here when the new Dukes opens! Highly recommend! Firm staple for the CSRA! read more

Dukes gets credit for more veggies than its competition, but it is buffet, picnic table, indoor only dining. I'm not sure the food is worth today's health risks read more

It's an unassuming building filled with a wonderful World of Southern Goodness. We loved everything from the hash, pulled pork and ribs, to the delicious sides of green beans, squash casserole and broccoli. Add to that the great finish of a banana pudding and you've got Dukes! We'll be back - 35 minute drive is not too much for this. It was a pleasure from start to finish. read more

Went to Dukes today for the first time. The bbq sandwiches were good but i"ll never go back. I got there a little early for the take out but there were only a few people. The take out woman made me wait 25 minutes for five bbq sandwiches. I can only assume it was because i didn't tip the kitchen. I'll just go back to Carolina BBQ where they appreciate their customers. read more

The food was horrible. You really get what you get for the amount paid. The service sucked. It was overall a horrible experience. The whole thing was very unsanitary. read more

Haven't been there since the fire, but am impatiently waiting for the reopening! Have been missing the best bbq in the CSRA

Great buffet! Smoked pork, fried chicken and side dishes were amazing!!! Perfect spot for dine in or carry out. The staff members are kind and facility is up to par! I'll definitely be back! Thank y'all!!! BBQ Pork Broccoli Casserole-OMG Chocolate Eclair-to die for read more

Excellent place. I was in the area on business all week and wanted to try the area's BBQ before heading out. Found this joint on Yelp and so glad I did. Ws excellent and exactly what I had hoped for. Just a down home, "come on in, pay for your plate and help yourself honey" kind of place. It cannot get any closer to home cooking than this place. read more

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Can't wait for it to open back up ! Good southern meal and great service. Will definitely be coming here soon as the doors open up.

I love everything about this place. The food is delicious! I wish they had one in Augusta!

I've been to most of the BBQ places in my neck of SC. Duke's is definitely the best (not Carolina BBQ, as Southern Living will tell you). The buffet is $10. The buffet is full of all kinds of amazing sides: hush puppies, corn fritters, collards, rutabagas, rice, hash, macaroni and cheese, fried okra, sweet potato, coleslaw, etc. There are ribs (RIBS!) on the buffet as well. The pork is delicious. Three sauces are available: mustard, mild (mustard based), and pepper. The mild is my favorite: Orange, sweet, tangy. I love to get it in a cup and pour it over the meat. Desserts include peach cobbler and banana pudding. read more

Duke's Bar B Que - Barbeque Near Me - Aiken, South Carolina

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WOW............coming from the West Coast a detour to Aiken South Carolina should be on everyone's list! The sad part is, I will never be able to eat West Coast BBQ again, as at Duke's, the Fried Chicken is absolutely outstanding. Mrs. Knotts Chicken (Knottsberry Farm) has been relegated (sadly) to second place. This place gives you the feeling that a outdoor picnic and church potluck dinner collided and gave you that down home at mama's house type atmosphere. Great price at $10.50 whereas that same buffet in Vegas would be $25-$30 pp. The selection of food is plentiful with all types of southern fare from Okra or Hash to Corn Nuggets before you even get to the real reason you came...the meat. The ribs fall of the bone while the pulled pork is cooked to perfection only to be complimented with one of their four great sauces. The chicken as previously mention is cooked to absolute perfection and brined to the right taste. Mmmmmm good! Don't overlook this place because of it's lack of fancy building or seating cause looks are deceiving...your there for one reason.....the food....good job!!! read more

BEST BBQ Buffet EVER. The offerings at Dukes are as flavorful as they are plentiful. My personal favorites are the ribs, corn nuggets, mac and cheese, and boneless buffalo wings. Their desserts are also 'to die for.' Don't leave without getting your share of soft serve vanilla ice cream, banana pudding and chocolate eclair. And you can wash it all down with their homemade pink lemonade (or sweet tea, if you're into that sorta thing)! read more

Came for lunch with my family. Very friendly staff and the buffet was full of every southern side you could possibly want. Everything was fresh and delicious. Great place at a great price! read more

It hurts my heart to give this place three stars, as the restaurant itself has the best BBQ; HOWEVER, the sides have never tasted the same and there's a lack of consistency amongst kitchen staff and it shows. I personally believe the best Duke's location is in Orangeburg. read more

Duke's Bar B Que - ows a sign for duke's bar - b - que - Barbeque Near Me - Aiken, South Carolina

I loved the old dukes, it was the best bbq around, however after eating there since the reopening I was kinda let down. The only thing I could say was really GOOD was the fried chicken and bbq chicken. I really hope it's just growing pains and they get everything sorted out but things need to be address, the squash casserole shouldn't be right next to the Mac and cheese because they are almost identical and very easy to mix up. They need to put napkin holders on the actual table and not all the way on the other side of the building, same for the bbq sauce. Why keep it on the opposite end of the building, also there was no ice at all, me and my brother were drinking hot drinks the whole time. The bbq use to be the best around but after eating there Thursday id compare to the store bought bbq that comes in the big plastic tub. Service was ok, not horrible and not great. I feel like dukes is getting that legacy reputation like sconyards. People rant and rave about the place when I'm reality it's kinda a let down, I'll be back in afew months after the new wears off and the kinks and growing pains are solved. Hopefully it will be better then read more

You typically don't go to an $11 all-you-can-eat buffet and expect even standard dine-in fare, but these guys are doing something right. I'm not saying that it is the best BBQ in town, but it is the best buffet in the area for the price. I tried many of the items and there were only a couple that I would call "buffet quality." To accompany the BBQ they have 4 sauces to choose from. All were good. read more

Duke's Bar B Que - Barbeque Near Me - Aiken, South Carolina

This is the best buffet I've had in a long time. Just like the cooking I grew up with.

Yum! The food and staff deserve 5 stars but the restaurant is a bit shabby and hot. Don't let that stop you from eating at Dukes - it's just a heads up. read more

The buffet is extensive. The fried chicken is AWESOME! The ribs...very good. The hush puppies. So good. If in Aiken or even around Augusta or Columbia, this is a great find. You should definitely go here. You won't regret the drive or the meal. read more

They're food is good. Buffet style eating. Fried chicken, rib, pulled pork ect. Foods got a good flavor and the people are always nice. It's a self serve place good for a large crowd. read more

Amazing home cooked vegetables & fried chicken! The interior is really outdated and just worn out. I can't wait for them to build the new & large building they speak of or at least update the interior of the existing place. read more

I've eaten bbq all over the south....and while this isn't bad it's not any special.... Their sauces are ok....but there's nothing special about them either.... The veggies are pretty darn good, but this isn't a veggie buffet...its supposed to be about great bbq, and in my opinion it's not... read more

First time in bbq place in the south. Food was great! Collard greens. 4. 1st time Rutabaga 4 Mac and cheese 4 Fried chicken 5. Super crispy, flavor infused throughout. Ribs 4 Hash 2. Apparently a southern staple. 1st time. Eclair cake 5 Corn nuggets 3 Coleslaw 5 Pulled pork 3 Sauce spicy 4 read more

GO HERE NOW. I make my parents take me every time I'm home... it's so predictable that they call and we plan it into my trip every time. They have delicious pork, and I've never had any of the chicken, but my Mom always gets it and swears by it. My usual plate includes pork, green beans, broccoli casserole, squash, corn fritters, fried okra, maybe a little mac n cheese, and a hush puppy thrown on top :) Add Carolina BBQ sauce (mustard-based), and you have the most beautiful plate ever. Then it's time for dessert. My parents and I make room for it no matter how much we just ate - peach cobbler and soft serve ice cream. There is seriously nothing better. Even my "I don't like peaches" boyfriend tried it, and he couldn't explain why he liked it so much. It is the most fantastic thing in the entire world after you just ate all of this artery clogging goodness. This is why I only eat here about 6x a year, but I make the most of it. It's southern, family cooking at its best. They clearly don't spend their money on overhead :) But as long as they don't change the food, I'll eat at picnic tables with strangers every time. Just consider it part of the experience. read more