I'll start off with saying that this place has pretty good BBQ and the not-super rating might be more a function of the time we happened to get there. It was insanely crowded when we arrived since an entire high school track team had just walked in the door ahead of us. That's fine and I don't mind waiting, but they had no system for taking down names or anything, so we just had to stand there eyeing who might get up to leave (the place is pretty tiny, so we were constantly in the way of the servers and practically standing on top of the people sitting at the tables). We finally got a table and before we were even all settled had a nice bowl of tasty hush puppies on the table. We all ordered BBQ sandwiches but the sides were different, and they seemed to be out of quite a few of them. The food came and while the sandwiches were good, I am definitely a bigger fan of the more tomato-y BBQ than the vinager-y stuff they had there. The brunswick stew was probably my favorite thing I tried there, and though they were busy the service was great. read more

I usually don't write reviews unless a place is exceptionally awful and my dinner from here meets that criteria. I got the chopped pork and ribs combo. The chopped pork tasted like it was a few days old and was drowning in vinegar. It was like a mushy mass of old-pork flavored vinegar. The ribs....my goodness they don't even qualify as BBQ. First of all....the membrane on the back of the ribs wasn't removed, which makes it hard to pull the meat apart. Not removing the membrane is a real amateur mistake, and it only got worse. The ribs were so overcooked that you could slide all the bones out with no resistance whatsoever. Between the membrane holding the meat together, and the bones not holding on to anything, they were impossible to eat the normal way. I had to slide all of the bones out and eat the rib meat with a knife and fork...while also cutting through and removing the membrane that did not belong there. But it gets worse! There was no flavor at all. Definitely no smoke flavor, and the meat was just tasteless. Based on the fact that they were so overcooked, yet had no flavor or hint of smoke, I suspect they were boiled and then finished on a grill. There simply is no other way to make a piece of pork completely tasteless. Maybe my rib standards are too high? At any rate, I took these ribs as a personal insult, like whoever cooked them was telling me to go f**** myself. I will not be back. read more

Yum! We are new to the area and stumbled upon this place. Excellent hush puppies, lots of homemade sides, pork so tender... yum! Great service. Small hole-in-the-wall kinda place. So nice. We will definitely be back read more

Hands down the best authentic (read that properly...authentic = true to southern, down-home cooking style) BBQ and food in Raleigh. There aren't a lot of places like this left in Raleigh, and that's unfortunate. As more of the north populates (or overpopulates, depending on who talk to) our south, we've had a shift to more chain restaurants. But if you're looking for a real home cooked meal in the southern vein, Old Time BBQ is where you go. Yes, it's not much to look at from the street. Yes, it's surroundings might scare some people away. But inside it's as cozy a place as you'll find. It's family owned and operated - 9 times out of 10 you'll find Jerry (the owner) either cooking over the grill, ringing you up at the register or filling your coffee cup (or all 3). The meats are smoked in a cooker and are fresh and delicious! The NC BBQ sauces are homemade - they're a family recipe - and are amazing! Service is always impeccable....and while some reviews on here voice concern of feeling rushed, I'd argue that it's because service is that fast and good. If you want to know what the south is about, and enjoy a real home cooked meal, this is where you go! Best BBQ you will find! read more

Hm, where to begin. I suppose I should start by saying my family and I ate here once before, close to 4 years ago. Had I written this review then, I'd likely have given them 5 stars. I don't remember what any of us ate but the service was so hospitable and memorable that when we visited again this past weekend, we were sure to come back despite the many bbq options available in the area. We stopped in for dinner after spending the day at a kid's museum not too far away. Both of my kids ordered chicken nuggets and neither of them were impressed. Now, I'm well aware that it's a bbq joint and their specialty isn't chicken nuggets, just pointing that out for any other parents that may bring their kids here. I will say though, their apple sticks were fantastic. I'd say they're quite similar to an apple pie in stick form, and fried rather than baked. My other daughter got the onion rings and while I didn't try them, my husband said they were good. I ordered the pulled pork and chicken pastry combo with mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. The sides were amazing, the pulled pork was good but the chicken pastry was a disappointment. I didn't ask what it was, I just went ahead and ordered it out of curiosity. I expected something along the lines of chicken and dumplings, turns out I was wrong. It was soupy and bland. After I added salt and pepper it was tolerable but I didn't have more than a couple of bites. My husband ordered the pulled pork and fried chicken combo with cole slaw and fried okra. He enjoyed all of his food and let me say, there was A LOT of it! My husband was pretty excited to eat there because of their sauces yet when our food was brought out, we realized there wasn't any sauce on our table where it would typically be. It was jam packed in there that it took us a hot minute to even get our hands on some bottles. It took so long that I went ahead and ate my pulled pork without any sauce. Now, going back to it being jam packed. We got there just before the dinner rush, thankfully. It filled up so fast and because it's a small place, there isn't really much room to wait for a table to open up. Many of the guests waiting ended up opting to place to go orders. I'm about 99% sure there was one waitress working so you can imagine how bad the service was once every single table and chair was filled. When our waitress brought our food out, she noticed my husband's cup was empty and said she'd bring him another sweet tea. He never got it. While I understand how stressful it can be, there's no excuse for poor customer service. The food was great but after that experience, if we find ourselves in the area again, we'll be trying out a different bbq restaurant. read more

Well lets see this place is quite interesting, kinda classic burger joint meet's diner set up. hard to turn and get out of driving wise but a bright yellow building that is just hard to miss. I would say a classic depiction of local cook'n. Unfortunately for me, thats kind of a buzz kill because 1 they have vinegar bbq sauces ( I cant stand, I try to but I just cant grasp why ). They do have a dessert menu which was a plus, as well as the coleslaw ( one thing I love about down here ) is they included it as a topping for a pulled pork sandwich ( just dont use the sauce and it'll give u a better appreciation for the effort they put into their meet ) was enough to make me want to keep an eye on it. but the cobbler was not crisp more so of a over cooked oatmeal texture granted not bad if you dont like crispy parts on a cobbler but just kinda gave me a " what the? " after taste.. you know those familiar feelings you get after looking at something in anticipation then eating it and it not quite living up to what you thought it would be. So enough about the food it was what it was. enough to go every now and again but not enough to stay away from or routinely go to. memorablia on the walls was comforting and funny all at the same time. read more

A buddy and I stopped in for lunch this week, and we were not disappointed! Being a connoisseur of all things pork, I naturally ordered up a full rack for us to split, with collard greens and baked beans on the side. I must say that theirs are the most heavily meat-laden spareribs I have ever encountered, and the flavor is excellent. The dry rub reminded me of boudin I've had further south. Their vinegar-based spicy barbecue sauce was an excellent counterpoint, as its acidity balanced the meat's fat content perfectly. My only critique on the ribs is that they lacked my preferred crispiness on the exterior, but the flavor more than made up for that shortcoming. The sides were also delicious. My friend really enjoyed the baked beans. The collard greens were slightly sweeter than what I'm used to, but still very tasty, especially when dressed with a dash of the aforementioned barbecue sauce. The hush puppies are also noteworthy, with just the right hint of onion flavor to keep me coming back for seconds! A great value for a delicious lunch, and I'll be sure to return next time I pass through town! read more

Actually pretty good food. I wouldn't call it the best BBQ in Raleigh. I liked the hushpuppies. Never went back (since 2007) after it took us 45 minutes to get our food and then someone (I assume the owner and/or manager) told us (not asked, not suggested) to hurry up because there were people waiting. read more

Can't speak to the food, but the service is way too slow. It shouldn't take this long for take out.

The peach cobbler is to die for and the staff are so incredibly friendly. I highly recommend.

Interesting reviews! After 15yrs in Raleigh I finally took my crew from work to eat here about 3months ago. Some of the veggies were a bit "canned" but the BBQ, hushpuppies, tea, deserts (banana pudding and apple / peach cobbler) were awesome! I took the family about 2 weeks ago and everyone loved it. We had about 40 people to the house for a party this past weekend and on a hunch I got 6lbs of BBQ and slaw / hushpuppies to go to help feed the crowd along with having the grill going. HIT! Several folks took some BBQ home with them and we're on our 3rd day of leftover sandwiches. It's a hole in the wall, very little seating and very local folks own and run it. Don't expect what it's not and you'll be happy. (oh and the fried okra is yum!). read more

Ha! Ha! Ha! My friends and I have a nickname for OTB....The Can Opener. It is a shame that this place serves bbq. Everything tastes just like it came from a can. I am not going to elaborate, but EVERYTHING tastes freshly out of a can. The bbq was edible, but it was a total bbq buzz kill. Save the money, and go somewhere else. This place is a massive rip-off. read more

Stayed in Raleigh for the first time, so I got a recommendation for the best barbecue in town. This came from a twitter shout out reply. He said best hushpuppies and good food. I am a barbecue connoseur, so that means I'm picky. This place has authentic southern cooking. Once there, I asked a fellow patron what sides were her favorite. I got a large chopped pork bbq plate, with housemade mac and cheese and green beans. Came with hushpuppies. Light, fluffy, bits of onion, cooked to perfection. Had a sweet tea, and finished off with banana pudding. I ordered large, so I could have an easy meal after the concert. The bbq sauces were house brand, vinegar based and perfection. The sides were spectacular, with the mac and cheese the best ever! If you like Lexington, vinegar based bbq, you will love this place. Charming, old school bbq joint, friendly staff and it would be a regular place to go if I lived in town. For visitors to the Raleigh area, it is a short distance from NC Museum of Art and is priced according to value. I'm giving it 5 stars. It's not fancy, but you will be happy you went there. read more

Excellent place. We travel to Raleigh NC once a year and always make a point to stop for lunch. Great service. Great food.

Great BBQ place. I had the 1/2 chicken, slaw and Mac and cheese. Good portions and food was wonderful. Parking is a little tight off a busy road . read more

Great BBQ and cole slaw sandwich as well as hush puppies...and I consider myself a definite foodie:)

I like barbecue joints that are a bit out of the way and care more about the food than the decor. This is one of the places but conveniently located. Kind of small but not too crowded when we went. The barbecue plate and sides is what I expected. Kids seemed to like their grilled cheese. My wife liked her ribs as well. Look forward to returning. read more

I went one day during lunch. food and nice portion for the price. Three stars because the portion size was great; however, I can't say I was most impressed with the actual food or the customer service. read more

Imagine your junior high lunch ladies ran a bbq joint. This would be it. This is a turn and burn diner and the staff wants to throw it down, get you out, and collect the tip. She threw down the puppies and says what do you want to drink. no welcome to, here are our specials, etc. I asked 2 quick questions about the menu and could tell the 3rd was going to piss her off. I ordered the chicken and pork combo. i made sure to ask for sides they make from scratch, i didn't want sides they just pour out of the can. settled for the mac and cheese and cabbage. both were fine. the fried chicken was fine. pork was barely ok. by far the best thing there was the vinegar hot bbq sauce and the hot sauce. both sauces were way better than the food. if you are getting your oil changed next door or are on a construction crew eating lunch, this place is great. if you are wanting a nice lunch experience with your family, dont go here. if you are a foody looking for that secret hole in the wall place that is just the bomb, this is not for you. read more

Even though I read the other reviews, I was surprised at how small this place was. It definitely has a 1960s diner atmosphere. With that said, we went at 6:30 on a Saturday night and didn't have to wait for a table. The place was full but the tables turn over quickly. We all ordered the chopped BBQ pork. It was among the best I've ever had. The sauce choices were strong but good vinegar. The baked beans were good also. Wouldn't recommend the Mac and cheese. The service was friendly and the the food was cheap. I would highly recommend. You just need to embrace the experience as it is a pretty rough looking place but that's part of the charm. read more

Great pulled pork and hush puppies!!! Leaps and bounds better than the other guys in town.

The fried chicken and barbecue was quite good. I have been here only once and not sure why I never returned back. But would like to give it another try. read more

If you want some good ol country food for cheap go here right now, food is always good.

Very poor BBQ. First, the building was way too small. The tables were too cramp. The BBQ was the worst in the area. It didn't even come out hot. It was warm at best. The BBQ was very sour and there wasn't any good sauce to put on it available. Service was ok at best. Our drinks remained emptied for quite some time. It was disgusting to watch the server eat out in the open while we were waiting for our food. I would avoid this place and go somewhere better. We will not be returning. read more

This is the best BBQ in Wake County. I really enjoy their finely chopped BBQ, and I've never had any gristle on my plate, which even the best places in Wilson, NC have gristle. Their homemade BBQ sauce really adds great flavor to their BBQ, and I've bought a few bottles to bring home to add to chicken & pork. I love their consistency! read more

The hush puppies were great; the fried apple sticks were great; the fried okra was great. But, for the meats (chicken and pulled pork), I guess we're just not fans of NC vinegar-based BBQ sauce. The service was terrific and friendly. read more

I threw the meal away. Their chicken pastry is actually a boiled soupy concoction that had very little chicken in it. naaasty but I suppose it's subjective. Very Southern stuff. Ironically though the bland mac n cheese was shelled pasta. I don't like a shelled pasta mac/cheese so again - it's a matter of taste I suppose. Maybe their BBQ is better - the Pit's sides runs circles around this place. read more

Best BBQ in town. Old school and out of the way. All the best places to eat are institutions that have been around for forever and have the lived in feel. These types of places aren't flashy but they have character which Ole Time definitely has. From the owner to the decor. It has history. Their BBQ is by far the best and they've been around much longer than the trendier BBQ places popping up lately where people are latching on to the idea of the place rather than the taste of the Q. Definitely worth a stop in and judge for yourself as you'll be pleasantly surprised. The fried chicken is also a winner. read more

hands down this is the best barbecue restaurant in the world. thats right i said it, "in the world"