Came here for the pork barbecue, which is identified as Smoked Pork Butt - hum, a hint, perhaps The aforementioned Smoked Pork Butt is shredded, not chopped - falling into the definition of pulled pork, or in this case - pulled Smoked Pork Butt. It comes out of the kitchen very lightly sauced, close to dry, and with out the pork barbecue taste that I favor. There is a hint of smokiness, which I guess comes from a combination of hickory and mesquite wood that is used here. The vinegar based sauce helped some, but to me this is just ordinary pork barbecue, and is not a version I would seek out again. Sandwich, with 3 or 4 hush puppies and a side, goes for $5.95 The slaw was more like a salad than the slaw normally associated with pork barbecue, at least in North Carolina - a touch sweet, not to my liking. The fries here might be quite good, but my order was under done. The hush puppies were nice. The brisket was very good, but the plate is a little pricey at $10.95 - regular brisket plate at Smokey's BBQ Shack in Morrisville is $8.89 with hush puppies and 2 sides. Ribs were also just ok. Botom line, nothing really special here, at least not for my taste. It seems that most barbecue joints that offer multiple smoked meat choices rarely offer a good chopped pork product. read more

The Original Q Shack - Q-Shack BBQ Pork Sandwich - big but not much taste. - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

My friend and I ate here this past weekend while we were visiting Duke. My friend got the pork ribs which she really liked; she said they were very tender. I got the bbq beef and it was super yummy too. We both loved the hushpuppies that came with our meals. For sides we got the fries, coleslaw, and creamed spinach and all were pretty standard. There was also a mini-band playing music in the corner and it seemed like a lot of the locals like to chill here. Overall, I liked the food and chill atmosphere. read more

The Original Q Shack - BBQ beef brisket and pork ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I forgot to add there are no black employees I went a second time to see if I missed any but No I Didn't. My thing is I will not eat where I cannot get hired No I don't need a job I have a excellent one but I will never ever step foot in this place again a BBQ place in Durham with not 1 black employee read more

Dear Q Shack, I have been dreaming about your BBQ since I moved away from Durham four years ago, and upon my return, you were the first restaurant I visited. I went all out and got the two meat combo platter and had no regrets. I sent pics to my dad in Chicago and he said he wished he could eat you again too. I love that hush puppies don't count as a side and come free with every meal. I love your sliced brisket, pulled pork, and jalapeno deviled eggs. I usually pick collards and green beans as my two sides, but sometimes, I don't even get meat and just order that five sides meal. I feel like I'm forgetting something, but I love you. Also, the prices are reasonable and the portions are pretty generous. That is all. read more

I can't describe how much I love this place!! The ribs are my favorite on the menu. They literally fall off the bone. There is also great brisket, turkey, wings, and plenty more. Lots of sides to choose from also but my personal favorite is the mac and cheese! Great outdoor seating for a group of people. The people behind the counter are super quick and get you in and out of line!! read more

Coming from Texas I know BBQ and this place has it right. Great Brisket and the sauce was spot on.... If I am ever back in the area I will definitely hit this place up again read more

QShack has been on my list to try forever and I finally came here at 5PM because we wanted to beat the crowd. We found a table inside after we ordered. Your food is handed to you as you're checking out at the cashier, so I appreciated how fast the food is prepared. The line started growing exponentially round 5:45. I ordered 1/2 a rack of ribs ($13.95), which was more than enough food for me! It came with 2 sides; I chose salad and the baked beans. The salad was a nice refreshing addition to all the meat and comes with ranch or blue cheese dressing. My husband ordered the pulled pork butt plate which comes with hush puppies and 2 sides (sandwiches come with just 1 side): potato salad and mac and cheese. The mac and cheese was good, but not piping hot or as cheesy/creamy as I would have liked. Baked beans--flavored with bacon, not too saucy or salty, and yummy with the ribs. My favorite side was actually the salad. I accidentally inhaled almost all of the salad before my husband asked if he could try some....oops. I LOVED my ribs. They were tender, well-seasoned, not overly dried out, and oh my goodness, I actually really enjoyed the fat in between the meat. I try to avoid eating rib fat because, well, it's not good for my arteries, but I could NOT help myself from eating all the bits of tender melting savory fat on the ribs. There were 3 sauces on the table and I chose the sweeter/thicker kind because I'm used to St. Louis-style ribs (sweeter than NC BBQ), which still had a nice note of vinegar-y flavor too. Pulled pork butt---I usually find pulled pork too dry for me but QShack did a great job of making it moist! I can see why people love QShack so much. Awesome ribs and pulled pork, for a decent price, in a huge portion. Yum! read more

AMAZING FOOD! The sweet potato tots are my favorite- definitely worth trying. The service is friendly and the atmosphere is chill. I enjoyed it read more

The Original Q Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Had dinner here with friends April 10th! The wait was reasonable, the food was exceptional except for the baked beans which had a strange taste. I move the aside and throughly enjoy the rest of my meal! read more

Best sides potato salad creamed spinach yam tots. Brisket can be fatty sometimes great Turkey sandwich and ribs

The original q Shack- Durham NC Guess what foodies I never like any fried okra before but this one has won my heart. I ate them like there's no tomorrow! Yeees!!! No slime whatsoever maybe the way how they cook it! I don't care as long as I don't taste any slime. I love their smoked chicken and Mac and cheese! If I'm in the area again I will just get 3 orders of fried okra, smoked chicken and I forgot to order my cobblers!!! I love their special pimento cheese corn def must get that if you are in the area. Decent bbq!!! read more

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Not too sure what all the hype is about. Seemed to be just another BBQ place with similar prices and only a few good items. But maybe they're inconsistent? First off, if the Q Shack wanted more patrons, they would fix the parking situation. The parking lot was pretty difficult to park in, especially since I have a larger car. Back out a little bit, and there's another car parked right there. I also noticed they have a sign that says some of their customers who are parking across the street are getting towed. We thought it was super cute that the pig on the Q Shack sign has his butt facing the street and head facing in, haha! Q Shack has both outdoor and indoor seating, which is pretty necessary. They have relatively large picnic tables, even though we came on a weekday so it was all just groups of 2-3 from work each sitting at a large table. Some people seemed to have issues finding places to sit. Anyway, you line up and walk up to the counter, where they cut your food pretty quickly. This was very convenient since we were in a rush. I do wish the kitchen staff were a little happier and/or made eye contact. This is a Southern BBQ joint after all! I wish I had tried the pork butt like all these other reviewers are talking about since most things I had weren't that memorable. Hush puppies and fries were definitely my favorites here. My boyfriend said last time the ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender, but I tried some and they were just meh, not that much meat, no sauce, and definitely clinging to the bone. My green beans were extremely salty. The prices are all right, but you can do better. At least the portions are pretty large! read more

The Original Q Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I have passed the Original Q Shack many times but never gone in. To me, it seems like a Durham institution. Recently, I finally got my chance to pay this restaurant a visit. I arrived around 4pm on a Saturday. Parking was plentiful so I parked on the side, right out front. I walked through the back entrance to the Shack which meant I walked past the outdoor seating area. There were lots of picnic tables arranged under an overhang. If I were the type of person who likes to eat outside, it would have been a nice spot for it, roomy and shady, protected from the elements, unless it's raining sideways. As soon as I walked in, I saw the cafeteria-style layout of the restaurant. Ordering was up front. Much like Chipotle, you order at the start of the line, then follow the counter down the cashier, while the friendly workers behind the counter fill up the plate the way that you want. There's a fountain drink station and plenty of seating inside. Most of the seating are large booths, with a few smaller tables. The menu is above the food counter, laying out all of your different options. There's also a menu board next to the back entrance where they list their family style and tailgating options. I walked to the start of the line and studied the menu board before I decided to order the two meat combo. The service was smooth and the servers behind the counter were really nice. Once you order, everything starts pretty quickly. The meat man arranged the meat on a tin tray which really does look like an old-school lunch lady type of deal. Then I moved down to sides. The portions were generous, arranged in paper gravy boat style plates. They also gave me a large fistful of hushpuppies. I was like, wow, that's a lot. They offered me onions and something else but I declined. My food was ready once I paid. Now that's what I call service. Who wants to wait? I am not a barbecue connoisseur by any means. I ordered the ribs, brisket, mac & cheese and greens. Since I got the two meat combo, I only received two ribs. The barbecue sauce was good and the ribs were pretty meaty. I wanted to taste more of the chile rub on the brisket but they weren't bad. The mac & cheesy was the smoky, cheesy kind, with big noodles. The greens were REALLY good. They were juicy and that meat hardiness to go with them and also, they would surprise me with these bursts of heat. I loved them, I'm definitely getting greens every time. The sweet tea was also excellent. I'm very picky about my sweet tea. It can be so hit and miss at restaurants. Namely, they call it sweet tea but it's not sweet. This was a very southern sweet tea and the drink was only about a dollar. Sitting inside the restaurant, everyone was chill. A couple of people ordered beers to enjoy with their meal. It was a nice atmosphere. I can see while people really like this place. I would stop by again, if I were in the neighborhood. But I did not find the food outstanding. I would say it's on par with City Barbecue. read more

The Original Q Shack - Two Two Meat Combo Plate with ribs, brisket, green & Mac n Mac & Cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I've been eating here for a decade. Q Shack is consistently very good BBQ - some in my office would say it is the best in Durham, but I wouldn't go quite that far. The brisket is the play here. The pork sandwich is very good, but they excel at the brisket. The daily specials can fun as well - catfish Friday is a favorite. The sides are solid but not spectacular. I'm partial to the potato salad and mac & cheese. They've got a really versatile seating area. You can bring a pretty big group and probably find a spot or if there are only a couple of you, they've got a spot for you, too. Parking - well, that might be a different story if you go at a busy time. The people are great, the food is always really good. You're not going to go wrong here. read more

You mention BBQ, I'm there lol. I travel for work throughout the South and Southwest. I have visited some of the best rated BBQ in these regions of the country. The Original Q Shack was good. I ordered the BBQ sandwich and the two meat comb plate. BBQ was good. Ribs, St Louis style were flavorful with good smoke penetration/ring. Brisket was very tender. I thought it needed a little more seasoning but that's a matter of preference and taste. Potatoe salad was surprisingly good. The Cole Slaw worked well with all the meats. Spicy Pinto Beans packed a lot of flavor. I'm looking forward to returning and trying the wings. Good reviews on those and the description and preparation sound amazing. I need separate trip just for the wings. I'll be back! You should visit as well. Highly recommended read more

The Original Q Shack - 2 meat combo - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I have been to Q Shack more times than I count, and I'm always happy with the food. I typically go for the sliced brisket, though I've also ordered the pork and the sausages several times. All of it has been delicious, but the one thing I think their brisket lacks is that distinctive smokiness. Don't get me wrong, the meat is tender and I enjoy it, I just wish it had a bit more flavor. I think the pulled pork is good, but again not the most flavorful on it's own. I happen to really like their BBQ sauces, so that's a plus. The sides are pretty yummy. I actually haven't tried the mac and cheese (which surprises me!), but the fried okra and spinach with pepper jack cheese are my favorites and those are both very flavorful. I wish that they had a few more vegetable sides that were on the lighter side, as the meal often feels really heavy. I've enjoyed their salad on days when I need something a bit more veggie-forward. Overall, I think Q Shack is really solid. It's not my favorite BBQ place in the Triangle, but it's up there. read more

Been coming here for years. Love the sliced brisket and the okra. Highly recommended.

I keep coming back to this place because their food is delicious. They have specials for each day and their servings are quite big. When I come here, I get a plate with 2 sides, toast, and a soda. I can't finish the plate so I end up taking it home, which makes another great meal. If you do get a plate and sides, you might end up sharing. Their sides are delicious and there's a bunch to choose from: potato salad, spinach, collard greens, mac n' cheese, fries, corn, and so many other ones. There is indoor and outdoor seating. I have never had problems finding a table. Parking can get a little tight and I sometimes have to drive a couple of times before I can find a space. I enjoy coming to this place and highly recommend it. read more

The Original Q Shack - Crispy fries. - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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This place is the best around for BBQ. Pull pork, brisket outstanding you will not be disappointed. Mac and cheese is made to perfection. Hush puppies, sweet potato tater tots very good a must try. They give you a lot of food. They have inside and outside dinning. Very clean and staff is friendly. They are very busy but keep the lines moving quickly. The parking gets a little crazy with how busy they are this place is worth it! You will not be disappointed. read more

The Original Q Shack - Brisket, pulled pork, sweet potato tater tots, hush puppies, fries and Mac and cheese. - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I can't say this place is good or bad, just eh. We tried the three meat plate and three sides. Double brisket and pulled pork with fried okra, potato salad, and baked beans. The brisket was ok with good bark however, the pulled pork didn't have a flavor at all. The batter on the fried okra reminded me of the batter fried cheese sticks, so definitely frozen. The potato salad consisted of big chunks of potatoes and mayo, not a lot of egg or pickles. The baked beans are tomato based with chunks of tomatoes not a lot of flavor here either. I was hoping for some good Carolina BBQ. read more

Stopped here for lunch on the way out of NC for New Orleans. I got the brisket sandwich which was very good, they sides here were just ok. BBQ in NC seems to be better in the eastern part of the state. I found this spot to be very mediocre in comparison. read more

I absolutely love a good rib. I especially love them cooked and seasoned so well they don't require the use of sauce. So last year I checked out this place and found just what I was seeking. I forgot to do a review so I went back a couple days ago and had the same good experience. They have an ordering line set up where you pick out your meat of choice then add-on sides as you move towards the register. It's a pretty fast moving process and by the time you reach the end to pay, your food is either bagged and ready to go or plated on a tray for you to choose an indoor or outdoor seat and dine in. They don't just have ribs, they seem to have everything from smoked turkey to chile rubber beef brisket and from the looks of everyone's plates, it all looked great. On to my order...I got the regular rib plate that comes with two sides and hush puppies. My two sides were baked beans and fries and I added a side of collard greens. The ribs were delicious. Although I tried the sauce, which I didn't care for as it was too thin/liquid-like for my taste, it wasn't at all necessary. There were 6 bones and they had great flavor. The fries were tossed in a cajun rub but were just ok. I didn't really care for the baked.beans as they had an overwhelming vinegar taste. However the greens were good and the hush puppies were seasoned so well I almost wished I had more. There was enough food for 2-3 people so I was able to eat more than one meal. So for a little under $20 for everything, it was more than worth it. read more

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I've eaten here for many years and it's one of my favorite bbq & brisket places. I love the spud loaded with brisket. Yum

I had high hopes for my visit to the Q Shack after reading positive things online and my hopes were seemingly confirmed by the long line once I arrived. After getting up to the counter, I ordered a decent amount of food for average to high price (in my opinion). This location was in some random shopping center, but the prices were about the same as a downtown white tablecloth barbecue restaurant like The Pit where I assume rent is higher (but I could be wrong). After ordering at the counter, I went to get a few sauces that they have available to try. There were several options including the basics (mild, hot, sweet, South Carolina, etc.) and things like blackberry-infused BBQ sauce. The sauces were fine, but nothing you'd break in to steal the recipe for. My biggest memory of the sauces were how sticky and gross the bottles and sauce area were. I know it is customers making the mess, but the restaurant should sent someone to clean the more often. Sadly, the food was an equally lackluster experience. The brisket was obscenely dry. The ribs were overcooked, but not as bad. Not very meaty though. The sides were rather disappointing even and even my date, who isn't a picky eater, left feeling disappointed. Collards and fried okra were the best. The Mac & cheese was the worst. Hush puppies weren't great. We grabbed a snack on the way home after. The idea seemed great and the menu sounded tasty, but the execution was off and the overcooked meat was downright disappointing. I won't be rushing back, but hope they can get it back on track to try again sometime. read more

The Original Q Shack - Brisket and rib Two Meat Combo. Fried Okra. Mac & Cheese. Collard Greens. - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Best BBQ I have ever had!! Definitely recommend stopping at Q Shack for a quick bite to eat. Pricing is great compared to other BBQ restaurants in the area. read more

I was looking for a place for lunch and I figured I would try this place. It was around 12 and I figured it may get busy for lunch. There was a small line before I ordered. I decided to get sausage and the brisket along with three sides, collards; Mac and cheese; baked beans along with hushpuppies. I have to be honest the brisket was good but a little fatty. The Mac and cheese was just meh. Collard greens were hot and your basic greens. The sausage was tasted like Bob Evans kielbasa. The baked beans were not that good. I even tried to mix some brisket with it and I was still disappointed. I plan to try another establishment tomorrow. This place is just meh bbq read more

The Original Q Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Check your receipt!!! We were charged for two meals which we didn't order. When we went to the counter we were told that the manager would have to take care of it and was in the bathroom. When he came out he was very rude and accusatory pointing out that we had 5 meals on the table not the four that I told him we ordered. One person at our table had paid separately. I told him that and he continued to treat us disrespectfully and never apologized for their $30 error!! An overall experience that made me quickly lose my appetite could have been handled appropriately by a manager that practiced good customer service skills. What a disappointment since the food is good and my previous experiences have been mostly positive (4 or 5 star). Tonight was a one star because his rudeness is unacceptable! read more

I was craving BBQ so Mom and I came by for dinner. I got the rib plate (regular size) and she got the bbq pork sandwich. I got it to go, knowing the portions would be larger than I can eat at one meal. I later found out they have to go containers by their soda fountain for those who need to pack some of their food to go after a meal. Nice! Sat down to eat and I had to take a photo of mom's because this is the BEST way to serve a to go sandwich I have seen- bun on top, separated by foil, so that your sandwich isn't already a soggy mess when you get to where you're going. A half pound portion of ribs was 5 bones- a solid portion for sure. They're St. Louis cut, which I prefer- bonus meat on the end! Mom got the green beans and coleslaw (with the sandwich) as her sides, I got the BBQ beans and creamed spinach, and we both got hush puppies. Couldn't complain about any of the sides in the slightest! I'd recommend the creamed spinach for sure! The beans had some kick to them which I liked. The rub on the ribs (or maybe sauce? Or both?) did as well, but paired with some sweet tea it wasn't like it was too much to handle or anything. We got cobbler to go- blackberry and peach were the selections of the day, and we got one of each. Writing this review after eating some of both. Don't skip on the desserts! They're delicious too! This feast all in cost us about $35, and provided me with lunch leftovers for a few days to come, so I'd say it was money WELL spent. I love me some NC style BBQ, and this skews more towards Texas with their menu and cuts, but dang, it was delicious! We'll be back! read more

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was visiting Duke for a basketball game and needed to get dinner after the game and found this place. this was some really good southern BBQ you won't be disappointed! you get what you pay for and that is good food and healthy portion size. My husband and I split the three meat combo and we had leftover! read more

The Original Q Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Best BBQ I have ever had! Chose the chopped brisket, Mac n cheese , creamed spinach and hush puppies. Seriously yummy. I will be back!

Love the Beef Brisket here! The atmosphere is great! Chicken is my FAVORITE food. But I don't eat the chicken here! It's too pink for me, and when I asked for it to be well done, it's inedible. Potatoes are good! Staff is nice read more

I've been told this is the best bbq in town. The ambiance was great and service was on point. The meat was 100% best I've had in town. The beans and Mac and cheese were disappointing but I'll try other sides next time I'm hopes. I'd definitely recommend and plan to return. read more

The original Q shack was pretty good bbq. Nice little place with great staff and reasonable prices. I got the 2 meat platter with 2 sides. I had the smoked turkey and jalapeño sausage as my meats. They had good smokey flavor but were on the dry side for my liking. The sides i had were the collard greens and stewed string beans. The sides were incredible. Collards were delicious and the string beans were out of this world! Probably my favorite part of the dish. The plate also came with texas toast, which didn't even seem buttered like the texas toast im used to, also came with these amazing hush puppies. Probably some of the best ive ever tasted! All in all this place was good and I would return to try some different meats. read more

The Original Q Shack - Smoked Turkey, smoked sausage, Collard Greens, Stewed Green Beans - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Q Shack was great! Their pulled pork is great. I wouldn't say Q Shack is the best NC BBQ in Durham, but it is the best all around BBQ in the area. They have great rib and brisket options. Q Shack does takeout very well, with hefty portions and plenty of options. Their hush puppies are also very good. It's hard to get hush puppies right and they do theirs well. Perfectly fluffy. Their mac and cheese is also some of the best I have ever had. read more

This place was meh. I was excited to try it because I love BBQ - especially ribs - but this is really mediocre. The ribs were pretty dry (I have had ribs that fall off of the bone & these definitely do not). I enjoyed the sauce and it was a good portion but they're overcooked. The brisket was also really dry, including the pieces that were less dry. The dryness of them meat really took away from it. We got a plate of sides & the fried okra were good but the collards & mac n cheese weren't great. I don't think I'd return here for BBQ. Also, it seemed overpriced for the quality. read more

The Original Q Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We were looking for a authentic bbq place in Durham and came across this gem. The bbq was good, sides were great and atmosphere was warm and welcoming. The ribs and sausage were cooked perfect and all the sides tasted great, my only complaint was the bbq sauce was only okay. The sauce lacked flavor. Loved everything else though. read more

The Original Q Shack - Ribs with Mac and cheese and okra. - Barbeque Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Visiting RTP for work; a friend recommended this place; had the two meat plate (sliced brisket and ribs) with sweet potato tots and slaw. Brisket was good, but not anything to write home about, in my opinion, but Northwest Arkansas has a gem in Wright's BBQ (srs, visit if you're in NWA). The ribs were great - big and meaty and very good. Sides and hush puppies were great; as someone noted before, the hush puppies were gently salted, which I actually really liked and thought it elevated their flavor and made them a great addition to the plate. Solid bbq! Don't be deterred by the tiny parking lot; I parked up the street and it was well worth the block walk. The counter ordering is quick and efficient, and there was plenty of inside seating on a nice Saturday at 6:30pm Next time I'm around I'll definitely get the bbq salad; they look like they know how to put a good one together! read more

I had Q Shack cater an event that I planned for approximately 40 people, and they made it really easy! For a small fee they delivered to the event location, and then set up all the food along with serving utensils, plates, cups, and even ice for the drinks. I ordered "Option A," so it included chopped pork BBQ and three sides, plus sweet tea, hush puppies, and Texas toast. For the sides I ordered mac and cheese, bbq beans, cole slaw, and I added on the side salad. I knew there would be vegetarians at the event, so I specifically picked the sides that were vegetarian. I was concerned about running out of food, but I had way more than enough! They sent two trays of the pork and side salad (everything else was just one) and we didn't touch the second tray for either. Based on the leftovers, I'd say the mac and cheese and the coleslaw were the most popular sides. The only thing that wasn't really touched was the Texas toast. They were able to accommodate the catering order on just a few days notice. If you want delivery though it's helpful to do it in advance since they only have one van and times may be limited on short notice. read more

You know by the crowd. It's always pretty busy here. They have something for everyone. Even the veggies. Pulled pork was delicious. Okra and green beans so good. Friendly, efficient staff. Go early because they do run out on busy days! read more

Brisket is very good & the item to order! The macaroni & cheese is good too! There Bbq is on the other hand horrible to say the least. Prices have gone up to $20 bucks for lunch. read more