This is the type of hole-in-the-wall restaurant that every connoisseur looks for in a small town. The owner has seen Culpeper transform itself from a little village to a small city offering experiences ranging from down and dirty to elegant sophistication. This is a small down-to-earth BBQ restaurant that offers great food and a fun-loving ambiance. The food has a kick, but the seasoning is so well-done even if you are sensitive to spices there is no after effect making it even more delightful. The meat on the ribs falls off the bone. The waiter, who was a sweetheart, did not understand why I asked for extra napkins. He was right to look quizzical because it was the first time I did not need several napkins to clean up. My husband had a brisket sandwich and the mashed potatoes. I had the ribs and roasted potatoes and onions. We also shared onion strings and my husband had the chili. He thought the chili topped the list. We would definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

We visited this restaurant on a Saturday night, it wasn't busy. One waitress for all the tables, and the poor girl couldn't keep up. The inside of the restaurant is full of grease smoke, literally a cloud of smoke. Waiteda over 40min for the food to arrive, no refills on the drinks. The food was good but not good enough to make it worth the wait. read more

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Pulled pork is a must! All the insides are great - live the dried okra and the collard greens. And their cornbread is the best - slightly sweet and a little salty - could eat a whole tray of these! And top it off with their banana pudding - deeeeelish. read more

Uncle Elder's Family Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Culpeper, Virginia

This is my first time here, but definitely not my last. I had their hot wings as an appetizer, and they are definitely hot, but oh so good. The brisket is done perfectly. Really juicy and it falls apart at the slightest touch. This is BBQ done right. read more

They have the most amazing Mac and cheese, and their fried potatoes are amazing. Their meats are good and worth the trip. My only hesitation with giving five stars is that the service is a little slow sometimes. read more

Love their delicious food here. Lil pricey, but always enjoy it! The employees are always very friendly & kind.

If you find yourself in Culpeper, eat here!! I could end this review with that statement, but I'm impelled to elaborate. I'm saucy like that! The pork bbq is mouthwatering delicious!! We had the North Carolina vinegar sauce which added a zesty kick to the bbq! The coleslaw was fresh, crunchy and a perfect accompaniment to the sandwich! Great fries too! But as good as the bbq is, and it's what they are famous for, to me, the star of the menu is.... THE BLT!! I'm not exaggerating when I say, "it's the best BLT I've ever had!" No kidding! Lettuce have a moment of silence in thanks! Crispy bacon and tons of it, fresh tomatoes and lettuce all on buttery toasted white bread! I want another one right now! It's my new bae-con!! I'll happily travel to Culpeper for this meal!! The prices are great and the service was exemplary! Get ready, I'm coming back for ya, bae! read more

Uncle Elder's Family Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Culpeper, Virginia

Hubby and I had 2 person BBQ combo w brisket, ribs, chicken and 3 sides. Corn, Mac n cheese and potato salad. Highly recommend!! We polished it off no need for a to go box! We'll come back for sure read more

Uncle Elder's Family Restaurant - 2 person combo - Barbeque Near Me - Culpeper, Virginia

Solid BBQ. First time visit. Friendly staff, cozy atmosphere and smells like a BBQ joint should. Shared a two meat combo, brisket pork, and baked beans and mac and cheese. Everything was good. Beans had a nice tangy zip to them. Corn bread was on the small side but I think the normal serving is three pieces. Will definitely visit again when in the area. read more

Great service. Food was all right. Mac and cheese was all cheese no mac. Bottomless Arnold Palmers were great. Brisket and ribs tasted good.

Traveling through Culpeper and after reading some of the reviews we almost did not stop here, what a mistake that would have been!!! We had the fried pickles,ribs and pulled pork platter, everything was spot on. The ribs were juicy, tender, literally falling off the bone. The bbq sauce was sweet and tangy without being overwhelming on either front. The cornbread was warm, fresh and moist, served with apple butter that was also delicious. The pulled pork was also juicy and non fatty. The portion size was very abundant and we could not clean our plates, which made us sad. Our waitress, Melody, was friendly welcoming, gave us excellent suggestions on what to order and was very attentive without Boeing obtrusive. All in all, it was an excellent meal and we wholeheartedly recommend it. read more

Uncle Elder's Family Restaurant - dining room - Barbeque Near Me - Culpeper, Virginia

i will probably dream about this place for weeks until i can come back again. great food, awesome owner, and a must try. seriously, this place needs more recognition. compliments to the staff for leaving me with a happy stomach. read more

In town for the Culpeper Carnival celebrations and after a long day of walking around we checked the carnival listings to see which restaurants were offering New Orleans style specialties for dinner. Uncle Elders offered several, including jambalaya which sounded like a fine way to round off the day. So we headed over, we had a little confusion over which doors were the actual entrance, since there are several options. Turns out it didn't really make any difference. Still, it would be nice to have the entrance clearly marked. Upon entry, we stood uncertainly for a moment or two before being acknowledged from the kitchen area and told to just "sit wherever you want". Unfortunately, there was really only one table available that would fit our party, and it was still waiting to be bussed and cleaned. Nevertheless, we took our seats and waited for the waitstaff to clear the table. While waiting, we had a look around. Uncle Elders is a small restaurant, housed in a former stable that once was a primary quartermaster and blacksmith establishment serving both confederate and union troops in turn. Decor is rustic country which fits both the location and the food. The house specialty is BBQ with all the fixings. Once the table was cleaned we placed our order. Starting with the hush puppies as an appetizer, which came out very quickly, we were all impressed with how light, tender and tasty they were. They were served with a side of apple butter for dipping, not sure why but I dunked mine in the house BBQ sauce and they were delish! For main courses, we ordered the jambalaya special, the sausage platter and the deluxe burger (which comes with pulled pork piled on top). It took a while for everything to come out, but when it did I sampled a little of everything. The jambalaya had a reasonable number of shrimp, but not much else. A few tiny shreds of chicken and a marble sized lump of sausage were the only other bites I could find. That, together with mushy gloppy rice and a lingering taste of canned tomatoes and not much else was seriously underwhelming. Definitely not the rich spicy jambalaya I was craving! The deluxe burger was enormous, I'll say that for it. The meat lacked seasoning (salt and pepper please!) the pulled pork on top was pretty dried out, it needed (and got) a drowning in BBQ sauce to make it edible. The sausage platter came with more hush puppies (yay!) plus fries and fried potatoes and onions. The sausage was decent. Nothing to write home about flavor wise. And my single bite somehow managed to have a nice big piece of gristle (definitely not my night). The potatoes and onions were greasy and needed seasoning. The fries looked and tasted frozen, and as such, were just meh. Service was friendly, if slow. Overall, just not very impressed. I don't think there's anything to bring me back. Maybe a takeout order of hush puppies. There's lots better food to be had in Culpeper. My advice, try elsewhere. read more

Passing through town, and found this place has solid reviews, so I decided to give it a try. Glad I did! Outstanding pulled pork sandwich and bbq sauce, topped off with the best balanced sweet tea I think I've ever had. If the rest of the menu is half as good as the sandwich I got, this place should be fives all day long, and twice on Sundays! Thanks for a memorable meal, and I appreciated the attention to service as well. read more

BEST BBQ I'VE EVER HAD! Simple as that. My favorite thing was the brisket. I live about an hour away from this place but I've already made the drive up here on two different occasions because their food is that good! Make sure you go on a weekday if possible, because I hear this place gets packed on the weekends and parking is kind of narrow and limited. Their service is not the greatest, but it's also not bad either. Our server was polite but we did have to call him over a couple of times whenever we needed a refill or needed anything else, but we actually kind of liked that he wasn't overly attentive because my husband and I got to fully concentrate on our food and a great conversation we were having, without being interrupted randomly, like in other restaurants where the servers are more active and constantly checking in on you. I know that might not make sense to some people, but it's almost like the service matches the relaxed vibe of the restaurant. They don't make you feel rushed and you just wanna eat slow and enjoy your meal with good company. Bottom line is, if you are thinking of trying this place and have doubts, take this as your answer from the universe telling you to just come eat here already. read more

I had made reservations for 20 people for dinner at least one month in advance. We travelled 1 hour from Bristow to try to have the best BBQ in Culpeper County. When we arrived, we were informed that all that was available was burgers. The food was good, service was fine. But when you drive 1 hour to have BBQ and get a burger that is disappointing! If you know that 20 people are coming for BBQ, you make accommodations, set aside enough BBQ for those people . Very poor planning on management's part. Will not return. read more

BBQ was off the chain good! Baked beans, Texas toast and fries with Dr Pepper in a Mason jar. Loved it! read more

I was in the mood for ribs other than dried out babybackers. I called Uncle Elders and discovered Saint Louis ribs. OH MY! Incredible! Holy Begonia! My 2 sides were potato salad and coleslaw. Excellent! Perfectly balanced with no vinegar title wave! Truly homemade like grandma used to make. The service could not be better. Our waitress was very kind, keenly attentive, and memorable! When the gentleman tried to take my dish away, I stopped him to wipe up the last drop of BBQ sauce with my finger, and he laughed and laughed. He brought me 2 to-go cups for the 3 ribs I was talking home. I will never forget this guy! He made my day! This restaurant has the perfect atmosphere. The decor is appropriate and inviting. The owner was sitting down with the rest of us conducting business on the phone quietly and on the ready for his customers in case a need arises. I may be getting my mail there in the future! This place may become your 2nd home. read more

Would give 6 stars if I could. Kind and fast service. Best BBQ I ever had in a long time. Hushpuppies are amazing. Potato salad is great and almost sweet like I prefer. Bbq nachos are good. Can't wait to go back and try all the other things I didn't have room for. read more

Ordered to go to have a picnic, this is one of the best bbq I've had! Some of other favorites are bogarts in St. Louis and Phil's in San Diego. We got the pulled pork, brisket, ribs and sausage with coleslaw, mashed potatoes, hush puppies and mashed potatoes. Everything was amazing! The coleslaw was perfectly made, the corn slightly burnt, the hush puppies fried just right, the brisket so soft, pulled pork tender, sausage with the unique taste, and the ribs had the right amount of fat making it melt in your mouth. Loved it! read more

Uncle Elder's Family Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Culpeper, Virginia

Fine for a BBQ stop on our drive from DC to Charlottesville. Only one other table was sat on a Tuesday night around 8pm. Friendly service. THE COST: $30 for 1 starter, 2 entrees, and 1 lemonade. Not bad for a dinner for two. * Free hushpuppies - 3 stars Made fresh, moist if you add the apple butter. * Pulled Pork Dinner ($8.95 for 1/3 pound lunch) - 3 stars Not bad, meat was a tad dry, but it had good flavor. * Brisket Sandwich - 3.5 stars Pretty moist! Nice sourdough bread. SIDES * Deep-Fried Okra - 3 stars Great breading, but the flavor was bland. * Fried sweet corn - 2.5 stars Not fried, basically canned corn. * Cornbread - 3 stars Very sweet, on the dense side. read more

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This restaurant was fine. The flavors with the BBQ was great. The lower star rating it primarily due to the portion size. We ordered the feast for two and it wasn't a lot of meat. I could have don't a repeat of the portions of ribs and brisket. Outside of that, it was very delicious. read more

Uncle Elder's Family Restaurant - Feast for Two - Barbeque Near Me - Culpeper, Virginia

Came here for lunch one day with my sister and husband on a road trip back to Newport News. We were all very hungry and ready for a BBQ feast. It took a while to get our food because they were short staffed but it was worth the wait. For an appetizer we all ordered side salads which we enjoyed. Then we shared the bbq platter for 3 that included pulled bbq pork, ribs, and brisket. The meat was amazing and the ribs were my favorite. With the platter you get a wide choice of sides. We ordered the mac and cheese and bbq baked beans. The mac was bomb and the beans had a special touch of diced peppers in them that gave them an added sweetness. Aside from the wait we really enjoyed our meal here and would recommend stopping here to anyone. We all left full and happy as this place has some amazing bbq! read more

We found Uncle Elder's on a search for "Restaurants nearby." I'm so glad we picked this one. Best brisket I've ever eaten.

Kind of disappointing. I wanted to like it but got a sandwich full of fat! See pics. Looks great but if I got a mouth of fat in first bite, it would have been the worse! Hubby liked the pulled pork. Pickles were average, not super good! Guess eating at home is better! Boo! read more

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Foods fantastic. Service can be spotty though. I've waited two hours before to be served. and with small children that doesn't work well.

This is a photo of the $40 tray of banana pudding that we purchased with our large dinner order. The pudding was made fresh for us. When we picked it up it was still warm and we were told it could be eaten warm or refrigerated. We decided to have it for desert this evening. This is a photo of what it looked like after being refrigerated for almost 24 hours. It's watery and has the consistency of grits. When I called I was told I could not get a refund, but I could bring it back in the next couple of days for another tray. At this point I have almost no desire to try another. Live and learn I suppose. read more

Uncle Elder's Family Restaurant - Banana Pudding?? - Barbeque Near Me - Culpeper, Virginia

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I love BBQ and Uncle Elders is by far the best around. Everything is made to order which does take a little time but well worth it! They do catering so let them cater your next event! read more

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BEST brisket I've ever had. Corn and hush puppies were EXCELLENT too. My son had the Chicken Tenders, Wife had Crab Cake Sandwich and I had Brisket, Corn and fries. All gave it two thumbs up! read more

Awesome food! Lot's of choices, excellent sauce choices, and very friendly staff! Looking for bbq not a chain try Uncle Elder's !!!

My friend and I heard Uncle Elders was very good. We drove from Fredericksburg, VA to Culpeper on a beautiful Fall day. We were greeted with very friendly staff and enjoyed our lunch very much. The rolls of the BBQ were especially good (and looked homemade). The fried onion strings were delicious. BBQ was good, too. Chocolate cake however was not homemade. read more

The food was delicious but the tables were super sticky. Our food took about an hour to come out, while everyone around us who came in after got their food first. I would go back though for the North Carolina vinegar based sauce for sure read more

I ate here when coming into town for a wedding. My husband was at the rehearsal dinner so it was just me. This was my first time eating alone at a restaurant but I have to say I felt so at home that it didn't seem lonely at all. My only complaint is that this place is so dang good and I live 2 hours way. Wah. The wait time was to be expected with home/ fresh cookin'. You can tell it is a go to place for the regulars because everyone on the patio was known by name. I will say that if you are hot natured and it's a warm day you will be really hot eating inside (small building). The hush puppies with apple butter is *chefs kiss*. I even ordered some to go so my husband could try them back at the hotel that night. The bbq melts in your mouth. Like literally...I don't remember having to chew it. I cannot wait to be back in town and bring my husband here. YALL MUST TRY IT! read more

Met friends for lunch this afternoon at Uncle Elder's in Culpeper. First time visit for party of five. A bit nervous since I choice the restaurant. I scored on my choice! Food was sooo good. The appetizer platter was perfect for sharing and quickly disappeared. Service was terrific & not pushy. The entrees and salads were all excellent. I ordered dinner to take home, since we relaxed and enjoyed our afternoon. Although not a large establishment, we were very comfortable and look forward to future visits. Reasonably priced and ample portions. Parking is next to their building, on the street & lot across the street. read more

My first visit here was with my Parents & Son. None of our food came out at the same time and my sons grilled cheese was the last thing to come out. Two of our meals were incorrect and had to be remade. My second visit here was for my Birthday dinner with my Husband and other Son. Again.. my food came out first then my Sons food after being dropped & had to be remade and then after another 10 mins before my Husbands food came out. It wasn't until my Sons food came out did they even ask my Husband how he wanted his food cooked. The food was good my 1st visit but not so much the second visit. read more

Almost TWO HOURS LATER and our order is still NOT correct. Food is great, wait for the food was definitely NOT.

After reviewing the menu, I was getting very excited by the BBQ food and the low prices! Some pages of the menu are in the pics below. I have broken down my review into different categories because the overall experience was not the best due to poor service, but I understand it could have been an off day as the food was good. If we hadn't been sitting in the heat for an hour waiting for our food, we probably would have enjoyed the food more! Food: 3.5 stars Service: 1 star Atmosphere: 2 stars The service/atmosphere We arrived at 12:30pm on a Saturday, therefore all the seats inside were taken (there aren't many) and the waitress suggested that we sit on the porch because it would be cooler outside- even though it was around 90 degrees. The seating for 4 people was quite smushed, and the tables are better suited for a group of 4 with 2 adults and 2 small kids. The waitress took our drink order, we got water and the sweet tea, and then 7 minutes later only came back with the waters. We ordered our food and our sweet teas didn't come out until 30 mins after we sat down. About 15 minutes after that she came out with free hush puppies "while we wait", which I wasn't sure if that is something they normally do, or if that was her way of saying "sorry, your food is taking forever...but I'm just not saying that". She was very nice about refilling our drinks and came over multiple times. After about an hour in the heat we finally got our food, which all came out at different times. At this point, everyone had left the restaurant and there were only 2 tables occupied. We were wondering, maybe there was only 1 cook? The food The free hush puppies were very tasty and came with delicious apple butter. If you come here, you should try this! I was very excited for the pulled pork sandwich with 2 sides - fried sweet corn and potatoes with onions (~$8). There was hardly any pulled pork, when normally sandwiches give you so much it can't even fit in the bun! This was a big let down after the long wait, but it was good pulled pork. The fried sweet corn was very good and sweet! The potatoes and fried onions were OK, after sitting outside for over an hour in the heat I was just too hot to eat them. My friend's baked beans weren't fully cooked through, so he put those to the side. I would come back to give it another try. read more

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Really great food. Servers are very personable and want to make sure you have a great experience All in all a great hometown experience. Their brisket is gggggrrrrrreeeeeaaaaattttt!!!!! Never been disappointed. read more

Fantastic dinner! We had the fried pickles and fried onion straws as an appetizer, they came to the table hot and delicious. We had fried catfish, brisket and ribs for dinner, and the main dishes were tasty and the sides were home style and fresh. Our server was attentive and friendly, thank you so much Brandon, we appreciate it. read more

Uncle elders catered my wedding 3 years ago and we continue to go there as regular customers to this day. The food is over the top fantastic and the best bbq I've ever had. The Mac and cheese is to die for and my all time favorite....the hush puppies....amazing. The owner is amazing and one if the nicest individuals you'll ever meet. If you haven't tried out this local gem please do. You will not be disappointed. Top notch! read more