Always come here when I’m in town from Michigan. Love the unique side dishes and the meat is amazing! Beer prices are great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Robert Martinez
Excelent food and service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nick Armetta
Picnic is one of the best barbecue joints in the entire RDU area. The food is always great and the staff is wonderful. There’s a very comfortable and authentic atmosphere as well that makes dining in quite enjoyable
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hush Puppies
Michael Schulz
Pork ribs were dry and chewy. Clearly not smoked long enough and at the wrong temperature. Brisket was OK but again, nothing very special. At least not dry nor chewy. Pitmaster needs to come down to Texas to learn proper BBQ.
Overall, a very expensive disappointment.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
T C
Really wasn't impressed with the food. Food was plain and the pork was very dry. Nothing tasted fresh and everything seems highly processed. The staff was very friendly but I wouldn't recommend the food. There are better BBQ places around.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 4
Justin Miller
I went in not knowing what to expect, and was very impressed with the establishment. The food was amazing, the cooks did an excellent job, the drink selection was great, and I was very impressed with our service, thank you to our server Peter for an exceptional experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Avery
Peter gave us amazing service! Food and drinks were great. Thanks Peter!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kathleen Kenny
Had the fried chicken and it was better than Publix.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hush Puppies, Macaroni and Cheese
Becky Blev
Great place, great staff
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Samantha Stoltz
The staff was wonderful and the whole place is a “vibe”. We loved the sides and deserts and our favorite main was the shrimp po-boy! There seems to be a complete lack of seasoning for the fried foods and even their BBQ. We wanted to love it because of the atmosphere but overall it was very middle of the road. We would for sure go back, but probably only if we’re looking for a vegetable plate or Shrimp Po-Boy.
Had a hankering for some barbecue. I'm from out of town and landed here. Got the pork/brisket combo plate. Good sized servings, even the sides. Hit the spot. Excellent selection of beers, draft and cans.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Verna Klamerus
Everything you want from a BBQ joint and more. The pulled pork and sauce were as good as I've had, but... the fried oysters with Old Bay aioli & the smoked blackberry margarita were amazing! More like what you'd get from a boutique high-scale restaurant. Also, honorable mention- my husband's favorites were the collards, brisket, and banana pudding. Loved the outdoor seating option, although it was so cute inside, we were tempted to stay in. Went at (early) dinner time on Sunday and was shocked it wasn't packed. This is obviously a hidden gem in Durham.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zach Steele
Driving back to MD had to give NC BBQ a second try (and hopefully not get sick this time). Heard great things about this place across the internet, so decided to stop by. It’s definitely a bit out of the way, but I can tell you it’s 100% worth it.
Beautiful outdoor and picnic area when you park, and you walk in to this old school type of bar/restaurant. Tons of nostalgic items displayed across the walls and behind the bar, as well as a huge black board with specials and drinks which makes ordering easy.
I grabbed a local Rice Lager by Funguys Brewing, that sadly was oxidized. Not the bar’s fault though, but was really disappointed about that. Went classic and got a BBQ sandwich and fries, which came with coleslaw and hush puppies. Now the fries and hush puppies were perfectly cooked. Crispy with a good crunch, but then soft in the middle.
When it comes to the sandwich — I guess I just don’t get NC BBQ. Medium sized sandwich on a potato roll with a bunch of dry, mildly seasoned meat. I dumped 1/8th of a bottle of Pig Whistle BBQ Sauce (only thing available) and it really didn’t add much except for the taste of vinegar. Threw the coleslaw on there too, and still just didn’t blend right. Now overall, everything tasted good, it’s just not my cup of tea.
The service was absolutely amazing and the rest of the menu looks phenomenal so I’ll definitely be giving it a second try when I’m back down next week!
Always come here when I’m in town from Michigan. Love the unique side dishes and the meat is amazing! Beer prices are great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excelent food and service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Picnic is one of the best barbecue joints in the entire RDU area. The food is always great and the staff is wonderful. There’s a very comfortable and authentic atmosphere as well that makes dining in quite enjoyable
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hush Puppies
Pork ribs were dry and chewy. Clearly not smoked long enough and at the wrong temperature. Brisket was OK but again, nothing very special. At least not dry nor chewy. Pitmaster needs to come down to Texas to learn proper BBQ.
Overall, a very expensive disappointment.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Really wasn't impressed with the food. Food was plain and the pork was very dry. Nothing tasted fresh and everything seems highly processed. The staff was very friendly but I wouldn't recommend the food. There are better BBQ places around.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 4
I went in not knowing what to expect, and was very impressed with the establishment. The food was amazing, the cooks did an excellent job, the drink selection was great, and I was very impressed with our service, thank you to our server Peter for an exceptional experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Peter gave us amazing service! Food and drinks were great. Thanks Peter!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had the fried chicken and it was better than Publix.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hush Puppies, Macaroni and Cheese
Great place, great staff
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The staff was wonderful and the whole place is a “vibe”. We loved the sides and deserts and our favorite main was the shrimp po-boy! There seems to be a complete lack of seasoning for the fried foods and even their BBQ. We wanted to love it because of the atmosphere but overall it was very middle of the road. We would for sure go back, but probably only if we’re looking for a vegetable plate or Shrimp Po-Boy.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
The baked beans were outstanding!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Great food and service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had a hankering for some barbecue. I'm from out of town and landed here. Got the pork/brisket combo plate. Good sized servings, even the sides. Hit the spot. Excellent selection of beers, draft and cans.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Everything you want from a BBQ joint and more. The pulled pork and sauce were as good as I've had, but... the fried oysters with Old Bay aioli & the smoked blackberry margarita were amazing! More like what you'd get from a boutique high-scale restaurant. Also, honorable mention- my husband's favorites were the collards, brisket, and banana pudding. Loved the outdoor seating option, although it was so cute inside, we were tempted to stay in. Went at (early) dinner time on Sunday and was shocked it wasn't packed. This is obviously a hidden gem in Durham.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Driving back to MD had to give NC BBQ a second try (and hopefully not get sick this time). Heard great things about this place across the internet, so decided to stop by. It’s definitely a bit out of the way, but I can tell you it’s 100% worth it.
Beautiful outdoor and picnic area when you park, and you walk in to this old school type of bar/restaurant. Tons of nostalgic items displayed across the walls and behind the bar, as well as a huge black board with specials and drinks which makes ordering easy.
I grabbed a local Rice Lager by Funguys Brewing, that sadly was oxidized. Not the bar’s fault though, but was really disappointed about that. Went classic and got a BBQ sandwich and fries, which came with coleslaw and hush puppies. Now the fries and hush puppies were perfectly cooked. Crispy with a good crunch, but then soft in the middle.
When it comes to the sandwich — I guess I just don’t get NC BBQ. Medium sized sandwich on a potato roll with a bunch of dry, mildly seasoned meat. I dumped 1/8th of a bottle of Pig Whistle BBQ Sauce (only thing available) and it really didn’t add much except for the taste of vinegar. Threw the coleslaw on there too, and still just didn’t blend right. Now overall, everything tasted good, it’s just not my cup of tea.
The service was absolutely amazing and the rest of the menu looks phenomenal so I’ll definitely be giving it a second try when I’m back down next week!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
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