Alston Bridges Barbecue

It was OK. Won't make a special trip back out there. Waitresses were nice enough. Beans tasted canned. BBQ was good but not crazy about their sauce. I'm sure people like that kind of sauce but I'm not into overly vinegar like sauce.

Hush puppies are some of the best you’ll find. The slaw is outstanding. The BBQ itself is flavorful but dry without the sauce. The baked beans are a little too sweet for me but that’s just my preference. The service is top notch.

We ate here today. We decided to eat here based on it's high rating. Unfortunately, the food did not live up to expectations. The restaurant is clean, and the staff is nice. Everyone in our group thought the hushpuppies were good. The ribs had no flavor, the baked beans had an odd flavor, and the "barbecue" sauces were mainly vinegar.... I like a vinegar barbecue sauce, but this had the consistency of water, and very little flavor. They garnished the plates with pickles on top of all of the food....this is neither good, nor bad.....it just seemed odd. I would not return.

Hush puppies were awesome. The red slaw was the worst I have ever eaten. Sliced pork was ok but nothing special.

As classic and family owned as you can get. A true southern classic and a piece of NC bbq history. Delicious pork and bbq slaw and amazing service and atmosphere

Food was average. For the price we paid, I expected our food to at least be served on real plates. I ordered a coffee and never got a refill. This restaurant kind of reminds me of a school kitchen, They cook everything in huge batches and slap it on a paper plate. The highlight of our meal was the baked beans, those were at least good.

The food was mediocre at best. The rest on their laurels like every other barbecue place in Shelby. I won't be returning anytime in the future.

This is great barbecue! The staff is very friendly, and they are quite efficient. The barbecue is traditional Western NC style, the hush puppies are very good and the Cole Slaw is good. Apparently they do not offer Red Slaw, but who cares. Oh the barbecue is garnished with 2 dill pickle slices, a nice touch. Seating is cozy in comfortable booths and tables with chairs. I recommend this place.

Some of the best barbecue, you will ever put in your mouth! If you're ever in Shelby, North Carolina, do yourself a favor and get you some barbecue from Alston Bridges. Really great hush puppies too!!!

This place is great--a solid 4.5/5! I hate vinegar-based bbq sauce, but this place offers an acceptable substitute with a sweeter and darker vinegar-based sauce that I actually really love! They also offer the option for "brown" bbq that has more of the ends of the butt and thus more crispy, burnt ends skin of the Boston butt for the same price. This is the sort of place that the locals certainly know. It had a bar where the lawyers and other professionals in town come to eat--and be seen, and for good reason! This place makes me appreciate Shelby as a N.C. destination. There is a discounted price for paying in cash and an escalated price for paying with a card. The only thing that kept me from giving this place a 5-star review is that the cups are very small and the waitresses refill them with the greatest of discretion. However, they do have nugget ice and Coke products! The sauces, both the traditional vinegar-based and the slightly sweeter and slightly thicker vinegar-based sauces are all served in individual cups that have been heated to a nice warm temperature: I usually HATE vinegar-based bbq sauces, but these sauces were sufficient enough to allow me to release my hatred and appreciate them for what they were! I'm an official convert! Sadly, they do not offer a white slaw, but the red/bbq slaw is better than 90% of the red slaw options in the Carolinas, and it has a perfectly balanced kick of spice to it. The red slaw is served with a spicy bread-and-butter style pickle on top. The hush puppies are perfect, so much so that they need no description. The actual bbq pork is the best in a 75-mile radius! The only place that makes better bbq pork shoulder is Port-a-Pit in Statesville or 12 Bones in Asheville!!! I was actually blown away by how good the bbq was here! I just wish they hadn't skimped so much on the size and frequency of the beverage service. Excepting that, I would generously give this place a 5-star review! I was telling myself and my dining partner the whole time how surprisingly awesome the food was! I wish every bbq joint offered a "brown" option! In short, I HATE vinegar-based sauces, but this place has converted me with their compromised sweet, brown, slightly thicker and warm vinegar-based sauce!!! In short, you should base your next trip around passing through Shelby, NC to visit this bbq joint--it's good enough to warrant a change in driving an hour or so just to experience this spot!

Always good and the service is excellent. We all feel like we're part of the family when we eat there. All of the wait staff are good and usually know what we're ordering as they really know their customers. I've been eating there for years. Just wish that ribs were available again.

Outstanding barbecue always busy and always count on Great barbecue hot fries and hush puppies and wonderful service

The food never disappoints always the best barbecue ever. The service is always great. They know what you want before you even sit down and the ambiance is amazing what their friend photos and remembrance of days gone by!

Greatest bbq in the world! great customer service! If u want great bbq ALSTON BRIDGES IS THE PLACE!!

Food quality and Service always impresses! Great Staff and friendly, welcoming atmosphere.

Manna! I am convinced that when I enter through the gates of heaven, Jesus himself will hand me a plate of Alston Bridges course, chopped barbecue with barbecue slaw and hush puppies! Unfortunately, I have moved from the area and don't frequent the location as often as possible. The hospitality is always off the chain. The restaurant is simple as is the menu and everything is epic. Finished it off with a cup of Brunswick stew and lemon pie. That was lunch there was no need for supper And I had a happy tummy.

Deliciousness. I tried the pork pulled sandwich ate half, and the other will be tomorrow night dinner. I got sides to bring home, bar b que beans and their own bar b sure slaw. Next, I got the half rotisserie chicken, hush puppies, and bar-b-que slaw. Chicken fresh, juicy, tender perfectly prepared. Delicious ! Sweet tea with free refills. Regular hot sauce and the Texas Pete on the table, but that sauce was extra hot, so I loaded up my plate with it! Made my chicken ultra special! I loved it. There is no plate to show ya, but I have the menu to post. I'll visit them again! Yumminess overload. Great waitress, too. Right on time with the free refill tea.

Food was strange Service poor The slaw had the word bbq sauce mixed in with it. Chopped pork was dry. The waitress disappeared and we became self service shortly after we got our food. Just drive by.

We had a company event and needed to feed about 30 people and chose Alston Bridges BBQ. We picked up the order. They did a great job taking care of us. They accurately estimated the amount of food needed. The bbq, slaw, hush puppies and beans were all excellent. It appeared that our entire group enjoyed their lunch. We would use them again and I highly recommend them.

BBQ was very good! Moist... lots of flavor. Reminded me of my favorite BBQ in Charlotte Bill Spoons that closed down. Buns were freshband steamed. Good hush puppy's!

IMO, the best BBQ in NC. In the area, there has always been a BBQ rivalry... MY CHOICE has ALWAYS been with Alston Bridges!!!

We were starving on our way back to Charlotte after climbing Chimney Rock. We took a chance and drove a little out of our way to come here. So glad we did.

Alston's has always been my favorite BBQ place in Shelby, NC. The food is always good and the service is one of the best in Shelby. Most of the staff is family and the others have been there forever.

I always heard this was NC's best BBQ. We drove from Charlotte to check it out. BBQ was average at best. The fries, etc., were typical small town diner fare. The meal was decent, but sadly not NC's best.

I thought they knew how to make BBQ in NC... Missed the mark by a long shot. not sure why it was recommended to us. I think it was a prank for outsiders.

The amount of different food I made from November through January was staggering. Nothing, however, made me happier than finally sitting down with a pound of Bbq, a pint of slaw and 12 buns from Alston Bridges! My husband managed to make 2 sandwiches for himself before I could even get in the kitchen but I quickly let him know he needed to step away from MY bbq! Seriously, none better anywhere!

It is ineviable, that when you have two outstanding barbecue restaurants in the same, relatively small town, which is better will be the subject of convesation and of reviews. My personal tastes gives Bridges Barbecue Lodge the edge, but make no mistake about it, this place serves excellent Lexington style barbecue, and great BBQ Chicken, as well. So good, in fact, that there are probably less than a double hand full that are better. Like its rival ,this place has been around since the 1940's, and has a connection with Stamey. He and Alston Price married sisters. and Bridges learned his craft from Stamey, and the result is some pretty darn good barbecue, eventhough they apparently no longer cook over wood. We tried the 1/2 Barbecue Chicken ($8.30) with slaw and hushpuppies. The chicken is excellent, smokey and with great flavor. You have a choice of sauces - sweet or their regular - go with the regular, for sure. This is a nice sauce, loaded with flavor, and some heat. This chicken place is $1.70 cheaper than the other Bridges, but the chicken is noticeable smaller, and their is no additional side. The barbecue slaw here is good, not great. The hushpuppies here are simply excellent - small tubes, smooth outer crust, moist, full of great flavor. I tried the Hot Dog ($2.10) and it was decent, but nothing special - wouldn't order again. The chopped Barbecue Sandwich ($3.70) was very good, not as smokey as the pork across town, and the texture is more minced than chopped - I suspect they use an electric chopper. Still, this is excellent Lexington style barbecue. This is a small, rather cramped place regardless of whether you sit at the counter, or in the main seating area. The waitresses are constantly dodging each other and the customers as well - but they handle it well, always friendly and efficient. Good folks, good food, we'll be back.

Done with this place! Just got a large plate to go and it had maybe 4 small hush puppies, two tablespoons of slaw and less barbque than one would expect on a sandwich. I had already accepted the fact years ago that all barbque in Cleveland County is now pretty tasteless and you need to smother it in ketchup and Texas Pete to even eat it. Now its a straight up rip off just like everything else in Shelby! I saw this coming years ago when Alstons instituted the "hush puppy police" at the counter. I've ate this stuff all my life but no more! I'll make the drive to Daddy Joes in Gaffney where the que has some flavor to it and you get a fair quantity for what you pay.​

Based on the previous reviews, I thought this place would be a typical NC BBQ place. They were packed when my coworker and I arrived, so I had high hopes (Note: parking is a pain in the rear if they're busy). He got the pulled pork and I had the ribs. Not so much. The ribs were overdone and mostly fat. And who the heck makes coleslaw with a tomato based sauce? At least the beans were okay. Won't be back.

Favorite bbq joint! Family owned and always made to order! Everything is hot and fresh! Great service and love their bbq sauce!!

Classic Western NC barbecue and a staple of Shelby style and the state. Highly recommend.

Definitely not a very good experience. The meat was very bland and didnt taste very good at all. The only redeeming quality was that the slaw was quite good. I have visited some of the other BBQ spots in the area and they are far superior to this one. I would keep looking around for you BBQ fix.

No thanks. No smoke in the meat. Moist, decent portion and the nicest staff but this aint BBQ. Loses points for having Ribs on the menu but waitress said they havnt been able to get them for a year?? I can drive to 3 different grocery stores in 5 mins and all have ribs!! Born in Memphis, Raised in St Lou, Love KC BBQ too. Pass on Alston's, just meat on bread, next time in Shelby I'll try Red Bridge's instead

It truly breaks my heart to write this, but Alston's is slipping badly. I have eaten Alston's BBQ all of my life, so I think that I am qualified to say this. Rumor has it that Alston's is using gas to cook their pork now and I refuse to believe that nonsense. All I know is that on our recent trip to Shelby, I sent three of my friends (from Raleigh) to Alston's and my family stopped in before leaving town. We all six left with the same opinion - meh... Our family lives close enough to Greensboro that we can pick up Stamey's BBQ for supper, from time to time. If you know NC history, you know that Alston Bridges learned how to cook BBQ from Mr. Stamey. Stamey's is still preparing BBQ as it always has and it is the best in the central part of the state, even holding its own against restaurants in Lexington. Alston's has lost its flavor and needs to figure out why. You can only live by your reputation so long before some Johnny-Come-Lately sets up shop in town and starts taking your customers away. The one that comes to mind is City BBQ which is already established in Charlotte. City BBQ is a chain that has garnered mixed opinions from diners. What they do offer is decent smoked pork with a slew of different side options, which is something that Alston's lacks. Get it together Alston's. We will be dropping by soon and I look forward to amending this review.

The waitress was super sweet and very efficient. The slaw was different, not bad just different. Red sauce chopped fine. Never had slaw like it before. Hush puppies were terrific. Now for the BBQ - I got the chopped pork plate. I prefer my chopped more cube shaped and not so finely minced. The texture was too mushy because of the way it is chopped. It is definitely not cut by hand but seems to be minced by machine. I'm not sure I would go back but if you are in the area it will suffice. We tried two other places first but one was closed for 4th of July weekend and the other was remodeling.

Southern hospitality at its finest! We've been scouting for the perfect BBQ restaurant and found it here on the last leg of our road trip. Alston Bridges Barbecue encompasses everything you love about a good BBQ restaurant - comfort food, great BBQ, fun and laid-back atmosphere, fantastic desserts and impeccable service. We had a chance to meet and talk with Reed Bridges and his wife and enjoyed a good conversation about all things baseball, hunting and North Carolina. Great people, great food. Can't wait to visit again!

The best! Never a bad experience at Alston's. My family has been going for years. We always use them to cater our events too. Highly recommend!

Bridges has 5 things that can't be beat. 1. Cleanliness 2. Minced bbq sandwich . 3.Hotdog with chili,mustard and onions (Homemade chili,good quality wiener warm bun)Best mill hill hot around dog. 4. Hush puppies(A simple hush puppy that is not ruined with sugar or spices and always served hot and fresh, not reheated). 5.French Fries(A high-quality french fry that's always served hot)

This a gem and what great service. First time having their slaw with a kick of horsadish and no mayo. Pork bbq was excellent in a minced chop. Can't go wrong here unless it's extremely busy.

Love the hush puppies and sweet tea! Everything from here is excellent! Great family restaurant

Last time visiting my pops, we headed out to Bridges BBQ Lodge, our usual dinner place...but, being around Thanksgiving, they were not open. This provided the opportunity for us to go to Alston Bridges...in Shelby, BBQ folks tend to split between the two Bridges...BTW, the two Bridges are not related... So...had the BBQ (of course)...and it was quite good! I think I prefer Red (at BBQ Lodge) a bit better, but not by a lot! Also had the BBQ Slaw and this was as good as you get! Finally, hush puppies...and this is where I was a bit let down...not quite enough flavor there...several other BBQ places make a lot better version. But...for me...the key is the meat and slaw...and Alston's does a very good job. Definitely one to put on your list if you like NC (Lexington Style) BBQ! And, for me, it is good to know that they are pretty good...as having multiple good BBQ options is ALWAYS a good thing!

Not what I was expecting at all. Travel the whole state checking out BBQ joints and was disappointed. Service was quick but not extremely informative. BBQ was bland, sauce was just ok. Slaw was really good and fried were too. I will say hushpuppies were better than I expected. Would go back, but I'd try the hotdogs instead.

The worst barbecue sandwich I have ever had. It was no bigger than a slider. No barbeque sauce on the sandwich, instead they mixed the sauce with the slaw or what kinda looked like slaw!! It was chopped up so fine that it looked like throw up!! The slaw was the worst slaw that I have ever seen and tried to eat in my life. The slaw came out on a paper hot dog paper. The portion of the fries were less than a kids meal portion. Maybe three spoons of beans in the tiny bowl.

Good, clean, eastern NC style BBQ. I got there at lunch on a Monday, and the place was packed. I only wish my local Virginia BBQ restaurant owners could see this. More money being made at this small-town BBQ at one MONDAY lunch than most of the local Virginia restaurants make at lunch in a week. All because Alston Bridges makes and serves wood-smoked, honest, simple, unfucked-with pork BBQ. It is not fancy, and does not need to be. Over and over I see northern BBQ wannabe's keep trying to "do something different" to make their BBQ stand out. Instead, they just ruin it with weirdness, corners cut, etc. Just use slow, patient wood-fire cooking. Leave the sauce off the finished product entirely, or apply only the smallest amount of light sauce. Serve it on a simple bun. These places succeed in NC and points south over and over because they keep it honest and simple. Cooked right, the meat will stand on its own. The Pork: finely chopped with just a light vinegary seasoning on plain small bun. Sweetish, tangy vinegar sauce. The sweetness of this sauce is a little different than what I usually see. I like it. I ordered a second one. I give it a 4.0. I ordered my BBQ plain, with slaw on the side. The slaw is what i call NC style--a finely chopped diced slaw, vinegar sauce, no mayonnaise. Sometimes I eat my slaw by itself. Sometimes, I like to put a little on my BBQ to vary it up. Have it your way. Chicken-Vegetable Stew: Not really a Brunswick stew. I give it a 3.0. Ribs--Meaty with a light dressing of their "regular" sauce--I think this is the same sweet vinegar sauce that was on my BBQ. I got ribs to go. They came on a platter in a sturdy cardboard box--almost like honoring these ribs with a great external carrying pack. I gave the ribs a 4.0 and the sauce a 5.0. Virtually Infallible Great BBQ Tipoff: out back, a large, separate cookhouse, beside which were literally tons of wood in tall stacks. This is what you want to look for. You CAN judge a BBQ joint from the outside without ever having to get out of your car. If you see a setup like this, you are practically guaranteed a winner. Screech to a halt, and run inside to pleasure yourself. I ate at the bar inside, because I was travelling and short on time. There's no menu. You order from a simple paper ticket, a shorthand list of each available item. There was some really good looking pie on display, but I was stuffed when I finished and had no room left. This was a very clean, neat place. Very friendly, fast service, and well-run. Again, if you run a faltering BBQ joint in the north, this is just about as good a successful business model as you will find. Emulate Alston Bridges and you will succeed. Get in your car and drive down to Shelby for lunch. Spend a few days checking out other BBQ joints in that area. You will learn how to succeed back home. Thanks, Alston Bridges. You are a shining reminder of how BBQ is sposed to be done in the east.

Fast and friendly service. Food was pretty good. The red slaw was different. I am absolutely spoiled with home cooked BBQ, so it is hard to rate a BBQ place :)

Juicy, delicious, simple BBQ from the best BBQ place in town, yes, even better than Red Bridges. Friendly staff who makes you feel at home. Shelby BBQ at its finest.

The barbecue was soaked in a vinegar sauce mostly vinegar and too strong, the large pork plate was small supposed to be 6 oz not very much the hush puppies just ok and the barbecue slaw was not too good either. It was $10.03 with a senior discount and I have had better barbecue at the cookout fast food chain! Will not go back. Service was ok but I wanted some good barbecue duh.

Loved it. Super simple menu served on paper plates. I love this Carolina style BBQ with the vinegar based sauces as opposed the usual red sweet sticky stuff you buy at the store. I had the coarse chopped BBQ pork with hush puppies that were the best I've ever had. Really liked the red slaw too which I have never seen before. Friendly service and the place was very full at 1 PM on a Wednesday. You cannot find BBQ like this where I live. I am sure there are tons of places all over NC that do BBQ like this but this one sure seemed about as authentic as you can get.

Tried the ribs. Poor quality meat cooked without seasoning. Warm. Not hot. Beans out of can. Been in town for week. Ribs at Ruby Tuesday put these to shame. Service of staff was only bright spot.

Very friendly service and great food. Their sauce is true Carolina vinegar based, and you can get your bbq sliced, chopped, or course chopped. We will definitely go back!

One of my favorite places to eat in my home town. The restaurant has been packed every time I've been (which is quite a lot) and its for a reason! The BBQ is really tasty with a great sauce that has a little kick! Service is quick, with the waitresses keeping up with the constant ebb and flow of customers. If you're in town, you need to visit Alston bridges! Or red bridges! Or the flying pig, which is my personal favorite! Shelby: home of baseball and BBQ!

Ok BBQ middle of the road fare. Or find is confusing. Ordered a combo BBQ for four. Said beef and pork. Received all pork. I was told if you dont specify you get pork. Is that normal for bbq joints in the south!

I've eaten at the restaurant my whole life! Of course when I was in my youth the older generation was running it! But even since new family members are introduced into the business and older members have retired or passed on, the restaurants high quality of food remains the same. Some newer items are introduced from time to time but you just can't beat the most delicious, tender, smoked just right taste of their BBQ! It's a must to at least try it once. But I can guarantee once won't be your last visit! LOL! It's dedicating!

My girlfriend and I were passing through Shelby this afternoon and decided to stop in here for a BBQ lunch. Take my review with a grain of salt because I'm a backyard BBQ enthusiast and I cook a lot of Briskets, Pork Butts, and Ribs. I probably have higher expectations that some when it comes to great barbecue. I ordered a large plate of sliced pork barbecue and I forgot to ask for the sauce on the side. I was served a generous portion of pork barbecue with a side of hush puppies and barbecue coleslaw. The barbecue had been doused in sauce, which was an Eastern NC style vinegar-based sauce which was actually pretty good. The coleslaw was made with the same sauce. The barbecue itself was quite tender but it didn't seem to have a great flavor on its own. The sauce was making the flavor and I couldn't really distinguish a distinct flavor from the pork itself. I'm not sure how their Q is prepared, but I didn't see any signs of bark or smoke rings on the edges of my meat. I have eaten a lot of Q at a lot of places and would rate Alston Bridges as slightly better than average in the long run. You should definitely give this spot a try the next time you get an urge for some Q :)

Great BBQ! Hush puppies are delissshhh! Super fast service with a smile! The bbq sauce is the BOMB! Perfect combo of sweet and tangy!

Several years ago, my family visited Shelby and had visited "Bridges Barbeque" on US Highway 74 bypass. On this particular trip it was a Monday and Bridges BBQ on the bypass was closed. We stopped in at Alston Bridges BBQ which was open and found the best BBQ in the state if not of all. Everytime I go to Shelby, Alston Bridges is the first BBQ restaurant I pass and I stop in for some 'World Famous BBQ and Hushpuppies and I encourage each one that reads this message to do the same". Thanks to the Bridges Family for working so hard for many decades to bring customers the best BBQ second to none. Richard G. Morganton, NC

My family and I have been coming here for years. One of the best bbq places in NC, and I highly recommend it. Good food, and service!