Black's Barbecue

I love this place and have been going since I was a kid but the last couple of times I’ve been, the place itself has been kind of gross. The last time I went, they were out of paper towels, out of soap, the trash was overflowing, all the tables in the back section were sticky and still had trash on them, which I understand can happen but there was nobody in the store. Additionally, our food was cold. I love this restaurant but it’s definitely taken a turn the past year.

Inside seating space is limited. Lots of people eat in their cars. Car hops will take your order and deliver your food to your car. Brings back memories of the 50s and 60s. BBQ Is the main item on the menu, but other sandwiches are available such as burgers, hot dogs, and grill cheese. Yum!!

I got four large slice barbecue sandwiches four fries four drinks. I’ve been eating at blacks For over 40 years. Very disappointed in my sandwiches today. Large barbecue was not even as big as the smallest sandwich should be. The sandwich’s are usually pretty thick. This time had very little meat. It was almost a slaw sandwich. I left hungry.

Sliced BBQ Sandwhich with very good, lean tender sliced BBQ pork & BBQ Slaw. Put in your order as you come in the door at the counter and when it's finished they'll bring it out to your table, this is a favorite place to my parents and my dad and I went there this visit and as always when I've been there with them the people are very friendly that work there and lots of people in the restaurant are friendly as well it's just basically a small building but they have enough room for people to sit down inside or take it to go if they want to do that. I don't remember the prices of each thing cuz my dad ordered & paid for our food.

Hamburgers the southern way! Chili, mustard, and onions! BBQ’s awesome with their one of a kind slaw! Get a cherry-lemon sundrop to top it off! Awesome place for a quick, great meal!

I absolutely love it when we stop in gastonia at this local staple in any kids live that grew up in gastonia, lake wylie or clover. I always usually get the sliced bbq sandwich large with of course the slaw, it is the best slaw I have ever had on a bbq sandwich. This time I didn't get pictures of the bbq sandwich only the curly cheese dog sandwich which is the best hotdog sandwich with slaw, cheese and chili on it and the best part it is its not as messy as a regular hotdog bun. They cut the hotdog where it gets crispy and omg shape it in a circle. This sandwich smacks every time. The service is old school like a drive in only ring missing is roller skates, and always greeted within a minute!!! Always great service and food and reasonably priced. Was $15 for a large bbq, small bbq and curly dog sandwich:) if you also haven't tried their homemade cherry lemon sundrop you are missing out! Make sure to take cash as they are old school cash only which I love!!!!

The name is misleading; It should be called Black's sandwich shop. The only "barbecue" they have is either sliced or minced pork sandwich. The minced bbq sandwich has more slaw on it than bbq anditisnotverygood. I would strongly recommend just going to the closest QT and getting one of their bbq sandwiches, it will be better and cheaper. They do have indoor dining, but you have to clean your table before you can use it. The entire store looks dingy and dirty.

Worst BBQ I’ve ever had, no taste and dry. The slaw if I could give it a negative score I would nasty taste. The dining room was nasty trash swept up in a pile and left. That was my first and last trip to this place.

Well, it's always been a choice for folks in Gastonia, do you like Oreos better or do you like blacks better? My answer is always been black although they're almost like blacks is a better barbecue sandwich all the way around.

Food was great and the curb hops are fast and efficient .The bbq slaw is amazing,can use it on everything

Been eating here since before I could walk. Food is always good. Breakfast served all day. GET THE CHERRY LEMON SUNDROP.

Good, not great, not bad. It's very different - NOT what you think of as BBQ. I have had BBQ all over the country, and I'm a southerner who loves good Q. This was a good sandwich but I would not call it BBQ. I am happy I went and tried it, but doubt I will return.

Very good food, barbecue sandwiches as well as the burgers and hotdogs are amazing in my opinion. Really anything you get will be good. Service was great! Food came quickly and server was polite. I personally chose to eat in my car where the server comes to you but the option to eat inside is also available. Overall very good experience and would recommend!

Black's is the best in BBQ sandwiches and for the amount of food they give you. You just can't beat it there all American and a great team of service everyone I have ever dealt with gives plenty and they are very polite. My mother and father went there when they were teenagers. Thank you to all the crew

The is pretty good old Gastonia style barbecue! My last visit I had a couple sliced bbq sandwiches and honey had one with a hot dog. I grew up on this style bbq, which is very unique, and these guys nail it with what I expected. The real key to the bbq sandwich around here is the bbq slaw. They nailed that too! The sliced or minced barbecue pork is very different than anywhere else outside of the area. It's more like pork tenderloin, no fat, no grease, just lean cooked pork. There's no smoke, no bbq sauce but just pork in a toasted bun smothered in that crazy good slaw. There's other options on their menu like the Roast Pork, Club , Ham LT, Smoked Turkey, Cheese Burger, Hamburger, BLT, Fish, and Grilled Cheese sandwiches but the Cheese Dog Burger is really something special too! The fries are okay but the onions rings are outstanding! Whatever yo do you gotta have another local phenom, that's the cherry lemon sundrops. It's a combination of two sodas (Sundrop & Cheerwine) that will quench any thirst. Bottom line: This is different from bbq anywhere else on the planet. Open your mind and your palett for a new and tasty culinary experience.

I am from South Carolina and live in Texas, and I would put that chili and slaw up against anything. The Hotdog is the best hotdog around, by a long shot. The slaw is enough by itself but the chili is world class. I prefer the minced bbq sandwich because you get the slow and meat together with every bite. Hamburger is good but the bbq sandwich and hotdog are on a different field of play.

Great ole time drive in to eat at. Their BBQ is sliced or minced pork with their special sauce/slaw. Not your typical BBQ place. Gastonia's own original BBQ sandwich. They serve HB and HD as well.

The best food, amazing fast service from the runners and it's not remolded but it has a homey feeling and I appreciate that!

Like ROs on the other side of town, the BBQ slaw is the main attraction here, but the majority of the food is mediocre, at best. Cash only, curbside or call in orders only (as of this writing). Come prepared to tip as well.

It doesn't look much and Can't come inside but the food is good . It is fast and courteous and if you in a hurry and you are hungry then this place got u. # thanks

Never got to eat lunch, could never get an answer to place an order. Spent over an hour trying to place an order, just don't bother, they obviously don't care to make sure they are staffed well enough to get food orders during the most important part of the day "lunch" on top of that that's the only way you can get food, delivered to yo car if you can wait over an hour for it & ever get to order at all. I'm left hungry & unable to eat until after work now. Real nice!

Black's Barbeque has some the worst spicy fries I have ever had, there food looks like Cat food. What A disgusting restaurant. Restaurant has no sauce.

Favorite place on earth! Nom nom nom... 2 large slice bbq sandwiches cherry lemon sun drop and 1 large slice for tomorrow!

Hometown favorite that has been consistent for many years. Great good and prices are very affordable. Car hop staff are always friendly

BBQ and the South. Goes together like eggs and bacon or cheese and burgers. Everyone has their opinion about whats' good, better or best. My bro-in-law has been going to Blacks for years, for years he says and it's the best, yes much better than RO's. OK, he might be right, it's all opinion, right? Blacks is good, you also get bbq slaw but on the side. I still think RO's is better. But what do I know?

I've been eating here for over 25 years! Always the same great food! Still only offering curb service! recommend to anyone!!!!

Thank goodness for this hometown favorite during Covid-19 ! It's back to the earlier days of simple drive-in eating in your car. The food is delicious, especially the homemade slaw - it is always fresh. You're lucky if you can grab a spot on Saturday afternoons. Sliced and minced BBQ sandwiches with extra slaw are our family's favorites.

One of the best BBQ places in the Carolinas! Delicious, quick, and the best value. Don't miss it!

Great slaw burgers. I get slaw cheese burgers every time. Boiled bbq but cheap. Definitely better than Wendy's and McDonald's.

I walked in really wanting to like this place, but their BBQ was just not doing it for me. I came here on a week night and based upon what I'd heard from some locals, I expected Black's to serve up some good BBQ. Also, Black's is in a rough part of town, in a small shack and had an old Sun Drop brand menu on the wall. All of these things led me to believe that I was about to have a great meal. At Black's you order up front and they bring your food out to you at one of the few booths that they have. The man taking my order was very friendly and recommended the sliced BBQ sandwich. I ordered a small one of those along with a hot dog all the way with their slaw. Both of these items plus a sweet tea only cost me $7, so I was excited about that. I note two things here. Black's only takes cash. This shouldn't be an issue considering there is an ATM inside the restaurant. Also, they are open for dinner on week days and stay open until 9:00. The hours were not listed on Yelp and I had to call to check on this. My food came out very quickly and I jumped right into chowing down because I was very hungry. The first thing that I noticed about the BBQ sandwich was that it was just kind of smooshed together. It seriously looked like someone had taken the palm of their hand and just put all of their weight on top of the sandwich. After prying it open I found that their was not a lot of the sliced pork on their and the slaw was orange? Very odd but I put the top of the bun back on and tried a bite. The meat was kind of tasteless. It was luke warm and had no smokey flavor at all. Also, it was kind of dry. The "slaw" was unlike anything that I had tried before. It was kind of tangy and tasted like it might have had some thousand island mixed in. As for the hot dog, it was a little better. Honestly, the whole dog was overshadowed by the strong tangy taste of the "slaw." I could see this "slaw" being good on a burger, but it does not belong on a hot dog and it definitely does not belong on BBQ. The tea also was not sweet enough and was not what you would expect from a NC BBQ joint. If I came back to this establishment, I would completely skip over the BBQ and probably heed the advice of some fellow Yelpers and get the burger. I only give this place 3 stars because I appreciate the character and history of the place and the fact that it is run by a local family. The service was honestly the best thing about Black's. BBQ is disappointing.

Black's BBQ is so tasty! The slaw, like that at nearby RO's, is so flavorful and unique. If you've never tried it and like barbecue, you MUST! The menu here is fairly basic, and it's posted inside and viewable from the front window, but it includes multiple kinds of barbecue, roast pork, livermush and much more. Our server Devin took our order out front and then brought our food to our vehicle, old-school carhop style during the COVID-19 pandemic. My wife ate a roast pork sandwich with lettuce, tomato and mayo. I ate a sliced pork sandwich with barbecue slaw. We shared some fries and tried the sweet tea. Everything was fresh, flavorful and satisfying. Our order totaled about $15. We added a tip for the carhop service. NOTE: This is a cash-only spot. There is an ATM at the Speedway across Highway 321, but you'll likely have to pay a fee. So, come prepared to the restaurant. Overall, I can't say I like Black's or RO's far better than the other. They're both delicious! And both have served my wife and me kindly when we've visited. I got blasted on a local food group when I posted about RO's by people saying it's nasty and Black's is where I should go. I love both, and while I've eaten at most notable barbecue restaurants across North Carolina, I'm not a barbecue snob. I love it all, and Black's is well worth your time and money for a good meal!

Best place in Gastonia for the famous bbq sandwich with slaw there better than Ros by far and worth the 30 min drive for me got to try it.

This is the definition of a hole in the wall gem of a restaurant that you are looking for! Skip the chain restaurants and give this place a try for some excellent local BBQ sandwiches and my personal favorite - extra slaw! Try this slaw on your BBQ or cheeseburger - it's a popular local favorite! We ALWAYS stop by while in town to eat here!

I order the same thing every time I go here. Large Double Cheese Burger, with Chili, Onions, Tomatoes. Last week no tomatoes, this week I get a small double cheese burger, and again it doesn't have tomatoes. I called this time, and they said I could bring it back and get another one. For me it's a 20 minute drive, I'm not doing that, by the time I get back everything else is cold. The proper way to handle this is to take a name and get it next time. They can not resell the burger they all ready gave me, so they insist on wasting my time. Also this place doesn't take any form of payment other then cash, get with the times. The "BBQ" is a joke, it's a barren flavorless wasteland of mushy pork, stuffed into a bulk ordered hamburger bun.

We absolutely love this place!! We have been going here for years. The best food! The service is great and the sandwiches are huge. Best BBQ in town.

First time going to try barbecue. Ordered a pound of barbecue with no slaw, two cheese dogs, and one hamburger, also two sweet teas. They gave me barbecue with slaw, three hamburgers and was $33 dollars. I drove 30 minutes there and back to my house for my order to be wrong. And they won't answer their phone.

I love he sliced pork with slaw. Unique and tasty Local business. Reliably good food. Unpretentious and very casual

Did anybody else not know that there was an inside seating area and anything other than bbq sandwiches on the menu? No, just me? For as long as I can remember, my family has always just pulled up outside and ordered a bag full of sliced bbq sandwiches with bbq slaw. A family friend introduced me to their French fries when I was a teenager and i was livid at my dad for never ordering fries before. They were so good. It's always fun to stop in when I'm visiting family in the Clover area.

Another one of my favorite bbq places in NC. Love their sandwiches & slaw. Fast & friendly service. Just wish they'd get a card reader!

Gastonia favorite. Visit once a week. Food is always good and always the same. Love that the still have curb service.

If you're from Gastonia, it's either Black's or RO's for you in the local BBQ department. Depending on what you grew up with, you choose one or the other & very rarely switch allegiances & grab a bite to eat from the crosstown rival. I for one am a Black's person, & have only ventured to RO's a couple times in my life. While RO's has some great, great, great slaw (that they sell in local grocery stores) Black's is just better to me. The weird thing is that both of these places are owned by the same family so there's kind of a family feud if you will. OK, on to the food. This may sound really strange, since Black's is a BBQ restaurant, but I never order the BBQ. I just can't get enough of their burgers. They're the double whammy...cheap & good. Yeah I know it's odd that I don't even get the BBQ at a place where it's the specialty, but I save my BBQ eating to other locales. This is nothing against theirs, as it is pretty tasty the times I've had it, but I just prefer their burgers. The place isn't that large, but you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a seat. They also have curb service at your car so that's another option as well. Black's is a great family owned restaurant, with good BBQ but great burgers. Heck, if you're skeptical on what to get just order both. The burgers are great as take out items to be reheated later. You won't go wrong here with any of their options.

One of my favorite places in Gastonia. My advice dont get the BBQ if your looking for smoked style bbq. Go with their burgers all the way with bbq slaw. Also a hot dog all the way with bbq slaw. You have to get a hand made cherry lemon sundrop as well. This place has been here for ever and is hands down one of Gastonia's best places. Also Black's is better than RO's!

Love it! I live in DC, but my new family is down in Gastonia and they turned me on to Blacks and the slaw BBQ. Yum! I try to get some every time I visit Gastonia.

We Love BLACK'S BBQ! Every time we are here visiting from Florida we HAVE to get our Black's FIX!

This place is awful!! Only place I've ever got a "flat" cheeseburger!! Food not very good!!

The point of calling ahead is so that the food will be ready when you get there, right? Apparently that's a new concept here...

Go for the BBQ slaw not the BBQ. Growing up on NC style bbq I am used to it being smoked meats, blacks is not that. I have no idea how they prep their pork but its not with fire and smoke. With all that I said I love this place. Probably my favorite local place. Try a cheeseburger all the way with BBQ slaw and a hot dog all the way with BBQ slaw! A side of onion rings isn't a bad call either. A must when you go is a CHERRY LEMON SUNDROP, they still make it the old way by mixing Sundrop and Cheerwine then adding in a slice of lemon. RO's across town cut the corner by buying the premixed cherry lemon sundrop and it is no where near as good. Give this place a shot just don't go in expecting traditional NC BBQ. FYI someone said they don't have female staff, they have some ladies in the kitchen working.

Absolutely love this place! The BBQ sandwich is delicious and is topped with their cole slaw then pressed on a griddle. The result is crispy bun surrounding perfectly cooked BBQ and tangy slaw. If you aren't in the mood for BBQ, their BLT is the best in town.

Had a BBQ sandwich w/ slaw and onion rings. Surprised that they didn't offer hushpuppies. The taste of the BBQ is average. The slaw was hardy noticed on the sandwich, so it must have been bland. Disclaimer: I am a fan of Eastern NC que, and Black's is more of a Lexington style. I did like the nice touch of toasted buns on the sandwich. The onion rings were fried with dough, not cornmeal. The folks working there were very nice. I am sure to go back, and try something else on the menu.

Only the best barbecue EVER. Order extra slaw on your sandwich though, sometimes they don't put enough. Always the same, nice people when you come in. Can get very crowded at lunch time but this place is definitely worth it. The crinkle fries also taste super good with the slaw. Definitely my number one place if I want some good bbq. I've been coming here ever since I was a little girl.

I understand this is a local favorite but over the years the food is bland and overpriced. The only reason I can see that they do so well is because the choice of restaurants in this area are lacking.

This is one of Gastonia best places to eat, I absolutely love the minced barbeque sandwiches and cherry lemon sundrops.

What is that??? It is NOT BBQ!!! It looked like mushy cat food mixed with thousand island dressing. I don't even have the words to describe the lukewarm mystery meat served on a hamburger bun at this place.

Never disappointing, always great food, consistent and very nice people. Sliced BBQ or hotdogs all the way...curbside service...always stop here when I'm in town.

Terrible barbecue. Unseasoned sliced pork with a sloppy topping that's less like a slaw and more like a bland pepper cream sauce, served on a nearly flattened fried bun. Just about as far from Carolina BBQ as you can get and still claim to have it on the menu.

This place is gross. I like the cheeseburger, but this place is just nasty. Paint would go a long way. Wiping the tables off after customers finish their meal would help too!Every time I have been inside to eat, we had to clean our table ourselves. If you go inside to eat, you just might loose your appetite.

Went here for lunch and the place doesn't look like much but the food is the reason to drop in. I got their turkey sandwich and it was delicious. Not a huge variety, but they are good at what they do. The staff was friendly and patient with us since we've never been before.