Daniel B.
Yelp
Our experience at this City Barbeque in Durham was average at best. The barbecue ranged from OK to good and service was fine. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, but it should suffice if you're craving barbecue and the location is convenient to you. It's not bad, but better barbecue can certainly be had around the state.
City Barbeque is a chain that originated in Ohio. At the time of writing this review, there are over 50 locations spread throughout six states in the Midwest and South. This location in Durham can be found in the SouthPoint Crossing shopping center just off I-40 exit 276 (Fayetteville Road, Southpoint). It opened in a freestanding building in May 2016.
The restaurant looks nice. The construction still looks new and "updated," but the environment is made to evoke a more rustic, country, barbecue-joint feel. Lots of wood in the interior, painted wooden signs, barn doors, corrugated tin, and picnic tables give it that atmosphere. There's even a photo stand-in outside. The kitchen is open, which is cool. You can watch the pitmaster at work. The smokers are outside along with stacks of the Carolina wood they use. Inside, there are TVs playing sports with various sports memorabilia such as jerseys, flags, and trophies used for decor.
When we visited, the restaurant had their curbside pick-up system implemented with numbered parking spots assigned. However, at the time of our visit, they were also allowing up to 40 customers to dine inside and 40 customers to dine outside. We sat on the fairly spacious covered patio which had a mixture of umbrella-covered picnic tables plus metal tables and chairs. The patio was lit, had ceiling fans, music, and cornhole.
Whether you're ordering in or to-go, your name is called and you pick up at the counter. Drinks (fountain machine, tea and water dispensers) are self-serve, even during COVID times, but barbecue sauces and other condiments are not - you have to ask for them. During our visit, the sauces were individually packaged in small clear cups with snap-shut lids and we had to specifically request them.
City Barbeque doesn't serve a particular regional style of barbeque. I suppose you can call it "regionless" or more of a "generic" style. It's actually not too different from the barbecue I'm used to in Georgia. It's definitely not North Carolina style. Like other barbecue restaurants, you can order City Barbeque's Q in various forms such as sandwiches, plates, and by the pound. Expect to spend less than $10 for a sandwich, about $23 for a full slab of ribs, about $10 or less for half a chicken or less, less than $3 for a side, and $15 and up for each plate or platter. By-the-pound barbecue will set you back roughly $14-19 per pound depending on the meat. They also have classic desserts like peach cobbler ($4.99) and banana pudding ($2.99).
My wife and I got the Judge's Sampler ($31.99) and an extra side so we could try a little bit of everything. The Judge's Sampler is designed to feed 2-3 people and I would say that designation is spot-on. If you order the Judge's Sampler, I recommend upgrading your sides from regular-size sides to pints for $5 extra. It's worth it because I think the regular-size sides are too small.
The Judge's Sampler comes with beef brisket, pulled pork, 1/4 chicken (you get the choice of breast or leg and thigh; I chose the latter), a half slab of ribs, two sides (I chose vinegar slaw and collard greens with pork), two pieces of cornbread, and Texas toast. They forgot our Texas toast and I didn't realize it until after we got home. That was disappointing. For our extra side, I got their 3-cheese baked mac, formerly known as their "Jacked Mac." I was told by the cashier that their 3-cheese baked mac and their green beans with bacon are their two most popular sides.
Generally, we found the barbecue to be a bit too bland, overcooked, and/or dry. That was particularly the case with the pulled pork and, most notably, the brisket. I know pork can often run on the drier side at other barbecue restaurants, but the brisket was almost inexcusably tough and dry. Maybe we got unlucky and our cuts were just too lean and well-done. The ribs were par for the course: good, but not outstanding. The smoked chicken was unexpectedly tender and tasty. Of the meats I tried, that was probably the winner for me. Overall, I thought the portion sizes were fair though the amount of pork seemed a little small and we could've done with another slice of brisket (the sampler came with three).
The cornbread and sides were yummy, the latter especially so. I recommend both the 3-cheese baked mac and the collards with pork. They're solid. My wife liked the cornbread more than me. The pieces were big. I thought the cornbread could have been more moist and flavorful.
As for the sauces, we were given their sweet sauce and spicy sauce, but they have more. The sweet sauce was tangy and tasted very generic while the spicy sauce had barely any kick at all.
