Fowler's Barbecue

Fowler's was our nineteenth stop in North Carolina, and the 376th on a 35 state BBQ odyssey. Service was on the slow side, but $68.31 purchased a veritable mountain of food to go, and it all warmed up well a couple of hours later. The half pound brisket burger was outstanding, and far above average by national standards. This is strongly recommended. Both the half pound orders of brisket and pulled pork were moist, and blessed with good smoke and flavor. Also recommended. As for the three sides, while the mac 'n cheese was mac 'n cheese, the smoked potato salad was a real treat, and the jalapeno coleslaw again outstanding. A refillable soda completed the order. In sum, this one is definitely worth the effort.

Delicious barbecue. My wife and I both got pulled pork sandwiches with different toppings and they were both really good. Our sides of potato salad and collards were also good. Staff is friendly and food comes out quick. The owner was walking around talking to guests. Friendly guy. I suggest showing up right when they open. They get busy. Also, Thursday is when they have burnt ends.

This place deserves something more like 6/5 stars. We’re not from the area, we were in town for a few days for work so we had a limited amount of time to enjoy foods that are only found here. Boy are we glad we made this one of our stops! Everyone knows that good barbecue is what keeps the earth turning round, but this barbecue goes wayyyyyy beyond merely being “good.” We all agreed that this stuff is what you get served if you make to heaven in the afterlife. 👌🏻👌🏻

This is some of the best barbecue you ever think your teeth in! Last visit I had the smoked chicken tacos and they were absolutely delicious! The owners are super friendly as well as their staff. One trip and you’ll be hooked!!!

I came here while on a tour of the top dozen eastern NC BBQ joints. This is easily some of the best BBQ I’ve ever had. Service is also excellent. Try each of their sauces, they are amazing. All the sides are good as well. I spoke with the owner for a bit and you can tell he really cares about delivering a quality product. He buys local fresh ingredients and even local wood. Another thing to note is that they use Cheshire pork. Highly recommended and I can’t wait to come back to try some of their other meats.

Finally made it to Fowler’s Southern Gourmet and left extremely satisfied. We arrived right when they opened to avoid the crowd (was still second in line), was pleasantly greeted by the owner, and then we placed our order. About ten minutes later, the food arrived and we started to chow down. The “hog wing” was a meaty shank coated with their signature bbq sauce and so tender, it about fell off the bone. 10/10 The “burnt ends” I consider melt in your mouth meat candy. It was so good I had to put in a second order. 12/10 The sides were a great compliment as well, fresh cut fries, moist cornbread, and pretty good mac & cheese.

This was my first but definitely not my last visit! The food and atmosphere is amazing! The staff is very welcoming and friendly. I got The Q-Ritto and it was delicious! Update: I've been here at least 10 times since this review and everything I've been pleased with my experience! You definitely want to try this place

Service was great. They wiped down table immediately after the customers had left. Food tasted excellent. Portion is just right for one single person. Not too big.

Fowler's was our nineteenth BBQ stop in North Carolina, and despite standing in a line that moved oh, so slowly, it was still a very good one. $68.31 purchased a veritable mountain of food to go, and it all warmed up well a couple of hours later. The half pound brisket burger was outstanding, and far above average by national standards. This is strongly recommended. Both the half pound orders of brisket and pulled pork were moist, and blessed with good smoke and flavor. Both should satisfy a demanding BBQ fan. As for the three sides, while the mac 'n cheese was mac 'n cheese, the smoked potato salad was solid, and the jalapeno coleslaw again outstanding. A refillable soda completed the order. In sum, this one is definitely worth the effort.

It's almost hidden in plaint sight. When driving up to it , seems like a small shop..and it is. They have tables on a small outside patio. Check it out HOMIE! They only open from 11am-2pm now that's a roll of the dice, but it seems they sell out all the time ESPECIALLY OF THE BURNT ENDS (have to get there early). We ordered a 1lb of brisket a must soft tender and juicy, basically falls apart on your fork. 1/2 lb. of pulled bbq chicken straight deliciousness, pair that wit some Bolio( bread ) aww homie you have your self a happy tummy Rubeque sandwich is also a must, get everything and anything!! Ps. Burnt ends never last, boss said come thursdays!!, and if your like me just wish they had HOT hot sauce. Rating 10/10

Our first time trying Barbecue in NC! We loved their Brisket, Pulled Chicken BBQ and Reub-a-q. Their meat was tender and very delicious. The star side was the corn bread. So fluffy and buttery. Loved it. Definitely coming back

I made collards this week. Those collards were better than mine. I consider myself a fairly good home cook. But those collards were seasoned, cooked to the perfect consistency and had the right amount of pot likker. The brisket was outstanding. I had a barbacoa sandwich.

Happened to be staying near Rowan Park and saw Fowlers when we walked through the park. Open limited hours, Wed-Sat! I think it opens at 11 and stays open while the food lasts. We had the brisket, pulled pork, beans, jalapeño salad, cornbread, and bbq chicken salad (special). Everything was so good that we came back the next day for some more! Beans were really good and pulled pork. I liked the broccoli salad, too, and would've tried the collards but they were sold out. The first day we called ahead and put in our order for takeout (great when you have a baby or kids at home) and by the time we got the food more items were sold out! Oh and the pickles are good too. We liked the bbq sauce, too. Would recommend to just about anyone.

We got the brisket and 'no name tacos' for our mains. Mac and cheese, smoked potato salad, corn bread for sides. Sweet teas all around for drinks. Brisket was very tender, moist and juicy. We like our brisket on the fatty side for flavor and it was perfect along with the rub they use. No name tacos had a deep rich sauce to the meat and fillings with a bite to it. Smoked potato salad was awesome! Chunks of potato and roughly cut thin slices of onions and spices. Perfectly balanced and cleansed our palate. Corn bread wasn't dry, but mildly flavored and free:D Mac and cheese is middle of the road but still good. Owners came by the tables to chat. Service is fast and friendly. They are open for 3 hours only. 11am-2pm and sold out of 3 things by 1pm. Come early!

In short: some of the best BBQ I've ever had! Yes I lived in NC for a year or two, I've been to TX, etc. etc. Fowler's is about 10 minutes off I-95 and well worth it if you want to partake in some succulent meats! NC is known for its use of pig, the whole hog, "everything but the squeal" as they say. It's then chopped finely and they season it with a vinegar based sauce. SC uses a mustard based sauce that's different but also goes very well on pork or chicken. We got a 1/2 lb each of chicken and pulled pork. Boo loves brisket so she got a 1/4 lb of that. She wanted burnt ends but those are only available on Thursdays! Pulled pork was better than the place I used to like when I lived in Durham, probably the best I've had. Moist, flavorful without any sauce. So when you top it with the NC vinegar or SC mustard, it goes off a cliff into clean plate club territory. I was told the brisket was good, but inferior to the chicken and obviously the pork. We sampled the Mac & cheese, it was simply decent. I detected a little sweetness? You won't need it if you focus on the meats! Also tried the corn bread and it was merely average, I've made better in a cast iron skillet at home. The girl who took our order was friendly and patient with us yankee folk. When I expressed an interest in both Carolina sauces, they were gladly provided in multiple ramekins. It's seat yourself, and hours are limited from 11 am til 2 pm. We came in around noon and JUST missed the lunch rush. You can get it to go, or dine in or outside if you can find a table. We snagged one inside and it was nice to enjoy a little AC. Selection of sodas and sweet (of course) and unsweet tea was available. If you haven't had southern sweet tea, you'd better be in the mood for sugar, they don't play. Restrooms are clean. I'll include this on my "must stop again when in the area" list. Great meat and fair prices. $39 or so got us lots of meat and sides along with drinks. Could've fed 4 people off what we demolished!

Not surprised, another BBQ place with bad BBQ food, but this was made worse by the way they run the place. Waited 25 minutes in line to place the order, then over 45 more minutes to get the food. It's BBQ, the food is already ready, no way it should ever take that long if you run a restaurant properly. The reason they didn't earn a 1 star was that my friend said their pork and chicken were alright, but their brisket, was dry, chewy and tasted more like it was done in an oven not smoked. The picture was taken after I started (sorry), but in it you can see no smoke ring, and how stringy, and dry it was. Definitely not worth the wait or the money.

The food was very underwhelming. My sons are big brisket heads and neither of them finished theirs and said it was nasty. My boys are 11 and 17. I got the chicken, it was bland. I was very disappointed with the canned Mac n cheese, BBQ places usually have some of the best Mac n cheese and this one tasted out of a can. I did like the cornbread and thought the I guessing local soda section was cool.

Driving between DC and Florida can beat drag - just staring at I-95 for hours on end. Bored, and your getting hungry. But it's a culinary desert out there. Until Fayetteville, that is....and Fowlers. Yelp reviews guided us there, and we found nirvana! Best damn bbq I've ever had! There are a list of sandwiches you can choose from - there were 4 of it's so we got 5 and sliced them into 4 purses each. All the pork was fantastic, but the beef brisket was the clear champion. Sides included slaw and baked beans, plus a bunch of different types of chips, and they had a soda machine that dispensed a local brand of soda that, of it ever got widely distributed would kill Coke and Pepsi - I drank a black cherry soda that made me go back for 3rds! Don't miss Fowlers - it's only open as long as they have fresh food, then they close for the day, so shoot for lunch. BTW - so good I even bought a .... Enjoy!

I intended on getting burnt ends but thats on Thursday. I got the spinach salad with chicken perfectly cooked, moist and season well. Its spinach, pickled onions, dried cranberries and candied walnuts with onion dressing. When i say RUN you should if you haven't been there already LOL. This might be my new obsession lol the pulled pork sandwich is good too but the smoke potato salad MY LORD MONEY!

All I have is o say is wow. We have been trying to get over here for a while now and just haven't made it. The wait was well worth it. It's located in an unsuspecting location just outside of downtown fayetteville. Walked in and it's completely new and nicely remodeled. There is a place to eat outside as well. There are usually daily specials but we came for the meats. We ordered some brisket and chicken and sides of mac and cheese and collard greens. Brisket was fall apart amazing. The depth of flavor in it was huge. The chicken wasn't dry at all which I was expecting it to be. It had a bbq flavor that was amazing. The Mac and cheese was a basic one and the collards were a bit spicy. I'd say the only thing that came up short was the corn bread This place is absolutely a place that we will go back to

This photo is my first photo for the cause Everything you see here is legit... I wanna say that barbecue foods are my favorites Do not come here if you do not want to bring your pride down on how barbecue food Gould look like or taste like enuf said... In ready to indulge later guyz

Outstanding service, owner walks around and talks to everyone. Great social skills Food is amazing dry or dripped in sauces. Parking is available. If looking for barbecue this is a must try.

Wow, truly a pleasant surprise. On our way back from FL and dropped by this tiny gem. Brisket was tender and juicy, slaw was the best I had, very refreshing and light, yet flavorful. Owner said they made it with freshly juiced lemonade. Fries good too. The sandwich called the bee sting was really spicy and flavorful, made with freshly picked jalapeños, according to the owner. He also dropped by each guest table to personally see to that the guests are enjoying the food, and asked about how we did discover the place. Quite a savvy business man if you ask me and add a bit personal touch to it. Overall really good experience! I was telling the owner it's a shame this place is not closer or where I'm from lol, else I would be here every week.

Great brisket! The atmosphere was super friendly and both the father and son owners greeted us and made sure that everything was perfect! Their hours of operation are only from 11:00 to 2:00, however as a PRO TIP, call ahead and have them set your specific type of meat aside for you in case they run out... I will definitely be back!!

OMG, finally good BBQ in Fayetteville. I love BBQ, it only comes in two types - edible BBQ and Great BBQ. I find most places in Fayetteville serve passable, edible BBQ. Nothing fantastic, nothing wow, until Fowler's! You really need to stop in give a try, good menu, good BBQ sauces and the staff is always friendly, helpful and focused on customer service. It's an all around great experience from start to end!

This place is amazingly friendly mom and Pop shop type vibe. Your food is so good. it will have you coming in here everyday!! It is not your ordinary barbecue place, it is well-kept. They take real pride in their ingredients. Everything is made to order and is fresh.

Was looking for a caterer. Went into the restaurant to try the food. What can I say? I didn't need to try the food because of the staff and even the guest interactions. Such a nice environment and you can tell people really care about your experience. The menu is " À la carte" so we asked lots of questions to make the best choice. Also this is not just your run of the mill bbq. They do have fries which are fabulous but also the smoked potato salad, broccoli salad, jalapeño slaw, and macaroni and cheese. Be sure to get the brisket! All of the guests interacted with each other asking each other "what did you get?" "Do you come here often?" So yes the food is fabulous! Come early or be prepared to wait. It's worth it! Just a great place that ultimately appreciates their customers! We did book them for our wedding. Such a great experience! Our guests loved it and loved Mr. Fowler!

Amazing food...while supplies last! Weary travelers near and far should come by and visit! This place is quite a masterpiece when it comes to BBQ. In many ways this is a passion project for this group. Burnt ends are the best, they're super smoky and tender. The sauce even blends well with the brisket. Chicken and pulled pork are delectable too, being tender and saucy without being overly salty. Sides are quite a revelation too. Get yourself the beans, Mac and cheese, collard greens and coleslaw. Personally the collard greens were amazing with good flavor and not tasting like brine. Even greater was the coleslaw, which had strong hints of orange in the flavor. Hands down the best coleslaw I ever had bar none! But plan for an early lunch. Things can be in short supply and it does close quite early for a restaurant. Go in with a flexible plan as not everything might be available. Those are it's main demerits. Beyond that, this is really a 5 or even 6 star experience. The food is farm fresh, the drinks are southern sweet and the owner and workers are a hospitable bunch. The owner is very personable and reaches out to everyone. Moreover check out the historical collections on the shelf, the Air Force memorabilia is a plus in adding richness and heritage to this small joint. Worth a visit, put it on the board!

The food here is great. Full of flavor, good portions. we only got sandwiches, pulled pork for me, brisket for husband. Hosband got water and I got small tea. it was $30. Way too pricey for our budget. That being said, Smithfield's is just as good, different flavor, but just as good and for the same amount of money we could have gotten the same thing plus French fries for both of us and a larger tea for me. So, we will continue patron Smithfield's as it is a much better value. Another thing, the dining area is super small and it is so loud we could not hear each other across our table. it was impossible to have a conversation. Reminded me of Texas Roadhouse, but much, much, much, much smaller. Recap, food delicious, atmosphere terrible, poor value for the money, minimal parking.

This place is AMAZING! We were driving through from NY and stopped for some take out. We got poutine fries (the portion size is BIG), brisket sandwich, Pork belly sandwich and 1/2 rack of ribs. I wish we ordered more Bc the food was that fresh and flavorful! Probably top 3 of best BBQ I have every had. The ribs meat was soft and tender. Had a great smoked flavor. The pork belly sandwich was so juicy and crispy! It had a fried tomato and this sauce that was delicious. I'm so Sad this isn't closer to NYC . I will def be driving back to get more! Also note they close at 2 pm, so time it properly.

Absolutely outstanding. I usually don't care for NC BBQ, but they blew it out of the water. We had a catered event and some miscommunication happened in regards to pick up. They were unaware of our catering but once we produced the invoice they immediately went to work despite how busy it was! The event went off without any other incident and we had zero leftovers. Awesome and responsible staff, and the food was amazing. Will definitely be back and I see why they had a line out the door!

Angry Hawaiian with pulled chicken sandwich. What a killer combo of flavors!! The best tasting meal I have had in a long time. I ate here before returning to Hawaii. If you are ever near this place it is a must visit.

I have been here 3 times and eat time they are out of brisket. Not sure why they won't make more but this place is open 12 hours a week. Honestly this place should just close. They have a cashier that seems to have one and a half brain cells total and yet the other employees don't step in to move things along when the line is long. Nothing like waiting for twenty minutes in line to be told they are OUT of brisket. Ever think of putting up a sign on your front door. Just close, this place is completely unprofessional.

Smack ya mom!! This place is 100% authentic and great. Mr.Fowler has been running this business the right way by using local pork and beef... Meat is prepped and cooked only hours before and the restaurant is only open from 11-2 so make sure you plan accordingly and get here early! Several made from scratch items on the menu as well. If Texas style BBQ is what you like , this is your place! You won't be disappointed AT ALL! Feel free, check them out and head on out to see them!!

This is definitely a great spot if you have a taste for some southern BBQ. I had their famous brisket burger and it was

I've heard the burnt ends were the best thing to try here. The barbecue was great not many complaints. The place is just too small and the parking is terrible. These are the main reasons I avoid coming back. Hard to get noticed by staff and even harder to avoid someone hitting you in the parking lot.

This was my 1st visit and it won't be my last. Old school smoked barbecue with inventive sides. I had the ribs because they were on special. Just the right amount of smoke, tender but with enough bite left to be able to pull it off and not have it just fall off. Potato salad was a winner as were the collards. I do like my collards chopped more, a personal preference. But they were seasoned just right, not salty nor greasy. It is counter service and everybody super pleasant. The owner spoke to me and asked how I was enjoying the food. Winner!!

Talk about a best kept secret. Took a client here to lunch today, found this place here on Yelp. Holy cow was the food amazing! I ate this Philly cheesesteak brisket sandwich, and it was life changing. The ketchup is home made, the family's third generation recipe. All the food is prepped to order, and I don't think there is an artificial ingredient to be found. I never thought I'd say that I can't wait to come back to Fayetteville, just for this place.

There is nothing to complain about at this restaurant!! The staff is super friendly, I have never had a bad experience with any meal, and all of the items on the menu are super delicious. And if you are lucky enough to be there when the owner is there, you get an awesome show on the side with all of his jokes!! Love this place and recommend to anyone who loves BBQ. But you get their early some items will sell out FAST!!

Not bad, but waaaay overpriced, especially given the sizes of the portions. I've eaten BBQ my whole life and have never paid $15 for a pork sandwich/fries. Meat didn't taste like it was smoked. Fries very good. The vinegar sauce is great. I would've given 3 stars but the crazy prices cost em a star.

My wife and I found this spot on trip through NC. The pulled pork, macaroni n cheese, collards were exceptional. The cornbread with a honey butter brushed across was a real treat and unique to us. Also unique was a soda fountain that wasn't coke or Pepsi, but old fashioned flavors of birch beer, black cherry, cream soda, and cola. I tried and loved all; brought back great memories... Tight seating when busy and takeout line adds to the crowd, but clean friendly and delicious.

Great smoked meat! Cozy restaurant with relaxed atmosphere. Very good customer service as well!

Really, really great experience. My wife and I had the pulled pork sandwiches with flies on the side. The pork was cooked perfectly , with the buns toasted just a little. The kids had the Cluck Norris", a Buffalo chicken sandwich which they both loved. The owner, Wade, was very nice and hospitable. He makes a blueberry hot sauce from berries picked from his yard. I'd never had blueberry hot sauce before, let alone homemade. Though I presume that is the only kind! It was fun, tasty and hot! The place is easy to get to but a bit out of the way. Plenty of parking. Nice, shaded seating in front for a real BBQ experience. And all the facilities were updated and clean. A great, fun and friendly place!

Great bbq here in Fayetteville!! You have to get there at the right time to have all the options. Chicken is delicious!!

The food here is fantastic! Authentic, fresh, and delicious. The service was friendly and fast. Highly recommend!

A Fayetteville treat! Get there early before they run out! You know it's good if they are only open for lunch & run out daily! As good as you will find. Make sure I go every time I visit Fayetteville.

So delicious. The brisket was melt in your mouth tender and perfectly flavorful. Huge portion of fries big enough for three, but you may not want to share. The owner came around to all the tables, checking on people, telling stories, and just offering up his positive attitude. I'll definitely be going back!

Amazing bbq and friendly staff. The owner is the sweetest. We went here for lunch and brought our puppy along. The owner was nice enough to bring her some water and visited with us for a bit. The food was AMAZING. It's our new go-to bbq place. Highly recommend the Angry Hawaiian sandwich.

First time there. Owner is super nice. Food was good Didn't like their sodas Coke or Pepsi fountain would have been preferred

So I must have gotten the cornbread on a bad day or something before. Today it was quite tasty as were the ribs (fall off the bone) and the mac and cheese. I can't wait to finish this off for dinner tonight!

This place is absolutely amazing. Staff is super friendly, and the food is absolutely delicious. The moment you open the door you're hit with the amazing aroma and you're thinking "yeah this could be good". Then you try the food and you'll think "oh my goodness! " We had the full rack of ribs, side of fries and slaw, KC Burger (brisket, provolone, & homemade onion ring!!!! ), and the Old Fashioned burger (pulled pork and slaw). They'll have their alcohol license soon and will be serving craft beers! MUST TRY.

this small, local BBQ restaurant is excellent. We found it while driving through Fayetteville and are so glad we stopped. the brisket is fabulous, as was the regular pulled pork sandwich. Everything there is made fresh, from the delicious fries to the sodas. i highly recommend. The outdoor patio is dog friendly, which was a nice bonus.

Oh wow. Just.....wow. I've never had Fowler's before because I'm allergic to the world, but I came in on a day when they had brisket burgers and I knew that I had to try one. I don't know if I've said this yet, but....wow. It was by far the BEST burger that I've ever had. Do I eat out much? No, but I assure you that I'm a connoisseur of a hamburger, and this one was the best. Period. I feel dumb for not taking a picture. The next time.

Great food and service! We arrived shortly after they opened and they were already packed. The Briquet burger was delicious. Wish they were open more days and longer hours though. Also wish they did the burnt ends on the weekend.

Amazing BBQ! Definitely make the trip to enjoy some Carolina BBQ and tasty sides!!!!!

I've eaten a lot of BBQ in my life, and I mean A LOT of BBQ. Fowler's is easily in my top 3. The burnt ends are to die for. I'm talking, meat candy. The pork and chicken are also delicious. The vinegar bbq sauce and the pork is the perfect combo. I also loved the baked bean. Really thick, a little spicy, a little sweet. Mac and cheese is also pretty dang good. Only thing that didn't hit the mark was the coleslaw. I'll be back soon to try the collards and ribs.

Everything about this place is amazing! The food is good, the people are so nice and you feel so welcome as soon as you walk in.