Ole Time Barbecue

Wow, what a hidden gem! The outside don’t look much and parking is a little bit tight but definitely worth it. Only because of the great reviews and my love for bbq, we decided to this place a try. Great bbq, collard greens, mac & cheese and hush puppies. Good quick service all at a fair price. I will be back when I’m in the area.

Loved it as a cultural experience. Funny signs and bumper stickers on the wall, friendly counter staff. VERY helpful kitchen staff who hand-wrapped four buns for us to put pork and sauce on later. The vinegar-based barbecue sauce was flavorful and I’d say the assembled sandwiches were good not great—but that may be because I’m used to a sweeter bbq sauce. Good experience.

Loved grabbing lunch here! If you want some old school Carolina BBQ ~ this is the place. I had the BBQ pork sandwich with fries and everyone gets hush puppies. Awesome Barbecue sauce!

Great people here. Hush puppies were phenomenal! Mac & Cheese wasn't anything special but the baked beans made up for it. That's a lot of food for $12!!!

Great BBQ. Awesome staff. Good place to go for some southern comfort food. A++

This was my first time eating here after being in NC for almost 30 years. From the outside it doesn’t look appealing so I never had the desire to come. I was craving BBQ last week and I decided to google places and I noticed the reviews were good for this place so I met a friend there. The best part about this place was the complimentary hush puppies which were fresh, hot and delicious. My friend and I ate 3 baskets lol. We both ordered the special of the day which was $10.99. The special was beef tips in gravy over white rice & 2 sides. For my 2 sides I got the Mac & cheese & mashed potatoes with gravy. Nothing in that plate was good at all. I was full from the hush puppies so I only tried all of the food and took the rest to go. I tried eating it the next day and it was still terrible. The waitress and staff were extremely friendly and kind but the dish I ordered wasn’t good at all. I was highly disappointed with the food. The hush puppies were amazing though. I won’t ever be back but I’m glad I tried it. The parking lot is small and not easy to park especially if you have a large vehicle. I would carpool if going as a group.

Please give a big THANK YOU to the lady behind the register today at 1:20pm ish. She instinctively recognized the deer in the headlight look on my face, asked all the correct questions to place my order and pay, then get us out of the way so business could keep flowing. She was AWESOME!! My order was perfect. Perfect ratio of port to slaw, perfect fried okra, perfect call asking if 2 hot sauces is good because, it was. No waste! Happy New Year!!

Always a wonderful meal. Lovely people, great atmosphere. It is small on the inside so is occasionally a wait. I wish their Brunswick stew was still a normal side but everything else is delicious. The tea is good too.

yum! on the way to RDU and wanted some BBQ. the food was delicious, and the service was wonderful. when we first sat down, we got a basket of steaming hot hush puppies. my husband got the pork sandwich platter with fried okra and mac and cheese. i got just the sandwich. there was so much meat on the sandwich i could hardly eat it all. mac and cheese was creamy and rich; okra was hot and flavorful. so glad we stopped at ole tyne barbecue!

This place has some GREAT food. Everything I've tried has been well seasoned and cooked. Recommend to everyone

I had a quick trip in NC. Down to my last 2 hours before a flight out. I searched for BBQ near the airport and found Ole Time Barbecue. Cute neighborhood place. I sat at the counter. It was Pulled Pork Taco Tuesday that came with Mexican Corn and started with a basket of hot hush puppies. I got what I came for... very welcoming from the moment I walked in, excellent food, excellent service, and good conversation. I asked for the recipe to make the Mexican Corn, it was that good. (I didn't get it though. Apparently it's a secret) I would recommend Ole Time Barbecue.

Came here with friends and love it! We got food to go, I ordered a chicken pastry, one of my friends had bbq ribs and the other had bbq. The cole slaw was 1/2 vinegar and mayo based, the Brunswick stew was 5/5 in my opinion. The only thing that threw us off is it didn't come with any bbq sauce , (BYOB? -bring your own bbq?) I'm sure we had to ask for it but we didn't think to ask for it at the time, so unfortunately it could've made the experience better for us. Cute, little place, we paid $45 for everything pictured.

I have come here several times and always had good, fast service and great food. A family run business. This is a very small diner so it's best to come at a non traditional time. They have a few tables and some stools at the counter. Decor is all pigs! Even in the clean bathroom! They have pork and chicken bbq but have other offerings too. A daily special every day during the week except Wednesday. Monday special is the meatloaf with 2 sides. I just about fell off the stool when she sat the plate down. A huge piece of meatloaf! This will be 3 meals for me!!! It was very good, as were the green beans and mashed potatoes. Even if you don't like hush puppies, try these. They are delicious and come to you even before you order. Sweet tea is fresh and reasonably priced. They have homemade desserts too! This will be a regular stop for me since I just moved closer.

Awesome food, great service, terrific value. What's not to love?? We loved the BBQ chicken, baked beans, hush puppies and bbq pork. The staff was super friendly and accomodating. We'll be back!

Fabulous staff, friendly, very welcoming. 10 out of 10. The food 10 out of 10, place reminds me of a type of restaurant on DRIVE INNS, DINNERS AND DIVES YUMMMMM

This has some good BBQ. I was at Wakefield park for the TST soccer tournament. It's right by the soccer fields. We love Ole times pork bbq plater. The fried okra is so good! Check this place out. The girls working are great!

First, everyone working here is ridiculously nice and friendly!!! I'm visiting from Seattle and originally from NY so this type of hospitality is hard to come by these days. It's a very quaint and cozy diner style restaurant. Some booths and a small bar with stool seating. I was here for eastern style NC BBQ, chopped pork! I had the pork plate with mac and cheese and beans. The beans were AMAZING!! Mac was nice and creamy. For me, the vinegar based pork was good but I believe I'm more of a sweet sauce bbq guy, that being said the meat was juicy and delicious. And all meals come with a side of hush puppies that were hot and fresh, sweet and cake like, loved them. I'd highly recommend stopping in if you're in town, jealous of the locals who get to eat here all the time!

Came here for dinner recently during my tour of Research Triangle BBQ spots and really enjoyed my meal :) First, the restaurant is pretty small, and there's not a ton of parking outside. I came at kind of a weird time so I did manage to find a parking spot though. I had ordered my food to-go via the phone a few minutes before, and it was ready promptly when I arrived, so that was nice. I got the BBQ pork plate, while my wife got the fried chicken plate (with dark meat!). First, my sides were delicious - I really enjoyed my boiled cabbage and mashed potatoes. The pork wasn't bad but maybe not my favorite in the area. My wife loved her fried chicken and sides, so I'm maybe boosting the rating a bit because of that. Overall, I enjoyed my meal and would definitely give this place another try!

This is our favorite BBQ joint near home. Prices are right. Classic NC vibe inside. Service is always great. BBQ, hush puppies, and all the sides we've tried have been very good. ...and of course the sweet tea is a must. We've also served OTB fare to the contractors working on our house as a treat and no surprise that they loved it too : )

Went for lunch the other day and had a nice BBQ and slaw trey and hush puppies. Sat at the bar and had incredible service. If you like BBQ stop in and give it a try.

The barbecue is decent, the sides are decent, and the service is fine. Very basic flavor.

Ahhhhhhmaxing food and service!! We had hush won our table within minutes of arriving! We wanted to try everything- our sweet server helped us with a combo that allowed us to try everything we wanted. 1/4 rack of St Louis rib, BBQ pork with a side of Brunswick stew and a side of Chicken Pastie. We are bug eaters and we were stuffed. The sauces are perfect companions. Friendly and attentive employees that greeted us with a smile and warm welcome. Super quaint dining room with antiques and cute memorabilia. We will be back next time we fly in or out of Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU) or are staying in the area

Just the type of meal that I was looking for! Everything tasted amazing & reminded me so much of my childhood. The staff & service were excellent. Next time I visit home I've sure to stop there again.

This is one of those places that you drive by and always see packed and wonder to yourself if it really is that good. I'm here to say, yes it is that good. If you are looking for some true North Carolina barbecue with all the fixings? This is it. The space is small so expect a wait of you want to sit but they do take out, so that's an option if you are in a rush. The hush puppies are what dreams are made of...you will not be able to stop eating them, so come with an empty belly. The coleslaw is tasty and not too wet. They have all your normal southern sides: okra, Mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, beans. Our group tried them all and gave a hearty thumbs up.

Ole Time Barbecue serves up great food in Raleigh! My husband and I stopped by for lunch, and it was relatively busy. Luckily, we didn't wait too long to be seated. The interior is like a cozy American diner with a lot of interesting knick-knacks and pictures from throughout the years. The service was quick and friendly. We ordered the BBQ Pork Plate and the Fried Chicken Plate, both of which come with two sides and hush puppies! That's already a generous amount for a great price in my opinion. We thoroughly enjoyed our meals and left feeling full and satisfied. All in all, I'd definitely recommend checking this place out!

We were looking for a good place to eat while visiting the area and decided on Ole Time Barbecue. We pulled into the parking lot and realized just how small of a place it is. We stepped inside and were immediately greeted by a woman with menus. We took a seat at a booth and she took our drink orders and brought us a complimentary basket of hush puppies. We looked over the menu and my wife decided to order the 1/4 fried chicken with green beans and coleslaw. I ordered the BBQ pork sandwich plate with green beans and mac-n-cheese. As we waited for our food my wife used the restroom and commented on how clean the little place was. It is decorated simply and appears to be well taken care of. Our food arrived and looked yummy. I tried the barbecue sauce but found it to vinegary for my taste. My wife tried their hot sauce and thought it was good. Our opinions on the food: The fried chicken was crispy on the outside but lacked flavor and was a bit dry. The green beans while cooked with bacon, which we love, but also lacked flavor. The coleslaw was very good. The chopped pork sandwich was just okay because I couldn't find a sauce I liked. The Mac-n-cheese was also just okay. The service was great but this just isn't a barbecue stop that we loved.

Wow, what a winner. I can only say great things about Ole Time Barbecue because they are Great. We haven't been here in years and had fond memories of it but couldn't remember their name. Finally dug it up on the way into Raleigh. So glad we did. Best bbq pork in the Raleigh area that we have had over the past few years. Soft swishing bun with a huge mound of perfectly chopped pork. And then there were the hush puppies....to die for. Service was great loved the locals atmosphere. Highly recommend. And can't wait to return.

Totally awesome old school place. Sat at the counter and talked to regular customers on both sides. Great food and service. They give you a complimentary basket of the best hush puppies. Minutes from RDU.

Very good old quaint BBQ place ! These amazing sweet hush puppies come with your meal ahead of time. Service is great and it's a nice old timey feel inside. Gets busy and not a lot of seats so come before or after peak times if possible.

Now this was a 5 star place! No frills but I Love, love, loved it! They provided complimentary hush puppies which were scrumptious. The BBQ itself was great Carolina BBQ. Very flavorful, & moist. I also tried the macaroni & fried okra which were both great! I wish I tried the peach cobbler but I was too full at the time. The price was excellent too. They even offered a student discount! 2 meals ended up being just short of $20! The one & only bad thing I can say is when I went to the bathroom, they actually cleared off my table & threw away my to go box that I was saving for lunch the next day. So I guess you can say they're efficient but it was still really disappointing lol.

Service | Chicken | Atmosphere Service: the service was southern hospitality at its finest. The waitresses were super nice with a good amount of gentle rubbing of the table that had a certain charm to it and made everyone feel at home. Chicken: I had the bbq chicken plate which was pretty perfect for a substantial meal that is filling but not overwhelming. The chicken is tender with the bone in so you can pick it up and eat it with your hands. You can also use a fork and knife. Atmosphere: the ambiance is classic quaint southern hospitality. There are 8 booth that fit 4-6 each and a bar that fits 6-8 people. So, it is a pretty small spot but it is worth the wait if you want classic North Carolina bbq from an authentic family establishment. Pro tip: it is close to the soccer complex. Therefore, make sure there isn't a game/tournament that day or there will be a big wait.

We ordered 1/2 a fried chicken with some BBQ and sides 90 minutes ahead. I arrived on time. My order wasn't ready. Five minutes later as they were putting my order together, they discovered that they didn't have any dark meat for my 1/2 chicken ready. She explained that it would take 7 minutes if I wanted to wait or that they would give extra white meat. Since I was already 10 minutes behind, I said okay to that. When you order 90 minutes ahead of time, there is no excuse for any of this. I will not be back.

I can't believe I have never reviewed this place! I've been here so many times and always had great food and service. The place is tiny so you sometimes have to wait for a table, but usually not for long. The waitresses are super efficient, hurrying to get everyone seated and quick to bring you drinks and hush puppies, and always sweet. I'm gluten free but husband says these are some of the best hush puppies he has ever had. If I'm there for lunch I typically order the large barbecue plate with two sides. Collards are solid and French fries are typical but always cooked perfectly. Brunswick stew and baked beans are good, too. But the standout is the pork. It is always lean but moist, just how I like it. This is also a great place for breakfast. Definitely recommend!

A great find!! Very clean outside, curb appeal inviting. We ran in; due to the rain we were welcomed right away "YES" it was going to be a quick order and go, but Mother Nature opened the flood gates LOL! Sooooo..We sat down and enjoyed our delicious meal, hush puppies ME: BBQ sandwich with fries, hubby: BBQ sandwich and a red hot dog with non other than a ice cold Pepsi. Well after I licked my finger of BBQ sauce and drank half if hubby's Pepsi, I can tell you 2 thumbs UP, tell a friend. It was definitely delicious. If I had to offer any (hard to do!) cretinism maybe warm the hotdog bun on the grill. Loved my 1st experience here

Great bbq joint. Just as it should be. Nothing fancy, just really good bbq. The pork is seasoned well. Have 2 sauce options. Great place to stop and get a good meal.

The best place I ate at in NC The team was friendly and super on it Will recommend to anyone visiting NC

We have worked with OTB several times for catering events at work. Charlotte and Ben are wonderful to work with and the food is outstanding! Most recently we had the full pig-pickin' catered lunch, including fried chicken and delicious sides. The on-site OTB crew was on top of everything and managed 125+ folks coming through the line with ease. The meal was a huge hit, not only with our local team but also with the visitors from Shanghai, Germany and the West Coast. If you're looking for a great experience with catering for your next event, these folks are the ones to work with.

Been going here for years. Love it! Miss the fried apple sticks they used to have, but that's not going to keep me from coming back again and again

Stopped here on a recommendation from a good friend who lived here years ago. Great atmosphere! Old-time diner. Had to wait a couple minutes to get a seat at the bar. Delicious food, great service. Made friends with a young waitress named Emma who noticed our Jeep. She got a Jeep for her birthday. We traded ducks. Will be back next year and again will be there! Great barbecue and the hush puppies were the cherry on top.

Ordered ToGo, and the half BBQ chicken was absolutely fantastic. Okra needed a little of the salt they're putting in the pastry though. Stew, Mac, mash, and pulled pork also really. That chicken is just something else in the best of ways.

A return visit after 15+ years.. still wonderful food and great family service. So happy to see this business thriving

Let me preface this by saying I am not a BBQ expert or connoisseur, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ribs and hush puppies here - the food and the ambience are super comforting and you definitely get that small town feel. Now on to the reason I am writing this review. I came here with my parents, who are both getting up there in years. Not to get too deep into specifics but my dad can be difficult to deal with, and can sometimes be pretty haughty and condescending, which is never pleasant for anyone involved. He also likes to think he's a veteran, but he barely served. At one point our waitress asks if he was a veteran and he said yes (ugh), and he got all huffy and acted like he was the sh*t. Let me tell you this waitress handled him LIKE A CHAMP. She called him out on his attitude- it turns out SHE had served in the Army, and she dressed him down in a magnificent combination of friendliness and scorching, relentless remarks. She was SHARP. My mom and I could not contain our laughter and my dad was speechless. And then after he was sufficiently humbled she dropped the mic and gave us free desserts. He couldn't even be angry, she was so funny and on point. So let me just say that this lady is a goddess and I am forever grateful to her for handling him with such finesse and grace. I'm sorry that I didn't get her name, otherwise I'd call it out here. But she's won my business and I'll recommend this place to anyone, not just for the food, but for the amazing, down to earth, hilarious staff. Thank you!

It's overrated for what they have. Word of mouth from customers who go there for years. There are othet bbcue places that put this place to shame.

Atmosphere is authentic, down to earth and friendly. Service is great- no complaints. They have some of the best eastern NC barbecue in the triangle. Cole slaw is perfection, banana pudding has just enough sweetness and vanilla wafers.

Excellent Eastern Carolina barbecue. Chopped pork is smoked to perfection! Sides are fire. And the desserts are phenomenal! Y'all gotta ask for the bread pudding!

Excellent BBQ! Atmosphere was so cozy and staff very friendly. Looking forward to going back.

I had this restaurant cater an event at my business. It was 17lbs of pulled pork. The food was delivered to my place with excellent containers and utensils. I read some stupid reviews on here but all the bbq companies have some of those and I didn't know what to expect. What did I get? Holy God! This bbq was the best NC BBQ I have ever had in my life. I am not exaggerating. ALL of my customers raved about it. I didn't even need sauce for it. Delicious flavor. Moist pulled pork. I will Use this restaurant again.

Visiting family and they raves about this place and it was really good. The staff was very friendly and the food was amazing. I will be back before we leave.

I don't love the parking arrangement, but people make it work. This is a very curious spot. Drive by enough times and you'll find yourself wanting to try them out. The experience is a very Southern one, without putting on any airs. This city boy has been here half a dozen times. I'm often down for good veggies, so I stop here for a couple sides and some meat. Sometimes it's hot dogs, other times it's bbq. The veggies are old school and like homemade. The dogs have great buns with body and good meat. The pulled pork sandwiches are fine. Service can be aloof or friendly, but never grouchy. Nothing is expensive except the ribs. It's a good spot that covers my needs.

Delivered lunch today, a big serving of fried chicken. Nicely battered, not greasy, very meaty. A little messy and I hope my work mates excuse the wonderful smell of fried chicken because it was strong. I did have ONE of the hugh puppies and it was quite moist. Yummy. Other sides include the cole slaw (creamy, tasty) and the steamed cabbage that was delicious. Oh, I would have this again for sure. [Review 12154 overall, 1938 of 2019.]

I was down in Cary/Raleigh, NC for a wedding....Had afternoon/lunch time to myself and wanted to find a local joint to try. Google maps search for local restaurants around me showed this place close by....Drove up, outside feel had me excited, and entering even more so, a very quaint place, with history you could feel by the decor and layout. You could just tell this was a favored place for local patrons. Looking at the menu, I asked about Brunswick Stew as I have never tried. Upon explanation I decided to try the BBQ Pork, Brunswick Stew, Green Beans and Fried Okra....They throw in a few finger type hush puppies. They asked if I wanted mild or spicy BBQ sauce, I said one of each to try please. Upon returning to the hotel I ate a few of the hush puppies on the way, very good flavor imo. Unfortunately, upon getting back to my room and opening the container, the look of the BBQ Pork looked like mush, very over shredded from what I was expecting. The taste....not good, very bland with not a lot of flavor, and the two types of "BBQ Sauce" were watery and lacked BBQ flavor imo, for a few minutes I actually wondered if they put shredded chicken in by accident.... The fried Okra was good, the Green Beans very good. The Brunswick stew was good as well, but with nothing to compare it too I can't say if it's a good "Brunswick Stew" or not. Bottom line, majorly disappointed in the BBQ Pork flavor. I like BBQ Pork that's shredded into larger chunks of pork, not to the point of being mush. There was also zero smoked flavoring, like they just cooked it in an oven. I would not go back to this place again. Maybe this is a type of "BBQ Pork" some people like (bland), but it definitely isn't for me.

I heard so much about bbq in the Carolinas that I needed try it. Ole Time Barbecue was the one that I found on Yelp while driving 80 mph as I was approaching Raleigh Durham area. Service was great. The waitress who took my order knew that I was a visitor and recommended that we try their pulled pork and fried chicken. The fried chicken was good. My wife and daughter liked it. It was nice, crunchy and had a good flavor. The pulled pork was kind of bland. It was like chopped up pork. Maybe I should've tried the ribs. One customer told me that bbq sauce was not required. I thought their bbq sauce helped it. Their portions were big. The sides were good. The hush puppies were oblong. The Brunswick stew was nice and flavorful. It was a popular place with lots of people. Maybe it was me, but, I was not a fan of this kind of bbq. I prefer Texas bbq over Carolina bbq pulled pork.

No frills, family fun and a solid good meal. Did I mention the hush puppy's? If you are looking for a good ole home town joint this is it. Food was sooo tasty I had trouble deciding on my piggie sandwich. While I am not a fan of vinegar based saUces, there's we're pretty good. Why Texas sweet? Nothing sweet about Texas sauces. The spicy should be texas heat. This faux pas aside, I'll be back. Chicken next time.

Stopped off into this authentic NC BBQ and was very happy. Ordered the pork plate which I'm told is the most popular dish in the house. Pork was nicely cooked and very moist. Had a side of okra and coleslaw with it. No complaints here and I'll be back in the future

Amazing food! Never disappoints! I Recommend to try their hush puppies they're amazinggg!!

Excellent service. Excellent food, best authentic NC BBQ in the triangle. Highly recommend, seating can be tight but it is well worth it.

Went to Ole Time Barbecue before a concert in raleigh. The staff is small but extremely friendly. The lady in charge ensured they lived up to their motto of never ending iced tea- great service. Iced tea fresh and clear. The food was excellent. With my condition I could only finish about a third of my 1/2 rack of ribs and BBQ plate, and basically had three meals off that order! Hushpuppies were excellent. My wife thought her BBQ was great as well. Best ribs I have had outside of Robinsons Ribs in Oak Park IL. Incredible stream of folks from all walks of life coming in for take out, home delivery, and eat in, so folks clearly like this place! The ambiance is truly old time neighborhood and easy to settle into. Both their sweet and hot sauces were great. I did favor the sweet.