original q shack

i love bbq. i try to find out the best local bbq spots everywhere i travel. sometimes they live up to the hype - sometimes they don't

the q lived up to the hype and satisfied this jaded bbq lover. when you walk in the smokey smell excites your senses and you just know it will be good.
the pulled pork was exceptional as was the brisket. the sauce was more of the texas style than traditional north carolina but as i was wiping it off my chin i did not seem to care.
i still don't get the hush puppies that are served here in north carolina with bbq but they were crunchy and had a great flavor too.

so yeah, one can't go back to nc without having some bbq. though to be honest, this time around i really wanted someplace totally different from all the ones i'd been to before over the years. this is where the internet comes in handy so i can search and see what is around and see pictures to get a sense of what they may be serving. it was how i stumbled upon the original q shack.

the two pints come only from the creamed spinach. my pork plate with a drink was $12. neither of their two sauces were good, rather gross. the hush puppies were sweet. that's not a good thing. who puts sugar in cornbread? aren't we in the south? baked beans were horrible evidently old and reheated. beans tasted more like cheap chili. had the pork even been moderately flavorful the bbq sauce wouldn't have been an issue. first and last stop here.

great bbq.

great bbq.

great bbq.

best in durham.

ok, got that out of the way... qshack has recently been raising prices. today i had lunch there and got the brisket plate with spinach, green beans and a pepsi - no bread or hush puppies. i paid $15.52.

i'll be on hiatus until prices get under control. i used to eat here for under $10 in the not so distant past.

great bbq.

great bbq.

great bbq.

best in durham.

the ribs were actually quite good. the original q shack serves spare ribs, pre-cut and lightly glazed. they were cooked almost perfectly – tender but not falling off the bone, with a good combination of sauce and a dry rub taste. this is the meat i would recommend and would have if i ever find myself back.

not bad, i'm from kansas city and i know my q. the food is fine, and their brisket is in fact quite good. curiously i would classify their style as having clear texas influences rather than carolina. my one major critique is that this place is way over priced for what you get, but i assume this because they are one of the only bbq place in town. i do have to give these guys props for hanging gates and arthur bryant's hats on their wall. get a plate with chopped brisket, beans, slaw, and if your really hungry and will to pay extra a couple ribs.

service. prices are incorrect on the website. they would not honor the pricing. not good business. okra was soggy. hush puppies soggy too! ribs were the best.

chilies seasoning over used. based on the reviews my wife and i recently drove over 45 minutes one-way to give the original q shack a try for lunch. the place was hopping - finding a parking space was a challenge. inside it was so loud that we had a hard time ordering because we couldn't communicate with the staff. there was no inside seating available due to the number of customers, but we did find a picnic table out on the partially enclosed patio.

the food was all piping hot and fresh. i had the brisket sandwich my wife ordered the pulled chicken sandwich. we both had the baked beans. the brisket was excellent. the problem is that they use a particular blend of chilies and everything has that blend used in abundance. the baked beans were so strongly flavored with chilies seasoning i could hardly eat them. my wife could not eat them. the chilies blend used to season everything was not excessively hot - it was just that the flavor was not appealing to us.

won't matter to some, but for soft drinks they serve only pepsi products.

apparently the blend of chilies seasoning they use in everything is popular with some folks, but not us and we won't be back.

dropped in when i was in the neighborhood today and was really happy i did. being located in the nc bbq dmz, durham is in the headwaters of eastern style, an hour east of lexington and far from the thick tomato western style, i had no clue what to expect.

ordered a combo plate of brisket, ribs, and smoked sausage along with sides of creamed spinach and mac and cheese. just offering sausage is almost a novelty in nc, but to learn that it is straight outta texas and not available at a big box stores was a real treat. i highly recommend it! the brisket was smoked well and had a little rub on it, well done for a restaurant. but the star of the meat show were the ribs. while overdone by my standards, they were the cliche fall off the bone perfection that most people want. the combination of the rub, sauce and hickory smoke were about the best ribs i've had at a restaurant. the weatern-ish sauce is very well done, sweet and savory. the sides were a little unconventional, but very well done. the m&c is certainly homemade, was perfectly done and super cheesy and had an abundance of black pepper, which i really enjoyed, however some may not. the creamed spinach was excellent although certainly non traditional in a bbq joint.

lastly the hush puppies were very good and when combined with the western sauce almost evaporated once they were uncovered.

i recognize that i am raving about a bbq shack in nc and didnt try any pulled pork, but to my defense, when the other meat is so well done, maybe next time i will try one of the many other protein treats, but i can assure you the ribs and sausage will be on my plate.

this sandwich brings blt to the next level and had me thinking blt stood for belongs in my tummy...

outstanding food. unbelievable urbanspoon doesn't remove insane handicapped whine. this is a food site not for crybabies!

try the pulled pork... it's a relaxed spot for good barbecue with family and friends.

went back for a 2nd visit. after hitting several other noteworthy bbq places i can reaffirm this place has the best pulled pork by far and their sides are several levels above everybody else. sure the parking is tough but not if you are flexible about when you go. like dont go at noon friday! the menu variety here is tremendous and the quality of the food is high.


-----14 may, 2013-----

don't go just for the q! the sides are great. wouldn't mind an all sides plate. creamed spinach best i've ever had onion rings better than average. hush puppies good. had the pulled pork and will try brisket next. intriguing specials too like pimento/bacon sandwich also, a nice modern and clean indoor area and covered outdoor seating. i'm going back for sure.

the manger dan rowland has refused requests to provide handicapped parking at this location. the lot was recently paved to make more room for more spaces. all the handicapped spaces were removed, it has been this way since at least 5/31/2013. i contacted dan and was told the location is too busy to reserve parking for anyone. you lost my business and i hope others feel the same way. your lack of concern for your customers is beyond belief! eat some where else in durham! after speaking with dan ferguson (the owner) i can see why i was treated this way. how does the owner of a business not realize you have no handicapped parking. really?

i have always enjoyed the food but the parking is terrible. i parked across the street like i usually have to do and ran in to pick up my food. when i came out i had a boot on my car and had to pay $125 to have it removed. i've driven past several times and will usually see 2-4 cars with a boot. sadly, i will no longer be going to q-shack until they expand their parking or resolve this issue with neighboring businesses.