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.
thepulledpork 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.

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 thepulledchicken 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 anypulledpork, 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.

try thepulledpork... 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 bestpulledpork 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 thepulledpork 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.

really good!. might be best ribs this northern boy has had! bit pricy but very large portions. i liked must better over thepulledpork and brisket. hush puppies ok...but don't forget the okra.

there's better, especially the pork. came here for the pork barbecue, which is identified as smoked pork butt - hum, a hint, perhaps the aforementioned smoked pork butt is shredded, not chopped - falling into the definition ofpulledpork, or in this case -pulledsmoked pork butt.

it comes out of the kitchen very lightly sauced, close to dry, and with out the pork barbecue taste that i favor. there is a hint of smokiness, which i guess comes from a combination of hickory and mesquite wood that is used here. the vinegar based sauce helped some, but to me this is just ordinary pork barbecue, and is not a version i would seek out again. sandwich, with 3 or 4 hush puppies and a side, goes for $5.95

the slaw was more like a salad than the slaw normally associated with pork barbecue, at least in north carolina - a touch sweet, not to my liking. the fries here might be quite good, but my order was under done. the hush puppies were nice. the brisket was very good, but the plate is a little pricey at $10.95 - regular brisket plate at smokey's bbq shack in morrisville is $8.89 with hush puppies and 2 sides. ribs were also just ok.

botom line, nothing really special here, at least not for my taste. it seems that most barbecue joints that offer multiple smoked meat choices rarely offer a good chopped pork product.

when you can't be in texas. tired of carolina "barbecue"?pulledpork with acetic acid not your style? been a long time since you visited fredericksburg or "the county line" on the hill in austin? well, this is your place for beef brisket and sweet texas bbq sauce. the lone stars and armadillos in the decor, not to mention the shiner bock, will make you feel at home!

goodpulledmeats. ate here for lunch today and tried thepulledpork andpulledchicken, both smoked. the bbq isn't nc eastern which i prefer but its still shredded and tasty. its a lot like the bbq at tyler's taproom which i consider to be more yankee friendly than the authentic nc chopped bbq in vinegar based sauces. my sides were good; especially the tater salad which is mayo based instead of mustard based with the skins still on. chicken was good but not much different than the pork in taste. cool restaurant and decor, outdoor seating and they serve beer; including local favs from big boss.